The Jacksonville Jaguars will look brand new when they open the 2022 NFL season against the Washington Commanders. The biggest difference will be who’s in the head coach position, versus who manned that job last season.
The franchise hired former Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl-winning coach Doug Pederson this offseason after parting ways with Urban Meyer after just 13 games. Meyer’s tenure was a snowball of scandal and unprofessionalism. Pederson is a Super Bowl-winning head coach and true professional.
Pederson’s high standards and character has players talking, and one of those players is star linebacker Josh Allen who says the “difference is night and day.” In a post training camp practice presser, Allen sounded like he and the team are excited for the fresh start.
“It feels good to be part of a professional locker room, not only in the locker room but also when you talk to the coaches. It’s a professional setting. You have to hone in to the details. If you’re not listening to the details, it’s not getting onto you, it’s telling you what’s right and what’s wrong.
As guys, as grown men, we’ve got to understand that, and he puts it in a way we can understand it and grow. He’s not getting on us, he’s letting us know what’s real, and he’s talking to us like grown men. With that, nothing but respect. We want to grow. We want to be great, and plus, he has the respect in his résumé.
We want to be an organization where we can get to that point someday. If we do things right and we listen, I feel like we can get to that point.”
Pederson is the complete opposite of Meyer in terms of decency and respect shown to the players and coaches.
JOSH ALLEN PICKS OFF JOSH ALLEN!#BUFvsJAX | #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/00GaFPciPP
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) November 7, 2021
Meyer’s Tenure Was Marred By Controversy And Scandal
Jaguars owner Shad Khan hired Meyer after successful coaching stints at Bowling Green, Florida and Ohio State, where he won three national championships and numerous conference championships. But Meyer’s coaching style didn’t translate too well in his short 13-game NFL coaching career. There was scandals, controversy, embarrassment and downright disrespect toward his players and coaches.
It got so bad during a team meeting that Meyer even called his assistant coaches “losers.” After months of turning a blind eye to the turmoil Meyer had brought to Jacksonville, the aforementioned Khan decided enough was enough.
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Following the firing of Meyer, Khan talked about his two previous coaches (Gis Bradley and Doug Marrone) and the respect he had for them. But he also said the Urban Meyer firing had nothing to do with “wins and losses.”
Enter the well-respected Pederson, who’ll be tasked with further developing 2021 No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence, whose rookie season was a loss with Meyer in charge.
Pederson Will Do Wonders For Trevor Lawrence
Throughout his career Pederson has been lauded as one of the brightest offensive minds in the league. Hailing from the Andy Reid coaching tree, he’s known as a quarterback developer, and Lawrence could use that. Pederson won a Super Bowl as the Eagles head coach and with a backup QB. That season he also had starting quarterback Carson Wentz in line to be named MVP before a season-ending knee injury.
.@Trevorlawrencee is ready to hit the ground running with Coach Pederson.#DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/YyaXGbArTV
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) February 6, 2022
Pederson’s ability to adapt to the player and marry himself to the QB position is exactly what Lawrence needs in his second year. If Lawrence takes heed, the sky is the limit for him and the. Jaguars instantly become a better team.
