JACKSONVILLE – The main next-day storyline was obvious.

The next storyline? Not as much, but the No. 1 Jaguars issue Monday was quarterback Trevor Lawrence's health – which trumped all else around the team a day after a third consecutive loss.

Lawrence sustained a concussion late in a 23-7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens at EverBank Stadium Sunday. Head Coach Doug Pederson on Monday reiterated what he said following the game – that the third-year veteran will begin this week in concussion protocol.

"Not at liberty to speculate," Pederson said when asked about Lawrence's availability for the Jaguars' game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Tampa Sunday.

Pederson, too, addressed a second storyline Monday – that despite a fourth loss in six games, a loss defined by multiple missed opportunities, the season is far from over.

"We can't begin to panic, begin to press," he said.

That was Pederson's message to the media Monday afternoon – and to the team that morning.

"I thought it was a great message," outside linebacker Josh Allen said. "We obviously know we didn't play good enough. That's where you hold yourself accountable for the things you've done wrong. We can build on the positive things we are doing, positive things that we've done, and correct the mistakes that you've made.

"There's a way to improve on that. I thought it was a great message and I think it kind of gave a lot of people more spirits."

The Jaguars (8-6) enter the final three games of the season first in the AFC South – ahead of the Houston Texans (8-6) and Indianapolis Colts (8-6). They hold season-ending tiebreaker advantages because of a head-to-head sweep over the Colts and because of a better division record than the Texans.

The Jaguars' final three games:

• At Tampa Bay (7-7)
• Home against the Carolina Panthers (2-11)
• At the Tennessee Titans (5-9)

"We're still in first place," Pederson said. "We have a chance to accomplish a goal that we set out to do, and that's to win the South. Obviously, we're making it hard on ourselves, but we have to stay focused on that. Sometimes we focus on the negative all the time and not the positive.

"We have to find the good, too – and fill our players' heads with the positives this time of year. We feel like we're still a good football team and we play like it at times. It's just at times we don't look very good.

"It's things in our control: Control what you can control. That's just what we have to do."

The Jaguars in the last three weeks have lost to three contending AFC North teams – 34-31 in overtime at home to the 8-6 Cincinnati Bengals, 31-27 at the 9-5 Cleveland Browns and to the 10-3 Ravens Sunday. As was the case at times against the Browns and Bengals, self-inflicted mistakes proved costly Sunday.

The Jaguars moved past the Ravens 40-yard-line on four consecutive first-half possessions, with kicker Brandon McManus missing field goals of 50 and 55 yards on the first two possessions. Lawrence lost a fumble at the Ravens 19 on the third possession, and the second quarter ended with the Jaguars on the Ravens four on the final first-half possession.

Pederson said eliminating such errors remains a priority. But he said as important is ensuring players grasp that those three games don't have to define the season.

"You want to make sure your guys are engaged each week, that they're energized each week and that they have hope, that you're not trying to just squash that dream," Pederson said. "My job is to point out the bad, but I have to flip it around, too.

"At the end of the day, the message has to be positive: 'This is what's ahead of us. Our goals are still in front of us. Let's continue to work hard. Let's support each other. Let's lift each other up. Let's stick together.

"Everybody's hurting, everybody's disappointed. At the same time, our goals are still right there."

NOTABLE - INJURY UPDATE

• Left tackle Walker Little and left guard Ezra Cleveland started and finished Sunday's game after being questionable on Friday's final injury report of the week. Little missed the Browns game with a hamstring injury. Cleveland started that game at left tackle, leaving in the first half with a knee injury. "They played well," Pederson said. "They played hurt. Walker battled through. He played tough, played through it. Ezra came the week in Cleveland where he tweaked his knee. He battled through it. Both guys were kind of hobbling at the end of the game, but they're tough guys. They played really well. They held up really good as a whole in pass protection."
• Pederson said wide receiver Zay Jones will be week-to-week after sustaining a hamstring injury Monday; Jones has missed five of 13 games this season with a knee issue.