Transcript of quarterback Mark Sanchez's news conference at his locker following Wednesday's midday practice at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center:
On how it feels to have Nick Mangold back at practice today…
It was nice to have Nick back. He provides a lot of leadership on the offensive line. He did a great job today practicing. I think the guys really responded on offense today to some tough coaching, some good coaching from Coach [Brian] Schottenheimer, Coach [Matt] Cavanaugh, everybody on the offensive group. It was good to have Nick back.
On how important a win at New England would be this weekend…
In this league, you realize that winning and losing is kind of contagious, so we want to get back on our winning track, get back to our winning ways. It starts with a great Wednesday and that's exactly what we had. We know exactly what we're up against this week. We know it's a tough divisional opponent, so a win this week would be great. We're working towards it. We have to win each day and today we had a great Wednesday.
I'm proud of the way our guys responded from the last game, put it behind them and came out to practice. On the defensive side of the ball, [Darrelle] Revis and those guys leading that defense, Bart Scott, and then on the offensive side, Nick Mangold back up front, LT [LaDainian Tomlinson] providing some leadership for the running backs, then me at the quarterback getting a lot of positive reinforcement from [Mark] Brunell and [Kevin] O'Connell, so it's been great. It's been a really good Wednesday and we're ready to bounce back.
On where the win against New England in the playoffs ranks in his pro career…
It was a big one. Any of those road playoff wins are huge, especially against a divisional opponent. It kept us playing. It got us to one more game, so that was really important. It might not look just like that this year. It might be better. It could be a little worse, but we just need to win the game, whatever it takes, so we'll prepare for that.
On how much confidence that win last year in New England gives them…
Well, it's huge, confidence-wise, but at the same time, those guys adjust. They're going to have a great game plan for us on defense, I know that. We need to respond really well. We need to run the ball well. We need to throw the ball well, complete the ball and just be sharp on offense altogether. It's nice to know that we can go up there in the playoffs and we won that game last year. That was huge for us, but it's a whole new game so we have to be ready.
On how much emphasis there will be on the running game this week…
I think it's something that we've been stressing these last couple of weeks and we haven't looked our best running the football. But it's my job to put us in the right play. It's the offensive line's job to create holes and the running back's job to find the hole and get through there. We're going to do our best to get back on track run-wise, but at the end of the day, we want to win the game, so whatever that means, whether running it or throwing it, we need to be able to do both.
On if this game has more significance than the other games they will play this year…
It's no bigger than any other game. I feel like we always have to play well against New England. We always have to play well against Miami and Buffalo, because those are divisional opponents, so that's how I'm treating it. We're not going to change much. We just need to play a little better and be a little sharper on offense.
On if he is surprised that New England is ranked 32nd in the NFL in defense…
A little bit, but some of those numbers get skewed. They've given up a few yards in between the 20s, but once you get in the red zone, they've been pretty stout. It's a well-coached group. They'll have a great plan for us like they always do, and we need to play well.
On how it's going to be seeing Shaun Ellis on the other side…
It's a little different, but we'll wish him the best before the game and we have to play well.
On what he meant by the tough coaching they received today…
Just guys coaching hard and being honest, like we want to be in the building. We addressed some issues Monday and today, and we hit it hard today. I was really proud of the way guys were really positive. The leadership that was coming out of the wide receiver group, out of the running back group, Santonio [Holmes], LaDainian, Shonn Greene, Mangold coming back and practicing a little bit, [Matt] Slauson getting vocal, getting excited, it was a really positive day. I'm proud of this group for the way we came out and practiced. To get through a couple of games, you need to work. It doesn't just happen, and the guys really responded to that, so it was great.
On if he thinks the team needs a signature win against New England this week…
I think just a win is a win. Obviously, it's a divisional game, so we want to win that much more, whether we're playing New England, Miami or Buffalo, we have to win these games. Those set you up in your division to win your division, and hopefully, get a home playoff game. Right now, we just need to get back on our winning track. That's our focus and that's the way we're being coached, so we're excited to play this week and Sunday can't come soon enough.
On how eager the team is to play on Sunday…
We can't wait. The guys in here are so competitive. I was curious to see how guys would bounce back a little bit today, because this is a different group. Damien Woody is not going to come in here, start playing again and get vocal in the locker room. Thomas Jones isn't here to come in and get vocal and tell guys what to do. It's on me. It's on Revis. It's on Santonio, Nick Mangold and those guys, Brandon Moore to really be positive and set the example and we really did that today, so I'm proud of those guys.
On if anyone needed to pick him up after the loss on Sunday…
No, I get it every day from Brunell, Kevin O'Connell and Coach Cavanaugh. They're on me about staying positive, working through this thing. It's become part of me. I have to set the example. Win, lose or draw, I need to be the hardest working guy in this building and that's what I'm trying to do this week, and to show these guys that, yes, bad stuff happens. Sure, losses like that happen. If it never happens again in my career, I'd be pretty lucky, but there is a chance that could happen again at some point.
To come back on Wednesday and work through it Wednesday and show these guys, "I'm the man. I don't care what anybody says. I'm the man in this building. We're going to win this game," that's how I have to be. That's what I have to exude. That's the confidence I need to have, and that's the way I felt this week. Today, I was really proud of the guys, the way they worked.
On how hard it is to shake off the worry of getting hit as much as he was against Baltimore…
I think it's just a matter of timing. We tell ourselves you get 24 hours to examine that last game. Think about the last game, write down some notes, write some stuff on your bathroom mirror in an X-O marker to remind yourself to never let that happen again and move on. That's what happens. Tuesday morning, I popped out of bed, and I'm ready to go. It's a whole new week, and this team is going to be ready to play.
On if he actually wrote anything on his mirror…
Oh, yes, I have some good stuff.
On what he wrote on the mirror…
That's for me.
On the team going back to the running game…
There is nothing wrong with that. We need to win, whatever it takes. I've said this since day one. We can throw it 50 times or five times, and when we throw it, I need to complete the ball, and when we run it, we need to get positive yards, we need to win the game, so whatever it takes.
On if the game against Baltimore affects his confidence at all…
Not at all. You get one day to think about it and this team, the kind of players we have, we know we're better than that performance.
On if it is easier said than done to forget a game like that…
Sure, but that's why you play. It's not always throwing for 350 yards. You can't do that every week. When a bad one happens, then Wednesday comes around, what are you going to do?
On if he enjoys the challenge of going up against Tom Brady…
I don't even think about it anymore. I probably thought about it more my rookie year than anything, but now we have to beat their defensive scheme, get first downs and that has nothing to do with Tom Brady.
On if he thinks he could have done anything different on his two fumbles returned for touchdowns…
I don't know. I think we went over those corrections on Monday, and yes, I would love to be able to get the ball out sooner. If that's what it takes, then that is what it takes and I will get rid of the ball, but we just have to play better.
On if he felt the pressure coming from his blindside on the Ed Reed strip-sack…
No.
On if he took any offense to Santonio Holmes' comments after Sunday's loss…
No, I think our player policy is just to try and keep things in-house, so that kind of stuff won't happen.
On Holmes' comments not staying inside the locker room…
Moving forward, that won't happen. We've talked about it, and those individual improvements and stuff, that happens on a personal level. You go with your coaches and you go through your reads, and I'm going to get better, but that kind of stuff doesn't go past this locker room.
On if he is saying comments like the ones Holmes made will not go outside the locker room again…
Right.
On if Holmes' comments were addressed in the locker room…
Yes, within this locker room, we talk about stuff like that. That's about as far as I'm going to go on that.
On the development of his on-field relationship with Plaxico Burress…
It's gone great. I think these last two games didn't really reflect well. Maybe the Raider game was better than the Ravens game, but we weren't really on the same page in the passing game, anybody, this past game. That's really been the only hiccup. The Jacksonville game, he wasn't targeted as much. They played a ton of zone coverage, dropped everybody out underneath and we had to take some underneath throws and move the ball down the field slowly, but we ended up doing that and winning the game.
Just being able to adjust to game plans has been great. Plax has been awesome about understanding that if he doesn't get the ball right away, for an entire game or for a period of time, it's not the end of the world. He know it's a long season and he's going to get his touches. Somebody is going to mess up, they're going to play us in man coverage at some point, and he'll get his touches and make the most of it. When he got the ball, he did a great job.
On if being patient is the most important part of not being the only primary target on the team…
Right, and just understanding with the kinds of weapons we have, it's not just going to be one guy with 12 catches every week, at least not the same guy. His attitude has been perfect, just what we needed.
