Nugent has connected on his past nine field goal attempts
Quietly, Mike Nugent has rebounded nicely after an ominous start to his 2006 season. In a Week One victory over the Titans, Nugent connected on just one of his three field goal attempts and he hit two of three extra points. Since then, Nugent has been perfect on 14 of 15 field goal attempts in addition to all of his extra point opportunities. This weekend, Nugent moves inside to the controlled elements of the Vikings' Metrodome.
"You don't have to go out there thinking, 'Okay, is it going to be muddy where I'm kicking the ball? Is it going to be wet outside and tough for the snapper or the holder?' You don't really have those kinds of elements to worry about," Nugent said Friday.
Read below for complete transcripts from inside the Jets locker room
New York Jets' LB Jonathan Vilma, 12.15
On how difficult the transition has been into the new system…
It's a little different, it just takes time to get used to and I'm getting used to it. As the season goes, I've gotten better at it. As a unit, we've gotten better at it. For us, it would be good to come back next year and keep improving.
On accepting the new system…
It is what it is. I'm not the defensive coordinator and I'm not the coach. I'm the player, and I do what I'm coached to do.
On taking pride in the coach's mention…
I've been doing that since high school, so I take a lot of pride in it. I expect that to be my role and as long as, as a unit, we're playing well, that means I'm doing my job well.
On feeling responsible for the whole defense…
Of course, especially when you have mental errors on defense. I can't help every mental error that everyone makes, but I always want to try to help and put everyone in the best position as possible.
On Minnesota…
They can run the ball; of course, Chester Taylor and their back-up Artose Pinner are two very good running backs. Their offensive line is very good, especially on the left side and they have an experienced quarterback, so that always creates problems.
New York Jets' K Mike Nugent, 12.15
On a dome having the perfect conditions…
It's not a dream, but it's the essential; you don't have to go out there thinking, "Okay, is it going to be muddy where I'm kicking the ball, is it going to be wet outside and tough for the snapper or the holder?" You don't really have those kinds of elements to worry about.
On practicing in the bubble all week…
Coaches do a good job of getting us to the closest situation we can get to what we're playing in that week. Like when we played Green Bay at Green Bay, we tried to play on the same type of field with grass and the cold. Coaches are doing a job good at getting us in those different situations.
On distractions in a dome stadium…
I think any kicker would say there aren't really any distractions you would think about, just maybe elements besides being in a dome. Elements like the wind and weather, you don't have those elements to think about.
On kicking another 50-yarder…
You never know. I just have to get out there and show I can do it in warm-ups.
New York Jets' G Pete Kendall, 12.15
On the snap count…
When the quarterback gets underneath, at times you'll find that the tackles and tight ends can't hear the cadence, whereas the interior three can hear the cadence. So if you get a critical third down where the quarterback comes from underneath center, and those tackles out there on the edges trying to block guys with their ears pinned back, sometimes they can over-anticipate the count. I've been there at guard where you miss the first part of the cadence and you come in towards the end. You're kind of guessing, "Is the count about to come? Did I come in on the first color number or did I come in on the second color number?" Sometimes you guess wrong. The biggest issues with noise is definitely the cadence, and for the most part, it has the ability to take away the one advantage the offense is supposed to have every play, which is being able to anticipate the snap count and get off.
On the noise in the bubble simulating noise in a dome…
It's like every week; the goal is to make it as difficult as possible to have communication that doesn't go from point-to-point or station-to-station. I'm trying to say, it's difficult for the quarterback to say, standing in one spot, to have all 10 other guys hear it at once. Quarterbacks have to move to communicate. The call has to get passed down the line from guards to tackles and from tackles to tight ends.
Friday Injury Report Jets Questionable: FB B.J. Askew (foot), CB David Barrett (hip), LB Matt Chatham (foot), Eric Smith (foot) LB & Bryan Thomas (shoulder)
Probable: *RB Kevan Barlow (calf), *LB Brad Kassell (shin), *WR Justin McCareins (foot), *DL Rashad Moore (hand), *QB Chad Pennington (calf), *DL Dewayne Robertson (shoulder), *TE Sean Ryan (thigh) *WR Brad Smith (shoulder) *S Jamie Thompson (ankle) & *DL Kimo von Oelhoffen (shoulder)
Vikings Questionable: QB Brooks Bollinger (shoulder)
Probable: CB Cedric Griffin (neck), LB Napoleon Harris (wrist), WR Marcus Robinson (ankle), RB Chester Taylor (ribs), & DT Pat Williams (knee)
*Denotes players who participated in practice
