Transcript of quarterback Mark Sanchez's news conference following the Jets' Wednesday morning training camp practice at SUNY Cortland:
On Aaron Maybin being too aggressive and almost taking out players…
Love the effort, love his intensity, but like we said the other day, you have to compete to the last second and don't go overboard because you risk hurting a teammate, and the number one rule around here is protect the team, so you have to do that.
On if guys got the message after Coach Ryan making them run sprints…
Absolutely. I mean there were a couple of chances today where guys were really ready to square off again. Now that's fine, there's nothing wrong with that drive to do it and want to fight the other team. That's the way you play, you have to fight to win. But you have to do it the right way and do it smart, so I think guys really understood the message and Rex wasn't joking around.
On how frustrating running was after he told everyone to stop fighting…
Well, you can take it two ways. Maybe guys weren't necessarily listening to what I said, but that's good, too, because then that means they're not reading the paper. So I'm fine with that. If we're not reading our press clippings, we're in good shape [joking].
On how much they are looking forward to playing a different team…
It's time, especially when you see these heated arguments start to escalate. It's more than time. As soon as that first scrimmage is over, we're ready to roll and we're ready to start playing another team so it'll be great for us on Friday.
On the pace of practice…
I think it was great. I think we're finished with specific team drills and move-the-ball drill and there's still time on the clock, so we're ahead of the clock there. That's why you see Coach Sparano look at the play clock, the game clock, and the clock of the period, so if we have time left over that means we're moving at a good pace. He'll remind you, he'll just scream at you and say, "Hey, the clocks at zero," and he's not talking about the play clock, he's talking about that individual period. So it's important that we stay ahead of the time there.
On the relationship with the wide receivers with all the injuries…
Sure, it's giving guys like Royce [Pollard] and Jordan White, who was injured during OTAs, a chance to really get a lot of reps. Who else has come on strong? Chaz [Schilens] has come back strong from his injury. PT [Patrick Turner] looks great, he caught a couple of third-down balls today. They're really coming along strong for us. It's just giving us a good look at what else we have. So we would love to get our guys back, but at the same time you have to go with what you got.
On if he thinks more guys respect him more since he has been in the league for four years…
I think it helps, but at the same time that's something that you have to continue to earn by the way you handle those everyday trials. Whether it's a fight or a poor performance, whether it's a scrimmage and keeping the pace up, I think they see that I'm on track with my schedule, I'm early to drills, I'm a little ahead of the curve when it comes to familiarity with this place. So I try to help those other guys and bring them along with me, but it's still a process and you have to earn it.
On if he feels more mature…
I mean sure, as opposed to my rookie year — you just try to stay afloat. So I'm starting to anticipate some things, especially on the field. I feel a lot better, just better decisions, better accuracy, and that comes with playing and experience.
On if there is any way to practice a play that breaks down…
It comes up naturally throughout our practice, but we also have drills where we scramble. We have specific landmarks for our wide receivers, and as hectic and chaotic as it might look, there's an actual protocol for when you scramble, and guys should know exactly where to go, and Coach Sparano teaches us that.
On if scrambling changes due to the tempo…
Well those plays happen, so when they come up we need to make the right decision in that situation. Nothing changes once you get on the perimeter, the faster you get the ball out of your hand the better, usually, and understanding the situation. So we have to play in the scrimmage, when they drop eight in the end zone, and we're right down on the five-yard line. So when you have a three man rush you can hold onto the ball. Normally Coach Sparano would be screaming about that alarm going off and getting the ball out of our hands, but then again, it's knowing the situation. So it worked out to our advantage, but in all those things we do in every situation, whether it's stretch, gassers, he's saying do it fast and make it a part of the way you practice.
On if the offense will be basic in this first preseason game…
You have to talk to Coach. I haven't seen the specific game plan. I know he's still putting it together. So I'm not sure what we want to show, what we want to keep, so I don't know yet.
On if the expectation level changes since it is a new offense…
No, we have to move the ball. We have to move the ball and make the right decisions on every play. Understand the situation, so nothing changes there. Obviously when we have the ball we have to score and we have to get points at least so that's our goal still.
On if anything was said about the fight after the team left the field…
I think Coach got the point across. You know all that stuff is in the past, and move on. It doesn't matter who it was. We need to settle it and that's it. We had to run for it, it's over. So Coach made the point and everybody got it.
On if he said it doesn't matter who it was fighting…
Right, that's exactly right. It doesn't matter who was fighting, nobody needs to remember, nobody needs to tell that guy specifically, because then we're doing the same thing we were doing by fighting. So there are no pointing fingers.
On how critical it is to come out in rhythm after installing a new offense…
Well, it's nice and we anticipate doing well. Other than that there's nothing else in my head. I'm thinking positive about it and we're just excited to play a new team so we'll be ready to play.
