HEAD COACH DOUG PEDERSON
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2023
(On how the fullback was able to return the kick for a touchdown) “Missed tackles. I mean, just those
type of things are unacceptable. I mean, you know, it was a great kick, whatever we wanted it to be. The
ball was on the ground. Just poor execution. We couldn’t get them on the ground. Great play by them,
just failed execution.”
(On if effort was lacking today for the team) “I mean, at times, I think. But, I thought these guys were
actually in a good place going into this football game. Standing here right now, obviously, that might be a little different. But we talked all week about this team that we’re playing is a good football team. It’s the
National Football League, it’s a divisional opponent, all those things. DeMeco [Texans Head Coach
DeMeco Ryans] has those guys playing extremely well. A lot of energy, we were going to have to come
into this game with that same type of energy. I give credit to Houston; they got after us today.”
(On the biggest reason why the offense isn’t functioning at the expected level) “Well, you’re seeing the
drops. You’re seeing the turnovers. You’re seeing penalties, untimely penalties. You’re seeing flashes of
excellence and brilliance and then a setback. It’s just the consistency that we need, needs to improve. It’s
not there right now, we got to continue to work and continue to get better to figure some things out.”
(On if the team may have read too much offseason hype and needs to try to be where they thought they
would’ve been) “I think that’s real. I do. I think that’s real. I’ve been around this game too long to know
that you can’t live in the past or you’re going to fail in the future. We just got to focus one day at a time.
We got to get better each day and can’t worry about next week or the week after. We can’t worry about
the London trip coming up. We just got to focus in on the week at hand. That part of it starts with me, in
making sure that the guys are hearing that message loud and clear from me. We’ll make sure that they
get that message.”
(On if there’s any understanding of why the game was another slow start for the team) “I wish I had a
crystal ball, honestly. That would probably answer a lot of questions. But I thought the guys were more
focused this week. I thought that the Kansas City game, whether we pressed a little bit in that game and
made too many errors in that game to bounce back, have the type of week that we did. But again, the
guys are they’re doing and saying all the right things. It’s just really hard to put a finger on it. Coaches
need to coach, players need to play, leaders need to lead. That part of it starts with me. We’ve got
ourselves in a little bit of a pickle here and we got to work it out.”
(On what was wrong and inconsistent with the pass rush in the game) “You can maybe point to several
things. But we have to do better, it starts upfront. It starts with the offensive line on offense, starts with
the defensive line on defense. It starts right there. I’m going to say this again; we need to coach better.
We need to play better. We need to execute better. Whether we are reading our press clippings, we need
to get out of our own way right now. We need to evaluate ourselves, beginning with me. And we got to
figure out how to win a game.”
(On what changes were made at the half to adjust) “I think grabbing their attention at halftime and just
letting them know that the first 30 minutes was unacceptable. It’s not up to what our standards are and
our expectations, including my expectations for this football team. I say we’re too good, we’ve got the
pieces, but we’re not playing well. So, they came out, they executed extremely well. We got it back to
that 17-10 mark and then the kickoff return happened. Those are just the moments that, right now, are
just keeping us from pushing through this wall, getting over this hump, right? Those are the things, those
are the moments that every man in there takes ownership and accountability. We just can’t let those
happen.”
(On how much harder he’s coached the team in situations such as halftime) “I think we’re past a lot of
that. I think they understand where I’m coming from because I challenge this group quite a bit during the
week. I try to make it as hard as I can during the week so that hopefully on Sunday they can play and all
of that. We’ve come a long way as a team and these guys have really worked hard to put themselves in
this position to be in the conversation around the league and stuff. Right now, it’s not good enough; it’s
not good enough and that does start with me. That’s a direct flexion on me. I got to make sure that we
coach better, offensively, defensively, specialists. All three phases had a hand in this one today, all three
phases. I’m not taking anything from Houston because they played well. But for us, personally, we’ve got
to do a better job coaching and making sure that our guys are prepared, I do the right things in practice,
we’re doing the right things. We put together a good week and then, ultimately, finish up with a win on
Sunday.”
(On if he gets a feeling of no urgency to get this season right after turning it around in the second half of
last season) “That might be a question for those guys. I don’t feel that. But I feel like this is the NFL.
You’ve got to be ready to play every single Sunday or Monday or Sunday night or Thursday night or
whatever’s on your schedule. You don’t take anybody for granted. I don’t care who’s playing, who’s not
playing. This is the NFL, everybody’s good. You’ve got to be in the right frame of mind every Sunday
when the ball’s teed up and kicked off. Today is not a reflection of who we are. We’ve got seven days to
listen to the criticism, which is rightfully so. We got to take it. We have to take accountability for it. We’ve
got to block out the noise and figure out how to win.”
(On the difficulty of getting out of your own way to perform better as a team) “That’s the psychological
part of being a head coach sometimes. If you figure that out, those are breakthrough moments. I think
that’s why I say coaches have to look at themselves, because we got to make sure in all three phases are
we doing enough? Are we doing too much? Do we need to cut back? All those types of things just to free
these guys up to just go play. Sometimes if you can just simplify and, you know, you think about training
camp, right, you come out of training camp and you run your basic stuff, offensively and defensively, and
you have some success in camp and sometimes you have to get back to that sort of mentality. Listen, by
no means do you panic. It’s early, there’s a lot of ball ahead of us. I know we’ve got the right men in that
room and in that locker room to figure this out. Everybody’s got to do their part.”
QUARTERBACK TREVOR LAWRENCE
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2023
Q. Trevor, what did you make of what happened today?
TREVOR LAWRENCE: I mean, it’s pretty general. I think just, obviously, not happy with the
performance. I mean, yeah, it’s — I don’t really have anything else. Just bad day. Really bad,
execution-wise, all three phases. Just not playing clean, not playing how I know we can play.
Until we do that, there’s really not much to say. So…
Q. As one of the leaders of the team, do you feel like you can do more to get the team right?
TREVOR LAWRENCE: Yeah, I think — I think we can all lead better, I think including myself.
Obviously, we’re not doing everything the right way or this wouldn’t be happen. I think if we
were, this wouldn’t be happening. You know, I think that we need to have a heightened sense of
just attention to detail. Too many bad plays in critical moments, in critical situations. Not getting
any momentum. We’re not complimenting each other on either side of the ball, especially today. We’re just leaving a lot out there. And it’s a pretty bad feeling when you come in that locker room when
you leave all that out there and you play like you did today and play like we did offensively last
week. So like I said, there’s not much you can say to, you know, ease that over. We got to go out and
play together. We got the right guys. I got confidence in that. But, you know, you get tired of hearing and saying that. So we got confidence in our group. We just got to — we have to execute better. And that’s all it is. Like, we got to make the throws, we got to make a the catches, we got to block, we got to do the simple stuff that we’re typically really good at that we’re not just doing really good right now. And that’s just talking about offensively. And we’re going to get there. I got no doubt about that. I got all the confidence. Obviously, probably a lot of people don’t want to hear that. So, obviously, a bad day.
Q. Trevor, you know, one of the few positives was that you didn’t get sacked today. But I also
noticed that you were also having a lot of three-step — going back three steps and then
throwing. Are you having to compensate in these first few games for what you probably are
normally — you normally drop with a five or seven-step?
TREVOR LAWRENCE: I think every week the game plan is different. Obviously, last week, you
know, especially passing situations, passing downs, we didn’t do a great job, including myself.
And just, you know, just getting the ball out and protecting and all those things. So I think,
obviously, that’s — there’s more of a sense of that going into this week.
And I thought we had a good plan. Plan doesn’t mean anything, though, if you don’t execute it.
So it doesn’t really matter how good your plan was if you don’t make the plays. So it doesn’t
really matter. But I thought we had a good plan. I thought we did some things well. I thought we were in rhythm almost the whole day and then we would just shoot ourselves in the foot,
repeatedly. Just couldn’t get out of our own way.
But I didn’t ever feel like they were doing anything that we weren’t prepared for, that, you know,
I think we stayed in a rhythm. I don’t know if we had any three and outs today. I thought we
were moving the ball consistently and we would just make that play that you don’t need to
make. We did that five or six times. So…
Q. Doug came in here and said you guys can’t get out of your own way, everybody. But when it’s
a team made up of mostly the same guys from last year, why does that happen? Shouldn’t you
be beyond that even though it’s early in the season?
TREVOR LAWRENCE: Yeah, I mean, you would, obviously — you never want that to be the case.
And I — like, it doesn’t matter — I mean, I’ll say this: It doesn’t matter who you play, when you
play, where you play. If you don’t execute and you do stuff like that, you won’t win a game. You
won’t beat anybody.
And the way we played today, we just can’t expect to win playing that way. There just has to be
some good, there has to be a sense of urgency. It’s just not okay to make the same mistakes that
we’ve been making, to do — to have the dumb penalties, to have the bad plays, to throw a pick,
you know, late in the game like I did that, just to do stuff like that, it’s not all right. We have to
look in the mirror, take accountability, you know, take that and own it and move on.
And that’s the plan and that’s what we’re going to do. But yeah, I mean, like you said, it’s
frustrating that this is a team that has played together a lot, has won a lot of big games, has
played down the stretch the lasting season. And to not click so far, it’s definitely frustrating.
But we have the right guys and there’s — the locker room is tight. We believe in one another.
That’s not going to change and we’re going to get through it, we’re going to get over it. And just
excited to get out of here and get to London and go win those two games out there. So we got
to move on.
Q. Trevor, do you feel like it is the perfect time to do something like that, to have this reset, so to
speak, to have two weeks away from home in London? Is that what the team needs right now,
in your opinion, in London?
TREVOR LAWRENCE: Yeah, I think if we use it the right way, it can be good for us. I don’t think
that we should need that to, you know, get the sense of urgency and to play better and execute.
I don’t think that we should need that. But if that’s what we need, then it’s coming at the right
time and we’re going to take advantage of it. So we’ll see. I mean, I think — I know we’re going
to respond the right way. But, yeah, hopefully this will be good for us and we’ll respond.
Q. Trevor, two part question. No. 1: Have you found yourself having to become more vocal this
season compared to the previous two in a leadership role? And then secondly, offensively,
coming out of the locker room at half time, you guys seemed to be moving up the field a lot
easier. What changed?
TREVOR LAWRENCE: I think definitely, you know, being more vocal. Just I think pressing the
issue of just to be who we are. Like, let’s want overthink this thing and make it harder than it is.
Like, we got really good players who have been really good in their careers, whether it’s here or
other places, whether it was last year, whatever. We got great players that have proven that
they can play well and play well in this league.
For some reason right now, it’s just not all clicking. And we got to figure that out. And I think
leading and just instilling confidence in those guys. But also, like I said, that sense of urgency, it’s not all right. All right, we’re getting to the point where it’s not okay. Like, I get it. And I’m going
to miss some throws and you guys hold me accountable.
I’m not going to — there’s going to be plays that I want back. There’s three or four today that I
want back where I didn’t do my job. And I expect the coaches to hold me accountable. And they
will. And I’m going to hold the wide-outs, tight-ends, the running backs the whole line
accountable, as well, for stuff that, you know, they’re not doing the best in their job.
So we all — no one can get their feelings hurt. And we don’t have guys that do, but we all have
to have that accountability. And I think that’s the biggest thing. And we all have to lead in that
way, take accountability for what we’re doing.
But, yeah, the second half we got in a rhythm. I thought the tempo was good for us. We had
them on their heels, did some good things. Obviously, scored real quick to kind of give us a shot.
And then, like I said, just we weren’t playing complementary and, you know, I ended having the
turnover later, I think maybe the next series, two series later. So just kind of get some
momentum and it just kind of dissolved.
Q. Trevor, one of the things that Evan said in the locker room afterwards was somebody asked
him a question about, you know, getting solace from what you guys did last year when you guys
climbed out of that three-seven hole. And Evan said, We can’t hang on last year, we got to do
better this year. So I’m sure you agree with that. But, I mean, what is it that you think that you
guys really need to do? Is it just a merit of just getting back to work and just grinding it out?
TREVOR LAWRENCE: Yeah, I mean, I think there’s — like I said, just making the play that’s there
that we all know we can make and that it’s different positions every play that are having these
mishappens, and including myself. So it’s just making the simple plays, doing your job, only
focusing on that. Like, just focus on one play at a time and just execute it.
And don’t worry about — don’t worry about the score, don’t worry about, you know, winning
the game in that moment. Just execute one play at a time and just play the game one play at a
time. You can’t look ahead in this league. You can’t.
So I think to Evan’s point, last year is gone. Last year is done. It was a great season, it was a great
ending, great run that we went on. But we — one, we want to accomplish more we feel like
there’s a lot more for us. And, two, this is a different team, this is a different season. It,
obviously, hasn’t started the way we wanted.
And I think that’s one thing, is we can’t expect to — we can’t expect the ball to just bounce our
way every game. We can’t put ourselves in 17-point holes and expect that we’re going to figure
it out. Because it’s hard in this league and you’re not going to be able to do it every week. And, of
course, if we believe it, at half time, you know, we’re in there 17-0 and we have no doubt we’re
going to win this game, we’re going to find a way. And we started off good and then ended up,
obviously, not playing well. But it’s just — it’s not feasible to do that every week.
And we got to — we can’t wait until our backs are against the wall to make a play. We got to do
from the first play to the last. And we’re not doing that and we’re — we need to have more
urgency every play. And treat every play like it’s the play that’s going to change the game.
Because you never know which one it’s going to be.
Q. I was actually going to ask you just about that. When you go down 17 points in an NFL game,
how difficult an obstacle is that to overcome and how do you reset and forget the score and get
in the right direction again?
TREVOR LAWRENCE: I mean, I don’t — obviously, we didn’t execute great today. Didn’t do
necessarily a good job of it. But I — with — I mean, with this group, we — talking about — I guess
pulling some of that confidence from last season, that is one thing we can’t lack, we don’t lack
belief, especially in circumstances like that, when we’re down a few scores. We don’t like that at
all. So there’s not really a huge need for getting everyone to believe. Because we all feel that. We all
know that we’re never out of a game. But to my point, is — I mean, you’re just not going to be
able to — every week, you’re not going to be able to go down 17 points and come back and win.
And you can’t rely on that. And I think that we need to have more sense of urgency earlier in games. We got to play better offensively. We got the ball, I think, on the 50 on the first drive and get a first down. And then somehow end up not getting any points and then giving them pretty good field position.
So it’s, like, stuff like that you can’t happen. That changes the game, that flips the momentum.
And we got to start better. But, yeah, I think the belief is there, but it doesn’t matter when
you’re not winning. That’s what this business is about, wins and losses. And, obviously, we’re on
the wrong side of it the last couple weeks.
Q. Trevor, you got to work through a lot of good stuff, bad stuff with Evan and Christian and
those guys last year. How do you do that right now with Calvin, with a day like today and some
of the stuff from last week, as well?
TREVOR LAWRENCE: What was the beginning of that question, work through what? Sorry.
Q. Work through the good and bad stuff, whether everything was not clicking. Obviously, right
now, you have to do that a little bit with Calvin.
TREVOR LAWRENCE: Yeah, I mean, it’s something that we — we got to be better together. You
know, I got to — we got to continue to work on that chemistry and — I mean, Calvin is a great
player. He’s proven it in this league. He’s proven it this season at times, too. And just continuing
to trust him.
You know, I got all the faith in the world in him. You know, he goes about his business the right
way, he works hard every day. He comes to work with the right mindset. And I got — we were
talking in the locker room. I got all the faith in the world in him. I’m not worried about him not
being able to bounce back.
We’re going to be just fine and we’re going to continue to work that. And I got to be better for
him, too. There’s certain looks where I got to give him a shot. There’s certain plays — I missed a
throw or two to him today. I got to get him going early. It’s not just him. It’s never just one guy.
But yeah I think — if you talk to him, too, he expects a lot of himself. He’s a guy that really
expects a lot of himself. And I know he’s doing everything to get back right and I’m excited to
see him continue to get better and our chemistry, you know, to keep growing.
TIGHT END EVAN ENGRAM
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2023
(On how to fix flaws of performance) “Get back to work, get back to work.”
(On having back-to-back losses) “No, today was unacceptable. We talked about it, we know. We know
what we got to do, it’s that simple.”
(On if it’s more disappointment or frustration towards the loss) “Both, for sure both. Today was bad, it
was just disappointing. Definitely frustrated during the game, disappointment right now. It’s just not
what we’re supposed to be, it’s not how we work. It’s not how we are supposed to perform. We know
we’re better than this, we know what we got to do and it’s going to take some steps to get there, but it
starts tomorrow when we clean this up and it starts Wednesday when we start Atlanta prep.”
(On how much of the game could’ve been determined by making a play) “It’s not even making a play,
really. We have guys that can make plays all over the place. It’s just the little things that we’re just
shooting ourselves in the foot. We got hands to the face, we got a lot of dropped balls today, myself
included. We got a fumble off a big gain, the kick return on a fullback. We’re just not playing
complementary football. Everybody, we know we got guys that can make plays, plays were made today.
But we’re not playing complementary football in a consistent way.”
(On how much the kick return for a touchdown knocked the team down after building momentum)
“Look, we’re all in this together and we shouldn’t even be in that position where we needed them to get
it back. But it all comes down to complementary football, all three phases matter. Today was just
unacceptable.”
(On if the Texans talent was taken by surprise) “Credit to them. They got guys hurt, they got guys that
they called up to come and compete. They got the job done. They dominated today, credit to them. I’m
not surprised, but disappointed for sure. Credit to them.”
(On if it’s on the players to set the tone going into London) “It’s a player’s league. It’s a player’s game. We
play the game, so yeah.”
(On having confidence of improving after showing resilience last season) “It’s a long season. We weren’t
even here last year, so we have a lot of work to do.”
(On if there’s any worry about the team having a ‘plenty of time’ mindset) “See, this is the thing. We’re
hanging on too much about last year. That’s over. It’s a long football season, we have a lot of work to do.
That’s all we know right now. We’re going to put our head down and get to work.”
(On if everyone has bought into what the team is trying to achieve) “Nobody is here if they’re not bought
in. Nobody has worked the way that we did in camp, nobody worked the way the guys worked in the
offseason. Everybody done that. That’s standard, number one, show up and buy in without a doubt.”
(On if he’s surprised the offense isn’t functioning at the expected level) “Frustrated, disappointed. I don’t
think there’s room for anyone to be surprised. We know we’re better.”
RUNNING BACK TRAVIS ETIENNE JR.
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2023
I know it doesn’t matter much when you lose, but you had one of your better games as rusher today.
Does it not matter to you?
“No, it means nothing honestly. How I look at it is I have to find a way to help the team get better and
continue to make plays for my team so to be in a better position to win the game. I fault myself. We fault
ourselves. I have to watch and continue to grow.”
With the first drive of the third quarter, did you feel like you guys turned it around?
“After that first drive, I felt like we had a lot of momentum. We were just really anxious to get back on
the field. I don’t what happened after that first drive man. We have to watch film and continue to get
better.”
You know there is going to be a lot of chatter now about being 1-2. Is there a surprise where this team
is this early into the season?
“If you are going to ask me, I didn’t picture that here. I didn’t. I feel like we can’t worry about the
outside noise. I think that has been our problem – worry about the outside noise. I feel like we have to
lock in as a team, block out everything and continue to grind and get better. I feel like every man in this
room needs to look at himself in the mirror and watch that film and just be critical. Be their biggest critic.
We just have to find ways to get better. We just have to find ways to play harder. We just have to start
fast. I feel like if we don’t start fast, we just put ourselves in a hole. We have to realize everyone is good.
It’s the NFL. Everybody is good. We can’t come out here and expect to win. We have to come out here
and take it each weekend.”
Does the outside noise mean all the expectations and people talking about 13-4 records and Super
Bowls and everything? Did you guys listen a little too much to that?
“I can’t speak for everyone. For me, I heard none of it. I feel like last year I knew where the guys were at
and I took that same mentality. It’s always been about the guys in the locker room. It wasn’t about the
outside noise. I only speak for myself, so we are 1 and 2 and we have a long way to go until the Super
Bowl. We have to win the next one.”
You said you have to critique the film. What do you think is the biggest critique of the offense has
been?
“We have to start faster. I feel like we need more energy. I can bring more energy by finishing my runs,
celebrating by teammates and just find ways to pick guys up throughout the series. We have to go back
to the drawing board to see what I can get better really.”
Is that something you need to work on to get better during the week at practice or pregame. Where
can you work on that?
“I feel like just being in the moment. Being conscious of the moment. Being conscious on what is going
on around me and everyone’s energy around me – just being more vocal. As a teammate, I always felt I
should let my game speak for myself. I feel like being more vocal and just helping everyone else out.”
You guys had more of a commitment to the run today. While you are still on the game, did you think
you guys did that? It was successful to certain extent until you had to throwing the ball.
“Like you said, I felt like we lost on what we were successful on today. Honestly, we have to move
forward and prepare tomorrow and have a better game plan going into next week.”
How much of it isn’t about just making a play?
“I mean it’s a lot. It’s the NFL. The best players have to play well. We have to make the most of our
opportunities. I know when it’s close, we have to make the plays. I feel like we have to find ways to get
better. We don’t look really good right now. We have to own that. We just have to own that right now,
watch the film and put it to bed. We have to come out and show the world who we really are. We are
much better team than we are displaying. Until we start putting our foot forward and show actions, we
would have done the same.”
What did [Head Coach] Doug [Pederson] tell you guys after the game?
“We are not really good. You watched today. Everyone has seen it and everyone knows what happened
out there. We just got to own it. We just have to own it and move forward, we are all professionals, and
just move forward and get better from it.”
OUTSIDE LINEBACKER JOSH ALLEN
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2023
Q. Is a surprising start to the season for you guys?
OLB JOSH ALLEN: Very. Nobody expected it, that’s the thing. We were expecting things to
happen, when in reality we’ve got to make it happen. So, we’ll be alright. We’ve got to dig deep
and just come back to work.
Q. Is this low on the embarrassing level?
JOSH ALLEN: Yeah, yeah. To our standards of what we know we can become, yes. So, we’ll watch
the tape and do better.
Q. Initially looking back on it, how does something like this just happen?
JOSH ALLEN: Preparation and when you look at all three phases, I think it’s just preparation. No
one is going to—communication, obviously on the offensive side, special teams, defensively,
communication was not up to our standard. And so, we have things that we can improve on, we
know that moving forward. But you can’t do that. Like we say man, we want to be who we know
we can be. We can’t be making those errors.
Q. Can you put your finger on whatever reason it might be that the Texans just seem to have
this team’s number?
JOSH ALLEN: To pin point—I don’t know. They put in the work, you know. They did what we saw
they were doing on film and they just came here prepared, ready to battle up front, and we’ve
just got to get better.
Q. Things didn’t get off to a good start for a lot of different reasons and it just seemed to
descend from there. Until you guys did get within 17-10 and then obviously the special teams
play took a lot of momentum away. But it just seemed like you guys couldn’t get any juice
going in this game.
JOSH ALLEN: Speaking on that, the person and the player that I know I can be, that’s when I can
step up and make those plays that impact not only myself and the defense, but the whole team.
When you look at [WR] Jamal [Agnew], we call him the spark because when the offensive is—or
their defense is playing good, when we get a kick return, that’s the spark that we need. So, for me, I know I can be better moving forward, I know we all can be better moving forward, but
personally, there’s something that I can take forward being the spark for our team.
Q. Did the Texans offense do anything to surprise you?
JOSH ALLEN: No, I think we had a thing. It was a miscommunication. When you look at the tape,
I think—stopping the run, I think we did a good job on that in the first half and leading into the
fourth [quarter]. Explosive plays was evident on the defensive side and all that was part of
getting off of the miscommunication. And so, those are the things we need to tidy up and we
can work on communication, but it has to start tonight. We’ve got to start being accountable for
ourselves. On the plays where you’re out there, how could you make it different? We’ve all got
to get better. I could communicate better out there on the field. We all can. We’re going to be
okay and we’re ready to work.
Q. This was a resilient team a year ago when you got ‘punched a couple times.’ Do you expect
the same thing?
JOSH ALLEN: Again, the expectations, I’m not expecting nothing. I’m ready to work. Come into
work, work in practice, be prepared and come and execute. That’s going to get us on the way,
not expectations, no. “We’re better than this team, we’re better than that team, we’re better on
the front, we’re better on the back end.” No, obviously, you could tell that we were a better
team than the team out there, but they came and whooped us. So, expectations is not what we
want to be predicating off of. We’re a grinding team and we want to play like that from here on
out.
Q. Did HC Doug Pederson’s tone change after the game when he spoke to you guys?
JOSH ALLEN: I mean, he was frustrated. Who wouldn’t be frustrated? But he is our head man
and he’s not out there playing, he’s not out there calling plays or whatever he’s doing, he’s
coaching. And when he sees the energy on the field that he’s given, that’s us. So, for us, we have
to look at that and we have to accept how he feels and really turn this tape on, be really critical
of yourself and not make that happen again.
Q. Being over in London, does it feel like this could be a new reset with a whole new
environment?
JOSH ALLEN: Expectations. We’ve got to go out there to work. Here, there, London, we go out
there to work. As far as tomorrow, as far as tonight, as far as this tape. We’ve got Atlanta, we’ve
got the Buffalo Bills, great challengers for us. But it starts with our preparation and when we
prepare the right way, we go out and we prove to people that we’re one of the best in the
league. When go out there and expect to win because we feel like we’re a better team, we
don’t. But we got out there and we work. We know we’ll come back. We have great leadership
on this team, we’re not going to accept less than perfection and we’ll come back next week.
CORNERBACK TYSON CAMPBELL
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2023
Q. How much of a deflation was the kickoff return after you guys get close in the beginning of the
second half?
TYSON CAMPBELL: That was a big play for them. The wide receiver, a play like that, we have to find a way
to bounce back and keep moving on and learn from this.
Q. Does the team need to take a step back to figure out what’s going on?
TYSON CAMPBELL: No, I don’t think so. I think it’s just a matter of everyone looking in the mirror and
figuring out what they can get better at and then go from there. So, I have no quit in the team, I have no
quit in myself and what we are capable of doing. So, we just have to learn from it and get better.
Q. Halftime of this game, knowing you guys were down verse halftime of some of the games last year
when you were down. Similar, different, how would you describe the mood of the locker-room?
TYSON CAMPBELL: I mean, the quit is never, never the mindset or in our vocabulary, so when we are
down in the game, we feel like we have an opportunity to comeback in terms of the clock. So, that never
crossed my mind.
Q. Do you think perhaps there is a sense of someone has to step up, someone lights a fire under
everyone?
TYSON CAMPBELL: Yeah, I think everyone takes that responsibility. What can I do to make a change in a
pivotal point in this game. I think everybody has that mindset.
Q. Did they surprise you at all? Offensively? How much they put the ball in his hands and what they
were able to do?
TYSON CAMPBELL: I don’t know, no, that was a good team, they are going to come with their game plan.
Q. What happened on the long [Houston WR Tank] Dell touchdown right after the Jacksonville WR
Christian Kirk touchdown? Was it a miscommunication in the secondary with the safeties or do you
know what happened on that play?
TYSON CAMPBELL: I don’t.
Q. Jacksonville Head Coach Doug Pederson said he feels like there was a possibility that people were
reading the press clippings, listening to some outside noise, how would you assess that?
TYSON CAMPBELL: I don’t think anybody [is] reading outside noise. I think, like I said before, everybody
look in the mirror and figuring out what they [are] going to get better at and just continue to prepare
and have an emphasis on preparation.
Q. You guys were pretty good in this spot last year when it wasn’t going as well as you had hoped, do
you feel like you lean on that?
TYSON CAMPBELL: Yeah, I mean you just got to have that never quit attitude. Just keep trying to keep
improving every weekend and I’m going to continue to be optimistic and continue to be a leader to the
guys and try to keep going each and every week.
HEAD COACH DEMECO RYANS
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2023
Q. What are your overall thoughts on the performance of today’s game?
“I am really, really proud of all of our guys today for playing complementary football. I think each phase
made big time plays to help us win this game, starting with the special teams. Two game changing plays,
a blocked field goal by [DE] Will [Anderson, Jr.], and then the return by [FB Andrew] Beck for a touchdown.
You’re talking about special teams impacting the games, credit to [Special Teams Coordinator] Coach
[Frank] Ross and what he’s done with that group. They’re doing an outstanding job. Offensively, our guys
played really well, improving on what we talk about correcting. Starting with the protection, our O-line
really did a great job of protecting. [QB] C.J. [Stroud], again, another impressive outing. Really good by
him, the receivers, [WR] Tank [Dell], stepping up and making big time plays for us. [TE] Brevin [Jordan]
making big time plays for us. Multiple guys making plays. Felt like we ran the ball better today. That was
our emphasis throughout the week of really running the ball. I thought D.P. [RB Dameon Pierce] ran the
ball much better. Still want to keep improving, keep improving in the run game, but this is a great start for
us from where we were. Defensively, seeing our guys, they were flying around playing swarming football,
which we like, attacking the football. [S] Eric Murray, big hit, forcing the fumble. [LB Blake] Cashman
stepped up big for us today making some plays, recovering the fumble, interception on third down — big
game-changing plays. I asked our guys before we went out, playmakers have to step up and make plays
for us to win games in this league, and that’s what our guys did today. We had a lot of playmakers, a lot of different guys stepping up in different spots making plays. We had a great week of practice, and it resulted in a win. Those guys came out to work today.”
Q. Another impressive outing by [QB C.J.] Stroud. How do you describe how he played today and what
he means to this offense and what you have learned from him?
“Everything starts with the quarterback. We have a good one who’s done really good things. He’s improved every week. That’s what I really like and admire about C.J., he’s dialed in to improving every week. He’s not satisfied. He’s been a leader for us for the offensive unit, and it’s impressive to see a young man go out and continue to get better each week and lead that group.”
Q. I know this is a team win. I know it’s all about the team, I get that. Do you personally though take a
minute to reflect on the first win?
“No, it’s special. To get the first win is definitely special. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time, since
we started, how would that first win be? It’s a lot of work. I never lose sight of the grind and the work that
it takes to win a game. But I’m so proud of our guys. I’m happy for our guys and the work they put in to
help us win this game. It’s a credit to everybody. It’s truly a team effort. I’m just thankful to be in this
position to help lead these men.”
Q. What were you thinking during the kick return? First Beck [FB Andrew Beck] fumbles and then he
runs with it. What went through your mind?
“I saw it late. I was looking down. I didn’t see it. I look up, and Beck is coming at me. Oh, he’ll make this
guy miss, and then he kept moving. Man, you look up, and it’s a touchdown. Very excited for Beck, and he
owed us one. He missed a block there on the first kickoff return. He said he owed us one, but he paid back big time for us to get a touchdown there.”
Q. With [WR] Tank Dell also being back in this home state, talk about his every week improvement and
what makes him dynamic.
“Tank shows up every week. I know this game meant a lot to him being home and a lot of family attending the game. It was important for him to have a big game. It’s cool to watch Tank just every week. He shows up. He puts the work in. Explosive playmaker since OTAs, and it’s still showing up right now in the season. Happy with where Tank is.”
Q. C.J. [QB C.J. Stroud] is the first quarterback in NFL history to pass for 900 yards, four touchdowns and
no interceptions in his first three games. What does that say about the competition he has in this
league?
“I think the sky’s the limit for C.J. He just keeps his head down and keeps working. C.J. is a very humble
young man, and he’s all about the team. That’s how you become successful in this league. It’s not about
one person, and C.J. understands that more than anyone else, and he understands how important it is as
a team to play together. So, he keeps his mindset the way it is, he’ll continue to improve, get better, and
be a really good quarterback in this league.”
Q. Did you feel like the momentum, it seemed like Jaguars started the second half pretty good and got
the touchdown. Did you feel like the momentum changed at all at that point?
“They came out second half, drove the ball down on us and scored. For us, we responded. Nobody blinked.
Nobody panicked. That was good to see. When bad things happen, how you respond. I thought our guys
responded well. Guys kept pushing, they kept fighting. We made plays, right? Again, playing
complementary football, that’s how you win games. So, I was happy and proud of our team for the way
they responded when it didn’t quite go our way.”
Q. What did you think of the way the offensive line performed? No sacks this time. Just responded.
“I think our offensive line played really well, keeping the quarterback clean, not giving up any sacks. They
played well as a unit, and that’s what it takes in protection. It takes all five guys playing together, tight
ends, backs helping in protection, and the quarterback getting the ball out on time and where it needs to
go. So, it’s all 11 guys playing well, but it’s really credit to [Offensive Line] Coach [Chris] Strausser and the
O-line for what they did today.”
Q. There were a lot of plays with [QB] Trevor Lawrence holding the ball and not moving. How much
credit goes to the secondary forcing him to hold the ball in that manner?
“Secondary played well today. Getting Jimmie [S Jimmie Ward] back was big for us, just the communication and his playmaking ability on the back end. Eric Murray stepping up making big time plays for us. Our safeties are communicating and really patrolling the field back there. They make it tough on quarterbacks, and that’s what we expect to see. So, they did a really good job today.”
Q. When Stroud [QB C.J. Stroud] was able to connect on those long throws, how do you see the dynamic
between him, the slots through the game, and how he can approach different scenarios?
“For C.J., we want to be an explosive offense, right? So when they’re making big time plays, making big,
explosive plays down the field, it’s about the connection between. It all starts with the protection.
Everybody gives love to the quarterback, but he has to have time to make those throws. If the protection
is good and he puts a nice ball out there, and credit to Tank [WR Tank Dell] for making the big time catch
as well.”
Q. You think the fans like what they’re seeing after a tough start to the season?
“Yeah, we’re thankful for our fans. We had fans down here supporting us here in Jacksonville. We’re
thankful for their support. For us we just want to continue to go out and play great football and put a team on the field that our fans are proud of. Hope our fans are pretty happy this week.”
Q. You were down several guys on the offensive line. How are you guys able to rally together and put
out a dominating performance?
“How are we able to come together missing a lot of guys? It’s my mindset for this entire team and what
it’s about, it’s always a team-first mentality. It really doesn’t matter who is out there, who’s called, it’s
opportunity when we’re missing guys. We’re relying on everybody who steps out on that field just to do
their job and do it with a relentless mindset. When guys do that, it doesn’t matter who’s out, who’s in.
Just 11 guys playing together, that’s winning football.”
Q. The field goal block, Cashman [LB Blake Cashman] also before that, those effort plays, what do you
see from that, and what does it say about these players?
“When we make big plays, it’s going to always be about effort. It’s something I truly believe in. It’s
relentless effort every play, all out. That’s how you win games. That’s how you impose your will on other
teams is by playing with great effort.”
QUARTERBACK C.J. STROUD
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2023
C.J. STROUD: First of all, give all glory and praise to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It was a helluva week
preparing. Excuse my language. Heck of a week preparing, practicing. I think that’s what got it done, just
the preparation we put in, the hard work. It was really hot in Houston this week, and that helped us in
this Jacksonville heat.
Yeah, I really think it was an all around win. Special teams, defense, offense, all playing together. I think
that just sets the tone for what we can be in this league, man. Really, really great team win.
Q. Your first win as a professional, I imagine, really exciting for you today. What’s the biggest difference
between a college win and an NFL win?
C.J. STROUD: Great question. For me, I mean, I come from Ohio State. Go Bucks, man, got the W last
night, hard fought win, all them boys on the defense.
Coming from Ohio State, man, it’s a pressure element that’s pushed on every week that either you can’t
lose, and if you’re playing a less than team that people think are less than, you have to win by 70-plus
points. So like the preparation that I put in in college, I almost kind of did the same thing as I’ve gone to
the league. Every week just my routine has been almost the same, and I’ve tweaked things here and
there.
But everything has kind of been like I did in college and just the hard work that it takes — and it takes a
little more in the league because just that one little play, one negative play that can ruin the whole game
that I’m learning. And those negative plays as a quarterback, not getting rid of the ball or taking hits,
every week I’m learning.
I wouldn’t say like it’s a huge, big difference, but it is. The NFL, the best players in the world every week.
Like we played against Indy, they had great players on defense. And we played against Jacksonville, great
overall defense too. Like every week has been a battle.
I appreciate where I come from. I just got off the phone with Coach Day, and he said some things to me
that he used to always say to me when I was at Ohio State that just resonated. I told him congrats and
everything for the win from last night. But what prepared me from college is working out in the league
as well.
I think this is just the beginning. We won. Let’s throw it away. Watch the film, correct the issues, and let’s
go on to week 4, man. That’s the next step is just doing it again, being consistent.
Q. How were you at the moment when Beck came running down the field, and what do you remember
thinking?
C.J. STROUD: Man, it went from a moment like no, no, no, to yes, go, hold the ball, don’t fumble. It was
just a really good moment for our team.
I think this is our first time having juice and energy, and that was my challenge to the team a little bit,
juice and energy on the sideline. When you make a play, the first thing you do, you look back to the
sidelines because your brothers are over there. I think that’s what that momentum carried into a win.
Of course like we’ve got to clean that up because something bad could happen, but man, football is a
crazy sport. We’ll take it, you know what I’m saying?
