Transcript of quarterback Mark Sanchez's news conference in front of his locker following Tuesday's midday practice at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center:
On the importance of protecting the ball…
It's real important. They're still one of the top teams in the league at taking the ball away from the offense. So we need to be smart, be cautious with the football, protect it at all costs and hopefully we get off to a good start like we did last time we played them and finish that first drive.
On the mood of the team right now…
Guys are excited to play. We know that even still, as poorly as we've played these past couple weeks, we have a real shot at the playoffs. So we need to do everything possible to make it and that starts with winning this game.
On Mark Brunell getting snaps in practice…
That's the coach's decision. I'm just controlling what I can and that's trying to improve, make better decisions with the football and taking the reps I have and doing well with them.
On Coach Ryan saying that he is not talking to him…
No, not at all. At least not on purpose.
On if it gets under his skin for him to miss reps…
I guess maybe last year it did, but I don't know. That's Rex's deal.
On if it is a motivational tool…
I think that's what he's using it for, so sure.
On if he thinks it is working…
I don't know. We'll see Sunday.
On him playing better last season when he had reps taken away…
He's superstitious.
On if it took him by surprise…
Not really, I don't know.
On if it was just "Rex being Rex"…
I have no idea.
On if he is worried about Plaxico Burress missing the past two days…
I don't think so. I think he has a short week but he's a pro. He'll prepare and I expect him to be ready and whatever that takes, if we're doing a little extra after practice, watching some more film together, whatever it is, we'll get him ready to play and he'll do well.
On if he is confident the offense can get jump-started again…
Absolutely, and it starts with the quarterback position. I need to play much better than I'm playing and take care of the football and put us in the right positions, put us in the right runs, be accurate with the football and make the right reads. A lot of it is on me, and I'll improve and this team will improve.
On his chemistry with Burress…
It obviously improves as you work together more and more in practice and in games. But things have been good, we got a couple pass interferences last week, he's had some big catches the last few weeks, so he's doing well. He's really helping us.
On being on the injury report with a neck injury…
It's just a little sore, nothing bad.
On when the injury happened…
In the game.
On the hits by Von Miller and if they were illegal…
I don't know about that. It's a violent game. He's playing his butt off, he's a really good player. That's the way it goes.
On if he has thought a lot about how to improve his play over the past few days…
Sure, I think it's just been a couple plays a game, but they've been the plays that have really hurt us. Interceptions, the interception for a touchdown. Other than that it was a solid game. I made good decisions, I made good reads, and then you let it get away from you a couple times and that's when you can really hurt the team. It's just a matter of tightening those things up, and sure, I've thought about it quite a bit. But I know this team, what our potential is, I know how I can play and I know how I can improve.
On if there is anything he can do preparation-wise to fix things…
I mean, I'm exhausting my resources here, I'm studying my butt off in the run game to try to get us in the right place because we haven't been our best running the ball this year, but I don't want it to be because of me. I'm trying to make sure we're in the right play. When it comes to the passing-game stuff, I'm just trying to be accurate and make the right read, make good decisions. When nothing is there, just tuck it and roll. I'm still searching for something, and if it's something in preparation, then I'll find it. I think it's just a couple of gametime decisions that I'm just screwing up or making a poor throw, or whatever it is, maybe a bad read. But I'm getting good reps, I'm getting good looks from our scout team, so there's no excuse for that.
On if it gives him confidence that his Jets teams have been able to dig themselves out of holes…
It's that, sure, just having that confidence, knowing that you can make it happen when it doesn't look so good maybe from the outside. But just knowing our team and watching the film of the game, the mistakes are so small. But then again the margin for error in this league is so small. We're right there, and we're talking two or three plays a game, that we win those last two games. And you can't do that at this level. You can't make mistakes of that magnitude, whether it's just one or two plays or a bunch in a row. We all have to be on the same page, all 11 of us on offense, and it starts with me.
On his stats showing improvement but there being a few plays that really hurt him…
That could be part of it but it's something we examine, too. Just keep getting completions, make the right decision, understand the situation in the game, and it's just little things that amount to major consequences.
On if he resisted when Coach Ryan wanted to put Brunell in at practice…
No.
On why he didn't resist like he did last year…
I've been through it before. There's no point.
On why Coach Ryan thinks he is still mad at him…
I have no idea. I don't know where that came from.
On if he has seen anything on tape to prevent interceptions that get returned for touchdowns…
I think the one to Plaxico in the Denver game, I could've put it out in front of him a little bit, or just get off and move onto the next guy. And then the [Rob] Ninkovich interception, he made a pretty good play. I'm checking it down. Sometimes those happen and you have to live with them. You can learn from that one, I guess, maybe get it to the checkdown sooner, but that's about all I came up with.
On if he would like more long passes incorporated into the offense…
I think our game plan is great, I really do. I have confidence in our game plans, and we need to execute a little better. Whether it's a matter of throwing down the field, maybe, I don't know. But I like what we're running.
On if there is any danger to doing too much right now to change…
I'm not changing. It's just a couple things a game, so you don't want to change too much. My preparation is great. We're talking about the game plan the night before, and it is rock solid. I'll just keep getting better and keep preparing like I am and make good decisions when the time comes.
On if it is good to have tension in the quarterback-head coach relationship…
If you look at a lot of the good ones, that always happens at some point. We're both competitive, we both want to win, we both have our own ways of going about things, and that's all. It's a matter of winning. So I'm not mad at him, I don't know where that came from. We're good. I'm just trying to win the game. I'm not worried about anything else.
On how the pressure now compares to his rookie year…
I put so much pressure on myself that it's not that different. I don't feel like it has changed at all. It's playing quarterback in New York. It's great when you're winning, it's tough when you're losing. So we just have to go win.
