The Denver Broncos, being a much more "Blog Friendly" team, are kind enough to publish a gamebook with all the post game quotes. The Jacksonville Jaguars, for whatever reason, are not so friendly with their media. So this week, thanks to our friends in the Mile High, we'll get the unfiltered quotes from our coaches and players.
Also, go over to Mile High Report and check out one of the finest Denver Sites on the web.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS HEAD COACH JACK DEL RIO
Opening Statement:
“We had a good game today in a tough place to play. I talked to the players last night and told them that we needed to have resolve. What we saw today was a team finding resolve and being a very good team that’s leading its division [Denver leads AFC West]. I’m proud of the guys. It took a complete team effort. I’m just real happy because we came into this game at 2-3, with our bye week in front of us, it was the biggest game that we had this year in terms of needing to find a win to stay alive and come out here with the win. I knew it was going to be difficult. Historically the games
started fast, and we just had to withstand that early surge by their [Denver’s] offense. We had some real solid individual play. I thought when [RB] Fred [Taylor] went down, [RB] Marurice Jones-Drew came in and did a really good job. He was receiving balls out of the backfield and running the ball. [QB] David Garrard was really sharp throwing the football and making good decisions all day, and it was just good to see. We have a lot of football ahead of us; we just need to get healed up. I think we’ll be a better football team coming out of the bye week.”
On his defensive adjustment after Denver’s first score
“Really, schematically, not much. It was just a matter of players taking care of their responsibilities. We’ve been solid at spurts. It was just total miscues...you just have to give them credit. Defensively, we felt like we should do the things that we’re supposed to do together. And we can be more stifling. So we just need to keep working on that.”
On playing at Invesco Field at Mile High stadium
“I think we understand what we’re facing here is a very difficult place to play. The fans are terrific. It’s a well-coached football team with a lot of talent. We just came in and put together a plan. We just found a way to pull out the win. There are a lot of obstacles that you’ll have to overcome. There are a lot of good people that you’ll have to battle against. We just came in here to compete. I think the cooler weather is nice. Our guys like it. We like playing on the road. If we had some snow that would have made it perfect. But it’s a great place to play; it’s one of the best stadiums in the league.”
On QB David Garrard’s performance
“I think David is a fine football player. Today was a nice performance and I think there’ll be many more [by Garrard]. He’s a very capable player. He’s good with his mind and he’s good with his feet, and he can throw it down the field.”
On critical the takeaways were in the game
“It’s huge. Always when you take the football away from somebody it’s big. You have to protect the football as much as possible. We were plus two today. Winning the turnover battle is important to us.”
In the next to last series, should he have called more running plays?
“We still needed to be aggressive. Hindsight is always 20/20. We had some opportunities there and we didn’t quite have them materialize. We approached it all game like that. If they were going to load the box and be aggressive we were going to throw the ball down the field, so we really didn’t change our approach until the very end when we basically took the air out of the ball.”
On RB Fred Taylor’s injury
“He got dinged a little bit, but he was cleared to come back and he was able to finish.”
On having RB Maurice Jones-Drew as to fill the void when RB Fred Taylor went out
“It’s great to have talented guys backing each other up. It’s hard to even call Maurice a back-up because he plays such an important role in our offense. He’s really a starter in our eyes.”
More Quotes behind the Fold:
TE MARCEDES LEWIS
On the importance of today’s game
“Coming into today we knew how important the game was. Coach said that no one is going to surprise anyone in the NFL and that is what happened today. We prepared really hard all week and we really just stuck together this week and throughout the game.”
On QB Jay Cutler and QB David Garrard
“Cutler is a very good player, but so is David (Garrard). I don’t really follow all of the media stuff but we came out on top today and that is what really matters. David is our leader and he was a big part in our ability to win the game today.”
RB MAURICE JONES-DREW
General
“I think we realized it from the way that we put an emphasis on running certain plays. Getting our offensive linemen into space was big because we have a very athletic offensive line. It just seemed like the holes they were making were bigger than they actually were and I was able to make some plays. David did a great job of getting the ball to the open guy and it was just a team victory today. The defense did a great job against an explosive offense and I just really think it was a total team victory today.”
On offensive performance
“We’ve been trying to be an aggressive offense. We have playmakers at tight end and wide receiver, and we did a good job of getting those guys the ball today.”
On team preparation
“I always prepare and do what I need to do to be ready regardless of the situation. When I have a big play or a big block it’s just Jaguar football. Our team is very team oriented, everyone just wants to do what they need to do. When teams load the box against us we can make plays downfield. We need to keep plugging along, this is a long season.”
On getting a win going into the bye week
“Every win feels good. Going into the bye week is big because you never want to go into your bye coming off of a loss. It gives us some momentum and it will help us fix the things we need to fix. We are going to get healthy, get ready for Cleveland and just be ready to go in two weeks.”
On offensive chemistry
“We have a balanced offense, and that is the hardest type of offense to face. Watching tape we have been seeing things that we need to fix, but our chemistry is starting to come back. David knows where guys are going to be without having to look and see them there, he just knows. It’s just a sign of our offensive chemistry coming back.”
On his long touchdown run
“We run that play all the time. It is a play that we love to run, we call it God’s play because it is the play that God would want to run if he played football. And obviously, I’m not as fast as I thought I was because I needed Troy (Williamson) to catch up to me and get a block at the end—it is an embarrassing thing to have happen to you on national T.V. (laughs).”
QB DAVID GARRARD
General
“It’s a good time for a win, going into your bye week. (Head Coach) Jack (Del Rio) said it was a turning point in our season and we had to answer. The defense got a big three and out late in the game and we were able to run the clock out. It was good to get back to Jaguar football.”
On the win
“Going into the bye week we can look at things that we’ve done well. It’s a great day to come into someone else’s house and win, like we did last year. Especially when we know that they are out for blood, after last year’s home loss to us.”
On being 3-3
“We’re not happy being 3-3 but we’re happy to have won today. If you had asked us before the season if we’d be happy at 3-3 we would have all said no. But that is where we’re at and we just have to keep moving forward.”
On his role in the offense
“I need to get the ball to our playmakers. Manage the game, being smart with the ball, not taking sacks, getting touchdowns and making the standard plays that a quarterback needs to make. I’m not the fastest guy, I can make some plays when I need to but we want the ball in the hands of our guys who fun in the 4.4’s and 4.5’s. (WR) Troy (Williamson) made an amazing play today, he ran a great route, made a great catch and showed his amazing speed.”
On the rest of the season
“I think we hold our own destiny in our hands. We have our own agenda, like (Head Coach) Jack (Del Rio) likes to say. We can do great things or we can slip and fall, the great thing is that it is all up to us.”