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ARTICLE
JAGUARS CONFERENCE CALLS
HEAD COACH JACK DEL RIO You had a rough start last week. Not
the way that you would want to open the season falling behind like that. What
kept everything together? What
turned it around? I think the guys understood that it
was going to be a 60-minute ball game, and we just kept playing and settled down
and played better as the game went on, and we were able to overcome
that. Can you talk about Matt Jones,
comparing where he is now to where he was this time last year and the
improvements that he has made? Last year he came in and was
learning a brand new position. There were so many things that he was focused on
besides just playing football: learning how to run all day, which receivers have
to do, learning how to run routes, learning how to set up defenders and doing
all the things that you need to do to play good wide receiver. He is still
learning. He is still working and learning. He is so far ahead with the season
under his belt and then a good offseason under his belt. We just feel like he is
prepared to give us a jolt this year. How much does it change your
preparation not knowing who the starting quarterback will be for the
Steelers? We are pretty confident that we are
going to se Big Ben (Roethlisberger). Obviously, he is a good football player.
He is a tough guy. I would be real shocked if he is not out there when the game
starts. Obviously, we will have our adjustments and be ready to adjust of we
need to if Charlie (Batch) ends up going. Does their offense change much
between the two quarterbacks? Not really, they have been an
offense that since Bill Cowher has been back there in 1992, he runs the ball.
You know they are always going to get back to running the ball and obviously the
quarterback is expected to make plays. Charlie made a bunch of plays last week
against Miami. So we know he is capable. Obviously, Ben took them to the Super
Bowl Championship. So he is their guy and we expect to see
him. You played the Steelers two years
ago. What kind of improvement have you seen from his play since you last faced
him? Like all young quarterbacks, like
our quarterback, I think they just get better with time: reading defenses,
understanding where his hot (reads) are, where he needs to go with the ball and
when to eat it and when to make a play, just playing the position, just growing
and maturing and getting better and better. He obviously had a great run last
year in the playoffs and was instrumental in helping them get a
championship. Do you remember your impressions of
him two years ago when he brought the Steelers back to win in
I can't remember thinking anything
good about him. I have a healthy respect for him. He is a very competitive guy
and we are looking forward to the challenge on Monday
night.
Do you think these two teams are
similar, their style and with the way that you and Bill (Cowher)
coach? It is probably natural to draw some
comparisons. They are the world champs. We are just hoping to get into the
playoffs and give ourselves an opportunity. We do have an appreciation for some
of the same things. I think we both like physical football and I think that we
both bring a lot of passion. He is his own guy, and I am my own guy. I know that
we share a fondness for physical play. And getting a little excited on the
sidelines, too? Every now and
then. What does this game mean to the
Jaguars playing the defending Super Bowl champs on Monday
night? The biggest thing that we understand
is that each week we get a new challenge in front of us and this week we get a
very talented team. I think they are loaded with talent. They are very well
coached, so we get a big opportunity and a big challenge. What is
I don't have any idea. I know the
game is sold out. We will see. I think there will be a lot of teal there. But
any time you win as much as Have there been steps taken to
prevent Steelers fans from getting tickets? No, I don't know anything about
that. How is your quarterback adapting to
not having Jimmy Smith? I think it was a little bit of a
blessing that it occurred during the offseason when we had time to work with all
of the other receivers. I think it can be a blessing in disguise when you have a
guy like Jimmy. He is such a known quantity that the quarterbacks always would
just go to Jimmy. If it got to be crunch time, you just go to Jimmy. While it is
good to have that, it is also good for the development of the quarterback to be
able to go through progressions and see the field and be able to take what the
defense is giving you and not just focus on one guy. I think it has been good
for his development. Obviously, we miss a player of Jimmy's caliber but we have
some good young players that are developing and will be good players for
us. How much will you miss (Reggie)
We lost two guys this season
already. We lost Greg Jones right before we started the season. We lost Reggie
last week in the opener. They are both really, really good football players that
we are going to miss. What you have to do is fill in the gaps. Other people get
an opportunity to step up and then we carry on as a football team. I have talked
to both of these guys and they both want that for the team and for their
teammates, and that just speaks to the type of kids they are. We will miss them,
but we have to carry on. Do you think after last season and
the fact they have sold every game out, that you are finally getting a foothold
as a franchise down there? I can't really speak to what you are
referring to. When we got here four years ago, obviously a young guy like myself
didn't get an opportunity to be a head coach of a team that was just rolling
along. There was a lot of work to be done. I have just been busy working hard.
We are trying to build a team that can be a winner for many years. That is
really all I am focused on. As for ups and downs and all that stuff, I cant
really speak to that. How much room is there for Byron
Leftwich to grow? What would you
like to see him improve on this season? The biggest thing is to just
continue to help us win games. I think he has been better every year. I think
all the little details, as with any position, in particular the quarterback
position, there are so many little things to do: taking the snap and using the
proper foot work and handing the ball off, going through your progression and
getting to your third and fourth option on a route and just doing all the little
details that help you play efficiently. We just want him to continue to improve,
which he has the last three years and is off to a good start with his
performance last week. His toughness is well documented. Do
you sometimes prefer that he not hold the ball as long?
We really admire his toughness. I
think the whole team does, but at the same time we want him to be smart and
there are times when we prefer the ball come out. He has been better at that
this year. That is an area that we have improved in. During the offseason it was
a point of emphasis and I think we have improved in that area. It will continue
to be a point of emphasis. I think staying healthy is a good thing and finding a
way to be there for 16 games is a real good thing. Obviously, it is a big
challenge when you go up against a team as talented as
Do you think your middle linebacker
(Mike Peterson) is underrated a little bit? I think the more that people see us,
the more exposure he gets, the more people can form their own opinions. We had
some guys that played real well. We are not just the two tackles (Marcus Stroud
and John Henderson). They are both great players but we are more. We have some
good football players here and it is more than just the two big tackles that get
talked about a lot. I think the more we get opportunities to play against great
teams like we do this week, the more people will get an opportunity to form
their own opinions. Do you expect this game to go down
to the end? The two teams will go at each other
pretty hard. If the last two years are any indication, it could be a close game.
