The Jets and the Patriots have faced each other twice already this season, so there will be an abundance of film for each team to choose from prior to Sunday's third and final meeting. New England head coach Bill Belichick, who has yet to lose at home as head coach of New England in the playoffs, admits that it's possible to have information overload.
"You can learn something from everything, but you do have to be careful about overanalyzing and having too much information," Belichick said via conference call with the New York media on Wednesday. "You have to boil it down to something and figure out what you want to do and how you want to approach it. You can't worry about every single thing that's happened all year because there are too many things to worry about."
Read below for the complete transcript from Bill Belichick's conference call
New England Patriots' Head Coach Bill Belichick, 1.3
Opening Statement
We're ready to go; it's an exciting time of the year. After all the months of preparation and the 16 game regular season, it's exciting to be here and be one of the final 12 teams. It's an honor to be part of it. Obviously, we're going up against a real good football team. The Jets are playing as well as anyone right now, they won six of there last eight and all of their division games on the road. They came up here and handled us. They have a lot of good players, Eric (Mangini) and his staff has done a great job with their team. We know we're going to have to play our best game of the year on Sunday to be competitive. That's what we are going to work toward and I'm sure it will be a dogfight like it always is in this position between these two teams. That's what our expectations are and that's what we're working on.
On the two teams being so familiar with each other…
Especially in the particular situation, when we played the Jets the second game of the year and again in the middle of the season and now in the playoffs, it's so spread out that you've seen every game. We've seen all the preseason games; we've seen all the regular season games, just because of the timing and the schedule of the games. You can learn something from everything, but you do have to be careful about overanalyzing and having too much information. You have to boil it down to something and figure out what you want to do and how you want to approach it. You can't worry about every single thing that's happened all year, because there are too many things to worry about. You can be prepared for them and aware and hopefully ready to deny them when they happen, but we can't run every play they've run or every blitz they've called any more then they can do that with us. We have to put our chips on something and hope we are somewhere on what they'll be doing against us.
On seeing similarities in the Jets under Coach Mangini…
There are definitely similarities defensively. The bottom line is, the Jets are a good football team, Eric has done a good job with them, their staff has done a good job with them. They have a lot of great players. This was a team that two years ago was a field goal away from an AFC Championship game in Pittsburgh. They're playing as well as anyone in the league right now in the second half of the season. They lead the league in a lot of defensive categories, special teams categories. They're completing a lot of passes on offense, high percentages, big time of possession, red zone efficiency. They are doing a lot of things well. It's a total effort and a lot of them deserve a lot of credit for the success that they're having.
On being surprised with the Jets' success this season…
No, not at all. Two years ago they were a field goal away from the AFC Championship Game. Last year they went through three quarterbacks and a bunch of other guys. This year, you look at the front seven, you look at the receivers, you look at the quarterback, you look at a lot of the key components of that team and they're the players that are some of the strongest players on the team, that were carrying them a couple of years ago. They have a lot of good players that continue to be a strong part of that franchise. Obviously, they've supplemented it with some younger players, guys like (Mike) Nugent and (Leon) Washington and so forth. There are a lot of guys that you can add to that list, but there's still a core group. Eric has done a great job and he's seen the team improve through the course of the year. I'm not surprised at all, it's a good football team, it's been a good football team and I'm sure they'll continue to be a good football team.
On his relationship with Coach Mangini…
I made comments about Eric when he was hired. I still feel that way, nothing has changed there. This game is about these two teams this week playing to keep their season alive. That's really what my focus is and that's what our team's focus is, to try and play well on Sunday and keep our team's season going. It's a very competitive situation and it's a one game season right now and that's the approach this week and that's the focus right now.
On the loss of Rodney Harrison…
We'd love to have all of our players healthy and we'd love to have all of them out there, but unfortunately, he won't be able to play in this game. We'll just have to go on without him. That's unfortunate, but that's the way it is.
On the impact of the missing Ty Warren for the game in New England…
I couldn't put a percentage on it. We'd like to have all of our players available for every game, but realistically, in the NFL, that's hard to do. The players that are there and the players that are playing and the coaches that are coaching need to do the best they can to help the team win. In that game, the Jets' players and coaches did a better job then we did all the way around. They deserved to win, they were the better team on that day and that's why they were victorious.
On playing better since the loss to the Jets…
You can take a lot from that game. Those are the same two teams that will be playing on Sunday. You're going to see mostly the same players out there. It will be determined by which team plays better. Not who won the last game, not who won last week, but who plays better on Sunday. That's the way it always is. I'm sure like every game, it will have its own elements and his own personality and its own twists and turns, which makes every game unique, but a lot of the matchups and I'm sure there will be a lot of things that will be similar to a couple of months ago. Whether the results will be the same remains to be seen.
On Coach Mangini being involved in their adjustments last year…
Of course.
On this game being his worst nightmare…
It's an honor to be in the playoffs, to be one of the 12 teams. We are trying to extend our season by a week, just as our opponents are. That's how I feel about the game. It's a one game season, we're going to do the best we can as a football team to play our best football and move on in the competition. That's what it will take, our best game of the year. Whoever you play at this time of the year is a good football team or they wouldn't still be playing. We have a lot of respect for the Jets; they came up here and beat us. I don't think anyone has more respect for the Jets for our opponent then we do.
On not shaking hands with Coach Mangini after the last game…
I never said anything negative.
On Chad Pennington's season…
He's had a great year. He's done a great job. He does a lot of things well. He's smart, he has a quick release, and he sees the field well. He hits receivers on shorter patterns, in stride, so they can run after the catch and gain yards on those plays. He uses a variety of receivers, getting the ball to the open guy, all the receivers, the tight ends and the backs. He's a very productive player; he's very good in the red area, which goes back to his quick release and accuracy. He's an outstanding quarterback and has been for a number of years. He's always played well against us and always played well against everybody really, he's had a good, solid career.
On enjoying coaching against another cerebral head coach…
It's a game between two teams that know each other well, that have played two games against each other earlier in the season. They're going to try and put their best football out on the field Sunday afternoon, both of them. I'm sure it will be a highly competitive game and everybody will be out there trying to do everything they can to extend the season for their team. The team that plays the best, that's the team that's going to win.
On preparing for the Jets' offense…
It's definitely more challenging. They have a lot of different personal groups; they change them on a regular basis. It's harder to see the play until the ball is actually snapped and a lot of times you can't recognize it until after the plays has started. It definitely limits the anticipation because they give you so many different looks until the ball is snapped and then they run the plays that they are used to running and they execute them well. Up until that time, it's hard to zero in on anything. They disguise things well. Most importantly, they have a lot of good players and those guys are productive and they make plays. That's the heart of the matter right there.
On Tom Brady and the passing game…
Tom is a good quarterback. There's no quarterback I'd rather have. He's done a good job and had a good year. But I think like every player and every coach, that there are things that could be better and things that we can all improve on. I'm sure Tom feels that way. That's they way I feel, I'm sure every player feels this way. Football is a team sport and it's working together with your teammates and getting things done on a collective basis against high competition throughout the league and a lot of different schemes and players and personnel matchups that you face from week-to-week and that's what the game is. We've had a productive year offensively and a lot of that comes from him. But we're always looking to do better and nobody is harder on himself then Tom is, in terms of working to improve and trying to find a better way. That's how I characterize it.
On what trait has allowed Coach Mangini to be successful this season…
The team has been very consistent; they don't make very many mistakes. They do not have many penalties, they don't turn the ball over that much. You earn everything you get against them and they take advantage of their opportunities. I think that comes from good preparation and good coaching and good execution.
On taking pride when his former assistants have success of their own…
Right now, down the road for me is Sunday. My focus is on this game and that's plenty. With what happens at some other point in time, is not a high priority. I'm concerned with how our team is going to play against the Jets on Sunday and that's where my focus is.
Wednesday Injury Report Jets Questionable: FB B.J. Askew (foot), RB Kevan Barlow (thigh), CB David Barrett (hip), WR Laveranues Coles (jaw), CB Andre Dyson (knee), FB James Hodgins (knee), C Nick Mangold (knee), OL Brandon Moore (ankle), S Kerry Rhodes (knee) & DL Dewayne Robertson (knee)
Probable: *LB Matt Chatham (personal), *RB Cedric Houston (calf), *QB Chad Pennington (calf), *DB Eric Smith (foot) & *DE Bryan Thomas (shoulder)
Patriots Out: S Rodney Harrison (knee)
Questionable: WR Bam Childress (ankle), RB Kevin Faulk (knee), CB/S Chad Scott (back), TE Benjamin Watson (knee) & NT Vince Wilfork (ankle)
Probable: *QB Tom Brady (r shoulder), *CB Ellis Hobbs (wrist), *DL Richard Seymour (elbow) & LB Mike Vrabel (back)
*Denotes players who participated in practice
