There are many pitfalls a team can have and one of them is over-confidence; that feeling of false security before a critical contest. The New York Jets, already winners once at Gillette Stadium, are confident but not cocky before Sunday's Wild Card showdown at New England.
"We're confident, but at the same time we do realize the task that we have at hand," said rookie runner Leon Washington. "We're dealing with the Super Bowl Champions in three of the last five years. We're dealing with team a that is very capable of beating us and we understand that, so we have to go out there and try to execute the practices throughout the week. Hopefully, executing practice will give us confidence going into the game."
In the Jets' 17-14 victory over the Pats on November 12, the Green & White controlled the line of scrimmage. The Jets used a blitz-happy scheme on defense, battering Tom Brady all afternoon while collecting four sacks. But veteran defensive lineman Bobby Hamilton, a Patriot from 2000-'03, says you can't live in the past.
"It doesn't matter about the game plan we used in the regular season," said the 35-year old veteran. "We went up there and got a 'W', they won one, but that's over with. It's a new ballgame right now; everybody is 0-0. We just have to go out there and do what we have to do to get a 'W'. Once again, I know Tom Brady is going to have those guys on the right road, but you have to understand they have three good backs too, so we know it's going to be a good game plan."
Read below for transcripts from inside the Jets' locker room
New York Jets' QB Chad Pennington, 1.4
On being named the AP Comeback Player of the Year…
Understanding the process that I've gone through, understanding the journey that I've been through thus far makes it special knowing that hard work does pay and that having the right attitude and believing in working hard and treating people right and going about doing your business the right way, it actually matters. There are so many people who have been involved in this process, that have been selfless and provided me the resources and opportunities to get healthy it's definitely special.
On the quarterback competition in training camp…
When you're put in difficult situations, you have to fight human nature sometimes. Human nature sometimes, wants us to feel sorry for ourselves and come up with excuses and look for ways to get out of a situation. I just choose not to listen to my own human nature. I choose to look at it as an opportunity; I understand the business side of this league and of this team and I used it as an inspiration and as a challenge for myself and maybe as an inspiration to other people to say, 'Hey, take a situation, whatever that situations is, work very hard at it, have a very good attitude and make the best out of it and let things fall where they may.'
On having to prove himself again…
Sometimes during the rehab and sometimes during the competition, I think I had to look at it as if the slate was wiped clean and what I had done in the past did not matter anymore. In this business, the past is exactly that, it's history. It's about how you perform, how you produce, how you handle your business in the now. In this business, being an athlete, you have to learn from the past, you can't worry about the future and you have to really concentrate on the now. If this situation did anything for me, it showed me how important staying in the present and staying in the now is. That's the only part of your life that you can control at that moment. You can't control the past, you have no idea what the future holds, the present is what you can take control of; it's the part that you can affect.
On if he ever had any doubts that he could make it back…
The lowest point was the two weeks after the initial injury, the second time around, not having a goal, not having a challenge, not having a carrot out in front of you. As an athlete, that's a bad place to be, sort of like the Twilight Zone. You have no drive; you have nothing to go for. That was the lowest point, not knowing what direction I would go in. Whether it was good or bad, whether it was with football or without football, I had no idea. Once we had the surgery and the medical staff laid out a plan, then I had a challenge ahead of me, I had a goal, I had something to go after with my total mindset and my attitude changed and I was starting to get back to normal.
New York Jets' WR Jerricho Cotchery, 1.4
On what Chad Pennington has brought to this team…
Everything we've done this year is based on what he has done this year. He has come back from what no one thought he would come back from and to be able to go out there and perform and lead the team the way he's led it to get us in the position that we are in right now is unbelievable.
On the inspiration Chad Pennington has been…
Everything he has accomplished this year, he's earned it. He won the job [as quarterback], it was a difficult road ahead for him in the off-season to be able to fight through what he was going through. He's led this team in an incredible way this year and everyone on the team has fed off of him, not just the offense, everyone on the team has fed off that.
On New England's defense…
It's very tough and it's tougher in the playoffs, because those guys play well as a team. You have great guys here and there on defense, but these guys play well collectively. All of those guys can make plays, but you've never seen a team that's on one page like their defense is.
On New England's defense without Rodney Harrison…
The good thing about their defense is they can plug guys in and out. Obviously, if you loose a player of his caliber, it's going to hurt somewhat, but they do a good job of plugging guys in and I give credit to the guys that are stepping in and doing their job. We're going to have to go out, execute and not make any mistakes to put them in a position where they can run us out of the stadium.
New York Jets' RB Leon Washington, 1.4
On the confidence of the Jets…
We're confident, but at the same time we do realize the task that we have at hand. We're dealing with Super Bowl Champions in three of the last four years. We're dealing with team a that is very capable of beating us and we understand that, so we have to go out there and try to execute the practices throughout the week. Hopefully, executing practice will give us confidence going into the game.
On all the talk about coach Mangini and coach Belichick…
That's between the coaches. As players, we're going out there and trying to prepare ourselves during the week and leave all that to them [the coaches].
New York Jets' LB Victor Hobson, 1.4
On when he thought Tom Brady might be something special…
He was always one of those quarterbacks that no matter what the score was, if we were down, as a defensive unit and as a team, we felt confident that he would be the guy to bring us back. That was a feeling that we always had through college and obviously, it translated through his play in the NFL.
On Tom Brady being the best playoff quarterback…
I think his record speaks for itself. There aren't too many with winning records like that in the playoffs, especially when it's a tournament. If you loose, you go home and he's been able to move on.
On New England's running game…
Like you said, their running game does present a lot of problems. Corey Dillon and Laurence Maroney, those are two physical backs and they have a solid offensive line who has been together, who play together and work very well together. We're going to have to go out there, we're going to have to be able to execute and we're going to have to do different things to try and slow that down as much as possible.
New York Jets' WR Laveranues Coles, 1.4
On other people finally recognizing what Chad Pennington has been through…
I don't think it's enough, especially with everything he went through this off-season. For him, it's just scratching the surface, nobody can say what he's went through off the field as well as on the field to get to this point. I think he's well-deserving and there should be more to come along with that.
On being an underdog…
It doesn't bother me at all, it's just people making speculations about a game. Again, they didn't expect us to be here, they said we wouldn't be here in the beginning of the season, so how much weight can you put on any body that's putting anything on us now?
On whether Pennington and Coles thought the Jets would be successful this year…
Deep down inside I think him and I both knew that he would be here at this point. We talked all during last season and during the off-season, so personally we knew. It's just the people outside this locker room that don't know us personally that thought he wouldn't be here.
On New England's defense without Rodney Harrison…
I think it's pretty much the same. He has a lot of leadership skills and he gets guys pointed in the right direction, but each time we've played against them their secondary has done an excellent job with us.
On being comfortable going across the middle of the field without Rodney Harrison…
I'm never comfortable going across the middle of the field I don't care who's out there. That's just the way the game goes. It is what it is, it's a playoff game, if you can't get excited for this then what can you get excited for?
On the way New England covers him…
Most teams pretty much do the same thing, they try to role their coverage towards me basically to take away the reads. If you know an offensive game plan, there are different reads based on which way a defensive player rotates and if a defensive player rotates my way or the coverage predicates my way, it basically takes Chad off me and puts him on another progression. That's what a lot of teams try to do, not only them. It just gives other guys opportunities to make plays, Jerricho Cotchery is making plays, Justin McCareins is making plays and Brad Smith is making plays, so it's one of those things where you decide who's going to make the play against you and I think other guys are stepping up and taking over that role just fine.
New York Jets' LB Jonathan Vilma, 1.4
On the insight coach Mangini has given as far as New England's game plan…
He hasn't given us much insight into their game plan, he's just made mention of what they've done in the past as far as how they've prepared for the playoffs. Aside from that, he probably knows a little bit more than most, because he's been there, but they can come out with anything. Especially with Brady back there, he's very capable of adjusting to new things and executing a new offense.
On why the defense began to click in the last New England matchup…
We knew what to do, it was really more that we wanted to take it to the offense instead of the offense taking it to us. We were at the point where as a team, we decided as a team or as a defense that we wanted to take it to the offense. We wanted to dictate to the offense how the game was going to be played. If they're going to hit a big play, fine, they hit a big play against us in New England, but for the most part, we want to put pressure on them and get after them. That's what we did last time. I don't know what Bob [Sutton] has in store for this coming Sunday, he might switch it around and he might not, but that was the big thing— that we wanted to dictate the offense.
On the confidence level of the Jets…
We're taking it as another game. Obviously, it's the playoffs and we're excited, but right now we're not in the Super Bowl and we're not down in Miami practicing. There's nothing to be, one, oh so nervous about and two, oh so confident about. We have to be even-keeled and be ready for whatever happens Sunday.
New York Jets' DE Bobby Hamilton, 1.4
On setting the blueprint for other teams to get at Tom Brady…
We know what type of quarterback he is. Tom is a great quarterback, he's going to see that and he's going to evaluate himself, but we can't worry about that the only thing we can worry about is what we're going to have to do to go out there and play. We have to go out there, execute and do the things we can to win the game. We know the coaches are going to give us a good game plan to go out there and play, but we know what type of game we're going into with Tom Brady. Tom Brady is going to be pumped and he's going to get his guys in the right direction.
On disguising looks on defense in the last matchup…
It doesn't matter about the game plan we used in the regular season. We went up there and got a 'W', they won one, but that's over with. It's a new ballgame right now, everybody is 0-0. We just have to go out there and do what we have to do to get a 'W'. Once again, I know Tom Brady is going to have those guys on the right road, but you have to understand they have three good backs too, so we know it's going to be a good game plan.
New York Jets' G Pete Kendall, 1.4
On Chad Pennington being named AP Comeback Player of the Year…
I feel good for him, that he's made it through 16 games and has had a pretty solid season for us, regardless of whether he won this award or not.
On Chad Pennington arm-strength making a quarterback…
I think that's part of it and clearly a lot of people think it's the biggest part of it. I agree with Laveranues [Coles], I don't think Chad Pennington gets enough credit. When a quarterback knows where he's going with the ball, he can throw it earlier than some kid with a big arm. There are plenty of guys with a big arm who were flamed out, because they didn't know how to run an offense. They don't know where to throw the ball, they can't diagnose the defense pre-snap and make an adjustment after the snap. A lot of the intangibles that Chad has, most quarterbacks don't have; his ability to lead an offense and to read defenses. He's so smart and determined that any perceived shortcoming in arm-strength, I think he's done quite a job overcoming.
On what Chad Pennington needs to do to get the recognition he deserves…
I don't know what it'll take, I think he took a big step towards that this year winning the award, playing 16 games and overcoming all the adversity. I guess it is a fickle thing, support from the public. Particularly here in New York, it's a 'what have you done for me lately' market, just like it is in Boston.
Thursday Injury Report Jets Questionable: FB B.J. Askew (foot), RB Kevan Barlow (thigh), CB David Barrett (hip), WR Laveranues Coles (jaw), CB Andre Dyson (knee), FB James Hodgins (knee), C Nick Mangold (knee), OL Brandon Moore (ankle), S Kerry Rhodes (knee) & DL Dewayne Robertson (knee)
Probable: *LB Matt Chatham (foot), *RB Cedric Houston (calf), *QB Chad Pennington (calf), *DB Eric Smith (foot) & *DE Bryan Thomas (shoulder)
Patriots Out: S Rodney Harrison (knee)
Questionable: WR Bam Childress (ankle), RB Kevin Faulk (knee), CB/S Chad Scott (back), TE Benjamin Watson (knee) & NT Vince Wilfork (ankle)
Probable:*QB Tom Brady (r shoulder), *CB Ellis Hobbs (wrist), *DL Richard Seymour (elbow) & LB Mike Vrabel (back)
*Denotes players who participated in practice
