2009 Week 3 - Jets vs Titans Photos
Transcripts of postgame interviews after the Jets' 24-17 victory over the Tennessee Titans at the Meadowlands on Sunday:
HEAD COACH REX RYAN
Going into this week, our focus was to do whatever we could to be 3-0 and, unfortunately, knock Tennessee to 0-3. We knew that it was going to be a heck of a football game. Jeff Fisher and his team have a lot of pride. Who knows? There are very few teams that make it to the playoffs when they start 0-3, but that team probably will. That's an excellent football team.
We had our way initially the first quarter. That was great. We jumped up, 14-0, and then to watch them go ahead of us, I couldn't believe it, that usually doesn't happen. But our guys responded. It was a great team effort in all phases. I thought our special teams in particular might have been the difference today, but again, it took everybody. I thought Eric Smith and David Harris were exceptional on defense today, and obviously, J-Co [Jerricho Cotchery] was outstanding on offense.
On the defense stepping up at the end of the game…
We were trying to mix coverages and things on them. We never wanted them to get too comfortable back there. I knew they were going into the game expecting all kind of pressure. That's why I tried to play a lot of coverage early. When [Kerry Collins] got too comfortable back there, we had to heat him up again, and that's exactly what we did.
On the team effort today…
I thought every game has been a team effort. The beauty of this football team is that both sides pick each other up and the special teams picks up both sides. You saw that today. It's all about team. It's not about one side, this side or that side. It's about a football team. That's what we are right now. We're 3-0. It was a great win for us.
Again, I thought our crowd was into it. They helped us big time. I heard a little "boos" there at the end, and I was booing myself in that one second quarter. But our guys really picked it up. Nobody stopped believing. We knew it was going to be a tough game, but we have a lot of confidence in our guys. Schotty [Brian Schottenheimer] stayed aggressive. It was a great pass to J-Co and I thought that was what really turned the tide for us.
On the play of Mark Sanchez…
I thought he played well. That's a fierce pass rush that he's up against. For the most part I thought our offensive line did an excellent job in the protection. He's got a lot of guts. He's got a lot of courage. It wasn't perfect, but we'll take the way it went.
On Sanchez's TD run…
That was great. Don't let Woody [Johnson] know that I said that was great because he wanted a slide. It's just the competitor he is. There's no question about it. He's probably going to do that every time.
On the weather and field conditions affecting the Jets…
Not at all. It's the same for both sides. We like to say that was Jet weather out there, and so is sunshine, hail, snow, and everything else. That's the way it has to be. That was the game right there. It's too bad it wasn't on grass. We knew it was going to be a tough game. You have Tennessee backed up in a corner like they were, and we knew we were going to get everything they had. Our guys did a great job of responding to and answering the call. Again, at the end it was a great team effort.
On what he learned about Sanchez today…
He's such a competitive young man. On the one run he made, I never knew he'd bury his head in there and try to look like Larry Csonka. That was impressive. I just like the way he bounces back from things. It's not always going to be perfect, but he relies on his teammates. He knows he doesn't have to do it all himself. I just like the way he's playing quarterback.
On David Harris…
There's no question that he's a Pro Bowl player. We've known that. You guys always say he's mentioned in trade deals. That's one guy I promise is not going to be in any trade. He's a tremendous guy. He's a young man. When you put that combination of him and Bart Scott in there together, I'll take this group over any group in the league.
On Jets defensive changes to contain the Tennessee run…
We were trying to pin [Chris] Johnson early, and I thought we did a decent job. At the end of the game when we were up, it's my fault that we gave up some of those late rushing yards, but I'd rather give up yards than victories.
On the Jets' play after taking 14-0 lead…
Our guys kept playing. Obviously, it was disappointing that we had minus-3 yards in the second quarter. That's not our offense, but you have to give the opponent credit. They did a great job bottling us up a bit, but our guys kept slugging it out and we found a way to get it done.
