JAGUARS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR TODD WASH
(On the difficulty in facing Packers QB Aaron Rodgers) “Yeah, he’s had success without pressure and with pressure. So, obviously he’s one of the best of all time. He’s still playing at an extremely high level. We played him, I think, in ’16—I think was the last time that we played him. The only difference is he isn’t looking to run as much as he has in the past. He was always very mobile; we had to worry about that. He can still do it, but he looks to stay in the pocket and extend plays within the pocket and then takes his shots downfield. So, it’s going to be important that, obviously, we continue to keep him in the pocket and try to pressure him as much as we can and kind of give him different looks. I don’t think you’re ever going to surprise him or confuse him. You’ve just got to be able to slow down his reads at times, so we can get off the grass.”
(On whether their defensive decisions are in-game situations) “Obviously, we look at numbers and where we’re at, what we need to do. I think down and distance has a lot to do with what you want to do—how quick you want to get the ball out. If it’s really long yardage, then you worry about screens and stuff like that, if you’re pressuring. So, during the game, it dictates—I think each coordinator goes in with some coverage ideas and some blitz ideas, and as the game goes along, you kind of get a feel for what you need to call.”
(On what the stats say on blitzing Packers QB Aaron Rodgers) “His rating does go down a little bit. If you want to say it goes down a little bit, it’s still extremely high. But I think everybody’s goes down a little bit. But like I said, we’ve got to pick and choose when to do it. We talked about, this week with our players, that we want to make them work the whole field. Not necessarily die a slow death, but we don’t want to give up big plays over the top. Really make them earn it all the way down the field. And I don’t want to put our players in a situation where I lose the game for us. I want them to be able to go out and execute and play and make them earn everything.”
(On pinpointing the reason for success with blitzing last week) “You know, I think it was different. We haven’t pressured a lot and some of this stuff I know they sit and say it was pressure, but it was really just a four-man rush; simulated pressure. So, a lot of people call it pressure, but it’s not. We had about four or five of those when we’re really rushing forward. So, that was some of the stuff that we’ve added in the off-week. A lot of different guys on the field that we haven’t had on the field at the same time. And I think that was a little bit of it. But obviously, they had a week to prepare for it, so obviously we’ve got to do something different.”
(On LB Myles Jack’s peak performance thus far) “I think when he’s healthy, he’s played at a high level this year, there’s no doubt. I know we talked about getting him to the Will linebacker spot where he’s in space and play and that kind of stuff. But he’s playing at an extremely high level. I think he’s doing a really good job at preparing, also. You see him working extra—I know most of this stuff is virtual and everything—but there’s all hours of the night where you’ll get a text and there’ll be questions coming from Myles. So, it’s a lot of credit to him with the work that’s he put in and he’s playing at a really high level right now for us.”
(On previously working with former Jaguars offensive coordinator and current Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett) “I loved working with him and we had a great working relationship. I think he did a tremendous job of getting our players in position to do what we needed to do to win. He was a run-first guy when he was here and that was kind of the philosophy at the time. And I think he did a tremendous job with our players, working together as a staff; he has absolutely no ego. I really loved working with Nate.”
(On whether he’s surprised Packers OC Nathaniel Hackett is having success in Green Bay) “Not one bit, nope. He’s an exceptional football coach and obviously, he’s got some really good personnel around him, and he’s getting them in the right spots and they’re making plays. And that’s a credit to Nate.”
(On S Daniel Thomas’s game last week) “I thought he went out and functioned really well. We’ve seen that he’s getting better and better. Once again, he was a rookie obviously when he came in and it’s taking him a while to learn it. There’s a lot stuff going on in the back end and we’ve seen him start to learn and [function] a lot more efficiently in practice. And even like we said today, ‘Let’s get him a couple series here and there.’ And he went in and functioned really well. So, we’re going to continue to develop him. Obviously, Josh Jones is our starter, but we’re going to continue to develop him because I think he’s got some play-making ability.”
(On whether we can expect to see the younger players get more reps) “Well, I think those that really earn the right to and have developed and [come] along and that kind of stuff. I mean, if you’re able to play at a winning level and [be] efficient, we’ll find a way to get you on the grass.”
(On CB CJ Henderson’s performance and progress) “You know, I think he’s getting better and better. Obviously, the PI [pass interference] and the other play that you’re talking about, you’d like for him to at least be able to get the guy down. We were in man coverage there, we were bringing pressure on the [Will] Fuller touchdown. He’s just got to be able to transition, play into the guy and get the guy down. The one right before the half, he felt like he was beat, he couldn’t find the football; which is tough when he was in trail position. And you’d rather have him get a PI than give up a touchdown right there. Hopefully, we can have some more vertical grass to try to defend; I think that was a good decision by CJ. The last thing you want to do is give up that big one, over the top, right before 2 minutes. So, I thought that one was a good decision and I think he’s getting better and better as we go. He had a heck of a break on an out route, just misplayed it a little bit and that had a possibility of being a pick-six. So, he’s getting his hands on some balls. I think he’s getting better, I think Tim [Walton] is doing a really nice job each week getting those guys prepared to play. And he’s only going to get better as he keeps growing within game time.”
(On whether he thought CB CJ Henderson was surprised on the Deshaun Watson to Will Fuller V touchdown last week) “You know, I think he got—the wide receiver got in his blind spot. And that’s tough, when the ball gets in your blind spot, you can’t find it. But like we talked about, let’s just lean and squeeze back into him and find a way to get him down. It’s not a big deal if he catches it, we’ve just got to get him down.”
(On going against players and coaches on the Packers team that have worked within the Jaguars organization previously) “I mean, they might know what we do, but they don’t know when we’re going to call it. Nate [Hackett] has my playbook, I know he did when he was here, I’m sure he took it with him—and I have Nate’s playbook. But obviously, their head coach is calling it. So, I think we all know. We all study each other; in season, out of season and that kind of stuff. But you don’t know when something’s coming. So, I think a little bit of that is overrated, but at the same time, obviously he understands the concepts of what we’re doing. So, we’ve got to be creative and smart and not show our stuff pre-snap so they can get a beat on it.”
| JAGUARS LB JOE SCHOBERT (On if he was a Green Bay Packers fan growing up) “Very accurate wild guess.” (On Packers QB Aaron Rodgers) “Growing up as a Packer fan I was spoiled with Brett Favre, transitioned to Aaron Rodgers for my whole childhood watching them play. He’s just done a lot of great things in Green Bay. He’s been MVP of the league multiple times, probably has a case for multiple more. As you get into the NFL and you understand how hard the game is and how fast and how good defenses are and defensive backs are, [it] makes you appreciate it a little bit more that he’s still doing it at such a high level when he was doing it for a long time since I was in third, fourth grade. But at the same time, you’re up here and you see things on film, you realize he’s a person. He’s made mistakes. He doesn’t make as many mistakes as some other people, but he’s still a person, can still be affected by pressure, throw some balls that are up for grabs. So, we just have to be ready to take advantage of it because he will give an opportunity. He’s a human just like the rest of us.” (On balancing pressure and coverage against QB Aaron Rodgers) “I think you just have to know how the game’s going, have to have a feel for it. If you’re pressuring and your pressures are getting home, any quarterback is going to be thrown off their game. Obviously he’s great at recognizing defensive looks and recognizing pressures and coverages, so you have to do your best to be able to disguise that from him and keep him guessing, just second guess, clutch the ball a little bit longer. Growing up watching him a long time, he will hold the ball in the pocket. He will try to scramble and extend plays because he can make all the throws and he wants to make all throws, so he’ll hold the ball in a little bit long sometimes and give people opportunities to get sacks. We just have to be able to take advantage of it.” (On the defense’s ability to stop the run) “I think, especially last week, we’ve definitely taken some steps forward. I think when you have everybody on the field healthy and ready to go, we can be a great run defense. It always has to be you have a next man up mentality just the way the season’s gone, not only here but across the league with injuries, COVID lists, and all that. The team that’s able to handle that the best, able to plug guys in and have no drop off is going to do best. I think we’ve struggled with that a little bit, but we’ve gotten better as the season’s gone on and I think [we’re] taking steps in the right direction. Like you said, this week the Packers have a great running attack. They want to run the ball even though they have Aaron Rodgers in the backfield. Their running backs are talented, and they have a stable of them, so we really have to be locked in come Sunday.” (On LB Myles Jack’s performance this season) “Hopefully he gets the recognition he deserves, obviously he’s missed a couple games and the situation we’re in just in terms of our record. But when he’s in there and he’s healthy, he’s been playing hands-down some of the best football I’ve ever had the privilege of playing next to a guy with. He’s been in this system for a long time, so just from a personal level on the field, [it’s] just good to be able to talk back and forth due to this is just my first year in the system. He’s played my position before so it’s like communicating with two ‘Mike’ linebackers out there. He’s able to just go run and hit the ball and he does that exceptionally well.” (On his wife Megan’s TikTok videos) “Out of all the things to come out of COIVD, I think that might be one of the most surprising. The fact that she’s garnered some attention on TikTok, it’s funny that she comes up with these ideas. She’s [has] an elementary special education degree background, dealt with kids a lot in college, and was a dancer teacher in Cleveland for a long time and always a very creative person. Obviously with COVID and moving and having a baby, there hasn’t been a lot of time for her to get out and do some of the creative ventures that she used to. I think this is just a little outlet that she’s been able to find and use and [she’s] done a great job. She enjoys its but at the same time now, she feels like she’s getting a little writer’s block in terms of posting stuff. She like, ‘Ugh, I can’t post things every day. What are my fans going to think?’ and all that, so it’s kind of funny to watch on the side and be a willing participant when my name’s called upon as well.” (On being the subject of his wife Megan’s TikTok videos) “It’s all in good fun. She does a good job with it and like I said, it’s just good to see her having her creative juices flow and put stuff out there and being able to enjoy something in times like this.” (On returning to Wisconsin this weekend having grown up in Waukesha, Wisconsin and played college football at Wisconsin) “Obviously I grew up there, played college football in Wisconsin, it’s always going to be home for me. [I] grew up a huge Packers fan. It stinks, it’s unfortunate that Lambeau field will be empty, but just going to Lambeau Field, driving through the neighborhood when you get there and it just looms over some of the houses as you turn the corner. It’s a historic place to play. You feel the history when you get to the stadium and it’s always somewhere I love to play at. I love to just be in the environment and would love to get a win in Lambeau, especially with these guys this year.” (On when he has played at Lambeau field) “My first game ever my rookie year in the preseason, it was the first time I played at Lambeau and then we played the Packers in Cleveland I think my second year. So, I only played at Lambeau that one time, but that memory will stay with me for a long time, walking on the field for the first time suiting up in an NFL jersey.” (On his record against the Packers) “I cannot remember the score of the first one. I think we lost the first one and then we should’ve won the second. That was the year Aaron Rodgers got hurt, my second [year] when they played in Cleveland. We lost in overtime and we were up 21-7 in the fourth quarter. It was a heart breaker, unfortunately. This year will be the first [win], hopefully.” (On if he has swapped jerseys with any Packers players) “No. I think I knew somebody on the team, but this year we’re playing [Packers LB] Christian Kirksey. Kirko’s on the team, I played with him in Cleveland for long time, so he’s somebody I’d love to swap a jersey with, have a Packer jersey on the wall.” (On his pick to win the 2020 Master’s this week) “I’m borrowing this cap, but I am a golf fan. I think the Master’s in the fall is going to be something extremely interesting to watch. I was just talking before this interview, but I’m the biggest Jordan Spieth fan in the world. It’s been a rough three years for him and for being a fan of his, but he always plays well at the Master’s and I’m hoping he’ll be able to pull some magic off like Tiger [Woods] two years ago, just a good story, something like that. I’m always going to be pulling for Jordan Spieth out there.” (On how far his hometown is from Lambeau Field) “Three and a half hours not on game day. On game day it can be a lot longer just going up [Interstate] 43 there.” |
JAGUARS S JARROD WILSON
(On watching Packers QB Aaron Rodgers growing up and now playing against him in the NFL) “He’s as advertised. He’s just a really big arm. He can make every single throw on the football field, just [has] a big arm. I only played him that once. That was actually my first game in the league, so definitely remember him, just [has] a big arm. I’ve been watching film on him all week and he definitely throws it up there and gives his receivers opportunities to make plays, so just his arm.”
(On what makes QB Aaron Rodgers special) “I think it’s his experience too. To have an arm like that, it’s kind of like arm talent is key, but he’s just experienced now. [I] think he’s in over year 13, 14, I’m not sure, so he’s seen everything. There’s not anything that’s going to go out there and surprise him, so it’s really just kind of doing what you have to do, being in your right spot to make the plays and they’ll come. I know he trusts his arm and he can make every throw and I just know his experience is what usually takes over for him.”
(On formers Jaguars and current Packers WR Allen Lazard and TE Marcedes Lewis) “So [Allen] Lazard was here a couple years ago. [He’s] just a big guy to be outside at a receiver, just a bigger bodied guy that has speed too that can definitely get behind the defense. Definitely Lazard is a really good player, still ascending. I know he’s coming back from an injury or what not, so I expect to see him and I’m sure he’ll be ready. But [he’s] just a bigger guy, bigger target outside. Marcedes [Lewis] is just a true veteran. [I] learned a lot from him actually, went against him a couple times one-on-one with being safeties versus tight ends. [He’s a] bigger guy, definitely a pro, vet, been around a long time.”
(On how to beat Packers QB Aaron Rodgers) “I think honestly in the quarterback like this, like I said, his arm is definitely his positive, so he tries to make every single throw and that can probably sometimes hurt a quarterback. He trusts his arm no matter who’s covering his receivers or whatever defense you’re in. Like I said, just being on our fundamentals and being in our spots is a way to kind of make a couple plays against him for sure.”
(On if he will use Packers QB Aaron Rodgers strengths against him) “Definitely. Like I said, he’s seen everything. There’s not anything that’s going to be new out there for him to see. It’s really just executing and being on the details of our defense that will help us.”
(On teams going for it on fourth down more) “I don’t mind. Defensively, I don’t mind. It’s just another rep, but I know from an offensive standpoint it’s kind of just one yard. For a long time, I know I’ve been playing Madden and I don’t punt on fourth down, so I don’t mind going for it on fourth-and-1. Obviously, you know it’s a gamble but the percentages are high and it’s really just a yard so you just have to man up and get that one yard, however the case may be. Certain teams pass but I’m expecting them to be running on the fourth and one.”
(On why teams are going for it on fourth down more in recent years) “Really just why not? You want to move those chains, you’re right there, just a yard away. It’s [There’s] no really need to concede and play the field position game. Obviously, there are situations where you have to, but shoot, it’s fourth-and-1, you might as well just grind it out for that yard.”
(On using Madden for analytics) “I don’t really play that much Madden as I have in the past. I don’t really play Madden like that anymore. I just know growing up I never punted on fourth down regardless, so that’s just how you do it.”
