Jets Postgame Quotes (Week Nine)
Head Coach Robert Saleh
Video: Here
On not being able to recover after first quarter and being hurt by the pass protection…
I felt like we started hot. The defense went three-and-out. Then, the punt return for a touchdown. I thought the offense was moving the ball in that first quarter. We had that fumble, still came out good. Had another good drive to midfield, (then) another fumble and that led to a touchdown. It was a lot of self-inflicted wounds. It felt that anytime we got momentum, we just shot ourselves in the foot with penalties and turnovers. It just wasn’t good enough.
On the offensive struggles…
Today was not good, obviously. Like I said, we just never gave ourselves a chance. A lot of self-inflicted wounds. We were moving the ball early. I felt like we had a good little change-up going tempo. I thought that was having positive results, but like I said, you get two turnovers in the first quarter when you move the ball into their territory is never a good thing.
On correcting the Jets penalty issues…
Just have to play faster. I’ve always said that a lot of the penalties today were in-play – like I’ve talked about. You’re either aggressive or not aggressive. I felt like a lot of them were when we were not in good position. Like I said, penalties will happen, but some of the dumb result from being behind the play and not where you are supposed to be – that’s the result of a lot of the penalties. You have to be on you J-O-B. You have to be on your details. Be where you’re supposed to be, and you won’t cheat (commit penalties).
On if Jets QB Zach Wilson is causing sacks by holding onto the ball too long …
No. I don’t know if it’s that. I don’t have an answer for you on that one.
On if this is a step back for Wilson…
I don’t know if you can stay step back. It’s all-encompassing. Obviously, he’s going to have some things he wishes he could have done better. From protection – it’s just a little bit of everything. It’s one of those bizarre games where every time we had momentum, it was just a self-inflicted wound. Was it his best game? Obviously not. Was it his worst game? No. I’m not going to say it was even close to his worst game. I think the entire offense…obviously, we all could have been better.
On it being the quarterback’s job to score points…
It’s all of our jobs to score. To make the right play calls. To make sure we are doing all of the little things. To not fumble the ball. To take care of the football. To get positive yardage. It’s all the little details. It just wasn’t good enough today.
On the continued struggle to score points in the first quarter…
It’s a little bit of both. Defensively, I felt we came out ready to play a football game. They get the punt return for a touchdown, which is never ideal. Obviously, two takeaways…it felt like we were ready to play. The takeaways put us in a hole.
On if he will consider a change at play caller…
No.
On the performance of the offensive line and playing Billy Turner at RT and moving Max Mitchell to RG …
For one, just trying to get our best five out there. Billy (Turner) is obviously more comfortable playing right. We had gotten Max (Mitchell) some reps in there at guard during training camp and thought he did a nice job. I’ll get to the tape. I know there was eight sacks, but I felt like that for the most part, they did a pretty good job. I thought we ran the ball pretty well. I thought we were protecting. It didn’t look like we were losing at the point, if that makes sense. It felt like it was holding up enough. I’ll get to the tape. I’ll have a better answer for you guys tomorrow.
On his message to a defense which held the Chargers to 191 yards of total offense…
It’s simple. I love that group in the sense that they show up every play, every day. They understand the task: Get the ball as many times as possible. Regardless of the score, regardless of what is happening on the other side, you get the ball back for the offense, period. I think they work their tails off. It’s a good group. It’s an energetic group and at times, dominant. We had our opportunities today to get the ball, a couple of opportunities where I felt like we were that close to getting the ball and giving our offense opportunities, but it didn’t happen.
On how much of the offensive struggles fall on Wilson…
Like I said, it’s everyone. I will be able to get to the tape and have better answers for you guys tomorrow. When you’re dropping passes, you’re committing penalties, you’re not giving yourself a chance to get into a rhythm, get into a flow. You’re turning it over. We’re fumbling. And then, he needs to own up to some of the things that he has to be better at. Offense is a collective thing and it felt like there were opportunities out there to be a heck of a lot better. When you continually shoot yourself in the foot – and it’s not just one person, it’s all 11, coaches included – that’s the result you are going to get.
On if he worries that his offense is ‘lagging behind’ his defense for the second-straight season…
It’s a team game. You want all three phases. Special teams giving up seven is not good. It’s been a pretty dominant group all year. To let up that touchdown to that kid (Derius Davis) – and he’s a special returner, which we knew going in. We have a championship defense. I know we do. We have a young offense, a lot of moving parts. I get the frustration – trust me, I do – but we just have to keep trying to find ways to get better. We have a game coming up Sunday. We have a quick turnaround.
