Transcript of head coach Rex Ryan's news conference after Monday's practice at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center:
It is our first day now, here we have the regular season. And just think, man, Sunday night, it is going to be special. It's on. The preseason always is good, you're trying to get your team together and all that, but there's something about that first practice when you get back together and you look around and it seems like half the players. Where are all the other players? It's just the media out there, all our fans for training camp and all that, as much as you like to see them out there, it's like, OK, it's get-down-to-business time. So that's kind of what you notice, at least what I noticed out there today.
With the injuries, [Mark] Brunell was a little limited in practice. I know we don't have to give these, but he was a little limited. Kenrick Ellis was limited with a left hamstring, nothing major. Sione [Pouha], with a left knee, but he was out there. And then [Darrelle] Revis has a little hip but he was fine, he was out there going good. Guys that were out were John Conner, still with that ankle. Logan Payne, which I think we all know he's not playing this week and neither is Rob Turner. But other than that everybody was out there.
I thought the thing that really needed improving today was Jack, our sound guy [joking]. That was brutal today. Our speakers, something was going on. So I wanted to make sure that I pointed that out. Other than that it was great, I thought it was a good practice. It was an extra practice, but we really focused on offense on red zone. We had like 20 snaps in the red zone and then we focused on defense on third downs. 20 snaps on third down, so I thought that was good, get a little jump start on the normal week preparations. With that I'll open it up for questions.
On if he is confident that John Conner will play on Sunday…
Yes I am, there's no doubt. Here we go again. I'm not going to say the word. I think he will play. I really feel strongly that he will play. We'll probably keep him out tomorrow and then get him back on a regular schedule on Wednesday.
On if he is worried about Brunell's health going into the game…
No, the good thing is with [Kevin] O'Connell now coming in here, our eggs aren't all tied into that one basket.
On Martin Tevaseu being in the building…
Yes, MTV and Isaiah [Trufant] both will be on the practice squad, and then [Josh] Baker will be off the practice squad for now.
On playing in primetime against his brother and the Cowboys on the anniversary of 9/11…
Usually, it's like I go against my brother and all that and you have a lot of fun with that, but obviously I feel it's different, like a responsibility. I have to make sure, and every week it's my responsibility to make sure our team is prepared and all that kind of stuff, but I don't know, it just feels different to me. The significance of it, I think it's stronger than any game I've ever felt. I feel more pressure on this game for whatever reason than any game I've ever coached, it seems like.
On if he remembers what he was doing on 9/11…
Oh yes, I was in Baltimore and Pat Moriarty, he did all of our contracts and stuff like that. And I was walking by his office, and he's like "Oh my goodness." And I looked in there and we were getting ready to practice and so I'm watching it, and right when I was watching, the other plane hit the second tower. I was like, "Oh my goodness." So that's what I remember, and I was thinking about my cousin who was a New York City fireman and all that. So I had a lot of thoughts about those times.
On the challenge the Cowboys offense presents…
It's brutal, I mean it starts with [Tony] Romo. That's a guy that, he's a Brett Favre type, a guy that can make every throw, that moves well. I remember we played him one year. We had some free runners and then we couldn't get him down. He's one of those really elusive guys and he will remind you of Favre, every now and then you'll see one go underhand from him or something like that. But the guy is a very talented quarterback and then you look at his receivers, start with the tight end [Jason Witten], he caught almost 100 balls or something last year, a big, fast guy, a complete tight end. And then you have Dez Bryant, the young kid from here [Miles Austin] — they're loaded. Felix Jones probably only runs a 4.3 in the 40, so they have tons of weapons, that's for sure.
On his father Buddy Ryan delaying treatment to be able to watch "the Ryan Bowl" …
It's going to be great to have him here. I know this is huge for him, he's looked forward to it for a long time.
On the five players that were picked up over the weekend, including S Andrew Sendejo…
No question. I don't think I will, but I'm sure our offense will. That's part of the gamesmanship I'm sure. But we brought the young man in here because we think he has a lot of traits that we like. He's a smart kid, not just as a safety, but we're looking at him more as a special teams contributor than he would be as a safety. But we think he has that kind of ability, but we're excited to see him and we'll probably play him this week on special teams.
On how hard it is to work in new guys that are picked up after training camp…
Yes it is, you're sitting back and one of these young offensive linemen are going to have to step in there and play, and would be our seventh guy this week. So you hope you don't have to play him, but you have to coach them up. Obviously we have Bill Callahan coaching our offensive line, but it's going to be a huge challenge to get him up to speed. But we have two shots at it. So we'll see what happens. But I think when you look at the young man from Dallas, I think on special teams, the way [special teams coach Mike] Westhoff is, Westhoff will hold up a card and say, "You're that guy." So I think we can do that.
On what he has learned about Plaxico Burress on and off the field…
Well, the little I've been around him for about a month now, he has been great. I mean, he has been fantastic. He has a smile on his face, he's excited to be here and he's a good teammate. He's always encouraging guys and I love his energy out there. He's been fun to be around.
On what he remembers about the night when Plaxico Burress shot himself…
No, I really don't remember that. I really can't remember that one.
On what his thoughts were when he found out about Burress' incident…
No, I think I was so involved in getting ready to play somebody else, it was kind of in one ear and [out the other]. That's about it. I never really thought about it.
On whether he feels a responsibility to New York to win the game on Sunday against Dallas…I guess so. I think maybe that's it. For this whole region, this whole area. I know it's football and we're not talking about life or death or anything like that, but I don't know, that's kind of how I'm taking it. It's my job. My job is to get this team ready to go and we will, but I can't explain it, why I feel this way or whatever, but I do.
On how concerned he is about his father's health…
Anytime you have cancer again, there is a huge concern.
On who would backup John Conner at fullback…
We have [Matthew] Mulligan that can do it, as well, so we're definitely cross-training Mully to do that.
On how he feels about the stage of development the offense is in…
I feel pretty good. Most of them have picked up the system now. You have two veterans that are our only new starters, with Plax [Burress] and Derrick Mason. Other than that, our team has been together. They've been with Schotty for three years, at least, with our quarterback, with Shonn Greene, with LT [Tomlinson], he has that experience. Our tight ends have been in the same system, so I feel pretty good about where we are.
On coaching this team while having concerns about his father's health…
That's it. That's what everybody deals with, their own issues and things. My job is to coach football and that's exactly what I'm going to do.
On Mardy Gilyard's kick-return experience and if he could see time there Sunday…
Not right now, not this first week. He does and he is a decent player on special teams. Obviously, he has receiving skills, but we won't be looking at him to return kicks this week.
On the regular season starting…
Now it's like, "Wow, this thing is for real." When you see the fact that we're working on kick return and you see that you have no one else to run down on kicks so you have to do it. It's that realization that, "Guess what, it's for real now." You have a 53-man roster and it's just us. I think that's something. You look at it this way too, and I talk about it, you guys have heard me talk about, that it is easier to win a lottery than it is to play in the National Football League. It's a blessing and a privilege to play in this league and these guys are chosen to play, and not just anywhere but to play for the New York Jets. It's something they should be proud of. I think now is that our job is to win football games and our focus is on this opponent and this opponent only.
On Jim Leonhard returning healthy after his injury last season…
Yeah, its really not a surprise because we know that's the way Jim is. The fact that he never had our trainers to go to and all that, but we knew he'd give everything he could to get back, we had to slow him down a little. I think the fact that Leon Washington had a similar injury and was able to come back the way he did last year [helped]. So he had that confidence. Obviously, Jimmy had to do the hard work himself. It surprises nobody in this organization that he was able to come back from that.
On why Greg McElroy was put on injured reserve…
A lot goes into those things. I really don't think we can say who will be back sooner. I think we have an idea. We don't really know when Rob [Turner] can come back, Logan Payne or even McElroy. It could be a certain phase, he's a quarterback, it's a little different. When we looked at it, it was more of a situation with Brunell having a calf, is he 100 percent back? I don't know if he is. It just gave us insurance. We weren't going to put all of our eggs in one basket if we don't need to. I think Greg is going to bounce back. Next year I think he'll be ready to go. I thought he did an excellent job in training camp. We're obviously excited to have him. He's a guy you can't run out of the building. His dad is actually with the Cowboys. I think he's a scout with Dallas and a lifer in football. So we'll see. At least that's the information I had.
On McElroy's father being an executive with the Cowboys…
What's the difference? [joking]
On if Turner will come back sooner rather than later…
I hope so. Rob is a tough guy. You know he's going to go at it. He's in the building constantly. I think that if you can come back from this, then Rob is the type of guy that can do it.
On facing his brother last season and trying to anticipate each other's plans…
No, I think it's more Schotty [Brian Schottenheimer] dealing with my brother. We'll talk about different things, but it's more Brian. The chessmatch is more Schotty and my brother than it is with me. I don't call any offensive plays.
On his brother's comments…
I'll say this, if it's a personal matter then you know what my response is going to be — "It's a personal matter." It was a personal matter then, it will be a personal matter now, tomorrow and years later.
On if he will speak with his brother this week…
We will definitely speak this week. I spoke with him, he wanted to upgrade his tickets and all that stuff so I talked to him about that. I think they are coming here for a vacation, that's what it sounded like to me. We'll get after each other no question.
On if his cousin was a NYC firefighter during the 9/11 attacks…
He was in the fire department, yes.
On if his cousin came out of the attacks all right…
Yes, he was fine. He was not involved in it. Matthew Russo is his name. He's actually not my real cousin, he feels like my real cousin, he's my step-mother's nephew. He's been like an older brother to me for a long time.
On if his cousin went down to the site of 9/11…
No.
On if his cousin is still active in the fire department…
I think he's since retired.
