Jacksonville Jaguars 27, Las Vegas Raiders 20
DOUG PEDERSON: We're just looking for one more point, right? We're just looking for guys to make plays. We're just looking for opportunities, and I think all of that came through today in this game, and this is a great team win.
Q. What did you see out of Trevor today?
DOUG PEDERSON: I thought he played solid. He played within himself. You know, really managed the offense, the situations, made some tough throws, got out of some tough throws, got out of some sack situations, ran hard.
Just second half third downs, you know, making some big, big throws there. And just took a step in the right direction. That's all you can ask from your quarterback.
Q. What was the message at halftime for Davante Adams, and how impressed are you with what you guys did in the second half holding him to one catch for zero yards after he really had his way with you guys early on?
DOUG PEDERSON: Yeah, first half obviously he had some big plays there. You know, we just regrouped really at halftime. I don't think there were a ton of changes, quite frankly.
The guys were in position in the second half. Listen, that's part of what we're trying to teach these guys here and how to win and to stay within themselves, just do their job.
In the second half they did that, and they got a great pass rush. We had our chances at some interceptions. We have to work that obviously. Just a really good defensive performance in the second half.
Q. You're down 17-0 in a lot of scenarios. There could have been panic, but this team that you elected to stay with the run. Just your thought there. And what did you learn about this team that in some cases could have gone south? But obviously that wasn't what happened.
DOUG PEDERSON: Yeah, it's interesting. When you are in games like this, you look at that opening drive and really went down the field mix of run, mix of play pass. Obviously we had the miscue with the fumble. There were some opportunities even after that. We didn't get off the field. We gave up the big touchdown to Davante there.
It wasn't like we were far off, right? Our guys had a lot of confidence on the sideline. Coaches, we stuck to the game plan and really just trusted our players honestly and kept putting them in those situations to be successful.
Didn't have Trevor to do anything other than what he has been coached to do. Can you do that all the time? You know, I don't know if you can, but today it worked. Proud for the guys.
Q. A win like this, you can talk so much about learning how to win. Is this the first step in that, or is this something that just kind of validates everything you've been saying to them, and can you put too much emphasis on it?
DOUG PEDERSON: Well, you don't want to put too much emphasis on wins and losses, but this is a step in the right direction. We've been really close, as you guys know, over the course of the season. It's great to see our team finish.
It's great to see our defense finish, offensively in the second half make plays, special teams the great return to start the second half. It's all steps in the right direction, right? It's something now that we can build upon.
Guys have that feeling, kind of the taste in their mouth. We've just got to capitalize and keep improving.
Q. Dawuane Smoot, the day he had today, especially coming up big late, how big was that for him?
DOUG PEDERSON: It was big. It was big. He is a great player, and he has tremendous skill and ability and somebody that we lean on heavily to get after the passer. He did a nice job. You know, did a great job of just sticking to his game plan and making some big plays, especially here at the end.
Q. Real fast, this is the third straight game that you all have led in the fourth quarter, and you were able to come away with a victory today. What specifically were some things that your team did today taking from the lessons from the last two weeks and applied them here today?
DOUG PEDERSON: I think it's just a matter of just continuing to build on the game plan that was giving us success in the second half. Trevor was in a good spot. The running game was in a good spot. We just had to continue.
My mindset in those situations is you still have to be aggressive and get first downs, right? The game is not necessarily over. You are only up four at the time, and you still have to get first downs and try to score as many points as you can. So that's always going to be the mindset late in the game, especially in games like this.
It was really good for our guys to finish this game that way and really for Riley to -- I know he missed the one, but he come back and hit a bigger kick in my opinion there at the end. Just goes to show I think how this team is really embracing each other. They're taking the coaching to the field. Just a great sign of that.
Q. How important was it today to get Etienne that kind of workload to show that he can be the bell cow back?
DOUG PEDERSON: Well, we know obviously that he is going to be the guy, so we've just got to continue to find ways to get him touches in this game and really every game moving forward.
As a staff we've got to be smart in how much we use him. I don't want to wear him out, but at the same time we're going to keep using him in situations to be successful. He made some tough runs in the second half.
He is still learning. That's the thing that I'm excited. He is still learning how to run the football and where to run it sometimes. But he has so much talent that you hate for him to come off the field, especially in moments of crunch time.
Q. You rotated Tre Herndon and Montaric Brown a lot this game. What went into the decision to do that, and what you did think about how the rookie did today?
DOUG PEDERSON: Yeah. Well, the reasoning obviously is just in situations like this where to get Buster some opportunities to play and get him comfortable with the way he can play, and it's really nothing against Tre. It's just a matter of having everybody available. I thought both of those guys did a nice job.
Buster in particular made some plays. It will be really good for him to go back and watch this film tomorrow and really grade himself and just to see overall how well he played and if there were anything that he might have left out there on the field.
Q. Trevor coming off maybe his toughest game to respond how he did down 17-0 with, as you said, just third down pass after third down pass, what does that mean for him?
DOUG PEDERSON: I think it just boosts confidence. It's everything that we talk about with him and how he can play. You know, it takes moments like this, it takes games like this for young players to really understand kind of sometimes what the coach is talking about a little bit.
He was able to do that. It was great to see him do that. He was in a great frame of mind all game. Never once did he show any signs of panic or waivering, nothing like that. He showed a lot of confidence.
As play caller, you know, you want him to have the ball in his hands because at the time, I think especially in the second half, those third down throws he was hot and wanted to get him opportunities to finish the game as well on offense.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports