Kamu Grugier-Hill – September 24, 2020
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Thursday, September 24, 2020
Postgame – Jacksonville
LB Kamu Grugier-Hill (transcribed by Jacksonville Jaguars)
(On his evaluation of the pass rush in tonight’s game) – “I think that’s a huge emphasis for us these last two weeks, especially after the losses, so getting that under our belt is awesome. We had a good short week of practice, but I mean it paid off and it’s exciting to see that.”
(On the criticism of the defense the past two weeks and how satisfying it was to play well on defense tonight) – “We’re a proud defense, proud team and anything that affects us is going to come internally, so we just had to look ourselves in the mirror really and just kind of find out what defense we want to be, and I think you saw that tonight. I’m excited for the guys. I’m excited for all of us and we have to continue that.”
(On the fourth down blitz call) – “We just practice that play a bunch in training camp. That was a good play for us against our offense and stuff. So, in a fourth down situation like that, [it was a] great call and I mean I love to be on the good side of that one.”
Mike Gesicki – September 24, 2020 (Postgame)
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Thursday, September 24, 2020
Postgame – Jacksonville
TE Mike Gesicki (transcribed by Jacksonville Jaguars)
(On what it was like to get one catch for a touchdown tonight) – “It was great. It was fun to come out here on Thursday night. It was a short week and for us to come out and execute on offense and to make the most of my opportunity, making that play in the end zone and then having a little bit of fun with my teammates, so it was a fun night and ultimately just happy to get that first win.”
(On what type of message does it send to see Ryan Fitzpatrick leaving it all out on the field) – “Yeah, I mean Fitz is out of his mind. He’s 38 years old and still playing this game like he’s 23, but to have him as our leader and for you to see the fun that he has – after I scored my touchdown we just came off to the sideline and just started yelling and screaming and chest bumping, it’s so fun to play with him. Whether it’s those plays where he refuses to slide and all that kind of stuff or the fun that he has or the experience that he shows to the guys around him, whatever it is it’s always great playing with him.”
(On how huge is it to have all aspects of the game working) – “Yeah absolutely. We’ve been practicing really hard and we’ve had some good spurts in games throughout the first two weeks and tonight I feel like we put it together, so that’s encouraging moving forward. Now we’ve got a little bit of time to let your bodies heal up before we get back at it in Week 4. I think it’s going to be something for us to build off of heading into next week.”
(On his touchdown celebration and Ryan Fitzpatrick’s age) – “Well, he looks 48 so we’ll leave it at that about his age. The celebration took a little bit of time – I did hand the ball to Solomon [Kindley] to spike it, that was not planned – the planned part was with Durham [Smythe], unfortunately he was off on the sideline and then had to run out onto the field, he was dealing me some cards like we were playing blackjack. So that took a little bit more time so maybe you weren’t able to see that one. Hopefully we’ll get another shot moving forward.”
(On if the tight end group takes pride in the 13-personnnel package down near the goal line) – “Yeah absolutely. I think that when you play the tight end position and you have guys in the room that are pretty versatile and you’ve got guys with different skillsets the defense has to be able to match that. Especially when we get down there we can do a lot of different stuff. Fortunately, I was able to draw a flag in the end zone so that was productive, but hopefully moving forward we can make some more plays out of that personnel and keep adding to it.”
(On how important was it to get the first win and head into the Seattle game with momentum) – “Yeah absolutely. Coming in I think that first and foremost the ultimate goal was to come out of here with a win and we were able to do so. Now we’ve got a little bit of time, it was a short week, so now we’ve got a longer weekend. It’ll be good to come in tomorrow, watch the film, get better, correct the things that didn’t go our way tonight and then be ready to get rolling next week moving forward to Seattle.”
Ryan Fitzpatrick – September 24, 2020 (Postgame)
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Thursday, September 24, 2020
Postgame – Jacksonville
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (transcribed by Jacksonville Jaguars)
(On starting the first half with three scoring drives and building on that momentum) – “I thought we had a really efficient first half. We came in the locker room a little bit disappointed on that last drive with the three-and-out, getting put in good field position and [hoping] to get another score on the board, but it was good. I felt like we were efficient today. We had a good game plan. We followed it. Guys made plays. The second half, [we were] running the clock out a little bit and that stuff, but I thought our guys, up front especially, came to play today.”
