Transcript of head coach Rex Ryan's news conference following Thursday's midday practice at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center:
All right, guys. Injuries, there's really no change in the injury list. Logan Payne, Robert Turner — out. Nick Mangold did not participate. Guys that were limited: Mike DeVito, shoulder, David Harris, toe, Santonio Holmes, quad, Jim Leonhard, hamstring, Eric Smith, ankle, Muhammad Wilkerson, shoulder. Guys that were full in practice were Marcus Dixon, knee, Derrick Mason, knee, and Sanchez, right elbow.
So no changes. But I think everybody's doing better. Still with Nick Mangold, you know, we'll see. Tomorrow we'll definitely know if he's going or not. If he's not going to play, then obviously he won't make the trip out there. I don't see it happening. We'll see. Other than that, that's pretty much it. Let's open it up for questions.
On waiting to list Nick Mangold as out of respect for Mangold…
I think so. When you look at it, he's got an 82-game streak going. That's important. The fact he wants to help his teammates out, you want to encourage him. He's doing the treatment. He's off the crutches, doing different things. He's been on a bike and he's also doing other exercises and stuff. For a high-ankle sprain, he's well ahead of the game. We'll make that decision. Sometimes you got to protect the player from the player. If that's the prudent thing to do, then that's what we'll do.
On if the decision with Mangold would have been easier if it was a home game…
You know, I don't see it. We'll see.
On what he sees from studying the Raiders…
I don't know how many guys made their team as receivers, but there's a whole list of them. They're all big and they can all run. The Raiders always have that size, speed. There's always those dominant traits. You look at that speed, I don't think we'd have a chance to match them in the 4 X 100. We'll see if we can match them in football.
On if they liked Denarius Moore going into the draft…
Yes, absolutely. For good reason, apparently [laughter]. But you know, they did a good job. Their scouting department did a great job, I'm sure they saw what we saw in him. They're playing the young man, he had a monster game this past week. Now they're even talking about him possibly being a punt returner as well this week.
On if the Raiders over-value speed and don't always draft players that develop…
Well, I think that's any draft. There's guys taken here or wherever that don't maybe fulfill [expectations]. Then there's other guys, like Cliff Branch, he worked out pretty well. I mean, there's always exceptions or whatever. I think, where we may look, a 3-4 defense may want certain size parameters for their defensive line, I think for them they need that certain kind of speed. For Al Davis, you can't have enough speed. There's another young man they got from Eastern Washington that could fly, late in the draft, that we kind of liked. But you look at him, "Oh, who drafted him?" The Raiders. Because they want that speed. You look at them, look at their DBs, Chris Johnson, Stanford Routt. They're guys that can flat out fly, no question about that.
On how the Raiders defense played in the second half against Buffalo last week…
Two things, number one is Buffalo, they have it going pretty good. Both of them were going back and forth at each other. I think both offenses had great games. But those things happen. Those kind of games happen. Against us, 390 yards to Dallas, everybody thought we stunk. I don't know. Each game is different.
On if they have a mentality that can overcome injuries or because they have good players that have been able to replace injured players…
I think good players is what it starts with. With Mike Tannenbaum, the way he brings in guys, whether it's through our own draft or through Scott Cohen, our pro personnel department, we do have some depth. We do a good job of finding guys that play to our kind of mentality, as you mentioned.
But I think it is a mentality too. There are no excuses. The next man steps up. We always say, you got that decal on the side of your helmet, you're a New York Jet and our standards are set high. You're supposed to maintain that level or even pick it up a little bit. Now in Baxter's case, it's going to be hard to pick it up a little, but we do want him to try to maintain it, albeit for one game.
On if he is concerned that he felt he needed to get Plaxico Burress a catch at the end of last week's game…
No way.
On if Burress had a consecutive-catch streak he was trying to preserve…
That wasn't it at all. I just think we're having a great day. I've been a tight end. I know you guys are like, yeah, right [smiling]. But it's something about catching the ball. You really celebrate a win. He was fired up. He's the one that told me, I wanted to go with all five offensive linemen to be captains, he's the one who said, "Rex, shouldn't 'Concrete [John] Conner' be in there, too?' That's a great point. So we put him in there. He's been a great teammate. But it was just something that it's exciting for the team, too. When Plax scores, when Santonio scores, and D-Mace [Derrick Mason]. We've got to get guys going. I thought that was an opportunity to maybe get him in the end zone.
On integrating Burress into the offense…
I mean, I love his enthusiasm. He's a great player. Sometimes the great players, you can look on the stat sheet and see where a great player can affect a game. But there's also a thing how great players make other players better and give them opportunities. I think that's what he does as well. He's constantly drawing the coverage over there. Sometimes when you see like Randy Moss, he's a great vertical receiver, you can see the numbers and all that, but sometimes even when he wasn't catching, he was effective in the game. I see Plax in a similar mode. We might all be sitting here after this game, next game, wherever, all like, Wow, that was the only game he never caught a ball in. I think that will happen.
On what has been the most difficult part of integrating Burress…
I think it's the challenge to the player. They got to come in and learn the new system, and all that, the hours they have to spend in preparation, and things like that. There's no magic formula. I mean, the player has to do it. I think he's done a great job. I think Mason has done a great job of coming in here, learning our system. You look at Colin Baxter, he did come from a similar system, but there are changes. Here three weeks into the season, now he's starting. You have to give the credit to the players because they're the ones that really do the dirty work. Obviously they've got great teachers in the coaches that are coaching them, but it still comes down to them doing the things off the field, as well.
On the challenges that Darren McFadden and the Raiders running game presents…
I think first off when you look at him, when he came out, there was a reason he went where he did in the draft. He's got size, speed and vision. He's an unusual talent, that's for sure. He can do the wildcat. He did it all in college. He can throw the ball. He can do a bunch of things. He's a very talented young man.
On making more of an effort to blitz Bart Scott this season…
I think Bart, we're trying to get him back to blitzing a little bit more and things. But I think he's doing a great job. This last week he did a great job of running a delayed blitz. Bart is smart. He's been there, done that. I think some opportunities presented themselves and Bart has taken advantage.
On if they did that with Scott in Baltimore…
We had four of them with like nine or more sacks. Sometimes they happen. But you can't get a sack without great coverage. You can't get an interception without pressure on the quarterback. So they kind of go together.
On if he knew the '85 Bears are going to the White House because they never got to go after they won the Super Bowl…
No. [My father and I] were talking about other things. That's interesting. That's great. I'm sure they'll enjoy it.
