HEAD COACH JESSE MINTER
Opening Statement: "All right, [it was] a good Friday for us. [It's an] exciting opportunity for our team. [It's] just a chance to play a really good team in a really good environment, one we're really excited about. I've just been happy and proud of the way our team has responded this week with the preparation and the work. We do think we'll have Lamar [Jackson] this week, so you can go ahead and put that out there. I'm excited about that. He's had a really good week of practice. It'll probably end up showing [on the injury report] that he was full in all three days, so [we are] excited about that opportunity for him to be back out. Again, a credit to him and the work that he put in dealing with an injury, putting himself in position to be back. So, that's obviously exciting for our team, and [I'll] open up for questions."
We talked to QB Lamar Jackson last week, and he emphasized how he wants to be Lamar Jackson when he gets out there. Do you expect to see him look like his usual self? (Cordell Woodland) "Yes, I think he'll look like Lamar Jackson. Again, I think he's just done such a good job dealing with the injury and doing things to help it get better and get better and get better. I think now he'll be in a position to be able to play Lamar Jackson football."
QB Lamar Jackson had talked about not wanting to be a statue. That will not be the case this week? (Jerry Coleman) "I think we'll see a great version of Lamar [Jackson]."
What does that do for the group? Just obviously, we know QB Lamar Jackson's ability, all that kind of stuff, but just from an energy standpoint – I know that's something that he brings. (Brian Wacker) "Look, it's your starting quarterback. It's a guy that's meant a ton to the organization and a ton to the league in general, and just with [Lamar Jackson]'s success and obviously the type of player that he is, that would give any team, I think, a jolt like that. We're excited about that opportunity. Again, there doesn't need to be like this 'crutch' of Lamar, even though we know how great of a player he is. So, it's finding that balance. But I thought 'Snoop' [Tyler Huntley] over the last three games put us in position to be successful in a majority of those games, just looking back at it. So, credit to him, but again, exciting certainly to have Lamar back."
Do you think we'll see G Vega Ioane playing Sunday night? (Cordell Woodland) "To [Vega Ioane]'s credit, he's put in some work to potentially have that. We'll figure that out over the next couple hours, and the injury report will show. But again, credit to him for just trying everything to be able to get back."
Is it too premature to rule out S Jaylinn Hawkins? (Jonas Shaffer) "'Hawk' [Jaylinn Hawkins] will be out this week."
QB LAMAR JACKSON
Head coach Jesse Minter told us the plan is for you to be out there in Buffalo. What are the feelings for you after three weeks of not being able to play, getting out there on Sunday? (Jamison Hensley) "[I'm] excited. I'm always excited when I'm able to be back on the field with my guys, man. [I want to] put us in the win column [and] help us get another dub. That's what I'm ready to do."
It was a week ago when you stood up here and said you can't go out there if you're going to be a statue. How would you say how you feel from a week ago? Do you feel like you're no longer a statue? (Jerry Coleman) "I feel like I'm no longer a statue. I'm able to move around a little better, so I can give it a shot."
How does it feel though, compared to a week ago? Is it like night and day? (Jerry Coleman) "I mean, it's better."
What is the sense of urgency just as a team to get back on track over these next few games? (Cordell Woodland) "The sense of urgency is extremely high. The divisional game didn't go the way we wanted to last week, [but] guys [have] just been hitting the ground running. [We are] just trying to get back to where we should be [in] all phases; special teams, defense and offense."
How have the past three and a half, four weeks been for you, not being able to be out there? What was that experience like? (Brian Wacker) "It's tough. Even [when we are] winning the games, it's tough, because I want to play. But I had to sit to the sideline just because of my ankle, that we all [saw in the] Tennessee [Titans] game. Unfortunately, I had to sit down for three weeks, but I'm back now. I'm not dwelling on it."
Do you care at all how fans react when you're out, and whatever reports come out during that time about whatever the injury is and the timeline? Do you see that stuff? Does that matter to you at all? (Cordell Woodland) "Oh, I see it. Of course I see it – because I'm tagged in it though, not because I go searching for it. They literally tag me and say whatever they say. But at the end of the day, people [are] going to always say what they [are] going to say. I'm going to always play football."
