Transcript of head coach Rex Ryan's news conference following Friday's midday practice at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center:
First off, there are three changes in the injury report. Mark Brunell and John Conner fully practiced today, so they are full participants. Santonio Holmes had an illness but he practiced full. So [the players who are] out, you have Logan Payne and Rob Turner. Everybody else on this list I read will be probable for the game, and they all practiced full. Plaxico [Burress] with an ankle, Mark Brunell, calf, John Conner, ankle, [Jeff] Cumberland, hamstring, [Marcus] Dixon, knee, Kenrick Ellis, hamstring, Santonio Holmes, illness, Derrick Mason, knee, Joe McKnight, illness, Brandon Moore, illness, Ropati [Pitoitua], ankle, Sione Pouha, a knee, and Darrelle Revis, hip. Now, a comment about that first game last night [Packers vs. Saints], it was just an average game, I thought, so it wasn't that exciting to me [joking]. I thought our Giants-Jets preseason game was much more entertaining than that.
On if the Eagles-Jets preseason game was more exciting than last night's game…
The Eagles-Jets game was probably right up there [joking].
On if he could be any happier about the current health of the team…
You never want to lose anybody. We've lost two guys, but you're exactly right. We feel healthy, we feel strong. We're ready to go. Our guys are flying around right now.
On the offensive line…
Well, [there is] the one new starter in Wayne Hunter, but he did start four of the biggest games of the year for us last year, so we feel really confident with Wayne there. [We are] breaking in some backups. Our depth probably isn't as experienced as you might like, but they're young, ascending players. Our starting five's been together now for a while. I feel great about it.
On what Nick Folk showed during training camp to win the kicker battle…
Nick Novak kicked really well for us, so it was good. I think competition sometimes brings out the best in everybody. I felt great about Nick Folk all along anyway, but that Novak kid, I think, will be kicking in this league. The young man did a tremendous job for us. I feel great about where Nick Folk is right now. There's so many Nicks it gets confusing [joking], but Nick Folk was a Pro Bowl kicker his first year, [then] kind of had an off year. He kicked well for us last year, hit some game winners for us, broke the all-time record, longest field goal in Jets history. There's a lot of things to like about Nick Folk.
On Folk playing against his former team this Sunday…
I think there always is something extra. I don't think there's any doubt. Maybe he doesn't realize it, but it's going to be special going against them. It's almost like, "Well, I'll show you." You're right. When I go back to Baltimore, even in that preseason game, I want to win. [I] never did. You want to show them that, "Hey, you made a mistake." I think that's human nature.
On how he would've handled the situation between Burress and the Giants…
I don't really want to deal in the what-ifs and all that kind of stuff. I don't think that's fair to anybody. You got the hindsight being 20-20. I'd rather not comment on that.
On how he knows his team is ready for Sunday's game…
I think everything. Just seeing the way guys are, the energy that they have in the huddle, even. Guys running the ball. You see the defense is almost to the point it's ridiculous. Our guys are flying to the football, and then they fly back to the [spot of the] ball. They challenge themselves to get better every day. That's what I'm seeing. Today was our best practice. So that's where you like it. Our offense, with Plax and Mason and all of those guys, I think we're going to do some great things.
On how much information he really got from recently-signed Andrew Sendejo, a former Cowboy…
Nothing. I loved Romo's comments, because he knows that I know, that it's like, "Who cares?" And then when I mentioned yesterday about how we stole their hand signals and all that. If they flinched for one second, that is amusing to me. I hope my brother did, I hope he flinched a little bit on it, but I don't think so.
On how often he speaks to his brother, Dallas Defensive Coordinator Rob Ryan, during the year under normal circumstances…
Probably three or four times a week, at least.
On if he has spoken to his brother yet this week…
Oh yeah. The usual. Business as usual with each other, that's for sure.
On if he is worried about trading secrets with his brother…
No, we rip each other. That's what this week's about. You're just ripping each other. The rest of the time you're comforting, you're asking questions, you kind of pick each other's brains a little bit, but this week is strictly about ripping the other guy.
On if he's gotten a particularly good rip on his brother…
I have, but, really, this being the tenth anniversary of 9/11, I just want to share those with my brother and back and forth, because this game is so special to so many people and I certainly don't want to take away from that.
On Sendejo commenting that if Rob lost weight and cut his hair he would look more like Rex…
That's what I'm talking about. I like the way you build people up, because that's what I'm always about. I appreciate that. [joking]
On the team running back to their positions after a play in practice…
Literally, running back to where you spot the ball. It's just one of those things, I don't think I've ever seen it. "Jog back," well, no, our guys are sprinting back to it. They want to be great. They want to be champions. They're going to try find a way to see that happen this year.
On Shonn Greene being able to carry the load this season…
I've said all along, I feel he's ready. I don't think there's any doubt. We have only a first-ballot Hall of Famer [LaDainian Tomlinson] behind him, but he's also going to be a primary guy in third down. Shonn's ready. There's no doubt. It's going to be interesting to see how people play us. If people want to play us back there in seven-man space and guard against our weapons on the outside, then you may see a whole lot of Shonn Greene. Having Shonn back there, I think people are going to still have to stop the run first. I think that's going to open up things on the outside for us.
On if he referred to Joe McKnight as a first-ballot Hall of Famer…
I wasn't going to say Joe right now. He might be a first-ballot Hall of Famer at his high school [joking]. Joe's got talent, there's no question, but I think LT has earned that right.
On what he has seen from DE Muhammad Wilkerson…
I think we knew we were going to be real fortunate if he fell to where we were picking. But he has come in, he understands what we want from that position. I think he has great leadership with Sione Pouha and Mike DeVito. He's come in here, he works every day and he has some God-given ability. This guy, let's face it, he can touch both walls here. He has a lot of things that are good. And he reminds me a little bit of Shaun Ellis. He does, he reminds me a lot of Shaun.
