Fired Jaguars coach rips team on way out the door: ‘The problems are staying’
The Jaguars made numerous coaching staff changes on Monday, and one departing coach isn’t staying silent.
Defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell, defensive line coach Brentson Buckner, passing game coordinator/cornerbacks coach Deshea Townsend, inside linebackers coach Tony Gilbert, safeties coach Cody Grimm, senior defensive assistant Bob Sutton, and defensive quality control coaches Tee Mitchell and Sean Cullina were all fired, according to head coach Doug Pederson, the day after his team was eliminated from playoff contention.
On social media, NFL insider Josina Anderson claimed to have heard from a coach who was departing Jacksonville that “the problems are staying, and the solutions are leaving.”
Although the coach suggests that the offense is the Jaguars’ main issue, everyone on the team has a hand in the club’s disintegration.
After an 8-3 start, the Jaguars collapsed, going 1-5 in the final six weeks of the season, including a defeat to the Titans (6-11) in Week 18. Despite starting the season as the overwhelming favorite to win the AFC South, the team was eliminated from the postseason.
As Anderson pointed out, the defense wasn’t perfect; from Weeks 1–12, it ranked 12th in points allowed per game; from Weeks 13–18, it ranked 26th. In the meantime, the offensive was also unimpressive.
They averaged 20.5 points per game in their last six games of the season, down from 21.2 points per game at the beginning of the campaign.
Coordinators are frequently used as the scapegoat by coaches who are under fire. This season, Buffalo’s progress was primarily attributable to an improved defense. Head coach Sean McDermott replaced offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey following Week 10, and while the move paid off with the team winning the AFC East, Expected points added per play (EPA) and success rate were 19th and 23rd, respectively, for the Bills defense in Weeks 1–10, 11–18, and 11–18, respectively.
A similar story will likely unfold in Jacksonville if Pederson rights the ship. For the Jaguars to take the next step, the offense must reach another level.
The first overall choice in the 2021 NFL Draft, quarterback Trevor Lawrence, disappointed following a strong debut season under head coach Derek Pederson. While his interception rate rose by 1.1 percentage points, his passer rating, completion %, and touchdown rate all decreased.
The Jaguars issued a statement by Pederson following Anderson’s post, stating that the firings occurred “on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.”
Bernie Parmelee, the coach of the running backs, and Todd Washington, the assistant offensive line coach, were also fired, according to NFL source Ian Rapoport.
The Jaguars’ greatest vulnerability was their offensive line, which ranked 27th in run-blocking and 29th in pass-block win-rate on ESPN at the end of the season. Jacksonville’s rush yards per carry ranking was 30th as well.
Pederson has to hope his adjustments are sufficient to get the Jaguars back to the postseason the following year. If not, he will be the issue that has to be resolved.
