Transcripts of Tom Brady's and Bill Belichick's conference calls with Jets reporters during the day Wednesday:
PATRIOTS QB TOM BRADY
On his reaction to Antonio Cromartie's comments...
Someone asked me today and I said I think I've been called worse. [Coach Bill] Belichick has called me that, our offensive coordinator has called me that. I know that they [the coaches] like me, so maybe he really likes me, because there are people who have called me that a few times.
On if the comments provide any extra motivation for him…
I don't think it has much impact on the game. I know the way it turned out when we played Pittsburgh that year and those plays just kind of came up as they did ... I just think that's the way the reads went and [Anthony Smith] happened to be there in those situations. None of it really means anything. I think what's most important for us is how we're practicing, yesterday, today, tomorrow and Friday and how prepared we are for the game because that's what is going to determine who wins this game, the preparation that we put in and ultimately how we go out and execute under the pressure on Sunday.
On Rex Ryan's and Cromartie's comments that he pointed to the sidelines after scoring a touchdown…
I don't remember that. I'm very emotional as I play, I don't think I've ever pointed at anybody, that's definitely not my style. I think there is definitely an emotional aspect to the game. I'm sure I'm excited and certainly excited when we score touchdowns. I really think that it's a damn good defense that we played and I'm excited when we can score against one of the top defenses in the league. They've certainly given us a lot of problems over the last few years since Rex has been there and Rex gave us problems when he was at Baltimore. It's a great scheme with some great players, so I do get excited when we score against that team. That gets me more excited than anything.
On if he feels he is being disrespectful when he points after scoring a touchdown…
I hope not. That's certainly not my intent. I don't remember ever pointing. I'm sure there are 50,000 cameras on the game, I'm sure if there was problem doing that then they would show that. I have a lot of respect for those players and for their scheme and their coaches and the way they get their team prepared. Maybe that's just a source of motivation for them but I certainly don't feel that way. There is enough for me to worry about. The skill of the players and the coaches, that's where my energy is spent this week.
On expecting to see a different Jets team from the one they beat, 45-3…
I'm sure they look at the game and think, "These are the things we need to do better." We looked at the game and think that there are plenty of plays where we need to do better ourselves. We're going to make our corrections from the last game, just like they are going to make their corrections from the last game. We're putting together a plan that we think takes advantage of some of the things that we think we can exploit and they are doing the same thing.
It's going to be a very different game in many respects. Certainly the stakes are much higher than they were the last time. How well we are able to play under pressure, and each can execute at certainly a very high level against great competition and that's part of why there is going to millions of people tuned in for the game on Sunday.
On if Cromartie saying he wanted him to throw 10 balls in his direction…
I try to just throw where the guys are open. I don't think I pick out players. I look at the matchups that we have and the routes that we have versus the defense that's called and I determine where I am going to throw it based on the reads. More so than anything, that's my job as quarterback, to find the most open guy. I don't think it's "Man, I'm not going to throw at this guy, I am going to throw at this guy." That's not normally the way I've ever played.
On the change in their offense without Randy Moss…
I don't think it's changed a whole lot. I think we just execute it a little bit better. We try to run it, we try to throw it, we try to play-action, we try to throw it quick, throw it deep, screen people, draw people and trap people and we do pretty much everything, we always have. I just think we're executing better. The line is blocking great. They've played tremendous all season. That's where the work starts from, those guys up front and how well they're able to perform each week. They're very consistent, they've been a very durable group and we rely on them so much to keep our offense going in the right direction.
On his reaction to the disapproval of him playing the entire game the last time the Jets faced the Patriots…
I don't think we were trying [to rub it in]. Our job on offense is to get the ball in the end zone. They put us out there to score points. They don't put an offense out there to run three plays and then punt the ball. The object of football is to score points. That's why we're out there playing. I'm just trying to do my job and that's really all we were trying to do out there.
On if he was surprised he played the entire game regardless of the score during the last game against the Jets…
No. That's my job to play football and to play quarterback for this team. There are 45 guys on the active roster and everybody is in there playing. We're going to play until there is no time left on the clock. We're trying to make improvements as a football team and trying to execute under pressure. The more snaps we have as a unit, the better and more consistent I think we try to be. I don't think we are trying to do that at all. We're just trying to get better at what we try to accomplish all season.
On Darrelle Revis…
Since he's come into the league, he's been an incredible player. In his rookie season, I remember playing against him and realizing how talented he was. He's had a great year and last week, holding Reggie Wayne to one catch was a great performance. He's everything you look for in a corner. He has incredible skills, discipline, great hands, he makes the offense pay and he takes away great receivers. He's a great player.
On Coach Ryan saying that Peyton Manning would have watched the Jets game instead of going to see a Broadway play…
Maybe Rex is right. Maybe Peyton would have been watching.
On if the Jets defense has simplified…
I don't think things have simplified for them. I think they have a variety of calls each week. For example, in the Indy game they felt they could play a little less blitzing than they have in the past, but for us, I think when you play a blitzing team, you have to expect blitz on every play. Going back and watching all their games this season, they're very much the same defense they've been all season.
What we need to do as far as our level of execution — I thought we executed much better in the second game than we did in the first, obviously, which led to us scoring more points — I think the execution is what's going to determine this game as well. They have a bunch of players who have played well and executed well for them all season. That's why they are in the position they are in. That's why they've won these big games. We have to go in there and match that level of execution and that's where we work on spending our time.
On if he has spent one-on-one time with Coach Belichick this week…
Yes, we did. We went through our last game against the Jets and the first game against the Jets again. I enjoy getting his perspective on the games and what he sees from a defensive perspective because that's very much the way he views the game. He sees the theme of defenses. No one is better at it than him.
PATRIOTS HEAD COACH BILL BELICHICK
On how much better he feels the offense has been since going to a "small ball" approach…
I don't know. Every week is its own week. We'll see how it goes this week. We have our pluses and some minuses along the way, but in the end, none of that really matters. It just comes down to how we do this week, so we'll see how it goes.
On some of the things that concern him most about the Jets…
They're a good football team all the way across the board. They're good on offense, defense, special teams, beat the Colts in Indianapolis. We all know how tough that is. Everything concerns me. They're good all the way across the board.
On if he has noticed any difference in Mark Sanchez's play lately…
He's done a great job this year. There have been a lot of close games and he's brought them from behind, like in the Detroit game and the overtime games. Cleveland, he made a bunch of big plays there. He's done an excellent job in some tough situations and brought the team back and won for them. I think anytime a quarterback does that, that's what you want on your résumé.
On if he saw a change in the Jets' style of play after they got behind in the last game they played…
I think, if that's what they said, that's the answer to the question right there. They're the ones that are on their side of the field. They know what they were doing and how they felt and what they felt like they did, so I'd go with that.
On if he has any issue with how Tom Brady celebrates after a score…
No.
On how much he used pictures of the Bills being fitted for Super Bowl rings as motivation when he was defensive coordinator for the Giants…
I really don't even remember being aware of that story about the rings. If it was, I've forgotten about it, but I don't remember.
On four of the 12 playoff teams having general managers who worked under him at some point and what he tried to teach them about building a team…
I think those individuals are all very talented and they've done a great job in their situations. They did a great job in my association of working with them in different capacities along the way. I think they obviously have done very well. They did a great job for me. Each situation, each team, each one is a little bit different, so I think in the end, it comes down to just doing the right thing for your team, making good decisions and finding a way to put the best team on the field. They've all done a great job of that.
On if he is proud of having people who work with him go on to success with other teams…
Sure. I have a lot of friends in the business at that end, on the coaching end, players that I've coached and so forth, but when you compete against them on the field, then that's competition. You have to put all that aside and compete. Then when it's over, you can go back to resuming whatever degree of friendship you have there, as long as it doesn't conflict with the continued competitiveness of the situation.
On what he thinks of Darrelle Revis…
He's an excellent player. He has had a great career and we've seen him have a lot of great games against a lot of great receivers. He competes very well against a lot of different receivers. He did it again against the Colts. We know he's an outstanding player and we'll just do our best to compete against him.
On Antonio Cromartie's comments toward Brady…
I'm really trying to focus on getting our team ready to play on Sunday.
On Cromartie as a cornerback…
He's had a good career. He played in San Diego. We saw him out there and then he came to the Jets. He's done a good job there. He's a big corner who can run well and has good ball skills. The play in the Baltimore game, he made an excellent play on the ball, and made a great kickoff return last week. It was a huge play against Indianapolis. It really put the team in a close position to score and then they got a couple more first-downs for the winning points. He can hurt you in a lot of different ways. He's a good football player.
On how much emotion goes into executing on gameday…
There are so many things that go into executing on gameday. If you wrote a book, you still couldn't include all of them. It's really a combination of a lot of things and how it all comes together. It's a long game that takes place over three-plus hours. Whatever it is, a lot of things happen within that span of time. How it all comes together is all very unique and that's what makes football such a great game. Emotions are a part of it and so are a million other things.
On Deion Branch saying the Patriots made a lot of mistakes in their 45-3 win over the Jets…
You'll have to ask Deion about that specifically. I think after every game there are always things that you do well, hopefully, and there are things you don't do as well and need to correct or make adjustments to. That's pretty common after every game.
The Jets are a good football team. They certainly cause a lot of problems. We've played four games since Rex has been there. We split on all four of them. We made some plays, they made some plays. In the end, both teams have won two games. We know it's a very competitive situation. There are things we always want to try to do better. They give you problems in their schemes, their players, their coaching, in all three phases of the game, as I said earlier. We have a lot of respect for them. We know there are a lot of things we have to do well in order to come out on top.
On if you can coach emotion…
I think you try to coach a team the best that you can. As is said, there's a million factors that go into that. They are all important.
On if the game is personal to him…
We're going to do our best to win on Sunday.
On if he's going to have a pregame race with Coach Ryan…
I think we'll do our best to win on Sunday.
On the advantage of having many different personnel groupings….
I think in every game, you're always looking for matchups. You try to create the ones that you feel give you an advantage and try to minimize the ones that you think don't give you an advantage or give your opponent an advantage, however you want to look at it. I think that's part of every game, whether it's offense, defense, special teams. It really transcends through any sport. You try to find matchups that are advantageous. If you can find them, you try to utilize those and get the most out of them. If you don't think that's the case, you try to move on to something that's better for you.
On how they've used their two tight ends to create favorable matchups…
We try to do it with our whole team. It's all the players that are out there, each of your linemen, each of your skill players, all of the guys on defense that you have to defend on the other side of the ball. It's a constant challenge. Part of the competition is trying to put your players in a position where they can be successful on different plays and to try to do the same with your opponent, to keep their playmakers from making a lot of plays against you.
On what it means to be a part of five 14-2 teams…
There's time to reflect on things, but right now I'm just trying to focus on the Jets and get ready for this Sunday's game. We can talk about all that other stuff later.
