Coach Mangini
Eric Mangini began his NFL coaching career in 1995 as a Cleveland Browns coaching assistant. Before his promotion, Mangini was actually a Browns public relations assistant. On Wednesday, the Jets leader talked about returning to Cleveland for the first time as a head coach.
"This is more fun, going back this way. It's better to do the conference call than to set up the conference call," Mangini said with a smile. "I enjoyed my time in Cleveland. I learned a lot. I like the city. I liked that experience. It's always nice to visit a place that is important in your development."
The 4-3 Jets visit the 1-5 Browns Sunday at 4:15 p.m.
Read below for Mangini's complete press conference transcript
New York Jets' Head Coach Eric Mangini, 10.25
Opening statement…
We are moving into our standard preparation, game week preparation, so today will be 1st and 2nd down work. We'll do some work on the blitz package, it's pretty much the normal schedule.
I think offensively, Reuben Droughns is a tough physical runner who, very rarely is brought down on first contact, rarely has negative runs. I think this is a really good group of skill players, both in the interior and on the perimeter, and Charlie Frye does a lot of really positive things in terms of creating opportunities with his feet, whether it be running with the ball or scrambling around, letting the receivers uncover and then making plays down the field.
Defensively, Cleveland has an outstanding front seven. I know Willie (McGinnest) and Big Ted (Washington) really well from our days at the other place, and you see that toughness and that mentality that they have. I really like Orpheus Roye. I think his motor is outstanding, and (Kamerron) Wimbley, right across the board. It's a solid group that's tough, physical,and they're well-disciplined.
On special teams it's going to be another good challenge for us. They've got good coverage units in terms of kickoff return, good return units in terms of their kickoff. It's similar to last week, an opportunistic group. They are the only team to score three different ways on special teams, so this will be a good challenge for us, as well.
I think you know how I feel about Romeo, good football coach, good friend, good mentor, and his team will be well-prepared and a really good challenge for us.
On game planning against someone Mangini is close to…
It's interesting to see some of the things that they're doing and even see some things that maybe you've done together in the past or ideas that are drawn from two or three years ago that show up this year that maybe weren't there last year and also see the innovations that he's made and they've created. So that part is interesting. Knowing what type of coach he is and how well prepared his team will be, that's not always the most fun thing in the world.
On the impact the changing of offensive coordinators in Cleveland has on this week's game plan…
Any time there is a new person calling the plays, the tendencies change a little bit. In terms of the overall scheme there will be a lot of similarities because there's not a huge time period between the change and the game. I know Jeff, as well, and he's a smart guy. He's an innovative guy. He is a very detail-oriented coach, and he'll do a good job.
On reminding the players that the Browns' 1-5 record is not indicative on this weekend's game…
As soon as you put on the tape, you realize that they've played a lot of good teams and they've played a lot of good games. A couple bounces here or there or a completion here or there, that record could be very different. And the tape is more important than the record. When you see them play on film, you see all the problems they present.
On if Mangini expects Cleveland to open up on offense…
You know, we'll be ready for all the different things that could come up. Like I said, when you have a new signal caller, it could be some philosophical changes. We are going to prepare across the board.
On going back to Cleveland as a head coach…
This is more fun, going back this way. It's better to do the conference call than to set up the conference call. I enjoyed my time in Cleveland. I learned a lot. I like the city. I liked that experience. It's always nice to visit a place that was important in your development.
On having a moment for Mangini on Sunday to realize how far he has come…
Maybe after the game, but I'd like to be thinking about that in a really positive way.
On the progress of the offensive line since the beginning of the season…
Each week the young guys get more experience. They've been working together as a group for quite some time now, and they're focusing on the things that we haven't done as well early and making strides and making those corrections and not repeating the same mistakes, and that's the key across the board, not with the line but with everybody. I think that they've done a nice job. Pete (Kendall) has really been a good influence, Brandon Moore, Anthony Clement, working with Brick (D'Brickashaw Ferguson) and Nick (Mangold), and that continuity is helping, as well.
