Jaguars Players Talk Prep for Week 11 Matchup vs. Chargers | Jacksonville Jaguars

Jaguars Players Talk Prep for Week 11 Matchup vs. Chargers | Jacksonville Jaguars

Uh getting better day by day. Uh steady progressing. Uh just trying to feel the best as I can. Uh just steady getting better day by day, though. Is it tough to kind of handle the emotions these past couple of weeks? I mean, three of the last four haven’t exactly gone you guys’ way, plus the injury popping up for you. Uh I mean, you just got to That’s part of football, though. You got to stay focused, stay uh stay just positive. Uh take all the the good things from it. and uh just find ways to get better from each and everything. That’s what I that’s how I feel. That’s how I’ve been uh trying to approach this. How how weird was it just taking in the game from the sideline, you know, not not being in it? Uh it was very weird for me just cuz I mean that was my first one I missed. So just being able to not like be out there playing and helping the team out or just trying to help the team out. Uh it was very weird for me having to watch it on TV. Yeah. But uh I mean I’m happy for them. Uh just proud of the way they fought. uh even though they didn’t have the outcome that they uh that they wanted, I feel like they fought hard and uh feel like they gave it their all. What’s what’s your Kobe been like getting to know him so far? Uh it’s been super cool just getting to know him uh from the little time I mean he’s been here. Uh we’ve been had a couple conversations, just talked a little bit. Um but it’s been super cool just getting to know him and getting to uh getting be in the same room as him. Brian, what do you see Parker uh to do what he’s been able to do these last few weeks this year and make the plays he’s making? You said, “What have I seen out of him?” Yeah. Why do you think he’s making the plays he’s making? Why? Uh just the way he practices. I mean, that’s Parker being Parker. I mean, even he did a little bit. You saw little glimpses of it last year. Uh but him just getting more of the more opportunities. He’s been able to go out there and show more of what he can do. So, uh I mean, it’s nothing new to us in the locker room. Uh for sure. Uh that’s just Parker being Parker. That’s what I think. How good was that catch? Oh, it was it was great. Uh I was I was on the game but I was watching the game at the same time and I think I ended up like jumping up almost almost knocking my desk my game over. So uh yeah it was super uh super cool. That was super good catch for sure. When you were in you college were you watching in a lot of NFL games? Did you watch the playoff game the Chargers and the Jags? Do you remember seeing that one at all? No I don’t I don’t I don’t recall that. I don’t I don’t know if I was watching that. No, I don’t remember that one though. What’s what’s the message this week? You guys got eight games to go. Seven seed right now. There’s a lot of football important football ahead. Just take it uh day by day. Take it one game at a time. Uh we don’t really try to look that far ahead of things. Just take it day by day and uh just come out here, get better each and every day. Do the things that we need to focus on. Clean up the things that we messed up last week and uh just get better. That’s that was that was our focus for sure. Said he talked to Trevor and the message was, “Hey, just kind of cut it loose, let it rip.” Would that really just kind of apply to everybody offensively just to kind of get things rolling a little bit better? Yeah, I would say that applies to everybody on the team. Just go out there, cut it loose. Uh just play fast. Play uh play uh play fast and play free. Just try not to think about uh what like what try not to think as much as we have been probably. I know me for sure. Uh and some of the other people just try not to think as much. Just go out there, play fast, and play free and just be out there and just having fun. I would say that’s probably the biggest thing. Easier said than done though. a little bit like when you you admit like when you’re thinking too much. Is it hard to just stop thinking? Uh it can be if you let it if you let it if you let it. Uh but I feel like you just got to go out there and just do it. Just try not to be like try to have your mind on each and every play. Just go out there and focus on one play at a time. Just tell yourself just go one play at a time, one rep at a time. Uh lock in for this play and then after this play, lock in for the next play. Focus and refocus is what I like to try tell myself. Uh, but yeah, I would say I mean it can be hard if you let it, but you just got to go out there and tell yourself to focus and then refocus after the next play. It it makes me excited to be a part of the run game for sure and just I think it inspires everyone on the team as well. You know, you got a guy out there