Q:Are you on to New England?
RR:Yeah, I definitely know you guys are doing better than me, but yeah, we're definitely on to New England.
Q:What have you seen from the Patriots so far?
RR:I still see where they've got Tom Brady, Gronk [Rob Gronkowski], [Julian] Edelman and the guys on defense – big Vince [Wilfork], and there is a new guy out there who's pretty good. Obviously, it's the New England Patriots.
Q:Do you get a kick out of the criticism of Tom Brady after the first couple weeks of the season?
RR:Yeah, that was hysterical, I thought. You know what I mean? It's like, 'Yeah, really? OK.' I mean, come on.
Q:What have you seen in the last two games from Tom Brady to get him back to the level everyone is accustomed to seeing?
**
RR: **Well again, they do what they do. It's not a machine but it's pretty much. They know what they want to get done, and they've done it for so many years, it's just like clockwork. He's back there on a rhythm, and that's obviously a dangerous thing for people that they play.
Q:Every year, it seems to descend into some level of chaos down there, but up here, things don't get as weird and dysfunctional. Do you ever look up here and think that there has to be a different way of doing things so it doesn't get so off the rails?
RR:No, I think you guys are ... Saying it's dysfunctional I think is maybe a perception you guys have, but it's certainly not the case here. We haven't won as much as we want, clearly. But shoot, this is far from a dysfunctional team. Again, you'll see it when we get there. This is a good football team. We just haven't produced the wins yet.
Q:You said you felt confident this Jets team would be a playoff team. Do you still feel that way?
RR:Well, obviously we haven't done ourselves any favors getting off to the start we have, but I believe in this football team, absolutely believe in this team.
Q:What makes you confident that your team can turn things around?
RR:I just see how hard our team works. This team works hard, they prepare, they care, and I think that usually ... It's no guarantee of success, but it's certainly a step in the right direction. And we have a lot of good players and good coaches, so I'm confident that it's just a matter of time.
Q:What have you seen from Darrelle Revis so far – same old player?
RR:Oh gosh, I'd rather not comment on him. No, he's a great player, obviously. Matching him on the top receivers and things like that. He's still just a great player.
Q:What have you seen from the tape of the Patriots this season that might be different from seasons past?
RR:That's hard to say. I don't really see any difference. Last year, they really committed to running the football more at the end. That might have been a little different than in times past. It just looks like the same Patriots to me.
Q:You've endured injuries, and the Patriots are light at linebacker due to injuries. Is there a way you can attack that?
**
RR: **Well, we certainly don't feel sorry for them. We've gone through a few injuries to say the least, and I know they don't feel sorry for us. But again, the next man steps up, and there are definitely ways of playing it. [Bill] Belichick is a heck of a football coach, and he's going to put the guys out there. If it's playing another safety, if it's playing another D-lineman – whatever it is – you'll have some adjustment in the back of your mind that you've been working on.
Q:When you drafted Jace Amaro, did you hope he could develop into something like the Patriots have with Rob Gronkowski?
RR:Oh, that would be nice. Do I think that's the case? No. You're talking about a guy that's scored, what, 20-some touchdowns [46 career regular-season touchdown receptions]? Yeah, we would love that. We'd love half of that. But no, when we took him, we never thought he would be a Gronkowski. There is only one of those in this league. But we know he'll be a good football player.
Q:How much of your offensive struggles do you attribute to the lack of stability at the quarterback position?
RR:It's not just one man. We just haven't ... We seem like we've been breaking down at certain spots throughout the year. We'll need a big stop, and instead the team will drive it on us for a touchdown. We'll turn the ball over. There's something that happens, but it's certainly not just on one man.
Q:Does Zach Sudfeld have any relevance for you guys now?
RR:Yeah, absolutely. Zach is doing a good job for us. We think he's a guy that can develop into a good football player, and obviously, as you guys know, he was quite a red zone threat when he was there in the preseason when he was playing. I think he just keeps improving, he's a hard worker, and I think the young man's got a bright future.
Q:What's been the difference between the game tapes of the Patriots for when they've struggled versus when they've had success?
RR:I think sometimes you need to give credit to the opponent that you're playing. They see a lot of different things, and I think sometimes it's not a focus of anybody. But they've played some good teams and for whatever reason, maybe they've struggled a little bit. This is a team that is still atop our division, like they always are it seems like, and obviously has a great deal of talent. They've got a great coach in [Bill] Belichick, and obviously they've got the Hall of Fame quarterback, so that makes it tough.
Q:How badly do you guys need to win a football game?
RR:About as bad is it gets, like you're a 1-5 team. We're desperate to say the least.
Q:Do you look at this as a victory you need not only to salvage your season but also your job?
RR:No, I don't look at that. It's never been about me. You talk about job security late in the year, I've never flinched one time about it. All I do is the best job I can, and I'm confident in my abilities, and I'm confident in the guys that I coach with, the people that are here. So again, I don't think twice about it. I just know we are going to do everything in our power to get a win. Obviously, it's a lot easier said than done, especially traveling up to New England. We know we're going to get their best shot, and they know that we're going to give them our best shot.
Q:How have you seen the Patriots offensive line evolve over the course of the season?
RR:Well, they've been using a lot of different guys, combinations in there and things like that. It seems like they're settling in on more of the veteran group. But again, they have some talent there as well.
Q:How does losing Dee Milliner affect your secondary, which has struggled already this season?
RR:This is our sixth Pro Bowl quarterback that we've faced in a row, so it's certainly been a challenge. But again, we're certainly not playing defense to our standards. I think we're sixth in the league in defense, so that definitely isn't to our standards. But we'll see what happens when it's all said and done.
Q:With the way the Patriots offensive line has struggled to protect Tom Brady this season, has the thought crossed your mind to just send the house on every play and see what happens?
RR:Oh yeah, that definitely ... You sound like my mom now. Everybody thought, 'Oh my gosh, Buddy Ryan, what kind of blitzer he'd be,' but my mom would be worse. The league is probably happy that she wasn't a coordinator. Yeah, I don't know if that's the most sound thing.
Q:Well, I hope you're eating your vitamins and getting good nights of sleep.
RR:Hey, I'm showing up, I can promise you that.
Q:Do you think in some way a short week can help your squad forget about the last game and catch Bill Belichick on a short week?
RR:No, I don't think so. I think his record on a short week is probably ... I know it's a lot better than mine. It's not an advantage on a short week, a long week or anything else. We're just going to show up, and the best team will win.
