HEAD COACH DOUG PEDERSON
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2023
(On injury status of OL Brandon Scherff) “Yeah, x-rays and MRI just showed an ankle sprain and he’ll be
pretty tender these next couple of days. We’ll just continue to keep monitoring him day-to-day as we go
this week.”
(On potential loss of OL Brandon Scherff impacting the team) “Yeah, it’s obviously a loss for the offensive
line, it’s pretty substantial. But yeah, his leadership with Anton [OL Anton Harrison] there and the
communication they’ve had and the rapport they’ve had since the offseason. If he can’t, we’re confident
Shatley [OL Tyler Shatley] filled in well, veteran guy who knows the system will do the same thing as far
as communication goes with Anton and himself. All the confidence in the world that we’ll have the
answers there.”
(On what stood out in yesterday’s game with fourth down possessions) “Just our execution, honestly.
Nothing out of the ordinary, we knew exactly where they were going to be defensively and just
execution. We were late off the ball a couple of times with the noise and things like that, things we can
correct and fix. Those are all opportunities when you look at the third and fourth down scenarios we had
in the game, if you would’ve told me that we would’ve been average third-and-four for the entire game,
you’d be in the 60-70 percent range of conversion. Those are things we’ll take a look at and we got to
fix.”
(On when Offensive Coordinator Press Taylor took over in play calling) “Press and I have been talking
about this for two years now. It’s something that I thought a lot about, and it’s not an easy decision.
You’re without a lot of conversation and he and I talking about it. Like I said after the game, he and I have
been together for seven years. We think alike, we know each other, I trust him wholeheartedly and that’s
why he’s my offensive coordinator. He makes good decisions, he’s well prepared, it gives me an
opportunity to stay engaged within the game and decision making in the game, helping out all three
phases a little bit more and dealing with officials and things like that. It’s not easy, but at the same time,
it felt like this was the right opportunity. He did a good job, he did a great job for us. We scored 31 points
and come away with a victory in your first one. Listen, this is not his first time to call plays. Don’t
misunderstand, he did this last year. He’s had a lot of experience doing this.”
(On if him and Offensive Coordinator Press Taylor had any differences in play calling) “I don’t know, I’m
not going to give away a lot of secrets because that tips the hat for D-coordinators. I’ll just tell you we
think alike.”
(On if the fourth down calls were a group decision) “No, that’s solely on me and analytics.”
(On how the young defensive players responded in yesterday’s game) “I thought the defense played well.
Gosh, I think there were three turnovers on downs, huge goal line stand there at the end, good tackling
on the backend, and they controlled the line of scrimmage. I just thought that the defense really kept the
offense in the football game. That’s the way it is sometimes early in the season, it’s your defense is
sometimes ahead of your offense until you get into a rhythm and in sync. I thought defensively, Josh
[OLB Josh Allen] had a tremendous game; for him to come out the gates like he did, it was really good to
see Tyson [CB Tyson Campbell] with the big interception and Foye [LB Foyesade Oluokun] played
extremely well. Yeah, it was good for those guys to get off to a fast start.”
(On defenses being prepared due to having a second year in the system) “Yeah, that’s a credit to the
defensive staff with Mike [Defensive Coordinator Mike Caldwell] and being prepared for those situations.
They did an excellent job.”
(On danger of Kansas City Chiefs coming off a loss in Week 1) “Well, I don’t think so much that, just who
you’re playing. It’s a different animal now. You have a veteran quarterback versus the rookie who I think
played well, Anthony Richardson [Colts QB Anthony Richardson] played well yesterday. This is a Super
Bowl winning team. They’re obviously well coached, it’s a disciplined group, so the challenges are real.
We haven’t faired so well against them, especially last year with two losses. It’s a great opportunity for
our team, it’s a home game, it’s here, looking forward to the challenge of the game plan this week and
getting ourselves and our team ready to go.”
