Sunday, November 24, 2019
HEAD COACH MIKE VRABEL
(on what happened during the string of six offensive plays in the third quarter)
That’s great coaching, Teresa. Great coaching. I thought that the drive out of halftime, I thought that was huge. The way that we attacked coming out of half and the execution by the players, and then to be able to get the turnovers is critical.
(on if he has ever coached in a game with three touchdowns in a row before)
No. A lot of credit to the players, obviously, to the offensive players. The offensive staff continues to find a way to run the football because it was tough sledding there at the beginning, which we knew, and we stuck with it. Everybody executed, and that was great to see. See us catch some passes and break some tackles down the field; see us run hard; see us finishing blocks. It’s a great place to pick up after the bye week.
(on how quarterback Ryan Tannehill finished runs while also making big passes)
He prepares very well. He had a lot of time to look at these guys, and I think that you could just see the difference in how playing these guys from ahead in a competitive game, and we talked about that last time, but that’s evident tonight. I’m proud of our guys for keeping their composure throughout the game. I know that that’s something that’s not easy to do against a division opponent in a game that has a few score difference in the outcome.
(on if composure was big for offensive lineman Taylor Lewan)
Sure, I thought that was a huge play. We ran a screen to A.J. (Brown), well executed play by everybody out there. It’s a critical block for Taylor (Lewan) and A.J. to execute that, and then to not retaliate and do the easy thing and come back at Campbell. So whatever we gained on the screen, add 15 yards and really put us in there around the 10- yard line.
(on if he saw the late hit on the sideline)
Sure, sure did. The only people that didn’t see it were the seven officials out there. Again, I appreciate him keeping his composure, but everybody else saw it except for the guys who could potentially do anything about it.
(on if this was the best the offense has done in getting into third-and-manageable situations)
That was one of the keys, and that was something that we talked about. I think that the penalties and continuing to just have positive plays and pushing the pile and understand that it’s okay to have two or three-yard runs as long as we don’t have something crazy. The guys really stuck with it. The O-line really took this as a challenge and knew that they were going to be ready coming off of what they had done defensively. They have really good players, and our guys responded. I thought Derrick (Henry) ran hard. Dion (Lewis) did a nice job there at the end. Unfortunately, we got a penalty late there to not be able to ice the game.
(on how the energy generated on the sideline from one of running back Derrick Henry’s long runs energizes the team for the next play)
It’s critical because we all understand what his ability is on any given play, and I think he realizes that. To have the energy go from him to the defense and to be able to cover kicks, when you play games in November or December outside, you’re going to have to cover a lot of kickoffs and understand there might not be as many touchbacks. That’s something that I think the whole team, the whole stadium gets charged up for. They’re fantastic players, they’re well blocked. A lot of credit to the offensive line, but at some point in time, to break one of those, Derrick (Henry) is going to have to get some help down the field. Derrick’s going to have to do some work, or the running back is going to have to do a little work on their own.
(on if running back Derrick Henry’s speed is a normal thing for a player of his size)
No it isn’t. It’s not a normal thing, but that’s pro football players. Pro-athletes make the hard look easy, and I think that’s what he does. I think the emphasis on his stiff arm and being able to control the football securely and still maintain speed while he’s doing that is something that is really, really cool for us.
(on what he thought of offensive lineman Dennis Kelly’s touchdown catch)
Just trying to take advantage of what we had seen and what we had put on tape. Jonnu (Smith) got the (pass interference), and that was something that we felt like we could take advantage of there with Dennis (Kelly) and just try to find ways to put points on the board.
(on if quarterback Ryan Tannehill’s production has surprised him)
No because he’s athletic. When you play wide receiver in the Big 12 and do it well. Those are critical yards. Those are tough. When you watch around the league at quarterbacks that scramble, they add an element to the offense that those guys are rushing. They’re not rushing thinking they have a moving target. They’re rushing for a guy who is seven-and-a-half yards behind the center. When those guys take off, or in this case, we ran a boot, and did a nice job covering, and guys turned up and got some blocks. Again, when he slipped in the end zone, I thought A.J. (Brown) did a nice job blocking, shielding his guy legally. I thought Corey (Davis) did a great job blocking down the field on A.J.’s catch and run. It’s not always just one guy.
(on the offensive effort needed for the last five games)
That’s what the goal is each and every week – to try to play complimentary, try to be aggressive, continue to marry plays and marry formations so that were giving ourselves the best chance to succeed every week. Try to keep it at third-and-manageable. I thought Hump (Adam Humphries) came up with a huge conversion there early which kind of kept us going and I think we probably went on and scored. I thought that was huge conversion. It really wasn’t a very flashy play but I thought it was a critical play in the game.
