HEAD COACH DOUG PEDERSON
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
MONDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2022
(On update of OL Cam Robinson) “Yeah, Cam, it’s unfortunate. Knee injury and probably lost for the
year. Good chance. The ACL was good, it’s meniscus. I hate it for him, he’s played extremely well this
season. He’s going to miss some time now.”
(On if OL Walker Little will take OL Cam Robinson’s spot) “Yes.”
(On status of OL Jawaan Taylor’s injury) “He’s fine, he’s good.”
(On what OL Walker Little showed in yesterday’s game playing in different spots) “Just that he always is
prepared, number one. He went in there with some adverse conditions against those two edge rushers
and did a nice job. We got a lot of confidence in Walker and look forward to getting him in there and
getting him going.”
(On moving players around due to injuries) “Yeah, listen. We are just in the preliminary stages of the
roster right now this week. We’ve got some decisions to make as far as if we want to activate somebody
off the practice squad or sign somebody from outside the building, so we’re in the process of doing that
right now.”
(On any other injury updates) “Jawaan [RT Jawaan Taylor] will play. Foley [DE Folorunso Fatukasi] will be
day-to-day this week on a short week with the ankle. We just got to see how he is today and tomorrow,
obviously Wednesday. We will see how that is day-to-day. Travon [OLB Travon Walker] the same way,
optimistic but day-to-day with him. Chad [LB Chad Muma] will be fine, he got a little sore in the football
game so it limited him just a little bit but he’ll be fine. Cisco [FS Andre Cisco] is good, Travis [RB Travis
Etienne Jr.] will be good. All the other guys are just nagging little things, but they should be all ready to
go.”
(On the challenge of preparing for a team in a short week) “Yeah, it’s a challenge. The number one thing
is to get healthy and get as many guys ready to go as possible for a short week with a Thursday game.
Guys are excited from the game yesterday and have a lot of energy today, so that’s a good start. This is
one of those weeks where it’s more mental as far as understanding the game plan and knowing your
role and your job. Then, you let the physical happen on Thursday night.”
(On RT Walker Little’s talent of moving spots and going against a strong offense) “I thought he did a
great job. That’s part of that role of being that swing tackle is playing both sides. He didn’t have time to
think about it, he was in there. I thought he did a good job and now he’ll get two days of preparation,
really three days, and go play on Thursday night.”
(On consideration of this team being a destiny) “I’m not thinking past Thursday, quite honestly. We got a
good football team we’re going up against Thursday night. Anything is possible, I understand that and
what we’ve done the last couple weeks in these two games. We still got a big road ahead, two division
games ahead. If we continue to improve on what we’ve done here in the last month of the season, I
think it’s possible. Again, we got a really good football team Thursday night that defensively is one of the
better defenses in the league. The quarterback yesterday threw for over 300 yards. We’ve got our work
cut out for us.”
(On theory of making QB Trevor Lawrence work through mistakes) “Well, the reason I go the other way
is that I never want to pull back. I want to keep going forward. I think the only way of going forward is to
learn through some of the mistakes and adversity as a player. It’s our as coaches to coach him through
those things; show him and not only the mistake, but where we can improve and how he can improve to
understand it. I’m always aggressive that way with a quarterback, especially Trevor [QB Trevor
Lawrence]. I think that he’s really benefited from that. You look at the first half of the season to these
last few football games and what he’s been able to do, I think it’s because we’ve been able to encourage
him moving forward and not worry about one play. Let’s move on. There are 70 plays in a football game,
you’ve got 69 others that you can make an impact on. Things like that. I’ve just always been aggressive
that way, whether it’s saying TJ [RB Travis Etienne Jr.] fumbling the ball and putting it right back in his
hands. Let him have confidence in not only him personally, but us as a staff and play callers showing the
confidence that we have in those guys to continue to make plays for us.”
(On if it’s normal for a second-year quarterback to have the leadership that QB Trevor Lawrence has) “I
don’t think it’s out of the question. Trevor [QB Trevor Lawrence] is the type of guy that things of that
stuff bother him and he’s going to learn from it and move on. I think it’s just a credit to where we are as
a football team right now, confidence that both sides and all three phases that offense and defense are
playing with. If the offense turns the ball over, the defense is like, ‘Hey, we’ll either get a stop or get the
ball back at some point.’ Same way if the defense allows a touchdown, the offense is like, ‘Hey, we got
to go score.’ It’s the complementary aspect of the game, but for Trevor, as the leader, guys really like
how he’s playing and how he’s leading, his toughness, and that goes a long way with the guys in the
locker room.”
