Motivation and Quit Will Not Be a Problem in the Final Games of the 2024 Season

Dec 04, 2024 at 09:08 PM

John Oehser

Jaguars Senior Writer

JACKSONVILLE – They haven't quit yet. They don't intend to start now.

If there was a message around the Jaguars Wednesday, that was it as they moved forward after being eliminated from the postseason with five regular-season games remaining.

Even with no playoff hopes, motivation won't be a problem.

"I won't let that happen," Doug Pederson said.

Pederson, in his third season as the Jaguars' head coach, spoke to the media Wednesday morning as the Jaguars (2-10) prepared to play the Tennessee Titans (3-9) at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday. The Jaguars were eliminated from the AFC South chase with a loss to the Houston Texans Sunday, their fifth consecutive loss.

The Jaguars were eliminated from the postseason when the Denver Broncos beat the Cleveland Browns Monday.

"You have to have some pride about yourself to go out there and be the best you can be," wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., with tight end Evan Engram adding: "To be real, we all need that conversation."

"We all need to be able to put in perspective what our situation is and what we have left, what our responsibility is for what we have left," Engram said. "I don't have any doubts that that's understood, but I think it's right to have those conversations and make sure everybody's on the same page and committed. I firmly believe we are."

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Houston Texans

RB Travis Etienne Jr. (1)

The Jaguars, after missing the postseason each season from 2018-2021, won the AFC South in 2022 by winning their final five regular-season games. They missed the postseason in 2023 with losses in five of their final six regular-season games and losing at Tennessee in Week 18.

"You have to tap into why you started playing the game, why you want to be in the NFL," Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. said. "No one wants to go out there and just lose games. My mom's watching me. My brother's watching me. I have to put my best foot forward. I want to be an inspiration to somebody every time I step on the field.

"I don't take any Sunday for granted. I'm going to treat this as if it's the first game of the season because I do love the game of football. It's easy to give your all when things are going you way. Who are you when things aren't going your way?"

Said Pederson, "That's up to me to make sure that these guys don't throw in a towel, or wave the white flag. That's on me to make sure that that doesn't happen and I won't let that happen. We have great leadership in that locker room and I'll lean on those guys to help me in that."

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Pederson on Wednesday praised quarterback Mac Jones for his two-touchdown, no-interception performance in relief of injured quarterback Trevor Lawrence this past Sunday. Jones, who had thrown no touchdowns with three interceptions starting in place of Lawrence in the Jaguars' most-recent two games, will start for a third time this season with Lawrence Sunday now on injured reserve. "I thought I saw a lot of improvement," Pederson said of Jones. "I think he's learned from the two previous starts that he had, and really just ran the offense. Ran it like he knows how to run it, like what it looks like to him. I think that's something we can build on this week." Pederson added, "We just want Mac to be Mac. Don't have to do anything special, just make the plays that come to him. Deliver the football where it needs to go, put us in the right run if we need to, change protection. All of that stuff he's capable of doing. I thought he did a nice job of that Sunday."

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Pederson said rookie defensive tackles Maason Smith and Jordan Jefferson could play at the same time at times during the last five regular-season games. "That's a possibility," Pederson said. Smith, a second-round selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, has played in six games this season and played extensively against the Texans after being out since Week 6. Smith missed multiple games in that span with an ankle injury. Jefferson has played in six games this season and was inactive against Houston. "Maason really showed some good athleticism, good strength," Pederson said. "It's tough playing defensive tackle in the NFL. You get double-teamed a ton. You get reached a little bit, but he played and did some good things. He's going to continue to get better as not only this season goes on, but into the future. Is there a possibility that those two play together at some point? That's real and something that we'd probably want to see here in the next couple of weeks."

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Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars long snapper Tucker Addington (45) during practice at the Miller Electric Center on December 4, 2024.