(On getting prepared for the game with a short week) – “It was obviously a very short week so to have a few new wrinkles, I think it speaks to the creativity of our coaching staff and also just speaks to the guys that we have in there, being able to do things like that and for us to be able to trust that they’re going to be able to get in there and figure things out. Jakeem [Grant Sr.] made a couple nice plays just today, DeVante [Parker], we really just spread it around in the first half. It was nice to see everybody involved and the creativity and that kind of stuff on a short week.”
(On if getting multiple players involved early in the game helped get off to a fast start) – “I think it did and it helps when everybody gets involved, not just focusing on one or two guys. We know that we have a lot of talent on offense and so we want to be able to spread that ball around a little bit and get different guys involved. As we go here, we’re figuring out strengths and weaknesses and really had to take advantage of some of those strength with our guys. We’ll continue to do that, and I think you’ll continue to see the ball getting spread around as the year goes on.”
(On enjoying playing the game in this stage in his career) – “I mean it’s why I still play. I enjoy playing, especially when you’re having success, when you’re driving the ball down the field scoring touchdowns. I feel like the luckiest guy in the world sometimes getting to go outside and play football with my friends. I think you can see it in everyone. Mike [Gesicki]’s in the room right now, but every time Mike scores a touchdown or makes a catch, the look on his face is like he’s never caught a ball before. It’s fun for us to go out there and run around a little bit.”
(On being able to run the ball, throw the ball, block, and catch a pass in tonight’s game) – “You know what you can add to that, which rarely [happens]? If you look at a lot of footage of me you will rarely see me slide and today, I also slid, so you can throw that one in there. That may not happen again all year so there were a lot of different things. That was my third career reception. I was glad I actually got positive yards on that one. But I think running and trying to throw a block here and there and getting hit, that stuff helps me get into the game a little bit.”
(On his conversation with Jaguars QB Gardner Minshew II after the game) – “We just said good game to each other, and I told him I appreciate the ‘stache’. I like the look. I think he rocks it. I think he owns it, and that’s kind of his trademark deal. It’s not necessarily the look for me, but I think it’s awesome.”
(On his postgame outfit) – “Now, being in Florida for going on four years and being the elder statesman on the team, I’ve adopted more of the senior citizen look in terms of some of the touristy shirts and my waistband is sitting a little higher than it used to. But I do like the color, I like the flare, and I would say the chest hair is probably 50-50 on whether people like it or not. They have very strong feelings about it, but the right people in my life like the chest hair so it’s okay to have it out.”
Isaiah Ford – September 22, 2020
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Tuesday, September 22, 2020
WR Isaiah Ford
(I wanted to ask you about your first time back in your hometown of Jacksonville on Thursday night for a prime time game.) – “Yeah, I’m really excited. Any time you get to play in your hometown in front of your family and friends, it’ll be a really exciting time. This will be my first time actually getting to play inside the stadium, so I’m really looking forward to that.”
(Some of us are going to make the drive up to the Jacksonville Beach area tomorrow morning in advance of the game. Do you have any tips at all? Anything that we want to check out in the Jacksonville area?) – “My favorite restaurant is this hibachi place. It’s called Okinawa. It shouldn’t be too far from Jacksonville Beach. Maybe 15 minutes. You could check that out or you could go to Potter’s House Soul Food Bistro. A lot of really good choices there, too.”
(Two-part question: what do I got to order tomorrow at Okinawa and could you speak on just the comfort level that you felt on this past Sunday and just what those reps mean moving forward, that you showed what you’re capable of building off of last year?) – “So my go-to is the teriyaki chicken and scallops. I get the fried rice. I get the double fried rice instead of vegetables. I’m not a big vegetable guy. (laughter) So you can’t go wrong with that and then as much of the yum-yum sauce as you can handle. But no, just in the game, being comfortable with ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) – me and him being on the same page with what we’re seeing on the field, what coverages, where he is expecting me to be and where I’m expecting him to throw the ball and things like that. So just kind of trying to build on that and hopefully get a win.”
