Jets Postgame Quotes (Week Six)
Head Coach Robert Saleh
Video: Here
On the injuries…
(Joe) Tippmann is dealing with a thigh. Might be a while. We’ll get more. Michael Carter (II) is dealing with a hamstring.
On the Jets defense…
I thought the defense was outstanding, per the usual. Through these first six weeks, we have played a gauntlet of quarterbacks. I know we haven’t won them all, but we’ve embarrassed all of them. Just really, really proud of the defense and their resolve. I thought Brick (Jeff Ulbrich) and the staff had an excellent game plan down four of our six corners. I thought our d-line was good in terms of keeping that kid in the pocket. He’s a handful (Jalen Hurts). Their o-line, their receivers, I thought our guys battled all the way through. Proud of them.
On Tony Adams coming up with a big play…
Right on time. He’s been great. You have to remember, he’s young. He’s a second-year player. As excited as we are about him, we know he’s going to have some ups and downs. The ups are going to continue to become more and more frequent. He’s a freak athlete. It’s important to him. He’s a tremendous communicator. He has tremendous explosiveness and speed and instincts. I stand by it, I think he’s going to be a fixture here for a while.
On the important of Bryce Hall the past few weeks…
Bryce, oh man. I said it in the press conference earlier in the week, that kid. When you go from starter, and then you watch the organization draft someone, and then pay someone, and you get relegated to backup duty, and he remakes himself on special teams. Always preparing himself the way he needs to. I thought Tony Oden did a great job getting the entire group ready. With all of the different personnel groupings, we were trying to mix-and-match, moving our corners around so they couldn’t get a beat on it. You can’t do it without a guy like Bryce and his ability to communicate. He’s so smart on the football field, managing the back end and making sure we were aligned the way we needed to be every play. He’s awesome. He’s such a good dude.
On what he would have said if someone told him that his team would hold the defending NFC Champions to 14 points and Hurts would turn it over three times without Sauce Gardner…
Any given Sunday (laughs). Any given Sunday, man. Like I said, I put Tony Oden up there with everybody in terms of his ability to coach and get people to where they need to be. Our coaching staff did a really nice job. There is no fear. I’ve always said, ‘You go tell a backup that he’s a backup and that he doesn’t deserve to be a starter.’ Those guys came out there. I thought Craig James was fearless. He had a huge pass breakup in the endzone. Had a couple of nice tackles. Tae Hayes has only been here a couple of weeks to learn our system, which is complicated from a zone standpoint. It’s not like you’re coming out here playing man. He has to learn it all. Kudos to that group. Like I said, four of our six corners were out this week. Even at the end, (with) Michael Carter II missing a lot of time in the fourth quarter, and the guys still pieced it together and managed to put together a good game.
On Garrett Wilson’s injury…
He could have finished. I think he was there for the kneel down.
On closing the red zone opportunities…
We’re that freaking close offensively. We run the boot and it’s a sack, just miscommunication on what should have been there. We should have had somebody in the flat for Zach (Wilson) to get the ball to, which would have been a first down. You look at all of these ‘what if’s’, the penalties. Could have run a hit on (Allen) Lazard’s personal foul. If he just hit like you see on special teams, you don’t get called for the crack back and now we’re first and goal inside the 10 or whatever it was. A lot of opportunity. Offensively, I thought we did a really nice job moving the ball, especially in the second half. I know the yardage isn’t going to look good, but I thought we moved the ball well in the second half and we gave ourselves opportunities. Like you said, we have to finish. We’re that freaking close. I think we will.
On what a win like this over that kind of opponent can do for the confidence of the team…
It’s a big win. They’re NFC Champs. We took the world champs (Kansas City) to the wire. We beat Buffalo. Probably let one slip away with the Patriots; it is what it is. The Dallas game is what it is. I think we will always be in these games. I think we can go toe-to-toe with anybody. It says a lot about this group and how mentally strong they are and how much they love and appreciate one another and fight for one another. We’re going to continue battling. We’re going to continue to try to find a way to write our story for this year. Obviously, winning this game going into the bye week is nice, but we had a big win last year, too. We need to come out of the bye week with even more intent and more of that mindset and continue to find ways to get better so we can finish stronger.
