Press Pass | Coach Pederson Reflects on Season So Far, Injury Updates for Week 17

Published Dec 27, 2024, 6:31 PM
Doug Pederson speaks with media on Friday of Week 17 ahead of Titans vs. Jaguars.

Greig Trail and Darnello for sent Ben Trail protocol.

So I wouldn't expect him to go. I'm sorry, Uh Savage, Darnell Savage, Yeah, Savage. Uh, he's he's in a protocol. Uh wouldn't expect him. I don't expect him, uh Ben Trail, same thing, Ankle, don't expect him to uh to play. And then of course Walker, Yeah, everybody else is good.

What do you need for mac Jones this week?

I mean he's started a couple of games where you started against the Titans. Gotta win against them last, and what do you need for.

Him this week?

Just just play consistent football, right, Just execute the offense, Lead the offense, lead the team. It really doesn't have to do more than that. Just again, just control he can control, uh, put the ball in play and and and do that. I think. I think if he does, then what we've seen obviously from him, you know, great things and good things will happen.

You talked about Pride a few different times this season and just fishingly, seating strong, just to play one more time at home. Just what you're gonna mean? Just?

I mean, it's gonna mean a lot in front of our fans. I mean, it's just gonna be a a great atmosphere with Tennessee coming here and and you know in AFC South opponent, you know, to to finish, to finish up our home schedule and and you know, to try to get a win, and that'd be that would be just I think for us is huge, you know it And again a step in the direction of of trying to finish, you know, finish the season the.

Right way time in the year. Would two games left if you start to worry about guys if you like, so check it out.

I mean there's always a possibility, you know, but uh again, I think that that falls on me to make sure that doesn't happen. And keep everybody engaged in in the coaching staff and and you know again they y once you once you play, and you and you and you kick the kick the ball off on Sunday. You know, everybody's engaged and locked in. So wouldn't wouldn't expect too much of that course of year.

You kind of talked about loading up Betis play slowly and putting more on him to see how much he can handle. How much more is there that you can can put on put on him, Like, how much more work for growth is anything?

Yeah, I mean there's still I think there's still a little bit. You know, you haven't seen him out of the backfield as much. You know, different things you see, you know, a guy like Jamar Chase can come out of the backfield or you know, justin Jefferson on the backfield, guys like that. I think there's some of that. It just creates matchups, you know, takes takes double teams away, you know, and and and then just just keep expanding the rout tree. You know that are there certain things that we we haven't done with him yet that that we can you know, we can continue to work on and and then still emphasize his strength. So I still think there's there's room to really grow a little bit more. And in all that all that he does.

Tony Mollard has a practice for that the last two days. Not sure exactly if he's gonna be able to go or not, but obviously he hurt you.

Guys in the first meeting, especially in that first half. If he can't go, what does that do to the game.

Yeah, he used a big, big part of the run game obviously, good running back. You know, look it's it's always been sort of the next man up mentality, I think with every with every team, and and I wouldn't expect them to try to do anything different, you know, in the run game. Quite honestly, I I still think that you know themselves and us. I mean, that's what you try to establish in games like this. Try to get that thing going, cause that'll open up some of the the the play action and the movement and the screen game and and all of that. But I I I just think that you know, we're going to continue to try and find ways to you know, to get the ball to really not just their runners, but but all their skill guys.

Were you surprised that they opened up that game with eightyear nine straight?

Not not necessarily, I think too. Sometimes you get in those games and if it, you know, you get those one or two runs going, you just kind of go, Okay, I'm just gonna stick with it. And and it it might have been some of that, but you know then too, you gotta look at what we have not been able to do and and stop people early in games. Right, So the fundamentals of football of just blocking and tackling and and so those are things that that we emphasize and and so I wasn't surprised that they did that.

At this point in the season, when it's almost over, do you go back and do the way it game all the time? Okay all the time?

It doesn't make me feel any better, right, alright?

But I mean, is what's your biggest what if at this point would be the the opener of Miami, the the fumble.

Well, I mean, you have to go all the way back to that game, you know, you know, if you hang on to that football, you're you're twenty four to seven lead going into the fourth chore and who knows, right, go to the next game. If we don't have a you know, an illegal shift in the red zone, we score a touchdown, kick a field goal, it's a different ball game.

It's just.

It's what if, you know, And it's uh, you know, even even the first Houston game, opportunities down the field to make plays and we don't do that. Again, it's the fundamentals of football. And so you go through that. I don't let it really eat it doesn't get it's not gonna eat me up right, because I can't. I can't do anything about it now. And but things that as a team, we we we need to learn. We need to learn from their hard lessons to learn, and we need to learn them fast. And you know, for us to have nine one score losses this year, and you look at what the Chiefs have sixteen or so one score wins, you know, so it's just a matter of making those plays. It's just making one or two more plays a game and then it goes the other way for you. And that's what we have to learn.