GREEN BAY PACKERS vs. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS, Nov. 15, 2020, at Green Bay, Wis.
HEAD COACH DOUG MARRONE:
(on if this was the most physical the team has played all season) “I’m not sure about that. I mean, I’m just thinking about the game we just played. I’m not evaluating the other games, but I thought we came out there and we came up short.”
(on his overall thoughts about the game) “Well, I’ll probably answer everyone’s questions right now. I thought coming out early, I thought our defense really did well, being able to stop them. It worked out where he got them out and were able to get good field position on two drives that I thought maybe we should have come out with points and we didn’t come out with points on it. I thought we were running the ball well, but we couldn’t continue to stay on the field in the first half on third down, which we were 0-4. I think that would have helped us, if we were able to pick those up. They seemed like they were manageable at that time. Thought the special teams kept us in the game. Thought Logan, you know what I’m saying, was doing a good job punting. And obviously, Keelan Cole with the big return. He out-kicked the coverage; Keelan took advantage of it. Good job by everybody on that team, got the game close. Then we gave up a long play, the 78-yard touchdown. That was tough, we just got beat. Just ran by us in three-deep. After that I thought we could have got off the field on third down when they scored the other touchdown if we just tackle the back in the flat. We weren’t able to do that. I thought coming out, I thought for sure they would take the ball and the wind, because the wind played a factor in the fourth quarter. Once they didn’t do that, I thought OK, if we can survive this third quarter, we’d have a really great chance of winning this football game. We survived the third quarter, went into the fourth quarter and we had some tough penalties that reduced a touchdown to a field goal. You know, that was a four-point swing. That was disappointing. We missed some plays. I thought overall, you’re going to ask me about Jake (Luton), I thought overall, he did well…he threw the pick. Tyler (Eifert) slipped…Chris (Conley) slipped. And pretty much at the end of the game where we needed to get something done, I thought the line did a good job all game, and I thought at the end we gave up too much pressure and we weren’t able to get the ball down field. That’s pretty much how I feel about the game.”
(on the wind being a factor today) “I think if you watch the game, with the amount, with way the field position, with the way punting, with the way the kicking, the wind was swirling. You know, normally…actually it was a cross-the-field wind which you don’t usually get here in Green Bay, so that was a little bit different. So, yes, it did have…at least for me, I felt it did have an effect on the game.”
(on why he didn’t choose to run the ball late in the fourth quarter) “Well, again, that’s a good point. We ran it on the third-and-one on the last series. You know, you got a first down…to get another four (downs). But I think, Gene (Frenette), those are good questions. Obviously, we felt we had a good play call. We thought we were going to get the ball down the field. We felt good. Both their corners were out. But again, when it doesn’t work, I totally agree with you. That’s something that we’ll go back, and probably should have run the football. You know, you’re right.”
(on how much this loss hurts) “I want to make sure I answer this the right way. Every time you play and lose, for me, I’m not going to talk about anybody else, it’s something that’s in my soul that just gets (expletive) ripped out. So, that’s how I feel. So, it doesn’t matter whether it’s this game or the other seven before … and it’s something that you can’t replace. At least that’s how I feel. I appreciate the question, though.”
(on their approach defensively in the game and if they changed anything at halftime) “I thought the wind, to me, was a factor, you know what I’m saying, and being able to do that early and give us a chance with them going against the wind. You know, knowing that we’ve got to knock out the run. I thought we did a good job. I thought we just made some mistakes with some of those runs. But I thought overall, it was good to see the defense looking like they were having some fun out there. I know we gave up plays. I understand that, but I thought they were playing physical, you know what I’m saying. They were doing a good job and they got the two turnovers which we needed, all the things we talked about that we probably needed to do to win the game. Outside of maybe doing something a little bit better, those were critical things: do something on special teams, be able to run the football even though we got caught early on, we’re not having enough opportunities, the time of possession. Well, that was the kickoff, the punt return for a touchdown, it’s hard to get the time of possession back when something like that occurs. So I think, at the end of the day, we got the game and then we just couldn’t make the plays that were out there, that we had an opportunity to make to win the game. That’s why we lost.
(on if he sees any positives coming out of this game) “You know, Mark, I, I appreciate that, and I’d really love to jump on it, you know what I’m saying, to try to bring something where I can feel pretty good. I think that’s something that is basically up to the people that are watching the game and writing [about] it. I really don’t think, fans or whoever really, I don’t know. You guys know more than me. All I know is that, we’re putting everything in this thing and we’re, we’re fighting our butts off. We’re doing everything we possibly can, you know what I’m saying. We’re coming up short. And it’s hard. I’m not going to lie. It’s hard, and I just want to do the best job I can for these coaches and players to keep them going so they can continue to get better. I do see that. I think if I wanted to feel good about myself, I think you can talk about some of the play or some of the players, individuals and these units and things like that, and guys are playing, different guys. We’re missing two starters on offense and those guys are going in there. You know, it’s the league. And I don’t think, I’ve always been … you know, like, I just sit here when people ask me about when you lose about finding the positives and all of the other stuff. I just think if anyone reads, reads that or it’s a quote by me or anything like that, it’s just … I don’t know. I just don’t want to, for some reason, I just don’t want to go there. So I apologize for that because, and maybe it’s hard for me after a game, you know what I’m saying, to really try to kind of say where everyone’s going or not. I mean, I’ve been in this thing a long time and I, I love this game, but, you know, I meant what I said when Gene asked that question. A lot of times people are going to go ahead and, the game’s over and life moves on. Well, it doesn’t move on for, for us, you know. It sits there. It’s … you know, it is what it is.”
QUARTERBACK JAKE LUTON:
(on the windy conditions) “It was the conditions that we played in. Both teams had to play in it. It isn’t anything I’m not used to growing up in the Northwest. I’ve played in cold and windy games so I don’t think it was a huge factor. You have to go out and execute no matter what the conditions are.”
(on the last drive of the game) “Yeah it was rough. That is the situation that you want to be in. Your defense gives you a chance to go win a ball game and we couldn’t execute. It hurts. We are going to have to go back and take a look at it, look at how we can improve. I think the defense did a great job. They put us in a position to win the game and we didn’t pull through.”
(on his touchdown pass to Keelan Cole Sr.) “We had one of our base plays, double slants. You just pick a side. They ended up dropping eight on it so initially I worked inside to Keelan. He kind of took a peek outside. Keelan did a good job. He slipped an insider backer and found a void and I was able to hit him.”
(on the locker room after the game) “We all expect better. I feel like everyone feels like we are really close. We are proud of the way that we fight. It isn’t a lack of effort by any means. I think everybody on both sides of the ball is busting their butts as hard as they can. It is just a matter of execution. Guys are upset. They want and expect better. We all do. I don’t think there is any hanging of heads. There is just a personal expectation from each and every one of us to improve and put us in a situation to go win ballgames.”
(on making progress as a team) “Yeah, that is great. You want to be in a position right there to be in striking distance to win a game, but at the end of the day this is the National Football League and we get paid to win games. Whether you lose by one or lose by 40, it is still a loss. It still goes in the loss column. So we have to figure out a way to make those plays when we need to make them and go win games. That is what we are here to do.”
(on what he has learned being an NFL quarterback these last two weeks) “That’s a good question. I think I am still learning, just the pace of play, having to be quick with my reads and seeing the defense. In the NFL they do a lot of different things. They do a good job of mixing things up. You always have to be on your toes and locked in on every play. You can’t get lazy with your eyes or feet. You have to be ready at all times. I think I’m learning every play and every day I am trying to learn and become a better player.”
(on if he learned from Aaron Rodgers today) “There were a couple of times at the end of half, clock running down where we aren’t expecting to get the ball back, where I was trying to stand up and watch him for a second. Trying to be locked into our game plan and not worrying about what the other offense is doing, but there were a couple of times I got to peek up, look across, and see one of the greatest quarterbacks to put on a uniform. It was pretty cool.”
(on if he is becoming more comfortable as a starter) “I think so. I had a lot of confidence coming into this game. Going through practice this week I felt confident in my role and my position on this team. I think that going back and looking at the tape there will be some plays I wish I had back. Some plays I think I need to make to be the quarterback for this team and to put us in a position to win games.”
WR KEELAN COLE SR.
(On his punt return for a touchdown in today’s game) “Honestly, I was worried about the wind and catching the ball more than anything. Luckily, the punter was outkicking the coverage, so it was less stress on catching it and getting hit and stuff like that. After that, it was really just executing what coach [Special Teams Coordinator Coach Joe DeCamillis] calls. He comes up with the schemes and we just run it. Honestly when it comes to punt returns and stuff like that, you just have to get the best opportunity and hope that the punter does exactly what he did and gives you space to run in. After that, it’s really just running.”
(On his receiving touchdown and Lambeau Leap celebration) “I saw nothing but [Packers players] and I just caught it and ducked. I’m not going to lie. [I] closed my eyes and was hoping I would just walk into the touchdown without getting hit, which happened, thank you. [It was a] great ball by [Jake Luton] zooming it past all the defenders. The’ Lambeau Leap’ was actually pretty lonely, but it was cool. Me and [DJ] Chark [Jr.] up there, sitting, hanging out with the invisible fans. [It was my] first time playing there, and it was a great experience, glad I got to do the, was it a Lambeau leap? [I’m] glad I got to do [the] Lambeau leap, wish I would have done it twice. I didn’t think about it the first time at all. But definitely a good experience other than the cold. I didn’t like the cold.”
(On taking advantage of the opportunity with his increased role in the offense) “It feels good to know that your turn was going to come eventually and know that you prepped yourself for this time. [I’m] just glad that it didn’t come to waste. It’s easy to go hard and everything just not go your way, but it’s good that everything is falling into place and I’m making the best of my opportunities and the coaches trust me to do that.”
(On if it’s disappointing to lose despite playing better this week) “Yeah, but that’s the little things that we have to go in and get better at, which honestly has been happening throughout the weeks. We just can’t finish it. Obviously, we can come up with a lot of excuses, but at the end of the day, we line up in front of them and we have to finish it. Really, we just have to finish. We’re starting to figure out how to come out, how to be consistent throughout the game, and then we have to figure out how to finish it through, not even in the fourth quarter but the last four minutes of the fourth quarter.”
JAGUARS S JARROD WILSON
(On the defensing performing better today) “Honestly, yeah, we just came to play today, [had] a lot of energy. Like you just said, [we had] a lot of effort and guys just came out there ready to roll. We didn’t want the weather to kind of be an excuse for us, so you know we were just jacked up, pumped. [It] was my first time at Lambeau Field so definitely we were just ready to roll, trying to get a win.”
(On playing zone coverage more today versus in previous game) “17 [Packers WR Davante Adams] on the outside, he’s definitely a dominant threat. We were just trying to do whatever we could to kind of just keep someone over the top of him. It was just a game plan thing I think against Green Bay. We did a really good job stopping the run as well in our seven-man front. I can’t really speak on exactly why or what’s better, man or zone, but I feel like we executed better today this Sunday.”
(On the Packers’ long touchdown reception) “Yeah, I was hoping to get him down. He kind of did the right move, kind of like just run directly at the ref while he was cutting back and I kind of just tripped up and ran over the ref. But [we] still just have to stop them at the beginning of the play, that’s kind of just too far down field really. My job is to get him down but obviously we don’t even want the explosive [play] to begin with.”
