JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) \u2014 It\u2019s a wonder the Jacksonville Jaguars won four games last season.<\/p>\n
Assistants bickering. Head coach Doug Pederson pointing fingers. Players privately questioning the direction of the franchise. The Jaguars had all sorts of behind-the-scenes dysfunction long before they reached double-digit losses for the fifth time in seven years.<\/p>\n
Eliminating that chaos has been a catalyst for the team\u2019s early success this season.<\/p>\n
The Jaguars (3-1) seem truly aligned for the first time in a decade. No hidden agendas. No throwing each other under the bus. No one angling for more credit or leverage with ownership.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the kind of unified direction that has made Jacksonville one of the NFL\u2019s biggest surprises over the first month of the season. The Jaguars have a chance to showcase their growth on a national stage when they host three-time defending AFC champion Kansas City<\/a> (2-2) on Monday night.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just a great opportunity,\u201d Jaguars coach Liam Coen said. \u201cWe can\u2019t hide from the fact that, hey, it\u2019s \u2018Monday Night Football.\u2019 This is great. They obviously put this game on the schedule for a reason. We\u2019ve earned the opportunity.<\/p>\n \u201cBut it\u2019s one of those that you got to go take it. Nothing\u2019s going to be given to us.\u201d<\/p>\n The Jaguars have endured their share of failure since owner Shad Khan<\/a> purchased the team in 2012. He cleaned house the following year and was in the coaching and general manager markets alongside the Chiefs.<\/p>\n Khan went with two first-timers: GM Dave Caldwell and head coach Gus Bradley. Kansas City went the veteran route, choosing GM John Dorsey and head coach Andy Reid. The Chiefs have notched double-digit wins in 11 of 12 seasons since.<\/p>\n The Jaguars, meanwhile, are on their fifth coach and third GM during that same span, and they have spent more time as a punching bag than a playoff contender.<\/p>\n But this time \u2014 no, really \u2014 Khan looks as if he finally got it right.<\/p>\n After years of whiffing in the hiring department, Khan turned to Hall of Fame offensive tackle Tony Boselli as the franchise\u2019s top executive. Boselli was instrumental in landing Coen and GM James Gladstone. The trio makes every decision together, even beyond signing free agents, drafting players and finalizing the roster.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a stark contrast to the drama-filled processes that played out in recent years. The Jaguars seemingly reached a new low last year under general manager Trent Baalke and Pederson, who was fired in January after telling Khan he planned to make no staff changes.<\/p>\n Long before that decision, though, the Jaguars were coming apart. There might not have been as much havoc that engulfed coach Urban Meyer\u2019s lone season in Jacksonville<\/a> in 2021, but it wasn\u2019t far off.<\/p>\n