(So many people including Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey and QB Ryan Fitzpatrick talked about the freedom that wide receivers have to alter their routes. Is that something that’s just based on what the defense is showing or what they’re doing pre-snap or is it just based on feeling chemistry in terms of what you and “Fitz” might be like?) – “I think it’s a little bit of both. There’s certain concepts that we have where if the defense is playing zone, then it’s more about being in the right spots, running the right route. Sometimes you may have to open it up for another receiver and then when it’s man coverage, that’s when he really allows us to have that freedom, and being in the spot that he’s expecting us to be at, but how we get to that destination is really on us being creative and getting to that spot.”
(Two-part question: your parents or your family, are they still in Jacksonville?) – “Yes.”
(Part two, then: what do they think of “Minshew Mania”?) – “My mom grew up a Cowboys fan and my dad grew up a Buccaneers fan, so I don’t think they really watched too much of the Jags games, to be honest with you.”
(A couple days ago, I read a really interesting piece that involved players who played with QB Ryan Fitzpatrick and they talked about what it meant to have him as a teammate, and they shared a lot of stories that are “Fitz” and only “Fitz” kind of stories. When you hear that what comes to mind? Do you have any “only Fitz” kind of stories that involved you and him, advice he gave you or something funny he might have done?) – “I can’t recall one specific time, but I just think his leadership and his command in the huddle kind of give everyone a sense of peace, especially us having a lot of younger guys. He’s always calm, comforting. Even if he makes a joke or something – whatever the case may be – but he does a really good job at getting everyone comfortable and ready to go out and execute.”
(Has there been a single person inside the Dolphins who has said something along the lines of we are proud of you for how far you’ve come – a guy who was bouncing back and forward from the practice squad to now being a reliable slot receiver? That’s one, and also have you heard form Steve Smith at all in the last couple of years?) – “I think a lot of the guys that have seen me mature throughout this entire process since I’ve been a Dolphin, they’ve kind of given me encouragement and things like that. But really, when you’re dialed into the grand scheme of things you’re not really focused on how far you’ve come. You’re still thinking you’ve got a ways to go. I have not heard from Steve Smith. I have not.”
(In the last game, you had several clutch receptions to create first downs. One thing I noticed is after one of the catches, you did this sort of shimmy thing. Where did that come from, what prompted that, do you have a name for it?) – “Nah. It’s something that I’ve kind joked around with the guys in the receiver room. With me adding that weight this offseason and putting on some of that muscle, so being able to take some of those hits and bounce back up, it’s just something fun that I’ve been messing with the guys about.”
(QB Ryan Fitzpatrick last week said that he wanted to get TE Mike Gesicki a little bit more involved; but also you were a little more involved in the last game too. When you guys are being found in the passing game, whether it’s you, Mike, WR DeVante Parker or WR Preston Williams, what can this passing game be if it’s really clicking on all cylinders?) – “It’s infectious. I think that we saw a glimpse of that this past week. We kind of feed off of each other making plays. I think the entire team feels that energy and we start to play complementary football, which is really what it’s all about – the offense making plays and then the defense making plays on their end to get us back the ball, and so on and so forth. I think it’s just a little glimpse of how good we can be as a football team. We just have to string more of that together so we can start winning some games. ”
Jesse Davis – September 22, 2020
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Tuesday, September 22, 2020
G/T Jesse Davis
(What have you learned over the years about the most important things when you have that Sunday to Thursday turnaround?) – “Just recovery. How quick you can get out of one week and into the next with dropping what you are doing, with watching film of the other game and just moving right into the next one. Just having a short memory loss there and moving on.”
(I wanted to ask you about going up against DE Josh Allen. You saw him a couple of times, I think in the preseason his first year in. I just want to see what you get from him on tape?) – “He’s a good player. He’s quick. Good lateral movement. It will be a good matchup for us with him and how fast he is. They have a good line anyway. Every week we prepare the same way. Our one goal is to get a win, protect ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) and get the run game going.”
