JAGUARS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR TODD WASH
(On being in COVID protocol last week) “I’m not going to discuss the COVID stuff. There’s protocols and stuff that we have to follow. I was in the protocol and it’s good to be back in the building today.”
(On coaching while in COVID protocol last week) “The days were the same because we’re doing virtual meetings. I just did it from a hotel room for 10 days. We do the install and we communicate the game plan and stuff just like we do if we’re sitting in our office, so I think that went really smooth for our whole coaching staff. Obviously, the coaches were able to come in on Saturday and go through the walkthrough with the players. I thought they did a tremendous job. I think our players did a tremendous job. We were able to watch practice. Some of the veterans were leading the drills and stuff so now they know some of the things that we go through. But I think it’s a credit to our players and our coaches once they got in the building to make sure we had a game plan ready. I think the players did a nice job of going out and executing it. Obviously, we fell short and that’s not what we want, but I think there’s a lot of credit given to our players going through adversity we had last week. Sunday was tough, there’s no doubt. Sitting and watching it on TV, there was obviously some frustration, but at the same time I really liked to see how the guys went out there and competed in this adverse situation. Obviously, we fell short and that’s not what our goal is but I think there’s a lot of credit to our players through this transition this past week.”
(On how he watched the game last week) “Obviously I watched it by myself. Ten days in isolation is not a lot of fun, but I got excited at times and I got frustrated at times. I think the biggest thing is it was just so different watching it through the TV like a fan would probably. Once again, I think it’s just a credit to our players how hard they went out and played last week.”
(On Bart Starr Award nominee S Jarrod Wilson) “We have had Jarrod [Wilson] since we got him as a college free agent. We got to really see him mature and grow over the last three, four years that we’ve had Jarrod. He’s a tremendous person. He takes control of that room. He’s a great professional. He was that way early on coming out and he understood what he needed to do to develop himself as an individual and to just naturally turn into a leader within that group. He’s a great leader, not just in the group but obviously with our team. He’s a guy that as a coaching staff we can bounce things off of, we ask him questions. He’s a true leader and it’s great to see where he’s come from to obviously being nominated for this award.”
(On S Jarrod Wilson’s success after starting as an undrafted player) “I think it’s a lot of credit to him obviously with his work ethic. He loves football. He goes out and he plays when he’s banged up. He sucks it up and he plays and does what’s best for our football team. The team is always first with him and I think that’s just a credit to the kid and how he’s matured over the years.”
(On DE Adam Gotsis’s contribution to the team) “I think his toughness that he brings obviously to that room. We brought Adam [Gotsis] in as a first and second down player, to be a run defender, play within our ‘4B’ which is not a big stat position on first and second down. I think he’s done all those things. I think he’s a natural leader in that group. He’s a good guy to once again bounce some stuff off him as a coaching point for [Defensive Line Coach Jason Rebrovich] Rebs of the things that obviously we can do better, to continue to get those guys better. But what he brings is just straight toughness. He gets in there, he bangs. [He’s] obviously coming off an ACL [injury], he hasn’t missed any time. Just his work ethic and toughness really shows us who he is and that was what we wanted when we got him and we’re extremely happy to have him.”
(On the young corners, Luq Barcoo and Josiah Scott, in last week’s game) “With both of them, I thought it was really good to see how they got their feet wet with a lot of playing time and a lot of reps. I think you’re going to continue to see them get better. I was very pleased with Josiah [Scott]’s toughness, especially in the slot, be it fitting in the run game, had good fits. [He] had some coverage issues early on and some matchup stuff, but I thought both of them played extremely well for being the first time out with a lot reps and I think they’re only going to get better as this season goes on because they’re going to continue to get reps obviously.”
(On CB Luq Barcoo and CB Josiah Scott facing Vikings WR Adam Thielen this week) “Obviously you have [Adam] Thielen and then you have [Justin] Jefferson on the other side, so it’s going to be a tough matchup. We’re going to do some things to hopefully kind of take the deep ball away from them, make them earn everything they have. They know that they have a tough challenge, but at the same time I think both of them are really excited about it. We’re going to find out exactly where they are versus a couple really elite receivers and I like where their mind frame is right now to go in and compete with them.”
(On what makes Vikings QB Kirk Cousins and RB Dalvin Cook so effective) “Obviously, [Dalvin] Cook is an explosive, explosive running back. He’s a touchdown waiting every time he carries the football. He can bounce and get to the outside and outrun people and then he has good physical ability between the tackles, runs behind his pads extremely well. Obviously, I think that’s where their offense starts. That’s been [Vikings Offensive Coordinator/ Assistant Head Coach Gary] Kubiak ever since we played him for many many years. It all starts with the running game. But once it goes to the quarterback, teams are getting into eight-man fronts and that kind of stuff to stop the ball so you have single coverage outside and he’s [Vikings QB Kirk Cousins] putting the ball on the mark. They take their shots outside. He’s extremely accurate and he’s completing some of those go balls on the outside, so that’s a concern of ours. Once you get to third down, he’s making real good decisions, getting the ball to players in space. They have a couple wide receivers like we talked about that can really make plays and extend plays once they catch the ball, so he’s really making good, sharp decisions within the passing game not only on first and second down but third down.”
JAGUARS LINEBACKER JOE SCHOBERT
(On the challenge of playing last week without their defensive coaches) “Yeah, I mean, obviously, it was a challenging week. Just not—I mean, not having Todd [Wash] but not having any coaches at practice on the defensive side of the ball all week. Being able to work, the older guys at each position kind of lead the position through the practice, keep the expectations high, keep the work tempo high. Obviously, on game day, we had a couple coaches, Joe Danna, calling the plays. But it was a skeleton crew at best and I think, obviously, not getting a win—that’s what you’re in this league to do, is you have to win. We put all the work in to get a win on the field on Sundays. But the way that we did play, obviously, we have to clean some things up, but [we] still had explosive plays and accountability in certain—and just gap accountability. That’s what some of those run plays in the second half got through. But in spite of all that, I do think, given the challenges that hit the defense last week, that a lot of guys stepped up and played to the best of their abilities and it was good to see.”
(On the organization of the defense last week) “Yeah, I think everything went well and smoothly. I mean, in practice, Coach [Doug] Marrone was just—he had the script, was calling the plays, he didn’t know what they meant, but he was calling them. And then on Sunday, I had good communication with Coach Danna upstairs. And we had people, like our [Director of Team Administration] Tyler Wolf was upstairs counting the personnel, giving us—making sure we knew what the other team’s personnel was in the game the whole time. And I can’t remember, I think it was one time when they came out with two running backs that we had the wrong personnel initially. But everything went smoothly from that aspect and it was a team effort right there, I’d say.”
(On the impact of Vikings WR Adam Thielen and WR Justin Jefferson) “Yeah, I mean, I played against Minnesota a couple years ago, against Thielen and when [Stefon] Diggs was there. And I think they’re both when—Thielen and Jefferson kind of have the same feel as when it was Thielen and Stefon Diggs. And they’re very good route runners, they have the top-end speed to be able to take it over the top and they’ve got hands to make the [consistent] catches. I think they’re both two of the top guys at their positions for sure in the league. I think Thielen might be leading the league in touchdowns, or he’s close to it, even with missing a game or a couple games. But he provides, I think, a safety blanket, a security blanket for [Kirk] Cousins. I mean, he knows he can throw it up to those guys that can go up and make some plays and make some [consistent] catches. And we’ve really got to bring our A-game to be able to challenge those.”
(On the challenges of facing Vikings RB Dalvin Cook) “Yeah, I think he might be one of the most explosive backs in the NFL, just in terms of when he gets to the open field, the speed, he can take it the distance and he couples that with great vision and he’s got enough power that breaks some arm tackles, breaks some tackles and gets out in that space. But I think he’s probably one of the most dangerous backs running in space. Obviously, there’s a couple guys around the league, like [Christian] McCaffrey when he’s fully healthy, [Aaron] Jones from Green Bay who we played a couple weeks ago. But I think [Dalvin] Cook is right up there, if not at the top of the list with his production this year, in terms of being able to make space plays, make his speed count when he gets outside the tackle box.”
(On slowing down Vikings RB Dalvin Cook) “I think, I mean, he’s a different runner than, I’d say Derrick Henry from Tennessee—obviously, two totally different body types. But I think the philosophy should be kind of the same, where you’ve got to stop him before he can get going, battle him up, where he can’t get out into the open field, make the people miss some space. If you’re able to contain him inside the box and get hits on him before he gets going, I think that’s the best way to be able to stop him. I think that’s we were doing against Henry earlier this year and had a good game against him. So, if we’re able to replicate that, then I think that could be a formula for success for us.”
(On how it would feel to get a win after 10 weeks of losing) “Yeah, I mean, as an athlete, as a competitor, that’s what you play the game for, is to get wins in your game, whenever that game may be, against whoever it may be. And that’s why we put all the time and effort in and it’s [hard]. I think the NFL, it’s just, when you hit a slide like this, it’s tough because you’re working every day during the week, putting all the time in, watching the film, studying, getting game plans ready, understanding what you need to do to win the game. And I think especially in our situation, we’ve had so many close games, that it’s just—a couple plays here and there, if we could’ve just flipped our way, get a win, it would’ve been so much better. So, I think we’ve been in games and if we’re able to get a win, it would just go a long way, just for the overall morale of the whole locker room. I mean, guys are bought in, working hard, playing hard, but a win always feels great.”
