JAGUARS QUARTERBACKS COACH BEN McADOO
August 21, 2020
(On what he’s worked on most with QB Gardner Minshew II and his improvement) “Right now we’re still early on in the process. We have five practices under our belt, or I think this is going to be six, whatever the case may be. A lot of the concepts we’re throwing out him are new, some of them are things he’s done in the past so we’re working right now on just kind of learning the system and applying the necessary fundamentals to it. Whether that’s ball security, whether that’s working on his feet, whether it’s working on his timing, we’re working on a little bit of everything. At the same time, we’re going to be smart. We’re going to stick to what he does best and not ask him to change too much there, but there’s some things we know that can make a difference and help him out.
(On his impression watching tape of Minshew’s 2019 season) “I went back and watched the tape on Gardner [Minshew], but I tried not to make too many [conclusions]. I didn’t want to jump to any conclusions or make any knee-jerk reactions just off of watching him on tape. I wanted to get to know him. He’s a guy that’s very dedicated tofootball, not just the football part of things. But if you take a look at how he’s taken care of his body in the offseason; he’s been committed there. He’s done a great job studying the offense, not just when coaches are in the room with him or in the virtual meetings with him, but he’s taken the bull by the horns studying it and then getting the other players kind of going, doing some walk-throughs and things like that, so that’s been great. He’s also a guy to me that’s very gritty. When you look at his past and the things that he’s been through in the game. I like to coach a player like that, someone who’s been through some things. He’s not a guy who’s had smooth sailing, so he has a little bit of a chip on his shoulder there and I like that. The last thing is he’s hungry. He wants to get better, not just in the system, but he wants to get better fundamentally. He wants to keep continuing to improve each and every day, just little things. If we can get better at one thing each and every day, then he’s got a chance to stack those successes, move him forward, and improve a big chunk of his game as you take it to the end of the season. We have to keep improving. We can’t just go out in training camp and work on the fundamentals. That has to be something with the way things were structured here in the offseason and in training camp. We have to get better fundamentally throughout the entire year.”
(On former QB Blake Bortles having a lot of balls batted down as a taller player and current QB Gardner Minshew II being able to avoid that issue) “Don’t curse us on that now. That’s something you work on each and every year, so no jinxes. What we’ve talked about in here is I think is playing on time, so being on feet. Making sure your feet time up with the routes that are being run with the pass concepts that are being run obviously helps you there. I think as you move through progressions, whether it be a pure progression, a left to right across the radio dial, or just moving through a true progression with an alert, whatever the case may be to the back, I think you need to do that on time as well. If it takes you three steps to reset your feet and move across the board, you’re usually one step too late. If you can do it in two, you have a chance to beat the defense in transition and you gain one step against the defensive line where they don’t have a chance to get their hands up as quickly. So if you’re precise with your footwork and you’re good with your timing, a guy like Gardner [Minshew] who’s an instinctive player, has a chance, regardless of his height, has a chance to get the ball out and find the throwing lane.”
(On working with Offensive Coordinator Jay Gruden after coaching against him) “I knew Jay [Gruden]. I didn’t know him very well. We had our battles up there in the NFC East, but I’ve always admired his work from afar. The system’s good and just diving into it, it’s really good and I’m excited to be in it. I’m here. I’m grateful for the opportunity. When you sit out a couple of years, you have a chance to sit back and reflect. I’m just trying to be the assistant I wanted my guys to be for me in New York [with the Giants]. I’m trying to do that for Coach Marrone and trying to make Jay’s vision come alive here. [I’m] helping Gardner [Minshew II] and Jay, kind of be the bridge there and help Jay’s vision come alive. So far it’s been outstanding.”
