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Transcript of head coach Rex Ryan's news conference Monday afternoon at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center:*
Obviously, you guys saw the game. I decided today that we handed out all the grade sheets to the players and they're going to watch the tape on their own, but for us to sit in there and go over it again when we know exactly what happened, I thought it would be more beneficial just to move on to New Orleans, get a start on them, and that's exactly what we did. Anybody that was on the sideline or played in that game knows what happened. We got our butts kicked and there's no two ways about it, that's exactly what happened, all phases of the game.
Clearly, they got a huge lead on us. It kind of takes you out of what your original plan was offensively. We weren't getting off the field on third down. We weren't pressuring the quarterback. We tried every coverage known to man. We just played poorly. Obviously, that's a good football team there. As we said last night, they clearly deserved that game.
On if he has had the team not watch film collectively before…
Yeah, there was one other time that I think is pretty obvious. I never buried the football this time, but that was an obvious one. We're a much better team than that. We know we're a better team than that. But again, what happened happened, but you're better off, just, we better move forward. That's why I did what I did.
On coming off big wins and tough losses…
Every year is different. Your focus better be on New Orleans. This team is 7-1, I believe what their record is [was corrected that New Orleans' record is 6-1)], 6-1, oh shoot, that's not foreshadowing [joking]. Man, but 6-1, whatever they are, that's a pretty good football team, so obviously we have our work cut out for us. We have to improve in a hurry in a lot of areas, and the challenge, if we don't play better pass defense than we did this past week, [Drew Brees] will throw for 700 yards. Clearly, we have to improve in that area, just as one example of how we have to get better.
On where they can start in their preparation for the week…
It starts, obviously, with your preparation as far as knowing the team you're up against and all that. But it's more than that. It's about your fundamentals and your technique. Even right down to the alignment, assignment and technique, that's where it starts. If you're not lined up right, if your fundamentals are poor, your technique is poor, you're not going to be successful against good players. Clearly, that was the case this past week, yesterday, and New Orleans is one that will flat out embarrass you if you don't do those things, so that's where it starts.
On the offense giving him confidence that they can score touchdowns…
We've also lit it up on a few teams this year. That was kind of a game, it just got away from us so early that the Bengals are a type of team where if you fall behind like that, it's going to be tough. They pin their ears back and they come after you. It's obviously not the blueprint you want against that team. But I have all the confidence in the world that our offense will rebound from this. We'll be challenged. It's a different kind of challenge from New Orleans, very multiple on defense. We're going to certainly be tested that way. They're outstanding at rushing the passer, they're third in the league I think in sacks and I think sixth in the league, or vice versa, in creating turnovers, getting the interceptions. It's a huge challenge for us.
On what the defensive backs were doing wrong regarding their technique…
Well, we got beat on so many, it depends on what your coverage is. Sometimes, you're supposed to get your hands on a guy, reroute a guy. Sometimes, you're playing over the top with inside leverage. There are different things involved in it. But clearly, we weren't up to par.
On how he wants the players to deal with the loss…
Every guy is different. It stings, it certainly didn't go anywhere close to the way we thought it would. We got outplayed in every area, every facet of the game. It's one loss, as bad as it was, it was one loss. Thank goodness that it's only one loss. Certainly, we got beat bad enough it could have counted for two, but that's not the case.
On the next step for Dee Milliner…
He's got to go get back and start working. That's the only way you get better. You have to work. He's a prideful guy, they all are. It's got to get better, and it should get better. It has to get better. [New Orleans] is probably not the opponent you want to get better against, but we have to. If we go out, and we do our assignments and we play with our technique and our passion and things, we'll be ok.
On if he would have liked to see Geno Smith do anything better early in the game that could have kept it closer…
You don't want to say, "Well, if he recognized a blitz quicker or something, the game might've turned out differently." I don't think so. I think the game was going to turn out how it turned out, the way we were playing collectively as a team. There are a few things like that that he could've been a little sharper at.
On if he noticed Nelson playing dirty…
I thought he was playing hard. Like, yeah, I mean he was blocking like crazy and I think that's probably what, maybe Pacman [Adam Jones] took offense to that. But he was competing his butt off out there and I was impressed with him. I never thought it was a clip, the one that he got flagged on. I'm like, man he got his head across him and everything else. I thought it was a clean shot, but it was flagged. But I thought he had his head in front of him.
