DETROIT – Doug Pederson doesn’t know if Sunday’s embarrassing 52-6 loss to the Detroit Lions will be his last as head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, so he will continue to function normally as the team heads into its bye week.

“I have no control over that,” Pederson said. “I’ve been in this league for a long time, and if it’s going to happen, of course it’s going to happen, but at the same time I still have a job to do and that’s to prepare for a good division opponent (the Houston Texans) in two weeks .”

The Jaguars are now 2-9 and have lost 14 of their past 17 games under Pederson after an 8-3 start to the 2023 season. This comes after owner Shad Khan told the team the night before training camp started that this was the best Jaguars team ever and he expected it to reach the playoffs. If Khan chooses to fire Pederson (and possibly general manager Trent Baalke) before the season is over, this would be the logical week to do so.

The Jaguars are expected to be at the facility midweek before the players get the rest of the week off.

Several players expressed support after the game for Pederson, who led the team to an AFC South title in 2022 after a 3-7 start to the season.

“I love playing for Doug,” tight end Evan Engram said. “Doug and this team have been through so much in the last three years. And like I said, I told him, ‘We’re going to ride together. We’re going to die together.’

“That’s out of my control, but I’ll keep fighting for Doug as much as I can. I know the team will and we’ll keep pushing.”

Safety Andre Cisco said he hoped Khan wouldn’t fire Pederson.

“I love Doug,” he said. “Doug has been great to me, and that’s why I think he’s a leader we need, especially for the rest of this year. I think with four division games coming up, I don’t see change as the best option, but I understand that it is so.” a company.”

Josh Hines-Allen said defensively: “We love Doug. We’re fighting for him, but I have no comment on that (Sunday may be Pederson’s last game).”

Even if Khan decides not to make a move with Pederson this week, a smaller shakeup could still happen. Pederson said he would consider potential personnel changes after Sunday’s 46-point loss, the worst in the franchise’s 30-year history (and eclipsing the team’s 44-0 loss to the Lions in Detroit in the first season in 1995). The Jaguars gave up 645 yards, which is the second-most yards allowed in a single game in franchise history.

The offense, which saw backup quarterback Mac Jones start in place of Trevor Lawrence (shoulder) for the second straight week, managed just 170 yards per week after allowing 143 in a loss to Minnesota, which was the fifth-lowest single- game was. total in franchise history.

“It’s hard to pin it all on one person,” Pederson said. “I think coaches have to look at themselves. I have to start there, look at myself and obviously look at the staff and what are we doing, how are we preparing our players? And then the same way with the players, right? They have to look at themselves and be critical of themselves and then make the changes, make the corrections that we need to get better.

“So I’ll be processing a few things, but I’m glad we have our goodbyes now.”

Pederson is 20-25 in his two-plus seasons with the Jaguars. He led the team to 9–8 regular season records in 2022 and 2023, the first time the franchise has had consecutive winning seasons since 2004–05. Sunday’s loss eliminates the Jaguars’ chance to post three consecutive winning seasons for the first time since the franchise did so four years in a row from 1996 to 1999.

“At the end of the day, it’s the reality of this business,” linebacker Devin Lloyd said. “Obviously (Pederson being fired) is not something anyone desires. You have so much love for everyone in this locker room and on this team. It’s not something you wish for, but it’s the reality. We’re not winning. ” and that’s what it is.”