HEAD COACH JEROD MAYO

Postgame Press Conference
Sunday, October 20, 2024

(Opening statement)

"Look, disappointing game. We came out, started fast. What I would say is, look, we're a soft football team across the board. You talk about what makes a tough football team. That is being able to run the ball, that is being able to stop the run, being able to cover kicks. We did none of those today. They controlled the ball for most of the day. Their run game averaged over four-and-a-half yards a carry. Our run game, not sure what the average was, but it wasn't good. Look, back to the drawing board. I mean, we can't sit here and pout. We just got to put a game together."

(On what he makes of the run game)

"I'm not sure. I'm not sure. That's something you got to watch on film. What I will say is it's a mentality, it's an attitude. Here as of late, our run game just hasn't been able to do anything offensively. Defensively, the players, we just got to play better. We got to play better technique. Got to lock our guy out in front of us. That's what it comes down to, locking the guy out in front of you, dominating him and making a tackle."

(On what is causing the team to play "soft")

"I'm not sure. I mean, that's something that I have to think about. We have a long flight back. I'm not sure. It's not like all of a sudden, we did something different and now we're a soft football team. It's just the mentality that we got to get back in the guys."

(On if he would consider a change in the defensive play calling)

"Once again, I'll go back over the film. From where I was standing, even when you're in the right call, they're still not doing their job, so that's on me."

(On the decision to go for the two-point conversion after the touchdown)

"At some point in time you have to go for two. I just wanted to at least know what situation we were going to be in with more time on the clock. We went for two on the first one. I'm sure other people see it a different way. It's just a philosophical thing."

(On what he saw on the Jaguars' punt return for a touchdown)

"I saw guys getting out of leverage. I saw a punt down the middle of the field, which is always difficult to cover. He [Jaguars P Logan Cooke] has a strong leg. He out-kicked his coverage. We weren't disciplined in our lanes."

(On his assessment of QB Drake Maye's game)

"I thought he did a good job, especially starting the game off fast. He made some good throws, made some good plays with his legs. Again, I have to go back to the film and just study that."

(On if he's worried about the players losing morale) "I'm not worried about that. The guys, they understand. Every week is its own week. It's my job, when we get there on Wednesday, is to change the page."

(On if the "rebuilding" timeline is not progressing to his expectations)

"No, not at all. I don't want to go back and say we should have won this, we should have lost. We could have lost all of the games. In saying that, we just got to keep working, going out there with the players that we have and get better."

(On why he thinks the run game is not having success)

"That kind of goes back to what I said earlier. It's a mentality. It's a mentality. It's about reestablishing the line of scrimmage."

(On his level of concern about WR Ja'Lynn Polk)

"We need more from Polk. We need more concentration. He'll be a good player in this league. Just got to continue to work at it."

(On what he saw change after putting up 10 points I the first half)

"Again, I'll go back and look at the film. It will be easy to say the vibe on the sideline was down. It wasn't down. It was still up. It always comes back to execution in my eyes. Just didn't do it. It wasn't like a big adjustment that was made or anything like that. We just weren't making the plays."

(On if he wishes he had brought the team to London earlier in the week)

"No. Once again, we started the game off fast. They felt good. I asked multiple players. We just didn't finish."

(On the team's concentration waning through the season)

"I don't think so. I think every single week is its own week. You got to hit the reset button. That includes concentration,
attention to details, all of those things."

(On how he encourages Polk)

"First, I have to remind him he's a young football player. I'm not using that as an excuse. This is not the last iteration or evolution of Ja'Lynn Polk. He just has to get back in the meeting rooms and go back out there on the field and get better."

(On if him describing the team as "soft" is a necessary message for them to hear)

"Every time I talk to you guys, I understand that the players read all of that stuff. I always use this vehicle as a way to reinforce a message or get a message out to those guys."

(On how the team can become "harder")

"There is always a way to be harder. There's always a balance in doing that. Again, six straight losses... I mean, they feel about it about it as well. As a professional player, you feel bad about losses just like everyone else. It's about going back to the drawing board and try to put some stuff together."

