Doug Peterson on being in the UK and this weekends game against the Buffalo Bills.
Transcript
00:00 Let's begin, thanks coach for finding some time for us.
00:05 We've got some questions for Coach Peterson.
00:07 Okay.
00:09 You have the opportunity of becoming the most successful coach here in London
00:12 with a picture of the Bills on Sunday.
00:15 How special would that be for an achievement for your coaching?
00:19 Well, obviously that would be a great achievement,
00:21 very special to me personally.
00:23 But we understand it's another game,
00:26 it's a football game against a really good opponent too.
00:28 So it's a challenge, but you know, if it happens it would be great.
00:33 And you know, one of those things that you never thought kind of growing up
00:38 you'd be in this situation, you know, as a head coach.
00:41 But anytime I get a chance to, you know, take the field
00:45 and with this team or my previous team it's always a special moment.
00:50 Coach, what kind of an advantage do you guys think you have
00:53 with staying here all week?
00:55 You're on the English countryside, you get a good night's sleep every night.
00:58 The Bills are going to be flying overnight, arriving Friday.
01:03 Do you feel like you have an advantage?
01:05 I don't know about that.
01:07 I just know that, you know, obviously back-to-back games, you know,
01:11 the advantage for us is just that we're here
01:12 and I try to keep it as normal as if we were in Jacksonville
01:16 as far as the schedule goes.
01:17 And you know, we understand what that travel is like,
01:23 you know, on a Thursday getting here on a Friday morning.
01:25 And obviously, you know, Buffalo they'll experience that.
01:29 Coach McDermott, I have a lot of respect for him.
01:32 He'll have those guys prepared for that trip, you know, coming over.
01:35 And – but for us to be here, this great place, you know, at Hanbury Manor,
01:40 and it's just – it's really – it's nice for us because, you know,
01:46 to be here a week and to experience this culture, you know, over here in the UK.
01:51 And to be at this great place is an experience for all of us.
01:56 Coach, this might as well be like the Chiefs sort of a major game,
02:00 pretty strictly a big match for you to get in on?
02:02 Absolutely.
02:03 This is a great football team.
02:05 Great quarterback, obviously.
02:08 Well coached, you know, obviously the fingerprints of Coach McDermott
02:14 on this defense and what they're doing.
02:16 So, yeah, it's a challenge for us.
02:17 And, you know, it's something that we can learn maybe from –
02:21 from that Chiefs game, preparation, hard work, all of that, going into this week.
02:25 And, you know, just know that our guys will be – you know, they'll be ready,
02:31 you know, for Sunday and look forward to the opportunity.
02:34 Coach, you always talk about mindset and mood, whatever, with your team.
02:38 Do you feel any different after the win Sunday in terms of how these guys are approaching it?
02:45 I mean, obviously any time you win, the week following is a better week.
02:49 And, you know, guys are in better spirits.
02:51 I'm in a better mood typically, you know, after a win.
02:55 But, you know, Lewis, it's short-term memory.
02:57 You know, you put wins and losses behind you quickly
03:00 and you move on to the next opponent.
03:01 So, it's still going to take a solid week of preparation, you know, to play in this game.
03:08 Is there an update on Zay Jamal?
03:15 Yeah, right now both guys are day-to-day.
03:17 We'll get them out there today in practice, move around, see where they're at physically.
03:23 You know, along the same lines, you know, Cam, Cam Robinson will be out there today.
03:29 You know, Smoot will be out there today.
03:34 Antonio Johnson will be out there today.
03:36 So all guys that we're going to see this, you know, this week
03:40 and see where they're at, you know, going into this game.
03:43 How do you assess, again, the situation with Robert Cicinio around him?
03:48 But what do you need to see this week to know if he's ready to jump back in?
03:53 Well, obviously he's in a really good, you know, frame of mind.
03:57 You know, he's prepared himself for this moment.
04:00 He knew all along, you know, what he was doing and what he needed to do to get ready.
04:07 You know, for us as a staff, I think it's just going out there,
04:09 just how he executes this week, you know, in practice
04:12 and how he gels with, you know, with Walker or possibly Shatley there at left guard.
04:16 And, you know, all those different combinations that could happen.