On how he keeps that frustration from setting in and taking over…
Of course there is going to be frustration. People want to win. The main thing which I say to everybody is just, ‘Do your job. Stay in your lane. Do your job Focus on the things that you can do to get better.’ Like I have said to the defense: It’s job is to get the ball back every single time, by all means necessary. The offense’s job is to go down and score. It’s very natural for guys to get frustrated. The d-line is going to be frustrated. They’d love to play with a lead so we can go get after the quarterback and get the ball back. The DB’s would love to play with a lead so they can go get the ball and get some interceptions. So yeah, that’s natural. I also love the character of the guys in the room. I think they understand how to prepare, how to play for one another, how to have each other’s back. Regardless of what’s said, they get it. We have to play defense.
On if it is alarming that the offense could not get going against a lower-ranked defense…
It’s disappointing, not being we couldn’t do anything, but because we kept shooting ourselves in the foot. We never gave ourselves a chance. Give them credit. They did a really nice job. They forced some of the turnovers. It just felt like shooting ourselves in the foot time and time again every time we had something going. It would have been nice to see what we could have done if we just played it straight-up and not shoot ourselves in the foot.
On if the game plan was to attack with the passing game more than the run…
We wanted to go a little more up-tempo and see if we could get them on their heels. Like I said, I felt like it was working. We were moving the ball early in the first quarter. Crossed mid-field twice or at least got to mid-field – I’m not exactly sure where the second fumble was. We were right there moving the football. It was just self-inflicted wounds. Shot us in the foot and that is the frustrating part. We never gave ourselves a chance to get going.
QB Zach Wilson
Video: Here
On what didn’t get going on offense…
I think we all just kept taking turns. Too many self-inflicted wounds. Just not good enough. I don’t know. I don’t know what to say. Not good enough.
On what led to taking eight sacks…
Yeah, I think my job is to get the ball out of my hands as quickly as I can. I promise I’m always trying to do that with those guys up front. I’m always trying to help out the O-line with that up front. Got to give those guys credit, I thought they did a good job. Really, if there’s an opportunity to watch this film and find something that I can point to to get the ball out faster, I promise I’m going to learn from those because that can’t happen. I’ve got to help those guys out as best as I can, but give the Chargers some credit, too.
On how to get the offense going…
Yeah, we’ve got to. We’ve got to get things going. Our defense is playing lights out, man. We’ve got to get something going. We’ve got to find a way and I think we’ve all got to stick together and I think we will and I think the guys 100 percent have each others back and 100 percent trust and that’s all we can do—trust in each other, keep working to keep getting better. This League will do this to you sometimes, so we’ve got to find a way.
On going up-tempo in the first half…
Yeah, I think we do good in up-tempo. I think we’ve done well in two-minute situations this year, so it’s kind of replicating that—let’s get on the ball, let’s go quick, let’s try and mix it up because we’ve got to do something offensively, as you guys know. We’ll go back and watch and see how we did on those.
On if he was dazed when running toward the Chargers sideline after a sack…
No, I got flipped upside down on my head—not dazed, flipped upside down—but when I got sacked, I was upside down, so when I stood up, the Chargers were all kind of blocking the sideline and so I kind of just got turned around, but yeah, more than anything else, frustrated. I wasn’t looking.
On one of the main things he wants to work on before Sunday…
Yeah, I don’t know if it’s one thing. I want to get the ball out of my hands quicker. I want to get more completions, get the ball out of my hands for our playmakers, let them make plays. There’s a lot, so we’ve got to figure something out.
On his confidence compared to last year…
I feel like I’m a different player. I feel like I’m in the best position I’ve ever felt, mentally. My understanding of the game. I feel ready to be out there and be competing, so that’s what’s so frustrating, just not getting things done. It’s frustrating. And it starts with me finding a way, but I’m ready for that opportunity and the moment, and we’ve got to find a way to get it done.
On why the offense is struggling…
I’m not sure, man. I really do think it is the self-inflicted wounds. I feel like any time we get something good going, we kind of shoot ourselves in the foot and put us behind the sticks a little bit. Not doing well situationally, I would say. Not well in the red zone. Not well on third downs, so we’ve got to find a way to be better.
On if he is playing too cautiously trying to cut down on interceptions…
I don’t think so. If I watch this film and there was a time to cut one loose, absolutely, I need to learn from that, but my job is to go through my progressions, if something’s there, let it rip, if not, check it down. I feel like I’m seeing the field better than I ever have and learning from plays like Dallas where you’re trying to win the game in the last couple minutes and you throw three picks in the fourth quarter and it doesn’t help us as a team. That last drive, just trying to get completions, just trying to get the ball down the field to try to score as quickly as we can, but throwing picks isn’t going to help us.
On if he thought he could’ve run for the first down after throwing the ball to Michael (Carter)…
I did right after I flipped it. It was kind of one of those that when you step up, you see the check-down right there. The O-line’s blocking the guy next to him, so I’m flipping that as kind of the hole clears, I see the dude standing there and I’m like, ‘Gosh, I probably should’ve tried to run right there,’ but processing wise, I’m going through my reads, the second something’s not there and I step up into the pocket, that’s the first guy I’m looking for is the back. Now, if I felt like the guy was all over him and he was covered, that’s when I would like to take off and run. Trying to use my legs as much as I can.
WR Garrett Wilson
Video: Here
On the morale of the Offense…
When you play at this level and you play on the offense side of the ball, if you weren’t angry, I would think something was wrong. The standard that I hold myself too and the teams I’ve had the opportunity to be a part of. This is disappointing and it definitely messes with your psyche a little bit, but it’s nothing we can’t handle. Like I said we are professionals, we’re going to push through this and it’s going to be better on the back end. But yeah, I’d be lying if I said that we’re all content with what we’re doing out on the field. We’re not in my opinion.
On what he says to Zach (Wilson) after a game like this…
Yeah, he is a baller and for me it’s nothing I need to say to Zach, he knows there is plays that we all leave on the field, and he’s got my back, I got his. Just with Zach I’m always going to have my brothers back and that’s that. I’m always going to have my brothers and my teammates back. Yeah, that’s that, I am going to have his back.
On what happened during the fumble play he had in the game…
Just being sloppy with my ball handling. I have to be better, that is inexcusable. I feel like we had something rolling and who knows how the game plays out if I don’t make that mistake. I am going to make sure to clean that up because that is inexcusable.
CB Sauce Gardner
Video: Here
On avoiding his frustration…
The way we’re coached in the corner room, you’re either a part of the problem or part of the solution. Me, personally, I got to pride myself on being part of the solution. Our job as a defense is to get the offense the ball back. If the offense is not going, that’s on us. We got to get them the ball back a hundred times if we have to. It’s not really a frustration thing. I have to look myself in the mirror and make sure I’m doing what I’m supposed to. As a defense, look all ourselves in the mirror, make sure we’re doing what we supposed to. I got to control what I can control, that’s what everybody got to do.
On anything he might work on for Vegas…
Perfecting my craft. Stuff I already work on, just keep doing that consistently. That’s how you get better, doing something like ten thousand times the correct way. I just want to be perfect, but I know there’s no such thing as perfect. You know what I’m saying?
On if the games this time of year matter more…
That’s how we always think about it. Every game matters. Q Jeff (Quinton Jefferson), he gave a speech last night, he’s right there, and he just talked about how it’s to the point that it’s November, every game matters. You don’t want to be on the other end of the stick thinking ‘If we would have one this game we’d be in the playoffs, like, we’re one game off.’ This late in the year, every game, every game matters.
DL Quinnen Williams
Video: Here
On containing the Chargers offense…
They put up twenty seven points, so I don’t think it was contained. We have to find out how to be better. Find out how to keep them from putting points on the board and do the necessary things that we can do as defense and help the offense get the ball back and do our job to the best of our abilities.
On staying committed throughout the game…
That’s our job. Every time we step on the field, our job is to keep the other offense from scoring. Get our offense the ball as many times as we can. That comes with turnovers. That’s comes with third down, fourth-down stops, our punts and different things like that.
On what they cannot get right in the first quarter…
Just executing and communicating more. Doing the necessary things we can do on Wednesday, Thursday, Tuesday to take a step ahead. Come together as a team, as a defense to execute and communicate at a super high level so we don’t have mishaps in the first and second quarter.
TE Tyler Conklin
On his view of the performance…
I don’t really know what to say right now, to be completely honest with you. I mean it’s pretty frustrating. Obviously, we’ve been shooting ourselves in the foot, you know penalties and things like that, so it’s been really hard for us to get in a rhythm. I really don’t have an answer for you, I wish I did. I feel like if we had answers, we wouldn’t be struggling like we are.
On the frustration of not being able to continue the winning streak…
Yeah, I mean (you) can’t take anything for granted in this league, right? Like every team is a good team. Obviously a four-game winning streak would’ve been nice. It didn’t happen and we got a short week, so we got to lick our wounds and get ready to go end a one game losing streak and beat the Raiders.
On scoring eight touchdowns in eight games…
Yeah, trust me, I wish I knew how to answer the questions about why we are struggling right now, and not being able to score, not being able to get third downs. It’s frustrating for all of us, it’s frustrating for the players, it’s frustrating for the coaches, frustrating for the fans. Frustrating for the defense obviously, when they are out there playing their (expletive) off and playing as well as they play, and we’re coming off on three and outs. So why have we only scored eight touchdowns? I mean there’s a lot of reasons why, but I don’t really have a direct answer for you on how to fix it right now.