Transcripts of interviews with selected Jets players after Saturday's morning practice:
QB MARK SANCHEZ
On his progress…
It's going just as planned. I'm playing the way I want to, minus the one play today. Today was one of my best days overall with checking the ball down. Today was a tough day, it was raining. If you try and force something over the top, you are going to get picked off and things aren't going to go well. We stayed smart with the football, checked the ball down and I was accurate in the wet weather. I feel like things are really coming together. I'm just excited to get going.
On what to expect from the Ravens defense…
They've been known to do both to a rookie quarterback. They could either drop eight or bring a bunch of pressure. Who knows? Whatever they bring, we need to be ready. I know that Schotty [Brian Schottenheimer] will have a great game plan for us without obviously giving away too much. You've got to be conservative in the preseason and not show all of your stuff. We'll save some good stuff for the season.
On the trash-talking with the Ravens…
That's just part of the game. Some of it can be fun to experience for the first time, well, not really the first time since Bart [Scott] is here, so you get plenty of that here. But it's just going to be a great experience. My dad and mom are going to be there, my brother, too. It's a whole family affair, pretty much every week. We're excited and ready to go, and excited that the guys up front are coming back, [Damien] Woody, Nick Mangold and, hopefully, [Alan] Faneca.
On if he views this game as critical in the QB competition…
Every day is that way. Every drill, every rep. If you put too much pressure on yourself and make this the game where you have to do everything and do it all right, then you are just going to drive yourself crazy. My main goal is, one, have great tempo coming out of the huddle. No delay-of-game penalties, no negative plays, especially on first-and-10. Be smart with the football, don't turn it over. Whatever it takes, throw the ball away, take a sack, just don't give it to the defense, because they're good.
The other thing, just be a leader. Be accurate, make positive plays. Eliminate negative plays and see what happens. It can't be an all-or-nothing deal or it's not going to work out right.
On if he feels the pressure with the decision possibly coming soon…
For me, I don't want to put too much pressure on myself. There's no need to. Coach Ryan will make his decision when he needs to and until that point, I'll keep doing my very best and show them my best every time I get an opportunity, and Monday is another opportunity.
On the second preseason game…
Last week was great just to get a feel against a different-colored jersey, to finally play somebody else. Now here is another step. We'll probably play a little more than a quarter. We'll get a few drives in, let's see how we do. Last week we did well as a quarterback unit, as an offensive unit, running, throwing, our defense did well. So now it's "OK, let's step it up one more time."
Then the third game will be a little bit more. Let's play through halftime. The fourth game, who knows what will happen, then the season comes and we have to be ready to go. We're making those little steps and this is just another step in that journey, in that battle. This is going to be good for us and obviously a good measuring stick against a tough defense.
On going on the road…
That's what this League is about, playing on the road. You don't get to play at home all the time. This is going to be great for me to really experience what this League's is all about, on the road against a tough defense, a tough crowd, a new environment. We'll take the train [to Baltimore] and get a little dressed up, business-casual for Coach Ryan. It's going to be a great experience and I am taking everything in stride and I feel like things are coming along.
On facing the Ravens defense being the toughest test…
Our defense everyday is pretty tough, so I can't say this going to be the end-all-be-all. It's a great measuring stick, a good test, and mostly we'll just have fun with it and take this as another great opportunity and make the most of it like I have with the previous opportunities.
QB KELLEN CLEMENS
On what he's looking forward to on Monday night…
It's another opportunity to go against somebody else. I think, good news for us offensively is facing the same kind of defense we've been going against now for a few weeks. Defensively, it's a similar offense that they will be going against. It will be a good night. We're looking forward to it.
On if it feels like the intensity has risen…
Yes. The intensity turns up with each preseason game. We're getting closer to Houston and the intensity of practice is continuing to ratchet up. We'll just continue to get better.
On if the offense is developing better chemistry…
We're working with each practice just to continue to get better. I think that we're going to have all five starters back on the offensive line back. I'm not 100 percent sure. You might not want to quote me on that. I think we're going to have at least some of them back for this game, which will be good. That's a unit that requires some chemistry. If we can get all the first-team guys back, that will help. We'll continue to work to eliminate penalties and to move the ball down the field.
On if the offense is catching up to the defense during practice…
I didn't know we were even behind. [For] the first couple days, the defense is always going to get a jump on you. We've exchanged punches. I think the offensive has definitely held its own.
On if he feels Monday's game is important towards winning the starting quarterback job…
I would say that every snap is important. Obviously, you can evaluate somebody a little bit better in games than you can in practice, but every snap that we get out there is important. I think Baltimore will be no different.
On facing the Ravens defense after practicing against a similar Jets defense…
It's a little bit easier. But when Bart [Scott] comes free, now that he's a Jet, he has to lay off us whereas when Ray Lewis comes free on Monday night, he'll probably be seeing a whole different kind of red [laughing]. There is a familiarity, but I'm sure they've made some tweaks since Rex [Ryan] has been gone. We'll take a look at them on tape, get a pretty good bead on what they're doing and go from there.
On if Monday's game will be a good measuring stick for the team…
We're getting evaluated every snap. That's the quarterback position as far as the competition, but that's us as an offensive unit, that's us as an entire football team. That's the case in practice, that will be the case Monday night, that will be the case against the Giants the following week. Every snap that we take is evaluated. It's just continuing to try and progress so we can get ready for Houston.
On if he knows how long he will play…
No. I do know that Mark [Sanchez] is starting the game. So, however long he goes, I'll come in and play as long as I can. They generally don't tell us that until a little closer to gametime.
On memories from his first NFL start, which was at Baltimore…
The first three quarters were difficult. We didn't do a lot offensively. And in the fourth quarter, we made some progress, almost brought the game back and at least force it into overtime. So the fourth quarter is a big memory of mine that sticks out. Unfortunately, we were on the wrong end of it. We've gone down to that stadium in a pretty hostile environment and had some success. It's not quite a coming-home party, but we're excited to go back to a place that we've been.
On his goals for the game…
Take care of the football and make good decisions. That's for the pass game, the run game, good checks, getting us in and out of bad plays and into good plays, and then move the ball and put points on the board. It's very simple.
On how many series he would like to play...
As many as I can get. I'd love to play the whole game. That's the way that you approach it, and then when coach says you're out, then you can take it easy and take your helmet off.
On if Coach Ryan and the Jets who were former Ravens are more amped up for the game…
I haven't noticed.
On his practice collision with Eric Smith and if Smith gave him a dirty look…
That was incredibly overambitious. I should not have done that. I'm sure he was. I can't even make a good excuse. I shouldn't have taken him down.
LB BART SCOTT
On what the game against Baltimore means…
To put things into perspective, this is a preseason game. There's not much to be gained from this game except film. What is most important now against an opponent is for us to rise up to the occasion on a national stage, represent ourselves well and put good film out there with good learning things. We are going to take our next step in our progression to be a great defense.
That is the goal for us, to make sure that we don't make the same mistakes that we made Week 1, to make sure that we are productive and communicate. That's our first time in a hostile environment and communication is going to be key. The crowd is going to be amped up on a national stage. I don't know what they're putting into it. I don't know what the coaches may say. You never know with Coach Harbaugh. I'm sure they are out there to prove it was more-or-less them, not Rex's system. But they're running the same system [laughter].
On what it will be like to be in the visiting locker room in Baltimore…
I have no idea. This will be my first time on the opposing sideline. It was my first home. I played seven years and had seven great years. Tremendous crowd. I think they will do a great job and set a great atmosphere for entertainment. It will be exciting to go back there and really show myself well. I will see some familiar faces but when the clock strikes I have no friends.
On the crowd for today's practice…
It's good. We were away in Cortland and a lot of the fans didn't have the opportunity to come up there and experience camp. So it's good for us to come back and show ourselves well. We went out there and showed them we care about them as well. We kind of expanded the fan base as well.
