(Photo by Jason Hanna/Getty Images)
Just over a month ago, the Jacksonville Jaguars were 8-3, and some thought they had made themselves into dark-horse Super Bowl contenders.
However, they lost five of their last six games, and as a result, they will be watching this year’s NFL playoffs at home on television.
That means some changes will need to be made to get them back into the postseason, and they started on Monday by getting rid of defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell, per Greg Auman.
News in Jacksonville: Defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell is being let go after two years on Doug Pederson’s staff. Defensive overhaul coming there.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) January 8, 2024
Caldwell has held one coaching role or another in the league since the 2008 season when he started out as a defensive quality control coach with the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Jaguars hired him last season after he had spent three years as an inside linebackers coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In 2022, Jacksonville was hot down the stretch, winning six of their final seven games to claim a playoff berth, and once in the playoffs, they overcame a 27-0 deficit to upset the Los Angeles Chargers in the opening round.
That, along with the acquisition of wide receiver Calvin Ridley, led to big expectations for this season, which they fell short of.
Third-year quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft who played excellent ball late last season, has seemingly regressed, and the team’s defense has had trouble defending the passing game of opponents.
It seems that with a few tweaks and a return to form by Lawrence, the Jaguars should be back in the playoffs next season and possibly even have a shot at finishing first in the AFC South.
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