(Obviously you guys are still developing chemistry on the offensive line. What do you hope or envision that the offensive line’s identity will be? What do you think should be the calling card for this unit?) – “I think the identity of us is we want to be respected, we want to be feared. When we go into a game, we want to be able to do our job and do it well. Moving forward, I think we are starting to build that chemistry, I think we are starting to gel well nicely together. I think every week, just keep putting it on tape and doing what we’ve been doing.”
(What to you has changed with RB Myles Gaskin? He’s a guy who was on the bubble a few months ago and now he’s the running back getting the most carries on your team and being very productive.) – “I think watching Gaskin run, he’s running hard, he’s playing well. I think as a player, he’s just carrying a different kind of confidence with himself. His ability to lead us with the run game has been fun to watch.”
(Obviously every game is important because it’s the next one on the schedule. What’s the sense of urgency in the building right now?) – “I think it’s just how can we get better, what’s the next phase, how can we eliminate the mental errors, how can we move the ball better and just play complementary football across the board? I think we’re on the right path. It’s encouraging to see us out here competing instead of from last year – it’s a night and day difference. With that said, we’ve got to get a win and we’ve got to put up a bunch of wins here.”
(A second ago, you mentioned how you want to be respected and even feared, which is a great goal obviously. When you think of lines that are respected and feared, what comes to mind? Which lines would you like to be on parallel with in a recent NFL season. What comes to mind?) – “I think the Dallas Cowboys line, I think they’ve been together a long time. I think the Philadelphia Eagles, when you talk about line and how everybody talks about them and just how they can do a good job consistently on a daily basis. They’ve proven it for a long time and I think that’s the kind of goal we’ve been trying to strive for here.”
Matt Breida – September 22, 2020
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Tuesday, September 22, 2020
RB Matt Breida
(You’re obviously still getting work and being productive, but your number of carries per game is down from what you’ve been accustomed to obviously with the 49ers. Does that phase you at all? Does it make any difference to you?) – “It doesn’t make any difference to me. Like I’ve been saying before, we’ve got a plan every week. I trust in the plan. I trust in the coaches. All of us have a role to play on the team and whatever our role is, we’re going to play it to the best of our ability.”
(It felt like when you got stopped at the 1-yard line, you guys weren’t able to really get the ball in on that specific possession. Was there any sense in your mind on that play that if I don’t get in the end zone, it may not be beneficial for us? That I need to get in the end zone on this play?) – “You want to score every play you can, don’t get me wrong; but no, that never went through my mind. We’ve got a bunch of great players on our team who can get in the end zone. We draw up plays every week for the red zone for different guys to get in the end zone, so it never came across my mind that we weren’t going to score. So no, I wasn’t worried about it.”
(Your yards per carry is good. You almost scored a touchdown. You had a key first down on a pitch out to the left. You are playing well. What has Head Coach Brian Flores or Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey said to you, if anything, to sort of ease any concerns you might have about not having more carries?) – “They haven’t said much. I mean it’s understood since Day 1 that whatever they ask me to do – I’ve told them since Day 1 – I’m going to do. I’m not the type of guy who’s going to complain about how many carries I get, how many yards I get, if I make it to the Pro Bowl. At the end of the day, we want to win and we want to win championships. That’s what we’re paid to do. If was paid to worry about how many number yards I would get, then that’d be a different story. But I’m paid to win championships and that’s our end goal. So we just want to win.”
(That being said, obviously that’s a great perspective, but when the club’s losing and you still aren’t involved as much some might have thought you’d have been, how hard is that?) – “Any time you lose it’s tough. You’re a competitor. You don’t want to lose, but I’ve been through this process before and we have a great team, so like I tell everyone, just keep being patient and we’re going to get things turned around and we’re going to get it together. Everything’s a process. You can’t expect things to just turn around overnight. We’re in the right direction. We barely lost this last game and there were a couple plays on every phase that we could’ve played better. We could’ve ended up with a win. So we’ve just got to keep working on the little details and things will start coming together.”
