Transcript of head coach Rex Ryan's conference call with Jets reporters Monday morning:
Well, I got up this morning, so that's a good thing. It was a horrible performance. We saw it. Went back and watched it on tape. Clearly, we have to do a much better job. You have to give the Eagles a lot of credit, though. They played like the team we're supposed to be and we couldn't match it. It wasn't by a lack of effort. Our guys were trying. We made mistakes and when you make mistakes against a team like that you can look bad, and we certainly did.
With all that being said, it's behind us. From this press conference on, it's going to be behind us. I can't dwell on it, not going to dwell on it. We're just looking for what's in front of us. There's an old line that I used to hear all of the time, said that, "In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity. We certainly have an opportunity right in front of us. We're worried about ourselves, not worried about anybody else. If we handle our business, we win these next two games, we'll be in the playoffs and that's all that matters.
On how Mark Sanchez is feeling and if he will have any tests done today…
I'm not sure on if he's having a test or anything, I don't believe he is. I think he's going to be just fine but it would be news to me if he had any test done.
On if Sanchez's injury is a stinger…
Again, I'm not sure. I've watched this tape, put this thing behind me, I haven't even checked in with the trainers yet.
On what it makes him believe the Jets are better than they showed yesterday…
Well, we have to be better than that. I mean that's about as bad as we've played since we've been here. Maybe not as a bad as we played against New England, but close. I still believe in the talent that we have here, both as a coaching staff and as players. I think that's the league. Every team in this league has talent to beat you and I think that was proven this weekend. It wasn't just us, it was this weekend. But with that being said, we have to play up to your capabilities and we certainly didn't do that. We helped the Eagles instead of hurting them.
On if there was one facet of Sunday's game that was most disappointing…
It was probably equally bad. I think we ruined a great effort by our special teams. The Eagles have an outstanding special teams coordinator in Bobby April. I think there's a lot of talk about him and Westy [Mike Westhoff], and I think our team went out and wanted to prove it that Westy's a great coach and they played that way. They played great — one of our best special teams performances of the year. But it was all for naught because we played poorly on defense, we played poorly on offense.
On if he was surprised that the Eagles were able to call out their coverages and what that tells him…
Well, it tells me that we've got to do a better job. I think when you look at the way the league is, there's a lot of tells on most teams. Quite honestly, we knew what they were doing on third down, but it never mattered. So that happens maybe a little more than you think, but again, it doesn't generally happen with our defense. We'll certainly try to change that this week. Having Eli [Manning] and company over there, you don't want them to know exactly what you're in, so we'll certainly look at that.
On the Jets-Giants rivalry and both teams losing Sunday…
Well, that's too bad that both of us lost. There's no question. Either team never played up to their capabilities. I'm sure you've got to give the opponent credit for that, but we never did [play up to our capabilities]. I know the Giants never did. I don't think it's going to take away from the game. It might take away a little bit about this game, but it's right there. This is going to be a great game. We said it even in the preseason, it's going to be a knock-down-drag-out. There's going to be a butt in every single seat to see it, whether you're a Jet fan, a Giant fan or just a football fan. I mean, this is going to be a great game.
And quite honestly, I never came here to be little brother to anybody, so it's on. We have to go out and prove it. You don't play each other for four years, so there's some bragging rights and all that. There's some more important things that go into it, because basically, you're out of the playoffs if you lose this game, either team is. We know what's at stake, but is there bragging rights and all that? Yeah, absolutely. We want to be the best team in New York, but we want to be the best team in NFL, and it starts with being the best team in New York. It's going to start with how we play on Saturday.
On if he feels the Jets are the "big brother"…
Well, certainly we were the better team in the first two years. We made the playoffs, went to the championship game. To say a team's better than you that never went to the playoffs is ridiculous. Clearly, we were the better team my first two years here and we get to prove it on Saturday who the best team is this year. Quite honestly, both of us are having disappointing years, but it comes down to who beats who. It doesn't matter about the other things, you're basically the same record and everything's at stake, so the proof's in the pudding. Whoever wins this game, I think is clearly the best team in New York.
On what concerns him most about the Giants…
Their offense. That's what concerns you the most. They're averaging, I don't know how many yards a game, but they're one of the top offenses in the league and their pass rush on defense will concern you. There's no doubt about that. Jason Pierre-Paul is playing as good as anybody in the league. You can't even vote him into the Pro Bowl but he's going to go there anyway and should be starting. The guy's a tremendous player.
But when you look at them from a statistical standpoint, the Giants are eighth in the league in offense and they're 28th in the league in defense, so what would concern me the most would clearly be their offense, but it's always a good pass-rush group with their front, the kind of pressure they can apply. But that Pierre-Paul, that's going to be a great matchup. To see D'Brickashaw Ferguson against him, that is going to be a great matchup.
On if the team needs to help out Wayne Hunter on the edge…
I think that's any game, you have to protect the quarterback no matter who you're playing against. To just isolate, to just say it's Wayne Hunter, I think, isn't fair. I think Wayne was playing hard, he's playing against a good football player without question. The biggest thing was we were one-dimensional. We were out of the game, the score got out of hand and that's quite honestly anybody's dream scenario, any pass rusher's dream scenario. So it doesn't matter who you're up against, they're just teeing off rushing the passer and we can't allow the game to get in that kind of situation.
