JAGUARS HEAD COACH DOUG PEDERSON
POSTGAME MEDIA AVAILABILITY
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2024
(On QB Trevor Lawrence’s injury and if he was able to talk to him postgame) “I haven’t
talked to the docs yet. I did see him at halftime. He was moving around and everything.
We’ll be fine. He’ll obviously go into the protocol. I haven’t talked to him here after the game
yet.”
(On where the hit that he took ranks for him in terms of “dirty” hits) “Well, look, it’s a play
that nobody wants to see in our league obviously because you see what happens after the
fact and it just escalates. I’ve got a lot of respect for Coach Ryans [Texans Head Coach
DeMeco Ryans]. I know he doesn’t coach his team that way. We don’t coach our team that
way. It’s unfortunate, it really is. It’s unfortunate. I’m just glad that Trevor’s going to be fine.
He’ll obviously be in the protocol, but it just is an unfortunate play.”
(On if he has thought about shutting Trevor down for the season) “It’s 30 minutes after the
game, so I haven’t thought about that.”
(On running back coach Jerry Mack taking a head coaching job at Kennesaw State
University) “I’m excited for Jerry. It’s a great opportunity for him to become a head coach in
college football at Kennesaw State. I just thank Jerry for what he’s done here. He’s really
changed that running back room and has done some really good things for us. Wish him
well. I’m excited. I’m excited for him to be able to watch him continue his career as a head
coach now.”
(On if it was difficult to decided whether to go for the onside kick or not at the end of the
game) “It obviously was a thought to do that, but we still had a couple of timeouts and still
had some time left on the clock. Just the decision to go deep and put our defense back out
there and try to get one more stop. We talked about it quickly, but we elected to kick it
deep.”
(On what it was like watching Trevor go down after the big hit) “I was excited for Trevor to get
back out there and start for our team and lead our football team this week. That was always
the goal was we’ll shoot for the Houston game and get him back out there. Again, it’s
unfortunate. It’s a play that really has no business being in our league. I thought the officials
did a great job of doing the best they could to get control of it and all of that. Again, getting
Trevor in a comfortable situation, getting him back out there, trying to get some momentum
on offense, and obviously that happens. It takes a little wind out of your sails, but on the flip
side of that too, Mac came in and got us back in the football game. So proud of that too.”
(On if the aftermath of the hit was just a byproduct of what happened) “Yeah, you see it at
every level of football, right? When the quarterback gets hit at that magnitude, it just
escalates. Obviously, Jarrian [CB Jarrian Jones] on our side, he can’t do what he did either.
That’s unacceptable as well. I know the league will probably send out fines for both players
and maybe some others. Again, when you see that, yes, it does. Plus, it’s a division game.
It’s a division game, and it’s an emotional football game as it is, but at the same time, you
have to be the bigger person. You’ve got to be the bigger man in situations like that. Just
fortunate that nobody else was ejected from the game.”
(On not being able to get off the field on third down) “As a player, number one, you’ve got to
understand the situation. Schematically, we look at it as coaches and make sure we’re
putting our players in situations to be successful. Obviously, we’ll take a look at the tape
tomorrow, and I’ll have probably a better answer for you tomorrow on this. Just knowing and
understanding the situation, yeah, you do everything you can to try to get off the field. Give
credit to Houston for executing that play and staying on the field.”
(On offensive lineman Walker Little getting a contract extension today) “Excited for Walker.
It’s a great opportunity for him. I think it just shows the commitment the organization has
and the type of player that he is to really get him locked up. I think for him too it’s a little
peace of mind knowing he’ll be here for the long haul. Excited for him and his family. It’s a
great opportunity, great for the organization obviously and our team, and excited for him.”
JAGUARS QUARTERBACK MAC JONES
POSTGAME MEDIA AVAILABILITY
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2024
(On seeing the team come to QB Trevor Lawrence’s defense) “Trevor is a warrior. We’re all
praying for him. We definitely have his back. For him to play today was incredible. He’s a
tough dude. Really wanted to get the win for him. Obviously fell short. But definitely praying
for him. I know we all have his back for sure.”
(On his emotions seeing Lawrence get hit) “You never want to see it. I was kind of looking
down the field watching the play, but you never want to see someone be down like that,
especially Trevor, a guy you’re with every day and a team captain and the franchise
quarterback. Definitely wasn’t great, but I hope he’s doing better. I texted him and looking
forward to talking to him and making sure he’s okay.”
(On if there was a different energy in the huddle after the hit) “Absolutely. Sports are very
emotional, especially when something like that happens. We definitely came together as a
team and fought hard for Trevor. Came up short at the end, but I feel like the guys
responded. Obviously Trevor’s safety is the most important. But yeah, I feel like we moved
forward and tried to win it for Trevor.”
(On if he felt he was in a better rhythm today) “Yeah, I think just going back to doing my job,
taking it one play at a time, and just being me and trying to have fun out there. Obviously,
every NFL game pretty much is going to go to the fourth quarter if you’re lucky. We were
there. It was just a little too late by me. That’s on me.”
(On what allowed the offense to get into a rhythm in the fourth quarter) “I mean, really just
responding from the event and just trying to move forward and move the offense and take it
one play at a time. That’s what I told the guys. Obviously, we went in hurry-up, so we’re
going to get a lot of passes and a chance to move the team down the field. It’s something
our offense has been good at, watching film for the past couple years.”
(On the fighting that ensued after Lawrence got hit) “Yeah, like I said, Trevor is a tough dude
just to be able to play in this game. Just seeing him go down like that was not fun for
anybody. I was just praying for him and also just getting ready to play and trying to win it for
him, and we didn’t. Hope he’s okay. I’ll get a chance to talk to him soon.”
(On WR Brian Thomas Jr. getting more involved today) “Yeah, Brian is a really good player.
Just got to keep working and stay humble like he has and make the plays that come his way.
A lot of teams are going to try to take that away because he’s earned that respect as a
rookie, which is impressive. We’ve got a good group of guys. A lot of guys got hurt. So,
they’ve got to step up and make plays. They need to push each other in practice to get
better and put better stuff on film.”
(On the bond in the locker room) “There’s definitely no quit. Everyone has each other’s
backs. I noticed that the day I got traded here. These guys care about the people in the
locker room, coaches, players, front office. We’ve just got to keep moving forward and try to
make some more plays.”
JAGUARS TIGHT END EVAN ENGRAM
POSTGAME MEDIA AVAILABILITY
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2024
(On defending his teammate after the hit on QB Trevor Lawrence) “Yeah, I mean, it was a
dirty hit. Obviously, those hits are always in question. Trev was going down. I just—I saw it
out of my peripheral, I got a pretty clear view of it and in that moment, instincts were just—
it didn’t feel like a clean hit, so just go stick up for my quarterback.”
(On his immediate reaction to the hit) “I mean, I saw him sliding and then I saw the hit. It
just—honestly, it just took over. I just knew it was wrong; it was a dirty play. And you stick
up for your guys, that’s just how it goes.”
(On whether the hit on Lawrence galvanized the team in the way they responded) “I mean, I
think we were ready to play today. I don’t want to take away from that. We were ready to go.
Obviously, it was a little slow start. Definitely, blood was going after that. It was a whole
mess out there. We felt the need to really finish the drive, so we just started playing
football. And definitely we just really wanted to finish for Trev, too. That was a kind of a
deep-down thing too, just playing for him.”
(On the fine line between anger and emotion and playing disciplined football) “I think we
did a great job with the discipline part afterward. Obviously, it was a mess, it could’ve
gotten worse. We could’ve handled it wrong, but I think we responded really well. We kept
playing, we kept our composure, and we had a shot to win it. We did some good things on
offense and we just didn’t get one more shot at it at the end. So, definitely a tough thing to
do after something like that. But I’m proud of the guys for staying locked in and just
continuing to fight.”
(On whether there was a talk in the locker room about how they were going to respond) “I
mean, any time you’re in a close game like that, it’s pretty general. It’s pretty common
sense that we’re going to keep fighting. Obviously, the refs were pretty adamant that they
were not going to accept anything more, so we had to be smart to finish the game. So, that
was kind of our message in the locker room, handle it the right way, keep handling it the
right way and let’s go win.”
(On if it’s possible to be too disciplined and lose intensity) “No, I think you can still be a dog
and you can still whip somebody’s ass and be disciplined. That’s kind of what our message
was, do it the right way. We know what we wanted to do, we know how that made us feel,
but it’s our job to do it the right way so we can keep our heads and stay in the game. So, no,
I think there’s still a way to handle something, but doing it the right way and having
discipline in that.”
(On whether the hit by Texans LB Azeez Al-Shaair was worthy of suspension) “That’s
definitely way above my pay grade. But it definitely was wrong on his part.”
(On being one of three tight ends alongside Jeremy Shockey and George Kittle to log 40
receptions in eight consecutive seasons to start their careers) “God is good. Definitely
have had a long journey. I love working here, I love coming to play here, I love playing ball,
so that’s a cool little stat. Just glory to God for that.”
(On whether he had heard that stat before the game) “No idea. But yeah, those two are
really good football players, so it’s really cool to be a part of that.”
(On how concerned he was that Lawrence was seriously hurt) “I mean, it happened so fast,
but I knew it wasn’t good. So, even when I got up, he was still—once I saw him still there, it
was just very unfortunate.”
(On whether it was a relief to at least see him in the locker room) “Yeah, it was a relief to
see him get up. It was a relief to see him get in the cart on his own and get off the field, for
sure.”
JAGUARS WIDE RECEIVER BRIAN THOMAS JR.
POSTGAME MEDIA AVAILABILITY
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2024
(On what his first reaction was when QB Trevor Lawrence was injured) “My first reaction
was just, defend Trevor. Make sure Trevor was okay and go from there.”
(On the team rallying after Trevor Lawrence left the game) “We all defend each other, we all
love each other, so that’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to protect each other.”
(On the camaraderie in the Jaguars’ locker room and if it is a special bond for the players)
“Yeah, for sure. I feel like we all got a bond with each other, we all know each other really
well, and I feel like it’s going to continue to grow as we finish out the season.”
(On the emotion of seeing Trevor Lawrence get injured) “First thing was to protect him and
make sure he was alright (and) defend him. That’s where I was, I know that’s probably
where everybody else was too.”
(On if that hit and injury to Trevor Lawrence rallied the offense) “Yeah, definitely. You want
to go out there and play for him. He’s not able to play anymore right now. So just want to go
out there and finish that game for him.”
(On if he feels better about his overall game being more involved in the offense today) “I feel
like I could’ve done a lot better. I had a couple balls on the ground. I’m just going to keep
working and get better next week.”
(On if he felt Mac Jones felt a little more comfortable today) “Yeah, definitely. Mac came in
and did super great, he played well. Just him getting more comfortable with us, us getting
more comfortable with him. He’s going to keep progressing.”
(On if it’s hard to keep playing despite the teams’ record) “We just come in each and every
day and just put our best foot forward and try to be the best that we can be. That’s what
we’re going to continue to do, be the best that we can be on the field.”
(On if he saw Trevor Lawrence after the game) “No, I haven’t.”
DEFENSIVE END TRAVON WALKER
POSTGAME MEDIA AVAILABILITY
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2024
(What happened with the hit taken by Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence and the melee that
followed) “Team bond, we all saw the same thing. I feel like it was just a team bond.”
(On his reaction to the hit) “Wow. Same as everybody else’s. I guess it comes with it.”
(On if he was surprised that the second half wasn’t as intense as the first half) “Not
surprised. Not surprised at all.”
(On if the level of physicality in the hit that Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence took is acceptable
in football) “Most definitely is not. That’s why you saw what happened.”
(On if the game feels like a repeat of what’s gone on throughout the season as if “nothing
could go right” for the team) “I wouldn’t say nothing can go right, but I will say that we have
to come together even closer in times where we play complementary football. Offense,
defense and special teams. I wouldn’t say nothing goes right, though.”
(On reaction to the hit taken by Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence) “Same as yours. What was
your reaction? That’s the third time I’ve answered that [question].”
(On his reaction to seeing his team all come together when Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence
took the hit) “I wasn’t surprised, but like I say, we always talk about chemistry that we have
amongst each other in the locker room. I feel like that’s what that was and that’s what
showed.”
(On if there is an unspoken rule on having respect for opponents and if Texans LB Azeez Al-
Shaair has respect for Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence) “I mean, I can’t speak for him on his
intentions on what he did or why he did it, but I mean I really don’t know. I can’t answer that
so that’s probably a question for him.”
(On if there was a message from Jaguars Head Coach Doug Pederson to not retaliate at
halftime) “Just be smart and we all know we had a game to finish, and it was going to take
everyone in this locker room to finish the game.”
(On how defense is still coming up short and isn’t enough in certain moments) “Like you
say, it’s not enough. Just in certain moments, we have to step up even more. Even though
we might’ve had some good plays here and there, once it comes to the end of the game we
have to finish, and obviously we didn’t finish.”
(On what the approach is for the remainder of the season) “Just stay together,
continuously grow with each other and attack each day with a ‘win’ mindset.”
(On if maintaining a win mindset will be hard to do for the remainder of the season and if
everyone will take the same approach) “For me, it wouldn’t. I’m pretty sure they will, I’m
sure they will.”
(On if there is any hesitation from any of the players, both home and visiting team, to go
back out and play after seeing someone look like they’ve been knocked out) “We all know
football is physical, and sometimes it can get a little crazy.”
JAGUARS WIDE RECEIVER PARKER WASHINGTON
POSTGAME MEDIA AVAILABILITY
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2024
(On his first reaction to seeing Trevor Lawrence get hit the way he did) “That was a tough play. I
was more just surprised in the moment because I was right on that side of the field. I was just in
shock, but most important, I just wanted to make sure he was okay. Just seeing him down,
that’s not cool. But, like I said, just prayers up for him and we’re just hoping that he comes back
okay.”
(On the touchdown he scored) “He was pretty much playing catch-technique that was in Cover
0 and he’d been pretty, like, handsy throughout the game. So, he was just catching, so I was
like, ‘Ok I have to get to my depth’. So, I just wrapped around him. It was cool to get an and-one
like basketball, so it was pretty cool for that.”
(On if the players wanted the Jaguars to go for an onside kick in the fourth quarter) “That’s not
my jurisdiction. I’m just here to do my job as in, like, offense. I don’t want to get in the head
coach position and talk (about) anything like that. I was just hoping that we could get back on
offense, because we were rolling. Mac [QB Mac Jones] came in and we started a little slow, just
trying to get the feel, just trying to get him comfortable and settled in. He did a great job today.
I’m excited for him.”
(On if things got chippy more after the hit) “You know, we’re out there competing, and for a lot
of guys, it was a little personal, naturally. We don’t want to see our QB1 go down that way and
that fashion. But like I said, it’s always a brawl with them, as far as how we play. Like it’s
physical, it’s always physical. And it didn’t change from the beginning of the game before the
hit to the ending.”
(On his chemistry growing with QB Mac Jones) “It’s cool to know that when Mac comes in the
game that he trusts us. That’s what it’s all about. Like I said, like early in the year, it’s all about
building trust with your teammates and continuing to build on that. And it’s exciting when he’s
in the game, the energy he brings and the confidence that he instills within us. It’s exciting, so
we don’t lose any faith or confidence when he’s in the game.”
(On if there’s a transition or difference whenever QB Mac Jones or QB Trevor Lawrence are
playing quarterback) “No, I feel like, as an offense, we don’t change what we are doing. We’re
still confident. It’s just a new face, it’s Mac Jones in the game. I’m excited when he’s in the
game, I’m excited when Trevor’s in the game. We have confidence in both of them. He came in
and he performed. It sucked that we fell short, but we were this close. We was this close, and I
wish we could’ve got back out there on offense because we started clicking. We was rolling
when we got in that tempo.”
(On how confident he is taking a strong game like this one through the end of the season) “That
was pretty cool. I got a lot of reps today, a lot of targets, the most I probably had since college. I
had one drop, really, a couple of drops. A lot of tough catches, but nothing’s a tough catch;
you’ve got to catch everything, especially when it touches your hands. But it was exciting to be
able to get some reps. My coaches trusted me to play outside. So, it’s just been cool to build on
that, because in college I wasn’t playing outside. I’ve always been labeled as just a slot. So, kind
of just getting that off my back and just being labeled as a receiver, is what I am most excited
about.”
TEXANS HEAD COACH DEMECO RYANS
POSTGAME MEDIA AVAILABILITY
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2024
(On the importance of getting a win right before the bye week) “It’s a really nice win for us.
Huge win for us to get one in our division. I’m really proud of the way our guys just played
complementary football. That’s been a struggle for us in the games that we’ve dropped, so
just seeing everybody step up and make a play when the other side wasn’t doing so well,
everybody played together. That’s what’s most impressive about this win. When we need a
first down, seeing our offense being able to run the ball there on third and five to get the
first down. Our O-line, I thought did a really great job all game with protection. Also, just
run blocking. Joe [Mixon}, again, another big game on the road running the football. Really
proud of the effort that all of our guys showed today.”
(On playing more efficiently in the second half) “Now the story is flipped. We can score in
the second half. Tried to save our points for the second half this week. No, really our
offense did a good job there. We settled for some field goals early in the first half. The
defense I thought did a good job of holding their offense as well. Coming out of the second
half, just to see us go down and drive, that’s been an emphasis for us. And it’s nothing
different, our guys just executed and made the plays that were there for us in the second
half.”
(On RB Joe Mixon) “Yeah, Joe [Mixon] is — man, you talk about a guy who plays with the
relentless mindset, the tenacity that you need. Joe is an old school running back. He is the
guy that wants it 30 times and keeps getting better the more touches he gets. Really proud
of him to know he’s hurting and still push through, still churn out yards when they’re
loading the box and to still be able to find a way to get yards. It’s really impressive by our O-
line. I thought our tight ends, can’t say enough about the way they blocked today as well. I
thought they did an outstanding job blocking and Joe ran it really well.
(On what he saw on the hit by LB Azeez Al-Shaair on QB Trevor Lawrence) “It’s unfortunate
with the hit, with Azeez. You know, it’s not what we’re coaching. Want to be smart in
everything we do and not hurt the team, get a penalty there. Have to be smarter when the
quarterback is going down. Unfortunate play. Not representative of who Azeez is. He’s a
smart player, really great leader for us. We felt his presence not being there. His loss really
affected us on the defensive side. Just not what we’re coaching. Didn’t want to see the
melee and all the aftermath. That’s not what we’re about. Not representative of us. I’ll talk
to Azeez, address him personally, and we’ll move forward from it.”
(On what he felt like happened defensively on some of the deep plays) “We gave up some.
For us being disciplined in coverage, I think that’s where they got some plays on us. Again,
some of them were shallow plays we let go for an explosive. We got to tackle better and be
better in the deep end of the field and not give you explosive plays.”
(On adjustment made to support the pass protection) “Yeah, the pass protection I thought
was really, really great. None better than the play on Dalton [Shultz] getting a touchdown.
They pressured us and to see our O-line, backs step up. We challenge them to step up and
give CJ [Stroud] time, and when you give him time he can make great decisions with the
football. I’m really proud of our offensive line. They got the game ball today and they
deserved it for the way they protected him.”
(On if this is a win they will take forward and build upon) “Yeah, it’s a win for us, a big win
for us. Now we need a break. Been a long time. Our guys been going for I don’t know, 13
weeks straight now. Been a long time. I think we felt that towards the end of the game. Our
guys are gassed and we need.. our bye week is coming at the perfect time for us.”
(On his emphasis to the team during the bye week) “Rest and recover. We’ve been grinding
for a long time and to have a bye this late, it’s hard — mentally and physically. Our guys
really need to just take a reset, right, and make sure their bodies are recovered, make sure
their minds are right so we can make a push. We got three games in ten days coming up so
have to make a push there.”
TEXANS QUARTERBACK C.J. STROUD
POSTGAME MEDIA AVAILABILITY
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2024
(On what it meant for them to put together two scoring drives in the second half) “Yeah.
First and foremost, [I’m] just thankful to God for this opportunity. Thankful for my Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ for this game to play and be out there and come out healthy and feel
intact and my body feels good, so very grateful for that. But yeah, those two scoring drives
were big. We put some really good drives together in the first half, just couldn’t finish it. You
know, that’s something we got to look back and get better at, just scoring when we’ve got
these good drives. We get a turnover by the defense, we’ve got to be able to generate 7, not
- But out there, ultimately I thought we handled everything well. They switched up a lot of
things that they were doing on film. Did a lot of different coverages and different looks, ran a
little bit of man coverage and stuff. But I thought we handled it really well.”
(On what RB Joe Mixon has meant to him in this offense) “He means a lot to me, man. Not
only just in this offense, but just as a brother. Somebody who has been there before, been
around a great elite quarterback and [he] knows what it looks like. He’s always telling me
like, ‘Bro, you got it. Just continue to just be you.’ For me, it’s been great to have that,
because at times you can be in your own head or whatever. But he’s always there to pick
me back up. And a lot of the guys, too.”
(On three games in ten days and how necessary the timing of this is before a tough) “It’s
very necessary. I thought the way we’ve handled these last couple weeks has been long.
