Jaguars Continue To Look for Fixes Following Brutal Defensive Performance vs. Lions
The Detroit Lions offense came ready to play in a game with significant implications. In one of the worst defensive performances of the 2022 NFL season, the Jacksonville Jaguars allowed the Lions to score each time they had the ball.
The scores came via four touchdowns and 40 total points while giving up 7.4 yards per play. The Lions were particularly effective in third-down situations, converting 8 of 12 opportunities to prolong their scoring drives.
Of those four touchdowns, two were on the ground and two were in the air, with the Lions trio of D’Andre Swift, Jamaal Williams, and Amon-Ra St. Brown each getting in on the action. As a whole, the Jaguars' defense looked completely unprepared, reflected in the stat sheet and in the eyes of head coach Doug Pederson.
“Yeah, I mean – just the fact that they executed better than we did,” Pederson said following Sunday’s loss.
“I felt like we were kind of shocked to start this game. We just were not – we were not ready, even – we turned the ball over on the second play of the game which can’t happen. And then the defense can’t get off the field the entire game and it’s a combination of everybody. We’re all included, myself included. So, it’s just something we have to really look hard at the next couple of days.”
Questions quickly arose about whether Pederson would become more involved in the defensive game plan following yet another dismal performance. The Jaguars' head coach quickly shot down those rumors and reaffirmed his trust in first-year defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell, vowing to give him the proper support to succeed.
“No, I don’t, because again, part of my job is to help support him and give him everything that he needs to be successful, and I’m going to do that and make sure that even who’s up, who’s down on game day,” Pederson said. “
We determine that, so I want to make sure that he has everything readily available to him. I want to support him and make sure that he has everything he needs to be successful as well.”
With three divisional games left on the slate, the time is now for the 4-8 Jaguars to claw their way back into the race. Like the previous losses, the consensus among the players and coaches is to quickly wipe away the sting of defeat and hone in on the next opponent.
“I mean, listen we’ve got to lick our wounds and we’ve got two days to figure it out,” Pederson said. “We’ve got a division opponent next week and nobody’s going to feel sorry for us, and so we’re not going to feel sorry for ourselves. We’re going to go to work and we’re going to get things cleaned up. And make – and try to make it right. But it’s everybody, it’s not just one person, one position group, it’s everybody. It’s coaches, players, myself, it’s all of us. And obviously, it starts there with me.”
