HEAD COACH DOUG PEDERSON
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2023
(On talent of Steelers running game) “Well, it is. They usually pride themselves a lot on running the
football and that’s the basis for what they try to do. The running game is a little bit of timing up front,
missed in some combination blocks. They’ve had different guys in there from time-to-time, but it’s
something that you got to continue to work. When it hits, it hits, and it hits big. Those are the things that
you have to really guard yourself against defensively and do a good job like our defense has done the last
couple of weeks.”
(On if he anticipates getting injured players back this week) “I anticipate them doing something today in
practice. We’ll go with that.”
(On how injured players have done with rehab so far) “Great.”
(On what Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin has done over the years) “I know Mike pretty well. I’ve
coached against him several times now and a lot of respect for him and what he’s done there. Gosh, as
you mentioned, he’s won a lot of football games. Double-digit wins most of his career and that’s pretty
impressive. Obviously, championships and things of that nature. He does a great job of just getting his
teams prepared, the way he messages his team, motivates his team. They play hard, they play physical,
they’re fast, it’s a disciplined group. They always have been and it’s just the tradition of the Pittsburgh
Steelers over time through history. He’s definitely carried that on in his career there as the head coach.”
(On injury update of CB Tyson Campbell) “He’ll be in practice today and we’ll limit him, but we’ll see
where he’s at as the week goes.”
(On if he worries about players easing up intensity after a long weekend off) “No, that’s my job to make
sure they don’t. That was the message this morning and we’ve got to get right back on it today in
practice and just understanding the type of team we’re playing this week and they’ve beat some really
good football teams this year already. They play hard, they play physical, if you’re not ready for this one,
it’s going to be a long day up in Pittsburgh.”
(On performance by young players like CB Montaric Brown) “I think it just adds to his confidence and the
level that he has. Just to play a full game and if he gets that opportunity again this week, we’ll see, but I
think from a confidence standpoint, it just adds to his ability. Again, going back you have to evaluate and
be critical of your own performance sometimes and you’ve got to make the necessary corrections to
move on. That’s what good players do and that’s what he’ll do this week in practice. Overall, it was solid
and it’s something that the confidence is where it’s at with him.”
(On the balance of pressing players versus lightening up on them) “There’s a balance with that. There’s a
time and place for certain things and messaging. Days like Wednesdays which is the first day of the week,
you try to set the tone as a head coach. You try to set the tone for the week and your expectations and
things of that nature. I enjoy keeping it as light as I can, too, with the players. It’s a long season, we’ve
got to have fun and enjoy what we do. At the same time, I think it’s important that you do set a
precedent for the week.”
(On if him finding a balance in communicating with the players is his personality) “I think it’s a little bit of
my personality, but the head coaches I’ve played for have kind of been the same way. Wednesday has
always been setting the tone for the week. I’ve also seen those guys, those coaches that once you set the
tone, it’s on the player’s plate. Now, you just keep feeding them bits of information and things
throughout the course of the week. At the same time, you’ve got to enjoy the journey and enjoy the
process as you go.”
(On the impact of takeaways so far) “I think if you just look at the numbers, it tells the tale. It’s
significant. When the numbers favor us, if you go back to the Colts game, 17 points that come off of
takeaways. That’s huge, that’s three possessions and it’s big for our team. It’s opportunistic and the team
we’re playing this Sunday is the same way. When they have two or more takeaways going back to 2022,
they’re winning football games when they have three or more sacks. They’re winning more of these
games. It’s in the numbers, so for us, we’ve got to continue that. We do make a point of emphasis during
the week to do that. At the same time, offensively, we’ve got to take care of the football. We haven’t
done such a great job of that in the first seven games either.”