(On what has changed from October to December) “I just think we’re just learning each and every week.
Learning from our mistakes, learning the positives. We’re not coaching any differently. Maybe running
some similar concepts offensively and defensively that we did earlier in the season where guys have
time on task. We’re just growing as a football team and the more time we spend together, the tighter
you become. I think the more you overcome some of the adverse situations, it’s just part of the growth
process of where we’ve come from and what we’ve learned from it.”
(On how to balance comeback wins and getting the team off to a faster start) “As long as we win the
game. Yeah, we want to start fast, but we also say finish faster. In these games, it might be a slow start,
but we finish fast. Again, the bottom line is winning the game, right? Every team out there wants to win
the game. It doesn’t matter, it could be for 59 minutes, it could be ugly. Then, one minute it looks great,
and you win the game. The bottom line is to win the game, but at the same time, we know we have to
either get off the field on defense and/or stay on the field offensively to not turn it over and score.”
(On the players having situational awareness to play as a smart unit) “I think that’s one of the biggest
things that this team has learned. We’ve talked about it a lot as a staff with the players, is situational
awareness and situational football. We want to be one of the top situational teams in the league and
we’ve covered a lot of ground. Our offense has been in two-minute situations almost the entire year,
where we’ve had to either come back and tie or win a game. Now, you’re seeing us win those games in
those situations. For guys like Evan [TE Evan Engram] to do what he did, catch the pass and be basically
tackled and spin himself out of bounds. Yes, I had to burn a timeout, but it was also replayed, and it was
the right call. It gave us the timeout back which was very beneficial to us. You’re seeing the growth of
the team, from the first half of the year until now. That’s the part that I appreciate with the team, is just
how much they’ve grown in that area.”
(On the biggest challenge of having a short week) “The biggest challenge is getting as many guys healthy
because you’re on the practice field today and you’re on the practice field tomorrow which typically rest
days for your players. You’ve just come off a game where there’s 70-plus plays and a physical football
game. We’re right back in the classroom, we’re right back on the practice field. The message team is
number one, let’s get healthy this week. Let’s spend as much time as we can in the building and the
training room, whatever you have to do. Cold tubs, hot tubs, whatever it is. Get your bodies right. Then,
just understanding the game plan. We’ve got to be smart and maybe not throw a bunch of new stuff at
the players when they can just go play stuff that we’ve done since training camp; just use that hopefully
to your advantage.”
(On advantage or disadvantage of playing Thursday Night Football late in the season) “Well that’s not
happening. When you look at your schedule, if you’re playing meaningful games, if you’re positioning
yourself for the postseason in some cases, having a late Thursday game you get ten days to rest after it.
Now, you’ve really got some guys getting healthy and back. As long as you can make it through the
Thursday game without losing another player or two. You can look at it as a benefit to your team and
that’s how I look at this one. An opportunity to go on the road and play, really with the emotional wins
we’ve had the last couple weeks, you don’t have time to think. You just got to put everybody together
and go play. It’s great for us because we have Christmas coming up after this and get a chance to spend
time with family this weekend.”
(On if there’s a reward to eliminate some of the negativity with these wins) “Well, that’s our job. Our job
is to change culture. Our job is to promote a winning culture and a winning atmosphere. It doesn’t come
overnight, it’s not a quick fix as you guys know. I think what the players and what the team has done this
year in four games to go 2-2 when trailing 17 points is huge. It shows us and shows them that we’re
flipping this culture and this narrative. You can’t worry about the past, obviously, but you can learn from
it. It’s really good to see that the guys have bought into that. Even the guys that have been here multiple
years I think are in a different place mentally than they were just a few years ago. That’s a really good
thing that’s going on.”
(On using the ‘flip the script’ phrase) “I’ve used that one before, but that’s something they’ve heard
along the way in their careers.”
(On the 2017 Philadelphia locker room morale versus this team’s morale) “Lots of similarities, a lot of
similarities. I even thought about this last night, not really knowing Cam’s [LT Cam Robinson] injury and
the extent of it after the game. Just knowing there’s a veteran player, there’s a leader on your football
team, much like our quarterback back in 2017 who missed the remainder of the season with three
games to go. We still were able to find a way to win and to make ourselves into the postseason back
then. You draw some of those same conclusions, one of your top players is down and is going to be
missed, but just that next-man-up mentality. The leadership in the locker room is going to take over, you
got three games left on your schedule. Everything is still right in front of us, and we just have to embrace
that. The players got to lean on each other, keep encouraging each other. We’re in that home stretch of
the season and are in situations that you want to be in. You want to be in those meaningful games
where there’s a little sense of urgency and go see what happens.”
(On the importance of getting the job done on Thursday before a break) “You have to. You have to get it
done on Thursday. This is a good football team, one of the teams that is still competing, too, for
postseason and everything. They have a lot to play for, we have a lot to play for. Should be a good
football game. Those are the messages that I got to keep putting out to the team and let them
understand that this is what meaningful football games look like against really good teams. We just have
to prepare ourselves that way and get ready to go.”
(On the talent of Jets rookie CB Sauce Gardner) “It’s the reason why they took him so high, obviously.
You see his length, you see his speed on tape, he is and will be a really good corner in this league. Again,
you see why the Jets took him.”
JAGUARS WR ZAY JONES
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
MONDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2022
(On how he got out of the locker room so fast after the game yesterday) “My whole family was there,
had to go see them.”
(On the dynamic with his dad there, having won a Super Bowl with the Cowboys) “He was ecstatic for
me. He really was. It was a good time.”
(On having a great game back off of playing through injury and making drops in the previous week’s
game) “It felt amazing. Glory to God, too, because it felt amazing. It was a moment of overcoming what,
personally, I was going through, and to be there. It was quite special to say the least. There’s not really
words for it, for sure.”
(On what winning that game told everyone about this Jaguars team) “This Jaguars team is so special just
from every player that we have, I can think about, top of the head. Obviously Trevor (QB Trevor
Lawrence), the way he’s playing, phenomenal. Marvin Jones Jr. (WR), guy has an incredible career. The
numbers speak for themselves. Christian’s (WR Christian Kirk) resiliency. Christian caught an amazing
catch yesterday. I don’t think a whole lot of people highlighted, but it was so crucial to our game. The
way that he just responded I thought was phenomenal. Evan Engram (TE) fighting for extra yards in that
game, crucial, we needed it. Resign [Evan] 23, I’m going to stand. Chris Manhertz (TE), pin block. Walker
Little (OL) stepping up. Claybrooks (CB Chris Claybrooks), DT (S Daniel Thomas) flying down there. Dewey
(S Andrew Wingard) coming in doing his role, doesn’t complain, leads us in a pregame speech to go out
there and play. Cam Robinson (OL), the guy fights every single week, one of our leaders that we love.
Walker Little stepping up. JaMycal Hasty (RB) fighting for extra yards. TE (RB Travis Etienne Jr.) getting in
there. Andre Cisco (S) coming back playing well. Guys who do the scout team for us week in and week
out—Buster Brown (CB), Greg Junior (CB) giving looks. D Dix (OLB De’Shaan Dixon) giving us looks. It’s
just really special what this team has overcome. I wouldn’t change anything now in our season, even the
adversity, obviously losses, but it helps build something moving forward, and I think that we’re headed
in the right direction. I’m just so proud of this group right now.”
(On where he was for S Rayshawn Jenkins’ pick-six) “Oh yeah, I didn’t even shout out Ray. Shoutout Ray.
So many, shoutout Riley (K Riley Patterson) for coming in there and kicking it. Ray and the defense. Foye
(LB Foye Oluokun) flying around making tackles. Travon Walker (OLB) for being a great teammate on the
sidelines. It’s a whole lot of pieces coming together I think for us to have that success that we had.
Shoutout Jenk. That was huge. That was a huge play.”
(On all the breaks they didn’t get in October now going their way and the team’s destiny) “I said October
was spooky, but November and December is where it counted. We’re playing good football right now. I
just want to keep the same approach that we’ve had. I think Doug [Pederson’s] done a great job giving
us the entire outlook of what’s the rest of the schedule, but we still keep it one day at a time and focus,
so that’s where our approach is going to be. As great as yesterday was, it’s a very, very short week, and
we have a very, very good team on their home turf, so our preparation is going to be expedited a little
bit with the short week, and I’m excited for an opportunity for us to continue to grow as a football
team.”
