Ted Larsen – September 13, 2018
Thursday, September 13, 2018
C/G Ted Larsen
(Do you change at all anyway that you prepare when you work with the first team?) – “You just get more reps. It makes it a little easier. If you’re a backup, you don’t really get to work on that stuff that week. If you get a few extra reps, then you just get a little more preparation. It only helps you.”
(You’re facing a Jets team with a 3-4 defense, how do you feel this line is built for that scheme?) – “Half the teams in the NFL are 3-4, so it’s something you see a lot. (Jets Head Coach) Todd Bowles was the defensive coordinator when I was in Arizona, so I went against that defense quite a bit. It is what it is, really.”
(What’s the biggest challenge when you do face a 3-4?) – “They’ve got some talented guys, a lot of first-round picks (like) ‘92’ (Leonard Williams) and they play hard. They’re playing well, so it’s just another challenge for us.”
Daniel Kilgore – September 13, 2018
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Thursday, September 13, 2018
C Daniel Kilgore
(Does it mean even more to be a captain the fact that you are a new guy here?) – “Absolutely. When I first got traded, I had no idea what to expect. It’s new for me. I’ve never been a captain before. It’s always been an older guy or the most paid guy. It’s crazy; but again, I accept it, I love it, I’m proud of it and it’s an honor. It doesn’t change anything for me though. I just keep coming to work each day and put my head down and go to work.”
(Off the field, how much sleep are you getting these days with a newborn?) – “My baby girl, she’s keeping us up; but it’s good. I’ve got a good support team, so I’m getting my sleep.”
(How did it feel going into your first game right after your daughter was born? Has it changed perspective or anything like that at all?) – “It was definitely a huge weight off my shoulders. First and foremost, I want to make sure my wife was okay and then make sure we had everything in place for me to allow the baby to be born, my wife will be taken care of and change my train of thought back towards the game. Family first, obviously, so you’ve got to make sure she’s okay. It was good to get it – I don’t want to say out of the way – but it was good to have my daughter arrive before the game so I was able to focus on the game only and then was able to get to her after the game. It was good.”
(Did they end up inducing?) – “Yes, they ended up inducing and everybody was good. The mother is good – my wife is good – my daughter is good. The baby is doing well. She’s supposed to eat, sleep and poop. That’s it. (laughter)”
DeVante Parker – September 13, 2018
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Thursday, September 13, 2018
WR DeVante Parker
(Coach Adam Gase sounded optimistic today about Sunday. Do you intend to play?) – “I’m feeling pretty good. During practice today it felt good. We’ll see what happens then.”
(You’ve had some bad luck with injuries over the years. Have you felt with this latest one ‘why does this keep happening to me?’) – “I just think everything happens for a reason. Unfortunately, it always happens to me; but, I’m just ready to get back out there with my teammates and get going again.”
(Will you have to play with your fingers taped or anything?) – “Yes. I’m going to have to have my fingers taped. Just to secure it, to help it feel right.”
(How’s that felt? Taking the impact of the ball? Not the physical impact of it hitting the finger, but also being able to catch with the fingers taped together?) – “It feels good. (It’s) nothing at all. It feels good.”
(It was a freaky thing that happened, you got it stuck. You were in practice with CB Xavien Howard on you right? Did it get stuck in yours or his pads, where did it get stuck?) – “I’m not sure where it got stuck. Either his or mine. All I know is when I got up, my finger was bent the other direction.”
(How eager do you feel to make a statement about what you’re capable of this year? I know it’s team goals first; but do you feel from a personal standpoint ‘I want to show everyone what I can do?’) – “I just want to go out there and prove to myself and make my family proud, and go out there and do what I need to do to get the job done.”
(You said that you feel like this always happens to you. How have you dealt with it this time when it comes right in the middle of August when you feel like things are progressing pretty well at the time?) – “I just … People text me like my aunt and keep checking on me to see how I’m doing. I’m just trying find a way to get through it and just keep doing my rehab.”
(Is there anything that gives you a chip on your shoulders? I know some professional athletes sort of seize on that, maybe people doubting them. Do you listen to that stuff, do you seize on that at all as far as having a chip?) – “I don’t listen to it. I see it but I just keep going and do what I need to do. (I) just try to ignore it, all of the negative energy.”
(Did you have to change the way you catch with the pad?) – “No, I catch the exact same.”
