HEAD COACH DOUG PEDERSON
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
WENDESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2024
(On preparing for Indianapolis Colts QB Anthony Richardson and QB Joe Flacco) “Yes,
almost two extremes. Kind of know both guys. We saw Anthony Richardson last year,
obviously, first game, and we know how talented he is. We’ve seen already his ability to
throw the football this year. Flacco, we know from last year being at Cleveland and what he
can do as well, throwing the football. I mean, it’s a challenge either way and you’ve just got
to trust your game plan. Stay disciplined in what you’re doing and no matter who’s out
there, just execute that.”
(On if he talked to the team about the throwback game and former Jaguars head coach,
Tom Coughlin’s induction in the PRIDE OF THE JAGUARS) “I did this morning. Just wanted to
bring it to their attention. In the history of the Jaguars, I think it’s important that they know
that and that we get to celebrate Coach Coughlin and also getting some former players,
some legends back this weekend. It will be exciting for the guys to see and visit. So yeah,
definitely want that out in front of the team. It’s important they see that.”
(On what growth he’s seen from Colts QB Anthony Richardson since facing him in his first
NFL start last year) “Yeah, I think obviously he’s making strides. I think he just running the
offense but has the ability to go off-schedule and make some great plays and that’s a
characteristic of really good quarterbacks. His ability to run, we know that. He’s a big
physical guy that can break out of an arm tackle. But he’s working the system. He’s working
the offense. He’s letting the guys around him work. That’s what they ask him to do.”
(On what he’s seen from the Colts receivers) “Yeah, it’s a good solid group. One of the
things you see too, is he trusts those guys to make plays for him. Again, I think he
understands too and I think this is part of how he’s being coached, is he doesn’t have to do
it all. Just rely on these guys to make plays. I know injuries are part of the game and they’re
banged up a little bit too like we are, but at the same time, we got to make sure that, with
this team too, you eliminate the explosive plays, which they can do.”
(On what stands out about Colts Defensive Coordinator Gus Bradley’s defense) “There’s no
surprises and schemes like this are tough to – they’re going to make you go the long haul.
They’re going to make you go 80, 85 yards and score if you can. It’s always been that way,
wherever he’s been. It just comes down to execution, right? His guys now have been in the
system over there for three years. Yes, they have guys beat up and injured in the D-line, but
the next guy steps in and does the exact same thing. I mean, it’s a plug-and-play, and they
do it well. They’ve got leaders over there and we know Grover [Colts DT Grover Stewart],
he’s a load as a D-lineman. I think him and those two linebackers, 23 [CB Kenny Moore II], if
he plays, I mean, those are kind of lifeblood of that team – the heart and soul. So, got some
good players over there. They run the scheme well.”
(On injury updates for LB Devin Lloyd and S Darnell Savage) “Devin, we’ll see today. He’ll be
out there, but he’ll also be with our medical team, doctors and trainers, and working a little
bit on the side. Darnell’s one, we’ve got to get back into practice this week again. Try to see
if he can really push through some of the things that are holding him back right now. It’s just
a trust factor with him. I think just going out and do it. Josh [DE Josh Hines-Allen], obviously,
we know is still in the protocol. So that’s a day-to-day thing and I want to make sure he’s
100 percent. But those other two guys will – it’ll take the week.”
(On an injury update for TE Evan Engram) “Yeah, Evan’s day-to-day. He’ll get out and he’ll do
some of our individual stuff today. Then we’ll see as each day progresses, see how he
feels.”
(On his response to reports that he’s “lost the locker room”) “I would know. I talk to these
guys every day; I see them every day and, no, I have not lost the locker room. I think these
guys have done everything I’ve asked. They continue to play and practice hard and battle.
It’s a good group. It’s a good group. The right leaders in there, and they know. They know
what we need to do. They’re not making excuses for it and I’m not going to make excuses,
and we’ve just got to do it.”
(On his reaction to questions about his job security) “I mean, that’s a good question but I
think obviously you’re going to go through some setbacks in this league and there’s going to
be some times where you’re going to come on some hard times. I mean, that’s just part of
this game. I’ve been there before; I’ve done that before and we’ve always battled back. I
mean even when we were 3-7 in ‘22, we found a way to win a game and win multiple games
and that’s all it takes. I think too, when you look at it and if you really look at these games,
like with a calm eye, and study the tape and see, I mean, there’s mistakes, yeah, there’s
mistakes. Are they critical at times? Yeah. I mean, they’re critical at times, but there’s a lot
of good, as we talked about the other day. That’s what we have to lean on, and we’ve just
got to continue to work.”
(On if the muffed punt recovered by S Daniel Thomas vs. Houston is considered a “fast
start” and how he can build upon that momentum) “Yeah, I mean, that’s part of a fast start.
It could be just the defense, three-and-out, getting the ball back to the offense, whatever it
might be, but scoring points on your opening drive, three, seven, whatever it is, however you
get it done. As you know right now, that’s a good time to get that done. It’s something to
build on, something to go back and look at. We had an opportunity on third-down. We
didn’t capitalize on that third down drive either in that first drive. So those are all things that
we can improve. We know that. We do that, we stay on the field and potentially score even
without the punt.”
(On when he would feel comfortable entrusting RB Tank Bigsby with a heavier workload)
“Yeah, he’s been doing a good job. Continues to improve. It’s one of those things too where
it’s not that we don’t have trust in Tank, TJ [RB Travis Etienne Jr.], D’Ernest [RB D’Ernest
Johnson], guys like that just have done it longer, have done it more. Tank just continues to
see everything and process everything, but he’s done a great job for us.”
(On his reflection on the tough stretch during 2022, and if there are any lessons he pulls
from that season) “I mean, obviously you can go back and look and dive into that. Nobody
wants to be 0-4, nobody wants to be where we are. We feel like, we should be obviously
further along, right? I’m just sitting there thinking back to that time where it’s just – it was a
play kind of very similar. It was kind of a play here, play there, a missed assignment here,
missed assignment there that just kept us from either, finishing a drive or finishing games
back then. I think it’s kind of the same thing now. It just takes one. It takes one takeaway, it
takes one touchdown drive, it takes one stop. Whatever it is, it just takes one, and then
when you get one win, it can turn into multiple wins, which it did, back then.”
(On if he feels the production from the pass-rush is up to his expectations) “I think that’s an
area that we can continue to improve, right? I think we’re close. Again, when you really put
on the film and look, when I say we’re close, we’re inches away from hitting the
quarterback, hitting his arm, knocking the ball loose. We’ve played some mobile guys here
too in these first few weeks, and so that comes into play. But it’s not for lack of effort. We’ve
got to continue to push pockets. This is another week, depending on who plays, the pass
rush could be a little bit different. But we’re close. We know internally that we can improve,
and it needs to improve and we’ve got to just continue to work.”
(On drawing from Coughlin’s style of coaching, and if it’s difficult to play as physical in
today’s NFL) “I think the way he coached was the way I was coached from my coaches.
Hard, kind of in your face, screaming, yelling, all that kind of stuff. I mean, I just don’t know
if that works now. Look, I think you can still be upset. You can still be frustrated, all of that,
with the guys. But I don’t think they necessarily – not all of them – I don’t think they all
respond to that. I think just coming to them as a man and just having a conversation, and
sometimes too, maybe not calling a guy out in a meeting, in front of their teammates, in
front of their peers, just go to them one-on-one and have those conversations. I think that’s
more and more what’s happening with teams overall. But there’s still part of me that wants
to, wants to old-school it every now and then, you know, sometimes it comes out. But I just,
I just don’t think everybody responds the same way.”
(On if he believes this team is more talented than their win-loss record shows) “I feel that
way. I feel that way. I just feel like right now, yes, we’re a better football team on paper,
obviously, than what’s on the field. It’s something that we, even as coaches, we have to find
a way to tap into that and get the most out of it.”
(On if he feels the team has enough elite players to compete with other teams) “I think we
do. We need our elite players to play elite. I mean, that’s it. I mean, that’s sometimes what it
comes down to. Are they going to be elite every week? Probably not. That means the good
players have to step up and play too. But if we get enough of that and get to get enough guys
playing way, we’ll be better off.”
(On why he rearranged the players’ lockers before Week 1) “I knew you were going to ask
me one day. I think when you get to a locker room downstairs, I think it goes to, to Gene
[Florida Times-Union columnist, Gene Frenette]’s question earlier about being able to
coach players and being hard on them. I think it’s good that you mix your team up. I think
it’s good that they don’t just pod up – your O-line is in this corner, your D-line is in that
corner, your linebackers. If you mix your team up, they’re going to bond. You talk about
having a strong locker room – that’s where the strong locker room comes in. Now, position
groups can’t position themselves against each other. It’s not O-line versus D-line. When
you get the O-line and D-line together, they work together, they talk together, they live
together, they build relationships together. You can’t do it over here [EverBank Stadium]
because game day is different. You’ve got to be able to be offense, defense and all that on
game day. But during the week where we come to work every single day, I think it’s
important that—and this wasn’t my idea. Don’t confuse it. It was not my idea. Some of the
players had brought this to my attention in places they had been colleges, things like that.
