Doug Pederson – Syndication Server

NFLN: Four Jaguars assistants named ‘young coaches to watch’

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson’s name has come up for all the wrong reasons as the NFL’s annual coaching carousel approaches.

However, some Jacksonville staffers have entered the conversation as potential candidates for a promotion.

NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero on Tuesday identified assistant coaches under 45 years old who could be worth monitoring for the 2025 hiring cycle and in the future.

Among the potential candidates for this offseason’s wave was Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor.

Jaguars OC Press Taylor, 36

A two-time national [junior college] champion as a QB and the brother of Bengals coach Zac Taylor, Press broke into the NFL as a quality control coach in Philadelphia in 2013 and made a notable contribution to the Eagles’ Super Bowl LII win: Doug Pederson credited Taylor with the idea for the “Philly Special.”

Reunited in 2022 with Pederson in Jacksonville, Taylor built the offense and quietly called plays in the second halves of games as the Jaguars made a surprise playoff run. Evan Engram, Christian Kirk and Zay Jones have all enjoyed career years playing in Jacksonville’s offense. This has been an ugly season for the Jags, who are 2-9 — including a league-high six one-score losses — and are now playing without injured quarterback Trevor Lawrence. But Taylor remains a young assistant worth watching.

Taylor’s Jaguars offense has struggled this season, ranking No. 23 in the NFL in points per game (18.9) and No. 28 in yards per game (290.8) through 11 weeks, falling from No. 14 in points (22.2) and No. 13 in yards (339.5) per game in 2023.

Pelissero also named Jacksonville special teams coordinator Heath Farwell, wide receivers coach Chad Hall and assistant cornerbacks coach Cory Robinson as potential head coaching candidates for future cycles.

Farwell spent 10 seasons in the NFL, holding down roles as a core special teamer as a reserve linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks. He served as an assistant special teams coach for the Seahawks and Carolina Panthers before coordinating those units for the Buffalo Bills (2019-21) and Jaguars (2022-present).

Hall has overseen Jacksonville’s wide receivers the last two seasons after beginning his coaching career with Buffalo, as an offensive assistant from 2017-18 before his promotion to wide receivers coach in 2019. He played wide receiver for the Eagles, San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs between 2010-13.

Robinson joined Jacksonville’s coaching staff this offseason in an assistant role, tasked with instructing the Jaguars’ cornerbacks. He has coached professionally and collegiately since 2015, including stints with the Tennessee Volunteers, New Orleans Saints and Maryland Terrapins.

Doug Pederson distances from Shad Khan’s preseason Jaguars commentary

Jaguars owner Shad Khan jinxed himself.

Ahead of Jacksonville’s 2024 training camp and preseason, Khan addressed the team and explicitly stated his expectations for it to win football games, implicitly demanding the Jaguars emerge as legitimate contenders in the NFL playoff picture.

The club released Khan’s commentary in a documentary before the campaign kicked off.

“About a month ago we celebrated the city’s partnership with the Jaguars and the approval of funding for the new stadium of the future. So, I met with the reporters and the discussion obviously quickly turned to football and I was quoted, ‘For us, winning now is the expectation,’ ” Khan recalled.

“So really I [have] been looking forward to tonight to set the record straight. I was not misquoted. And let me just repeat, winning now is the expectation. Make no mistake, this is the best team assembled by the Jacksonville Jaguars, ever. Best players, best coaches. But most importantly, let’s prove it by winning now.”

What, or who, gave Khan that impression is ambiguous. The 2024 Jaguars, now 2-9 and in early possession of the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL draft, had yet to conduct a padded practice at that point, though they had led all NFL teams in total offseason spending by over $100 million.

But Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson made two things clear Monday: It wasn’t him, and he isn’t sure who gave Khan that idea.

“I don’t know,” Pederson said. “I’m not privy to those conversations that Shad has or who he’s talking to. I don’t know. I can’t answer that.”

Pressed further about whether or not it was he who offered such lofty praise, Pederson swiftly shot down the notion.

