'Starts with me': Doug Pederson takes blame for loss to Titans, Jaguars missing playoffs

NASHVILLE — Utter disbelief. Shell shocked. Sadness. Confusion. Disappointment.

The Jacksonville Jaguars were supposed to be Super Bowl contenders this year after an impressive end to their 2022 campaign. Instead, they're leaving Nashville after losing 28-20 to a team that could be without a head coach in a week, costing them a shot at the playoffs.

There aren't any more scenarios, it's over. There's no spark and there hasn't been a spark — not like last year, it's completely and utterly over. It's a new season, one that Jaguars outside linebacker Josh Allen intimated in the postgame locker room was spent searching for a spark over the last six weeks, coming up short, just like on Sunday.

Out like a light: Jaguars fail to live up to expectations, will miss playoffs after 28-20 loss to Titans

"To be honest, speaking on last year, it was like we had a spark. We had a fire. We had a determination. We had a want. This year, we were looking for that spark. And we never got that lit," Allen said. "We have to figure out if we do have one, and if we don't [have] one, we need to find a way to win games."

Jaguars safety Andre Cisco recorded an interception late in the contest against the Titans, but that spark proved to be too little, too late.

Cisco also mentioned that the team has to learn how to be a frontrunner, how to handle expectations and how to handle being an elite team.

"When you get success, you have to handle it properly," Cisco said, referencing the team's high expectations and preseason accolades. "You can't let it get to your head. You can't approach life like you have success. You have to approach it the same way every day... I don't think we did a good job at it."

'Starts with me': Doug Pederson takes blame for loss, Lawrence describes emotions

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson agreed with Allen's assessment, taking it a step further that the spark has to come from someone whether that's Allen, Pederson himself, Trevor Lawrence or otherwise. Pederson took the blame for his role in the team's loss.

"I think as coaches what we need to do is communicate with our players and make sure that they understand the game plan, or the technique, or the scheme for that week. And then it's the players who take it, they have to study it based on the tape and go do their job and let their talent take over. It’s a two-way street, right?" said Pederson.

"But obviously, coaches are held accountable and that will start with me."

Pederson feels the same as the players, a season that began so bright is now lost after a collapse down the stretch.

"I'm frustrated, I'm disappointed, I'm mad, angry. My heart hurts, obviously, for the players, coaches involved, they've worked their tails off. But, today's game was sort of our season in a nutshell. The mistakes, the penalties, the turnovers, missed tackles, and those are all things that hurt us down the stretch," Pederson said after the game.

The Jaguars missed multiple tackles, allowing 153 yards and a touchdown to Titans running back Derrick Henry. They accounted for six penalties for 40 yards and had two turnovers. That's the Jaguars season, that was the team's performance in a must-win situation in Week 18 against a team that could be without a coach in a week.

Lawrence echoed Pederson's sentiments, speaking in a downtrodden tone throughout the presser.

"It hurts. It hurts to not be able to finish and you look at where we were at one point in the season, and [we] just finished poorly and just gave it away... it just hurts," Lawrence said after the game. "We had the potential to be a great team and we just didn't finish that way."

'I don't know the word to describe it'

After an 8-3 start to the season, the Jaguars finished the year 1-5, missing the playoffs after holding the AFC South lead for most of 2023. It's a season that's hard to describe, Jaguars receiver Zay Jones said in the locker room after the game.

"I don't know what type of year, I don't know the word to describe it. I think my first initial reaction is my heart hurts for the guys who put in so much work and the coaching staff who's put in so much work and hours and it's like, to come up empty-handed, it's a gut-wrenching feeling," Jones said.

Lawrence battled through multiple injuries down the final stretch of the season, including a high ankle sprain, a concussion and a sprained right throwing shoulder. Still, the third-year QB wasn't willing to put any blame on injuries. Everyone's injured, he said after the game.

"There's no excuses. Of course, injuries impact us, injuries impact every team at this point in the year. But that being said, the Titans are injured, they're banged up, they've had a lot of injuries this year... It's football," Lawrence said. "You gotta find ways to win despite having guys injured, having guys out, having guys banged up. I don't think we did enough good, a good enough job of that this year of just finding ways to win regardless of the circumstances."

Jacksonville dealt with plenty of injuries this season. At certain points of the season, they were without Lawrence, starting offensive linemen Cam Robinson and Walker Little, receivers Zay Jones and Christian Kirk, cornerback Tyson Campbell, safety Andre Cisco, defensive lineman DaVon Hamilton, nickel cornerback Tre Herndon and linebacker Devin Lloyd.

Moving forward: 2023 Jaguars will soon be in rear-view mirror

Though both the 2022 Jaguars and 2023 Jaguars finished the year at 9-8, the respective teams accomplished far different feats throughout the year, and the rosters, makeup and attitude of the team weren't the same.

That'll be the case next year, too, for better or worse.

"The DNA of this team will not be the same," said tight end Evan Engram.

"This is the last time the DNA of this locker room will be together. So, we understand the nature of the business. All I know is this feeling, the leaders of this team, the guys that are here, this is part of our story. We can either be victims of it or find a way to make it a part of our return. Make it a part of our response."

The Jaguars have several starters or big-time role players as impending free agents, including Josh Allen, receiver Jamal Agnew, DL Dawuane Smoot, receiver Calvin Ridley, guard Tyler Shatley, guard Ezra Cleveland, kicker Brandon McManus, special teams players Shaq Quarterman and Daniel Thomas, among others.

The Jaguars will also bring in a slew of new players via the NFL Draft and free agency, too.

After another week of utter disbelief, the Jaguars are going home and there are certain to be changes, perhaps not just with the personnel.

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: Jaguars miss playoffs, shell-shocked after loss to Titans