Jaguars coach Doug Pederson appeared to take aim at his players after Sunday’s defeat by the Texans saw Jacksonville fall to 0-4 for the season.
The Jaguars were undone by a last-gasp touchdown by Dare Ogunbowale as Houston secured a 24-20 victory with only 18 seconds on the clock.
The loss means Jacksonville sits bottom of the AFC South as one of only two teams in the NFL without a victory in 2024.
Pederson is under pressure following the dreadful start to the new season. But after the game, he put some of the blame at the feet of his players.
The head coach was asked whether he would consider taking play-calling away from offensive coordinator Press Taylor.
Jaguars coach Doug Pederson appeared to take aim at his players after defeat by the Texans
Dare Ogunbowale scored a last-gasp touchdown to condemn Jacksonville to an 0-4 start
‘For what? I thought he called a great game,’ Pederson said. ‘As coaches, we can’t go out there and make the plays, right?
‘It’s a two-way street. So, you know, you guys can sit here and point the finger all you want and it’s fine. Point it right at me.
‘I can take it. OK. I can take it. So whatever you want to ask me, say whatever, write, go ahead.’
When pressed on the possibility of taking over from Taylor, he added: ‘OK, yeah, sure, I’ll take it into consideration.’
Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence has now lost on each of his last nine starts
Since 1990, 105 teams have started a season with a 0-4 record. Only one has made the playoffs and none has won the Super Bowl.
Pederson insisted he was not concerned about his own future following yet another loss. ‘My status? No,’ he said. ‘That’s kind of a weird question, but OK.’
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence, meanwhile, has now lost each of his last nine starts dating back to December 2023. It is the longest skid of his career.
‘We’re that close to flipping the switch, making more plays during the games,’ Pederson said. ‘We’re not making them right now, and that’s what’s holding us back.’