(You mentioned those couple of plays and is that the kind of mindset that’s going through the building right now? If you guys score at the 1-yard line or you guys get a pick-six from LB Kyle Van Noy there or an interception late from CB Xavien Howard, is it really a play here or there that you guys could’ve won this game and you have a different outlook going into this week?) – “Yeah, like I said, it’s everyone on the team – players, even the coaches – everyone feels like we could’ve done a better job during the game and we’re all going to keep working to make sure that we can make sure that we can finish games because we’re right there and like I said, we have a great team. I’m very confident that we’re going to do big things.”
(You’ve been part of one of the big turnarounds in the NFL being on the 49ers last year. When did you see the tide turning with the 49ers and what were the signs?) – “It goes all the way down to my rookie year when we were I think 0-9 at one point. No one believed in us and then we started winning. I think we won like the last five out of our six games of the season, and I knew we had it in us. I think that year we lost like six games by three points or less or something crazy like that, and in the NFL, that’s what it comes down to is those three points. And like I was saying, the little small plays that no one really pays attention to make a big difference in the game. It’s the same thing here. We’ve just got to finish and we’ve got a bunch of great guys, great coaches, great management that got us in the right direction, so we’ve just got to finish now and put it together.”
(You talked about the importance of team success. What do you think the difference between 1-2 and 0-3 is, looking at the importance of Thursday’s game?) – “Like I was saying, we just have to finish. It goes all the way down to the little small details, just like this last game. Like you guys were saying, a couple of plays here and there that we all could have made that could have made a big difference in the game. I think once we get those corrected and we learn how to finish, we’ll be a great team.”
(Specifically about the running game, how far away is it from where you think it ought to be and what are the missing elements?) – “I think we’re in a great position with the running game. I think all of us have been running the ball well. Me, Myles (Gaskin), Jordan (Howard), Patrick (Laird) – whoever we put in the game, we’re going to run the ball well, and I think we’re right there. Like I said, I think we’ve just got to finish as a team. I think in all the phases, we all could do a lot better and we’re going to.”
(In terms of the quick turnaround from Sunday to Thursday, as a player who plays one of the more physical positions, what do you have to do to get your body ready for that?) – “Just rest. Get as much sleep as possible. Get as much treatment and recovery as possible, and like you were saying, it’s one of those things where it’s mental. Both teams are going to be tired. We just played a game I think what, two or three days out? So it’s just all mental and whoever’s prepared more mentally I believe is going to win the game.”
Ryan Fitzpatrick – September 22, 2020
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Tuesday, September 22, 2020
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
(This week is going to be one of the best NFL quarterback matchups in the league, and I’m not talking about QB Lamar Jackson and QB Patrick Mahomes. What are your thoughts on QB Gardner Minshew and what are your thoughts on going up in prime time against him?) – “I haven’t seen him play a ton but the few times I have, I like watching him. I enjoy his playing style. It looks like he’s out there having fun. It’s not easy to play quarterback in this league. It’s not easy to play as a young quarterback. He’s already had a lot of success. He’s had a great start to the season. He’s a guy that I don’t think I’ve played against him, so I’m excited to watch him play and see how he does.”
(I’m not sure if you saw the game last night – probably not, especially with the short week – but QB Drew Brees’ arm was trending on Twitter. Supposedly he can’t throw the ball beyond 10 yards. I guess I’m wondering, what have you heard about arm and how important it is and how strong your arm is. Certainly your arm looked strong enough in last week’s game.) – “Oh, thanks. (laughter) Yeah, I think some of that stuff is a little overrated. I didn’t see a lot of the game last night but the system they’re in is so much about rhythm and getting it out and getting it to their guys in space. I think a lot of times too much can be made about that. There aren’t a whole lot of times, unless it’s an Aaron Rodgers Hail Mary, that you’re seeing a ball go over 60 yards in a game. For me, and I think for all quarterbacks as you get older, just knowing what you’re good at and what you’re not, and sticking to that stuff. I think a lot of that stuff gets overrated, especially as guys get older.”