“No,” he said while appearing to shake his head.

Pederson, who added that he spoke with Kahn shortly after Jacksonville’s franchise-worst, 52-6 loss to Detroit, understood where the long-time owner of the franchise was coming from, though.

“I mean, going into the season you’ve got high expectations, obviously, for your football team, as you should,” he explained. “Everybody does. Start of camp, start of the regular season, and rightfully so.”

The Jaguars have come nowhere near that mark, however, as they find themselves in the thick of their second four-game losing streak of the year.

Jacksonville general manager Trent Baalke exhausted significant resources this offseason, not only expenditures but also spending nine NFL draft picks, a plethora of moves that likely influenced Khan’s encouraged opinion about the Jaguars.

But Baalke was not building upon a performance that should have inspired Khan. After opening the 2023 season 8-3 with firm control of the AFC South, the Jaguars went 1-5 in their final six games and missed the playoffs, leading to an aggressive offseason approach in 2024.

The plan backfired. The Jaguars were the first team to be eliminated from contention for a No. 1 playoff seed this season, when the final whistle blew in Detroit on Sunday, per NFLplayoffscenarios.com.

Expressing appreciation for the timing of Jacksonville’s Week 12 bye, especially after its loss to Detroit, Pederson commended Jaguars players for working through the wear and tear of 11 consecutive games and stated the embarrassing performance did not represent the team’s ability or lack thereof.

He believes the week off should benefit the Jaguars, allowing players to refresh and coaches to recalibrate their approach before their final six games.

“My hat is off to those players because of what they battle through,” Pederson said.

“And so, yeah, you can criticize me all you want, point the finger at me. That’s fine because that’s where it starts. But for the players, they put their best foot forward every single day. Yesterday was not who we are.”

Doug Pederson confirms Jaguars WR Gabe Davis is out for the season

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson confirmed on Monday that starting wide receiver Gabe Davis suffered a season-ending knee injury in Jacksonville’s 52-6 loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 11.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Monday morning that Davis is believed to have suffered a meniscus tear against the Lions on Sunday. The extent of the tear had yet to be determined, although Rapoport indicated such knowledge would be gleaned when Davis undergoes surgery.

“He is going to miss the rest of the season. It is confirmed, this morning,” Pederson said. “Gosh, I hate it for him. He’s battled through some injuries this season but he was in good spirits today when I saw him. But he’ll miss the remainder of the year.”

Davis nursed a knee injury throughout the offseason, his first with Jacksonville after spending the first four seasons of his NFL career with the Buffalo Bills, which lingered into the campaign. It paired with Davis hurting his shoulder in the Jaguars’ Week 3 loss to his former team.

Davis, who signed a three-year, $39 million free-agent contract with Jacksonville in March, has caught 20 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns with the Jaguars. He has logged 163 receptions for 2,730 yards and 27 touchdowns in his career.

Jacksonville has now lost two starting receivers to a season-ending injury this year. Slot receiver Christian Kirk went down with a broken collarbone in the Jaguars’ Week 8 loss to the Green Bay Packers.

Everything Doug Pederson said after Jaguars’ historic loss vs. Lions

The Lions delivered the Jaguars their worst loss in franchise history on Sunday, a 52-6 beatdown in which Detroit scored touchdowns over its first seven drives while Jacksonville managed only two field goals in 60 minutes.

Find everything Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said after the game below.

On what Pederson said to the Jaguars in the locker room after the loss:

DOUG PEDERSON: “It’s difficult to find words because everybody is so disappointed, frustrated, angry. It’s the emotion of how much you put into the week and then playing like we did, so it’s just frustrating. Our break, obviously, comes at a right time. Our guys need some time away, they need to refresh, recharge. Coaches, players, but we do need to take, I think, the first part of the week and really reflect and go back and study as coaches to see what’s been good and what hasn’t been good. So, that’s the great opportunity that we have. Six games left and it’ll be exciting because most of those, I think four of the six, are division games and still an opportunity there.”

