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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Jaguars have reached a troubling low point during Doug Pederson’s tenure as head coach.
In their recent game against Minnesota, the Jaguars recorded a mere 143 yards, marking the fifth lowest in the history of the franchise, resulting in a disappointing 12-7 defeat on Sunday.
With starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence sidelined due to a shoulder injury, Mac Jones stepped in but struggled significantly, turning the ball over three times within the fourth quarter alone.
Jones threw two interceptions; one of these came just as Jacksonville was attempting to mount a final drive late in the game.
The Jaguars also faced setbacks with running back Tank Bigsby, who sustained a right ankle injury early in the first quarter and was limited for the remainder of the game.
Rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. was largely ineffective, seeing only three targets, with his first opportunity coming in the waning moments of the third quarter.
Despite benefiting from three interceptions by Minnesota’s Sam Darnold, Jacksonville failed to capitalize on these turnovers, ending the game without scoring any points off those opportunities.
Their offense struggled dramatically, averaging a mere 2.9 yards per play across three drives after Darnold’s mistakes.
“We’ve got to do better, and it starts with me,” Jones acknowledged after the game.
Remarkably, the Jaguars became the first NFL team since 2006 to lose a game when not allowing any touchdowns and securing three turnovers, breaking a streak of 195 consecutive victorious efforts under similar circumstances.
In his first start since high school in his hometown, Jones connected on 14 of 22 passes for 111 yards and endured three sacks.
He managed to push across a touchdown on a 70-yard drive during his team’s second possession but could only generate 71 yards of offense for the remainder of the contest.
“We need to make plays; players need to step up,” said right tackle Anton Harrison.
“It’s frustrating. We went three-and-out repeatedly. We aren’t supporting the defense. We have to flip that around.”
Defensively, the Jaguars performed admirably, holding the Vikings to four field goals and successfully preventing any touchdowns during five trips to the red zone.
However, this defensive effort was overshadowed by the team’s inept and uncertain offensive performances.
The Vikings dominated the game with 82 plays to Jacksonville’s 43, maintaining possession for 42 minutes and 19 seconds compared to the Jaguars’ 17:41.
Minnesota also notched 28 first downs against Jacksonville’s 10, running 39 plays within Jaguars territory and accumulating a total of 402 yards.
Late in the game, the Jaguars had an opportunity to turn the tide with a pivotal sack from Travon Walker on a crucial third-and-1 situation.
Unfortunately, Jones threw his second interception shortly after with just 1:49 left, targeting a receiver who was nowhere near the intended route.
When asked about the decision-making process behind that play, Coach Pederson became defensive.
“I’m not going to detail the play because you wouldn’t understand,” Pederson stated during the press conference.
“We’ll review the tape on Monday and make necessary adjustments.”
The Jaguars have now lost 13 of their last 16 matchups, and Pederson’s job security seems increasingly uncertain.
With the upcoming bye week starting next Sunday, it would not be surprising if team owner Shad Khan chose to make significant changes, potentially dismissing Pederson and general manager Trent Baalke.
Khan had previously indicated that he viewed the current roster as the strongest collection of talent during his ownership.
However, what unfolds on the field tells a contrasting narrative.
“I never anticipated finding ourselves in this position,” Pederson reflected.
“We’ve had five or six close games. It’s been tough. As coaches, we need to do better. The players are frustrated and understandably so; we all are.
But we must channel that frustration positively and prepare for the next challenge.”
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