(On if there’s any thoughts towards playing the Kansas City Chiefs for the third time in less than a year)
“No, I think I’m 0-3 against Coach Reid [Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid] in my career. We got to try to work
on that.”
(On what makes WR Zay Jones so reliable) “The reason he is so reliable, number one is that the
quarterback trusts him, he knows where he’s going to be. They spent going on two years together. Zay is
a tremendously hard worker, he’s smart, he’s an intellectual guy that just understands ball. He and Trevor
have logged a lot of hours throwing and catching off to the side and working on different things. There’s
that trust factor with him, and again, not saying he doesn’t have trust with other players, it’s just
referring to Zay. It’s just a great double move, throw and catch for the touchdown. Really, the late in the
game throw that Trevor made to him, just knowing exactly where he was going to be to make that throw.
That’s who Zay is.”
(On trust in RB Tank Bigsby to quickly improve in a game) “No different than an offensive coordinator,
right? You trust him, you put him out there. That’s how they learn. He’s not going to grow unless he
learns it, sometimes you have to learn through failure and mistakes and making those errors. Tank is
hard on himself, he’s a guy that’s going to take this game, the good and the bad, he’s going to learn from
it, and he’ll be better this week for it. As a staff, we’ve got to trust him. We’re going to continue to put
him out there and he’ll be better for it.”
(On defensive performance allowing offense to score more) “Well, that’s huge. It started with Jamal’s
[WR Jamal Agnew] punt return. That was the first one that led to us being on the 46-yard line, short
field, score. Then, Tyson’s [CB Tyson Campbell] interception, short field, go down and score. There’s a
correlation, right? Anytime the defense can create takeaways or the special teams can shorten the field
for you, it’s an advantage for the offense. We’ve got to do more of that, I know we were plus-one with
the turnover ratio yesterday and offense was able to capitalize on it to turn them into touchdowns.
Where I look at it too, the middle eight of the football game, where we struggled in the two-minute and
ended up settling for a punt when we were really in field goal range. That was execution on our part,
then coming out in the third quarter, that’s another element of that where you can score. Those are
opportunities we have to take advantage of.”
(On not wanting the team to play their best football game early on) “Yeah, it’s still a work in progress.
You saw it around the league I think, with offenses and defenses that Week 1 is not going to decide your
season at all. How many times have you seen teams jump out 4-, 5-, 6-0, and then falter in December
and January. You want to be one of the teams that are going the other direction. You want to be going up
in December and January. It was good to get the win, but overall, we’ve got some corrections to make,
we’ve got to get better, communication has got to get better, and we’ll work on those this week.”
(On if he’s pleased with OLB Josh Allen’s and OLB Travon Walker’s performance) “I was. Both of those
guys played extremely hard and physical, which was great. Josh, we mentioned him with the sacks and
being disruptive. It was a good start for both of those guys.”
(On growth seen out of CB Tyson Campbell and S Andre Cisco) “Yeah, these guys have really settled into
their roles. A lot of confidence there, two young players. Just excited to see the continued growth and
continued development with both of those guys. Two smart players that work extremely hard in practice
during the week, pride themselves on doing the right thing. It was unfortunate Cisco had the
unnecessary roughness penalty, but those are going to happen. Overall, both guys played well and I’m
looking forward to the weeks to come.”
(On importance of having a home crowd against the Kansas City Chiefs) “I think it’s going to be
everything. I know it’s an early start, might be a little warm, but we love to have a full crowd. Anytime
you start your season home with the defending Super Bowl champions, it’s exciting. It’s exciting for us as
a team and for our fans. I expect a full crowd and I’m just looking forward to Sunday.”
(On if he prefers to start the year on the road or at home) “I don’t mind the road, quite honestly. I think
it keeps your team kind of focused on the road, you’re in the hotel and all that kind of stuff. The last two
years we’ve done that on the road and I really feel like we should’ve done better last year. But I don’t
mind it.”