(What hand are you?) – “Left.”
(We’ve seen some plays with you, where you’ve been able to go up strong with both hands to make contested catches. How much is that something that’s been emphasized to you by (Wide Receivers Coach) Ben Johnson, by (Head Coach) Adam (Gase), by (Assistant Head Coach/Offense) Shawn (Jefferson) in the past. Is that a mentality you have, that I need to go up for every contested ball with two hands?) – “Yes, that’s coming from them; but also I‘ve been doing that for a while. I’m going to keep doing that. It’s better to attack the ball than let it come down to you and give the defender a chance to make a play on it.”
(Would you have played last week if they’d let you?) – “No, probably not.”
(There was no way to do that?) – “No, probably not.”
(Getting chemistry back with QB Ryan Tannehill obviously with him missing last year and you missing some time now. Where is that with the two of you right now?) – “The chemistry is still the same. It doesn’t go anywhere.”
Frank Gore – September 13, 2018
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Thursday, September 13, 2018
RB Frank Gore
(What would it mean to just move up one notch and become that fourth all-time leading rusher?) – “That’s big, especially with how my career was coming out of college. The knee injuries and hearing what a lot of people say I’d be in the league two or three years and be done and I’m still playing. So that would be big; but my main goal is to go out there and try to have some success to help this team win a game.”
(You grew up here, you know about the Jets-Dolphins rivalry. What does that mean? How special is that?) – “It’s real special, but it’s a game that you want to win. It’s a divisional game. Watching film on them, they’re a good team. They’re a good defense. They’ve got a young quarterback who played great in his first game and now he’ll be playing his first game at home, so we’re just trying to go up there and get a win.”
(What’s it like when you’re in a hostile environment like that? Either you made a great play or your teammate, to silence a home crowd …) – “That’s the main thing, to just go out there and whenever or whoever has the opportunity to make a play, make it. That’d be better for us.”
Adam Gase – September 13, 2018
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Thursday, September 13, 2018
Head Coach Adam Gase
(Reading through the conference call and you were talking about how physical the Jets and the fact they don’t really get sacks but they get pressures, how much of that is the 3-4 scheme that they use as opposed to the body types?) – “I mean, that one game … I’m only going off of one game here where statistically they didn’t have any sacks. They have in the past. When they do play base defense, they get great push. They collapse (the pocket). A lot of times there’s five guys rushing – two guys off the edge and then three interior guys – and they can collapse it very quickly. They do a good job of keeping the quarterback in the pocket, so it makes it tough to throw a lot of the shorter throws, the intermediate game, because the quarterback’s vision (is obscured and) it’s tough. They are very disruptive. And then when they go with their nickel packages, they have a large variety of just straight rushes or exotic sets that cause problems.”
(Generally, how many games does it take to know, okay, this is what I’m working with?) – “Probably that first quarter (of the season). If you stay healthy, you have a good idea who you are and really what you can lean on and what you need to stay away from. I do think it takes some games and some different defenses you’ve played to kind of figure out who can handle what.”
(Do you have any update on G Josh Sitton?) – “I do not. I think I’ll know this afternoon or this evening.”
(How has WR DeVante Parker reacted to just the impact of the ball hitting his hand?) – “He seems fine. I think he’s itching to play. We went through today and he got involved in team reps. Now it’s just me going in and asking (Head Athletic Trainer) Kyle (Johnston), ‘Okay, what was the reaction?’ He hasn’t complained about anything. He’s been aggressive to get out there and catch as many balls as possible. He did a good job of staying in shape. Running-wise, he’s good. I’ve just got to get the info from Kyle.”
(Is that an injury that WR DeVante Parker can re-injure?) – “That was one of my first questions, and it sounds like the fact that we’ve let it go as far as we did – the healing process – that he should be strong.”
(How much do you think WR DeVante Parker wants to play this game because he’s trying to get rid of this injury-prone label?) – “I don’t know if it’s so much that. I think he’s just excited to get going. When you don’t play that first game, you’re kind of itching to get to that first one. I know when he tells me that he’s ready to go and he wants to go, when he’s that emphatic about it, that’s a good sign for us.”