On Tennessee's defensive adjustments following the Jets' no-huddle…
We went away from it. You get ahead and we're trying to take some time off the clock, but you have to give that team credit. They have some good football players over there and they stayed after us. We knew they were desperate and were coming out of a corner swinging with everything they had. Give them credit. They made some plays in that second quarter in particular.
On Sanchez protecting the football better on his TD run…
I must have had a bad angle on it. I was just happy he got the nose across. He knows just to get that thing across. You probably want to put two hands on it whenever you stretch across the line [winks].
On what Tennessee did that was effective…
Everything. They were playing great defense. They were able to run the football and make some plays. Kerry Collins is a good quarterback and he made some throws that I couldn't believe. I sat back and said, "Man, when did they get Johnny Unitas?" He made some great throws.
On the Jets' 3-0 start…
I'd like to say that this is exactly what I predicted, but we have played three outstanding football teams. We're 3-0 right here. Maybe that says something about us. This is an outstanding team and we know we're going to be challenged next week as well [at New Orleans], but we're going to enjoy this victory.
On Dwight Lowery and Drew Coleman…
They did well and we have a lot of confidence. In particular, I thought Drew looked outstanding in the slot, and I thought Lowery had his moments and made some nice plays. He gave up a touchdown pass, but that happens in this league. You have to give those guys credit. They made some plays over there. I think it speaks volumes of them and of the confidence our team has in the entire football team, not just the starters. It's everybody and they contributed mightily in our victory.
On Cotchery…
I don't want to touch that. Remember, he's just an average receiver as far as anybody knows. I'm not saying he is the No. 1 receiver. When I look at those stats, he is posting numbers as good as anybody in the league right now. Again, let's just keep him under the radar.
On how his defense would prepare to play a rookie QB…
The advantage that Mark has is that he has an outstanding offensive line in front of him, an excellent receiving corps, and great backs. It's a good unit that he has in front of him, but you want to mix your coverages, your blitzes, and your four rushers. Teams are trying everything, but I'll tell you what - he's a pro. He prepares like a pro and handles himself like a pro. He's confident and our entire team has confidence in him.
QB MARK SANCHEZ
On the adrenaline of scoring a rushing touchdown…
That felt pretty good. That was a bigtime hit at the goal line. You have two guys going at it at the goal line, one guy is going to win, and our side did. That was a pretty big momentum swing and that was a bigtime touchdown. I was excited. I probably haven't had a rushing touchdown since high school.
On if he thought people expected him to slide on the TD run…
Yeah, maybe slide or try to get out of the way, but that's the way I've been playing since I was little. When it's on the line like that and I have to dive for a first down or a touchdown, that's what I'm thinking. I don't know if the coaches were thrilled about it, but there were no injuries or anything so that was a good play.
On the opportunities that the defense and special teams give him…
Each week it seems like every phase has their moment. Those three phases are offense, defense and special teams. The offense came out on fire. The defense and special teams were huge. The punt that set us up in the red zone early on and then the kickoff where we got the fumble, those are two bigtime plays for this team. We got our opportunities there and we capitalized. That was big for us. We are in this thing together. It's not just the offense. It's not just the defense. It's not just the special teams. We're in this together.
On his mindset about letting Tennessee come back from the 14-0 deficit…
The big thing there was that second quarter. There's only one thing to be and that's frank. That second quarter was a disaster. I can't put the ball on the floor like that. There's no excuse for that. I don't care if it's raining, snowing or anything. That was too bad. They ran a good look on us. I tried to beat it with a throw and the ball slipped out of my hands. When I'm scrambling, I need two hands on the ball because these guys are too fast and too good at swatting the ball away, especially a guy like Jevon Kearse. That's totally my fault and rookie mistakes that can't happen and can really cost us a game.
Those are things that I need to get better on but that second quarter was a bigtime letdown for us. But we came back at halftime and came back in the second half ready to play. Without that quarter, I think this was a pretty good body of work in this game.
