Jaguars Coach Gives Lame Answer About Mac Jones’ Killer Interception

When it comes to why Mac Jones threw a crippling game-ending interception Sunday, you simply wouldn’t understand.

At least that’s what Jacksonville Jaguars coach Doug Pederson would like you to believe after his team lost yet another game Sunday.

Jones made his first start for the Jags in place of the injured Trevor Lawrence and looked like the quarterback Patriots fans came to know and loathe. Jones started the game well, completing five of six passes for 50 yards. He then scored on a QB sneak from the 1-yard line to give Jacksonville a 7-3 lead.

It was all downhill from there. Jones went just 9-of-16 from that point for 61 yards, lost a fumble, was sacked three times and threw a pair of interceptions.

The second pick was a back-breaker. The Jags were trying to take a late lead, with just under two minutes to play in the fourth quarter while trailing 12-7. Jones took what looked like a deep shot, but no one was there. He seemingly overthrew the receiver, and Minnesota safety Camryn Bynum picked it off in the end zone to seal the win for Minnesota.

Clearly, something went wrong on the Jaguars’ play. A reporter asked Pederson what was supposed to happen and what went wrong, and the head coach gave a testy response.

“Yeah, I’m not gonna go through the details of the play because you guys wouldn’t figure it out,” Pederson told reporters in his postgame press conference. “But we’re gonna look at the tape tomorrow, and we’ll make those corrections.”

A little snippy, huh? It’s not entirely surprising given the circumstances. Pederson undoubtedly is frustrated, and the walls might be closing in. The Jaguars are 2-7 and in danger of missing the playoffs yet again. The Jags have just one postseason appearance in three years under Pederson, and Sunday’s loss dropped them to 20-23 in his tenure.

Jones didn’t offer much, but at least didn’t insult the intelligence of anyone listening.

“Nothing that anybody else did, it’s on me,” the quarterback said in his postgame media session. “The defense got us the ball back, and as a quarterback, you’ve gotta put the ball in play and let guys make the plays.”

Lawrence is looking at a long-term absence — he could miss the rest of the season — meaning Jones is about to get a lot of run at QB1 for Jacksonville.