When the Jacksonville Jaguars kick off their 2022 season against the Washington Commanders on Sunday, the team’s road to redemption will officially begin. The last two years have been entirely unproductive for the franchise, and after their huge investments in an elite coaching staff to pair with the high-end talent they possess on both sides of the ball, winning is expected to be the new norm in Duval County.
In his first year at the helm of the Jaguars, head coach Doug Pederson knows all too well what he is up against to turn the team’s fortunes around. His experience in bringing the Philadelphia Eagles their first Super Bowl victory after the failed Chip Kelly era will be indispensable to Jacksonville as they look to fix their culture and on-field product this season.
Pederson spoke to the media on Monday about what it would take to see the Jaguars’ rebuild through, and the faith he has in the current roster to take the franchise to new heights. To Pederson, it seems that the simplest solutions will pay the biggest dividends in the long term. He told reporters that his team is ready to play, and has a good sense of what it will take to achieve a winning record in 2022.
“[The] guys know what this week and really everything beyond this point really means,” Pederson explained. “Last week was just a matter of cleaning up the roster a little bit and adding some new additions, finalizing the practice squad, and all that stuff, and now we’re into game week. Every little thing we do matters, every little thing, how they take care of themselves away from the building and prepare themselves.
“It’s a good group, I think, that will handle it well. They can eliminate some distractions around them and just focus on ball, at least while they’re here. I think it’s important, too, that we are practicing, and it’s warm weather, and how they take care of themselves.”
Nothing Pederson said involved anything more than simple expectations for the professional athletes he and his staff have hand-picked to play in their system. Intensive preparation, the elimination of distraction, and acute attention to the finest details are a far cry from the 2021 Jaguars’ team identity but will be part of their core fabric this season.
Things are changing in Duval County, and if Pederson’s comments are more than just run-of-the-mill coach speak, Jaguars fans will have a lot to look forward to this season.