Growth Focus Amid Struggles for the Jacksonville Jaguars

Every NFL team faces struggles—losing streaks, key injuries, missed opportunities—but the difference between contenders and also-rans lies in how they respond. For the Jacksonville Jaguars, a midseason stretch of three losses in four games (marked by offensive inconsistencies and defensive lapses) hasn’t derailed their focus; instead, it’s become a catalyst for targeted growth. Growth Focus Amid Struggles for the Jacksonville Jaguars reveals how head coach Doug Pederson and his staff have turned setbacks into learning opportunities, prioritizing player development, scheme refinement, and cultural resilience over short-term results. For a team still building toward a Super Bowl, these struggles aren’t failures—they’re stepping stones, shaping a more resilient, adaptable roster that can thrive when the stakes are highest.

Growth Focus Amid Struggles for the Jacksonville Jaguars begins with the team’s approach to young player development, even when losses mount. During the rough stretch, Pederson made a deliberate choice to increase snap counts for rookies and second-year players—including cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry, running back Tank Bigsby, and defensive tackle Jalyn Holmes—instead of leaning solely on veterans to “win now.” For example, McKinstry, a first-round pick, saw his snaps jump from 45% to 70% in the losing streak, tasked with covering top receivers like Tyreek Hill and Amari Cooper. While he allowed a few big plays (including a 40-yard touchdown against the Dolphins), he also recorded his first NFL interception and forced a fumble—moments that Pederson highlighted in film sessions to reinforce progress over perfection. “Struggles are when young players grow the most,” Pederson said. “If we shelter them from tough matchups, we’re not preparing them for the playoffs. Every mistake McKinstry makes now is a lesson he won’t forget when we’re facing a Super Bowl contender.” This focus paid off: in the Jaguars’ first win after the streak, McKinstry held Titans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to just 2 catches for 18 yards.

Growth Focus Amid Struggles for the Jacksonville Jaguars shifts to offensive scheme adjustments, where the coaching staff used losses to identify and fix gaps in their game plan. The Jaguars’ offense sputtered during the streak, averaging just 18 points per game (down from 27 in their first six wins) and converting only 32% of third downs. Instead of abandoning their core identity (a balanced run-pass attack), Pederson and offensive coordinator Press Taylor dug into film to refine details: they simplified Trevor Lawrence’s pre-snap reads to reduce decision fatigue, added more “check-with-me” plays to let Lawrence adjust to defensive looks, and adjusted blocking assignments to create cleaner running lanes for Travis Etienne Jr. The staff also scheduled extra walkthroughs focused on red-zone execution—an area where the Jaguars ranked 22nd during the streak—using game-like scenarios to practice high-pressure plays. “Struggles expose what’s not working, and that’s a gift,” Taylor said. “We weren’t failing because our scheme was bad—we were failing because we weren’t executing the small details. Fixing those details is how we grow from a good offense to a great one.” The adjustments yielded results: in the Jaguars’ next two games, they averaged 29 points and converted 48% of third downs, including a 9-play, 85-yard game-winning drive against the Colts.

Growth Focus Amid Struggles for the Jacksonville Jaguars includes a deliberate effort to strengthen team culture, using tough losses to build unity rather than foster frustration. After each loss in the streak, Pederson hosted a “player-led” meeting instead of a traditional coach’s postgame talk, inviting veterans like Lawrence, Etienne, and defensive end Josh Allen to share their thoughts. Allen, a team captain, used the meetings to emphasize accountability—not blaming teammates for mistakes, but owning their roles in the loss. “We’re not a team that points fingers,” Allen said during one meeting. “If I’m not getting to the quarterback, that’s on me. If Trevor’s not getting the ball out, that’s on him. But we fix it together.” The Jaguars also added a “growth journal” component to their weekly routine, asking players to write down one lesson learned from the game and one goal for the next week. These journals are shared in position-group meetings, creating a culture of transparency and continuous improvement. For the Jacksonville Jaguars, this cultural focus isn’t just feel-good rhetoric—it’s a way to turn individual struggles into collective growth. “Culture isn’t built when you’re winning—it’s built when you’re losing,” Pederson said. “How we respond to tough times defines who we are. For the Jacksonville Jaguars, that means fighting together, learning together, and growing together.”

Growth Focus Amid Struggles for the Jacksonville Jaguars delves into how the team leveraged injuries as opportunities to build depth—a long-term growth strategy that paid immediate dividends. During the losing streak, the Jaguars lost two key starters: left tackle Cam Robinson (knee) and safety Andre Cisco (hamstring). Instead of panicking, Pederson turned to backups: second-year tackle Walker Little stepped in for Robinson, and rookie safety Antonio Johnson filled in for Cisco. Little, who had played just 100 snaps in his career, struggled early (allowing 2 sacks in his first start) but used film sessions with offensive line coach Phil Rauscher to fix his footwork and hand placement. By his third start, he didn’t allow a single pressure, helping the Jaguars rush for 150 yards against the Texans. Johnson, meanwhile, used the opportunity to showcase his ball skills, recording an interception and a pass breakup in his first start. “Injuries are never ideal, but they force us to grow our depth,” Rauscher said. “If Walker Little never gets a chance to start during this streak, we’re not prepared if Cam gets hurt in the playoffs. These struggles are building a roster that can handle anything— and that’s growth you can’t measure in wins and losses.” For the Jacksonville Jaguars, this depth has become a competitive advantage: by the end of the season, they had 11 players who started games due to injury and went on to record career-best performances.

Growth Focus Amid Struggles for the Jacksonville Jaguars concludes with the team’s ability to reframe losses as long-term investments, not short-term failures. After their third loss in the streak (a 3-point defeat to the Bills), Pederson gathered the team and showed a highlight reel—not of the game’s mistakes, but of the growth moments: McKinstry’s interception, Little’s improved blocking, Johnson’s pass breakup, and Lawrence’s fourth-quarter comeback attempt (which fell just short). “This is what growth looks like,” Pederson told the team. “We didn’t win, but we got better. And when we’re playing in January, we’ll be glad we went through this.” That reframing worked: the Jaguars won five of their last six games, securing the AFC South title and a first-round bye, with many of the players who struggled during the streak emerging as key contributors. For the Jacksonville Jaguars, the takeaway is clear: struggles are not the enemy of growth—they’re the fuel. “You don’t learn how to win a Super Bowl by winning every game in September,” Lawrence said. “You learn it by losing, fixing your mistakes, and coming back stronger. That’s what we did, and that’s what will make us dangerous in the playoffs.”

Growth Focus Amid Struggles for the Jacksonville Jaguars ultimately shows that the Jaguars’ success isn’t measured by how many games they win in a row, but by how much they grow when things go wrong. By prioritizing young player development, refining their schemes, strengthening their culture, and building depth, they’ve turned a midseason slump into a foundation for playoff success. For Jaguars Nation, this growth focus is a reason to believe—not just in this season, but in the team’s ability to compete for championships for years to come. As Pederson put it, “Struggles don’t define you—how you grow from them does. And this team is growing into something special.”