JACKSONVILLE – Doing it again is what matters now.
Jaguars Head Coach Doug Marrone on Monday said that's true not just for quarterback Blake Bortles, but for the entire team.
Bortles threw four touchdown passes and the Jaguars turned in a 44-7 victory over the Baltimore Ravens at Wembley Stadium in London Sunday. But while that game was encouraging, impressive and memorably one-sided, Marrone said what's next now is more important.
"For our team, not just Blake, it's about consistency on Sunday," Marrone said Monday.
Marrone, speaking on a conference call early Monday evening, noted that while much was impressive about the victory over Baltimore, the Jaguars turned in a similar performance in a Week 1 victory at Houston before losing to Tennessee by three touchdowns in Week 2.
"I talked to the team about that today," Marrone said. "We were on the road Week 1, and did some good things. We were at home Week 2 and didn't do some good things. We went to London Week 3 and did some really good things. Where are we going to be as a team?
"I preached to them today about being consistent. I think that's the most important thing."
Marrone added, "Your identity is going to be defined by not what you say, but what the results are. We have to go out and put back-to-back games together now."
Also on Monday:
*Marrone specifically discussed Bortles, who completed 20 of 31 passes for 244 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions for one of his best games in four NFL seasons. "Obviously there were a lot of good things," Marrone said. "He didn't really force anything. He had about five throw-aways where he threw the ball away, and I think those were all really good decisions rather than trying to force the ball in. There were just a lot of smart plays on his part. I was really happy with his performance."
*The Jaguars through three games not only rank first in the NFL with a plus-38 point differential, they rank second in the NFL – first in the AFC – with a plus-5 takeaway/giveaway differential. The Jaguars have eight takeaways in three games this season. They had 13 takeaways last season and were minus-16 takeaway/giveaway for the season (30th in the NFL). The Jaguars rank third in the NFL in total defense, first against the pass. "I think it's the way they're playing together and feeing off each other," Marrone said of the defense. "It's not an individual thing. When someone else makes a play, the players as well as the team are truly excited about those players knowing how it's going to help us win." …
*Cornerback Jalen Ramsey not only had an eye-catching, third-quarter interception Sunday, he did not allow a reception despite being "targeted" seven times. Ramsey, who has played through an ankle issue the last two weeks that had him listed as "questionable" entering the weekend, had been targeted just once the week before against Tennessee. "I was kind of kidding him [on Monday]," Marrone said. "I said, 'Well, I guess they must have went after you a little bit. I don't think he had a reception on him. He'll be tested and I think he knows that. I think he's outstanding. I think he's competitive. We're very happy and pleased with the way he's playing." …
*Marrone said he doesn't anticipate aftereffects of a "short week" between the victory at Wembley and their game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Sunday. The Jaguars arrived at EverBank Field Monday at 2 a.m., which Marrone noted isn't much different than an arrival time for an East Coast team after a Sunday West Coast game. The team has had a bye following London the past four seasons. "We moved everything back today so that players had more than enough time to rest and come back for treatment, lifting and running – and obviously going through the tape [from the Ravens game] with the coaches,'' Marrone said. "I thought the team was in good spirits." Jaguars players are off Tuesday as they are in all normal regular-season weeks and resume practice Wednesday in preparation for the Jets.
*Marrone didn't get quite as much rest as otherwise might have been the case Monday morning. He slept for a few hours in his EverBank Field office before a 5 a.m. testing of the stadium's fire alarm. "That didn't work out too well for me," Marrone said with a laugh. "I wound up waking at 5 a.m. to a bunch of alarms going off in the building, then pretty much stayed up and tried to get started on the Jets."
