Jacksonville Jaguars Head Coach Doug Pederson
On his message to the team at the end of the game:
“I told them last night actually, in the hotel, that you know that we’re going to be our worst own enemy all season long. And what I meant by that is if we just don’t beat ourselves, it gives ourselves a chance. And when you look at this game today, we beat ourselves. Just some costly mistakes at the wrong time. Games come down to three to five plays every week. We got to finish better and we got to take care of those little things.”
On if he is encouraged by knowing if they don’t make the mistakes, they win:
“I do. I look at the plays that are out there on the field that we could have made. Just off the hands here, a couple of illegal formations where we got big, all those. Those are just little things and they become big things right. So, that part you take away and you learn from. It’s a group of guys that are young a little bit, still understanding some of these situations and not making these critical errors at these times. There is a lot of positive and things that we can take away and learn from.”
On giving up two long TD passes:
“That’s just what we’re talking about, you know. It’s finish. It’s just the finish, finish, finish of the game, finish the play, finish the series, finish the drive. Those are all teachable moments and that’s what we’re going to do as a staff. We’re going to teach these guys and we’re going to show them exactly how to do that and this group is going to be better because of it. We don’t make any excuses. Give credit to Washington, they came back and won this football game, but a lot of good takeaways for us.”
On the redzone during the first half:
“We had two really good opportunities, both incomplete passes where they were right there, and we had
touchdowns on both of them. I go back to the week in practice and we’re going to hit both of those in practice. It’s just it’s unfortunate. I know with our group, they’re going to make those corrections and we’re going to hit next time and know how to finish a game like this.”
On Carson Wentz:
“I mean I was coaching our team, you know, quite honestly. I got a chance to talk to him before the game and everything and he played a heck of a football game. Showed a lot of composure and brought his team back and knows how to win a football game, so hats off to him and his team for doing that. For me it was all about getting our team in a situation to possibly win this game.”
On SAM Travon Walker:
“Yeah. I mean thought he, for a first game, thought he did some great things. A huge turnover there in the second half and get some points for the offense. Pretty good performance.”
On his feelings pregame:
“It was exciting. I wouldn’t lie. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have butterflies before the game cause it’s just the way I am, being competitive. It was great to see Coach Rivera and Jack and some of the guys and Carson. Good chance to just visit with him, see how he’s doing, kind of catch up. I understand the situation. This is the National Football League. We’re the same people just different colors, uniforms. Just wished him well and hopefully he has a good season.”
On RT Jawaan Taylor:
“I believe it was just cramps actually and couldn’t go in it was severe enough he couldn’t go in.”
On the opportunity to block:
“I think early on it’s hard to comment until I really see the tape, but I know there was some dialogue about them pushing into the pockets. We’ll see as we look at this film, but again those were areas that we got to correct.”
On QB Trevor Lawrence playmaking:
“Well again, you love the aggressiveness in trying to make the play, you can’t fault a guy for doing that. But, at the same time, you know, still need to understand the situation. We can coach him better in situations like that and just keep walking them through those things. It really is a team not just him, but I think as a team in general just like jumping offsides, there were three or four there at the end to ice the game. Those are all things that are coachable and correctable.”
On team confidence:
“I learned a long time ago in this league there are no moral victories and we’re going to show them. We’re going to be honest with them, we’re going to show them, we’re going to learn how to finish, we’re going to learn how to practice better, study better. Whatever it is, we’re going to do and try to put ourselves in a position to win more of these games than we lose.”
On the 3rd and 11 interception:
“Again, he’s trying to make a play. It’s tough when you’re going to the left and you’re getting hit and knocked around and trying to push the ball down the field. Something there he definitely saw early before he could get it out. Again, you’re not going to fault the aggressiveness. You know, as a staff and as a coach in that situation.”
On what he said to him after the interception:
“I just tell him we’re going to keep shooting, we’re going to keep plugging and we’re going to learn from this. He’s going to be better for it. I’m excited for him and his future. He’s a bright kid and I just told him we’re going to make these corrections and move on.”
On balance on offense:
“What was our yard per average rushing the ball? You do what works. I mean you just do what works you know both honestly. The game came down to critical errors by us and you know stuff we got to fix.”
QB Trevor Lawrence
On not finishing the game after seizing the momentum:
“Yeah, I mean obviously that’s the mindset is to go win the game and finish it. For a number of reasons we
didn’t. Like you said, as bad as we played in the first half to still have an opportunity in the second half to go win the game is great to see for that third and half of the fourth quarter how well we were playing. But at the end of the day the final score is what matters, and it is not what it is half way through the fourth
quarter. Just go back and watch the tape. I don’t have all the answers right now. We shot ourselves in the
foot a lot. There’s a lot of things that we control, that we didn’t do a great job of controlling. We have to
play smarter all the way around, every position. There is a lot of stuff we have to work on.”
