Jacksonville Jaguars Insider Podcast: Reviewing Titans Win

In today's episode, we take a look at the Jacksonville Jaguars' win on Sunday over the Tennessee Titans.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington (11) rushes for yards against Tennessee Titans safety Mike Brown (44), bottom, and cornerback Daryl Worley (35) during the fourth quarter Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars held off the Titans 20-13. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In today's episode of the Jacksonville Jaguars Insider Podcast, we take another look at the Jaguars' win over the Tennessee Titans.

Jaguars center Mitch Morse spoke earlier this week. Below is a transcript of what he had to say.

Q: On what it means to have completed a sweep of a division rival such as Tennessee?

Morse: “Yeah, you can call a spade a spade. This year has not been what we all thought it would be, and it’s tested us being professionals. I think when you can play a game like we did yesterday together, it’s just a celebration of the hard work you put in because we’ve been working. It’s not from a lack of working. So, to answer your question, it was a great experience being in that locker room after a win like that, and then we understand we’re going into a hostile environment against a division opponent who’s very good. Listen, we all want to end on a win, but you’ve got to put your best foot forward as professionals and that’s what we plan on doing on Sunday.”

Q: On making the plays late in the game to secure the win?

Morse: “Yeah, it feels nice to be on the other side of those one-score games. When you really look back and take a step back and you see those games that we lost, it’s gut-wrenching, it’s heartbreaking. It wears on your soul. To end up with a game like that when you’re on the other end of that, it soothed us, to say the least.

Q: On whether Head Coach Doug Pederson's message about addressing mistakes to win one-score games has resonated with the team?

Morse: “I mean, listen, when you're in the thick of it, no one's trying to make mistakes, and no one's trying to take something in their own hands where they think it's going to be detrimental to the team. I don't think it's a lack of listening to someone's message. I think it’s just we all understand that we could’ve done a better job executing the plays, and yeah, I think there are a lot of unfortunate learning moments this year that I think a lot of guys will carry on throughout their professional careers.”

Q: On if this season will stick with him for a long time?

Morse: “Yeah, absolutely. I mean, some guys use this as fuel, some guys use this as a learning experience, some guys use this as both. For me, in the later years of my career, I think this has been a unique experience, to say the least. I learned a lot about myself, and I learned a lot about traversing losses and trying to come in the next day and the next week and progressing as a player and as a person. So, yeah, I think that question is a good one, and I think it's going to be very individualized for each person. There are 90 guys or so in this locker room, a little bit less. Each person is going to have a different answer for that.”

Q: On whether it’s easy for players to focus on preparing for next season when there’s uncertainty surrounding leadership?

Morse: “To be honest, it's one of those things that you just—this isn’t my lane. My lane is to understand the game plan, put myself in a position for guys around me to be as successful as possible. If you try to get outside of your lane or outside of what you know is in the realm of your control, that's when you just play a game of mental gymnastics. It's, first of all, not healthy and it's not going to help you do your job on Sunday. So, that might not be another answer that's just individualized to myself, but I feel like other guys share that same sentiment.”

Q: On how he handles losses?

Morse: “Well, it hasn't gotten easier, right? As a competitor, and not only as that but as a person, you invest time throughout the week away from your family, you invest your body, you put yourself out on the line, you're disappointed when things don't go your way, to say the least. The first thing you do is you look at yourself and the one thing I learned is that that's all you can worry about. That's all, as a mature competitor, you have to focus on things in your control. Like, listen, I can't control other stuff and I'm not saying it wasn't my—I'm not trying to underline any other message. It's just the truth. It's like, focus on the things I can control, go out there, do your best to mitigate those, and then you have another game plan and you try to mitigate that and so on and so forth. So, yeah, hopefully that answers your question.”

Q: On why the team has struggled in the run game specifically?

Morse: “I think for both passing and run blocking, there's so many different variables that kind of go into it. I think with the run game, everyone's got to be on the same page just like the pass game. There are so many different variables that play into it. I don't know if I can totally give you an answer that there's just one thing that sticks out to me. So, yeah, I don't know, I really don't have anything for you.”

Q: On how the run game can be fixed going into next season?

Morse: “I can tell you next year.”

Q: On how QB Mac Jones has progressed and if he feels he can start in the NFL next season?

Morse: “Well, I think Mac Jones is not only an infectious personality, really brings the guys along, really great to have in the huddle. His confidence is not cocky. It's hard to explain. He's got confidence in his guys, he's got confidence in what he does, and he does a great job of bouncing back from mistakes, but also learning from him, not just kind of a laissez-faire, running around with the football. I think Mac has a bright future in this league and I think if any team gave him a chance to make it, make him the staple guy, they'd be lucky to have him. It's been a privilege these past few weeks and months to play with him, just as it was with Trevor [QB Trevor Lawrence], especially as a guy who you kind of hated when you were in Buffalo with the Patriots, right? We joke about it all the time. He's just such a great dude, a vibrant personality and one of the most-liked guys in the locker room. So, I don't know the answer to that. I wish I had a crystal ball like the run game, but I love the fact that he's getting this opportunity, he's putting his best foot forward, making mistakes, learning from them, and then going from there.”

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