(On difficulty of sustaining takeaways in future games) “Well, you hope you can. You know takeaways
come in bunches and waves and you ride the wave a little bit. You just continue to emphasize it and guys
are doing a great job of tackling the football or at least attacking the football. You see it week-in and
week-out. Again, just emphasizing Pittsburgh and what they do, they do the same thing. They emphasize
that. They’re being the same, tipped passes turn into interceptions and things of that nature. You hope
it’s sustainable and you think you can do that for the course of the season, but again, you got to make a
point to do it.”
(On how much he can limit Pittsburgh LB T.J. Watt) “Never. He’s a great player. He’s a great player over
the course of his career, he’s got eight sacks already this season. You have to understand that this is a
good player, a great player. You give him the respect that he is due, he’s earned that. You have to spend
some resources in that direction. They also have another one on the other side that can get after you as
well. Highsmith [Steelers LB Alex Highsmith] is another one that can rush the passer, two sacks of his
own. It’s kind of a two-headed monster with these guys, so as an offense, you have to be very aware of
the down, the distance, the situation of the game, run, pass, all those different things factor into how
you’re going to handle this front.”
(On if this is where he expected the team to be at this point in the season) “Yeah, quite honestly. You
expect to be in this situation. We can still play better; I think there’s a lot left out on the field each
weekend that we can learn from and improve. Especially the back half of the season. It’s a credit to the
players though, we’ve had our share of injury and guys have stepped up and played well in backup
situations. We’re just anticipating some of our guys, whether it’s this week or after the bye, getting
healthy and getting back on the field. Your expectation is to win every game and we haven’t, but pleased
with we are right now.”
(On how much Steelers WR George Pickens was looked at by the Jaguars in the draft) “Yeah, we took a
hard look at him and all the guys in the draft. He is a good player. He’s a dominant player, he’s big and
athletic, he runs well and catches the ball, he can highpoint. I think he’s about 18.5 yards per attempt,
he’s had three 100-yard games this year already. They do a great job of throwing the back shoulder fade,
he can run past you, he does a great job of running slants. There’s not a lot he really can’t do and he
blocks well. He’s playing at a high level for them and the quarterback his very comfortable with him.”
(On if it’s coincidental WR Calvin Ridley’s best games happen to be when WR Zay Jones was healthy)
“Well, I wouldn’t use the word mediocre because defense’s know Calvin Ridley. Going back to this last
game when they inverted a lot of coverage to him so there was a guy underneath and a guy overtop,
there’s not a lot of places to throw the football. Defenses understand what Calvin can do. Having Zay on
the field definitely opens up more things offensively, we’re anticipating Zay any day potentially this week
or in the near future. Again, Calvin has been a big part and will continue to be a big part of the offense.
The success that we have is going to be because of Calvin’s success on the field. We just have to
understand that defenses are going to be aware of where he is and they’re going to defend him much
like [Steelers LB] T.J. Watt. We got to know where he’s at to try to eliminate some of that. It’s kind of a
give-and-take there.”
(On how QB Trevor Lawrence felt while wearing his knee brace) “I don’t know, might be a question you
ask him. I don’t know, I’m not wearing it.”
(On if there’s a reason for slower second half offensive performances) “There’s some tangible things with
execution, much like the beginning of the game, we’ve kind of corrected some of that at the beginning.
Now, it’s the second half. Some of that is execution, some of that is how our opponent comes out and
they have a little more sense of urgency and how they’re going to play us in the second half. It’s things
that we can address the team with, things that we can show the team, so all fixable and correctable. We
definitely have to play better in those moments, we have to minimize the lulls and maximize the
opportunities throughout the entire football game.”
(On what Senior Defensive Assistant Bob Sutton brings to the coaching staff) “Yeah, Bob has been a D-
coordinator, he and I were together in Kansas City when he was a D-Coordinator there. Just a wealth of
knowledge of the league. One of the things that he does with assisting Mike [Defensive Coordinator
Mike Caldwell] and helping Mike as a young coordinator, he puts plans together and probably the biggest
thing he does is he does a lot with the takeaways. He prides our defense on that messaging and how he
addresses the team there. He does a lot of studies that way. He does side projects for the defense and
he’ll do things for myself, he’s just a valuable resource in that position and he doesn’t have to coach a
position necessarily. He sees everything big picture and he’s really another voice for Mike and the guys
on defense.”