On if his biggest regret was missing [RB] Travis Etienne Jr. on the touchdown or missing WR Zay Jones on
the sideline:
“I missed two right there in the red zone that I’ve got to hit. The one to Travis, just overshot it a little bit. He did a really good job. He won on his route. Gotta make that one, gotta give him a chance. And Zay’s, they brought cover zero pressure there. So, had to get the ball out quick and then put it a little too far – give him a little more air, so he can adjust to the ball. Those are things we’ve done a million times in practice, and just have to make the play. It’s on me, it’s on all of us. Got to go execute and finish. That’s the thing we talk about. We gave them 11 points. On the first drive by missing the throw to Travis, having to kick the field goal. Missed that one to Zay, and then fourth down dropped the slip out of the backfield. Just stuff like that. We spotted them 11 points in the first half and still found a way to fight back and have a chance to win. We can clean up all that, but we’re going to be fine. I’m not worried. I’m frustrated obviously, because I know we’re good enough to win that game and we should win that game. It’s frustrating, but we are going to get better.”
On how this locker room is different after a loss than last year:
“It’s always that same feeling. You walk in after losing a game, you leave it all out there. Especially a tight
one like that when you don’t finish, everyone’s hurting and just frustrated. You put all that work in for this
one, a couple weeks even longer because it’s the opener. And to drop it there at the end that’s really
frustrating. There is that deflated feeling. But then to see guys pick each other up and really just encourage each other. This is just the first one. We have a whole season. I really love the guys we’ve got in that locker room talent wise and just the people. I’m not worried at all, but we definitely have to correct some things and get better.”
On the final play of the game:
“Really, I was looking for [WR] Christian [Kirk]. We had a good spot for the route he was running. I thought that was an open zone, and then I got flushed out of the pocket and then when it came out it just kind of twisted, came out terrible towards the sideline. Way short, and then obviously the guy came up and made the play. In my mind, it’s 3rd and 10 at that point. So we only have two downs to get it, but thought if I had a shot at that which was probably the only shot on that play we had called. I thought it was a pretty good look, especially from the pocket. Then having to flush, kept my eyes there. I don’t necessarily think it was a bad decision, just think it was a really bad throw. I’ll go back and watch it and make sure. In that scenario you obviously don’t want that to happen. You want to at least get a shot on 4th down to keep the ball in your hands, get your best play call and have a chance to convert. But really don’t necessarily regret my decision. [inaubible].”
On the two intentional groundings:
“It just depends on the play. Sometimes it is a little tougher. On the first one, I thought I got it close enough to our tight end who was on the line of scrimmage. Six or seven, maybe 10 yards away from him. They thought I was throwing it to [WR] Marvin [Jones] on the drag, so they called that one. I got to put it closer to him, can’t make it a questionable call. The second one I just got to take the sack. I saw [TE] Dan [Arnold], I was just trying to get it near him just to not take the sack. You can’t always avoid them. Sometimes it’s going to happen. Number one, just need to be smart, and then two, just not put the ball in jeopardy. It wasn’t a fumble but just having an opportunity there to give them the ball at the 50. Being a little smarter there, there’s a couple things and definitely some stuff that individually I need to clean up and offensively that we need to iron out.”
On if there was a concerted effort to run the ball more coming out of the half:
“We had a great plan coming out of halftime. Some feedback from the guys up front. [G Brandon] Scherff,
the whole O-line had felt like we had some good things ready to roll in the second half and a great plan.
Thought we executed well, came out hot. Put some drives together. I think that one drive, there were
seven or eight minutes left in the fourth where we got stopped and had to punt. That’s one where you’d
like to push it down the field, at least get a field goal and put us in a better position. But giving them the
ball back and then them running out the clock and throwing the touchdown. There’s some things like we
talked about, that we just have to finish. We got ourselves to the point where we can win the game, but
you got to go win it. They aren’t going to hand it to you.”
On what it meant to have RB James Robinson back out on the field:
“It was awesome. I thought he did a great job today. Just fun to see him out there. He’s a great player. To
see that smile on his face after scoring a couple touchdowns, it’s awesome. He’s a great player and he’s
going to have a great year. On how encouraged he was with the offense bouncing back in the second half:
“It was great. Like I said, it’s kind of hard to gauge that now because we lost the game. That’s still the main thing, got to win. To see the confidence, down 14-3, not playing well. They’re getting the ball to start the second half. To see our defense come out with fire and get a stop. Offensively, just the confidence we had to be able to go down and score and get back in the game. Everybody felt it, there was no doubt. When you see that, obviously we’ve taken a step in that regard. Just having confidence, putting ourselves in a position to win the game. Got to finish, that’s the next step. We’ll get there.”
RB James Robinson
On what he saw on his touchdown play:
“It was just outside zone and I kind of just put Jawaan [Taylor] on the spot a bit. Setting it up, and then just cutting outside. I knew they were going to flow a lot so I just hit it up the middle.”
On his mentality after the game:
“I’m just kind of focusing on mistakes, penalties. I think that’s what hurt us. That’s what shot us in the foot a little bit. Just can’t have that. We’ve got to execute on all of our plays and execute a little better.”
RB Travis Etienne Jr.
On the overall performance:
“We’re not here for moral victories. At the end of the day, we lost. Losing sucks, and no one wants to lose.
We have to put this in the bed tomorrow, and get back to work, and just have to be better.”
On what needs to change for next week:
“Just focus. Don’t take any plays for granted, and make the routine plays all the time. Make the impossible
plays most of the time and I feel like that’s going to help us get to where we need to be.”
