JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Jaguars players noticed an immediate difference when Doug Marrone stepped in for the fired Gus Bradley on Dec. 19.

Marrone talked about beating Jacksonville's upcoming opponent, the Tennessee Titans, on Christmas Eve.

That seems like a no-brainer, but it was a significant departure from the approach Bradley had used since he became the head coach in January 2013. Bradley wanted to win games but didn’t speak in those terms. He talked about the process of getting better and being at your best. If players trusted the process and became the best players they could be, the victories would follow, Bradley said.

The problem was, the wins didn’t follow. There were just 14 of them in 62 games under Bradley. Maybe the players didn’t believe in the process and were never able to be at their best. Or maybe they weren’t able to fully understand Bradley’s approach.

They did, however, respond to Marrone’s more straightforward approach. From the moment the Jaguars started preparing for the Titans, Marrone made sure the players knew his expectation was that they would win the game.

No excuses. No misunderstanding.

"Doug is different," defensive tackle Sen’Derrick Marks said. "Doug is, ‘We’re going to f------ win. We’re going to get better. Yeah, we’re going to practice our ass off, but we work to win the f------ game.’ That’s what he’s different at.

"They put together a game plan. We’re going to execute the game plan. We’re going to do everything we’ve got to do to win this game, and that’s his bottom line."

The Jaguars did win that game. They routed the Titans 38-17, a payback for a 36-22 embarrassment on national television earlier in the season.

Bradley’s approach was perfect for when he took over one of the worst rosters in the NFL in 2013. Only four players who started the 2013 season opener even remain on the team today -- offensive tackle/guard Luke Joeckel, defensive end Tyson Alualu, linebacker Paul Posluszny and safety Johnathan Cyprien -- and none of them may be on the team in 2017.

The Jaguars weren’t going to win many games that year or in 2014, and management knew it. They were setting the foundation for a team they believed would be in the playoffs in 2016. It was about establishing a culture of development and continual improvement.

The belief inside the building was that Bradley’s approach would eventually evolve to focus on winning games instead of just being your best. Bradley, however, remained consistent. Ask any player, and he’ll tell you one of the most important things a head coach must be is consistent. At least the players know what to expect every day.

In this case, though, Bradley’s consistent approach didn’t seem to be having the same kind of impact it did in his first few seasons. It was apparent by the way the players responded to Marrone before the Tennessee game that they needed to hear a different message.

Now they need to start winning games.