Transcript of Jets head coach Eric Mangini's Monday news conference:
I thought offensively looking at the game we ran the ball efficiently and that was one of the goals going into the game was to be able to run the ball efficiently. I think their front seven is very good. I think the way they played to run in the preseason and what we anticipated we knew was going to be challenging with that front that they had and to have the 4-yard average, that was real progress. It opened up some of the play-action opportunities that we had with the deep ball. Jerricho Cotchery was a function of being able to run the ball effectively.
I thought with the passing game it was efficient. Two touchdowns, no interceptions, close to 200 yards. Those are some really positive things. There are some things that we can build on that I think will get better on over time.
One of the things that we'll continue to work on are the self-inflicted wounds. We had the false start there at the end of the game on third-and-2. We had a couple of other ones, the fumble there on the 24-yard line, that hurt us. Those types of things are completely in our control and things that we can improve on.
Defensively, the ability to stop the run was huge with their two really good running backs. They've done an excellent job in the preseason running the football and to see the group work together and fit where they're supposed to fit on those runs. And as I said, [Miami coordinator] Dan Henning did a nice job creating some difficult types of runs that you don't usually see against 3-4's. I thought the guys understood how we're going to be attacked and fit those runs really well.
Third down [defense] was good, 3-for-13. There was really only one big play. They had the one 24-yard catch. We held them on the goal line, and then we had four sacks, seven tackles for a loss, eight passes broken up, so all those signs are encouraging.
Everybody played defensively, which is another goal. To keep the guys fresh in that heat, to see them all play and get the correct checks and adjustments was encouraging as well.
On special teams, being able to control their punt returner with Ted Ginn and really their return game was a goal going in. We did a nice job returning the football with our punt return game. I thought overall the coverage was good, especially considering the challenges we had with the kicker and his injury.
On if there is an update on Mike Nugent…
Nothing yet.
On his thoughts about Tom Brady's knee injury…
Brady has always been a great guy, such a gracious guy. He's unique in a way that over time and the amount of success that he's had, he's never really changed. He's always been incredibly gracious to me and my family as we moved here to the Jets. Obviously, he's a tremendous player. I don't know what the status is in terms of his injury, but you never want to see anybody have any sort of major injury. I have nothing but great things to say about him.
On how Brady's injury will impact the Jets…
He is without a doubt an incredible player. I would never minimize the impact that he has on any given game. But being part of New England and a having a lot of seasons there, and a lot of seasons where there were injuries to key players, and I know the quarterback position is different, but one of the things that Bill Belichick and the staff has always been able to do is to create a plan to win the game that week and to overcome those things.
I know Matt Cassel. I was there when he came in and he's had a lot of experience, not game experience but a lot of experience in that system. He's very talented and he came in this week, won the game. The one game I was there when he started, actually he didn't win that game but got it down to a two-point conversion to win it. I think he'll do a good job if that is the case.
On how the injury changes the team's expectations…
That's not really how we operate. That's not how we're going to think. That's nothing that I'm going to talk about in those terms. What I'm going to discuss is really the same approach. Going into this game, it was a game of ebbs and flows, back and forth. It comes down to really the last play of the game and I think that each week it's going to be like that. It's going to be a different challenge. When you start thinking in terms of multiple games down the road or anything besides the task at hand, you lose what's important.
On how he keeps his team focused with facing a back-up quarterback…
Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Laurence Maroney, Ben Watson. I can go right on down the line. Sammy Morris. Loaded.
On how much the game plan vs. the Patriots changes when facing Cassel instead of Brady...
We haven't game-planned yet. It's hard to give you a real formula right now. We've got to look at the preseason games, look at the things that they've done. They still have a lot of serious weapons that you have to deal with. They have multiple running backs. Add Kevin Faulk in the mix. They have multiple guys that can run the football extremely effectively and throw at any of those receivers. They can score on any play, so there are a lot of things to deal with.
On what the feeling is like when a veteran QB is injured…
Bill is extremely good at keeping everybody focused and identifying the things that you need to do that week to be successful. There's a lot of great leadership in the locker room and a lot of guys that have fought through different combination of injuries and been very successful when that's come up. It's focus and it's a consistent thing that was a part of what the program was.
On how to prepare for a guy when there isn't a lot of video of him…
He played throughout the preseason — you could look at those items. He's played in preseasons in the past. He played and started a game for us that one year against Miami. You look at those things. It definitely does change when you face a new quarterback. There are different things that they can do, there are different things that they're going to like to do, but you don't see that during the regular season so some of it is stuff that you have to anticipate.
On if he will bring in another kicker…
We'll work out kickers if Mike can't go. We'll have a kicker available.
On if they will bring in an outside kicker…
We'll definitely go through the contingency plans if Mike wouldn't be able to participate this week.
On if Nugent injured his plant leg or his kicking leg…
It's his kicking leg.
On which kickoff Nugent hurt his leg…
Second.
On Nugent being worked on the sideline…
Mike did a good job coming back in late and kicking the extra point there. He was trying to get out there. It just took some time to be able to get back in and even kick the extra point.
On his thoughts about Brett Favre calling "Same play" in the huddle…
There are a couple of times I wish he had called the same play and vetoed the stuff we sent him. Any port in a storm.
On if NT Kris Jenkins has exceeded expectations...
I thought Jenkins did some really nice things. There were some good examples of him not just pushing the pocket in the passing game but pushing the pocket in the running game. That's a huge help when he can control that middle of the defense and there isn't that surge forward.
The other thing I've liked about Jenkins and I liked it before he came here, is the way he pursues the football. It's hard for bigger men to consistently pursue the football. I thought he did a nice job of that as well. I was encouraged by the way he played, by the way Calvin Pace played. Dwight Lowery, I thought, did a really nice job for his first start and the vital plays that he was involved in.
On how much Jenkins played in the Miami heat...
He played the bulk of the reps. But one of the things that we want to do — and it won't just be this week, it will be every week — is use all the different combination of defensive linemen, the outside linebackers rotating through, and I think that helps us. We saw some of the inside guys, David Bowens getting some work inside. The more that you can do that and everybody who goes in can take those meaningful reps really helps later in the game and as the season goes on.
On how rookie LB Vernon Gholston held up...
I thought he did some positive things. You know, one place where he actually had a nice impact was on the punt return team. He got to put some good pressure on the punter. He did a pretty nice job in terms of his hold-ups, played some on the kickoff team as well. Talk about new worlds for him to stand up at linebacker, but now covering on punts and covering on kickoffs, that's a new world, too.
But I thought he did well there. He had a chance for a sack and he just missed. I'm sure he'll play that over in his mind a couple of times.
On if Gholston jumped over Pennington on that play...
No, he had come from a wider angle. I think he thought Chad was going to be more of a seven-step drop — it looked like a quick five — and he took a wide angle. He stepped up and just avoided him.
On if Gholston should have chipped the Miami TE on the second TD pass...
Oh, the 7-cut? No, no, he could have really hit the back if anything. He was wide and the back was offset. If he had come through and kind of chipped the back, that would have been good. It is subtle when they're sitting down there in the three-point. You've got to be able to see that and understand the difference between "Is he protecting here or is he going to free release?" I think that will come with time.
On if it's bad for the Jets to feel with Brady's injury that the division is "wide open"...
What I'm saying is I don't think we went into the year thinking that that wasn't a possibility. We went in with the expectation that that wasn't something that was achievable.
On if the division is wide open now...
I just said that's how we went into this, feeling very good about what we've been doing. The way we've been approaching things, we have to win the next game to move forward.
On if the Brady injury at least changes the AFC East landscape...
Yeah, I think Tom is a great player. I think, like I said, you can't underestimate the impact that he has. But I think that New England is an outstanding team, and, in a lot of different areas. When I was there, we went through several different injury scenarios. There were times we were playing linebackers at safety and wide receivers at DB, and they consistently found a way to win.
Quality depth at every position, great leadership, outstanding coaching and a track record of being able to overcome adversity. Again, that in no way minimizes what Tom's impact is.
On if he noticed having Mike Westhoff on the sideline again...
Yeah, yeah, I did. It's nice having Mike back. You know, I like the things that Mike and Kevin [O'Dea] did yesterday, and the input from both systems. Mike's got a very unique way about him. It's fun having him back. I've always enjoyed Mike. He helps me, too, with the different decisions. Yesterday was no different. Run things by him and talk to him about things. He's got great insight on that stuff.
On if a Ben Graham was partially blocked...
Yeah, they were able to bring someone off the edge. We had an unbalanced look that we used sometimes. And we really should have worked it a little bit more to the unbalanced side. Ben should have worked that direction away because you're soft on that edge. Came up a little bit too straight as opposed to an angle.
On the kickoff Nugent hurt himself on being a squib...
It wasn't intended to be a squib. No, that was not a designed squib. That wasn't called. It just looked like he landed ... I don't know if it was the takeoff or the landing. Sometimes, you don't know why, it happens, it just happens.
On determining if Nugent can kick Sunday...
Well, they've got to go through the whole process of tests and evaluations and all that stuff. So that's what he'll do. He did some last night, not really testing but the initial treatment. Then he'll work the testing and we'll see where it goes.
On bringing in another kick despite carrying four QBs...
You'll have to let somebody go. Just determine how long the injury's going to be. We don't know. You may anticipate it's a couple of weeks. It could be longer, could be shorter. You may not have to bring anybody in. Really, until the doctors go through the process you're not sure where you're at. You do the background, you do the workouts. You get ready for the different things you've got to do.
On his expectations being the same now as they were before Brady's injury...
There are a lot of questions and expectations here. Free agents that we've signed, Brett Favre, new facilities. It's really consistent. And the expectations and things like that — and I appreciate the excitement about different things in terms of free agency and Brett and all those things — it's really external. The thing that's important is internal and what we do and how we work. I really fundamentally believe in that. So regardless of all the external things, we need to control what we can control and prepare the best we can.
