Lions Blow Out Jaguars As Doug Pederson's Future Hangs in the Balance

The Jacksonville Jaguars got absolutely bulldozed in what could be Doug Pederson's final game as the Jaguars' head coach.

Nov 17, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Mac Jones (10) throws a pass against the Detroit Lions in the second quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images / Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

There was plenty on the line for the Jacksonville Jaguars entering Week 11's contest vs. the Detroit Lions at Ford Field.

The future of Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson and general manager Trent Baalke were seemingly hanging in the balance at the start of kick-off. And with the Jaguars sitting as one of the biggest underdogs in the 2024 season, there was plenty of sense of impending doom for the Jaguars and their nightmare season.

Would the Jaguars fight to the final whistle and keep the score close against a playoff team, just like they have done over the final three weeks? Or would to Jaguars accept their reality and their fate, falling to the NFC's best team in spectacular fashion?

The Jaguars gave us their answer on Sunday. The party, for all intents and purposes, is over after a 52-6 blowout loss.

The Jaguars' offense was completely overwhelmed for the second week in a row, while the Jaguars allowed the Lions to score a touchdown on every single one of their first seven drives.

Jacksonville got on the board first after a Mac Jones completion to Evan Engram to convert a key early third-down, while Brenton Strange then got the ball into scoring position.

All of this resulted in a booming 59-yard field goal from rookie kicker Cam Little to give the Jaguars a 3-0 lead, with Little tying the franchise record for longest field goal in just his 11th career game. He is now tied with Josh Scobee (2010) and Josh Lambo (2020).

Jacksonville's lead lasted only a few minutes, however, with the Lions answering with a nine-play, 70-yard drive that looked effortless and ended with a two-yard David Montgomery rushing touchdown.

After going into a 7-3 hole, the Jaguars responded with a 3-and-out after back-to-back runs failed to pick up a first-yard after a 2nd-and-1. The Lions then responded with yet another effortless scoring drive, this one coming off a 93-yard drive where the Jaguars bounced off running backs like pinballs before Jahmyr Gibbs recorded a one-yard rushing touchdown.

Detroit completely dominated Jacksonville on the ground in the first half, with Montgomery scoring a six-yard touchdown to give him his second score and to increase the Lions' lead to 21-3. The Jaguars didn't pick up their third first-down of the day until after the Lions' third touchdown, but it didn't matter with the Lions picking up their fourth touchdown on the next drive, this time a long catch-and-run by Amon-Ra St. Brown

The Lions' defense shredded the Jaguars in the first half, with the Lions recording 19 first downs and 306 total yards in the first two quarters alone. Jared Goff was 13-of-16 for 205 yards and a touchdown in the first half, while Montgomery and Gibbs combined for 18 carries for 101 yards and a touchdown.

By comparison, the Jaguars recorded six first downs and just 104 yards in the first half before Little made his second field goal to give the Jaguars six points and a 28-6 deficit at half time.

It was said the Jaguars would need to lose in embarrassing fashion for change to come, and that is exactly the way to describe the way the Jaguars fell behind in Sunday's contest. After a first half where the Lions looked like they were simply playing with their food, the Lions showed on one of the first plays of the second half that the Jaguars were beneath them.

This time, it came on a 64-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Jameson Williams, a back-breaking play that gave the Lions a 35-6 lead. This gave the Lions their fifth touchdown on five drives, proving their domination over the Jaguars in every facet of play.

After a Brock Wright touchdown on the Lions' sixth drive, it became clear that the end was near -- not just for Sunday's game. Not just for this season. But for this regime.

Goff left the game after the Lions scored a touchdown on their seventh consecutive drive. Goff ended the game with 24-of-29 passing for 412 yards and four touchdowns.

With the Jaguars leaving Detroit with a 2-9 record and one of the worst losses of the 2024 season, the question now is where do the Jaguars go from here, and whether change will be here come Monday morning.

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