(on not getting an attitude about arriving after winning 4 of the last 5 games)
You know, I couldn’t even tell you how many we’ve won. I know we’ve won one in a row. So we’re able to just get a leg up in what we’re trying to do. Try to find our next opponent, figure out where we play them and when we play them and start to prepare for them. This will be a huge week for us with the holiday season, with the holiday, Thanksgiving and a division opponent.
(on quarterback Ryan Tannehill playing well and other keys to these wins)
Blocking, tackling, probably third down, special teams but that’s what it comes down to. We covered a lot of kicks and our special teams made a huge play. Batesy (Daren Bates) got in there for a fumble but our guys were flying around. They caused penalties on punts, on kickoffs. We can do that, play complimentary defense and get some turnovers. I think it’s never about one thing. It’s never about one player or the quarterback. It’s us not hurting ourselves, not beating ourselves, not handing teams the win. If you look at Kansas City, maybe, just being great in critical situations. Tonight, playing a game how we needed to play, from ahead and hanging on there. Guys were banged up. Adoree’ (Jackson), I thought, played great. I thought he played tight coverage when we asked him to, which was most of the night.
(on as Ryan Tannehill has starting going, if teams have stocked the box any less)
The whole league is post-safety. There are very few teams that are going to play a majority of split safety defense. Most of the league is going to be in a post-safety defense. We understand that there’s time when you can throw it and there’s times when you have to run it, be able to block somebody, or run off a guy or read him. There’s a bunch of ways to try and play against a post-safety defense.
(on why A.J. Brown is so hard for defenses to bring down)
He’s 228 pounds. He’s fast. He’s strong. It’s probably a really good place to start. You know, he’s got really good play strength, strong hands, turns up field and he’s physical. He’s physical. He’s a physical player.
(on outside linebacker Harold Landry III breaking a land speed record with his sack)
He got in there pretty quick, I’m not really sure. I’ll have to watch the tape. He was in there quick. I’m not sure what happened but I’m glad that he was.
(on the sack by Harold Landry III knocking Jacksonville out of field goal range)
They looked away down field and I thought that that was a huge play. Then he pressured there again and got something in there. I don’t know who ended up knocking the ball out. It takes everybody. We’re going to need to get healthy. We’re going to need to get healed up. They’re going to have a few days rest on us, a few days of preparation. I’m sure they were in there watching this game and getting ready to go into their preparation for us.
(on beating up on teams with poor run defenses versus preparing for the Colts who are ranked higher)
Whether you’re first in the league or ninth, there was a few weeks ago that the Patriots were first in the league, they gave up 200-some yards rushing. That doesn’t mean anything to me, whatever your ranking is. You have to find a plan, you have to prepare the players, get them to understand what they may see each and every week. The Colts will run a different defense than what the Jaguars ran and find a way to get some plays in there that we like, that the players are confident in and we gain yards with. Every week, it’s going to a challenge no matter what the set rankings were going into it.
(on being critical on the team’s lack of execution in the past)
I don’t criticize. I don’t do that. I stand here and I say I coach like (expletive). You can tell me that I stand up here and blame it on players. I don’t. If you want to ask me a question, I’m excited about this win. I’m not sure where you’re going but when we lose, we have to coach and we have to play better. When we win, we got back and we coach the action. Whether we won by 20 or we lost by two, there’s going to be plays in this game that we’re going to have to correct. I think that you have to always make sure, whether the result was favorable or not, you’ve got to coach. You’ve got to say, ‘hey this might have worked for us last time but it’s going to end up catching us. It’s going to end up getting us if we don’t focus on whatever little detail.’ We busted a coverage but the quarterback may not have seen it. So you have to coach whether you win or you lose all that time so that when you get into that situation again, you don’t get nailed with it.
QUARTERBACK RYAN TANNEHILL
(on if he has ever been on an offense that had three straight scores in a short amount of time like today)
I don’t think so. That was a fun stretch there, just guys executing. You never know what can happen. We have playmakers on this field. That was a crazy stretch. The defense got us the ball back quickly right after that first touchdown, and obviously on the kickoff return. Guys made plays. We had opportunities, and we took advantage of them.
(on the touchdown pass to tackle/guard Dennis Kelly)
It’s always exciting when an offensive lineman scores, so that was a lot of fun for us.
(on if Dennis Kelly is the largest target he’s ever had)
No doubt. He’s a massive man. He’s come up big for us when he’s played this year, so it was definitely fun to get him a touchdown. I came off the fake and saw him wide open, and I saw his eyes were huge because he was so wide open. He made the play and then had a great celebration after that.
(on how crucial running back Derrick Henry and his presence is for the offense)
It’s huge. I think it starts up front with the offensive line giving him creases. Derrick (Henry)’s shown time and time again the whole year that he’s tough to bring down. He’s going to run through arm tackles. If you give him a crease, he’s going to gain yards. He also the speed to finish and the strength to finish down the field. It’s a rare combination to find in a running back.
(on how much easier his job is due to Derrick Henry’s big play ability)
Well, it’s huge. One play handoff and it’s a 74-yard touchdown, that’s huge. After handing it off, everyone’s high- fiving me on the sideline. All I did was hand it off. It’s fun. He’s a crucial part, and the run game is a crucial part to our offensive execution. The O-line, the guys up front, did a great job the whole game.
(on the first offensive play of the game where he scrambled for 20 yards)
It was just a run-pass option there on the edge. I wasn’t expecting to have that much space, but I was able to get the edge. Corey (Davis) did a good job shielding off the defender, and I was able to kind of scoot up the sideline there. I wasn’t really expecting to run it on the first play – I thought it was going to be a pass, but I saw the space there and was able to take it.
(on if the first play gave him the confidence to run later in the game)
You never know what’s going to happen as the course of the game goes, but anytime you can have an explosive play to start the drive, to start the game, it kind of just sets a good tone for the day. We were able to make some plays after that.
(on seeing Derrick Henry’s combination of size and speed)
It’s special. Just to see his speed, his strength. I don’t know how he stayed in bounds on the long run. I came off, and I’m watching him trying to see exactly where he was at when he got to the sideline, and it seemed like he was running right on the edge of the sideline, while stiff-arming a guy and running full speed. It was pretty incredible, just a fun run to watch.
(on if he’s enjoying the chance to remind people he used to play wide receiver)
Those days were a long time ago. But yeah, it’s fun. I think it adds an element to our offense and gives the defense something to account for. It’s not every game you’re going to have a bunch of rushes, but if the opportunity presents itself, then obviously I think it helps our offense.
(on if this is the standard moving forward for the offense)
Yeah, I think so. Obviously, you can execute plays and not have 74-yard touchdowns. But, it kind of shows you what we can do when you execute up front when guys are finishing, and you have a special guy in Derrick (Henry) who can make guys miss and run through tackles and finish long runs. You saw A.J. (Brown) catch a short pass and take it to the end zone, Corey (Davis) blocking for him down the field, so you saw a lot of snapshots of guys executing and making plays and playing hard for each other. So yeah, that’s the standard. That’s what we want to do week in and week out. This tape should be a good reminder of that.
(on if he thought about getting down before the goal line on the diving touchdown)
I thought about it for a second, and then I saw how close the goal line was, so I had to go all out and get in the end zone.
RUNNING BACK DERRICK HENRY
(on when he knew he was going to score on his 74-yard touchdown run)
When I broke the line and I broke that tackle from the D-lineman. Then, it was a foot race.
(on if his stiff arms during his 74-yard touchdown run reminded him of his 99-yard touchdown run in 2018)
It was similar. I was trying to keep them away. I kept trying stay in bounds and keep moving down the field, and it worked again.
(on what it was like to have the crowd chanting his name)
It’s always cool for me. For them to come out and be so supportive screaming my name, I know I appreciate, I know as a team we appreciate their support. We’re going to need it every home game we have here as we go on this final run of the season. We appreciate the support and hope it continues.
(on what it was like to score 28 points in the third quarter)
Just keep putting drives together, keep putting points on the board. We kept putting good plays together, taking it one play at a time, and everything was working for us.
(on if he’s ever been on a team that has scored three touchdowns as quickly as the Titans did today)
I don’t think I’ve been a part of something that quick. That’s just a credit to everybody on offense just being locked in. Hopefully we can keep this momentum going, and just build off of it.
(on if the Titans came out of halftime looking to finish the Jaguars off quickly)
Just complementary football. They give us the ball back, you’ve got to put points on the board. That’s what we pride ourselves on is complementary football – offense, defense and special teams. Whenever our defense gets us the ball back, we want to go out there and score.
(on if he noticed a difference in the Titans’ mindset in the first and second halves)
Like I always tell you, I just go out there and do my job, and that’s what I tried to do. They did a good job blocking. All the credit goes to them, I just go out there and do what I’ve got to do. They did a great job blocking. I had some great holes, great finishes with blocks, and I’m happy that we were able to have a successful game with the run game.
(on if he expects the offense to play like they did in Week 12 for the rest of the season)
This is a great game to build off of and great momentum for us as an offense against a divisional opponent. Important game, so some great positive things we can build off of as an offense to keep this thing going.
