HEAD COACH DOUG PEDERSON
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2023
(On if WR Zay Jones will not play Sunday vs. Atlanta) “Correct, yes.”
(On status update of WR Jamal Agnew’s quad injury) “He’s doing good. We’re still going to give him
another day, it’ll be a gametime [decision].”
(On how the receiver lineup will look due to injuries) “From a personnel standpoint, it will be the same
guys. Because Zay [WR Zay Jones] is down, Jacob [WR Jacob Harris] will be up again. He played a role on
special teams last week. [LB] Devin Lloyd will be out, obviously he didn’t make the trip. A guy like [RB]
JaMycal Hasty will take that spot as far as special teams goes. It’ll look a little bit different but similar in
some ways.”
(On what he’s seen out of the team’s ability to bounce back from last weekend’s loss) “Well, we’ve still
got a couple of days until the game, but the guys have really done a nice job in preparation for Atlanta, in
preparation for the game, in preparation for the trip coming over here. They understand and they know
what’s going on, we just got it keep it about us and keep it simple that way; try to eliminate the mistakes
that have showed up in these last two weeks. Guys did a nice job of handling it this week and had a good
week of preparation.”
(On what it means for the franchise to play their tenth game in the UK market) “Yeah, I think it’s pretty
special. 10 years, the COVID year would’ve made it 11. It’s great for the Jaguars organization and for our
owner, Mr. Khan, with his operations here in the UK and everything. The Jaguars have a pretty good
following over here, and for this being our home game, we should have a really good crowd. It’s
something that the organization looks forward to every year of coming over here.”
(On how different the game in Tottenham may be compared to Wembley) “The two weeks are different
from the standpoint that we have a lot of prep for this week done back in Jacksonville. We get a chance to stay here and move hotels and all that. It’s no different, it would be no different if we played back-to-
back on the west coast of the US. If we played two west coast teams, we would stay out on the west coast and have a whole week of preparation. I’ve done that before in my past and you keep the week as
normal as possible so there’s not a lot of changes for the players. We’re very routine-based and that’s
the challenge. But, I know the guys will handle it extremely well. I do want them to enjoy their time out
here and not many opportunities for guys to get over here other than football games.”
(On what it’s like having his son on the practice squad and traveling with the team) “It’s special in a lot of
ways. Obviously, I’m the head coach and he’s a tight end so I got to keep those two hats different. It is
fun to watch him play and perform, just watch him grow every week. As a dad, to see him out there,
you’re happy for him and excited for him with the opportunity he has to get better and continue to grow.
For me, who that gets a chance to coach the offensive side of the ball and particularly tight ends and
from a family perspective, with his mother being right here, too, I’m very proud and she wants me to throw the football to him all the time. It’s very special to have him on the team, but sometimes I still
have to remember that I’m the head coach.”
(On what tips he’s giving the younger players who have never traveled to the UK before) “It’s a big trip
from a travel standpoint. There are always the logistical things, hydration, nutrition, rest, all those things
because this is a long day for most of us with the time change and everything. I want the guys that have
never been over here to just embrace it and experience what the UK and the London area has to offer.
They’ll get some time this afternoon to maybe travel or tomorrow after the workouts to go into the city
and just see what it’s all about. At the same time, we can’t lose focus. We’re here to play a football game
on Sunday, but at the same time, I do want them to be able to relax and enjoy the area.”
(On what kind of problem, it may be if WR Jamal Agnew can’t play due to injury) “Well, if he can’t go and
we’re optimistic he can, but if he can’t, the punt and kickoff returns are a big part of what we do. He’s
explosive there, he’s a veteran guy. Also, a guy on offense that we can use. He’s a smart player on
offense, we can put him in different spots and use him pretty much anywhere. If he can’t go, [WR] Parker
Washington would be that guy, the next man up and [RB] D’Ernest Johnson would be the kickoff return
guy. Things like that who we have a lot of trust in and confidence in. Parker has done a nice job in
practice and his preparation each week. D’Ernest is the same, he’s a veteran player who’s done it before.
We have answers there, but if Jamal can’t go, it’s definitely a shot in the arm from an explosive
standpoint in the return game.”
(On if he can get a feel for if the team will play relaxed on Sunday) “No, you can definitely feel that during
the week and how guys come out in practice. The energy at practice, the focus at practice, that’s what
I’m saying. They’ve had a really good week that way and even today, I just instructed them today to try
and keep it at about 80%, nothing really full speed with a long trip and all that. Just to enjoy today, you
saw that out there. We still have some corrections to make in another walkthrough tomorrow, but I
definitely want them to play relaxed. I think it’s best when we do that and let the game unfold, try to just
make the plays that will come their way.”
