Doug Pederson: Win is a weight off of everyone’s shoulders

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson shrugged off questions about his job security after the team fell to 0-4 last week, but there was no question that the bad start to this season and the rough end to the 2023 campaign were creating some heat on his seat.

Things are a little bit cooler on Monday. The Jaguars held off the Colts for a 37-34 win on Sunday afternoon and they got a big performance from quarterback Trevor Lawrence on the way to the win. Lawrence hit on two passes of more than 60 yards and finished 28-of-34 for 371 yards on a day that offered a reminder of why he was the first overall pick in 2021.

After the game, Pederson said that the outing lightened the load on everyone.

“I think there’s a weight off everybody’s shoulders, right?” Pederson said, via Gene Frenette of the Florida Times-Union. “Not just [Lawrence]. It’s a weight off my shoulders too. Now you guys can get off my tail for at least a week.”

Some pressure might have been relieved, but it won’t take much for it to ratchet back up. The Jags will be in London to face the Bears next Sunday and a loss in that game will put the team right back where it was heading into the Colts game. They’ll stay in London to play the Patriots in Week Seven and going 0-2 won’t be a good thing for anyone’s job security once the team is back in Jacksonville.