JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Are the issues that the Jaguars endured in a tough opener a sign of things to come or can they get enough of those fixed before Sunday?
Yes, Jacksonville’s 20-17 loss to the Dolphins was just one loss in a long season. The Chiefs won the Super Bowl in 2022 and then lost to the Lions in last year’s opener. They went on to win the Super Bowl again in 2023. So, a loss in Week 1 can feel quite a bit more exaggerated than it really is. Why did that loss feel so demoralizing for the Jaguars?
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Probably because fans, players and coaches have all been here before.
The Jaguars finished 2023 on a slide, losing five of their final six games to miss the playoffs. Many of the same issues that affected the Jaguars during that tumble were on display against Miami, notably on the offensive side of the ball. No team is going to be perfect, but the recurring problems are well known. They were many of the same issues that the Jaguars struggled with last year.
Offensive coordinator Press Taylor, whom head coach Doug Pederson stuck with during his tenure in Philadelphia with it likely costing the coach his job, said that the problems are fixable.
“I think very correctable, honestly. Some of the things were just communication or maybe just little techniques here and there as we go,” Taylor said.
“You’re going to have plays that things don’t go well throughout the course of a game, but it’s managing and minimizing how bad things go at times. You can’t turn the ball over. That’s a big thing for us. Then just being on the same page with communication. On offense, running the football, it’s 11 guys on the exact same page all the time, seeing it the same way and making sure we’re just all in sync, communicating throughout.”
Jacksonville (0-1) returns home Sunday to face Cleveland (0-1) in the home opener at EverBank Stadium. Pederson said that the Jaguars needed to assess the mistakes on film and work on them this week in practice. Taylor echoed that on Thursday morning, saying that that lapses or mistakes against Miami will all be addressed before Week 2.
“You’ve got to find a way to start fast, stay consistent throughout, and then finish strong,” Taylor said. “That’s just something we’ve got to continue to improve upon.”
One of the recurring issues for Jacksonville has been sluggish spurts. The Jaguars have been plagued by those inconsistencies much of Pederson’s tenure in Jacksonville. Against the Dolphins, Trevor Lawrence was sacked on the first play of the game and the Jaguars went three and out. On the final drive of the game, Lawrence was sacked on back-to-back plays. The offensive line was one of the league’s worst last year and didn’t have the best showing against Miami. Another uneven week against edge Myles Garrett and the Browns, and those offensive line questions are going to go up another few decibels.
Taylor said there were “some encouraging things” from the offensive line against Miami.
“I thought just overall as an entire offensive unit, it’s a lot to build on, but a lot that we need to improve on as we move forward throughout the week,” he said.
Turning the page from Miami to Cleveland, Lawrence and the Jaguars don’t have to look back too far to know the challenge on Sunday. Deshaun Watson is mired in controversy again, with the NFL investigating another alleged sexual assault against the Browns quarterback. But Jacksonville should rightfully far more concerned with the Cleveland defense than an erratic Watson. The Browns, behind veteran backup Joe Flacco, beat Jacksonville 31-27 last year. But it was the defense that did more of the damage against the Jaguars. Cleveland picked Lawrence off three times and sacked him four times. Jacksonville was limited to 293 yards on offense.
“They’re good at diagnosing plays, kind of beating you to spots. So, there are a bunch of challenges they present,” Lawrence said. “Some of the stuff obviously that last year we had the tape against them that we struggled with, we want to improve on. We had our opportunities as well though and didn’t hit a lot of those plays, whether it’s run-game or pass-game. So, we know there are some opportunities. Obviously, they’re really good defense though, so there’s going to be some challenges.”