JAGUARS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR JOE CULLEN
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021
(Opening Statement) “[I’ll] tell you what, [there’s a] really good football team getting ready to play in our stadium. [49ers Head Coach] Coach [Kyle] Shanahan, way back from when we had to play his dad [former NFL coach Mike Shanahan], [former NFL coach] Coach [Gary] Kubiak out of the same family, they do a great job running the football. They do a great job with their play action. We have our hands full. [49ers WR] Deebo Samuel, he’s a tailback, he’s a great wide receiver. [49ers TE George] Kittle, you know what he can do. He’s as good a tight end as there is, blocking and receiving and yards after catch. We have our hands full there. Juice, number 44 [49ers FB Kyle Juszczyk], I was with him in Baltimore, Pro Bowl fullback slash everything. He goes out and plays wide receiver, he runs the ball, he even comes in and takes quarterback sneak snaps. They do a great job trying and getting you off balance and doing things. They’re getting big people to throw the ball, they’re getting little people to look like big personnel, so we have our hands full. They’re going to come in and run the football and try to get the ball on the perimeter, try to get the ball in the middle of the field to their play makers, so we have our hands full. Recapping last game, I thought the guys, we have to start better, start faster. I think when we get down 17 to nothing, I think they made a decision that that was it, they weren’t going to get anymore and we kept fighting, kept scratching. We wanted to just try to get a way to get the game into the fourth quarter with a chance to win the game and all three phases did that. It wasn’t just defense; offense had some really good drives. We just have to find a way to take the ball like we did the week before and keep improving and playing better. With that, I’ll open it up to questions.”
(On the plan to defend 49ers TE George Kittle) “I know this, you can get to him, and he still splits. They move him around, they put him out at number one, they put him at three, put him in the backfield. We just have to play tight coverage on him and play inside of him, outside of him. He does a really good job
at the catch point where he turns around and you are basically a little bit out of position. He positions well, like a basketball player. But the big thing he does, like when he catches the ball, he gets a lot of yards after contact, so you have to tackle him. You limit the yards after contact because as good a job as anybody after he catches the ball.”
(On defending a dual threat like 49ers WR Deebo Samuel) “You look back when I was here before, [Head Coach] Coach [Urban] Meyer had [former Gators and Vikings WR] Percy [Harvin], they were doing it in Minnesota. He’d be out there in Z, but next thing you know he’s the tailback. It looks like empty, he comes back in the backfield, they throw tosses, crack flips. So you are in pass defense, now they’re running the ball, and they’re [the 49ers] doing the same thing. We do some of that. I mean you look at what we’ve done with our guys. It’s difficult, but I mean you just have to be ready for it, have your antennas up and be able to play the kind of look that you get.”
(On the adjustments during the last three quarters of the game against the Colts) “Well I think when you’re looking at the game, I mean the first run went for close to like 40. I think it was 34. We were in good position, Malcom [Brown] was doing a [good job]. In fact, I thought our guys did a great job on
[Colts C/G Quenton] Nelson and the center [Colts C Ryan Kelly]. I thought we really did and that was our big focal point was knocking him back. Malcom even on that play did a great job. Just right when they came off, he split it, we missed a tackle, and then the effort though to make sure he didn’t go the distance, which he had been doing, enabled us to play the next play. So, there were two or three runs like that, and after that, I thought our guys settled down and we were physical upfront, guys were in their gaps. When he did break a 5,6-yarder, we tackled him, so that was really the big difference. We did a few things, nothing that we haven’t done before. We moved the front around a little bit, but it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. We just played it better.”
(On the pass rush in recent games) “I think when you at it, it was like okay, we rushed well against Buffalo, but they didn’t have this guy in, they didn’t have that guy in. It doesn’t matter who plays, you have to still rush. I think our rush and coverage are really working well together. The defensive backs and the underneath coverage are getting their depth and making the quarterback maybe hold the ball a little bit and then our rush is getting there. We’re getting great pocket collapse is what you call it from Roy [Robertson-Harris], from Taven [Bryan], from Jihad [Ward], and from Malcom [Brown], from DaVon [Hamilton]. All those guys are doing a great job and I think that’s what’s really helped. Our edge guys were getting pressure, but now we’re starting to get that push up the middle. Then you mix in a pressure or two when you want to blitz and then the blitzes are coming home.”