On being the first rookie QB since the 1970 merger to start the season 3-0…
That's pretty special to me, but as fast as these wins come, we have to get rid of them. We have another bigtime game next week in New Orleans. It's a special honor, but I'm not winning these games — we are winning these games. You've seen everybody out there, different guys that are active and inactive every week and whatever we need that week, guys step up. It's the defense. It's the special teams. I couldn't do it without the guys up front and all the receivers making me look good. It's been an all-out team effort and we won three games.
On being able to respond to Tennessee's comeback in the second quarter…
It was important to bounce back on my own and remember that it is a long game. We are going to get another shot. It's only the second quarter. We took their best shot in the second quarter and that's what we told each other at halftime. That third and fourth quarter we just wanted to finish it. It was a fight and we threw the first punch and we were up big. Then they came back and were after us, and then we finished it.
On the touchdown throw to Jerricho Cotchery…
They came with a safety blitz on the weak side and we had another route on the front side, the three-man side. We knew that it was going to be a quick-hitter play and we'd be in field goal range. I knew if they brought that guy, then we get a quick hitter to Jerricho and see what happens. He beat the guy inside pretty good and I just have to throw the ball to him. He made the play really.
On playing a team that was desperate for a win…
Their record is not indicative of how tough that team is. Their front four was after us today, they were coming after us. We did a great job of holding them off. At times, they got to me a little bit and they were tough to handle. That's a really good defense, a stingy defense. We are proud to score 24 points like that, although that doesn't count all the big plays we had on defense and special teams.
On going no-huddle early on…
That was just a little changeup and something that we have in our repertoire. We used it and it worked out great during the first couple of series.
On if his teammates told him to tuck the ball away after the rushing touchdown…
I've heard it before just from running around and holding the ball. I feel so comfortable with it in my big hands, but then there I go in the second quarter and I throw it behind me, making the blooper reel. Guys were a little worried about it, but I put it across the plane with control and it was a touchdown.
On what Tennessee did in the second quarter…
They were giving us some great looks and playing the run pretty tough. But the big plays, the drive stoppers, were the fumble where I'm moving out of the pocket and put the ball on the ground and the play where I'm trying to throw a quick hitter and the ball just slips out of my hand. Those are two big mistakes. Without those two, even if we punt, we pin them back down or if I hand the ball off or get sacked. We're in field goal range and we get a shot. I can't kill those drives like that.
On the sideline throw-and-catch to Cotchery…
We wanted to change the momentum a little bit and take a shot. Coach Schottenheimer said that if everything is equal, pick a good matchup for you and throw whichever way you want. He said if it's not open, check it down. Jerricho had a step on the guy and we had a great push up front. I had plenty of time and let one go, and he made a great adjustment over his outside shoulder.
On if he uses his comfort level with Cotchery to spark momentum swings…
Yeah, last week when we came out at halftime we hit him. I think that's just the way it's worked out on reads. I've been trying to spread around the ball as much as possible and give the ball to different guys, but not as efficient as I'd like to be. I missed Chansi Stuckey early on and a couple of other throws that I wanted back. Jerricho has been there all the time, just like all the other wideouts and tight ends. All of those guys can step up. We don't feel like we have to rely on just one guy.
On the feelings after a touchdown celebrating in the end zone…
That's what you play for, to have moments like that. You step outside of yourself, jump up and chest-bump with guys. You see the linemen giving you a big smile, almost surprised to see you score on the goal line like that. You see the guys on the sideline going crazy, and the fans were in it again. They were causing fits for the other team. It's a special feeling when you score like that and they are hard to come by in this league just like these wins.
On how he's working to improve…
Each week it's been a grind — the kind of grind that I love. I try to work with my footwork and my reads. Each week it's a new challenge. We've been reliant on our preparation. I'm loving every part of this. It's all I could ever dream of, but it's still early in the season.