On if Pederson thinks the Jaguars defense is fatigued:

DOUG PEDERSON: “I feel like it’s been a long season, 11 games, two weeks in London obviously, and travel and whatnot. I did and I do, and I think the guys need a break. But I’m sure if you ask them, they probably feel tired. They feel drained a little bit and they need to refresh and get ready to go.”

On if Pederson thinks this is his last game coaching the Jaguars:

DOUG PEDERSON: “You know what, I can’t control that and you know – listen, I’ve been around this League a long time and if it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen obviously, but at the same time, I still have a job to do and that’s to get ready for a good division opponent here in two weeks.”

On if Pederson anticipates the coaching staff changing over the bye week:

DOUG PEDERSON: “I don’t know yet. Something I have to think about and it’s just – it’s hard. It’s hard to put it all on, I think, one person. I think coaches have to look at themselves, we have to look – I have to start there, look at myself and obviously the staff and what are we doing, how are we preparing our players, and then same way with the players, right? They have to look at themselves and be critical of themselves and then make the changes, make the corrections that we need to get better. So, I’ll process a few things and – but I’m glad that we have the bye right now though.”

On how formidable the Lions’ offense was:

DOUG PEDERSON: “It’s a good team, yeah, they’re rolling. They’re playing well. [Lions QB] Jared [Goff]’s playing really good and it’s – you can see how this teams really come together, all three phases are playing well. So, credit what [Lions Head] Coach [Dan] Campbell’s been doing and really getting these guys to buy in and play well.”

On Pederson’s expectations for the rest of the season:

DOUG PEDERSON: “I mean there’s always that possibility, but I don’t think so, not with this group. I think this group will continue to respond and do the things necessary to prepare for a football game. I don’t – I’ve never sensed that with this group and don’t anticipate that.”

On whether Pederson feels the Lions took the heart out of the Jaguars or if the defense was just fatigued:

DOUG PEDERSON: “I think it’s the latter, honestly. I think the fact that we’ve been on the field way too long defensively the last four weeks and that’s a combination of offense has to do their part which hasn’t been able to do. Stay on the field and score points and we haven’t been able to do that and that’s what we have to look at there too. But I think there is some of that fatigue there of playing a lot of snaps in these last couple of weeks.”

On Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence having a good chance to play coming off of the bye week:

DOUG PEDERSON: “I mean we’ll see. We’ll see how he does during the week of this bye and see where he’s at. I’m not going to commit right now obviously. We still have a ways away, but we’ll see. We’ll see how he does this week, and we have time, so we’ll figure that out.”

On if the first two weeks of the Jaguars’ season set the tone for the rest of the season:

DOUG PEDERSON: “Yeah, I think I look at that and I have looked at that and I have thought about that and sometimes it’s interesting how a play or two here or there can kind of change the course of a season. That’s so early in the season though that you still have time to fix it. So, it’s hard to maybe say it was just that, but some of the mistakes still being made just have to be fixed, have to be corrected. But again, it’s not a lack of effort or physicality or nothing like that. We just need – this team needs a break.”

On what the Lions defense did to keep the Jaguars’ offense out of the end zone:

DOUG PEDERSON: “Nothing, they just played their scheme. They just played their defense, it’s a good defense. They played fast today, and they did a nice job, and we got in that high red area, they did a nice job of just holding us to three there a couple of times. But they just played their deal.”

Lions lambaste spiraling Jaguars, 52-6

If the Doug Pederson and Trent Baalke era in Jacksonville ended on Sunday, it did so in history-making fashion.

The Lions (9-1) handed the Jaguars (2-9) their biggest loss in the franchise’s 30-year annals, with quarterback Jared Goff passing for four touchdowns and running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs rushing for three scores in Detroit’s 52-6 triumph.

Jacksonville’s biggest loss before this weekend came in the club’s debut season, a 44-0 defeat in Detroit 30 years ago.

The media arm of the National Football League, NFL Network reported Saturday that the Jaguars could make a “dramatic move” by dismissing Pederson, their head coach, and Baalke, their general manager, following a loss to the Lions, potentially during Jacksonville’s Week 12 bye.

If Jaguars owner Shad Khan intends to base such a decision on this game, it would be difficult for anyone to come up with a counterargument.

Jacksonville’s offense was again inept without franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who missed his second consecutive game with a left shoulder injury.

Backup quarterback Mac Jones completed 17-of-29 passes for 138 yards, averaging 4.8 yards per attempt. Jacksonville’s rushing game garnered a mere 2.4 yards per carry over 17 tries.

The Jaguars finished drives in Lions’ territory only three-of-nine times, taking 59 and 35-yard field goals from rookie kicker Cam Little and blowing a late third-quarter series with Jones intercepted by Detroit safety Kerby Joseph.

Detroit, meanwhile, posted touchdowns on seven straight possessions, beginning on their 70-yard opening drive with a two-yard score by Montgomery. Five of the Lions’ scoring series went for at least 80 yards.

The Lions finished with a single-game franchise-best 645 yards offensively. They went 6-of-10 on third down and three-of-three on fourth down.

The Jaguars will return to action in Jacksonville in Week 13, set to host the Houston Texans (6-4) on Dec. 1 at 1 p.m. ET. Time will tell if Pederson and Baalke will be with them.

Report: Jaguars could make ‘dramatic move’ after a loss to Lions

A “dramatic move” by the Jaguars could be in store if Jacksonville loses to the Detroit Lions on Sunday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Rapoport reported that the Jaguars could fire head coach Doug Pederson, general manager Trent Baalke, or both if Jacksonville loses to Detroit in Week 11, potentially during the team’s Week 12 bye.

Jacksonville would enter its week off with a 2-9 record on the season, riding its second four-game losing skid of the year.

“The Jaguars, mired in a miserable rut after losing four of their last five games, might be looking at another regime change for 2025, and sources say a dramatic move could come as soon as this week, pending the results of Sunday’s game against the Lions,” Rapoport wrote.

” … Inside the building, several sources say change, including the organization potentially moving on from Doug Pederson and general manager Trent Baalke, would not be a surprise. Based on several conversations, while Jaguars staffers are still working and grinding, there is a pall permeating the situation. A doom.”

Such a decision by Jaguars owner Shad Khan, who deemed the 2024 Jaguars “the best team assembled” in franchise history during the preseason, would not necessarily be made on a whim. Jacksonville has gone 3-13 since Week 13 last year; it missed the playoffs in 2023 after opening the campaign 8-3.

Jacksonville vs. Detroit will kick off at 1 p.m. ET Sunday, at Ford Field in Detroit, Mich.

The Jaguars will be without starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence — the centerpiece of Khan’s optimism for Jacksonville, who signed a five-year, $275 million contract extension with the club in June — against the Lions, marking his second inactive game in a row as he nurses a left shoulder injury.

Mac Jones, who completed 14-of-22 passes for 111 yards and committed three turnovers in his first start with Jacksonville, last week against Minnesota, will fill in for Lawrence against Detroit.

Jaguars vs. Lions: Reads, odds, where to watch, stream and more

The Jaguars will get a break from their long 2024 season next week when they go on bye. But not before they face arguably their biggest challenge of the campaign on Sunday, a road matchup with the red-hot Lions.

Find everything you need to know ahead of Jacksonville vs. Detroit below.

Jaguars (2-8) vs. Lions (8-1): Week 11

Where: Ford Field, Detroit, Mich.

When: Sunday, Nov. 17 at 1:00 p.m. ET

Watch: CBS

Stream: Fubo (start your free trial here)

Radio: 1010 XL/92.5 FM Jacksonville

Series history: Detroit leads, 5-3.

Last meeting: The Lions beat the Jaguars, 40-14, at Ford Field in Detroit on Dec. 4, 2022.

