Doug Pederson has known Andy Reid for nearly 30 years
Jaguars coach Doug Pederson seeking 1st win against mentor and close friend Andy ReidBy MARK LONGAP Pro Football WriterThe Associated PressJACKSONVILLE, Fla.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Doug Pederson has known Andy Reid for nearly 30 years.
He played for Reid in Green Bay (1996-98) and then Philadelphia (1999). He spent seven years coaching under Reid in Philadelphia (2009-12) and then Kansas City (2013-15).
They share offensive philosophies, coaching principles and core beliefs.
They’ll share the field for the third time in 10 months when Pederson and the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0) host Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs (0-1) on Sunday. And Pederson is still looking for a breakthrough victory against his mentor and close friend.
“I got a ton of respect for Coach Reid and his career and what he’s done,” Pederson said Wednesday. “I’ve played for him. I worked for him and obviously you’d love to eventually win a football game against him.”
Pederson is 0-3 in head-to-head matchups against Reid, with all three of those played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.
The Chiefs beat Pederson and Philadelphia 27-20 in Week 2 of the 2017 season; the Eagles rebounded and ultimately won the Super Bowl. The Chiefs swept the Jaguars last season, winning 27-17 in Week 10 and 27-20 in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs.
Pederson still laments the most recent one. His defense gave up a 98-yard drive with Patrick Mahomes (sprained ankle) sidelined in the second quarter. His offense had two chances to tie the game in the third and couldn’t move the ball past midfield, and then turned the ball over twice in the fourth.
“There were some missed opportunities by us,” Pederson recalled. “Those were critical and those were big and all of that. But I felt like, too, we just missed the opportunities that were there. Whether that’s the outcome of the game or not, who knows?
“Maybe fortunately for us it’s a learning experience and something that our young football team can take away from moments like that. When you’re playing good teams like this and defending world championship teams, you can’t make those mistakes and expect to win.”
Reid has noticed similarities between Kansas City and Jacksonville, especially on the offensive side of the ball.
It’s no surprise, either, given how much Pederson studied and learned while playing and coaching under Reid.
“Everywhere you go, you take a piece of it and put it in there,” Reid said. “I think he’s probably put his own flair on things. I’m sure there are things he does that he took from here, but we were together a long time.”
The Chiefs are 3½-point favorites, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Jacksonville went 5-0 as home underdogs last season, the best single-season mark by any team in the Super Bowl era.
“It’ll be a good test for early in the season to see where we’re at,” Jaguars receiver Christian Kirk said. “It’s big for us, Week 2, to really get a taste of the caliber of football and the level of football that we want to play. We’re going to have to beat teams like this to get to where we want to go.
“It’s really important for us to approach it that way and see how we respond.”
Pederson won’t mention either Kansas City loss this week. He doesn’t need to. But he’ll surely think about those along with the possibility of getting a first win against his mentor.
“I don’t really go back,” Pederson said. “That’s why they call it history; it’s in the past. We focus on the future, focus on the present and trying to get better.”
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AP Sports Writer David Skretta in Kansas City contributed to this report.
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