JACKSONVILLE – The push continues, and there's no reason to stop.

Josh Hines-Allen saw fight, desire and grit Sunday – and as the Jaguars' difficult 2024 season continues, the veteran leader said he expects to keep seeing those things.

As he sees it, there's little reason to see anything else.

"Stay within the fight, whatever the outcome," he said.

Hines-Allen, a sixth-year defensive end, spoke Monday a day after the Jaguars' third consecutive loss to an NFC contender – this one, 12-7 to the Minnesota Vikings at EverBank Stadium. He spoke of a valiant defensive effort, emphasizing the need to continue playing with pride despite a disappointing record.

The Jaguars registered a season-high three interceptions against Minnesota, not allowing a touchdown and leading until midway through the fourth quarter. It marked their sixth loss of the season by five points or less.

"I feel like we still have a pretty good chance of winning the rest of the games, but obviously we have to start with next week," Hines-Allen said. "If we keep fighting, I feel like we're just getting better, especially defensively, offensively. I feel like they're going to find their groove and once they do, we're going to be playing some great ball."

Rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. the same day spoke in the same vein.

"Everybody's still positive," Thomas Jr. said. "Everybody's still upbeat. We know we have to keep fighting and finish out the season. There are always positives to take away from the game. Even though we didn't get the results we wanted, we still go through it and be better next week.

"We just have to be better with the little things. That will do it and it will be better."

That was a theme yet again in the Jaguars' locker room Monday, that despite a series of close losses that have contributed to a 2-8 record – the worst in the AFC – the season is not lost and shouldn't be approached as such.

"We have great leaders on the team," Hines-Allen said. "We have great players on this team that if we can hone into what we do, we're still in a position that something could happen and we can play ourselves right back in great situations.

"If we tap out now … I just don't see us doing it. We don't do that. We haven't done it. I don't know why we would start to do it. You would think it would've been started a long time ago."

NOTABLE

• Jaguars Head Coach Doug Pederson on Monday praised cornerbacks Tyson Campbell, Ronald Darby and Jarrian Jones for their play against the Vikings. Minnesota All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson caught five passes for a season-low 48 yards, and did not have a reception of 25 yards or more for the first time this season.
• Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison caught two passes for 25 yards, with Vikings wide receivers totaling 95 yards. "I thought the corners played really well," Pederson said. "To hold that group really not a whole lot offensively was good. They played physical. They came up and made tackles. The entire secondary played their best football [Sunday]."

NOTABLE

• Thomas, who has 37 receptions for 607 yards and five touchdowns in 10 games this season, has four receptions for 34 yards in the last two games – including two receptions for 12 yards on three targets on Sunday. One issue for the Jaguars' offense Sunday was the unit had just 17:41 time of possession with just 43 plays. "
• If you can't stay on the field, and can't convert and get a first down, it's hard to get the ball," Thomas said. "It will all come. We have to be better with the little things. If we can get a drive started and maintain a drive, it will be better." Thomas added, "I just try to play the game right way and be the best teammate I can be."

QUOTABLE

• Hines-Allen on the Jaguars' matchup Sunday against the 8-1 Detroit Lions at Ford Field in Detroit, Mich.: "[The Lions are] one of the best teams, probably the best team in the National Football League. But we're excited about this challenge. We know what they're about. They don't really change for anybody. So, we can dial in and understand what we need to do up front and in the back end. It's going to be a tough game, but we want to do what we have to do."