Tag: Quotes

5 takeaways from Brian Kelly’s press conference ahead of spring practice

Here’s what we learned from Kelly’s press conference to kick off spring camp.

Football is finally back. Sort of.

We have to wait a while to see real, live action on the gridiron, but the Tigers will return to the field on Thursday to begin their spring football practices. Ahead of the beginning of camp, new coach Brian Kelly addressed the media for the first time in a while.

This is a team undergoing quite a bit of a transition, as it lost a number of players to the transfer portal and added 12 more, including a potential starting quarterback. That will be one of the many intriguing position battles to watch as practice gets underway.

Kelly provided some perspective for how he views the opportunity before the team this spring, and he also went into detail about how several players specifically are coming along.

There will certainly be a lot to talk about in the coming weeks when spring practice starts, but for now, here are five takeaways from Kelly’s press conference to kick off camp.

New Jags OC Press Taylor discusses offensive outlook in 2022

The new Jags OC has high hopes for the new coaching staff on offense.

When the Jaguars hired Doug Pederson to replace Urban Meyer as head coach, they did so with a clear vision in mind. Pederson is now one of the few active head coaches with a Super Bowl win, and given his reputation as a quarterback guru, the team hopes he can turn the offense around.

A major part of that equation will be Press Taylor, the newly hired offensive coordinator. It’s the first NFL play-calling gig for Taylor, the younger brother of Bengals head coach Zac Taylor, but he’ll have some experienced coaches around him.

In addition to Pederson’s expertise, the team also hired two assistants — passing game coordinator Jim Bob Cooter and quarterbacks coach Mike McCoy — with offensive play-calling experience.

“I really like the mixture of personalities and philosophies that are coming together,” Taylor told John Oesher on the O-Zone Podcast. “A lot of guys, we have some sort of ties. But it’s going to be a lot of different ideas. The group is low-ego, high output. People don’t seem to care who’s going to get credit. Everybody just wants to contribute.

“That’s what you want to be around.”

Taylor also has direct experience working under Pederson, serving as an assistant in Philadelphia before following offensive coordinator Frank Reich to Indianapolis, where he was also an offensive assistant.

He said that familiarity will prove beneficial for the working relationship between the two.

“That’s a big part of it,” Taylor said. “Obviously, Coach Pederson and I can speak the same language, having been in the same offense for five years. … Having familiarity with one another is important. We have a great relationship already coming into this thing, but it’s important we’re in lockstep.

“If he and I are not having great communication, it’s going to show up on the field.”

If the Jags are going to see a second-year leap from quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the pair of coaches need to be on the same page. Taylor said that the opportunity to coach a player with Lawrence’s talent was the icing on the cake in getting him to come to Jacksonville.

“He was probably the No. 1 overall pick since he was a freshman in college,” Taylor said. “The talent was very obvious. I had a chance to speak with Trevor once everything was finalized, a chance to introduce myself and talk about how excited we are to have a chance to work with him.

“We have to find the plan that best suits him to have the success he’s capable of having. That’s something that’s exciting.”

It was certainly a bold offensive coordinator hire for Pederson, given Taylor’s relative inexperience. But he’s a coach Pederson is familiar with, and he has surrounded him with a team of veteran assistants that will aid him. The Jags will hope to see those results on the field.

In this week’s episode of “Touchdown Jaguars!” we looked at the top needs for the Jags heading into the NFL Combine. Progressing forward, we will continue to put out weekly episodes, giving Jags Wire readers a new go-to podcast, which will discuss the latest in news, rumors, and more. To stay up to date, subscribe via Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and also feel free to rate and comment.

Jaguars coach Doug Pederson discusses DC Mike Caldwell

Pederson has high hopes for Caldwell, who he worked with under Andy Reid in Philadelphia.

New Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson, who has a background in coaching offenses and the quarterback position, wasted no time hiring the architect of his defense.

The team brought in Tampa Bay Buccaneers inside linebackers coach Mike Caldwell to take over the role. Pederson and Caldwell have quite a bit of familiarity, as the two worked on Andy Reid’s Philadelphia Eagles staff. Since then, Caldwell has acted as a protege of sorts for Todd Bowles, the former Jets head coach and current Bucs defensive coordinator.

Pederson discussed what Caldwell brings to the table and his vision for the defense.

“You know, Mike and I, we go way back too,” Pederson said. “We were former players together in this league. We kind of cut our teeth together on the Eagles staff, him working under Jim Johnson, playing for Jim Johnson and then of course Coach Reid, and then our paths kind of separated.

“He’s kind of been with Todd Bowles, and we know Todd was a head coach, tremendous coordinator in this league, the things that Mike has always kind of been in the linebacker room, and the structure of defense that we play and the majority of the guys in the NFL play, it fits what we do.”

Pederson elaborated on the philosophy that Caldwell and Bowles shared in Tampa.