Odds (as of 10:00 a.m. ET Sunday): Lions -13.5 | Jaguars +13.5, per BetMGM. The over/under is 47 points.

Important stories

Key Matchups: Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Detroit Lions

The Jacksonville Jaguars hope to pull off a significant upset as they travel north to take on the Detroit Lions in a matchup with plenty of disadvantages.

Jacksonville enters Week 11 with the projected No. 1 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, according to Tankathon. The Jaguars are 2-8 and coming off a defensive slugfest of a loss against Minnesota without franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who is out again this week with an injury to his non-throwing shoulder.

Head coach Doug Pederson will not have a ton of edges against the Lions. Jaguars Wire looks at a few key matchups that will be critical against the Lions on Sunday afternoon.

Jacksonville WR Brian Thomas Jr. vs. Detroit’s secondary

This is a big moment for the rookie receiver. Brian Thomas Jr. has been one of the better wide receivers in the league this year, an impressive feat for a rookie. Now demanding double-coverage, per Pederson, Thomas will face an uber-talented Lions secondary that will likely continue that trend this weekend.

Thomas’ strength is his vertical game but he is much more than that as a receiver. He has developed into an all-around playmaker who threatens all three levels of the field with his speed, agility, fluidity and route running.

The challenge in Detroit will be taking on cornerbacks Carlton Davis III and Terrion Arnold and safeties Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch.

There is an argument that Branch has had a defensive player-of-the-year-worthy season. And while Detroit’s defense has allowed the fifth-most passing yards per game (244.2) in the NFL this season, it also gives up the third-fewest passing touchdowns per game (0.8).

If Pederson and offensive coordinator Press Taylor manufacture touches for Thomas, the Jaguars could find themselves in scoring positions more often. Thomas is bound for his true workhorse game and this week could be the one.

Jacksonville DE Josh Hines-Allen vs. Detroit OT Taylor Decker

Despite last week’s loss to Minnesota loss, Jacksonville edge rusher Josh Hines-Allen got the better of former teammate Cam Robinson, tallying eight pressures and forcing quarterback Sam Darnold into some rough decisions with the football.

According to Next Gen Stats, Hines-Allen leads the Jaguars in pressures and will line up opposite Lions left tackle Taylor Decker, whose pressure rate ranks in the bottom ten among players at his position at 10.6%.

This is one of the few Achilles heels on Detroit’s offense and there aren’t many of them. Decker is an overall sound tackle but arguably the weak link on the best offensive line in the NFL.

Hines-Allen has been a handful this season and has been continuously worthy of the contract extension that secured him as a true franchise cornerstone on a lowly team. A big day from the former Kentucky standout could keep this game a competitive one through all four quarters.

Jacksonville’s coaching vs. Detroit’s coaching

If you have watched any football between these two teams, it is clear there is a sizeable advantage. If not, this game features a Lions coaching staff that has one of the best offensive minds in the NFL in Ben Johnson, and a defensive coordinator who has his defense playing competitive football in Aaron Glenn.

Not to mention, Detroit is led by Dan Campbell, one of the most respected head coaches in football. It would be fair to expect him to get the most out of his players.

The Jaguars have been under a microscope for most of the season. After entering the season with playoff expectations, those expectations aren’t likely to be met unless they pull off a miraculous run in the final seven games.

If Pederson and the rest of his staff want to tone down the noise about their futures in Jacksonville, they must coach the best games of the season or at any point of their Jaguars tenure.

Last week, there were glimpses of the Jaguars generating more pressure with more blitzes. Defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen must coach a perfect game in this instance and find a way to force Lions quarterback Jared Goff into bad decisions for the second straight week.

Offensively, as stated in the aforementioned key matchup, having the game plan around getting the ball to Thomas is critical. Travis Etienne Jr.’s return to health helps with the loss of Tank Bigsby. Leaning on Thomas and Etienne will ease the pressure on backup quarterback Mac Jones.

It may seem like a tall task against one of the best coaching staffs in the league headed by Campbell, but the Jaguars have pulled off miracles under Pederson before. They could do it again in Detroit.