On if he and Coach Sparano have to go over anything before their first game together…
There was a good dress rehearsal in the scrimmage. So I kind of get a feel for how quickly the plays come in, where he pauses in the calls. You start to pick up on that quickly, and what reminders and tips he gives you in the headset, and sometimes that's good. You love it when the coordinator is in your ear reminding you stuff. Then you relay it to the guys.
He'll just tell you, "Hey, tighten up these splits now, we're in four-minute offense," or "Hey, we're on the goal line now, don't forget this is a bullets team." It's just a reminder to say, "Hey, guys, we're on the goal line, this is our cadence, this is what we're doing." So it comes right through from the coach to me to the players.
On if it has been challenging working with a new offensive coordinator…
I mean there are challenges no matter what. Whether we have been together for 10 years, or it's our first year. It's all new, new verbiage, but we're really picking it up fast, and it's going along at, I think, a great pace.
On how practice was today…
It went well. I think guys got the message after yesterday. No more fighting. Tempers started to escalate a little bit at one point, but guys kind of backed off and did the right thing, and walked away. So that was nice to see.
On what he said to the team after the gassers…
That it doesn't matter who was fighting, who instigated, who retaliated. It doesn't matter. Just move on, it's over, and it shouldn't happen again. And we're good. We moved on.
On Coach Ryan making them run…
When Coach made the point yesterday in making us run, there's no need to beat a dead horse because it's over.
On the team going out to the movies Tuesday night…
It was good. Guys started to sense it a little bit, the way the buses were parked outside by the meetings. Guys were getting a little giddy. There were whispers and murmurs about movie night, which is always fun, but you have to be careful because if you think it's movie night and it's not, it could be catastrophic and could really screw you up [joking]. We were holding out hope, and it happened.
On how important it is to have activities like movie night…
It really is nice to get out with your teammates. To get a whole group together, that's great. It's going to be practices and games for the next four months. That's rare to go get out like that, just have a good time, smile, laugh, joke around, it's good for us. Rex knows how to get a good pulse on the team and the team morale, and it keeps it high.
On how the rookies are progressing…
Great. I think they're running fast. There's not a lot of hazing going on. Part of that is because we know a lot of these guys have to play. We'll have our rookie show, have a good time with it, make fun of guys, but we have to bring them along. We need some of the guys on offense to get first downs. Some of the guys on defense have to get interceptions and cause fumbles to get us the ball back. So we want to bring guys along, but the rookies are great.
On what he would like to accomplish in the first preseason game…
We're moving along at a great pace. This will be another good test for us, a good measuring stick. But our goal is going to be the same, and that's to execute really well on first down, put us in second-and-manageable, which will get us to third-and-manageable and move the chains. Get all the way down to the red zone. Remember our red zone rules, get down to the goal line and punch the ball in, however it happens. Throwing in an explosive play every once in a while never hurts, especially for momentum. We have to really execute. Lining up correctly will get us a chance to execute the play correctly.
It's going to be fun for us to get going and see what a real game is like with Coach Sparano. How he will handle the headset, where he's going to be standing, where I go after guys, exactly where we sit down, those little things. You develop your routine and we'll all know that by the end of this game.
On how comfortable he feels now with it being his fourth training camp…
It's a lot easier, being more familiar with the place, knowing where the locker room is, giving young guys a ride down to the practice field, making sure no one is late, just having a good feel for the schedule, and exactly what is required out of us. You go through that a couple times and you just feel good about it, you have a routine. It's wonderful to be back, the fans treat us well. The local community is great to us, and you just try to bring those young guys along as a veteran.
On if the fast tempo during practice helps for the real game…
Absolutely it will help. The tempo simulates what a game is really like. You can always slow down, but you can't always get guys to speed up if you practice at a slow pace. We have to keep the pedal to the floor, and keep going.
On if he sees any differences between Coach Ryan from last year…
It wasn't fun running gassers yesterday, but he proved a point. It was just a reminder that he is in control of this team. When he says something, he means it. There are going to be repercussions for it if you don't care what he is saying. If you don't like it, get out. That is basically his message, so you have to be smart and respect his judgment, and know that he is putting us in the best position. He's really doing a great job.
On if he thinks Coach Ryan would have ever made his team do gassers in the past…
It's hard to say. We have a lot of veterans on this team, but it feels like my first couple years, there were a ton of veterans who knew how to take care of each other, and especially because it's his first time being a head coach, although he's been doing it for four years, this is a learning process, and it takes time. So you just have to understand with a young team like that, and I know he does. Sometimes he has to pull guys aside, sit them down, look them in the eye, whatever he needs to do to get his point across. It's important that we understand that, see where he's coming from, and just know that he's putting us in a good position. He's doing it for our benefit.
On if he would not have been able to make the leadership speech in the past…
You just feel more comfortable, you see what's going on, you have a better perspective on things. You can take a step back at times and really understand what coach is trying to tell us. Then it's my job to reiterate that to the team.
