Doug Pederson on playing Saturday: ‘It kind of is what it is’

The Jacksonville Jaguars playing on a Saturday wouldn’t have been Doug Pederson’s choice. He made that clear shortly after the Jaguars beat the Houston Texans on Sunday, telling reporters he was hoping his team’s Week 18 game against the Tennessee Titans would happen Sunday.

Instead, it’ll kickoff at 8:15 p.m. ET on Saturday night after the NFL opted instead to flex the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers to its Sunday Night Football regular season finale.

“It kind of is what it is,” Pederson said Monday of the league’s decision to move the Jaguars-Titans game to Saturday. “I’ve always said that you want to be one of the teams that is in the conversation at the end of the season, and obviously us and Tennessee are in that conversation.

“Great opportunity for our organization to play Saturday night, primetime game, and showcase what we’ve got.”

When asked if he considered petitioning the league to have the game played Sunday, Pederson made it sound like he already made that effort.

“There’s always opportunities to reach out and kind of express your concern with that, especially with Tennessee playing a Thursday game, but at the end of the day, we’re just excited to be here, to be in this type of game,” Pederson said. “I think it’s great for our players, great for our city to have it and to host it here in Jacksonville this Saturday night.”

The Jaguars’ upcoming matchup against the Titans will be the team’s first primetime game on a day other than Thursday since a Monday Night Football game in December 2011.