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December 19, 2018
Head Coach Jay Gruden
On injuries:
"Alrighty, did not participate were [Colt] McCoy, fibula, [Ty] Nsekhe, knee, [Montae] Nicholson, non-injury related, [Jordan] Reed, ankle/foot, [Maurice] Harris, illness. Limited were [Ryan] Anderson, hamstring, [Tony] Bergstrom, knee/ankle, [Matt] Ioannidis, shin, [Morgan] Moses, ankle, [Adrian] Peterson, shoulder, [Trent] Williams, thumb and wrist, [Tim] Settle, pec. Obviously [Josh] Holsey and Danny Johnson are on injured reserve."
On any new information around S Montae Nicholson's arrest:
"No, I was at practice and I believe we put out a statement. We're obviously going to go through and get all the details and then figure out what to do next."
On if the new video will impact his decision making with Nicholson:
"Oh yeah, we'll take a look at all that stuff. Talk to Montae first, look at the video or whatever is out there and obviously talk to the police and go from there."
On the timeline for a decision on Nicholson:
"No, no. He won't play this week."
On if Nicholson will play again this season:
"I don't know yet, we'll wait and see."
On if he has spoken with Nicholson:
"I have not talked to Montae yet, no."
On if Nicholson's absence is a suspension:
"We don't know yet. Like I said, we're going to have a discussion up here right after this practice and then decide what to do, if we're going to put him on a list. We'll figure it out here in an hour."
On how the injuries affect the cornerback rotation:
"Yeah, that's what we're working through right now. Like I've said many times, I'd like to leave Fabian [Moreau] outside. We'll look at obviously [Greg] Stroman back out at nickel, and if need be, we can play Fabian at nickel and Adonis [Alexander] and Stroman at corner, so we'll go from there."
On WR Jamison Crowder:
"I think it's been pretty good. He had a couple of unfortunate drops against the Giants, but he came back and made an unbelievable catch in the game against Jacksonville. He's our force; we know where he's at. We know that he's a great weapon for us. How we get him the ball, when we get him the ball is not his fault, but we've just got to try and get him more involved in the offense somehow. He had four catches I believe last week, but I think that number has got to go up for this offense, especially with Jordan Reed being sidelined, Jamison has to be a major, impactful player for us in the passing game."
On TE Vernon Davis and his dropped passes this season:
"I think he's been in the league for so long, caught so many balls, he has a great routine and he works at it every day as hard as anybody. I think it's a credit to him as far as why he's been in the league for so long, it's his work ethic. It's just unfortunate. I think that one was such a bang-bang. You expect that one to be down the sidelines further, but Josh [Johnson] had to get it up quicker because he had somebody in his face right away and when he saw it, he saw it late. It hit him in the hands the guy made a good play. But yeah, we expect Vernon to make those plays, he's a great weapon on vertical routes for us and underneath routes, so he'll just keep working and try to get another opportunity."
On his assessment of the rookie cornerbacks this year:
"Well, it's been a challenge for sure. Any time you have to play young guys in this system, it's a challenge. Those guys have performed well at times and those guys have struggled at times, that's just the way young players are. I think they've all shown flashes of being very, very good. They've all shown flashes of making mistakes. I think the more work they get – they all have the skill level to be a great player for us eventually. They're not quite there. They're building towards that. So, Stroman it's a great opportunity for him. He sat last week with his shoulder and we decided to go a different direction but now it's another great door open for him. Hopefully he takes advantage of it and I know he will."
On Tennessee Titans RB Derrick Henry:
"Well, he's a big man and he can run through tackles, he's been doing it for a while. He's got an excellent offensive line playing for him, their scheme is very sound. Then, you've got a hat on a hat and he's running through tackles in the hold and then making big plays because of that. Then, they have the threat of Marcus [Mariota] being a threat with his legs also, so you really can't all dive into, "Hey, let's just stop Henry." Because then Marcus gets out of the pocket and they do their bootlegs and the tight end leaks and all that crazy stuff and it's very difficult. So, you have to stay home and when you stay home and he gets to the second level, that's when he's the most dangerous. Then when he falls forward, he gets four yards, because he's 6'4". Very good weapon to have, very good offensive line and they're playing with a lot of confidence."
On what he's hoping to see from QB Josh Johnson this week:
"I just hope he continues to get more comfortable. We have to throw more at him. Tennessee is an entirely defensive scheme than the Jacksonville Jaguars, so we're going to have some new concepts and go from there. He's got to handle it. He's got to handle the noise again. I think it will be a lot more of an issue at Tennessee, being a Saturday afternoon and a huge game for them as well, so the noise will be a factor. Mainly, it's just handling what he's got to handle. He's got to handle the progressions, the snap counts, the formations, the blitz looks that they give you which I can't even tell you how many blitzes there are. There are about 3,000 we watched, so it's going to be a great challenge for him. But, the most important thing is to keep his poise and make plays with his legs when he has to."
On what he saw from Johnson in the second half to make him feel like he had control:
"Yeah, I never felt like he was shaken at all. He took some hits and we didn't have a lot of success early, punted a few times. The good thing is we never turned the ball over, but I never felt on the sideline that he was a basket case or the game was too big for him, you know what I mean? He was poised, he was calm. He even yelled at me a couple of times for not using the wristband number. I forgot [Laughter]. I like the way he is. He's got a great demeanor for the position. It's not always going to be perfect with him, but I know that he's going to rally the next series and make something happen."
On Johnson's decision making when choosing to run instead of standing in the pocket:
"A little bit of both. I think some of those plays we can coach up and hopefully if we get the same look and the same thing happens, he'll be ready to throw those to Jamison [Crowder] or what have you. But, when he breaks contain, that's all athletic ability and instincts. You can't coach that. So, if he keeps it, he keeps it. If he drops it off, he drops it off. The most important thing in my mind is a) taking care of his body and b) taking care of the ball. So if he does that, we'll coach him the next day with the film projector in slow motion. The ball is in his hands and we're counting on him to make good decisions."
On balancing the run and pass game with RB Adrian Peterson:
"I think he's always going to be the focal point. Until somebody takes him away, if they start taking him away, then we have to be able to adjust and do some different things. But, still I think you have to be balanced in what you do. I don't ever want to go into a game saying we're going to hand it to Adrian 40 times. I think that's unrealistic. I think we've got to be balanced, mix in some different types of schemes in the running game, mix in some quick passes and some bootlegs and options and all that good stuff. The more success we have on first, second down, the more successful we'll be."
On what stands out about the Titans defense:
"They're physical. Their linebackers are very physical. [Rashaan] Evans is very physical, [Wesley] Woodyard – how do you say his name? Woodyard, he's a very physical guy. We know [Brian] Orakpo very well, Jayon Brown runs around there. Obviously Jurrell Casey is a very explosive player at defensive tackle and he moves around. But really, it's the multiplicity of what they do, especially on third down. They have three defensive linemen, four defensive linemen, they're in double A's, and they're all over the place. Coach [Mike] Vrabel has always been an outstanding defensive coordinator and he's got those guys playing very hard."
On packages featuring RB Chris Thompson and RB Bryon Marshall:
"I think it's a good change up for us from time to time and it could be a different personnel group this week, but it's something we can maybe build upon. Both Adrian and Byron are very effective in the passing game as well. They are both versatile, they can run inside zones, outside zones, they can do just about anything. Then, you throw a tight end in there and then you have your zip blocks or maybe some other actions off of it the play actions, I think it's a benefit and it gives Adrian a little blow."
On the linebacker rotation and playing LB Shaun Dion Hamilton's performance:
"I think we're going to do it similar. I think we're going to use all of them. I know that not everybody is going to be happy about that, but I think Shaun Dion has done enough to show that can play in the NFL. We love the way he's progressed through training camp, OTA's, training camp and now, like I said, the most important thing with him is getting his legs under him after the injury at Alabama. He's very smart and instinctual and he's made a pretty good impact for us. I think the substitution pattern, using them all, it keeps them fresh, you give each of them a package they can really dominate in their mind and feel good about it and they can play fast and be fresh."