(On how preparation has changed this week due to Atlanta’s strong run game) “It’s a great run game,
Bijan [Falcons RB Bijan Robinson] is a young, good running back who’s got the ability to not only break
tackles but go the distance. It’s a ball-possession style of play and we challenge our defense all the time.
You’ve got to be able to stop the run or slow it down. If you can do that, it forces them on offense. You
flip it around to offensive, if a team can shut the run down for us, it becomes more pressure on your
passing game. It’s no different with them, it’s a different dynamic. It’s two backs, it’s one back, it’s
versatile with moving parts and motion shifts. Our guys have got to be on point, they have to be
disciplined, they have to be gap-integrity, gap-sound, all that type of stuff in the run game that have the
ability to have any kind of success, especially against a run game like this.”
(On how he feels about the growth of American football internationally) “Yeah, I go back to the days
when I played and the importance of playing outside of the US wasn’t as important. The emphasis
wasn’t there, but now, the league has taken the initiative and all 32 clubs have the initiative to play
overseas and outside of the US. The sport has grown globally, with all the social media outlets and the
way the betting market and things like that go around the world, it’s become a popular sport. That’s one
of the things that I really enjoy about coming here, is when you go to the game, you see Jags fans and
you’re going to see Falcons fans, but you see NFL fans. I’m going to see a Dolphins jersey, a Steelers
jersey, a Giants jersey and a Cowboys jersey. I’m going to see NFL fans and that just tells you that our
sport is healthy outside of the United States. We continue to grow that through games like this and we get a chance to stay here and play another game here in the city and it just grows in popularity. Our guys
should be proud that they’re apart of these moments.”
QUARTERBACK TREVOR LAWRENCE
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2023
(On what’s next for the Jaguars franchise in London) “Hopefully the first team to win two games in a row
here, I think we’re the first team to play back-to-back games here if that’s right. That would be great,
that would be a success for us. I think when we were here last year, we didn’t play great. Personally
myself, I didn’t play great. Got to go back to the drawing board and right that wrong. I’m looking forward
to the opportunity of getting to play again here, I know the team is. We’re excited, being here for ten
days which is a little different, kind of getting to settle in which I think will be great. We’re excited and we
know what we’re here for at the end of the day. We have a big fan base over here and we play over here
every year, so we’re getting familiar. This is my third time now traveling over here for a game, so it’s
always fun. I know the guys look forward to it and especially after today, we get some sleep and get our
rest to get some energy and wind back in our sails after the long travel day. We’ll be feeling good
tomorrow.”
(On how he saw the team bounce back in practice this week after last weekend’s loss) “I thought we had
a great week of prep. A lot of energy, just continuing to stick to our process and just focusing on
execution and the details, really studying our plan. Especially on a week like this where you’re traveling
in the middle of the week, on Thursday we’re leaving and traveling overnight to come over here, I think
it’s just more important than ever that you know your plan, you know all the details, you’re prepared so
you can go play free on Sunday and you’re not thinking. You do miss a little bit of prep on that travel
time. I think guys understand that and we’re prepared, we still got 48 hours or so to continue to prepare
for the game. It’s been a great week; we’ve been flying around. Even today, I thought the energy was
great after a long plane ride and guys being a little tired. I thought we brought a lot of juice, and it was
good.”
(On if his body feels acclimated by gameday or if it’s an adjustment period) “I think you feel, I’m trying to
think now, obviously it’s been a year since we’ve been over here. You feel pretty good by Sunday. I think
even tomorrow you feel a lot better. Today is a tough day, you get through today and you just keep your
mind locked into everything. Obviously, we’re still installing some stuff and preparing and meeting. Now
we’re done, but this morning we were. I think you just really have to put some extra attention and focus
in on that because that’s when you’re tired from the plane ride. You probably didn’t sleep as much as
you normally do, an actually your night of sleep for Thursday night is on the plane. That’s the challenging
part, but now where we’re at, you get a chance to get your body back, get a lot of sleep tonight to get
ready, and usually tomorrow you’re feeling pretty good. Sunday, you feel pretty normal. It will be
interesting now that we’re going to have a whole other week, so we should feel great going into that
week. You feel pretty good by Sunday.”
(On having a change of scenery by working in London for the week) “It is, this place is great. Staying at
The Grove is really cool. I love staying over there. It’s a nice change of weather with how hot it is in
Jacksonville right now. You get a little bit of cooler weather, disconnect a little bit and get out here.
You’re kind of in the middle of nowhere which I like, it’s beautiful. It’s a lot of fun.”
