The Jacksonville Jaguars faced up against the Buffalo Bills in what was viewed as a must win game. The Jaguars started off the season 0-2 in games that they should have won. The Jags proceeded to get the brakes beat off of them. Buffalo and Josh Allen beat Jacksonville 47-10. Josh Allen and the Bills scored a touchdown on each of their first 5 possessions, entering halftime with a 34-10 lead. Josh Allen is currently the favorite for MVP and may take over Mahomes as QB1 this season. This isn’t a Buffalo Bills analysis though, so what does this beating mean for Jacksonville?
This was likely the nail in the coffin for the coaches in Jacksonville. Owner Shad Khan stated before the season that this is the best roster Jacksonville has EVER built. If he believes that is the case, then starting out 0-3 isn’t a disappointment, it’s a complete let down. Last season Doug Pederson and Press Taylor already should have been fired. The Jaguars started out 8-3 before a catastrophic fall down the ranks. The Jaguars had over a 99% chance of making the playoffs before losing 5 of the last 6 games in 2023. That end to a season should have immediately been pinned down to terrible offensive coaching.
Despite having the worst red zone and 3rd down efficiency in the league, the Jaguars looked at their defense. Jacksonville fired Mike Caldwell and his entire defensive coaching staff this offseason. They brought in Ryan Nielsen from the Atlanta Falcons and his defensive staff. This removed all accountability from Doug Pederson and Press Taylor. Clearly the defense was not the issue as the Jaguars offense continue to struggle this year, especially in the red zone.
The Jaguars best bet at salvaging the season and making the playoffs would be to cut their losses and fire Doug Pederson and Press Taylor as soon as possible. Either Ryan Nielsen, the defensive coordinator, would be a far better option as a head coach. Or the Jaguars could go steal their pick of a coach from another team mid-season. Many coaches don’t leave their team until the end of the season, but that is largely due to coaches not being fired until towards the end of the season. If the Jaguars were to look for a change this early they would get their pick of the litter of any of the talented coaches from across the league.
There certainly could be a rough adjusting period getting to know a new coach and system. Given the current state of the team, I think that should be the least of their concerns. The Jaguars players already hate their own coaching staff and the current system is clearly not working. An adjustment towards a better situation would be far superior than sticking with one you know is broken.
If the Jaguars were to fire Doug Pederson and Press Taylor, where exactly would or should they look?
Top outside replacements for Doug Pederson:
1. Ben Johnson; Detroit Lions Offensive Coordinator:
The Lions offense has had a revolutionary turnaround under Dan Campbell and maybe more importantly, Ben Johnson. Ben Johnson made Goff look like an elite quarterback, previously he was viewed as a liability at signal caller. Ben helped a 4th round pick at receiver become a top 5 player at the position in Amon Ra St. Brown. The Lions offensive line went from being ranked bottom 5 in the league constantly to top 5 under Ben Johnson. The Detroit Lions went from having the 2nd overall pick in 2022 to almost winning the NFC Championship in 2023 and being a top contender this season.
Ben Johnson is the offensive mastermind and play caller behind Detroit’s electric success. Ben is clearly THE top head coach candidate in the league right now and I have no doubt in my mind he’d be able to get the most out of the Jaguars offense.
2. Joe Brady; Buffalo Bills Offensive Coordinator:
I have been a big fan of Joe Brady for over half a decade now. He was the offensive coordinator for the undefeated 2019 LSU Tigers. Brady was the offensive mastermind behind LSU’s undefeated season and what was arguably the greatest college football team of all time. After that season Brady took his skills to the NFL as the offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers. Brady turned a bad squad with Teddy Bridgewater at the helm into a competitive offense.
Wanting to work with a better team though he went to Buffalo to become the quarterbacks coach of Josh Allen. Last season Joe took over for Ken Dorsey as the offensive coordinator for Buffalo half way through the season. The Bills started out 5-5 under Dorsey and finished the season 6-1 with Joe Brady. Joe took a broken system half way through the year and fixed it into his own seamlessly. Going into his first full year as Buffalo’s offensive coordinator the Bills have started out 3-0. Josh Allen is playing the best football of his career and Buffalo has scored the most points in the league with 112. If the Jaguars were to steal Joe Brady away from Buffalo I have full confidence that he would not only fix the offense but elevate their level of play as well.
3. Brian Flores; Minnesota Vikings Defensive Coordinator:
The former Dolphins head coach has been done dirty throughout his career. Flores is finally proving this year that he is a brilliant coach with an unmatched defensive scheme. He had majorly assisted in the Vikings 3-0 start. The Vikings on-paper lackluster defense leads the league in sacks even after losing Danielle Hunter. The Vikings defense has allowed the 2nd least points in the league.
This is especially impressive when considering that Minnesota has gone against the 49ers and Texans. Brock Purdy credited Flores after the 49ers week 2 loss telling him “Your scheme is crazy.” CJ Stroud in all of his rookie year only threw 5 interceptions, Brian Flores and Minnesota’s defense got 2 from him. In a game Minnesota were underdogs, they held the Texans electric offense to just 7 points. If Brian Flores joined Jacksonville, he and Ryan Nielsen would make up the greatest defensive minded duo the league has to offer. The Jaguars defense has a ton of talent, Flores would finally get the best out of them.
Honorable Mentions:
Bobby Slowik; Houston Texans Offensive Coordinator:
A fantastic offensive mind, however Houston would do anything possible to keep him out of Jacksonville.
Klint Kubiak; New Orleans Saints Offensive Coordinator:
Another brilliant offensive mind, he has brought new life to the Saints’ and Derek Carr’s offense. In his first season as offensive coordinator there I doubt he would want to leave so hastily.
Top outside replacements for Press Taylor:
1. Jerrod Johnson; Houston Texans Quarterback Coach:
Remarkably did not become an offensive coordinator last season. Jerrod was interviewed for 4 different offensive coordinator jobs but remains as the Texans quarterback coach. He is a great offensive mind that I’d without a doubt trust in a larger role. It would be hard to get Jerrod from Houston, but much easier than Slowik. The challenge would be well worth it though as Jerrod is miles away the best offensive coordinator candidate out there.
2. Jason Vrable; Green Bay Packers Passing Game Coordinator and Wide Receivers Coach:
Vrable has elevated the game of all of his young receivers. Jayden Reed is playing remarkably under Jason. Even depth receivers such as Dontayvion Wicks and Bo Melton have impressed under Vrable. Not to mention Jordan Love coming in and immediately playing like an elite quarterback in Jason’s passing scheme. The offense success is largely due to Matt LaFleur, but Vrable could for sure carry that success to Jacksonville. As the Jaguars currently have the 3rd least points scored in the league, taking a shot with Vrable would be a fantastic option.
3. Grant Udinski; Minnesota Vikings Assistant Offensive Coordinator and Assistant Quarterbacks Coach:
Last year was Grant’s first year as a key quarterback and offensive coach. Grant played a major role in Minnesota navigating their way through 4 different starting quarterbacks. The Vikings still managed to find success no matter who the signal caller was and that is all because of their coaching staff. This trend of challenges has continued as the Vikings 1st round rookie quarterback JJ McCarthy tore his meniscus just before the start of the season. This left Minnesota with Sam Darnold as the starter for the year.
Since then the Vikings offense and Darnold have found great success. Sam Darnold is one of the MVP frontrunners, leading the league in touchdown passes. The Vikings offense has scored the 3rd most points in the league. Finally, the Vikings are one of the only 3 undefeated teams in the league still. Grant is a hard working coach with a great mind for the game the Jaguars would love to have.