(I wanted to ask you about the identity of this offense. I know you guys are still trying to figure it out but nobody knows Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey’s offense more than you, even coaches that have worked with him. You’ve been a starter, this is going on your sixth year with him. What is it supposed to look like?) – “I think it’s supposed to be an offense that changes every week but an offense that tailors to our strengths. For example, when I was in New York with Chan, you could look at the stats of the tight ends and how many catches they had but I don’t think any of them had 100 yards even in a season. We’ve got different skillsets and different guys here that we want to try to get involved, whether it’s the big guys on the outside, whether it’s our quick guys on the inside – Isaiah Ford had a great game last week – or continuing to get involved the running backs more involved. I just think as we’re going here, he’s going to continue to figure out what’s going to make us a good offense, a dynamic offense, and we’ll keep feeding those parts. I think part of the charm in his offense is how multiple it is and the ability for it to look different from week to week.”
(I’ve got a two-part QB Gardner Minshew question. Part I is that you and him kind of had similar starts. Late-round draft picks, had to overcome incumbents to get to your spot. What advice would you give to him starting out in his career, to have the kind of longevity that you did? And Part II of the question is why are beards better than mustaches?) – “(laughter) I think part of it – our careers are different in the sense that I played early but didn’t have a whole lot of success and bounced around a bunch. He’s certainly had a lot more success early on than I did, so he seems to have some things already figured out. But just the continued hard work and the continued passion for the game. Those are two things that if you have a little bit of success, you just can’t lose sight of (them). The mustache versus the beard, I think the beard is a cooler look. I think guys that grow mustaches a lot of times have patchy sides for their beards, so they just stick with the mustache. My wife appreciates the mustache trimmed up a little bit more. But she does hate the beard too, so I guess that’s a lose-lose for me.”
(I have a question for you that I’m sure is something you’ve seen on film, but I read some stats earlier in my research on this game. Jacksonville sends an extra rusher at the seventh-lowest rate in the NFL and they have two linebackers in LB Joe Schobert and LB Myles Jack who have played a combined 270 snaps and only 13 combined pass-rush snaps between the two. So my question is what’s the difference between playing a team that dials up pressure relentlessly versus a team that plays more coverage-based?) – “Well, for me as a quarterback, you look at some of that stuff and you look at tendencies, but if they do blitz then we need to have an answer for it. I can’t sit here and rely on those things. We’ve got to have answers for everything. But a part of it is when you go into a game, are these guys generating pressures and hurries and how do they do it? Do they rush four? Do they bring exotics? There are a lot of different ways to do it. With so little film, we can look at years past and things that have happened, but you kind of have to be ready for everything. We just continue to look at matchups, we continue to look at what they want to do with those guys, just like us trying to put our guys in good positions to make plays. But it definitely is going to be a matchup game like it always is. We’ll try to, as best we can, get our guys on the guys that we want to get them on and try to create those good matchups.”
(Is there any overreaction do you think to the Week 2 performance? If you guys don’t stall out at the 1-yard line or if LB Kyle Van Noy gets a pick-six if he doesn’t drop that – if you make a couple of plays here and there, you guys maybe win that game. Is there some overreaction to everything? Do you guys think you guys are close to getting a win here?) – “I think when you lose in the NFL, I think every week is an overreaction. It goes the other way too. If you win a couple of games, all of a sudden everything’s fixed and that’s not always the case either. I think a lot of it is we have such a young team and Jacksonville does too; but it’s just about staying levelheaded. It’s about putting the week before behind you and focusing on what’s at hand. I think we’ve done a nice job of that. I was proud of the way that we came out after a really disappointing game in New England, and showed some better focus, resiliency or whatever it was in the second game. We’ll just continue to try to build on that. Short weeks are tough for everybody – physically, especially; but the mental aspect too. We’ll get into that. We’ve got only a few days to get into our preparation. Hopefully that will help in terms of the focus this week.”
(Did I hear you correctly or maybe it was a Zoom interpretation – did you say your wife hates the beard?) – “(laughter) You’d have to ask her. You can catch her on the streets. She’s running the streets all the time. If you ever see her out there, you can ask her. (laughter)”
(What has she said to you though?) – “It just depends on what mood she’s in.”
(That’s a non-committal answer?) – “(laughter). No, she hates when it’s long like this. She hates when it’s long because for some reason she thinks I’m handsome, but when it’s long, I’m not handsome.”
