TODD BOWLES, JETS HEAD COACH
Q: Todd, can you address the issue that once again you started off slow in the first quarter, the first two possessions, plus four turnovers today?
TB: It's inexcusable, we can't turn the ball over, whether it was Bryce [Petty] or whether it was [Ryan] 'Fitz'. When you start with four turnovers, plus we had a fumble, which makes it five. Then four more in the plus side of the field, you don't give yourself a chance.
Q: How do you think the effort was today?
TB: The effort was fine, we just didn't play well.
Q: Todd, how are you feeling?
TB: I'm OK.
Q: Todd, can you just walk us through what happened yesterday and leading up to you showing up today for the game? I know you don't like talking about injuries, but it's you.
TB: Chest was hurting, kidney stones, gallbladder, gallstones, got stuck in the pipe. A lot of pain, and kind of went from there. Guess I'll get something done after the season.
Q: Was there any doubt, Todd, about today for you?
TB: Yeah, there was. I had to pass some tests and be feeling somewhat normal to get out of there.
Q: How were you feeling on the sidelines during the game?
TB: I was OK.
Q: How did you get here today?
TB: I flew.
Q: So, you had a kidney stone and you passed it? Is that what you said? I couldn't quite hear you.
TB: I said kidney stones, gallstones, gallbladder.
Q: But it passed?
TB: Nah, I didn't say that.
Q: Todd, before halftime you were down 28 to nothing, Patriots had the ball, they ran the ball twice. Seemed they were content to run the clock out there and then they end up scoring. Was there ever a debate for you whether to call a time out, or was it like, if they are willing to run out the clock…
TB: Initially it wasn't, but we could have gotten the ball back and in half decent scoring position, with some time outs and chance to score. So, I thought if we got a third down stop, we could have made them punt and had a shot to get some points before the half.
Q: Todd, do you have enough talent to compete with this team?
TB: Today we didn't, I don't think we played very smart.
Q: But, just generally speaking…
TB: Yeah.
Q: Is it tough, Todd, to evaluate this team right now, playing a lot of guys who wouldn't be playing unless there were a lot of injuries. Or trying to evaluate young guys, is it hard with what you are putting on the field right now?
TB: Well, you've got to evaluate everybody, so you evaluate the young guys if you are hurt. You have no choice but to evaluate the young guys and, those guys, some of them gain valuable experience from playing good, some of them gain experience from playing not so good. So, you evaluate nevertheless, just like you would the vets.
Q: I guess, is it hard to compete with a team like the Patriots when you are fielding a team like that?
TB: Well, it's hard to compete when you make too many mental mistakes and turn the ball over.
Q: How do you think Bryce [Petty] performed in the short time he was out there.
TB: Not well, he had two turnovers.
Q: Just an update on Bryce, was it a left shoulder?
TB: Yeah, he's got a left shoulder. He's got to get some tests run.
Q: Does it seem like it is something serious, where he might miss next week?
TB: I don't know, he didn't come back in, so I'm assuming it's got to be somewhat serious.
Q: Did he have x-rays? Do you have the results?
TB: I don't have any results yet.
Q: Todd, this is three out of four weeks that you guys have been blown out, how do you explain the way the team is playing right now?
TB: There is no explanation, we are playing bad. There is no explanation, we are playing bad. Whether it is metal mistakes, whether it is turnovers, whether it is lack of making plays, we aren't doing anything right, right now.
Q: How frustrating is it for you that this is happening towards the end of the season, when you would think your team would be developed.
TB: It's frustrating that it is happening at all, you know. Beginning, middle, end, it's very frustrating.
Q: If Bryce can't go next week, will it be Ryan Fitzpatrick who starts or will that be something you will discuss with your coaches?
TB: We will discuss next week, next week.
Q: Did you ever consider having hristian Hackenberg active today?
TB: I considered it. We need more guys on special teams in that way.
Q: Todd, the Patriots seem to be hitting strides, a little better than the last time you played them. Can you talk about their defense, they are not giving up a lot of points. Can you talk about what the Patriots looked like today?
TB: Well, they got a lot of turnovers today, you know, and they startled us in the run game a little bit and when you get turnovers, you get a chance to get ahead and it makes everything easy. They got some good players over there, that play all across the board. They were making plays. Tom got out of the pocket, made a few plays today, and that's playing good football.
Q: Could you run through the injuries besides Bryce?
