Jacksonville head coach Doug Pederson viewed the Jaguars' Week 12 bye as an ideal opportunity to restart 2024 after the club's brutal 9-2 loss.
While he Pederson expressed optimism that a refreshed Jacksonville roster could look different with some tweaks over the final six games, as Jaguars owner Shad Khan questionably commented before the season that this was the “best assembled team” in franchise history.
“Where we are, with six games left, I think it's time to just hit the reset button and just rewind, kind of… get fresh again, coach and players,” Pederson said Monday. “And the coaches have to do that – that's what I challenged them to do this week, we have to go back and we have to look at everything from a schematic standpoint, from a player standpoint, from a personnel standpoint and all those things” this week .
“If we come out of this pause and just keep doing the same things and trying to expect different results, that probably won't happen, right? So we have to do a few little things, a few insignificant things. We will do it and we will make sure of it in the next few days.”
Jaguars Wire lays out five stats (and some supporting numbers) that define Jacksonville's 2024 season in the following bye week, identifying the big things that went wrong and a few somewhat positive takeaways the team is looking to wrap up season can build.
189.2 yards per game
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – NOVEMBER 3: Trevor Lawrence #16 and head coach Doug Pederson of the Jacksonville Jaguars talk during the third quarter of a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on November 3, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
It's no mistake: The Jaguars' passing offense – with quarterback Trevor Lawrence at the helm – has held Jacksonville to multiple games this season. Between Lawrence, rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. and tight ends Evan Engram and Brenton Strange, the unit has provided occasional flashes.
But overall, Jacksonville's passing offense doesn't live up to the lofty expectations that come with giving a quarterback a big payday – in this case, the Lawrence signed with the Jaguars in June.
With 189.2 passing yards per game this season, Jacksonville ranks 28th in the NFL. Lawrence has averaged 222.7 yards per game, ranking 17th among qualified quarterbacks.
But while he was sidelined with one Over the last two weeks, backup Mac Jones averaged 124.5 yards per game. His two-game average is 156.2 yards below the league's worst team average, Carolina's 280.7.
Ultimately, the Jaguars rank 21st in the league with 5.8 yards per pass play. Her 11 passing touchdowns rank 26th.
413.7 yards allowed per game
Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen looks on during the second quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. The Packers beat the Jaguars 30-27 with a last-second field goal. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
Jacksonville's defense I hope to go from a center fielder to one of the best in the NFL this offseason.
It went the other way. The Jaguars rank 32nd in the league with 413.7 yards per game this season and are last with 413.7 yards, 22.9 more than the next team, the New Orleans Saints. Jacksonville has given up 30th place with 28.7 points per game.
In his first season as Jacksonville's defensive coordinator, Ryan Nielsen had no answer to the pass or the run. The Jaguars have allowed 278.3 passing yards per game, second-most in the NFL, and 135.5 rushing yards per game, seventh-most.
Jacksonville has the fourth-lowest quarterback pressure rate in the league at 29.2%. The 42 runs of 10 yards the Jaguars have given up are the fifth-most.
Seven turnovers by Trevor Lawrence
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA – OCTOBER 6: Quarterback Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Jacksonville Jaguars reacts after a touchdown
Pass in the second quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at EverBank Stadium on October 06, 2024 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Courtney Culbreath/Getty Images)
One of the most encouraging aspects of the season in Jacksonville is that Lawrence has dramatically reduced the turnovers that plagued the first three seasons of his career.
Lawrence led the league with 60 turnovers, 39 interceptions and 21 lost fumbles in 50 games in 2021-23. In comparison, he has given the ball away seven times in nine games this year, with six interceptions and one fumble. His total turnovers per game have dropped from 1.2 in the first three seasons of his career to 0.78 in 2024.
Lawrence is doing a better job of protecting the football as a whole.
After fumbling once every 1.5 games (including recoveries) in his first 50 starts, Lawrence has fumbled once every three games this year.
And while he's averaging 7.1 yards per pass attempt and 9.7 yards average depth per score this season, according to Pro Football Focus, Lawrence's turnover-worthy pass rate is 3.4%, the second-lowest mark of his career.
46% snap percentage for DL Arik Armstead
Detroit Lions quarterback Hendon Hooker (2) takes on Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Arik Armstead (91) during the second half at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024.
Arik Armstead, the 2024 free agency class honoree from Jacksonville, was expected to balance the Jaguars' defensive front as a strong interior presence, pairing with edge rushers Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker.
Armstead received $28 million from the Jaguars, the 16th-most guaranteed money among active interior defensive linemen, to improve their trench game. He did anything but.
The Jaguars have largely moved Armstead away from the position he played primarily for nine seasons with San Francisco, defensive tackle, and instead rotated him with Hines-Allen and Walker on the sidelines with occasional interior pass-rushing reps.
According to nfl Pro, Armstead logged 221 snaps at defensive end compared to 116 at defensive tackle.
Armstead's 361 total defensive snaps equates to a snap percentage of 46%, ranking 14th on the Jacksonville defense. He has yet to start a game with the Jaguars.
In his rotating role, Armstead has recorded 20 total tackles, including two for loss, one sack and 16 quarterback pressures.
To be fair to Armstead, he had knee surgery in February . However, the Jaguars decided not to use him in two preseason games in which he was available, which in hindsight is a questionable move.
1-6 in one-score games
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson looks on during the fourth quarter of an nfl football game at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024. The Packers beat the Jaguars 30-27 with a last-second field goal. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
Jacksonville suffered its worst loss in franchise history, a 44-point loss, last Sunday against the Detroit Lions.
It wasn't the first time a team had beaten the club this season, as the Buffalo Bills embarrassed the Jaguars in Week 3 on Monday Night Football, winning by 37 points.
Jacksonville also lost to the Chicago Bears 35-16 in Week 6.
Otherwise, Jacksonville suffered every one of its losses this year, losing by an average of 4.2 points per game to the Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans, Green Bay Packers, Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers. The final four teams have winning records through Week 11.
The Jaguars are 1-6 overall in one-score games, with their only win in that category coming against the Indianapolis Colts 37-34 in Week 5.