(Late last game, defensively, you switched things up a little bit. CB Torry McTyer was on the boundary, CB Bobby McCain in the slot and S Minkah Fitzpatrick back at safety. For one possession, how much information can you get from that, and how might you apply it in the future?) – “The way we look at it is we rotate those guys a lot in practice anyways and being able to get them going in a live game and just moving guys around … You have to look at it as games are an extension of what we’re doing every day. We’re going to sometimes do some things that maybe we haven’t done in games before and put guys in different positions. You’re always just trying to figure out who are your best 11 and how do they all work together, because at some point, that group might have to be out there if something ever happened to a guy. We have to kind of really work that angle, especially in live games, to get a good feel with each other.”
(If C/G Ted Larsen has to play this week or in the future, what should we know about your comfort level with Ted Larsen?) – “That’s why he’s here. I mean, he started for us last year. That hurt us last year when he got hurt. That was a big loss for us. We had to shuffle a lot of pieces around because we had so many reps with him. Him going in, that was the main reason that we wanted him on this team was if something ever happened to anybody and he went in the game, we were really comfortable with that because we feel like he is probably a starter at a lot of different places and we’re lucky enough to have him here.”
(Both C/G Ted Larsen and G/T Jesse Davis have position flexibility. You like Jesse on the right side?) – “Yes, I mean, we’re not going to go through all this time and move Jesse all of a sudden. Plus, the more I’ve kind of been around this group, that relationship – that guard-tackle relationship – is important.”
(With the captains, the guys had ‘Cs’ on their jersey. I’m assuming they’re permanent captains?) – “Mhm.”
(What roles do captains have in terms of what your expectations are?) – “I think for us, it’s really we’re all delivering the same message. Those guys are vocal guys and they’re the type of guys that they take pride in their group and what side of the ball they are, whether it’s offense, defense or special teams. That’s really what we’re looking for. We’re looking for those guys that’ll step up when things get tough and things aren’t quite going the way (we expect). Who’s going to step up and who’s going to be a guy not only to play well but to be vocal as well?”
(Who chose the captains?) – “Don’t worry about it. (laughter)”
(Did you pick them?) – “I did. I picked them.”
(When it comes to these rivalry games, what do you tell, if anything, the rookies, the first-year players, on what to expect going into a place like MetLife Stadium?) – “Nothing. It’s another team. Division games, no matter who you’re playing, it amps up because everybody knows it’s one of two. You almost feel like each division game, it almost feels like it’s either two wins or two losses. That’s the added little bit of intensity that occurs in a division game.”
(You usually vote captains.) – “Right. I changed it this year.”
(Why?) – “Because I wanted to.
(The thought process?) – “Voices told me to do it, so … (laughter).”
(Was there any push-back from the players that they didn’t pick it?) – “Not that I heard.”
Adam Gase – September 12, 2018 (Conference Call)
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Wednesday, September 12, 2018
Head Coach Adam Gase Conference Call with N.Y. Jets Media
(You look at what the Jets were able to do on Monday night, what kind of challenge do you think it’s going to be for you coming into their home opener on Sunday?) – “Obviously, all three phases did a great job. That poses a tough challenge for us. Really, almost every time we play these guys, I think we’ve only had a couple games where one side dominated the other. Two of the games have been tight and competitive and very physical. Early in the season, I’d bet on a tough, physical game.”
(What are your initial impressions of what you saw from Jets QB Sam Darnold the other night?) – “I thought he did a good job. I thought (Offensive Coordinator/QBs Coach) Jeremy (Bates) did a good job of calling the game. He put him in great position. Guys were springing free; guys were where they’re supposed to be. That’s a rookie quarterback’s best friend right there where you get to (progression) number one and he’s open and you’re able to make a good throw. They did a good job (with) the run-pass ratio, all of those type of things. They really did a good job of helping him be in a good position and then allowing him to just keep gaining confidence. When you do that for a rookie quarterback, he’s only going to keep … He’ll keep getting better from there.”
(What did you see from the defense. Obviously, forcing five turnovers off a quarterback like Lions QB Matthew Stafford, what went into those turnovers?) – “When you’ve got a defense that plays as fast as they do, as physical as they do, they create pressure on the quarterback. It might not always be about sacks; it’s really about pass disruption. And when you make the quarterback throw the ball earlier or get them to where he’s off-balance and he tries to force the throw where his feet aren’t set, that’s when turnovers occur. That’s what these guys do. They create a lot more pressure than what anybody really realizes, because everybody always just wants to look at sacks and it’s not always about that. It’s about how many times you’re hitting the quarterback, how many times are you creating pressure, how many times are you making him move out of the pocket. They basically did that the entire game.”
