FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
TITANS HEAD COACH MIKE VRABEL
Jaguars vs. Titans
Postgame Media Availability
Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021
Q. I’m sure there’s some stuff that you want to clean up.
MIKE VRABEL: Absolutely.
Q. Good to be able to extend the lead over the division?
MIKE VRABEL: I think (it’s) really good; just to be able to do some things that are really positive, to mask some of the stuff that is just going to cause you to lose, which we all know what those are. The poor fundamentals, poor tackling, penalties, you know, protection issues. Not giving Derek [Henry] enough room in the run game. Just a lot of things, and that starts with me, and it has also got be on the players. (We got to) go out there and know what to do, play fundamentally sound. But when we had to have plays, we had them. Impressive to be able to go out there and get a stop when we did, impressive to be able to take the football and control it the way we did.
Q. I know you’re looking for defense to make plays. Got an early turnover. Got a big goal line stop and got a turnover late. How key was that?
MIKE VRABEL: The one late. That’s how that goes. But start the game like that, with a hammer and a bang bang play, fantastic. But there’s just too many things, and I know that the players will echo this sentiment. Just too many things that we have to clean up and be better. We have to stop the run. We have to go get off blocks, set edges, not dive and go off the diving board and miss tackles. That’s what it comes down to in the run game, lining up and trying to beat somebody and shed and make tackles. So give them credit.
Q. What did you make of the way the game [Todd Downing] called today? Seemed like there was a lot of creativity.
MIKE VRABEL: All the credit goes to the players. Watch all 16 games from this week, a lot of the players are going to look the same. It’s the players are the ones that make it go. It’s cover one, cover two, cover three, cover four, so on and so on, zone right, zone left. Gap scheme. Mix in some zone read. There’s a lot of plays that are similar. And what happens in this league is that when guys know things like they understand what’s being asked of them to do or they’re taught well and they can go in there with some confidence, that’s what makes it go. That’s what makes it play call. That is how it’s always been. I know this is your first year with us. You know, guy calls a play. You have to go in the huddle, and at that point in time it’s up to the 11 guys in the huddle, the quarterback to echo it. And I thought we did that a fantastic job down in the red zone. We got in and out of the huddle. Plays were designed how we thought they would be but ultimately Ryan [Tannehill] had to get guys the football and when it wasn’t there, we went fast and ended up getting Pru [MyCole Pruitt] wide open. And Ryan was able to see it. Credit to Todd, I guess, great call but the execution by the players. So that’s what it comes down to.
Q. And from a design perspective, there were more bunches and more stacks, how much does that go into the guys running freely because it seemed like they were doing it a lot more today. MIKE VRABEL: I mean just trying to create ways to get guys open and catch and run and hold up in protection. Even Jeremy [McNichols] helped us out there on third down catch and run. Marcus Johnson, it was good to have him back out there. Everybody that contributed to this victory.
Q. How much was it to kind of stay in the fight? Seemed like both sides took turns early jabbing and you guys kind of wore them down in that 17-0 scoring splurge in the middle of the game? MIKE VRABEL: I think that’s a lot how it goes, especially in this league and this division. They’re a talented football team, and we’re going to have to move on here to another very good football team, but that’s kind of how it goes. You go to stick around, and you have to be willing to take some punches in this league to stick around. Like no front runners. Front runners shouldn’t show up because guys aren’t going to go away. Teams aren’t going to will it on their own. You’re going to have to continue to push and pound them until you get some breaks.
Q. And the play at the goal line. You have to watch the film, but seems like Clark penetrated? MIKE VRABEL: Yeah, from my knuckle that he punched it, felt like [Teair] Tart was very impactful in that play and that’s the expectation for Teair. We can’t have the same — we can’t have higher expectations for him than he has for himself, and I don’t think that’s the case. But we’ve always seen something in him. And Big T has always seen something in him, from the junior college journey for however many places that was. And we just keep coaching him and teaching him and focusing on his conditioning, because we understand that that’s the type of impact that he can make and the type of plays that he can help us make.
