Big news was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars just hours before their opening game. Pederson confirmed to NFL.com that his offensive coordinator, Press Taylor, would be calling the team’s offensive plays. Pederson described the change to NFL.com like this: “We think alike. We’ve been together for a long time, and he’s around Trevor all the time and knows what Trevor likes.” Without knowing that Press Taylor was calling the plays prior to the game, even a casual fan would have noticed the poor play calling.
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The Jaguars beat the Colts by 10 points in Indianapolis, and one thing was clear, Pederson should be calling the plays. There were some extenuating circumstances to the close game. The Jaguars did not play well and the Colts did. Jaguar rookie Tank Bigsby gave the ball away on two separate occasions with one leading to a “scoop and score.” Christian Kirk was basically a no-show. The Jaguars won because they are the better team, but something was missing. The offense, for the first time under Pederson, was predictable. They were going to run the ball on first down and probably second down. The short yardage third and fourth down play calls were atrocious. The Colts defense played well, but pitching the ball deep to Etienne on fourth-and-inches, and throwing a wide receiver screen on fourth-and-one is not what this team should be doing.
Report: #Jaguars to give Press Taylor play-calling duties in 2023 https://t.co/2lnCLU0Mmf
— Big Cat Country (@BigCatCountry) September 10, 2023
Doug Pederson Should Call Offensive Plays For The Jaguars
The Strength of This Team Is The Passing Game
The Trevor Lawrence to Calvin Ridley combo was unstoppable in the first half. In the second half, Ridley was rarely targeted. Christian Kirk and Evan Engram had a combined eight targets for the entire game, and Kirk had just one catch for nine yards. At the end of the second quarter and for most of the third quarter, the Jaguars rarely went to their receivers. The offensive line was suspect. Walker Little was getting beaten consistently, and Anton Harrison looked lost a few times during the game. While Trevor was hurried on occasion, it is that same offensive line that blocks for the run game too, and the run game struggled until the final seven minutes.
It was the passing game that moved the ball all day for the Jaguars. Lawrence, when asked to throw to his receivers, did so successfully. When the play calling became predictable, the Colts defense sat at home on first and second downs and then went after Lawrence on third. When your offensive line is struggling, the best thing you can do is to keep the defense off balance. Throw the ball on first down, run a draw play on second and long, or use the middle of the field on occasion. Instead, the Jaguars were content with handing the ball off and hoping.
Doug Pederson Coaches Best When He Calls Plays
Doug Pederson was the right hire for Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars. He is the complete opposite of Urban Meyer and brings a sense of calm and confidence to the team. That same calm and confidence is evident when he is calling the offensive plays from the sideline. He is, at the same time, methodical and creative. He has a knack for reading his quarterback and knowing what is needed at any given time. No matter what was happening last year, the team never looked lost and they always had an offensive identity. They threw the ball to set up the run and they used their tight ends constantly. That same identity was missing on Sunday.
The Offense Was Predictable
Press Taylor’s offensive play calling lacked consistency, creativity, and especially an identity. Are they a run-first, bruising team with a gritty offensive line? No, but based on the play calling you might think that. The Jaguars have a really good running back in Travis Etienne and backup with a lot of potential, but they are not a run-first team. Etienne is great in space, Calvin Ridley is a burner on the outside, Christian Kirk is one of the best slot receivers in the league, Evan Engram is a matchup nightmare, and Zay Jones made some big plays. To top it off, Trevor Lawrence is smart, accurate, and very mobile in and out of the pocket.
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The Jaguars identity should be all about speed and passing, and their run game should back that up. Press Taylor, and maybe it was because they were playing the Colts, seemed decidedly unsure about what this offense is. In the first quarter and a half, it was about keeping the ball in Lawrence’s hands and allowing him to distribute to his targets. From the middle of the second quarter to the end of the third quarter, the identity changed. Taylor took the ball out of their best player’s hands and asked the offensive line to open up holes. They could not. In the fourth quarter, Lawrence took control of the offense again and good things happened.
On a team with weapons at every single skill position on offense, there should never be a hint of predictability. To make matters worse, when the offense became predictable on Sunday, it was predictably “run heavy.” Press Taylor may not be ready to call plays. On a team with this much talent, playcalling can become even more complicated. He has to get the ball to five legitimately talented offensive players. Christian Kirk, while he has not yet said anything negative, is not going to be happy with three targets and one reception for nine yards. Evan Engram needs to see more than five targets come his way. Ridley disappeared in the second half. The bottom line is that Jaguars fans will be clamoring for a new play-caller soon, and Doug Pederson should listen.
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