Jaguars coach Pederson makes non-committal comments on Lawrence after defeat

ORCHARD PARK, NY – Jacksonville Jaguars coach Doug Pederson is not ruling out making changes after his team’s 0-3 start.

Maybe not even in relation to quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

“There have to be changes, whether it’s game design, personnel, everything,” Pederson said after Monday night’s 47-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. “Everything is on the table, let’s put it that way, and those are all things that I have to look at, that we have to look at as a team and make adjustments.”

When asked whether this also included changes in the starting lineup and applied to Lawrence, Pederson answered non-committally.

“They say anything is possible, but we also have to look at the injury situation,” he said. “There were a few injured tonight. That could be changed. It could be down to performance. Those are all things we have to evaluate as we move forward.”

The Jaguars (0-3) have been a mess offensively since the first half of their season opener against Miami, scoring just 23 points in the last 10 quarters and converting 5 of 27 third downs.

Lawrence completed 47.5% of his passes for 432 yards and one touchdown with one interception and was sacked 10 times during that span.

Against Buffalo, he completed 21 of 38 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown with an interception. That was his eighth consecutive loss as a starter, and he hasn’t won a start in 302 days since his Week 12 win at Houston last season.

“That’s the NFL: The quarterback has to play well every week to have a chance to win, and I don’t feel like I’ve been able to do that consistently enough. So I’m taking responsibility and I have to play better,” Lawrence said.

When asked if Lawrence would have to play significantly better in 2024 than he has so far, Pederson replied bluntly: “Everyone has to train and play better. Let’s leave it at that.”

But Lawrence isn’t solely responsible for the team’s 0-3 start. The defense played its worst half in franchise history against the Bills, allowing 34 points (the most it has allowed in a first half) and allowing Bills quarterback Josh Allen to throw for 247 yards and four touchdowns. The defense, which had already lost two starters in the secondary to injury (cornerback Tyson Campbell and nickelback Darnell Savage), lost nickelback Jarrian Jones to a shoulder injury.

Linebacker Foyesade Oluokun also left the game due to a foot injury.

Right tackle Anton Harrison left the game with a knee injury and receiver Gabe Davis left the game with a shoulder injury.

In short, things are chaotic at the Jaguars right now, and although Pederson said everything is on the table, he doesn’t know how to fix things.

“That’s where we are now and it’s not very good,” he said. “We have to be honest with ourselves and I have to be honest with myself and just move on.”

“We have the right guys. The right guys are in the room and the right leaders. I have to find a way to get more out of them and that’s not about training harder and longer. It’s just about getting more done, whether it’s leadership during games, the way they handle the team, whatever that may look like. Those are the things I have to figure out.”

As if the embarrassing loss wasn’t enough for the Jaguars, mechanical issues also occurred and the team’s departure from Highmark Stadium was delayed, according to a team spokesperson. As of 1 a.m. ET, the team had not yet left the stadium.