Q. You mentioned Marcus Johnson. He’s having a great camp and then he has the injury and all that kind of stuff. You mentioned how good it was to see him perform and help you guys out today. Just wanted you to touch a little more on what it was like to see him out there today playing? MIKE VRABEL: Yeah. It was great. He’s a fluid mover. The quarterback really developed some trust in him during training camp where a lot of those relationships are formed. And, again, when you go in IR (injured reserved), you’re limited on what you can do. So, he can be engaged in the meetings but he’s not catching any passes from Ryan. So, the ability to get him back practicing last week in a limited role and then this week, they did plenty of work to be ready for today.
Q. From your experience with Urban [Meyer] in college, when did he sort of learn to make that transition?
MIKE VRABEL: I can only coach one team at a time. I’m focused on the Titans.
Q. What happened on the delay of game in the first half?
MIKE VRABEL: We didn’t snap it in time. Got a lot of moving parts. Guys are in, guys are out. Trying to focus on a different lineup. You know what I mean, a group of receivers and tight ends. But we got to get the personnel right and we got to communicate that and get the right group out there, and that starts with me. And we just — those are all things we got to clean up. There’s a long list of stuff. You’d rather be able to do that after a victory than you would a loss.
Q. The 58-yard run that [James] Robinson had was that just a matter shooting the wrong gap or what happened there?
MIKE VRABEL: Just a lot of things. Again, we can always go back to when we stopped the run. Edge. Good edge. There’s a wall. There’s no creases and guys are swarming and looked to me like there was a crease,
and that’s not going to leave good results. (We) have to get that fixed and corrected and move on to next week.
Q. What have you learned about this team over five years? Distinct from previous years even though there are some things.
MIKE VRABEL: I think that they’re going to compete. You know what I mean? They’re going to compete. They’re going to fight. They have high expectations. High expectations of themselves. I mean, I’ve learned I love coaching them. I love coming to work every day and coaching them and building relationships. We’re going to learn that we got to get better, too. Thanks.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
TITANS QB RYAN TANNEHILL
Jaguars vs. Titans
Postgame Media Availability
Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021
Q. How big was it to get [WR] A.J. [Brown] back? Especially in the red zone?
RYAN TANNEHILL: Yeah, It’s great. Obviously, we love having A.J. out there. He’s a playmaker, so if we can get him out there, we’re going to be thankful for it and he’s going to make plays. So glad to have him back out there today.
Q. You guys were able to convert a lot of third downs, especially in the first half to keep drives going. How critical was that?
RYAN TANNEHILL: Yeah, it was huge. I think it’s big every week. Right? Just being able to sustain those drives, getting the third downs and being able to convert, keep those drives going and get a chance to sustain that drive and put points on the board. So, [I’m] proud of our guys. [We] felt like we came up with a good plan and then executed it well in those third downs.
Q. You guys take punches. You kind of went back and forth. You guys had 17 unanswered at one point. How important is it just to kind of stay in the fight, weather the storm, and do you feel like you guys did a good job at that?
RYAN TANNEHILL: Yeah, no doubt. It’s a tough league, right? Nothing is going to come easy. So [we’ve] got to stay out there, battle, stay together. If something doesn’t go your way or things are going your way, it doesn’t really matter. You’ve got to stay the course and keep pushing forward.
Q. We saw how much you and WR Marcus Johnson were able to get on the same page throughout the course of training camp. How good was it to have him out there today and have that materialize in front of everybody?
RYAN TANNEHILL: It was great to have Marcus [Johnson] out there. A guy—like you mentioned—was big for us during training camp. I built a lot of chemistry with him. I had some sideline adjustments, and we were able to go out and execute on the field. Made a big play over the middle, which was huge for us getting a drive going on an explosive. So great to have Marcus back out there for sure.
Q. Do you like seeing that from a guy that had a great camp, then all of a sudden he had the injury and he’s able to come in and be ready to go on a day like today?
RYAN TANNEHILL: It’s huge. Whenever you have guys that you’ve built up reps with that have been away and then they’re able to step right in and pick up where they left off, it’s huge and gives us more depth and guys that we can create matchups for and get open.
Q. It was another really good day for RB Derrick Henry. Are you guys kind of like at a point where you’re just saying that’s just Derrick being Derrick? Despite very week you say he’s with this Hall-of-Famer or that Hall-of-Famer. Do you ever take that he’s just doing what he’s doing?
