Jaguars Players Talk Team Chemistry, Excitement for MNF | Jacksonville Jaguars

Jaguars Players Talk Team Chemistry, Excitement for MNF | Jacksonville Jaguars

Going into this Monday Night Football, how are you feeling, man? You know what? Monday nights are special. So, you got I mean, it’s a different energy for sure. Uh that’s probably the most exciting football games besides like the playoffs, Super Bowl. So, Monday nights are special. So, going in there, it’s going to be intense. Great team we’re playing against. So, it’s just going to be fun. I’m excited. And like you said, going into those games, you like some something crazy is going to happen. Uh, speaking of something crazy, that touchdown return that you had the other day, just kind of how have you been able to get more comfortable with punt returns? I know obviously you had the one last year, too, but just how has that been this year for you? It’s definitely it’s it’s a lot of growing and it’s a lot of just just being fearless as well. I feel like that’s a big thing. Just having bad intentions when you go to back there as a returner, just knowing that your guys got you and and that and with that, you got to be like, let’s make a play. So, I feel like that’s been my mindset and when I go out and approach it that way, good things happen. So, it’s been fun. Run heavy offense so far. Are you guys close to opening up down the field a little bit on offense? And where’s the confidence level there? Confidence is through the roofs. I feel like it’s been so cool just to be to be a part of and just see how much we can grow. So, it’s been fun. Um Trevor’s feeling good. All the receivers feeling good, tight ends looking good. Like I said, the run game looking good. So, we’re just trying to bring it all together and it’s going to be fun to do. This is um we’re what, four weeks in, about to be five weeks in. Yeah. I mean, is this the closest team certainly in Jacksonville you’ve been on probably, right? But in your college pro career, how close is this compared to some others? I mean, you know, usually they say like college is you you get you’re the closest like in college. So, I feel like this has been pretty close. I mean like I mean as far as I’ve been in the league from rookie year and now like this definitely been the tightest team I’ve been apart from offense to defense and then including special teams. It’s everybody has each other’s backs and no matter if anything bad happens especially like for us as a offense our defense just say they got us. So it’s just been cool to be a part of and that’s going to help down the road for sure. How do you block out the the hype of a Monday night game and just remember it’s one of 17, right? Yeah. It’s just football. It’s just football at the end of the day. Yes, it’s Monday night and it’s a prime time game, but it’s just football. Like, we we prep and we work off just like we do any other week. So, we just got to approach it like that and just have some fun and just go play free. How close is this team right now? It feels like there’s a I mean really good bond kind of growing in this locker room right now. Yeah, I think that’s the important thing is just to continue growing that bond and growing that chemistry within our team and I think if we do that then everything will take care of itself. So, uh, I just want to keep coming out here and working, uh, putting the work in and getting better with my brothers every single day. What makes this run game for the Jaguars sustainable for the long term? What do you guys believe in and and how do you make that last 17 weeks and beyond? I think we want to make it a part of our identity. Uh, as a offense, we talk about that a lot and, uh, we we want that to be a part of who we are as a team. So, uh, just preparation, coming in here and and doing what we need to do in practice and putting the work in in practice. And I think if we do that, then like I said, everything will take care of itself. Trevor, this week was talking about the tight end room as like his favorite position group on the entire team, not just you, but everybody sitting alongside you here. Um, give us your your guys relationship with the quarterback and and what that’s been like cuz you’re kind of sharing the wealth offensively it feels like in tight end. Yeah. I mean, first of all, those guys in my room, I love them, man. any question I ever have or on the field, off the field, I know I can go to them and talk to them about whatever. So, it’s it’s a blessing to be in a room with those guys. But, you know, I think it just comes from from doing what we’ve been doing since day one, since we stepped out here. Uh we knew uh who we wanted to be and uh what we wanted to accomplish and we’ve been working towards that uh since day one. So, I think the work’s paying off now. What’s the first thing that pops out about the Chiefs defense on tape? Uh you know, I think they do a lot of different things. I would say like they’re exotic. You know, they do a lot of different things. So, I present a lot of different uh schemes and coverages and blitzes and stuff like that. So, I think that’s what I say. I say they’re exotic. And then Monday night under the lights. I mean, big moment for this opportunity for this team and this franchise moving forward, but it’s also one game out of 17, right? There’s a balance there. Yeah. You know, like you said, it’s it’s the next opportunity. So, uh I think that if we just treat it as the next opportunity, you know, uh it ain’t it ain’t really about that. It’s about what goes on in between the lines, that’s what matters the most. Uh obviously, it’s going to be great. uh Duvall is gonna be jumping and I’m excited for that. Uh because I remember the last time we had a Monday night