(On how he would describe the coaching staff)

"Look, first it starts with me. It's about just the mentality of going back to having a tough football team. I just have to do a better job. Like I said, I'll think it through on the plane ride home."

(On if he expected winning to be this challenging)

"Look, it's hard to win football games in the NFL. I totally understand that. I've talked to seasoned coaches, head coaches around the league, and they say the same thing. It's tough. Once again, every week is its own week."

(On the goal for the second-half of the season is)

"I think the main goal is to win next week."

QUARTERBACK DRAKE MAYE

Postgame Press Conference
Sunday, October 20, 2024

(On how he feels the offense performed today)

"We've been preaching fast start. They want
us to start fast. Last week we didn't do it. We did that today. We just didn't sustain it long enough. Had some chances down in the red zone the second drive, wish I had back. Other than that, Coach Mayo [Head Coach Jerod Mayo] is preaching, got to be around the football. When we throw it on first and second down, I have to find some completions to get us in third and manageable. Third and long is hard in this league. I thought the guys battled, especially up front. Those guys are playing their butts off. Owe those guys a lot up front. Feel like we made some plays. Just not good enough."

(On what they have to do to sustain the fast start)

"I think other than maybe one or two other games this season, we haven't started fast in a while. Kind of something new for us. Proud of the guys for starting fast. I think I had KB [WR Kendrick Bourne] open on the third down, down there, on the second drive. Punch another one in, may be a different ballgame. A couple throws here and there, for me as well. Other than that, we just got to, I guess, find out ways to get first downs. I feel like the Jags did a nice job of time of possession. Shoot, for a while in the second half we had one drive the whole half until the end. Credit to them. Just got to, I don't know, work harder, find something different, find something different.

(On Coach Mayo saying they are not a tough football team)

"Coach Mayo is not going to come in here and say something he hasn't said to us in the locker room. He preaches being tough. He preached it today, being tough. Being tough is running the football, stopping the run, covering kicks is what he said. I think he does a great job of relaying the message to us. The guys know. [CB] Jon Jones gave a speech after the game saying you got to find it, got to find something. Know what we're doing is not good enough. Got to man up."

(On how he felt today compared to last week)

"Yeah, I think the little things. I think little things like false starts, that falls on me. We got to be more clear and up front with the cadence with the O-line and those guys. Other than that, took care of the football. Maybe one time endangered it. The last one, the fourth down, that's just football there. Other than that, I feel like I'm seeing it well. Make a few different throws. Other than that, do a better job on the sideline sometimes pumping the guys up, relaying some messages to different guys, you may see this, what are you thinking. Little things like that. I thought we had some bright spots again today. Like I said, not good enough."

(On the touchdown to RB JaMycal Hasty early on)

"Yeah, just hot. Were hot to the back. They ended up I think bringing in safety. Dropped out, the defensive end on the opposite side. Find a completion. Third and 10, we're in field goal range. Got to do more of that, getting our guys our ball and letting them make plays. Thought I tried to do that today. Found the check-downs. Besides that last drive, when they were playing deep. Found some checkdowns early in the game that helped us. Little plays like that can go a long way for us."

(On if things felt more comfortable this week compared to last week)

"Yeah, I think more and more you're out there, you're seeing different things, different fronts, different coverages, getting a better feel. I think the Jags did some different stuff, playing different guys in different spots the same coverage. Other than that, I'm here to help this football team win. We're not getting that done. Got to do something different."

(On WR Ja'Lynn Polk)

"Yeah, no, I think J.P. is a great player. He's making plays. A little slick out there. Sometimes the ball's on the paint. Paint all over the ball. I think it's just the field a little bit. Other than that, got to find ways to get the football early. Get him in the game early, that will help him feel involved. Got to make a better throw to him on the corner route, first drive, little things like that, to get him involved. He's a good player. We need him out there. It is on me to kind of get him going. Throughout the week, he's always asking me to watch film and things like that. After practice, he's always there. Got to do more. Whatever we're doing, do more."

(Unclear audio)

"Yeah, he's a great player for us. Made a great play, a couple good plays on the first drive. It's next man up. It's the NFL. Big dudes colliding into each other out there on the field. Got to next man up. Credit to him for battling through, being out there as much as he can. He's a great player for us. Hopefully have him back. Thank y'all."

TIGHT END HUNTER HENRY

(On how he would characterize the game today)

"I was proud of the way we started. Thought we obviously started fast. Just the middle of the game lost control, some things compounded, some mistakes. I mean, even myself. The false start, I look at that as a huge thing. Third-and-short. I mean, I got to be better in a lot of areas. I know everybody else will look in the mirror. We just got to be better, find a way."

(On why the offense struggled)

"I mean, obviously you got to give credit to them. They did a great job of responding. They controlled the ball, I would say had some big, long drives, controlled the ball, were able to execute, have some big plays in there. Kind of get their sideline, get things going in a positive direction for them. You have to give credit to the Jaguars, they did a great job of executing, getting us off the field fast. In those situations we got to be better, sustain some drives in the middle of the game.

(On not getting discouraged)

"Yeah, I mean, I feel like we have a high-character locker room. We have a lot of high-character guys. I really feel like obviously we're in the midst of some adversity. Adversity really reveals true character. So I feel like we have a lot of guys that have a lot of high character. Hopefully we can turn some things around, start getting things moving in a positive direction."

(On Head Coach Jerod Mayo calling the team soft)

"Yeah, I mean, that wasn't what we want to be at all. That wasn't the identity we want to be. We weren't able to get the run game going like we want. So we've got to be better running the football, controlling the clock, moving the ball, obviously scoring more points."

CORNERBACK CHRISTIAN GONZALEZ

(On the challenges the Jaguars defense presented)

"I mean they came out and they played well. We didn't play too well. I think we started well, but we didn't finish."

(On what the key area of improvement is) "Finishing, really. We've got to go out there. I can't
give up a big play. We've got to finish better."

(On if it's hard to not feel down)

"I mean, obviously it hurts. Nobody likes to lose. Nobody in this profession, in life likes to lose. But it hurts. But I hit on it a couple weeks ago. All you can do is grow from it. All you can do is learn and move on."

(On the 58-yard catch by Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr.)

"Yeah, I mean, he ran a good route. He made a good ball. Thought I got it out, but it was ruled a catch. That is what it is."

(On his NFL in London collaboration)

"Yeah, I mean, first time in London. It's pretty cool. They offered me the opportunity to do it. It was a cool moment being in London. Like I said, they offered me the moment. It was fun."

(On how the collaboration came about)

"Yeah, I mean, media told me we want to do a collaboration, NFL London, NFL. They told me. I was like, 'Oh, yeah, for sure.'"

(On what needs to change to get back on track)

"Yeah, I mean, we just got to finish. It's all about starting fast, continuing to just keep going on the plays. Go back to work. All we can do is move on. Nobody really cares. We've got to go. Saying 'nobody cares' as in other teams in the NFL. We got to go and just get back to work."

(On what he's seen from the run defense)

"I mean, I trust the guys up there – the front seven. I trust them. Everybody in the locker room trust them. We've just got to get it fixed."

(On if arriving to London on Thursday affected the team's energy)

"I mean, not really. I felt like we had good energy. Like I said, I feel like we started fast. Offense came out, two drives,
boom, boom. I think that we started fast. I think we had energy. But like I said earlier, we just didn't finish."

(On what the halftime message to the team was)

"Yeah, I mean, it's like how it is every week. You come in at halftime, talk about the plays they made, talk about how we got to stop those plays. You take the coaching and go back out there in the second half."

(On if the field was slippery)

"Wasn't too bad. I slipped once. I mean, I didn't think it was super slippery or anything."

(On if he was wearing long spikes)

"Seven studs, yeah."

LINEBACKER JAHLANI TAVAI

(On how he would characterize what's going on)

"We're not doing good. That's all that
needs to be said about it. We got to improve. We're going to figure it out."

(On pinpointing any areas they need to improve on)

"Just got to do our jobs. That's it. Got to do our jobs and make the tackle."

(On Head Coach Jerod Mayo calling the team soft) "He said it well. We got to look in the
mirror and we got to understand what he's saying. If we're okay with being soft, then some
people will fall off and the rest of us will want to prove that wrong, we'll step up and make
sure that doesn't happen."