(Do you see a significant amount more of team speed out of the Jets than you recall previously?) – “It felt like they were pretty fast last year when we played them and I know they were young. There were a lot of rookies that – if I remember correctly – were playing. I think we got them when our turf was a little soft. That might’ve slowed them down a little bit; but when we played up there, those guys were flying around making plays, causing chaos. I feel like you see that on film and now it’s more experience. One season for an NFL player, that feels like five, because when you see all the things you see week in and week out, if you’re a learner, you gain experience quickly. This group, these guys, they understand what Todd (Bowles) is asking them to do. Those guys are executing and they’re playing fast.”
(Speaking of that, specifically on S Jamal Adams, he seems to fit into what you just talked about a little bit there. He was a rookie last year. Can you see a jump in what you see in him from last year to this year?) – “Well, he was good last year. He was tough from the first time we played him. I think we got him in their third game. When we saw him the second time, he was causing us all kinds of problems. You can see it on tape. When they bring him off the edge, he is physical, he’s aggressive, he’s really good in coverage, he gets his hands on anybody that he has to go against in the passing game, he’s in the right spots in the zone coverages. You can see where this guy is headed as far as long-term career, to where he’s going to be one of those guys we’re going to be talking about for a long time. He’s an impressive guy to watch; he’s a fun guy to watch. He’s a tough guy to play against, but that’s one of the main reasons why a whole bunch of people wanted him coming out of the draft.”
(How much of a handle can you get on your team coming off that game just because the game flow was so disruptive and unusual?) – “The way I look at it is the positive was our guys did a good job of staying engaged. There was quite a bit of down time. That was a long day. We get there at 9:30 (a.m.) and leave around 9 (p.m.). There was a lot of sitting around. I thought guys did a good job of focusing and really staying engaged in what we were trying to accomplish. When things didn’t go well, guys weren’t going into the tank. It was just, ‘Alright, what’s the next series? How do we correct it?’ There was that … Really the progression you’re always looking for within a game to where you’re not getting hung up on what just happened. You’re trying to figure out what’s going to be next and how are we going to make sure that we do it right.”
(Do you think another one of your guys, WR Kenny Stills – obviously had a decent game statistically and I know you said you wanted to get him more involved in maybe shorter, intermediate stuff moving forward – but did you see this potential in him a year ago?) – “Yes. He has always been one of our stronger players. He’s probably been our most consistent receiver we’ve had over the last three seasons since I’ve been here. He’s a tough guy to defend because he plays all the different spots. He could be in the slot, he could be number three in three receiver sets, he could be outside. He has a large route tree and it’s really about do we have the amount of plays within a game that he gets an opportunity to do a lot of different routes. Sometimes there are situation predication in that. Everything that we’ve asked him to do, he’s executed at a very high level. He’s been one of the guys that’s been very impactful for us.”
(Are you at least a little bit surprised that RB Frank Gore is still a productive player at his age given his position?) – “No. Never bet against Frank. Never bet against that guy. I learned that a long time ago.”
(He’s highly unusual though given that running backs typically fall off the cliff at 30, 31 and he’s what, 35 now?) – “He’s not normal. He’s different. He’s built different. He’s mentally built different. He’s a special person. He’s a special player. If you watched him work day in and day out, it would make sense.”
(What do you like about WR Quincy Enunwa. He’s a guy that can do a lot of different things on the field. He’s obviously a very diverse player; but as an opponent, what do you think of him when you try to game plan for him?) – “When you’re dealing with multiple guys within an offense, and I know a lot of people outside – you guys know, because you cover these guys every day – but when we’re in the division, we’re aware of who we’re going against and guys that cause us problems and that’s where we have to do a good job of using what we’ve talked about to defend these guys. We feel like they have multiple weapons that can cause us problems and he’s one of the big ones to where mismatches can be created there. We have to understand where he is and what we’re doing and how we’re defending him and other guys. That’s where our weekly preparation comes in and our guys understanding what we’re trying to accomplish in that game.”
