The Jacksonville Jaguars were not supposed to make the postseason in Year 1 with Doug Pederson, yet here they are. Jacksonville was sitting 2-6 and 4-8 at separate points this season. Then it won its last five games and rallied to win the AFC South with a winning record — the franchise’s first since 2017.
Jacksonville went from the worst team in the NFL to a playoff team in just a season, with the culture changing overnight, thanks to Pederson and the program he established since the day he arrived with the franchise. The Jaguars went an NFL-worst 47-130 from 2011 to 2021 (.266 win percentage), with just one winning season and a single playoff appearance in that span. Jacksonville already has a winning season and a division title under Pederson, the start of what could be a long run of playoff appearances for the franchise.
Why should anyone hop on the Jaguars’ bandwagon? Here are three reasons to root for the Jaguars to make a run this postseason, which could be the start of a very bright future for this franchise.
1. Doug Pederson’s comeback
Redemption stories are one of the great things about sports, and Pederson revitalizing his career in Jacksonville is one of them. There should have been little doubt regarding Pederson’s ability to coach, given he was the one who brought the Philadelphia Eagles their first Super Bowl title and snapped a 57-year championship drought for the franchise.
Pederson’s tenure in Philadelphia ended poorly — through no fault of his own — yet there were questions whether the Eagles’ 2017 run was a one-year wonder or if Pederson could find sustained success (he is 4-1 in his playoff career, after all). Getting a second chance in Jacksonville, Pederson had a clean slate changing the culture of a program and having the opportunity to develop another franchise quarterback in Trevor Lawrence — similar to his stint in Philadelphia with Carson Wentz.
In Jacksonville, Pederson had the opportunity to choose his own coaching staff without front office interference. He controlled the day-to-day aspects of the locker room and called plays for the offense. More importantly, Pederson didn’t have to have a weekly tribunal with the general manager and owner on football operations, letting Pederson conduct business on the field. This was a huge step for a franchise that has struggled to win games, trusting the Super Bowl champion coach to rebuild the…
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