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Publix Tailgate Show: WR coach Keenan McCardell · The Jacksonville Jaguars Official Podcast Network

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  Speaker 1: Jaguars wide receivers coach Keena McCardell joins us now, and
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  Speaker 1: here we go. The Jacks headed to Houston to face
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  Speaker 1: a division rival this week. You're from Houston, right, Yes,
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  Speaker 1: the great state of Texas. That's my hometown. Now, you've
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  Speaker 1: been back so many times over your careers. I'm probably
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  Speaker 1: not a big deal anymore for you, but um, he's
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  Speaker 1: a big deal when you go back home. Hey, I
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  Speaker 1: always want to put on a show for everybody at home. Well,
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  Speaker 1: a good chance to do that this week the Jacks
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  Speaker 1: and the Texans. Let's get into the wide receiver room here,
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  Speaker 1: and the big storyline last week was the return of
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  Speaker 1: DJ Chart to the lineup. Nine targets, eight catches, ninety
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  Speaker 1: five yards too, really strong touchdowns for him, And just
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  Speaker 1: hearing him talk going into the week and then coming
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  Speaker 1: out of the game, you really get a good idea
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  Speaker 1: of his mindset, being a competitor and going out there
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  Speaker 1: play after play and leading this football team no doubt.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, he's a big time competitor. He wanted to
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  Speaker 1: get out he told me, he said, I really miss
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  Speaker 1: being out here. Uh last last Thursday, and I was like,
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  Speaker 1: or show me what you what you missed and he
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  Speaker 1: went out and play well. I mean I think you
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  Speaker 1: could tell his mentality was to be out front, be
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  Speaker 1: the leader, bring a spirit to the team, bring some life,
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  Speaker 1: bring some playmaking. And uh he did that numerous of
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  Speaker 1: times last week. How about the toe drag in the
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  Speaker 1: back of the end zone? Pretty strong? It was strong,
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  Speaker 1: I mean perfect. You know, we we we work on
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  Speaker 1: the drill or dragging it up. He drug it up.
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  Speaker 1: It was our drill, and uh, it was great to
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  Speaker 1: see that he took our drill from the practice field
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  Speaker 1: to the game and it and it worked for us. Uh,
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  Speaker 1: it was a great catch. Look, let's catch. You know.
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  Speaker 1: I had to leave the game last week earlier with
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  Speaker 1: a hamstring issue. But as we've we've talked about before
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  Speaker 1: with you, the ability for him to to line up
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  Speaker 1: in a bunch of different places on the field is
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  Speaker 1: something you don't see a lot, and not just a
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  Speaker 1: wide receiver obviously, what running back, running between the tackles,
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  Speaker 1: His size, his strength is something you just don't see
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  Speaker 1: a lot from a wide receiver, and that versatility is
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  Speaker 1: huge for this offense. It is. He's a unique player,
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  Speaker 1: special talent, and we continue to explore his talent, you know,
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  Speaker 1: finding ways to get him the football, whether it's in
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  Speaker 1: the backfield, out on out on the perimeter. And he's
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  Speaker 1: involving as even more and more as you see him.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, it's just each week he's getting better and
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  Speaker 1: better and better. And I think he's a big part
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  Speaker 1: of our offense and he knows that. He feels comfortable
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  Speaker 1: with it. You know, not a lot on his plate,
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  Speaker 1: but a lot on his plate for his playmaking wise,
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  Speaker 1: if you understand that, you know, I think, uh, he
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  Speaker 1: understands that when his when his opportunities come, he got
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  Speaker 1: to make the plays to help us, help us put
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  Speaker 1: the ball in the end zone. Is that one of
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  Speaker 1: those where maybe an off season would have helped him
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  Speaker 1: develop as receiver quicker or is it just hey, we're
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  Speaker 1: playing real football games now and and real games make
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  Speaker 1: the difference for him. Real games, I think it would
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  Speaker 1: have helped. But I really think playing the real games
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  Speaker 1: is when you develop and you see things, uh, see
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  Speaker 1: the defense and see how they're trying to play you.
