Cardinals 31, Jaguars 19
Q. Did this game feel like progress at all? How would you assess it?
JOSH ALLEN: I mean, the score is going to dictate wins and losses and whatever, but man, I felt like as a group, as a team, I feel like we took that next step. We've just got to finish. We're a young team, but I'm tired of hearing we're a young team. We've just got to learn how to finish.
But it's coming soon. That's what I've been telling everybody. We play Thursday. That probably could have been the best thing to happen to us as a team, as players individually, as a coaching staff and as an organization that we play Thursday because we know we should have won this game, and it's over and now we can move on quicker, faster, and just worry about the next one.
Q. What is your focus and priority in terms of Thursday's game, in terms of what you want to improve upon?
JOSH ALLEN: To win. It's as simple as that, man. I mean, our focus coming into Thursday, man, is to win. We've got the tools, we've got the players, we've got the pieces, we've got everything that we need inside this building every day. We've just got to win. That's our focus, and that's what we're going to focus on this week.
Q. How do you balance the need for patience almost with a young team, a rookie quarterback, new head coach but also knowing you've been here how bad this city wants to win? How hard is it to balance that?
JOSH ALLEN: Man, we all want to win. We want to win for ourselves. A lot of these players, I was telling Amy before here, man, we've got a lot of new faces that hasn't been a part of losing. We're bringing all this talent and we're bringing all these players in and bringing all these coaching staffs in and they're used to winning. That drought and all that, I don't care about that. They don't care about that.
We worry about ourselves now playing by game by game by game by game. It's not the outcome that we need, but hell, we're moving on to the next one. We play Thursday. We're going to execute. I know we've got a young team.
You see the plays people was making? Jamal taking it 109 yards, all-pro. All-pro. He's an all-pro. I just want to get that out there. We've got playmakers. Like Coach Urban talks about, that spark. We've got spark. We got the turnovers. Our defense is flying around making plays. We're getting better week in. We've just got to learn how to finish and win, and that's what we need to do, and that's what we're going to get better on.
Q. I'm not trying to give you a consolation trophy or anything like that, but still, you guys were down two cornerbacks against a team that's got as many weapons as anybody in the league against quarterback that's hard to catch, and for the most part the secondary covered well and you guys got some hits on him and you got to Kyler a few times. It's not the result you wanted, but given the circumstances and the team you were playing, was it still a pretty good game overall for the defense?
JOSH ALLEN: Yeah, I feel like as a defense we -- we're really harder on ourselves, so our job is for us to improve week in and week out to get better, to play together more, to celebrate when one of your teammates make a play, to do that more, and that's what we're seeing week in and week out.
That's another great thing about what we're doing this week. We play Thursday, man. We played our butts off today, but today is today. We lost. Now we play Thursday. We can focus on that. We can fly around, get our body back right and go make some plays even more.
Yeah, we've just got to win. We've got to win.
Q. You guys talked a lot this week about the spark. Can you take me through that wave of emotions when Jamal Agnew returns that kick 109 yards, you guys come out after the half, Dewey gets the pick, and then to getting here now?
JOSH ALLEN: You know, that was a spark. That's one of the prime examples of what we needed at that time. It's a momentum changer into the half. When I was out there, I was like, damn, he about to make it. I'm like, damn -- I'm looking back where he kicked it from, like, he's about to make it, and then all of a sudden you see 'Mal just take it out. I turned around, get your block. Do your part. Do your job. Competitive excellence. If we don't all do our jobs, Jamal don't do his job, you know what I'm saying?
That's just an example of us playing as a team, playing as one and playing for each other. People could have been selfish, getting blocks in the back, whatever, crack backs or whatever, but no, everybody did their job, we wanted him to see, and he did what he was supposed to do was make a play for us, and that's what we needed.
We came out second half, still wanted to try to go go tempo, whatever, whatever, but we're still strong on D and we're just getting the stops we need. So we've just got to keep the momentum going.
But it felt great, and like that's what I loved about today because we had a taste of what it's supposed to feel like and what it's going to feel like around here. That's what I love to see. It felt great. It felt great just taking that storm -- yeah, offense did whatever, but we know we're going to hold ourselves. That's what I love about this team and that's why I feel like we're going to get better and we're just gelling together and just staying one.
Q. What you can say about Urban Meyer through these first few games, what he's meant to this team going into the season and despite starting 0-3 just what you can see from him leadership wise.
JOSH ALLEN: Man, he trusts us. When the ball snaps, it's in our hands, and we go out there and we want to play. We play to win. We play for him. He installs culture, he installs competitive excellence, effort. It's a relentless effort, plus two to the ball every play, and we know that. So that culture and that coaching that he gives us, we play it with every play.
It just dictates on us to make the play as a defense or as an offense, as a special teams, to do our job. It's on us. But as a leader, man, he puts us in the right positions. He says the right things. He gets me turned; he gets the whole team turned; know what I mean? We've just got to get better as a team and just focus on Thursday and get this win.
Q. You kind of started talking about a minute ago, you were on that special teams play for the kick six; what's your plan in that situation? You made kind of the final block that set him free, right, so what are you thinking as you're running down the field ahead of him right there?
JOSH ALLEN: Man, it's just kind of crazy. I was literally thinking about this. When he scored the kickoff return last week, one of our players, Chapelle, or Deuce, made a great block to sell him home. So when I'm seeing him -- because like I said, I'm like, damn, he about to make this, and he takes it out, and I'm like, okay, what do I do. So in my mind I'm like, what would Deuce do? Get a block, do your job. Make a play for your player, for your teammates, and just go win. Don't do nothing stupid, get you a good block, let it go free. I did my part, and everybody did their parts, and Jamal did his part. He's a dynamic player, man. He's great to have.
They ain't about to kick to him no more; I'll tell you that for sure. What he do, he makes every one of them count as the last one. We needed that at that time, and it was great, great feeling to go into the locker room with that lead, and just to go with that momentum. Defense was out, we was already turned the whole game, and just to go out there and play and have fun, we could fly around and do what we need to do.
So kudos to him and everybody that made their block. Like I said, man, we've got to make a play.
DraftScripts by ASAP Sports
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports