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Transcripts of news conferences and interviews in the Jets' Paul Brown Stadium locker room following their 49-9 loss to the Bengals on Sunday afternoon:*
HEAD COACH REX RYAN
That was ugly, to say the least. We're fortunate that it only counts for one loss because you get your butt kicked like that, we're fortunate that that is all it is. Obviously, we have to play a hell of a lot better — file that in the "obvious" category or whatever you want. We are a much better football team than showed up today and I believe that. We have to get a hell of a lot better. I say that after every game, win, lose or draw, but the real disappointing thing to me is we had a good week of preparation, I thought. But again, you've got to go out, execute. Give all the credit in the world to Cincinnati. Marvin [Lewis] does a great job there. They did a great job today and the better team won today without question.
On if he was surprised by the way his defense played...
Yeah, I would say absolutely that surprised me. We got beat in every coverage known to man — five touchdown passes, I don't know how many times that's happened in my lifetime, not very often. Throwing into coverage, sometimes you're in man coverage and that's going to be tough. Sometimes when you call coverage and expect certain things played a certain way, those were some disappointing things without question.
On what he attributes the coverage breakdowns to...
You've got to give them credit, obviously. It starts with protection. They did a great job protecting the quarterback, obviously, and then [Andy] Dalton was hot. That's the thing about him — when he gets hot like that, we've seen 300 yards the past three weeks. He's talented enough to do it and he's got an outstanding group of receivers and skill position players. I think that contributes to it. Obviously, we have to do a much better job. There are just some things we have to believe or something and do a better job playing to our leverage and obviously, we've got to improve a hell of a lot.
On if he benched CB Dee Milliner because of mental mistakes...
No, I benched him because physically he wasn't getting it done.
On his thoughts on QB Geno Smith's performance...
Well, it was like the rest of the team. Obviously, it was a poor performance on everybody's part. Including me.
On assessing a 4-4 record as being pretty good for this team...
I don't think so. Obviously, we have to get a hell of a lot better.
On if the Saints, next week's opponent, and your secondary's performance today are a bad combination...
Well, if we don't play better than we did today, then hell, yeah. That guy [Saints QB Drew Brees] will break every record known to man against us. So I think we'll play better.
On if he had any inkling through the week of practice that something like this was coming...
No. I thought the preparation was better. After that, I thought we had some good practices and things. We knew it was going to be a challenge. We said that all week. They've got the two tight ends, they've got the wideouts, and the quarterback got hot. It was disappointing. We couldn't get pressure on the quarterback. We tried a zillion different ways — primarily rushing four and trying to play coverage — but you know, it started that way and obviously, all phases, it wasn't even close to how we have to play.
On why he thought Milliner was ready to start given how much time he's missed with injuries...
Well, I've seen it on the practice field and everything else. This isn't the first game he's started. He's started for a while now and that's why.
On why that isn't translating from practice to the games...
That's a good question — but it wasn't just him. We have a Pro Bowl corner [Antonio Cromartie] that didn't have a good day, either. So all of us. There isn't one guy on that field, in my opinion — now, we'll see the tape and that may say otherwise — but I don't know if there's one guy that was out there on the sideline or on the field that had a good day.
On if the up-and-down nature of the team is due to so many young players on the roster...
I don't know what it is but part of it is you have to give the other team credit. There's no easy game out there, and certainly going against the Bengals, you have to give them their props. They've beaten a lot of good teams at home. They beat Pittsburgh, New England, Green Bay — but obviously, I thought we'd play a hell of a lot better than we did today.
On his message to the team after the game...
I'll keep my message private.
On if he'll open up that spot that Milliner is playing to a competition...
Well, we'll play who we think, who we feel is the best guy for us, there's no question about that. We'll decide that with every position.
On if he has to adjust at all to get Antonio Cromartie a little help...
Well, we gave everybody help today. It just didn't look like it.
On his change to Matt Simms at QB when he did...
I was going to play Geno one more series. That's what I told Marty [offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg] and then it ended on another pick-six. But that was planned. I wanted him to play one more series and then put him in a two-minute mode and then bring Simms in.
On if this is as tough a loss as he's had as a head coach...
No, shoot no. The loss to New England, 45-3, felt worse. On a scale of 10, this one's a 10 but that one to New England was like an 11. It's brutal.
On if he thought some of his players got too high on themselves after the big win over the Patriots...
No, no chance. That wasn't it. Guys, we know we haven't arrived. We know that. We're a team that has to keep developing and get better. Obviously, we took a giant step back today. But part of that credit has to go to Cincinnati. They're way ahead of us right now and it's pretty obvious."
On if this game was a step back for Smith...
I mean, it wasn't a good performance for sure.
QB GENO SMITH
On feeling any sort of rhythm on offense...
I feel like, as a group, we weren't able to sustain drives. We weren't able to put seven on the board. We didn't play our best game today. Hats off to Cincinnati. They played a terrific game. We have to use this as motivation, as we always do, and get better from it.
On what happened on the Chris Crocker interception-return touchdown...
The guy made a good play. It wasn't my best pass, but he made a great play. I have to do a better job keeping the ball out of the defender's reach so they can't make those types of plays.
On Pacman Jones' pick-six...
I made a late throw to the sideline. The guy made a good break on the ball and was able to grab it. I should have made the tackle, but I shouldn't have forced it in the first place.
On if he plans to say anything to the team after this loss...
I think it's self-explanatory after a loss like this. We're a veteran-led team, and we know we need to give extra effort this week. No one wants to lose the game — especially like this. I think all the guys know what's at stake. We just need to pick it up and get things rolling.
On if he is discouraged with his up-and-down play...
No, it's not discouraging. Mistakes are going to happen, no matter how many years I play in this league. It's something to learn from.
On why he thinks the team has so many ups and downs...
I don't know what it is, but I know that's how it's been. I know every guy goes into every game with the intentions of executing the game plan. Sometimes we've done it and sometimes we haven't. That's part of us developing consistency as a team and growing to get better.
On his reaction to being taken out of the game...
I understand why the decision was made, but I always want to be in the game. I never want to be in a situation where we're down and I have to be pulled from the game. It's always upsetting, but I understand why the decision was made.
On if the Bengals did anything to surprise him and his teammates...
I wouldn't say they surprised us. They played their game. They got us behind early and their defensive line was able to get after us. They made it tough on us. We have to be able to step up to the plate and get it done on offense, no matter what the circumstance.
On if he thinks his teammates were overconfident coming off the big win over the Patriots...
No. I think we had a great week of preparation. Guys were extremely focused in practice. Guys were doing things extra and watching extra film. We have to learn from it and get better from it and move on.
WR JEREMY KERLEY
On what happened today...
We just came out flat. We didn't come out firing. We have to learn, study the film, and move on.
On how they make sure this loss doesn't snowball...
We just have to stay together. Bad things are going to happen. All you can do is worry about things that you can control. And things you can't control, put them behind you. Obviously, this loss is over with. We're going to study the film and put it in our rearview mirror. We'll move forward from there.
LB DAVID HARRIS
On what he can say about this loss...
They made plays and we didn't. You have to come back tomorrow and make all the corrections and watch the film to see what we did wrong and get it corrected. Nobody is going to feel sorry for us. We have another good team coming Sunday in the Saints. We've got to get it turned around.
On if they have to get it corrected quickly...
We have to start tomorrow, first thing. Nobody is going to feel sorry for us. We have to stick together in this locker room. Each man has to do his part to do better. It's a long season and there's a lot of football ahead of us. We have to come to work prepared.
LB CALVIN PACE
On why he thinks the defense couldn't get a stop right from the start...
They didn't do anything that we didn't think they were going to do. We just didn't come out focused — especially in somebody else's home, you are going to get your butt handed to you, which is what we did. A loss is a loss. We have a tough game against the Saints coming up. We have to rebound and put it behind us and keep it moving. We've been through this a couple times before. It is what it is right now. It all looks negative right now, but we'll look at the film and I'm sure there's something that we can build on. That's all you can do. You have to take the positive out of it.
On him saying last week that the Jets have to win back-to-back games...
That obviously didn't happen today. Give Cincinnati all the credit. They beat us in every facet of the game. Their defense was better than our defense. Their offense was better than our defense. It is what it is. We lost. Again, it all looks bad right now, but when we get back tomorrow, I'm sure there is something we can build on. We have to move forward. That's all we can do.