(On the value of Senior Defensive Assistant Bob Sutton around players with his knowledge) “I think it
means a lot because he’s seen a lot of football and he’s studied a lot of football, so he’s probably got a
lot of answers for a player who’s asking questions and get the answer from your position coach. He’s
another resource for you and it’s just valuable to have guys like that who have that kind of experience.”
(On adjusting the game plan this week due to QB Trevor Lawrence recovering) “We’re going to be aware
of that every week, but now that Trevor [QB Trevor Lawrence] has the knee obviously, it’s something
that you just don’t want too many hits on the lower body and things of that nature. As we’ve had time
here these last couple of days, Trevor is getting more healthy every single day and he feels good. It
doesn’t change necessarily, I credit to the offensive line. It was probably their best game with pass
blocking against the Saints last Thursday. Just keeping Trevor upright in the pocket and Trevor doing a
nice job too, of when he could move, he moved and picked up some valuable yards there. Also, he got
the ball out of his hands. We’ve just got to continue that sort of mentality, not only with Trevor, but with
the offensive line too.”
(On if Steelers S Minkah Fitzpatrick if someone you always have to be aware of) “Yeah, he’s a really good
blitzer, good tackler, he’s a leader on defense. They move him around a pretty good bit back there.
Having an eye on him and understanding where he’s at is critical and understanding whether or not he’s
going to pressure, things of that nature. He does a nice job for them, he’s very comfortable on defense
and another one of their leaders over there.”
QUARTERBACK TREVOR LAWRENCE
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2023
(On if he will play this week with a knee brace) “Yeah, we’ll probably see that a little bit longer. It felt a
little uncomfortable just wearing it because you’re not used to it, but it didn’t feel too bad. I don’t think
it hindered my ability to move too much, it felt pretty good. It went well and we’ll see it again this week.”
(On satisfaction of being able to deliver in last week’s game for the team) “It feels good. I think just doing
my job is what it is, and being able to do that regardless of the circumstances, whether you’re one
hundred percent or maybe not one hundred percent. I don’t want to take attention away from all the
other guys that are playing banged up, too. It’s not just about me, it’s about the team and I think that’s
what the thought process is with all of us. Whether you’re playing through injury or whatever it may be,
there’s a lot of guys that do that on our team and on every other team every week. That’s not
necessarily the most uncommon thing, but it felt good to be able to deliver when you need to and play
well for your team and all those things. Of course, it’s not perfect, I don’t feel like I had my best game by
any means on Thursday. But to be able to do the things I needed to do to help us win, it was a full team
effort and it was a good feeling for sure.”
(On thoughts on analysts doubting his talent) “It kind of speaks for itself. It’s one of those things, you find
ways to win and you get criticism, you don’t win games and you get criticism. It’s the nature of the
business, obviously we’re used to that here, so it doesn’t bug us but it’s just a good reminder to
everyone that we use all of this. It’s a chip on our shoulder, we use it as fuel. That’s really all it was,
nothing more to it. Obviously those people are doing their jobs at the same time. I understand it, but I
think it’s good to have a little emotion and remember things that people say. We don’t forget it when
people are back tracking in a few weeks or at the end of the season, whatever it is. That’s all it was.”
(On if he keeps receipts of what people say about him) “Yeah, one hundred percent. Everybody does,
maybe some more than others, others more than me probably. I definitely think you use all of that and
that’s part of getting our edge back as a team and that’s what we’ve done the last few weeks, we’ll keep
doing it.”
