What can the Jacksonville Jaguars do to steady the ship in 2024 and beyond?
In the short term, Shad Khan will be forced to have tough conversations internally, which may result in a change of guard on the staff.
We won't dive into the logistics of whom the Jaguars may seek in the coaching carousel if Pederson is relieved of his duties; instead, let's discuss what Jacksonville can do to salvage the 2024 season.
Let's start with the offensive philosophy. Rebuilding the unit's confidence, starting with quarterback Trevor Lawrence, is pivotal. Second would be altering the identity of this unit and putting the players in positions to succeed.
Despite an underwhelming performance thus far, the pieces are there to be an efficient and high-performing offense.
Get Evan Engram healthy, and the offense will open up. The presence of a dynamic athlete at a tight end who can stretch the middle of the field has proven to be very helpful for Lawrence; we saw this in 2023 when Engram snagged 114 receptions for 963 yards and four touchdowns.
The WR room is loaded with talent. Gabe Davis and Christian Kirk are proven commodities as veteran presences in that room. Second-year receiver Parker Washington has flashed his ability to contribute to the offense, and rookie Brian Thomas Jr. has the potential to be a perennial All-Pro caliber talent.
The running back room features two high-quality backs with differing skills: Travis Etienne Jr. and Tank Bigsby. We've seen the increased emphasis on getting the ground game going, and despite the lack of success, there are things the staff can change to get this avenue humming in the right direction.
While the offensive line has underperformed, there are units across the league that possess less talent than the Jaguars and are executing at a higher level.
It could be as simple as shuffling starters into different positions to put the unit in a position to succeed. We've seen this in college football with the Oregon Ducks, whose highly touted offensive line struggled early in the year before making minor adjustments.
Get healthy on the defensive side of the ball. Depth was an issue in the secondary going into the Buffalo Bills game, with star CB Tyson Campbell on injured reserve and rookie Jarrian Jones leaving the Bills game early in the first half.
The talent is there, especially up front. The trio of Josh Hines-Allen, Travon Walker, and Arik Armstead is as skilled as any unit in the NFL.
Foyesade Oluokun is still one of the better linebackers in the league; he left the game early after suffering a foot injury. Devin Lloyd is an uber-talented young player who recently underwent a position change with Ryan Nielsen bringing in his scheme.
The talent is there; it just comes down to preparation and execution.
In the long term, you could explore overhauling the coaching staff.
Is it the best idea in the world to hit the reset button with the existing talent on this roster following an offseason with an extensive investment of financial capital into extensions and signings?
What might be the better option is to take a step back, seriously evaluate the leaders in the building, and identify avenues for improving the attitude within and surrounding the team.
Whether that means changing the guard in the front office or increasing the emphasis on evaluation, changes are surely coming.
Despite his criticisms, Doug Pederson is a Super Bowl-winning head coach who garners league-wide respect for his ability as a leader and offensive architect.
It's a 17-game season, with 14 games still to be played. We've seen teams completely turn their seasons around in a matter of weeks in the past.
Who's to say the Jacksonville Jaguars aren't the next team to do so?