Jaguars derive extra motivation from Pro Bowl voting ahead of AFC playoffs

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The Jacksonville Jaguars have new motivation for their postseason run: Pro Bowl snubs.

The Jaguars (11-4), who have won six in a row and seven of eight to clinch a playoff spot, landed just one player on the AFC roster announced this week. And it wasn’t even a positional player. Long snapper Ross Matiscik was the team’s only selection.

“We can’t control those decisions, and we have a lot of players that are very prideful and have done some really cool things,” coach Liam Coen said. “And to be 11-4 and have one (Pro Bowler), that just speaks volumes.”

Running back Travis Etienne, quarterback Trevor Lawrence, linebacker Devin Lloyd and kick returner Parker Washington were voted alternates and still could land spots in the Pro Bowl Games, which will be played the week of the Super Bowl in San Francisco.

Jacksonville considers Lloyd the biggest oversight as the team prepares to play at Indianapolis (8-7) on Sunday. Lloyd leads the AFC and is tied for second in the NFL with six takeaways, including five interceptions.

He had game-changing picks against San Francisco, Kansas City and in the first meeting against the Colts. He also has a career-high nine quarterback hits, including 1 1/2 sacks.

“Obviously as a competitor, you want to get that nod,” Lloyd said. “But, at the end of the day, we’re in a great opportunity to play in the real bowl. So, for us, it’s just about attacking the week-to-week process and doing what we got to do to prolong the season and get to where we want to go.”

The Jaguars can clinch the AFC South and secure a home playoff game with a win this week combined with Houston losing to the Los Angeles Chargers.

They shouldn’t need any motivation, whether it’s real or manufactured, the rest of the way. But Coen would welcome any potential help. The first-year head coach insists his team plays better with an edge, an us-against-the-world mentality.

Last week at Denver, Coen turned an innocuous quote from Broncos coach Sean Payton about Jacksonville being a small-market team into bulletin-board material.

Before the previous meeting with the Colts, Coen put up quotes from NFL analysts seemingly overlooking Jacksonville while talking about Houston and Indianapolis vying for the South title.

Even this week, with the Jaguars in the playoffs and playing as well as anyone in the league, it hasn’t been hard for Coen to find doubters.

Pro Bowl voters are the latest. The teams are decided by fans, players and coaches, with each group making up a third of the vote. Cincinnati (5-10), Miami (6-9) and Jacksonville were the only AFC teams to land just one Pro Bowl starter while the New York Jets (3-12) were the only AFC team shut out.

“You always use that type stuff as fuel,” Lloyd said. “At the end of the day, you got to channel it the right way. … Anything you can use as an edge. I don’t think I was the only one that kind of got snubbed. We’re an 11-4 team, and a lot of guys put a lot of good stuff on tape.”

Lawrence leads the AFC with 26 touchdown passes and has seven more rushing. Etienne ranks third in the conference with 13 total touchdowns. Even second-year kicker Cam Little got overlooked despite setting an NFL record with a 68-yard field goal.

“Shoutout to Ross. Kudos to him. He deserves it,” defensive end Josh Hines-Allen said. “But we have other guys on the team that deserve it as well. … It just goes back to the same old, same old thing that we’ve been experiencing. It’s expected.”

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