04:19 So, he's – I know he's mentally ready.
04:25 And, you know, the physical part is sort of natural to him.
04:28 Speaking of combinations on the offensive line,
04:30 is there any chance or consideration for when Cam comes back?
04:35 If Walker kicks in, could Shatley replace Fortner?
04:40 Or has he seen enough good things out of Luke?
04:42 Oh, no, Luke's solid in there.
04:44 I mean, we have no issues with Luke at all.
04:46 I mean, he's done an outstanding job.
04:48 You know, we do know – I mean, Shatley is a backup center for us.
04:50 If something were to happen to Luke, obviously, you know,
04:53 Tyler would be the one to go in.
04:54 But there's no conversation at all about that.
04:59 Fully confident in Luke.
05:01 What is Cam Green or anything like that?
05:03 What do you miss when he's not there?
05:07 You know, another leader, another veteran player,
05:10 somebody who's played, you know, a lot of games there at left tackle.
05:14 There's a physicality there, you know, and a mindset that he brings.
05:17 And, you know, I think there too there could be a little bit of a comfort level,
05:24 you know, with the entire stability, let's call it stability with the offensive line.
05:30 You know, and I'll tell you this, you know, my hat's off to Walker a little,
05:33 you know, for, you know, he's bounced around in the short time that I've been here,
05:39 in the offensive line, and he's somebody that you can definitely count on.
05:41 But Cam definitely brings that, you know, a little bit of that leadership
05:48 and maybe a little bit more stability there to the offensive line.
05:52 Coach, with the NFL announcing the inclusion of one practice player
05:55 of 32 sports going forward, we've spoken about the growth in the game.
05:59 How does a seasoned coach like yourself welcome the possibility
06:02 of working with more international players going forward?
06:05 I think it's tremendous, you know, to have international players involved.
06:11 Obviously in the NFL, Io is part of our team and he does an outstanding job.
06:16 This is the second year for him.
06:17 And it's just – again, it shows the health of our sport
06:21 and the growth of our sport worldwide.
06:23 Coach, you've also seen the U of K fan base grow tremendously.
06:26 The Jaguars franchise are now expanding to the Republic of Ireland.
06:30 So looking forward – a few years now,
06:31 are you looking forward to playing a game in Dublin at Coach Hart perhaps?
06:34 I'm looking forward to playing the Bills on Sunday.
06:38 I tell you, it's something that obviously it's a bridge we would cross,
06:42 you know, if it got to that point.
06:43 But again, I think it's just a credit to the NFL and the 32 owners and teams
06:48 for, you know, taking our sport globally.
06:52 You know, from a coaching standpoint, you've got to think of all the logistics
06:55 and travel and all that different stuff.
06:56 But maybe one day we'll experience that.
07:00 Coming up against the Josh Adams.
07:02 Just finally, how much of a threat is Josh Adams
07:04 and what are you expecting from the Bills this Sunday then?
07:08 Josh Adams, their quarterback or our D-end?
07:10 Their quarterback.
07:11 Oh.
07:12 I tell you what, as I mentioned, he's a tremendous player.
07:15 And, you know, he's obviously one of the top quarterbacks in the AFC,
07:21 top quarterback in this league.
07:24 You know, he's big and physically can run.
07:26 It takes – last time I faced him I think was in 2019.
07:31 So, and it's a challenge to get him on the ground when you can.
07:34 But he's got a big arm, can't fall asleep on the receivers
07:38 and his ability to extend plays.
07:40 And he does a nice job of finding, you know, finding his targets.
07:44 And it's a challenge for our defense this week.
07:48 Coach, what did you do with your time off in the past couple days after the game?
07:53 I didn't have time off.
07:54 I was right here, we were game planning actually.
07:58 I have – my wife is here obviously
07:59 and she's had a chance to experience, you know, the city and the surrounding area.
08:03 And she says it's great.
08:07 I've been right here.
08:08 You played most games on the grass, obviously playing on turf on Sunday.
08:11 Is there anything you're going to do differently?
08:13 What challenges did you take?
08:14 No, I mean, it's – you know, we play a few games.
08:17 We played the Colts, you know, first game of the year on turf.
08:19 And, you know, it's part of it.
