Head Coach of Jaguars' Division Rival Firmly on Hot Seat

Last season saw many things go wrong for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Nearly everything that could go wrong did go wrong for the Jaguars. Their subpar season led to several notable changes over the offseason, including at general manager and head coach.

Still, through everything that went wrong last season, three of the Jaguars' four wins came against the AFC South. This included two wins against the Tennessee Titans, with the third coming against the Indianapolis Colts.

The Jaguars played some of their best football against fellow AFC South members. They must do so again this season.

Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus ranked the top coaches on the hot seat heading into this upcoming season. After the Jaguars cleaned house this offseason, the Colts may not be far behind them in doing so.

"When the Colts hired [Shane] Steichen before 2023 and drafted quarterback Anthony Richardson only months later, they believed they had landed two foundational puzzle pieces for a franchise yearning for stability. But two years later, the pairing has offered anything but," Locker said.

"Steichen has accrued only a 17-17 record with zero trips to the playoffs. Critically, his play-calling wizardry hasn’t transformed Richardson into a star despite his sky-high talent. Through two seasons, Richardson has turned in a 70.0-plus PFF passing grade in only three of 15 career games, a tumultuous pro career that’s featured several benchings and questions about leadership."

Although the Jaguars need some help this season, the Colts arguably need more, as the Jaguars have improved this offseason. The Jaguars look to take advantage of this when the two teams face each other.

"Aside from quarterback play, the major pitfall for the Colts last year was a defense that ranked 15th in success rate allowed, 18th in PFF overall grade, and 19th in PFF pass-rushing grade. The team swapped Gus Bradley for former Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, who will attempt to right the ship with additions such as Charvarius Ward (58.2 PFF coverage grade), Camryn Bynum (61.6 PFF overall grade), and JT Tuimoloau (86.2 PFF overall grade)," Locker said.

"Still, the buck stops here with Steichen and an offense inserting first-round pick Tyler Warren (91.3 PFF overall grade). If Steichen’s offense can’t display more coherence with either Richardson or Daniel Jones under center, it will likely spell the end of his tenure.

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