Transcript of quarterback Mark Sanchez's news conference at his locker following the Jets' Wednesday afternoon practice at the Atlantic Health Training Center:
On how the week has been going…
It started with a good day of practice today, but we just came up short last week. Really, we can't dwell on it too much and we have to keep pushing forward, try to get another win and end up 2-1.
On Miami's defense.…
We see the same thing every year: physical, tough, strong defense, great in the back end, one of the toughest front sevens we will play, similar story to the week before. We have to hold up in protection, we have to run the ball well, and it's up to me to find more completions than I did last week.
On what he saw went wrong after looking at the video of the game…
We didn't convert on third down. Same thing as we said after the game, we went 1-for-7 in the second half. We just don't run enough plays. I think, watching the film, you never want to be done with your evaluation that quickly of the week before. There were only 58 plays. We have to run more plays and the only way to do that is to convert on third down, so we'll be better on that.
On the team's current mindset…
It's still early in the season. There's no time to hang your head. We have to keep pushing forward and keep improving.
On the weather for the game in Miami…
The weather shouldn't be a factor. We just need to be in good shape and play well no matter what.
On Coach Ryan saying the game counts as 1½ games because it's a division game…
When you add them up at the end of the season, I think that's what Rex is alluding to. I totally understand that mentality. Those divisional opponents weight heavily on your schedule, so it's important to start off right and be in a good position in our division.
On having tough teams coming up on the schedule…
Every week. It's like that every year. There are always good teams. Our division ends up being one of the toughest, it seems like. So we'll see how that holds up this year.
On if he expects to see more of Tim Tebow running the Wildcat on Sunday…
I'll have to see. Tune in Sunday.
On if the offense stopped itself more than Pittsburgh's defense did…
We have to give them credit. They played really well. They were sound. They played sharp and we just couldn't convert. I have to find more completions and I have to get the ball to our playmakers and give us a chance to win.
On if he's surprised that people want to see Tebow play more…
Is it surprising? No, I don't think it's surprising, but that's OK.
On running the ball against Miami's stout rush defense…
The emphasis is on our front five, the tight ends blocking, our receivers blocking down the field and me putting us in the right running play. If it's a check at the line, identifying it correctly when we're up on the ball and making sure we have the Mike point. All of those things are critical and then it comes down to execution. Our one-on-one matchups, we have to win those and this is not an easy group to play against. They have playmakers all over the field from [Karlos] Dansby to [Paul] Soliai, [Koa] Misi is playing really well, Sean Smith is always tough to play against, so it's going to be a physical game and we need to play well.
On finding more completions…
I just missed a couple throws last week, wasn't as accurate as I'd like to be, so getting the ball pushed and getting it to the right guy like we did in those first couple series, that's the most important thing.
On if his lower back is bothering him…
No, not at all, I felt good for practice. {Head athletic trainer] John Mellody is responsible and accountable to the league for anything you're getting extra treatment on that it's important to mark it down and make sure it's on the injury report. But nothing that will hold me up.
On if he hurt his back on a specific play…
No, it was just a little tight. Everybody has something.
On if he asked Coach Ryan and Coach Sparano to try to score by throwing at the end of the first half…
I think their mentality was to get the ball in the third quarter. That's their decision.
On if he brought up to them the decision to not throw the ball at the end of the first half…
I know they discussed it, so ultimately it's their call.
On what led to the offensive drought after the first drive…
Just too many incompletions, I took a couple of shots down field and didn't complete them. That's what happens when you don't hit those and it looks good the first week when you hit some of those deep balls and things work. When you don't, sometimes you come back, it's second-and-10, third-and-10. That's when you have to go play catchup. It doesn't always work in your favor and it's my job to get more completions.
On what led to the miscommunications between him and Santonio Holmes…
We felt good. I think he was looking at some stuff and he knows what to do on a couple of those pressures that we have. He almost outsmarted himself. He was trying to do it right and he was trying to do the right thing, so I can understand that. You can work with a guy look that, so it's all good. We're on the same page and we'll be ready to play. He's trying so hard. It was fine. That kind of stuff happens and the effort is there. He has a great attitude and we'll be better this week.
On the play where he overthrew Santonio Holmes in the end zone…
I just missed it. That was one of the shots we were talking about. I just missed it. Was that play in my wheelhouse? No question, I should've hit that in my sleep and I missed it.
On if he should have stopped and planted on the throw to Holmes in the end zone…
You can, but it doesn't matter. Either way I should have made the throw. I hit it all week in practice and I missed it in the game. That one hurts because you end up getting three points instead of seven. We would have been up 14-3 at that point. Those kind of plays you have to hit, and when you don't, it's really too bad. You don't get looks like that again.
On consistently being a difference-maker every week…
I feel like that's my job, to be the fastest mental player, to be the best player on the team. I have to make plays to do that and that's one of them, so that play needs to be made, no question about it.
On Holmes…
He's working really hard. He's working hard in practice. We had good communication on the sideline. In any quarterback-receiver tandem, things don't work out all the time. Things don't go 100 percent every time. We'd like them to and we work to make them to, but that's just not realistic. The best part about it has been the way we've both responded, really. I really commend him on his attitude and the work ethic he showed today in practice.
He wanted to see some of those looks again, was talking about them immediately on Monday. It's easy for someone to shy away from something like that and not bring it up until I bring it up. He was right there on Monday, "Hey, let's talk. Let's watch this. Look what I see. What did you see? Let's get on the same page." That's the most encouraging thing. He's playing really well and when it comes to catching the ball, I know he can catch the ball. Some guys have off days and that's the way it goes.
On if it's a disadvantage to play without Dustin Keller…
We'd love to have him of course, but at the same time we have to go with the guys we have. Jeff [Cumberland] played really well the week before, had a couple catches for us. We have to go with the guys we have. If Dustin comes back, great, but if not, we can't use it as an excuse.
On if he will think about last year's game against Miami before he takes the field…
No, not at all, we're such a different team. There's just a different feeling in this building. Even after the loss last week, it was different. We knew we left some plays out on the field. We knew Pittsburgh played really well. We all talk it as a lesson and we're ready to move on after 24 hours. I think this is a good group. We are ready to go on the road again and play well.
On how the team has changed from last season…
I just feel like we're such a different team. We're mentally stronger than we were. I think we just have a better group. I think we're prepared to handle this road test. I think it's a fresh slate and no one's really thinking about last year. We learned a lot from it, but we just kind of put it in its place and we're ready to move on.
On if the team can make the postseason if he does not perform every week…
I mean, the quarterback has got to play well. It's different than, say, my rookie year, I guess, when I could have been a wild card each week, who knows if he shows up or not. We run the ball so well, or we do this so well, we do that so well, because we had a veteran team, such a good group. As I've grown, I have to play better. I have to put us in the right play. We can't just expect Thomas Jones to break a tackle and run. I can't afford to miss checks or miss throws. I have to be on my game, we all do. We all have to.
On if Rex Ryan has full confidence in situations like the one at the end of the first half…
You have to ask coach. It's up to the coach's call. I'm on board.
On why he doesn't take command on certain plays, such as the run to end the first half…
I'm asking the question, absolutely. What are we doing? Are we going two-minute? Sometimes it'll depend on the kick return and sometimes it'll depend on field position, time left, whatever.
On the 12-men-in-the-huddle penalty…
It was a substitution error. If you see too many guys going into the huddle, you can run out, outside the numbers, so technically there are not 12 men in the huddle. If I run away like I'm out of it and they're in, then until they get it figured out and someone runs out, than I can run back in. I just did it too late, so we just had a substitution error.
