Jaguars Post-Game Quotes (12/28)
Dec 28, 2008, 11:00PM
BALTIMORE RAVENS
(Opening statement)
“I appreciate everyone being here. I am very proud of our football team, proud of our staff, coaches. Let’s start with Rex Ryan as the assistant head coach and work your way all through the staff. I think the guys have done a great job from day one of putting our players in position to be successful and make plays. That’s what our coaches do. We put our players in position to make plays and do the things they do well, well. Something was just mentioned to me, I think our defense is giving up an average of 13 points or less now, after this game, at home. That’s a tremendous accomplishment and a credit to our entire defense.”
(On being able to talk about the playoffs now)
“It means we have a chance to keep playing. That’s a great thing about the NFL – they play for the championship. We’ll have an opportunity to be in the tournament, and we’ll have an opportunity to prove if we’re the best team in the NFL. That’s what we’re going to try to do.”
(On how the team is built and the momentum the team can carry into the playoffs)
“I don’t even know what that means. Momentum is something – I am not sure exactly what that is. What we want to do is carry a really good football team, building into a great football team, forward. If we can do that, then we’ll win games in January. But that’s our responsibility. That’s what we’ll try to get done. It’s going to be meetings, practice, all the little things going forward.”
(On winning on the road and having confidence going into the playoffs)
“We don’t care where we play. Road, wherever. We’re looking forward to it. We’re going to line up, and we’re going to play a football game for 60 minutes. So, wherever they put us, that’s where we’re going.”
(On the play of QB Joe Flacco)
“I think Joe played a winning game. The thing in this game that was so big were the turnovers that we got on defense and got the ball back and field position for our offense – I think field position was a big part of it, and the big plays on offense. Anytime you make big plays on offense, I think Mark Clayton had two huge catches, tough catches. Joe made two great throws. [Derrick Mason] made a big play coming across, I think, on a flea flicker. Those are the kind of plays that make a difference in a game. That gives you a chance to score points.”
(On if he can summarize reasons for the team’s turnaround from a year ago)
“You know, I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t even know where to start on that. I can give you a couple of words. Ed Reed. Ray Lewis. Joe Flacco. The offensive line. Derrick Mason. Where do we stop? Todd Heap. Where do we stop? Rex Ryan. Cam Cameron. Jerry Rosburg. That’s the reason. All those guys collectively coming together as a group of men to form a football team. That’s what they have done a great job of.”
(On how the Ravens were able to stay focused with the possibility of a playoff berth)
“We talked about it before. I know you guys laughed. But we have mighty men. We have a strong bunch of guys. They’re resilient. They’re tough and rough. They come to work every day and they prepare. When you do that, you have a chance to win. It doesn’t guarantee you anything, but you have a chance to come out and play well every week. Even in the games that we haven’t won, our guys have competed that way.”
(On how critical it was to sustain three long touchdown drives)
“It was critical, obviously. It turned the game around. It made the difference in the game. The big plays were a part of that, and we ran the ball well. We protected Joe [Flacco]. That’s what you do. You score points and you answer. The first one was the big one. When we answered their score, that was the one that mattered.”
(On not receiving a Gatorade shower after the win)
“They couldn’t find me. I was moving too fast.”
(On how he showed emotion with owner Steve Bisciotti after the win)
“Did I? I didn’t mean to. I tried not to. I just have a lot of respect for Steve Bisciotti. The players may not always know this, and I think some of the coaches do, but Steve has been an integral part of what we have done from day one going forward. His personality is all over this football team, and he believes in having one another’s backs. He believes in playing for one another, trusting one another, those are his ideals. I think he is looking at a football team where those things are being played out right now. So, I just have a lot of respect for him, and that’s it.”
(On Steve Bisciotti breaking the team huddle before the game)
“Steve stays in the background in everything he does, and he comes out to practice. I think he has a great relationship with the guys. I think Ed [Reed] can attest to that. He relates to our players in one-on-one [situations]. But he doesn’t talk to the guys very often. He broke the team after O.J. [Brigance] spoke. To me it was very fitting. For O.J. to speak to the team with his message – you’ll get his message from the players going forward, but it was right on about moving forward. And Steve summed it up in one word – trust. That’s kind of what our guys have done a great job of. That’s probably the key to our success, if you want to talk about what it is.”