(On if he needs to remind himself to keep momentum going after a weekend off) “For sure. I think this is
a very mature team that we have and I think we understand what’s at stake this week and every week
moving forward. Every game is critical, it’s crucial. Especially playing a team like Pittsburgh that’s a good
team, AFC, all those things. You understand it’s a big game every week, but you definitely have to get
back in the groove this week after having a couple of days off which was great for us to get a little
healthier and all those things. Today, you got to have a sense of urgency and you have to get back going,
make sure that your mind is right and that you’re ready to go play a physical, four-quarter game on
Sunday. That’s everything we expect and we’re going to get there by Sunday.”
(On frustration of not converting successfully off defensive takeaways) “Yeah, I think yes and no. There’s
definitely more opportunities out there for us, we definitely could do more with our possessions than we
have the whole season. We’ve had wasted possessions every game and defenses in this league are good
too. You’re not going to score every possession. That’s the mindset and that’s the expectation, but you
also have to understand that there are good defenses and good teams in this league. There’s a little bit
of that where you’re happy to find a way to win the game, but of course, there’s a sense of urgency to fix
some of the mistakes that keep showing up. Whether that’s short yardage, whether that’s not getting
points off turnovers, whether that’s three-and-outs to start the second half, I think all those things are
issues that need to be addressed and are being addressed. We’ve got to get better because it’s going to
come back to bite us eventually.”
(On the offense being disrupted due to WR Zay Jones’ injury) “Yeah, it’s definitely an impact. Anytime
you’re missing, especially a starter that’s out, that you’re used to playing with, a player like Zay is a really
good player. We have a great chemistry, we have a great rapport and I just think whenever you’re
missing a guy like that, it’s going to impact you to some extent. That’s why he’s one of our best players,
there’s a reason for that and the impact he makes on the field. Of course, we miss him and want him
back out there, we know that’ll happen eventually, but at the same time, guys have stepped up and guys
have done a great job. It’s been a little different and you have to plan around that. Whenever you’re
missing any player, that’s what you have to do. It’s the nature of this game, it’s hard to keep everyone
healthy all season, it’s impossible. I think it’s good for us to have to adjust a little bit and figure out what
changes we need to make to have success. I think we’ve done that, we’ve been winning games and of
course we haven’t been our best on offense and that’s something that we want to get better and score
more points and be more efficient. We’re finding ways to win and we’re just going to keep doing that.
When Zay comes back, it’ll be huge. You saw his impact in the Buffalo game immediately, so I think that
kind of speaks for itself.”
(On the talent of the offensive line this season) “They’re doing a great job. Really, other than a game or
two here and there, we’ve had some hits and pressure things. It’s not all been on them for one, but
other those couple of instances, I think they’ve done a really, really great job the last few weeks. Of
course, they don’t always get the credit and they only get attention when it’s not going well because
that’s the nature of the position they play which sucks. They don’t get as much love when they’re playing
well which they are right now, so it’s awesome to see those guys taking pride in it and coming together,
gelling even more. I think you’re seeing that and guys are playing as a unit up front. Individuals are
playing great too, Cam [OL Cam Robinson], Scherff [OL Brandon Scherff], Shatley [OL Tyler Shatley], Luke
[OL Luke Fortner], Anton [OL Anton Harrison], all those guys are playing great and it’s fun to watch Anton
get better every week. He’s been playing really, really good ball and it’s exciting to watch him just keep
getting better.”
(On if he remembers the last game without a quarterback hit) “No, I can’t. That’s probably the first time.
That never happens in this league typically. It worked out though, especially given the circumstances of
the game and of my situation, it worked out great. The only time I got hit was when I ran once or ran up
the middle, I don’t know another time. But nothing in the pocket, that’s the stuff you might worry about
more with an injury, is you can’t control those hits and you can’t brace for them because you don’t see
them. For those guys to be able to protect and just step up like that was huge.”
