BILL Belichick is not the answer to the Jacksonville Jaguars’ problems, Maurice Jones-Drew said.
The former New England Patriots head coach is said to be targeting a return to the sidelines next season.
Maurice Jones-Drew wants Trevor Lawrence to galvanize his team after signing a massive new contract[/caption]
But Jags legend Maurice Jones-Drew told The Sun that he would not be able to wave a magic wand over the franchise.
MJD spoke to SunSport before the Jags finally managed their first win of the season against the Indianapolis Colts last Sunday.
They traveled to London for games against the Chicago Bears and New England Patriots with a 1-4 record.
And Jones-Drew, 39, urged his former team to not make a knee-jerk decision with Doug Pederson at head coach.
“I’ve heard the Bill Belichick thing,” he told The Sun. “But I believe there needs to be time.
“I’m not a big fan of “he’s been there two years, he needs to go.”
“You’re never going to win that way – consistency is the key.
“As much as I love Bill Belichick, I think he’s one of the greatest coaches in the game, he hasn’t been that good without Tom Brady.
“You may jump into it and say Bill’s the guy – but what if he’s not the guy?
“And now you’ve set yourself back more years when you’ve had success with Pederson.”
Jones-Drew spent eight years in the league between 2006 and 2014 – seven of them with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
He was a three-time Pro Bowler and led the league in rushing yards in 2011.
The Jags started this season 0-4 and there were calls for both head coach Pederson to be fired and quarterback Trevor Lawrence to be benched.
Pederson won the Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2018 and took up the Jags hot seat in 2022.
Lawrence, meanwhile, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
London calling
The New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings kick off the NFL’s annual run of London fixtures.
New York and Minnesota face off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday October 6 at 2.30pm local time – 9.30am ET for fans back home in America.
It is the first of three straight NFL Sundays that begin with an early game live from London.
The following week, Tottenham also plays host to the Jacksonville Jaguars against the Chicago Bears.
And on October 20, the Jags will head across town to Wembley Stadium to take on the New England Patriots.
He signed a five-year contract this summer worth $275 million with $200 million of that guaranteed.
Jacksonville has finished 9-8 in both of Pederson’s seasons in charge.
“Every year is different,” MJD said.
“What you did a couple years ago, winning the Super Bowl, doesn’t translate to the next year.
“Doug Pederson got fired by the Eagles two years after he won the Super Bowl.”
Jones-Drew added, “The quarterback is going to get the blame when things go bad, they’re going to get the praise when things go good, that’s why they get paid all the money.
“You’re getting paid $200 million something dollars – there’s no such thing as too much pressure.
“Lawrence has to show up and be the leader in those times and galvanize the locker room.”
He spent seven of his eight years in the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars[/caption]
