Jets Postgame Quotes (Week Eight)
Head Coach Robert Saleh
Video: Here
Opening statement…
Al Woods tore his Achilles, he’s done. (Connor) McGovern’s dealing with a knee, we’ll know more tomorrow. And then Wes Schweitzer is dealing with a calf, we’ll know more tomorrow.
On how the team played at the end…
Oh, for sure, a lot of resilience from this group, and it’s kind of been, feels like the mark of this group. It never feels like it’s out of the game. Will McDonald on the field goal block to disrupt the kick just enough and then the offense to go down and get the points we needed. But, resilient. A lot of things we’ve got to clean up, but glad we came away with the W.
On if this is sustainable…
Playing great defense, doing all that stuff, that’s sustainable. Making mistakes, penalties, turnovers, not sustainable. So, like I said, the good news is we can correct it on a W, but there’s a lot of things we’ve got to clean up, for sure.
On what he was thinking getting the ball back at the end of the game…
Well, first off, initially, before the ball’s snapped, we’re thinking clock situation, get the ball down and get a shot at the Hail Mary. Thankfully, free play, get the explosive, and gave us a chance to get in field goal range. So, it’s a series of just sloppy ball all the way around. But, they never ask how, they ask how many.
On if he was surprised the Giants kicked the field goal instead of going for it on fourth and one…
No, I felt like kicking the field goal was the right thing to do. You make it a touchdown lead, no timeouts, 30 seconds left. I probably would have done the same thing.
On what he saw out of Zach Wilson at the end of the game…
No, for sure. The kid’s got a lot of resilience. I mean, he’s going to stay in it. He’s got a lot of confidence in himself. There’s things he knows that he’s got to clean up. Obviously, protection was an issue, losing all those guys, losing those two offensive lineman, getting down to basically our third center which cost us a turnover. The guys kept fighting. There’s a lot of opportunities to be had. But, again, knew going into this game, you know what I’ve said about Wink (Martindale’s) defense, they do an awesome job, an awesome job. So, they didn’t make it easy. But there’s things, like I said, that we’ve got to clean up.
On the personal foul calls…
Obviously, it’s unacceptable because when you leave it in the refs hands whether you agree with it or not, it is what it is. You can argue the Quincy (Williams) one wasn’t. But the JJ (Jermaine Johnson) one on third down, Jermaine Johnson, unacceptable. I get it, our guys play hard, they play fast, they play violent, and I love it, but we’ve just got to understand. We usually know where to draw the line. Today it just wasn’t clean enough.
On the defense…
I thought our defense was awesome. Stood out time and time again. I don’t have the stats in front of me. The drive coming out of the locker room was disappointing, obviously. But those were self-inflicted I felt like. But overall, I thought our guys showed grit. Especially, very easy to just cash in at the end of the game right there, feeling like the game’s over anyway, who cares if they get a first down? But they fought. I thought we were great on third down. For the most part I thought we did a good job. Obviously, they weren’t going to let the quarterback screw it up, so they kept running the ball. I thought we did a good job there.
On if he was confident the offense could spike the ball in time for the game-tying field goal…
The second play? When you consider, which is fascinating to me, because we couldn’t do four yards against Denver, right? Credit to those guys, they understood the urgency. One thing about them is when you correct it, they will get it right and just the urgency to get it spiked with one second left was awesome.
On seeing flashes of an ‘it’ factor with Wilson at times…
We’ve got to find ways to, one, for him, he is confident, he is showing it, and he is doing a lot of good things. But as a team, as a team, there are things we’ve got to clean up. We’ve got to clean up third down, somehow, some way. We’ve got to figure out third down and part of it is being great on first and second down and create manageable situations. But I like the direction Zach’s going. Is it perfect? No. Will it ever be perfect? Nobody’s perfect. No quarterback in the league is perfect. But he’s got so much resilience and fight that he doesn’t lose confidence as the game goes on. He gains confidence. Eventually, it’s got to click and it’s going to click for the offense. We’ve just got to keep continuing to grow.
On Wilson’s flashes…
Yeah, 100 percent. He does a lot of great things. But like I said, it’s a team game. We’ve got to run the ball better. We’ve got to block better. We’ve got to separate better. He’s got to be better in timing, too. So it’s all of it. We’ve got to be better as coaches in play calling. It’s just all of us together. Like I said, this group is trying to continue to figure itself out. Like I said, a lot of it from an inconsistency standpoint with regards to the offense, you give credit to the Giants. You guys know how much I gush about that defense. I need a dissertation on some of the stuff they do. Just a lot of respect for him. But, no, we’ll get better.
On having to play three centers…
Credit first to Keith (Carter), our o-line coach just staying composed. There was a lot of panic on the sideline and a big, ‘Shut-the-(expletive)-up’ from his voice. ‘We got it, we’ll be fine.’ Credit to Xavier Newman who stepped up big time to going from guard as a practice squad callup and then to play center. A lot of shifting along the offensive line. And overcome the first play, just fumbles the snap, QB-exchange. Credit to those guys to continue to fight and stick together and I thought for the most part we were able to keep Zach semi-clean. But no, to get out of this game, like I said, knowing there’s things we need to fix, especially with the offensive line with guys getting healthy, overall felt like it was the best-case scenario.
On if the win meant more for Robert Wood Johnson…
Heck yeah, it always does for the owner to have bragging rights to be the king of New York. You always want to win for everybody and for Woody (Robert Wood Johnson) with all the stuff he’s gone through with this organization, and Christopher (Johnson), don’t forget him. Those two over the last 10 years or so, it hasn’t been all peaches and cream around here. But to say you’re king of New York for at least one more year is pretty cool.
On what he’s seeing on third downs…
How much time have you got? It’s not good. Not even going to sugarcoat it. Lack of execution somewhere along the [line], from a player’s standpoint. Can we be better as play callers? Obviously, there are always going to be things we can be better at. But it’s a universal thing. It’s not one thing. It’s not the quarterback, it’s not the O-line, it’s not the receivers, it’s not tight ends or running backs or play calling. It’s everybody taking turns at not being very good at football on third down and we’ve just got to figure it out.
QB Zach Wilson
Video: Here
On the game-tying drive…
We’ve obviously done it before in the past, getting us a big chunk with not much time left and being able to clock it. It was actually almost the same play, too. I would just say, unbelievable grit and battle by the guys. Absolutely no waiver in belief at all, including me. Didn’t doubt at all. When I saw our defense got a stop, I thought 0:24 seconds, no problem. We’ve shown that we can do it in the two-minute all year. Great fight by those guys. Obviously, we have to find a way to be better offensively. Defense is playing lights-out and we have to be more consistent for those guys.
On his improved confidence this season…
I haven’t been in that in the past. I guess I am to the point where short-term memory, it’s unfortunate. I wanted to give the guys a chance on that fourth-down. Wanted to keep the play alive. Sucks, obviously, to be in a fourth-and-long situation. You really can do nothing besides (say), ‘Hey, move on to the next play. We’re going to get a chance.’ You can never not take advantage of those.
On what went through his mind when Connor McGovern and Wes Schweitzer left due to injury…
Hurts, obviously. I thought it was an unbelievable job by X (Xavier Newman) and then Wes (Schweizter). First moves to center and then X steps in and Billy’s (Turner) is in at guard. Unbelievable job by those guys being ready to go. X and I had never even taken a snap together, so it was ‘Let’s lock in and get this right.’ He asked me on the fumble “Was that me or you?” (I said) “Dude, that’s me. We just haven’t practiced these. I’m out there trying to figure out where to put my hands to be comfortable for you. We just have to move on, next play. Screw it. That kind of stuff is going to happen in a game like this. Keep your head up. We’re going to keep going. It was an unbelievable job by those guys fighting.
On how he maintained his confidence despite the struggles of the offense…
It’s situations exactly like the one we just went through as to why you have to remain confident. All it takes is a play – really, all it took was two plays. We got in field goal range. We had no doubt going into overtime that we were going to win that game. All it really took was those two plays in that two-minute drive. That’s why there is no quit. They talk all the time in football about having a short-term memory. You have a bad play, you get frustrated, a bad drive, things don’t go well. You have to come off the field and see how you can be a little bit better. Then, go back out and keep going.
On the resiliency of the team…
The defense is definitely keeping us there. Those guys are doing an unbelievable job of getting those three-and-out stops, especially today. They’re getting us the ball a lot. We needed to be able to extend some drives. With a defense like that, I think we are always going to be in close games. We have to keep leaning on those guys. We need to play more balanced football and help them out offensively by scoring some points and converting on some third downs.
On how much work the team has done with clock management since the Denver win…
Coaches have done a great job of bringing up situations, how to correct that. I think that one was obviously, time was quite a bit lower than Denver and the pass was quite a bit further. Unbelievable job by the offense being dialed-in, especially with guys that probably haven’t taken the practice reps of working on situations. Such a good job by them being on top. I remember right before the drive started, X was like ‘If we clock it, what’s the cadence?’ (laughs) That just kind of tells you, we haven’t (all) practiced that. Overall communication of just getting the guys where they need to be and the absolute hustle right there. Allen (Lazard) doing a great job separating and everyone getting set super quick. It was flawless.
On his sense of relief when he was able to clock it with one second remaining…
I am peaking the clock. I remember my last thought, I looked up and there was four seconds on there. I gave one more glance to make sure everyone was set. I knew we got it off. Everyone else was probably a little tight, but I knew we were going to get that one off.
K Greg Zuerlein
Video: Here
On how he approaches pressure kicking moments…
The same as any other kick, ideally. Just goes back to your three steps back, two over, and do the same exact routine every time. Whether you are hitting the ball well or you are not hitting the ball well, it always comes down to that. You just fall back on your fundamentals and do your best.
On if he was surprised by the call to kick a field goal in overtime…
No, not at all. We talked about it on the sideline and said we are probably going to get the ball back here with ten to twenty seconds left and we are going to have chance. I don’t think anyone didn’t believe the entire time.
On if he was surprised by Graham Gano’s missed field goal attempt…
He is a phenomenal kicker. I think he is dealing with some stuff physically, so that is never good when you are not feeling the best. He makes those kicks 100 times out of 100 times. He is a great kicker; it was just unfortunate for him today.
On if he was nervous about the weather conditions for today’s game…
No, you go out there during warmups and get a feel for it. Ideally, the rain stops, and we thought it was supposed to and it just never did. On days when the balls get heavy, mind your reps into the net so you can stay fresh and not tire yourself out too early.
RB Breece Hall
Video: Here
On the O-line getting through the game with injuries…
Definitely, those guys stepped in and stepped up. It was a little shaky, but for those guys being in the midst of the game and have to come in and be expected to play at a high-level, I think they did their thing today. We just got to get better.
On if he thought the team would get a shot after Zach Wilson get sacked…
I knew that we could. I knew we had a few timeouts and our defense could stop the run. I just knew we weren’t going to have a lot of time, but luckily Zach (Wilson) and Garrett (Wilson) did their thing, so it was a blessing.
On his 50-yard touchdown…
Pre-snap, I knew there was a possibility that Zach would throw me the ball. As I’m running my route, I’m kind of trying to see where their linebackers are at. When he threw me the ball, I knew that I was going to have a little bit of space, so I made a move and I ended up juking both of their linebackers at the same time. So, I was like, ‘Okay,’ and I ran. It was just space, so I just let my natural ability take over.
WR Garrett Wilson
Video: Here
On the toughness of the team…
Yeah, I mean that is what we pride ourselves on – is never giving up, making sure we are throwing all of our punches. Making sure that we go home at night, and we can go to bed because we put it all out on the field, that is what it took today. We would have not won today if we didn’t live by our standards, as far as how we play, if we didn’t keep it on it four quarters. That was the only option, when you practice the way we practice, train the way we train, you have no choice, but to do it out on the field. So, it was a good win, that’s what we pride ourselves on.
On what Zach Wilson showed at the end of the game…
Just that his head is always in the right place, its truly until the lady sings, he’s not going to give up. He threw a strike to me on the dover, back side, got the thing going and made a running play earlier in the drive I believe. Just being his best when we needed it from him and that is all you can ask. He is baller and for him to make those plays at that moment, it shows.
TE Tyler Conklin
On what Zach Wilson showed him…
It just goes with his resilience and just how he has been developing and how his confidence has developed in every game. Everybody asks how, ‘How has Zach been? Has he been more confident in the huddle?’ And I think that is a prime example of it. Things aren’t going right for us as a unit, it was nasty out and when it came down to it at the end of the game, we had to make some big plays, he made it happen.
