JAGUARS QB GARDNER MINSHEW II
Thursday, September 17, 2019
(On if it’s been unusual having fans react to seeing him out in public) “I guess it’s always kind of unusual when you’re out and somebody recognizes you, comes up to you and talks to you, but it’s awesome. It’s one of the things that makes a place like this that has such a good fan base so much fun.”
(On if the attention he received last year at Washington State has prepared him for the NFL) “Yeah, Pullman’s a town of about 30,000. Everybody knows everybody and it was a situation where wherever you go, you’re going to get recognized. So, it definitely prepared me for whatever is going to happen here.”
(On if he gained a comfort level throughout the Week 2 game at Houston) “Yeah, I’d say both comfort and confidence. As we get going, I think we just have to tap into that earlier. We have to get rolling. We have to go on the attack early. We kind of waited and let our defense play the game, and we have to go out and win games as an offense.”
(On the importance of the chemistry he has with the receivers, especially on plays he extends) “It’s huge. I have a lot of trust in these guys. They’re super smart football guys, so I know they’re going to keep working for me and they know I’m going to work for them. So, it’s been going pretty good so far.”
(On his relationship with his father) “It’s awesome. He’s my first coach, coached me all the way. I talk to him all the time. He’s one of my best friends, so to have him there, he’s been there every step of the way. I’m kind of used to it now. I’m kind of spoiled in that way, but it’s awesome to be able to share those kinds of moments with family.”
(On how his dad travels to his games) “When I was at Wazzou, he flew a lot, but man he’s made some dang road trips, a lot of them. So, very, very grateful for that, and I’m super fortunate to have that in my life.”
(On the furthest extent his father went to see him play football) “Probably him and – So my best friend Houston Smith, he was on the TV a good bit too [during the Week 2 at Houston broadcast], he goes to a lot of the games with him. And one time, I think we were playing in Tulsa when I was at ECU [East Carolina University], and they go stop at this rest stop. And at the rest stops there’s those bathrooms and there’s two doors, you look right, and it says women’s, so you just go left. But it was one of those where both sides, those were both women. So, my buddy Houston, he doesn’t know, and he goes in the wrong one. [He] walks out and there’s an old lady – He was just in the toilet doing his business, and he walks out there’s an old lady just shocked. And so they were like, ‘We have to get the hell out of here.’ But yeah, that was probably one of the best road trip stories.”
(On if he’s ever had four days to prepare for a game like they do this week) “I don’t think so. This is a quick turnaround, but we have a lot of guys here that have done it and I’m kind of banking on their experience to get ready.”
(On how desperate this team is to get a win) “I think we’re hungry every week. If last week there was something, we thought we could do better to win we would have done it. So, we’re attacking it just like we have been, but that sense of urgency is definitely there.”
(On if he’s getting a better feel of what he likes to do in the offense as he plays more) “Yeah. You try different things, figure out what works for you and what doesn’t. You gain confidence with different guys and all those kind of come with time.”
(On if it’s tough to fight the instinct to fight for another yard rather than slide when scrambling) “I think there’s a lot of different ways to protect yourself as you go, whether it’s kind of diving, just avoiding the head on contact, I try to do the best I can. But there’s some situations where you just can’t, where you have to – if it’s close to a third down or a fourth down, you have to go get that, but obviously you have to try to keep yourself healthy as much as you can.”
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JAGUARS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR JOHN DEFILIPPO
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
(Opening statement) “It’s great to see everyone, I hope everyone is having a great day. Obviously, tough game on Sunday for us. I was proud of the way our guys fought back in the fourth quarter, on the road. Rookie quarterback making his first start in a hostile environment on the road in the division. For us to have the wherewithal and the way we came back, the way we did after having struggled for a little bit there in stretches in the game, I was really proud of our guys, and hopefully next time we are in that situation, we can finish that game off.”
(On Gardner Minshew II’s progress) “A lot of little things that some people wouldn’t see. There were about 10-12 plays where we were up against the play clock where it was, two, one [seconds], ball was snapped, where that wasn’t the case this week. So, I thought our huddle procedure overall was a lot better. The fact that it was a loud environment, on the road, that was really good to see. You see Gardner being more comfortable in the offense, knowing when to take off and go or get down. I think he was much more situationally-aware, running for a couple first downs, knowing where the sticks were to get down. So, I think as you see him play more, he’s going to become more situationally-aware, which will be great for our team.”