“It’s an aggressive mindset, and those are the conversations that Mike and I have had is we want to maintain the aggressiveness, we want to be able to put our players in position to make plays,” he said. “Moving a Josh Allen around, moving a Chaisson, moving these guys around, moving safeties around, other backers. Really presenting a picture to the offense where maybe you don’t know where the blitz is coming from. You kind of watch what Tampa Bay did this year and the success they had on defense.

“But again, it takes players, too, and we understand that. But I’m excited, again, for him to really come in here and having Bob Sutton there to really, I think, even to help Mike, I think that’s a big step for him to use.”

The defense was a bit of a pleasant surprise in 2021. Though it was far from elite, it improved throughout the season under previous coordinator Joe Cullen.

Caldwell will hope to maintain that success through the staff turnover, though several holes on that side of the ball that need to be plugged still remain.

New Jags’ OC Press Taylor impressed with Trevor Lawrence’s maturity

Taylor saw Lawrence at his best last season in the win over the Colts in Week 18.

Being the starting quarterback for an NFL team is a pretty stressful job. It can prove overwhelming even for veterans, let alone 22-year-olds.

But that’s the position Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence finds himself in. Despite a disappointing rookie season, expectations are high for Lawrence, largely because of what he did in the team’s season finale against Indianapolis.

He completed 71.9% of his passes (a season-high) while throwing for 223 yards and two touchdowns. In Lawrence’s first multi-touchdown game since Week 1, he and the Jaguars obliterated the Colts’ playoff hopes with a stunning win.

On the opposite sideline for that one was former Indy offensive assistant Press Taylor, who was just hired by Jags coach Doug Pederson to serve as the offensive coordinator in 2022.

In his introductory press conference on Friday, he said that Lawrence’s performance in that game said a lot about the young passer’s maturity.

“You know that’s the kind of the one thing that there’s an opportunity here with the Jaguars where everybody talks about the character that Trevor has,” Taylor said, according to The Florida Times-Union’s John Reid. ”I was fortunate and unfortunate that I was on the opposite sideline the last game of the year with a chance to make the playoffs and Trevor comes like he’s 20-of-25 (completions) in the first half, nine of 11 on third down and kind of lit us up.

”I definitely remember that. At the time, I had a bad taste in my mouth but now on this side of it, I’m like that was very encouraging to see. So I had an opportunity to watch him.”

Lawrence’s play in the finale certainly got the attention of the league, and ending the season that way was surely a big confidence booster for Lawrence after a disastrous season for the team all around.

He still needs more help around him, especially at receiver and along the offensive line, but Taylor seems to like the talent and character of the quarterback he will inherit in his new gig in Jacksonville.

Fiesta Bowl: Marcus Freeman discusses Notre Dame’s prep

Scale of 1-10 how excited are you for this Fiesta Bowl?

New Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman will be coaching his first game as a head coach on Saturday when the Irish take on Oklahoma State in the Fiesta Bowl.  It’s a chance for Notre Dame to record their first major bowl victory since January of 1994 and for the Irish to start the Freeman era with a bang.

How has Freeman prepared for his first game as head coach and who has he leaned on for support?

And what does he see as the biggest key to beating Oklahoma State?

He discussed those things and more to start the week:

Nets quotes: Nash, Durant, Harden and Aldridge on win vs. Pacers

Here’s what Brooklyn Nets players had to say after beating the Pacers.

A 29-point outburst courtesy of James Harden, a huge double-double from Kevin Durant and a clutch 21-point effort from LaMarcus Aldridge off the bench secured the Nets’ third win on Friday. Matched up against the Indiana Pacers, who were missing key players like Caris LeVert, things seemed almost perfect for Brooklyn to bounce back — and that’s exactly what they did.

The Nets lost the battle in the interior, getting outscored 52-36, while even giving the ball away 18 times. If it were not for the team’s determination to get to the stripe, this contest could have easily gotten away from them. Brooklyn shot a season-high 41 free throws in the win and a familiar face in the form of Harden got to the line to shoot 19 times himself.

Following the win, here is what Nets head coach Steve Nash, Harden, Durant and Aldridge had to say.

Top quotes from Washington GM Martin Mayhew introductory press conference

Martin Mayhew was officially announced as Washington’s new general manager on Wednesday, and he spoke about his vision for the team, as well as the next steps.

The move has been official for a couple of weeks now, but Wednesday marked the first time that we actually got formally introduced to Martin Mayhew, the new general manager for the Washington Football Team.

Mayhew is an experienced veteran in the business, having served as the GM for the Detroit Lions earlier this century, as well as the VP of Player Personnel for the San Francisco 49ers. He was also a player in the NFL, having won Super Bowl XXVI with Washington as a CB in 1991.

It was first reported that Marty Hurney would become the new GM in Washington, while Mayhew would hold a high-ranking executive role as well. We later learned that it would actually be Mayhew that would hold the GM title, while Hurney will be involved as a high-ranking executive in the front office. Both men have held numerous executive and general manager roles in the NFL before.

