JETS HEAD COACH REX RYANRR:
I think you have to give New England a ton of credit. They're a heck of a football team. We made too many mistakes to beat them. I will say I'm proud of my team. We had an opportunity to win the game, unfortunately [we] didn't get it done. We kept fighting. This is a tough place to play, a tough opponent to play and we were right there. We had our opportunities but didn't get it done. Obviously you have to give credit to the opponent and they are a good football team. It's unfortunate to come out of here on the short end of the stick. But, we have an excellent football team, we just have to regroup again and have at it next week.
Q: Can you talk a little bit about that turnover that didn't go in favor of the Jets in the third quarter and New England ended up scoring?
RR: They certainly did. Obviously we've got to play better defense than that. Going down the field they made some big plays against us. The call was turned over, so you've just got to get them stopped. It's unfortunate. We did a great job up until that point and then the goal line, we worked it, it's a tough out. But it's unfortunate that they executed it. We had practiced the same exact play, and we had worked it hard, but they out-executed us on that particular play.
Q: Did you think it was a fumble?
RR: Doesn't matter what I think.
Q: Do you feel like you helped them with some of the mistakes you made?
RR: Yeah, I'd say so. They returned a kick for a touchdown, but obviously you have to give them credit. Their kid made the run, they made the blocks and safety. Usually that's a nine-point swing – I was proud of the effort of the defense, I believe they were three-and-out [and] we never gave up any points there. I think that was strong, it kept us in the game. Our guys kept fighting; we just fell a little short.
Q: What happened on the safety?
RR: I think it was [Vince] Wilfork that did a great job that got penetration in the backfield. It looked like we just got the hand-off and he hit us immediately, so it was a great play on his part.
Q: Do you have any way explaining the swings with Mark Sanchez? He was up and down throughout the game.
RR: I think you have to give your opponent credit when those things happen. I thought he played a good football game against an excellent opponent, but obviously overall, at the end of the day they out-executed us. That's all I can say about it.
Q: What do you think about that first pass in the first half with Stephen Hill wide open in the right corner at the goal line and Mark Sanchez under-threw him?
RR: Well I'd say he under-threw him. It looked like the ball never came out of his hand great. I knew that the wind was pretty strong in that end zone. I think he obviously never put enough under it. Hey, we had opportunities to intercept one of his [Tom Brady], unfortunately we never did. We knew it was going to be a dog fight, there's no question about it. It stinks being on this end of it.
Q: Stephen Hill has struggled a little bit since training camp with drops. The one in the fourth quarter could have given you a first down. With a young player, how do you handle it?
RR: You'll do everything. He'll get on the JUGS machine. I know one thing about Steven Hill: he's a hard working kid. There's no question about it. He's only going to get better. He made some nice catches in that game. It's unfortunate. I think he was trying to make a big play and so many times when that happens you've got to catch that ball first, then worry about making the run after the catch. It looked like he had a lot of room afterwards. It's just unfortunate that you had to do the first thing. You have to do Point 'A' before you get to Point 'B.'
Q: Right when you kicked the go-ahead field goal, you left them with about 90 seconds. If you had to do it again, would you have taken a shot at going for it?
RR: I think in hindsight being the fact that we lost the game, you'd try anything. But at the time, we did try to throw it. On third down, we thought we could make a play but unfortunately they ended up making a good play.
Q: When they got the ball back after the go-ahead field goal, were you in a prevent defense? What are you doing with the defense at that point?
RR: Well, they'd been doing a good job when we were playing a lot of man coverage. They did a good job, they popped some screens on us and things. So, we did try to play some zone on them. But it wasn't necessarily a prevent; we'd been playing it a lot of those calls the majority of the game. The kid just stuck one in there, [Rob] Gronkowski got open and they made a couple big plays with us.
Q: Did you have a problem with the Brandon Spikes hit on Shonn Greene, it looked like you were a little animated.