TE Evan Engram
On the run game going in the second half:
“You can’t go back in time, we were trying to be aggressive. That’s in our DNA, we’re going to be aggressive. We have to move forward.”
On going for it on fourth down early in the game:
“That’s the way it works, that’s the way we practice. That’s the swagger we have to go execute those
situations. We’re ready each time he calls [that play].”
On the offense today:
“We gotta execute. Like I said, we learned a lot from today. There’s a lot for us to go and work on and
improve on and we’ll keep on taking steps forward in those areas.”
On if the offense did some good things today:
“For sure. We kind of were kicking ourselves in the butt in the first half, came back, and got back to who we are. Got back to it and we got the ball rolling, so we just have to start off like that.”
On if the second half comeback means anything to him:
“For sure. In this league, you have to find something, even to take away from the down [games], even the
losses. We’re gonna walk out of the locker room with our heads held high about it.”
On: going for it on fourth down early in the game
“That’s the way it works, that’s the way we practice. That’s just swagger and we got it to the code to go
execute those kinds of plays. We’re ready each time he calls [that play].”
WR Christian Kirk
On the overall performance:
“To be honest, obviously a tough loss. I thought we did a great job. I just think we made too many mistakes and shot ourselves in the foot too many times. Specifically offensively, there was penalties. Getting behind the chains, it’s hard to win football games. I am really encouraged by where we’re at and how we fought back. We came into the locker room and made some adjustments. You didn’t see anyone blinking and everybody knew we would get a shot to come back. Good teams finish games, and we’ve got some work to do to become a good team and finish well. I think we’re close.”
On the redzone offense:
“Definitely have to take advantage of every opportunity you get when you’re down there. That’s one of the areas we struggled with throughout training camp and preseason, and we’re still working on getting better. So for us, it’s just getting back to all of our things we want to do in the red zone and I know we’re going to keep progressing.”
On his performance:
“I always just ask for the opportunity to have an impact and to be able to help this team win football
games. For me personally, there are definitely some things I can improve on, but for the most part, I took
advantage of the opportunities. Anything I can do to keep helping us get into a position to win, get out
there and do it. I want to keep progressing.”
WR Marvin Jones
On missed opportunities to capitalize in the first half:
“There were many opportunities. You know, so we can’t pinpoint, ‘This was the issue, or this was the issue,’
we had our opportunities, and we did a good job battling back, but it’s all about finishing. So, at the end of the day it’s all about that final score, and it didn’t go our way. So, hats off to them.”
On eliminating first half mistakes in the second half:
“I know that’s how we are, that’s how we’ve been through camp. Working hard to be able to face these
situations and capitalize and I think we did, and that’s to be commended. But at the same time, we still
want to be that team that makes less mistakes and capitalizes on all that. We did a good job at staying in
there, we never wavered. Our face never changed because we know what we have, and we just have to
keep at it.
DE Travon Walker
On his individual performance and the defense’s performance overall:
“I’d have to say to just eliminate mental errors and those small things that we did to hurt ourselves and go from there. Go to practice tomorrow, work on those things and don’t let them keep happening.
On how motivating his first performance was to him and his team:
“It has to be more than just one sack or one pick because obviously we didn’t win the game. So there for a player like me that they drafted number one is supposed to make plays like that, so I need to continue to make plays.”
On his first career interception:
“I had seen who he was throwing to come behind me, so I just filled in to where he threw the ball to.”
On what he saw on his interception play:
“From the play all I remember is just getting up field a couple of steps, once I got up field I recognized he
was about to try to dunk it somewhere around where I was and once he released it, his eyes made contact to where he was about to throw it and I just felt like I could go and get it.”
On if his first sack or first interception felt better:
“I’d say the interception because I called my dad and told him that I got a pick in practice in school, so I told him I was going to get one in a game. So, it was special for me to actually get a pick in the game like I told my dad I was going to do.”
On if he saved the ball from his first interception:
“I didn’t. I don’t know where the ball went.”
On if halftime changed anything defensively:
“No, we really didn’t change anything, like I said earlier, we did things to hurt ourselves. So we just want to continue grow from that, work on that tomorrow when we get back in the office.”
OLB Josh Allen
On what he saw from QB Trevor Lawrence and how he has grown from last year:
“I mean, we lost. So, you know I don’t think anyone is going to be happy about it, I’m not happy about it.
I’m upset because I know there is room to grow. But Trevor is a leader of this team, you know, he’s
probably the main key point to making this whole thing go. So the way he feels, his emotion carries on to
the team, so his head’s high, he knows his guys are going to follow him, and he knows that. And he’s going to continue to get better.
On what halftime adjustments encouraged him:
“The only thing I am excited about growing is the turnovers. We forced three turnovers, that’s huge, usually when you do that you win the game. So that’s kind of the only thing, other than that, I could have rushed the passer a lot better, we could have rushed the passer a lot better as a group, we could have stopped the run a lot better, you know so many little things that play an effect to this game, but we’re ready to play next week, if we’re not ready, we’re going to get ready. We have to prepare, we have to watch film, we have to get to that part first and then we’re going to play. But as of right now we have to focus on the corrections we have to make this week, because we know. We know when we messed up and we’re going to correct it, because we hold each other accountable, we’re going to continue to do that, it’s what we’ve been doing all offseason and that’s been working for us. This is not a setback for us, this isn’t a mentality for us, this is not how it’s going to be. Like I said, this team is built to win, and we’re going to win. Point blank period. Tyson, we needed plays, he came through. Travon, we needed big plays, he came through. Guys come through when we need big plays for each other, so we keep that energy going, keep the offense on the field, and good things happen.”
Washington Commanders Head Coach Ron Rivera
On what he learned about his team:
“I learned they got some Moxy. I really do appreciate the way they stuck to it. When things were going bad, they stuck to it. I really appreciate the way the coordinators took a look at it too. [Offensive coordinator] Scott [Turner] stuck to his gameplan, he didn’t back off his gameplan. Exhibited by us throwing the ball when we were in field goal range. That is a gutsy call but that’s the call we had to make. Appreciate the way [defensive coordinator] Jack [Del Rio] handled the defense. There are a couple things that we’re going to get corrected. But that is a big plus and special teams was solid. So, there was some really good things in all three phases for us. Biggest thing we can’t do is we can’t turn the ball over. We had too many little mistakes. It’s going to hurt you and it is going to cost you, we may not be able to pull it out this way.”
On his thoughts on QB Carson Wentz’s performance:
“Well again, when we get a chance to take a look at it on tape, I do know he was late on one of the picks. He took a little extra hitch and you can see it on the video when I looked up at it. But he knows, and he took full responsibility and that’s huge. The guy played his butt off and did a lot of good things. Really happy for him and really excited for him.”
On if Wentz’s deep ball to WR Terry McLaurin was the type of play he imaged when making the trade for Wentz:
“Yes. Again, that was a heck of a call by Scott. I love the way he communicated what he wanted from Carson and Carson went out and did it. That was big. That gave us a chance right there to win the football game.”
On WR Jahan Dotson’s performance:
“That’s what we saw. That is the young man that we really felt good about. That’s why we did what we did in. In being able to bring him here, we are very fortunate to have a young man with that kind of a skillset.”
On if he sees the chemistry between Wentz and his wide receivers:
“We did, we saw some of it coming together. We saw some really good glimpses of it when he went with [TE] Logan [Thomas], found Logan a couple of times over the middle and Logan made a couple of clutch catches. That was really big to see, it really was. Then you see the chemistry he’s got with Terry, and right on down the line. I thought [WR] Curtis [Samuel], that’s what we’ve been hoping for. That’s the guy that we know and what he is capable of and he came out and played to his ability and played to his skillset.”
On the thought process on that final play call that resulted in the Dotson touchdown:
“Well, that’s the choice we had, we had an option on. Carson made a great read and put the ball where it needed to be put. Credit to Carson for throwing it there and again credit to Jahan for putting himself in that position.”
On his thoughts on the final defensive series:
“It just kind of shows we got a little bit of energy going, got some crown behind us, which was awesome. Really appreciate the fans coming out and getting behind us and pushing us. When you get in those kinds of situations you get that kind of electricity its not, ‘Oh no here we go again.’ It’s, ‘Ok, who’s going to make the play?’ And again, credit to DFo [S Darrick Forrest] and the DB’s but credit to the rest of the D. I will say this, with some of the guys getting nicked on the D-line, that was huge. Because those guys were gassed. They were. They really were. When you are down to three tackles that is tough.”
On how important it was to win the home opener:
“That is exactly it, we were able to get some momentum. We were able to do some things the right way and give ourselves a chance. You know, next week we are going to go to Detroit and have to play against a very physical football team. Again, we just got to make sure we carry this momentum moving forward.”
On how he would describe the development of S Darrick Forrest:
“I think it has been a process. Again, as he has gotten opportunities he has taken advantage of them. We have seen it all the way as far as being involved in special teams to getting an opportunity, as again, he was going to play the big nickel for us, you know the buffalo [nickel]. With [S] Kam [Curl] not being available, we moved him to the safety position, gave him an opportunity, and he just worked it, worked it, and came on top. And that is what you a want, a guy to come out and make plays.”
On if Del Rio made second half adjustments:
“Some of things that they talked about I thought was what we needed to do. Talking about who we were matching and going across through the middle, stuff like that. They got us a couple times in a couple bad matchups, and some things that we are going to have to take a look at and get it corrected. Jack is well aware of it. Like I said, I was real pleased with what he and the defensive staff did.”
On if he anticipated this type of a performance from Forrest with Curl being out:
“Well, you hope for, that is for sure. That is why we drafted him because one of the things we haven’t had, again I have been a head coach 12 years, and my 12 years we have never had the same unit. So, this is the first time we have had it. So, we feel pretty good about the guys that we have out there. That is kind of what you hope for.”
On a medical update on DT Phidarian Mathis:
“There are going to get an MRI and X-rays tomorrow but we’re concerned. It was a knee and we will go from there.”