(On if the late-game comeback belief from yesterday was there in the team earlier in the season) “I
don’t know. That’s a good question. I think if I’m answering truthfully, no, because to be in that situation
there, I think you have to go through something first. Obviously, I believed in my teammates, but I
couldn’t have drawn up that scenario. So I go back for a second after the unfortunate turnover. I feel like
it kind of let the air out of me and a couple teammates, and it was Christian Kirk (WR) who came to me
and was like, ‘We have three timeouts left. Our defense is going to get a stop. All we need is a field goal.’
That’s just to highlight Christian and where his thinking was. I think if it’s individual belief in the players
that we have, that Trent (GM Trent Baalke) and the team has brought in here, but I couldn’t have said in
August, ‘We’re going to play the Cowboys, 10-3 [record] at home, and it’s going to be … I can’t say that.”
(On how much it says about their growth and how the wide receiver room has gotten really close over
the season) “We most definitely have. I think it’s a very special group with the age ranges that we have,
what we each bring to the table, the roles that we have within the team, and we’ve definitely meshed
closer than we ever have. I really admire Christian (WR Christian Kirk) and Marv (WR Marvin Jones Jr,)’s
game. I admire what Tim Jones (WR) does for this football team. A lot of people call it the dirty work, but
that guy works very, very hard. What our guys do on the practice squad level, what Jamal Agnew (WR) is
able to do from a standpoint of running the football, catching the football. We saw a glimpse of what he
can really do, and you guys have witnessed over the years. This receiver group is very special to me.
We’ve definitely bonded. We’re doing a white elephant thing today, which I think is pretty cool. I’ve
never done a white elephant. I’ve done a secret Santa. Fun stuff like that, it’s pretty cool.”
(On if winning a game like that can help them with preparation in a short week) “I would say when we
had that game in Detroit, I think it helped me from a standpoint of, ‘Okay, I’ve got to flush it, learn from
it, and move on.’ I think that’s the challenge as athletes, even as professionals, not necessarily erasing,
but what can I take from it, what is going to benefit me, because nothing is going to carry over. Zay
Jones doesn’t start with three touchdowns against the Jets. Trevor (QB Trevor Lawrence) doesn’t start
with everything (he did). It’s zero to zero. We’ve got to line it up again. As a professional, you have to
carry yourself in that way. After this interview and stuff, all my focus is going to the next game.”
(On if he looks at the London game as a turning point for QB Trevor Lawrence) “I wouldn’t say a turning
point in London. I know the outside perspective sees these individual games, but I see Trevor every day
in practice, so when I see him work consistently, and I see him stay a little bit later, and when he shoots
me a text about something he sees, or when he says, ‘Hey, can we get this throw again?’ Those are the
things that his maturation as a leader and a quarterback in this league I’ve seen from respectfully other
veteran quarterbacks, those are the things, those would be like the turning points for me. Even in the
game in London with the interception, it doesn’t mean a whole lot to me because he was trying to make
a play for our team. I don’t view the mistakes the same way others may. I judge a man by how he comes
to work every day and the things that he is able to do for his team, whether he’s battling through injury
or that he’s going through something at home, whether he had a poor game last game, or whether he
was written off last year. That’s kind of how I view who a man is, and Trevor Lawrence has proved to
me, if not anyone that he is here, and he’s here to stay.”
(On if he looks back at some of QB Trevor Lawrence’s throws and wonders how he gets them where he
does.) “I was so zeroed in on the football, I didn’t realize that it went through Wilson, 6, I didn’t realize it
went through his hands. I’m sitting at home, and it was my brother Caleb who was like, ‘Bro, you got to
check out Trevor’s throw,’ so I was like alright, so he shows me the camera angle, and I was like, ‘Wow,
that’s incredible. That’s an incredible play that he was able to make.’ Rolling to the left, right-handed
quarterback, didn’t bat an eye, didn’t blink, complete confidence, and he just let it rip. That’s Trev.”
(On how big Thursday’s game is now that they control their destiny for the rest of the season) “I think it
was just as big as the last one and the one before that. I think the cliché saying is it’s big because it’s the
next one. The Jets’ head coach is, we know what he’s like, and we know what he’s going to bring to the
table, we know how he’s going to inspire his guys, and I know they have a little bit of the quarterback
situation, but I think White (QB Mike White) and Wilson (QB Zach Wilson) are both very, very capable,
great players. It’s just going to be a matter of us preparing the way we need to throughout the week,
understanding the elements maybe. Their home turf, I know they’re going to be hungry for a win. It’s
this part of the season where this is where it’s fun. I’m not saying it’s not fun in the beginning, but it’s
going to come down to who wants it more, who’s going to execute, and we get to see what we’re made
of down the stretch, and I’m very confident in the men I’m going to battle with.”