(On Derrick Mason going over 10,000 yards for his career)
“You know, Derrick’s not about numbers, per se. But when you play the way he plays, you’re going to put up numbers. He gained Joe’s confidence right off the bat, because he was there in the offseason. He’s there every single offseason. Here’s a veteran, thirty-something years old, at every single football school workout and every single offseason workout working with the quarterbacks. And then when Joe came in later, [working] with Joe through the preseason. It developed the timing and the trust that gave those guys the chance to put those numbers up.”
(On if he has revisited the mantra of the team)
“No. The mantra has been team, team, team. We try to take care of what’s important now. But to me, those are just sayings. Those are words that define way bigger things than that, and you couldn’t sit here and define what those things are. You talk to the guys, and you see the way they play. Hopefully, you see it out there in those guys.”
(On if people forget how good Mark Clayton is)
“Well, Mark had two huge catches. The one – the ball blew about seven yards to the right, I think, and I don’t know how he tracked that ball. The other one was just skydiving straight down. I don’t know how far Joe threw it, but it was a long way. Those are two tremendous catches. Mark’s had a heck of a year.”
(On if it will help that the team has already played Miami)
“Well, we’ll probably know the hotel, and we’ve been in the locker room before. Beyond that, I don’t know what it means. We know that they’re a very good football team, and we know that they’ve done something that teams that make the playoffs do, they’ve gotten better every single week since that game. So it’s going to be a playoff football game, and it’s going to be a playoff atmosphere against a team that we respect very much. We’re looking forward to going and playing.”
(On if anyone watched the New England game)
“No, we didn’t. I don’t know if any of the players did. I really don’t think they did.”
(On if this win meant anything more, playing on the 50th anniversary of the “Greatest Game Ever Played” with all of the Colts players at the game)
“I guess it did. It was neat to get a chance to visit with those guys last night and see the kind of people they are. We had a chance to talk about it in our meeting last night, because it’s a bunch of guys on a team just like we’re a bunch of guys on a team. That transcends time a little bit. That’s one of the great things about sports and one of the great things about football.”
(On if he thought he could get 105 yards on his 2nd INT)
“Yes, I did. That’s why I pitched it, but you gotta be smart in those situations, the game was over. Glad we got the ball back and kneeled on it.”
(On how he feels to be back in the playoffs after last season)
“Yes, to go from where we went last year to now, to be in the postseason, that’s what you train for in the offseason, that’s what you prepare for in training camp. And that’s what you play the season for – to try to get into the postseason. So, now we’re there, it’s a new season. It’s Miami, I see.”
(On the difference between last year and this year)
“It’s just a new team. We’re a totally new team. We have a totally new coaching staff. The coaching staff did a great job of getting us prepared week in and week out, helping us stay focused, and like I said, it started in training camp. The team came together in training camp. In the offseason training, guys did a great job in just helping each other and being there for each other and just sticking out the whole season, knowing that it’s one team. It’s not just offense, not just defense, not just special teams, it’s all of us together.”
(On how it feels to have an offense that can deliver big plays)
“We always really had an offense, it was just a matter of making plays and putting it together. We’ve got a very calm quarterback in Joe [Flacco], and the offensive line and offensive guys around him that are really good too. So it’s just a bunch of guys playing together and having fun, understanding their responsibilities and doing what they’re supposed to do.”
(On if he has free reign to lateral the ball when he intercepts a pass)
“It’s football. You gotta be smarter, like I said. The situation where the game was over, so I can understand the frustration from the Jacksonville Jaguars, my hats off to those guys. But like I said, I’ve gotta be smarter going forward, in the postseason, those plays will cost you.”
(On if he envisioned himself as a player of the year candidate after his injuries in training camp)
“I never doubted my ability, it was just a matter of playing with my injury. It’s still there. It’s not gone, I’ve just been doing a lot of treatment this year and staying focused and keeping my eyes out for any feeling that I had in training camp that would put me out, and I haven’t had that, so, just moving forward with it, taking it day by day, just feeling it out.”
(On if playing against Miami earlier this year will help)
“Yes and no. It’s a new season. They’re a different team right now, we’re a totally different team at this point. We’re going to go in, look at the film. I’m sure there’s going to be a bunch of new things that they present, so we just have to prepare for those guys this week, go down there and play our best.”
