JACKSONVILLE – Gus Bradley doesn't worry about motivation.
The Jaguars' head coach said he doesn't worry about focus, either – saying Monday that those things never have been an issue during his tenure, and that he doesn't expect it to change.
Not even in the midst of a season-defining losing streak.
Not even with the record currently 2-9.
And not even with the Jaguars having secured a sixth consecutive losing season.
"It's hard to explain, but these guys are professionals," Bradley said Monday, a day after the Jaguars lost to the Buffalo Bills, 28-21, at New Era Field in Orchard Park, New York. "They know when you go through tough times like this that you just have to work.
"You just have to go through it, stay strong with one another and keep doing the things that you're doing that you believe are helping you get to a place. If there are things not working, you have to change it. If there are things we are doing well, we have to keep improving on it.
"They just have a different mentality. We don't have to go in there and convince them to be professionals."
Bradley on Monday also was asked how – considering the team's record – he and the coaching staff focused on the present rather than the future.
"You can't control critics," Bradley said. "You can't control anything other than how you handle the circumstance, and how we handle where we're at right now. It's unfortunate that we're not where we wanted to be, but there are a lot of things that can be taking place here.
"You can see improvement in a lot of areas. The way they play and the way they go after their job is impressive to me. You just hurt because you want those wins to come with it."
The Jaguars, after a 2-3 start, have lost six consecutive games. They last had a winning season in 2010, and Sunday's loss secured a fourth losing season in as many seasons with Bradley as head coach.
The Jaguars' current losing streak has come against six teams with a record of .500 or better: Oakland (9-2), Tennessee (6-6), Kansas City (6-3), Houston (6-5), Detroit (7-4) and Buffalo (6-5).
The last four losses – to Kansas City, Houston, Detroit and Buffalo – have come in games in which the Jaguars led or were within a touchdown of the lead in the fourth quarter. They outgained Kansas City, Houston and Detroit and were outgained by Buffalo by three yards.
Bradley said the focus on a week-to-week basis remains on simply the week at hand.
"With this team, when they go out and work it's about getting a win," Bradley said. "Next week it's about getting another win, then getting another win, then going from that. When you analyze the film, and you really study it in all three phases, you see some things that need to get corrected and then you see some highlights.
"You see some very, very good play – and I'm talking about effort, reading their keys, discipline. You see all these things taking place and you build on those things."
The Jaguars through 10 games rank sixth in the NFL in total defense and are third against the pass. They play host to the Denver Broncos (7-4) at EverBank Field Sunday at 1 p.m.