QB Josh Johnson
On evaluating his own play against the Jacksonville Jaguars and what he can improve moving forward:
"I think I managed the game well. There are things I can improve on most definitely considered it's the first game starting. What I liked was that we just stayed at it as an offense. We never wavered. We got into a good rhythm at the end of the game and were able to finish it off. But it was a lot to build on. Me just being real critical of myself, I felt like we left some things out there as well so we're going to try to capitalize on those opportunities this week."
On what he can build on:
"Just playing more, just trusting the guys, really having a better feel for how they play in a real game. How guys run their routes under real live situations versus practice, just getting more comfortable and I guess you could say have a little better trust with the whole offense from the offensive line to the receivers, running backs. Really getting more comfortable with what those guys like to do, have a conversation and just talk them through my thought process and then seeing how they feel about things as well."
On his thought process when he decides to run the ball:
"At times you're just playing the game, you know? You want to remain a passer as the quarterback, puts much more pressure on the defense. You always want to remain a passer, but I mean you also don't want to take away from your playmaking abilities. It's just finding that balance. At the end of the day, we're trying to move those chains. Move those chains, keep moving down the field, get points and allow our defense to play fresh. Then we play complementary football that way. That's how we were able to come out with that victory with a great team win because we complemented each other well in the second half."
On the Titans' defense and his experience with Titans Head Coach Mike Vrabel:
"Tennessee is another good defense, man. It doesn't get easier for us, but that's the beauty of December football. We're playing another great team and the test gets harder. They've got a lot on the line, we've got a lot on the line so we're excited about that. My experience with Coach Vrabel, he was an energetic coach, very hands on, really smart, looks like he's got his team playing really well. I also was around Dean Pees [Titans Defensive Coordinator] in Baltimore when I played there so just being around those guys. All his defenses always play hard and it's very reflective on film. So for us, we've got another great test."
On if there is carryover from his time with Vrabel:
"I mean some things may carry over. But again, he has a different team than he did in Houston so they're going to be a little different. Also when I was in Houston, they were getting prepared for other quarterbacks. They weren't preparing for me and my skillset and how I fit in this offense. It's still that element. We don't know how they're going to view us just like Jacksonville. So, we just got to be prepared for everything that they do, put in the work on the film, make sure we're ready for whatever."
On not turning the ball over:
"I mean, that's just preach number one. You learn that when you first come in the league, you don't turn over the ball. You don't turn over the ball, you have a chance to win football games. Jay always emphasizes ball security. We have a lot of great faith in our defense and good defenses play well when you don't put them in bad situations. I learned quick from my time in Tampa. At my short stint there when I started, I turned the ball over in situations where I could've protected the points and it was just a great learned lesson for me. Just being aware of where you are on the field, the situation of the game, and just making sure that we always put ourselves in positive situations. The big plays will come, they'll come. We just got to keep executing."
On if preventing turnovers is the best way for him to stay on the field:
"Most definitely. When you don't turn the ball over, you're on the grass. You turn the ball over and you come sit on the bench like you all are sitting down right now. We want to be on the field. We want to be on the field, we want to be running plays, we want to be seeing how the defenses are attacking us because the more we're out, there the more we get a feel for what's going on and you get in a rhythm. When you turn the ball over, there is no rhythm. You're off the field, you're sitting there watching and you become a spectator. We're not here to be spectators we're here to be football players so we want to be on the field."
On the halftime adjustment against the Jaguars:
"I just think we started executing better. We cleaned up a lot of our errors and penalties whether it was a penalty, whether it was alignments or it was executing the play properly. We got a feel for how they were attacking us. They attacked us a lot differently than we anticipated early in the game. We were able to adjust well. At halftime, I speak with all the coaches from o-line to receivers to my coach, the quarterback coach, to Jay. Everybody has something that's beneficial, so I try to gather as much information as possible to be able to share that with the guys in the huddle so that we make sure we're all locked in. We were able to go out and put up 13 points and we want to build off that."