Here are some of the top quotes from Mayhew’s introductory press conference:

‘Pampered f—s’ and gobshite: Golf’s best quotes of 2020

You don’t need us to tell you how unusual a year 2020 was. But it was. And it led to some incredible moments both on and off the golf course. In fact, even before the COVID-19 pandemic put the world on hold – shutting down golf for 13 weeks starting …

You don’t need us to tell you how unusual a year 2020 was.

But it was. And it led to some incredible moments both on and off the golf course.

In fact, even before the COVID-19 pandemic put the world on hold – shutting down golf for 13 weeks starting in March at The Players Championship – the year got off to a hot start with a hot-mic situation at January’s Sentry Tournament of Champions.

From “pampered f—s” and Mai-tai’s in Hawaii to gobshite and “bitch-slapped into reality,” we took a look at some of the golf world’s most memorable quotes of the year. Did we miss any of your favorites?

Golf’s best quotes of 2020

DeMarcus Lawrence getting healthier, Cowboys defense taking steps

DeMarcus Lawrence played maybe his best game of the year in Week 8. The DE spoke to the media about his health, the scheme, and much more.

The Dallas Cowboys may have lost their third straight game in Philadelphia last week, but there were a number of things for Cowboys fan to be positive about. The Dallas defense played their unquestioned best game of the year to date, and defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence was a key contributor.

Lawrence talked to media this week, and the Pro-Bowl defender answered questions about these improvements, the defensive scheme, his own health, and much more.

Watching the Cowboys play earlier in the season, it was clear Lawrence wasn’t able to play at full speed because of a knee issue, but with three sacks in the last four games, Lawrence is once again showing what he’s capable of when healthy. When asked about how he felt in Philadelphia, the former Boise St. Broncos responded,

“Yeah, I feel like my knee is progressing real well, and when you’re out there on the field you’re trying to give it your all. I think people overlook it or they just don’t care. So yeah I feel like this is one of my best games I’ve had this year.”

Dallas’ defense came back to life a week ago, and Lawrence’s three tackles for loss, one sack, and two quarterback hits were a crucial part of the revival. When asked about the group’s performance, Lawrence said,

“I feel like we’re taking some big huge steps, just understanding what coach wants out of us, understanding our plays and understanding each other and being able to bond a little more with each other and get after it. I feel like it’s coming together, molding together real well and getting better each and every day.”

Dallas entered Week 8 allowing a league worst 34.7 points per game, and were tied for a league low with just three turnovers generated.

The Cowboys were able to hold Wentz and company to just 16 offensive points, as another Philly touchdown came at the hands of a Ben DiNucci fumble return late in the game. As far as turnovers, Dallas was able to generate four takeaways, more than they had created in the previous seven games combined.

The Cowboys defensive scheme has been a hot topic this season, and appears the Dallas defenders are just now getting the hang of Mike Nolan’s notoriously-complex system.

“When you get a new defense, a new scheme, everything don’t just plug in and play,” Lawrence said. “It’s not a plug in and play type of defense. You have to study it, learn some different techniques and try to be your best at it. Some defenses are not for every defensive players. I think our coaching staff understands that and are trying to put us in the best position to make plays.”

One of the bright spots for the Cowboys this season, rookie CB Trevon Diggs, recorded two interceptions in Week 8, the first two of his career. Lawrence would compliment the young corner while discussing the teams comfort level with their scheme,

“We got some young guys playing good ball and they’re making the scheme come alive. Shoutout to Diggs, he’s a young guy but he’s playing hell of a football right now. We believe in him a lot.
The scheme’s opening up a lot for us and it’s also helping me make more plays too.”

The Dallas defense had a noticeable lack of effort on the field during a handful of games this season, but that wasn’t the case in the most recent outing. Lawrence was asked how the team can keep this fighting spirit going, and the veteran had this to say,

“You know, just being able to come out with a more serious demeanor and also being able to come out and put that fight on display, it meant a lot. It meant a lot to our team, it meant a lot to where we’re at and where we’re trying to go. We’ve just got to be able to keep that intensity every Sunday and be able to bring it every day throughout our work and our study.”

Week 8 may have been just one solid afternoon but it’s a building block and a beacon of hope for a Dallas defense that had absolutely no answers for opponents in weeks 2 through 7. Lawrence believes he and his fellow defenders can turn around this unit, even if it takes a while.

“You know, just with the guys that we have on our defense makes me believe whole-heartedly that I know we can be one of the best. Coming into the season I had high hopes for that, but you really don’t know the type of situation you’re in until you’re in it. We’re in it now, so we know what type of situation we’re in and what we have to do is keep our head down and keep digging. We’ll see the light one day.”

The Cowboys know they have a long way to go, and expectations have changed wildly as the team is now on their fourth QB in as many games.

Another huge test is coming up for Lawrence and the defense, as Ben Roethlisberger and the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers travel to Dallas Sunday.

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