08:23 Obviously, you know, we practiced this week on grass.
08:26 And the guys do a nice job.
08:28 It's just a matter of just, you know, handling it properly
08:31 with the right footwear and shoes and things of that nature.
08:35 But it doesn't affect us one way or the other.
08:38 You guys at the stadium?
08:39 No, no.
08:41 Coach, you say you kept the schedule the same as you would if you were in Jacksonville.
08:46 But this is a really long, long trip.
08:49 What have you changed and what have you said to the players
08:51 that might be different about being away from home so long?
08:54 You know, I think the biggest thing is, you know,
08:57 somehow, someway, just eliminating a few of the distractions.
09:02 Sometimes you can get a little, you know, lulled to sleep.
09:05 You know, you're here at the hotel and you're, you know, in and out of meetings.
09:11 It's just not the normal routine, right?
09:13 You're not getting in a car, you're not driving to work.
09:16 You know, things of that nature.
09:17 And just staying up on your game, staying sharp.
09:20 You got to continue to stay, you know, in your game plan books.
09:23 You got to continue to watch the tape and the film.
09:26 And, you know, we don't have all the luxuries of, you know, all our technology right here.
09:32 And our guys do a great job, obviously, of bringing that to us.
09:35 But, you know, that's probably the one thing that concerns you a little bit is just the,
09:41 you know, the preparation, the mental preparation for a game like this.
09:44 Do you have time to switch off today after a couple of plays with him?
09:48 You know, after the game Sunday this past week, you know,
09:51 we got here to Hanbury Manor and gave him Sunday night off
09:54 and gave him Monday off to, you know, because a lot of them do have family
09:57 or, you know, friends here that they get a chance to experience the city and, you know,
10:04 go places, eat dinners and things of that nature.
10:07 And then, you know, we got back to a little bit of a routine on Tuesday.
10:12 And now we're back into our normal work week.
10:15 Coach, what's the plan with Suu, do you have to bring him in kind of slowly?
10:19 Yeah, we just want to see where he is physically from a football standpoint.
10:22 He's obviously been cleared and, you know, ready to go.
10:27 And we just opened up his window, you know, his 21-day window.
10:32 And just see where he's at, you know,
10:33 and excited for him to get back with the team and get back on the grass.
10:37 And we'll monitor that, you know, day by day.
10:40 [Inaudible]
10:56 I mean, you're doing about as much as you can.
10:58 I mean, if you go back and look at a couple of those,
11:01 probably there was probably something that kept us from scoring a penalty.
11:06 You know, the other – I guess it was the Houston game,
11:09 sometimes a drop pass, you know, for a touchdown, a missed field goal early.
11:13 Just those things that have kind of kept us from scoring, you know,
11:16 those first possessions.
11:19 You know, and I think those things happen, you know, they come to you, right?
11:24 And when they do, they start coming in droves or in waves.
11:27 But you don't do anything in special.
11:31 I think the attention to detail maybe with the players and, you know,
11:35 even you look at this week and you look at what Buffalo's done, you know,
11:39 they're getting their defense to start fast,
11:40 they're bringing a lot of pressure early, you know, in games
11:43 to try to help jump start them as well.
11:45 So, you know, whatever you can do to just execute the plan.
11:50 [Inaudible]
11:57 Biggest thing, you know, we didn't turn the ball over.
12:00 We didn't shoot ourselves in the foot with penalties, negative plays.
12:03 We created some explosive, you know, plays there.
12:06 And the fact that we, you know, we finished some drives with points,
12:10 especially in the second half, you know, we were at the ten-yard line
12:13 and the six-yard line, you know, in that football game and came away with points
12:17 and, you know, did some good things.
12:20 There's still some – a lot of work to do, some things to clean up,
12:23 some areas to clean up and emphasize.
12:26 But, you know, I thought just playing more of a clean game, right,
12:30 from that standpoint was a step in the right direction.
12:33 You mentioned you want to make it a sweep, but on a normal point,
12:35 what's that look like so far and how does it fit into the roster?
12:39 Yeah, you know, I mean, one is that we're here, right,
12:41 we don't have to travel anywhere.
12:44 And really, you know, Mondays and Tuesdays are typically those player days,
12:49 you know, for themselves.