On having veteran RB Adrian Peterson in the backfield:
"It's amazing, man. It's amazing because the look he has in his eyes is contagious because you see how bad he wants it. Then when you hand him the ball, it's very reflective in the way that he plays. For me, to have guys like that, I know he's putting pressure on the defense,m which helps us in the passing game, which helps me as a quarterback. Like again; it's a great complementary to what we're trying to get done here. Every run game complements the passing game; offense complements the defense, special teams, etcetera. When you got a guy like Adrian Peterson who's so well respected but still is a hell of a player, it helps your job be a lot smoother as a quarterback."
On if Peterson had a different look in his eyes during the final drive in the game:
"AP never changed the whole game. He just kept plugging at it. When you're going against great defenses, it's going to be like that. That defense is not a bad defense. Tyat's one of the top defenses in the league, I think they're number five. To me, the great players, they keep at it, keep at it. He stayed at it. Once they got a little tired in the fourth quarter, he was able to pop off those big runs and we were able to finish the game."
On if they will have to rely on Peterson these next two games:
"We got to ride everybody. We're playing against the Tennessee Titans this week – great offense, great defense. They play great complementary football. So we all got to be locked in, we all got to be ready to step our game up two more notches. This is a big game."
Tennessee Titans Head Coach Mike Vrabel
On getting ready for QB Josh Johnson with his limited play this season:
"Yeah, I think that's something that's sometimes unique, a guy coming in. It seems to me that there was some juice there last week. Being able to score first and being 7-0 in games that they score first, but more importantly, the first time the Redskins have won a game when they trailed at halftime since 2016. That had to be pretty good for Josh to be able to lead them to that victory. He scrambles, he's a smart guy, got to know him a little bit when we were together in Houston. He can run and I think that he's trying to take advantage of his opportunity. This is a guy that hasn't started a bunch of games in the National Football League and that's how it goes. You get a chance and you try to do everything you possibly can to keep that spot and earn more opportunities."
On what he remembers form Johnson in Houston:
"I felt like he was a good leader. I felt like he could communicate to guys on the scout team. He helped us on the scout team. He's easy to work with. We'd say 'hey this is kind of what we need or this is what we need to get'. You know, he tried to do what we'd ask him to do. It looked like he tried to communicate with the young receivers over there to give us the best look possible."
On why Johnson hasn't been able to stick with one team:
"Again, I'm not a quarterback guru or anything like that. I didn't make any decisions offensively last year in Houston, so I couldn't tell you exactly what happened and why he hasn't been able to stick. But we're getting ready for him this week. He's coming off a big win last week."
On what he's been feeding RB Derrick Henry lately:
"I don't know, that's the secret I guess."
On what has clicked with Henry the last few weeks:
"I mean I think that he's continued to practice and develop and run with some confidence. I think we've done a decent job blocking for him. I think that any time you break off runs like that, there's good blocking, there's not penetration at the line of scrimmage, the receivers are getting on the secondary guys that are in support. Then ultimately, those backs or those receivers to break long ones, they have to do something on their own. They have to break a tackle or they have to make somebody miss."
On if Henry is playing more confidently:
"Well, I mean I think it would be hard not to. But we understand and we try to explain to him every week that every week's a challenge. You have to prove it in this league every week as a coach and as a player. And so that's what we're trying to do. We're trying to get ready. We try to prepare and get a little better than we were yesterday against the Redskins and hopefully on Saturday be ready to go."
On LB Brian Orakpo:
"Well, I mean I think a veteran presence. He plays physical for us, plays hard. We have a unique group there with some veteran guys and two young guys and then LB Kamalei Correa, who's kind of in the middle. Orak [Brian Orakpo] has been great since I got here. He's a guy that's highly respected in the locker room, does things the right way, is here, he's engaged. He's been great for us."
On LB Will Compton:
"Well, that's a different story now. Will, I appreciate his professionalism. He's ready to go. He can play a bunch of different spots. He helped us on special teams, won a game ball last week, had two tackles, two assists, caused a penalty and he's a great communicator. He fits in well with our team, guys like him, he's a good teammate, like his energy, like his sense of humor and he's made some plays for us. When he's gone in the game, he's played for us. We're comfortable putting him in if something happens. He's got great value because he's very knowledgeable at a couple different positions defensively."