RYAN TANNEHILL: Yeah, Derrick [Henry] does a great job pretty much every week. You look at what he’s done over the course of his career, especially the last three years. He’s big, he’s physical, he’s tough, he runs hard and he’s durable. So, it’s fun to be able to play with him for sure.
Q. OT Taylor [Lewan] mentioned that in years past when you guys would get up against the Jaguars defense, they would sort of give up. He gave them credit for continuing to fight today. Did you see that? What differences do you see from when you played them in years past?
RYAN TANNEHILL: I don’t know. It’s tough to sit here and compare to years past, but definitely have respect for the way they played. They came out and played us hard, played us tough, and they weren’t giving up anything easy for sure.
Q. Do you feel like Coach [Todd] Downing is kind of getting into a groove? Pretty good play-calling the last couple of weeks. Do you feel like he’s in a groove as far as play-calling and design? RYAN TANNEHILL: Yeah, I feel like Todd [Downing] has done a really good job so far this year. I think that sometimes as players we haven’t executed well, especially down in the red zone, and that’s on us. But Todd’s done a good job of putting drives together, getting us marching down the field and giving us opportunities. In my opinion, he’s done a great job.
Q. You have 20-something guys on the injury report just last week. To be sitting here 3-2, you take some pride in the fact that you all have overcome a good bit so far?
RYAN TANNEHILL: Yeah, no doubt, we’ve overcome a lot. I think it’s football; right? So, guys are going to get banged up, but we’ve had some stretches where we’ve had a lot of guys banged up. And anytime that happens it really tests your depth of your team, and guys have stepped in. We’ve had guys—Corey Levin stepped in today and played a bunch of snaps for us up front when Rodger [Saffold] went down. So, just having that plug-and-play mentality that no matter who is out there, we have to rise to the occasion and make something happen. It’s been a pillar of this program and hopefully we can carry it forward.
Q. One drive you had maybe six different guys touch the ball, couple of handoffs, couple of catches. How much energy does that bring to the team and maybe to the huddle when you have so many people involved?
RYAN TANNEHILL: Well, that—it includes everybody, right? When you get multiple people touching the ball, everyone feels like they’re involved and you’re sustaining that drive, so you’re building momentum as you move down the field and getting everyone excited. So, there were some really fun points today where you could feel the momentum building within the huddle and we were able to sustain those drives and get points.
Q. Are we going to see Derrick walk in here with an Aggie hat? Did he lose a bet yesterday? RYAN TANNEHILL: He lost a bet. I should have made it [him] wearing an [Texas] A&M jersey into here. But I don’t think he’ll be wearing that.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
TITANS WR A.J. BROWN
Jaguars vs. Titans
Postgame Media Availability
Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021
Q. Your ability as an offense to stay on the field and convert those third downs, how big was that today and how much do you think that affected your game?
A.J. BROWN: Whenever you can stay on the field and convert third downs, those guys on the other side, they get tired. So we keep the drives going, and that’s huge and that’s the money down. That’s what we call it.
Q. You’ve fought through injuries before. How important was it for you to be able to go for a divisional game?
A.J. BROWN: It was big for me. I didn’t get as many snaps as I wanted, but I was on the snap count, and I was just trying to do what they wanted me to do today. Just being out there. We got the win, so that’s important.
Q. Did you feel like yourself and do you feel like as the weeks progress that you will be more like yourself but you’re not there yet?
A.J. BROWN: I’m not there yet, to be honest. Soon. Maybe. Hope so. But I’m not there yet.
Q. How important is it to win, coming after the loss last week? I know you would have liked to have played more, but just to change the subject and try to get the momentum going into Buffalo. A.J. BROWN: Whenever you get a division win, no matter what their record is, in the NFL, it’s hard to win in the league. It gives us momentum. It gives us some confidence. We’ve got to go back and clean up the little stuff we didn’t do well on, but we’ve got a big game Monday night against Buffalo. They’re a good team.