On if Aaron Rodgers has impressed him with his recovery…
It’s unbelievable. A lot of people that I have talked to – I won’t name names but who have also had it – that everyone is in awe that he is even walking. For him to be on the sideline standing the entire time, he’s a freakazoid.
On if Rodgers had to clear any hurdles to be able to stand on the sidelines…
That’s him. He said he wanted to be on the sidelines.
On Zach Wilson’s play…
I thought he did a good job. There are some things that we can clean up third-down wise. Finishing in the red zone is always going to be a thing that the quarterback has to own. I think he is doing a good job. He gave Garrett a couple of chances to make some plays. I thought the drive on the back was awesome from him. He is going to get better. He’s going to continue to get better. Our offense is going to continue to get better. Like I said, I think he has played a gauntlet of defenses in the first six weeks. Buffalo and Kansas City have been lights-out. Dallas, obviously, is lights-out. The Patriots have a really good defense, and Philadelphia is one of the top five defenses. He has been playing pretty good ball and I just think he’s going to get better as the year goes on.
On when Gardner suffered his concussion…
He had the illness on Friday. We sent him home to get off his feet and take a deep breath. He came in Saturday still complaining of head pains, which is when we put him through all of the tests and realized he had a concussion. That’s when we ruled him out.
On the Jets ability to come-from-behind against quality teams at home…
The resolve and the ability to adjust in-game. You wish you wouldn’t put yourself in a hole the way we have. We’re young, especially on the offensive side of the ball. To get the ball rolling defensively, we need to stand up a little bit better in the first half. The encouraging thing is that we do get better as the game goes on. The encouraging thing is that we do make the adjustments needed in all three phases that we need to continue to get better as the game goes on. If we continue to do that and find ways to start faster, I think we will all love the results.
QB Zach Wilson
Video: Here
On if he was concerned about settling for field goals…
I wouldn’t say I was concerned. I was frustrated. Too many negative plays, too many things kicking us out of having a chance to really have an opportunity to go get a touchdown there. Super frustrating, two weeks in a row we’re not scoring touchdowns. We’ve got to find a way and we’re going to do that. We’re going to go back and watch this tape and see how we can score some touchdowns.
On the Jets defense…
Unbelievable. You can’t give those guys enough credit, especially some of the guys we pulled up with Sauce (Gardner) being out and then, obviously, D.J. Reed going down was tough because we had to throw two guys in there with limited reps and I thought those guys stepped up and did an unbelievable job. The turnovers were huge, too, those guys getting turnovers for us and putting us in good field position, and we’ve got to capitalize on that stuff.
On where he was when Tony Adams intercepted Jalen Hurts…
I was standing kind of right behind him about 10 yards behind him. I thought it was unbelievable. I couldn’t believe he threw it. I couldn’t believe he almost housed it. But a really cool moment. We were getting our minds right to try to go win it right there. What a cool way to do it right there.
On what today’s win means to him…
Yeah, huge. This is a big win for us. This is an unbelievable team that I think you guys saw, that was a good team on that side of the ball and those guys did a great job up front, they did a great job in their secondary making it tough on us, not giving us easy ones. We needed that win and I thought all the guys kept fighting, everyone kept fighting. We had O-lineman stepping up, Tipp (Joe Tippmann) going down and Wes (Schweitzer) coming in and stepping in and Max (Mitchell) coming in and playing this week as well. I thought everyone was battling all the way across the board. There’s no quit in this team.
On the range of emotions before and after Adams’ interception…
Yeah, it’s telling everyone to kind of take a deep breath here, let’s think about the situation we’re in. Do we want to score? Do we want to try to run some clock out here? What’s the idea? But we score, we get the two-point conversion and make them have to go down and score a touchdown and we’ll put that on our defense all day. Those guys do a great job.