12:50 And we did some work yesterday with the players.
12:52 We went through and, you know, wrapped up the Falcon game, you know,
12:57 with the players and started on, you know, the bills yesterday,
13:00 got their work out and, you know, treatments are still the same.
13:03 Mondays and Tuesdays.
13:04 And then today, you know, they wake up today and we're right into meetings
13:07 and, you know, we just finished a walk through and practice here in a few minutes.
13:12 So those are all the typical things on a Wednesday, Thursday, you know,
13:15 that we'll do and just keeping that, you know, very similar.
13:18 That's one thing about, you know, we're creatures of habit where, you know,
13:25 we follow a schedule and I don't like to necessarily deviate from that schedule
13:30 but I don't have to and keep a lot of the things the same for the players.
13:33 How would you say Colin Ritten is finding his way into the offense?
13:36 Or does he come in after you and suspension?
13:39 He's really done a nice job and, you know, he's really learned our offense.
13:45 I think Press has done a really good job of incorporating him in certain,
13:49 you know, past concepts, you know, and he's embraced that.
13:53 And he's just a – he's a tremendous worker on the practice field.
13:56 And, you know, continues to improve and get better.
13:59 And a really good leader in his room, the wide receiver room and on the team.
14:04 And, you know, it was good last – I made him a captain last week against Atlanta,
14:10 his old teammates.
14:11 And, you know, he's just been – he's been really good.
14:16 You got a home game after you get back and then Thursday night game.
14:21 How do you manage your players through, you know, a really tight minute
14:25 where you have three games in about two and a half weeks?
14:27 Yeah, I mean it's a – that part's a challenge.
14:29 You know, I think about that because we're going to come back from this trip
14:33 where we've kind of got used to the five-hour time change, right,
14:36 from the East Coast of the U.S.
14:38 And it takes a few days to kind of get, you know, your body clock acclimated.
14:43 So, you know, I got to take that into consideration, you know,
14:46 as we prepare next week.
14:47 And then as you mentioned, a Thursday game to follow.
14:50 So it's about, you know, I can facilitate with helping them get more rest,
14:57 you know, possibly during the week.
14:59 But then the players have to do their part and study and prepare
15:02 and have the mental side down as you go into, you know,
15:05 this is week five, week six and seven.
15:08 A lot of the physical part they know how to play and do by now.
15:13 It just turns into a mental game at that point.
15:15 (Inaudible)
15:23 You know, it really started back in the spring.
15:26 What I saw was the level of communication, second year in the system,
15:31 with Coach Mike and then Deshae back there and Cody.
15:34 And that's what you're seeing.
15:37 You're seeing guys being in the right spot, right, at the right time.
15:41 Obviously opportunistic, you know, getting their hands on these footballs
15:44 and making these plays.
15:47 It was good to see on Sunday.
15:49 And just got to continue, you know, to do that.
15:53 You know, and be opportunistic when you can.
15:55 Coach, what's your time in Germany as a player?
15:57 What do you remember about the German fans,
16:00 kind of their level of enthusiasm about the game and the knowledge about the game?
16:03 Wow, that was a long time ago.
16:06 I think, you know, anytime you get a chance to travel,
16:10 whether it be here in the U.K., whether it be in Germany,
16:14 I can remember my days early in my playing days
16:18 where we were in Tokyo playing, you know,
16:21 some of those preseason games and stuff.
16:23 And fans are incredible, you know.
16:25 And they're NFL fans, they're football fans, you know, American football fans.
16:28 And, you know, it was interesting because when I was watching the game,
16:35 the Atlanta game, and they show the crowd from time to time,
16:39 you just see all kinds of NFL jerseys, right?
16:42 It's not just Falcons jerseys or Jaguars jerseys.
16:45 It's – you're seeing Dolphins and Steelers and Giants and Cowboys
16:48 and you name it, Cardinals, everything.
16:50 And I think that's, you know, that's what's exciting about opportunities to come over
16:56 and really embrace the culture, number one,
17:00 and really experience the fan base.
17:04 It's all been very positive and very exciting.
17:08 Coach, thank you very much.
17:10 Okay.
17:11 Thank you.
17:12 practice then somewhere between.