Coach speak: Giants 23, Jaguars 17

JACKSONVILLE – Senior writer John Oehser examines Head Coach Doug Pederson’s press conference following the Jaguars’ 23-17 loss to the New York Giants in a 2022 Week 7 game at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville Sunday

1. Little things mean big things. Pederson spent much of his post-game press conference discussing mistakes and missed opportunities. With reason. The Jaguars are 2-5 through seven games, with all five losses decided by a score or less. Among the primary topics Sunday when Pederson spoke following the loss: a fumble by running back Travis Etienne Jr., which came after a 12-yard run by Etienne to the Giants 5 in the second quarter. It was recovered by Giants safety Julian Love in the end zone to give the Giants possession and keep the Jaguars’ lead at 11-10. “Listen: That’s where we’re at as a team right now is we’re just learning things the hard way, you know?” Pederson said. “Plays like that change the outcome of a lot of different things. We just have to keep hanging together and keep working. Just like I told the guys after the game, we do that, stick together, you know, good things are going to happen for them, and we’ll get it flipped around.”
2. Mistakes, mistakes. The Jaguars were penalized 13 times for 81 yards Sunday, with seven of those penalties coming on the defense. One of the penalties cost the Jaguars their first takeaway since Week 4 with a roughing-the-passer penalty on linebacker Foye Oluokun negating an interception by linebacker Devin Lloyd at the Giants 17 in the third quarter. “That one, too, is unacceptable there,” Pederson said. “We got the turnover. We got the interception, and we had the roughing the passer. Again, these are plays that are keeping us back. We just can’t do that. We can’t do that as players. Obviously, as coaches, we have to be smart too in the decisions we make. It goes hand-in-hand. Those are big plays.” Added Pederson, “We just have to keep working. You got to keep showing them. It’s not for lack of conversation…