Doug Pederson Might Have Coached His Final Game For Jaguars

With a blowout loss against the Detroit Lions, are Doug Pederson's days numbered?

Dec 4, 2022; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson watches the action from the sidelines against the Detroit Lions during the first half at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images / David Reginek-Imagn Images

On the same day it became clear Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson needed a win to save his job for at least another two weeks, the Jaguars had as poetic of a result as a team could.

The Jaguars fell to the Detroit Lions in as lopsided of a loss as one may ever see in an NFL game. The Jaguars were outgained by over 400 yards in a 52-6 loss, with the 44-point loss serving as the worst loss in the entire history of the franchise.

The 475 yards the Jaguars were outgained by is the biggest yardage differential in any game since 1979. This wasn't just a loss. It wasn't just a blowout. It was the single worst product the Jaguars have ever put on a football field.

That kind of Alabama vs. Mercer-level loss is never acceptable at the NFL level. It would have been easier to swallow in 1995 when the Jaguars were an expansion franchise still finding their footing. It would have made sense when they had Blaine Gabbert at quarterback. It would have made sense under Gus Bradley or Urban Meyer.

But the worst loss in franchise history coming in the same year that owner Shad Khan made a mandate for a winning season? When Khan called this squad the best team in franchise history? That can't happen.

Reports swirled about Pederson from all corners of the football world ahead of Sunday's kickoff. Fox Sports' Jay Glazer, who said before kickoff that all eyes would be on the Jaguars with a loss.

"All eyes right now on the Jaguars."@JayGlazer breaks down the possible changes coming to the Jaguars coaching staff. pic.twitter.com/mLlV4TqlZz

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) November 17, 2024

The Jaguars didn't just lose. They had their doors blown off. They got knocked off the tracks. They got completely picked apart by a team that showed that the difference between the two isn't simply their records. It is who they are to the core.

Shad Khan demanded wins this year. The Jaguars have now locked in a losing season, and they did so in embarrassing and historic fashion.

The Jaguars had kept it together this season despite loss after loss. That changed on Sunday, though. With Pederson's job seemingly directly on the line, Pederson saw the Jaguars play the worst single game in the franchise's entire history.

“I can’t control that. Listen, I’ve been around this league a long time. If it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen obviously. But at the same time, I have a job to do," Pederson said after the game.

Pederson can't control it, because it is fate. At this point, the question doesn't appear to be if Pederson will get fired. Instead, the question is will it happen tonight?

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