(on the kind of spark quarterback Ryan Tannehill’s runs give the Titans)
Ryan (Tannehill) was balling. He just kept doing his thing, kept playing his game – throwing the ball and running. He’s confident whenever he takes off. You saw him today, two touchdowns.
(on when it will be time to discuss a contract extension with the Titans)
I’m not going to get into all of that. Like I said, we appreciate the fan support. I’m happy we got the win. I hope we can get this thing going.
(on how he evaluates his passing after his attempt in Week 12)
I’m still mad about that. It forced the penalty, so it kind of worked out a little bit.
(on how his throwing went in practice this week)
Just know how I envisioned it in my head, it didn’t go as well as I thought it would like it did in practice. I’m not too happy about that.
(on how the Titans’ level of execution in Week 12 can be the standard moving forward)
Like I said, it’s a lot of good things we can build off. Just keep that momentum going. We know we’re all going to need it. Have confidence, believe in one another. If it’s a bad play, just have confidence and believe that we’re going put something together. Like Coach (Vrabel) said, just string good plays together. We’ll take it one play at a time.
(on what his role is in the Titans playing complementary football)
We told the defense to get off the field on third down, then it’s our job to go out there and put points on the board. I feel like we did a great job of doing that today. The special teams got us the ball right after we scored a touchdown. Like I said, it was just great complementary football. When I got out there, I just had to do my job like I always say. I’m just glad we did a great job as a team today.
(on if he feels like his big plays give his teammates energy)
Did you see the sideline when I scored? I feel like it does – not to brag. I think we just feed off each other’s energy, and that just speaks volumes for us as a team.
(on the pride he takes in being able to help his teammates with his production)
I love it man. I’m a team guy, so anytime I can help the team with anything I do on the field, I’m always happy.
(on if he noticed left tackle Taylor Lewan’s block on his 74-yard touchdown run)
Did you see my eyes? My eyes were big. I told you when my eyes get big, I was ready to go. They did a good job blocking. Even when I got the ball, I seen the hole and I was like, ‘Oh yeah, time to make something happen.’
(on if there is a reason he is dressed in racing gear)
No not at all. This is a designer brand that I like. I knew the racing comments were going to come.
(on if he felt the need for speed today)
If this is going to help, I’ll wear this every week.
(on if he attempted to join the offensive linemen’s celebration after tackle/guard Dennis Kelly’s touchdown reception)
They chugged it too fast, I couldn’t get over there. They were already downing it. Before I could get over there, they were done.
GUARD/TACKLE DENNIS KELLY
(on touchdown reception helping team’s fast second-half start)
Yeah, it was definitely one of those things where we got the ball after halftime, had a good return from Kalif (Raymond) and you really want to build off of that. Fortunately, you know we were able to start some things and the third quarter went the way it did and you know glad, we were a part of doing something like that.
(on if pass play was something team had worked on during the week)
Yeah, late in the week when we got into the red zone, goal line area.
(on team’s celebration after his touchdown reception)
They all came up…you know maybe a little bit of inspiration from the Colts last week. We open up a cooler, share with the rest of the boys, shotgun. I just wanted to get everyone in on the fun and obviously whenever the offensive line gets a touchdown everyone gets fired up.
(on if it was difficult to keep his “poker face” when play was called)
No, but coming on to the field you know it was just one of those things where I heard the personnel so I kind of figured it was it and actually Ben Jones gave me a quick look when he heard the start of the play call and because he realized what it was. So, it was just one of those things where just don’t screw it up.
(on having as many touchdown receptions as Taylor Lewan)
(Laughing) It is definitely something that I am going to be able to rub in his face a little bit. He might think it is a dig at him, but it is a cool feeling.
TACKLE JACK CONKLIN
(on special teams play to set up touchdown)
It is exciting. When the defense, special teams makes, gets a turnover like that it’s our job to go and put it in the end zone and we were able to do that.
(on how much the team feels it is a part of playoff chase)
Our mindset is that we are still trying to get in. You know it is one game at a time. We’ve got to go to Indy now and get another win. It’s going to be a hard-fought battle and that’s our mindset. Everyone starts looking at it and it is still a battle. We are still in the hunt. We still have got to keep fighting.
TACKLE TAYLOR LEWAN
(on his injury to the ribs)
It was a tough breather today, but it’s football, man. That stuff happens. I am just happy I didn’t get penalties, happy I started that trend, hopefully, and you know the bye week did me good on being smart on that stuff. There was a couple of times where it was tough to hold my tongue, but overall it was good.
(on if he realized how injury occurred)
I don’t think it is important whether I realized it or not. Anytime you get in these division games, it’s football you know. I know they don’t like us and they are coming at me, trying to get me out of the game. You know I take that as a compliment.