On beating the Giants…
I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about it coming into the game. I will tell you one thing though, sitting on that sideline at the end of that game feeling like we were going to lose, it was a pretty (expletive) feeling. So, it meant a lot, especially the way we won, figuring out a way to get that win was big, but yeah, it definitely meant a lot.
On the emotions in overtime…
Yeah, I’m still trying to figure out my emotions at the moment to be honest. First, Will McDonald is crazy athletic for pulling that off and making him miss that field goal. I wish we would stop putting ourselves in these positions and giving everyone grey hair and having to win games like this, but a win is a win. I will take it.
P Thomas Morstead
On being back with the Jets for this season…
I can’t even explain how full circle this feels. Just the support from teammates. I think everybody loves to be, no matter what job you have in this world, to be appreciated, and to feel like you’re helping move the needle in the right direction. I just can’t say enough about the support, and I’m so grateful to be here, and I don’t know what else to say.
On teammates saying he deserves a game ball…
Again, I just can’t say enough. To be a part of this team and be so appreciated and to be leaned on heavily so far this year, I think we’ve probably punted more than anybody, and I think it’s been an attacking play for us. I love that coach got asked just a few weeks ago after we had back-to-back safeties and he said I like how Thomas is being aggressive. Coach Boyer doesn’t always like me going too aggressive, because you don’t want touchbacks on the resume, but it’s just kind of felt nice to have that public verbiage. It kind of takes the handcuffs off a little bit. It’s just fun to be aggressive. I don’t care what job you have on this team, when you feel like they’re letting you go for it, that’s a really freeing feeling. And the defense is great, because they’re like if you get a touchback, they still have to go 80 on us, which they’re not going to do.
On the resiliency of this team…
I think it’s just like anything in life. You have to acknowledge the reality of the situation. I think the big concern I had as some older guys who signed here, and maybe part of the sway was Aaron (Rodgers), and that may be not be the reality anymore. That’s hard, but it’s just a testament to the group of players are here, and I’m praying for a few guys who really looked like they had some nasty injuries today, and it’s just an awesome team to be a part of.
OL Xavier Newman
On going in as a guard and then playing center…
In the moment it is kind of crazy how everything happened, but you just got to keep that tunnel vision and lock in on what you have to do next. So, that’s how it was for me.
On gaining chemistry with Zach on the fly…
Obviously, it was not ideal, but it’s a next man up mentality. Me and Zach were able to communicate on the fly and work through some things, whether it was during halftime or when we were on the sideline. So, I just want to give my hat off to him for working with me through that and being able to come out with the dub like we did.
On keeping his composure throughout the game…
Obviously, coming into the game knowing if something happens, I’m the first guy to go in. So, just having that mindset of you’re going to play, even though you might not or you might, you still have to have that mindset to play like a starter. Obviously, when I went in, it was good knowing that I had an opportunity, and then once I had to go to center, after that first snap, I had have short term memory. You can’t allow one bad play to affect the next one. It just turns into a snowball effect. That’s how that was for me.
CB D.J. Reed
On if he ever felt like the team was running out of time during the game…
It’s crazy because I try to stay calm and just control what I can control during the game. I knew they weren’t going to be able to knee the ball and the clock would say 0:00, so I was just counting in my head, 50 something minus 20, I am like, ‘Okay we are going to have like 20 something seconds, 30 seconds, so the game is technically not over.’ So let’s just get off the field and see what the offense can do. Zach (Wilson) did a great job in the last drive, gave us a chance.
On what the sideline was like when Graham Gano missed the field goal…
It was lit. It was crazy because, Will McDonald, guys were already saying he was going to block it. They put him in there to block it. He didn’t block it, but he got close, and he definitely altered the kick. That was a big play.
On what it is about this team that they can never be counted out of the game…
I was just talking to (Allen) Lazard about that. I was like, ‘Bro, this game was crazier than the Bills game’. I am like, ‘All of our games have been pretty crazy.’ Even two weeks ago against the Eagles. That game was crazy. But I just told Lazard we are going to always be in it no matter what happens, no matter what went on the first three quarters. When the fourth quarter starts, we are always going to be in the game. So we just have to keep pushing and play the 16 minutes out and if we go into OT like today, the way we work during the week we will be ready to play.