HOUSTON TEXANS
HEAD COACH DAVID CULLEY (Transcribed by ASAP Sports)
Opening Statement
“First of all, before I get started, I just want you all to know my feet are killing me right now. And my feet are killing me from running up and down that sideline when the offense was on the field, the defense was on the field, special teams was on the field. So many good things were happening, I didn’t know which way to go. But again, my feet are killing me right now, so if we don’t stay in here very long, I need to get out of here and get my feet off.”
What does it mean to win a game in this fashion?
“Let me just say this: this football team expected to win. We expected to win. We’re not surprised, simply because we played good football today. I thought at the very end we lost our composure a little bit with some penalties, but this football team expected to win today. And we knew if we did the things we had been practicing, we did the things that are winning football, that we’d have a chance to win the game. And we did that today.”
Talk about QB Tyrod Taylor’s execution and how he ran the offense.
“I thought early in the game, we were a little off a little bit on some throws early in the game, but he settled down, and he and Brandin (Cooks) ended up making a couple plays out of the pocket that ended up allowing us to get some big plays throwing the ball down the field. Again, he’s a guy that’s not going to make mistakes. He’s going to take care of the football. That’s part of who we are. As long as he’s doing that and running the offense and us being able to run the ball the way we were able to run the ball tonight, we’ll have a chance to do what we need to do.”
How does today’s game fit your game plan for the future?
“Well, obviously on defense we’ve always preached about getting turnovers. We got three today. Offense, we all know the big thing is us taking care of the ball. We took care of the ball today. Basically that’s our formula. As long as we’re attacking that formula, things are going to be all right. We did that today.”
How did the offense create their identity?
“Well, I think Tim (Kelly) and that offensive staff going into the game were going to do what they allowed us to do, and a lot of times they were putting eight men up in the box. And Tim threw it when we knew we had some one-on-ones. We made some plays there. Then when we had a good box to run, we run. Tyrod had some checks, and he ended up putting us in some nice checks to be able to give us a chance to be able to run the ball. And we had some nice runs.”
Talk about how QB Tyrod Taylor played against Jacksonville’s defense.
“It’s tough when you play mobile quarterbacks in this league. The last thing a defensive coordinator wants with a quarterback is when we’ve got everybody covered down the field is for him to use his feet to get yardage. Obviously, you saw today he did an excellent job of that. I thought a couple of times he came out of there, he got out of some trouble today, which could have also been some trouble for us. We talked about that, but basically when you’ve got a guy like that that has that kind of ability to do those things with his feet, you allow him to do that, as long as we don’t have any minus yardage plays today. And we were very fortunate that he was able to get out of some things today.”
What did you think about how the team played in the first quarter?
“I think it’s very important always from a team standpoint to get off to a fast start. Basically, a fast start for us would have been don’t turn the ball over. On defense, make them go the long way, and we did that in the first quarter, so we didn’t really have anything negative happen to us to keep us from getting that fast start that we knew we needed to have.”
What does this game do for the players in blocking out the noise coming from outside?
“Well, first of all, let me tell you this about the noise. The only noise that matters to this franchise and this team is the noise inside this building and in this room, and that’s the only noise that’s mattered to us. That’s the reason, as I said before, when we went out and played this game today, and if we did things the right way, we’d have a chance to win the game. And we did that today, and we won.”
What are you thinking right now?
“I’m going to enjoy this for 24 hours, and after those 24 hours, we’re going to get on to Cleveland.”
How do you all sustain at this level the entire season?
“Play winning football. Don’t turn the ball over. Get turnovers. Be able to run the ball, and be able to make plays in the passing game, and we were able to do that today.”
Talk about the throw Taylor made to TE Pharoah Brown in the third quarter.
“That’s players making plays, and this league is about players. It’s not about us as coaches. Our job is to put them in a position to make plays. Their job is to make plays. They did a really, really nice job of making a play that basically had a lot to do with us keeping our momentum going in that ballgame, and that’s what players do. They did a good job of that today.”
What role did the last touchdown in the first half play going into halftime?
“Well, that was important because we knew they were going to get the ball coming out, and we needed to be able to sustain our momentum to make sure that they didn’t go in at halftime with momentum knowing they were going to get the ball. It was critical and important for us to get that.”
What did you think about how the defense played against Jacksonville QB Trevor Lawrence who had 333 passing yards today?
“The only numbers that matter to us is us not turning the ball over. That number is very important to us. The other number is us getting turnovers and being able to get them off the field in third-and-long type situations. For us, the numbers really doesn’t matter unless it’s those particular numbers.”
What did you think about how the offensive line play today?
“I’m not sure how many yards we had and whatnot, and it’s not about the yards, but I know that there was over 400 plus yards of offense. They had maybe 170, 180 yards of rushing the ball, whatever it may have been. That’s balance. We need to have that. We felt good about that, but the most important thing about our offense today was we did not turn the ball over, we took care of the ball, and we were able to get some points on the board. You asked about Tyrod. Tyrod’s job is to get us in the end zone and score points, and we did that today.”
Do you have an update on DL Vincent Taylor’s injury?
“I’m not really sure exactly what it is right now. It could be, but we’ll get a little bit more on that tomorrow. We’re not really sure exactly.”
What do you think about the cohesiveness between the new players and the returning players?
“For you all that’s been around this building and you see some of the signs talking about team, team, team, it’s all about the team here. A lot of these guys, 30 plus guys that we have that wasn’t here last year on this football team. Basically our mantra has always been, it’s about us, and it’s about us doing the right things. When you do the right things in this league no matter who you play, when you go out every time to play in this league, if you do the right things, you’ll have a chance to win in this league.”
Did you get today’s game ball?
“No, the Texans got the game ball today.”
Talk about how your running back core played today.
“Well, it was very good. Danny (Barrett) did a nice job of rotating those guys in there. And basically Tim and that offensive staff, we have personnel groups for each guy, so when you see them going in and out, they’re going in and out because certain guys in certain positions within certain personnel groups. We were able today because we were able to stay on the field to be able to use all those guys and use all of our personnel groups, and that’s a sign of consistency on offense.”
Is RB Mark Ingram II becoming your lead back?