(On if there is anything good that comes from a short week, Thursday night game) “I guess we get to be
home for Christmas. That’s the thing I can think of off the top. I think if you think that way (about
difficulty of preparation), it can hurt you. I think you can draw positives from it. You get to jump right
back into a new week with a new opponent. You get to work on your craft a little bit more. You get to
watch the film quicker and advance to the next team and start studying and preparing, then you’re
going to have a primetime moment to display your team and your talent to the nation. On Sundays,
sometimes maybe you don’t get that primetime slot because people are watching like the Redzone and
so many things going on, but this moment is going to be about you and your team and you guys to kind
of be in that spotlight. It’s just an incredible opportunity to have. I think that’s why we love sports so
much is the adrenaline rush that it gives you, the narratives that are drawn from it, and the ability to
root for your team in a critical, adverse situation.”
(On how he has seen himself grow since coming to the team day one) “I think honestly, just the
consistency of playing through a duration of a season. I did it earlier in my career. I more so had to take
a different approach and role when I was with Las Vegas as far as knowing the dynamic of our team and
what my role was, and this one, I’m more a part of it, more games, more opportunities, maintenance on
my body. Trying to stay as healthy as possible, understanding that when I look at Christian (WR Christian
Kirk) and Marv (WR Marvin Jones Jr.) and Ag (WR Jamal Agnew), it’s just us, we have to go make the
play. No one else is going to go do it. We’re the ones that has to do it. Earlier in my career as a younger
player you understand that there’s more so the responsibility on the guys that are ahead of you and
understanding that we are those guys. It’s an interesting challenge to accept that and accept that role,
to know what it means to be the player or one of the players to make a moment or catch or play for
your team, and I think just that process of growing, enjoying the space that you’re in and accepting that
challenge I think is something that I’ve been adapting to and learning over the duration of the season.”
(On if there is anything new that has led to the increased quantity of big plays for him) “I think that’s just
the beauty of our game. Sometimes guys make plays all the time, but they’re not the ESPN highlight
plays, the plays that we hold onto and grasp onto, but the players in the locker room know. The coaches
know. I think it’s safe to say that I’ve made a lot of those plays throughout the season, but they weren’t
like mind-blowing. Week two, Indianapolis Colts, fourth and three, Trevor (QB Trevor Lawrence) throws
me a shallow for four yards, and that’s huge to converting. I remember that. I’m sure they remember
that. It’s just, Evan Engram last week, he ran a double-move, and to be honest, it was really, really good
coverage, and Evan goes out, and he makes the play though. It’s just things coming together. I’m
grateful and humbled to be highlighted this week, but it’s a new opportunity for someone else or
whoever to be the guy the next week. We have a beautiful roster of guys who are more than capable of
making it happen.”
OUTSIDE LINEBACKER JOSH ALLEN
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
MONDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2022
(On where he was at one the field during SS Rayshawn Jenkins game-winning pick six) “I was right next
to him. My reaction was, I was just telling him, I don’t think I had one at that moment. I just remember
going to the sideline and running with him quiet, just like, oh, yeah. Having no emotions. Then, getting
to him and realizing that we just beat these dudes. This way, the way we wanted to, the way we
should’ve done. That moment was a special moment, not only for myself but for this defense. When I
looked up and I saw Caldwell [Defensive Coordinator Mike Caldwell] running on the field, that was just
an awesome team win.”
(On if he’s ever been involved in a walk off defensive touchdown) “I can’t say I have. In college, with
strip sacks winning the game, I’ve been in that. That was probably one of the best ones I’ve ever been a
part of.”
(On the celebration after the game) “Man, I was so tired. I had to catch my breath for a minute. Man,
I’m so happy for Rayshawn [SS Rayshawn Jenkins]. This year has been the best football I’ve ever seen
him play, and coach is putting him in a position to make plays. He’s capitalizing off of every one of those
opportunities. I want him to continue to grow, not only because of how he’s playing good for us, but
because he’s playing good for everybody. He’s a momentum setter, he’s one of our core pieces, and he’s
just a guy that brings it every week.”