OUTSIDE LINEBACKER JOSH ALLEN
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2023
(On his performance in yesterday’s game of consistency) “We’re going to see next week and the
following week after that. I think it was a good start of the year, watching the tape there’s things I know I
can get better on. I think it was the relentlessness and the things that you can’t coach, I showed that a
lot yesterday. I want to build on that and continue to grow.”
(On importance of fourth down stops as a defensive unit) “It’s huge. If we want to be the team and the
defense we know we can become, we have to make plays like that in big moments. We were in a lot of
big moments this week and we capitalized, so we got to continue to go, continue to communicate well,
continue to be in the right spot when you need to, and continue to make those plays.”
(On location making a difference against Kansas City Chiefs this weekend) “It doesn’t really make a big
difference, I know he’s Patrick Mahomes [Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes] and if Kelce [Chiefs TE Travis
Kelce] plays or not, they’re a heck of a team. We’re going to have to be real disciplined on our eyes this
week and we’re going to have to keep him in the pocket as well. He’s another guy that can scramble, he’s
a little wiggly, so he can run left, run right, back it up, go forward. Just to be able to stay relentless and
continue to grow on that, but this is a game that we must game. It’s a playoff game for us. We may see
this team later down the road, so we want to get in early and we also can’t lose at home. We know our
fans are going to show out and be out there even though it’s going to be really hot, we know they’re
going to cheer and support us. We’re really excited that and ready to go.”
(On if he reflects on the last game against the Chiefs before this weekend) “Personally, it’s a little
personal for me because the last two times we played them last year, I wasn’t at my best. For me, it’s
personal but at the end of the day, I got a job to do and for me to be where I need to be, I also need to
know what I’m doing out there. The film study and the preparation takes a full hand. If I continue to do
that and continue to practice well, everything else is going to take care of itself and that’s what I want to
be more consistent on.”
(On how preaching takeaways comes to fruition) “Everybody has to get to the ball. We know our identity,
we know what it takes to win these games, especially big games like these. You got to take the ball away
and get the ball back to the offense to give them opportunities. Next week is going to be no different, it’s
a big game and in order to beat Patrick Mahomes [Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes], you need to create
takeaways. You look at the first game they played and a big pick-six. You have the other turnovers. We
have to fly around to the ball, we have to be relentless, and we also have to have that one-two. As we’re
looking, we got that one-two. We have to stay on it, stay communicative, and really have a lot of
discipline in our eyes. If we continue to do that, everything is going to take care of itself.”
(On how confidence improves by having fourth down stops) “For me, it was just getting off the field. As a
defense, we just think about getting off the field. Confidence, we know that’s something we can do. To
go out there and continue to do it, that’s what happens when we all communicate and when we all line
up where we need to be; we all go out there and be relentless and try to make a play. That’s our
standard, and it may not happen like that or whatever, but we’re going to line up, we’re going to play
fast, and we’re going to play through the whistle. If we continue to do that, I think we’re going to have a
lot of success this year.”
(On thoughts towards having big games being a consistency for the team) “It’s huge. This is my fifth
season and Thursday night was a big game, last year I played in probably the most meaningful games
and going into this year early, I think last week was a big game. It was a divisional game, a road win, now
we have our first home game against the defending Super Bowl champs. Playing these meaningful games
early means a lot, and while we’re all fresh and ready to go we got to take advantage of this and get on
these guys.”
(On going against former teammate Chiefs T Jawaan Taylor) “Dealing with Jawaan, I’ve been dealing with
Jawaan since college. We’ve been having battles way back from Florida-Kentucky. Obviously, we get
drafted together, so having those battles up there. Also, training with him in Orange Park and being able
to do that with him is just awesome and I’m excited to play against him. Travon [OLB Travon Walker] is as
well, Travon has been going against him since last year as well. He knows what we can do, we know what
he can do, if we continue to do what we’re supposed to do, I think we’ll have a good opportunity to go
win some rushes.”
