Cornerback Adoree' Jackson
Q: I was wondering, did you watch last night's game, and if you did, did you sit there and go, 'This guy (Packers quarterback Jordan) Love's not bad?'
A: No, I did not get to last night's game, but the game I did see when I said he's not, obviously, that bad was the game versus the Saints. I think they were down 17 points going into the fourth, I believe. He was out there doing his thing. Then I saw one prior to that; I think it was last week or two weeks ago. I got to see them play. I was watching my guy (Packers cornerback) Keisean Nixon, number 25, he's a returner and DB over there. So, I'll be looking out to see him play. But obviously, I could see the offense and they do a lot of a lot of great things well, and Love is playing at a high level.
Q: The one thing that they mentioned last night was that they scored more points against Kansas City than any team all season…
A: Wow. I didn't know that. I thought they put up a lot of points versus the—I don't know how many they put up last night, but versus the Saints they came back from 17.
Q: I think Kansas City gave up 27 last night, which is the most they've given up all year…
A: Oh wow. Well, they play good football, though. I'd say very sound. They stick to them. Knowing (Packers Head Coach) Matt LeFleur, being in Tennessee with him, he sticks to what he knows and what he does well, and that's being able to distribute the ball around, have his receivers, whatever they like to use them as, and lets them use them at a high level.
Q: How was your bye week?
A: It was cool. I didn't do anything but relax, so that was much needed to get a little away from football and let my mind do something else besides think of guarding a receiver or looking at different formations. So, it was nice.
Q: Where do you think the defensive group is at coming out of the bye and the noise that was kind of happening last week with the (Defensive Coordinator) Wink (Martindale) and (Head Coach) Brian (Daboll) report?
A: I think for us, just keep trying to push forward and keep going and understand the way we've been playing let's say these last two stretch of games. I wouldn't say that's good noise, I guess, to stir something up just to have something to talk about in my eyes. Like I said, I haven't seen any disposition, any face scrunching, any body language change, or people just not being themselves. We're with them more than we are with our family. So, we get to see them and learn their body language, the way they talk. You can tell if something's off, and I haven't seen that at all. So, for us, just keep playing. Keep having fun. Let people I guess keep bringing up stuff that we see as not true, and just work around it by the way we play.
Q. What's it like being a cornerback in a Wink Martindale defense week in and week out?
A: It's exciting. I want to call his defense an opportunity. It's the fact that you know what you're getting, you know what you're going to have. Everybody knows we pressure; everybody knows that we play man, whatever it may be. For us, the opportunity comes from, since they know and you know, alright, now it's time for you to study and see the areas when you are in those type of defenses where you can make plays and where you can execute that. So, I just look at being in his defense as an opportunity not just for you, but your teammates as well. Let's say you do something well, then that gives your teammates an opportunity to do something. It all goes together. The rush, with the coverage, or how the linebackers play going in there and stopping the run and it helps us in the back end in being able to—as you see, getting a bunch of picks because the up-front seven is causing a lot of pressure. So, just an opportunity defense, and that's how I would describe it.
Q. What have you learned about (inside linebacker) Bobby Okereke in your time as teammates with him?
A: I see why he went to Stanford (laughs). Just how he acts, the way he talks. But what I learned about him really most is just what a good genuine dude he is. Obviously, knowing that we both played ball in California, came out the same year of high school. So, knowing of him and then seeing him now (inaudible) later, seven years later, whatever years I've been in the league – well, 10 total. But knowing about him and getting to meet him and talk with him, and obviously, now he's my locker mate, just seeing how good of a person he is and how genuine he is, and just being able to talk to him, and the conversations flow easily. So, besides being a great athlete, him being a person is one of the things that I take away about being able to get to know Bobby.
Q. This bye coming so late, you've been in byes early, maybe not this late. How has it been, and knowing that there are only five games left, and the record is what the record is, if someone would ask you like I am, 'What is there left to play for in these last five games,' what would you say?
