What does winning in the division mean? You've done it before, but what does it mean for this group this year and doing it that way against that team?
JOSH HINES-ALLEN: It means we get another opportunity to play another game, first and foremost. The way we finish, that's the expectations that we have for each other to hold to each other. When we don't -- it's funny because, when we don't make the tackle or we don't make the play or we're wrong, guys aren't saying, come on, you've got to get there. The first person to hold each other accountable is the person that messed up, and I think that's the coolest thing about our team. I think that's one of the best qualities that we have for each other is that we care about each other and we care to make the play for each other. I think that's the reason why we're in the situation we're in today. We have a one-game a week mentality, which we've always had, but this is the real deal, and we've just got to take it up another notch.
Can you describe the achievement of leading the NFL in run defense this year, what that means to you guys in building this defense moving forward?
JOSH HINES-ALLEN: I was kind of getting a little nervous, man. They kept running the ball that last drive. I thought, come on, man, we have 41. Don't mess it up for us guys. But they held it in for us. That's a testament. I think it starts with D-Ham [DT DaVon Hamilton]. I know in the summer I sat up here and said D-Ham is the best nose in the game. I'm going to say it again. D-Ham is the best nose all year I think. He's the reason why our defense is the best defense at doing that particular job. The easiest thing to do in the National Football League is to turn around and hand the ball off to a running back. When it's difficult to do because of the guys we have up front, obviously it becomes a problem. It opens the game to guys like myself, Tra [DE Travon Walker], Arik [DT Arik Armstead], to go out there and rush the passer. Shout out to D-Ham, Matt Dickerson, A.J. [DT Austin Johnson], those guys really -- those guys do all the work for us, and Arik as well. Those guys do all the work, man, and we kind of set the edges and force everyone back inside.
Antonio Johnson gets the pick six. What have you seen from him throughout the season? You've been with him for the last few years now.
JOSH HINES-ALLEN: AJ knows how I feel with him. When Eric Murray got hurt, it was his time to step up. I always thought AJ was -- I still think AJ is a great player, great playmaker. He's going to be a great playmaker for us, continue to be one. So when Eric got hurt and it
was his time to step up, he started off a little slow, but that's when us as brothers, us guys
that have been there grab hold of those guys and lead them down the right direction, giving
him confidence, telling them the truth, telling them that it's your time and we need you. You're not going to take a play off or a play here, you're going to play the whole game, and we need that execution every single play. He was a guy that bought into that fully, and you can tell by the plays. He's (has) five picks now, a pick six. For me, man, just to see that progression, man, it just makes me very happy seeing a young guy develop and become a superstar in the making. I think, if he can continue to progress and continue to take it one day at a time, keep this process going, again, he'll become the superstar that we know he can be.
How important has that process been for the defense this season? Just to make sure that everybody understands what they have to do and sort of not falling back, but rising forward?
JOSH HINES-ALLEN: I think we know we're on this stretch right now of winning because we've been doing it the right way, and it starts in practice. We take practice very serious from one day -- well, to Wednesday all the way to Saturday, those reps that we take are crucial. We're very serious about it. We just keep progressing each and every day, and we get to Sunday with confidence. Sunday knowing that I don't got to play my best, and that's the best -- I'm sorry. I'm about to sidetrack a little bit because I think this is very important. It's very cool to realize for me as a player, the position that I am, that I don't have to have the best game to have a win like this or to win games because other guys are having their moments as well, that I can continue to do what I do, but celebrate those guys and celebrate those moments. And when it is my time to go, it's my time to go. AJ [S Antonio Johnson] was -- was it my best game? I don't know. Was it my most impactful game?
Probably wasn't. I did a lot of good things. But to sit back there and watch A.J. get that pick, and for me, what can I do to help? To get a block. Run my butt off to get a block so he can find his way into the end zone so he can have his moment. That's what we have a collective of guys to do, and that's what makes our team special.
You were here the last time this city hosted a playoff game. What does it mean to be here for another one? And how can being home for a playoff game really help you guys on the field?
JOSH HINES-ALLEN: It's crucial. Obviously we don't have to travel anywhere. We can sleep in our own beds, spend more time with the fam. That's who we are as human beings. I'm a family man. I'm married, got three kids. I enjoy my time with them, and if we can keep it a home game and I can continue to spend time with them, I would love to appreciate that. My kids appreciate it as well. Also to be in front of our fans to get energy. I think we just had the longest wave in existence. I just thought that was pretty cool as well. I love our fans, man. I love when I hear Duval in the crowd, chanting as loud as they can. I think that's an intimidating factor for us that we can hold onto a little bit more. In the playoff game, let's get a little bit more of that, a little bit more juice in the stands, and then go get the next one.
Seeing everything Trevor has done during this surge, seeing him up close, do you think he should get some MVP love just for what he's done this year?
JOSH HINES-ALLEN: Yeah, I think with Trevor -- just speak about Trevor. I think Trevor is having a phenomenal year, especially the season that -- I mean, when we started to -- when we needed to play great football, he took that and went off with it. We're in this position because of him as well. For us as a defense, we have to complement that, and that's what we're doing. We got his back. We're going to let him flourish and let him do his thing. Not let them score a lot of points, hold them to field goals as much as we can, and give our offense the opportunity to go down the field and make a lot of plays, and that's what we've been doing. When we talk about our team, there are guys that deserve to have the spotlight to be one of the best in the world. The Pro Bowl snubs and all that extra stuff, that should be personal, you know what I mean, because we have a lot of guys who deserve to be in those spots. I think when the All Pro ballots come out, we're going to have one or two guys in those spots, and that's what we want. That's what we need. That's what we deserve because I think our defense is one of the best defenses in the National Football League. I would love to get talked about more, but I know a lot of guys don't watch a lot of film and they don't want to watch film about the Jaguars, and that's okay. We're going to keep playing at a high level, keep executing, and do what we do best.
You know what the culture was like, what everything was like here last year at the end especially, and now where you guys have come and where you are now, AFC South champs, where does Liam Coen fit in that Coach of the Year conversation for all the stuff he's helped you guys get to this point?
JOSH HINES-ALLEN: We talk about the Coach of the Year, it goes back to Trevor being an MVP, Devin being All Pro, Pro Bowl. We have guys that deserve to be in those spotlights. Will they get them? We don't know. But they are deserving to be in that spotlight, to be considered one of the best, if not the best, and Coach Coen is one of those guys as well that deserves to kind of be in that spotlight. Only time will tell if people make the right decision. I think that's a testament -- if he does get it, that's a testament to the team that he does have to kind of play for that, to kind of have his back, and he has our backs. We love
him. We love playing for him. We're going to continue to play at a high level with him.
