Transcript of head coach Eric Mangini's news conference with the New York Jets media Monday afternoon:
I was pleased with the way we played Sunday across the board. I thought that offensively we did a much better job in two of the areas that we focused on: the red area, getting down there and being able to convert a lot of those into touchdowns instead of field goals. There's still some work to be done there, but I thought that was positive. And the return to a higher percentage on third down. That's so important, to be able to maintain the drives, and that was an important part of the game. Sunday I thought we were able to run the ball effectively. Like with any game, there are issues we have to clean up there as well. But especially at that point in the game where you know you're going to run and they know you're going to run, and to still be able to move the football, I think that's extremely important.
Defensively, I really liked the fact that we were able to turn the ball over as many times as we were. On third down we did a nice job, and there were quite a few third-and-shorts where the tight coverage was going to be extremely important. And the red zone, this is the first time in a while that a team hasn't gotten into the red zone, so I was pleased with that as well. And most importantly, our ability to stop the run against a team that has been very effective running the football. And just on the flip side, offensively Miami has done a really good job, especially here recently, in stopping the run. That was another reason to be pleased there.
And on teams with Ted Ginn, he's explosive. The cover guys did a really nice job understanding how we had to defend him and being able to keep him contained. He had one that was a little bit longer there to start the game the first time we kicked off. After that I thought we settled down and did a nice job with him.
On how Leon Washington’s play-action fake helped Brad Smith get in the end zone …
Anytime you can create a draw on the defense, whether it be with the play-action pass if Thomas [Jones] is in there and you're in a heavy run set and can draw the defense that way, or doing some things that look just the same that usually have a significant draw. One of my favorite things about that play is what Leon did after he got the fake. He went across and really sealed the backside, giving Kellen a couple of extra seconds. I thought that was outstanding on his part. And then that's another play we've run earlier in the season. A little bit different look, but this time it was just better executed. I think the draw, Leon's draw, was pretty effective as well.
On Kellen Clemens’ play …
There were a lot of things I was happy with about with his play, some of the decisions he made in terms of getting rid of the football. I think there's still some work to be done in continuing to get rid of the football or understanding exactly where his drop spot is. That's so important to the offensive line. They need to know that if you're supposed to be at 8 yards, you're going to be at 8, because that really effects how they block the person that they're on. So there are some things that we have to work on there, but I also like him spreading the ball around — eight different guys catching the football. I think that's important because that puts pressure on the defense to know that everyone's live and not just one or two guys, going to the open guy based on the defense and the routes.
On the defense improving after the bye week …
There were a lot of things I felt like we were close on. You get games where they complete a short pass and you come up and miss the tackle and the play goes for 60, or a couple of guys miss the play on the slant and it goes for 75. Things like that will skew everything. We've had different people working the system this year. Last year the system was very new. You figure that Darrelle [Revis] is new to the system and David [Harris] is new to the system, Abram Elam is new to the system. Hank [Poteat] has played in the system, but he's really a new starter. There's Kenyon Coleman — he was in a similar system but he's new.
So as those reps build up and those people work together and you do get a chance to step back and look at some of the assumptions that you made going into the season defensively versus what the reality is versus the challenges you face in the second half and are able to take those into account as well, it all plays in together.
On how the team felt going into the game …
We looked at the tape, and there were six games they lost by three or less, and then I think it was nine of them were by seven or less. When you watch that on tape and you watch them play a lot of teams tough and it came down to the end, if anybody can appreciate that, we can. We knew what we were getting. Three out of the four games we've played now have come down to a field goal, it has come down to the giveaway/takeaway ratio. Playing in Miami, there are a lot of guys like Jason Taylor that drive them defensively. You respect the things they put on tape. I know the outcome hasn't been what they wanted. I’m getting to know [Cam Cameron] better, but I know him and the things he did in San Diego and now with Dom [Capers]. You can see all the positive things that are going on, even though externally it may not look that way.
On whether there was any pregame message of not losing to the winless Dolphins …
I would never boil the season down like that. To me it's the next game, and each opponent is important and not getting caught up with whatever the issues are that really don't affect the outcome of the game. That, to me, just adds distractions that really aren't going to affect it positively or negatively. We should have the same focus regardless of what the record of our opponent is.
On whether Clemens will sense blindside pressure more with experience …
That was a well-designed blitz. They showed post-safety defense, which is different than what they ended up playing. So there's just a single safety in the middle of the field and there was two guys off the edge with the corner coming in, the “star” coming in, which is a different look. They timed it up I thought really well and spun the defense nicely. It would have been hard for anybody to pick up. Chris [Baker] had seen a similar look, we had practiced a similar look, but they brought it differently. The one we looked at was different. I think that was a function of them executing the blitz well, disguising it well, and sometimes you hit like that. You just hope it doesn't have that impact on the game where the ball goes up and someone picks it up and goes for six.
On his comfort level with Clemens’ blitz recognition …
There's always going to be in each game one or two plays where they'll get you on something. It's something new and you have to fight through that stuff. But the things you've seen, the things you've practiced, the things you should recognize, those are the things you want to keep seeing get better each week. That level of recognition and also understanding when to just take your losses and get rid of the football as opposed to making a play that's bad into a play that's worse and narrowing that margin down. So sometimes you're going to get hit with the ones you're not ready for. That happens every week to all levels of quarterbacks. We're looking for the progress of things you practiced, worked on, and the consistent decision making that's positive decision making.
On Darrelle Revis’ improvement this season …
He's made quite a bit of improvement. With Darrelle I think it's going to continue along that path. It may not be big jumps, but like a lot of the young guys we've talked about this year and last year, he has a very good work ethic. He takes the coaching and puts it into his practice and his preparation the next week, so things are getting better from a technique perspective and understanding the scheme and what offenses are going to do. So as long as he continues to work the way he does and approach things the way he does, he'll continue to improve each day, and I've seen that.
It's not all dramatic jumps, but it could be his hand placement on the press jam or could be the way he bails out in Cover-3, the angles he takes on different tackles. Some are subtle — the reports he gives during the course of the week, the way he studies film. Some are subtle, but all are important.
On the defense playing more aggressively in the fourth quarter …
Well, we haven't been avoiding that in the previous games [smiles]. We've been working at that, it just doesn't always work out the way you'd like it to. I thought as a group the team responded well in the fourth quarter. Offensively, we had that drive that was close to eight minutes and resulted in a touchdown. That changes everything, gives the defense a chance to rest, and it eats a significant amount of time off the clock. When you punctuate a drive like that with a touchdown, it has an effect for our team and usually has an effect on your opponent. So to be able to go into that ball-control-offense mentality and you know you're going to run as they know and to be able to move the football like that, that's important.
On having Laveranues Coles back on the field …
I thought he did a great job. I thought his impact, especially on third down, he had some big third-down receptions. He fought through a difficult situation, and he's been so diligent with trying to get ready to play these games and not being able to have the practice time he usually has.
There are a lot of mental reps involved in there and things that you have to do that you're not used to doing. And to go in and perform at that level, I'm always impressed with his toughness, but I thought that was another really good example and another excellent example of different ways you can prepare and you have to adjust based on where you fit with injuries. It's also an example for guys that may not get a lot of practice reps and have to go in the game because someone else gets injured. To be able to do that, it's a skill set that you have to develop, and I thought Laveranues did a good job of that.
On Coles’ injury …
It's going to be an ongoing process with that. It's always like that with a wide receiver and any type of injury that affects the legs. They have got to run fast and hard and got to be able to run after the catch and all that stuff, so it'll be an ongoing management of us continuing to give him the rehab and prep he needs and him working at it as well.
On how Jerricho Cotchery is doing …
We'll have to see where he is Wednesday-ish. It is what it is.
On Browns QB Derek Anderson and his career path …
I think it's a great path. Another example of a guy who got in the league and worked and suddenly got an opportunity and seized the opportunity. You see that quite a bit with guys that emerge, and sometimes you think it's an overnight success and it just kind of happened, but I'm sure he's been diligent and worked like crazy to get that shot. Then when he had it, he was determined to take advantage of it. Best example I can think of is a guy like Keenan McCardell. I remember in Cleveland him getting cut from the practice squad and coming back to the practice squad. Sometimes being cut, active, cut, active, and when he got his shot, he looked pretty good.
On if he was pleased to see Thomas Jones rush for a touchdown …
Again, it wasn't one of those things where I thought, "God, we’ve got to get Thomas a touch so those guys [the media] stop asking about it" [smiles]. It was more of I'm happy when anybody wearing the Jets or Titans uniform — New York Titans, not Tennessee — gets into the end zone. So it makes me happy when anybody crosses that line.
On if his defense was a high priority during his bye-week evaluations ...
The overview was the priority, because we had a lot things we had to take a look at. Offensively we had to work on the combination of people we had and the scheme of things we wanted to move into. You have to take a step back and look at each segment section by section and spend time with special teams, because that changes. As people change roles, who goes in changes. What effect they can have is important, to understand how many plays they can play.
Offensively, it's the same thing. You spend time with each group to make sure as you come out of that week, you've really moved forward with a plan to continue to move forward and not be so dominant in one area or the other area that you may move forward in what you've focused on but stay the same and regressed in a different area.
On how the defensive changes made during the bye week were determined …
Well, you do it segment by segment. We spent time on first and second down, just like during the practice week. There were multiple things we changed defensively that we either expanded the package or took a package out or talked about introducing new things based on the opponent because that's another important thing: who you're facing and what challenges they give you. I wouldn't say it's one glaring thing: "OK, that's it. I don't know how we missed that pink elephant. That's the one. We can get rid of that or change that and it'll all work together."
On if the Jets can request an earlier bye week based on how the defense performs following the bye …
I don't think we have any control over that. I'd like to think that each year is [different].