(On winning the 1st playoff game vs. earning the individual accomplishments)
“That’s the only thing that matters to me. Like I said earlier, we’re on a mission. That mission is four more games, and that’s the only thing that matters right now. I could care less about defensive MVP, all that stuff, this is a team. I’ve been playing on a team all my life in this game. I know individual stuff comes, but I can’t do it without my teammates. I can’t do it without the offense scoring or the defensive guys swarming to the ball, knocking the quarterback around. This is a team sport.”
(On how big of a challenge it is knowing you will be on the road)
“We’ve been on the road all season. So, on the road again, here we go. One thing we know about these guys, we love to play football.”
(On how if he feels good about how he’s led the team this season)
“It feels good for all of us a team right now, to come out here… It was up to us, we had to play and we had to win to get into the post season, and we did that, so we’ve got to move on now and get ready for Miami. I think we’re both two different teams at this point from back when we played them earlier in the season, and we’ve got to go in there and prepare this week and get ready to play a pretty good Miami team.”
(On how important it was for the Ravens to get back in the game after going down 7-3)
“We knew Jacksonville was going to come in and fight, and it was up to us to jump on them early and break their spirits. I guess they did a good job of fighting. You go down 7-3, and you’ve just got to go out there, and we knew we were going to be in for a game, so go out there and stick to the fundamentals and do what you’re supposed to do, and before we knew it we looked up and we were up 24-7, so there’s obviously a good feeling. But, it was just doing the simple things the way we should, and you’ve got to credit the offensive line and the receivers for doing a great job, and you know what our backs do.”
(On the three drives where he went 12-13)
“It was a lot of fun. We had guys breaking wide open down the field. And they weren’t just little passes, they were pretty big chunks. And we had a couple of guys make a couple of nice catches. Anytime you’re seeing guys make plays like that it’s a lot of fun to be back there and throwing the ball to them.”
(On if those plays were designed to be big or if they just opened up that way)
“We were trying to get some chunks down field a little bit. I ended up hitting Derrick [Mason] on the sideline, and we didn’t really know if we were going to get him. We thought we might get Todd [Heap] on the seam, but it kind of collapsed on him, and we had Derrick on the sideline, so… I think we were trying to get pretty good chunks on them, and we did, so it was good to see it.”
(On if he has stopped to feel the reality of his situation – being a rookie quarterback in the playoffs)
“Hopefully, I’ll be able to stop and look around and say, ‘Is this real?’ five weeks from now. I haven’t done that yet, and I’m not really planning on doing that until then.”
(On if it helped him to have played in “must win” games in the past)
“We didn’t approach this any differently. We approached this like any other game. It was just as important as any other game was this season. We wanted to go out there and get a win, and that’s what we did as a team. We go out there and play each game the same, and once our heads come up at the end of the game, we see if we won or lost. We’re prepared for this kind of game. We know what kind of team we have, and we all believe in each other. So, all we’ve got to do is go out there and play our game and let things come to us. And that’s what we did today.”
(On if the team knew that New England had won their game)
“Yeah, I think everybody knew, but like I said, we’re just worried about us going out there and winning our game. I saw a couple of the field goals they tried to attempt. I mean, those things were crazy. I’ve never seen anything like that. I wasn’t really paying attention to the game any more than I did any other game any other week, but I saw a couple of the field goals that both those teams tried to attempt, and it was pretty crazy. I guess we’ll be going down to Miami, and I don’t think we’ll have to deal with that, but we’ll see.”
(On the standing ovation he received from the fans when he was up on the SMARTVISION board)
“Yeah, it’s crazy. All that stuff’s just crazy. The way our team has played this year has just been great. We kind of expected the whole time, at least us as a team, we did. We have to go out there and prove to everybody that we’re a playoff team. It’s been great, and now we’ve just got to continue to prove that we’re a Super Bowl team, that we’re the best team in the NFL.”
(On if this is hard work for him)
“I don’t know if I make it look easy, but it’s football, and as long as you trust in the other guys and trust that they’re going to go do the job for you, it’s football. You’ve got to go out there and hold up your end of it, and that’s what we’ve done all year. We’ve been getting better each week, just like we said we wanted to. And I just think everybody is starting to see that, how explosive we’ve become. Mark [Clayton] had a great game today. Todd’s [Heap] really starting to get in for us. Derrick’s [Mason] done a great job for us all year. And we even have some new receivers filling in for us when we need them. We can get as many guys going as we want, and as long as we do that, we’ll be pretty tough in the playoffs.”
