Transcript of quarterback Mark Sanchez's news conference following the Jets' Thursday morning training camp practice at SUNY Cortland:
On why his father was carrying his pads after practice…
I've got to put him to work. When he's up here he's got to be a part of the crew and he's retired so he needs something to do.
On today's practice…
It went great. I was excited about our tempo. I was excited about our power on the goal line, the way we punched the ball in the end zone. We got Tim [Tebow] involved there which is huge. That's a big mismatch for us so it is fun for us.
On the receiver injuries…
We have got to go with what we have. If this were to happen, it would be unfortunate during the season, but at the same time, it is a good look at all those guys getting quality reps. The most important thing is to get back on the field. Those guys are trying to make this team and you can't make the club in the tub. You have got to be out here practicing. You have got to work and get back on the field. We need them back.
On how much of a weapon Tebow can be in goal-line situations…
All over the field, goal line especially. If it is him 1-on-1 with a defender and a tackler, my money is on Tim. He can really run the ball, he has great vision, and he has got this will about him to put it in the end zone. That is going to help our team.
On if he would be OK to come out of the game in the red zone…
We have got to get in the end zone, I don't care. Whatever we have to do and Coach Sparano is going to be the judge there on what exactly he wants. If that is what he wants and that is what puts it in the end zone, fine. We can drive it 99 yards and he can run it in.
On if he takes the team to the 5-yard line and gets taken out…
We have to win the game. It doesn't matter. We've got to win. We're in the business of winning.
On previous comments about not wanting to come out of the game…
It's bigger than what one person on this team wants. We really are in the business of winning. We have to be selfless, myself included. That is the most important thing.
On having success running for touchdowns last season…
I had six. I'm not a runner like Tim but I did have a few touchdowns last year. That is correct.
On being comfortable coming out of the game for a play…
I will leave it up to Coach Sparano, but as far as my mentality, we have got to win. That is the most important thing.
On if he had spoken to any quarterbacks that had been in a two quarterback system…
Not really. I am trusting Coach Sparano and I feel good with what we are doing and how things are going.
On if Coach Sparano will consider rhythm when making changes…
I am sure Coach Sparano is going to have a good pulse on what we are doing and be able to gauge that and it is all of our jobs on the offense to trust him, and we do.
On if the offense will be able to practice in the black jerseys…
I think this may be our chance. They might be in our lockers. I was going around checking guys' sizes, seeing which one may fit me, but I will probably end up in red either way.
On wearing a wristband during games…
We are still talking about different possibilities so we will see how well we are doing with the system and judge whether or not we want to wear it or not wear it by the time the season comes along.
On grasping the terminology…
I think one of the toughest parts for the wide outs is that there is a lot going on. A lot of those younger guys are new and [they are] hearing it for the first time, but that is no excuse. We have got to get lined up and really that is half the battle. You get lined up and can see the defense and move on from there but we have got to get lined up.
On if any of the new receivers have stuck out to him…
Well, Stephen [Hill] is doing well. He is learning a lot on the fly, kind of like a deer in headlights sometimes, but he can also run like a deer so you have got to get the ball up quick. The tight ends look good. Dustin [Keller] is having a great camp. Out of the backfield, Terrence Ganaway is playing really well and up front, it's the same old guys, [Matt] Slauson is playing really well so it's good for us.
On playing the Green & White scrimmage on the Cortland Stadium turf field…
Oh, that's great. That's great. We'll have crowd noise and that will be fun for us. It will be like a real game. It will be nice. It will be great.
On Robert Griffin…
He's doing well. Big Griff, he's doing well. He's playing hard, learning a lot on the fly, and he's been great about keeping his head down and working, trying not to get discouraged when things don't go right, understanding that there are bumps in the road as a rookie. But he's playing well and working hard.
On the media scrutiny…
Well, other than us and Denver, it's like nobody else is playing right now, which is crazy. There are 30 other teams. That's just the nature of this year and the kind of draw that Tim has and the kind of draw that Peyton Manning has. That's all on the outside. Once you step in between the lines, you've got to focus on the plays and what we've been studying. That is really out of my head. It's been that way since I've come here. The New York Jets have got a lot of attention. Some teams like it, some don't, some don't even care. That's something you just learn to live with.
On the limited attention being paid to the Giants…
It blows your mind. It is crazy.
On training camp without "Hard Knocks"…
It's been pretty similar. Tim brings a lot. Tim brings a lot of fans and media. It is like a cult following, The Grateful Dead are playing here or something [joking].
On how Tebow handles all of the attention…
He's doing well, he's doing really well, and they are for the most part great people. They come out and support us and him so it's been fun for all of us.
On if he can hear the fan support during practice…
I try not to have rabbit ears, but in between reps and stuff like that you hear guys giving you some praise so either they're just being really nice or I'm improving [laughter].
On how practice went…
It went well. The goal-line [drill] worked great for the offense. I had a few touchdowns with the ones. We put Tim in there, he knocked them out, did awesome. He got us a couple of touchdowns. That was huge. That's all we can ask for.
On running the goal-line drill…
It's fun. It's tough on those guys up front. Those will shorten your neck. They're hitting each other pretty hard from about a yard away, but it was a good look on what happens in the games, a good look at our footwork, the snap and how quickly the linemen have to explode off the ball and attack the defense. Overall, we're playing with great tempo and I think we're doing well.
On the elements Tebow brings to the goal line offense…
It's a huge mismatch for a defense. Even if you block everybody and leave one guy uncovered and it's him and Tim, my money is on Tim. That guy wants to get in the end zone. He wants to score for our team and it's a big advantage for us, so we're excited about that.
On if substituting quarterbacks in certain situations would work…
Sure, whatever we need. Coach Sparano will have a great feel for that and a feel for my rhythm. He'll keep the offensive rhythm and have the right time and the right situation for those kinds of plays to maximize our potential together.
On if it would bother him to come out of the game in certain situations…
I don't care. We have to put the ball in the end zone. Whatever it takes, we have to score. That's the most important thing.
On if the team had a meeting after comments about the receivers…
We're not even going down that road. That's stupid. Who cares? Cro [Antonio Cromartie] is very athletic. Athletically, could he be one of our best receivers? Probably. Chaz [Schilens] is an awesome player, he's playing his butt off, so we're not even going there. It doesn't matter. It's really a non-issue.
On if he would be happy driving the team down the field 99 yards without getting the chance to score…
Everybody says 99 yards like it's a bummer, right? [laughter] No, it doesn't matter. We need to score. The most important thing is getting the ball in the end zone and winning games, so if that's what it takes, that's what it takes. But hopefully we're throwing touchdowns from further out.
On if the red zone drills make him look forward to the Saturday scrimmage…
It's great. We're really at the point where we're taking reps in all of these individual situations, whether it's goal-line, two-minute, four-minute offense or short yardage stuff. Now we have to put it all together in the flow of the game and include special teams so we're not just taking breaks and it all just lines up together. We'll feel that sequence and those substitutions. It will be a great preparation for us for our first game.
On how valuable live drills are to the running game…
It's huge. Guys need to understand that tempo. They need to get that feel. The offensive linemen look great. They're powerful. Our fullbacks, John Conner and Terrance Ganaway, are really exploding off the ball and creating holes for Shonn Greene, Joe McKnight and all of our guys. It has been good competition for us and we need to keep it up.
On if the offense deserves the black jerseys now…
I think we have a shot, we have a shot to wear them. I was looking at everybody's jersey size as we were walking off the field to make sure I get the right sizes. I think we might be in black soon. It doesn't really matter for us [quarterbacks], we'll be in red anyway.
On the progress of the young wide receivers…
They look good and they're getting a lot of reps now. We have a lot of guys down, but it's important for them to get those reps and take them seriously, and they are. The biggest thing is this verbiage is coming in so fast for a lot of them, they just have to get lined up. That's the most important thing. That's half the battle, just move on from there. They're playing hard. Effort is never a question for the guys on this team and that's a good start for us.
On the up-tempo offense they're running…
It's good. It keeps us in shape. We need to keep hustling through. It really gives us a game-like feel because you don't get to go talk to your coach after every play in a game. You usually go six, seven, eight, nine, 10 plays without talking to your coach and you have to just mentally move on from each play. It helps you put the previous play away, move on to the next play and understand your goal, your motive and what we're trying to attack on that specific down, distance and situation. Move on, then go back to talk to your coach at the end of your rack of plays. It makes it just like the end of a drive.
On if the up-tempo offense limits the amount of formations they can run…
I don't think so. I think, if anything, we're doing more of that. That's what Coach Sparano is challenging us with, multiple formations and multiple personnel groupings with this kind of speed and tempo. It's not easy. It has to become a routine and you really have to rep it. That's what we're getting a chance to do here and it's going really well.
On how the team will treat the scrimmage on Saturday…
We'll treat it like a game. We'll have a pregame meal and walkthroughs just like we were at a hotel, get a little break before to go over our stuff on our own. Then come out and work our routine from a regular-season game. We'll make it as game-like as possible, obviously protecting our guys, but at the same time we have to go full speed to get a taste of what that's like.
On playing the scrimmage at the stadium field on Saturday…
It's important. To play at a stadium like that is a great idea that Coach had. These facilities are wonderful here. We have a chance to make this similar to a game.
On how close the team is to fixing what went wrong last year…
We've moved on from that. We're excited about a new year. We're excited about an energized coaching staff and some new coaches, Coach Guge [Dave DeGuglielmo], Coach Lal, Coach Sparano. They really have us amped up and ready to go. We really believe in the system and the defense is still the same old, tough bunch of guys that know how to fly around. Our special teams look sharp. We're ready to tackle this season. We're really going to tackle it. Don't hold back, you have to be sharp all year and start fast.
