Tom Coughlin
(Opening Statement) "(We were up) 21 to 3 and couldn't close out the game. We talked about turnovers. Two turnovers for touchdowns. We could have kneeled on the ball in the second half and had a better chance to win. We missed a field goal and a rookie quarterback moves it the length of the field at the end of the game to what amounted to a two-minute drive. We get no turnovers, nothing, on our side of the ball. Quite frankly, I was counting it (on getting turnovers). They got field position a couple of times on us, especially the punt return. The first half was literally all us in terms of time of possession, we ran the ball well and did a good job of the passing game when called upon. We came in up 21-3 and we talked about finishing. Everyone used the same word and knew what I was talking about. We came out and you couldn't script it any better for the other side of the ball. We fumble this, we fumble that, we get a sack. They get a fumble in the endzone. Larry Donnell goes up on his head, which he does two or three times, and fumbles the ball. They pick up there and run it in for a touchdown. It's 3rd-and-15 there and we try to get the ball in the flat looking to get the first down. We didn't look very good with ball security in the pocket. We got hit a few times and lost the ball that way. They ran the quarterback at the end to get the holding penalty. They run the ball again with the keeper. We have a guy eyeing the quarterback and he didn't get out and the quarterback got the outside to hit a big gain to make it easier for the field goal. We had a few balls tipped. They had some balls tipped where they have one last week for a field goal. We have prepared and knew real well that there was an opportunity to block a field goal. We talked about it before the drive even started that it might come down to that. It did come down to that, but I don't think we made much progress in terms of us blocking the ball. The lead was not sufficient. We needed to come back out in the second half and put some more points on the board and we didn't do it. We lost (Geoff) Schwartz right away. We lost (James) Brewer. We had to move John Jerry out to right tackle. Those guys did an admirable job of moving around allowing us to finish the game. But we couldn't hold the ball much in the end of the second half. We were in jeopardy of not getting the ball thrown and sacked. We had one nice drive limiting and we knew we would have to score a touchdown. We knew that. For whatever reason, we had two passes that didn't look like much that would have a chance to score. We ended up with a field goal. When you do that with three minutes to go with another guy's field goal to beat you, that was a difficult challenge for our defense. On the other hand, they made one more play on a slant that brought the ball out, got them down. They brought them into the business of the quarterback keeping the ball and making some yards. So it's very discouraging, disappointing and all of the above. We came down here feeling like we could win. I thought we prepared well, but nothing happened on game day. It's a long game, 60 minutes, and that's why we have to play four quarters. We are playing two maybe three sometimes. The other guy figures out what we're trying to do and we have trouble responding to that. Again, a disappointing, disappointing loss."
(On what he told the team after another tough loss) "It's very difficult. We just talked about staying together and fighting. I didn't use the term giving up because there is not going to be any of that. It was a tremendous test for all of them. It's more than you can possibly imagine in what we're trying to go through. But that goes in the back. I told our team after the game, 'here are the facts guys, 21-3 at halftime, an opportunity to win a football game and did nothing but shut them out.' Instead we give the two touchdowns because of our offensive team. Our defense doesn't even have to be challenged there. Eight people worked for it at least. We had the ball in the end zone and he tries to get the ball out, but fumbles and gives them a touchdown. Do the math for me. Two from seven. Trying to make a play. We have done some things not real smart."
(On their response after halftime) "You try to adjust, but they were doing what they always have done. They had 33 sacks coming in. They do have a good defensive line and they finally did get pressure on us. We hadn't had that kind of pressure in the first half. We finally had the pressure and we didn't respond to it."
QB ELI MANNING
(On Jacksonville's defensive line) "We knew they were a talented front four that could get pressure and they did a good job in the second half. We knew we could not turn the ball over and give them a short field, and even worse, give them two touchdowns."
(on fumbles) "Both of them are on me. I can't afford to put our team in a bad situation."
(on comparisons to Dallas loss) "This was somewhat similar to the Dallas game, where the first half we played really well. Second half, for whatever reason, didn't come out with same fire. Today, I think we had 45 plays and a 19-play drive, finding completions and running the ball well. Second half, we got into some third and longs and didn't do a very good job of converting those. Obviously, the two turnovers didn't help anything."
(on team morale) "We just need to come together as a team and a group and find a way to win football games. It's a team effort. Offense has to help the defense and we'll do it for a while, but can't give up points on offense and put our defense in a bad situation. We still fought and the guys are preparing well. We just have to do it for 60 minutes."
(on turning it around) "Obviously, last season, we started poorly. I feel at times we're playing pretty good football, well enough to win some games. We just don't quite have it figured out yet how to win the game. I don't know how you teach that. Teams come together and figure that out. We're not making those game-clinching plays to win the games."
(on where the team is at) "I think as a player, anytime you're losing games you're worried about a lot of things. You want to keep playing and win games for your coaches. Guys are playing hard and doing a lot of good things. We're not at rock bottom. We're going to keep fighting for Coach and keeping fighting for our players. We want to be able to be proud of the work that we're doing and get that feeling back."
(on rookie receiver Odell Beckham Jr.) "We went to the same high school (Newman High School-New Orleans) so I kept up with him, worked out with him and even threw some routes to him in high school and followed him while he was at LSU. I've known him a long time."
DE JASON PIERRE-PAUL
(on sticking together as a team) "We're going to stay together no matter what. It's a very tough loss. We made big mistakes that cost us. We're going to finish this season strong."
(on turning things around) "I know they are going to get it right. This is a great organization and they will make right moves to complete this team. My main concern is to keep fighting and finish strong. It's never over."
(on Jaguars coming in with 1-10 record) "It doesn't matter how many games they've won. We played pretty hard and they played hard, but they wanted it more. The record doesn't matter. That's a good young team out there."
(on what went wrong) "We're going to watch the film and fix what we did wrong. I'm ready and pumped up for the next one. I'm kind of mad and sad right now, but at the end of the day, we're going to stick together."
LB DEVON KENNARD
(on not being able to finish) "We have to find a way to finish games and get wins. It's not like we don't have a talented group and not hungry for a win. There are close games coming down to the last drive and we are just not finishing. We have to find a way to finish games and get wins."
(on defense) "At the end of the day, we didn't win and that means we didn't do enough on defense. If they don't score, they don't win and we let them score too many points."
TE LARRY DONNELL
(on fumble) "I can't even process it right now at this point. I'm mad about the loss. Going back to it, I have to take care of the ball and do my job. That's all I can really think about right now. I have to figure it out. It's something I must eliminate because it's critical to this team. I have to find a way to hold on to the football and that hurt us right there. "
(what was the difference between the first and second half) "We didn't score, so that's basically it."
WR ODELL BECKHAM JR.
(on lack of offensive performance in the second half) "To an extent, we should have put the pedal to the metal and kept going at them, instead of trying to strategize and things like that. I think we could have done a better job at moving forward. We have to finish our game."
(on what the Jaguars did differently in the second half) "I don't know if they did as much as we did to ourselves. They are a young team, very hungry and aggressive team. I knew they were going to come out fighting and give us all they had."
RB RASHAD JENNINGS
(on return to Jacksonville) "It felt different. Obviously a different locker room, and the stadium brought back some memories. When you get out on the field with the national anthem, it's just football again. I appreciate the people here in the organization giving me a chance as a rookie so I have nothing but respect."
(on the difference of the two halves) "It's frustrating and I don't know an English word to explain the way we feel. Like I said before, we have too much talent on this team so we should be held to a higher standard. We came out in the second half and we were just flat and that's not us. I don't care who you are playing and you're not going to win. Hats off to them, they made enough plays to win. We didn't come out and do the job to win. I didn't break enough tackles and I have to figure out a way to move the chains."