On if he remembers Adams jumping out to him last year…
Yeah, absolutely. That dude was sticking out at practice for sure. I can think of multiple plays in my head where he’s showing up and the juice and energy he brings. He shows up in key moments just like that. That was huge. We needed that one and he came through for us.
On if he interacted with Aaron Rodgers during the game…
I think he was mostly in there talking to the coaches. Obviously, my headset is just with Hack (Nathaniel Hackett), but it’s always good having him around.
On if he thought he had plays where he held the ball too long…
We’ll go back and watch that. I’m always trying to get it out as quick as I can for those guys up front. They’re up there battling as much as they can. I’m sure there are. I’m going to go back and watch that and see if I can get the ball out sooner.
On if things have stabilized after the last few weeks…
Yeah, absolutely. I think there’s been no hiccup with this team, especially this offense. These guys understand how good we can be and we’re seeing it out here. Those guys couldn’t stop us tonight. We’ve got to be able to limit, get rid of the negative plays and stay ahead of the sticks and we can see how good we can be.
On if he ever just throws the ball up to Garrett Wilson and hope he comes down with it…
That was the goal tonight. I think there was a couple I just put one up there for him, especially the one in the red zone. Maybe I could’ve thrown a check down that gets tackled for 10 yards, but we want to score touchdowns so I was trying to give him a shot there, putting something up for him and trying to let him go make a play. That’s what you’ve got to do when they play you tight like that.
On how much more fun he’s having winning…
Yeah, I mean, huge. I can’t even talk about it. I’m having tons of fun, especially when we pull out a big win like that. Just feeling like I’m getting into a flow. I get statistically and everything, things weren’t great. We’ll go back and watch the film, but I really feel like as an offense we’re really close in the passing game and then obviously the running game as well, too. I feel like we’re really close to letting things go.
On if there is anything they need to do to stay motivated…
Yeah, we learn from this film, I don’t even think we need to try, I think these guys know how important this is to get going. I think everyone’s juiced and they can’t wait to get going with the next week. I don’t even think that needs to be talked about. Guys are going to be ready to go.
WR Garrett Wilson
Video: Here
On having a defense the team can be confident in…
They are a special group to be able to step up on the perimeter like they did, next man up mentality and hold one of the best offenses for the last two years to what they did, hold some of those receivers from making big plays. A.J. Brown great player, he is going to get his, DeVonta Smith is a great player, he is going to get his, but to do what they did, keep them out of the end zone in the second half, it is so valuable. We are still trying to figure it out on offense, but when we have a defense like that, you are going to be in games and we had an opportunity to end the game right there, we did our job. So, it feels good this week for sure.
On Zach Wilson’s performance the last two wins…
Yeah, I mean you said it yourself, those were the matchups that he had. I try to look at it as I am matching up with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith this week and I am sure Zach looks at it the same and we have won. So, yeah, he is taking all the right steps and I stand by what I have been saying. He is a dog, he takes those hits, he stands in there, he delivers it, he’s been balling and the way he communicates with us is really everything. Each week has gotten better, so I have always said, if we aren’t getting better each week, we aren’t doing it right and that hasn’t be the case, we have been getting better.
On beating the Eagles for the first time in franchise history…
I did just hear that. That’s crazy, I didn’t know that. Jets Nation, you all deserve this. That feels good and anytime you can get a win going into your bye week. We started off 1-3, our mission once we got to that point was to get back to 3-3 and here we are. So, what’s the next mountain to climb and we are going to figure that out throughout this week and come back and approach that and get the right mindset to take that on.
LB C.J. Mosley
Video: Here
On winning the game with mistakes still being made…
That’s the challenge we gave ourselves at the beginning of the year. We wanted to be the best in the world and in order to be the best you have to play against the best and beat them. The first time we felt a little bit short, but we did pull out this week. Like I said before I’m just happy to be on this defense. I’m proud to be on this defense. I’m blessed for these guys to look up to me be that cylinder collar, because I couldn’t do it without them. