The Jaguars went 10-6 and reached the AFC Championship Game in 2017. That proved an aberration.
In 10 of the past 11 seasons, the Jaguars finished no higher than third in the division and had no more than six victories in any of those seasons. Their record over the past 11 seasons, including 2017, is 47-130.
The Jaguars have provided little excitement, little hope and little to cheer for most of their history.
Trevor Lawrence, the No. 1 overall choice in 2021, vows to change that now that they have Super Bowl-winning coach Doug Pederson.
“We’re building toward something special,” Lawrence told Jenny Dell of CBS Sports HQ earlier this week. “It’s been great, just the way (Pederson) interacts with the team, the way he leads. I think personality-wise, we’re similar. We get along well. Our demeanors are very similar.
“Obviously, he played quarterback. He’s won a Super Bowl as a player and as a coach, so he knows how to get there. He knows how to do it. I think that’s really important to have in a leader like that. And just the energy he’s brought to the building has been awesome, and really building that trust of the team, he’s done a great job.”
Urban Meyer lasted only 13 games as the head coach last season with one embarrassing controversy after another, wasting Lawrence’s rookie season. Lawrence didn’t specifically address Meyer, pointing simply to the “drama” that surrounded the team last season, but he did tell Dell he hopes to become a better leader this season.
“I think (last year) really taught me how to stay the same every day, to be consistent,” Lawrence said. “Just my attitude, my work ethic, no matter how things are going. I know what it’s like to struggle as a rookie. . . . Now in my second year, I have a good feel for the schedule (and) can really feel like I’m prepared.”