that’s going to try to run through people and try to consistently break tackles. I think that inspires the rest of the offense to do the same. I know I know they have to see something out of you this week or as you progress. What do you have to see out of yourself? I put full trust into them. Uh, I mean, obviously I’ll know when I’m ready to go, but I put full trust into them. Whatever they say, I got faith in them. Uh, I trust in them and I know that they have a plan for me. So, has it been a long month and change? Man, it’s been a long month. You know, I I love this. This is what I do. I really don’t do much outside of this at all. So, this is all I know. And not being able to play a sport. I haven’t missed many games ever in my career. And it’s just been tough mentally, but I’m I’m almost back and I’m ready to go. There’s a lot of noise outside this building, but there’s a lot of important football ahead for this team, right? Everything’s still out there, right? Yeah, for sure. And I mean, to me, the noise outside the building never matters. I think it only matters what goes on in this locker room and what our coaches, administration, and staff say. So, uh, I think that’s the most important thing is just what goes on in this building and how we’re holding up in this building. I don’t I don’t really care about the outside stuff. when you’re watching some of this go uh right now, when you watch Parker Washington play, what do you what do you think as you’re seeing him make plays? I think that’s what he’s done his whole entire career. I think that that’s what he’s always showed. You know, I’ve played with Parker for we’ve been here for three years now. We played at Penn State for three years, so six years, you know. Uh Parker’s a great player and he always works hard and he consistently comes out here and shows it. So, I’m just happy he’s going to do his thing cuz he’s more than capable including Morris here. Um, you got your fellow tight ends that are happy to see you get back rolling. Uh, what does that mean to you? It means everything, man. Those guys, I got unlimited love and support for those guys. I know that they always got my back no matter what. So, I got their back whenever they need anything, man. Anything, you know. Do you feel like this team a little on offense is missing your edge and what you provide? Uh, I wouldn’t say that. I mean, I I don’t think I don’t think that it’s a good thing that I’m out, you know. Uh but I I wouldn’t say that. I would say that we’re a few plays off every single game. You know, we had a big lead last game. Uh won the game before and uh you know, I just I just think it’s a few plays here and there and those ultimately decide every football game and you don’t know which plays those are. So, uh, the ball hasn’t ran our way the last couple of weeks and I think I’m just I’m ready to put some put some of myself into that and and be able to be a part of that and get it rolling our way. What’s this week like for you, for family, for all of this now that’s surrounding your locker? A little different. Um, honestly, it’s just kind of a normal week. Um, just show up and and give the defense the best look I can. See my dad this weekend and then get back to work. I mean, is it cool to, you know, have two brothers playing on an NFL field or being a part of NFL organizations? I mean, is that does that register with you at all? Yeah, I mean, it’s it’s awesome. Um, I think we kind of take for granted sometimes looking at him and being like, oh, he’s been in the league for five or six years, whatever. And I think it’s a big accomplishment. So, I think it’s really cool. Where were you on the playoff night? Um, where this city obviously will celebrate it. Probably not one of Justin’s favorites. Yeah. Where was I? Probably just in my basement watching it with my friends. Um I don’t remember exactly, but yeah, I remember that game. When you signed here, did you know you playing? Um not. I I mean, I really didn’t look at the schedule, so that really wasn’t something I was too worried about. When’s the last time you guys played on opposite teams? I don’t think we’ve ever played on opposite team. Um, even his backyard picks. Oh, yeah. I mean, maybe something like that. Maybe maybe in like fifth grade. Okay. Something like that. Uh, maybe like wreck basketball. Okay. That might have been basketball a little bit more recently. Who gets the best better of who? I think it depends. Um, you know, growing up he is a little bit older, a little bit more mature, so I think he he’d usually take it. Um, recently we’re not too competitive. Now he’s got a little little football season to get ready for. How how much does he has he advised you on your journey even though it’s different? But does he give you a lot of brotherly advice there? Yeah, I mean he’s there when I need it. Um if I have questions for him, he’s always there. Um but