On if Dee Milliner's injuries during rookie camp and minicamp is contributing to his mistakes…
If you're going to make those mistake, and coming into this league and all of that stuff, you would've loved if he would've been there for the minicamps and training camps and all that, but the case here, the fact is, he wasn't. So he has to do it now. You know what, he's had his moments. He's played well at times and then he's had some other ones when, quite honestly, he's played like a rookie. I'm expecting this young man to bounce back.
On Geno Smith bouncing back…
Same thing.
On the win one, lose one trend of the team and Smith's resiliency…
I hope the trend continues. One win, lose one, I hope it continues this week and then we'll figure it out. But he has been resilient. I think our team has, that way. I think we've bounced back and obviously we're going against an opponent that's 6-1. So it's not going to be easy.
On Jeff Cumberland getting injured…
Yeah, he didn't finish the game. I think we'll have updates on all guys on Wednesday for you.
On the play where Matt Simms went airborne on fourth down…
Yeah, the one thing that you're impressed with, I was impressed with, is his competiveness was off the chart. For him to make that, I even told the official, "Just give him the thing." The kid earned it. Like, "Matt we're down by X amount of points here, don't put yourself in harm's way," clearly. The fact that he took the [hit]. No, he was going to go for it, man, and it kind of tells you about the kid. That's the way he plays. He's an impressive young man.
On how Rob Ryan has done this season as New Orleans' defensive coordinator…
I think the two guys, in my opinion, that are doing the best job in this league are Bob Sutton in Kansas City and then my brother in New Orleans. I don't even think it's close because you took a team that's historically bad, the most yardage in the history of the National Football League, and now I think they're almost a top-ten defense yardage-wise. They're fourth in scoring, and with the same players and even some players are out. But he's done a phenomenal job, he really has. Shoot, he clearly, in my opinion, him and Bob, have just been exceptional.
On knowing how he will approach the game against his brother…
I know my brother well, so if there's any insight or whatever, I'll certainly be there to give it. But again, when you look at the job he's done and things like that, they're so multiple in what they do that it's a challenge now. There is no doubt. It's going to be a big challenge. They're always one of the best red zone teams in the league. That's a trademark of my brother's. He's doing a great job and the fact that you've got Sean Payton calling offense on the other side, that's a pretty good combination.
On where the Jets stack up to the rest of the league…
I have no idea. Really, I have no idea where we stack up. I just know that it's pretty obvious that we have to get like a gazillion times better. That's pretty obvious after last night. But the thing that I'm encouraged with is I believe that we have the group that feels the same way, that we want to get better and we're going to work that way and do whatever we can to get better. I know we will and that's the encouraging thing from my standpoint.
On if he can tell when it's going to be a long day…
Well, it certainly started off as a long day and you're sitting back going, "We've got to fix it. We've got to do something." And we tried a lot of different things, a lot of different combinations, all that stuff. It just snowballed. We couldn't stop a nosebleed. That's kind of how it felt. And I've been there. I've been there before on some of those days and all you can do is just keep hanging in there and fighting your tails off and hopefully momentum comes your way. But there's been a couple of games that it's happened. My dad always used to have a line, and it's true, it's the unfortunate truth. He goes, "You stay in it long enough, it'll happen to you again." It's a sobering thought because certainly that wasn't a pleasant experience. It's just sometimes there are days like that and you try everything and it just doesn't seem to go your way. But it doesn't mean you stop competing, because you compete like crazy and you're trying to search for it, and usually you can stop the bleeding, but it just seemed like that day it was tough. We needed a tourniquet and we couldn't find one.
On if he did anything differently last night to prepare for the Saints…
No. I did what I always do. I watched all the tape and then it's just now I moved into starting to look at New Orleans. I've seen three of their games so far. I've started to really get into what they're doing. I've already started that.
On the NFL saying that the Jets should've been called for a push penalty against New England… Yeah, I've just moved past that. All we continue to do is do whatever we can to play within the confinements of the rules and that's how we play.
