Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence has had two head coaches in three NFL seasons. The first one, Urban Meyer, had no business being there. The second one, Doug Pederson, has won a Super Bowl.
Based on Lawrence’s comments after a blowout loss to the Buccaneers, Pederson’s future suddenly seems far shakier than it should.
“It just looks like we don’t even practice,” Lawrence told reporters, via ESPN.com. “We look lost. No sense of urgency. The list goes on and on. I feel like we have good weeks of preparation and I feel like we’re prepared going into games and then something happens on game day the last month where it just all falls apart.
“This is our season. We’ve worked hard to be in this position and we’re close to pissing it away so we’ve got to figure it out.”
Although Lawrence surely didn’t intend his comments to be an indictment of coaching, that’s what they kind of are. It’s the coach’s job to create the impression that the team has practiced. That the team doesn’t look lost. That the team has a sense of urgency. That things don’t fall apart on game day. That they don’t piss away a promising season.
The Jaguars still have two chances to turn it around, with a visit from the Panthers and a trip to the Titans. If they can turn it around and make the playoffs, fine. If they don’t, ownership might have some tough questions to ask regarding whether the team is reaching its potential, if not why not, and what can be done to get there.
