Transcript of head coach Rex Ryan's news conference following Friday's midday practice at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center:
Marquice Cole is out, hamstring. He's out, will not play. Josh Mauga is questionable with a hamstring. He was limited today, but questionable. Guys that are probable: Shonn Greene. He was out today, did not practice, personal. Guys that were full: Calvin Pace [foot], [Darrelle] Revis [hamstring], Matt Slauson [knee] and Damien Woody [knee]. All were full. They're all probable, all those guys, Shonn Greene, Calvin, Revis, Slauson, Woody — probable. In other words, they'll definitely play.
I understand Eric Mangini took a shot. He took a shot at me and it wobbled me [smiling]. There's no question about it, he staggered me, but I've got one message to say to Eric Mangini: "You just made the list, buddy." [laughter] That's it. Name the movie. Come on, we all know it. "Stripes." "You just made the list, buddy." He's on there [smiling].
On when Damien Woody injured his knee…
When he was squatting 700 pounds the other day in the weightroom [joking]. He was lifting a little bit. It swelled up on him a little, but he's fine. He's out there. He's practicing full.
On players getting injured during weightlifting…
Yes, I'll let you address that with Sal [head strength and conditioning coach Sal Alosi]. You know what, though? We really do, we'll push our guys, because at the end of the year we want to be stronger than the rest of the teams in this league, so we do push our guys harder. It's not Club Med out there. We do push them. We want them to be strong at the end of the season, so we push our guys pretty hard. Things like that do happen sometimes in the weight room though, but they're all fine.
On penalties at practice…
We had one penalty today. So the organization and I understand our fans now are happy with that and just knock off 10 [pushups]. We're doing that and it's kind of a fun thing. Everybody is doing it now, but we're dead serious with it. You've got the owner doing pushups. He wants to know who. "Well, that was so-and-so today." Today it was Ben [Hartsock]. I wouldn't be real comfortable if I had the owner doing pushups with my teammates. That'd be rough.
We just figured how tough can it be and the accountability to each other? You're not just messing us, you're messing this entire organization over when we get a penalty. The number one thing in my opinion that we have to improve on is we've got to get better at the self-inflicted wounds. We think it's one way of doing it. We're certainly putting a huge focus on it. I mentioned it yesterday. We've got video tapes from the league. We're definitely turning over every stone we can to get better in this. We expect to get better.
On any players on the Cleveland defense that stand out to him…
Bob Golic and Clay Matthews, those are the two guys [joking]. You know what's funny? I'm not going to say they're well-coordinated. I think that would be overstepping the lines and all that. I think [Matt] Roth, the kid they got from Miami, he's a mean sucker. He's tough, he plays the run, he rushes the passer, relentless guy. If going back in the Jets days, a Gerry Philbin-type guy, just a relentless guy with a bad attitude. You have to love him. He plays tough. The young safety [T.J. Ward] is playing well and he's physical. They just do a good job. They have a bunch of guys contributing.
You know how we say it's all about the decal? What are you going to say about Cleveland? There's no decal, so it has to be something about the uniform or something [joking]. They play hard. They really do. They get after it and they play as a unit, a prideful unit, just like we do. They have a lot of good football players, but I think the Roth kid is the guy that really stands out to me.
On whether he liked T.J. Ward coming out of the draft…
Oh, yeah. He just knocks the heck out of you, similarly to John Conner and to what Conner did. That's how he played defense, so it's no surprise that he's a starting as a rookie. He really is a good football player. I know he had that one penalty or whatever, but this kid is aggressive. He supports the run; he knocks the heck out of people. He makes his presence felt, that's for sure. Then you have the two corners that play well. It's just a good football team.
On trying to get out to a fast start against Cleveland…
It's going to be tough. This team right here, I think is the only team in the league that hasn't surrendered up a touchdown or even a point in the first drive of the game. Granted, we had a string of what, seven straight games, without giving up a point in the first quarter? Talking about the first drive, they're the only ones, I think, in the league that haven't given up one. We know it's going to be tough, but we do. I'd like to score anytime, but to start a game would be great.
On what sets Peyton Hillis apart from other running backs…
The size, number one. Cleveland probably hasn't had a running back that size since Marion Motley. I don't know, did somebody say they're listing him at fullback, so he can make the Pro Bowl? Did anybody see that, because he's a tailback? He's the size of a fullback-tailback combined. He's a huge kid and he runs hard. He's averaging close to five yards a carry. It's going to be interesting because he hits hard and we're going to hit him hard. It's going to be a great matchup, and really, two teams that really want to run the football. That's what I think you're going to see this week. Who can establish the run against each other? I don't think there's any surprises there. It might be one of those, first one that throws, is a wimp.
On Mangini's comment that Ryan's weight loss cost Macy's one of their Thanksgiving Day parade floats…
Like I said, it staggered me. There isn't any question.
On whether he was surprised by Mangini's comments…
No. Shoot, I'm surprised that he doesn't do this all the time because that's the Mangini I know. That was good. I liked it. That was a good one [laughing].
On if he goes to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade…
I'll be honest; you know how sensitive I get sometimes. I did tear up a little [laughter]. When I was a kid, we used to go there.
On Mangini not announcing a starting quarterback and how that affects the Jets preparation…
Well, he can pull a fast one on us if Colt McCoy's not the quarterback because that's who we prepared for as the quarterback. If he wants to start one of those other kids, go for it. I don't think that's happening.
On Mangini not saying who will be starting…
That's Mangini being Mangini [smiling].
On what he's seen from Kyle Wilson in that last few weeks…
Steady progress. He's back to being the guy that we drafted. I just think sometimes as a rookie, you give up completions in this league. Everybody does. I just felt like he was at a stage where he expected a guy to complete a ball on him and its like "Come on, kid." He just kept getting better and better. Now, I think he's ready to play significantly for us.
On if it would have been easier for Wilson to adjust if he had played against a higher level of competition at Boise State…
You know, he played against that kid from Miami and did job against him in college. The little slot receiver they've got [Davone Bess]. He's gone against some great competition at the Senior Bowl. Here he goes against Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards, Jerricho Cotchery all the time. He really is back to really getting after it. I'm excited.
On Wilson's role at Cleveland…
We're going to play both those guys. We're going to alternate Drew [Coleman] and Kyle in there. They're both going to play nickel, dime. They're both going to be playing.
