HEAD COACH DOUG PEDERSON
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2023
(On injury updates across the team) “Johnson [S Antonio Johnson] is out, Junior [CB Gregory Junior] is
out, Lacy [DL Tyler Lacy] is in, Brandon [OL Brandon Scherff] is in, Luke [OL Luke Fortner] is in.”
(On OL Brandon Scherff having a quick recovery for this weekend’s game) “I think everybody heals
differently, pain tolerance is different for everybody. He played at Iowa, tough player. It just goes to show
the type of person that he is and how important his teammates are and this team and trying to be
available for every game.”
(On where he stands in having a revenge game against Kansas City) “It’s Week 2. It’s the Kansas City
Chiefs, it’s the next one on our schedule. We know everything about the game and the importance of
the game, but we’re looking to improve from Week 1. We love the fact that the game is here at home in
front of our fans and all that. Everybody treats it differently, but for me personally, it’s the next one on
the schedule against a really good team.”
(On feeling the need to be aggressive against Kansas City) “I think anytime you’re playing a quality
opponent like this and good football teams, you have to maintain a level of aggressiveness. Each week,
we try to find opportunities to do that and we were successful a couple of times last year doing that. Too
though, you have to see how the game goes and get into the feel and the flow. Obviously, they’re aware
from what Detroit did in Week 1 and what we did last year and all that. It’s going to be harder to try
anything, but you still try to take advantage if you can in all three phases.”
(On if he has feelings towards doing something to get the crowd going early) “No, I don’t think you go
chasing stuff like that. I think you just stay within yourself and execute your game plan, if something big
or great happens in the game, we get the crowd in it. I don’t think you have to do anything extra special
to get the fans in it.”
(On if there’s an effort to get WR Christian Kirk more involved this week) “I think it’s more circumstantial,
we’re talking two different defenses and two different philosophies. One is a zone scheme, one is a
pressure-man type of scheme. Christian thrives a little bit in some of the man-type schemes, last week
was just the way the defense is and it wasn’t for not trying to get him the football, the ball just went
other places. He’ll get his opportunities in this game and Trevor [QB Trevor Lawrence] does a great job of
spreading the ball around and trying to find the open receiver. Christian is a big part of it and we got to
somehow get him going.”
(On how encouraging it is to have a high number of sacks last game) “It’s encouraging, it shows discipline
in your pass rush. You can’t ever get above the quarterback, and you don’t ever want to get underneath
the quarterback because those are two dynamics where the quarterback can get around you or up and
out of the pocket. Being able to do that and then getting pressure from other spots really helps the sack
totals individually. Josh [OLB Josh Allen] did a nice job, and Josh played well. He played with aggression,
he played with speed, he played with physicality. All things we look for out of our top players.”
(On how QB Trevor Lawrence has approached the week) “I think the matchups are for you guys to talk
about. I think Trevor just stays within the game plan and tries to execute and have communication with
us as a staff to understand the plan and how we’re trying to attack. He spends a lot of time in the film
room before and after practice studying the tape, and he’s such a competitor and he just wants to win,
and get his skill guys involved as best as he can. It’s not necessarily Trevor versus Patrick [Chiefs QB
Patrick Mahomes] or vice versa because they both play the same position. I just think Trevor is going to
do everything he can to help Jacksonville succeed where he can.”
(On if it helps QB Trevor Lawrence that he’s played against the Chiefs recently) “Yeah, I think having that
familiarity with them and the same defensive coordinator helps. There’s history there, we know, he
knows, we all got to play and coach better against them. His input where he can and interject where he
can and what he likes and dislikes is very helpful to us too.”
(On if wishes for a different weather throughout practice) “I can’t control the weather.”
(On difference in Chiefs offense when TE Travis Kelce is in or not) “It is different, I think that’s the one
thing that stood out watching last week’s game, is just having that trust factor with the top receiver and
tight end and Travis [Chiefs TE Travis Kelce]. Just knowing where he is, they spent so much time together,
Patrick [Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes] knows exactly where he’s going to be, when he’s going to be there.
They do a great job of going off schedule, I think that’s the element that they possibly missed last week
of the off-schedule plays and just knowing where Travis is going to be. That’s the hard thing, that got us
last year in the redzone a couple of times. Just knowing and understanding where 87 is going to be, and
then when Patrick does move and goes off schedule, you’ve got to be on point. This is where discipline
and understanding scramble rules and all that comes into play for us as a defense.”
