Jacksonville Jaguars coach Doug Pederson acknowledges he’s trying to stave off a losing culture amid the team’s losing ways.
Pederson called it a “slippery slope” on Monday, a day after a 35-16 embarrassment against Chicago in London. It was Jacksonville’s 10th loss in its last 12 games and left players and coaches with what surely will be a long week of reflection and regrouping overseas.
The Jaguars (1-5) have a “home game” against New England (1-5) at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.
“I don’t want them to feel sort of mentally defeated, if that makes sense,” Pederson said. “Because that’s where the slippery slope comes in. If you feel like you’re going into a game where you don’t have a chance, then you’re not going to have a chance. You’re not going to give yourself an opportunity to win that game.
“We just got to make sure these guys stay mentally positive with each other, stay positive during the week.”
That’s what the season has come to for the Jaguars, who again are essentially eliminated from playoff contention before Halloween.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence made his boldest criticism to date after the game, saying “we can’t be so fragile” when adversity hits. And safety Andre Cisco said he witnessed “a lot of quit” in the blowout. He told WJAX-TV in the locker room that the defense “wasn’t playing as one” after halftime and called it extremely concerning and “dangerous.”
Lawrence said pressing has been a problem, too.
“You don’t have to do more than your job. That’s a big part of it,” Lawrence said. “When one play doesn’t go right … It’s happened a ton in my career where I try to make the play the next time and make it worse because I’m trying to do too much and I’m not just doing my job. I think that’s a big part of it, too.”
What’s working
The Jaguars ended a four-game streak of allowing opponents to score a touchdown on their opening possession. In fact, Jacksonville forced the Bears into two three-and-outs in the first quarter. But it was downhill from there, with Chicago scoring touchdowns on five of its next six drives.
What needs help
Team owner Shad Khan probably needs to stop with the proclamations. The billionaire businessman sounds more like a snake-oil salesman when it comes to promoting his team. He called the 2024 version “the best team assembled by the Jacksonville Jaguars ever.”
That statement looks like even more of a reach than when Khan said “this time, I got it right” upon hiring Urban Meyer as head coach or when he said “we cracked the code” with the trio of general manager Trent Baalke, Pederson and Lawrence.
Stock up
Tight end Evan Engram returned from a four-game absence and caught 10 passes for 102 yards. He clearly was missed as one of Lawrence’s top targets. But Engram also fumbled on the first play of the second half, a huge turning point in the blowout. The Bears scored a few plays later to make it 21-3 and rolled from there.
Stock down
Pick a defender, any defender. Cisco, fellow safety Antonio Johnson and linebacker Devin Lloyd are clear candidates to get benched, especially with veteran Tashaun Gipson coming off a six-game suspension and safety Andrew Wingard (knee) and linebacker Foye Oluokun (foot) close to returning from injured reserve.
And defensive lineman Arik Armstead has been one of the most disappointing free agents in franchise history. The 31-year-old Armstead has eight tackles, including a sack in the opener, after signing a three-year, $43.5 million contract that includes $28 million guaranteed.
Injuries
RB Travis Etienne strained a hamstring in the first quarter and is considered week to week. RT Anton Harrison left the game late with a knee injury and is considered day to day. CB Tyson Campbell, who missed the last five games with a hamstring injury, is expected to be activated from injured reserve and play against New England.
Key number
3 — Number of times the Jaguars have started 1-5 in the last five years. The previous two ended with coaches getting fired, Doug Marrone in 2020 and Meyer in 2021.
Next steps
Spending a week together in London could galvanize a team that seems on the verge of unraveling. Playing the Patriots might help, too.
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