Head Coach Bill O'Brien
(on today's practice) "It was a good practice. Those guys really responded well. Like I've said to you guys a bunch, we've got a bunch of hardworking guys and they responded well today which was good to see. It was a tough practice, wasn't an easy practice. That was good to see."
(on the last time he had them in pads like today) "Probably right before the season started. There's a rule there, which basically is one per week. I think it's a total of 15 for the year once the regular season starts. We kind of try to space it out, use them all, but maybe not all in a row basically."
(on DE Jared Crick leaving practice) "I think he'll be okay, I do. I think he'll be okay."
(on if it's easier to focus when you're struggling) "I don't really know the answer to that. I can tell you that our guys are very focused. I'll give you an example, today we had our squad meeting at 9:00 and everybody was in there at 8:55 ready to go. Guys were here lifting and doing different things in the morning. I think our guys are very focused. They're in this thing. It's not where we want to be, but we're very focused on Jacksonville."
(on what a coach can do when players are committing penalties) "Well we can always coach better. There will never be a time when I come in here and tell you that we've got it figured out in the coaching department. We can always coach better as far as what we want them to do, as far as staying away from the penalties, what are some things we can do to help with that. Look, to me, like I said to you the other day, I'm responsible for what goes on on that field. We're always going to strive to coach it better, and of course once the players take the field, they've got to go out there and do their jobs. They all have jobs to do, but we're working together to try to figure it out."
(on how the extra time between games changed the schedule) "We worked Friday, took Saturday off, and then we were back in here Sunday morning. That's about it, nothing too unusual. I'm not sure what you're asking."
(on when he started preparing for this game vs. Jacksonville) "The preparation for the game plan on Jacksonville started probably about a half an hour after the Indianapolis game ended."
(on getting RB Jonathan Grimes back from injury) "That'll help us. He's a solid player, smart player. Just walked in with him from the practice field. It'll be good to get him back. He was out there today and looked good. Just a good teammate, great guy to have on the team, can do a lot of different things on offense, special teams, so it'll help us to get him back."
(on the status of OLB Jadeveon Clowney) "I think it's day-to-day. I really do think it's day-to-day, but I think he's working to get back."
(on the players taking responsibility for the poor play instead of blaming coaches) "I promise you, I really try not to read what the players say. I'm telling you that I'm the representative of the team, especially on the field. It's up to me to figure out how to get it right. That's what they pay me to do is to coach these guys and figure out how I can coach it better, and then get them to execute it better. We've got great guys. We have great guys. I really believe in these guys. They came out today and it really just shows you today what type of guys they are. They practiced very hard today and it was good."
(on the keys to improving defensively) "We have to stop the run. We really have to stop the run, and this is a big challenge as it relates to Jacksonville. T.J. Yeldon, their offensive line, very well coached, (Jaguars Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line Coach) Doug Marrone is there now and doing a great job. Yeldon, the back, is really a good running back, very, very good, tough, hard to tackle, so it's going to be a big challenge. But we have to do a better job of stopping the run. If we can stop the run better and get teams in longer yardage, that may be able to help us. If you don't stop the run, that's going to be a problem."
(on if he can tell how the team is going to play by how they practice) "I think when I was, probably earlier in my career, I'd probably be able to say, 'Yeah, it was a great week of practice, we're going to play great,' and then we go out there and lay an egg and vice versa. All I know is this team just needs to really take it one day at a time, do a good job today, have good meetings right now, give them their normal day off tomorrow, get back to work on Wednesday, have a good day Wednesday. It's really, there's no way that you can practice poorly, consistently bad, and win, but I do believe if you can really work hard to improve on things and practice at a consistent pace and get better, try to have a good attitude every day about how you're going to get better, you hopefully see that on the game field."
(on if the issues have been more mental or physical) "Again, we're really focused on Jacksonville. I think it's probably again, us doing a better job of coaching these guys, those guys going out there and executing and taking what we give them as coaches, and being able to go out there and do it on a better, more consistent basis."
(on if he's confident in QB Brian Hoyer) "I'm confident in Brian Hoyer."
LT Duane Brown
(on his thoughts on the team's mistakes so far) "I feel like we can play better as a unit. I think we've been decent in pass protection, haven't continued to do that well. I think our running game has been inconsistent. We have great flashes of getting some decent yards, but cutting out the negative yardage plays and the line of scrimmage penalties. I had one of those, had a couple of those this year. Add those together I think we can definitely help our team win. Most importantly getting our running game going consistently."
(on if they talk about how they can make the team better amongst themselves) "Definitely, definitely. As a lineman, you always take pride in the run game. Wanting to be able to establish the line of scrimmage and run the ball consistently. We've only had one game where we really ran the ball as great as we think we can, and that's the game we won. It's definitely a point of emphasis throughout this week, and I think for the rest of the year."
