JAGUARS HEAD COACH DOUG PEDERSON
POSTGAME MEDIA AVAILABILITY
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2024
(On what he said to the team in the locker room after the loss) “It’s difficult to find words
because everybody is so disappointed, frustrated, angry. It’s the emotion of how much you
put into the week and then playing like we did, so it’s just frustrating. Our break, obviously,
comes at a right time. Our guys need some time away, they need to refresh, recharge.
Coaches, players, but we do need to take, I think, the first part of the week and really
reflect and go back and study as coaches to see what’s been good and what hasn’t been
good. So, that’s the great opportunity that we have. Six games left and it’ll be exciting
because most of those, I think four of the six, are division games and still an opportunity
there.”
(On if he thinks the Jaguars defense is fatigued) “I feel like it’s been a long season, 11
games, two weeks in London obviously, and travel and what not. I did and I do, and I think
the guys need a break. But I’m sure if you ask them, they probably feel tired. They feel
drained a little bit and they need to refresh and get ready to go.”
(On if he thinks this is his last game coaching the Jaguars) “You know what, I can’t control
that and you know – listen, I’ve been around this League a long time and if it’s going to
happen, it’s going to happen obviously, but at the same time, I still have a job to do and
that’s to get ready for a good division opponent here in two weeks.”
(On if he anticipates the coaching staff changing over the bye week) “I don’t know yet.
Something I have to think about and it’s just – it’s hard. It’s hard to put it all on, I think, one
person. I think coaches have to look at themselves, we have to look – I have to start there,
look at myself and obviously the staff and what are we doing, how are we preparing our
players, and then same way with the players, right? They have to look at themselves and be
critical of themselves and then make the changes, make the corrections that we need to
get better. So, I’ll process a few things and – but I’m glad that we have the bye right now
though.”
(On how formidable the Lions offense was) “It’s a good team, yeah, they’re rolling. They’re
playing well. [Lions QB] Jared [Goff]’s playing really good and it’s – you can see how this
teams really come together, all three phases are playing well. So, credit what (Lions Head)
Coach (Dan) Campbell’s been doing and really getting these guys to buy in and play well.”
(On his expectations for the rest of the season) “I mean there’s always that possibility, but I
don’t think so, not with this group. I think this group will continue to respond and do the
things necessary to prepare for a football game. I don’t – I’ve never sensed that with this
group and don’t anticipate that.”
(On whether he feels the Lions took the heart out of him or if the defense was just
fatigued) “I think it’s the latter, honestly. I think the fact that we’ve been on the field way
too long defensively the last four weeks and that’s a combination of offense has to do their
part which hasn’t been able to do. Stay on the field and score points and we haven’t been
able to do that and that’s what we have to look at there too. But I think there is some of that
fatigue there of playing a lot of snaps in these last couple of weeks.”
(On Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence having a good chance to play coming off of the bye
week) “I mean we’ll see. We’ll see how he does during the week of this bye and see where
he’s at. I’m not going to commit right now obviously. We still have a ways away, but we’ll
see. We’ll see how he does this week, and we have time, so we’ll figure that out.”
(On if the first two weeks of the season set the tone for the rest of the season) “Yeah, I think
I look at that and I have looked at that and I have thought about that and sometimes it’s
interesting how a play or two here or there can kind of change the course of a season.
That’s so early in the season though that you still have time to fix it. So, it’s hard to maybe
say it was just that, but some of the mistakes still being made just have to be fixed, have to
be corrected. But again, it’s not a lack of effort or physicality or nothing like that. We just
need – this team needs a break.”
(On what the Lions defense did to keep them out of the end zone) “Nothing, they just
played their scheme. They just played their defense, it’s a good defense. They played fast
today, and they did a nice job, and we got in that high red area, they did a nice job of just
holding us to three there a couple of times. But they just played their deal.”
JAGUARS QUARTERBACK MAC JONES
POSTGAME MEDIA AVAILABILITY
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2024
(On his level of frustration) “Yeah, it just wasn’t our day today. Got to keep working. That’s
the NFL, you get one week at a time. I didn’t put my best effort out there today, and you’ve
just got to keep moving forward.”
(On the offense’s confidence) “Yeah, I mean we just have to get back to the one play at a
time mindset and focus on scoring points. It’s hard to say, but you’ve just got to focus on
doing your job and I’ve got to do a better job on some plays. Once we all do that together as
11 we’ll have success, but I think we definitely have a group that’s going to fight. We’ve got
veteran guys on the offensive line, the receiver room, the running back room. It wasn’t our
day today, but the NFL like I said, you’ve got to keep going. No one will feel sorry for you.”
(On how challenging it was to play today with anxiousness surrounding the team) “For sure.
In the NFL you never know what the weekend’s going to bring you, but you just want to try to
be in it at the end. Obviously we weren’t this week. It stinks, we’ve just got to keep working
and come together. Like I said it wasn’t our day today. Just got to get it to where we’re
competing in the fourth quarter, each guy doing their job and not focused on external
factors.”
(On how he pushes out the noise) “I don’t look at anything. I don’t have social media. I just
focus on the guys in the room, my family, my support staff. I really enjoy the people that I’ve
worked with this year. Coach Pederson’s awesome. He’s a great coach. Obviously it’s not
going our way right now, but he’s definitely a great leader of men. We’re going to keep
working and figure it out. I think the bye week is a great opportunity to do that.”
(On the upcoming bye week and the break the team needs) “Bye weeks are always
important for your body and your mind. Each year you don’t get to pick where your bye
week’s at. For us, we didn’t put a good production on the field today. Honestly it’s time to
reset, get back to what I’m good at, what the offense’s good at and move forward.”
