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Jaguars News | Jacksonville Jaguars - jaguars.com

Jaguars Head Coach Doug Marrone: Sunday, December 6, 2020

(On keeping the team motivated despite the losing streak) "I talked to the players about it after the game, before I came out here. I think it's hard for people that aren't part of it, that aren't going through it, to really understand what happens with these players and these coaches. As long as you keep having these opportunities to compete, the competitiveness that's in you is something that keeps you going or else you're not going to be in this league. From a standpoint of that, I think everyone understands that, I think we do understand that today we turned the ball over, we gave up points on turnovers, we did some things that we were trying to get done, we still had an opportunity late in the game. Defense had a really good stop and then we get a penalty on a special teams play. We started off deep and then the pick, so there are a lot of things that are going on. We'll continue to keep fighting and keep working our way through, but the one thing is that in situations like this and the way this team is, we're going to continue to support each other and continue to keep fighting until they tell us that it's over."

(On if QB Mike Glennon's performance today will result in starting QB Gardner Minshew II next week) "I think we're going to look at Mike. We're going to evaluate it, but I think we're going to try to clean some things up for him and see how we can obviously do a better job. I think that I'm going to go with him. I think he still gives us the best chance to win as of right now so I'm going to stick with him right now for this week."

(On the frustration of multiple turnovers) "We got one ourselves, Joe [Schobert] getting the pick-six on the turnover. You look at those things and you evaluate it and it's tough to win football games when you turn the ball over, I believe. I guess we were at three or four turnovers in the game, so it's tough. Everyone that goes out there is not trying to do it. It's not like they're not trying to take care of their business or take care of the football. That's not it at all. I think sometimes when it's just real errant, where it's egregious, where you're not really carrying the ball well, you're just throwing it up there or throwing it out there, I think those are the times that you get the frustration. Everyone knows that you're competing as hard as you can and make sure that you can make the plays somehow, someway to try to tilt the needle into your favor. I thought there were times where we moved the ball well and we were in the red zone. We had the turnover there early, that cost us points in the first half. We had some penalties today that really put us in more challenging situations. I thought the game plan was to try to come out early and stop [Vikings RB Dalvin] Cook. I thought we did a good job with that. We were starting to be able to start getting to the quarterback. They kept more people in there protecting and then their guys made some plays on some third downs that you wish you could get off the field on."

(On an injury update on WR Laviska Shenault Jr. and OL Brandon Linder) "I think with Laviska it was a thumb, nothing broken from what I've been told on the initial X-ray. That's tough and we were just seeing if he could catch, so that's always difficult when you hurt your thumb in that position. With Brandon, it's an ankle. Again, nothing broken, so I don't know how long he'll be yet. That's all I know about it."

(On the receivers in today's games) "I think it's tough. I mean everyone has to play all the different spots. We went into the game trying to get Laviska [Shenault Jr.] some more touches. That was what we were thinking going into the game and we wanted to get DJ [Chark Jr.] started early. Then all of a sudden you get the injury, those things occur, so it's tough. Again, I think it's something that we need to continue to keep working on and get ourselves some separation and get ourselves open. Those guys are trying their best and we have to put them in good positions, so that's on everyone. Everyone has to do a better job to get the production that you need to win games, not just one person or one group really."

(On if the game plan was to get WR Collin Johnson more snaps and targets today) "I don't know if it was like going into it saying he's definitely going to do that. I think when the injury came, both him and Laviska [Shenault Jr.] play the same position, so I think that's why you saw his snaps go up."

(On allowing the Vikings to come back after having their largest lead of the season) "That's what we're trying to do, we're trying to build on that momentum and go on both sides. You have to make plays and at that time, like you said, we've been in situations where we couldn't make plays to tip the game, to tip the scales into a more favorable position, but we haven't been able to do that and that was again one of those times."

(On stopping Vikings RB Dalvin Cook) "Our goal was we're going to try to stop him, stop him early and get the extra guy down there in the box, knowing that we have to hold up on the outside with [Vikings WR Adam] Thielen and [Vikings WR Justin] Jefferson and the tight ends, so we did that. We thought when we got to some third downs we had to make some decisions on whether we wanted to pressure and try to pressure him into making mistakes or errant throws or go ahead and double some of those guys, so we tried to mix it up a little bit. I thought we did a good job getting to the quarterback. I thought Joe Giles-Harris did a good job on a couple of those boots being able to pull them up. I thought we defended some plays well and then just the plays like our 50-50 or things like that that are up in the air, they wound up making some of those plays, or the plays that got a little bit more elongated, or extended is a better word. They were able to run away from us a little bit and I think everyone saw that."

(On the momentum going into the second half with a lead) "Obviously they were ready to go. We had a problem earlier in the year, remember, coming out early and being able to play. We've really been trying to emphasize making sure that we come up and we start better, and we did it. I think when you go back and you look at it and when I go back and look at the film, you don't want to kick a field goal and you want to be able to score two more touchdowns down there instead of a turnover and the field goal on the 1-[yard line]. I think it's one of those things where it's good, but you're always pushing for that excellence, you're always pushing for what you need and never being satisfied or just effort or anything like that. Those are the times that you really need to make those plays that are really going to change the game. You have to remember, when you go up now, it starts changing, the play calls start changing, things start changing, things get into your advantage and that's what we weren't able to do in really all three phases when you look at it. To capture that momentum, to keep that momentum going [is hard], so that's why we're sitting here again with a loss. But like I said, we have to figure out a way and keep battling."

(On the defensive effort to pressure the quarterback) "I thought going into the game I liked our matchups. We were worried about the cutback run with [Vikings RB Dalvin] Cook. We were worried about [the fact that] he's the type of player that can take it. I thought our linebackers came downhill. I thought our guys up front played with good leverage. I think that they were penetrating, they were obviously doing a very good job on the quarterback, affecting him, moving him off the spot, getting hands up. It's unfortunate, I thought we could've had a couple more tips or tipped balls in that, but the effort that they played with is the way they've been playing all year. I just think the matchup was good, they were ready to go, they were excited to get out there and they did some really good things."

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