I definitely love Beck, man. He’s a warrior. I’ll go to war with that dude any week. He’s a heck of a
football player but a great man. To line up with him is an honor and blessing and a privilege. So shout out
to Beck.
Q. It seems like you’re more comfortable in this offense. The second drive, when they had nine in the
box, it seemed like you made that check to the left and then the throw to Dell after. Can you take me
through what you saw? It’s probably something you’ve been running for a long time.
C.J. STROUD: Yeah, man, every week I’m just trying to take a step forward and never back. It’s a battle
every day. Like from tonight, I’ll begin on the next team, the Steelers, and then I’ll go into my routine and
my preparation. So it’s a battle, man.
Like you said, just getting used to how Bobby calls the calls, me operating the offense, getting out of the
huddle. I think Baltimore was the best thing that ever happened to us, operating from an away, loud
standpoint.
I’m getting a lot of learning experience, and I have a lot of great guys around me that are helping me, like
Dalton Schultz, man, he helps me out a lot. He probably doesn’t even know it, but he helps me out a lot.
George Fant, Shaq Mason, Kendrick Green, Josh Jones. J.P., me and him are rookies, and we’re figuring it
out, and they’re helping us along the way.
It’s a blessing to play around guys like that. I’m learning. I’m growing. It’s really a testament to our
coaches. Jarrod has done a great job with me every day, just getting every little detail. He’s with me
every moment. Bobby calling it, Bill Lazor, Shane Day, all of them have done a great job helping me with
my processing.
Q. C.J., a couple of your teammates were asked about Tank Dell and how the connection you guys feel,
and how last week you said that you believed in them.
C.J. STROUD: Yeah, man, I think that shows the fight that we have. I was super, super happy for Tank.
Being home, I know he had a lot of people here. He brought out, man. That was our first time taking a
shot and the first time hitting it.
I think that just shows the connection me and him actually have. We put in a lot of extra work, and it’s
good to see it pay off. Now it’s time to go do it again and be consistent with it. So really, really proud of
him.
That doesn’t happen without protection up front. My O-line, they had a great game. I think I learned a
lot just getting the ball out. When it’s not there, just check it down or get rid of it or do something to not
take those hits. That showed in this game.
Like you said, I didn’t get sacked, I don’t think. I think I’m just learning because those guys up front are
battling, and I’ve got to help those guys out like they help me.
Q. DeMeco was saying it starts with the quarterback on the team, we have a good one, that’s what he
said. You deliver a win. You talked about leadership earlier in the week. What do you take away from this
to be able to deliver a win along with your teammates? What do you feel about that?
C.J. STROUD: For me, I think, remembering the feeling of losing and how terrible it is and the feeling
what we just felt in our locker room right there, that’s what it’s about, doing it again. Like it’s the hardest
thing I’m learning about this football game since I’ve been little is the great ones do it every week. If they
don’t do it one week, they never have two bad weeks.
That’s something that we’re working towards is just eliminating the negative plays and doing really, really
well on first and second down and completing and executing on third down and keeping the ball, time of
possession, field position, all those things really play into winning a tough NFL football game.
So I think that’s what it takes, man. The preparation and the work we put in, now it’s time to do it all
over again.
Q. You’re one of the first quarterbacks in the league to get the ball down 90 yards for a touchdown.
What do you think has allowed you to play at that type of level?
C.J. STROUD: I think the things that God has put me through — I know I always refer to God, but it’s true,
man. He gave me a lot of great talents, and I think something that I’ve learned around my process of
being just a man of God is you have to meet him halfway with your hard work. The opportunities he presents to me, you have to be ready for that. He’s put me through a lot through
this game, and I think just those hard losses I took in college, the hard losses we took those two weeks,
the wins I won, like I know God has taught me what it takes to be successful in this game of football.
It’s a blessing, man, but I have great guys around me. I really think that’s what it is. Nothing I can do
without those guys out front battling, receivers running the right route at the right depth, Bobby calling
the right plays at the right time. It’s a team. I’m blessed enough to have a team that will continue to
fight, and it’s a blessing to have guys around to you do that.
Q. With Bobby, you mentioned that it seemed like there were times that you’d get them with nine in the
box, long touchdown. What was the game plan that you got that you were able to attack today?
C.J. STROUD: We knew Jacksonville was a gritty, hard-nosed, physical football team that loves stopping
the run and has a really dynamic DB. They have really, really good DBs. We knew, if we could establish
the run early, we’d be able to throw the ball as well.
That was somewhat of the game plan. I can’t tell you everything. That’s kind of the game plan every
week. You’ve got to run the ball. You’ve got to be able to run the ball, and everything works off of that.
It was good to see our guys getting low in their pad level, D.P. running through things, Motor running
through things, Boom playing hard. I think overall Beck and Dal and Teagan and my guy Brev, man.
Nobody’s talking about Brev. Shout out to Brev, the most energy, juiced up guy, natural juice you’ll meet.
Shout out to Brev, man. I love that guy.
All around, man, everybody’s playing well.
Q. That connection, what was that you built with Tank that’s been working for him?
C.J. STROUD: I think it’s real big momentum for him. He’s a heck of a football player, a great person. He’s
always checking up on people in just a positive light. That’s something you need in the locker room. To
see him ball out every week — like he had a good week last week. He had a good week this week. He’s
growing and growing just like we all are.
He’s one of the first people that reached out to me when I got drafted. It’s good to have a natural
connection with him as well. Shout out to Brev, man. He’s a real good dude to play with.
God bless you all. Have a good one.