(How challenging is it to have … I know you got an opportunity to see this scheme twice last year in the division with Buffalo, but how challenging is it defending the zone-blocking run game?) – “That’s something that we also do it. I’ve actually worked with ‘Rico’ (Jets Offensive Line Coach/Run Game Coordinator Rick Dennison) before in Denver. So, I’ve had my tutorial on that over time. When you do it right and you have guys that are 100 percent in, believe in it, and players believe in it, that’s when it’s really good. When you have a back that understands what’s trying to be accomplished and he sticks his foot in the ground and he knows when to get vertical and knows when to stay with it and have a chance for the edge, that’s where you start seeing those explosive plays. We went through it a couple years ago. We were having a lot of success with it and it was almost a feast or famine type deal for us where it would be either 20 (yards) or minus-5. The good ones I’ve been around, it’s really – and ‘Rico’ has experienced this – to where he doesn’t have the negative yardage. That’s when you know you’re really rolling when it’s at least positive yardage but then you start really gashing a team and creating explosive plays in the run game. It just opens up so much more in the passing game as well, because now all of a sudden you’re using the outside zone fakes and all the linebackers are up at the line and you’re getting easy, layup passes, and especially when you have a young quarterback, that’s what you’re looking for.”
Minkah Fitzpatrick – September 12, 2018
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Wednesday, September 12, 2018
S Minkah Fitzpatrick
(Were you nervous before your first game or were you pretty chill?) – “No. I wouldn’t say I was chill, but I wouldn’t say I was nervous. I was just really excited. I was just running through all of the plays through my mind, trying to envision everything, trying to get myself into game mode but not get too hyped up or too low. I was just trying to have fun with it and not try to overthink it.”
(How did you feel after that goal-line stand tackle you made?) – “It was awesome. I made my first big play in the NFL. You dream about those moments. Just seeing my teammates and the whole crowd go crazy, it was awesome. It’s definitely something I won’t forget.”
(How did it feel on Monday? Did the guys go crazy when they showed it?) – “We watched it today. We didn’t have film on Monday. We watched it today. It was good. Everybody was just saying ‘good job rook’ and we kept it moving.”
(That was one play that you did watch though?) – “Yes, I watched that. (laughter)”
(How did you feel about Jets QB Sam Darnold on tape? What did you see about this rookie himself?) – “He’s a good player. I played against him back in college. I’ve watched him play other games. He’s a great quarterback. He was drafted high for a reason. The Jets picked him for a reason and they have him starting for a reason. It’s a big challenge for us, but we just have to do our job.”
(What are QB Sam Darnold’s strengths? Is it because he can roll out both sides, that he can roll out and throw on the run?) – “He has a lot of strengths. He puts the the ball into good windows. He is smart with the ball. He’s not going to try to force throws. He’s going to check it down. He’s going to be smart with it. He’s going to try to manage the game. He’s not going to just try to get chunk plays. He’s going to try to dink and dunk and move down the field.”
(What do you remember about the time you played against QB Sam Darnold in college?) – “It was quick. We played them I think my sophomore year. He wasn’t even starting at the time. He came in in like the third or fourth quarter. I only played against him like one or two series. He did a pretty good job. We were up high on them. Just watching him out there, you could tell that he was talented. Then the next season, you all saw what he did and it just kind of made him who is was.”
(Did you spend some time with QB Sam Darnold during the draft?) – “No, not really.”
(You guys were both there, right?) – “Yes.”
(They say he’s the next Joe Namath. Have you heard of Joe Namath?) – “Yes. (laugheer)”
(What can you tell us about QB Joe Namath?) – “He was a great quarterback. That’s all I can tell you. (laughter)”
(It’s the first Jets home game. They are going to be rabid. Can you draw going to Auburn as to what that must be like?) – “It’s going to be awesome for me because I kind of grew up in that environment – in the Jets, Giants, Philly, all of them just being … Just everybody loving the game up there and the passion that everybody plays with. Just going back there, I know what I’m walking into. I know how crazy and wild it’s going to be. You can’t compare it to an Auburn or Alabama type of intensity. They love the game up there, they’re crazy about it and they are really passionate about the sport.”
(What team did you grow up rooting for?) – “Philly. I was a Philly fan.”
(Did you go to a lot of games at the Meadowlands as a spectator?) – “No, I never … My first NFL game was the first one I played in. I played in MetLife (Stadium) though in high school. We had our state championships there.”
(What did you think of your first NFL game?) – “It was good. It was a whole lot of fun.”
(It was kind of long right?) – “Just a little bit, just a little bit. I’m definitely not going to forget it, whether the length of the game, or just being my first NFL game. It was a whole lot of fun.”
