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Jaguars coach Doug Pederson seeking 1st win against mentor and close friend Andy Reid

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Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson is seen during the first half of an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. ā€“ 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).

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They share offensive philosophies, coaching principles and core beliefs.

Theyā€™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.

ā€œI got a ton of respect for Coach Reid and his career and what heā€™s done,ā€ Pederson said Wednesday. ā€œIā€™ve played for him. I worked for him and obviously youā€™d love to eventually win a football game against him.ā€

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 couldnā€™t move the ball past midfield, and then turned the ball over twice in the fourth.

ā€œThere were some missed opportunities by us,ā€ Pederson recalled. ā€œThose were critical and those were big and all of that. But I felt like, too, we just missed the opportunities that were there. Whether thatā€™s the outcome of the game or not, who knows?

ā€œMaybe fortunately for us itā€™s a learning experience and something that our young football team can take away from moments like that. When youā€™re playing good teams like this and defending world championship teams, you canā€™t make those mistakes and expect to win.ā€

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.

ā€œEverywhere you go, you take a piece of it and put it in there,ā€ Reid said. ā€œI 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.ā€

The Chiefs are 3Ā½-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.

ā€œItā€™ll be a good test for early in the season to see where weā€™re at,ā€ Jaguars receiver Christian Kirk said. ā€œItā€™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. Weā€™re going to have to beat teams like this to get to where we want to go.

ā€œItā€™s really important for us to approach it that way and see how we respond.ā€

Pederson wonā€™t mention either Kansas City loss this week. He doesnā€™t need to. But heā€™ll surely think about those along with the possibility of getting a first win against his mentor.

ā€œI donā€™t really go back,ā€ Pederson said. ā€œThatā€™s why they call it history; itā€™s in the past. We focus on the future, focus on the present and trying to get better.ā€

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AP Sports Writer David Skretta in Kansas City contributed to this report.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl


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