On what it means to have Bart Scott complement his grittiness…
It's pretty special to me. He's someone that's been around a long time. He's seen a lot of quarterbacks play, he's seen who has it and who doesn't. He's not the only veteran who tells me things like that. That's better than reading anything in the paper. No offense, guys, but that means the world to you. When an Alan Faneca says, "Hey man, nice run," to hear guys say stuff like that, that's special to me. Those are the kind of things you work for, to get those guys excited.
WR JERRICHO COTCHERY
On feeling redemption toward anyone who doubted his play…
God is good, fellas! No, not at all. I haven't been in this position. This is my first season being the No. 1 receiver, so there are going to be skeptics because they haven't seen me in this position. God is at work right now. He is doing some special things in my life. I am just trying to go out there and glorify His name.
On the team's confidence when trailing in the third quarter…
We needed some momentum. We knew what type of team we were facing. We went up on them, 14-0. I don't know what they did, but they regrouped. That's a testament to those guys because they kept fighting. Those guys turned it up. In the second quarter they were flying everywhere. That's more of a testament to them, the way they regrouped and played after that, than what we did.
On the touchdown pass…
The young buck did a great job, Mark Sanchez. It was one of those situations where we were going to expect some pressure. We talked about it throughout the week. The safety was coming off the edge. We knew we had to get the ball out fast. It was a different route. He had to change the route. He made a great throw, putting the ball on me and the rest was history.
On the opportunities the special teams gave the team…
Anytime we get opportunities like that, the defense creating turnovers or special teams getting turnovers, we have to take advantage of those opportunities. I don't know if we did a great job of that today, but we did enough. Obviously this is going to be a good learning tool for us, that we had to face some adversity early in the year and were able to fight through it and get a win.
On Sanchez…
I like the way he bounces back. He doesn't let one play get him down. He learns from his mistakes. He is only going to get better. I told him it's a long season, and sometimes there are games like this where you have to fight through things to get a victory. It was a great job today the way we had to fight through it and pull out a victory. He is going to learn from this. That's great. He approaches it the way he needs to approach it, as a leader. The sky is the limit for him.
On Sanchez's demeanor in the huddle after throwing an interception…
He gets down on himself, but in the preseason Rex [Ryan] got after him a little bit to make sure he does not get too down on himself. He learned from that. Now it's going through his head but he is bouncing back from it. He is going out there and giving us a chance to make plays. Like I said, he uses everything, he learns from everything. It's a good job by him.
On thinking of Sanchez as a rookie…
It's past that point. We don't even look at him as a rookie anymore. Certain things pop up in practice where he is goofing around and we have to get him in check [laughs]. He is doing a great job. When we are out there on Sundays, he is not a rookie, he is our leader. He is the guy that is going to make plays for us and help us get W's.
On the long pass down the left sideline…
It was something we talked about before we went back out there on the field. He's hollering down the bench at me like, "Hey we got the go-route on!" He was excited before we even got out there [laughs]. He was ready to throw it. Once the ball was snapped, there was a correction that Coach [Henry] Ellard corrected me on last week and I changed my technique a little bit and Mark made a great throw. I was able to get two feet in and help us get three points.
On if he has been putting pressure on himself to make great plays…
Sometimes you have guys that are so focused on stopping the run you are going to get those opportunities out there. The more opportunities I can get, the better I will be able to help our team to put some points on the board and win games. That was the case today, on the backside, 1-on-1. They were depending on me to make the play. Thank God I was able to make it.
On Sanchez going head-first into the end zone…
When I saw him dip his head, I was like, "Aw, shucks." [laughs] Once he bounced off and stuck the ball out, I was like, "Oh! Oh!" [laughs] It was a double-shucks on that one! Once he stretched the ball out I wanted them to hurry up and call the touchdown because he stretched it out over the plane. He did a great job of just fighting for the touchdown. He put it out there on the line. Hopefully we don't have too many of those where he is ducking his head and putting himself out there for injury.
On the adjustment on the touchdown pass.
It was an adjustment at the line. It was a route adjustment. We had a different route on. We saw the safety blitzing so we knew we weren't going to have time to run the other route. We did a great job of seeing that and having a quick route on, and being able to throw it in there and get a touchdown. It was a call on Sanchez's part. A lot of things happen that way when you are on the backside, 1-on-1, and you are able to communicate with the QB. I wasn't out. It was going to be a 1-on-1 route, but the route that we ran was going to be better at that moment.
On being 3-0 to start the season for only the fourth time in Jets history…
It feels good. This is my second time going 3-0 with the Jets. We have to keep this momentum going. Today was a great learning tool for us. We are excited to get back to work and continue to get this thing going.
RB LEON WASHINGTON
On if they feel like they left too many points out there…
Absolutely. We had a chance to kick a field goal. Obviously, ball security issues happen. We can improve and this team can do so much better.
On QB Mark Sanchez…
Oh, he was fine. He was poised. I mean, he realized it's a game of football and once the play is gone, it's gone forever. We've got veterans around him that pick him up and keep him going and obviously everything is not on him. We've got to make plays, make catches when we need to. As an offense we can improve and that's a scary sign. When we can really get our offense flowing and get our special teams to make plays, with our defense the way it is, we'll be a pretty good team.
On if he had a chat with Sanchez about putting his head down on the touchdown run…
Oh, I didn't check him out, but he's fine. He'll be good. I just told him to look for me and find me. I'll be in the flat wide open.
On the importance of the offense capitalizing on special teams turnovers
We're a strong believer in special teams around here. We talked about it earlier this week, about how we wanted to get a turnover, and we got two today, so that's huge. That was really, really huge, especially in a game like today when our offense wasn't clicking the entire game. We have to pick each other up — that's what it's all about. Collectively, as a team, we all love each other and we're definitely a team.
NT KRIS JENKINS
On the up-and-down game…
That's what you call a football game. Honestly, we said it earlier this week that Tennessee is not a team to take lightly and the way they play is not what their record shows. It was just one of those situations where they came out and they refused to be beat. It was a hard game. They had some things that they did and they did some things with momentum. We talked about how Chris Johnson was definitely a threat with his legs. LenDale [White] came out and did some things. Kerry [Collins] showed great poise.
We had a dogfight, but the thing that I love about this team is that regardless of what everybody says, regardless of what everybody thinks about us, regardless of whatever adversity we deal with, we know we have the support of our fans, we have the support of each other, and we just found a way to fight and win.
On the defense having to make a big stop at the end again…
It's just one of those situations where you start to get a little bit nervous because your heart starts pumping a little bit too fast depending on the situation. When you have a game like that, you definitely want to give the other team credit for what they do, but at the same time, that's something that you love to enjoy about the team. We need situations like that to work in our favor.
On QB Mark Sanchez diving head first into the end zone…
Well at first I was nervous because I didn't see the angle, so I thought the ball had been fumbled. I was over there like, "What's going on?" Then I saw the referee put his hands up and I saw it up on the big screen and it was a remarkable play. I've been telling everybody the whole time that he doesn't play like a rookie. I mean, he does some things like a young guy, but he looks more like a second- or third-year guy that's starting to polish himself.
I'm just really glad about the way the team's stepping up because he's at probably the most important position on the field. For him to be doing that with the veterans on the offensive line and the veterans that he is in the huddle with, that says a lot about him.
S KERRY RHODES
On if he thought there would be a letdown after last week's big win…
No, not at all. It was a tough game last week and we knew this game they would be coming in trying to throw all their eggs in a basket. They needed this win. They were 0-2 and they said in the paper that they needed it. So we had to bounce back and Coach wasn't going to let us let down anyway. We had a Thursday practice that wasn't good and he got down our throats a little bit so he made us aware.
On if winning like this is sustainable…
It's definitely sustainable. This is what we think we're going to do all year. We have to go out expecting to win every game and if we lose, we're surprised. Right now, we'll just take the win and keep that train going.
On what he can take from an ugly win…
It's a win and in this league it counts if it's ugly, it counts if it's pretty. It doesn't matter how you get it as long as you get it. After the game, if it says you're the winner, it's a good thing.
On the defense bailing out QB Mark Sanchez at the end…
He's been playing good so far. He had a couple of lapses today, but it's to be expected. Those types of plays are going to happen sometimes. Even if you're a veteran player, those plays happen sometimes. We just go out and do our job and try to get the win and that's what happened today.
LB BART SCOTT
On the Jets' defense in the second half…
We just refocused. They made some great plays. They made some great adjustments and ran some deep digs and behind where we sent pressure. We made some adjustments in the second half and we got it together. We had some busted coverages, but we'll get that cleaned up. That one to [Alge [Crumpler] was a busted coverage, but we'll go back to the drawing table. That was a great win. That was a hell of an opponent out there.
On the linebacker combination of him with David Harris being the best in the NFL…
When I got here, that was my goal. I said to David, that was my goal to be the best in the league. I'm not here for the competition to be the leading tackler on the team, I'm just trying to lead this division in wins. He made some great plays. Everybody executed on some of the plays. They were running some deep digs and David made the adjustment in knowing he was the free player and he knew if he got back there and put pressure on Kerry Collins that he had such belief in his arm that he would try and get it in there.
On another note, off to that fullback [Ahmard Hall] who ran his mouth. You tell me what you think. For anybody out there who thinks that this is a gimmick defense and can't play smashmouth — how dare you. This team is built on tough, gritty players who can play any kind of football. We played basketball the first couple weeks, this week was smashmouth. We are built for that. Like I said, David is a hell of a player in the middle. We'll hold it down. Any way anyone wants to play, we will play it.
On the defensive scheme shifting from coverage in the first half to pressure…
Of course we did. Kerry Collins is a guy who can get the ball out deep. They were bringing Alge Crumpler off the ball. It was pretty much an eight-man protection and a two-man route. It's tough to bring the blitz in a two-man route to ask a cornerback to cover a wide receiver all the way from one side of the field to the next. It's tough. They have eight, we have seven coming.
They had a couple of big runs on sub-overload pressure but we'll live with that. We'd rather give up the run than give up a deep dig or a press out or something like that when they get out of bounds. We'll run the clock and take our chance. I think we did a great job of playing great situational football, understanding what was coming in certain formations and what's coming in each down and distance, and the tendencies of every NFL team.
On being surprised that the team is 3-0 with a rookie quarterback…
You're talking to somebody who was one game from the Super Bowl last year with a rookie quarterback [Joe Flacco]. Now, you're talking about a rookie quarterback with a hell of a team behind him. He's not going to have great games all of the time, he's not going to have great percentages all of the time. One thing that you can bet on is that we have his back. When the offense is down, the defense is going to pick him up, when the defense is down the offense will pick us up. I think that's the strength of this football team.
The one thing that we can lean on, the one thing that's been showing up each week is special teams. Our special teams have been tremendous, and I think if we continue to do that, we'll be hard to beat. I can't wait to get linebacker Calvin Pace back. I talked to him and he's been chomping at the bit and I can't wait for him to get out there with his fresh legs.
On what quarterback Mark Sanchez has showed the team…
He showed me some grit. He showed that when he makes a mistake, the game isn't over. We still have a football game to play. This was another situation — coming out and making a touchdown on the first drive, coming out and responding. Special teams was huge for us, recovering two turnovers. They dramatically decreased the chances with two turnovers, of another team winning this football game.
On having a quarterback who is tough…
It's great, so long as he's not rattled. That's what teams are going to try to do. They're going to try to switch it up and switch up the looks and get to him, get in his face, knock him down. He just gets back up, smiles and keeps on taking it. Anytime you have a quarterback that's willing to sit in the pocket, stare down the barrel of the gun and get hit just so he can get the pass off for a completion, you respect that.
