Transcript of quarterback Mark Sanchez's news conference in front of his locker following Wednesday's midday practice at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center:
On how often he ices his shoulder…
It's every day.
On Cleveland's defensive performance against New England last week…
They had a great game plan for the pass. They've been a game plan specific defense and they've done very well with their preparation. Coach Mangini's forte is being prepared and they'll be well-prepared for us, just like every other game. They have great personnel. They run their schemes really well, so we need to be at our best and can't hurt ourselves with penalties and turnovers.
On going up against Coach Ryan's brother…
It's huge for Rex. There's a lot of emotions going into a game like this for Coach Ryan, for Braylon [Edwards]. Anytime you have that, it's important to kind of get it out of the way early in the week and it's already Wednesday, so we're pretty much past that. I know Rex will carry that into the game and he'll be excited, but that's good. Anytime you play your brother, you want to win, whether you're shooting hoops in the backyard or you're coaching two NFL teams, you want to win. It's important for us to play our best and not get caught up in too much of that.
On if the team's best football is ahead of them…
Absolutely, we have not played our best in all phases in one game. We've done it for about three quarters and a half, but just like last week, we had to wait until the very end and that's when we kind of turned it on. It's our job to start fast and finish these games strong and finish the second half of the season mistake-free. We really need to make a concerted effort to stop with the penalties and take care of the football.
On why he is so successful in the two-minute drill…
Talk about a fast-break, people use the analogy of a pointguard. That's the ultimate fast-break situation where you're playing so fast, you're just reacting to things and the defense is in their tendencies. They play sort of, not plain vanilla, but you kind of know what they're going to do to your 11 personnel. When you put Braylon and Santonio [Holmes] on one side, it kind of makes them declare some things. It's been me finding completions quickly. When things break down, get it to LT [LaDainian Tomlinson] quickly. Guys have made great plays. That's when our focus has been its best and that's when it needs to be, fourth quarter, to finish strong.
On whether Coach Ryan will let him start the next game in the two-minute offense…
I don't know. We'll see. That would be a great changeup for us, so who knows? It's our job to play fast and when we get a chance to do those two-minute drills, just to be sharp and execute and communicate really well in the no huddle.
On if the team has a confidence to be able to come back late in games…
Absolutely. I think last year it was almost the opposite. We get a chance to go into overtime, or in the fourth quarter, and I was getting picked off. This year, it's not about not throwing the interception, but just giving us a chance on the next down, giving us one more down, one more play, because who knows what can happen? Tone [Santonio Holmes] can break for 50 yards. We can get a penalty at the end to put us in field goal range. Those kinds of things happen and it's just my job to keep us in it and give us a fighting chance. That's been the real change and it definitely gives us confidence, myself included, that we can win these games no matter what, long games and take it to the very end.
On Edwards playing his former team this weekend…
He's an emotional player, always gets excited for games. This one has a little added incentive for him. He's one of those guys that's really able to focus, leave outside distractions away from the building, and when he gets on the practice field, he's ready to play. Then when he gets in the games, he's sure been doing a good job. The emotional side of it, it's pretty much gone. He's ready to play. He'll be focused.
On how the improved chemistry between Edwards and himself has helped…
Just having that offseason together, talking through a lot of the film from last year where we weren't quite on the same page. When you get a guy midway through the season, it's tough. That's what we were dealing with in Tone, just trying to figure out what he does best. It's limited time, but I've had even more time with Tone than I had with Braylon last season. It's been great to have both of them, J-Co [Jerricho Cotchery] underneath. All of them complement each other well. I'm starting to understand where Braylon is, what indicators he gives when there's a breakdown, little things that just tip me off to what he's going to do. Then most importantly, just giving him a chance on deep balls, jump balls in the end zone, he's done a great job of going to get it and I've been more accurate with some this year, so it's been great.
On what kind of target he thought Edwards would be for him entering this season…
I knew he was a big body. I know he's a physical presence. He's one of those guys who has great top-end speed and he can blow the top off a defense. That's scary for a defense to worry about him running over their head. I knew it would only be better than what we showed last year. With his hard work he put in in the offseason, his dedication to this team this year, it's been great. We knew we had a special player and we'd only get better.
On the 74-yard touchdown pass to Edwards against Detroit…
It kept us alive there. Those seven points were big. I think it was on a third-down. One of the defenders took Dustin [Keller] underneath and it left Braylon over the top one-on-one. I had the wind at my back or something. We were indoors [laughing]. That was just a big play and that's one of those things that Schotty [Coach Schottenheimer] has been hitting on, is just being disciplined in your reads. Even though it's third-and-10, you might want to think, "OK, I'm not throwing this 35-yard post route. I'm just going to look underneath and try and find something near the sticks." Well, when you're disciplined with your reads, something like that will happen and that's when you really have to take advantage of that.
On Edwards saying after last game that when he is relaxed, he can hit those kind of passes and that they should try them more often…
He's the quarterback, right? [joking] Bray is always encouraging me to just relax. He knows how I get during the games. I'm so excited and ready to play, and trying to get the best out of everybody. He does a god job of coming in, "Hey, just relax. Just give me a chance on one of these deep balls. Whenever it's open, whenever it's in your read." He's good about saying that, too, not just, "Give me the ball. I'm open every time." He's never like that. He's just, "Hey, when you get a chance, man, throw one of these up there. You know I'll make you right." That's good to have that security blanket.
On if there is any significance for him for throwing for a career-high 336 passing yards last week…
I almost led the league until Brett [Favre] decided to go off last week, so I have to give him a call and tell him thanks [laughing]. That was just something that we didn't quite plan on going into the game. I'm glad, I think it was after the first or second series, I just told the wideouts, "Hang in, I know we have a run game plan going, but just hang in there. We might have to throw this thing at the end." For the first time in my career, I think I was right. It was huge. I'm glad they really responded at the end. They didn't get lazy. They didn't get complacent, "Oh, we're just running the ball. These routes don't matter." They were blocking their tail off down-the-field all game long. Then it came down to crunch time and they had to run all over the field, and they did a great job. I'm really proud of them, that group.
On whether the team would consider running the two-minute offense more…
It worked in that situation. It was something we absolutely needed. Whether we start a game off with it or not, or we just use in the crunch time when we need it, that's fine. Whatever works for our game plan, but I still think I'm the biggest proponent of being balanced on offense. We don't have to throw it 100 times, we don't need to run it 100 times, just right in the middle, that's when we kind of compliment each other the best.
On if the 74-yard touchdown pass to Edwards tested his arm strength…
Thanks [joking]. That one was probably the farthest ball I've ever thrown. He has his top-of-the-route landmark. I know exactly where he's heading. You kind of just put it out there. You try and out-throw him. With Santonio, Braylon, Jerricho, you can't really outthrow those guys unless you throw it really early. That's the beauty of having such a physical specimen like that, just get it way out in front of him, let him make you right and just give him a chance. Put some air under the ball so he can adjust to it.
On if he thinks that if it wasn't for Coach Mangini, he wouldn't be a Jet…
I know that changed the course of things.
On Coach Mangini making the draft-day trade that sent Sanchez to the Jets…
That's a big-time move. Who knows what happens? Maybe I'm in San Francisco, maybe I'm in, I don't know, Tampa or something.
On what he will say to Mangini after the game…
Hopefully, we'll just win the game and shake his hand and say good luck. That's our plan every week, but I'm just really happy where I am. I couldn't be in a better spot. However it worked out, I'm thankful that the pieces fell into place.
On the Cleveland defense confusing Tom Brady last week…
A lot of that's Coach Mangini knowing tendencies. A lot of that is Rob Ryan with his scheme similar to Rex's stuff. They have their own fingerprint, but they do a lot of the same stuff. The way they move around, the way they disguise, they did a great job last week. Two of their biggest wins have been against some of their best opponents in the Saints and the Pats. We need to be ready for a big-time game plan from them. They'll know a lot of our tendencies. They'll know a lot of what we do, Coach Mangini knowing Schotty really well and vice-versa. It'll be a big game for us to execute well and just take care of the football. I think that's going to be huge.
On his shoulder being wrapped up…
I just ice it every day. Today, I'm just icing it during the media period because I didn't have time.
On any differences in the wind from the old stadium to the new stadium…
It wasn't too windy against the Packers. A lot of people thought it was windy, it wasn't that bad on the field. Maybe that was a good thing. Maybe it's not going to be as windy, but we'll know here in the next couple of weeks as we get into late December, January.
On any conclusions he can make about the wind in the new stadium…
Nothing definite. It's always windy in the Meadowlands.
