Doug Pederson has yet to decide whether he or Press Taylor will call offensive plays for the Jaguars this season.
But Taylor, the team’s offensive coordinator for two seasons and play-caller last year, will at least remain in charge of Jacksonville’s offense throughout the 2024 preseason, Pederson acknowledged Thursday.
With a twist.
“Press is going to try it on the field,” said Pederson, the Jaguars’ head coach. “I told him he’ll like it down there.”
Taylor, who took play-calling over from Pederson in a move that was reported hours before the season began last September, did so with a bird’s eye view from the box in 2023, sending plays in over a headset.
Pederson, citing the potential for quicker communication with players and on-field coaches and a better connection with the game as it unfolds, believes the move could benefit Taylor as it ultimately brings him closer to the rest of the team.
“One is you get to feel the game. Two, you’re with the players. And three, you can make the right corrections right now, communication-wise,” Pederson explained. “You feel connected to the football game a little bit more.
“Early in my career I was in the box as well and just, you’re kind of removed. It’s a little more challenging up there.”
Effectively, Pederson wants to remove those challenges that slowed Jacksonville’s offense down last season and return it to the level of production it reached when he called the plays, regardless of who handles the duties.
The unit generally ranked around league average in major statistical categories under Taylor, finishing No. 13 in the NFL in yards (339.5) and points (22.2) per game compared to No. 10 in those departments under Pederson in 2022 (357.4 and 23.8, respectively).
But Jacksonville’s rushing production dropped by 27.7 yards per game in the same side-by-side, falling from No. 14 to No. 24. Its total yards per play reduced by half a yard (down from No. 8 to No. 15), and its turnover count increased by eight (up to fifth-most from 14th-fewest).
In fairness, the Jaguars’ offense was beleaguered by injuries throughout the year. Most notably, quarterback Trevor Lawrence was impacted by knee, ankle and shoulder injuries and a concussion at various points following Week 6.
The Jaguars averaged 23.7 points per game through the matchup in which Lawrence first got hurt, against Indianapolis in October.
Lawrence, who shared his expectation that Taylor would call plays this season in April, admitted he had not thought much about the coordinator’s game-day location change but suggested it could enhance the offense’s communication.
“It’ll be cool to see him down there and interact with him. I think it’ll be good for him to get a feel for just the team,” Lawrence said after some consideration Thursday. “Some games are just different.
“The feel at the beginning, you feel as players and coaches on the field, but I’m sure it’s different from the press box or the coaches’ booth. I’ve never been up there, so I don’t know. I would assume it’s different. You’re kind of detached from the energy and the atmosphere of the sidelines. So, we’ll see how that changes things if it does at all.”
Jacksonville will open its 2024 preseason at home against Kansas City, at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday.