The Jacksonville Jaguars ended their 2024 home slate on a high note, beating the Tennessee Titans 20-13 to complete a season-long sweep over one of their biggest rivals and secure at least a .500 record in divisional play this year.
Find everything Jacksonville head coach Doug Pederson said after the win below.
On Pederson’s thoughts on the game and the Jaguars getting the season sweep over the Titans:
DOUG PEDERSON: “Found a way to win. Proud of the guys. So happy for them. Coaching staff, the way these guys hang together, they stick together, there is no quit. They keep fighting. I keep telling them, you never know when the play is coming your way. When it does, just make it. You saw at the end there. [S] Antonio Johnson made the play and you win the game. So, a lot of good efforts in this game. Defense created a takeaway; offense was effective and good in the red zone today. Just a good team win.”
On if the win was particularly emotional:
DOUG PEDERSON: “It’s definitely emotional the way our season has gone. Obviously, we talked a lot about this, just the disappointment and the expectation not where it is, or should be. But any time you get a chance to win a game, especially against a good football team and division opponent, it’s always great. Locker room is excited. Probably a little bit of relief as well just to get another win. It’s part of what we keep talking about every day. We want to finish this thing the right way.”
On Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr. tying former NFL WR Randy Moss’s rookie-NFL-record eight games with 60-plus receiving yards and a touchdown:
DOUG PEDERSON: “Yeah, you said Randy Moss, I was on the sideline in Green Bay when Randy had a big day in Minnesota against us. I remember that, his rookie season. Randy Moss is a heck of a receiver and Brian just keeps impressing each week. Can’t say enough good things about Brian and just happy for him. But just goes to show you just with him, and speaking of Brian, the way he works, the way he handles himself for a young kid, very impressive. Very impressed with Brian.”
On Jaguars QB Mac Jones’ play down the stretch:
DOUG PEDERSON: “I thought Mac played probably obviously one of his better games today. I thought he did a great job just putting the ball in play and taking what the defense gave him. Some really good scrambles early in the game to keep us on the field. Helped us in our third-down conversion rate today. The touchdown pass to Brian Thomas and just doing things that we ask him to do. Great performance by Mac, and he’s one of many guys that really had a hand in this win, but he played really well today.”
On the value Thomas Jr. can add as a runner:
DOUG PEDERSON: “Well, it adds a lot. It’s an element of surprise to the defense. A couple of times today on different things, giving him the football in space, guys just did a great job blocking for him, too. Any time you get Brian Thomas on the ball, in his hands, it’s pretty electric. He does some great things with it. So just want to continue to expand that role for him. But at the same time be smart and if it helps the offense, then we’re going to do it.”
On the importance of playing clean football:
DOUG PEDERSON: “Yeah, it’s been a minute since we’ve done that really in all three phases. Even down to the two-minute situations today, both at the end of the half and the end of the game, different scenarios there that, stuff we talk about, and our players did a great job of execution there. Like I said, the defense came up big. Had the takeaway. Offense scored. And then the turnover on downs at the end. Just a complete football game. Just excited for all those guys.”
On keeping coaches engaged at this point of the season:
DOUG PEDERSON: “For me, it’s more about just having some one-off conversations. I don’t get them together and say, ‘Hey, guys this is what needs –‘ we’re adults and we understand. We see what is being written, being said. Listen, obviously, we put ourselves in — I’m the leader of that ship or captain of that ship and obviously we’ve put ourselves in this situation. Just having one-off conversations and trying to, for me, still to encourage them as well and get them to understand that, ‘Hey, we’ve got a lot to play for and coach for, and you put your best foot forward and you give it everything you have during the week.’ When you’re rewarded like we were today, just makes it sweeter.”
On if it’s any consolation that the Jaguars have stayed engaged through the last few weeks of the season despite close losses:
DOUG PEDERSON: “Thank you. Thank you for reminding me. But it’s obvious. You’re right. The thing is the guys aren’t — they’re not waving the white flag. I think even when you talk to them in the locker room, they’re not — they’re busting their tails during the week and doing everything I’m asking them to do, coaches and players. Look, whatever happens at the end of the season is going to happen. We’ve still got one game left. Before today we had two games left. For us to finish the way we want to finish, whatever happens, regardless, we want to finish this thing the right way. We won today and that’s a huge step. Now we move on to the next one. Put another game plan together and go practice and try to do it again on the road. Then whatever happens, is going to happen. But just proud of the way the coaches and players have just stuck together and hung together. The fact that we were rewarded today speaks to that.”
On the chance to finish 4-2 in the division:
DOUG PEDERSON: “Yeah, I mean, that would be something to be very proud of in the midst of a disappointing season. To finish 4-2, that would be great. Just goes to show you and goes to show our team that these close games, the plays we made today were the ones we weren’t making in those close games. If it goes the other way maybe we win a few more of those games and it’s a different story. You know, I just think that to finish that way, to finish strong, it sends a good message to the team that you can still have a hold I think on your division, right? If you do that next week. You’ve got to win the game obviously. But just shows you can kind of control it. You control your own destiny, right, year in and year out. It will be a good message to the guys if we can accomplish that.”