What do you say to the people that may have second-guessed whether or not you play injured? (Jerry Coleman) "Why would you second-guess me?"
What prompted you to have that reply on TikTok the other day? (Brian Wacker) "I liked what he said, comparing me to a Lamborghini and stuff like that. I liked that, for sure."
Could you take us through what Saturday was like for you this past weekend? I think we all expected to see you kind of give it a chance in the pregame warmups on Sunday, but then you were ruled out Saturday afternoon. (Jonas Shaffer) "I woke up [and] my ankle was swollen, so that pretty much just did it right there. [It was] the swelling getting back into it. I feel like it would have been hard for me to make a decision on the day of the game with that happening, reoccurring, so that's what it was."
What about going up against the Buffalo Bills? The last couple times it's been close and hasn't gone your way. What about facing this team again? What does it mean for you and this team? I mean, they've lost two in a row with you not being out there, and now you get a chance to maybe turn things around with a win on Sunday? (Jerry Coleman) "At the end of the day, it's a team game, so we have to all do our 1-of-11 to get us back in the win column, because that's a great team who we're facing this Sunday. I believe their defense is pretty good; their offense is pretty good [and] special teams is pretty good. We've got to go in Buffalo ready to play, because I know those guys are going to be ready."
Do you look at the Bills as one of your chief rivals with the history you've had? (Jerry Coleman) "Every team is a rival. We play the same teams each and every year. We might not play them the year after, but we eventually see each other again, so I look at every team as a rival."
The team, like you said, has lost a couple games straight now, and head coach Jesse Minter is a first-year head coach. How do you think he has handled that and set the tone for the team? (Jamison Hensley) "I feel like [head] Coach [Jesse Minter] is doing a great job. We are 4-3 right now. Last year we were 1-5, so I feel like you should have an upside to look at instead of just dwelling on, 'You guys just lost two in a row.' It's like we won, too. We have won games, too. We are [already] better than we were last year. We just have to keep focusing on the day of, not what's going on [in the] past tense."
You talked about it being a team game, but when you're on the sideline these last two games and you're watching the offense have their inconsistencies, are there things you see that you feel like you directly can help the team with? (Cordell Woodland) "I feel like any player is going to feel like they can help their team once they're out there on the field. But some things just didn't go our way. We had penalties and stuff that happened. I can't do anything about penalties. I can't mess up – I can't fix people's assignments and stuff like that. It's a team game. We all have to come to play, not just one player or single somebody out. It's a team game, so we all just have to do our job, and we'll be on the right side of victory."
Several teammates talked about the week of practice this week, and how it was a good week of practice. How do you feel in terms of your ability after this week of practice to pick up where you left off when you were playing before the injury? (Ryan Mink) "We're going to see when the game comes. I just have to focus on getting better each and every practice, keep building my chemistry, keep building that back with my guys and just go from there."
There was a lot of talk about leaders and sort of the need for those guys to step up and lead this team. You're obviously one of the leaders of this team. What kind of message did you have for this group this week, particularly with you coming back? (Brian Wacker) "Pretty much what I've been saying the whole time, everybody do their job. We are all getting paid to play this game. We are all getting paid to go out there and perform. So, if we are all doing our job, no telling how the outcome will be. That's the message [is for] everybody do their job."
Last week, you said that when you tried to plant that you still felt some pain. (Jamison Hensley) "Yes, I still do, but it's bearable. That's what I said too last week. I said if it's bearable, I'll go out there and give it a shot, so that's what we are doing this week."
Do you just hope that – obviously, you don't want to get hurt – but do you feel like it is important for you to manage how you kind of navigate the pocket, considering you go from Sunday to Thursday, and that is a kind of tough timeline? (Jonas Shaffer) "When we are out there playing football, I'm not thinking about trying to manage anything. I'm trying to win, so we are going out there to play football. I can't think about managing my movements in the pocket. I am trying to get that ball out to one of my guys and let them do the rest, if anything."
Is the ankle something you could take a shot for? How do you deal with the pain that is still there? (Brian Wacker) "Ice, [using] Game Ready [ice machine], flush [it], [get a] little treatment and keep my maintenance going. I'm good."