(On coming into a struggling offense and how he views this offense’s scoring capability) “I could probably talk for days on this, Gene. The first thing I guess is when you come into a new year, I think the most important thing you need to do is hit the reset button because nothing carries over year to year, good, bad, or ugly, right? Everything is starting new this year so that’s probably the first thing. I’ll say that I’ve liked what I’ve seen so far. I’m not going to talk about other guys’ positions and things like that, that’s not my job. I think there’s a lot of good, positive attitudes out there on the field. I think there’s a great environment for teaching and for learning and for communication out there. I feel good. I [feel]positive for what I’ve seen. I think it’s the ultimate team game, so I think it’s not just on one guy. It can never be on one guy. We all know how it works for one guy [who] gets a lot of the pat on the backs and a lot of the blame if it doesn’t good well and the pat on the backs if it does go well. But it’s the ultimate team game and the entire roster, they have a lot to do with the success of the quarterback. I do think Gardner [Minshew II] is a guy who has that instincts on where to go with the football. He’s an accurate player and he makes the game fun. It’s definitely not a death march with Gardner and those kinds of things make it fun for me. Like I told you before, he’s a fun player to coach.”
(On his time away from coaching prior to joining the Jaguars staff) “It was great from the fact that I got a chance to learn who my kids are and their personalities. That part of it was great. You know we actually kind of moved down here. We lived a little south of here for those two years so [I] got used to the Florida humidity I guess as best as I could. But I’m a coach and that was my first love. My wife kind of knows [that] she’s fighting an uphill battle right there, but it was great being home. I was at the point where I just wanted to get back in, I wanted to coach. It didn’t matter what I was coaching, and I’m blessed to have the opportunity here. I told guys the other day I would’ve taken a job coaching a monkey how to do hopscotch if I had to; I just wanted to get back in. I love coaching and I just love seeing and being around players, helping them get better, doing everything I can to help those guys get better. I look forward to doing it.”
(On where he was living and if he commutes now) “About 51 minutes. No, we’re up a little bit closer now. [It’s a] good spot, [a] great place to live, [with] great people.”
QUARTERBACK GARDNER MINSHEW II
Friday, August 21, 2020
(On WR Collin Johnson’s performance) “No, Collin has been great man. First thing is just [he’s been] coming in and showing the willingness to learn. You know, it’s tough for all these rookies coming in without OTAs [organized team activities], but he’s done a really good job studying. And then like, physically, he’s a really big guy that moves well, he can drop his weight getting in and out of cuts. He’s made some big plays so far and I’m excited to work with him.”
(On Brandon, Mississippi) “Brandon is awesome, man. It’s my hometown, it’s a really tight-knit community, tight feel, everybody rallies around. You know, Friday night football, church on Sundays, it’s an awesome place.”
(On growing up and hoping to get out of Brandon, Mississippi) “Oh no, it’s—[I’ve] always searched for opportunities, but you know, more than anything, I’m grateful for the opportunities that Brandon gave me that led me to really get out and be where I am today.”
(On one thing one has to do when visiting Brandon, Mississippi) “The thing you have to do? Oh man. I mean, I guess if you can, go to a Friday night football game at Brandon High School. If you’re really lucky, go to Brandon vs. Pearl [HS], do Pearl, that’s kind of the big rivalry in the state.”
(On working with Quarterbacks Coach Ben McAdoo despite McAdoo having been out of the league for two years) “Yeah, no, it’s been awesome working with Coach McAdoo. He brings a lot of experience, you know, [he’s] worked with a lot of good guys. And you know, he’s been out of the game, so he’s just that much [hungrier] and [more] eager to get back into it and I think that’s where it’s fun. We both have a lot of energy and passion for the game and it’s been a lot of fun working with him.”
(On Coach Ben McAdoo’s humor) “Yeah he does. I mean, with our room, we’ve got him and [Offensive Coordinator Jay] Gruden, which is—so every meeting is pretty fun and goes by pretty quick.”
(On the proficiency of this offense and prediction for the offense’s scoring this year) “Yeah man, we’ve been working hard, I believe in these guys. You know, you really can’t—it doesn’t do you much good making a case right now. You know, you really can only make a case on Sundays. I think if you talk about it right now, there’s nothing but—that’s all it is, just talk. So, I’m looking forward to actually getting out there and proving it.”
(On the “menu” of players in the offense) “Yeah no, it’s even better than I expected. And I was expecting really good things. Each of these guys have come in, learned the offense and [have] really integrated themselves with the team. And each of them brings different things to the table. So, I think we’ve got kind of a wide array of tools and different skill sets in those rooms.”
(On progress of players with Offensive Coordinator Jay Gruden’s offense) “Yeah, absolutely. I think our coaching staff has done a really good job teaching this, kind of breaking it down, taking a little bit at a time. And the guys have really put the work in to learn it. And I think we’re at the point now where we’re actually just going out and playing, it’s not as much thinking. And that’s only going to get better.”
(On what you do best, offensively and schematically) “I don’t know man, the things I think I try to bring to the table, you know—Like today, we had a little bit of a lull, I try to bring the juice, get everybody going, so I guess I’d say leadership. And then, you know, schematically, I like just getting the balls in our guys’ hands. Let the playmakers make plays. We’ve got guys that are a lot better with it than I am, so [I] just try to distribute the best I can, get everybody involved and just try to make everybody better.”
(On the difficulty of keeping the chip on his shoulder) “No, I don’t think so. I think if you’re the type of guy that, once you get somewhere, that chip is no longer with you, then you probably never really had it in the first place. I think the guys that are really hungry, carry that with them whether—like, you see [Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB] Tom Brady, he’s 42 or whatever years old and he’s still working as hard, if not harder than he always has. And I think there’s certain guys that are going to push themselves no matter what situation they’re in.”
(On the similarities and differences between OC Jay Gruden and QB Coach Ben McAdoo) “No, it’s great. A lot of times we have both Coach McAdoo and Coach Gruden in the meetings and both of them have so much experience. You know, it’s fun, those conversations as we’re kind of talking through things. They both come with different perspectives, but eventually we all get to the same point, trying to just make us better. And I’m appreciative of all the lessons that they’re teaching me.”
(On brainstorming between the three of them: QB Minshew, OC Gruden and Coach McAdoo) “Oh it is dude. We’ve got freaking mad scientists in there. It’s—it gets pretty fun.”
(On comfort level with the offense growing during training camp) “Yeah, [I’m] getting a lot more comfortable, not only in the offense but with the guys around me. A lot of those touchdowns are just from giving our guys chances to make plays and they make the plays for me. You know, DJ [Chark Jr.] has been great, James O’Shaughnessy had some big plays. We had a bunch of guys really step up yesterday and really throughout the whole camp. And I think it’s just, more than anything, it’s just us getting on the same page and putting trust in each other.”
(On feeding off of the personalities of Coach Gruden and Coach McAdoo) “No, it’s I think that quarterback room has to be kind of like a safe haven for you when everything is going crazy. You’ve got to be able to come back to those guys and either they’ve got to shake you right or get you back to level. And I think those guys, as long as there’s a respect there, the communication, just the transparency there, I think that’s really what matters. Because you want everybody to be themselves in that room and I think if you do that with respect and honesty then it’s a recipe for success.”
(On having fun in the quarterback room) “Oh dude, yeah we have a blast. Yeah, you don’t have to worry about that. We’re going to have plenty of fun.”
(On noticing a big crowd when walking out on the field) “Uh, I don’t know what the biggest—probably Virginia Tech maybe? I don’t know what they hold, but that was pretty big. I don’t know what the biggest crowd we played in front of this year was, honestly. I couldn’t tell you. They all feel about the same, you know. I feel like even going back to Friday night, like that, relatively felt about the same. So, yeah I think it’s more about just kind of the energy around it than necessarily how many people are there.”
(On ever thinking about the fans going “nuts” during a game) “No, I mean, you hear some stuff. Like, I played at West Virginia, those people are crazy, like for real. Like different type of people up there. But yeah, it’s—you hear some of that.”
(On his throwing arm during training camp and on potentially limiting his number of throws in the future) “No, I think honestly, I probably threw more last year. Because you end up throwing a lot of scout team type stuff whether you’re just throwing—you go down, throw to all the tight ends, throw to all the running backs. I’m very comfortable with how our staff is kind of—had not necessarily a pitch camp, but made sure I’m getting adequate rest, getting adequate recovery, so that I can maintain my arm strength and health throughout the camp.”
