JACKSONVILLE – Doug Pederson feels good entering the weekend.
The Jaguars will play their 2022 regular-season home opener Sunday, Pederson's first regular-season game at TIAA Bank Field as the team's head coach. He said Friday he liked the preparation in the wake of a loss in the regular-season opener.
As Pederson sees it, the Jaguars are ready for Week 2.
"The guys have responded really well," Pederson said as the Jaguars (0-1) prepared to play the Indianapolis Colts (0-0-1) in an AFC South game at TIAA Bank Field Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Jaguars lost to the Washington Commanders, 28-22, in the regular-season opener. They have won three of 33 games dating to September 2020.
"I don't focus on it, honestly," Pederson said. "It's about trying to go 1-0 this week. We learned from our mistakes and we move on from them. In our case: New team, new year, new set of circumstances, new coaching staff. We're all excited about the season ahead with a lot of football ahead of us.
"If we control what we can control internally, I think good things can happen for this team. Are you going to win them all? No, but you're going to give yourself a chance to win them."
Pederson and offensive coordinator Press Taylor both spoke this week of eliminating correctable mistakes that hurt the Jaguars in a season-opening loss to the Washington Commanders. The Jaguars converted just three of 12 third-down opportunities in that game, committing seven penalties on offense and scoring on three of five red-zone possessions.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence also this week emphasized reducing mistakes, and Pederson on Friday said players addressed that effectively throughout the week.
"They were able to take last week and make the corrections, put that to rest and focus on another set of circumstances, another game plan," Pederson said. "It's a matter of stacking days, staying consistent and showing that improvement. You just keep building. Each week, you just get better as a team."
Key this week for the Jaguars: Defending Jonathan Taylor, the NFL's leading rusher in 2021 and a player – along with Derrick Henry of the AFC South's Tennessee Titans – who is considered among the NFL's best running backs.
"You have to start with your division and how your division is built," Pederson said. "We've got some great running backs in this division, and obviously stopping the run is imperative. It's a key to winning football games in the AFC South. It was a focal point in the spring through free agency and obviously the draft to put some pieces in place to help slow down the run."
QUOTABLE
Pederson on Sunday's home opener: "I'm looking forward to a great crowd. Obviously, it's a division opponent. We're focused on that, and on just playing hard and playing fast and seeing what happens. We're really looking forward to playing in front of our fans."
INJURY REPORT
The Jaguars on Friday for a third consecutive day listed no players on their official injury report, a situation Pederson called "rare." He added, "There are usually a couple of guys this early in the season typically who are limited during the week. It's just a credit to the players, how well they've taken care of themselves through (training) camp. There are always going to be bumps and bruises each week, but for the most part everybody's feeling good."
