Michael Strahan and Terry Bradshaw left flabbergasted by Jimmy Johnson - 'You are cruel'

On Fox NFL Sunday, analyst Jimmy Johnson expressed his doubtful stance on the relevance of the Jacksonville Jaguars, stunning colleagues Michael Strahan and Terry Bradshaw with his blunt comments.

Asked by host Curt Menefee if Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson would maintain his position beyond the current season, Johnson replied: "I don't think so, Curt. But really, other than the people in Jacksonville and maybe in London, who really cares?

"You know, because you look at it. He's going to retire at the end of the season and he's going to walk away with some money and statue in Philadelphia, so it'll be fine."

Strahan was visibly shocked by Johnson's remark, responding with a terse "Wow," before telling Johnson: "You are cruel."

The conversation followed another challenging moment for Pederson's team as the Jaguars, with a 2-7 record, entered week 10's match against the Minnesota Vikings. Despite the Vikings failing to notch a single touchdown, the Jaguars were unable to capitalise, ultimately losing 12-7 on Sunday.

Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold's three interceptions seemed to offer Jacksonville a chance for redemption. However, it was the Vikings' Mac Jones who scored the game's lone touchdown, even while also throwing two interceptions, leading to yet another disheartening loss for the Jaguars.

With Jaguars' starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence sidelined due to a shoulder injury, backup QB Jones was thrust into the spotlight against the Vikings. Despite a modest performance of 14-for-22 passes for just 111 yards, head coach Pederson stood firmly behind Jones.

"I've got a lot of confidence [in Jones]," Pederson declared. "He's somebody that prepares extremely hard, extremely well. He's a smart kid. You go back to even some of the preseason stuff and what he did then, as far as preparation and all that and how he played. He's going to be fine."

Pederson highlighted Jones's experience in the league, noting: "He has been a starter in this league. He's done that. It'd be different probably if it was a rookie, a true rookie that was having to maybe play, and you're trying to get that person ready. It does, for a coach, give you a little bit of peace of mind that this is a veteran player that has kind of been there and done it."

The future for Pederson remains uncertain, but earlier in the season, Jaguars owner Shad Kahn expressed his perspective to The Florida Times Union: "Every game is competitive. A loss is a loss, but (it's about) how you lose. To me, the three games we lost early in the season, it's disappointing, we could have won them."

Pederson's coaching credentials include leading the Philadelphia Eagles to victory in Super Bowl LII in 2017, cementing his legacy in Philadelphia. As a player, despite going undrafted in 1991, Pederson achieved a Super Bowl win with the Green Bay Packers and had stints with the Eagles and the Cleveland Browns.

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