For teams that are out of playoff contention, motivation might be hard to come by.
For many individual players, each game can be invaluable.
Jaguars defensive tackle Sen’Derrick Marks has a chance to earn an extra $600,000 tonight, if he can get half a sack in an otherwise unremarkable game against the Titans (a game featuring teams with a combined 4-24 record).
According to Vito Stellino of the Florida Times-Union, Marks had an incentive clause put in his contract last December which would pay him $600,000 if he collected 8.0 sacks. Since he had fewer than that (7.0) in his first five seasons, it seemed a reasonable inclusion.
But now he has 7.5 this year, making these last two games potentially more lucrative.
“Once the game starts, I don’t think about it,’’ Marks said. ”If it happens, it happens. If it don’t it don’t. . . .
“I play within the scheme. Playing within the scheme has gotten me to this point so I won’t abandon the scheme just to be selfish.”
Marks would have already hit the mark, except for a scoring change. Two weeks ago against the Texans, he was credited for one when quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick fell down and he touched him first, but that was later changed.
“I didn’t think it was a sack when it happened,” he said. “I thought it was a running play. It [taking the sack away] won’t bother me.”
It might if he can’t get back on the board in the next two games.