(On any added emotion to the game because of the 50th Anniversary of the “Greatest Game Ever Played”)
“It’s cool to see those guys, see that some of those guys still hang around here and associate themselves with Baltimore, that’s pretty neat to just have that kind of loyalty. But, this was basically a playoff game for us, all we were focused on was going out there and winning. I don’t really think the game 50 years ago had anything to do with us going out there and playing today. We were just focused on Jacksonville, and I thought we went out and played well today.”
(On if he can take anything from the first time they played Miami)
“Like I said earlier, I think we’re two different teams at this point. We’ve each been getting better each week as the season’s gone on. We’ll have to go back and look at the film, and see what they look like now. I’m sure they’ll do a good job of preparing, and we’ll do the same. So, it’s going to be a good game, and we can’t wait to get down there.”
(On if it will matter that all the playoff games are on the road)
“Like Ed [Reed] said, obviously, we play eight games on the road and eight at home, but it seems like we’ve been on the road for a little while. But, as long as you go in there and play your game, it’s a football game. It’s not going to faze us to go on the road. I think everybody saw New York [Giants] do it last year, and we believe we can go do the same thing.”
(On the confidence he’s gained from the last two weeks)
“We have confidence in ourselves, and we’ve had confidence in ourselves all year. We always believe that we’re going to step up and come through. We feel good about ourselves, that’s all I can say. I don’t think we’ve necessarily gained any [confidence], just because we’ve been so confident in ourselves throughout the whole year.”
(On if he can compare his comfort level now to Week 1)
“I don’t know… I obviously feel a lot more comfortable as each game goes on. You gain that. I felt like I felt comfortable Day One against Cincinnati, but obviously as the weeks go on, and you’re 17 weeks into the NFL season now, you grow as an offense. It’s just a new offense for all of us on our side of the ball. To grow like we have, it’s been really good to see, and we’re going to try to continue that over the next four weeks.”
(On the team rebounding from the Jaguars’ early lead)
“We kind of all understand that it’s a football game. There are going to be times where we’re not going to be winning the game, and we’d like to keep that from happening. You know, the bottom line is it’s going to happen sometimes, so we all understand that we’ve just got to go out there and keep playing our game, and the game’s going to come to us. That’s what we did today.”
(On the development of Joe Flacco)
“Everyone knows how much of a challenge it is, and for him to be able to rise to that challenge, it’s a testament to his character. Every quarterback, you don’t have to be drafted in the first round, of course, but you have to have potential. They’ve seen something in you on film, the potential to be willing to come in and lead a team. But you know what? Nobody has the great expectations for you to be able to do it your first year, to be able to learn a brand new offensive scheme, to be able to lead a group of guys, maintain your poise, and I’m talking about taking charge out there and being the leader that everybody looks for you to be. For Joe to be able to do that for us this season and do it well is nothing short of amazing.”
(On what this game meant to the Ravens)
“This was a playoff game for us. This wasn’t just finishing up the season or a game that was going to get into the playoffs. This was a playoff game and that level of intensity. We had to treat it as such. We had to come out full-steam ahead and say that we’re not holding back at all. We’re not holding back any of our weapons.”
(On looking at this game as a playoff game)
“That’s the approach we took. That’s the approach you’ve got to take this time of the year. Every game counts. The NFL’s a little different in baseball and basketball where you can take some lumps, and you can be like, ‘oh, it’s ok.’ In the NFL, you better keep winning. Look at the Patriots, they lost one wrong game, 11-5, and aren’t going to the playoffs, that’s tough.”
(On the difference from last year)
“It’s a new year, a new coach, things that you want to bounce your way have bounced your way. You’ve got to look back and say, ‘what’s really going on? We’re catching a lot of breaks. But the good ones are always lucky. That goes hand-in-hand.”
(On this team believing in itself)
“This team started something way back in training camp, and we kind of knew how special this team could be. We looked at every game and said take 60 minutes and at the end of the year and let’s see where we are. For us to be right now where we are—we expected to be here. We didn’t worry about expectations outside of our locker room. The bottom line, we knew what we had inside of our locker room. The only thing we did was present an opportunity for us to now get into the playoffs, and now we are in the playoffs.”
(On playing Miami in the playoffs)
“We kind of talked about it. It didn’t matter who we’d play. The bottom line for us is the same motto all year—just step on the field and play 60 minutes and let’s see if we can play our best football and let’s see what comes out at the end of the game.”
(On the atmosphere in Miami and what it will be)
“I think it will be different because they’ve had a great season, they’ve had a great turnaround coming from last year. Now everything is win or go home. The bottom line is the enthusiasm will be crazy down there, the excitement, just the feel, everything is just going to be crazy down there, so I expect a totally different game.”
(On thinking about if this was his last home game here)
“I would be the most selfish person ever to walk this earth if I thought about myself…and not my team’s being right now. It’s all about my teammates.”
(On how the team won this game)
“It’s always exciting. For us to come out and play a complete 60-minute ball game, that’s what you take your hat off about because this team came out and [did that].”
(On how the Ravens won this year)
“Win, lose or draw, bottom line, we stuck to our plan. For us to stick to the plan the way we stuck to the plan all year, all year, it’s really a show of character, real character on how these guys, no matter what we went through, no matter if it was injuries in the early part of the year, losing half of our secondary, the secondary battled through injuries, you know, whether it was Troy being sick, no matter whatever we had to deal with as a team, we dealt with.
(On Joe Flacco)
“I can’t tell you nothing else about Joe that I haven’t said all year. I’ve been saying this about Joe, everybody else has been wanting to say, ‘he’s just a rookie, he’s just a rookie.’ Joe, to me, is a very mature kid. He’s a guy who understands the game of football, and he understands the game of football and has not changed. If you watch him play enough, that’s what you can appreciate about Joe Flacco.”
(On the fans’ reaction to his picture on the video board late in the game)
“For the last 13 years, these people have been loyal to me. Any time that I can give them something, and they can give me something back, that’s why you play the game.”
(On playing in the playoffs)
“Honestly, I don’t care what the record was or where you finished at. The regular season means nothing right now. The bottom line is you either win or you go home, and when you get in the playoffs, you understand that and as long as you understand that, you don’t worry about no records, no nothing, it’s all 0-0 right now.”
(On how it feels to make the playoffs)
“Good, but we know what we’ve got ahead of us – a four-week stretch. We don’t plan on turning it down at all. We plan on doing what we’ve been doing all season to win the games. We know we’ve got to do it on the road. It’s another hurdle we’ve got to jump over, but we’ve been doing that since before the season. We’ve been through everything, so I feel like it’s going to be a little stretch for us, but we’re about to get the job done.”
(On answering when the Jaguars took a 7-3 lead)
“We knew what we had to do. We feel like when we start fast, that will get the defense going. We started slow. They got a score. But you saw the rest of the game. We just took it to them and pounded them. That’s what we’ve got to do, and we’ll look at film and correct [our mistakes].”
(On the play of the offensive line)
“Dominating. Those guys are great. They’ve been doing it all year. Everybody trusts each other. All across the board, guys did a great job. This is something that’s a plus for this stretch we’re about to make.”
(On making adjustments after the Jaguars’ early touchdown)
“Yeah, we just had to figure out how Maurice [Jones-Drew] was running the ball and get a feel for [David] Garrard because they’re just different kinds of athletes. Especially with Maurice, he’s so short you’ve got to figure out the way he runs the ball. Once we figured that out, we got a lot better and dominated in every sense.”
(On thoughts on playing at Miami to open the playoffs)
“I’m happy. It’s a warm place. Hopefully, it stays warm with no rain. Hopefully, we can do exactly what we did last time.”
(On slowing Jones-Drew)
“Like I said, we just had to get used to the way he runs the ball. Once we figured it out, we dominated in every sense. He’s a great athlete and a great player. He did pretty good against us, but we just had to adjust and make plays.”
(On what it says about the team that they made the playoffs despite injuries and adversity this season)
“Well, we’re built for that kind of season. It would be tough on everybody else, but it’s just right for us. That’s like our motto. We didn’t want [any] excuses, and we just went out there and played whatever cards we were dealt. We just played with them.”
(On whether the varying playoff scenarios were any distraction)
“Not at all. It was actually motivation. What better win than to send the Patriots packing? That was one thing. Whether they got in or not, we just wanted to do our part – get us in first – but then we sent them packing, so it’s pretty good.