TB: [Jordan] Jenkins had a hamstring, he didn't finish. Brandon Marshall had a left hip, he didn't finish.
Q: What was wrong with Sheldon Richardson when he came out?
TB: He hurt his back.
Q: Was Bilal Powell banged up during the game?
TB: He had a knee that was pretty banged up, but he went back in and finished.
Q: Did Sheldon Richardson finish?
TB: Sheldon went back in.
Q: Was Leonard Williams a chest?
TB: He had the chest, then he went back in.
Q: What does it take for a team to come into Foxborough and beat the Patriots?
TB: Just got to play good football. They are not going to beat themselves, you got to beat them. We didn't do that.
Ryan Fitzpatrick, Quarterback
*(On the game) *
"Obviously all losses are tough but to come here and versus a team that if you don't pay well, especially here and if you make mistakes they are going to embarrass you. So to get embarrassed the way we did today it is never fun. Not just as a football player but as a man."
*(On the team playing confidence) *
"This team is very similar in terms of the guys that have returned from last year that beat the Patriots. I think that goes to show you how big confidence is in this game. I think there is talent on every team and confidence goes a long way though. We have just had a hard time this year, in general there is not one thing you can put it on. There just was not a whole lot of confidence out there today as we started losing and that goes for everybody. I am not pinning on one person, I am saying that it probably starts with me, when I am in the game and I am trying to help out with that attitude a little bit. We just couldn't get anything going, no momentum."
David Harris, Linebacker
*(On any lack of effort) *
"There was never a lack of effort. Guys played hard out there, just didn't play their smartest."
*(On the challenging year) *
"Nobody expected us to be 4-11, it's been tough. Wish we could take things back, but just can't do it."
Brandon Marshall, Wide receiver
*(On the performance of the team) *
"It was embarrassing, you guys are smart you saw the game it was just embarrassing. The same mistakes we made all year. When you go against a really good team, in their own back yard that's the outcome, that's the score. When you're playing bad ball you're playing bad ball it doesn't matter what time of the year it is."
*(On the talent on the team) *
"We thought we did at the beginning of the year that was on paper. It's one thing to have it on paper and another to go out there and do it."
Bryce Petty, Quarterback
*(On playing in the weather at the start at the game and the slow start) *
"We were struggling but in warm-ups I was throwing the ball fine, but I just couldn't keep a hold of it. The balls I did throw, they slipped out. The ones I was wanting to throw were slipping before I was even throwing them. It was a weird deal. You have to play in the weather, shoot, Tom [Brady] was playing in it and doing fine. I just have to learn to do those little things that bring you to be prepared for that kind of thing. We put water on the ball before and have done that in practice but it is just different when you get out there."
*(On the playing against Coach Bill Belichick) *
"It was nothing too crazy, we went those three thirds there and on the third 3rd down, the formation threw me for a loop, it was the protection call, but we actually got it protected and felt good about it. We handled it on those three third downs. We had some momentum running the ball on the second drive and we need to continue to do that stuff. It was just tough right now, but I felt like was throwing fine."
Darrelle Revis, Cornerback
(On the emotions of returning to Gillette Stadium)
"Every week I approach it the same. It's no different. Football is an emotional game and there's a lot of emotion involved with it, so it doesn't matter where I'm playing."
(On the injuries the team has sustained this season)
"It's been a rough year. It's been a rough year. We've got 14 guys, 15 guys maybe on IR [Injured Reserve]. It's just been rough. It's just been rough. Guys are not executing and they're not doing what they're supposed to do [which is] follow the game plan. That's been happening all year though. It's just been a struggle for us. It is what it is at this point. We've got one more game left and hopefully we'll try to get a win and go into the offseason."
(On what it meant to see head coach Todd Bowles at the game today)
"It was actually great to see him make the trip up here. But it just falls into other things that's been happening with this team this year with injuries. It feels like there's something else going on. There's always something going on, but it was good [to see Todd]. Besides football, health is the most important thing… It was good to see him, it was definitely good to see him."
Muhammad Wilkerson, Defensive Lineman
(On the tough loss)
"It's tough for everybody, but like I said, things we've been talking about all year about miscommunication and guys not having energy and passion. It's still going on but maybe hopefully we can play a perfect game week and end the season on a good note."
*(On his inspiration to the team) *
"I feel like what's all been going on this season, the guys look at me as a leader. All I can do is try to do the best I can as an individual, to try and keep the teams heads up and motivate them to play harder."