(On Minshew’s decision-making in key situations) “Obviously, they [Texans] did a good job up front of getting us on a couple sacks. But I thought he [Minshew] did a good job overall of managing the game.”
(On how much Minshew can progress if the offensive line continues to struggle) “If you ask those guys [offensive line] they would say they need to play better. There were some really good plays they made as well. We need to work on our consistency and finish up front, and I told those guys that today. We need a little bit more strain and a little bit more finish, and if we accomplish that we will take another step this week.”
(On how encouraging it was knowing the Texans had a game plan for Minshew) “It’s really good. That wasn’t an easy game. I talked a little bit last week about games on the road, you never know how they’re going to play out. Sometimes it does come down to the fourth quarter on the last drive to try and win a football game. It gets a bit dirty in there. It was great to see him and the other 10 guys on the offense to have the courage and the persistence to be able to put a drive together like that.”
(On if Minshew does anything that Nick Foles can’t do) “I don’t know about that. I think Nick extends plays really well. Nick will be the first to admit to you he’s not the fastest guy, but athleticism comes in a lot of different ways. There are a lot of guys like Nick Foles, Tom Brady, who aren’t the fastest guys out there, but have tremendous pocket athleticism. In terms of being able to throw off-balanced, being able to move in the pocket and keep their feet in the throw. There is always different types of athleticism, where it’s not just the guys like Mike Vick and [Patrick] Mahomes and those guys that can run around and are really fast. Pocket athleticism and playing quarterback in this league is a very huge attribute to have.”
(On what point Doug Marrone had him ready to call a two-point play at the end of the last drive) “Pretty early, pretty early. He and I were on the same page. We had talked about it and worked that play all week. It was a run-pass option that we knew they would give us one of three looks on the two-point play. Two of the options were to throw the football and one of them was to run it. They gave us the look to run it and the kid, Jordan Reed, made a good play on the goal line. Some angles it looked like he [Leonard Fournette] was in and it was called that he wasn’t in. It was early. Everyone was on the same page; players, coaches, we were all on the same page.”
(On if Minshew had the option to check out of the two-point conversion play) “It was a run-pass option. So, if they gave us this look, we were throwing it, if they gave us another look, we were throwing it, if they gave us this look, we were running it. If they gave us the look to run it, we ran it.”
(On if he wants Minshew to slide differently when running) “I wouldn’t mind him getting down a little bit earlier. We’ve talked about that. That just comes with experience and playing time.”
(On whether he should try to limit Minshew’s instinctive traits) “You never want to make a quarterback a robot, I’m big on that. You got to let the guy play and let it loose, but at the same time protect yourself. I think the more he plays the more comfortable he will get in those situations.”
(On Minshew’s potentially nervous feet in the pocket) “That’s fair, that’s totally fair. I would say yes, that’s totally the case. I think the first throw we missed to DJ [Chark Jr.] on the third down play. He had a little pressure there. He probably could’ve had a little better footwork on the one down the left sideline there to Leonard [Fournette], but that’s a fair statement, sure.”
(On the offensive line breakdowns in the run game) “At times we need to take a little bit better angles and our finish. It’s usually not one specific person, unfortunately, it’s been one guy on one play. There’s not one guy that’s not playing well. There’s a lot of young players in there and a lot of guys are getting their first time and they’re holding their own for the most part. The tough ones are the first-and-20s, the second-and-20s, and those are the ones we have to alleviate. We just have to keep our hands inside and finish. I’ll tell you what, those guys up front, that’s a tough group. I’m proud of the way some of those guys have had to step in and play. You look at a guy like Will Richardson Jr. has grown exponentially from what I saw on tape a year ago. So, I’m proud of those guys. Do they need to play better and get more push? [Jaguars Head] Coach [Doug Marrone] is 100 percent correct and they will get better. [Jaguars Offensive Line Coach] George Warhop is as good as it gets. So, I have all the faith in the world in George and [Jaguars Assistant Offensive Line Coach] Tony Sparano Jr. that they will get those guys even better.”