(On if he thinks it's a lack of concentration)

"It's a lack of doing your job. We got to do our jobs. That's it."

(On why people aren't doing their jobs) "I don't know. It's 11 guys on the field. It takes one
person in the defense to mess up a whole play. We have to be consistent. You can't do your
job one play, take off another. All 11 guys on the field who are out there at the time, we just
got to do our jobs."

(On the punt return for a touchdown)

"Again, do our jobs. We're out there to make sure that
we put the defense in a good position. If you look at it, it's all defensive players. We got to
take that personal. God forbid, we can't let that happen again. I haven't looked at the film,
haven't looked at what happened. I just know that can't happen. What yard line did he punt
it on? On the four? That got to be dead. We got to fix it."

(On the punt return)

"We had guys there. The message right now is to do our job. We're not
doing it. It's showing on the scoreboard."

(On why he is optimistic things will change)

"Got to stay optimistic. I don't have a weak
mindset. I think that's the best way to say it. I don't have a weak mindset. I'm going to make
sure that I do my part. I'm not saying I was perfect out there. I made some bad plays. I got to
look in the mirror, too. Yeah, got to stay optimistic."

(On the struggles related to not having everyone healthy)

"Man, we have great guys out
there. I trust those guys. Like I said, we have to be consistent on doing our jobs. There's
plays where we shine and then there's plays where, like I said, takes one person to mess
up. It don't matter who it is. It could be a safety on a misfit or it could be a linebacker not
hitting his guy. All 11 guys have to do their jobs so we can be successful."

SAFETY KYLE DUGGER

(On if the Jaguars made any adjustments that they weren't prepared for)

"No, they didn't. We just kind of fell from what we originally planned to do on the defense. Our one on ones, we knew what they were going to attack us with. They kind of stayed with that. We stopped doing our job. Our one on ones, we stopped winning those. That's what it came down to."

(On struggling to make plays and if there are any commonalties' from previous games)

"For sure. On the back end, we just have to be better communicating. It's miscommunications that cost us big-time, MEs. That's what it comes down to at the end of the day. That's not how we want to play. That's not how we have had success. We won't continue to have success until we clean that up."

(On Head Coach Jerod Mayo calling the team soft and if he said that to the team)

"Yeah, he kept it real with us. I'm glad he did, yeah. Appreciate it."

WIDE RECEIVER K.J. OSBORN

(On having a fast start to the game)

"I think at the beginning of the game we did a good job of starting fast. I think it's about sustaining momentum. Big plays, turnovers on either side. When you get that, we talk about when it goes your way, when it goes the opposite way. You got to be able to fight back when that stuff is not going your way. We had at the beginning, but then we kind of lost it. So, we got to fight back."

(On QB Drake Maye)

"I've been extremely impressed and proud of Drake ever since he came in. When he first got drafted, how he came in there, dealing with the pressure of being a third round pick, learning a pro offense, to where he is now. I'm definitely proud of him. Excited to continue to see him getting better."

(On the frustration of starting fast and then slowing down)

"Yeah, for sure. For sure. When you're moving the ball, you feel like the team that you're going against, not that you got their
number, they going to make adjustments, too, but you build your confidence. When that kind of starts to get stagnant, I think it can build some frustration. Like I said before, that's part of the fight-back we got to develop."

(On not staying on the field)

"For sure. For sure it's tough. It's tough. I think that's something that we have dealt with. But I think the offense, we can help ourselves by staying on third downs, staying on the field on third down to keep the defense off the field, kind of playing complementary football."

(On not leaving happy)

"Yeah, for sure. I mean, it's not happy. London was a great experience, but we came over here to play a football game and win. We didn't win. We got to go back to the drawing board, move on to the next week."

(On if there are any positives to take from today)

"For myself, I've been over here a couple times. I've played. For some of the younger guys, kind of developing a routine about if they
do have another international game, the schedule, kind of how you balance your time of being a tourist, I would say, and your study time and things like that. Being able to lock in. Like I said, it's a blessing for us to be able to be over here and play a football game. At the end of the day we're coming to work and we're coming to win, and we didn't do that."