Publix Tailgate Show: WR coach Keenan McCardell

Jaguars wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell previews the Week 17 game against the Colts with J.P. Shadrick on the Publix Tailgate Show.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Cheg Wars wide receivers coach Keena mccardelli's with us. It's
week seventeen, coach. The losing skid continues, but here we go.
This would be a good chance to snap it today,
it would. I mean, uh, we gotta step up. I mean,
it's great to be playing a team that's, uh, you know,
in the hunt for the playoffs. You know, we can
be the spoilers for these for these guys, So that

(00:22):
should give you some energy to go out and you know,
be a spoilers, make them sit at home with you,
you know. And plus we gotta break up. We got
break this losing street. I mean this, this is not
jag War football with this losing losing streets. So we
gotta we gotta snap out of this. I know you guys,
certainly the players have been working hard trying to get
on track and getting everything right during game day, but

(00:43):
the coaching staff too behind the scenes. I mean, this
is just seven day a week gig and you guys
just can't get that winning result at the end of
the week. But it's not for lack of effort. And
I know you guys put in the hours day after
day after day that has to be frustrated. It's very frustrating.
You know, as a coach, you know you you want
to win just as bad as the players. You know,

(01:03):
me being a former player and now a coach, it's hard,
uh for me because you know, you used to being
in control, being out there and being able to control
the actions out there, and now you gotta sit back
and and and let your guys control the action. And UM.
For a coach, you just gotta be able to put
that your mindset and your energy and those guys so

(01:25):
they can go out and execute the game play in
the way that we wanted to be executed. And Uh,
at our position, we understand that that we have to
go out and give maximum effort each and every week,
I mean each and every week. You you can't think
that you can just turn it on. I mean, I think,
uh this season is a true example of that. You know,
you you gotta go out each and if we can play.

(01:47):
If not, you know, it's every team is good in
this league. Ken card Ellis with a shake wars wide receivers. Coach,
let's touch on a few of your guys. Your d
J Truck on the injury report this week with a
shin issue. But big picture with DJ, towards the end
of another season for him, what did he do well
this year? Work could he improve his game moving ahead?

(02:07):
You know? DJ came out, came out in training camp
with a with a mindset to repeat the type of
year he had um at last year. And I think, uh,
it was a little surprising because people had to get
ready for him, and plus he moved from Z to
X and a little justin for him. But he came
out and took it well and started the season off

(02:28):
really high. And I think, uh, you know, he got
banged up a little bit through the middle of the
season and kind of slowed him down. But that's part
of being the go to guy. You know, when you
start faith, when people start to realize that you are
a number one, people tend to game playing a little
bit more. I think, Uh, that's the thing that he
has to get used to, uh, knowing that people are
going to game playing him. Uh. We as coaches also

(02:50):
have to try to figure out how to get in
the ball. But when we do get in the ball,
he has to go out and make those plays. And
I think, uh, he got banged up and kind of
slowed him down, so the looks that he got was
a little different for him. But as the season went on,
he starts to see it a little bit more and
understand what he has to do get open. And he
realized that, you know, our passing game goes with him

(03:12):
and uh, you know, like last week he came out
and made a big play early and then it opened
up everybody else. So you know, he just has to
continue to understand that he's a part of our scheme
that gets other people open sometimes and then when it's
time for you to get open and one on one,
you gotta go do it, I mean, and uh, that's
that's that's the good thing about having guys outside of

(03:35):
him like Colin Johnson, uh La Visca, Chris Connelly, Keith
and Cole that they can make place too. So you know,
he has to me, I think, to take the next step.
He has to demand the guy on the other side
of him to continue to make plays so that they
can stop rolling coverage to him. We saw that tandem

(03:56):
approach was you and a guy named Jimmy Smith, right,
and one guy would play well and then here it
opens up for everybody else, it does, I mean, uh,
and that's the thing that I kind of preached to
them all the time. I mean, you need to not alone.
If you can get three guys, it opens it up
for everybody, you know, and uh like I tend to
tell them the stories all the time. If they're rolling

(04:18):
and cover six and they're rolling to the X Z,
you should if you're playing Z, you're the guy that
should make the plays. And then now you even the
coverage up and make him play man and man on
both sides. And now the other guy goes out and
plays well. And then if they start playing cover two,
that means they're respecting the guys outside. And now we
used to always say, Fred, get the cover two off us,

(04:39):
and they should be talking to James and the huddle
like we used to talk to Fred, Hey, James, get
covered two off of us, start running the ball and
then we'll get eight men in the box and we'll
get one on one outside. So that's the thing about
you know, when you have guys that that understand how
this game is played, and you know Visca being a rookie,
he starts to understand that, and you know he's coming along,

(05:01):
Collins coming along, and the group is a group that
has a lot of potential. The next step for them
is to grow together. I mean they need to grow
together as a group and understand one one guy pulls
a string for the other and and vice versa, and
and it will get each other there, get each other
open McDill with us. Let's touch on one other guy.

(05:23):
And you mentioned his name a couple of times. La
Viscus Chenault Jr. He's been battling through some nagging injury things.
That's been the season for him. But here he is
in Week seventeen on the field contributing again. We've seen
throughout the year the way he uses his size and
physicality in the receiving game. We haven't seen that around
here in a little while. He's a different type of

(05:46):
body type, if you will, and he's starting to figure
it out. It feels like how to use that body
he is. Then he's starting to use it down the
field to as a receiver. I mean, I think a
lot of times, uh, we've used him a little bit
more as a specialty guy. But this week he called
a post or out for a touchdown. I think it's
probably one of his longest plays from scrimmage, Uh, down

(06:06):
the field I mean the more and more he understands
that you can use that same physicality down the field,
boxing out little little corners, catching the ball, being strong
after the catch. I think, Uh, he'll start to mature
even faster. I mean to be honest with you, I
I I really like what I saw from him as

(06:26):
growth wise, as a developing into it more of a
polished receiver. Uh, still got some things that he can
work on. His future is bright, man. I think, Uh,
he understands that he like he loves to play football.
He just doesn't like to play football. He loves to
play football. He wants the ball in his hands. He
wants to be a difference maker. And if you've got
a guy that's got that type of mindset that wants

(06:47):
to be a difference maker, you got a player in you. Kenden.
We appreciate your time all year long. Happy New Year.
Let's get a W. Let's get a W. I mean
we got one earlier. Let's get one that's against these guys.
Let's get one at the end. Also,