Jacksonville Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said he’s trying to stop a culture of losing while his team is losing.
“Nobody’s going to feel sorry for us,” Pederson said on the team’s postgame show Sunday following a 35-16 loss to the Chicago Bears in London, via ESPN. “We have to change. The coaches, the players, all of us. We have to change that culture now, or it’s going to get out of control. We’re going to continue down that slippery slope, or right at the end of that slope. At some point, We have to be enough, and you have to have enough pride and find your way.”
(relevant: The Cowboys’ defense is terrible, another thing we learned in Week 6)
Pederson clarified those comments Monday, calling the team atmosphere a “slippery slope.” Sunday’s loss was Jacksonville’s 10th loss in its last 12 games, and it will certainly be a long week of reflection and regrouping overseas for the players and coaches.
The Jaguars (1-5) will have a ‘home game’ against the New England Patriots (1-5) at Wembley Stadium on the 25th.
“I don’t want them to feel mentally defeated, if that makes sense,” Pederson said. “Because that’s where the slippery slope comes in. If you feel like you’re going into a game where you don’t have a chance, you’re not going to have a chance. You’re not going to give yourself a chance. A chance to win that game.
“We need to make sure these guys keep each other mentally positive and stay positive throughout the week.”
This is what the Jaguars’ season has become, essentially eliminated from playoff contention before Halloween.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence offered his boldest criticism to date after the game, saying “we can’t be that soft” when adversity strikes. And Andre Cisco said he had seen “a lot of people quit” in the wake of the explosion. He told WJAX-TV in the locker room that the defense was “not making a single play” after halftime and that it was very concerning and “dangerous.”
Lawrence said pressure is also an issue.
“You don’t have to do more than your job. That’s a big part of it,” Lawrence said. “It’s happened so much in my career that when one play doesn’t work… I’m trying to do too much and I’m not just doing my job, so I try to make the next play and make it worse. That’s a big part of it too. I think so.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Trevor Lawrence
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