(on just missing one play)
Just one play, yeah just one play after that went from the first quarter to the second quarter. Then, I just missed that one play.
WIDE RECEIVER A.J. BROWN
(on what developed between him and quarterback Ryan Tannehill on 65-yard touchdown play)
We tried to call it earlier in the game. Ryan got flushed, but this particular time it was one-on-one. I was trying to win with my route, I had a corner on me, A.J. Bouye, and I was just trying to widen it as much as I can and he ended up following me. I was working inside just trying to make a play. You know, I got the ball and got a great block by Corey (Davis) and tried to take it the distance.
(on what it was like on the offensive side of the ball to have a third quarter explosion in a tight game)
That was crazy. I think that is a question for Derrick Henry. He came out and took the game over.
(on if team needs to look something like today the rest of the schedule)
I mean, I don’t know. We are just going to try and use this momentum next week.
(on team taking over game in the third quarter)
That was great. You know everybody was doing their job and those big explosion plays, man that’s huge. It made the game a lot easier.
(on quarterback Ryan Tannehill also making plays running the ball)
I want Tannehill to slide more, but he is doing his thing. He gives us a lot of confidence in him when he can run and get the first down.
LINEBACKER RASHAAN EVANS
(on all three phases playing well today in the victory)
This was a very interesting game, but at the end of the day, you want to be happy at the fact you got a win. I can remember early in the season when we were talking about how we needed to change some things, and I feel like we are starting to really hit stride. If all three phases, like you say, can continue to do that throughout the season, we are going to be in a pretty good position.
(on getting the division win against Jacksonville and moving forward)
Kudos to those guys (Jaguars), they still fought their butts off. I feel like this is a team we feel like, now, the only thing we can do right now, is play the rest of these games like playoff games. If we do that, I feel we are going to come out on top. Now, Indianapolis. One of those top teams. It is going to be a big game for us. What better way than to go out there, and be able to play in that stadium, and having the challenge playing against those guys who beat us (earlier this season). So, we’ll be looking forward to it. Understand like I said, it’s a playoff game from now on. Just the fact to have all three phases go and play like we did, we are going to stress that and emphasize that, every single day from now on.
(on the performance of running back Derrick Henry)
You see it all the time, it’s kind of numbing. But at the same time, you’re like, you’ve got to enjoy something like that because a guy that big and a guy that fast, being able to do it consistently each and every game like that, it is remarkable.
LINEBACKER DAREN BATES
(on what he likes about playing on special teams for the Titans)
I mean, that’s my job. That’s what I’m here to do. Personally, I like to make my teammates better, so all the guys that want to play special teams and get better, that’s why we compete against each other, to see who can be better. We all are making plays and making our team better.
(on the possibility of making the playoffs)
I feel like we’ve always been, we never counted ourselves out. That’s not even going to happen. So, we are always going to feel like we are in it. Just one week at a time. That’s what we are going to do, every week is new week. On Monday, tomorrow, we’ll be 0-0. We have to start off and be 1-0 by next Monday. So, we have to get ready for the next opponent by tomorrow and get on it.
(on the Titans scoring 28 points in the third quarter)
Not since college. That was big. The offense did a great job, defense and special teams. We complemented each other. We all made plays.
(on forcing a fumble on Jacksonville’s kickoff return in the third quarter)
The offense had been scoring, so we were kicking off a lot. We were able to see their returns, and which return they were going to keep running. Kind of just felt the return they were going with, and came off and made the play, got
the tackle, and I didn’t even know the ball came out until the great crowd started chanting. I’m like, it has to be the ball out. Lucky, there went the ball.
SAFETY KENNY VACCARO
(on was he happy with the Titans’ victory today over Jacksonville)
No. Gave up too many points. It’s tough when you get up like that, and you’re kind of playing the time game. Still, I don’t like it when they move the ball on us. Special teams, offense and defense. We were able to run the ball, control the clock, get off the field on third down defensively before we got way ahead. It was a team win.
(on running back Derrick Henry’s long runs today)
I don’t get to sit on the bench very long when he hits those big runs. He transfers energy throughout the team, he does a good job of that. It’s really those tough yards he gets that’s bigger for me, like the five-yard and six-yard runs. I know he is getting hit by six people and nobody can get him down. The long runs are amazing, but those tough yards he grinds out more and just eats up the clock, I really appreciate it.
(on if the victory today over Jacksonville boosts the team’s confidence)
It’s always high. We are in the league, we’re blessed. We are doing what we love, it’s always high. But it doesn’t matter if we’re confident, we just have to win the next one.