“We never look at it as when we’re playing with a lead. We looked at it as this is how we wanted to play the game at that point, whether we were up or down. And Tim and the offensive staff just kind of said, ‘Okay, this is how we’re going to play it.’ And if he wants this particular group in, it’ll be that particular group in. Sometimes it’s Mark for three, sometimes it’s David (Johnson), all those guys are all getting their snaps and their carries.”
Talk about how QB Tyrod Taylor got comfortable after the first play of the game.
“Well, we talk about getting off to a fast start, and basically what ended up happening on that, he was a little late getting the ball out. That play could have been a game changer had it been intercepted. But it was one of those deals where the kind of guy that he is, the kind of leader he is, is that those things don’t bother him. He just comes back and next play I didn’t get the ball out, he comes back, he actually came back and missed another one later on that we had in that series, but there was no big deal. He’s always the next play, always the next play, and that’s why we had a chance to win the game today is because he did what his job is to do is to get us in the end zone.”
WR BRANDIN COOKS (Transcribed by ASAP Sports)
What do you think of the win as a team?
“I think it’s huge. Obviously first of all, when you can use everybody, and then the defense coming together and you get a win. But when it’s your first head coaching win, first game of the regular season, that’s also huge. Proud of him and how he’s been leading us and the energy that he brings. We’ve just got to continue to just work and get better.”
How much did the run game open up things downfield?
“I mean, anytime you can run the ball in this game it opens everything else up. The physicality that we get from our offensive line and those backs was great to see today. That’s where it starts at.”
What do you think about the way the team came out and got a decisive win with all the negative noise around the franchise for such a long time?
“Yeah, I think it’s great. That’s what we’ve been saying in this building; kind of ignore the noise and focus on what we have to do and do our job, and we’ve got to let everything else kind of take care of itself.”
Is that easier said than done?
“Not in this situation because I think the only people that believe in us is those in this locker room and in these walls, so we’re just going to stick together and that’s what we’re going to continue to do.”
On that second big catch you had right before the end of the first half, was it a broken play or did you improvise there?
“That was Tyrod (Taylor) making plays, extending the plays and doing what he’s great at.”
What did you think about QB Tyrod Taylor and the way he led the offense?
“I think it was awesome. Just the way that he came out leading, first drive didn’t go how we wanted, but we recalculated and went out there and started moving the ball. He’s a great leader and he makes plays and he’s a playmaker at the end of the day.”
How does it feel to show the explosiveness?
“It feels great. It feels great, yeah, absolutely.”
What was Head Coach David Culley’s message in the locker room?
“His biggest message was it was about us, all the work that we put in this training camp and this off-season, that’s what we have to focus on, just going out there and not beating ourselves. You can get high with the first game but just focus on the little things that we’ve been doing all off-season and training camp and then I think we’ll be all right.”
Can you elaborate on the chemistry that you and QB Tyrod Taylor have built throughout training camp that came to fruition here?
“I think, yeah, the chemistry not just for him and I but everyone. As you seen, everyone kind of touched the ball from a passing game standpoint. He does a great job with throwing with guys after practice, and I think it showed today from everyone’s standpoint.”
It was a long time Head Coach David Culley waited to get a head coaching job; what was it like getting him his first win?
“It was huge. You know, obviously like you say, it’s been a while, but he’s here now, and we’re just so thankful for what he means to this team, the energy that he brings and the way that we all work hard together. It was great to see him get his first win and the first one being the first game of the season as well.”
You talked about chemistry just a minute ago. What does it say about WR Danny Amendola to be able to come in, not even being with the team a week?
“Yeah, when you play in this game that long, and like you said, being in this offense before, you talk about a guy that’s a playmaker, he’s been a playmaker all his career, no matter where he lined up, he stepped in the room, he’s going to make an impact right away. A lot of respect for Danny and I think he showed that today, as well.”
How big was it getting that last touchdown before halftime?
“I think it’s huge. That’s situational football. Any time you can get some points right before half, you get that swing and defense comes out and gets a stop, I think that’s huge.”
What was it like watching your defense get three picks?
“It was awesome. Especially Lovie (Smith) talked about it, he preaches it all throughout the week, they practice it, and for it to come to life in a real game was awesome, absolutely.”
What do these running backs add to the passing game and how do you interact with them?
“You know, from a running game standpoint, they run their tails off, they’re physical, but also just in the passing game the way that they block and pick some of those extra fitters is huge. When you don’t have that it’s going to be hard to pass the ball, but the unselfishness from those guys, you see it down in and down out where if they’re getting the ball or blocking for us to get the ball.”
TE Pharaoh Brown – what does he add? What about his catch?
“Yeah, that guy is a dog. He’s physical. He’s going to block with the best of them, but he also going to run a route and make plays in the passing game as well. He’s dynamic, and you just love to see him finally get his chance throughout the years. He’s making the most of it. That was a great catch
“That was huge. He’s got to hold on to the ball a little tighter afterward I’m going to tell him.”
Just talk about Offensive Coordinator Tim Kelly’s play calling. I know it’s early, but have you seen a difference from him this year versus last season?
“I mean, the confidence right off the bat, you just see he’s a lot more smooth with the play calling having a year under his belt. The guy is smart, and he uses all his guys, and that’s what you love about him. You never know what you’re going to get.”
RB MARK INGRAM II (Transcribed by ASAP Sports)
How does it feel to start 1-0 and win David Culley’s first game as a head coach?
“It’s great. That’s what you play the game for. That’s what we’ve prepared all off season for, all training camp. We believe in each other. We believe that we have everything we need to get wins and have success. To go out there and get Coach Culley his first win, I think that’s something we’re all proud of and we’re happy for him. This is just the start. We’ve got a lot more to do, a lot of improving to do to get better and keep winning.”
With all of the negative noise, what does it say about this team to block it out and win the first game so decisively?
“We don’t care about them people. We don’t care. If you doubt us or doubt someone, like we don’t really care. We all believe in each other. We all have faith in each other. We all hold each other accountable, and we believe we have what we need in order to have success. We don’t really care about nobody else that don’t support us or nobody else that don’t believe in us. It’s irrelevant.”
The players cycled through a lot of different options running back wise. How do you feel you all did as a group?
