Transcripts of Nnamdi Asomugha's and Andy Reid's conference calls with Jets reporters on Wednesday:
EAGLES CB NNAMDI ASOMUGHA
On the new things he has to adjust to in the Philadelphia defense…
It's been completely different from what I was doing in Oakland. Obviously, in Oakland, when I was there it was about just finding a guy, matching up with him and playing him one-on-one pretty much the whole game. It's just completely different than with the 1-on-1s and putting in some new things. He has also been just moving me around the field. He's wanted me to be sometimes the corner, wanted me to be sometimes the nickel, he's wanted me to play a rover, sometimes a free safety, and there are some challenges with that because you basically have to learn the scheme and the coverages for every single position that you have to play.
That's where I think that the biggest challenge has come in, is knowing how you fit based off each call, depending on what position you're playing. Then he has some different techniques that he has guys playing. When I first got here, it was completely different from the things that I was doing in Oakland.
On how long it took him to be comfortable with all the different things he is doing now…
It took a few weeks, to be honest, because you kind of had to learn during games, whether it was preseason or regular season. It's not like we had much time. It's not like we had any time during a mini-camp or OTA. Basically, my learning of this thing was learning it in games. That can be tough, but when you go through it like that and go through that type of fire, I think you learn a little bit faster.
On how close he was to coming to the Jets and what were the deciding factors in going to Philadelphia…
Oh, really close. I really liked the staff there in New York. I was really close with Rob Ryan, so I know that Rex, being his twin, would be very similar to him. During the 48 hours or whatever it was that we were able to talk, they were saying some really great things. I liked how the defense played. They were doing a lot of the things that I had done throughout my career, so there wouldn't be much adjusting or anything like that. I was really close.
Then the Eagles came in that 11th hour or whatever it was. All along, I had always admired the Eagles. They were always the team that, if they were involved, that was where I wanted to be. At the end there, they did, they came in, so I managed to flip back to how I was thinking in the beginning. I said Philly had been the place since day one, so that's the place that I should be.
On why Philadelphia was his No. 1 choice…
I wouldn't say that there was one huge, overwhelming factor. I keep everything together, as far as I really know a lot of the guys that were on the team. It's different when you're able to talk to actual players, a lot of the guys, understand how it is and how they actually feel about it and everything like that. That helped out a lot, just talking to them. Obviously, no one is going to say anything disparaging about their organization, but everything they were saying, I just took it to heart and really liked it.
A lot of the talk actually started at the Pro Bowl with the Eagles guys, and talking with [Michael] Vick, DeSean [Jackson] and a lot of those guys, just them knowing what the situation would be and them saying it's a great place to be. They were kind of one of the first teams to even, based off players' takes, to get into it.
On what his favorite or funniest moment was while being recruited by Coach Ryan…
[Laughs] Rex, let's see, what was the funniest moment? Rex was great. The whole 48-hour recruiting process, it was all fun because the way he talks, he'll get you to laugh, he'll get you excited. The way he recruits I think is the way it should be done. It was always a fun process with him. I can't think of one specific thing. I know he called me on that first moment that they could call and I got a voice message from him. It was a pleasant surprise.
On if he has regretted his decision at all to go to Philadelphia and not come to New York and team up with Darrelle Revis…
No, I don't regret it at all. The thing that has been very difficult is not winning. I think the tough part about that is the fact that the expectations were really high coming into it. Even if my expectations were realistic, the expectations that were out there, I think, I kind of let that get to me as well, the expectations of everything will be and must be perfect with this team now that they've acquired these players and blah, blah, blah.
I always have a realistic approach to it, but I kind of let that seep through and then that made the losing of it all a little bit tougher, a little bit more difficult to deal with. But no, I have never, have not and will not regret it. Our story still isn't over yet, so there is always something to learn and we're still fighting. That's pretty much where I stand with that, but no, I don't regret it at all.
On what has he learned and what has the team learned…
There is always something to learn. Even in defeat, there is a valuable lesson learned, even if it's just a way that you can do something better. I know when you're pursuing what we're pursuing, when you're pursuing excellence, there are always some difficulties, there is always something to learn from. We've kind of been able to grow closer with each other as a team through all of the difficult moments that we've had this season.
Yes, it's been a little bit more difficult, like I said, because of where the expectation level was. I think if it was just a season where it wasn't viewed with high expectations, it was just let's go in, let's play and see the results and that sort of thing, obviously, you would be upset, but this one kind of digs a little deeper for each of us because we know we have a bunch of talented guys, have some good coaches here and we know we can win games. The fact that we haven't been able to is kind of what has hurt the most.
On what a tandem of him and Revis would have been like and who he thinks is the better cornerback…
[Laughing] Oh, New York media, you guys. Hey, I respect his game, I always have. It's a difficult thing in this league to match up, to line up and play 1-on-1 football. I know that first-hand, so I've always respected that about him and about the Jets' scheme. Even with [Antonio] Cromartie, it's a tough thing to do. I don't know what it would have been like. It's what we do best, so I don't know what it would have been like. I have a good guy here in Asante [Samuel] and I like how it is with him.
EAGLES COACH ANDY REID
On the Eagles success pressuring quarterbacks…
We've got a pretty good defensive line, I would tell you. And then in return, I would probably tell you that the Jets have a good offensive line. They're well coached with Billy [Callahan] and we feel the same on the opposite end of that when you ask me this question.
On if he views this as a "statement game"…
We don't worry about all that stuff. We worry about preparing ourselves for a good football team and coming out and playing the best we possibly can play. I'm not into any of that other stuff.
On whether he's been more surprised by LeSean McCoy's ability to find holes or the offensive line's ability to create holes…
That's like the chicken and egg question. I think your offensive line's got to block well and then you've got to see it and be able to hit it. And then at the same time, McCoy's got the patience and the feel and the vision and all of those things that make a guy a great running back, so I think both are doing a good job there.
On the play of Nnamdi Asomugha this season…
You know what, for all of the things we've asked him to do and all positions we've put him in, I think he's done a pretty good job.
On if he was surprised the Eagles were able to land Asomugha this offseason…
That's two pretty good choices he had, I think. He ended up coming here. I don't know what to say on that other than that he decided to come here. The Jets would've been a fine choice, too.
On what type of things he has asked Asomugha to do…
We played him on the inside which he hadn't done before. We played him more off coverage than he's probably ever had to do, and then we asked him to do the bump and run stuff that he was more used to in Oakland. He's done all of them very well and he's taken that challenge on. The guy is so diligent and works so hard that it's kind of fun to watch the progress that he makes.
On if Jeremy Maclin will play this week…
Yeah, I think so. He went to the walkthrough this morning. We'll just see about practice. He did the walkthrough. We'll have to see.
On the Jets never having won a game in Philadelphia…
I didn't know that, so you're educating me. I don't get caught up in much of that, I just get caught in they're a pretty good football team and we better get ourselves ready to play a heck of a game, so that's where I'm at.