SAFETY KEVIN BYARD
(on the Titans’ victory today over Jacksonville)
It was awesome. It’s really great to watch the offense do their thing, those guys were rolling. I felt like us playing with a lead, sometimes you want to finish the game better as a defense. But at the same time, you never want to apologize for winning any game in the NFL. It’s a hard thing to do, so it’s an awesome win for sure. The offense did a great job by controlling the clock, controlling the line of scrimmage, keeping those long drives going and giving us some rest on the defense. Like I said, it was great to watch Derrick Henry get those five or six yards. We all know he’s going to wear a defense down and he’s going to break a few big ones. It was fun for the whole defense. I feel like special teams played well, and offense played well, and defense got stops in the end, so it was great.
JAGUARS HEAD COACH DOUG MARRONE
(opening statement)
Obviously, early on we had a penalty that knocked us out of field goal range. We had two big runs that got called back. Going into halftime 7-3, tight game, same as it’s been for a while, and then within the first five minutes of the second half, the two touchdowns, the fumble, the kickoff return, next thing you know it was 28-3 and we tried to stay balanced enough to get ourselves in the game. We weren’t able to make plays, big explosive plays on the field offensively, and we gave up a lot of explosive plays on defense, meaning the nakeds to the quarterback, the over routes, the play action pass, and obviously the run. We thought we had a good tack on plan, our three technique got reached and gave up the big run. We still should get them down at the 40, our safeties obviously can do a better job there. But, at the end of the day I told the players the same thing I’m going to tell you – it’s going to be the same questions about jobs, switching quarterbacks, changes, players and all of that stuff. I still believe, I don’t know what happens in this league but we’re going to work our ass off to get this team right, somehow, someway. That’s the job. Put your head down. Am I pissed? Yes. Am I embarrassed? Yes, I am that. I’m not speaking for anyone else, you’re going to have to tell them, but I promised them that I am going to do a better job and I’m going to work my butt off to get this thing right. Questions.
(on being ‘shell-shocked’ by surrendering 200 rushing yards per game in the last three games)
Shell-shocked? I would probably say no. I don’t think in this profession you can do that and be a good head coach, or be a good coach. Obviously I am not doing a good enough job, but at the end of the day it is disappointing. It is very difficult to win in this league if you can’t stop the run.
(on trying different things to stop the run)
At the end of the day, we have got so many people committed to it, we have got so many things going, but that’s our job. We have got to figure it out with the guys that we have. You have got to keep trying, that’s how I was raised.
Whether people like it or not, you just keep going. You keep fighting, you keep trying. I don’t know any other way to put it. I think if you just say we are going to get it corrected, and you keep things the same – I can’t live like that. That’s not how I live my life. I don’t believe in that, so it is very difficult. We are going to back and look again and probably to find something else, because obviously what we have been doing hasn’t worked. We have got to get that done.
(on a possible change at quarterback)
No.
(on being worried about losing his job)
I can’t speak for all the other head coaches, but I don’t worry about it. It is what it is, and if you don’t win you will always have a chance to get fired, and if you win, still have a chance to get fired if you don’t win well enough. So, you just work your butt off and it’s up to other people to handle that. I just leave it up to them. What I am going put my time in (to), is how we can coach them better and how we can play better.
(on quarterback Nick Foles’ arm strength)
It’s tough when you’re getting pressure and you’re going away from the opposite direction in the pocket to throw back across your body. I mean, that is tough on anyone. It is a lot easier when you’re stepping up and things are over the middle to try to throw it to. I saw it that way. I might be wrong though.
(on considering changing who is coordinating the defense)
No.
JAGUARS QUARTERBACK NICK FOLES
(on how he feels following today’s game)
Yeah, I mean just plain and simple we got beat. You know, Tennessee came out and really gave it to us. Big thing is obviously it didn’t go our way. We did everything we could to keep fighting till the end, but they flat out just beat us and they played a great game tonight.
(on how he feels physically)
Yeah, I’m comfortable out there. I’m comfortable throwing. I’m comfortable playing.