You know, to go – this has been grind. Getting to week 14 and getting a bye, we’re not
fiending for a bye, but we are also very grateful it comes now. And then we got three games
in ten days or something crazy like that. So, this is like perfect timing. It’s been tough, it’s
been a long year. From the first team to practice, got four pre-season games, and then we
go on and get the latest bye and then go from there and get three games in ten days.
Ultimately the league is trying to challenge us to see what type of team we are. I think this is
perfect for us. We can recoup our spirit, body, mind and come back and go on a stretch.
This is where our best ball needs to be played, late December and early January, and then
go on to the playoffs.
(On how important it was to get those touchdowns in the second half) “It’s always
important. We’re never not trying to score 7, you know. But they did a good job on those late
third downs or second downs generating pressure. Then just playing zone coverage or
playing their leverage. There were a couple times where we had a good play in but the DBs
played good leverage and took away the looks we wanted. Had good rush, too. But
ultimately we protected the ball down there and have been able to get three. With our type
of defense, that’s all you need. But we want to reward those guys for turnovers and things
like that. We’re always trying to score 7. When you can get some type of points it’s always
good.”
(On whether he feels if he and WR Nico Collins are back in sync) “Yeah, for sure. I think
Nico [Collins] has come back. I don’t think he was very rusty, which has been amazing to
see. He’s been turning it on every game, so it’s very inspiring to see and I can’t wait to keep
building with him.”
(On WR Nico Collins and RB Joe Mixon’s emersions and how that has helped him in his
second year in the NFL) “It’s helping out tremendously. A lot of times where they’re trying to
take me and Nico [Collins] away, or Tank [WR Tank Dell] or Metch [WR John Metchie III],
Rob [WR Robert Woods], the passing game and then we’re able to run the ball. And then
there’s times where they try to take away Joe [Mixon] and then we’re table to pass it. So,
there are things we’re still really – new chemistry we are still working on, and now I feel like
we’re starting to get that rhythm and just got to keep it going. We always have really good
drives, but those bad plays, we got to get rid of those, I feel like we’ll be better with that. But
I thought our O-line did amazing today in pass protection, did amazing running the ball in
that last third-and-5 to end the game. They’re very, very motivated to be able to run the ball
and pass protect. So, I thought they did a great job.”
(On what it is about RB Joe Mixon that makes him so genuine and effective in his role)
“Yeah, just his personality. He’s a servant, a helper. That’s ultimately what I want to be as
well. Who can I serve and how can I help? That’s ultimately what the game of football is.
That’s what Jesus was, so that’s where I get my motivation from. I think Joe has done a great
job of that, and I’m just really, really happy that he’s on my team. Because playing against
him last year, he was great with the Bengals. So, no we’re able to generate some good
drives with him, being able to run downhill, stretch zones, switch up scheme, go gap
scheme. Our O-line has bought into what type of back he is, to makes the blocks right. He’s
serving those guys even with that, trying new things that he hasn’t done in a long time. So, I
think he’s did not a great, great, great brother to lean on for everybody.”
(Question indiscernible) “Yeah, they all just seen the O-line and our tight ends are
receptive, they did a great job. Cade [TE Cade Stover], Dalton [TE Dalton Shultz] and our
receivers, too. Rob [WR Robert Woods] is doing great. Nico, Tank, Metch Nico [Collins]
away, Tank [WR Tank Dell] or Metch [WR John Metchie III], all bought into the run game. I
thought [WR] Jared Wayne did a great job today in his first NFL game. It’s not just Joe
[Mixon]. He knows that and he probably will have told y’all that before. It takes everybody to
get the run game going. I thought they did a great job, especially on that third-and-5. To end
the game like that and go out in the best formation of football, in victory, it’s special.”
(On the offensive line and how they performed well today) “Yeah, I mean, they’re our
everything. It starts up front, both O-line and D-line. When they can come out and have
great protection from the start, it gives me a sense of confidence. It gives the receivers,
knowing they can run the full depth, the backs know where to hit. You know, once you got
that flowing, it looks like it’s working. But I think they’ve done a good job at handling all the
noise and the media and all these things. At the end of the day, they’ll love you one week
and hate you the next. That’s part of business we’re in. I think they’ve done a great job at
just keeping their head down and working.”
(Closing Statement) “I just want to say prayers to Trevor [Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence]. I
really hope and pray he’s okay. Prayers to his family as well. But, yeah, still rocking with [LB]
Azeez [Al-Shaair]. I don’t think that was his intent, and I pray that Trevor is okay and his
family is right there with him.”