Q. How do you like some of the things (offensive coordinator) Coach (Todd) Downing is doing to get you guys open?
A.J. BROWN: He did a good job today. A lot of bunch — I know you’re not supposed to talk about scheme, so I’m going to end that question right there. I’m sorry. He did a great job today.
Q. How does Coach Downing help you as a wide receiver?
A.J. BROWN: Whenever he can draw up plays for us, take some load off us, it’s huge.
Q. A.J., you obviously have high expectations for yourself, and everybody has high expectations for you as well. With that in mind, how difficult has it been this season to get over the issues and try to be what you’re expected to be?
A.J. BROWN: To be honest, right now, I’m not going to lie, it’s difficult. I’m glad we got the win. But for me, I expect more out of myself. I expect better out of myself, and I’ve got to do a better job. I’ve got to get going.
Q. How good was it to see a guy like Marcus Johnson contribute like he did today? A.J. BROWN: He did a great job today. He came up big for us.
Q. I think it was one drive that you guys spread the ball and a lot of guys caught it. How much energy does it bring to the huddle and the sideline when you got so many guys involved? A.J. BROWN: We were rotating pretty well. So, of course, Ryan (Tannehill) did a good job of finding guys, and Todd (Downing) calling plays and getting guys touches and making plays. So whenever everybody can keep the drive going, that’s big.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
TITANS S KEVIN BYARD
Jaguars vs. Titans
Postgame Media Availability
Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021
Q. How did it feel to pick up the ball and see nothing but the end zone in front of you? KEVIN BYARD: Felt great, man. [I] got my first NFL touchdown. It’s been a long time coming. I just decided to make a play. I mean, you guys just talked to Elijah [Molden]. He made a great play, almost like landed over top of the ball. I had to kind of grasp it and [it] just popped up and was able to sprint to the end zone. [It was] great to pop off the game like, [I] was super excited. But next the two plays, [it was a] big play and they score, so [we need to have] consistency, you know?
Q. Will they save the ball for you? And if so, what will you do with it?
KEVIN BYARD: I save all my turnovers. I mean I got a lot of them in my closet right now. Honestly, I don’t know what I’m going to do with it, but I have an idea when I retire and I get all my turnovers and stuff like that. I think I’m going to make me like a leather couch. You know what I’m saying? I got a lot, so I think I might do like a leather chair or something, some custom. I’m trying to find someone who can do something for me.
Q. Have you had a defensive touchdown before? When was the last time?
KEVIN BYARD: I didn’t have any in high school defensively, but I had four pick sixes in college. So, like I said, it’s been a long time coming. [I’m] just excited to get my first touchdown.
Q. What was the last week for you coming off the Jets game? And with that in mind, how important was it to win this game and kind of change the subject and get things going the other direction? KEVIN BYARD: I mean it was a must-win for us. This is a division game. We understand that all our division games are must-win, [they are] going to be tough. The Jets, like I said, [we] kind of came off an emotional roller coaster losing to Jets, but I kind of talked about it over the first couple of days. We had to flush it and get ready for Jacksonville Jaguars. [I’m] not going to apologize for winning. Obviously, it wasn’t pretty, wasn’t perfect at all. We got a lot of stuff we need to clean up, but happy to get a win down here in Duval.
Q. How has the defense improved on third downs?
KEVIN BYARD: Anytime we can get teams in third-and-long and keep them out of third-and-short, we’re going to be pretty successful in third down defense, like I’ve been talking about all off season. Communication has been better. The execution, the pass rush, the coverage, everything has been great. We just have to make sure that we can get them in third-and-longs. We have to be better on first and second downs. I think on those drives that you’re seeing teams are driving all the way down the field,
they’re getting big plays on first and second downs. We’re not forcing them into third-and-manageable for us, so that’s something we have to continue to improve on.
Q. Jaguars RB James Robinson had a lot of yards today. What was happening? He averaged 8.3 per carry.
KEVIN BYARD: Honestly, I think James Robinson is one of the more underrated running backs in this league. We saw him last year get over a thousand [yards]. He’ll probably get over a thousand again this year. He’s a really good running back, [has] good vision. He has real good like center of gravity, [Saints RB] Alvin Kamara like, small, compact, strong. But as a defense overall, we just didn’t tackle well enough today, gave up some big plays on missed tackles. [There’s] stuff we have to clean up.