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Head Coach Jay Gruden
On injuries:
"Alrighty, did not participate were [Colt] McCoy, fibula, [Ty] Nsekhe, knee, [Montae] Nicholson, non-injury related, [Jordan] Reed, ankle/foot, [Maurice] Harris, illness. Limited were [Ryan] Anderson, hamstring, [Tony] Bergstrom, knee/ankle, [Matt] Ioannidis, shin, [Morgan] Moses, ankle, [Adrian] Peterson, shoulder, [Trent] Williams, thumb and wrist, [Tim] Settle, pec. Obviously [Josh] Holsey and Danny Johnson are on injured reserve."
On any new information around S Montae Nicholson's arrest:
"No, I was at practice and I believe we put out a statement. We're obviously going to go through and get all the details and then figure out what to do next."
On if the new video will impact his decision making with Nicholson:
"Oh yeah, we'll take a look at all that stuff. Talk to Montae first, look at the video or whatever is out there and obviously talk to the police and go from there."
On the timeline for a decision on Nicholson:
"No, no. He won't play this week."
On if Nicholson will play again this season:
"I don't know yet, we'll wait and see."
On if he has spoken with Nicholson:
"I have not talked to Montae yet, no."
On if Nicholson's absence is a suspension:
"We don't know yet. Like I said, we're going to have a discussion up here right after this practice and then decide what to do, if we're going to put him on a list. We'll figure it out here in an hour."
On how the injuries affect the cornerback rotation:
"Yeah, that's what we're working through right now. Like I've said many times, I'd like to leave Fabian [Moreau] outside. We'll look at obviously [Greg] Stroman back out at nickel, and if need be, we can play Fabian at nickel and Adonis [Alexander] and Stroman at corner, so we'll go from there."
On WR Jamison Crowder:
"I think it's been pretty good. He had a couple of unfortunate drops against the Giants, but he came back and made an unbelievable catch in the game against Jacksonville. He's our force; we know where he's at. We know that he's a great weapon for us. How we get him the ball, when we get him the ball is not his fault, but we've just got to try and get him more involved in the offense somehow. He had four catches I believe last week, but I think that number has got to go up for this offense, especially with Jordan Reed being sidelined, Jamison has to be a major, impactful player for us in the passing game."
On TE Vernon Davis and his dropped passes this season:
"I think he's been in the league for so long, caught so many balls, he has a great routine and he works at it every day as hard as anybody. I think it's a credit to him as far as why he's been in the league for so long, it's his work ethic. It's just unfortunate. I think that one was such a bang-bang. You expect that one to be down the sidelines further, but Josh [Johnson] had to get it up quicker because he had somebody in his face right away and when he saw it, he saw it late. It hit him in the hands the guy made a good play. But yeah, we expect Vernon to make those plays, he's a great weapon on vertical routes for us and underneath routes, so he'll just keep working and try to get another opportunity."
On his assessment of the rookie cornerbacks this year:
"Well, it's been a challenge for sure. Any time you have to play young guys in this system, it's a challenge. Those guys have performed well at times and those guys have struggled at times, that's just the way young players are. I think they've all shown flashes of being very, very good. They've all shown flashes of making mistakes. I think the more work they get – they all have the skill level to be a great player for us eventually. They're not quite there. They're building towards that. So, Stroman it's a great opportunity for him. He sat last week with his shoulder and we decided to go a different direction but now it's another great door open for him. Hopefully he takes advantage of it and I know he will."
On Tennessee Titans RB Derrick Henry:
"Well, he's a big man and he can run through tackles, he's been doing it for a while. He's got an excellent offensive line playing for him, their scheme is very sound. Then, you've got a hat on a hat and he's running through tackles in the hold and then making big plays because of that. Then, they have the threat of Marcus [Mariota] being a threat with his legs also, so you really can't all dive into, "Hey, let's just stop Henry." Because then Marcus gets out of the pocket and they do their bootlegs and the tight end leaks and all that crazy stuff and it's very difficult. So, you have to stay home and when you stay home and he gets to the second level, that's when he's the most dangerous. Then when he falls forward, he gets four yards, because he's 6'4". Very good weapon to have, very good offensive line and they're playing with a lot of confidence."
On what he's hoping to see from QB Josh Johnson this week:
"I just hope he continues to get more comfortable. We have to throw more at him. Tennessee is an entirely defensive scheme than the Jacksonville Jaguars, so we're going to have some new concepts and go from there. He's got to handle it. He's got to handle the noise again. I think it will be a lot more of an issue at Tennessee, being a Saturday afternoon and a huge game for them as well, so the noise will be a factor. Mainly, it's just handling what he's got to handle. He's got to handle the progressions, the snap counts, the formations, the blitz looks that they give you which I can't even tell you how many blitzes there are. There are about 3,000 we watched, so it's going to be a great challenge for him. But, the most important thing is to keep his poise and make plays with his legs when he has to."
On what he saw from Johnson in the second half to make him feel like he had control:
"Yeah, I never felt like he was shaken at all. He took some hits and we didn't have a lot of success early, punted a few times. The good thing is we never turned the ball over, but I never felt on the sideline that he was a basket case or the game was too big for him, you know what I mean? He was poised, he was calm. He even yelled at me a couple of times for not using the wristband number. I forgot [Laughter]. I like the way he is. He's got a great demeanor for the position. It's not always going to be perfect with him, but I know that he's going to rally the next series and make something happen."
On Johnson's decision making when choosing to run instead of standing in the pocket:
"A little bit of both. I think some of those plays we can coach up and hopefully if we get the same look and the same thing happens, he'll be ready to throw those to Jamison [Crowder] or what have you. But, when he breaks contain, that's all athletic ability and instincts. You can't coach that. So, if he keeps it, he keeps it. If he drops it off, he drops it off. The most important thing in my mind is a) taking care of his body and b) taking care of the ball. So if he does that, we'll coach him the next day with the film projector in slow motion. The ball is in his hands and we're counting on him to make good decisions."
On balancing the run and pass game with RB Adrian Peterson:
"I think he's always going to be the focal point. Until somebody takes him away, if they start taking him away, then we have to be able to adjust and do some different things. But, still I think you have to be balanced in what you do. I don't ever want to go into a game saying we're going to hand it to Adrian 40 times. I think that's unrealistic. I think we've got to be balanced, mix in some different types of schemes in the running game, mix in some quick passes and some bootlegs and options and all that good stuff. The more success we have on first, second down, the more successful we'll be."
On what stands out about the Titans defense:
"They're physical. Their linebackers are very physical. [Rashaan] Evans is very physical, [Wesley] Woodyard – how do you say his name? Woodyard, he's a very physical guy. We know [Brian] Orakpo very well, Jayon Brown runs around there. Obviously Jurrell Casey is a very explosive player at defensive tackle and he moves around. But really, it's the multiplicity of what they do, especially on third down. They have three defensive linemen, four defensive linemen, they're in double A's, and they're all over the place. Coach [Mike] Vrabel has always been an outstanding defensive coordinator and he's got those guys playing very hard."
On packages featuring RB Chris Thompson and RB Bryon Marshall:
"I think it's a good change up for us from time to time and it could be a different personnel group this week, but it's something we can maybe build upon. Both Adrian and Byron are very effective in the passing game as well. They are both versatile, they can run inside zones, outside zones, they can do just about anything. Then, you throw a tight end in there and then you have your zip blocks or maybe some other actions off of it the play actions, I think it's a benefit and it gives Adrian a little blow."
On the linebacker rotation and playing LB Shaun Dion Hamilton's performance:
"I think we're going to do it similar. I think we're going to use all of them. I know that not everybody is going to be happy about that, but I think Shaun Dion has done enough to show that can play in the NFL. We love the way he's progressed through training camp, OTA's, training camp and now, like I said, the most important thing with him is getting his legs under him after the injury at Alabama. He's very smart and instinctual and he's made a pretty good impact for us. I think the substitution pattern, using them all, it keeps them fresh, you give each of them a package they can really dominate in their mind and feel good about it and they can play fast and be fresh."
QB Josh Johnson
On evaluating his own play against the Jacksonville Jaguars and what he can improve moving forward:
"I think I managed the game well. There are things I can improve on most definitely considered it's the first game starting. What I liked was that we just stayed at it as an offense. We never wavered. We got into a good rhythm at the end of the game and were able to finish it off. But it was a lot to build on. Me just being real critical of myself, I felt like we left some things out there as well so we're going to try to capitalize on those opportunities this week."
On what he can build on:
"Just playing more, just trusting the guys, really having a better feel for how they play in a real game. How guys run their routes under real live situations versus practice, just getting more comfortable and I guess you could say have a little better trust with the whole offense from the offensive line to the receivers, running backs. Really getting more comfortable with what those guys like to do, have a conversation and just talk them through my thought process and then seeing how they feel about things as well."
On his thought process when he decides to run the ball:
"At times you're just playing the game, you know? You want to remain a passer as the quarterback, puts much more pressure on the defense. You always want to remain a passer, but I mean you also don't want to take away from your playmaking abilities. It's just finding that balance. At the end of the day, we're trying to move those chains. Move those chains, keep moving down the field, get points and allow our defense to play fresh. Then we play complementary football that way. That's how we were able to come out with that victory with a great team win because we complemented each other well in the second half."
On the Titans' defense and his experience with Titans Head Coach Mike Vrabel:
"Tennessee is another good defense, man. It doesn't get easier for us, but that's the beauty of December football. We're playing another great team and the test gets harder. They've got a lot on the line, we've got a lot on the line so we're excited about that. My experience with Coach Vrabel, he was an energetic coach, very hands on, really smart, looks like he's got his team playing really well. I also was around Dean Pees [Titans Defensive Coordinator] in Baltimore when I played there so just being around those guys. All his defenses always play hard and it's very reflective on film. So for us, we've got another great test."
On if there is carryover from his time with Vrabel:
"I mean some things may carry over. But again, he has a different team than he did in Houston so they're going to be a little different. Also when I was in Houston, they were getting prepared for other quarterbacks. They weren't preparing for me and my skillset and how I fit in this offense. It's still that element. We don't know how they're going to view us just like Jacksonville. So, we just got to be prepared for everything that they do, put in the work on the film, make sure we're ready for whatever."
On not turning the ball over:
"I mean, that's just preach number one. You learn that when you first come in the league, you don't turn over the ball. You don't turn over the ball, you have a chance to win football games. Jay always emphasizes ball security. We have a lot of great faith in our defense and good defenses play well when you don't put them in bad situations. I learned quick from my time in Tampa. At my short stint there when I started, I turned the ball over in situations where I could've protected the points and it was just a great learned lesson for me. Just being aware of where you are on the field, the situation of the game, and just making sure that we always put ourselves in positive situations. The big plays will come, they'll come. We just got to keep executing."
On if preventing turnovers is the best way for him to stay on the field:
"Most definitely. When you don't turn the ball over, you're on the grass. You turn the ball over and you come sit on the bench like you all are sitting down right now. We want to be on the field. We want to be on the field, we want to be running plays, we want to be seeing how the defenses are attacking us because the more we're out, there the more we get a feel for what's going on and you get in a rhythm. When you turn the ball over, there is no rhythm. You're off the field, you're sitting there watching and you become a spectator. We're not here to be spectators we're here to be football players so we want to be on the field."
On the halftime adjustment against the Jaguars:
"I just think we started executing better. We cleaned up a lot of our errors and penalties whether it was a penalty, whether it was alignments or it was executing the play properly. We got a feel for how they were attacking us. They attacked us a lot differently than we anticipated early in the game. We were able to adjust well. At halftime, I speak with all the coaches from o-line to receivers to my coach, the quarterback coach, to Jay. Everybody has something that's beneficial, so I try to gather as much information as possible to be able to share that with the guys in the huddle so that we make sure we're all locked in. We were able to go out and put up 13 points and we want to build off that."