On his respect level for Tom Coughlin…
Just the job he has done in general throughout his career, this is one of the great coaches in the history of the sport, so I have a ton of respect for Tom Coughlin. With that being said, we're coming out to beat him this week and that's as simple as that. Do I respect Tom Coughlin? Absolutely, immensely, but my job is to go out and beat him this week and that's what we're planning on doing.
On if he talked to Santonio Holmes about his unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty after his touchdown…
I'll say this, Santonio and I talk all the time. He talked about it. He apologized for that to me. I'll say this about Santonio and every other player on this team, they have my 100 percent support. We're in this thing together. Are we perfect? No, none of us are perfect. I'm just saying that, obviously, you wish that thing never happened. I don't think it will happen again. But again, I have his back, he has mine and this whole team is that way. We just have to come out and fight for each other. We know it was a mistake and we'll learn from it.
On what he expects from the fans at the Jets-Giants game and what he would say to a Jets fan who is thinking about selling his ticket to a Giants fan…
[Laughs] Well, I hope he doesn't do that, number one. I hope the Jets fans keep their tickets, but I understand it's Christmas time and all that stuff, and if the price is right I'm sure it'll be tough not to let those things go. Obviously, there is going to be a lot of Giants fans in the stadium, so we expect that. At the end of it, all that matters is that the Jets fans leave the game happy and the Giants fans leave the game sad. This is one of the premier matchups in the league. Quite honestly, this is bragging rights. To say it's not is foolish because it is for bragging rights, but it's also for more important things. Both teams are fighting for the playoffs. You don't play each other for four years.
Sure, there is a lot of talk going back and forth, most of it driven by me, but you know what, I'll stand by everything I've ever said. I didn't come here to be anybody's little brother. I came here to win, to be looked at that way and to take over, not just this city and everything else even though it's the city to take over, but also this league. I haven't accomplished that yet. Saturday, I think, would go a long way in doing that. We have to win this game. We have to get in the playoffs and the Giants have to do the same, so it's going to be huge. The atmosphere ought to be great. I hope everybody will be safe and enjoy the football game, but cheer for your team and cheer for your Jets. Forget about cheering for the Giants.
On his perception of the Jets-Giants relationship when he arrived as Jets head coach…
I never knew what it was exactly. Is it a Giant town, a Jet town or whatever, I don't' know about that, but I'll say this, when you're here, there seems a fine line. There are a lot of Giants fans, a lot of Jets fans and that's fine, but there is no way I'm going to be second fiddle. If we were playing the New York Yankees, I don't want to be second fiddle to them. It's the same type of deal. That's kind of my approach here. I want to be the best team in football, not just the best team in this city, but we'll start by being the best team in this city.
On if they missed Jim Leonhard Sunday…
It's easy to say we missed him. We gave up 45 points or whatever it was. It wasn't good enough. To say that, Jimmy's a great player, but he's not that good of a player. You're not going to make up 45 points with one player. Certainly, we have to look at things, what we're doing, how we're tipping our hand if that's the case at all, but we have to play better. We have to play more physically, more aggressively and we have to do a better job as coaches of putting our guys in positions to be successful. That starts with me and as soon as we're out of this press conference, we can go about doing that.
On Eagles TE Brent Celek having 156 yards receiving…
He certainly did [play well]. He's probably a little bit better than average tight end in this league, but he had a monster day. You have to give the young man credit. Obviously, Michael Vick did a nice job of getting him the football. The guy had a great day.
On specific things he noticed that allowed Celek to have a big day…
We never hurt him, that's for sure. We never hurt him. We helped him. Again, you can base it off a lot of things, is it the call, is it the technique or whatever, but at the end of the day, it's not going to matter. We have to move past it. We'll learn from it and move past it.
On if the Jets play better when their backs are against the wall, as Chris Canty said about the Giants…
Well, I guess it really doesn't matter because our backs are definitely against the wall. I think what Canty is talking about for his team probably applies to every team that isn't coasting at the top of their standings. But that's the beauty of this league. When you look at the fact that Kansas City has a terrible loss against us, comes back and beats Green Bay, an undefeated Green Bay Packers. The fact that San Diego beats the Ravens, this league, there's talent on every single team.
Backs against the wall, yes, certainly. That's the way half of these teams in the league are right now, and we're no different. Do we play better that way? Maybe there's some truth to that. There's certainly a sense of urgency that you have to get it done or you go home, and that's the way it is.
On if it surprises him by how much this game with the Giants means and if it makes it more special…
I think so because let's face it, whoever wins the game and can sit back and see the guy out there and say, 'Hey, you have a good team.' But in the back of their mind, and I hope we're saying it, that, 'Yeah, you have a good team, but we beat you.' And that's as simple as that and that answers any argument you want, there's the solution to it. And you know what, if they beat us, I'll be the first one to tip my hat to them.
I know, I recognize that they're an excellent football team. But I think we're better and that's the thing. You get to prove it on Saturday. You don't get to prove it against them for another four years. So it's a huge game, there's no question about it. Obviously the playoffs are the biggest thing, that the loser basically is out of the playoffs. So obviously that's the number one thing.
But don't kid yourself, this is still a big thing when both of us play in the same stadium, MetLife Stadium. You have a fan base that's almost split. There's a lot of things that go into this. We obviously recognize it, we want to win and is it special? It absolutely is special.