So, I thought it was a great idea. I did it right after the offseason program, heading into
camp.”
QUARTERBACK TREVOR LAWRENCE
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2024
(On if his relationship with Head Coach Doug Pederson has changed at all) “I mean, I
shouldn’t even have to answer it. You’ve got to do your job so you’ve got to ask it, but I
shouldn’t even have to answer it. I mean, not at all. I don’t know where that’s coming from,
so I don’t even want to really expand on something that’s just not true.”
(On the frustration level of the team) “Yeah, I mean it’s frustrating. Obviously, it’s hard. The
hardest part in which this—I mean, we’ve done a good job of, to be honest, and obviously
we haven’t gotten the results we wanted, like I’ve said. The hardest part is dealing with it on
Sunday and not getting the result you want and just the next couple of days you’re thinking
about every situation, you’re thinking about one play here or there that could have changed
the game. Obviously, three of our four losses have been right there, and it comes down to a
couple of plays, so that’s hard to kind of get over that hump and then to get back. Now,
Wednesday we’ve finally flushed it and now we’re ready to prepare for Indy and we have a
great plan put together that we’ve started. Obviously, it’s going to grow as the week goes on,
but that’s the hard, I think, part of the week to get through is just because you’re just sick,
you know? You put all the time in for these games and then when you don’t perform and you
don’t get the result you wanted, it’s just a bad feeling especially when you put the time in.
I’d say that is the frustrating part, but now we’re on to Indy and we’ve got to put another
great week together preparing to beat them here at home, big opportunity to get on track
and just take it one week at a time. The start of the season was what it was. We can’t go
back now, and we just have to take it one game at a time and get this thing going on the
right track.”
(On WR Brian Thomas Jr.’s response to a heavier workload) “He’s done a great job. He’s
been prepared, he’s known the plan. Obviously, his skill set and talents, you see him every
week and his ability to really just do everything that we need him to do. Win down the field,
get open, create separation. He’s done a great job of that all season. I thought Sunday was
one of his best games and should have been even bigger. We had some more opportunities
down the field that we’re going to connect on in the future, so it’s exciting watching him play
and just seeing how much better he’s gotten through the first four games. I mean, he’s still
so young, I think 21, 22. I don’t know when his birthday is… It’s going to be fun to see him
just keep getting better.”
(On Thomas Jr.’s on-field competitiveness) “He just shows up and plays. He makes the
plays that come to him. Like we’ve said the whole time, doesn’t talk too much. He’s kind of
a quieter guy, but then on the field, he just comes alive, and you see some of that spark and
some of that competitiveness when he makes plays. You see the celebrating or whatever it
is and he’ll let the DB know about it. It’s cool to watch as the quarterback and to see a guy
that’s really fired up to play and loves the game.”
(On if he comes out of his shell off the field) “Definitely. Yeah, he’s come out a little bit. He’s
just a quieter guy naturally, but he’s definitely come out of his shell. He’s talking more in
meetings and just when we watch tape after practice and all those things and just hanging
out with the guys, he’s starting to be around a little bit more. So, yeah, he’s definitely come
out of his shell. I think, naturally, just more of an introverted guy, which everybody’s
different, so it’s been great getting to know him.”
(On if he was surprised that Thomas Jr. talks competitively towards opposing defensive
backs or if he had done so in practice) “Yeah, because, I mean, I don’t think he—he would
get competitive and get a little fiery in practice but not quite as much. It’s your own team,
stuff like that, but hadn’t got a chance to really see it as much live in-game, so it was cool to
see that, and I don’t think anybody knew what to expect. It’s been fun seeing him come out
of his shell, like I said, on game day and when he makes plays.”
(On if Thomas Jr. had told him what he said to Dolphins CB Jalen Ramsey) “No, I don’t think
we ever talked about it. I don’t know what he said. I think he was just letting him know that
should have been a touchdown and he got beat.”
(On if he’s noticed defenses start to respect Thomas Jr. and what that indicates about his
game early into his career) “I mean, I think it’s obvious that you have to respect him. You
look at our offense, really, we have a lot of playmakers on the perimeter and everywhere, so
I think, yeah, of course, you have to respect him. We’re still getting a decent amount of
man-coverage though out there with him, so that’s great. Giving us opportunities. But yeah,
I think obviously teams are going to start to respect him more and more as he continues to
make plays and I’m sure game plans will change, and people will try to take him out of the
game a little bit more, but usually, that opens up somebody else. So, you kind of go week-
to-week basis on who you’re playing and what the plan is, but I definitely think teams are
obviously going to have to respect what he’s done so far.”
