JAGUARS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR TODD WASH
(On facing the Tennessee Titans and RB Derrick Henry again this season) “Obviously, he’s the one that makes them go. Once they get their running game going, then they can get into their play action and [take] their shots towards their wideouts and their tight ends. But we’ve been talking all week long. Obviously, he’s a big physical downhill runner and he’s tough to tackle; that’s been proven for the last three or four years, with anybody that plays him. So, we’ve got to do a good job of getting population to the football, try to have good angles to keep him from bouncing outside, when he can get on these smaller bodies. So, it’s just going to be important for us to be able to set edges, try to keep him in between the tackles. And then when we get the opportunity, we’ve got to be able to defeat his stiff arm and tackle him.”
(On whether you change your practice routine when preparing to face Titans RB Derrick Henry) “I mean, obviously, we work as much tackling as we possibly can. But for him, we do a lot of work, each week when we play Tennessee, on his stiff arm. We’ve seen it, once again, many, many times. He’s got a [heck] of a stiff arm and we work drills specifically, obviously this week, when we go against Derrick every time we play him. So, his stiff arm is something that we work on each week when we play him.”
(On what makes Titans TE Jonnu Smith a tough matchup) “Well, his size and his speed is a tough matchup. Obviously, we were looking at the injury report yesterday to see where he was at and he was at limited participation. But you know, he’s a tough draw just because he can run so well and he’s a big body. I think he runs very precise routes for a tight end. To me, he’s one of the better tight ends in the league that you’ve got to defend. Obviously, there’s a couple that are elite, but he’s one of the best ones and just the size and the speed is a tough matchup.”
(On Titans QB Ryan Tannehill’s growth over the years) “I think he’s been very consistent. But like I said, it all starts with the running game, when they can get that rolling. And then, obviously, the play action game is what Tannehill really thrives on, is the play action game. So, we’ve got to be able to hopefully stop the run and get him in situations where it’s going to be a drop-back instead of play action. You know, your linebackers are trying to get downhill and then all of a sudden, they drop one behind you. So, to me, he’s playing very consistently. Obviously, he doesn’t make a lot of poor decisions with the football. But to me, it all starts with the running game and their play action.”
(On what goes into preparing for a stiff arm) “Well, we just do drills and stuff. We emphasized this week, chopping it and then trying to get your eyes to his thighs and stuff. So, it’s just one thing. I mean, everybody works on it, but this week, we specifically set time aside to make sure we’re working on how to defeat a stiff arm.”
(On DE/LB K’Lavon Chaisson’s growth thus far) “I think, obviously, it’s been a process for KC. But we’ve always seen him play hard and we knew that the athleticism and stuff was there. I think he’s done a nice job of really working on his technique to get better. You see some different pass rush moves instead of just the only one that he really used early on in the season. So, you see his technique developing and it showed on Sunday. I think he played extremely well. He was physical in the run game and he had some disruption on the quarterback. And I think the intelligence of the young man, the work ethic of the young man, he’s only going to get better in time.”
(On what he’s seen from the development of the defense’s consistency in the last month) “Yeah, I think a lot of it is they’ve just gotten better. We’ve played a lot of young players and some—we were looking at our unit yesterday … We look out there and three or four of them weren’t even on our team when we broke training camp and now they’re starting for us. So, I think it just takes some time to learn the system, know what is expected of them within the system and, through trial and error, they’re learning how to play and I think they’re getting better. And that’s the biggest thing we look at as a coaching staff and we talk about, is continue to get these guys better, they’ll make plays and give them an opportunity to compete on Sunday.”
(On the differences of Titans RB Derrick Henry between September and December) “I think, obviously, he gets stronger as the season goes. And I think, at times, when you play a lot, and maybe if you don’t, I think defensively, you get a little tired also. But we’ve got to do a better job of tackling late in the year. That’s what it was when you look at the last couple of years when we’ve played him. Like the 99-yarder, I think there [were] five missed tackles on that flight. So, we’ve got to do a better job at tackling. Usually, earlier on in the year, because you’re coming out of training camp and stuff like that, you’ve really emphasized tackling and all of those good things. But late in the year, you’re not practicing in pads as much, obviously you’re not hitting and tackling. So, I think that’s been some of it, that’s why we’ve been really emphasizing that we’ve got to be able to tackle this guy and then, obviously, here it is, late in the year again.”
JAGUARS DE DAWUANE SMOOT
(On what has caused an increase in production since the game against Green Bay) “Nothing really. They kind of robbed me in that Green Bay game, I should’ve had a sack on that one [that wasn’t credited to me]. But nothing really. I’ve just been sticking to my game plan, just working as hard as I have been since the offseason. It’s just kind of coming together for me now, kind of all coming to fruition. So, I’ve just been working as hard as I can, just kind of trying to stick to it.”
(On continuing to work on his technique and different moves throughout the season) “Definitely, I’m just working on them every day. I feel like I’m using them a lot more, just rushing a little more free, do less, just trying to get a little more pressure. I’m just trying to work anything, see if anything works honestly.”
(On tackling Titans RB Derrick Henry) “It’s definitely a want to, especially later on in the season when everyone’s body starts hurting. I mean if you haven’t noticed his numbers go crazy like halfway through the season. It’s a mindset. We just have to put our body on him at the end of the day. We have to really hit him and kind of wrap him up and try to get as [many] people to him as possible.”
(On being productive in the final year of his contract) “It feels great. I’m happy. My family’s happy. I’m just happy that I’m being able to kind of show my talents as late in the season leading up to the end of my contract year. It’s been great. I’ve been happy. Everything’s been good.”
(On taking advantage of the opportunity for more playing time this season) “Just like you said, you never want to see anybody go down, but it’s definitely the next man up. I’ve been waiting for my opportunity for four years. These last three starts I’ve been able to put up good numbers, been getting a sack each one of my starts, so I’m just trying to keep it going.”
(On if he waits to stay in Jacksonville after his contract is up) “Well, I already bought a house here so I’m looking to stay here. My family loves it here. I love it here. It’s a lot of opportunity here, so I’m definitely trying to stay here for a long time.”
(On his price to stay in Jacksonville) “I would say I need to be paid what I’m worth. Let me just say that.”
(On the stiff arm drills in preparation to face Titans RB Derrick Henry) “It’s mainly just [Defensive Line Coach Jason] Rebs [Rebrovich] with a big old yellow arm sticking up in the helmet every single time we get a chance. We’re working on just knocking it down and kind of just running through. I mean you have to run through contact anyways whenever you’re tackling Derrick Henry, so that’s what we’re going to be working on all this week. His stiff arm is vicious, so we have to be able to stop that.”’
(On if he’s ever gotten a stiff arm from Titans RB Derrick Henry) “Yeah, I believe like two years ago. Almost got a TFL [tackle for loss] and he hit me with one of those stiff arms, so I’ve learned from that.”
(On sticking together as a team despite the losing streak) “Because [of] all the ups and downs, we’ve been able to pick each other up. We’ve been able to get to know each other even more. We’ve been a lot closer because [of] all the bad things that have been happening. Just knowing that we have been having a lot of injuries and a lot of uncertainty, we’ve been able to come closer personally. We’re just trying to work on our relationships, stuff like that, and that’s obviously been translating on the field during this past week, so we’re just trying to keep it going.”
(On what worked when stopping Titans RB Derrick Henry in Week 2) “It was definitely gang tackling and it was a lot of send the edges. We already know these tackles. They like to really just lunge out and kind of just dive on you a little bit. We just have to make sure we’re using our hands and be able to set edges. As long as we’re able to set edges and run them down the backside, we should have no problem.”
JAGUARS S JARROD WILSON
(On the challenges presented by the Titans pass game) “[They’re a] really good ball club, familiar ball club because [they’re an] in division opponent. They like to stretch the field with 11 [Titans WR A.J. Brown] and 84 [Titans WR Corey Davis] and they also have some good tight end threats with 81 [Titans TE Jonnu Smith] and 86 [Titans TE Anthony Firkser]. So, [they’re] just a really big challenge. [We] have to have good eyes in the backend and watch out for the pass action shots. Obviously, they’re going to try to hand the ball to 22 [Titans RB Derrick Henry], but [if] we take care of business in the backend, we should be successful on Sunday.”
(On preparing for Titans RB Derrick Henry) “We know this guy. We know this guy’s going to get the football a lot and he’s coming downhill. We definitely have to execute, stay in our gaps, being just discipline in the run game. That’s a big thing for us is to definitely knock out this run. We know he’s getting the ball, so it’s really just man on man, trying to match up and do our job on Sunday.”
(On if he’s ever gotten stiff armed by Titans RB Derrick Henry) “He didn’t have that 6-4 arm out there, you know what I mean. He’s coming around the edge at 250 pounds at 6-4, so he already has that length advantage. But I’m not trying to be on that tape. [I’m] trying to cut his legs down, get him down the best way I can. Definitely not trying to be on no stiff arm tape.”
(On his cleats for the NFL’s ‘My Cause My Cleats’ initiative) “I’m actually doing my foundation, just the Jarrod Wilson Foundation. [I’m] just trying to help out in the community and in the classroom either down here in Jacksonville or obviously at home in Akron [Ohio]. [I’m] really just trying to help anywhere I can.”