(When you’re quarterbacking a team and the defense has been giving up some yards and giving up some points, do you press a little bit? Do you know that maybe the margin for error is a lot smaller for us on the offensive side? And if so, how do you not overreact?) – “No, definitely not. I have to put so much focus and energy into each individual play. For us, there’s so much that we’re just missing on or there are some mistakes that I’m making that are just going to make us that much better on offense. There are a million things we’re focused on trying to get better and fixed right now as an offense. I know the defense is doing that as well. For me, our goal is to go out and score on every drive and if we don’t do that, we’ve got to figure out why we’re not doing that and try to correct it. There’s just too much that I have to focus on where you don’t even really think about some of that. Once you get into a second half of a game, then the score definitely becomes much more of an issue, whether you’re winning or losing and how you’re playing; but as the game goes on, especially early, you play and try to execute the best you can.”
Brian Flores – September 22, 2020
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Tuesday, September 22, 2020
Head Coach Brian Flores
(I wanted to ask about LB Elandon Roberts. Is he out of the concussion protocol and what part of the concussion protocol is he in, if he isn’t?) – “He’s still in the protocol. He’s still in, I guess, the evaluation stage. Our medical team and (Head Athletic Trainer) Kyle Johnston handles that. He does a great job from that standpoint. We’re going to get him back as quickly as possible. Again, we’re very – look with the concussions, we’re careful with those and we just have to be smart about it and make sure he’s ready to go before we bring him back.”
(One of the first moves you made when you got here was moving S Bobby McCain to safety. If the play at slot corner remains up and down – and obviously that’s by no means is the reason you guys lost – but if it remains up and down, would you give any thought to moving Bobby back there because of his experience, or in your mind is he a safety for you long term? I wanted to ask you about S Brandon Jones in that as well. He played some slot corner at Texas but you all drafted him as a safety. Could you look at him as an option there as well?) – “We look at all options. Bobby’s got experience at a lot of positions – corner, slot, safety. Brandon played a few different positions in college. We’ll look at every option. Something that we’ve talked about as a staff, from just a personnel standpoint, is what’s the best group of guys we can put out there and gives us the most competitive group? A lot of conversations like that are had. Bobby’s obviously a part of a lot of those conversations because he’s so versatile. We’ll continue to try to put the best group out there we can on a weekly basis.”
(Regarding the terrible injury toll around the league, especially on Sunday, how much do you think the disruptive training regimen this year might be a factor?) – “Yeah, that’s really unfortunate with the rash of injuries that we saw around the league. You never want that. You just don’t. As someone who works with these guys on a daily basis, I know how hard they work, I know how important it is to them. I hate to see it – whether it’s obviously our team, but anyone around the league, whether we’re playing them or not playing them, you just hate to see it. It’s unfortunate. These guys, they work extremely hard, and to have it taken away from them, I feel for them all. Specific to the lack of offseason, I can’t – I imagine all of these guys worked extremely hard in the offseason. I know everyone had a little different circumstances with the pandemic. It’s easy to say because they weren’t on a normal regiment, this is why it happened; but it’s football and things happen every year. It’s just unfortunate.”
(I wanted to ask you about Jacksonville’s rookie WR Laviska Shenault Jr. He’s played multiple positions on offense both in college and as a pro. With a player like that, that can play receiver and running back – multiple positions on offense – how does that impact the way you communicate and substitute your personnel package to try to best match the offensive grouping?) – “Yes, Shenault has done a really good job playing multiple positions – receiver, running back. He’s big, he’s fast, he’s explosive. Obviously they have a lot of good players. (James) Robinson, the running back, is a good young addition to their team. Obviously the quarterback, a good o-line. Shenault is one piece to what’s been a good group of offensive skill players thus far this year. It will be a big challenge for us getting him handled and the multiple things he does. You can’t just lock in on one guy because they have several other guys who can make plays. We’ve got to do a good job with all of them.”
(When you have a young team who is just learning a new offense with Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey, how long do you think it takes to establish and develop an offensive identity?) – “As soon as possible. That’s what we’re hoping for. The guys are working hard to establish a run game, establish a play-action game, establish a drop-back game, protect the quarterback, screen game. All of those things are important. It does take time to get to know guys around you. We saw improvement from Week 1 to Week 2 and hopefully we’re better five weeks from now than we are now. I think that’s what every team is trying to do on all three sides of the ball, coaching as well. We’re all just trying to improve and get better and just get better from week to week.”
