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Jaguars News | Jacksonville Jaguars - jaguars.com

Jaguars Offensive Coordinator Jay Gruden: Wednesday, November 25, 2020

(On adjusting to multiple quarterbacks in a season as a play caller) "[It's] a lot really. It's hard enough to play this position when you do get the reps but then when you're asked to jump in there with limited reps on a weekly basis, it's very difficult to really give them a good feel for what they're going to see on Sunday, the speed of the game, the different coverages and different looks, different route concepts against different coverages, but you have to do it. These guys have to be prepared and unfortunately [the] last couple weeks hasn't shown very well. We've only scored one touchdown I think in two games and obviously we have higher standards for our offense than that."

(On how taking a step back from the starter position can help QB Jake Luton develop) "It'll help him a lot. I think getting thrust into the fire like he did is difficult. Like I said before, we didn't exactly know what we had. There was no preseason games, we didn't get a lot of reps [with him] in training camp. We just saw him through on scout team and individual periods. Obviously, we still have a lot of high hopes for him and his development, but I think at this time it's best for him to take a step back and hopefully learn from his experience and then the next time he does get a shot, he'll hit it running."

(On the possibility of keeping QB Jake Luton as the starter to get a bigger sample size to evaluate) "Yeah, that a great question. That's something that [Head Coach] Coach Marrone and obviously [General Manager] Dave Caldwell, those guys, will have to have those discussions. But I think moving forward, we are trying to win the game in front of us right now. I still think this team is very competitive by nature. Nobody likes to be on this losing streak. We all want to get a win and I think right now it was decided that Mike Glennon gives us the best chance on Sunday to do that. Nobody's giving up on Jake [Luton]. There could be a game again where he comes back in there, same with Gardner [Minshew II], but right now let's focus on Mike and see how he does."

(On RB James Robinson's success and how the offensive front contributes to that) "[It's a] combination of both really, but he does a good job of getting those dirty runs where we don't lose yards and that's a heck of a tribute to him. Not every run is blocked for four or five, ten yards. Some aren't blocked very well. Sometimes the defense has a good plan for you, they bust through the line of scrimmage, but James [Robinson] does an unbelievable job at getting to the line of scrimmage and keeping us out of negative plays. We just haven't been able to capitalize on our play actions and our shot game this year which has really hurt our offense. Sometimes we get four or five yards on first down, you try a play action pass, it's incomplete, you get to third-and-6, you drop a ball or you break a protection and you're punting. I think that's been the story of our season so far on offense. As far as James [Robinson] is concerned, he's been unbelievable, and we should keep trying to run him a little bit more probably and see where that can take us, but he's been obviously very good."

(On QB Mike Glennon) "He is a big guy. He can throw it. He's done a good job of winging it in scout team obviously and training camp he did good with the reps that he had with the 1's. He has a little bit more experience than these other guys as far as being in different systems. He was with the Raiders for a little while with my brother [Raiders Head Coach Jon Gruden], so he has some familiarity with the system and the terminology. He's been in Tampa. He's been a lot of different places. He's seen the game so hopefully that'll give a little bit of the edge come on Sunday where he hasn't had the reps, but he's had time. Jake [Luton] has just got here from training camp, we had no OTA's. Gardner [Minshew II]'s only been in the league for a year and a half. Mike [Glennon]'s been in the league a lot longer, seen different concepts, seen different coverages and hopefully that will translate on Sunday."

(On if QB Mike Glennon's career has prepared him to step into the starting role) "Yeah, you hope so. There's been other quarterbacks throughout the history of the league that didn't get a great opportunity [and] when they did, they didn't play well and then as they got older, they got another opportunity, took advantage of it. We're hoping that's the case with Mike [Glennon] and I'm sure he's hoping the same thing, so this is a great opportunity for him and hopefully he does take advantage, like I said, but it's going to be a stiff challenge. We're down a couple players here and there and we're on this losing streak, so the opportunity's there for him but he has to preform well, a lot better hopefully than we have the past couple weeks."

(On QB Mike Glennon's personality) "He's been very supportive of whoever's starting. Obviously, Gardner [Minshew II] was the guy going into the season, he was a very supportive guy actually. Then when Jake [Luton] got the nod over him, he could've gone in the tank and really complained, but he didn't. He was a true pro about it. He was just waiting his turn and now he has the opportunity. He's a laid-back guy, very supportive of his teammates, not a very vocal guy, but a very good quarterback, very smart."

(On what he will look at to assess QB Gardner Minshew II's progress) "I think the big thing is make sure he's spinning the ball okay with his thumb and see where that is. We'll give him some reps today with the 1's and obviously with the scout team and see where he's at with his arm strength and his thumb. We didn't know about it the last couple weeks that he had the thumb [injury], but obviously it had a little impact on his throwing. We'll see how the ball's coming out today and if it's good, [Head Coach] Coach Marrone will make that call for next week. The big thing is just [to] see him back under center calling the plays and delivering the ball, see how it looks."

(On if coaching a veteran like QB Mike Glennon is different) "No, not really. I think we have so much youth on this team. You have a couple young receivers, couple young backs, we're going to have a young guard playing in there. We might have to move some players around at the receiver position, so we're going to try to just get some plays that everybody knows and we can execute and he can go out there and lead this team. Obviously, give James [Robinson] the ball as much as we can, eat up the clock, and try to get some shot plays down the field. Mike has the ability to do that, so we'll do the best we can."

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