Jaguars safety Andre Cisco told a Jacksonville TV station that the defense quit in the second half of the team’s 35-16 loss to the Bears on Sunday in London.
“It was really bad,” Cisco told WJAX in the locker room. “I just … I feel like it was … how should I say this … a lot of quit. Last line of defense in a situation like that, you could feel when we’re playing as one and when we’re not.
“It felt very early in the game, maybe at halftime, that we weren’t playing as one. Guys got to understand, when you’re out there, you’re really playing for your brother. You’re putting guys in vulnerable positions, whether that’s physically or just from a career aspect.
“Sunday, when it counts, we understand that’s the hardest part, but there’s no excuse for lack of effort. That’s literally the least you can do, is come out and give effort. I’m saying that to myself, too.”
Cisco’s comments came after Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said in his news conference that the team needed a culture change. If it doesn’t happen, he said, the season could spiral out of control.
“We play a 17-game schedule, so we’ve got a few more games left,” Pederson said. “Nobody’s going to feel sorry for us. We’ve got to change. I say we, it’s all of us — coaches, players, everybody. We’ve got to change right now that culture.
“Otherwise, it just gets out of control. We’re on a slippery slope, or right on the cusp of that slope. At some point, we’ve got to [say] enough is enough, and you’ve got to have enough pride and figure out a way.”