(On if he’s thinking at all about being a free agent in the upcoming offseason)
“Not really. It didn’t feel like my last game on the field. The crowd here was amazing tonight. We just went out there tonight, we had fun, and we’re ready to go.”
(On whether having a playoff atmosphere for the final few games has gotten them ready for the playoffs)
“Definitely. You definitely want to get hot at this time of the season, kind of like the Giants did last year. Once you get the wins and start snowballing, you get that familiar feeling, [and] you just tend to play good. So we handled our business. We’re in now. The regular season is gone. It’s on to the postseason.”
(On how these pressure games help a guy like QB Joe Flacco)
“Joe did good. He’s been playing really well. We just hope he doesn’t start playing like a rookie in the playoffs, and we’re going to continue to stand behind him. We’re ready to go into this postseason.”
(On if he is excited for the Dolphins)
“I think they’re more excited for us. We’re two teams happy to get in, and we both want to go on a run.”
(On his role this year)
“I’m the same guy I was at the beginning of the year. I was just here at the right time and the right place. As far as me, I’m still the same guy I was from day one to right now. I’m just growing and learning the defense better. Those are the only things.”
(On his contribution to this defense)
“It feels great to be a part of this defense. Guys like Ray Lewis, Corey Ivy, the D-line, secondary, linebackers. If you only know one thing, you know every guy that’s out there is going to leave it on the field.”
(On when he knew he would start today)
“It was game time.”
(On his feelings about his playing time this season)
“I just want to win, man. All I want to do is beat my man in front of me. The stats I could care less about.”
(On his big day)
“This really was a team game today. It’s really a family mentality, and by any means necessary, making the plays.”
(On if this was one of the best days of his career)
“I don’t know if it was. What would constitute that? I just feel like when I take the field, I try to do my best. Whatever I can do, catching balls, converting third downs, whatever it is.”
(On if he feels overlooked next to Derrick Mason)
“That’s fine. That’s who we are offensively – a group of guys who make plays. Guys to the left, guys to the right, in the middle, in the backfield, everybody’s contributing.”
(On his acrobatic catch)
“As a pro, we work a lot on fundamentals. Catching the ball is all eyes, really. All in tracking the ball. It’s all fundamentals, and our coaching staff does a really good job preaching that and letting the receivers catch balls with their eyes.”
(On Derrick Mason reaching 10,000 receiving yards)
“That was awesome. He’s meant so much to me. He’s a class guy. Nobody deserves it more. That felt good.”
(On how the team has grown this year)
“We started this back in the summer. We couldn’t see it at first. We went through two-a-days. We kept fighting as a team, learned to trust one another, and learned to have one another’s back. It’s been paying off throughout the whole season. We just continue to lean on one another.”
(On if it was special to win in front of the home crowd)
“Yes. I hope we get an opportunity to play back here at home again. But we’ll see what the future holds for us. We’ll regroup and keep improving as a team. In our mind, we’ve got four games left. This is a four game tournament. We believe we’ve got four games left. We’ll see what’s in the cards.”
(On the next opponent being Miami)
“I’ll guarantee you they’re a much better team then they were earlier this season. Much better. They were a hard team the first time, they’re much better now. We’re going to enjoy this one. But when it comes to playoff time, you can’t enjoy it for long. We have to go right back in tomorrow, watch film and get ready for the Miami Dolphins.”
(On the playoff atmosphere the past two games and if it helped)
“I think it did. The younger guys were not used to it. The last two games were playoffs to get into the playoffs. These young guys understand now what that feels like. Now we have to fight and lean on one another and to play the way we know how to play.”
(On Joe Flacco leading the team this year)
“I think he’s done a phenomenal job. He had to become the starter the first game of the season. Joe’s never looked back. I think he’s gotten better with each game, and each snap. He’s had his bumps, but he’s the type of quarterback that learns from that.”
(On reaching the 10,000 receiving yards mark)
“It feels great. Not too many people get to 10,000 yards, not even many greats. You put yourself in an elite class when you eclipse 10,000 yards. Rice, Harrison, Carter, people like that. You put yourself in a class that not too many are in right now. But we’ve still got four games left, and I’ll deal with the 10,000 yards after the season. I’ll look back and realize how great it was.”
