However you win, you win.
Maurice Jones-Drew said that's the age-old truth in the NFL, and the Jaguars' running back on Monday said that's what was all that mattered about the regular-season opener.
Style points? No matter. Margin of victory? No matter.
His playing time?
Well, the last mattered a little bit, but a day after Jones-Drew and Jaguars Head Coach Jack Del Rio each acknowledged that Jones-Drew was upset about that area, the two-time Pro Bowl running back said what he said Sunday remained true:
The biggest thing to remember about Sunday was a 16-14 victory over the Tennessee Titans.
"I just wanted to be out there more, that's all," Jones-Drew said.
Jones-Drew emphasized Monday that it wasn't the number of carries or yards or even touchdowns that bothered him.
"I just want to go out there and compete with these guys (his teammates)," said Jones-Drew, who rushed for 97 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries. "I just want to get out there and do what I can. It had nothing to do with getting the ball. I mean, I touched it 24 times. I just wanted to get back in the game and hit some people."
It was suggested to Jones-Drew that fans might not love the style in which the Jaguars won Sunday – i.e., a low-scoring, defensive-oriented victory.
"We won," he said. "The last couple of years, we weren't winning. Obviously, you can't please everyone. I said this yesterday: if you win every game by one point, you're undefeated, regardless of how it looks.
"You can't please everybody. All we can do is come in here and work. The fans want to see wins at the end of the day. Granted, you want to score 30 points a game and you want to shut teams out, but the chances of that are slim to none in this league.
"At the end of the day, if you're 1-0, what else matters? We're going on the right track right now."
Also around the Jaguars Monday:
*Jaguars Head Coach Jack Del Rio said of the regular-season opening victory, "I think we've just scratched the surface. Yesterday was great in spurts and a very solid beginning. But they are things we're correcting right now."
*Defensive end Aaron Kampman said he likes what he has seen from defensive end John Chick, who signed after his release from the Colts and played against Tennessee. "He's a humble young man who really seems to love football," Kampman said. "I think he's going to help us this year. That's what I like about our defensive line. We're going to have strength in numbers.
*Del Rio said of quarterback Luke McCown's first start in four seasons: "He did a nice job doing exactly what he was asked to. He executed the game plan and we won the game Sunday." McCown completed 17 of 24 passes for 175 yards and no touchdowns with no interceptions.
*Del Rio said he felt the Jaguars controlled the line of scrimmage, and by doing so, controlled the tempo of the game. "We were able to control time of possession and have it for almost 40 minutes and really keep them on the sidelines, keep our football team wearing on them," Del Rio said. "Where we had a chance to have an avalanche and really put them away, we didn't quite get that done, but we pulled out a nice victory."
*Of the Jaguars' time-of-possession advantage, defensive tackle Tyson Alualu said, "There's a big difference. I can't complain. I would love to get used to that. That's what we look for – having our offense on the field taking control of the clock. If they do that, that's definitely an upper-hand on our side."
*Del Rio also said a missed red-zone opportunity in the third quarter – settling for a field goal after having 2nd-and-goal from the 1 – kept the game closer than was needed. "We had opportunities to do more to finish," Del Rio said. "We had some other opportunities to put points on the board. That really helped them hang around. Those are things that we can do better, and it doesn't look like you're doing anything different."
*Del Rio said he doesn't believe the injuries sustained by tight end Marcedes Lewis (cramp/calf) and cornerback Derek Cox (ribs) were serious, and that he wouldn't be shocked if either practices Wednesday. "It doesn't appear either one will be long-term," Del Rio said.
*Del Rio said the offensive line played "OK." The Jaguars rushed for 163 yards on 47 carries as a team. "We ran the ball well," Del Rio said "We had a couple of breakdowns, but it was a solid beginning, something we can build on."
*The Jaguars on Monday awarded game balls to McCown (offense), cornerback Drew Coleman (defense) and Josh Scobee (special teams). Del Rio said Jones-Drew was awarded an "Attaboy."
*Del Rio said while defensive tackle Terrance Knighton isn't yet down to 340 pounds, he played well in the opener. "He was solid," Del Rio said. "He did a nice job stacking up the run. He's working at it."