(On if he sees Leonard Fournette playing every snap throughout the season, like last game) “Sure, yeah.”
(On if he wants to get Ryquell Armstead more involved) “Leonard is playing at a high-level right now. I’m pleased with the way Leonard is playing. That was a pretty good play he made on the 20-yard gain on the swing pass. I love the way Leonard is playing right now. I love his mindset; I love where he is mentally. He is into it right now and that’s what we need. As you see us go along into the season, there’s no doubt we will get a little bit more of a rotation in there as those guys grow. At the same time, I’ll be honest with you, it’s hard to take a player like Leonard Fournette out of the game. It really is. The way he’s playing right now and buying in and doing what we’re asking him to do. Pass protecting, catching the ball, running downhill, and all the things you ask big-time backs to do. It’s hard to take them out of the game. As long as he stays healthy, you’re going to see Leonard Fournette a lot.”
(On if he’s surprised Dede Westbrook isn’t producing as much) “That’s a great question. That is not by design. That is not by design, trust me. I think you saw Week 1 in Kansas City, they doubled him a lot. They were bracketing him, and that’s a credit to him. When you get bracketed, you know that the other team has a tremendous amount of respect for you. There were some other times where either they covered him, he was not the first progression … You just never know. When you game plan a pass game, you have an idea of where the ball is going to go, but you just don’t know the specific coverage you are going to get. If the quarterback gets flushed, all of those things. We don’t want to force feed anything because that affects the whole offense and the team and those things. We don’t want to force feed anything, but we are going to try to keep finding ways to get him the football. That’s a great question.”
(On how close Cam Robinson is to returning) “From what I hear, Cam has been working out good. Obviously, we haven’t practiced yet this week. I think we will know a lot more after these next two days with where Cam is at both mentally and physically to see where he is at.”
(On if he sees DJ Chark Jr.’s maturation process coming along) “Yes. DJ grows every week. I think you see his confidence level just keep rising and little things with DJ – he’s running across on the touchdown pass and he points up to the sky like they put it up for me. Little things like that, the tricks of the trade that as you play a lot, you grow, receivers do. I’m pleased with DJ. He’s playing his butt off right now. He was running on Sunday. That guy was running fast and doing good things. The thing about DJ is this also – DJ doesn’t get enough credit. Receivers probably, especially DJ, doesn’t get enough credit for what he does in the run game. He does some dirty jobs in there. We ask him to do a lot of things. We ask him to be a gunner on the punt team and he doesn’t get enough credit for some of the dirty jobs that he does. I’m really proud of the way he handles his business.”
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JAGUARS CB JALEN RAMSEY
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
(Opening Statement) “I know it’s a lot going on in the media these past couple days, a lot of speculation and nobody’s really heard from me. On Sunday after the game, I was told I didn’t have to talk, that’s why I didn’t talk, it wasn’t anything against you all. But yeah, I wanted tot talk as soon as I could today just because I really don’t want it to be a distraction for my teammates getting ready for a game on Thursday. And right now, I’m still a part of the Jacksonville Jaguars, and I’m happy about that and I’m getting ready for the game as well. And that’s where my focus is right now. I’ve been in meetings. I’ve been taking my notes. I’ve been getting ready for our walkthroughs and our practices and everything we have to do out there. Also, I’ve seen a couple fake things out there in the media right now that I don’t love the city, that I don’t love the fans, just whatever speculation. None of that is true. I love Duval. The city embraced me. The fans have embraced me since I’ve been here. Just last night I was at Ruth Chris’ [steak house] and they were showing [a] hell of love. So, it’s nothing like that. I love the city. I love the fans, man. Ever since I’ve been here in Jacksonville, since I was drafted here, I’ve done nothing but give the city my all. I think everybody knows that. They’ve gotten some really good years out of me and forever long I’m going to be here I’m going to continue to give it my all out there. All I care about is winning, everybody knows that. I want to [expletive] win. Straight up. Excuse my language, but everybody knows that. That’s who I am. That passion, that fire, that heart. That’s what you all love. And I’m going to continue giving that as long as I’m here. I know you all have a lot of questions. I really don’t want to answer too many questions from everybody, there’s a lot of people in here today. I don’t want to answer every single little question that you have about different situations and what came about to lead to this point. I have nothing bad or negative to say at all about anybody in this building. Shit happens. It is what it is. I think everybody for the most part knows what’s up. So, I don’t really too much want to speak on it and give no detail. I’m going to let God do his work and let my agent do his work and everybody’s going to work it out. And I’m going to focus on what I can focus on, and right now, that’s being a good teammate still while I’m here. Get ready for the game, supporting my guys and just being Jalen at the end of the day.”
(On if he is saying that he does not want to be traded) “I’m focused on this Thursday. Focused on being the best teammate I can be while I’m here in Jacksonville.”
(On why he wants a trade) “I’m super excited to play this Thursday, truly. I’m excited to go back out there and suit up with my dog Myles [Jack]. I’m so happy that man just got paid, I told you all that last time I came in here. It’s still pay Yan[nick Ngakoue]. I want Yan to get paid. I want all my dogs to go out there and ball. I want to ball with them on Thursday if I’m still here and yeah, I’m in a real good space right now. I’m at peace. Last week I came in here real positive, I’m still on that.”
(On if he thinks he’s causing a distraction to his teammates) “Let’s be clear about something in regard to that. I didn’t leak that information. Me and my agent, we are not the ones who leaked that information, and I was very strict about that, because I did not want it to get out, and I didn’t want to be a distraction. I didn’t want everybody asking my teammates all types of questions throughout the week. So, let me be real clear about that; I was not the one. Me and my team, we were not the ones that leaked that information because I thought about my teammates. I thought about stuff like that. So, you need to ask the other side or whoever.”
(On what he will do if he cannot be traded) “I’m excited for this Thursday. I’m going to go out there like I do every single game, and I’m going to give it my all. Regardless of the emotion, regardless of if I’m mad or not. Last week I had a good-ass game. The best receiver in the NFL – held him to what, probably his worst stat line in two years? And nobody’s really talking about that. I’m going out here, I’m playing my ass off. I’m giving it all for my teammates like I always do, and they know that. That’s who I do it for. I do it for God and my teammates, I really don’t care about anybody else [or] what they think.”
(On if the trade request had been building up to this point) “I don’t want to keep running around your questions. I’m not trying to be rude or anything, but at the same time I don’t want to answer them either. Because I don’t want to be a distraction. I know you all are going to make the headlines off of one little thing I’m going to say, so I’m trying not to say anything for you all to really get a headline. I know the deal, and I don’t want to give you all a headline because I don’t want it to become a bigger thing around here. That’s pretty much it, so, I’m chilling. I’m trying to be a good teammate. I’m doing what I have to do, carrying on normally. Yesterday seven [Leonard Fournette] was at the crib. We were chilling at the crib getting treatment. Today I come in, talk to my teammates, we’re chilling. MJ [Myles Jack] in the back. J Rob [Josh Robinson] in the back, trying to come see what’s up with me. I’m good. I’m in a good space right now, and I’m trying to put out as much positive energy as I can to flow through my teammates. This is a short week, this is one of the toughest weeks in the NFL for teams. Getting ready for a division game on a short week, I’m not trying to add distractions on to these guys at all. So, I’m sorry I’m giving you all the runaround a little bit, but I know what it is, so I’m not really trying to give you all headlines.”
(On if he’s talked to management about his displeasure) “I’m not going to talk about private stuff with you all [and] make private stuff public. But like I said, I have nothing bad to say about anybody, nothing negative to say about anybody here. I’ll keep that private.”
(On why he was upset on the sideline during the game) “I play mad. I play mad all of the time. I play like that. I play with a lot of emotion all the time. That little incident, it was an incident. I don’t know when it happened, first quarter, second quarter, I’m not sure, but it didn’t carry on the whole game. We went out and we had a hell of a game the rest of the game, the defense, we played really well out there. The DBs [defensive backs], we strapped up, we did our thing. So, I didn’t let it affect my play, didn’t let it affect anything out there. What coach said; he said he didn’t recall what happened, right? So, I’ll go off of that.”
(On if he had a chance to talk with Head Coach Doug Marrone following the game) “No, we didn’t talk to each other.”
(On if not getting a contract is most important factor to him wanting to play elsewhere) “I don’t care about that. God’s going to work that out.”
(On if the way he is being used on defense is a factor for him wanting to play elsewhere as he is arguably one of the best cornerbacks in the league) “No argument.”
(On if he is being properly used on defense) “I have nothing negative to say about any of my teammates of course, none of my coaches. I don’t have anything negative to say. So, you’re not going to get that from me.”
(On if he feels the organization is on the right track in regard to re-signing or paying the correct players) “I’m just here doing what I can do. I let God handle all of that. And when guys do get paid what they have earned and they’re deserving of, I’m super happy for them like I always [have] been for Myles [Jack]. Like I said, it’s still pay Yan. Yan needs to get paid. He’s an elite player.”
(On what needs to happen to for him to stay a Jaguar) “I can’t answer that question for you honestly, so I’m not going to give you bullshit.”
(On being happy in training camp) “I’m still happy. Don’t get it twisted now. I’m happy now. I’m totally at peace.”
(On if there was an instance where things took a turn in terms of his happiness) “I’m not going to give you all what you all are reaching for right now. I don’t have anything negative to say about anybody. It’s straight positive energy from me, for real. Positive energy. Private conversations are going to stay private. You all can create stories and use headlines as you will, but you’re not going to get it from me. I’m just making you know, you’re not going to get it from me. I don’t have anything negative to say about anybody around here in this building. I have really good relationships with tons of people around this building. I’ve grown over my three years being here, three years [and] two games being here. I’ve built relationships that are going to last forever, whether I’m here or whether I’m gone, with the PR staff, with the community, with the equipment staff, training staff, janitors. Even you all, the media, we’ve grown over these three years. I didn’t really [expletive] with you all, now I do. I’m sorry with my cursing, but you all just got me talking a little bit. But yeah, I don’t have anything negative to say. This has been a great experience. This has been a growing experience. So yeah, I’m trying to keep that positive energy flowing.”
(On how he would respond if he was deactivated for Thursday’s game) “I’m going to support the hell out of my teammates. As long as I’m a part of this team that’s all you’re going to get from me. I’m going to support the hell out of them. As long as I’m a part of this team, I hope they go out there and beat the hell out of people. I hope they win every game as long as I’m a part of this team. I have nothing but love for every player on this team. They go out there and they play their asses off. We have good vibes. I love that locker room. Those are my guys.”
(On why the organization would trade him) “You’d have to ask them. We can go through a whole lot, but I don’t want to go through it.”
(On if he expects the team to grant his trade request with all of his accolades) “Do I expect them? They may, they may not. I’m going to let God figure everything out. God, my agent. When I have conversations with him, we’ll figure some things out and we’ll go like that. But like I said, as long as I’m here you’re going to get everything out of me. I think you all know that, though.”
(On if he expected to be disciplined by the team after Week 2) “For what?”
(On if he expected to be disciplined by the team after Week 2 for his actions on the sideline) “I don’t recall.”
(On if the statement he made on the ‘Bussin’ With The Boys’ podcast about wanting to play for either Tennessee or Las Vegas is still true) “Is that what I said? Shout out to ‘Bussin’ With The Boys.’”
(On if he anticipates playing Thursday) “Yeah, I think so.”
(On if Tennessee and Las Vegas would be ideal landing spots) “You know I’m not going to answer your question.”
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JAGUARS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR TODD WASH
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
(On if he expects Jalen Ramsey to play on Thursday) “He’s on our football team. We are status quo moving ahead. He was out in walkthroughs and meetings today taking notes and he’s a competitor. If he’s in our building and all that kind of stuff, we anticipate he’s going to play and he’s going to play well. That’s just who Jalen is. In my opinion, I hope so. I’d like to see him on the grass.”
(On if he gets a sense that Jalen Ramsey feels like he isn’t being used properly) “Nobody plays the same defense every time obviously, but we go in each week as a staff figuring out what gives us the best chance to win as a team. Obviously that is the most important thing. With not only Jalen, but some of our other players, we kind of give them a heads up, usually on Monday nights, ‘Hey, this is what we are planning on doing. This is where our major calls are.’ There is communication back and forth all the way. The bottom line for us is that we are going to do what we need to do as a staff for what we think as a staff it takes to win the football game. Unfortunately, the other night we played very well on defense – Jalen played extremely well versus [DeAndre] Hopkins – and we just fell short.”