(On whether the topic of Head Coach Doug Marrone’s job safety has come up in the locker room) “I wouldn’t say it’s come up in that aspect. Everybody in the NFL understands how the NFL is. It’s a ‘results now’ league. You don’t get time to recover from mistakes normally. It’s you either get results or you move on to the next person—that’s players, coaches, front office, not owners obviously, but everybody down from the ownership. It’s a quick turnover league. And you understand, if you’re not winning, everybody’s jobs are at stake. And I think so—from the bottom to the top and from the top-down, everybody understands that and is working hard just for the man next to him. Because there is a sense of camaraderie in the locker room between the coaches and the players. People genuinely do like each other and want the best for their teammates or their coaches. So, I think you see that on Sundays, people going out and playing hard, doing their best. There’s been a lot of mitigating circumstances this year that have affected us negatively. But at the end of the day, I don’t think the effort or want has done that.”
(On whether the team was surprised about the termination of former General Manager Dave Caldwell) “I mean, it’s always a little shocking when it happens. But I mean, looking back in the history of teams I’ve played on, other places, it’s kind of in line with the NFL. If something’s not going right, they’re going to try to make a change with whoever it may be. And I think, obviously, I’m not in the owner’s boxes. Those decisions are above my pay grade. But coming from my level, it was a little bit of a surprise. Obviously, with the whole COVID thing, I spoke to him briefly a few times this season, but I really didn’t get to know him very well. So, it’s kind of weird, just a weird situation. But it caught me by surprise a little bit, yeah.”
(On RB James Robinson not giving opposing defenders much to get a hold of for hits) “Yeah, I mean, he’s a big back, he’s a big body guy. I think he’s like short, stout—he’s not Maurice Jones-Drew in terms of short, stockiness. But he does have some weight behind his pads and he knows how to use it. I think he does a good job of understanding where defenders are going to try to tackle him, and then being able to be elusive to get away from that. You see him hurdling people, you see him stepping over tackles, stiff-arming, ducking under guys. But at the end of the day, you see him also put his head down and run behind his pads and grind out a couple extra yards at the end of runs all the time. So, I think that physicality starts the whole thing when defenders know they’ve got to really bring it, that’s when you can start making some juke moves and be able to get them off-balance and make a mess. And he does that exceptionally well.”
(On whether that’s what everyone was talking about when they raved about RB James Robinson’s vision) “I’m assuming so, I mean, he caught me by surprise, I think, just coming into the season. Because I mean, training camp is training camp. You see people work hard, people like plays in training camp. But then when you actually get to the games, that stuff usually falls off. And I think he just took it to another step. Not saying he’s a gamer, because he practices very well, too. But you don’t see a lot of that stuff, other than people are actually—there’s live bullets flying, there’s contact, people are trying to take you down. That doesn’t happen very often in training camp, just a couple of times. But when that actually starts going on game day and he was able to just break tackles, keep running, I think he took everybody by surprise with how well he was able to step up, step up to the plate.”
JAGUARS SAFETY JARROD WILSON
(On how it feels to be nominated for the Bart Starr Award) “Just really appreciative. Really just give glory to God, first and foremost, just for the ability to be in this position right now. And I’m just thankful. I don’t really want to toot my own horn or nothing like that, but yeah, I’m just thankful and always willing to just give back in any way I can. So, I’m just appreciative of the nomination.”
(On whether he remembers when former Jaguar Calais Campbell won the award) “I actually do, I actually do. I just was talking about it not too long ago. [It’s a] really big award and it’s just an honor, just to be representing both on and off the field, just in a positive light.”
(On the difficulty of not winning for 10 weeks) “It’s definitely difficult. I mean, it’s frustration each and every week, when you don’t get the outcome you want at the end of the week, which is a win. So, it’s definitely frustrating, but we’re a 1-10 ball club and you can’t like hang your head or nothing about that. It’s not like we’re going to line up Sunday to lose. We’ve still got five more opportunities and expecting just to keep chugging to try to get a victory this Sunday. So, it doesn’t really matter, the record, at this point. We’ve got to still line up and we’ve got five more opportunities to get better. So, let’s get it.”
(On what the missing piece is on this team) “It’s really just putting it all together in all three phases, honestly, probably offense, defense and special teams. We’ve got to click on one accord. And I think the margin of error, in general, is really small within the league. It doesn’t matter, again, like if you’re 1-10 or you’re 10-1. It’s really just the little things and honing in and understanding how to finish the game. You don’t have to be the most talented team to win a ball game in this league. I do feel like we have a lot of talent, but we just have to put it all together, even though we have younger guys on the team and the team has battled a ton of injuries. So, just trying to put it all together week to week and trying to get a W. So, the missing piece is really just to be finished, I would say. We’ve got to finish. Throughout the week, we do an excellent job practicing throughout the week, so we’ve just got to translate to Sunday and get a W.”
(On the impact of Vikings WR Adam Thielen and WR Justin Jefferson) “Yeah, really good receivers. They’re top two targets. I know [Thielen] will be coming off [after missing a game], but listen, he’s a really excellent receiver. You know, he can take the top off, can run every single route, short, intermediate. So, it’s really just on us in the backend with the passing yards, or what not, to stop him from getting explosive plays and getting the ball thrown over our heads. But he obviously does give an offensive boost, being back this week.”