“Man, we just got a great room. We’ve got five guys who can do a lot of things, run the ball, catch the ball, pass protect. Very versatile room. Everyone has their skill set that makes them successful, that makes them good. I think we just did a great job today of getting everybody involved, everybody contributing in our running back room to help us have some positive plays to help us win the game. We have a great room. We compete. We communicate, and we make each other better.”
Is this the peak for the running game or are there things you all can improve on?
“Of course. I think we had a lot of good runs and then there’s some runs that weren’t as clean, and I think we can improve and learn from it and grow from it. It’s always better to learn in a victory as opposed to a loss, but we did a lot of good things. The big boys up front, the tight ends, the receivers did a great job of creating some seams for us and just being physical and dominating the line of scrimmage. That’s why we were able to have some success. But obviously there were some plays that we wish we could have back that we wish we could switch, and we’ll study the film tomorrow, we’ll learn from it, we’ll grow from it and try to be better.”
QB Tyrod Taylor has been through a lot in this league and has waited a couple years to get a chance like this. What did you see from him today in terms of leading this offense and being a leader on and off the field?
“Just a smooth operator. He’s a smooth operator. He’s confident. He has the ability. Great leader in the huddle. Commands the huddle. Gets us out of bad plays into good plays. It’s high tempo, guys in and out of the huddle. Play comes in the wrong way, he fixes it, adjusts it, gets us out there in the right alignment. Communicating, great in the huddle, and he just did a great job today. I’m happy for him. We came into the league together, and he’s just overcome a lot of adversity. He’s just a great player, man, and he proved that today, and he’s going to improve. We’re all going to improve, and we just try to all do our jobs to make his job as easy as possible.”
What did you think about how all of the backs were incorporated in to the game plan?
“I think they have a vision for all of us, they have a vision for our roles within the offense, and I think we all just went out there and executed our roles to the best of our ability. We all went out there and executed our plays that was when our name was called, when our number was called, I think we all executed at a high level and did what we needed to do to help the team have success and have a victory. Obviously, there will be some things that we’re trying to improve on and we’re trying to get better at, but I think it was a good start.”
How does it feel for you personally after how last year went and for you to come in and have such a strong start?
“It doesn’t surprise me. I feel like I’m capable. It’s just a matter of having opportunities and just the situation. Sometimes you can’t control the situation, but you can control how you respond. You can control how your attitude and how you prepare. I know I can still play. I feel like I’m in my prime still. I feel great. I’m just glad to be on the team where I have some opportunities and glad to be able to make some plays to help us win today.”
You’ve played on a couple different teams. What stands out to you about this group?
“I love our guys because we had a lot of guys – we have some young guys but we have a lot of veterans who have played a lot of football, a lot of different places. All of the guys have a chip on their shoulder. Everyone wants to play hard, play well and win games. Nobody is out here thinking that we suck. We all believe in each other. We spend time together. We work hard together. We compete against each other and we all just want to win games. We don’t care what everyone else thinks, we don’t care what everyone else feels. We just know that we’ve got some guys in this locker room who all depend on each other, have chips on their shoulder and want to play great football. That’s what I love about the team.”
What does it mean to you that they trusted you with a lot of plays today?
“Whenever my number is called, whatever my role is on the team, I try to execute it to the best of my ability, to be the best I can be. They called my number today that many times, who knows if it will be like that next week or the next week. But whenever they call my number, I’ll be focused, I’m going to be prepared. I’m going to do everything I can to be an asset to the team, bring energy to the team, have positive plays, keep the chains moving, make plays to help us win the game. I’m thankful that they called my number. I appreciated they called my number. But there’s a lot of work to do. We’ve got to continue to improve, continue to get better.”
You mentioned that there’s a plan for each of the running backs. Do you feel like you take on a personal identity and do you recognize that in each other?
“We just try to thrive at our role. We try to thrive when our number is called. I believe I’m a back who can do everything, run the blind side, off side, come out the backfield, catch the ball, pass protect, so I always craft on that. I always sharpen my tools in that way, prepare myself to be a three-down back, every single week, every single game. And whatever our role is, whenever they call my number, I’m just aware of the playbook. I know my plays, I know my assignment, I know what I’m supposed to do, how I’m supposed to execute it, and I try to execute it to the best of my ability to help us have success. It’s as simple as that.”
What did Coach Culley say in the locker room after the game?
“He said, ‘Obviously, it’s great to have a win. We did a lot of good things today, but there’s a lot of things that we can improve on. We’re going to enjoy this for 24 hours and then we’re going to start working on our next opponent.’ We’re all happy for him that we got his first win as a head coach. Nick’s (Caserio) first win as a GM. We’re happy for those guys. They assembled this group of guys, so we appreciate that. But there’s a lot more work to do. It’s only one game, 16 more to go. Got a lot of improving to do.”
How would you describe Offensive Coordinator Tim Kelly and Running Back Coach Danny Barrett and their roles in this victory?
“Yeah, TK (Tim Kelly) is a great OC, has a great vision for how he wants to call plays, switching up personnels, giving one look, running a different play. He just likes to switch it up, keep the defense on their toes, put guys in position to make plays. And Coach DB (Danny Barrett) is great. He’s been great for our running back room. He believes in the running backs. He stands up for the running backs. You know, just a great coaching staff. Especially those two, to be here with those guys, I’m appreciative of them, and we’ve just got to keep getting better. Nobody is satisfied, nobody is content.”
Can you talk about take us through that touchdown with the handoff from you to RB Phillip Lindsay?
“Yeah, just a little curve ball TK (Tim Kelly) threw in, being creative, and trusting me to be able to make the right read, see the field in motion. Justin Britt had a great snap, I was able to read and he crashed and just gave it to Phil. I think the guys on the perimeter did a great job of getting on their guys, and Phil obviously saw it, turned it up for the touchdown. I’m glad that my play at quarterback was successful, and so hopefully that we’ll be able to expand on that package.”
How would you describe TE Pharaoh Brown’s importance to you in the running game?
“Pharaoh is a dog, he’s a beast, straight savage, an animal. I’ve been around a lot of great tight ends, and he can be one of the best. He’s physical in the run game, takes pride in blocking, and he’s going to get his guy. Even when he doesn’t, he comes to the sideline, that was me, that was me. But then obviously he has the talent, the athleticism to go run routes downfield, catch the ball, break tackles. He’s a versatile tight end, a complete tight end, and I think he’s one of the best in the game. He’s super underrated. He’s physical in the run game, holds the edge in the run game, whoops people in the run game, but also can be versatile and athletic enough to run routes, get open off safeties or linebackers and catch the ball and get yards after the catch.”