(on missing on a couple of big plays to his wide receivers early in the game)
It’s part of the game. Sometimes those fifty-fifty balls where guys make a great catch are made, and sometimes they’re not. But, that’s why you keep firing away and keep trusting your guys. Ultimately, we kept playing and kept fighting. We didn’t give up. It didn’t go our way, but this is the tough part about the game. This is where character is built within an organization and a team. I mean, it’s like I said last week, you either give up or you keep moving forward. Everyone’s going to be negative and everyone’s going to ask all these questions because that’s you all’s job. I get it. I’m not going to sit here and be upset about it, but at the end of the day, my job is to continue to keep a positive attitude within the locker room and continue to lead these guys, and I’m not the only one leading. You have to go through trials to build character, and that’s what we’re doing right now. It’s not fun, it’s not fun to go out there and get beat like that. It plainly sucks, but that’s the situation we’re in right now. We as men, we as people, we as players who care about one another, have to keep moving forward, have to keep working, have to keep loving one another. Because, at the end of this thing, if you can keep growing through these character moments, these tough moments, that’s where you build something special. It just does not happen. Everyone wants it just to happen. It just doesn’t. That’s not part of life. You have to go through these things, and, that’ll be my message to the team, is we have to keep moving. I don’t know what’s going to happen win or lose. We can’t worry about that. We just have to keep working and keep believing in one another and we’ll see where we’re at, at the end of it. But, this is a trial we’re going under. It is. And, it’s not going to be easy. It’s going to be tough for a lot of guys. But, the other guys, we have to pull each other and we have to keep moving in the right direction.
(on the Jaguars third quarter struggles the last two games)
I mean, I’ve definitely played games like that. My senior year of college was a little bit like that. You know, same thing, didn’t go our way, but we kept fighting and that’s the message. I look back at that trial that year, and it helped me grow as a human being to continue to go out there and play when we just got smacked in the mouth, when you
keep getting hit, when it’s not there. Getting back up and continuing to fight for the man next to you. There’s just something about that, that at the end of all this you build something special. Hopefully, someday you can look back once you’ve had success after going through these trials and you’re not going to look at the trophy. You’re going to look at the people you did it with, and say, ‘Man, this is special because of what we went through to get there.’ Not, ‘Oh man, this is a shiny trophy that just happened.’ No, that comes after a lot of trials and a lot of character-building moments within a locker room, and that’s what we’re going through.
(on dealing with players or coaches who might not make it to the end of the journey)
That is the tough part, and I think that you can’t live life out of fear. You can’t live in fear of losing your job, fear of what people are going to say. We’re ultimately in a game in the limelight where we’re going to be criticized. You do really well, you’re going to be praised. You do really bad, you’re going to be ridiculed. That’s part of it. That’s why I always try to tell young players, ‘Don’t read the articles,’ and that’s, once again, nothing against you all. That is your job, just like my job is to continue to help this team and continue to build this character. But, it goes back to you can’t have fear in anything you do, and it will creep in at times, but you have to learn how to get rid of it, and I think that is a human thing. It is. I mean, everyone’s had fear of losing their jobs, and it doesn’t do you any good to have that fear, does it?
(on what he missed most when he was forced to miss games with injury earlier this season)
You know, when you’re injured, it’s a trial. I knew the good Lord, when I fractured my collar bone, it was a trial I was going to have to go through. Because, ultimately you get here, you’re excited, you’re out there playing, you go through training camp, you go through OTAs, you go through all that and it’s (gone) like that. And, the thing you miss is just being in the huddle. Being in moments like this, even ones where you get smacked in the face and you lose. You miss it because this is ultimately what tests your character as a human being. Like, it’s easy to complain, and whine, and go put your head down, but it’s really hard to continue to keep your head up and continue to love one another and continue to be positive. It’s very hard. This is what I miss, moments like this where you just get punched in the face and you have to sit in front of reporters and you have to answer questions, because this is where you get tested, this is where you grow. And that will always be my message, it always has been my message. I’m going to keep pushing forward. These guys are going to keep pushing forward, and we’ll see where we’re at, at the end of this journey.
(on his motivation to keep pushing forward)
Ultimately, it’s my faith in God. It’s my relationship with Jesus. But, I understand, like I said before, it’s not about prosperity. It’s about going through stuff like this. I have to go through things like this and lean on a savior because I can’t handle it. It’s very difficult. But, at the end of the day it’s just simple – love casts out all fear. That’s why I always talk about love, loving one another. I know there’s going to be negative things said, but quite frankly I don’t care, because it doesn’t matter. I know what does matter and I’m going to focus on that, and that’s my relationship with Christ.
JAGUARS DEFENSIVE LINEMAN CALAIS CAMPBELL
(on the Jaguars defense allowing three straight 200-yard rushing games)
It’s very frustrating. We worked hard and prepared like we were supposed to, but it was like we played one half of good football. We haven’t played a complete game, and it sucks because I know how good we can be, but it’s a matter of results. You can’t mix effort with results. Potential and what you can be doesn’t mean that’s what you are.
(on Jacksonville’s three losses in a row)
We can’t take back these losses, they happened. It sucks because they are division games. We’ve had our opportunities to put ourselves in position to have a chance at the big dance, but we lost them. We have to put them behind us and move on to be the best we can be.
