DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR MIKE CALDWELL
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022
(On the Las Vegas Aces win in the WNBA championship) “How ‘bout ‘em! Congratulations to them.
That’s huge.”
(On what piqued his interest in the WNBA) “I’m from Oak Ridge, Tennessee. My niece played at the
University of Tennessee with Pat Summitt, and I have two daughters. They’re both college basketball
players, playing at the University of Pennsylvania. Women’s basketball has been in the family forever.
This is just something that we like. We’ve been on a run of seven women’s Final Fours. Never been to a
men’s, but seven women. By choice.”
(On contributions of defense last game) “It’s always good to have a push up the middle, and you need
that for edge rushers because if not, the quarterback will step up. Those guys, Foley (DL Folorunso
Fatukasi) does a good job of pushing the pocket, being able to walk the guards back in, and not let the
quarterback step up so the edge rushers can get around the edge.”
(On performance of DE Adam Gotsis and DE Roy Robertson-Harris) “It was a pleasure to see those guys
play. They come in and they don’t get a lot of credit for what they do, but they’re consistent and they’re
players that can make an impact on the game. Those guys did a great job of doing it.”
(On thoughts of delivering a shutout last game) “Oh, it feels good, but the main thing was getting a win.
That was big on our part. We needed a win, and the guys went in and bought into it. The process last
week was exceptional. They went through it, understood the game plan, went out there and executed.
The win was most important.”
(On defensive players giving him a game ball) “Yeah, that was unexpected. We have this 24-hour rule,
and it happened on Tuesday. It was a little bit late, but I’ll accept it and onto the next one.”
(On thoughts of performance in fourth quarter of last game) “Really, anytime we go out there, our job is
to stop them. It really didn’t matter what happened, but I was sitting there talking to Press (Offensive
Coordinator Press Taylor). I was like, ‘What you did in the first quarter, we had like one drive in the first
quarter.’ They controlled the clock, and we stayed on the sideline for the whole first quarter. Give and
take, it’s a team game, so sometimes they’re going to need us to pick them up and they’ll pick us up at
times.”
(On if film has been watched for Chargers backup QB Chase Daniel) “You always prepare for any
situation. In coaching, that’s what you do. You go back, you watch film. Just talking about it, he finished
the game last week. They had ten days so we’re expecting Herbert (Chargers starting QB Justin Herbert)
to play.”
(On challenge of Chargers offense) “Big challenge because outside they’re big, nice tight end, running
back, offensive line. Then they got a signal caller that’s controlling and running everything. It’ll be a big
challenge for us.”
(On the emphasis on friendly competition in the secondary defense) “I think we talk about it as coaches,
and they talk about it as players. They have a competition going now. Any time with an athlete, you
want to get something out of them, just add competition to it because that’s what we do. You always
want to be the best at it, so if my boy next to me is talking and he has three and I only have two. Well,
I’m going to study a little more and make sure I get to catch him. Competition fuels what we do.”
(On growth of LB Devin Lloyd) “I saw the progress. I think the game slowed down for him a little, he was
able to make the plays he was supposed to make and then make a couple that he wasn’t. It’s always
good to have him just continue to progress. He’ll be a good player in this league, and right now we just
want him to develop and play within his own framework and timetable. We’re happy with where he’s
at.”
(On growth of OLB Travon Walker) “You can see that with Travon up front. A lot of things that go
unnoticed as far as how he squeezes a gap off and helps someone else. Just by his pure physicalness,
that’s unseen. With him out there, it’s a big advantage for our defense.”
(On if it’s rare for OLB Travon Walker’s talent as a rookie) “It really is because normally you have to
develop into the game. Your body has to develop. He’s already at that level where he can physically
withstand what he needs to withstand and help out others.”
(On if Chargers backup QB Chase Daniel is capable as the backup) “Oh, definitely. Anytime you’re an NFL
quarterback with the weapons that they have, you’re going to have a chance to be successful. He’s
made all the throws in his career; he’s seen all the reads. If he has to play, I’m more than sure he’s
capable of being able to go out there and be successful for them. We just have to understand that and
have our game plan to go out there, execute, and stop it.”
(On if the matchup against the Chargers can be seen as a measuring stick for the defense) “The team we
play on Sunday is whoever we play. In the NFL, all the teams are good. We’re a good team. We believe
we’re a good team, so every team you face, you have to be at your best. No matter who you’re playing,
you got to be ready to go.”
(On FS Andre Cisco’s growth within the starting group) “I think with him being in the back in the
secondary, making the calls and communicating, that’s huge for our defense. Everybody has to be on the
same page, he does a good job of understanding what we want from him, relaying that information to
other guys, and he’s making plays on the field so that’s a bonus.”
JAGUARS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR PRESS TAYLOR
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022
(On the improved efficiency on offense from Week 1 to Week 2) “We talked about being better in Week
2 than we were in Week 1. We expect the same thing going forward through the season. Again, the
players did a great job executing the game plan. Trevor [Lawrence] did a great job really executing what
we were trying to do. The receivers were all on the same page with it. So, it was really a great job by the
players just going out and executing the game plan and sticking to it and they were the ones that kept us
efficient in those situations.”
(On OL Jawaan Taylor’s performance through Week 2) “He’s done a great job and I think that goes back
to even the spring of there was real competition for that job and I think it made everybody better, not
only Jawaan [Taylor], but Cam [Robinson], Walker Little. Everybody that we have expectation they could
potentially play on Sunday had to rise to the level of competition there, so I think those guys all did a
great job of pushing one another. You’ve seen Jawaan’s work throughout that spring and [that] has
continued to kind of show itself so far on game day. Again, we expect consistent improvement out of all
these guys as we go on in the season.”
(On what they are expecting from the Chargers pass rush) “Really, when you come up against two great
edge players [Chargers OLB Joey Bosa and Chargers OLB Khalil Mack] like this or really any defensive line
or significant defensive player, it’s kind of a situation where it’s going to take everybody. That’s going to
take [everything] from the way we install the plan to the way we execute the plan to the tight ends
helping, the receivers helping, the running backs helping, the tackles obviously winning their matchups,
and then the quarterback being on time, in rhythm. So, all of it kind of goes together to try to contain
dynamic edge players like they have.”
(On what he has seen from the Chargers defense so far this season) “There’s a lot of variety in the
coverages they play, the presentation they present to the defense up until the ball’s snapped, and then
the way things kind of manifest themselves based on what you’re running really. It evolves as the down
goes on a lot of times, so it’s just kind of tough to get a beat on what they’re doing, who’s the force
player, who’s the support player, where’s he coming from. They’ve done a good job of it. They make the
game difficult as an offense to identify things and communicate and that’s one of the biggest tests. We
have to get 11 guys on the same page to execute whatever assignment is called at the time.”
(On this week’s game being more a ‘chess match’ than others) “I mean again, like you said, every week’s
a chess match, so I don’t know if I’d compare one to another in terms of we put in the same amount of
preparation. Our players do the same of studying our opponent, our game plan, how our plan of attack
goes. I don’t know if I’d compare it to any other one but it’s certainly a great challenge for our offense.”
(On Chargers S Derwin James Jr.’s position) “Defense. You just say defense. He could line up as an edge
player, he could be a linebacker, a safety, a nickel, a corner. He can do everything. He’s kind of one of
those chess pieces that they have. You’re seeing more and more guys like that come into the league that
have that versatility and that’s something as an offensive coach we want with our guys. We want guys
that can line up all over the field and do a lot of different things. That’s always a valuable piece to have
regardless if you’re offense or defense”.
(On QB Trevor Lawrence’s progress from Week 1 to Week 2) “I think he’s right on schedule just
continuing to grow week to week. I think that’s the fun part of this league is the plan of attack each
week may have to change and that’s one of the things we talk about, about being fluid as an offense and
doing whatever it takes to put us in a situation to win that week. The Colts’ defense was very different
than the Commanders’ defense that’s different from the Chargers’ defense. So, it’s kind of on all of us as
a group to get together, learn as much as we can about that opponent, study what we think, and then
put together a plan of attack and communicate that to the players, them buy in, get on the same page
to be able to execute it for the week and then feel good going into Sunday. I think you saw that out of
Trevor [Lawrence]. He played with a lot of confidence. I feel like he was prepared and confident in the
plan of attack and what we were trying to get done, trusted the guys around him, and had a good
showing for it.”
(On the progress of OL Luke Fortner and OL Ben Bartch) “Again, kind of the same thing, I think
everybody just took that step that you expect as you go into a season. October’s going to be better than
it was in September for everybody as a unit, you hope. You hope you’re continuing to take those steps
as an offense. Obviously, they’re young players and I thought they showed the improvement that you’d
like to see from Week 1 to Week 2. But again, now it just keeps going. We need them to keep getting
better. We need everybody as a unit to keep getting better.”
(On the confidence gained from converting a fourth down) “I think that’s huge. I think not only just for
our unit but our defense as well and a lot of that comes from the confidence that [Head Coach] Coach
[Doug Pederson] has in the offense, but also the defense. They understand that if we don’t get this, the
ball’s right there, we have to go out and get a stop, and they’ve done a great job with that. But that all
kind of starts with Doug’s communication of his philosophy in those situations, so the entire team is on
board with that. We’re not just going to go rogue and put them in a bad situation that we don’t feel like
they can respond in if the worst-case scenario happened, so those guys all kind of have a belief. Then as
you convert some of those and it turns into longer drives, ends in a touchdown, then you just kind of see
that build within the guys and now the expectation is it’s third down, we’re ready, we have two downs.
Regardless of where we are, what the situation is, they have that expectation.
(On taking the emotion out of decision making) “You always want to take in as much information as you
can and then make the best decision in that moment. That decision may be different than it was an hour
before the game as we talk through it or in the first quarter or the fourth quarter. All those things kind
of change so he’s [Head Coach Doug Pederson] kind of always doing a good job of taking in as much
information as you can, how the flow of the game’s going, what we thought going in and how it’s playing
out, to put our team in the best position. He’s done a good job of that so far.”
(On the team maintaining the same focus level during practice this week after a win versus last week
after a loss) “Yeah, I believe so. We challenge them every day to just have the best day right there. Like
what we’re doing today, we want to have the best Thursday practice we’ve had all year and then
tomorrow we want to have the best Friday. We believe that that process of just focusing on where we
are right now, what we’re trying to accomplish today will lead us to play with confidence on Sunday and
be able to put our best foot forward.”
(On having the necessary weapons on offense to win in a shoot-out) “I think as a unit we believe that in
ourselves that if we need to go out and win a slugfest, we could do that just as fast as the game is being
dictated. If we need to go win a shootout, we can do that. That’s just kind of the belief system that the
guys have. Also understanding just as a philosophy, that’s kind of what we believe. We need to be able
to do whatever it takes to win a game and sometimes that’s a plan you put together on Monday and it
sees itself play out through the week or it’s something that just happens on Sunday. All of sudden so and
so goes down, they have a hot hand, they’re doing whatever, we need to do what we need to do to win
the game. We certainly feel like we have the players, the system [that is] capable of doing that if need
be at any point in time.”
SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR HEATH FARWELL
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022
(On if special teams coaches get set on or tweak their lineups) “Injuries, that plays a big part of it. Let’s
say as starter is not quite healthy enough, first thing to go is one of my special teams guys, so that’s a big
part of it, but you’re always trying to find a way to get better. Is it a personnel change? Is it a position
change that I can switch a guy out and change positions to help us cover better or block better,
whatever it is. We’re always looking for that, so I’m always looking for that. Is there a possibility to do
that? Yes, it happens all the time. We like to get in a good rhythm of it, the guy who’s playing next to
him, that’s part of it. We’re always looking for an opportunity. If a guy is doing well in practice, what
does that look like on game days?”
(On if another coach ever comes and takes one of the special teams guys for offense or defense) “That
happens all the time, and that’s part of the game. I’m in full support of that if it’s going to help our team
win, we’re in. If that means Ags (WR Jamal Agnew), if he’s playing a bunch of receiver, great. Let’s put
the best players on the field, let’s win. If I have to pull a guy off a little bit, it’s part of the deal, we’ll find
somebody else that can do that job. That’s how it works with special teams. The first to go is pluck a
special teamer from us.”
(On how important warm up kicks can be) “I think they’re big because they’re getting a feel of the wind,
what does it look like, what is the goalpost, what are their targets like? At home a little bit different
because we kick here so much, but on the road, it’s a little bit different. With that being said, I’ve seen
kickers have a terrible warm up then go 4-4 or 5-5. It’s not everything, but I think it is valuable to see
some go through the posts and get a good feel for that and target lines and all that.”
(On LB Chad Muma’s game Sunday) “Chad played unbelievable. You guys saw the tackles, but it was the
physicality that was impressive of just getting off blocks, running his feet, just physical play. That was
something that we emphasized to those guys last week, was that was a really good group, one of the
best groups in the last few years, and they were physical and fast. I challenged our guys, ‘Let’s play just
as fast as them or match that,’ and our guys battled. They played hard, and he was a big part of it. He
played physical, played fast, so he played unbelievable. That was impressive.”
