NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Don't tell Titans interim coach Mike Mularkey his football team has nothing to play for in the final six weeks of the season.
He's not buying it.
"We're by no means looking at this as it's over, not by any means. Not in this division, it's not over,'' Mularkey said on Friday. "We have two wins, and the first-place team has four wins, with six games to go. So we're by no means thinking about altering the course."
The Titans lost 19-13 to the Jaguars on Thursday night. The Titans lost the lead late after allowing a long punt return, and a last-ditch effort to pull it out in the end was quashed when quarterback Marcus Mariota was sacked on the game's final play.
Mularkey was asked on Friday if he might consider playing younger players more down to the stretch to find out more about the future. Mularkey said the Titans plan to stay the course.
The Titans are 2-8, with Oakland up next on November 29.
The Colts and Texans, both 4-5, lead the AFC South, while the Jaguars are 4-6.
The Titans have upcoming games against all three teams. The Titans have lost games by one point (Bills, 14-13), two points (Colts, 35-33) and three points (Falcons, 10-7) this season, along with the six-point loss to the Jaguars. The team lost by double digits to the Browns, Dolphins, Texans and Panthers.
"We had a chance to win the game last night all the way through 3 ½ quarters,'' Mularkey said. "The point today, bringing them in here today, was to watch the tape, study the tape, learn from the tape, and learn how not to lose those games.
"They know when it is done right, we're pretty darn good. We have proven that through the whole year, not just the last three games. We have proven we have a chance. … When we are efficient and playing with the effort we are playing with, we are a good football team.
"We do have proof that we are a good football team. We just have to finish the games."