(On his reaction to Jalen Ramsey’s trade request) “Obviously we want what’s best for Jalen, but for me being selfish, I want him to be a Jaguar forever. He’s an elite player. Obviously I think some stuff gets misconstrued about how he’s a hot head. He’s just very competitive. It doesn’t matter what he does, he wants to win. I just hope he’s a Jaguar for a long time.”
(On what he’s going to say to the defensive group that is different this week than anything else) “I think we are all professionals in that room. The team knows what is out there in the media. They follow it, obviously more than I do. I don’t know anything about what’s going on really. They are concentrating on the Tennessee Titans. That is the only thing that matters right now. Whatever happens with Jalen, they understand the business side of things, but it’s our job as coaches and their job as players to get ready for Thursday night versus a heck of a ball club.”
(On if he was surprised that Jalen Ramsey was still mad about not challenging the play against Houston) “Talking about it afterwards, I’ll be honest with you. I don’t notice a lot of that stuff. I’m worried about the next call when we come on the sidelines. Whatever happened, I didn’t see it. I’m worried about the next adjustment and that kind of stuff. Like you said, Jalen’s competitive and he wants to win every down regardless. Obviously, a situation broke out and that kind of stuff on the sidelines, but once again, once everybody calmed down and everything, we continued to roll as normal and Jalen played well. I think as a defense we played well last Sunday.”
(On how the team doesn’t allow Jalen Ramsey’s trade request to be a distraction) “We focus on Tennessee. Like I said, we got a game coming up. We only have 16 of them. This is a big one, a divisional opponent. They know all of our focus is on getting ready for them and our players. We had a heck of a walkthrough here, we’re about to go out to practice. We are focused on Tennessee, not the situation.”
(On if the short week makes it helpful in terms of limited distractions) “There is a lot of information going at them quickly. We have first and second downs, third down today. Tomorrow, we have short yardage, goal line, red zone. There is a lot of information going at them and the players are worrying about that instead of this situation.”
(On if he takes it personal that it’s been reported Jalen Ramsey doesn’t like the Jaguars defensive scheme) “No. There ain’t nothing personal in this business if you ask me. People are going to be unhappy, fans are going to be unhappy. We’re just trying to do the best we can to try and put the Jaguars in position to be successful. That’s the only thing that matters to me – this organization and winning football games.”
(On if he thought he may be fired after the Tennessee Titans game last season) “No, I don’t even worry about that to be honest with you. If that’s what it is, that’s what it is. I think as a coach, you know in this profession that is what you get yourself into. It’s about production. I don’t know what your opinion is, but we’ve played pretty good defense the last three years. If it’s good enough, it is. If it isn’t, then it isn’t. But hopefully we can go out and play well on Thursday.”
(On what Tennessee has done well the last two prime-time matchups) “Derrick Henry is something to deal with. He’s a big, big man. We have to have a tackling plan. That was a lot of our conversation today and we all know about the 99-yard run and the missed tackles and that play. What they do is they get him on space. They get his big body on some of our smaller guys, corners and safeties and stuff like that. We have to do what we can scheme-wise to try and keep him between the tackles. They do a nice job in the running game and it sets up all the play action for Mariota. Obviously our linebackers have to be disciplined and really feel what’s going on, so they can play some of those play action shots that we are going to see.”
(On if he will show the team the 99-yard run from Derrick Henry last week) “No. We don’t need to watch that again. I see it on NFL Network all the time. My wife always brings it up. [She says] that wasn’t a very good play, so I’m like, ‘Mr. Obvious, right?’ No. They have seen it before. The bottom line is he made a play. Give credit to him, but we have to do a better job of stopping it this time on Thursday.”
(On if he used that game at all for any kind of motivation) “It is dismissed. We go back and we look at it and see how they attacked it and all that kind of good stuff. The biggest thing we have to do is tackle him and he is a big, big man. All of the credit in the world for him. Their coaches do a great job of getting him the ball in space, so he can break tackles. Our priority over the summer [was] we have to find a way to tackle him, to study how other teams approached it, how we approached it and hopefully we can bring him down on Thursday.”
