Devin Lloyd's remarks after Jaguars' latest loss show he's prepared for the worst
Saying the Jacksonville Jaguars lost to the Detroit Lions in Week 11 is an understatement. They were outright humiliated. They were outplayed and manhandled in all three phases of the game. Things got so bad that there's a chance Doug Pederson will lose his job in the aftermath. Linebacker Devin Lloyd knows this and has braced himself for the worst-case scenario.
Lloyd met with the local media after the 52-6 loss and said that there's no excuse to be beaten the way they did. On the other hand, he tip his hat to the Lions.
"At the end of the day, there's no excuse for us not being able to execute," Lloyd said. "But they're a great team. They played great."
When asked about Pederson's potential faith following the loss, Lloyd says it's not his desired outcome but it's one he has no control of.
"Obviously, it's not something anybody wishes for. You got so much love for everybody in this locker room and on this team. It's not something you wish for, but it's the reality. We're not winning and so, it is what it is," Lloyd said.
Lloyd wasn't necessarily bad against the Lions, posting a Pro Football Focus grade of 65.1 in Week 11. It was the third-highest mark among Jaguars defenders. On the other hand, he didn't have a positive impact on the outcome of the game. On a day in which the Jaguars needed players on both sides of the ball, the former Utah Ute didn't particularly stand out.
For the season, Lloyd has logged 79 total tackles, one sack and two passes defensed. While he's shown improvement, fellow linebacker Ventrell Miller has been better than him. Nevertheless, the team's brass hasn't lost faith in the former first-round pick, which is why he's kept his starting spot next to veteran Foyesade Oluokun.
Devin Lloyd and the Jaguars would surely want to forget the loss against the Lions
For a brief moment, it looked like the defense had turned the corner. After struggling throughout most of the season, the Jags prevented the Minnesota Vikings from reaching the end zone and limited them to 12 points. Unfortunately, they regressed the following game.
Aside from giving up just 52 points, they surrendered over 38 first downs and 644 total yards. To make matters worse, their total yards differential of -475 was the biggest margin in a single game since 1979. That's not the kind of performance teams and players would be proud of.
The bottom line is that Devin Lloyd and the defense have done their part, and they will ultimately have played a role in Doug Pederson's dismissal if Shad Khan decides to move on from him.