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
HEAD COACH JACK DEL RIO
(Opening statement)
“We finished up a long, tough year. Obviously, the game didn’t go the way we would have liked. Turning the ball over and not generating turnovers. It’s not all bad as I talked to the team about it just now. It’s not all bad, but it’s not good enough to feel good about it. We’ll collect ourselves, and we will go through our evaluations and all that and look forward to 2009. 2008 is in the books. I think there are a lot of different things we can pull out of this season. We’ll look at some of it, the positives and the negatives, to make sure that we are learning the lessons that are to be learned there and move forward with resolve and determination to get back into the postseason, which is ultimately what we are about. Our job is to get into the postseason and fight for a world championship. We didn’t get it done this year. We will learn the lessons that need to be learned and move on and look to get into the postseason next year.”
(On the turning point of the game)
“They pulled away in the second quarter. That’s where they were able to score a few touchdowns on us, ended up with a short field a couple of times, made some big plays and took control of the game. We gave ourselves opportunities to continue to possess the ball, and we get down. It looked like we were going to generate some points and get back in it and again, Ed [Reed] had 2 interceptions, and they had 2 forced fumbles that they took away on the night. They took the ball away from us 4 times. If you’re giving the ball away and not getting it back, it’s very difficult to win at this level. They did a nice job. They have a good football team, and they did a nice job.”
(On the positives of the season)
“We’ll have time to get into that and talk. Let’s talk about this game, and I am sure we will have a wrap up meeting and conference to talk about that.”
(On the concern on how the game got away)
“It was a good effort. I saw that in all four quarters. The guys fought hard. They’ve got a proud running game. Their lead back averages 2.8 per carry throughout the game. We were fighting and working. We gave up some plays that allowed them to take control of the game in the second quarter. Really, if you look at our season, it has really been like that pretty much this year. We played well in spurts, but we have not done enough to sit here and be happy as we close out the season.”
(On the series with several penalties)
“I think we had seven total penalties in the game and four of them came on consecutive plays there in that one series. That’s part of what they are capable of in terms of disruption. I thought for the most part, our offense came in here and executed without those types of penalties. Both teams were not penalized very much. It was a clean game from that standpoint.”
(On the play of QB David Garrard)
“I think David is a good quarterback. Obviously, you want to throw touchdowns and not interceptions. Our job is to coach him up and help him be as strong as possible. I thought he battled hard all year. I think there are some things that he will do better going forward and some things he did very well. I think he is a good football player for our football team. As the quarterback and head coach, we understand that we are going to get the criticism when we don’t get the wins.”
(On Ed Reed’s interception in the red zone)
“It was a little bit of a crossing route. Ed Reed came down and cut across and got in the passing lane and made a nice play. He’s a good football player. Ed Reed is a special player. He ended up cutting one guy and intercepting a pass that was probably intended for the other guy. He is an aware football player. He made a nice play.”
(On the importance of effort and its impact on the integrity of the NFL)
“I think it’s important for every team to take care of their own business.”
RB MAURICE JONES-DREW
(General statement)
“I think we played well. Obviously, we had turnovers, but we did some great things a lot of people didn’t think we could do. We ran the ball well and we were driving. We just had turnovers that we have to correct. I think this offseason what we need to do is everyone needs to be critical of themselves. I am definitely going to be critical of myself and see what I have to focus on and come back next year and be better. I think if everyone does that, we will be a better team and learn how to play together. We’ll be alright.”
(On his fumble)
“I had the ball in the wrong hand. That’s all it was – Pop Warner football. You run to the right, put the ball in the right, and I had it in my left. He did a good job of getting to it and popping the ball out. It was my fault. The offensive line did a good job of blocking, and I have to be more careful with the ball.”
(On how frustrating the season has been)
“It’s been frustrating at times, but this isn’t my first losing season. In college, I was in two [losing seasons] and here, it is my first one. You just learn so much about the guys you play with, and I think the guys fought hard and a lot of people thought we were going to quit. We just kept fighting hard. Sometimes, the ball doesn’t bounce your way. We just have to get better and remember this and look back at it and see what we did here and know we have to fix it.”
QB DAVID GARRARD
(On the way the season went)
“We are all going to have to go back and learn from this season. We are all disappointed. I know that for sure.”
(On what happens next)
“We all probably feel the need to get away. We have to take some time to get our bodies rejuvenated and get our minds cleared up. I know we are disappointed, but we need to look forward and work hard in the off-season. We need to come back hungry and play better next season.”