What did you think of Pharaoh Brown’s catch? Did you get a good look at it?
“Yeah, I mean, he is kind of — I don’t know, but he got one hand on it and broke some tackles and made a big play for us to get down in the red zone. You know, when your number is called, you’ve got to be ready, and he was, and he capitalized on his opportunity, and it was big for our team.”
DB CHRISTIAN KIRKSEY (Transcribed by ASAP Sports)
What was it like with your defense getting picks, making stops, basically controlling the game?
“It was good to see where we’re at. Just seeing guys flying around, everybody making plays, it’s definitely something that’s good to see. But we’re still not where we want to be. It’s Week 1. We’ve got a lot of stuff that we can learn from and improve from, so right now we’re just trying to move forward. Celebrate this game, but tomorrow, put it to bed and look at the film and see the things that we need to do correctly that we didn’t do correctly. I think that’s how you become a great defense, when you can celebrate the win and celebrate good things that you do, but pay attention to the things that hurt us. We’ve just got to make sure that we clean that up and just keep moving forward.”
Can you talk about how you made it difficult for Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence, especially since this was his first game?
“Whenever you’ve got a young quarterback, first game in the NFL, you want to make it as hard as possible for him. He did some things good, and obviously there’s some things he has to work on. But the kid came out and he did the best that he could, but as a veteran defense and guys that’s been in the league, it’s our job to create turnovers and create takeaways like we did today. I tip my hat off to my guys, and we’ve just got to look forward to Week 2.”
Can you talk about the way you guys played the front, just the pressure?
“It’s a clock that goes off in coaches’ heads, in quarterbacks’ heads, for our front line. We’ve got to make sure that we get to the quarterback before he can throw the ball and then just make things cloudy for him, and that’s what they did. They work on different games all the time and in practice, they translated it to the games. So I was very pleased to see our guys get after it.”
How would you rate your performance today?
“It’s a good start for the season, but I’m nowhere (near where) I want to be. The stats sound good and everything, but I know where I want to be mentally and in the plays that I could’ve made out there that I didn’t. I’m real hard on myself with that, but it’s a great start. And my teammates, they did an amazing job out there to where it just made my job easier. I’m not the type of guy to really talk about individual things like that, but I just want to keep preaching about our defense and how they played. They played fast, physical, and they played relentless. Like I said, I’m just a part of that. I’m doing my one-eleventh, and hopefully that rolls over into Week 2.”
What about the way your team got the decisive victory amid all the negative noise that’s been surrounding the franchise for a long time?
“The good thing about the NFL, and having an opportunity to play another year in the NFL, is teams are always different each year, whether it’s in the draft or free agency. So whatever happened in the previous years, it doesn’t matter to us. We are who we are right now, and that’s all we can focus on is the guys that are in this locker room and the coaches that are in this locker room, the front office that’s in this building, that’s all we can focus on, is us. Nothing to dwell on in the past, so it’s the 2021 season. We control our destiny, and that’s all we’re focused on.”
How happy were you seeing Head Coach David Culley getting his first win as an NFL head coach?
“I was happy, man. Coach, he’s a good guy and also he’s a good leader. He’s a good person, and when you see how much he loves the game and how much he loves his players, coming out here and playing for him, it’s the best feeling in the world to see him smiling and get that first victory as the head coach of the Texans. We actually presented him with the game ball, so it was pretty good and emotional in the locker room.”
You all presented Head Coach David Culley with the game ball?
“Yeah.”
Who did that and when did you all do that? Right after the game?
“Just after the game. (Brandin) Cooks said his two cents and we gave him the game ball because we know how much it means to him. He keeps everybody going. He’s such a positive person and he has a bunch of energy, so he deserves it.”
When we asked Head Coach David Culley who got the game ball, he said the Texans got the game ball.
“That’s the type of person he is. He’s going to be humble, but he’s all about us. That’s what you need in a leader and a head coach, and I’m real happy to see him get his first win.”
So WR Brandin Cooks presented Head Coach David Culley the game ball on behalf of the team?
“See, now I’m not supposed to say it, I guess. Yeah, on behalf of the team.”
How important is it for the defense to sustain that level of play throughout the season, especially next week against Cleveland?
“I mean, it’s a starting step for us. Obviously, it’s Week 1, so we don’t want to get too high or too low. No matter what opponent we’re going against, we always want to be our best. So there are some things we left out there on the field, and we know within our goals of where we want to go. We’ve got to keep chopping the wood and keep moving forward, whether it’s going against Cleveland or anybody else, we’re just focusing on us. Each and every week, we’re just trying to build off of what we can do.”
Associate Head Coach / Defensive Coordinator Lovie Smith is known for throwing a lot of complicated stuff at opponents, but today it looked a lot more of a basic defense. How’d that work against Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence?
“Coach Smith, he’s a believer on making it as easy as possible for the players that are out on the field, and just allow us to play fast, play physical and play for the ball, and I think that’s what we did today. Coach Smith’s been doing this for a long time and he knows the ins and outs. I think that he put us in the right position to make plays, and that’s all we can ask, is our defensive coordinator put us in position to where we succeed, and I think that’s what he did.
Saw a lot of Kirksey jerseys in hallway. How was it to have your family here and get your first win?
“It feels good. My family has been living here for 20 years plus, my aunts and my uncles. Just to see them, my mom was here, she lives here now. My girlfriend, my daughter, just everybody was here. It means a lot to see that they were Texans fans even before I was here and now, I’m here. We are all going to enjoy this win. My daughter, I know she’s happy, this was her first Texans game. It just felt good.”
Associated Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator Lovie Smith said you guys bought in. Describe the defense you hope to be.