(On how last year’s full team effort carried over into Week 1) “Coach preaches that we need to find a
way to win, I think in last year’s season we found ways to win those games. Just starting the season off
with us knowing how to win, let’s continue that streak. The defense man, we picked up where we left off
at. The offense, when we needed to score, they scored the ball. They scored 31 points, that’s a lot of
points in the National Football League. Whatever the way they look, we scored 31 points and we got off
the field when we needed to get off. When you talk about the three phases, I think it was a complete
game. We also need to find ways to build on this. Next week, we’re playing against divisional champs,
and we’re going to have to be ready to go in all phases. We start at practice.”
[Question from DL Roy Robertson-Harris] (On having a hat-trick in sacks yesterday) “I mean, I think it’s a
credit all to my defense linemates. All four guys, all three guys if so, did their job and allowed me to have
one-on-one opportunities to dominate my matchup. Dealing with, I could go all the way down the line,
you got myself, you got Mr. Roy Robertson-Harris, who is a dominant individual in the pass game. If he
didn’t slip, he would’ve had the first sack. He knows. Next week, I think he’s going to capitalize off those
opportunities, I think he’s going to be a hell of a player. I think he’s going to have a hell of a season this
year and I’m excited for him. Who else have we got? Foley [DL Folorunso Fatukasi], the man dominated
when you watch the tape. [DL] Jeremiah Ledbetter, [DL] Adam Gotsis, Blackson [DT Angelo Blackson], I
think our defensive line has been rolling. We got to continue that, it’s almost like SEC ball, you got to win
a battle up front. In the NFL, you got to win a battle up front. We all got that mentality that we got to
dominate and including Travon [OLB Travon Walker] as well.”
WIDE RECEIVER ZAY JONES
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2023
(On how he feels about the offense so far) “Good. Exciting to get a win on the road against a divisional
opponent. Some things we need to clean up on, but just exciting to get back into some real football.”
(On the touchdown catch he made last game) “It was a curl concept that we had, we had the ability to
put a double move on it if we want. Trevor [QB Trevor Lawrence] made the call, so I just ran up there, did
my little studder, and I knew that in those situations, the ball is going to be put back further. I had to
maneuver around to get there. I was able to make an extending catch for my team which was exciting.”
(On mindset during plays of converting first downs) “Yeah, critical situations and we know we got to have
it. It’s all about execution, in some cases that we do need to execute better in order to take advantage of
those downs because we don’t know how many opportunities we’re going to get. Grateful and lucky that
our defense played phenomenal and special teams did a lot of good stuff to put us in position to make
plays. Tyson’s [CB Tyson Campbell] turnover, the way Josh [OLB Josh Allen] played, the way those guys
flew around on defense, giving us those opportunities. We need to capitalize them more when we have
those chances, just ultimately really excited that we got the win because we know how hard it is to win
in this league. You guys watch a lot of ball, you understand how hard it is.”
(On importance of having the first win but wanting to peak as a team in the future) “Like I said, it’s hard
to win in this league. When you can go into those types of environments with their fanbase, they have a
lot of energy surrounding their quarterback and the team they’re building. To get that win means a lot
for us. Especially playing in a division. You got to put those things to bed and have a short mind frame on
that. You got to move on, so we’re moving to Kansas City now, which is another really good football
team. Start studying those guys, getting our bodies back and recovered, and just looking forward to
playing them now.”
(On if he thinks about the last game against the Chiefs in preparation for this weekend) “No, I haven’t to
be honest. I’m not reflecting on that, more so just staying present and positive. Okay, who’s on their
roster still? What do they like to do? Do they do a lot of zone, do they do a lot of man? Things like that.
Beginning to have these conversations with our coaches and players of how we see this gameplan
working and seeing things come together is more so where I’m at right now.”