besides that, I think it’s kind of my journey. Uh memories, uh just excitement really. uh just the way we fought back, the way that we just stayed in the whole game and um just the emotion we played with. I feel like uh it was just really good to win that game. Uh this is my first ever playoff win, my only playoff win. So I just excited for that and uh just understand that definitely not going to win this game. You know, they’re a whole different team now, different coaches, different mentalities. So we got to put that behind us and just go out there and uh be focused on one play at a time. Fourth down. Yeah. You still remember it? Yeah. That doesn’t stick out in your mind? No, I mean I wish I would have scored. That’s what that’s what I’m thinking about. It was It was a first down. Wish it would have been a touchdown. Then it probably would have stuck out a little more. But I set up for a field goal. So grateful for that moment. One of the biggest plays you ever made. No, here here here. I mean, and in my mind, no. I feel like it was a first down. I was looking for touchdowns. You feel me? I It was It was a good play. I feel like uh it was excited. It was a playoff game, so I feel like just the magnitude of it. Just the the time that it came, it kind of makes it a great play. But um I I’m grateful coach put it in my hands at the end of the game. You know, very grateful for that. But uh at the end of the day, it was first down. I feel like that’s way behind us. We trying to make more great plays now. You know, what’s interesting about that game is obviously you guys handled adversity and came back. How how much is this a proving point this game coming off that fourth quarter Sunday? tell you about what this team’s made of the most? Uh yeah. No, the message this weekend is about how you going to respond, you know. Um just uh just going through we went through last game and just it’s funny you brought up the Chargers game. Now I truly been on both uh sides of that spectrum, you know. Uh definitely much better been on the other side of it. But um we just got to find the ways to finish. Just uh but I feel it starts with our mindset. And I feel like just um locking in, understanding, understanding what’s at stake. Understand that it’s a four quarter game, 60 minutes, man. It’s the NFL. Nobody’s going to lay down and give you anything. So we got to go out there and take things. I feel like it just starts with our mindset and just the way that we approach the game and and just go out there and play for each other. Play with a little love, more passion, more energy, and uh we’ll be fine. What do you remember about the way Trevor played the second half of that 22 season? Just how good he was and how he rebounded from that first half of the season. Like you talking about the season 22? Yeah, in the second half he was really rolling. What do you remember about the way he played then? Uh man, I’m trying I’m trying to think about what happened on 22. That that’s when was the playoff day? Yeah. Yeah. Y’all beat Dallas. You beat the Raiders. Ralli beat the Ravens. Raven was his best stretch of football. Yeah. No, I just feel like we playing as a team. We was just playing complimentary football. I feel like Trev, he was just locked in. He was just playing free. Uh just playing for the love of the game, you know. Um I mean, we just got to find a way to find our joy. I feel like often times in the league, uh you got to block out the outside noise. I mean, uh it could become a distraction at times and uh you just got to just block out the outside noise and truly know that it’s about us in the locker room and we the ones that care. We’re the one putting the work in each and every day. And long as we continue to do that and keep continue to approach it each and every day with the mindset of getting better, we’ll be fine. Is it tougher to do that this week given the way that that one ended? Nah, I feel like whenever you coming off something like that, it should be easier for you to focus because you’re trying to get that bad taste out of your mouth. So, if you’re not locked in the fight uh for this one, what what are you doing? Um we’re professionals. uh we got to find ways to get back to uh being our best self and be able we we should want to show the world who we is each and every Sunday and I feel like that wasn’t a representation of us but only way we can get past that is is proving who we are this Sunday. You said Trevor was playing free when all that was going on. Were you like okay this is Clemson Trevor what I saw at Clemson every week. Nah, I really meant college. Nah, college was when I look back on college. It feel like we realized they’re playing high school ball when you get to the league because it just so much different. And man, when you get to NFL, you just got to understand there’s guys on the other side of the ball making millions of dollars