“We all come from different places. I think we have 30 guys that came from different places in free agency this year. We know different things, we learned different things, played under different coaches, played under certain defenses, offenses. One thing we preach is we are all here, we are all here together. We are all going to have to buy into what is going on, we are all going to have to believe it. Throughout training camp, there was so much competition that it brought out the best in people, and that’s what they wanted to do, build a great atmosphere and build chemistry within the guys in where we all believe in one goal and we are all reaching for one goal. I think that is what guys did today and we still have a lot to do, it’s a long season and this is just week one but it’s a good start for but we got to build from it.”
QB TYROD TAYLOR (Transcribed by ASAP Sports)
How special is this win?
“It was big to start the season off with a win with a division opponent. Proud of the guys the way they came out and worked. It wasn’t a perfect game by any means, but the effort, the focus and the execution was there in all three phases. Something to build off of and we’ll continue to keep working to get better.”
How much if a blessing is it to have so many running backs that do so many different things for you?
“It’s very nice. We look in our backfield and it’s loaded with guys who have made tons of plays throughout their years in the league. We’re going to continue to keep leaning on those guys in the passing game and the running game to make plays for us, for us to be the team that we need to be moving forward.”
Can you talk about the luxury of being able to spread the ball around so much in the offense?
“Yeah, I think that goes hand in hand with just the talent at each position. The running back position is loaded, the wide receiver position is loaded with talent, as well as experience, as well. Even the tight end group you seen those guys making plays today, too. Yeah, it’s a good thing to be able to have those weapons and to be able to spread it around. Coach TK (Tim Kelly) done a great of calling the game today, and like I said, we could have been better in some aspects. We’ll clean that up and continue to keep moving forward.”
A lot of the players and Head Coach David Culley were talking about how much believed in you the whole off-season, and obviously believed in you today, and you showed them on the field. What was today like for you especially considering the last couple years everything you went through, which you know better than all of us, but I would imagine today had to be pretty powerful, pretty meaningful, pretty personal.
“It was fun. It’s never about me. It’s about coming out and doing whatever it takes to help the team win. Ultimately we came away today with the win, and that’s always fun. Yeah, I was excited. It was good to have fans back in the stadium. Last year playing in LA we didn’t have any fans in any of the home games. Just to have that atmosphere back was definitely fun, and looking forward to each and every week just being able to play with the great group
of guys that we’ve got in the locker room and competing.”
How comfortable were you with the run game and what did you see?
“Very comfortable with it. Something we’ve worked on since the spring and for sure in training camp. Very comfortable with the offense. I think we’ll just continue to keep growing in that area. Guys made plays with the balls in their hand, offensive line did a great job of pass pro and the run game, blocking as well, too.”
What do you think about Head Coach David Culley winning his first game after such a long wait to get to this point?
“I know it means a lot to Coach Culley and definitely hats off to him. He’s done a great job of leading us from day one. His message has been strong, and as far as the players, they’ve done a — we’ve done a great job of just responding. No one complained throughout training camp. We put our heads down, we worked, and we all got better and continued to keep building that chemistry, and we’re going to continue to keep building chemistry and working and playing for one another as the season progresses.”
As players go in and out every play, is it your responsibility to keep that in your head? How do you handle that?
“Yeah, I mean, for me, it’s just about knowing which personnel is in the game, different personnel changes with different people lineup. Obviously you want to be able to take advantage of different match-ups and where guys are at on the field, so that’s more so for me, but it’s fresh legs coming in the game for the most part, so that’s more tougher on the defense than it is for me.”
Everyone says that you’re an amazing leader. How do you try to lead this team?
“By example first. I’ve kind of learned that over the years. Regardless if you’re vocal or not, if you’re not leading by example, then no one is going to respond. You have to demand a lot out of yourself, set the standard, and I think guys will fall in.”
Can you take us through the play in the third quarter, you were under duress, I don’t know if you saw TE Pharaoh Brown make that catch one-handed. Did you see the play? Take us through that play?
“Yeah, it was actually a three-play check for us, and they gave us the perfect look that we practiced during the week. Just tried to drift it, get as much time as possible, knew that we had a free guy off the end, and Pharaoh made a great catch. Would have loved to see him score on that play, but it was a great catch and set up the wildcat play for Phil (Lindsay) to score the next play.”
What does it mean to you and your teammates to get a win, given all the negatively around this franchise so long, come out and get a decisive win despite all that stuff?
“It means everything to me, and I know it means a lot to the guys in the locker room. Since day one, Coach Culley has made it important that we not focus on just the outside perception of what the outsiders say, and I think that was something that the guys leaned on in the locker room, just playing for one another, not necessarily doing it for anything outside of what’s in the locker room. Obviously we have families, but more so just playing for the guy next to you. We did that today, and we’re going to need to keep doing that throughout the year.”
RB Mark Ingram II and WR Brandin Cooks both described TE Pharaoh Brown in separate situations as a “dog.”
Is that an accurate assessment? Is that how you would describe him?
“Yeah, he’s a big human being, first and foremost, and he’s very physical. This is my second time playing with him. I was actually with him in Cleveland, and to see him progress as a player from those plays, that was 2018, to see him progress from those days, I’m definitely proud of his progress along the way, and we’re going to continue to keep needing him to make big plays throughout the year.”
What kind of progress have you seen in him?
“Just his confidence. He’s playing with more confidence, being physical, using his body in the running game as well as in the passing game.”
Some games are going to be closer than this one, but what about the offensive performance today do you think is sustainable or kind of part of needs to be a recipe to you guys’ success?
“We’re definitely going to have to run the ball for us to continue to be the team that we want to be. We were okay on 3rd downs, could be better, but yeah, running the ball is definitely something that we have to establish each and every week. It’s just the physicality that imposes on the defense, and if you can set that tone early, the better off you are, you can open up the rest of your playbook.”
You mentioned the fans, playing in front of fans. Were you able to hear — you guys were cheered off the field going into halftime, and it seemed like the fans really got into it as you guys were really piling on in the third quarter. Were you able to feed off of that?
“It’s just noise. I just like the fact that they’re there though. I can’t tell you what they’re saying, what they’re chanting or anything. But it just felt good to have everybody there and not hear the other sideline like last year.”
What did you think about WR Brandin Cooks’s performance today? You had those two really long passes that set up touchdowns. What was the key to that today?
“Just on the same page. We’ve done a great job of making plays first and foremost, the two catches, the two deep ones that he went up the court were contested catches and he done a great job of being strong through the catch. We’re going to need him to continue to keep making those contested catches as the year progresses, and I definitely trust him match-up-wise. I think he just showed what type of receiver he can be. He’s always done that, but I think today just going up and making those contested catches shows that he’s just being versatile when it comes to playing the receiver position.”
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
HEAD COACH URBAN MEYER (Transcribed by ASAP Sports)
What was the most disappointing thing today – lineup issues, drops, penalties – what stood out to you?
“I think it’s self-inflicted. I think we had seven penalties in the first three or four drives, and I thought that we were moving the ball. And then all of a sudden, you look up and see that damn penalty flag. And some were just — just can’t happen. So that was the biggest disappointment. And then also, you get out of your rhythm running the ball, and you look up and you’re down a couple scores. Drop back, we’re throwing 51 passes. That’s not where we’ve got to be.”
What was it about Texans QB Tyrod Taylor that made him so hard to contain and keep in the pocket?
“Yeah, I think I just talked to our D-coordinator and three times we had him in our grasp, at least three, and he extended the play. And, shoot, a couple of times, he just launched it down the field and those guys made plays. I mean, I’ve always thought he was a heck of a player, but he had a good day. And then his legs, he had a 38-yard run. When a quarterback can hurt you that way — which he did a good job.”
How shell shocked — if that’s an accurate description of the mood – in postgame would you say it was?
“I don’t really know that word other than we’ve all got our ass kicked before. Let’s tighten up and go. I believe in that team, I believe in our staff, and come back to work. The good thing is you’re going to earn your captain stripes, and leadership stripes as a coach and leaders on the team. I believe in that. I believe in those guys.”
How did you feel about how QB Trevor Lawrence didn’t have a clean pocket a lot tonight, but what did you think overall about how he did today in his first game?
“I love Trevor. We all do. Trevor is just going to get better and better and better. (He) had a great week of work. Offensive football is about 11 guys doing their job, and the great offenses we’ve all witnessed and we’ve all been a part of are when 11 guys are doing their job and executing, and that didn’t happen. So Trevor is going to be great.”
Did QB Trevor Lawrence press a little bit, especially at the end of the first half trying to make up some stuff?
“It’s so chaotic on the sideline that we’ll talk and revisit when he gets going. He’s a very accurate passer, and today at times he wasn’t. So we’ve got to find out why.
Because you were behind the chain so much, was he thrust into some situations where there just weren’t a lot of easy options?
“It’s easier for me to answer those questions after a film. We just got done playing. So I’ll be easy to answer those next week. When you’ve got guys lining up wrong and 12 guys in your huddle, is that a lack of preparation on those guys’ part or are those just mental mistakes?
“It’s all the above. It’s inexcusable, the things that need to be fixed. You know, three preseason games, you’d think we’d have that fixed. So that’s something that we’re going to — I would ‘guesstimate’ you would not see that again. That’s inexcusable.”
Is the offensive line still trying to get familiar with QB Trevor Lawrence, and did that lead to some of the holding calls and not knowing where he was in the pocket?
“Trying to think how many holds — I know we had one on a run play, but we’ve got to see on film what happened there because we had a nice — we were starting to get a little momentum, had a nice, I want to say, 15-yard run and (we were) starting to play the game downhill a little bit and getting the backs involved and, boom, I see that flag and we’re second down and 20. I’m trying to think, how many holding calls did we have? Yeah. Mostly in the run game. Four? But I think one was a wideout, if I remember right. The one you were talking about was on the outside of the play.
“But once again, I’ll have all those answers for you next week.”
You put yourselves out early, but when you got it to 14-7, did you kind of feel like, “Okay, we’ve kind of settled down…”
“I felt great. Sideline felt great. Our defense, we were starting to play pretty good. And then it kind of got away from us. I remember it like it was right now. 14-7 on the road, a young quarterback, let’s get this thing going. No more penalties, and get this thing going. It didn’t happen.”
Some of the throws from QB Trevor Lawrence were a little bit off, but six drops today, I think two from D.J. Chark Jr.
“Six drops?”
How do you explain that, or what do the guys say?
“I’ll have the answer for you next week.”
You guys put a lot of work into this, culture-wise, everything in August. When you perform like this, does it set you back in all those things you’re trying to accomplish, or is it just one game?
“Well, I’ve been warned for a long time that this is a marathon, not a sprint. So calm down, relax, and — not relax, but onward, soldier. Move on, and let’s go Monday. Get back to work. We’re still a work in progress, as you see. I did not anticipate that today. I thought our guys worked really hard. I believe deeply in this team, and we worked our tails off. Line up and go again.”
How difficult is that for you, because obviously a loss at your old job was different for you than a loss in this job?
“I hear that a lot. I’d rather people not worry about me, a gray-haired dude that’s been around for a long time. I’ve got a bunch of players in there that deserve to win and work their tails off. I would tell — I don’t know if I’d tell you guys, exactly — but I’d tell them we don’t work very hard, but they work their tails off. We’re going to continue to work. There’s only one answer. That’s the great thing about this sport. It’s not that we have to make a secret pass call or protection call. Just work. That’s the greatest thing about the game of football. Go out and work. And that’s what we shall do.”
DL JOSH ALLEN (Transcribed by ASAP Sports)
What’s your level of disappointment in this game, and what went wrong defensively? Why was it so difficult to keep QB Tyrod Taylor in that pocket?
“In those situations, for guys, we’ve got to make the play. It’s just that simple. We all got a job to do, like I preached before, and once those situations come, we’ve just got to make those plays. So it’s not just a team or defensive scheme-wise. We got our name called. And if that situation comes up, we’ve got to make the play. We missed a lot of those opportunities, but we’re going to come back next week, and we’re going to double up.”
Is there a little sense of ‘Whoa’ when you look at the scoreboard and it’s 27-7 at halftime?
“It’s football. I’m going to do my job. Stuff happens, you know what I mean? In a situation like that, I’m not going to say we lost the game. I’ve seen some crazy stuff happen. So I’m going to do what I’ve got to do, I’m going to go out there and do my job as a grown man, as a captain, as a player on this team. I’m going to do my job, and I hope the guy next to me and the guys behind me do their job. We just have to come out there and we’ve just got to get better next week.”
