Transcript of head coach Rex Ryan's news conference following Thursday's midday practice at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center:
OK, [Mike] DeVito did not practice, knee injury. Vlad Ducasse is limited with the knee. Everybody else, full go: [Marcus] Dixon, shoulder, Shonn Greene, rib, [Jeremy] Kerley, knee, [Nick] Mangold, ankle, Calvin Pace, groin, Brodney Pool, knee, Matt Slauson, knee, and LT [LaDainian Tomlinson], knee. All right, that's pretty much it.
Today, weather was awesome, broke great from yesterday. Had a good practice, but it wasn't, I don't think it was as sharp as yesterday's. I really liked yesterday's tempo. I challenged the guys to have a better practice tomorrow, just be a little sharper, I think.
It was good we had Tom Moore out there today. Don't know if you guys noticed him. But he's a consultant and we had him come in late last night, and we put him out there, put him to work. Always good to have him in there and his knowledge of things, his perspective. I noticed, though, I don't know what it is, but kind of like my dad, the older they get, they see things through rose-colored glasses at some times. But he is so positive. I talk to him every single week. It's good to have him in person.
On if he speaks with Moore every week…
Oh, yeah.
On if Moore will advance the next opponent…
He'll advance the next opponent. He'll watch all of our games. He is so positive. I think I'm a positive person, I know I am, and he's the same way. He'll look at things and say, "Hey, this was really good" and all that. But like we brought him in, basically, I know he and Schotty [Brian Schottenheimer] talk all the time, but he also will like we'll exchange emails back and forth occasionally, so it was good. We got him out of the house, and he's here today, so that was good too, I think. I'd like to get him around here more. I'm going to try to keep him here. But we'll see if his wife will let him.
On how many times Moore has been here this season…
Yeah, I think he came for one other game.
On if Moore was here for the Chargers game and the bye week...
Yeah, I think he was here for one other, maybe two. It might have been two. Maybe just ask him.
On if Moore will go to the game this week…
Yeah. I hope. I mean, that's a bad thing. Like I don't know specifically right now, but I'm going to try to get him to come to the game and things like that.
On if he would be interested in making Moore an official park of the coaching staff…
We already have. He's a consultant. That is what he is. So that's what his role is. I mean, I'm laughing about it now that we've got him in the house, but I've tried to, you know, like just come here as much as you can and all that kind of stuff. But he's been good. I know Brian talked to him quite a bit like I say, he even helps me through things, but his role won't change. He's a consultant.
On if Moore is not interested in being more than a consultant…
His thing is he's retired. But we were fortunate enough to have him as a consultant. But it's good to have him here. We'd like to have him here more. It's great. The players respect him. It's always good. He talks to the defensive guys, the offensive guys. I mean, it's good having him here.
On if Moore has suggestions for starting faster on offense…
We've tried a bunch of things, you know. But maybe that is something I really need to ask him. You mention that, I haven't asked him that specifically, but maybe I will while he's here.
On why the team can't start faster each game…
It's been a three year process here. I think when you look at it statistically, and we've turned the ball over some, I think that's part of it. We've got to start faster we've got to be more productive. There have been times we look great and times that we haven't. The big thing is not to turn the ball over in the first quarter of games. I think that really relates to winning and losing as well.
On having a fresh LaDainian Tomlinson at this point in the season…
It's funny I mentioned that to him today. I said, "This is going to be interesting for you." When I saw him yesterday in practice I was like "Wow!" I mean, he looked fresh as he can be. That could be interesting. Getting a fresh LT for the last part of the season I think would be great for us.
On if Tomlinson will return to his third-down role this week…
I think he'll basically assume that roll over again.
On if he is concerned with the defense not being able to finish games…
You know, we've still got five games left. The numbers will be what they'll be. I think if we start closing out the rest of these games like I think we're capable of doing, then I don't think we have any issues. But certainly you want to close out every game. Right now, I guess, Green Bay is the only team that's closed out every game. Am I concerned with it? I don't believe so. I wouldn't trade this defense for any defense in the league, and I know statistically Houston's way up there and all these other teams. But I like our defense.
On if the defense gets lulled to sleep playing dominant defense for most of the game not allowing late drives…
No, I think a lot of teams when you look at it, it's hard to play 60 minutes of dominant football. That is the thing. You talk about you've got to play for 60 minutes because there are times when you can dominate games, completely dominate, and then that one drive gets you. That is exactly what happened to Denver. We totally dominated that game. Give up that one drive, and you're just good enough to get beat. That is the thing that you've got to avoid. If you're going to be a true dominant team on defense, you've got to close those things out. Are we a dominant defense? I don't know. I don't think there is a dominant defense in the league this year. Are we pretty good? I think we're pretty good. I think we're capable of being better. That's kind of how I feel about it.
On not getting a lot of interceptions in recent weeks…
I don't think Denver threw a pass. They threw about 10 passes. But no, but I've got you. Before that you had [Tom] Brady who doesn't throw too many anyway. This past week I would have liked to have gotten some opportunities and getting some picks against Buffalo, that never happened. Give them credit for that. But we'll see. I feel good about our secondary, I think we have guys that are good at catching the football. I think we'll lay enough things out there that will confuse some teams I think we'll get some more picks.
On if they are paying attention to what other teams in the playoff race are doing each week…
No, I couldn't tell you. The only thing I can tell you about the Bengals because I hear it all the time is that they've got to play Pittsburgh and they've still got Baltimore. Might be Pittsburgh twice. I don't know. And I know they've got the Ravens still another time, but I don't know. Doesn't really matter. If we don't play up to our standards, it won't matter anyway.
On if they looked at the scoreboard in the last years past to see how other teams were doing…
Yeah, in the end, the last two or three games there's absolutely no way I won't know what has to take place, of course I will. But after that Atlanta deal, I'll know now. I learned from that.
On his statement that there are no dominant defenses this season being unique to this year…
Yeah, I don't see it. It's not like guys are going to shut teams down completely like we've seen in the past. There are some good ones, you know. Like Baltimore's playing good, but I've seen them give up 500 yards to Cincinnati. I don't know if that's a dominant defense. They're good. Pittsburgh's good. Houston's playing well. Dallas, my brother would say they're dominant. I don't know. But I don't feel like we're dominant right now. I think we're in a class of all those top teams, but we haven't separated from that to be an elite defense or dominating defense. I think we have ability probably more so than any team out there. But we've got to put it on tape.
On if he's noticed if Darrelle Revis is more fired this week…
He gave up 75 yards, that's if every one of the completions were against him in zero coverage the whole game. I'll sign up for that each week. That's a great performance. You're in zero coverage and you give up 75 yards? That's a pretty good performance. He's just who he always is, extremely competitive, can't wait, hits the practice field with a purpose every day to get better, and he's doing the same thing this week.
On if Jeremy Kerley will return to the third receiver role when he returns…
I think we'll split roles up and be more multiple. Our personnel groupings with what we can do. But it will be good to get Kerley back. Kerley was really doing a tremendous job as a slot receiver for us before the injury.
On if he thinks Tim Tebow can achieve success over a long period of time…
I would think so if he can stay healthy. I think that's the big question. You're taking hits like a running back. He's basically playing running back and throwing more. That was it. I know I was excited when we had Brad Smith, I thought that that could be a possibility that you might be able to use him in extended roles. Now would that be over a whole season? I'm not sure. But Tebow's built different than a lot of guys. He's built like a fullback and he runs like one, but he throws better.
On if that kind of quarterback can win a championship…
I hope not. I hope we win with our quarterback [laughter]. I don't care about him.
On how different the Redskins are with Rex Grossman at quarterback compared to John Beck…
Well, they got sacked ten times when they had Beck in there when they played Buffalo. That's really what I remember there. Grossman has taken a team to a Super Bowl before, he's got a strong arm and all that. The other kid is who he is. I don't know. Let them make that decision.
On if the Redskins are the same with both quarterbacks…
It's the same offense. It wasn't like they changed their offense based on who the quarterback was.
