Transcripts of conference calls by Bill Belichick and Deion Branch with Jets reporters late Wednesday morning:
PATRIOTS HEAD COACH BILL BELICHICK
On the challenge for preparing for a team they played a few weeks ago and if they try to change a lot…
It's one of those deals where they know that we know that we know that they know that we know. The Jets do a solid job in all three phases of the game. They definitely have a lot of changeups that keep you honest. We have our tendencies and things we like to do as well. You've got to balance a little bit with what you do well and how much you want to keep doing it with keeping them honest and not being overly predictable to where they just don't know exactly where you're coming.
So it's a fine line. You don't want to outthink yourself. You want to be able to do the things that you can do, but at the same time you don't want to just tell them, "OK, here's what we're going to do," because they're good enough that if they see that, they'll stop it. So that's kind of the challenge of it, trying to find a balance on that.
On how different the Jets look since the last time they played them…
Obviously, they are basically the same team. They're doing a lot of things really well. They've played well the last three weeks. They're doing a great job on defense. Offensively, they are getting good balance and they are strong in the kicking game. They're well-coached, they do a good job of giving you a lot of different things to prepare for, but at the same time they do the things that they do fundamentally well. You have to go out and play a good football game against them to beat them. You can't play sloppy or make mistakes or they will definitely be there to capitalize on it.
They are explosive in their return game. They have a lot of explosive players on offense. They can turn first-and-goal or whatever Miami had down there into a 99-, 100-yard touchdown return and put the points on the other side of the scoreboard, so you have to really do a good job against them.
On if the Jets secondary uses as many multiple-DB packages as anyone else in the league…
Well, they use a lot of different combinations of defensive backs and linebackers in some of their passing-situation calls. Other teams do the same thing, they have different personnel, they do it different ways. It's just trying to get who you feel are your best combination of players that match up against the opponent in that situation. I'd say they probably do as much of it as a lot of teams do, but you can only put 11 guys out there.
On if he has seen the Jets defense mixing things up with zone looks more recently…
I think if you probably watched the last four games that we've played in the last, basically, calendar year, a little more than that, there are a lot of elements of the same things in all four of those games. We're doing a lot of the things that we do, they're doing a lot of the things that they do. I don't think you put on those films and say, "Oh my God, this game, look at all the things that are different here, and look at all the things that are different there."
For the most part they do what they do, we do what we do. There's a few variations, a few changeups. But when teams like us and the Jets, who have won quite a few games, have a lot of confidence in what you're doing, I don't think you want to get too far away from it. I don't think you're going to see them coming in running the wishbone or us going into the single wing or anything like that this week.
On how he's been able to avoid prolonged losing streaks…
We really don't look too much at what happened last week. We try to focus on the game that is ahead of us, get ready for that one. Whether we won last week or lost last week, we try to turn the page on that, put it behind us and move on to our next opponent. We don't dwell on what happened last week good or bad. We've won games before and we've lost them. They're in the books, they're done, they're finished. So we're onto the next team.
On Rex Ryan seeing improvements in their last meeting and if he got the sense the Jets weren't going to spiral out of control…
We played a very competitive game with them. It was a one-score game there in the fourth quarter and we kicked a field goal right at the end of the game. It's a tight game all the way through. They made some plays, we made our plays. It was a tough, competitive game, like just about every game we play with the Jets. It comes down to a few plays, a one-score game, maybe a couple plays, a two-score game.
But even in a couple of those two-score games or even bigger, I don't think score is reflective of how competitive the game was. So I think the Jets are a good football team and I think that they obviously have had some games better than others. And we're in the same boat. Some of our performances have been better than others this year. We've been competitive, they're competitive. I think that's what we'll get on Sunday. Two good football teams going toe-to-toe. I think we'll have a very competitive game.
On if he was surprised Albert Haynesworth wasn't more productive and that he had to be let go…
Anytime you bring a player onto the team, you bring him onto your team with the expectation that it'll be a positive and productive thing for your team. Of course, that doesn't always happen. We know that. When you feel like it's time to move on, then you make that decision. That's basically where we feel like we are.
On if he delivered the news to Haynesworth directly and what their conversation entailed…
Conversations that I have with players I feel are private between myself and the player, so I don't think it's proper to really talk about that publicly.
On Ryan appearing in a movie as a Patriots fan…
I'll tell you, he'll have to do some acting on that one. That's a new one. I'm sure it'll be entertaining.
PATRIOTS WR DEION BRANCH
On the Jets using a lot of different defensive backs and coverages…
It's always challenging playing against those guys. I think Coach Ryan does a great job of trying to confuse the quarterback and trying to cause us confusion with what they're doing as far as defensive schemes and all. I don't think there's another team in the league that has as much depth as the Jets as far as the secondary.
On how those personnel groups and coverages affect him as a player…
The thing is, we know the depth and we know exactly who they have on the roster and what guys may be available for the game. As far as what it does to us, that stuff varies during the course of the game. It's all about adjusting to whatever they're throwing at us. I think so far we've been doing a pretty good job at it, but at the same time they've been doing a good job of mixing a lot of different looks and causing a little confusion here and there for us as well. Like I said, mainly that stuff varies during the course of the game.
On if Chad Ochocinco is coming along in the offense…
That's another thing that is determined week to week and how much the coaches want to get any guy in the offense the ball. It's not just Chad. It may be "Hey, we're going to target [Rob] Gronkowski a lot, we'll target Aaron [Hernandez] here a lot." It varies from game to game, according to whatever the game plan is, and we try to go out there and execute the game plan.
Last week the opportunity was there and the coaches wanted to get Chad involved. I think a couple of times we wished we could have had a couple plays where they could have hit each other and Tom [Brady] could have hit Chad. They just have to get on the same page when the opportunity presents itself.
On Brady having an unusually high number of interceptions…
I think that's something that you'll probably have to ask Tom because I'm not the one that is throwing the ball and everything. I will say this, with that being said, a few of those picks have been a lot of batted balls up in the air by defensive linemen, things like that, coming off guys' helmets. I wouldn't just sit there and say the defense is doing this and doing that. I think most of the time, well, not most of the time but some of the time, there were a couple of batted balls and guys were in the right place to make the plays. That's not taking it away from any of the guys that we played in the past.
On if he is surprised at how good Rob Gronkowski has been…
No, we see it every day in practice, and I know it's not the same as a game, but I've been playing long enough where I've seen a bunch of tight ends and this guy is a special kid. And the crazy part about it, he's only in his second year. The sky is the limit with this kid. His work ethic is very high, the coaches demand a lot from him. In this offense, we demand a lot from him. We demand a lot from Aaron, and Tom demands a lot from all of us. So with that being said, this kid is going to be a special player in the NFL.
On if this game feels different than the late-season game last year since it's earlier and on the road…
I think most of the thing is that we know we're going into a hostile environment Sunday night. I know the Jets fans are going to be there and be loud and doing what they're supposed to do to support their whole team. And I think it's our job to go out there and match their intensity the entire game. But I think overall, this game is what it is each and every time that we play the Jets. It's always a big game.
I think the most important thing right now is we're all battling for that top position in our division, let alone talking about the conference and all that stuff. In order to get somewhere, you have to win your division first. And here's an opportunity for us to grasp control of it, to go out and take care of business. I think from there it's all about finishing the rest of the season. But this game is very important for both of the teams.
On if any doubt is starting to creep into their locker room…
No doubts around here, and that's me being honest. We see in the film what we're doing wrong. Like I said earlier, everything is still the same. Guys are still very enthusiastic about coming in, getting the game plan for this week and getting out to practice and seeing what's the game plan for this game to play the Jets.
As far as the two losses, we looked at the film once we came in. We can see the mistakes that we made during the course of the game. Very coachable, and that's why I do know and understand why the coaches are not all down on us. We're all mad about the losses, but at the same time there are very coachable mistakes that were made during the course of the games, and hopefully we'll try to go out and eliminate those things so we don't go down that road again.
On a blueprint for opponents to beat them and if they see common threads in the losses…
You look at it and it's basically the regular course of basic football. Not converting on third downs, not scoring touchdowns in the red area, penalties. Those are things, we're killing ourselves mainly. When we look at the film with all the penalties that we're getting, not converting on third down. You can look at that, not converting on third down and not scoring in the red area, as part of sometimes it may be a good defensive play and then sometimes us not executing or running our actual assignment, doing exactly what we're supposed to be doing, whether it be blocking, running the ball or running a route.
So those are the things that are very coachable. Those mistakes that we're making as far as the penalties, those are the things we really have to straighten out, the mental errors and things of that nature.