(On SS Rayshawn Jenkins having a good instinct) “I mean, he was in the zone. I think it was this game
and when you have one of those games, you’re just in that zone and everything is coming to you. The
funny thing about that pick, looking back, I think we messed up. I’m not going to get too deep in that,
but it was the luck of the draw. It just happened to be the right place at the right time, and it worked
out. I’m glad it did, I’m glad it played out the way it played. Like I said, Rayshawn [SS Rayshawn Jenkins]
man, holy crap. What is it, 18 tackles, two picks?” And what did he say after the game? It was one of
those games you dream about when you were a child. Again, we’ve always talked about when we were
going through those losing streaks, we’re going to have a moment in this season when it’s going to be
one of those performances. Like I said, he’s always been that guy, right there. I think this was just one of
those moments, and I think it’s going to carry us for the rest of the season.”
(On if going through the bad parts of the season makes the good parts better) “Of course. We never
tried to put ourselves in that position, I think we have to go through some learning curves on how to
handle adversity. I think we handled it pretty well. We never wavered, it’s always been that we have to
finish. Just like how we treat the game, the game doesn’t end until it says 00:00 on the clock. As long as
we have a little bit of time on the clock, we always have a chance to win. That’s how we looked at it
throughout the season as well. I think that’s been our message all year, and I think it’s going to continue
to be the message until we get to what we need to get to.”
(On when the team’s belief in QB Trevor Lawrence began) “We’ve always believed in Trevor [QB Trevor
Lawrence]. It was never like that because we were all struggling; offense, defense, I think we all
struggled at our moments. We couldn’t blame one person for the mistake, so we knew that Trevor
Lawrence is Trevor Lawrence. We knew what type of player he is, he just had to find his groove. He
found his groove, and this is the Trevor Lawrence that we knew we all had. We never looked at him,
even after the Philly game. It was never, ‘Oh, you got to do better.’ It was never like that. It was about
getting it right. Let’s work on those and let’s continue to grow. I think Trevor has continued to grow, he’s
so mature for a second-year player. For him to come in and step up, play like the way he’s playing. Even
after he fumbled the ball, it was like, ‘Let’s get the ball back to him. Let’s do what we need to do and get
the ball back to him.’ We did what we needed to do, we gave the ball back to him, they did what they
needed to do to handle the game.”
(On if this team can feel like other teams with strong quarterbacks) “Yeah. For me, I love Trevor [QB
Trevor Lawrence]. I think he’s going to continue to grow, I think he’s going to get better than the
performance he had yesterday. I think this is normal. I think we need to all continue to do what we do,
because we feed off each other, we always have. That’s why we’re in the locker room always joking and
playing with each other because we know what type of chemistry and relationship that we have. We
really all play off of each other. Trevor is just one of the guys, he plays ping pong on the table. I know
you guys have probably seen him right before practice, probably. He’s one of those guys, we know when
we step on that practice field, we step into those meetings, all sense of urgency has to kick in. He’s one
of those guys that gets prepared every week.”
(On if the team is getting rewarded after the work being put in) “I think Coach Pederson [Head Coach
Doug Pederson] has always preached to us on how it’s all about how you finish, it’s not about how you
start. In the games and in the season as well, we started fast and then we had little moments of growing
pains. Now, it’s all about how you finish and playing meaningful, I know he has probbaly said this many
times, playing meaningful games in December. I’ve never been a part of a meaningful game in
December. We put ourselves in a position to almost get away from that, but we also put ourselves in
positions to get back into that conversation. We never wavered, we never doubted that this was all luck.
It was the work we put in throughout the week, the way we practice, the way we prepare, the way we
communicate with players and coaches, and it’s not just luck. I don’t believe it’s luck. This is the
preparation, I think this is the attitude that we come into work every day. Today, guys coming in here
and getting our bodies back right because we got a game this Thursday. I think that’s the maturity we
have in this locker room, because it is going to be a quick turnaround at MetLife, on that turf, with those
types of degrees. We have to come back and get ready to go.”
(On thoughts on the team being a team of destiny) “Man, I’m taking it one week at a time. When we win
the Super Bowl, we can say something like that. For right now, we’re playing against a lot of nameless
opponents and the next challenge that we have is the New York Jets which is a good team. We’re going
to have to prepare the same with a sense of urgency. Then, we got to go on. We keep doing what we do.
We’re going to achieve everything that we said we can achieve, then we’ll go from there.”
