About 5,000 fewer fans were in attendance for the Jaguars’ 27-17 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday than for their home opener at EverBank Field, a decrease that comes after the decision by some players to protest during the national anthem last month in London.

A crowd of 56,232 was announced for the first game played in Jacksonville since controversial remarks made by President Donald Trump spurred 15 Jaguars to kneel before a 44-7 victory over Baltimore on Sept. 24.

The last time the Jaguars had a smaller crowd for a home game was Dec. 6, 2009, when 42,079 were in attendance for a 23-18 victory over Houston — about two years before owner Shad Khan bought the franchise.

"We only worry about the people who come support us," defensive tackle Malik Jackson said. "If you don’t want to come support us because of the views we have off the field, that’s your problem and I think you have to look at yourself.

"We made accommodations to where we don’t kneel to disrespect any military or any fan who feels we are disrespecting the flag, because we’re not. We keep saying that."

Every Jaguars player stood for the national anthem Sunday.

Khan, who donated $1 million to Trump’s inaugural committee, has been a vocal opponent of the president’s comments, which included a suggestion by Trump that owners fire or suspend any players who do not stand for the national anthem.

While more than a dozen Jaguars kneeled in London, Khan and the rest of the team locked arms in a display of unity. On Friday, Khan referred to Trump as "the great divider" while speaking at a conference in Chicago.

Those decisions brought on intense scrutiny from some people in town and seemed to be felt Sunday, when a noticeable amount of the stadium was empty despite the fact the Jaguars came in with a winning record and a spot atop the AFC South.

Two hours before the game, a plane was seen pulling a banner that read: "BE AMERICAN. BOYCOTT THE JAGS & THE NFL" near the stadium, and a large portion of seats in the 400 level went unused.

"The percentage of Jaguars fans who used their tickets today is actually higher than for our home opener on Sept. 17. The Jaguars are very encouraged by so many fans choosing to spend their Sunday with us," the team said in a news release, referring to the Sept. 17 loss to Tennessee.

The crowd for that game was 61,709.

The Jaguars’ lowest home attendance last season was 59,621. That was on a Christmas Eve game against Tennessee when the team had a 2-12 record and had fired coach Gus Bradley the previous week.

The Jaguars return to action Sunday at Indianapolis. Their next home game is Nov. 5 against Cincinnati.

Phillip Heilman: (904) 359-4063