RR: One thing I'll say – it's all about the players.
Q: Is there anything about this game that will give your team confidence since you went toe-to-toe with a team that's very tough to beat up here?
RR: Look, we're going to go toe-to-toe with anybody. We have confidence in ourselves. Maybe the outside will have more confidence in us, but we have plenty of confidence in ourselves.
Q: There's a lot of talk about the Patriots and the up-tempo with substitution issues. Did that come up at all?
RR: No, I think that the officiating crew did a great job with that.
Q: The last two drives Tom Brady looked his best. Defensively, can you talk about what happened during the last two drives the Patriots had?
RR: This kid's been doing it, you know…he'll probably go down as one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the game. We're not the first team he's ever done that against, so you have to give him credit obviously. They did a great job. They had a lot of weapons. Some of their guys got open. But we had our best out, I wish we had a few things back, but you have to give them credit. They made the plays at the end and in particular Brady.
Q: Did you have a good look at Kyle Wilson's defensive pass interference?
RR: No, I never got a good look at it.
Q: What about Shonn Greene and Jeff Cumberland health-wise?
RR: I'm not real sure where they are. I think Shonn was playing at the end of the game, hopefully he's OK. Jeff I'm not sure of.
JETS QB MARK SANCHEZ
Q: What happened to your left hand?
MS: I just got a jammed finger, nothing bad.
Q: Was this loss more difficult because you came so close?
MS: It stings. It just really stings. We play hard throughout whole game and we had some opportunities in the red zone and it's – we said it earlier in the week – you can't kick field goals against this team. You've got to get seven points and we came up short a couple of times and missed some opportunities, but I was proud of the way our defense kept us in it and our special teams other than one play kept us in it. We came up with a turnover later in that kick return, so we really had some opportunities and it was too bad. In the third down there that we almost had to Stephen [Hill], so overall just a great effort by our guys and that's the way some of these games go – they go down to the wire and you don't end up on top, but I'm proud of our effort and we'll just have to clean it up a little bit and keep fighting.
Q: Talk about the last play there. Can you break that down?
MS: Sure, we got pressure inside and I didn't feel [Rob] Ninkovich on the outside – he came in and made a great play when I was trying to get rid of the ball. It's too bad when you don't see that guy coming.
Q: Is that when you hurt your hand?
MS: No. It was earlier in the game.
Q: After you recovered the kick off, did you think, 'Okay, the momentum is going our way now?'
MS: We were real close. Things were looking good. We had a chance there and still our defense did their part by just holding them to a field goal and giving us an opportunity to go score. We went back and forth and just came up a little short.
Q: The interception in the first half…
MS: Yeah, it was just a little late. I've just got to get rid of the ball sooner and give Stephen [Hill] a chance; I tried a little too hard there and just missed it.
Q: What happened on the safety?
MS: We got pressure on the run and it was a little bit of a wider play, so Shonn [Greene] was feeling the pressure as I was handing him the ball and I'm extending the football and he's starting to run back inside when it's usually an outside hit and play, [Vince] Wilfork had big time pressure there and the ball game out. You're taught if it's in your end zone and you've got pressure like that to just kick it out of the back and save a touchdown or save a hit [than] trying to fall on the ball then somebody falls on you. You've got to play it safe and kick it out of the end zone.
Q: On that last drive in regulation play, knowing [Tom] Brady is on the other side, is the clock at all on your mind?
MS: Yeah, just keep milking it. Gosh, we had some real opportunities, that's just too bad. Brady is one of the best at doing that, so that's the way it went, but we were real close.
Q: On the third-down sack on that drive you're talking about it looked like you were bootlegged. Do you either run or throw it to [Jeremy] Kerley? Did Kerley slip there?
MS: Yeah, he slipped. I was getting ready to throw it and I saw him slip so I held onto the ball, and at the end we wanted to make [the Patriots] use their timeout, so I didn't want to throw it away – you'd like to throw it away to give your kicker less yards to kick it, but we want them to use as many timeouts as possible, so we just tried to waste time.
Q: How much does it hurt that you missed an opportunity to take control of the division?
MS: Sure. It makes this one hurt a little more, but that's the way these things go. The most important thing is next week – we've got a shot against Miami at home and then we'll end up getting [the Patriots] in the back end at home as well. We've got to play and get another win going into the bye and hopefully we will be 4-4 and then take it from there. It's going to be another good fight next week and we've just got to keep our heads up and keep fighting. I was really proud of our effort the last few weeks – since the Houston game we've played fairly well and unfortunately, we came up short it two of the games, so we'll keep fighting and keep playing.
Q: What was your mindset when you got the ball in overtime?
MS: I was feeling good. We had drove the ball down those last few drives -- had one real long drive that felt like a year and a half we had the ball and went down and scored with Dustin [Keller], so we saw momentum from that. I thought our plays were really working, things were opening up, our running game looked really good, so that was a tough way to end it, but that's the way it goes.
Q: Mark, I know it came in a loss but can you draw a positive from what Jeremy (Kerley) did tonight?
MS: I think Kerley is one of the best guys we got and he really is a special talent. Each year he keeps getting better and better, and he's one of those guys who wants to work. He wants to keep studying film and he finds a way to get open, so I thought he had a heck of a game. I thought the "running back by committee" deal that we had to go through with (Jonathan) Grimes and Joe (McKnight) and even Tim (Tebow) was an all out effort and I was proud of the way we played. It was a tough way to end it, but we will bounce back.
Q: On a night when you had a 92-yard drive…
MS: Oh, it was a monster. It was a long one.
Q: …9/10 (passing) for you. How does that happen and what changes in you to play like that?
MS: We needed a touchdown and things were opening up for us. I thought we just stayed with a lot of plays that may not have been open earlier. Maybe their defenders made a good play. Those things happen and sometimes you go through stretches in a game when sometimes it's not working, but that's the most important time to just keep your head up and know that one of those long drives could be just around the corner. (You have to know) not to tank or put your head down and quit. You just have to keep playing. Those kinds of things happen and we've got to try and string some more of those long drives together to keep our offense on the field.
Q: When Brady gets the ball in overtime, how nervous are you on the sidelines?
MS: There's nothing I can do. I'm just rooting our defense on and hoping we get a stop as soon as possible or hold them to a field goal, and then we'll take our crack at it.
Q: And when (Gostkowski) kicked a field goal, you knew that a touchdown would win the game?
MS: Absolutely. I felt good. Right before the sack, we hit Jeremy Kerley on a big play to really help move field position and just rolling a little bit. I was feeling good and we threw the ball quite a bit. It felt good to sling it around quite a bit. It was nice.
Q: You guys have taken some punches at the loss of Darrelle Revis and Santonio Holmes. Do you have any sense that things may be stabilizing now?
MS: I don't think our team really flinched. It's unfortunate when guys go down like that but like Coach (Ryan) said before, they're body blows. And the team that can withstand those and stay standing and keep fighting through this thing, can really win games, go deep in the playoffs and all the things we want to accomplish. It's still right in front of us even after a tough loss tonight. That's the most important thing: to learn from these games, learn from these experiences, dwell on the positives, improve on some of these negatives and keep fighting in some of these things. We have a good group and I'm excited about our team and what we can do the rest of the season. So we're in a good spot, we'll be just fine and we'll bounce back.
Q: You guys have done a good job of withstanding some of those hits that you were talking about.
MS: Sure. This is a group that is mentally tough and this is another test for us. I'm confident of the group that we have in that locker room to come in tomorrow, get their lift in, get this film out of the way and move on to be ready for a tough Miami team. (We've got to) just keep fighting through this thing and get the wins. It's a weird year. There are a lot of losses out there so a lot of things can happen. We're barely getting to the halfway point of the season so hopefully we can get a win, go out 4-4 at the halfway point and have a little momentum to come back strong and finish this year.
Q: Was it the drop by Stephen (Hill)…
MS: Oh, it was a tough one. He had a heck of a game, too. That stuff happens and [it's] a physical mistake. He ran a hell of a route and he might have tried to score on that one. I was just about ready to look over to the sidelines for the next play and the ball came out. The first thing I said to him was, 'don't worry about it, we're going to get another chance. I'm telling you, this thing is going to go down to the wire and you just keep your head up. It never even happened, just keep playing.' He knows how to catch and he'll make good plays for us
Q: What do you say to your guys in the huddle when that drive starts in overtime?
MS: Just to go take it. You want to win, so go take it. Let's go attack these guys, don't hold back, keep fighting, keep having fun and go snatch us a win. We were close. We were real close and we'll just keep playing and stay positive.
Q: After Devin (McCourty) fumbled that kickoff return, what was your mindset?
MS: We were feeling good. We just really had a shot and I think everybody felt that. We just wanted to take advantage of it and really focus in mentally, because that's where late in the game that's what goes first. It's not the physical part, it's the mental part. So just keeping guys sharp and I thought for the most part we did that so we'll just keep grinding and figure out a way to win some of these.
Q: Did you feel like you and Dustin kind of found your old groove?
MS: He looked good, too. He looked good and that's not easy playing these guys, with (Rob) Ninkovich, (Jerod) Mayo and (Brandon) Spikes trying to hit him every chance they get. That's a tough front seven that we played and they played pretty well on the back end trying to cover (Keller) so I thought he had a great game.
D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Tackle
(On the defensive play in the first half)
"We had some unfortunate errors, the whole game was a fight. When you're playing an opponent like this and it is a tough game, it's the small things that become really big."
(On Mark Sanchez)
"I think he did really well, I think probably the way he played. We did some things that we wanted to get across, but ultimately we didn't do enough to win today's game."
(On proving things to outsiders)
"We try to keep those outsiders out, because we know what kind of team we have. We know when we play and execute on all cylinders, we are a very hard team to beat. Today if we had a couple more plays we would have been in the winning chair."
Stephen Hill, Wide Receiver
(On the missed pass)
"It was just a catch I should have caught, other than that, that is it."
(On the team support after the miss)
"They were like, we know you can catch the ball, just get over it 'cause we need you for the overtime. Other than that, they still have faith in me, and I still have faith in them. We're just going to move on and just make sure that we get things rolling for next week."
Kyle Wilson, Cornerback
(On the game)
"We definitely had a chance, we had the momentum. You just got to play everything out to the end."
(On the pass interference call)
"It is what it is, I don't comment on the officiating. It happened, I thought I did what I was supposed to do."
Lex Hilliard, Fullback
(On if he thought they were going to win when they recovered the fumble by Devin McCourty)
"After a play like that, you can't think the momentum is just going to carry over. You still have to finish, they aren't going to just lay over on their back and let you win the game."
(On whether he thought they could still win the game after the Patriots scored in overtime)
"Yeah, you always have faith in your quarterback. That's the nature of this team. What kind of teammate would you be if you didn't have faith in the guy? It's just unfortunate, a series of events happened and they made plays. That's what they do to, so the credit goes to them. "
Brandon Moore, Guard
(On the loss)
"We gave them too many opportunities. We didn't play consistent."
(On the effort by the team)
"Effort is never in question. You've got to execute plays consistently over the course of the game. I don't think effort is ever in question on this team, or in this league. "
Calvin Pace, Linebacker
(On what happened)
"You know, they are not the type of team to beat themselves. It just wasn't good enough. You've got to look at the film, make corrections and just move forward."
(On whether this was a missed opportunity to take control of the division)
"Yes. We missed a golden opportunity. Too many 'should ofs, could ofs, would ofs.' We just didn't get it done."
(On what he thought after they got the fumble recovery late in the game)
"I just knew in my heart we had seven right there, I really did, but it just didn't happen for us. That would have been it right there. It just wasn't meant to be I guess. As tough as it is, give them credit, they stood strong and they found a way to get the win."
Mike DeVito, Defensive End
(On the game and what went wrong)
"You have to learn from the things we messed up on. We have to watch the film and bounce back. It is still in our reach and we control our own destiny. We just have to bounce back and get ready for next week. We have to watch the film, because I am not really sure. Obviously there are areas to fix on all sides of the ball. We are going to that and get better and play better next week."
Bryan Thomas, Linebacker
(On the game)
"We had certain opportunities and we need to capitalize on them. This is a good Patriots team. When you get those opportunities to stop them on defense or put it in the end zone, you have to do it."
(On what he learned about his team)
"Guys sticking together and that is all that matters. You don't want any finger pointing. This is a tough loss to a very good team and as long as the guys stick together that's all that matters."
Tim Tebow, Quarterback
(On the loss)
"Anytime you lose it is difficult. I think when you fight back like that and take the lead and things are looking pretty good and then to lose, it is definitely difficult. "
(On his limited play)
"I try and be ready for anything. Obviously, I get excited when my number is called down there and I want to produce. I am not paid enough to make those decisions. I just listen to what I am told and just try and do the best I can with the opportunities."
(On the Jets momentum)
"I think definitely at the end of the game. I thought we had the momentum. I thought early we had a great drive and then we kind of lost a little bit of the momentum. And I think we got it back at the end and had some great drives. Mark (Sanchez) had some great throws and really had things going. Even on that last drive before the sack and fumble I felt things were going pretty well."
(On the Jets as a team)
"I feel like we are close and we played a good game. Although I know we can play a lot better. Overall, offense, defense and special teams, I know we can improve. It is a good sign when you can have a lot of chances to beat a very good team. And you know you didn't play to the best of your potential. We played hard and you have to give these guys a lot of credit for how hard they played."
Nick Folk, Kicker
(On his field goal to give the Jets the lead and his 54-yard kick earlier in the game)
"The 54-yard kick at the end of the half was in my range. I hit a good, solid ball. It was a big kick. We needed it. The last one was the same kind of deal. We go out there and make it to put the pressure on them. You have to make sure every kick is the same from an extra point to a game-winner. A long attempt or a short attempt, whatever it may be you have to hit them all the same. You can't change your swing at all. You just have to hit a good solid ball."
Antonio Allen, Safety
(On his recovery of Devin McCourty's fumbled kick off)
"Our emotions were high and everyone was full of energy but they took it right back. We knew we were down and we had to get a big play. We hit him real hard and forced a fumble and I recovered it and that was it. That is how we are supposed to play. We are always supposed to try for a big play, a big hit, pin them down inside the 10, anything. In that case we forced the fumble and recovered it. We had the momentum but they came right back."
(On McCourty's touchdown)
"We just over pursued. Through the whole week we were reading the wedge and seeing where it was going. It was a special teams breakdown. We were trying to be number one coming out of this week but we fell a little short. It has taken the edge out of us but we have to come back next week ready."
LaRon Landry, Safety
(On the Patriots Jets rivalry)
"To me, I don't really buy into rivalry games. Week in and week out I treat them all the same. Each week is a must win for me, no matter who we are playing. A non-division game or a division game, I treat them all the same."
(On not stopping the Patriots offense at the end of the game)
"We just didn't execute. You've got to have great technique we didn't do that and it showed. It was all what we created, nothing that they did special. We [saw] it the whole game. Like you said, we bottled them up but we let them off the hook. We created that. Throughout the game I don't look at how we are playing. It is all about finishing. That is what we practice. We had a great week of preparation. We didn't finish. As a team, as a defense, special teams, as a whole unit."