(on if the offensive line is so important because it controls the run and the passing game) "I mean that's where the game is won and lost. If you have time to throw the ball and operate as a quarterback, you can be successful. If you have a great running game, and you get to a situation where the defense knows you're going to run the ball and you continue to run it, you're going to win. If we can elevate our play as a line, I think we'll have a great chance of being successful. I think we've battled a lot throughout this year, and played well, but we have another level that we want to reach."
(on if there is a focus on fundamentals) "Yeah, I think the main thing for us is just cutting down penalties. Thirteen penalties, 14 penalties last week, that's unacceptable. If we can just play smarter football, cutting down the penalties, no turnovers, we'll win. We'll win I think. You look at the games that we've lost, we lost in the turnover battle, we lost in the penalty battle. I think just playing smarter, taking care of the ball, and we'll put ourselves in a great position."
(on if line of scrimmage penalties is a focus issue) "Yeah, it's a focus thing, communication, something we have to continue to work on throughout the week in practice. It starts in practice and being in a rhythm. We have to be able to utilize our cadence. In order to do that, we have to cut out false starts, things like that."
(on his initial impressions of the Jaguars' front seven) "Their front seven is always tough. They have a couple of new additions, but for the most part it's the same group as last year. They have some bigger guys up front that really stop the run game. Linebackers play well. In the past game, they bring in the sub package with faster guys on the edge, and they really rush the passer. They have a good mixture of both, of being able to stop both with the main focus of stopping the run, and they're pretty good at it. We have to be able to battle that and run the ball effectively."
QB Brian Hoyer
(on being the starter this week vs. Jacksonville) "Yeah, I mean, it's my job to be ready to play, just like it has been the past several weeks. The only difference is now I know I'll be out there on that first series, so go out there and prepare the best I can and really go out and try to execute on Sunday."
(on being ready to play when he was the backup) "I think I've been a backup in the league before and that's your job, to be ready at a moment's notice. I think I've said all along, even when I was third string or the backup, wherever I might have been, I've always tried to prepare like I'm the starter. You don't get the reps, but you take the mental reps. You try to be ready when your name's called. Like I said, the only difference this week is I know I'll be out there when the game starts."
(on if this weekend's game feels pivotal since the team is 1-4) "Yeah, I think at this point, we just have to take it one day at a time. That's kind of what coach echoed to us today. Come out and have our best day today, don't worry about yesterday and don't worry about tomorrow. Go out there and have the best day you can have today and then move on to the next one. That's really how you have to take it at this point. Like I said, we go out here and prepare the best we can this week and then when it comes to Sunday, just go out and execute the best we can."
(on Head Coach Bill O'Brien bringing energy to practice today) "Yeah, I think all of us really went out and had a good practice, had fun. Sometimes when things aren't going really well for you, you just go out there and try to remember that you're playing a game. Go out there and have fun and embrace your teammates. Go out there, compete as hard as you can and, like I said, take it one day at a time."
(on what he did this past weekend) "I went to NASA. I took my kids to NASA. It was pretty cool. Now that I'm a Houstonian, I definitely wanted to take part in that. I have some interest in that, so it was cool. I got a little tour. Yesterday, just kind of watched the Jaguars game a little bit and spent time with my family. So it was good to get away for a few days and kind of regroup and then come back out here and have a good day today."
(on if he watches the Jaguars game as a fan or to help him prepare) "Yeah, not as a fan. I mean, obviously, you don't have the coach's tape. Sometimes when you watch the TV copy, you see things that you don't necessarily see on the game tape too. I was kind of flipping back and forth from a few different games. But definitely had my eye on that and just try to relax and let your body recuperate."
(on what he needs to do better to secure the starting quarterback job) "I'm not concerned about that so much right now. I'm just concerned about winning the game. Having gone through what we've gone through at the quarterback situation, like I said, I'm going to take it one day at a time and then come Sunday, do whatever I can to help this team win and not worry about anything past that."
(on what he needs to do better in general) "Just go out and execute. The other night obviously had a lot of positives. To finish on a negative note, kind of always leaves a sour taste in your mouth. But you look at the positives, and hopefully try to continue those, and then when you go out there just eliminate the bad plays."
(on the Jaguars' front seven and defense) "I played against them last year and they gave us a hell of a game last year. We actually lost to them. But those guys up front, they're really the anchor of that defense. They make it hard for you to run the ball. They make it hard for you to pass the ball. They're doing a great job. You can tell they're coached very well. Coach (Gus) Bradley and their defensive coordinator have those guys really coached well. I thought last year when I played against them, they were one of the best defenses we played against. It'll definitely be a challenge for us and we have to have our best week of preparation yet."