On Cleveland having weapons but being unable to produce anything with them…
They have done some things offensively. There have been some turnovers in the red areas that could have led to points. Against Oakland I think they were on the five, which could have translated into points, instead it was an interception. Some of that is working on execution, and I know RAC very well and they're working on the execution, and as they work on it, it'll improve. But they do have a lot of weapons and a lot of guys that can make plays.
On the Cleveland secondary…
You know, I think that the secondary as a whole is very aggressive. They challenge the receivers, they force you to get the throw into tight coverage. I like the way that they work against the receivers, and I like their energy, their approach.
On the size of Ted Washington…
Big Ted? I don't know, he might have to spend a little time in the cafe with Brick and carbo load.
On if Ted has lost anything…
He looks pretty stout to me.
On the Jets' "Red Zone" defense…
I think it all ties in together with the running game and having better run fits and improving there. The "Red Zone" is so important, and there's a lot of different things happening there, and sometimes you may shift a coverage and shift the position of the safeties, and the communication is so important there because you're dealing with such a limited amount of space, so any slight miscommunication, slight error, that translates into points. There have been some opportunities for us to get off the field where we've gotten penalties in the red area, and that's something that we're working on, as well. But it's an ongoing process just like 3rd down and two-minute and all those different areas.
On getting the point across about penalties…
Penalties to me are controllable. We have the officials at practice every day. We emphasize it, we coach the proper technique, and they work on the proper technique. It's like fumbles; there are things that you can do to make sure that it doesn't happen and really cut back on it, and we're going to continually emphasize that because they have such a huge effect on the outcome.
On spending time in NE with Romeo Crennel…
We spent a lot of time together.
On how much time Mangini and Crennel spent together…
From 8:30 in the morning until at least 7:00 p.m.; at 8:00 a.m. we got out of meetings, then we were in and out of each other's office with the cards, making sure the scouting reports were set, the cards were set, the script was set. Those were more chunks once we broke from the meetings. Then all the time we spent working out and those were countless hours as you can tell. Whatever that hour amount works out to be. I wasn't a math major.
On if Crennel is the person Mangini has spent the most time with…
Yeah, when he first moved out to New England, he lived with us.
On if Crennel was a good house guest…
He was excellent, always brought wine and snacks. Well, more snacks than wine.
On where Crennel slept…
We had a guest room. We only had one child at that point, so he lucked out.
On something Mangini learned from Crennel that stands out to him…
He'd always say the next game is the most important game. That was every week, this is the most important game, fellas, because it's the next game. That was a consistent approach. I can hear him say it; I've heard him say it 1,000 times. I'm sure he's saying it right now, "This is the most important game, fellas, because it's the next game."
On the Jets' in the fourth quarter…
What really makes me happy is the win. That's the key thing. I thought the offense did a really nice job this week getting that 1st down at the end to close it out, something that we weren't able to do the week before. You always want to finish, and finish ultimately is winning or losing and fighting through those different situations. And each week there's going to be adversity and there's going to be momentum shifts and plays made, and being able to eventually finish the game in a positive way with a win is what the key thing is.
On Rashad Moore…
Rashad has done a good job. He's made plays when he's in there and he's created more opportunities for himself. He's gotten more playing time each week. He's another guy that has good size, and combining that size with good technique, it's helping him weekly make progress and increasing his opportunities to play.
On covering Kellen Winslow…
It's tough, but everybody is part of that coverage on a tight end. It's the outside linebackers, it's the inside linebackers, and depending on the coverage, it's the safeties. When you've got a guy as talented as he is, as fast as he is, it puts pressure on the middle of the defense which now extends -- if you want to compensate there, it extends to the outside of the defense. So being able to mix the coverages in, being able to mix up where the emphasis of the coverage is important.
On the advantage of the 3-4 defense against a TE like Kellen Winslow…
You always have a linebacker over the tight end. But you can get that done in either system. It won't necessarily be a linebacker. On the 4-3 you could have a DE over him to try to simulate the same thing.
On the difficulty of facing a friend…
No, I think we both view it the same way. It's a game and we're going to prepare our teams and we're going to get the Jets ready to play and he's going to get the Browns ready to play. Our relationship is secondary to that. Then upon the completion of the game it'll go back to the way it was. The focus is really the game, and that's his focus, and after that the relationship.
On understanding what Crennel is going through…
I think Rac does a great job, and I think he'll continue to do a great job. I know the things that he believes in as a coach and the things that he's done as a coach, and you can see those characteristics in his team. I said when you put on the tape, you see a ton of positive things, a ton of really difficult things to defend and attack. I know he'll do an outstanding job and always has.
On talking to Crennel this week…
We won't be chatting this week, yeah.
On talking to Crennel through out the season…
It varied. It depends on if I catch him, if he catches me. He's not a big email guy, so that means we have to do it by phone.
On the versatility of the defense…
I think that's so important and something that we stress, being able to not just play the left side but the right side, being able to match up against different types of receivers, whether they're 6'5" or 5'9" and really quick. Also understanding the whole concept of the defense. So if you had to slide inside on say nickel or dime or you had to slide back to safety or you wanted to disguise a look, all that stuff in the secondary is crucial because offenses gather information from the secondary. So the more you can change coverages but make it look the same, the better off you are and the harder it makes the pre-snap reads so the quarterback comes up, looks at it, and it looks like one thing but you're playing something different because of the way you've put your people. That's an ongoing process of flexibility and versatility.
On creating match-ups as the season progresses…
I've done it all different ways. We've had true match-ups where each one of your guys has a guy. Wherever they go, you're going with them. So it could be left and right or it could be one guy is matching up and everybody else is balancing off him. It's not a one set approach, it's the approach of the week and what gives you the best chance.
On if Mangini expected to use the no-huddle as much as he has…
We used the no huddle at the start of the second half of the Washington game. The 23-play drive. It was something that we had worked on in practice. We had done a little bit in the preseason, and philosophically, Brian likes it, I like it, and we've made some good progress in training camp. It worked out the way we had hoped in terms of the progress.
On if offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer brought the no-huddle with him…
In San Diego they had done some of that and they would go in and out of it randomly, so it could be the fourth series of a game, go into a huddle, transition back, and I really liked it from my days with Ted (Marchibroda) and as a defensive coach, understanding the pressure that it put on. It was us talking about it and wanting to move toward that as a system.
On Chad Pennington and the way he is a game manager…
There were three, really good Chad plays this weekend. It was the second play of the game, second and 10, gets them to jump offsides, the second and 16 he hits Laveranues on the sideline, turns into third and one and, rushes the line of scrimmage quarterback sneaks it -- that was really good awareness of get the big chunk, third and short, get up and get the 1st down before there's any time to regroup the troops. And then the play on the goal line, which wasn't complete, but where Jerricho was in the slot over on the left-hand side uncovered, and he pulled up and tried to hit him. We didn't convert, but those three plays were really, really good awareness plays on Chad's part.
On Anthony Schlegel continuing to be inactive list…
Anthony has done a great job for us in the things that he's been able to contribute in, and right now it's been helping us in practice and working on his technique. The development side he's working at, and as he continues to develop his opportunities will increase. In terms of practice, he arguably gives the best look week in and week out, which is invaluable. He's making progress. It's just unfortunate we can only take the 45 and you've got to carve out that niche of where you're going to contribute on teams and then what's your role on defense, and that's something he's working towards.
On rewarding players who practice well…
You know, right now the guys that we have in front of him on teams are doing a good job, and he's working to carve out a niche there. But until that happens, he's contributing where he can, which is at practice.
On Pennington being a stage in his career where he can manage the no-huddle offense…
I always thought that Chad was really good at managing a game. He always put pressure on you by the types of decisions that he made, taking what the defense gave him, attacking a weakness, understanding what the weakness is in the coverage, what the weakness is in the running game and putting the team in a good position to succeed, protecting the football, and this process is just an extension of that. He studies. He studies all the time. He's here all the time.