On the efficiency of the pass rush and on if it was as good of a sustained pass rush as they have had in some time:
“I will. And what I also will say is in the fourth quarter when they were gassed, they still came up. Kudos to [DE] Montez [Sweat] and those other defensive ends. He kinda led that group, and then [DT] Jonathan [Allen], [DT] Daron [Payne], and [DL] Daniel Wise and [DE] Efe Obada have to play three-technique. They really came through, and that huge especially in a game like this”
On how the team felt after the Jaguars walk-in touchdown:
“I think that upset our guys, more so than anything else. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but [LB] Cole [Holcomb] missed that tackle and he was mad. I really appreciated that because it means something to those guys. If they had just thrown their arms up and just walked back out, I would have been upset about that. But just watching the way he reacted he knew he missed a chance to make a play, so that was good to see. It really was.”
On if he expects to feature RB Antonio Gibson in both the running and passing game:
“We talked about how he is a young man that when you give him the ball in space, he’s electric and such a dynamic football player. Those are the things that you want from your guys, being able to make plays in space. We got a number of them from the receiving corps, to the tight ends, to the running backs. We’ve got playmakers. We just have to give them the ball in space.”
On the return of TE Logan Thomas:
“That was awesome. I mean, here’s a guy that’s been a big part of what we’ve done since we’ve been here for the first two years, and getting him back on the football field has been a big lift. It has been a big boost. You saw very quickly that he and Carson have some sort of connection already, so that’s pretty exciting. It’s was good to see him back out there.”
On how Wentz handled himself after the two interceptions:
“Well, first off, he comes to the sideline after the second one and kind of beat the ground a little bit. But we both looked at each other and I said ‘Hey, we’re gonna have to win this.’ And he said ‘Yeah, I will.’ And just walked away. He said it so confidently and that was good to see. Watching him with Scott and Scott just going over and talking to him like, ‘Hey, we’ve got to get past this. We’ve got more football left.’ So I think because of who he is and because of his ability to be able to brush things off, I think that’s a pretty strong person.”
On how he is preparing to deal with Wentz being an up and down player:
“Take antacids. [Laughs]. We’re going to ride with him. No matter how you look at it, we’re gonna ride with him. We’ll go with the good, we’ll go with the bad, but that’s the truth of the matter. He’s a guy we did a lot of research on. We did a lot of work. We really did. Once we found that he was available, we watched tape and did all the analytics on him and we felt pretty comfortable and confident to say that he’s the kind of guy we need around here. He’s got some courage and will step up into the fray and accept responsibility. I’m very proud of what he did tonight.”
On rotating the guards:
“Unfortunately [G] Wes [Schweitzer] got the hamstring, so we will see how he is tomorrow. But, rotating them to try and keep them fresh as well, that was a part of it as well. Because you remember [G] Andrew [Norwell] missed a week. And so his conditioning is not where it needs to be. So [Offensive Line] Coach [John] Matsko wanted to rotate him with [G] Saahdiq [Charles] and he did that. He wanted to rotate Wes and [G] Trai [Turner] and he did that as well. Those guys play hard.”
On Saahdiq Charles’ performance:
“I think he did a pretty good job. He is a thick physically stout young man who’s got a lot to learn, but he is a fighter. There were a couple times he had a couple of wrestling matches that he came out on top. I’m
anxious to watch the rest of the tape to see how he did.”
On how much momentum the team can get from an a win in Week 1:
“It gets past the mentality of ‘Here we go again.’ When things got tough, they didn’t do that. They kept talking about making plays and kept talking about making opportunities and it showed. It was also reflected by the way the coordinators handled it too. There wasn’t any [panic]. It was, ‘Hey we gotta go out and do these things.’ Like I said, I was really pleased with that.”
On if Scott Turner being able to stick with his gameplan has a lot to do with his belief in Carson Wentz:
“I think that’s it. I really do. You guys don’t get to hear it, but Scott, when he talks with them, he’ll tell him,
‘We are gonna run this, this and this and make sure you look at this.’ You can see Carson nod his head that he get it and understands. There’s a little bit of communication that is really good that these two guys have going on.”
On how the defensive ends opposite Sweat performed:
“I think they were solid. You know a couple of times and one of the things they have got to understand more than anything else is they have got to get to the level and then they can make their move. A couple of times, they came down a little early, but didn’t hurt us. But you could see it. They are young guys and they are giving us everything they’ve got. We really appreciate their effort.”
On his thoughts on LB Jamin Davis’ performance:
“Jamin had his moments. He really did. There were a couple of mistakes he made that I know Jack wasn’t
happy about. For the most part, he came out and he was physical and he made some plays. He got iso’d a
couple of times. We have gotta find ways to correct that. We can’t let him get iso’d on slot wide receivers. That is something we have to be well aware of.”
QB Carson Wentz
On recovering from his two interceptions:
“It was an ugly stretch obviously. Any time you get back-to-back, turnovers. That’s never fun. First one I threw the guy made a good play, but that was bad decision. The second one made a play came outta nowhere. Tough break, ideally just dirt that one, but yeah, it’s a tough stretch there to bounce back from but guys did a good job. Everybody was rallying around each other and obviously we got it done.”
On getting the crowd behind him on his last drive:
“Felt great. Felt great. Obviously, like I said, coming off of a rough stretch, started fast, rough stretch there in the middle, but to kind of rally together and get it done, uh, when it mattered at the end, that was cool. Cool way to start. I mean, it is hard to win in this league and so it doesn’t matter how it looks. It doesn’t matter any of those things in the last couple minutes of the game, you find a way to get it done. That’s what good teams do and we did that.”