How demoralizing was that last long touchdown just before halftime? Does that take a lot of the wind out of your guys’ sails?
“They had a lot of — like I said, it was — when the play’s called, it’s going to go to one person to make a play. They have more opportunities to go make that play. He had his number called, and he went up to go make that play. So definitely, seeing that definitely hurts. But it’s football. What are we going to do? We had a couple plays when they had long gains, but defensively we stayed strong. We didn’t give up touchdowns down all the time. No we’ve got to correct those turnovers, man. We’ve got to get the ball. That’s one thing we have to really harp on, is getting the ball. We didn’t have that many opportunities to get the ball, but we’ve got to go get it. And that’s up to me, that’s up to all the other defensive players. We’ve got to get the ball. Got to. Got to.”
How would you describe the mood of the team afterwards? Do you feel like all of the bonding that was done in the preseason will stand up to the test and bounce back?
“It’s one game. This is a long season. We’re all healthy. We all came out 100 percent. We’ve (all) got bumps and bruises. That’s what we need to come back on. We need to come back 100 percent for next week. But it’s a long season, man, and it’s football. And we’re going to come back next week, we’re going to work on the things we need to work on and we’re going to come back swinging. And that’s all we can do. We’re still going to ball. We’re still going to kick it. We’re still going to be us. By the end of the day, ain’t nothing going to change. We’re still going to go fly around that ball, stop the run. You know, jobs that we have to do, and just come back. This didn’t define us, because we lost. This is a bad feeling. Like, I’m not going to say that it wasn’t a bad feeling, although we’re going to get better next week. It sucks, and we’ve got to get better. But for the team and for us as a team as a
whole, we’re going to gel back. We are all grown men. We’re going to look at this. We’re going to get the corrections. And we’re going to move on. That’s all we can do. And that’s what we’ve got to do. That’s what we are going to do.”
How hard was it to prepare for three running backs coming in, and then to see them solely rely on a running back like RB Mark Ingram II?
“I mean, In the first half, we stopped the run. They were running the ball, but it wasn’t 30 yards a carry. It wasn’t those big, explosive runs. Yeah, he had one or two. So as a run defense, I feel like, yeah, we can get better, especially toward later in the game, of doing a better job stopping the run. But overall, I think we did a good job, especially for them to have three backs, or whoever they got. The MO they’re trying to establish this year, I feel like we did a good job. And they kept him fresh, they kept him in. But we’ve just got to hit them a little harder and get the ball back.”
QB TREVOR LAWRENCE (Transcribed by ASAP Sports)
How would you describe the feeling in the locker room, is it a wake-up call?
“Yeah, obviously sucks. Losing is always hard, especially when you feel like you are prepared and had a great week. Really think we were ready and obviously didn’t play well. It starts with me. I didn’t play well for sure. I played really bad tonight. Disappointing for sure. I still believe in this team. I still know what we are capable off. We did some good things. We started off with some penalties, three and out. But after that we had a couple good drives. Hitting some big plays. There’s a lot of good things there and we have to keep doing those and learn from the bad. We have to watch it and learn from it for sure but then flip the page. It’s a long season, we can’t let this snowball. We have to move on and go win next week. That’s where we are going to start at but it’s definitely disappointing for sure.”
You guys didn’t have a lot of procedural problems in the pre-season, but that happened a little today, do you know why?
“It’s a mix of everything. I think that’s something we’ve got to talk about as a team, an offense, coaches, everybody. We’ve got to just figure out what to do better there. Definitely some stuff we’ve got to clean up. Too many penalties. Like I said, turnovers, it’s all me. Three turnovers. You’re not going to win many games with three turnovers, especially when margin was minus three for us, so just not good. Gave them one right in our — you know, backed up, threw one to them right before half, kind of right there. It was just not great. So a lot of things we’ve got to do better. But, like I said, you’ve got to watch them and correct them and then move on. Like you said, procedure stuff. We’ll get that fixed. Partly — we’ve got a lot of new guys that just came in and all of that. So we’ll clean it up.”
Was there a miscommunication on the last interception?
“Honestly, that was me just trying to do too much. I lost the mic playing zone. They played cover two all night pretty much. Just kind of lost the mic in my sight of vision, and just kind of forced it there. And just pressed a little bit. I’ve got to take what they’re giving me. Play the slow game. Get better at that for sure.”
Later in the game, I saw you with the receivers on the sideline having discussions with them, what was the conversation with your skill guys when you met with them?
“Just keep trusting it. It’s going to come. Obviously, there was ups and downs. We didn’t start great, but then right after that first drive, like I said, we kind of had some momentum, started playing well. And then just up and down the whole game and just telling them, telling the O-line stick together. Keep making plays. Keep playing. Even at the end, I know it didn’t change the game, but going and scoring right there. Like, I like how we fought and got that last drive. A good two-minute drill. Put it in. Looked clean. That was great. I thought that was good for us. Obviously, like I said, didn’t change the game. But we kept playing. That was the one thing that — you know, nobody quit. And, obviously, it was a rough game. We’re going to get better. But that was the main thing is just keep playing. We’re going to make the plays. I’m going to get better. We’re going to make those. I missed some
bad ones today and obviously had too many turnovers, but we’ll get better.”
Do you feel like you pressed a lot today, in terms of those throws and when the game started to get away from you?
“A few times. I think that one — the first pick was just a bad throw. We had them. Scramble drill. I had Devine right there. He did a good job. I threw it inside too much. So that was just a bad throw. It’s either a bad throw or a bad decision when you throw a pick. And bad decisions, those are the ones that will get you for sure. So that was just a bad throw. But then later, they ran cover two. And I tried to throw a corner ball in there. And the corner was dropping. And should have just checked it down. That was the one when we were backed up. And then I threw one over the middle when I lost the mic. Tried to force it. Those were the three. Like I said, it’s just hard to win games when you turn the ball over. It starts with me. That was all me. Got to get better.”
How hard is it to know that you have to go through all of that rough stuff and mistakes starting off?
“For sure. Yeah. It’s definitely part of the learning process. I’m kind of a perfectionist, so it’s frustrating just because I did some things that I don’t normally do and just threw — some bad decisions that I’m disappointed in. But, like you said, it’s part of the learning process. If you use it to learn, it’s all good. And we’ll get better. But got to get better for sure.”