Q. You’ve faced this Jaguars team a lot. With Trevor Lawrence at quarterback, what sort of differences do you see on their offense this year that maybe they hadn’t had before?
KEVIN BYARD: My first two years, obviously it was [former Jaguars QB] Blake Bortles and it was a really good defense. The offense really wasn’t good at all. They were kind of leaning on their defense. As of now you can see that their defense still is pretty good, but they can score points in a hurry. Trevor Lawrence, [it was] my first time playing him, but I think he’s going to be a heck of a quarterback in the league. It’s going to be exciting to play him for the years to come. But they’re going to keep getting better. We knew that they were going to be a pretty good offense and they weren’t going to lay down once we got up on them. But I think, like I said, for him and the running back [James Robinson] and [WR Laviska] Shenault Jr.], I think we did a good job of containing them at times, but just not consistently enough.
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TITANS RB DERRICK HENRY
Jaguars vs. Titans
Postgame Media Availability
Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021
Q. How important is it to weather the storm early and kind of stay in the fight? Do you feel like you guys did a good job of that?
DERRICK HENRY: Yeah. You said it perfect. Just sticking with it and trusting and believing in what we do, and going out there and finishing and trying to get in the end zone and score points. And I think those guys did a good job with that. I just had to go out there and do my job.
Q. What kind of impact does it have on you guys when the defense scores first and takes a little bit of the pressure off?
DERRICK HENRY: Yeah, it was very exciting for them to be able to get one. The coaches have been preaching about it, and they finally made it happen. More momentum for us and they did a great job.
Q. When you have games like this, do you go at (offensive coordinator) Coach (Todd) Downing and say keep feeding me or do you trust the carries to just come?
DERRICK HENRY: Nah. It just comes. I don’t really go to them and (ask them to) keep feeding me. Just run what they call.
Q. What do you see when you watch (Jaguars running back) James Robinson?
DERRICK HENRY: He’s the truth. Patient runner. It’s easy to get downhill fast. Break tackles. He’s just a really good back. I just told him to stay with it, man, just keep being great. And you see that on the field.
Q. Derrick, I saw the pregame you had a moment with the high school kid who broke your record. What was that moment like and just getting to meet the kid and share that moment with him? DERRICK HENRY: Yeah. Going back and forth on Instagram, talking to him and I knew he’d be coming to the game, being on the sideline before the game. Just happy to be able to meet him, put a face with the name and introduce myself.
Q. How did he seem to take the moment? Did his eyes light up when you came over there? DERRICK HENRY: I mean, it was quick. (We) got a picture, introduced myself. I think he came with a couple of his coaches or some of his family. (We) just got a picture. And (I’m) happy to be able to meet him, man. (The) guy that broke my record. (He) must have been running like crazy.
Q. Every win is important. Coming off of last week, how important was the win to kind of change the subject? And now you got a big one coming up in eight days in Buffalo.
DERRICK HENRY: Yeah, it’s always important to get a division win. We definitely wanted to seal this one and carry the momentum to next week, which is a big matchup with Buffalo. So we’ve got to enjoy this and get ready for the next one.
Q. When we talked to (offensive tackle) Taylor (Lewan), he said obviously the statistics are good for you guys, but he’s looking for room for improvement. How much more efficient can you guys be on the ground?
DERRICK HENRY: Really, you know, just focus on it and attack every week, wanting to be better and wanting to improve. I think Taylor said it best, how we focus on the stats or anything like that; just how can we be better than the week before and be better connected. That should be the main focus always.
Q. He said he felt like you guys left some meat on the bone. Is that something you agree with? DERRICK HENRY: Yeah, definitely. We definitely can be better. Just focus on being better than we were this week and try to focus on finishing better.
Q. How good was it to get (wide receiver) A.J. (Brown) back, get (wide receiver) Marcus (Johnson) in the huddle and then kind of continue on that, when you have so many players involved like you did today? How much do you think that gives a team a boost and maybe brings energy to the huddle on the sidelines?
DERRICK HENRY: Yeah, it’s always exciting when those guys get in there and make plays. Marcus made some big catches. A.J. got back in there. They all did a great job of catching the ball and getting up field and getting the most out of the play.
Q. Some huge games here (in Jacksonville), with four touchdowns a couple years ago, three today. Is there something in it that inspires you when you’re back in Duval?
DERRICK HENRY: No. I treat it as another game and try to come and play to win. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
TITANS WR MARCUS JOHNSON
Jaguars vs. Titans
Postgame Media Availability
Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021
Q. How good was it to be back out there? I know you’ve worked hard to get to this point. MARCUS JOHNSON: It felt good. All glory to God. I’m just thankful to be back. You know what I mean? Earning that trust in training camp, just fighting my way back during IR (Injured Reserve). I felt like it was a solid debut coming back.
Q. Do you feel like you kind of hit the ground running right where you left off? MARCUS JOHNSON: Not completely, but the biggest thing for me was just coming in and making sure the hamstring healed up. I knew the role was going to be pretty big. I was going to be moving around the offense and special teams. So, my mindset was as long as I could do whatever I can to feel good in the game, my natural ability would take place.
Q. You sound like you handled it well, but you were on such a surge during camp and preseason. How tough was it to sit back and be patient and say, ‘hey, I know my time is coming, but I got to sit out.’ Does that make it even sweeter now that you are back?
MARCUS JOHNSON: It definitely makes it sweeter. I wouldn’t say it was hard at all. I had a lot of peace when the hamstring injury happened just knowing that I was with an organization who believed in me, and I’ve shown them what I could do. So, during that IR time I just made sure that I just worked and worked, so when I came back, I was fully prepared.
Q. You had a couple of big third down catches today. How big is that to have the trust of your quarterback on the money downs?
MARCUS JOHNSON: That’s huge. That’s what we’ve practiced. You know what I mean? I think that was a big step for me last week, having a limited role, just practicing, not really sure if I would play against the [New York] Jets. But being able to come in and we commit a whole day, Thursdays, to third down. So last week, this week and then translating it to the game.
Q. How about the offense as a whole, the ability today to convert on third downs, keep drives going? MARCUS JOHNSON: That’s huge. You know what I mean? It saves us in a lot of situations to be able to drive down, connect on the field goal and then obviously go score. Those are momentum shifters, and that was what we needed, and then the big stop at the goal line for our defense. You know what I mean? Those third or fourth down situations really swing the momentum.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
TITANS T TAYLOR LEWAN
Jaguars vs. Titans
Postgame Media Availability
Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021
Q. How important is it to win after last week and are you hoping maybe you guys can maybe get the consistency moving forward to a big game against Buffalo next Monday?
TAYLOR LEWAN: Yeah, it’s important to win every single week. What happened last week, getting started too late and all that, that’s in the past now. The biggest thing was to focus on this week. And Jacksonville is a good team. I know they’re 0-5 and all of that, but I think in past experiences, and something about Jacksonville is that it wasn’t as much fight if the game got a little separated. They fought the entire game. They played hard. Their defense plays extremely hard. They have great leadership on that team. They’re going to win some games this year. I know they’re going to have a much better year than the start has been. They played hard all game, and I’m just really happy for the team to get back on track and kind of keep moving forward.
Q. When the defense scores first like they did today, what does that do to you guys on the sidelines? TAYLOR LEWAN: (Titans linebacker) Harold (Landry III) and I were talking one time and he was like, ‘Hey, when you guys go out there first and score, it makes it feel like there’s not so much pressure.’ And I think that definitely happened. Obviously, they did a great job of going down and scoring. Those guys fight, man. This is a tough place to play. They have a lot of young guys on their team that are very talented, very hungry. Just happy to get this one, get back on track playing cleaner games, getting the O-line to play better every single week. That’s the goal. And start hitting the stride. We have a big stretch coming up and a big game coming up Monday night.