On how he gathers himself on the sideline when things are not going well:
“I just look to the guys around me and I know I got nothing but confidence in them and I know they look at me and they have nothing but confidence in me. And so when you feel that, obviously it’s a tough feeling, but at the same time, it’s who else is gonna be if it’s time for us to step up and, and get it done. Like I said, we rallied together and they picked me up. I picked them up. It was huge for us to come out and do that the way we did that.”
On his game winning touchdown pass to WR Jahan Dotson:
“Heck of a play. I mean, that was, I don’t think it was very good throw. I just said, give this kid a shot. And I’ve seen him do that in OTAs. You know, once at the end, when he got there, I saw him do it all training camp. I’m just glad that the world gets to see what he can do now, too. And so for me, just giving him the chance, the way he made that play, I think often goes overlooked how he did that, slowed up kind of laid hands, all of that. Incredible play by the rookie, its awesome.”
On what allowed the team to get back into the game:
“Yeah, I mean it’s, again, I think it’s [Offensive Coordinator Scott] Turner just at the end there just trying to stay aggressive. That long one to [WR] Terry [McLaurin], he had pulse on the defense for kind of what they were feeling and he dialed that one up. Terry was rolling, he made a heck of a play there. But yeah, I think it was just coach Turner, just feeling the game. Obviously we had some big plays and then we kinda stagnant for a while and you know, little things here and there and then bigger plays down the stretch.”
On having ups and downs in a game:
“Thats football, it’s much like life there’s highs and lows, you gotta find a way to battle through it and I thought the guys did a good job doing that.”
On how he stays calm and doesn’t try to get it all back on one play:
“Yeah, I think for me, I’ve played a lot of football. I’ve seen ups and the downs and I think just knowing from the past, trying to do too much in those situations can come back to haunt you. And I think for me, it’s just go make the next play, go make the next play. Don’t try and you know, fix it all at once here and that’s obviously what we did as an offense. And like I said, they believed in me, I believed in them. Guys made plays when it mattered.”
On getting his first win against his former Head Coach Doug Pederson:
“Anytime you start the season one and zero, it’s a great feeling, it’s huge. Especially I think the way we did it, I think it just instills a lot of belief in guys that we can get it done. You know, it doesn’t always have to look pretty, um, just find a way to get it done. And I think that was huge for us and huge for our confidence going forward.”
On if he felt good about his third down conversions late in the game:
“I thought just finding a way to convert, stay on the field. You know, it was kind of now or never down the stretch there and [TE] Logan [Thomas] had a couple of huge plays. The old line picking up some of those stunts was pretty impressive giving me time to make those plays. And like I said, when it mattered down the stretch guys were making plays and showing up and it was a good team win.”
On if his touchdown pass to WR Terry McLaurin was just the right time and situation:
“Hard to say, I’ll let you know, after I watched the film, but I know [Offensive Coordinator Scott Turner] was feeling that [WR] Terry [McLaurin] was feeling on that one and it all came together nicely there for that big one. That was huge.”
On how his offensive weapons open up the offense:
“It’s huge. It’s huge. I mean, you just named a couple, but there’s a whole bunch more and I think that’s what makes us so versatile. That’s when we can take our shots. You know, we saw [WR] Curtis [Samuel] start picking the game, running every play, you know, making guys miss underneath doing some different things. And so we’re very versatile and I think that’s what makes us have the ability to do some really good things. Obviously, we gotta play together and keep building. But I thought, today showed a little bit of who we are and what we can do, you know, running the ball, spreading teams out, underneath taking shots and hopefully we can keep getting better at it.”
On Head Coach Ron Rivera challenging him after his second interception:
“Yeah. It means a lot. And honestly, that’s just the reality. That’s the reality, you know, make a couple bad plays. It’s time, time to go fix it. But at the same time, not try and fix it all at once. Just go do the next right thing, go make the next play and just keep checking ’em off, checking off, checking ’em off. And I still don’t think the next couple plays were perfect by any means, but we made enough plays to obviously finish in the endzone.”
On if WR Jahan Dotson was the first option for the game winning touchdown:
“He was and it was a double move. He ran a great route and I think coach just feeling the timing for that double move. And like I said, just having a lot of confidence in him to just put it out there, give him a chance, the play he made was unbelievable.”
On the offensive line learning on the fly:
“They do it pretty seamlessly and hats off to them, all of those guys. It’s more than just the starting five, it’s the depth that we have and all the guys being locked in, ready to go and not missing a beat. We have some guys go down or some moving pieces, we’re not changing what we’re doing offensively. We have nothing but confidence in the guys that step in there. And again, hats off to those guys they didn’t miss a beat. They did a great job of keeping me upright. We open up some holes down stretch, especially in the running game.”
On how a this win helps build team chemistry:
“I think it does a lot. Whether its chemistry or just really confidence for guys to know. Things can look really good, can look really dark. You know, at the end of the day, we can find a way to do it together and come out with a win. And I’ve think doing that week one, like I said earlier, I think is huge for our confidence going forward. You know, when we find ourselves, we’re going to find ourselves in a situation like that again, when things aren’t looking great and how do we respond? And we can lean on this one knowing, hey, we can get it done. Let’s trust and believe and do it again.”
