NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – Senior writer John Oehser dissects Jaguars Head Coach Doug Pederson’s post-game press conference following the Jaguars’ 28-20 loss to the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on Sunday in Nashville, Tenn.
Simply disappointing. Disappointment was the overarching theme for the Jaguars on Sunday, and it was evident when Pederson spoke to the media following the game. With Sunday’s loss, the Jaguars, who started the season 8-3, were eliminated from AFC South title contention – and from the postseason – after losing five of their final six games. After the game, players in the locker room struggled to articulate their feelings. Coach Pederson put it succinctly: “It’s disappointing…The way we finished the season was disappointing. It’s obvious that it’s not good enough. Things begin with me, and I must ensure that I am holding myself accountable and doing everything in my power to help our football team win both on and off the field. But it isn’t good enough.”
A few inches away. The Jaguars trailed 28-13 early in the third quarter, 28-20 early in the fourth quarter, and had a chance to tie the game midway through the fourth quarter. First, Titans safety Andre Cisco intercepted Ryan Tannehill and returned it 28 yards to the Titans’ 28. The Jaguars drove to the Titans’ one and faced a third-and-goal situation. “At that point, where it was in the game, three points really didn’t matter,” he said. “A touchdown will be required at some point.” So, if you score a touchdown and two points right away, you’re back in the game.” On third down, quarterback Trevor Lawrence rolled right and threw an incomplete pass. On fourth down, he attempted to dive and cross the goal line, but his reach was inches short, and the Titans held a 28-20 lead with 7:13 remaining. With 1:50 remaining, the Jaguars took possession once more, with Lawrence throwing incomplete on fourth-and-two from the Jaguars 33. “Trevor’s trying to make the play,” Pederson explained. “Obviously, he had previous success on it, but came up inches short.” But you can’t blame him for making a play.” “He saw something that wasn’t the actual play call,” Pederson added. But if he saw something there and had a chance to sneak it with his length, that usually worked.”
Microcosm. Pederson stressed throughout the season the importance of eliminating avoidable mistakes such as pre-snap penalties, turnovers, missed assignments, and so on. Part of his disappointment on Sunday stemmed from the fact that those themes were repeated with the postseason on the line. Lawrence threw two interceptions, and the Jaguars were called for three pre-snap penalties. “Today’s game was sort of our season in a nutshell really,” he said. “The mistakes, the penalties, the turnovers, the missed tackles … those were all the things that hurt us down the stretch.” “I don’t think there was a single issue,” Pederson added. I believe there were several issues. This season, we talked a lot about execution, third down, and the red zone. You examine turnovers versus takeaways.The consequences. All of these things add up. We just didn’t play good football. You simply cannot afford to give your opponents that many chances in the game. You simply cannot, and it is difficult to overcome. I believe there are a few things you can really pin down.”
Year after year, week after week. The gap between the Jaguars at the end of the 2022 season and the Jaguars at the end of the 2023 season was stark. Last season, the team won the AFC South by winning its final five regular-season games. With a loss Sunday, they will have missed the playoffs after losing five of their last six regular-season games this season. “You have to remember that this is a new year,” said Pederson. “This isn’t the same as last year. Our opponents are strong football teams. They are paid to stop us, and we are paid to stop them and move the football. It’s very case-by-case. It is year by year.It is game by game. This is a week-to-week operation. It’s about how well you can perform for three hours on a Sunday afternoon before moving on to the next one. You put that one aside and move on to the next. We didn’t do it frequently enough. It all comes back to penalties and turnovers. If you don’t fix that, you won’t be consistent. You simply cannot achieve the desired consistency if you do not stop or at least slow down a run team. All of these are things I need to think about in the future.”
“Me personally, I’m frustrated, disappointed, mad, and angry,” Pederson says. My heart breaks for the players and coaches involved. They’ve put in a lot of effort. I know we have a strong football team. During the week, I notice it in how the guys prepare. I need to investigate why it doesn’t appear on game day, and those are the only things I’ll look into in the coming weeks.”
