Tag: Press Taylor

Jaguars WR Zay Jones to miss Week 8 vs. Steelers

Doug Pederson said Friday that Zay Jones will miss a third straight game due to his knee injury.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Zay Jones will miss the team’s Week 8 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but coach Doug Pederson said Friday that he’s hopeful the receiver will be available to the team after its Week 9 bye.

“Zay is still working through the knee injury,” Pederson said. “I don’t expect him Sunday, hopefully next week with the bye and we’ll see where he’s at after that.”

Jones, 28, suffered a knee injury in the Jaguars’ Week 2 loss against the Kansas City Chiefs that kept him out for two games. While he returned in Week 5 against the Buffalo Bills and caught a first quarter touchdown, Jones re-injured the same knee and has been sidelined since.

While the Jaguars have kept winning in his absence and scored at least 31 points in the last two games, the loss of Jones has still been damaging for the Jacksonville offense.

“Zay is so versatile for us, he has the vertical threat with the speed, he’s got length that we don’t necessarily have in the receiver room,” Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor said Thursday. “The combination of length, speed and blocking ability without him, we can piece it together with a couple of other people. Then, he’s got experience that some of those other guys in the backend don’t necessarily have.

“Again, Zay is a huge part of our offense, so certainly it’s somebody we miss.”

Last season, Jones was the Jaguars’ second leading receiver with 82 receptions for 823 yards and five touchdowns. In limited time this year, Jones has eight receptions for 78 yards and two touchdowns.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Press Taylor: Calvin Ridley impacts the game with or without the ball

Even if Calvin Ridley’s stats haven’t shown it, offensive coordinator Press Taylor says he’s impacting the game.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley finished a 31-24 win against the New Orleans Saints with just one reception for five yards.

On Wednesday, Ridley told reporters in the locker room that his personal stats don’t matter as long as the team is winning games. According to Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor, the veteran receiver is helping the team get those wins even if the stats don’t show it.

“I think people pay respect to great players,” Taylor said. “Calvin is a great player, he’s got certain looks where teams are going to be more willing to play a shell or more willing to cloud to his one way or another, more willing to bracket to his side.

“We have a lot of really good players, a lot of really good skill players that based on whatever matchups you’re presenting to us, we feel like we have answers within concepts or within just a scheme to get to somebody else. I think Trevor [Lawrence] does a great job of going through progressions and finding the open man.”

Translation: double-team Ridley at your own risk, because the Jaguars have plenty of other ways to make you pay.

With the Saints working hard to take Ridley away, Christian Kirk caught all six passes thrown his direction for 90 yards, including a 44-yard touchdown that proved to be the game-winner. Jamal Agnew also had a season-high six targets and hauled in four for 36 yards.

“We want to do the right thing and just go where we’re supposed to go with the football based on whatever they’re allowing us,” Taylor said. “[Ridley] impacts the game the second he steps on the field, whether we’re getting him the ball or not.”

The end result of Ridley’s quiet performance was a three-touchdown night for the Jaguars offense and another win. But does that mean the team is OK with continuing to allow Ridley to play the role of decoy, pulling away coverage to make room for other receivers?

“We certainly need to figure out ways to get him the ball,” Taylor said. “Calvin is a great player and deserves touches and changes the game when he gets touches.”

Through seven games, Ridley has 27 receptions for 368 yards and two touchdowns.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Doug Pederson: ‘We’ve got to be mindful’ of Travis Etienne’s workload

Doug Pederson says the Jaguars have to get their other running backs more involved in the offense.

A few days after Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor said Travis Etienne Jr hasn’t shown any signs he can’t handle his league-leading workload and the team will “continue to give the ball to our best players at all times,” head coach Doug Pederson delivered a different message Friday.

“Travis is a tough kid, we’ve seen that over the course of last year for the start of this year,” Pederson said. “We’ve got to be mindful that we’re not over working him, we’ve got to get Tank [Bigsby] and D’Ernest [Johnson] and if JaMycal [Hasty] is up, we’ve got to get those guys involved in the offense and get them some more touches.

“Right now, especially on third down, we like [Etienne] on third down, not only from a protection standpoint, but the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. We just got to keep the other guys coming. It’s not that we don’t have confidence in them, but we just feel like [Etienne] has the hot hand and we continue to keep him going. We’re definitely mindful of the wear-and-tear on his body as we go.”

Etienne, 24, has an NFL-most 151 touches (127 carries and 24 receptions) through the Jaguars’ first seven games. That’s 18 more than the 49ers’ Christian McCaffrey and 19 more than Raiders’ Josh Jacobs who haven’t yet played in Week 7.