(On CB Tyson Campbell’s confidence growing with more starts) “I thought he really played an excellent game. He was physical. He had one of the ones Gene mentioned, he had a touchdown saving tackle. It wasn’t on the real long one, it was like [a] 15-yarder, it was one of the second runs. He came from his corner position and knifed him down, which some guys in weeks past, that was going the distance. But I think he’s playing tighter in his coverage. Then even the one where Myles [Jack] had the hit on the quarterback, [Colts QB Carson] Wentz made a nice throw, and he just went and tomahawked the ball and that gives a young guy a lot of confidence against a pretty good player. If he can continue to keep developing and he gets better and better … It’s not easy to come in and start in this league as a corner. We had [Ravens CB] Marlon Humphrey, he didn’t start and he’s one of the best corners in the league. He didn’t start as a rookie, moved him around, had to play, started some games, then he played nickel, then he moved back outside.”
(On the defense carrying themselves different after recent success) “No, I think even throughout the year, there were times, like I said last week, they really played well. But now, we have to put four quarters together and they did that obviously against Buffalo. We didn’t start well [against the Colts], but then they drew the line in the sand and said enough is enough and let’s get the ball back for the offense. I just think as they continue to grow, continue to play with one another within the system, they’re just getting better and feeling more comfortable with what they’re doing. They’re playing physical and fast. When you know what to do, you can play fast.”
(On the physicality of the defense in recent games) “I think all year they’ve been physical. There hasn’t been a team that said we’re just going to bloody your nose and knock you. Even the Tennessee game until the last four-minute drive, [it was] real good. I mean the guys we’ve added upfront, Malcom Brown’s as physical as they get. He’s been like that. Ham [DT DaVon Hamilton] inside as a nose, he’s physical. Those two guys really had great knock backs. Roy [Robertson-Harris] and Taven [Bryan] and AG [DL Adam Gotsis] do a great job inside of that. I think our ends are really doing a great job setting the edge. I think I said it before, getting Damien Wilson has a thumper in the middle, now you have 250- pound MIKE [linebacker] that strikes people, then obviously Myles [Jack] has always done that. We’re tackling well, so I think our physicality is one of our strengths.”
(On the defensive front’s growth throughout the season) “Yeah, I thought as the season [went on], we were going to get better and better. Unfortunately, it took a little longer than we wanted, but I just think that’s really helping. The guys are getting a feel for one another, how to rush together in terms of talking about pass rush scheme, how to rush with one another. You can have four great rushers and everyone’s doing their own thing, nothing works. It takes four to get to the quarterback, not just one. You can have a great rusher and they chip them, but when all four start doing what the plan wants them to do and they start doing that, [it works]. The big thing, yeah, I think we’re being physical inside and that’s really helped. Tosh, [Defensive Line Coach] Coach Lupoi, and [Assistant Defensive Line] Coach [Sterling] Lucas, those guys have done a great job, [Outside Linebackers Coach] Coach [Zachary] Orr, with all those guys, honing them in and getting to the quarterback. Again, I think the coverage has really helped as well.”
JAGUARS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR DARRELL BEVELL
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021
(On what it is going to take to get the offense going) “It starts with execution; I think it is the biggest thing for us. That is really our focus this week. Being on our details and being able to execute, so whatever we need to do from our part as coaches to be able to help them get to that area is something that we are really focusing on.”
(On limiting the drops) “Yes, it is just continued emphasis. We really work on it every single day. Sometimes, I think it can be almost a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you harp on something too much, then you draw too much attention to it. Like I said all time, all these guys are professional catchers and they are receivers for a reason and their job is to catch the ball. We expect them to catch it and then we will do everything we can to help them with all the drill work. We do that every day and it has to be something that can not get in their head either if you know what I am talking about.”
(On not practicing with the jug machine when there are some drops) “Well if you are out there early, I mean you see every day all these guys are on the jug machine. You know, so all the things that we need to do that they are doing, we are doing. There are other things that we can still harp on and usually what we emphasize is what we get. That is what I always tell these guys and the harder they work at something and emphasize in one area then usually you get it. We will just continue to do that. There is little things, I mean all kinds of drills and drill work, putting things on the football and all of the things to get their focus on to it.”
