Transcript of quarterback Tim Tebow's news conference following the Jets' Wednesday morning training camp practice at SUNY Cortland:
On if he thought he had a pretty good practice today…
Well, I felt like we did pretty well. As an offense, we moved the ball well. I think we did really well in the blitz period, did pretty well in the move-the-ball period and in the two-minute. I felt like overall it was a good day.
On if Coach Ryan's message stood out and if things are more harmonious…
[Laughing] It was. It was a good practice and I think everybody took care of one another out there today. We were competitive, we played hard, played through the whistle, but really took care of each other as well.
On if going to the movies was a nice change even though it was scheduled…
Well, we didn't know about it, but it was nice. It was fun. I think everyone on our team enjoyed it, the different people in our organization really enjoyed it. It was just fun to be with everybody and go see a movie.
On if a break from the normal schedule was beneficial…
Yeah, it just gets monotonous. You can just break it up just by seeing a movie all together, enjoy it. was fun.
On what he saw at the movies…
"The Dark Knight Rises." It was pretty good, a few good twists in there. Yeah, it was a good movie.
On how it felt playing with the first team…
It felt good. Those guys were out there doing a great job. When you step in with them you want to be able to do well and be able to execute, which I felt we did, and continue to just drive the pace, go fast and execute well.
On if playing with the first team was something he anticipated he would do…
I had no idea. Coach Sparano just says, "Go get in there."
On his expectations for the first preseason game…
I don't know. I think we'll have to talk about it and figure out how we're approaching that game. We haven't really started that. I think right now it's just playing against our defense. I'm sure this afternoon and tomorrow morning we'll probably look at a little Cincinnati. I don't think we'll game-plan at all for them, we won't put anything in for them, but just as far as expectations of when you're going to play, what you're going to play, what are we going to try to run, those kind of things.
On if he anticipated where he fits now with the team…
Oh, I don't know. I think through the whole training camp, it only matters on 16 days a year. Even preseason games, you want to be ready, you want to do a great job, but the whole thing is to just build up. Just continue to get better, get better, understand, learn and grow, so when that first game comes around we're ready to go play Buffalo. So it's only 16 Sundays or maybe a Monday or Thursday that you have to be ready, but everything is leading up, so we know that Friday night is not our final destination. We want to do well, we want to execute, but it's just another step, another day to get better.
On if team chemistry had a role in the altercation…
I don't think team chemistry has. I think if anything, we're just growing closer together every day. You know, it's hot, guys are tired, everybody is getting very competitive, you want to win, you want to do a good job, so sometimes tempers can come out when that happens. But I think for the most part guys are doing a really good job of taking care of each other. Today was really a good day as far as that. We're also just playing hard, and sometimes when you're competing and playing hard, you're going to have a few scuffles every now and then.
On what his meetings with Coach Westhoff have been like…
Oh, they've been fun. He's a coach that's so passionate and fun to be around. He's someone that's been doing it a long time and he's seen a lot of different looks, a lot of different schemes, he's come up with a lot of them from what he tells us [joking]. He's a fun coach to be around.
On if he has thrown out any ideas on special teams and if he has gotten into the idea of doing things on special teams…
I think just as far as the punts are concerned, I think if we're doing it, we want to be good at it and we want to execute it well and we want to try to be the best in the NFL and keep defenses or punt returns off balance and give them a lot of unique looks.
On if he has thought about QBs who went from being a starter to special teams and might not be happy and why he has accepted it…
I don't know that I necessarily think like a lot of other quarterbacks do. I just think whatever I can do to help this team I'm going to do, have a great attitude, be a great teammate, and if that's something that they want me to do then I want to try to be the best at it.
On if he has thrown out some ideas on special teams…
Yeah, when I'm talking with Coach Westhoff I'll throw out a few ideas every now and then.
On if he has any expectations or goals that he wants to accomplish in the first preseason game…
I think probably some of the bigger things are just getting us in and out of the huddle, having a fast pace, and trying to execute well. We'll be going with a lot of guys we might not have perfect timing with, new guys in there, getting adjusted, so I think just managing that- having few penalties, getting up to the line of scrimmage, being able to get plays off, making the right checks, executing. I think that's probably the biggest goal right now.
On if the tempo in practice is a big challenge…
I don't know if that's a really big challenge. I love it, I think it gives us an advantage. Let's go, let's get in and out of the huddle, let's get to the line of scrimmage and let's get things moving and play at a fast tempo and try to tire out the defense and that's our goal.
On if the coaches have been telling him to scramble when the protection breaks down…
I think it's a feel thing. It's not a deal where I'm trying to scramble at all. The last few days, they've been saying, "If they're rushing up field, you don't have to sit in there, make it more like a game where you're going to get the first down to make the defense play honest." Today, on a few third-downs they rushed hard up the field and dropped into coverage, giving me easy yardage. In my mind, I'm not thinking about getting yardage. I'm thinking more about going through my progressions and if it's not there, taking off.
On if he is more comfortable throwing the ball on the run…
I think there are some aspects that come easier for me, what you call making a play. For the most part, I'm just trying to sit in the pocket, go through progressions and have the right timing and rhythm on my drops because those are some of the biggest things in Coach Sparano's offense. It's different than what I've done, so I'm constantly trying to learn, develop and get better at them every day, which I really feel like I am. I felt like today was one of my best days of getting my rhythm and tempo down and going through my progressions.
On how much he will play on Friday…
I don't know. I'll just get in there, try to execute the offense and get in and out of checks. We'll be going with a lot of different guys than we go with in practice. It's being on the same page, making sure everybody knows what to do, getting in and out of the huddle with a fast pace, executing and no penalties. Friday night is not the destination. It's just another step in our journey to get better, so when we play Buffalo, we'll be ready to go.
On taking some plays with the first team today…
I've done it one or two other times. It's not really a big deal to me. It's just two more plays, so you just go in there, try to execute and do your job, just like any other play.
On what will happen on his first live play as a punt protector…
I don't know, I've never done it before. It will be fun. We'll figure out what they're doing and hopefully have something good ready for them.
On playing another team…
It will be really nice. It will be a lot of fun. I think we're really ready for it. We're really excited to play someone different and see some different schemes. I think our team will be pretty excited and hyped to go out there and play another team.
On if he had reps with the first team today because he will in the game…
I don't know. I don't think that far ahead.
On the touchdown pass he threw to Patrick Turner…
Coach Ryan and I were laughing because it was a blitz-zero look where they were bringing everyone. Regardless of our protection, they were going to bring one more than we could block. It was man-to-man across the board — the same play they ran against me when I broke contain when we played them last year, so we were laughing about that.
We didn't have any quick throws to get it out fast. I knew Bart [Scott] was coming free, so I just tried to make him miss and get outside. I knew I would have a lot of time. PT was on a certain route where he was stimming in, breaking in and taking it to the corner on AC [Antonio Cromartie], which is a hard route to cover if you have time, so he did a great job. It was pretty open, so if you can make someone miss on something like that, then you have the chance to make a really big play.
On what he is working on to evolve his game…
I'm trying to get better every day and learn the new offense. It's my third offense in three years, so I'm trying to understand it and get it down. Every coach you play for is going to be different. Our quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator are even different, so it's really trying to understanding the coaches you're around and developing relationships so you can see the field through their eyes. I think that's one of the things that you can really do in a training camp.
In two-minute you can say, "How are you doing this and how are you seeing this?" It's really understanding that. I think it's something Mark [Sanchez], Matt [Simms], Greg [McElroy] and I are all trying to do right now. I think that's going pretty well. Then trying to be someone who makes great decisions and isn't always trying to get the deep ball but checking it down and being a smart quarterback.
On what he said when he was told to go in with the first team…
OK, let's play.
On Coach Ryan's message yesterday…
Yeah, I think he got his message across. Coach Ryan gets intense every now and then. He's a passionate coach, and I love that. That's one of the reasons why he's great. You don't ever want to take that away from someone. At one of our first team meetings, [which] was one of the best team meetings I've been in since I've been playing football, just hearing his passion for us and this season. He's just real, he's authentic, he's genuine. It's nice to be around coaches like that because sometimes coaches think that they can outsmart you with this philosophy, or saying, "Let's take it one day at a time," or the clichés. That's not how he operates at all. He's so real and genuine, he is who he is and that's so awesome to be around as a player. I think that's one of the best qualities he has.
On what stood out from his first meeting with Coach Ryan…
I think the number one thing I took from it was his passion and his belief in us as players. Why we're all here. Together, what we can accomplish if we're looking out for one another, if we're playing for one another, if the coaches are invested in the players and the players in the coaches and the players in one another. Just a sense of belief and a passion of coming together and let's see what can happen.
On if the message resonated with him because of his past in Denver…
I don't know based on my history. I just know at that moment, I was fired up and ready to go.
On if he's excited to try the new offense in a live game…
I am, I am very excited about that. I think it's still new for us. I feel like we're learning it, we're getting a lot of reps at it, we're going through it. But always, first time in a game, there's going to be still things that are new. Because it's a first time in a real game situation, you try to mock it and certain things, but it's the first time in a real game situation I'm getting coached by Coach Cav [Matt Cavanaugh], you're hearing Coach Sparano in the headset. So there will be things that are new. There will be some setbacks because of it. But also, I feel like we have a great scheme in our offense and I think it will be effective. We just have to go out and execute it well.
On if he knows how much he will play…
I have no idea.
On the offense…
I feel like this offense is getting a lot better every day. I think if you look at practice today, you're getting some of the hardest looks that you're going to get from our defense or any defense period. In that blitz period, there were quite a few touchdowns out there and a lot of big plays. It's easy to say if you have an incompletion and one catch, then it's split, but what if the one catch is a touchdown? So you also have to weigh in, I think, stuff like this. It's hard to really weigh how you're doing versus each other, you have to really wait until the games. I think our offense is getting better every single day.
You have to also understand this defense has been together for the last several years, and as an offense we've been together a few weeks. So we're constantly growing and getting better and I think that's something that we also have to keep in mind and just continue to get better every day.
On getting snaps with the first team offensive line…
Yeah, I tried. They do a great job. But honestly, I wasn't worried about who's in front of you because you've got to believe in whoever's in front of you is going to do their job and they did it well. You just try to execute and do your job.
On if he would have called the catch by Patrick Turner a touchdown…
I don't know. Leading question [laughter].
On if his first preseason game as a rookie was at Cincinnati…
Yes sir.
On if anything stood out from his first game…
Yeah, I remember, just because I'm super competitive, the meaningless last play of the game. Maybe four seconds left, three seconds left on the clock, and we're at maybe the 8-yard line going in and I drop back and I don't have anyone and so I'm scrambling around and I run and I dive in the end zone and have a big collision. I think one of the safeties got a concussion on that play, I tore an oblique and another linebacker, all three of us hit, and a linebacker went down, too. I forget what happened to him but I was just thinking, "I've got to be the first one to get up." [laughter] So that was my first game in the NFL, my first preseason game in the NFL. But it was fun.
On if the play was worth it…
Absolutely. I mean, that's who I am. So yeah, it was fun.