(On what stands out about Steelers LB T.J. Watt) “Yeah, he is one of, if not the best in the league. He’s
earned that. His stats and production speak for him when you watch him. It’s impressive, a lot of his
sacks are when he’s getting double teamed or hit by the back and he’s getting blocked by the tackle. He
just fights through the double teams and somehow finds a way to get to the quarterback. It’s not just
that, it’s everywhere. He’s not just a pass rusher, he’s a great defensive player. He’s good against the run,
he’s good dropping in coverage, he just had a pick last week against the Rams dropping out underneath
in zone. He’s just an all-around great player and you’ve got to always know where he’s at, you got to have
a plan for him. It definitely puts some stress on you, you look at the other side and they’ve got Highsmith
[Steelers LB Alex Highsmith] who I played against in college. He went to UNC Charlotte which is just
funny seeing him again and the career he’s had. I knew he was going to be a stud when we played him
his senior year there. He was giving us fits. Both of those guys really make it challenging too, you don’t
have to worry about just one guy. You’ve got one on each edge. It’s a challenge and we’re going to have
to have a great plan for it, we will, but we’re working through all of that right now and it’ll be a good
battle on Sunday.”
(On if Steelers LB Alex Highsmith tackled him in college) “I think he did once towards the end of the
game. He was really good though, I remember playing Charlotte and he was a guy who was like, ‘This guy
is going to be really, really good.’”
(On how his knee feels now) “It feels good. I’m continuing to progress and head in the right direction. I
think it’s getting better every day. With something like this, it’s not overnight so I understand that too. I
feel really good, I’m happy with where I’m at and just trying to be smart and keep getting healthy and
not take a step back. I’ll definitely be out there this week; I’m going to be smart and see how it feels each
day and make a decision how much I do with the training staff and coach and all that. I can’t give you a
straightforward answer on that, but I’ll definitely be out there doing something today and as the rest of
the week progresses, probably more each day. That’s kind of the plan.”
(On taking the sack instead of trying to make a play in difficult situations) “It’s something that we talk
about, and everyone has it in their four-minute offense with possible movements and you’re aware
before the play to take a sack if it doesn’t look great. It’s tough situations, it happens fast in the game.
When you feel like you have to make a split-second decision of can I get the edge, if I can, you know they
brought pressure. If I can get the edge, it’s going to be a big play and we’ll seal the game and be able to
ice it with this play. If I don’t, the possibility of what happened could happen. You’re making all of the
decisions like that. Obviously, hindsight, of course I would fall down if I had that play tomorrow to do.
Knowing the result, but that’s something we’re coached to do, it’s a little harder being under center
when you can’t necessarily see what’s happening behind you on a play fake, a movement, a naked
coming back out. There’s a lot of factors that go into that, but short answer, yes, you’d love to just fall
down.”
(On if he’s ever settled for a sack instead of trying to make the first down) “No, I haven’t. There’s been
times in the pocket where I feel it and I just grab onto the ball and start to fall down and the defenders
help me with that. I haven’t really had an opportunity in the four-minute until that situation, for that
exact four-minute and want to keep the clock moving. Then, once they got me, I can’t throw it away to
take the hit off, I just got to take the hit. You’d rather just go down in that situation.”
(On if he knows what a terrible towel is) “No, I know what they are. The little yellow towels they swing
around.”
(On thoughts of playing the Steelers in Pittsburgh) “I’m excited. It’s definitely one to check off the list,
playing in cool stadiums and historic places. Pittsburgh, their whole organization has like an aura around
it and that’s really cool there. They’ve had some great players and some great teams, you always know
what kind of team Pittsburgh is going to have every year, super physical, great defense. Their offense is
playing really well, you know what you’re going to get. They’re really consistent, Coach Tomlin [Steelers
Head Coach Mike Tomlin] has done a really good job there. I’m excited to play over there, we’ve played
in some hostile environments like Kansas City, New Orleans, I think those are up there. This will be
another one that’ll be a challenge. It’ll be fun to play them and be a fun atmosphere.”