(On getting WR Laviska Shenault Jr. more involved) “We are doing things to put him into position to get the ball. We are going to make even more adjustments with that and just continue to hunt ways to get it to him. You know sometimes the defense has stuff to say about it when you are just sending him down the field, so you can see some of the other things that we have tried to do with it and we will keep working in that area.”
(On the reason for putting WR Laviska Shenault Jr. on the outside) “Well when you look at the makeup of the receiver room, you know we felt like so when we lost DJ [Chark Jr.] we really needed a guy to go outside. When you look at the group, our preference is to have a bigger guy that goes outside that holds down that x position. We have a little more of f’s on our team. You know with [Jamal] Agnew, Agnew was coming on with Tavon [Austin] with those type of guys that are really more of the inside guys. It was more out of necessity. Not sure it helps Laviska that much and so we will continue to move those guys around and work them at different spots and get [Laviska Shenault] back inside at times. Agnew has been doing a really nice job for us you know and has some explosive capabilities as well, but I think it was more the personnel that we had that drove that to put him on the outside.”
(On putting things on the football to help with catching) “Like you know you draw numbers or write numbers on the football, you can paint it colors so that as they are focusing on the ball it is like ‘hey that is a red dot, or hey that is a two, or that is a five’ as they are catching it and just really put their focus on the ball. Sometimes guys will, they are so confident in their hands that if you watch, their hands will go like that [demonstrating] and then their eyes will start to leave before they finish the catch. Eyes to the tuck is something that we talk about all the time. When you put, you can draw numbers on there, or whatever you want to put on there to have their focus come back and say, ‘Hey that was a two that was on the ball.’
(On drawing on the ball recently or if it is something they have done all year) “Yeah, we have done it. If you look in some of the bags there is balls on there that have those. All different kinds of numbers to really work on their focus of eyes to the tuck.”
(On catching the ball and then telling the coach what the number was) “Yeah, you did not do it very well. You just kind of went like that [demonstrating]. You have to look at it to see what that is. Eyes to the tuck. If you watch a lot of those drops it is because they start to turn away just because of the confidence in their hands. If I am catching that ball, it would be like oh the Jags logo [demonstrating], so that you are looking that thing all the way in.”
(On the confidence of QB Trevor Lawrence) “I think he is fine. I mean the guy is, one, confident in his abilities, confident in the guys that are around him and really the struggles that we are having on offense is not one person. It is all of us and all of us will get it fixed together, starting with me. That is the first thing I told the guys when they came in here on Monday. It starts with me; I have to help them and then they have to help themselves as well. We have to work together.”
(On what you can do to help QB Trevor Lawrence when things are not going well) “Well I think the important thing is that each guy focuses on his own area. You know you cannot worry about how many drops are happening or what is going on with the protections. It is what can I do and if each guy is doing that and taking care of his business then we will have everyone functioning at a high-level.”
(On how rare it is to find a guy like WR Deebo Samuel) “I do not know how hard to find. You can find guys with the skillset, but I think it is the coaches being able to use them. I think Kyle [Shannahan] does a great job of putting those guys into positions. Sometimes, what happens to coaches a lot is you want to see what will happen if you put this guy here, how is the defense going to react? Sometimes you do not know what exactly is going to happen and I think sometimes coaches fall into that where you like to know what you are going to get from the other side. They are going to react this way and so not as willing to do it at times. Sometimes you just have to say, I think this is what is going to happen and go with it. For example, the play we put [Jamal] Agnew in the backfield. We were able to get a nice play and they cooperated and lined up in a good way for us and we end up getting a good play. We have guys like that, more guys like that on our team like Laviska [Shenault] is one of those guys, Agnew is one of those guys. You really want to have the ball in their hands and what is the easiest way to give it to him, sometimes it is to hand it to him.”
(On RB Travis Etienne being like WR Deebo Samuel) “He would have been that kind of guy, yes.”
(On the comparison between WR Deebo Samuel and WR Percy Harvin) “Yeah, without a doubt. Percy Harvin coming in the league, he was Rookie of the Year for us in Minnesota. Super-fast, very very tough, flexible, he could catch the ball and you could hand it to him out of the backfield. He could really run any type of run. You know sometimes with the guys do you want to run them inside between the tackles or do you want to run them to the outside and Percy was one of those guys you could run any style of run with him as well and I see them do those kinds of things with Deebo.”