On how the crows played into the game:
“It’s fun. It was a lot of fun. Being on this sidelines a little different, but it was a lot of fun. They kept it entertaining. Obviously when Jacksonville was on the field, they made it tough, especially after the lull there. And we got a couple big plays you could really feel the energy and the momentum in the stadium and hats off to the fans for trusting us, believing in us and staying with us.”.
On how huge this win is for the team:
“It’s huge. It’s huge. And that’s why I said it’s, it’s all three phases, team win you know. Defense picked us up a couple times, you know, helping the field goal on the first interception there. Didn’t put them in great situations with the two turnovers. But when it mattered, like I said, in the fourth quarter, they bowed up, we got it done. Offensively special teams was rock solid all day. So, again, huge team win to find a way to get it done and the fourth was huge.”
On meeting with Head Coach Doug Pederson pregame:
“Yeah, it was very cool. Seeing Coach Peterson and then some other guys, [Jaguars Offensive Coordinator] Press Taylor, some other guys that familiar faces that I’ve worked with for a long time. And now seeing in a different light, you know, just two years ago, we were, I think, week one here together. So you realize how crazy this league is, realize how crazy things change, but a guy that I have nothing but respect for and wish him the best. And it was fun to kind of see him catch up again and compete against him today.”
WR Jahan Dotson
On his first touchdown:
“It was definitely pretty cool getting that first one under my belt. First game, [QB] Carson [Wentz] just giving me a chance, we’ve been talking about it ever since I got here, and he got here. I can make plays for this team and that’s what I was able to do.”
On his second touchdown:
“It was a counter play that we had ran before that we threw a pick on our sideline, we knew the guy was squatting low and we knew if I put a double move on him, I would be able to beat him over the top, Carson’s just giving me a chance. He’s trusting in his receivers we knew that we would have to come in make plays for us to win and that’s what we did.”
On his reaction to the play call:
“I was excited, I was ready to put the game to an end come out 1-0 and do something exciting for my team to help us get over that hump.”
On the probability of a play working in a game compared to practice:
“Honestly never when that play is going to come up, you just have to make sure that rep in practice you completed the pass and were going one hundred percent because if you didn’t get it in practice, you’re probably not going to get it in a game. Coach probably doesn’t feel comfortable doing it in a game because he didn’t see it work in practice. We knew we got that play a couple times this week in practice and we knew we had to execute, and I got the chance to end the game.”
On the playmaking ability in WR room:
“I told you guys earlier during camp we had a lot of talent in that room, especially between us three [WR’s Terry McLaurin and WR Curtis Smauel]. you guys’ kind of saw a glimpse of that today, there’s just so much we can do. [Wide receivers] Coach Drew [Terrell] was preaching all week the wide receivers were the piece that gets this team going, gets the offense going that was the case today, guys coming up big, Curtis starting the game off hot making almost every defender on the Jaguars defense miss, Terry coming back after two interceptions with a bomb down the sideline getting us back started. Then me ending the game a touchdown to save the game. We have a lot of things planned for the future, a lot of guys that can make plays and we’re just excited to get this one under our belt.”
On QB Carson Wentz’s response after interceptions
“Right after the second one he said to us “not everything is pretty in this league, you have to go out there and make a play” and that’s what he did, he led us on a long drive a bomb to [WR] Terry [McLaurin]. Showing off his arm talent that we knew he had putting it right on the money for Terry to get in right in the endzone to put us right back in the game. We trust in Carson one hundred percent, we know that he has to be able to make those plays for us, especially when it comes down to it. He has great arm talent, great quarterback, great decision maker so we were happy to get that touchdown back on the board.”
On staying focused during a game:
“I don’t find it very hard to do that, I’m a big next play mentality guy even after my first career touchdown I was ready to catch another one. That’s just who I am, that’s who I’ve been and when you move that way you kind of see others around you move that way and that’s how the team moved today. After two picks you can go down in the dump and we were able to respond with [QB] Carson [Wentz] making a play to [WR] Terry [McLaurin] and making one right back to me.”
On WR’s Curtis Samuel, Jahan Dotson, and Terry McLaurin’s complimentary skillset:
“I feel like we all can do everything on the field that wide receivers need to do, Curtis getting us started early in the first quarter making a lot of guys miss, getting our offense moving down the field. Terry catching deep bombs and me making plays. We have a lot of guys in the room that can do a lot of things, a lot on display today but just playing more for the team.”
On QB Carson Wentz’s mentality:
“He was the same Carson after he threw a touchdown and after he threw an interception, the same complacent guy that’s ready to make a play, ready to get us back on top and back on the board. It’s definitely easy playing for a quarterback like that knowing you have full trust in him, and he has full trust in you.”
On how real it feels to be in the NFL:
“It’s pretty cool, it’s exciting to get this one under our belt and I’m just happy to go 1-0. Coming from college, [Penn State Head] Coach [James] Franklin preached a lot about going 1-0, I still live by that mentality and I’m just happy to go 1-0.”
On offensive adversity during the game:
“It’s huge for the offense seeing those plays happen, it’s kind of a domino effect once we know we can get one play going it’s going to just roll on into more good plays and we got a lot of long drives today and those are big especially in the NFL keeping the defense off the field and getting all the way down and capitalizing in the endzone. It was big to see him bounce back after those two interceptions and lead us down the field on very long drives to cap the game.”
On publicity after first game:
“I honestly don’t think so at all, I’m ready to beat the [Detroit] Lions right now. Going against my former teammate [CB] Amani Oruwariye I can’t come out with an L so I’m definitely going to have to put some on next week, maybe score a couple more touchdowns.”
On his expectations of the NFL:
“For sure, I knew since I was a little kid that I wanted to do this and excel at the highest level. I devoted all my time throughout high school, throughout college making sure that I was ready for this moment. You guys saw it today I made a couple plays but that’s not all I can do, I’m ready to make even more plays for this team and get this team on a win streak. I’ve been ready all my life.”
WR Terry McLaurin
On the team winning today:
“Definitely. Anytime you can start the season off with a win is culmination of all the work you put in the offseason. I know we have a lot of additions this off season and a lot of ups and downs, but we came out here and got the win. It wasn’t always pretty, but I think just to have a game like that to come out resilient like we did. A lot of guys made a lot of plays, and we got stops when we needed to, so I think that’s what’s most important.”
On fighting back after being down in the 2nd half:
“I think in this league nothing is going to be easy and I think we all knew that coming into this game. We got off to a really hot start which was really encouraging and then made some plays too, but when we needed to make the big plays to win the game, I think we did that. So that was a great feeling.”
On the touchdown Carson threw to him:
“Carson [Wentz] is not afraid to throw the ball down the field and I actually got excited seeing him throw that same route in practice over and over again against that coverage. I knew I was gonna be alive on that so they’ve kind of been playing that soft zone all game and I knew the next drive, we got that opportunity, he was going to throw it. It was just great to run through a ball that was right and stride like he did and it changed the flow of the game. It was great to get our first connection out there and I think it was the only one to throw for.”
S Darrick Forrest
TE Logan Thomas
On if the back-and-forth of the game felt like a rollercoaster:
“I mean for most of us, we’ve been playing all our lives. We kind of understand the wave of it too. When you’re there, you just stay in the now. You don’t get outside of your frame, and you stay level-headed. I know for myself that is the way it is, and for most everybody.”
On his expectations heading into the game:
“Honestly, I expected us to score, you know, the way we did. We did a very good job scoring early. Hit a lull, then scored late. If we can just stay consistent and stop hitting the lulls, we’ll be fine.”
On the wide receiving core:
“Yeah, we have a lot of talent on the offense and it’s not just the receiving core. It’s the o-line, the quarterback, running backs, whatever you are. We are very talented, and we know we’re talented, and let’s just put it on the table every single week and try to find mismatches.”
CB William Jackson lll
On S Kamren Curl being out and his thoughts on S Darrick Forrest’s effort in relief of him:
“I’m just super proud of him because I can remember a year ago, he didn’t know where to go or how to start. But now, just to see him go out there and do that man, I was just super happy for him and I can’t wait to celebrate with him.”
On how he contained his emotions in such a back-and-forth game:
“I mean, it’s the National Football League. I mean everybody’s good, everybody’s screaming. We just got to quiet them down and go play.”
On how he feels S Darrick Forrest has made this progression as a player:
“I mean, he’s just put a lot of work in in the film room. We all get together and go through plays. Just to see him go out there with that confidence. I mean, before the game he was kind of nervous, but just to see him go out there with that confidence and put on a show like that. That was amazing.”
WR Curtis Samuel
On the energy in the stadium:
“It was amazing. I thank the fans and everybody that came out and cheered us on today. We can’t wait to be back.”
On if he impressed himself playing today:
“It’s been so long since I have been able to make dudes drop like that. It’s been a while, but I
wouldn’t say I impressed myself, but I did what I knew I could do and I was just like I said I was on call when they made plays and when I touched the ball.”
On being an active part of the offense:
“It was great. Like I said, my main thing going into the season was my health. I feel like I changed
and everything I got is going for me. My diet and everything, I just have to keep it on.”
On him saying I’m Back:
“Oh yeah, I definitely said that. I’m him. It was just one of those things where I was excited to be
back out there. To get the first touchdown of the season and get my first touchdown in a long time, I think that was a great way to start the season off.”
OT Charles Leno Jr.
On the importance of the first win of the season:
“You work so hard for week. We have been working on Jacksonville for a long time. Everybody has been working on their first week opponent for a long time. So to get that first win, it means a lot. It’s a good feeling and good morale, but enjoy today, but you know how this league goes. We’ve got Detroit next week.”
On what he learned about QB Carson [Wentz] when they were down in 4th quarter:
“The resilience. He came to us and said that it was my bad and my fault on those plays. He said,
but what we have is this moment right now and we all responded and marched on that field and
scored when we needed to.”
On QB Carson Wentz’s throw to WR Terry McLaurin down the field:
“Yeah, it was confidence. I am pretty sure those two have a lot of confidence when working
together and they executed.”
