Transcript of head coach Rex Ryan's news conference following the Jets' Friday midday practice at the Atlantic Health Training Center:
Obviously [Quinton] Coples and [Mark] Sanchez will be out. They did not practice. They'll be out. Two players will be questionable for the game, Kenrick Ellis with his back and Santonio Holmes with his foot. Both those guys were limited today. Everybody else is probable for the game. I anticipate everybody else to be up for the game. So there's where we are injury-wise. Today, as you guys saw, it was fast-paced. I thought we were sharp, and in my opinion, a very good Friday practice. So hopefully this translates to Sunday, but we were sharp today.
On stopping Doug Martin…
Like any good back you have to have more than one guy on him. Obviously, he's a guy who runs hard, runs through arm tackles, so we have to make sure that we have a lot of guys flying to the football, getting off blocks and don't assume one guy has him on the ground. So we just have to set our edges, we have to have a lot of guys on him, and like I said, don't assume the guy is down because I've seen him run through some pretty good tacklers in this league.
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On if Martin is a good pass catcher…**
He is, and they're going to use him more to my understanding because he never played a whole lot on third down last year and he still had [49] catches for a [9.6]-yard average. So yes, you're exactly right. That's something you have to be very mindful of and very aware of.
On if he saw anything from Santonio Holmes that altered his opinion of if he would play…
No, not at all, like I said the whole time, I'm hopeful he plays. Let's just put it that way. We'll see. But again, we'll let the doctors and trainers get the final word on it, but as I've said the whole time, I'm hopeful he plays because he is a difference maker.
On if Holmes has been medically cleared…
He's questionable right now.
On if the decision for him to play would likely be made on Sunday…
Yes, that's I guess what questionable would mean. What is it, a 50-50 chance or something like that?
On if it would be a gametime decision for Holmes to play…
Yes, it could be.
On what could happen over the next few days that could change having four quarterbacks….
Well, I just think that you're always looking at your roster, how you can make it better for your team or something comes available. I wasn't really getting specific with it. I was just issuing a general statement. We are, obviously, really heavy at that position. We're probably the only team in the league. I'm sure we are the only team in the league with four quarterbacks right now. We'll keep looking out there and we'll see if we stay that way. Obviously, right now we have four quarterbacks.
On if he anticipates not having four quarterbacks for the duration of the season…
I never said that either. We very well could be. I recognize the fact that we're heavy at that spot.
On if Matt Simms is still the backup quarterback…
Yes.
On his comfort level with Simms being the quarterback…
Judging by his performance in the preseason, I feel pretty good about it. I don't know what he ended up quarterback rating wise. I know going into that last game he was leading the league in quarterback rating. It doesn't matter who you are up against, you could be going 'skelly' and that's impressive. I think he's earned the respect of his teammates and everybody else. I think when he was here initially, he was probably a camp arm, that was it. But we said we were going to give him an opportunity and compete for that third job, and quite honestly he won it and that was it. Would he have been the favorite heading into it? I'm not so sure you can say that. But he earned his spot on this roster. He's got a little something to him. I think the guys enjoy him.
On if Brady Quinn will be active…
Again, we'll make that decision. I'll get you at the appropriate time. You guys love that one [smiling]. No, but we will. We'll put ourselves in the best situation to win the game on Sunday. If that means having three quarterbacks up on game day, then that will be it. If not, we'll do something else.
On if he normally likes having three quarterbacks dress on game day…
No. Normally I don't like doing that. What happens that third quarterback very seldom is used. File that in the "no kidding" column. If you're planning on playing your third quarterback, you're probably not going to win. That's generally the reason. There are guys that can help on special teams. There are guys who can help in different roles and things like that. That's why, unless you have an injury going in, normally you don't dress three.
On if he has ever started a rookie at cornerback in the season opener…
Did we start Kyle [Wilson]? I don't remember. No, no, we had Cro [Antonio Cromartie], didn't we? And some other corner I think [laughter]. Did I mention [Darrelle] Revis is an average corner? [joking] I think I'm on record as saying he's an average player, I don't know.
On Dee Milliner starting at cornerback in the opener…
Right and we feel good about our depth at corner as well. I mean with, Kyle. The league now is you have three starting corners. When I look at Kyle, he's played, he's started I think. As a rookie, he was our third corner, I believe as a rookie. Off the top of the head, I can't remember one.
On calling Milliner's injury a calf injury instead of an Achilles….
I messed up. I should've stuck with the leg or lower leg injury. I thought it was a calf. I don't know if that was told to me or whatever and it was an Achilles when they told me it was his Achilles. I think I said it, but I should've just stuck with lower leg, but that was my fault.
On defense being different without Quinton Coples…
I think we'll do similar things. We have Garrett McIntyre and Antwan Barnes so we feel pretty good about that. Obviously, Coples is a rare talent, a guy 6'6", 285 pounds and he's a player. That would've been good because we would've had those other guys for depth as well. Hopefully, he'll get out there soon.
On his comments that he believes the team will be better than people think…
I think we're going to get ready to find out. Because I think, within the next six, seven days, we'll know a lot about this football team.