(On where he quantifies himself as quarterback of the team) “That’s a good question. I think that I’ve
made a lot of improvements over the past two off-seasons since I’ve been in the NFL. Things that I’ve
wanted to improve on, I feel like I have. There’s still a ton of room for me to grow. I think I’ve become a
more consistent decision maker; I think I’ve become more accurate, especially down the field this
offseason. I think that each season, even if it’s guys you’ve played with in the past, you’re still working on
that chemistry in some early things early in the season. We’re still getting there in those areas, but I
think it’s coming along great, the relationship with the guys is awesome with Christian [WR Christian
Kirk], Zay [WR Zay Jones], Calvin [WR Calvin Ridley], Evan [TE Evan Engram] and all the other guys. Calvin
is coming along great, he’s going to be a huge weapon for us. I think you look at where we’re at, 1-2,
obviously we’d like to have more wins than that and don’t love how we played the last couple of weeks. I
know we’re heading in the right direction and looking forward to getting back on track this week. I think
we are heading in the right direction, and I’m excited about that.”
(On how important NFL growth internationally is to him) “Just to see the fans over here, it’s awesome. I
think it’s unique because it’s not like a home or away game necessarily, technically it’s a home game for
us, but I would say there’s probably more Jags fans just because we’ve consistently played over here for
the past few years. It’s cool seeing every NFL team’s jerseys in the stadium on game day. It’s really cool.”
(On the biggest difference between American fans and European fans) “The biggest difference is
interesting, at some points in the game the European fans cheer at strange times compared to American
fans. Usually when it’s a home game, it’s only on big plays for us or vice versa or whatever it is. Then
sometimes, I feel like European fans might cheer for a flag or something. Some of that stuff is funny and
it’s just interesting. I just would say that I appreciate the support, it means a lot to us and obviously it
provides us opportunities for us to come and play over here. If there was no interest in you guys
watching us over here, we wouldn’t be here. I appreciate all of the support from you all and the
European fans, not even just here in London but everywhere. We’re thankful for that and it’s exciting, it
lets us get these opportunities.”
(On if he has any birthday plans while in London) “Yeah, I got some family and my wife is in town, so
we’re going to do something. We’re not going to disclose exactly what, we’re going to keep a little bit of
the privacy that I do have. It’s exciting, turning 24, so no better place to have a birthday than over here in
London. I’m really excited and it’s going to be a fun week next week.”
(On if he has any thoughts on the Ryder Cup ahead of the weekend) “I was hoping no one would ask me
about it and get away with not being asked about it. I need to check in, it’s not going any better than it
was this morning. Is it still bad? Is it better? There we go! Is that biased? I’m still figuring out the format.
It was a tough start; I know we were all talking about it this morning. I’m hoping the boys can come back
and pull one out for us. It’s going to be fun to watch, I’m going to try and watch some of it later.”
WIDE RECEIVER CALVIN RIDLEY
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2023
(On what it’s going to be like to face the Falcons this weekend) “It’s going to be cool. I’m going to see
some old faces, I think it’s going to be really fun. We got a good team, going against them is just another
opportunity to get out there.”
(On if he’s able to ask QB Trevor Lawrence questions about the UK experience) “Yeah, I had awhile
knowing we were coming out here so I’ve been asking him questions about pretty much everything. It’s a
super group, I’ve been excited since the moment I got out of suspension. I knew I was coming here, and
this was the group I wanted to be with. I’m very excited to be with my guys.”
(On how it feels to play in Wembley Stadium) “I’m very excited. From the moment we landed, I didn’t
know what to expect but it’s just different. I’ve never been this far from home and I’m just excited to play
football and experience something new, it’s very nice around.”
(On what it was like going against Falcons CB A.J. Terrell when he played for Atlanta) “Oh man, he’s a
great corner. I remember the first time he came to the team, the first day he was already a good player.
Man, we had some battles. We went at it and got each other better. I got a lot of respect for A.J.”
(On excitement towards going against Falcons CB A.J. Terrell again) “I’m looking forward to it. Another
opportunity, I can’t wait to get better and go against a really good corner.”
The Jacksonville Jaguars have elevated WR Jacob Harris to the active roster from the practice squad for tomorrow’s game via standard elevation, the team announced today.
Harris attended Central Florida from 2018-20 and played in 36 games, catching 49 passes for 987 yards and nine TDs. In 2020, he recorded career highs in receptions (30), yards (539) and TDs (eight). He was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the fourth round (141st overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft. Harris appeared in 16 games from 2021-22 with the Rams and caught one pass for 6 yards last season. Originally from Palm Harbor, Fla., he attended Palm Harbor University High School.