(Will the butterflies be different this week?) – “I wasn’t really nervous. I didn’t really have any butterflies. I was just excited, just thinking about doing my job. I was really soaking it all in and enjoying the entire moment.”
Ryan Tannehill – September 12, 2018
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Wednesday, September 12, 2018
QB Ryan Tannehill
(What prompted you to – as we read in Peter King – gather all of your teammates and on a day off, bring them all in? And the fact that it seemed to be unanimous that they all came. What does it say about this meeting, about them and you all as a group?) – “It says a lot about the guys we have and how guys want to get better. We’re early in the season. (Head Coach) Adam (Gase) threw us a bone, giving us some time off, some time away, after a long, long Sunday; but we knew as a team, as a group, that we needed to be able to learn from that film. There were a lot of mistakes that were made, left a lot on the field and with the way the season is set up, if you don’t get that tape in on Monday, you don’t have time for it Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. You want to move on to the next game. We just wanted to make sure we would learn from the tape and the guys did a good job of coming in and being engaged and growing as a unit.”
(What does this say about team culture? Were there guys in the past that would have resisted something like that?) – “I don’t know. It means we have good guys in the room now and guys that are hungry to be great. We’re not where we want to be yet, but we’re on the right path and we’ve established the habits that are going to take us there.”
(The Jets after their win, some of the defensive players were talking about knowing the signals for the Lions. How do you guys prevent that from happening to you?) – “We have to be clean in our communication, whether that’s changing the signals, making sure we’re clean with our signals – a huddle. There’s going to be all types of different ways that we battle that. It comes down to us and the way we communicate and doing it in a way where we feel good about where we’re at.”
(Is it an inconvenience? Does it mess up the process in any way?) – “I don’t think it messes up anything. Obviously we’ll take a little time to go over what we have and make some adjustments, but I wouldn’t say it detracts from anything.”
(Did you watch the Jets game Monday?) – “Yes, I did. I watched it live with my wife and then obviously came in and watched the tape from … whatever you call it, the All-22 view or whatever. Yes, it was an exciting game. It started close and then the Jets really turned it on there in the second half and went on that run where they scored I think 21 points in like three minutes or something like that. I have a ton of respect for this team. The defense played really fast. I think that’s something that jumped out at me on tape. They played fast the whole game. Even when it was tight early on, their team speed and the way they were playing was just fast all around. It’s definitely something that we respect and have to be prepared for.”
(What did you think of Jets QB Sam Darnold?) – “He responded well. Obviously the first play … but the way he responded was admirable. You definitely respect how he bounced back from that and found a way to lead his team and get a W.”
(To have to go on the road in the first weekand have a pick-six on your first pass and come back and put 48 on the board, that’s pretty impressive.) – “Yes, definitely. I thought he did a good job.”
(What would you tell your rookie self if you could go back in time right now?) – “That would be a lot, a lot more than I can tell you right now. You learn so much over the course of your career. (I’m in) Year 7 now. If I knew then what I know now, I think that’s how everyone feels. You just kind of have to go through the process and take the lumps along the way, but it’s definitely a growing process.”
(Physically, you were fine after that game? It was your first full game in 20 months.) – “Yes. I thought the offensive line did a great job throughout the game. I had a really clean pocket for most of the game. It gave me time to go through my reads and make a couple of downfield throws, especially the long one, the touchdown to Kenny (Stills). Going back and looking at the tape, there’s no one around me. When you have a clean pocket like that, it makes playing quarterback a lot easier and delivering the football a lot easier. A lot of respect and props for my guys up front and how they protected me.”
(Obviously you’ve played in this rivalry many times. What is different about playing the Jets?) – “It’s always an exciting time. I feel like all division games have that extra buzz around them; but I feel like when we play the Jets, it’s always turned up just a little bit more. I don’t know what makes it that way or why it’s that way. Maybe it’s just the competitiveness of the games, but there always is an energy that goes with playing against the Jets.”
(How do you feel about playing at MetLife Stadium? Do you love playing up there? The fans are always on top of you and obviously want to see the Jets win.) – “I like playing on the road no matter where it is. Just the hostility of the environment, the feeling that you’re kind of alone as a team. You really have to kind of stick together, anchor down, feed off the crowd as much as you can even though they’re rooting against you, and be clean. It really tests you on your communication, on trusting the guy next to you because you can’t hear everything that one another is saying, right? You have to be clean in everything, whether it’s a signal or communication outside, communication up front with the offensive line. Everything has to be clean, so it really is a good test anytime you go on the road and there’s nothing better than getting a win on the road.”
