The Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5) are described as " fragile " by quarterback Trevor Lawrence, in need of a culture change according to head coach Doug Pederson, and have displayed a sense of " quit ," as noted by safety Andre Cisco.
Those statements are the most damning ones a franchise can have, especially just six weeks into the season.
Pederson put it plainly on Wednesday: "Look, we're 1-5. We are where we are. As they say, ‘If you make your bed, you’ve got to lie in it,'" he said.
The Jaguars are lying in it and will face New England (1-5) in old England in Week 7 as the "home" team at Wembley Stadium in London. The game will air on NFL Network and is set to start at 9:30 a.m. ET. or 2:30 p.m. BST.
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Jaguars defense adopting 'it's about us' motto amid losing season
Jacksonville's defense looked fine in Weeks 1 and 2. The team allowed just 20 points to the best offense in football last year and held the lowly Cleveland Browns to 16 points even with an all-time bad Jaguars offensive showcase.
It all came crashing down after that. The Jaguars have given up at least 24 points in the last four games and haven't held an opponent to fewer than 35 points in three. They gave up 35 to the Chicago Bears last week at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, 37 to the Colts and QB Joe Flacco and 47 to the Buffalo Bills.
Jacksonville's defense currently ranks: 31st in points allowed (29.7), 31st in yards per game (390), 25th in third-down conversion rate (44.30) and 32nd in red-zone touchdowns allowed (79.19%). Jacksonville also ranks last in the league in passing yards allowed per game at 276.7.
The team has also allowed teams to convert 13 out of 13 goal-to-go situations.
That's why the team is taking an "about us" mentality. While they're focused on the Patriots , they have to worry about what they do more, defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen said Thursday.
“It has to be about us. That's where we're at right now, it really doesn't matter the opponent. Any of the other 31 teams, this week is just going to be about Jacksonville, our defense and how we play. That's been the message," said Nielsen.
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"Every week is about us. That's the most important thing because when you worry about yourself that's the only thing that matters. We talk about execution; execution is being a good teammate. To do your job so the guy to your left and right can do his job. That's been our focus this week," he added.
Pederson focused on changing to a 'winning culture,' identity over last 11 games
After the game, Pederson spoke with Jaguars game-day radio sideline analyst Bucky Brooks and said the team needed to change the culture moving forward. He was asked about that change Monday on a Zoom with local media and reiterated the idea that the team has to get back to winning or it'll be a slippery slope.
"I mean, obviously, we've lost some games here, right? So, we want to change that culture to a winning culture. That's why we coach and that's why we play," said Pederson.
"I think to that statement that I made, I mean, these guys — listen, they bust their tail. I've said this, and you've seen how we've practiced. I mean, these guys bust their tails during the week, and I don't want them to feel — even though we haven't won yet, I don't want them to feel sort of mentally defeated, if that makes sense because that's where the slippery slope comes in, right?"
The Jaguars haven't played " as one " much this season and they still haven't figured out why their practices haven't translated to the games.
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“I wish I had a crystal ball to answer that question," Pederson said when asked why practice hasn't translated to games. "Look, you see it in practice. Even when there's a mistake made, we go back and correct that mistake, right? It's that positive reinforcement. Then sometimes, too, in a game — I don't know — I mean, listen, I'm not going to sit here and make excuses. That's the wrong thing to do, but that's something we’ve got to figure out."
Pederson also said the team's identity is brought on both internally and through the media. It's something the team is working to fix after losing five of their first six games this season.
"But for me right now, where this team is, if we go out and play well and do what we're asked to do, we can work on that and build on that and then begin creating internally, I think our own identity as we approach each game moving forward," Pederson said.
The Jaguars made mistakes that evoked remarks from Lawrence, who called the team fragile after their loss last week.
"I think as a team we can't be so fragile. It's like it's not going to go perfect every week. Most weeks aren't going to go perfect. You're going to have to sometimes dig yourself out of a hole," Lawrence said.
Since then, they've turned the page.
"We've turned the page and we've got to put our best foot forward and try to go beat New England this week. So that's where we're at, and I think part of it is keeping the spirits up," Lawrence said Wednesday. "I mean, you stay focused and you stay locked in now more than ever, but you also got to have fun."
Doug Pederson on Patriots game: First team to 20 points might win
Jacksonville's offense has looked bleak this year. They've accounted for just 18.8 points per game (ranked 22nd), their third-down conversion rate ranks 17th at 30.43% and their red zone conversion rate is middle of the pack at 50%.
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The team's one saving grace is that they haven't turned the ball over too many times with just seven on the season. Lawrence's two interceptions (1.5%) rank eighth in the league.
The Patriots aren't doing any better. They rank 31st in points per game with 13.8, 30th in yards per game (257.5), 27th in third-down conversion percentage (30.95%) and last in red-zone scoring (35.71%).
The Jaguars might win, and if they do it might not take much to do it. Pederson reiterated that Wednesday.
"I think we're scoring 18 or 19 points offensively. They're looking at it the same way, if we can keep them under 20, first one to 20 might win the game," Pederson said when asked about shutting down the Patriots' offense. "That's the reality of it. So, it is important defensively to go out and play well and try to minimize the scoring. Then offensively that's our goal. Our goal is to score. So, it's kind of a two-headed monster, but we're up for the challenge.”
Meanwhile, Patriots coach Jerod Mayo is preaching a fast start this week.
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"We've got to do a good job matching their intensity, or they have to match our intensity, and that's going to be our focus this week. Our focus also is we've got to start games faster. We've got to start games faster, and that's definitely a point of emphasis this week," he said Wednesday.
Both teams are in search of their second win of the season. The difference is Jacksonville is in their third year of a major rebuild, while the Patriots are in their first.
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 .
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: NFL Week 7: 'Fragile' Jacksonville Jaguars must prove they aren't quitters vs. Patriots
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