JACKSONVILLE – Strength and resolve remain the watchwords.

Head Coach Doug Pederson spoke to the media Monday a day after the Jaguars' fifth consecutive loss – and in addition to quarterback health and the previous day's ugliness, he discussed the immediate future for a team now out of AFC South contention.

Motivation won't be an issue, Pederson said. No way, no how.

"It's a resilient group," said.

Pederson, speaking a day after a 23-20 loss to the Houston Texans at EverBank Stadium, spoke extensively about quarterback Trevor Lawrence and a flagrant forearm-to-the-helmet hit by Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair that forced Lawrence from the game with a concussion.

"It's unfortunate that it happened," Pederson said.

Lawrence will begin the week in concussion protocol, with Pederson on Monday discussing whether Lawrence will play again this season.

"We'll see how he responds to this," Pederson said. "I can't comment necessarily on game status right now. We have to get him through the protocol and then make a determination after that and see what we want to do.

"It's a tough situation. You still want to send a positive, good message to your team that we're still fighting to the end. We still have five games on the schedule. We have to be smart, too, for his long-term health as well."

Lawrence on Sunday played for the first time since sustaining a left – non-throwing – shoulder injury in a Week 9 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on November 3. Pederson said the hit Sunday did not worsen the shoulder.

"You have to take it all into consideration, obviously, and make a smart choice, make a smart choice, make a headsy sort of determination with him and his health and then obviously where we are as a team," Pederson said.

Lawrence sustained the concussion when Al-Shaair hit him in the face of the helmet as Lawrence slid at the end of a 6-yard run on second-and-7 from the Jaguars 49 in the second quarter. Tight end Evan Engram knocked Al-Shaair to the turf, with multiple Jaguars and Texans players fighting for several more minutes on and near the Jaguars' bench as trainers and doctors attended to a motionless Lawrence.

"I definitely appreciate how our team responded, protecting quarterback," Pederson said.

Pederson said officials warned both teams there would be "zero" tolerance in the second half.

"If there was anything that transpired, that player was going to be ejected as well," Pederson said. "I thought both teams played the second half as they should. It was a tough, physical football game in the second half. There wasn't anything that escalated from that hit in the first half."

Sunday's injury marked at least the seventh significant injury for Lawrence in the last three seasons. He left a game in 2022 with a toe injury and left four games in 2022 with knee, shoulder and ankle injuries and a concussion.

"He plays the game in a manner that you can appreciate," Pederson said. "It's a tough, physical sport. The quarterback position is going to get hit and he's a mobile guy. He's going to run. He was in a position [Sunday] he had to protect himself. He was going to slide and get down, which he did.

"You don't like to see it with your quarterback, the amount of injuries. At the same time, he bounces right back. He's tough mentally. He's tough physically. He does a great job getting himself ready to go again when the time comes.

"He definitely wants to be out there with his teammates."

Mac Jones, playing for Lawrence following the injury, completed 20 of 32 passes for 235 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions and rallied the Jaguars from a 23-6 fourth-quarter deficit to the final margin with touchdown passes to wide receiver Parker Washington (22 yards) and rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (six yards).

Jones had struggled while starting for Lawrence in the two games before Sunday's loss, throwing no touchdowns and three interceptions in losses to the Minnesota Vikings (12-7) and Detroit Lions (52-6).

"Mac played well," Pederson said. "He got us back in the game, did some really nice things. He stood in the pocket, played tough, had some scrambles. He did just what you ask your backup quarterback to do, just run the offense. He did a nice job there."

NOTABLE

• Safety Darnell Savage (ankle) and cornerback Tyson Campbell (quadricep) will be day-to-day this week after sustaining injuries Sunday, Pederson said Monday. Pederson said Washington was OK after being checked by trainers after falling on his face/shoulder area during Sunday's game. "It's fine," Pederson said of Washington.

NOTABLE

• Pederson said Tyler Tettleton will assume much of the duties of running backs coach with running backs coach Jerry Mack accepting the head coaching position at Kennesaw State Sunday. Tettleton is currently in his third season with the Jaguars, his second season as assistant wide receivers coach. "We're going to just sort of give him some running back responsibilities," Pederson said. "He has coached [running backs] a little bit on the side the last couple of year, understands what we're doing offensively. We'll spread it out a little bit, but Tyler will be the main focal point."