(If you’re in front of a rabid crowd, what’s it like to silence that crowd?) – “That’s the best. When you get a win on the road and you get to feel the energy zap out of an entire stadium with 70-80,000 people, and you can just feel the energy drop out of the whole stadium, it’s the best feeling.”
(You know Jets Defensive Coordinator Kacy Rodgers from his time here and obviously Jets Head coach Todd Bowles and that defense. What is it about them that makes life for a quarterback difficult?) – “They show you a lot of looks. They do a good job of mixing things up up front. They play physical within the box. Then you add ‘33’ (Jamal Adams) who they added on last year, who’s a strong, physical, fast player. He generates a lot of pressure from the edge, does a good job whether it’s rushing tight ends, rushing backs, finding a way to get around the edge and be disruptive. They do a good job of matching their personnel with their pressures and giving you a bunch of different looks. Third down, I feel like there’s always something you haven’t seen on tape. They’re going to mix it up, do something you’re not prepared for and see how you respond. As a unit, we have to know our roles and be clean on how we respond to that.”
(If WR DeVante Parker is able to play this week, what element does he add to this offense?) – “We’ve seen what DeVante can do over the years. I think he’s obviously a big, strong, physical target. I don’t know if he’s going to play or not. We haven’t even discussed that. But any time he’s in the game, you feel good about having a physical, strong target at the ‘X’ spot that can go up and make plays for you.”
(Do you need time, I guess? Because you worked with WR DeVante Parker so much in the spring? Or do you he’ll just pick up where he left off?) – “Obviously he’s going to need to practice before he plays; but, yes, I’ve had a lot of time with him over the course of the last four years. Whenever he’s able to hop in, I feel like we can kind of just pick up where we left off.”
(Defensive Coordinator Matt Burke is game-planning against a guy who is making his second start in the NFL. Do you recall your rookie year where defenses were disguising things and what was it like your first few games? Were they trying to trick you at all?) – “I don’t know that any more of that goes into it. Maybe a little bit more pressure. I don’t think teams are going to do something that they don’t do. If they’re a pressure team that’s going to mix a bunch of looks, then that’s what they’re going to do. I don’t think you’re going to see a team that plays 5-match and Cover 2 and then all of a sudden they’re going to bring crazy blitz zones and play Cover 0. I think teams are who they are, maybe a little more one way than the other; but at the end of the day, you’ve got to be who you are and be good at it.”
(You mentioned picking up where you left off and you and WR Kenny Stills, clearly picked up where you left off from in 2016. Why is it with all the things that he can do, why not throw him the ball more? He’s like a four-target-a-game guy; can he be a seven-target-a-game guy?) – “Yes, Kenny can do a lot for us. Some of that is just kind of finding the spot in the game for that play. Obviously there were other calls in the game where we tried to get the ball downfield to him and didn’t get the right coverage. So you kind of play the game of biding time and waiting for the opportunity to take your shot. You can’t force those things to happen. You make the call to try to get the shot and if you don’t get the right coverage, then you have to be smart with the football and find the adjustment and go to two or three. Yes, sometimes it’s frustrating where you get those calls early in the game and you want to hit the home run, you want to get that touchdown, but you don’t get what you’re looking for. So you have to have the discipline in order to come down and take the completion and get ready to go for the next time and get another opportunity.”
(What was it like to play receiver on Sunday?) – “Not even a snap. (laughter) What was that, about three seconds? That was uneventful, I guess you could say. (laughter)”
(Do you have an NFL catch?) – “I don’t think so. (Oh) yes, I do. I do. Jarvis (Landry) threw me one back in Buffalo. I forget what year it was. We ran like a little reverse pass. It should have been a touchdown, but he threw it behind me. Spoken like a true receiver, right? (laughter)”
(You put something on social media about social justice. What message do you want to get across?) – “Yes, my friend Miles (McPherson) wrote that book. Social injustice is just a big topic these days with racial inequality and I believe that there is an issue in our country that people need to be aware of and conscious of. I think it’s a good read and you can get a take on his view of it.”