(On if it is rare to see that type of play from a guy in his second NFL game) “Yeah, but a guy like that, he’s
been a guy that since we got him here, I’d say even before the draft, we were really interested in. We
loved what we saw on tape. He had played a bunch of special teams, so he was a guy we targeted not
only as playing linebacker but we loved him for special teams, as well. Early in training camp, we saw the
signs of, ‘This guy is going to be a really good special teamer,’ and he’s a guy that we’ll lose because he’s
too good of a player not to have on the field on defense.”
(Oh how unusual it is for teams to keep a kicker on the practice squad) “I think in the last couple years
it’s become more normal with covid and all the stuff that goes on. You’re always trying to keep an extra
guy, and when they expanded the practice squad roster, you have that extra guy, it seems. You don’t
want to have the other side and something happens on a Friday or Saturday, and you’re out of luck. It’s
a good things to have them. James (K James McCourt) has done fantastic, and we’re happy to have him
here.”
(On if the presence of a backup kicker sends a subtle message to the starting kicker) “I think with all our
guys it’s that way. The practice squad isn’t what it used to be where it was just rookies and young guys.
We have veteran guys on that spot, and they’re hungry. I’ve got guys coming in my office all the time
that are on that practice squad that are saying, ‘What’s it going to take to get me out there?’ It really
keeps the competitive side with our 53-man roster because the special squad rosters are so good.”
(On how often practice squad players come to him for help on improving to make an active roster) “It
happens all the time. I get it multiple times a week. Some more than others, but they’re hungry. They
want to play. They saw the excitement. They want to get out there, and they believe in themselves, and
that’s part of it. They want to know what is it going to take? What do I have to work on? It’s all for the
right reasons, but I think that’s the great thing. They’re competitive, they want to be out there and help
us win. I love it. I work with just as many of the practice squad guys as I do our regular guys because they
come, and they want me to evaluate their practice squad reps, their practice in the white hats.”
(On if he anticipates having to make tough decisions about elevating players later in the season because
of performance) “Yeah, no question, because they’re all coming along. Some of those young rookies are
coming along really nicely, but it’s more than that. At some point, we’ll need them, as well. With
injuries, all of the sudden, guess what, you’re starting on punt team. Has he protected punt? Can you
feel comfortable with him doing it? The last thing I want to do is elevate a guy from the practice squad
whether it’s injury or he’s playing good, and he’s not ready to go, so we have to train those guys to be
ready to go for Sundays.”
(On factors that will affect his players going on a cross-country trip) “It’s like any other position, the time
zones, sitting on a plane for five hours is a thing, but these guys are pros. That’s what they do. The guys
who play 70, 80 snaps I think it’s a bigger issue for them.”
(On if the majority of the players have a special teams responsibility if needed) “There’s only a handful
of those guys (who would never play special teams), but that’s the good part of a good team. I have a
bunch of guys whether they’re a starter just playing one phase, which we have a couple of those guys.
Dre (S Andre Cisco), Rayshawn (S Rayshawn Jenkins), those are guys that contribute all the time. Chris
Manhertz (TE) is another guy. Those guys contribute all the time, one phase at least, and they’re begging
to be on more. Then we have other guys. Evan Engram (TE)—he’s a backup, emergency guy. I’d probably
never put him out there, but he’s a guy that has to practice it. He’s out there with the twos, waiting for
the op. Foye (LB Foyesade Oluokun) is another one. Foye’s out there, sits in every meeting, works with
the twos, he’s capable of starting on every phase and would be arguably one of our best players if not
the best. Those guys are ready to go. They’re emergency guys because the rosters are so small, a couple
injuries, guess what Foye, you’ve got to play guard on punt, so they have to at least know enough and
have sat in those meetings and have a good feel for those.”
(On scouting the opposing team’s kicker) “It’s a big part of the game planning. What does the return
look like? What’s the hang time look like? What’s the direction look like? Is it wide? All those things play
a factor. The op time; can you rush him? Maybe they have a fast operation. Maybe it’s more of a return
game. Those are all factor we play in, then obviously how does it match up against us. What do we do?
Are we a rush team or a return team? Those are all factors in on what we do as far as our prep for the
game. It’s a big deal. Last week facing potential two kickers, you’ve got to have two plans of what you
think you’re potentially going to see. We had a good idea it was going to be Chase Mclaughlin, but it
wasn’t a slam dunk, so that’s a big part of special teams, of our prep.”