(On how having a home game can change things for the team) “I think it’s going to be awesome with our
fanbase being here. I know guys’ families and everyone is coming in town, I know our fanbase is very
excited to have our home opener here with the energy that they bring. I think that’s well known now
across Jax, the type of environment we can have here at home. We’re all super excited about that and
jacked up, but when the ball gets snapped, we still got to execute and do what we have to do.”
(On having trust in RB Tank Bigsby) “Tank is awesome. First and foremost, he’s fun to be around. Got a
lot of great energy, he’s given me a nickname; he calls me Spider. He says that the way that I run and my
legs, I don’t know. He calls me Spider. So Tank’s nickname is Super Saiyan for me because of Dragon Ball
Z. Saiyan and Spider, it’s pretty cool. He runs hard, he plays hard, I don’t know all the details of the
running back room and what Coach Parmalee [Running Backs Coach Bernie Parmalee] does. I can just tell
that he’s giving his best effort, none of us are perfect out there on that football field. Whatever goes on,
we have his back and it’s just exciting to see such a young player, really that young, thriving and scoring.
I’m very excited for him and his future here with the Jags.”
(On pride he takes in his reliability on the offense) “I kind of classify it as just doing my job. That’s why
I’m here, that’s what I’m supposed to do. Christian Kirk [WR Christian Kirk] said the other day, he was
like, ‘We really have to appreciate these third-down moments’ as we were eluding to earlier and how
important they are. We should want those moments. Then, Coach Chad [Wide Receivers Coach Chad
Hall] talked about how pressure is a privilege, to be in those moments and to not shy away from it. I
think just revering that moment and revering that mindset for us of understanding, ‘Okay, this is why we
are here. We have enough to do it here, so let’s get the job done.’ I don’t think it’s more so pride as it is
respecting and honoring my job and why I’m here.”
(On what energy a return like WR Jamal Agnew had can do for the team) “It’s electric. It means so much
as an offense to start with only half the field. It does a lot for your momentum. I know for our coaches,
too, they can look at, ‘Oh, now we don’t have to go 80, 70 yards. Let’s look at our game plan from right
here. Okay, where’s our field goal range, where do we just have to get to secure a field goal with the
great kicker that we have.’ I think we need to appreciate what [WR] Jamal Agnew has done for this
football team over these years and he’s a special talent. It really just boosts everyone up, reinvigorates
us to just get excited and have the opportunity to score.”
(On if he notices when Offensive Coordinator Press Taylor calls plays versus Head Coach Doug Pederson
does) “I’d be lying if I said yeah, I’m just more so on what’s the next call. Maybe as time goes on a little
bit more, but no. I don’t think so. I think they both have done a great job.”
(On wanting to improve despite the win) “Yeah, I think we just hold ourselves to a high standard. We’re
not really not on the happy-to-be-here train. I think we’re more so having unfinished business to do, and
we know we can do it. I just think that we’re still very hungry and things weren’t as clean as we want
them to be. I made plenty of mistakes, still in that game, guys made mistakes. I think our mindset is just
let’s clean up the mistakes and go play a full game as an offense. A complete from first quarter to fourth
quarter, I just think that’s where we’re at right now. Hopefully I can speak for the guys and no one is like,
‘no that’s not true.’”
(On how it felt seeing WR Calvin Ridley play after two years off) “Awesome. For anybody who said he had
to knock the rust off was dead wrong. He looked incredible, great speed, great hands, just playing with a
lot of confidence and a lot of swag. I was very happy for him to get in the endzone, I guess rightfully so,
first for us. It was awesome, I think it was very fitting. Just the way that you guys who were here in
training camp, you saw the flashes of him early in training camp and I think that carried over to the first
game. It kind of just jumped off of you immediately and that’s what he did in the regular season opener.
I’m just very excited for him and his family, and I’m glad to be on his team and part of it with him.”
(On if starting the year on the road be good for a team) “I don’t know, I’ve had experiences with both. I
don’t know that it truly matters, maybe it does. I don’t know, that’s a great question. I’ve never been
asked that question before.”