But every year is a new year and every team has to start over. We will just see
how the game unfolds. But we are just getting prepared to do our best to go up
against them on Monday night.
QUARTERBACK BYRON LEFTWICH Is this a big challenge facing the
Super Bowl champs? It's a tough challenge and we
understand that they are the Super Bowl champions, and the reason why they won
the championship is because they are a good football team and they pretty much
have the same guys. They are a physical football team who come ready to play
every week and we have to make sure we are ready for that. So are you ready to face the most
feared man in the NFL, Joey Porter? I don't fear anybody now, come on. I
don't fear anybody, I respect them a lot and I don't think anybody fears anybody
really. I know on this team we don't really fear anybody. We respect everybody.
I understand what type of great player he is and all the different things he can
do so I would know where he is at, but to say I feared somebody, I fear no
man. Are you concerned about the running
game because I don't think anybody runs successfully against
them? In order to win football games in
this league you have to be successful in the running game and we understand that
and that's every week, not just for this week. I think it's for every week and
we understand that we are going to have to do some things in the running game
and the passing game so you have to go out there and have a great team effort
and try to get a chance to win. Talk about your maturity a little
bit over the last few years, coming up through the ranks and playing and getting
some experience and winning. I think I've gotten better every
year. I think we as a team have gotten better every year and it was a stepping
stone. When I first got here I don't think we won five games. I don't think we
should have won two. I don't think that we were a good football team and now I
believe we have a championship kind of team. It's showing every week because we
are going out there and doing all the little things and doing the right things
and winning football games. Do you get tired of people talking
about your mobility sometimes? I am constantly telling people, they
just aren't listening. I am not a slow quarterback. I'm just the slowest
(African American) one. I say that all the time because if you count all 32
(teams) I am in the middle. I am about 15th or 16th. You
constantly hear that and that is from people who are just not really worried
about football. I know I am in the middle of the pack. I know I am not as slow
as people think I am. Where is your weight now compared to
last year at this time? Have you lost some weight? I am down about 13 pounds from last
year. How will that help you, do you
think? Well, maybe I am a little faster.
Maybe I moved up, maybe I am like nine or 10 right now. I think I am taking care
of my body better now. It's not even a weight issue. It's the things I do to
take care of my body now, the things I do to try to survive this NFL season. I
think I am stronger. I think I have more body control now that I am lighter. It
wasn't a thing of trying to lose weight; it's a thing of doing the best thing I
can to make me be as successful as I possibly can for this
season. Are you more concerned with the
things off the corner or in the heart of the line that will hurt
you? You have to be concerned with all of
these guys and the things that they do. Like I tell people, if they have 50
players, they might do 50 different things and that goes to show you how good of
a defense they are and how well coached and how smart they are because they are
capable. The coaches have enough trust in them to call all of these different
things and they very seldom have mess ups. We have to understand that we have to
be prepared for any and everything on Monday night. How crazy of a scene do you think it
will be on Monday night? It will be pretty crazy. We haven't
had a Monday night football game down here in awhile. Not since I have been
here. I don't know when the last year was. So it should be exciting. I think
that everybody understands that these are two physical football teams playing
each other and everybody wants to see it. Steeler fans have a reputation for
finding tickets; do you think a few might sneak in
Monday? I am quite sure they will because I
think it is going to be a very interesting football game and an exciting
football game. So I am quite sure they will. Why are these games so intense? Do
you guys feel you put on a little extra when the Steelers come to
town? I just think we both have the same
mind set and attitudes. We both play physical football on both sides of the ball
- offense and defense and special teams. You just have two teams that play very
physical week in and week out. I think when you get two teams like that you get
the type of games that we have every year. Matt Jones ended the season in
having that break out tag. Where is he now compared to where he was last year
when he was learning a new position? Last year at this time he was still
a quarterback. In his head, in his mind he was still thinking that he was a
quarterback. This year he is a wide receiver. He is the guy that worked his tail
off in the offseason and now he understands the wide receiver position, and by
understanding that allows him to make more plays this year. He had a great game
last week. We understand it is only Week 1 but he is a guy that is going to get
better and better with time. Does he pose maybe the biggest match
up problems of any receiver just because of his
versatility? I think we have three guys that are
really good wide receivers. I always call him the x-factor. He is a freak. Here
is a guy that is 6'6, 235 or 240 pounds that can run, can jump, catch the good
ball, catch the low ball, and catch the high ball. He can do a lot of different
things for you as a quarterback. Your ball doesn't have to be perfect when you
are throwing a ball his way. Sometimes he just finds a way to catch the ball for
you. So as a quarterback, you have to like that. Does it concern you that their
defense had 11 days to work on just you guys? Meaning they played Thursday night
and now the big layoff? We knew they would have a head start
so by having that much time it allows them to add in some new wrinkles and
probably do something that tries to surprise or shock us. So we have to make
sure we are ready and prepared for everything. I think that is something we try
to do every week, but definitely this week because they had that much extra time
to prepare. Little MAC conference reunion before
the game – you, Ben (Roethlisberger) and Charlie (Batch)?
I actually called Charlie to
congratulate him after the game. It is a MAC thing. Once you are from the MAC
and all you heard when you were in the MAC that is that it is always good to see
fellow MAC guys doing good. Seeing that you are from DC, has the
All I've got is a fast ball. And
believe me I don't want to face those guys they face every week.
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