(On if there are any similarities between the 2022 season’s five-game skid and how that can
be applied to now) “Yeah, I think you know I’ve dealt with a few of these in my career,
unfortunately. It’s never fun and it’s like, every time it happens, it’s just you have to be very
thick-skinned, and you have to be just persistent. This is a tough sport, it’s a tough game. I
mean, you’re going to every week especially when you’re in a situation like this you have to
be very thick-skinned and have to keep your head down and keep working. I have no doubt
that we’re going to find our way out of this and we’re going to be really good moving forward,
and the frustrating part, like I said, is we all feel like it should have happened already. It’s
like, it hasn’t happened in the first four weeks which is really frustrating because we feel like
we’ve done everything right during the week. We’ve prepared the right way, we’re detailed
and sometimes it hasn’t carried over on Sunday, so that is frustrating. But I’ve been in this
situation before. I’ve been on teams where we’ve come out of it and won after—I think we
won six straight after we lost five straight or whatever it ended up being. We’ve been on the
opposite side of it last year where we were, I think we won five or six straight and then we
lost a bunch straight. It’s a long season and you just have to keep playing. You can’t get too
far ahead of yourself, and you can’t sulk in the past either. We’re at where we’re at. We’ve
lost our first four games. Sucks, but you can’t go back and change it. So, all you have is this
week and you can’t look ahead to—you can’t go get four in one week either. All we can do is
just win this game, this week. I think that’s the message and that’s where I truly believe that
because I’ve experienced it, and I know that that’s what it takes to get out of these ruts and
to really get the team going and get some momentum. It just takes one, so whatever we
have to do for each individual to feel their best, play their best on Sunday, it’s what we need
to do this week. Keep practicing hard, I mean, like I said, we put the work in. It’s not that, it’s
just carrying everything over to the game and just making the plays, and speaking to myself
too. And I’ve got confidence in that.”
(On if this season resembles the 2021 season) “Definitely doesn’t feel like 2021. Obviously,
even in 2021, I mean, being a rookie and pretty naïve, I didn’t really understand the situation
either until obviously later in the season. That’s when it started to feel pretty, I guess, grim
towards the end. Honestly, at this point, even in ’21, I think Week 4, what was it,
Cincinnati? We had lost a close one, not to bring up a—anyways… We lost a close one in
Cincinnati on Thursday night, and we lost on a walk-off field goal to Cincinnati, who ended
up going to the Super Bowl that year, so it wasn’t even like—this is a much better team, as
far as from a lot of standpoints, but talent-wise and we’ve just got to click and we’ve got to
go prove it. Obviously, the talent only gets you so far and we’ve been saying that we’re a
good team and we’ve got to go win some games. We know that. I can keep saying that and
we’ve got to go prove it. But you know, I have a lot of faith in this team. The group we have is
a tight-knit group. We’ve got some good leadership. We just have to—like I said, it just takes
one and we’ve got to go do it this week.”
(On Sunday’s game vs. Indianapolis meaning more because of the throwbacks and former
Jaguars head coach Tom Coughlin’s Pride of the Jaguars induction) “Yeah, I mean that and
just playing at home. This is only our second home game we’ve had. We’ve been on the
road a lot this year, so I think that we’re obviously really excited to be back home in our own
stadium and of course, throwbacks, the history here, Coach Coughlin being in the ring of
honor. I mean, everything he’s done for the team, just a great man. Obviously, I’ve
interacted with him a lot since I’ve been here and done some stuff with the Jay Fund [Tom
Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation], just what he does and what he does for others has been
cool to see. Obviously, he didn’t coach me, so I didn’t I didn’t get to see that part, but I have
a lot of respect for what he’s able to do on the field, but off of it too. His legacy speaks for
itself, so that means a lot. The throwbacks, obviously the uniforms are sweet, and just
tribute for the history of this team. It’s been what, 30 years or so? It’s cool to be able to wear
those uniforms and put them back on and represent this city the right way on Sunday. But
we’ve got to worry about just finding a way to win the game. That’ll be the best way to
represent the city, is go win the game.”
(On his birthday being on Sunday) “It is. Appreciate that. My birthday is Sunday (laughs).”
