JAGUARS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR TODD WASH
September 17, 2020
(On what’s different about LB Myles Jack besides his position) “I would say he’s a lot more focused. The position change I think has a lot to do with it just because of the amount of stuff that’s put on his plate and the ‘WILL’ position doesn’t have a lot of communication things, that’s our ‘MIKE’ linebacker which Joe [Schobert] does really well at that. So, I just think he’s able to go out there, read his keys, and play fast and that’s when Myles plays the best.”
(On his assessment of the rookies such as DE/LB K’Lavon Chaisson and DT DaVon Hamilton) “I thought early on, they were a little out of whack and I think that’s just something where we haven’t had the preseason games and all that kind of stuff for them to kind of realize that the NFL’s a little bit faster than the college game and that kind of stuff. But, as the game grew on, I thought we’ve seen some real good things. I thought D-Ham [DaVon Hamilton] was very stout at the point, used his hands well which was really good to see. [K’Lavon] Chaisson was a little bit crazy with his eyes at times, but you see the flashes of what we’ve seen off the college tape, the athleticism, and the ability to be a play maker. I think those two are only going to get better as we keep going and the more games they get underneath their belt.”
(On DL Taven Bryan’s high snap count in Week 1 despite not putting up big numbers on the stat sheet) “Taven [Bryan]’s numbers will be up just because he plays not only first and second down, but he’s in on third down so that’s obviously where his numbers can get a little bit high at times. But the biggest thing with him [is that] he’s a different style of three technique than a lot of people are used to. He’s a big strong, disruptive player. You might not see all the flash plays and that kind of stuff that you see out of some other people, but he’s exactly what we’re looking for as a solid run defender. He’s strong, he doesn’t get moved around in there and that’s a strength to him. The way he played [on Sunday], he was solid. He got a little out of whack and he was talking to us about it, guessing a little bit too much, but I think once again, after we get this first game out of the way, I think we’re going to see a lot of improvement out of a lot of our players.”
(On if he feels DL Taven Bryan has or will live up to the expectation of being a first round draft pick) “You know, I think he has. Once again, he just does it in a different way. When you really look at it, he’s a solid, stout player and you might not get a bunch of stats of it, but he’s really helping the guys around him. I think that time off with a little bit of a knee injury hindered him. He was playing extremely well prior to that knee and now he’s just coming back from it. We’re going to see him improve as the season goes on. I think we’ve seen that last year, as the season went on and on, he got better and better each week and I think we’re going to see the same thing once he gets back into the groove of getting a lot of snaps.”
(On what he learned about CB CJ Henderson last week against the Colts) “He’s a physical player. When we did him coming out, we knew he was a willing tackler. But you’ve seen some plays where he’s willing to come up and hit some people, [like] that third down stop where he came up and knifed the guy short of the goal line. You don’t see a lot of corners really wanting to throw their body around like CJ [Henderson] did on Sunday, so that was obviously really good to see about how physical he is in the run game and how he can tackle. But the stuff that really popped off the tape is how he’s willing to transition, mirror, and play the ball when it’s in the air. You never see the young man panic and that’s a credit to him and the mindset and the confidence he has in his ability.”
(On how CB CJ Henderson has reacted to the positive media attention he’s getting from his play last week) “He’s far from satisfied. I know in his mind, he didn’t play as well as he could’ve, which is exactly what we want to hear as a coaching staff. He’s been pushing himself all week just like it’s any other week. I don’t think he’s the one that’s going to, to quote an old-timer, be allergic to the big meal. I think it’s going to be a situation where he’s going to continue to improve and he’s got a lot of drive in it.”
(On if he’s figured out a better plan to stop Titans RB Derrick Henry) “[In] the first game, I thought we played pretty well. I’m thinking in the first half of last year’s second game we played pretty well. I think it was 7-0 at the half and then the wheels kind of fell off, but I think that’s a little bit of credit obviously to Tennessee. They’re a big physical team, they wear you down. I think we have the numbers we need to go in there and rotate and stay fresh for 60 minutes. The biggest challenge that we’re talking about [to] our guys is we have to win the physical battle. I think [Titans Head Coach] Coach Vrabel does a great job at developing his team [in] that they are physically going to pound you for 60 minutes. That’s got to be the mindset we have, that we have to come back and counter that and battle them for 60 minutes. Once again, let’s keep this thing close and let’s find a way to win it late.”
(On the biggest challenges from the Tennessee offense besides RB Derrick Henry) “I think the quarterback really thrives off his play action game and they do a lot of things to try to get the guys at the second level to suck up at the line of scrimmage and take some shots over the top or right over basically the outside part of the tackles and everything like that. So, [the] play action game. [Ryan] Tannehill does an extremely good job with the play fake the offense does. The play action game is really predicated off of the run game, but that’s the thing that really concerns you. He’s a high percentage type player. He makes really good decisions, so the play action game is a big concern.”
(On the loss of S Jarrod Wilson and his potential replacements) “The biggest thing you miss is he’s been the quarterback back there for the last couple years. He does a really nice job of communicating. [If] something’s jacked up, he gets us in the right stuff. He can quarterback those guys in the backend. We’re very fortunate to have, I call him Kid Rock, but Dewey [S Andrew Wingard]. He is just as smart, communicates really well. We’ve seen it early on, so we feel real comfortable with Dewey back there. If God forbid something happens, then we still got B-Wat [S Brandon Watson] and we got Daniel Thomas, the rookie. But right now, it’d be Kid Rock and we feel very, very comfortable with him in there.”
(On the challenge the Tennessee receivers bring) “Obviously, they’re big men. They can run. They’re a physical group. Everybody talks about their two big dogs they have, but they also have a really good slot with [Adam] Humphries. So, they have three guys that can really obviously hurt you in the pass game and then they have a vertical threat. So, they’re a very talented group. They’re big, they’re strong, and they’re physical and we have to do everything we can with these play actions to try to get our hands and disrupt some routes. Last week they were little scat, faster guys that we’ve seen and then this week’s the bigger type receivers, so it’ll be a good challenge. They’re totally different from what we’ve seen last week and it’s going to be a good challenge for our corners to see how they match up with those guys. They’re some of the cream of the crop in the league and we’re going to find out exactly where we’re at. It’s early on in the year, but it’s a good measuring stick to see where we’re at right now.”
(On when he noticed in training camp that S Josh Jones should move up the depth chart) “[It was] early on. He was down at the third spot when we started training camp and as soon as he got in there, he started communicating real loud. The rest of the team was like, ‘Who in the heck is this guy?’ He really jumped off the tape about how he studies and his ability to make plays. You’ve seen that on Sunday and I think he was in on eleven-some tackles. He communicated really well and once that happened, we started getting him with the first unit, rotating him and [former Jaguar] Ronnie [Harrison]. We’ve seen a guy that obviously can play. We like his speed, his athleticism, and he just slowly moved up the depth chat and we feel really comfortable with playing him. So, it was really from the start. He moved up quickly and there was a heck of a battle between those two early on in camp.”
JAGUARS DEFENSIVE END JOSH ALLEN
Thursday, September 17, 2020
(On facing Titans RB Derrick Henry) “You hit him, hit him hard, hit him fast, hit him early. Basically, just hit him as hard as you can before he takes off running. It’s easier said than done, sure. But we have a good game plan this week, so we’re real confident on him and the offensive line. We play them twice every year, so we’re kind of used to that. And we’re just excited for this matchup. Again, I feel like a lot of guys still are doubting us and our talent level on this team, on this roster, actually. It’s an exciting weekend, I’m excited to play against him.”
(On DL Taven Bryan’s strength upfront) “Yeah, the man is just real destructive. He causes pile-ups, he causes havoc, he makes havoc and he’s just a guy that you [are] going to want on your team, every play. I love rushing against Taven, because I know what he’s going to give me, I know he’s going to push the pocket and I know he’s going to make my job a lot easier. Just seeing the progress that he’s made over the last three years is just exciting. I know he started off a little slow, but man, Taven has been ballin’ and I’m excited to see him play this week. I think the battle is going to be one—he’s going to be one of the main key factors to this week and I’m excited to see him play.”
(On whether DT Abry Jones’ fourth down stop was turning point for the defense on Sunday) “Oh yeah, I believe so. Because I know in years past, we would’ve [given] that up or something. But I know this year, man, we fight for each other, we fight together and we play for each other. And with him doing that, we just had momentum and that was just—we knew nobody could really run with us, nobody could really stop with us. And ever since then, we play together, we don’t play individual reps. And I was just excited and I was happy for him and hopefully we’ll make more meaningful plays like that. But yes, it was a turning point for us.”
(On differences from LB Myles Jack from last year to this year) “Oh yeah, Myles, he doesn’t have to talk anymore, I guess. He gets the call, he gets to see the formation and then he just reacts. So, he’s—Myles is a heck of a linebacker. He showed that this week, I mean, last week and I feel like this week is an even bigger challenge for him. And I know he’s really prepared himself, he’s been practicing as hard as he [can] every play. And I’m just excited to see him come downhill and make those big plays again. And it’s going to definitely bring a lot of pressure off the front, the front guys. And I’m just excited to see him and Joe [Schobert) play again and just be great.”
(On outside people doubting the team’s talent) “I mean, because of the guys that are not here anymore. A lot of good players left our organization and they really saw that and they’re just like, ‘Oh they’re weak now.’ But little do they know, they’re not in the locker room with us, they don’t see the guys that we have and they don’t see how well we play together. We’re a family, man, we play for each other, we play as one. And that’s just how our mindsets [are] and I’m just excited to get going again.”
(On whether winning at Tennessee would be an eyeopener for others) “I mean, I feel like [there’s] always going to be that doubt when people think about us and that’s just the status quo we have to change around here. But we’re really focusing on ourselves and how we play week-in and week-out. Because we’re not really focused on the outside noise, we hear it all the time, since probably Jalen [Ramsey] left that we weren’t going to be a good team and everybody that left after that, it’s just been getting worse and worse. And now, they saw us play last week and now they’re surprised. So, yeah, I think it’s a big game for us, it’s a big game because it’s a divisional game. It’s a game we must have. If you win, if you go undefeated in our division, or any division, there’s a good chance you’re going to go to the playoffs. So, we see this as a big challenge because it’s a second divisional game and starting off 2-0 in that, would be major. So, yeah, we’re excited about this weekend, we can’t wait to get going.”
(On the Tennessee Titans offensive line) “I mean, it’s the same offensive line. You know, they had—well, this is my second year playing, so it’s basically the same offensive line. I’ve played against [Dennis] Kelly already. So, it’s relatively the same, basically. You know, they’re a good offensive line. I mean, you have to be a good offensive line when you’ve got a back like that in the backfield. So, I’m excited about this challenge, but like I said last week, I’m worried about us and I feel comfortable. I feel like I’ll take my d-line over any offensive line any day and we’re just excited about this weekend.”
(On how QB Gardner Minshew II is behind the scenes) “We’re looking at the same Gardner Minshew, that’s what I see. I see a superstar. I think, in my eyes, I do believe Gardner is a superstar, in my eyes. I think he’s a great quarterback. I feel like he’s shown that many times and he’s going to continue to show that. He has the whole team, the whole organization behind him. And I feel like that’s all you really need as a football player. As long as you have your teammates that support you and with you every play, who want the best for you. And an organization that wants the same, as well. I mean, what more can somebody ask for? He has the look, he has the swag, he has the arm and he has the plays to make—to be who I consider a great quarterback in the NFL. That’s my guy.”
(On QB Gardner Minshew taking things seriously) “I mean, you know, in the locker room, he’s relaxed. That’s the only time, basically, when I see him, is literally in the locker room because I’m not in the meetings with him. I know in walkthroughs we’re all serious because we all have to get those mental reps and be prepared for the matchup. But in the locker room, he’s ‘G-Money’ to me. He’s laughing, joking, hitting each other—you know, doing what everybody else [does]. And that’s great to see that your quarterback is like that. He’s a well-rounded individual, who’s super cool and chill. But hold on, let me stop talking about him so much, now. I’m [going to] chill, I’m giving him too much hype right now. I’m [going to] back off a little bit, that’s all I’m going to say on Gardner. That’s my dawg though, that’s my dawg.”
(On the pass rush last week and the plan moving forward to put more pressure on the quarterbacks) “I mean, I take responsibility for that, I’ll do a better job of affecting the quarterback. Not even just sacking him but just getting to the quarterback more and condensing the pocket. I feel like that starts off with me and I’ll do a better job with that. Which I know I am this week, I got Game 1 jitters out of the way and now I’m going to be focusing on what I need to do. I had a great practice today and we all did, pass rush wise. And I feel like we’re ready to get after these guys and I feel like we’re going to show it this week.”
(On outside people saying that the Jaguars can’t seem to win in Nissan Stadium) “I mean, that’s somebody’s personal opinion. I [can] never be mad at somebody’s personal opinion. I’m a professional athlete, there’s always going to be guys that talk crap. You can be the best player, like Lebron [James], the best basketball player in the world and he still gets talked about as not one of the best, you know what I mean? There’s always going to be those people out there criticizing what you do. And I know that’s how that is here, so can’t let that affect on how we play. We’re a new team this year and we’re just ready to prove, shock the world and win a lot of games in this organization for each other.”
(On old players doubting the team) “No, I feel like when the media say—when the people see some of our players leave, they think, ‘Oh that team is going to be crappy,’ you know what I mean. But little do they know, they’re not in our organization. They don’t know what types of guys we have now and what types of competitors that we have. And we play together, we play as one defense, one sound, one mind and that’s how we execute and that’s how we’re going to continue to play for the rest of the season.”