Outside of the outcome, how was it playing in your first NFL regular season game?
“Obviously, it leaves a bad taste in your mouth when you don’t win but — it’s a cool experience. But, yeah, when you don’t win the game, it’s kind of like not a good feeling so
On your first touchdown pass, how did that play open up for you and what did you see?
“We put them in a bind. Turned it into the strong side with motion in the back out. They had zone coverage and just lost the seam. That was kind of the plan with that play. We really liked it and worked just the way we drew it up. So, it was nice.”
Do you know what you’re going to do on certain plays and decide before the play, or just base it on what you see from the defense after the snap?
““No, I — all of them. Like the first one I threw, like I said, on the corner where the corner just dropped into coverage and picked it. Right when I was throwing it, like last second, I’m like, damn, this is going to be a pick right here. So I’m trying to chase him and go make the tackle. And then the other one, right when I let it go, I saw the mic right there. Both of those. That’s usually the case. Right when you’re letting it go or right after you throw it, you know what you did. Still got to get better, got to play smarter.”
-Were you and the receivers on the same page all day today?
“We’ve just got to clean it up. We’ve got to play cleaner, be on the same page. I think a lot of the times we were. We made some great plays. You saw — we had a great third and 15 conversion with D.J. (Chark Jr.) , a little deep dig route, which was awesome. But a lot of little things where we — it’s not necessarily they’re getting it wrong or I’m getting it wrong. We’ve just got to work and get on the same page with the routes. You guys know, there’s so many adjustments with the way different teams play defenses. You’ve really got to be on the same page and definitely got to get better at that timing. And then I’ve got to be more accurate. There was a lot of opportunities that I missed. I probably missed four or five open receivers that could have been big plays or even just keep the
chains moving so.”
How much were you impacted by that pass rush when you were scrambling outside of the pocket?
“You know, they have a pretty good pass rush. But I think our guys up front did a really good job. I think we threw the ball 50 times and one sack. And that was at the very end. So I thought our guys did a great job up front. In this league, there’s going to be some rush. There’s going to be some times where you’re going to have to get it out. I thought we managed that okay. It was just kind of everything else that we didn’t execute well. But from a protection standpoint, I thought we communicated well. We ID’d it good. And, yeah, obviously, there’s going to be a few every game. But I thought the guys up front did a hell of a job, especially in the run game. I thought we ran the ball well. It’s just tough when you get behind. In the second half, you’ve got to try to push the ball down
field.”
-Is this the first time in your life you’ve had a 3-interception game?
“Yeah. Yeah. It is. Yeah.”
You haven’t lost much in your football career, how are you going to respond to this?
“No. I know I’m going to respond well. I’m made of the right stuff, so I don’t have any doubt about that. But it’s frustrating, and I hate losing. I hate losing. So we’re going to get better. But that’s all you can do is watch the tape, learn from it, get better, and move on. We’ve just got to stick together. That’s the main thing. That’s kind of in the past. That’s over. It is what it is. We’ve got to move on to next week and stick together. So it’s going to be good. All right, you all.”
——————————————————————
• The Jacksonville Jaguars fell to the Houston Texans, 37-21, in Week 1 at NRG Stadium With the loss, the Jaguars are now 14-13 in franchise history on Kickoff Weekend.
Player Notes
• In his first career start, QB Trevor Lawrence completed 28-of-51 passes for 332 yards. His 332 passing yards are fourth-most in a single game by a Jaguars rookie in franchise history. Lawrence’s 332 yards were the most by a Jaguars rookie in their first career game, and his 28 completions were the fourth-most in a single game by a rookie.
• Lawrence is the only rookie in franchise history to throw for 300-plus yards and at least three TDs in a single game and is one of nine players in NFL history to throw for 300- plus yards and three TDs in their first career start.
• DE/OLB Josh Allen finished with five tackles, including 1.0 sack, marking the 14th sack of his career. Allen joins DE Yannick Ngakoue and DE Tony Brackens as the only players in franchise history to tally at least 14.0 sacks in their first 25 career games.
• WR DJ Chark Jr. caught three passes for a team-high 86 yards, including a 41-yard TD. Chark, who has scored a TD in three consecutive season-opening contests, now has 14 receiving TDs in his career.
• RB James Robinson recorded 54 scrimmage yards (25 rushing and 29 receiving yards), marking his 15th consecutive game with at least 50 scrimmage yards. Robinson, who has tallied 50-plus scrimmage yards in every game in his NFL career, has 1,468 career scrimmage yards and joins RB Fred Taylor as the only players in franchise history with at least 1,450 scrimmage yards through 15 career games.
• With seven receptions in today’s game, WR Laviska Shenault Jr. became the fastest player (15 games) to reach 60 receptions in franchise history.
• After his 9-yard carry in the second quarter, he became the fourth wide receiver in franchise history to reach 100 rushing yards for his career. He is the fastest (15 games) wide receiver to 100 rushing yards in team history and the first wide receiver in the NFL drafted in 2020 to reach 100 rushing yards.
• LB Myles Jack posted a team-leading nine tackles, marking his 10th consecutive game with at least five tackles. Jack started 14 games for the Jaguars in 2020 and posted a career-best 118 tackles, including 11 tackles in Week 9 at Houston.
• TE James O’Shaughnessy tallied a single-game career high with six receptions. Topping his previous career high of five posted against Indianapolis in 2018.
• In his first game with the Jaguars, DT Malcom Brown tied his career-high with seven tackles. Brown’s seven tackles were tied with LB Damien Wilson for the second-most on the team.
M. Brown: 7 TT (4 solo) D. Wilson: 7 TT (1 solo)
Kicking
J. Lambo: 0/1 FG , 3/3 PAT
Jaguars Inactives
20 D. Thomas S 37 T. Herndon CB 72 W. Little OL 86 J. Hollister TE 92 J. Smith DE/OLB 96 A. Gotsis DL 97 J. Tufele DT
Texans Inactives
1 L. Johnson Jr. DB 3 A. Miller WR 4 D. Watson QB 9 B. Jordan TE 22 J. Moreland DB 27 S. Phillips RB 52 J. Greenard DL 57 K. Pierre-Louis LB
