Doug Pederson: Week 2 vs. Chiefs Is ‘A Little Bit of a Benchmark’
The Jacksonville Jaguars haven't forgotten about the last time they played the Kansas City Chiefs.
To a man, the sting of last year's divisional round loss at Arrowhead Stadium is still as clear as day. Even for head coach Doug Pederson.
Asked this week what remains with him the most from that game: the Jamal Agnew fumble, Chad Henne's 98-yard scoring drive or failing to bring down an injured Patrick Mahomes, Pederson's answer was simple: yes.
“I just think of it, there were some missed opportunities by us. Obviously, those that you mentioned are critical and those are big," Pederson said on Wednesday.
"I felt like we just missed the opportunities that were there, whether that was the outcome of the game or not, who knows. Maybe fortunately for us, it was a learning experience and something that our young football team can take away from moments like that. When you’re playing good teams like this and defending world championship teams, you can’t make those mistakes and expect to win.”
This Sunday, Pederson and the Jaguars will have a chance to see just how much they learned from not only that 27-20 loss, but also from their 27-17 loss in Week 10.
It might be just Week 2, but make no mistake about it: Sunday is a big-time football game for the Jaguars, the type of game that hasn't been played in Jacksonville nearly enough over the last decade-plus.
“I don’t know, it’s early, it’s Week 2. A lot of football ahead. Obviously, it would be a great win for us, but quite frankly, it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish," Pederson said.
"I know this, with a Coach Reid [Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid] led team, his teams always finish fast and it doesn’t matter what happens early in September. For us, yes, it would be a great opportunity to pull one out, and a little bit of a benchmark to where we are as a football team. We’ve got to play better, by no means are we where we want to be too. The Colts was an indication of that, so we got some work to do ourselves.”
The Jaguars should know as well as anyone that September football doesn't define a season. The Jaguars struggled in the early half of the 2022 season before a rapid rise over the final two months of the season pushed them to the playoffs and an AFC South title.
But even for a Week 2 game, it feels like a playoff atmosphere in Jacksonville -- a sign of just how far the franchise has come.
“I think it draws attention and focus to the players, they see it that way. Look, I’ve been on the other side of this too, where when you’re the defending champion, the bullseye is on your back," Pederson said.
"You’re getting everybody’s best each week. I can understand that from both sides, but I think it draws the focus internally and keeps it about us with what we’re trying to do. As I said, it’s a long season, but it’s great to have matchups like this early to see where you’re at as a football team.”