Pederson: Defenses are double-covering Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr.

It has been a quiet couple of weeks for sensational Jaguars rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr.

After averaging roughly four receptions for 72 yards over six targets per game in the first eight weeks of his debut NFL campaign, a stretch in which he scored five touchdowns, Thomas has been limited to seven targets, four catches, 34 yards and zero scores in Jacksonville’s last two games.

Granted, Thomas has played through a chest injury that he suffered in the last game he scored a touchdown, against the Green Bay Packers in Week 8.

However, Jacksonville head coach Doug Pederson has dismissed the notion that Thomas’ production is being limited by his injury.

Instead, Pederson has pointed toward the coverage Thomas has faced in the Jaguars’ recent matchups, largely Cover 3 Cloud in Week 9 against Philadelphia and a mix of traditional Cover 2 and Cover 3 Cloud versus Minnesota in Week 10.

Accordingly, Thomas often had two defenders dedicated to keeping him in check during these games.

“If you specifically watch the football game and not follow the ball, you will see what Philly did in kind of normal down situations. Some on third down as they had a corner and a safety. So, they basically doubled [Thomas],” Pederson explained on Nov. 4, noting the Eagles had not previously presented the coverage much throughout the season.

“It’s hard to throw the ball over there to a guy that’s doubled. So, you have to go other places with the ball. So that was part of their game plan.”

To pair, Pederson acknowledged that the Vikings’ impactful pass rush limited Thomas’ opportunities further in Week 10. Jaguars quarterback Mac Jones took three sacks and was pressured 10 times over 27 dropbacks on Sunday.

With Jaguars starting slot receiver Christian Kirk’s Week 8, season-ending shoulder injury in mind, perhaps opposing defenses are dedicating more resources to slowing Thomas down.

But Pederson believes the coverage attention Thomas has warranted can be navigated, by the coaching staff moving him around the offensive formation pre-snap and Thomas recognizing potential double-teams.

“I think you can put him in stacks, bunches. You can move him around the formation a little bit, do some things that way,” Pederson said Wednesday.

“The only downside to it is the offense has to be stationary at the snap so the defense can still move and get lined up as well. So do the best we can to move him around the formation, and then on Brian to obviously know that he’s going to be doubled at times. He’s just going to have to work to get himself free.”

Thomas’ next test will come against Detroit’s secondary on Sunday. The Lions have allowed 244.2 passing yards per game this season, the fifth-most in the NFL.

Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence ruled out vs. Lions

The Jaguars will be without Trevor Lawrence again in Week 11, as Jacksonville head coach Doug Pederson ruled the starting quarterback out against the Detroit Lions before practice on Wednesday.

Lawrence also missed Jacksonville’s Week 10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, after a week of limited practice participation due to a left shoulder injury suffered against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 9.

“Trevor will be out, we decided this week,” Pederson told reporters Wednesday. “He’s getting close, but to make sure that — again, you guys know how I am with injuries, we don’t want to put a player out there that’s not 100%. So, we’re going to rest him one more week.”

Lawrence is reportedly nursing a “significant” AC joint sprain in his non-throwing shoulder.

Lawrence has completed 168-of-274 (61.3%) passes for 2,004 yards with 11 touchdowns and six interceptions in nine starts this season. He has also rushed for three touchdowns.

Pederson acknowledged the benefit of Jacksonville’s bye week following the Jaguars’ matchup with the Lions, effectively giving Lawrence a three-week recovery window given his light workload in practice last week.

That said, Pederson did not guarantee Lawrence would be ready to go come the Jaguars’ Week 13 home bout with the Houston Texans.

“It’s still a question mark. But, you know, I’m optimistic,” Pederson said.

Jacksonville native Mac Jones will start against the Lions, in Lawrence’s place for the second consecutive week. The Jaguars’ backup quarterback completed 14-of-22 passes for 111 yards with two interceptions and a fumble against the Vikings.