Transcript of Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez's interview in the locker room following Wednesday's midday practice:
On how anxious he is to get back on the field…
I can't wait. We just need to get back to our winning ways. We started the season off great and just hit a little lull here. We'll be just fine in no time.
On what stands out on Buffalo's defense…
Their defensive line is very active, good players in the linebacker corps, if they come back. [Paul] Posluszny was a great college player who turned out to be a great pro. In the back end they've done well in the secondary. We just need to play sharp and improve on the things from last week and keep up a lot of the good things that we did do.
On how encouraging it was to move the ball last week…
There were some highlights in the game. Some of the things were great when we did have some sustaining drives. But still, we need to do better on third down. We're not happy with our performance. I thought we did a decent job on offense. There will still opportunities to win that game on crucial third downs that I need to convert, that we need to convert as a group. We just need to get better.
On Dustin Keller getting shut out Monday night…
I know Dustin said that we need to get on the same page, but some of those things were just me coming off of a take too early. I need to do a better job of finding him because he is a great target. He's doing all the right things and he's studying hard. He's a guy that if he doesn't get the ball he never complains, but he is someone who will work to get the football. That is what you want. He's the first guy talking to me at practice, "Hey, let's watch some tape. Let's get in the film room. Let's talk through some of these routes out and figure this out." That really helps. His attitude is great because it would be easy to get upset and be mad at a rookie quarterback for making mistakes. I really appreciate that.
On if other teams are doing anything specific to cover Keller…
Especially this last game that's really my fault. I've got to get him the ball. Just missed him on a couple of routes. We'll get better.
On bouncing back again…
I think they saw that as soon as practice started that week [after New Orleans]. This week is no different. When practice gets slow and things get a little monotonous and this losing stuff starts to wear on you, you just have to be mentally tough. For me, it's even more important, being the quarterback. You have to show it and have the positive attitude and I think that's really what showed on Monday night. We didn't get frustrated after bad plays, we just made up for it with big-time conversions when we needed them. We had a decent outing. We'll just keep getting better and keep bouncing back.
On his chemistry with Braylon Edwards…
A lot of that was him just running some great routes and making some big time plays. The ball that he caught in the end zone, the first touchdown, I was a hair late on that. He has strong hands for him to be able to pull that thing in. He made a great play there. The one on the left side, where he went down on the 1[-yard line], that's just a phenomenal play. I've never seen a catch like that in my life. That's just one of those situations where you give a guy like that a chance. That comes from [David] Clowney stretching the field early in the game, that comes from Dustin attracting one or two defenders at least, and Braylon was able to get some catches.
On if there is a little more room for error with Edwards being on the field…
Not just with Braylon, but with Dustin too. He is a guy that can jump maybe even higher than Braylon. Don't tell Braylon I said that [laughing], he'll be upset. Both of those guys [are] very athletic. It's not just a one-dimensional thing. We can definitely get them the ball when we need to. Like I said earlier, Dustin has to be involved and J-Co [Jerricho Cotchery] is going to be great for us too.
On the running game…
I thought last week we did pretty well on the ground, especially getting us to third-and-manageable. That was most important. Sometimes that's just the way the running game goes. It's just tough sledding and tough yards. That's what I though it was last week. We pounded the football and did a great job on the ground getting into third-and-short. That's where if we do decide to throw it on third-and-short we need to convert because our running game is doing a great job on first and second down. That's our job to get it right in the passing game. I'm pleased with what they're doing, we just need to keep it up. Keep plugging.
On if he thinks trash-talking puts a target on the Jets…
That's just the way guys feel. They don't mean it as disrespect to other guys. If someone on the Dolphins said they have the toughest linebacking group, they're pretty good and I respect that. At the same time, I think we have the best linebacking group, I think we have the best O-line. I don't think it's trying to take away from some other team. That's just the mindset of certain guys. I'm not that big into that. Some guys like that kind of stuff and that pumps them up or whatever that does.
