JAGUARS WR KEELAN COLE
(On the team’s mindset going forward) “We got everyone’s back. Minshew comes in, he’s the leader. That’s why everyone puts the spotlight on the quarterback. But I feel like everyone’s fighting for one another.”
(On the team’s confidence after losing nine games this season) “We’re good. I don’t see any bad vibes for real. It’s been worse. We did get our ass kicked so we just have to come back tomorrow and be ready. We know how this goes. We just have to keep trying.”
(On this season expecting to be a bounce-back season from last year but not succeeding thus far) “They say that every year. That’s just the organization. We have to work our way up. I don’t know. We’re going to bounce back next week.”
(On the Jaguars’ receiving core) “We’re ready. We’re ready to go every time. We’re trying to get open and they’re dropping back nine in those situations, so we just have to do what we have to do.”
JAGUARS QB GARDNER MINSHEW II
(On what he saw out of the Chargers defense today) “They’re super disciplined. They’re going to make you throw it underneath and they come up and tackle really well. They’re going to get pressure with four, which gets tough. We still had opportunities to make plays and we didn’t. We should have done better. They’re a very good defense.”
(On the reasons why the offense teetered off after the opening drive) “I’d chalk it up to execution. The first drive had a little momentum, we were hitting. Then we kind of got off schedule. We had some tough third downs that we didn’t convert and didn’t stay on the field when we could have.”
(On if the guys are trying too hard) “I don’t think so. I don’t think guys are playing too hard. I don’t think that’s an issue. I think we’re playing hard, the guys care and everybody wants to win, and that’s one of the things that makes it so frustrating. We’re putting in the work, doing everything we can and not getting the results. It’s frustrating and it hurts, but we’re not going to quit trying to care anytime soon.”
(On his confidence level after the opening drive) “My confidence doesn’t change based on how things are going. I got confidence in my guys up front. I got confidence in the guys I’m throwing to. I got confidence in our defense, so that’s not going to change based off who we’re playing, what the score is or whatever. I’m going to believe in my guys and believe we can go down and score every time we get the ball.”
(On Coach Marrone’s message after the game) “Yeah, it obviously sucks. We’re going to band together now more than ever. We’ll grind it out and get better this week and see where it goes next Sunday.”
(On the difference this time around after going 4-4 in first 8 starts) “That’s a great question. I don’t know what to tell you there. They’re a good team, we didn’t play good and they beat us. Those other games that we played where we played good, we won. Maybe we’ll try to play good more, and bad less.”
(On the missed opportunity to DJ Chark Jr. in the second quarter) “We went back and looked at it on film and it’s one of those that looks easy but it’s not. We’ll go back and if there are open receivers running all over the place, we’ll do our best to find them. We’ll take it back to the film room and see what we need to do better.”
JAGUARS RB LEONARD FOURNETTE
(On what it means to him to have a 1,000-yard season.) “It means nothing, we’re not winning. It’s tough. I’m not going to fake it with you. It means nothing to me right now.”
(On how tough it is getting prepared for games when they have a losing streak) “It’s tough every week especially being on the losing streak we’re on right now. Just knowing you have to restart all over and come back with a positive energy and a positive mentality. It’s hard especially when you’re having the same results that we’re having.”
(On getting positive energy back) “It’s tough when you have days that you come in angry, and you don’t feel like practicing or being in meetings, but you just got to choke it up. That’s all I can say. That’s what I do. Don’t get me wrong, there are days that I am upset, mad as hell, but just trying to finish the season on a positive note. If that’s coming in and try to spark some energy for the team during the week, just getting prepared for the game, whatever it takes. It’s hard. Once again, you have to try to put your emotions to the side, also your pride too because we are all men in here. I know as far as for me, I hate losing so it’s difficult for me to come in here and fake it like everything is all good when it’s not. I think it’s a part of growing too. I think I’ve been trying to do a good job of that this whole year, just showing my team that no matter what goes on, I still care for them, and just trying to be the leader I know I can be through going through tough times. I have to put my pride to the side sometimes just to get the results that I need out of my team. It’s probably just growing pains at the same time.”
(On the Jaguars’ first drive) “Once again, we went in the red zone and only settled for three. I think that’s been our whole thing this whole year. We just need more positive plays. That’s even when we have the two holding calls when we got the ball back. That kind of took the momentum out of our drive. I don’t know what it is to be honest. We come in each and every week and work our asses off in practice. We try to bring the positive energy to everyone around the team, so I don’t what it is.”
JAGUARS DEFENSIVE LINEMAN CALAIS CAMPBELL
(On his thoughts after tonight’s loss) “I don’t know what to say honestly. We got whipped. It’s as simple as that. I feel like I didn’t do enough. I didn’t make enough plays to give us a chance. You prepare hard, you’re doing everything that you’re supposed to do and you go out there and it just doesn’t transition on the football field. It is tough because we have a lot of pride when we play this game, but they took a big shot today. That one hurt. It feels worse than the other ones. I don’t even know what to say.”
(On having several injured players on the defensive side of the ball) “We are young, guys stepping up and getting opportunities and it shows. Honestly, you have to take your hat off to Philip Rivers. He’s out there – I don’t like this play in the middle of the play, making a check and it goes for 15-plus yards. Wow, he did an incredible job. Have to take your hat off to him. When you’re playing like we are and we don’t take advantage of those opportunities, we make our mistakes, they’ll make you pay and it gets ugly. This right here was bad. All you can do is put your head down and come back to work this week and give everything you got and leave it all out there. I’m going to keep my head up and keep fighting and come back to work tomorrow and give it all I have and I know my guys will too. As ugly as it is, guys are getting experience and showing what they can do. In games like this, people are going to evaluate them very, very hard. Got to keep fighting and show them what you can do. Everybody is earning a job each and every day that we’re here. That’s the mentality you have to have. Today was really eye-opening because they’ll evaluate you harder than any of the good stuff that we did: ‘how do you play when things are going wrong?’”
(On the defensive effort tonight on the field) “The effort was there. It’s never been an effort thing. Guys are frustrated and we got beat, but I don’t question anybody’s effort ever because these guys, they work hard, come out here, and give everything they got. It’s just bad. Guys are running full speed. They scored a 90-yard touchdown on a screen and there are four or five guys running right behind him. The effort was there. We just got beat.:
(On being in position to make plays) “I didn’t do enough to win and take advantage of my opportunities. There were some plays out there that I didn’t get a chance to take advantage of. You have prepare and play at a high level at all times. At the end of the day, all I could do is take a look at myself in the mirror and say I didn’t do enough to win. You can make a play here and you can make a play there but make a bigger play. Every play that’s there for you to make, you have to make. It hurts because this is a reflection of me as a captain. It’s a reflection of me. Personally, I need to do a better job of getting the guys going. Me, personally, I have to do a better job of making plays on the field. Find a way to make a play to keep us in the game. I didn’t get it done today.”