to play this game, too. So, I don’t like apples and oranges, man. College was a time of his own. Time of itself. I mean, I go out there, bust a 90 yard run every other play. That it ain’t happening here, you know? Uh, so you got to be just more focused, more dialed in, more locked, and just understanding like you got to understand football a little bit more. Like just um just here in the league, it’s all about getting that first down. All about just maneuvering down the field the best way you can and then and then making the most out of the red zone opportunities. um knowing when you got good teams with great defenses and uh a good offense, field goal is not going to win the game for you. So, the more we can do a better job of coming with touchdowns in the red zone, the better off we’ll be as a team. Liam Liam said today like he’s just got to let it rip in spots and play free. Uh but you and him and some others have been through three different coaches, a lot of different position coaches, a lot of different schemes. Is that easier said than done when you’ve been trained multiple ways to and you know multiple rules, multiple principles? Is it do you wrestle with that sometimes I guess too? I mean, nah, not really because uh I feel like uh nah. I feel like you can’t use that as an excuse. Uh being a professional, man, we we get paid to do this. This is what I get paid to do, man. If I’m out here struggling to get a read, a zone or something like that, then next man up. So for me, I kind of just try to just get rid of all the all the other stuff that I learned, all the other teachings, and just I’ll be coachable, but just be in the moment, be present, just understand what my coaches want from me and understand what I want for myself. And uh I feel like But I mean, for others, it’s harder, you know? It it’s it’s different for everybody. Uh for me, it’s kind of easy just to to go forward and uh just push forward and just keep doing like the right things and uh just being able to be understanding and and at times I still I I still struggle like uh last game I know was a run um we called the mid zone to where I had like a little inch of space and I thought I could just squeeze through, you know, and when in reality I got to just press to cut up. Uh it may like it’s a small thing during the game, but it’s really just understanding uh the process over the results and uh just understanding football and just doing my job each and every play. What can you do to get this pass rush going? Do what’s called, you know, uh do what’s called. How taking us back to the last time the Chargers were here? Pretty big win. And uh what were some some of your memories of that of that game? Winning uh kicking that last field goal and you know winning a playoff game. What a great experience in front of our home crowd and uh knowing that next week we play against the Kansas City Chiefs. So uh huge win and uh yeah. Is this a good test this week of maybe the culture and the character and everything of how to kind of bounce back of the way that way the way that it ended? 100%. Um I think we’re playing against a good team offensively, defensively. I know they have some key injuries, especially on the offensive line. Uh but they also have a good generational young talent talented quarterback uh running a young running back who’s been running the ball really well. Um, and I think that’s what they’re going to lean on. And, uh, Justin does a good job on, you know, making plays on his feet and making the right throws. Good receivers, too. So, balanced offense, but they also have a good defense who can, you know, affect the passer who can stop the run and, you know, who has playmakers at each level as well. So, and they have a good special teams as well now that, you know, do my one once a week special teams meeting and I know that they’re pretty good. So, we put them in there. Josh, what do you remember about the way Trevor played in the second half of that 2022 season and into that playoff game? Just how was he, you know, he was really rolling in that second? Yeah, I mean, he played the game that Trevor Trevor is capable of playing every week and uh we needed him to to step up like every week and he did exactly what the coaches called and what what we needed at those particular moments and he delivered on every play that needed to be delivered on and guys made a lot of plays as well. Um, and coach called a heck of a game for getting guys wide open and uh, you know, we need to continue to do that, I guess. Is is that the biggest thing that missing right now is like the every week part? I mean, you guys obviously there’s flashes and things, but I mean, the the consistency of of of making plays. I think I think it comes I think it’s a lot I think it comes a little bit more than just making a play. I think it’s, you know, guys being on the same page in a good way. You know, I think when you hear a lot of guys being got to be, we got to be on the same page. It’s in a negative notion or a notion of, you know, growth. I think it’s it’s a notion of grace. You know, if we all understand that, you know, we’re on the same page every single play, which means we have to know what’s happening every single play and play with anticipation and play with awareness that’s going to allow us to play. So, I think we see it as a, you know, room to grow. We have a lot of young guys, uh, that’s playing and, you know, a lot of guys, you know, we all need to step up and that’s play calling, that’s playing, that’s coaching, you know what I’m saying? I think all that ties in together and once we all level up on that and understand that, keep understanding that value, I think it uh, we’ll find opportunities that we need to play at a high level every single play. Do you did that sting a little extra than a normal 24-hour sting? Uh, you know, you don’t want to lose to Houston. You don’t want to lose a divisional game. Uh, especially when the game was had that many uh implications on it. Uh, that’s a game that’s a game that stings a little bit more, but it’s also a game you got to realize that you have another opportunity next week. And so, we dwell on that. I think that Monday coming into the game, coming into the week was a self-reflection on what we need to do, you know, what we need to communicate better in. Um, that’s everybody understand that, recognize that and okay, let it go and move on. I think that was probably the biggest piece that I think we kind of all got as a team and super focused on this week and letting things play out the way they’re supposed to be. What’s the best what stands out the most about Herbert and the way he goes about his business on offense? Like what does he do well in the pocket? He can run the ball. Say way he goes about his business. I don’t know. Uh um you know again he’s a talented young quarterback. Well I think he came in right after me. So damn. So I can’t Is he still young? Am I young? I don’t know. Well, he’s a talented quarterback in this league. Um who’s super athletic. uh who can, you know, if if we’re not fundamentally sound up front, he can escape immediately, especially if we have a lot of man uh coverage in the back end, who can see that and who’s comfortable doing that and making those plays. Uh so we got to be aware of that. Um and then the throws, you know, obviously you see the deep balls, you see, you know, the receivers that they have that can take the top off of any defense if we’re not playing with the right communications or playing with the right leverage. Um, so this is a game where we have to be mindful of him each and every play um, up front and in the back end. So we can kind of understand what he likes to do in each situation, do what he doesn’t like to do coach wise so we can call plays to trick him up. you know, we’ll uh we’ll do what we do best, and that’s, you know, play good sound football, get back to playing good sound football, taking the ball away, uh generating pressure that eventually turned into sacks, which we need, and giving the ball back to our offense and scoring points. He He’s been really willing to take off and run the last couple years, especially. How does that kind of affect the defense and production when you got a quarterback just willing to do that? Just got to understand rush lanes and kind of understand like when he when does he like to scramble. Obviously, you know, everybody wants to win a one-on-one. You only get probably one oneonone against a fourman fourman rush when it’s against five people. So, we have to all understand that and all rush with that knowledge of escape planes. Escape planes. If we’re playing, if we have playing zone, we can be we can be a little bit more fluent in the rush. But if we have man in the back end, as soon as he sees everybody’s back turning, he got a open B gap, step up lane right there, you know, go make go get about 10 yards, get a first down, and he’s done a heck of a job at that. So, um, but we we understand that, we know it, and we got to can’t let him do it, obviously. Thank you guys.

WR Brian Thomas Jr., TE Brenton Strange, TE Patrick Herbert, RB Travis Etienne Jr., DE Josh Hines-Allen, speak with the media in the locker room following Wednesday’s practice as the team prepares for Week 11 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers.

✅ SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/4nCLsEt
🐆TICKETS: https://bit.ly/49FKR1h

FOLLOW US

INSTAGRAM: http://www.instagram.com/jaguars
X: http://www.x.com/jaguars
TIK TOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@jaguars?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
THREADS: https://www.threads.net/@jaguars?hl=en
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/JacksonvilleJaguars

#DUUUVAL #JacksonvilleJaguars #Jaguars #NFL