Ahead of today’s game against the Denver Broncos, members of the Jaguars spoke to the media. The final person to speak will always hold a special place in my heart. For helping to bring the Super Bowl to Philadelphia, coach Doug Pederson.
Doug Pederson, who has now been involved in 3 London games, said that he really enjoys the trip (to London). He thinks that if you’re an NFL fan, the London games are a great venue. And a great game to be a part of. Jaguars owner Shahid Khan has invested a lot in the London games. They’re important to him, the players and the fans. Coming over to such good Jaguars support is something the players feed off of.
Coach Pederson explained that the last two times he’d been, the teams travelled on Thursday. The Jaguars arrived on Friday. Whilst he thinks it’s important to keep things moving there’s no real right or wrong answer with regards to which day is best to travel. It’s a shock to the system. But the Jaguars have a great team that put everything for the trip together and its seamless and they take over.
I believe that he can definitely get more carries.
Coach Pederson addressing Etienne’s use this week and beyond.
The coach was asked about the running back load now that James Robinson has been traded to the Jets. He responded, “I believe that he can definitely get more carries, more touches but we’ve got a lot of faith in JaMichael (Hasty) and Snoop (Conner, the Jaguars other backs). So it’s a good opportunity for him. We know Travis will get the bulk of the work. But the others have to be ready to go and we’re excited to see them play,”.
Facing Russell Wilson
Facing a question about the issues when playing Russell Wilson coach said that he’d expect him to be close to 100% if he’s on the field. He’s played against him a lot and appreciates his willingness to run and extend plays. He said Wilson plays tough that way. It’s something the defence has got to prepared for. Plus they have to understand that when things break down, Wilson is going to take off and run. He continued to emphasise doing their job. Like defensive backs attaching to a receiver and limiting the amount of yards that he can get if he does scramble.
Asked if anything about Travis Etienne had impressed him that he didn’t expect, he said, ”we know about his athleticism and what he’s done in college and last year but the way he continues to develop and grow every single week. He doesn’t make the same mistake twice and that’s a growth mentality that he has. He’s a hard worker in practice, he wants to get better, he wants to learn, he studies. Those are the things that stand out to me for a young running back. The way he takes care of himself physically once he’s off the field is a big part of that and he does a nice job,”.
Coach was also asked about the play of quarterback Trevor Lawrence. here he said that he’s another one that’s learning their system. He’s growing in the system and is improving. Coach felt that the last couple of weeks he’s prove that. He’s just a great leader in the locker room and on the field and is a great communicator.
Taking the next step in close games
Pederson’s relaxed tone continued when he was asked what advice he’d given to his quarterback about fumbling. He replied jokingly,”Don’t fumble”. He did explain that its something they talk about and work on every week. However, he didn’t want to spend a lot of time talking about turnovers. So that’s all players think about and then they become hesitant on the field. Equally, they’re professionals. They understand we’ve got to take care of the football and we’ve been ok there but we can be better.
There’s no doubt that Doug Pederson’s coaching and leadership have been a huge part of the club’s improvement this year. But the big question remains. Are they ready to turn those close losses into wins?
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