Doug Pederson Reveals Jaguars' Biggest "Nemesis" in Week 1 Loss

The Jacksonville Jaguars struggled in a key area in their loss to the Miami Dolphins. Head coach Doug Pederson named it in his Monday press conference.

Sep 8, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) runs with the football against the Miami Dolphins during the first quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Jacksonville head coach Doug Pederson was asked if the Jaguars played conservative in the second half of the Jaguars' Week 1 loss to the Miami Dolphins. His response?

"I don't know what game you were watching, because we had a backed-up drive at the three-yard line," he said. "We ripped off a 26-yard run, I think. Then, we came back and hit Gabe [Davis] and we hit [Travis Etienne Jr.] in the flat. Next thing you know, we're at the 15 and we fumble going in. That's pretty aggressive to me in the second half. ... I elected to go for it on our end of the field, showing a sign of aggressiveness there. Defense did a great job of stopping them and missing a kick."

Pederson's Jaguars were able to score 17 points in the first half. The team was clicking and it looked like maybe owner Shad Khan was right when he said this was the best team in franchise history. (It still could be -- the Jaguars have 16 more games to validate that statement and then the playoffs).

Pederson named the biggest weakness the Jaguars' had in Week 1. It wasn't the play-calling. It wasn't Etienne's game-changing football, nor game-wrecking Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill, or their weak offensive line.

"Third down was our nemesis," Pederson said.

The Jaguars were 2-for-10 on third. Abysmal, to say the least. Now, factoring into this number is the dominant first half the offense had, getting a mixture of home run plays and steady gains on first and second down to convert. Obviously, it was a different story in the second half.

The Jaguars averaged 5.3 yards per play, too. The math makes the poor third-down conversion rate even more unacceptable. The key for this offense going forward will be doing exactly what they are trying to stop opposing offenses from doing.

Get to a favorable second-down. From there, convert or put themselves in a better position to convert on third-down. Play-calling is important for this, as Trevor Lawrence was not given the throwing opportunities in the second half like he had in the first.

The Jaguars have the weapons to accomplish that goal. Gabe Davis and Brian Thomas Jr. emerged as valuable targets for Lawrence and will pair nicely with Christian Kirk and Evan Engram. A potential running back duo in Etienne and Tank Bigsby only gives the offense another layer.

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