game, I didn’t get the opportunity to play, but I’m just so excited to uh go out there and just put one foot in front of another. Overall, how’s practice been this week knowing that there is a prime time game on Monday, Monday night football? I feel like practice has been good. We’ve been uh very intentional just working on little details, just trying to fine-tune the mistakes, just uh just simple alignment issues and stuff like that. Just uh been just fine tuning the little details. We can’t we got to stop beating ourselves and uh just play the game within the game, you know, just control what we can control and just let everything take care of itself after that. You seem like a guy that doesn’t get too affected by the hype, the this, the that, the hoopla, per se. Um, but does that add fuel at all or it’s just kind of like another business day for you? It’s another business day. I feel like uh once you’ve been in the league a certain time or once you reach certain heights and just experience certain things in life you kind of understand that um it’s all about the next one and especially in the league you don’t want to get too high get too low because NFL has a a funny way of humbling you every time you think things are going great. So we just got to continue just just continue to have that underdog mindset continue to just come in here and just it’s us versus the world and I feel like long we had that mindset uh we’ll be great. And when it comes to the coaching staff, do you feel like they were able to unlock maybe new heights for you and other people that are having explosive seasons so far? Uh, for sure. I feel like uh we just all brought in uh we all knew what we’re doing. We just all just kind of got that belief and I feel like JJ’s uh made it easier for put our talents on display and I feel like we’re grateful for that. But we got to continue to just uh keep doing great things cuz anybody could do it for one week. You guys had a season low against the Texans and then kind of bounced back against 49ers just rushing running the ball. What does that say about the consistency and their dedication to it? I mean, it says a lot, but I mean, I feel it also says a lot about the Texans, the defense, man. You see those guys up there, you seen them? they ain’t no slouches. So, I thought they had a great plan, but I just love that coach just committed to the rank game. And uh I feel like when you just committed to it, uh you’re going to have great days, you’re going to have bad days, but as long as we just be consistent and keep working on things that we can work on, I feel like uh it’ll all balance itself out in the end. Offensive line’s obviously playing well, but what about the receivers, tight ends, how well have they been blocking for you guys on the court? Uh they’ve been great. I feel like uh you you don’t see those explosive runs without the receivers doing their jobs, the tight ends doing their jobs. uh offensive line has been playing great, but the receivers and tight ends are the are the reason that those runs are able to spring for those extra 20 30 yards. So, uh definitely grateful for how they’ve been playing. What stands out about the Chiefs? Who you first thing you pops out on tape on defense for them? Uh Chris Jones, number 95. Uh understand where he is at all times. He’s a game record for sure. I feel like their linebackers are are are downhill gap fillers. So, uh, the way that they play, the way they play down here, but definitely trying to get forehands on, uh, 95 at all times. A little bit of a holistic view, but, uh, kind of thinking back what he was talking about, you know, you guys had a little bit of a down rushing game were able to kind of rebound. Um, for what you guys have been able to accomplish through this first quarter, does that kind of help you guys have the confidence to, you know, kind of get back to it whenever you do have those kind of lows in the running game? Uh, yeah. I feel like the, uh, the confidence come from just, uh, never getting away from it. I feel like, uh, we just never abandoned it. So, I feel like we just always kind of know we’re in the game. We always kind of know coaches going to call a play. And I feel like my job is just to uh get the offense on track. Just uh we like to call ourselves a stay on track offense. So, uh getting four yards at a time is a real great in this offense. And uh we just got to keep playing the above chains. And I feel like uh coach do a great job of balancing the runs and the passes. Travis, does it feel different in here attitude wise, you know what I mean, from the way it felt in here last year? I mean, uh, most definitely. I feel like guys want to be here. I feel like, uh, guys are just excited to come here and get better each and every day. I feel like, uh, we just playing with, um, just a new found belief system, I guess. Uh, just just more energy. Just more energy. I feel like guys understand the assignment like for, uh, just coming off of last year, man. Like just coming here, working every day, and uh, just having that that bad energy around, I guess. I feel like we got to a point in the season where uh we kind of knew where things were going to head. We kind of knew coach wasn’t going to be here next year and things like that, but at the end of the day, we still come here and like just beating us across the head, you know. So, I feel like now we just kind of believe in something and we got to keep rolling with that because um like I said, we’re only three and one, you know. Uh nothing is given at this m moment of the season. So, we still got a lot to prove and uh just watching film, we got a lot to get better at. So, as long as we keep that growth mindset and just keep having the energy, keep uh playing for the love of