(On the defense contributing without OLB Travon Walker in yesterday’s game) “We got to do what we
got to do. I know Travon [OLB Travon Walker], yesterday was his birthday, too. I know that sucked for
him. He was one of those guys that when we came to the sideline, he was right there telling us what he
sees and how he sees us playing. We took that and ran with it. He said certain things like, ‘Hey, we need
to do this move.’ He’s oversetting you now so beat him inside. Go to speed power.’ Things like that.
Yeah, he wasn’t there, but he’s always been there; we just need to get him back. Travon is – I love
Travon. The way he comes into work every day, but he needs to get healthy. Nobody wants to play with
a half-hurt person. I vouch for Travon to get healthy soon, and I’m ready for him to come back.”
(On if this win can help in preparation for a short week) “No, we got to get back to work. We have to
start from scratch all over again. They say when you lose, you have to have short term memory. It’s even
like that when you win. This is a feeling that we want to get used to, it’s about how quick you can
prepare. Especially now, Coach Pederson [Head Coach Doug Pederson] preached before the Titans game
that we have three games in 15 days, so the sense of urgency has to pick up. This is the third game of
that stretch. We know that and we’re prepared. I’ve seen a lot of guys here early and getting our bodies
back right because of the sense of urgency that we have put on ourselves at the beginning of the week.
Quick turnaround, we need to watch this film, get through it, get the corrections, and then move on to
the Jets. I’m excited about that, I’m excited to play against the Jets. I get to go back home for the first
time. I’m excited, I know we all are.”
(On how to prepare on a short week when you don’t know who the quarterback will be) “We’ll see
when we get there. When we knew Tyron [Dallas Cowboys OT Tyron Smith] got back from injuries, it
was, ‘Oh, he’s playing this guy, he’s playing this side.’ Now, you have to go. We just have to watch what
type of plays they do with certain types of quarterbacks and be prepared or ready for anything that
happens. We played in a lot of games where somebody rotated in, and now we can’t get off guard. I
think our coaches are going to put us in a good position to play against both quarterbacks. They both do
a lot of good things well, and the offense really doesn’t change much when either one of them is in the
game. We’ll see starting at 12:40.”
(On the importance of Thursday’s game) “It’s the big game because it’s the next game. It’s what we
preach about. The next game is the most important game. We handle our business the week of, and
when we come on Sunday, we do what we need to do and handle that business. Now, it’s up to the next
one. Thursday night at MetLife against a good team, at the end of the day, it’s about us and we’re going
to prepare as such. Like I said, it’s a good team up there, no knock to them. We’re excited to play against
them, we know whoever comes back healthy. Praying for Cam [LT Cam Robinson], I don’t know what’s
going on. I just hate to see anything happen to anybody that gets hurt, so shoutout to everybody.
(On Dawuane Smoot being used in coverage) “I hope so. No, I’d rather give him a hard time for that play
than the play I had. I told him after that, ‘Okay, so we’re going to have Smoot play there and I’m going to
go over there and play on that side.’ No, what a heck of a play. Huge play. Just like what Arden [DL
Arden Key] had against the Raiders. Was it the Raiders? It was a similar play on the sideline, on the
wheel route. Doing what you got to do when a play is being called, and shoutout to Smoot. Smoot had a
heck of a game as well. What did he have, five tackles for losses? A lot of hits on the quarterback and
pressures. I think everybody’s finding that groove. The sense of urgency that we put ourselves under to
be ready and prepared for each week is putting us in a good position to play fast and free.”
(On getting turnovers as a defense and playing fast) “Yeah, I would say so. Like I said, I think Coach
Caldwell [Defensive Coordinator Mike Caldwell] is putting us in positions to do what our strong suits are,
now it’s just up to us to really go out there and play free. We know our opponent; I think that comes
with preparation as well. Know your opponent, so when stuff does happen, you can play a little bit
faster. I think all our guys will be prepared. I know Rayshawn [SS Rayshawn Jenkins] has been with the
way he’s been playing, and Foye [LB Foyesade Oluokun] as well. We got to continue to go, we got a good
opponent this week, and we’re excited to play against them.”
(On if Defensive Coordinator Mike Caldwell celebration in yesterday’s game was the most excited, he’s
seen from him) “Yeah. On the field, yeah. What a great feeling that was, especially for him. I know we’re
out there playing but he’s out there calling what we’re actually doing. For him to win the game and be a
part of something like that, I know that was a special moment for him as well. We got to continue to go,
continue to get takeaways, and continue to pick up the sense of urgency.”
