Opening Statement
Today, we are working on the red zone and goal line, which is standard for a Friday. It was a big part of our success last week. We were three-for-three in the red zone offensively and we held them to one for four in the red zone - Bobby (Hamilton) made a play there on the goal line. That's always a key element during the week's preparation.
I know I talked after the New England game about the fans. We always talk in here about finishing, and I was really impressed with the way the fans finished that first game and how they hung in with us, even though we got off to a slow start. We always appreciate it.
We're looking to finish out the week here, continue building on yesterday. We'll review some of those areas and transition in the red area, goal line and touch on some two minute things.
On the Colts' running game…They have always been very effective running the ball, and I know that in the past when I've faced them, Peyton does a really good job of understanding where the eighth man in the box may be coming from or where the weakness is in terms of perimeter run support or however the support is set up.
On the Colts being able to incorporate running and passing to confuse defenses…I think everybody would love to know which ones are and which ones aren't. It's great, it's smart, it's very effective when you are able to incorporate the dummy calls with the real calls. It's much harder defensively to get a beat on, and that's something that it's so important when you operate in an offense like that is to be able to mix in a little bit of disinformation there, and he's very good at it.
On Peyton Manning's cadence…
As we talk through the week, the thing that's impressive about him, as good as he is, there's a lot of self scout going on and that's what makes it very difficult.
On Mangini's involvement with the secondary this week...
I've tried to be involved with the secondary and with all of the different groups, and any time that I can add value in terms of past experiences or techniques, I try to do that as much as I can.
On the secondary against Manning ranking among the best in the league...
Really it not just the secondaries with any team; it's the pass rush, it's the discipline and it's playing sound defense across the board, because there's going to be plays that the linebackers are very much involved in; the rush is very much involved in; the secondary is very much involved in. There's a lot of plays that maybe start initially hit at two-to-three yards, but can go for 12-to-15 on some of those shorter route combinations that they have, and that's been very productive.
On Derrick Strait being traded and coming back…
We made the decision, a difficult decision, and even some of the decisions we made earlier this week, it's never a pleasant part of this job. Derrick and I had a good conversation prior to the trade, and Mike and Derrick. We were all in there together, and unfortunately that's just part of what happens, and he understood the decision was purely made because of things that we were trying to do to improve the overall team. Every decision that Mike and I make will be for that reason. And in bringing him back, I think that that really shows the consistency of the approach. Because once he came back to the Jets, he was evaluated like every other player and he's done a good job with the opportunities he's had. He had done a good job in camp.
On the challenge that faces D'Brickshaw Ferguson this week…
I think it's always exciting, especially for a young player to be able to face a veteran player or any good player at the position. The challenge that he faced last week was pretty substantial, as well, and each week, whether it be, New England's outside linebackers or Richard Seymour, there's some good guys that line up week in and week out traditionally over the left tackle position. He's played a lot in college and he played a lot in college early, so I'm sure he's excited about the opportunity and it's different and it's part of the evolution.
On Ferguson's learning curve…
I think that whole group, you take something different from each game, and the important thing is, as you make your notes and do your evaluation of your performance, and hear the coaching, is to put that information in the bank, build off that information, and be able to draw on it when you face a similar type of pass rusher or a similar type of scheme. The experience is very valuable. This is really his eighth game now.
On Strait improving since his return…
He really wasn't doing a bad job when we made that decision. The decision was purely to improve the overall team, and I thought he did a nice job in the off season program. He had done a nice job in some of these passing camps and mini camps and training camps. It's like anything else; Mike and I are always going to try to get together and make good decisions to help the organization, to help the Jets win, and that's really what it was about.
On if Justin McCareins will be more of an asset this week…
I really don't think the size of corners are always necessarily the determining factor. It could be the coverage. A lot of times it's coverage based. If it's a zone, you really want to go to the progression of where that zone takes you. I've experienced a lot of smaller corners, myself, whether it be Ellis Hobbs or Aaron Glenn or Ray Mickens, guys that are a little bit smaller than the traditional corner that you think about. Those guys played a lot of tall receivers, every day in practice; they were working with Keyshawn and understanding technique and leverage and that type of thing. All of those things are factors in where the ball goes.
On the progress Chris Baker has made…
Chad and the offensive group together are building chemistry within the unit where the offensive line is working with the tight ends and receivers and the running backs. You've heard Brandon talk about the success of the offensive line and how important it was for the backs and tight ends and their whole contribution there. I think the whole concept of everybody working together, everybody understanding their fit in the concept, is important. As I said with Chris, I've liked his work ethic, his approach, the way he's reshaped his body, and you're seeing that come to fruition with some of the production that he's had in the passing game and really in the running game, which I think goes a little bit unnoticed.
On if Chris Baker has become a player that other teams have to watch out for…
I don't necessarily khow they approach us each week and what their checklist is there. Chris has gotten opportunities and taken advantage of opportunities, and he made the big play there in Tennessee, which was a really nice pattern and catch. I think that consistent taking advantage of the opportunity is going to help him and us.
On the progress Kerry Rhodes has made...
Kerry has done a nice job. And we've talked a lot in here about his development and how he's taken ownership of that development and really worked not just on the physical side, but on the mental side and in the preparation and trying to understand how other successful safeties have become successful and how they maintain their success. His development is going to be affected by continuing to work in those areas and becoming the complete player and realizing his complete potential. He's worked at it, and his hard work, similar to Chris's situation, is starting to manifest itself in the games with production.
On if Mangini is surprised at Rhodes' success…I think that it never surprises me when talented people work hard and then have good results. I think that's the key, is to maximize your talent and maximize your preparation and put yourself personally in the best position to be successful on the field. Success doesn't surprise me when you marry those two things together.
On if Rhodes has been coached to strip the ball…
Brian Cox is responsible for that element of it. We actually track ball disruptions, ways, and opportunities to strip the ball. We look at ways to attack the ball; whether it be an interception; the way you want to run back a different interception; the way the opportunities are offensively for us to find the ball, creating ball awareness. It's actually a whole section of the study each week and each section of the installation each week and we track it and monitor ball disruptions versus play time and percentage of ball disruption a player has.
On if the defensive coaching staff is aware of which opponents are more likely to fumble based on research…
We do work on things like that, and I think a lot of teams do try to create the awareness of how players on both teams present those opportunities, and you want to always have that awareness of where the football is.
On charting strips and turnovers….
We did every single practice during training camp and we chart practices during the season. We chart it during the game. It's one of those things that are important.
On where Rhodes was among the other DB's at the start of camp compared to now…The final, the final, I couldn't tell you offhand on the final numbers there. But it's one of those things, too, where you're looking at, okay, where were you at the start of camp, what kind of progress did you make, where were you at the start of the season, who were the guys. And it takes a lot of different formations. It could be jamming the receivers, it could be batting balls at the line of scrimmage, and it could be altering the throw to the quarterback. There are a lot of different layers to that, and it all comes back to understanding and having awareness of where the football is and how you can affect the play by disrupting the football.
On Mangini's assessment of the secondary's development…
There have been some things that I've been pleased with and there's been some things that I want to see continue to improve. It's very important in the secondary to have a great line of communication across the board, because any mistake is dramatically highlighted. It's not like if you hit the wrong gap as a defensive lineman where there are two layers before it turns into a big play. The fact that you've hit the wrong gap and lost because it got through the linebackers in the secondary, when there's a breakdown there. Usually Chris Berman is talking about it and that's just the world they live in.
That's why communication, it's important everywhere, but it's so important there. And things change just by a shift, a motion. The coverage contains a couple of different times there, so everybody understands this is what we're playing, if this happens, this is how I fit into the mix. There's that element in the passing game when the ball actually gets run. You have to be alert and be sharp.
On Rhodes calling the take-offs…
He has taken on a more active role, which is good. You want everybody to be talkative. Someone has to give a call and someone has to get a call and you have to acknowledge both of them and you want the whole group to be active.
On Joseph Addai…
I think he has done a good job. He's made some really nice breaks, whether it be initially to get to the hole or down the field or catching the ball well out of the backfield. He was a productive player in college, and as we studied him, a good person, team player. I think that he was a guy that really brings a lot to any team.
On using Bobby Hamilton's play as a teaching tool…
I showed that play in the team meeting. It's just such a good example of doing your job first and trusting that everybody else is going to do their job. You don't appreciate how important that is until you see a play like that that could easily have been seven points.
It's when everybody is working together and how they do something that has such a huge draw on the defense. You're really maintaining your position. He's an older guy with some bounce in his step.
On Rashad Moore…
What we liked about Rashad prior to coming here is we had done some research and he had a productive camp. He has done some really good things. Watching him on tape, you saw that it reinforced that. He's a big man and he's got some power. When he plays with good leverage and good technique, it's hard to move someone of that size and it's always good to have those big men sitting there in the middle of the defense.
On evaluating signed players…
I think it's something you take into consideration prior to signing them. And then when they get here, you evaluate them on what they do. So that all goes into the pre signing discussions, and the evaluation. It's what he does as a New York Jet and what he contributes to the team in helping us win.