Q. What can you say about the constant success Derrick (Henry) brings on the field? TAYLOR LEWAN: Yeah. This whole team loves Derrick. I love Derrick. He’s a great guy. He wants to win, he wants to play well, but he could have 20 yards and as long as we win, that’s all he cares about. I’m a huge fan of Derrick Henry. Have been for a long time, and I’m just happy he’s on our team, man. I really am. I love being around the guy. He’s a good friend. I’m really happy for him. The way he comes out and works every single week, there’s a reason why he’s captain. I voted for him as captain. I think he’s a stud. And we know what we’re capable of. And the crazy thing is, from a rushing standpoint, as an offensive line, we could do way better. We’ve played way better in the past. We’re leaving a lot of the meat on the bone right now, and we know that as an offensive line. And it’s just the continuation of every week getting a little bit better, moving a little bit further. For me every week has been making progress. Every week has been a cleaner game, being better. So for me individually, it’s just continuing to go out and do that and help Derrick get more yards and protect (Ryan) Tannehill.
Q. When you say meat on the bone, you mean like from an efficiency standpoint? TAYLOR LEWAN: Efficiency standpoint. I think we’ve played better in the past. There are times we’ve played better last year or the year before, us as a group. So I think we need to continue. (We’ve) got to
keep working at it. Guys have to keep going, coming in to work Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. It’s good to have 130 yards obviously, but we have to start faster. There’s a lot more we’re capable of as an offensive line to help Derrick be more successful and to help Ryan be more successful. I think we hold ourselves to an extremely high standard, and we’ll continue to try to work on that.
Q. Taylor, five games in with (offensive coordinator) Todd (Downing), how do you feel like the offense has grown in the short early part?
TAYLOR LEWAN: Todd’s a stud. Todd is a stud. And I think — I love Todd. We talk all the time. The way he talks to the players, the way he talks to the coaches. People want to compare him and (former Titans offensive coordinator) Arthur (Smith) all the time. I think, you know, the easiest comparison is the guys don’t have egos. They want to do whatever they possibly can to help the team. And I think when Arthur first got in, I don’t remember — was it ’19 was our first year with Arthur? I think we started 2 and 4. And he just kept working. He never wavered. He never seemed like he was panicking. And really, (it) seems that way with Todd, too, that there’s really never a panic. He’s always willing to listen. At the end of the game, I came up to him and said, ‘Hey, give me an opportunity to run left, like give me that opportunity.’ And he called a couple and a couple worked out. So I love Todd, and I think he’s doing a great job. I don’t
know how to be an OC, though, just to clarify.
Q. The ability to stay on the field for those third downs and keep drives alive, how much do you think that did to wear down the Jacksonville team?
TAYLOR LEWAN: I don’t know how much they got worn down or their mindset in those situations. I think Ryan did a great job getting the ball out of his hands. I think the offensive line for the most part did a great job passing off games. They put a lot of five guys on the field and one-on-one’d us and played a lot of games, which put us in a lot of games and really tested us. And Ryan did a great job of moving in the pocket and getting the ball out of his hand, and just (being) a complete pro right there. (It) made us look really good.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
TITANS CB ELIJAH MOLDEN
Jaguars vs. Titans
Postgame Media Availability
Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021
Q. You just got in the game and made a big play. Did you think they’d overturn it (the fumble returned for a touchdown) and when you found out it was going to stick, how much of a momentum boost was that for you guys?
ELIJAH MOLDEN: I mean, I don’t even really know what happened. Like I tackled him (Jaguars tight end Dan Arnold), and then I got up, and the next thing you know he (Titans safety Kevin Byard) was in the end zone. It all happened in a flash. When it stood, I was just happy to help out the defense and help out the team and get the game started off on the right foot.
Q. The stay-ready-so-you-don’t-have-to-get-ready mindset, how much did that apply? You didn’t get as many snaps before, but you got a bunch today.
ELIJAH MOLDEN: Yeah, 100 percent. That’s something that I’m taking ownership of, is just doing my job, owning my role right now. And then as it adjusts, like I have to embrace it 100 percent. And there’s going to be good plays that I make, there’s going to be bad plays that I make, but at the end of the day, (it’s) just on to the next play. I made the play, got to the sideline and flushed it real quick and then (went) on to the next.
Q. (Titans head coach Mike) Vrabel was saying before the game your physicality would be big today against a pretty physical offense. How much pride do you take in being a physical safety? ELIJAH MOLDEN: I take a lot of pride in it. Like, I don’t bang my head against the locker before the game. It just comes out whenever I play free, whenever I know what I’m doing, whenever I can digest the call and see the offense. After that, I can just kind of cut it loose. That’s when I make my best play. That’s when I’m stickiest in coverage and all that stuff.
Q. The defense as a whole, you get a couple of turnovers, you get a goal line stop. Also, you gave up some yards against a run. When you look back at this one, how do you like how you guys did, good and bad?
ELIJAH MOLDEN: Yeah. A lot of ups and downs. I think any win is a good win, but there’s definitely stuff to clean up in terms of communication and tackling. But we fought, we finished. That goal line stand, like seeing (Titans defensive back) Chris Jackson and everyone, (Titans linebacker) Harold (Landry III) and all those guys, make that play, I had faith in them. And obviously (it was) a huge part of the game.
Q. Elijah, has anything surprised you about the transition to the NFL so far?
ELIJAH MOLDEN: I mean, growing up with my dad and all that stuff, he gave me all the tips and reminders and stuff, but at the end of the day, like this is my life’s story that I’m living. And there’s going to be ups and downs, and in the moment of a down, it’s misery. But then eventually, you wake up one day and you’re back on the horse. You know what I mean? So I’m loving the journey so far, and I’ve learned so
much from the good plays and bad plays, especially the bad ones. So I’m just looking for what I can do, how I can help the team next week.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
TITANS DT TEAIR TART
Jaguars vs. Titans
Postgame Media Availability
Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021
Q. Can you just walk us through the goal line play in your mind and how much you think your penetration on that one kind of blew it up?
TEAIR TART: Walk you through the play? Shoot. I was just going out there just trying to help my team any way possible. My mindset was just go out there and make a play for the team.
Q. Your position to do some of the things you do, how selfless is that? You did have an impact on the game on that fourth down.
TEAIR TART: How important is it to me, just doing the little things for the team being so selfless. Like whatever helps. Whatever I need to do, whatever I can do to help the team win this. It’s my motto, man.
Q. You’re just playing but did you feel like that was a critical part of the game? TEAIR TART: Oh yeah. It was a big momentum swing for the team, them going for it on fourth down and me coming out there and making a play. It was a big momentum swing, so felt like it was a crucial moment in the game to help the team build momentum, bring some positive energy to our sideline.
Q. Did you hit knuckles with Coach Vravel on the sideline?
TEAIR TART: Yeah. I give him those little fists.
Q. What did he say about that?
TEAIR TART: His knuckle going to be a little sore for a while.
Q. The first time we talked to Vrabel about you, they always really make sure to praise your performance and how they noticed that you were going to be able to be a contributor for this defense. What does that mean to you?
TEAIR TART: It means the world, especially coming from a small school, being a free agent, not having a large amount of opportunities to play in this league. I had very few teams looking at me but coming from the coaching staff, took a chance on a young guy from Philly. I mean it’s a blessing, man. Feel honored, especially the praise they give me, man, it just speaks volumes.
Q. That route, you talk about coming from Philly, Valley Forge, military. All of that. Undrafted free agent. What is it that keeps you plugging away?
TEAIR TART: What keeps me plugging? Just my family. Just wanting better for my future, you know, for my family. Coming from JUCO, it was a lot of adversity. I just had to stick to a positive mindset, be extremely resilient. So I’d say the thing that’s kept me going the most is definitely my family and my brother.
Q. That struggle like that, does that make you more sweet?
TEAIR TART: Yes, for sure. Makes everything a lot more sweeter. Losing my brother, you know, going to school in New York, you know, going to school in Iowa. Valley Forge Military, Mississippi. You know, it’s all experience that you come to learn from. You take a little something from each and every place you’ve been and you try to apply it to your life.
Q. As a defensive tackle, how good was it to get the party started with the big hit, getting the forced fumble and then they take it in for a touchdown?
TEAIR TART: It’s very important. It’s a huge momentum swing. Like I said earlier, it’s an energy bringer. Brings a lot of momentum to our sideline. Everybody is up. Everybody is super energetic. You love seeing plays like that. It’s an energy bringer for sure.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
