What The Jaguars Are Saying About The Seahawks

Check out what Jaguars coaches and players are saying about the Seahawks before the two teams meet in Week 14 at EverBank Field, via jaguars.com. Head Coach Doug Marrone (On what he sees when watching Russell Wilson and how does he plan his defensive scheme around Wilson…) “I just think, this is the first time I have really got a really good look at him in watching him play and watching all the snaps. I really look at him as an MVP type candidate in the league and I know he would have my vote. I think he does so many things well, not just from a standpoint of the command of the offense, correcting the offense, the ability to escape, the ability to extend, the ability to make all the throws and I think they are really playing well. Their perimeter is playing well. They’ve got some running backs in there that are quite explosive. I think the line is doing a nice job of coming off the football and the protection. It’s just hard. I don’t know if you can ever go in there and say ‘hey, we got to stop this player.’ I don’t think he is a player you can stop. I think he is someone that you guys just try and contain, but try and limit the big plays that he is going to make.” (On if it adds to the challenge of preparation for teams that don’t play often and don’t watch film on each other…) “You know players, players watch a lot of things and a lot of tape. Seattle has been a dominant team in the NFL for a long period of time, so a lot of people probably have studied both sides of the football. I’m just saying for myself, because I was in college for a while when he [Russell Wilson] first came into the league and then having not played them when I was with, the last time I played Seattle, I believe I was with, the Saints, so that was a long time ago. I just really haven’t seen a lot of him or really studied him. I’ve seen a lot of him on highlights and things, but I never really studied him and he is much more impressive when you study him and you watch every single game and everything that he does. It’s a credit to him. He is an outstanding football player.” (On challenges presented by the Seahawks defense for his offense…) “Well I think they create a lot of challenges. I think that they have been a staple of defense for many years. I mean, people have always looked at it and I give them a lot of credit. They have had, obviously, some injuries, but guys are stepping up. I think it is just a matter of playing to the level of expectations for them and they play at a high level. I think the guys up front can play the run extremely well. They can put pressure on the quarterback. I think the line backing core, you know, [Bobby] Wagner is obviously an elite player for them. I mean he is probably the best linebacker that I have seen on film. He just does a great job there and KJ Wright is great downhill. [Michael] Wilhoite is a veteran guy. I think, obviously on the corners, they are playing well. They are good in press and good in versus man to man. They went ahead and obviously, a tough injury to Kam Chancellor who is an elite player at that position, but Bradley [McDougald], he has come in and he has been a starter in this league and he has done an outstanding job and Earl Thomas is another elite player, so I think they are playing at a very high level. They run to the football. They contest everything. It’s going to be a really big challenge for us.” (On facing the Seahawks…) “They’re one of the elite teams in the league consistently. They have been there, been a playoff team, veteran team, well coached football team. Excellent speed, excellent tacklers so it’s going to be a great challenge for our players.” (On Russell’s escapabilty…) “I’ve really never studied or played against Russell Wilson, Seattle and I’ve had the past couple days to really study him. I think he’s really having an MVP type season. I think that when you watch him back there whether it’s throwing the ball, running the football, escapability, prolonging plays, just making plays, durability, he just does it all. I think it’s a combination of a lot of things that have to occur to try to, I don’t know if you can ever stop him. You have to just make, contain him and limit some of the big plays that he’s been making but he’s; I mean I put the film on and I haven’t studied him until this week and I was like woah this guy is special.” (On Bobby Wagner…) “When he came to us, he’s one of the greats. He’s probably the highest graded linebacker. I think that runs, makes tackles, reads, diagnose well, plays coverage well, short handed tackler. I think everything that I’ve said about him, I think that he’s an elite player, special player and he’s one that can literally make every single tackle on the field; sideline to sideline whether you go at him or not and he has the ability to make plays in the coverage aspect of it.” (On Doug Baldwin…) “I don’t know which way a traditional receiver does. I mean there’s outside guys, there’s X’s, there’s slots. I’ve seen a number one receiver everywhere but you’re looking at someone that has two 1,000 yard seasons, he’s going to have another one coming up this year so he’s a special player that can play both outside, and inside and has great speed and can make plays.” (On Jimmy Graham…) “It’s a matchup problem. You know what I’m saying, a guy that in the last 9 games has 8 touchdowns, I think he’s a very tough matchup. I think that he can go up and get the ball, he can run well, uses his body extremely well. I see him being a much more complete player than he’s been before meaning that he’ll block, he’ll do all those things that people don’t really recognize of him so he’s a complete player. Obviously he’s an outstanding player and probably one of the tougher matchups in the league.”Safety Barry Church (On Russell Wilson…) “The greatest thing I can say is just make sure you keep him in the pocket. I mean they’ve got dangerous weapons on the outside, they’re all proof in players out there but his greatest asset is his legs and when he is able to get outside the pocket and extend plays like that his wide receivers are like a mental connection with him. They know when to go, when to come back for the ball and he exploits defenses that way. So, if we can keep him in the pocket we’ve got a pretty good chance.” (On keeping him in the pocket…) “I believe so, we’ve got the talent in the front seven to be able to do that. We just have to make sure we stay disciplined because he’s going to play games with your eyes, he’s going to try to fake you out, make sure he gets out of the contained so there’s not really much stopping him. It’s more just trying to contain him and that’s what we’re going to have to do if we have a chance at victory.” Defensive End Yannick Ngakoue (On the magnitude of this game…) “I feel like you should just be excited. Coming from where we came from last year, not a lot of people paying attention to us so definitely just getting the exposure and attention. Guys seeing what we’re building here, it’s a blessing. I feel like we’ve got guys fired up in the locker room.” Quarterback Blake Bortles (On the Seahawks defense…) “Our defense and their defense kind of come from the same place. Obviously they do some different things, but I think kind of the same foundation, a lot of the same principles and stuff so we have a little bit of experience going against something similar to what they do. Obviously different players but there is a lot more of what you have to go into because none of us have played on the opposite side of the ball, we’ve never played against them or at least most of us, but there definitely is a lot of preparation throughout the week. A lot of trying to get looks out of practice, trying to get guys to simulate the way their gonna play it and make sure that we’re getting all that stuff so we can be sharp on the kind of routes and throws we’re making.” (On Shaquill Griffin…) “He’s done awesome. Obviously coming in from when they drafted him, to playing as a rookie and finding a spot in that defense is really impressive because there is a bunch of good football players. I was with him for a year, him and his brother at UCF and he was always talented, both of them were. You knew both of them were going to have an opportunity to play at the next level and I think Shaquill has done an unbelievable job with the opportunity he’s been given. He definitely looks good on tape.” (On the Defense without Kam, Cliff, and Richard…) “It’s huge. I think it’s kind of, you know they’ve been together they’ve been in that system with that core group of guys. I think when one or two or three of them goes down the leadership is strong enough throughout the group that they can continue to maintain the culture and maintain the execution and they’ve done a really good job of that.” (On Russell Wilson…) “ I think any time that Russell plays is must watch TV because he’s going to make things happen. Whether it’s him scrambling, or running around he’s an exciting football player to watch.” Cornerback Jalen Ramsey (On Russell Wilson…) “Yeah obvious stuff. He’ll make plays, he’s going to extend plays, he’s the leader of their team.”