each other, we’ll be fine. Is Liam pretty high energy? It’s kind of hard to not be high energy around that guy, right? H most definitely. I feel like it’s definitely uh Liam is definitely high energy and uh and in a sense where like when your coach is hungry as you are, I uh you ain’t got no choice but to go out there, play hard, and have that energy and he and and he’s the leader. So, we just got to max we just got to just play off of him every time. What would a win over the Chiefs do for this team and this organization or is it just another game? It’s just another game. I feel like uh we got to stop looking at things in that sort if we want to get to to where those organizations is. Like uh the Chief looking at like the Super Bowl. So I mean it’s the biggest game because it’s the next one. I feel like that’s what we got to do a better job of as a team and as an organization. Just expect to win these games and and that’s the only way we’re going to continue to get better. All right, let’s start off with um where this team is. Three and one, some confidence it feels like in this locker room and then going into a Monday night game against the perennial power in the FC. So, where does this team stand right now confidence-wise after four weeks? I think super proud of the things we’ve done, understanding that we haven’t really done anything. Um, and that’s exciting because there’s so much growth to be had. There’s so much improvement to be made. Uh, and there’s so many steps to take forward as we’re gonna as we’re gonna continue to get better as a team. So, sure, like we have done a lot, I understand. But when I say we haven’t done anything, it’s just a constant reminder of, you know, where we’re trying to get to. There’s you can play really well for a season, but if you don’t reach that ultimate goal, it didn’t really there’s things to grow off of, sure, but that’s where we’re heading. That’s where we’re trying to get to. So, um, super proud of the way we’ve competed, how hard we’ve played, and I think continuing growth as of of camaraderie and love between the team, the teammates. I think that’s the most exciting thing. There’s a lot of moving parts in the offensive line last week. Ezra’s been playing through some stuff and then Cole comes in and Chuma comes in. I mean, seven guys played on the offensive line and still got the job done. What does that tell you about this group? Uh, super resilient and incredibly prepared. It’s really hard to be in that role. I did it last year and just to kind of be waiting for that moment. You never know when it’s going to come or if it’s going to come. So, every player just checking, making sure everyone stands up. And it’s weird. It really is. It’s It’s hard to describe, but I mean, those guys came in, did an unbelievable job because they were prepared. They know what they need to do. They know how to do it. They work constantly on their technique and fundamentals and for those moments. So, a lot of credit to those guys. They did a great job. What’s the biggest challenge of this Chief’s scheme defensively, Spagnolo and his what he does, pressures and everything that comes with that. Probably the volume. Um there’s so much that they do and you don’t know what’s going to what their flavor is going to be that game, but you got to be ready for all of them and undoubtedly there will be a look we didn’t get to see and didn’t practice. So have to adjust to it best we can on the field, talk about on the sideline, be ready for it to come back up, especially if they hit us on it. So definitely volume and just being prepared for all of those things is the biggest thing. I mean, they’re a very disciplined and talented group with great players across the board. So it’s going to be an exciting matchup and great opportunity for us to cut it loose. How about Chris Jones up front, the challenge he brings and what kind of player is he on tape this year? Yeah, I mean I like there’s great players every week and I don’t think too much about any any of them just because I mean I think about them a lot. I shouldn’t say that. I think about them a lot because they’re all great players, but I believe firmly as a group and as an individual, us at our best can defeat anything. So, whatever move I get, if I use my technique, I’ll be in the best I’ll have the best chance to win. Um, they can do a ton of different things uh as individuals, as pass rushers, as runs stoppers, but trusting our technique and fundamentals is how we’re going to continue to grow and win games and play at our highest level. So that’s kind of where my mind lands every week of preparation. It’s what can I do to get better because I know at my best I can beat I can beat everyone. Final one. What makes this Jaguars run game sustainable for the long run? Can you guys do this throughout the season consistently? Yeah, I think we can. I think the reason is because it’s going to continue to evolve. Um, we, like I’ve said before, Liam, Grant, Sean, Cle, um, our entire offensive staff, they are very smart and very good at scheming up what we’re trying to do. And I’ve said this about Liam, too. He’s going to whenever we figure out what we’re best at, we’re going to lean on it. And that’s important because it gives us a ton of confidence. We know we’re going to run everything, but when it’s not cutting time and you need a you need a run, what are you going to call? He’s going to call what we’re feeling. And so he’s adaptable in that way and that gives the offensive line a ton of versatility to just go play and cut it loose.

WR Parker Washington, TE Brenton Strange, RB Travis Etienne Jr. and C Robert Hainsey speak with the media in the locker room following Friday’s practice.

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