Transcripts of news conferences and interviews from the Jets' media room and locker room following their 24-6 triumph over the Dolphins on Monday night:
HEAD COACH REX RYAN
We needed a win in the worst way. We're just happy that we found a way to get one. We were stuck with a different personnel grouping, and they made a couple of big runs on us early. That's a good football team. They've got a lot of good football players over there. We knew it was going to be a tough game. What really turned the tide was that once we got our offense rolling, it allowed our defense to get some rest and they were able to tee off a little bit. It's a good win by us, a great team effort. I was really proud of the way the offensive line protected the quarterback. Mark [Sanchez] stayed in there for a couple of those big plays. He hung in there and made some huge throws down the field. It was a great day. I was happy with the way we ran the football. I know the numbers aren't going to be huge, but I like the way we ran the football.
On adjustments on offense after first four possessions...
You have to give them credit. They had an extra week. That's a good, talented defense over there. We knew it certainly wasn't going to be easy with a Mike Nolan defense and the way Tony [Sparano] coaches that group. We knew they were going to come out inspired, and they did. It just took us a little time again, but once we get going, we're hard to stop.
On the interception return for a touchdown by Jets CB Darrelle Revis...
That was huge. Anytime you can turn a red zone interception into points, that's a huge play. That was a great matchup between Brandon [Marshall] and Darrelle. The kid's a heck of a receiver. It was a great matchup, and I thought Revis did a tremendous job, especially in the red zone for us.
On if he was surprised Miami threw at Revis...
They had their best receiver over there. That kid's one of the best receivers in the game. Revis is on him man-to-man with no help, so you have to take your shots over there.
On Jets QB Mark Sanchez...
He's a great competitor and a guy that doesn't get rattled. Let's face it - we've seen it before. We had some struggles early in this game, and then we picked it up. We never got down on each other and found ways to move the ball.
On if this win "quiets the turmoil" in the Jets locker room...
When you look at it, losing three games in this league is tough. Things like this happen in every locker room. The difference is I think we're open. Maybe it's noticed more from our end, but we're moving past that thing. It's unfortunate that it happened, but that's the way it goes. We're chasing a much bigger thing than that. Like I said, we're moving forward.
On selection of G Brandon Moore and WR Santonio Holmes as tonight's captains...
That was just coincidence [laughter]. I talked to both of them. We had to get some things off our chests, but I can assure you that we're together. That's the important thing.
On the impact of Jets RB Joe McKnight…
Joe gives you that flexibility that we talk about as receiver, defensive back, returner and running back. He can do a lot of things, and we're starting to see that now. He made a couple of great catches. He's a match-up nightmare. I can't tell you how many times our guys are like "We can't cover him." I'm like, "I understand that. I watch it in practice. I understand what you're talking about, Bart." He's really doing a great job. I did tell him, "Listen, I don't care what you average on kicks. If you fumble punts you're not going to the Pro Bowl." He could be a Pro Bowl returner this year.
On Jets FB John Conner…
He had a great game. I think that's the first penalty he's ever gotten though, which was a holding or something. It's really rare for him. He does a heck of a job. Like we say, "Concrete Conner," "The Terminator," whatever you want to say, he's about as good a lead blocker as there is. With more emphasis on the running game, you're going to see more of John.
On Jets LB Aaron Maybin's impact…
He's self-proclaimed "Mayhem," and I think it's a pretty good nickname for that kid. I said to the team, "The crazy guy played pretty good for us." He had like three forced fumbles or whatever. I love the way he runs all over the place. He has a relentless motor and he's always thinking about getting those takeaways. It's great. Eventually, he's going to learn our whole defense and that's really going to be exciting. This is a kid that we're using in pass rushing situations and he's doing a great job for us.
On the state of the Jets offense…
I think if you take away the first quarter of games, we're really good. Obviously, again, a slow start. I don't know why, but it seems like that's kind of been our M.O. We need to get that fixed. We're doing much better in the red zone. We did a much better job of converting on third down today at 40 percent, they were at 15 percent. I think we can have an excellent offense. I don't think there's any doubt. I think we have an excellent defense and our special teams are about as good as it gets.
On if he "muzzled" Moore and Holmes leading up to the game…
We decided to muzzle both of those players [laughter]. I'm just kidding. They said muzzle you and I was like, "What?" [laughter]. The thing about our team and our franchise - and we talked about it - is that while we're not always lined up, we're chasing the same thing. Just like in any family, you're going to have disagreements or whatever. We just resolve them and move forward.
On any Jets injuries…
Well, we're playing San Diego so I'm expecting that he'll [CB Antonio Cromartie] get healed quickly. Also, [Nick] Mangold came out late in the game, but that was more of us being in control a little bit there. I can't think of any other injuries.
QB MARK SANCHEZ
On what it feels like to get back to winning…
It feels good, feels great, just getting a win at home, in front of our friends and family, good for this team. It's just we needed. We're back on track.
On the first quarter…
[It was] a little slow start, but when we got going, we got going. We started converting on third downs. At one point we were like 40-percent, and we were right there on a couple of them. We were getting to third and manageable, so we'll keep running it in practice, keep making it an emphasis. I'm just proud of our guys, the way we held up against a good pass rush all game. Wayne Hunter did a heck of a job on Cam Wake, [Nick] Mangold playing through an injury, Shonn Greene and LT [LaDainian Tomlinson] getting tough yards and timely completions, big play by Tone [Santonio Holmes] after a big block by Plaxico [Burress]. So all out team effort and the defense played lights out. I'm just proud of our guys. It was great.
On the importance of scoring before halftime…
It was huge. We just felt we were right there and just about to break through on some of those third downs and that was it. They gave me the call on the goal line and I ran it in, so that was sweet.
On Brian Schottenheimer's play calling on that drive…
That was great, just kept the defense off balance. I was proud of the way our guys held up in protection, just kept things off balance for the defense. We got our completions when we needed to, capitalized in the red zone except for one time. That was huge. Nick Folk came in and knocked it three-for-three, so we're back on our winning streak. We'll get rolling here.
On how big a boost the defense gave the team…
[Darrelle Revis' interception] I mean that's such a big momentum swing. It gives our whole team a bunch of confidence. I know it's a big defensive play by Revis, but they had blockers out in front of him, nobody quit on the play. That's the kind of team we have. We're resilient, battle through adversity and whoever needs to make a play, they'll step up and do it.
On the offense keeping the momentum in the second half…
Just tried to run out the clock there at the end, so that doesn't help our third-down numbers, but so what? We got a win, kept the ball, didn't turn it over on offense. That was so fun. It was great, great Monday night.
On what he told his teammates after the early offensive struggles…
Just hang with it, stay into it, don't worry, we'll get on track, and we sure did. We did it right before halftime when we needed to. The defense got us the ball back and we started rolling.
On if he was concerned after the early three-and-outs…
Not at all. Not at all.
On why he wasn't concerned…
For what? We're going to win. We're good. We're going to be fine.
On Holmes and Brandon Moore being team captains…
I'm not worried about it. That was cool. That was really cool. Those guys are great teammates. They're winners. I think that was the frustration from last week. There's no hard feelings. These guys want to play hard for each other, great teammates, and they deserve to be captains. We're just fine.
On what a win like this does the for team's locker room…
It's great. There's not a problem in the locker room, anyway. We were just hungry for a win. To think the guys were upset or had it out for each other. That's crazy. Not here. Not with Rex. I knew it was something that would pass, something we would pass off. Just get a win, it changes everything. So we're excited for this next week. It's a short week and we've got a bigtime opponent coming in here next week, against the top of their division, the Chargers. So we're going to be ready.
On if the second half was as comfortable as he's felt all season…
I felt pretty good. I don't know about most comfortable, but I know I felt good. We started rolling, got everybody involved, throw a few touchdowns, and it's great.
On if he looked away from Holmes before throwing the touchdown pass to him…
Oh yeah, absolutely. They covered it. Dustin [Keller] ate up two defensive backs. Santonio stayed alive on the scramble. The o-line held up for about three and a half, four seconds, at least. I told them sorry on the sidelines, I said, "Sorry, man, it took an hour and a half. My bad. I'll get rid of it sooner." Those guys are fighting like crazy to keep those guys out, so they did a great job. And Plaxico gets a big scoring block. Just an unselfish play by him. Tone stayed alive and just flew into the end zone, so that was cool.
On how important were the long gains by Keller...
They were huge. We hadn't had many big plays, explosive plays, plus-25 passes, those kind of big momentum plays that really break down a defense. If we just get a couple more third-down conversions and keep some of those big plays in our arsenal, we'll be tough to beat on offense. That'll be good for us.
On what he saw from the defense that made him think he would score on his touchdown run…
I don't know. I don't want to say too much.
On if he was confident in the play call on his touchdown run…
It was going to be a touchdown. For sure.
On if he has focused on trying to be more mobile and scramble…
When teams drop a lot of players into coverage and try to just allow pressure with four guys and there's a seam right there, you can kind of just eliminate your read and just stop and take off. I'm not Michael Vick, I'm not going to rush for 30 yards a pop, but when you can rush for seven yards, eight yards, nine yards, that's huge. It'll break down a defense and it really frustrates them, especially when they cover things downfield. They get a good pass rush but to give you a seam, then it's just really frustrating for them, so that was great.
On Revis' 100-yard interception return for a touchdown…
[It's] sweet. That was so cool. I'm just happy that he made that big play, it got momentum going in our favor and that's the kind of team we are. We're resilient. It doesn't have to be pretty all the time, it doesn't really matter. We got the win, and I'm proud of our guys. The defensive guys didn't quit on that play. He got the interception, everybody thought touchdown right away. As soon as we have the ball on defense they think touchdown. So everybody is blocking out in front of him and he took it the distance. That was really cool.
On if the offense is close to being healthy…
We're close. Nick [Mangold] is battling. That's a tough guy, he's working and he's taking the reps in practice. A lot of guys would just sit out practice and try to make it work on Sunday, but he knows how important it is for the timing and stuff.
On if the offense is close to being where they want it to be…
Sure, we're right there. We've had it in spurts, we've had it on long drives, we've sustained long drives and converted third downs. So tonight was a night where, sure, we started a little slow. Third downs weren't great early, but we picked up a couple good ones, picked up some big plays, some explosive plays and we put that all together, we're going to be tough.
On the drive right before halftime…
It was huge. I was just telling guys on the sideline, "Stay with it, just keep fighting, we're going to blow this thing open, I promise. We'll get the running game going, we'll get this thing rolling, I promise. We're gold." And we did it. They answered. It was great.
On Rex Ryan making Santonio Holmes and Brandon Moore captains tonight…
That was awesome [laughing]. That was great. Those guys are great teammates and they did an awesome job going through that whole thing, and it really wasn't as bad as you think.
On the back and forth in the media last week between Holmes and Moore…
I'm not worried about it. That was last week, we've moved on. We got a win. That's all we needed. These guys are winners. Sure they were frustrated. So what? They want to win. When we're not winning, everybody's upset. But we'll handle that and move on and those guys did a heck of a job tonight. And I think they won the toss right? [joking] Did we win the toss? We sure did. It was [Santonio] and [Brandon] and they won [laughing].
On how much this win helped after losing three in a row…
It was big for us, but we're not done yet. There are plenty of corrections to make and it just feels good to get a win. It's nice to come into the locker room and not think, "Man, we were so close," or "Man, we could have," and "I wish I would have done this or that." Sure, you're going to feel like that, but when you get a win in the NFL, it's great. And these guys deserve it. The whole organization does. I'm proud of these guys.
On Nick Mangold's presence…
It's huge. Mangold's huge. He's tough, I can't say enough about him. So I'm just proud of his effort all week. That guy's in there, that guy's at the facility — practically sleeps there.
On Mangold as a leader…
He's not a vocal guy, but he keeps things light when we need to. During timeouts and stuff we have a good time. It's funny, just to look at him and see that beard coming through his facemask and all that. So it's good to see him.
On if Mangold is a calming influence…
He's a calming presence I think, especially at the line of scrimmage. Sure in the huddle, but we just know things are going to be right. And whatever we have to do to make it right, Nick will do it. He's a real big leader for us, but he just goes about his business quietly and doesn't want any credit and he's the ultimate teammate, so I'm proud of him.
On where in his progression Holmes was on the touchdown pass…
He was actually probably number one, and they covered him. Dustin got double teamed. They tried to pass Tone off, I think it was to Dansby or one of the other linebackers and he kind of hit him and kind of messed up our timing. So I went to Dustin, and then right as I'm getting ready to scramble, Tone kind of popped open and stayed with his route. I held the ball for about an hour and a half so the offensive line did an awesome job. And then right when I think he's going to get tackled, Plaxico comes up with a huge, unselfish block and Tone flies into the end zone and that's pretty sweet.
On Revis' interception…
He's the best. He's the best in the league. The only bummer about it is that I have to practice against him every day. So it definitely makes you better, but it's awesome to see him do it to another quarterback. Thank God it's not me.
On if the experience of this past week will be beneficial down the road…
I think a win benefits the team, that's all. I'm not worried about that stuff at all. These guys are bigger than that. We have a lot more pride in this team, we love this team, we love playing a lot more than that stuff, so we're not worried about it.
CB DARRELLE REVIS
On his interception return for a touchdown…
He ran a double post. Brandon cut in front of me and he kind of tripped a little bit. I kind of moved out of the way and the ball was right there. I started running, made one cut, I saw daylight and I just kept on running.
On snapping their losing streak…
This was key for us. Losing, especially in this business, it's tough. During the week, it's hard coming to work. It leaves a nasty taste in your mouth. We lost three straight and we wanted to get this win. We came in with a great game plan. Guys stuck together and we played well.
On his mindset going up against Brandon Marshall tonight…
I approach every week the same. Usually, I'll probably be on the number one receiver and I know Brandon very well off the field. I know what type of player he is on the field. He's a beast. He's one of the best in the league and it was a good matchup tonight. He knew it was coming, and me, as well. It was great. He made some great catches today and that's going to happen when you go against the best. It's a battle all four quarters.
WR SANTONIO HOLMES
On his touchdown catch…
It was a good job by Mark [Sanchez] of, first, stepping up in the pocket and eluding the tackler. He got the ball to me quick and I didn't know where the defender was from that point on. The rest that happened was the blocking downfield with Plax [Plaxico Burress] and [Jeremy] Kerley, and the rest was history.
On what changed with the offense after the first quarter …
Their defense was doing a lot of good things. They were forcing three-and-outs. We just were able to adjust after halftime, make the proper adjustments and move the ball down the field.
On how the team is progressing…
It felt really good. The guys came together and we knew, coming into this week, that we couldn't allow an 0-4 team to come in here and get a victory. It was more so on us to play really good football, special teams, offense and defense. I think we really took up the challenge today and we went out and got us a victory, like Coach demanded.
On the performance by Darrelle Revis…
I'll take that matchup all day. It was one that everybody who sat at home watching Monday Night Football was very excited to see — Revis and [Brandon] Marshall. Those guys put on a good show tonight. I'm definitely glad that my team and my guy, Revis, came out on top with two interceptions today. He played really big for the defense. That was a big challenge for him and he stepped up to the plate.
