JACKSONVILLE – Senior writer John Oehser examines Jaguars Head Coach Doug Pederson's post-game press conference following a 26-13 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in a 2024 Preseason Week 1 game at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville Saturday …

1. Good signs. Saturday was a good start for the Jaguars. It was a particularly good start for multiple young players who have been strong throughout 2024 Training Camp – and Pederson on Saturday praised players such as running back Tank Bigsby, wide receiver Parker Washington and cornerback Christian Braswell. All three were selected in the 2023 NFL Draft – Bigsby in Round 3, Washington in Round 6 and Braswell in Round 6. Bigsby rushed for 28 yards on three carries Saturday with a 44-yard kickoff return, Washington had a 73-yard kickoff return and Braswell returned a strip/fumble for a touchdown that was nullified when officials ruled the ballcarrier down by contact. "It is pleasing," Pederson said. "It goes back to our message back in April. I talked about development. That's what you're seeing out there in practice. It's what I'm seeing anyway. With so many guys playing in this game, there wasn't really a drop off. Sometimes when you get out of that first, second unit, sometimes there's a letdown or a drop off with play. I didn't see that tonight."
2. A rotation thing. The Jaguars on Saturday rotated their defensive front extensively beginning on the first series. This is an approach Pederson's teams in Philadelphia from 2016-2020 took with Jim Schwartz as defensive coordinator, and one he said the Jaguars will use extensively this season under first-year coordinator Ryan Nielsen. "It's the reason the guys can stay fresh not only throughout the game, but throughout the course of the season," Pederson said. "When you have eight guys on your roster and you can consistently rotate and keep those guys fresh the entire game, it helps. It helps on third down, when they're fresh and can get after the passer. It's just something that Ryan obviously believes in. I believe in it. It's coordinated. It's not just you go pick five guys. It's well-organized and well-coordinated."
3. Solid behind center. Pederson on Saturday lauded the play of the Jaguars' three quarterbacks – starter Trevor Lawrence, reserve C.J. Beathard and reserve Mac Jones. Lawrence played the first two series, completing three of four passes for 42 yards and a touchdown. Beathard finished the first half, completing seven of 14 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown. Jones played the second half, completing nine of 11 passes for 98 yards. None threw an interception. "All three of them played good," Pederson said. "They played smart. It's a great room. We're blessed and fortunate to have three veteran players in that room. It was exciting to watch all three play."
4. Adapting quickly. Saturday's strangest play came on special teams, and Pederson called the late first-half safety scored by the Jaguars a valuable teaching moment regarding the NFL's new "dynamic" kickoff return. On a kickoff immediately after a touchdown by wide receiver Devin Duvernay, rookie kicker Cam Little's kick bounced a bit away from Chiefs returner Mecole Hardman out of the end zone to around the Chiefs one. Hardman, still in the end zone, retrieved the ball and kneeled in the end zone for what appeared to be a touchback. Officials reviewed the play, with officials ruling the play a safety for a 20-10 Jaguars lead with :25 remaining in the half. "I'm just glad they went to review," Pederson said. "The ball landed in the end zone. Last year it would have been dead. Now the ball's live. So the ball was in the end zone, came out to about the half yard line. The returner was in the end zone but pulled the ball back into the end zone when he took a knee." Pederson added with a smile, "Safety. That's the rule. It's a safety." Pederson said he expects the play to be used by coaches around the league to educate players. "It's a good coaching point for all teams, to really coach our returners in that situation," he said. "It's definitely going to be on the coach's video that's going to come out this week. It's really a good teaching moment for everybody, us included, for our returners. It's just a great way to learn that rule and to learn the game of football."
5. Pederson on winning the preseason opener after losing five of the last six 2023 regular-season games: "I just wanted our guys to execute and play hard, play fast. I felt like they did that. It's a new season, new faces. Some old faces out there. For us internally, it's just a different feel, a different team, a whole different year. It's not anything about last year. It's just about getting better and moving forward."