A lot of these quarterbacks do the "chuck and duck." The guy comes through, they throw it and curl up. They're not giving their team the best chance to win. A lot of these quarterbacks have to understand they have football pads, too. They are going to get hit. Take it like a man, get back up and respond.
On comparison of Sanchez vs. Baltimore's Flacco…
Flacco is a hell of a quarterback. I have tremendous respect for him. They are two different types of quarterbacks. You have the pure pocket passer who is 6'5" and he stares down the pocket and sees over the blitz, and then you have the quarterback who has to buy time within the pocket to find time to get into the throwing lane.
Two things that they have in common is that they are both poised in the pocket. Joe took his whooping like a man as well. You can respect that. And it's on us. Like I tell people, it's not the other team's responsibility to keep the quarterback up. If our guy gets hit and gets knocked down, he has football pads on, too. We should look at each other and think that it's our fault. It's not on the [defensive] guy: Did he hit him high? Did he hit him helmet-to-helmet? Did he drive him to the ground? I expect him to drive him to the ground. It's football. Whenever that happens, we should fine our offensive line for that.
LB DAVID HARRIS
On how the defense responded in the second half…
After halftime we knew we had to come out and play better. In the first half, we knew we didn't play as fundamentally sound as we should have. A lot of their big runs and their throws went to the edge, we came out in the second half and tried to eliminate that. We tried to give them the pressure as much as we could.
On his interception…
We were in the cover three that play. In the first quarter he threw a ball right by my head in almost the same defense. The second time, I was reading his eyes and he threw it right to me. The front did a good job of putting pressure on him to get rid of the ball and he threw it right to me.
On the type of coverage during his sack of Kerry Collins…
I came off the edge. Nobody picked me up. It was a miscommunication on the offensive line but a sack is a sack and I'll take it.
On being the top linebacker combination with teammate Bart Scott…
Bart is a great guy. He's a great leader, which makes things easier for me. A lot of times I'll be on the field and I'll have a question and Bart's seen it all in that defense. He knows how that defense should look. He gives me information anytime I ask for it and he's a great guy and he's a good teammate.
On getting advice from Scott…
Just to work on my eyes. When we're in the zone, I see one way and he'll see it as another. He just helps me with little things like that but he helps me all the time.
On proving the Jets defense against the run…
We felt like we had to prove it this week. We knew that Tennessee was a big, physical team. They like to run the ball, control the clock and not turn the ball over. We knew coming in they had two good running backs. They vary in style a little bit. Chris Johnson likes to bounce it out and he has the speed on the edge. And then they have LenDale White, who is instinctive. We knew that we had to bump it up this week and that it would come down to the fourth quarter. After the first two games, when we played against more passing teams, we knew we'd have to step it up this week.
On playing against New Orleans…
It's my first time going down there. We will watch the film from this game, eliminate all of the mistakes and we look forward to New Orleans come Wednesday. Today we'll enjoy the win, but it's early in the season so you can't get complacent.
S JIM LEONHARD
On slowing down Titans RB Chris Johnson…
You just have to try to keep him bottled up. Obviously, you see when he gets out on the edge he's dangerous. There aren't many backs that can run like that, so you try to keep him contained, you try to make him stay in between those tackles and do the best you can. He's going to get out every once in a while, so you've just got to make sure he's not scoring touchdowns. You've got to make sure that they've got to work the ball down the field and we did a decent job of it today.
On the defense picking its spots on blitzes…
Yeah we definitely picked our spots a little more. It was a pretty balanced game plan as far as blitzing and playing coverage and you saw when it all came down to it, we weren't going to sit back. We did whatever it took today. They're a tough team. They're not as bad as their record looks. They're an 0-3 team, but you can bet they'll be fighting and clawing to get back into the playoff picture coming down to the end of the season.
