Cardinals 31, Jaguars 19
URBAN MEYER: I just want to win so damn bad for our players and for Jacksonville, the crowd was -- I appreciate them coming out, and the noise. We're going to get this thing going, and I know I said that last week, but damn, they played hard. Our players played their asses off today. Just got to eliminate some mistakes and learn how to win.
I'll answer your questions.
Q. You talked this week about needing to get that spark. It felt like --
URBAN MEYER: Sparks everywhere, man. Just didn't do it.
Q. How deflating can it be for the locker room when you have that sort of energy at halftime and you aren't able to take advantage of it in the second half?
URBAN MEYER: That's a great question, and we're going to find out. That's my job to get them back and keep that energy going because the energy I'm telling you in the locker room is as good a locker room as I've ever had. I told them that. I appreciate that. We're coming back in a few days here and get ready for a road trip. They played in heat, played a lot of plays against a talented team and cramping and everything that goes with that kind of a ballgame. But I just have too much belief in these players. I have belief that -- you think about against who's in that defensive front, march it down the field, to come slam off the ball like our offensive line did and the backs running hard, we've just got to finish it.
Q. Urban, do you feel like you're making progress, and do you balance -- obviously it's a wins and losses business, but do you see progress that you want to see here heading in that direction?
URBAN MEYER: Yeah, I see a lot of progress. Obviously like you said, this is a product-based business we're all in, and you look on the won-lost column, it's not good. Yeah, I still believe we've got a good enough team to make some moves this year and win some games. I do believe we're making progress.
Q. Is there any concern or are you starting to get concerned about Trevor's mentality, confidence at all? I think seven, eight turnovers in the first three games.
URBAN MEYER: I worry about everything. But Trevor is a unique individual, and he competes like -- competed his tail off. We've just got to -- that's something that -- when something is not there, throw it away and one of them was not his fault. One of them was a dropped pass. You can't do that with a young quarterback. Can't do that. That's unacceptable. It's unacceptable with an old quarterback, but you just can't do that. It just drives me nuts.
I'm worried about it, but like I said, I worry about everything. He's a unique cat now. I know what he's going to be like tomorrow. Same way he was last week. He's the most consistent -- one of the most consistent players I've been around.
Q. You were able to find the soft spots in Arizona's secondary, and Lawrence looks a little bit more comfortable in the pocket. Do you believe it's just bad, unfortunate interceptions or exhaustion that led to the third quarter explosion? Was it the lack of depth at corner or heat?
URBAN MEYER: The lack of depth at corner?
Q. Henderson and Herndon didn't play today.
URBAN MEYER: Oh, yeah, we are worried about that, yeah. I thought they hung in there and -- I've got to go back, I just remember looking up, it looked like he just floated the ball in the air and we didn't make a play on it. Yeah, I am worried about our depth at corner with CJ and Tre. We get Tre back and I think CJ is back this week, too, so we should be full strength next week.
Q. Offensive line wasn't very good, and Josh Lambo, you backed him last week. Do you have to do something there this week?
URBAN MEYER: Did you say offensive line?
Q. Offensive line was very mediocre and obviously gave up a couple of key pressures on some of the turnovers.
URBAN MEYER: I don't know that. I've got to -- I'll get you more information after watching. I just thought it was one of the best performances against a good defensive front pushing the ball. I didn't look at the stats. Two sacks? And then one was a pressure on that pick six.
We'll discuss the line. I kind of thought we controlled the line of scrimmage, but I'll let you know on Monday, I guess, when we talk.
On Lambeau, I made that comment, man, he's the hardest working specialist I've ever had, but it's also a reality we're now missing extra points. I'm not sure what we're going to do, but I'm like everybody, I want to see him make it because he works so damn hard on it.
Q. Did you sign off on the flea flicker before they went out on it?
URBAN MEYER: I sign off on everything.
Q. Did you like that play call there? You said before that if you're going to do a trick play it needs to add an element of surprise. A lot easier to do from your own 20 than maybe the opposing 40.
URBAN MEYER: Yeah, I always tell Bev to be aggressive, as I've always towards my coordinators all along the year, let me be the overruler, be the aggressive guy, and I heard it come over the headset, and I just -- obviously I didn't stop it. Then I looked up and I saw DJ behind the defense. We were behind them. It was a big one. And then I look up and the ball was picked.
You know, that's the decision I made a long time ago was be aggressive. You've got to be smart but be aggressive.
Q. James Robinson finally breaks out today; what was the conversation between you and the play callers as far as getting him the ball and how can you evaluate his performance today?
URBAN MEYER: I thought he was fantastic. He's been practicing like that. I thought Carlos ran hard. Just probably need to give him the ball even a little bit more. Yeah, that was impressive, especially who you're playing. That team is a good team, and just had them on their heels, and I think it was eight straight runs in that third quarter. Yeah, those guys are running hard, and we're going to continue to get them the ball.
Q. Were you surprised after eight straight runs the flea flicker was called knowing how well the run game was going?
URBAN MEYER: I think I just answered that. You look back now and -- it's going to be a hard one to get out of my mind. But you also want creativity in your offense, which I'm always pushing those guys very hard on that. I'm pushing the aggressiveness. Before every game, I'm, be aggressive, be aggressive, and it's my job to say, if it's not there, don't do that.
Q. What did you see on ago knew's 109-yard return and what was it like getting that set up when you realized that Kingsbury was going to go for the 68-yarder?
URBAN MEYER: Well, I couldn't believe they were going to kick it, and Nick Sorensen said, he can hit it. He saw him in pregame hit it 63 without really swinging hard. I've never seen that in my life. We had it set up. We practiced that, we worked it, and that kid is a dynamic guy with the ball in his hand, Agnew. Same thing we saw. That's why we went after him in free agency. That's a game changer and he's an even better guy than he is a player. We've got to find ways to -- we've got to get him loose on a punt return, we haven't done that yet.
Q. I'm just wondering if you're able to say anything to Trevor, not only after the flea flicker went wrong but just after the game in general because certainly he'll take a lot of the blame on himself with the three turnovers even though as you said one of them wasn't really his fault.
URBAN MEYER: Three turnovers? I thought it was just two.
Q. Four, two fumbles. Did you say anything to Trevor just to make sure that there's not any loss of confidence or any --
URBAN MEYER: I haven't had a chance. We just did this and I came right in, so I will grab him.
Q. How about after the flea flicker? Did you say anything?
URBAN MEYER: I just grabbed him afterwards. I can't remember what I said to him, but we've got a great relationship, and the coaches all do and the players love him to death. Yeah, he's going to continue to get better and we're going to go win a game with him.
Q. Did you feel like that was one where he probably should have just thrown it away?
URBAN MEYER: I haven't seen the film of it yet. That's what it looked like to me when I looked up at the board.
Q. Through the first three games with Trevor, just what you can say about assessing his play up to this point, his leadership up to this this point as you look at the big picture stepping into a short week?
URBAN MEYER: Big picture, other than score, leadership, intangibles, the work ethic, the character, the desire to be great, his support from his teammates, his support of other teammates. He's a very unique guy, one that really I've been very fortunate to coach some elite, elite players, and he's one of the most elite, just the way he handles himself.
Like I said, he's the second or third most votes on the team as a rookie quarterback. The players love him. The players see what I see. They see what the world is going to see, and that's a hell of a player that cares deeply for Jacksonville, cares deeply for his teammates. Really, it's a refreshing guy to be around every day, and he will get better. I guarantee you that.
Q. What are you focusing on for the team to improve on heading into Thursday's game?
URBAN MEYER: First I've got to get them healthy. That was a tough go today. So I'm going to go from here and start getting ready for that game, and then my big thing is about just the health, how we're going to get these guys hydrated up and ready for a good team with Cincinnati.
The focus is just -- the focus going into this one, we need some big plays, and we've made them, and obviously not enough. So that's going to be the focus. I think twice now -- I think we were winning at halftime and last week we should have been winning at halftime, and it's just second half I guess would be the focus.
What was the score at halftime?
Q. 13-7.
URBAN MEYER: 13-7? Yeah. Thanks.
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