Jacksonville Jaguars RB Travis Etienne previews Week 2 vs. Browns

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne spoke in the Miller Electric Center locker room this week, and as always, we were there for it all.

To watch the interview, see above.

Head coach Doug Pederson spoke to the media on Wednesday. Below is a partial transcript.

Q: About his first Browns scouting?

Pederson: “First of all, they have a great staff, really great. Obviously, 95, we know Myles (Cleveland Browns DE Myles Garrett). He’s a great football player and one of the best we’ve seen. We’ve got our work cut out for us. He’s a typical Jim Schwartz (Browns defensive coordinator), gets on the field, goes for it, the linebackers are downhill, physical, good tacklers. Offensively, we know what they’re capable of, obviously. Going back, I know he was a different quarterback last year, but he’s got the potential to make big plays, and the ability to do it, and special teams. They’re a solid unit. So, a good football team.”

Q: On the challenge of playing against Myles Garrett?

Pederson: “It’s tough to block him one-on-one, even with offensive tackles. I mean, it’s a challenge. Especially on third down or long second down when they think you’re going to pass. You have to spend the resources to slow him down. Give him a lot of respect. That’s what teams do, right? You see it on film all the time. It’s just respect for who the player is. He can definitely ruin a game.”

Q: How much does he analyze last year’s game against Cleveland?

Pederson: “You have to look at that. The personnel, what we did offensively, defensively. Offensively, we didn’t take care of the ball very well in that game. We turned the ball over too many times and obviously it ended up being a one-point game. There’s some positives to take away from that, but I think the biggest thing for us is we had to protect the ball, which we didn’t do on Sunday.”

Q: What has he observed among the new additions to the Browns’ receiving core?

Pederson: “I think, like anything, there’s talent. I think they’re still working on some things, getting on the same page with the quarterback and all that. But listen, it’s the NFL and these guys can be difference-makers at any time. We’ve got to be ready this week and stay focused on ourselves.”

Q: On carrying over the defense’s one-on-one coverage scheme this week against the Browns?

Pederson: “Yeah, it’s interesting how people look at man coverage these days versus game coverage, which is a zone defense. But either way, it’s week to week. I can tell you one thing, it’s week to week. The game plans are going to change. The techniques are going to change. The way Ryan (defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen) runs our defense is going to change from last week. That’s just the way the league works and that’s what you have to do. It’s kind of a weekly game plan. I really think for the most part, other than the three big plays for 182 yards in Sunday’s game, our guys did a really good job of surrounding their receivers and being physical when we were in space, tackling in space and things like that. So it’s going to take that same type of effort again this week.”

Q: Could he explain the coverage of the match?

Pederson: “It would take too long. You would have to watch a video to do that.”

Q: How would you rate Browns QB Deshaun Watson’s play in Cleveland compared to his play in Houston?

Pederson: It’s hard for me to speculate and I don’t want to. I just know he’s a good football player and they wanted him to be the quarterback and he’s always a dangerous guy throwing and running the ball. John (senior vice president and director of communications John Dever) alluded to the fact that when we played him years ago when he was in Houston, he had a hell of a football game, and he’s got that in him and is very capable of doing it. So, don’t let that sink in, don’t let that sink in. Another good player in this league that you have to give a lot of respect to.

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