Speaker 1: Jaguars secondary coach and coach of the safeties for the
Speaker 1: Jaguars defense. Joe Dana joining us now and Joe's good
Speaker 1: to see it. Thanks for your time. First of all,
Speaker 1: let's start with last week, a fairly rare opportunity actually
Speaker 1: to jump in and call plays in an actual regular
Speaker 1: season of the NFL game on defense. How was the week?
Speaker 1: I know it had to be a little hectic with
Speaker 1: all the changes on the coaching staff. The whole year
Speaker 1: has been that way, really, you know, I think it's
Speaker 1: it's been a year of improvised and adjust Um. It
Speaker 1: seems like every week, whether it's a new protocol, new schedule,
Speaker 1: whatever it may be. I think we're kind of been
Speaker 1: prepared for this and that anything and everything is possible.
Speaker 1: You know. I just think as a as a staff,
Speaker 1: you know, with leadership with coach Marone, Um, I think
Speaker 1: we we handled it about as good as we could.
Speaker 1: How about the the actual colleague of plays during game?
Speaker 1: For you? That had to be I'm sure at some
Speaker 1: point you'd like to be a coordinator in your future. Yeah, absolutely,
Speaker 1: I I enjoyed it. Um. You know, we game plan
Speaker 1: like we normally do throughout the week, so coach Wash
Speaker 1: and I. We were we were talking throughout the throughout
Speaker 1: the week, and um, I felt very prepared going into it.
Speaker 1: Thought we had a good plan as a staff, and
Speaker 1: UM I thought we uh you know, I thought we
Speaker 1: operated on game day as good as we could. Joe
Speaker 1: Dana was a secondary coach of the safeties. Let's get
Speaker 1: into the safeties now and start with Jared Wilson. He
Speaker 1: was banged up early in the season. He's been back now,
Speaker 1: he's nominated for the Bart Star Award. He's been around
Speaker 1: here for a long time now here in Jacksonville. How
Speaker 1: good has this guy to work with on a day
Speaker 1: to day basis, maybe not just on the field, but
Speaker 1: inside the building as well. Ye, easily easy to talk
Speaker 1: about one of the best pros I've ever been around.
Speaker 1: This is my thirteenth year in the league, and um,
Speaker 1: you know, we've been together for four years now and
Speaker 1: talked about a guy that takes his job extremely serious.
Speaker 1: He prepares, he asked the right questions. He's like a
Speaker 1: coach on the field. Um he's really everything you want
Speaker 1: and a player, and um, you know, he makes my
Speaker 1: job a whole lot easier, that's for sure. Josh Jones
Speaker 1: could be act this week a chest injury. But you know,
Speaker 1: his story is pretty remarkable to the guy about a
Speaker 1: year ago didn't know if he's gonna play football again.
Speaker 1: The Jacks claimed him off waivers at the end of
Speaker 1: last season. I don't think he's gonna take anything for granted.
Speaker 1: That's not his personality. He knows how how valuable this
Speaker 1: opportunity is for him, and he comes and brings the effort.
Speaker 1: I think every time he's out there. Josh Jones. Yeah,
Speaker 1: you know, he's a guy throughout his career. You know,
Speaker 1: he's experienced some ups and downs. You know, he's just
Speaker 1: a hungry player. Like you mentioned, he's uh, he doesn't
Speaker 1: take anything for granted. Um, he knows how valuable and
Speaker 1: and and how special it is to be a part
Speaker 1: of the NFL. And he goes about his business and
Speaker 1: it goes about his play kind of with that in mind.
Speaker 1: And again another another good guy to coach. Um gives
Speaker 1: us everything he's got every time he's out there. They
Speaker 1: can bring the lumber to now right. Yeah, he's big safety,
Speaker 1: He's he's what you want and defending the run game,
Speaker 1: that's for sure. Joe Danna with a second safeties coach
Speaker 1: for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Now to the young guys. You know,
Speaker 1: Daniel Thomas was starting to show a little something on defense.
Speaker 1: It was kind of tough to get him on the
Speaker 1: on the field on defense earlier in the season. Then
Speaker 1: on special teams he started a flash the punt block.
Speaker 1: And then some injuries happened, and and actually Josh Jones
Speaker 1: got ejected from the game, and he plays the whole
Speaker 1: second half and leads the team and tackles and you
Speaker 1: have to be excited about what he could be in
Speaker 1: the future. Here. Yeah, absolutely good young player. Um. Another
Speaker 1: guy he's he's benefited from having some good veteran leadership
Speaker 1: in the room, some good guys to learn from, learning
Speaker 1: how to study, how to prepare guys. Having guys like
Speaker 1: a Jared Wilson in the room has been valuable for him.
Speaker 1: And another guy when he had opportunities, took advantage of it.
Speaker 1: And you know, unfortunately had the injury. Really thought he
Speaker 1: had some momentum going. You know, look forward to what
Speaker 1: he can he can have, you know, what the future
Speaker 1: holds for him. Andrew wingered the flowing locks of blonde
Speaker 1: hair flying around on the back end of your defense.
Speaker 1: It's his second year, now, how has he grown? It's
Speaker 1: really played well. Um, he's a guy that maybe never
Speaker 1: had a consistent role, but as always ready to go
Speaker 1: for whatever injury. He could play any position you want.
Speaker 1: You know, really smart guy. But this guy is aggressive,
Speaker 1: he's fearless. You know, has some playmaking and instincts to
Speaker 1: his game. Maybe a little bit underrated, but you know,
Speaker 1: when you really look at it, he's played some good
Speaker 1: football this year. Alright, Joe, final thought here going up
Speaker 1: to Minnesota against the Vikings offense that is hot right now.
Speaker 1: Cousins is playing well. Obviously, the receivers are are back
Speaker 1: to full strength. That got a running game, great challenge,
Speaker 1: but a great opportunity for the secondary this week as well. Yeah,
Speaker 1: no doubt they. I mean they got good players, a
Speaker 1: good quarterback, they can run it, got two guys on
Speaker 1: the outside, got a good group of tight end. So
Speaker 1: we've got our hands full. But you know, I think
Speaker 1: that's the case every week in the NFL, you know,
Speaker 1: and we look forward to that challenge. Our guys are
Speaker 1: ready to roll, ready to go up there and get
Speaker 1: a win. Good luck to you, appreciate your time. Thanks JP.