On having veteran RB Adrian Peterson in the backfield:
"It's amazing, man. It's amazing because the look he has in his eyes is contagious because you see how bad he wants it. Then when you hand him the ball, it's very reflective in the way that he plays. For me, to have guys like that, I know he's putting pressure on the defense,m which helps us in the passing game, which helps me as a quarterback. Like again; it's a great complementary to what we're trying to get done here. Every run game complements the passing game; offense complements the defense, special teams, etcetera. When you got a guy like Adrian Peterson who's so well respected but still is a hell of a player, it helps your job be a lot smoother as a quarterback."
On if Peterson had a different look in his eyes during the final drive in the game:
"AP never changed the whole game. He just kept plugging at it. When you're going against great defenses, it's going to be like that. That defense is not a bad defense. Tyat's one of the top defenses in the league, I think they're number five. To me, the great players, they keep at it, keep at it. He stayed at it. Once they got a little tired in the fourth quarter, he was able to pop off those big runs and we were able to finish the game."
On if they will have to rely on Peterson these next two games:
"We got to ride everybody. We're playing against the Tennessee Titans this week – great offense, great defense. They play great complementary football. So we all got to be locked in, we all got to be ready to step our game up two more notches. This is a big game."
Tennessee Titans Head Coach Mike Vrabel
On getting ready for QB Josh Johnson with his limited play this season:
"Yeah, I think that's something that's sometimes unique, a guy coming in. It seems to me that there was some juice there last week. Being able to score first and being 7-0 in games that they score first, but more importantly, the first time the Redskins have won a game when they trailed at halftime since 2016. That had to be pretty good for Josh to be able to lead them to that victory. He scrambles, he's a smart guy, got to know him a little bit when we were together in Houston. He can run and I think that he's trying to take advantage of his opportunity. This is a guy that hasn't started a bunch of games in the National Football League and that's how it goes. You get a chance and you try to do everything you possibly can to keep that spot and earn more opportunities."
On what he remembers form Johnson in Houston:
"I felt like he was a good leader. I felt like he could communicate to guys on the scout team. He helped us on the scout team. He's easy to work with. We'd say 'hey this is kind of what we need or this is what we need to get'. You know, he tried to do what we'd ask him to do. It looked like he tried to communicate with the young receivers over there to give us the best look possible."
On why Johnson hasn't been able to stick with one team:
"Again, I'm not a quarterback guru or anything like that. I didn't make any decisions offensively last year in Houston, so I couldn't tell you exactly what happened and why he hasn't been able to stick. But we're getting ready for him this week. He's coming off a big win last week."
On what he's been feeding RB Derrick Henry lately:
"I don't know, that's the secret I guess."
On what has clicked with Henry the last few weeks:
"I mean I think that he's continued to practice and develop and run with some confidence. I think we've done a decent job blocking for him. I think that any time you break off runs like that, there's good blocking, there's not penetration at the line of scrimmage, the receivers are getting on the secondary guys that are in support. Then ultimately, those backs or those receivers to break long ones, they have to do something on their own. They have to break a tackle or they have to make somebody miss."
On if Henry is playing more confidently:
"Well, I mean I think it would be hard not to. But we understand and we try to explain to him every week that every week's a challenge. You have to prove it in this league every week as a coach and as a player. And so that's what we're trying to do. We're trying to get ready. We try to prepare and get a little better than we were yesterday against the Redskins and hopefully on Saturday be ready to go."
On LB Brian Orakpo:
"Well, I mean I think a veteran presence. He plays physical for us, plays hard. We have a unique group there with some veteran guys and two young guys and then LB Kamalei Correa, who's kind of in the middle. Orak [Brian Orakpo] has been great since I got here. He's a guy that's highly respected in the locker room, does things the right way, is here, he's engaged. He's been great for us."
On LB Will Compton:
"Well, that's a different story now. Will, I appreciate his professionalism. He's ready to go. He can play a bunch of different spots. He helped us on special teams, won a game ball last week, had two tackles, two assists, caused a penalty and he's a great communicator. He fits in well with our team, guys like him, he's a good teammate, like his energy, like his sense of humor and he's made some plays for us. When he's gone in the game, he's played for us. We're comfortable putting him in if something happens. He's got great value because he's very knowledgeable at a couple different positions defensively."
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