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  Speaker 1: Not to say he's he's lacking in in his receiver skills.
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  Speaker 1: He's coming along so fast as a rookie, you know,
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  Speaker 1: you don't see a lot of rookies come along that
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  Speaker 1: fast and been able to make an impact as he's
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  Speaker 1: as he's done as a rookie, So I applaud him.
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  Speaker 1: I tell him every day, you just gotta keep working,
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  Speaker 1: keep working on your craft. If you keep working on
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  Speaker 1: your craft, you'll never lose your craft. Keenan mccardeal with
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  Speaker 1: US Jack Words Wide Receivers coach, Healing Cole has had
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  Speaker 1: a pretty solid start to this season. He's been around
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  Speaker 1: this thing for a few years now. He can go
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  Speaker 1: up and make some spectacular catches. Will all of a
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  Speaker 1: sudden surprise of boom, one handed catching here he is
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  Speaker 1: down the field. What kind of season has it been?
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  Speaker 1: From your perspective for Healing Cole, It's been a very
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  Speaker 1: productive season for him. He's a lot more focused as
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  Speaker 1: you say, he's he's the veteran around here. Now he
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  Speaker 1: can help guys through their rookie years and and give
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  Speaker 1: him some uh some experiences of his growing pains. But
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  Speaker 1: now for us, his season wise, you know, he's moved
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  Speaker 1: from from being an outside guy to an inside guy.
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  Speaker 1: Is a great move for him to be able to
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  Speaker 1: move inside and helpless. You know, it gives us a
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  Speaker 1: dynamic ability inside also with his speed. I think, uh,
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  Speaker 1: he's understanding his role. I mean, and he has to
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  Speaker 1: make those tough catches across the middle and pop up
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  Speaker 1: and come back and make it again and again, you know,
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  Speaker 1: and and then he'll surprise you and get outside and
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  Speaker 1: run by you. So I actually like what he's doing
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  Speaker 1: right now. It's a solid season for him. He's understanding
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  Speaker 1: more and more how to build slot receiver. Final thought
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  Speaker 1: with you here, and it's about another rookie in your room,
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  Speaker 1: Colin Johnson. We saw a little bit earlier in the season.
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  Speaker 1: We haven't seen a lot of him in the last
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  Speaker 1: few weeks on the offensive side at least. How is
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  Speaker 1: he progressing? How does he work himself into this rotation
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  Speaker 1: a little bit? Uh? Man, He's progressing very well. I mean,
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  Speaker 1: you know, through the week, he works hard. He continues
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  Speaker 1: to work on his game. I always tell him it's
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  Speaker 1: gonna pay off. I mean, you when you get those
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  Speaker 1: fifteen twenty snaps, if you get two opportunities, you gotta
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  Speaker 1: make those two opportunities count like they're like you've been
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  Speaker 1: in there all game. I mean, and uh, I know
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  Speaker 1: it's sometimes hard on some guys to do that, but
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  Speaker 1: he has that type of mindset that anytime he gets
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  Speaker 1: in he's gonna make that play. And I feel like
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  Speaker 1: Colin is right where he needs to be when when
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  Speaker 1: his numbers called, he's gonna show people exactly who Colin
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  Speaker 1: Johnson is. I mean, And it's the things that we
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  Speaker 1: saw in training camp. Is gonna show up, and it's
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  Speaker 1: been showing up each and every week. It's just the
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  Speaker 1: fact that he got three guys in front of him
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  Speaker 1: that's playing pretty well right now and he's been spot
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  Speaker 1: played a little bit. But but he understands his role,
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  Speaker 1: which I love about my room. Everybody understands their role
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  Speaker 1: when they unders when it's that when it's their number call,
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  Speaker 1: when it's time for their number to be called, it's
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  Speaker 1: time for them to step up and they and they
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  Speaker 1: usually step up getting great stuff. Let's get a w
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  Speaker 1: in Houston and get off to the slide, how about it? Oh?
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  Speaker 1: I would love to right now. We need one in
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  Speaker 1: the worst way. So I'm I'm looking forward to this
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  Speaker 1: one on Sunday,