A: For each other. I feel like that's what it is to play for. Obviously, the grand scheme and the big picture is what it may be. For us, the little picture is just playing for each other and not worrying about tomorrow, focusing on today, and understanding when you do that good things can and will happen. So, for us, I think the bye came at a great time. The way (wide receiver Darius) Slay(ton) was saying earlier, to be able to get your body, your mind, and get away from football and rest. I always joke and say I feel sorry for the guys who got their bye week, what, end of September, early October? Like, that's crazy. But at the same time, for us, I feel like I was just happy to be able to go through the stretch and be able to play a bunch of games and then be able to give my body enough time to rest, especially in this phase that we all call meaningful football. I know in college it was 'No Loss November.' Don't want to lose in November. Going into this stretch in December, it's the same way getting ready for playoff football. So, for us just to go out there and put everything on tape, showcase us and then play for one another.
Q. You mentioned meaningful football. You know that from the NFL, you know that from college. Is playing for each other enough to have you guys at your best? Is what is coming next meaningful football in your mind as far as teams going for the playoffs or first place? Is it hard to play for each other knowing that maybe the meaningful football part of it is not part of what you're going through here the last five games?
A: I think they all intertwine. Obviously, the goal is to make the playoffs, make a push, but I feel like if you play for each other, that's going to knock away any other distraction. You keep the main thing the main thing. I think in this time, (former Titans Defensive Coordinator) Dick LeBeau, my coach my rookie year, would always say, 'My fear that I had was not around any opponent, it was letting my brothers down.' I feel like you have that mantra, like, 'Okay, I want to play for my brother, I don't want him to be disappointed,' because we all hold each other accountable. No matter if you do something good, you
want to hear your teammates praise you; if you do something bad, obviously, you want them to tell you you did something wrong. Having that instinct and having that mindset, like, man, I want to make sure that I'm doing everything I can, so my brother doesn't smack his teeth or have to get on me. It comes with anything like having a big brother, your father, your cousin, anybody that's related to you. You don't want them to be able to say something to you and always want to stay on your P's and Q's. So, playing for each other, I would say would be the best example of what we can do these last five games.
Q. Last year, you guys did what you did, and you earned opportunities to be in primetime to have big opportunities for this team to see how far you came. How much do you personally and do you sense that with the primetime games you guys have had, you really haven't put out your best product? Knowing that it's Monday Night Football next week, and there was a chance that you could be taken off, but you're still on now playing a team that kind of made a big statement last night against Kansas City, is there any part of you that looks at that as that reset, that refresh? The idea of, 'You know what, let's take advantage of this opportunity since we haven't so far this year?'
A: Right. I understand, like you said, those other primetime games, not playing to our standard, our caliber, or putting what we want to put out there. Like you said, getting an opportunity to be able to establish again, or play again, just another game or opportunity to showcase not just what we want to do for ourselves, but for everybody else to be able to see. So, shoutout to the Packers for going out there and winning so we can stay on Monday night, and they don't have to flex us. I've been seeing the talks about that every now and then, so I appreciate that. But for us, just try to keep, like I said, the main thing the main thing. We know that it's a primetime game, but obviously all the games are the same. You can just check a highlight, the only thing different is everybody's watching. Everybody will see it on TV. Just go out there, just execute, do your job, and focus on one day at a time. Don't worry about yesterday; don't worry about tomorrow. Keep your feet grounded and worry about what's in front of you and what's present, and that's today. That's all we can control and when the game gets there, we always just talk about and say it's already written. So, don't go out there and be anybody else; just be you and being you is all you need to do, and good things can happen.
Q. You're the biggest college football guy I know, so I'm not going to leave without asking you your thoughts on the top four yesterday. Were you happy? Did you think they got it right or wrong?
A: I'm not going to lie, I think they should have put Florida State in there. Obviously, going undefeated which just crazy, and to see they were just ranked number four in that last game they played, right? And then they bump them out. I know I heard a bunch about the quarterback being out. That doesn't mean anything. I feel like they earned the right to be able to go play. I did see the one video of the Michigan people when they found out they had to play Bama, which was hilarious. It's like they were scared to play them. But I don't really have too much to say – SC (University of Southern California) didn't do what they had to do. I'm going to always 'Fight On,' but yeah, I just want to see who wins it. Hopefully Washington does. I'm going to rep the Pac-12, we're going to back the Pac – well, the last of the Pac-12. So, hopefully they hold it down for us and do a great job.