In Week 1, the Jaguars gave Bigsby seven carries and threw him the ball once. The rookie hasn’t had more than four touches in any of the Jaguars’ six games since. Johnson has only 10 touches this season and Hasty is still at zero.

Etienne has made the most of his increased workload, recording seven touchdowns in as many games, including six in the last three weeks.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Jaguars not looking to lighten RB Travis Etienne Jr.’s workload

Travis Etienne Jr. leads the NFL in touches through the first six weeks.

No player in the NFL recorded more touches through the first six weeks of the season than Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr., who already has 113 rushing attempts and 21 receptions. Those numbers aren’t too concerning to offensive coordinator Press Taylor, though.

“He hasn’t shown us he can’t [handle it] at this point in time,” Taylor said Thursday. “Obviously, we like to spread the wealth and we like to continue with the hot hand, whatever that may be; pass game, run game.

“He’s been a guy that is obviously a gamebreaker for us. He’s been able to come through in those situations when we continue to give him the football. He has opportunities and he finds opportunities, he creates his own opportunities at times. We want to continue to give the ball to our best players at all times.”

Last season, in his de facto rookie year (Etienne missed all of 2021), the Jaguars running back averaged 12.9 rushing attempts and 2.1 receptions per game. With over a third of the season in the books, those averages are up to 18.8 carries and 3.5 receptions.

While Taylor says he’s unconcerned, it’s hard to imagine this is the backfield usage the Jaguars envisioned for the 2023 season when they used a third-round pick to add Tank Bigsby and scooped up D’Ernest Johnson in free agency earlier this year.

Bigsby, 22, had seven carries in Week 1, but made a couple crucial errors in his NFL debut and hasn’t had more than three carries in a game since. His shaky pass blocking hasn’t made him the most reliable player in third down situations, either. Johnson has just 10 touches so far this season.

Its been the Etienne show in the Jacksonville backfield early in the year and that doesn’t appear set to change any time soon.

Press Taylor: Walker Little is ‘security blanket’ for Jaguars coaches

Walker Little’s versatility to play multiple positions makes life easier for Jaguars coaches.

The Jacksonville Jaguars got Cam Robinson back from a suspension this week and now have their left tackle ready to give the team a much-needed boost up front.

Just one problem: what should the Jaguars do with Walker Little, the replacement left tackle who has been arguably the team’s best offensive lineman through the first four weeks? While the team hasn’t made it official, the plan appears to be a move from left tackle to left guard for Little.

“He’s a security blanket just within the staff, of knowing he can align in multiple spots,” Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor said Thursday. “Being able to play left tackle and right tackle is not as easy as people think. Now, you are right hand dominant on the right side and left hand on the left side. That’s a little harder than I think people would realize.

“Being able to move inside where there’s less space and everything is constricted, everything happens faster. A guy that can handle that and do that at a high level is really invaluable for us.”

Little, 24, has been credited with allowing one sack and four hurries over 167 pass blocking snaps in his four starts at left tackle. The five pressures allowed by Little are the fewest for a Jaguars starting lineman and his 67.5 run blocking grade on PFF is also the best of the group.

The Jaguars started Ben Bartch at left guard in the first three weeks of the season, but benched him in Week 4 in favor of Tyler Shatley. In his first start of 2023, Shatley was one of the Jaguars’ lowest graded offensive players.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Press Taylor hasn’t heard the criticism: ‘Ignorance is bliss’

Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor says he hasn’t heard any of the criticisms of his play calling.

The Jacksonville Jaguars couldn’t score a touchdown Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs and many have pointed to offensive coordinator Press Taylor — who has taken over full-time play calling duties — as the biggest issue for the team’s offense.

That criticism hasn’t bothered Taylor, mostly because he hasn’t even noticed.

“Outside noise doesn’t affect us inside,” Taylor said Thursday. “I’m here, pretty much all day every day, so I really don’t have social media and don’t listen to the radio or watch TV. I don’t really have time to, so ignorance is bliss. That doesn’t really bother me at all.”

While Taylor says he’s unaware of the criticisms, Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson has been defensive of the team’s play calls on Taylor’s behalf.

“Sometimes it’s not about the plays,” Pederson said Sunday after the Week 2 loss. “I learned a long time ago that the players — you know, players play this football game and coaches coach. … We’re going to evaluate everything and make sure that we’re putting our guys in the right places. But I thought Press did a nice job today.”

Pederson told reporters a day later that a costly 3-yard loss near the goal line on a Trevor Lawrence run was a decision made by the third-year quarterback rather than Taylor. Pederson chocked some of the Jaguars’ offensive struggles up to players trying too hard to make big plays.

That’s an instinct coaches aren’t immune to, says Taylor.

“At times, you start fighting the feeling of, ‘Alright, we need a big play here. We need to spark momentum,’” Taylor said. “What got us going last year a little bit was just sticking through our plan. We built a game plan that we believed in, we executed the plan regardless of the situation, and we chipped away at whatever we needed to do to get ourselves going.

“You fight the urge to start digging and looking for a big play when it’s not necessarily there. Coach [Pederson] talks to the team all the time about making the play that comes to you, don’t go chasing plays. That applies to all of us, coaches and myself as the play caller.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Doug Pederson defends Press Taylor: ‘Sometimes it’s not about the plays’

Doug Pederson says Press Taylor’s play-calling isn’t the reason the Jaguars couldn’t find the end zone.

The Jacksonville Jaguars scored just nine points against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2, failing to get in the end zone on three trips to the red zone. One person that Jaguars coach Doug Pederson is not pointing the finger at, though, is offensive coordinator Press Taylor.

Shortly before the Jacksonville Jaguars’ regular season was set to begin last week in Indianapolis, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that offensive coordinator Taylor was taking over offensive play-calling duties for the Jaguars. Pederson later clarified that Taylor had experience in the role after calling the plays in the second half of Jaguars games in 2022.

While the rough showing brought criticism of Taylor’s decisions, Pederson said the play-calls weren’t the issue.

“Sometimes it’s not about the plays,” Pederson said Sunday after the loss. “I learned a long time ago that the players — you know, players play this football game and coaches coach. … We’re going to evaluate everything and make sure that we’re putting our guys in the right places. But I thought Press did a nice job today.”

So what was the issue then?

“The glaring thing is just our execution,” Pederson said. “We were in too many second and long and then it turned into third and long situations. You just can’t put yourself, as an offense, yourself in those situations too many times. And it’s not favorable to do that.”

Still, the Jaguars could’ve got away with their five-punt day if they found the end zone on one or more of their three red zone trips. Maybe the most questionable choice of the day was the decision not to hand the ball off once after getting set up with a first-and-goal from the 1-yard line.

“The first play, we had a run dialed up and didn’t execute well,” Pederson said. “It’s not about who’s in the game or who’s getting the touch or anything like that, Travis [Etienne], Tank [Bigsby], D’Ernest [Johnson], all three of those guys are very capable of doing it. So it’s not that.”

Taylor, 35, previously spent five seasons as an offensive assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles while Pederson was the team’s head coach. He was hired as the Jaguars’ offensive coordinator shortly after Pederson was hired in Jacksonville.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Studs and duds in the Jaguars’ 17-9 loss vs. Chiefs

Trevor Lawrence didn’t have his best day in a Week 2 loss to the Chiefs.

The Jacksonville Jaguars offense didn’t look like a scary unit in Week 2. It struggled to get out of neutral against the Kansas City Chiefs and never scored a touchdown in the 17-9 loss.

While it was a rough day for the Jaguars, it also wasn’t without its bright spots. A couple players stood out on offense even if they couldn’t find the end zone, and the Jacksonville defense did well to hold the always potent Chiefs to 17 points.

Here are some studs and duds from the Jaguars’ Week 2 home loss against the Chiefs:

6 studs and 4 duds in the Jaguars’ 31-21 win vs. Colts

Who shined brightest in the Jaguars’ Week 1 win?

The Jacksonville Jaguars are 1-0.

It wasn’t the easiest road to a win Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium, but the Jaguars battled back in the fourth quarter to get a 31-21 victory over their divisional rival Indianapolis Colts.

There’s a long season ahead for a Jaguars team that has Super Bowl aspirations, but there are plenty of things to clean up right now.

Here’s who stood most for the Jaguars in their win, and who will need to perform better if the team hopes to keep things headed in the right direction:

Doug Pederson passing Jaguars’ play-calling duties to OC Press Taylor

Offensive coordinator Press Taylor will reportedly call the plays for the Jaguars offense in 2023.

Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor will be the team’s play-caller in 2023, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

“I totally trust Press,” Pederson told Rapoport, via NFL.com. “We think alike. We’ve been together for a long time, and he’s around Trevor [Lawrence] all the time and knows what Trevor likes.”

Taylor, who is the younger brother of Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor, previously spent time as an assistant on Pederson’s staff with the Philadelphia Eagles. By their last season together with the Eagles, Taylor had climbed through the ranks to become the quarterbacks coach and the passing game coordinator.

Pederson’s desire to make Taylor his offensive coordinator in 2021 was reportedly a leading cause of the dispute that led to the Eagles firing Pederson after five seasons.

Taylor was hired to be the offensive coordinator of the Jaguars in February 2022, less than two weeks after Pederson was introduced as the team’s new head coach. In their first season together in Jacksonville, the team finished 10th in points scored and total yardage.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]