(QB Gardner Minshew has been fairly accurate in his first two games. He’s thrown three touchdowns in both games as well. What are some things that you’re seeing from him off the film?) – “He’s been accurate. He spreads the ball around, so you can’t just lock in on just one or two guys. The backs are getting it, the tight ends are getting it, each receiver has had some production. He’s got some scrambling ability and can extend plays. He’s a good young quarterback. You can see his leadership and command of the offense. He’s a good player.”
(When QB Gardner Minshew was in the draft last year, what was his evaluation of him? Since he slipped to Round 6, are you surprised by the level of production he’s had?) – “Coming out, he was smart, tough, competitive, (had) good accuracy. (He was) a guy we liked. I’m not surprised. He’s got all of the characteristics you’re looking for in that positon. He’s a smart player and obviously that’s coming to fruition up there in Jacksonville.”
(I was going to ask you on your two rookie defensive linemen, was there a jump in performance from DT Raekwon Davis do you think from Week 1 to Week 2? And with DE Jason Strowbridge, is he in your thought process right now? Has he shown enough where you think he could help you if you need him?) – “With Strowbridge, I think this is a young, developing player. We can only dress 48 (players) so somebody has to be in active. I don’t think there’s anything that he’s doing that would lead anyone to believe that he’s not performing up to par. We just have some other guys at that position. Raekwon, I think he did play better in Week 2 than Week 1; but we need to see continuing improvement from him, really in all areas – pass rush, run defense, communication. I did think he played better. That’s what we’re looking for out of all the young guys and really everyone on the team. Let’s just improve. Let’s get better on a week-to-week basis and try to get better.”
(I’m sure there’s not just one thing on defense that you’re harping on this week, but when you look at the first two weeks, has there been something that’s been recurring? Certainly the run defense in Week 1, the pass defense in Week 2 were the issue; but has there been one thing that’s really bothered you about how the team has performed?) – “I think there’s been some opportunities for us to make plays and we haven’t made them – a couple of dropped interceptions, lost edges, a couple of missed tackles. There’s never just one thing; but I think we’ve had some opportunities. We need to take advantage of them. We try to stress how important every play is because you never know which one is going to be the one that changes momentum or makes a shift in the game. We just need the focus and the detail and the precision on a play-to-play basis and we just, when our opportunities present themselves, we need to take advantage. That’s life. When you get an opportunity, you’ve got to take advantage. If you don’t, all it is is a lost opportunity. So that’s the message to the team and that’s always been my message. We just need to learn from our mistakes, make the corrections, go back out there and try to play a tough, smart, physical game on Thursday night. That’s our goal.”
(What have you seen from guys like Jaguars DE/LB Josh Allen and DE/LB K’Lavon Chaisson on their defense?) – “Young, talented, physical, developing, fast. I think you’ll see a difference from (K’Lavon) Chaisson from Week 1 to Week 2. But great effort. They play hard. They’ll be good players in this league if they just continue on their trajectory that they’re on. I know (Jaguars Head Coach) Doug (Marrone) is on them. He’s on them about being professionals and doing it the right way, and if they listen up, they’ll be just fine.”
(I know a lot of us are harping on the pass rush, but does the fact that you’ve had to play two mobile quarterbacks impact the thought process or the play calling at all? Or is this just guys not getting off blocks?) – “It’s a combination. I would say it’s us not making the plays, us not executing. Again, our opponents making plays and executing. We’ve got to play better and that’s really what it boils down to. We need more pressure on the quarterback. I think every team is looking for that. We need to find ways to get more pressure on the quarterback. That’s what we’ve been talking about the last few days. We’re always trying to get better and that’s in a lot of different phases – offensively, defensively, in the kicking game – so whether it’s the run game, whether it’s the pass game, whether it’s the pass rush, whether it’s setting the edge, whether it’s the screen game; we’re looking to improve and make the necessary adjustments so we can be better in those areas.”
