Transcript of quarterback Mark Sanchez's informal news conference following Wednesday's midday practice at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center:
On where the team's focus is this week…
It's a new week, you said it right there. We're excited to get back out on the field and that's the best thing we can do. That's the only thing we can do, prepare this week and possibly clinch a spot in the playoffs with a win against the Dolphins. That's where our focus is. We learned a lot from the last game and we're moving on.
On if he is worried about the disappointment lingering…
I don't think so. You don't have enough time, with a Monday game, especially. In this league, you have to get over wins and you have to get over losses, so we're excited to move on and that's what we did today. We had a good day of practice.
On if he is worried that the team has lost its swagger after the New England loss…
Not at all. I think our team is preparing really well. I think last week was just a bump in the road. We'll respond really well and we'll know a lot about our team after these next four weeks of playing because we'll be able to bounce back. This team can handle anything, so we're ready.
On Coach Ryan wanting to go on offense first if possible against Miami…
It's great. It's a changeup, but we'll take it.
On the personal impact a bad game has on him…
It's just something to learn from and it's a great experience for me to be able to watch that film with [Mark] Brunell, with the other quarterbacks we have, with Coach Schottenheimer and then come back out on the field today and know it's Wednesday. It's over 48 hours from the game. It's so long gone. I'm so focused on Miami. One of these days, after the season, hopefully, we'll take it deep in the playoffs, win a championship and we'll look back and say that was really too bad, but that's it.
On if he is paying attention to possible playoff seeds and matchups…
No, it's just about getting another win and getting to number 10.
On playing Miami this weekend…
They've traditionally played us tough since I've been here. They'll be ready to play again. I know they're excited. They need to win out to make the playoffs or to keep their playoff hopes alive. Winning this one for us might settle some things. We want to come out firing, have a great game, start fast, finish strong and be ready for their defense that always plays well.
On why he plays so well after a loss…
I don't if it's any kind of inspiration. It's just a matter of wanting to play better for the guys around you and get the best out of everybody around you. It's a collective effort. It was a collective loss last week and we're looking for a collective win. We'll get it as a group. We'll do it right. Everybody will bounce back, not just me, so I'm excited about that.
On if starting on offense next game fires him up…
Either way, it doesn't matter to us. That's just a cool changeup. Rex is, obviously, open to anything to help the team and there's another example, so that's good.
On if he thought his pass to Braylon Edwards in the end zone that was intercepted should have been thrown there…
I thought so. I think [Brandon] Spikes made a really good play because the guy we were trying to fake was [Jerod] Mayo. We were expecting Spikes to say backside a little bit. It would've been a tight throw, definitely, but I think it could've been a touchdown there. Braylon is a big-body guy. Throw it upstairs and let him make a play for you. I just threw it a little too flat.
On why he thinks the offense starts so slow…
It seems like it's just an execution thing, whether I'm throwing the ball behind Santonio [Holmes] or I'm expecting someone to run and they weren't seeing the same thing. Just getting on the same page with the wideouts and being sharp with those first couple of drives because that really helps. Just getting a field goal that first drive helps, let alone a touchdown, so we'll shoot for that.
On if getting the plays for the game earlier in the week would be beneficial…
That could be a big help just for guys studying during the week and knowing exactly what to expect. That's good. That's always nice to know, what's coming, but we usually have a pretty good idea. It's one of those things where there's no other way to explain it last week other than we got beat.
It doesn't mean change everything. There's things to fix and there's things you can improve on, but I'm not dropping back different and I'm not throwing the ball any different. I'm going to make better decisions. I think all of us are just going to play better. Each guy is going to look inside, figure out, "OK, what did I do wrong? I'm going to fix it." There's no way we're going to change everything that we do. We still have a good plan that's worked for nine wins, so we'll be just fine.
On if he received the plays for the game earlier this week than normal…
No, we pretty much got them the same. It's a Monday night game, so the quarterbacks got the plan last night. Everybody else got them today like a normal Wednesday.
On how they can make sure that Monday's game doesn't carry over…
I think the guys know what's at stake here. These last four games are important and it starts with this one. All you can do after a tough loss is come back the next week. In this league, you have to bounce back quick. You have to let wins go. You have to let losses go, and this team has an uncanny ability to bounce back from tough losses. We're prepared for it. I know it. You just hate that feeling after a game like that and you never want it to happen again. Guys will remember that in their preparation and when we're playing this Sunday.
On if he has noticed his personal ability to play well after losses…
I don't know, you just never want to go out and have a performance like I did last week. You do everything you can the next week to fight it and then it's a matter of repeating that good performance over and over. That's sometimes the toughest thing, bouncing back after a tough game, that's kind of expected. You're supposed to, but keeping it going over a long period of time, staying consistent, I think that's one of the toughest thing. We'll bounce back this week and keep it going.
On trying to get better every week…
Every week, it has to be something new in your focus. It could be something that you're even doing pretty well, that you want to fine-tune a little bit. You make a mistake in a game you win, but you really want to clean something up, your footwork, your ball fakes, something like getting the calls out quicker, cleaner, signals, everything. Each week it's a tiny, tiny detail of your game that you have to get better, even in wins.
On what he is trying to get better at this week…
After a big loss like that, a tough loss, it's always fundamentals: decision-making, accuracy, footwork. Those three right there, that and a good week of prep, it'll set you free on game day.
On when he watched the tape of the New England game…
The next morning, Tuesday morning.
On his reaction to the film of the New England game…
We just go over the plays, what we were thinking, what you think you saw on the field and then what happened in the game and if it matched up perfectly or not. There were a couple of things that I saw on the field that didn't quite match up to what really happened. It's just a matter of trusting your eyes, getting enough air out under the ball, like on the pick to Braylon [Edwards]. Sometimes, guys make pretty good plays, like Spikes on the goal line. The guy got up pretty high and made a good play. Then the last one, just a desperation-type throw.
It's good to kind of talk about it that way and get to the truth of it. That's what those meetings with Schotty, Coach Cav, the other quarterbacks are for. If you stand around it too long and never quite get to it the right way, you'll never quite fix it. When you know, "'Hey, look, he made a good play. I have to throw the ball farther on the deep balls. You can't throw a desperation interception when we don't need it. I don't care how many points you're down, you don't do it." That's it. That's the truth of what happened and you move on.
On if he thinks he has to play better for this team to accomplish their goals…
These turnovers need to get cut down. There's no two ways about it, just better decisions sometimes. Accuracy in tough weather is going to be important. Accuracy in this league is really at a premium. Then we have to convert on third-down. We're killing ourselves on third-down at times. That's me throwing the ball better, making the right decision and being more accurate. It's a combination of things, but we need to play mistake-free, that's for sure.
On if he makes any cold-weather adjustments…
Just with what you wear. Other than that, feeling good. Today was pretty chilly, so we'll be prepped for a cold game.
On not wearing a glove on his throwing hand in cold weather…
I've never thrown with a glove on my right hand. I don't know, I just like the feel of the football in your palm and all that, so it's just not really my thing. I haven't tried it, don't really want to. I'm more of a regular, no glove [guy].
On if the cold weather still affects him…
I felt good this past game. It just wasn't our night. I'm not shy about it. I felt good today in practice, threw the ball really well. No, I'm confident in cold weather, definitely.