(On possible changes within the organization)
“We all hate it, but it’s part of the game. When you don’t win, changes are going to be made. That’s how it goes in the NFL. I was here with another coaching staff and then they were gone. You just have to accept the changes and adjust. Hopefully, some of the new people will come in here, and they will make us a better team.”
DT JOHN HENDERSON
(On the Ravens’ offense)
“They had a couple trick plays here and there. They got up on us, and that’s about it.”
(On the defense pressing to force turnovers)
“I believe we did a lot of that. They still had their plays, but our defense did a good job. It just didn’t turn out the way we wanted.”
(On going into next year)
“We’re going to be ready, and we’re going to come back and be better.”
LB JUSTIN DURANT
(On the game)
“It was a tough one. We came down with the attitude that we were going to come out and start playing. We were going to be physical with them. We started out pretty good, but the game kind of got away from us. We gave up some big plays and some things that weren’t characteristic, and it didn’t end up the way we wanted.”
(On the Ravens’ gadget plays)
“A couple of them worked. They hit us with the quarterback throwback, which was a good one. It caught us off-balance, but we had prepared for it. We had a defense set up for it and everything. It just didn’t work out. We didn’t execute.”
(On going forward into next year)
“I feel good. We’ve got some great players here. We still have the same foundation as last year’s team. We just didn’t execute. We didn’t do some things right at times, but we still have the same players. I’m real confident.”
DT REGGIE HAYWARD
(On the matchup with the Ravens)
“It was a good game for Baltimore. They played well on offense and defense. That’s the type of game they needed to play going into the playoffs. Your last performance at home, you’ve got to come out with some energy. You’ve got to play hard. You’ve got to take that into the playoffs. My hat’s off to them for playing a good game.”
(On the lack of pressure on the Ravens’ quarterback)
“They do a lot of things where they max protect, and they had two-man routes. So it’s one of those things where you know you’re going to have your hands full, as far as trying to get the quarterback, because they have so many individuals in there blocking.”
(On the Ravens’ trick plays)
“We knew they had gadget plays. We practiced them. You can only react to them when they do it. They had a couple of gadget plays, and they got the better of us. What can you do? All you can do is line up and get ready for another snap.”
LB MIKE PETERSON
(On the season)
“This summed it up. That’s been the story. The good thing about it, though, the guys in this locker room – I know you all wrote us off early with everything that had happened – but these guys never quit. You can say whatever you want to say about us, but you never saw anybody in this locker room quit. We fought until the end. A lot of those games we lost, we lost at the end of the game – a play here, or a play there. So with that being said, the year didn’t go the way we wanted it to go, but you learn a lot about the guys. I think the coaching staff learned a lot about a lot of guys, and they learned a lot about the coaches, also.”
(On the positives of the year)
“The guys never quit. When you know the guy beside you isn’t going to quit, that’s not a given. You don’t find that across the league. Guys start to worry own their own self and try not to do this and try not to do that.”
(On the second half)
“That was real tough. Probably even tougher because I know that will probably be my last time with a lot of those guys out there. But I will say this, I told them in the huddle, ‘Don’t quit on me.’ Not one guy in that huddle even thought about quitting. It was tough to run on us late in the year, but it wasn’t a matter of somebody quitting or giving up. I’m walking around thanking guys for that and not quitting on me in my last game playing with the Jaguars, if it is my last game.”
WR DENNIS NORTHCUTT
(On the way the game went after the Jaguars took a 7-3 lead)
“We are not a bad football team, but we played bad football at times. That’s what happened to us today. When you play bad football, good teams like the Ravens take advantage of it, and you know you are in trouble. This game was typical of how the season went for us. We had the same problems today that we have had all year.”
(On the Ravens’ defense)
“This is the same way the Ravens have always played. They hit you hard. They play great defense, and they try to get into your head. I’ve been playing against them for years and this has always been their style. It’s worked for them because they’re going to the playoffs.”
(On the Jaguars’ future)
“There’s a lot of talent on this team. We have to have the confidence that the front office and coaches will do whatever they can to help us get better. Hopefully, they can make some moves to bring in players that can help us. At the same time, each of us needs to take it upon himself to work hard in the offseason and get better through individual training. The offseason is the time to improve and get better and everyone in this room needs to do that. For my part, I know I will focus on getting better and coming back a better player.”
