Jaguars 26, Colts 11
Q. How was that, to close out the season with a victory, and just talk about that defensive performance today.
SHAQUILL GRIFFIN: Oh, man, it was huge. The main message going into the week was leave no doubt, understand you've still got one more game to put it on tape. We're not sure what's going to happen with the staff, the coaches, the players, but understand you've got one more chance to put it on tape. Leave no doubt, because you never want to be that guy leaving the season saying, man, I just wish this play I would have did a little bit more. You don't want to go into the off-season like that. It will haunt you forever.
I'm glad everybody got a chance to buy into it, and then the defense showed out amazing. Career high with six sacks, that's amazing. I've got to give some more credit to the guys in the back end for holding it off, rushing to cover it together. Coach Joe always says that and it showed today. I've got to give it up to him for making the calls he made today because everything that he called made sense and it worked, and I loved that. I loved that. We played great.
Q. Shaq, you've talked a lot this year about these young players getting used to that winning feeling. How important is it and could it be for them to finish the season with a win and go into the off-season with that the last game that they remember until next year?
SHAQUILL GRIFFIN: It's huge because that's the momentum that we need, understand that we can be that team that can go so far. Knocking a team off that had a chance at a playoff berth, that's huge. It wasn't a slack-off team that we played against, and to get that W in this critical situation, even for them going into the off-season with that momentum, I know I'm going to make sure they train the heck out of them this off-season.
I'm staying here, around, right here in Jacksonville hoping guys come back, saying we can train right there in my backyard, I don't care. But the main thing is I want these guys to build off that. I want to be so much better than I was this year, and I hope those guys feel the same way, and I'm going to continue to push them even when we're out of season, so that's my goal, so I'm going to continue to stay on the young guys to make sure we come back right.
Q. The situation you're in now, you have a unique opportunity to kind of observe Trevor, and you practice against him regularly. Tell us how proud you are of him and his progression from week one to now? How good is his metamorphosis into the quarterback he is at this point?
SHAQUILL GRIFFIN: Oh, man, it was huge, just to see the maturity level. Understanding that Trevor is a guy who had to go through a lot of situations with this team, as well. We had a lot of ups and downs, so many different scenarios we had to overcome, and Trevor being the head man, making sure everybody stayed on track and right at that age, that shows so much maturity.
And understand, he played his ball. He looks comfortable. He played his game, and that was amazing to see that because you see him getting comfortable, and that was amazing to be able to see this from game one all the way until now, and to end the season the way he did with a win, I know I can only imagine what he's ready to accomplish going into next year.
This team, especially me, I'm behind him 110 percent, and I actually told him, I'm aware of where you at; you call on me, I'm going to come see you. We're going to be working, because I told him I want to make sure I catch every single football that comes to me next year, so I'm going to be training with him, getting with the receivers or whatever it takes to get this team closer now. Now that I'm here we're going to make it happen, so I'm proud of that guy. I know he's going to do some huge things for this team, and I'm with him 110 percent.
Q. You kind of alluded to it at the top. Obviously you personally were fighting COVID, several of these guys were, even if I know this new variant isn't as severe. Health-wise, fitness-wise, what sort of obstacles did that present for you guys? Did you have to have guys rotating in and out? Was it a little bit tougher than normal?
SHAQUILL GRIFFIN: Yeah, it was huge for us because understand even when I came back off that COVID list and I couldn't practice the first day. I had to make sure my breathing and everything. It came with a lot, so a lot of people had to step up, step in and be ready.
We had a lot of people rotating today on defense, but man, we made it work. Everybody bought in. We didn't have nobody making an excuse like man, we're missing this guy or this guy can't play. We all adapted to it and we made it work for this defense.
This team, we took a huge L with the COVID stuff, but like I said, we found a way to make it work instead of making excuses about it. We made sure it worked for us, and it did, so I'm proud of those guys for that.
Q. You alluded to those guys in the back end, Andre Cisco, DT. What did you think of them today?
SHAQUILL GRIFFIN: Huge, man. I've been telling the guys for a long time, the situation, your opportunity is going to come. Just make sure you make the best of it, and them guys played hard. I could hear in their voices during the week the plays they said they were going to make, and man, those guys stepped up in huge ways for this defense, and that's going to show a lot going into their future. I'm rooting for them guys no matter what, and they're going to do huge things for this team. I'm excited for those guys and they did amazing because it's not easy stepping up for those guys to fill in some shoes, and they did that very well.
Q. Just what you can say it means going through the adversity of this season, what it means to be a Jaguar stepping forward and what the community of Duval has meant to you to be behind you and to hear them cheering for you at the end of a season like that?
SHAQUILL GRIFFIN: Man, it was huge. Understand, one, being a part of this organization changed my life. Understand that part. I wanted to do so much so early for this organization, and I feel like I didn't get that done, but understand the love that I have for what they have done for me, I want to give more. So you hear me saying I'm going to make sure I get around Trevor, I'm going to get around the defense, whatever I gotta do off-season to make sure we get this tight mind so when we start we're ahead of the curve.
I'm willing to do that because I love this city so much because of what it already gave me, and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get this team back and this organization back to where we need to be.
So to get this win with this momentum going into next year, I hope everybody feels the same way of how can I get better, what can I do to do more because I don't want this season to happen again and we've got to get this flipped around, and I hope everybody feels the same way. That's why it was so great to have this win, to go into the off-season with this momentum knowing that we can do and take over whatever we decide we want to. I'm excited for it.
Q. This past week has obviously been rough starting with the Patriots game and then the social media and everybody shows up in clowns, whatever. Did you see any of those multicolored hairs in the stands while you were out there today? How offended were you guys going in, like a chip on the shoulder, wasn't it?
SHAQUILL GRIFFIN: Yeah, but I don't really get into all the social media or the clown suits and stuff. I think I seen someone snatch one off after we got a turnover so I don't know if he was trying to hide that he had the clown suit on.
I don't know, but I don't get into all that. When I go and play, I play for the true fans, and the true fans know who they are, the ones who don't have to put on no suits, the ones who are going to ride or die for this team no matter what, no matter the outcome. Those are the guys who I go out and fight for, those are the ones who I know are supporting. Everything else outside of that doesn't matter. I care about this team too much for me to be worrying about outside noise.
Q. I have some fans tweeting at me asking about the boom box celebration. Can you elaborate? I don't know what that is.
SHAQUILL GRIFFIN: Usually after a win I have the boom box. You know what, maybe after this interview I'm going to go ahead and go in the locker room and find that boom box and a couple players and I'm going to go ahead and turn it up a little bit, put that out there so everybody can see it because they are right, I've got to get my boom box.
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