(on how the team felt at halftime and how the game got away from them in the third quarter)
We felt really good at halftime. Obviously, we would have preferred to have them at zero, but (Ryan) Tannehill made a great play. He found a way to find the end zone on a boot. It is what it is, you have to tip your hats to them. They fought hard and made more plays than we did.
(on what the teams needs to do to finish the season strong)
I know this team is going to keep fighting, there isn’t any quit in us. We don’t like losing, especially the way we have, but we are going to keep playing. Hopefully we can play some good ball and have a winning season and get lucky. Right now, it stings a little and the flight home won’t be fun, but we will grade the tape and get back to playing ball. We can’t let this end our season. We still have a chance at 9-7, and that has gotten you in the playoffs before. I’m going to fight until the end and until there is no zeros left on the clock, and I know my guys will keep fighting too. Don’t expect us to lay down and quit.
JAGUARS CORNERBACK A.J. BOUYE
(on the start of the second half and how the game got away from them)
That was a good job by the Titans and (Mike) Vrabel trusting in the run. At certain times as a corner, the most frustrating thing is to know a route is coming and you are yelling because you know where your help is supposed to be, and it’s not there. It’s a mix of everything. We aren’t doing the things we need to be for 60 minutes. We’ve been starting off fast in the first halves, but not in the second. I told my DB coach straight up, ‘We put up 20 points on offense, that’s more than enough.’
(on if the team feels prepared entering games at this point in the season)
I felt prepared. It just frustrates me when you see something in practice and you know somebody is going to be there, and then it doesn’t happen in a game. As a defense we did a good job of stopping the run in the first half, but they kept chipping away at it. Adjustments weren’t where they needed to be. It’s safe to say we didn’t win any phase of the game today. They dominated and that’s a good job by them. We have to find a way to win here.
JAGUARS RUNNING BACK LEONARD FOURNETTE
(on the disappointment of going losing three straight in the division)
It’s very (disappointing). The playoff chances are probably out. Tough loss today. You can’t really put it into words. The plays we needed we didn’t make on both sides of the football. But like I told the guys, this is a stepping stone for a lot of us. We work our (expletive) off during practice the entire season. We didn’t get the results that we wanted or that we needed. But my spirits are kind of high. It’s not about the touchdowns or any of that. But the talk I had last week with my dad and Marcus Allen. It always could be worse.
(on the importance of leading by example right now)
It is very important. It is just who I am. Despite everything that I did in past years, I have always been a leader no matter what. I think during this time it is kind of difficult to really exemplify that and show that to the guys, especially being in a losing point like the two games being very frustrated not getting the ball. But the talk I had with those two guys kind of put everything in perspective for me, not just as a football player, but as a human and a father. I have a lot to be grateful for. Number one God keeping me healthy this season. My kids – I have a very supportive family. Everything plays a big part into what I have going on right now.
(on the holding calls in the first half stalling momentum for the offense)
I disagree with a couple of those calls. But like I said, everything doesn’t go your way. It’s just tough. We were setting ourselves up to be successful with the 40-yard run, or however long it was, and to have it called back. I looked at the replay, and to me it wasn’t a hold, but like I said the refs, that’s their job to do what they do.
(on what happened in the third quarter)
Derrick (Henry) broke the long run. Probably someone was out of their spot. It happens. Nobody is perfect. I am not going to put it all on Coach Doug (Marrone) because he coaches us. We are out there as a whole with each other each and every week and we should know our assignments and stuff like that. It’s tough right now. One of those seasons. Look at the Bears. They were in the playoffs last year. Their record is not too good either. A lot of teams that were top tier last year are struggling right now. It’s just one of those seasons, but it happens for a reason.
JAGUARS WIDE RECEIVER CHRIS CONLEY
(on the frustrations following the big third quarter for the Titans)
I think there’s just frustration across the board. I can tell you that these guys work extremely hard during the week. I have seen the work that the guys have put in. We have been pushing each other and we just haven’t come out here
and translated that. It’s extremely frustrating. We did let it get away from us. Coming out in the second half they jumped up. But the thing that I have said is that regardless of what the score was, the guys kept fighting. They kept playing. I am proud of that.
(on the penalties hurting the offensive momentum in the first half)
We had some big penalties. Our penalty yardage at the half was a lot. You don’t want that to happen. That is on us. We have to eliminate those penalties so that those big runs like the one Leonard (Fournette) had would stand and we get points out of those drives.
(on where the breakdown is right now)
Self-inflicted wounds I believe is part of it. Some of the penalties and some of the plays that we had picked up and some of the guys not getting to the right spot and not converting. We have to be able to finish when we get down in the red zone when we get those things going. We can’t wait until late in the game to do it.
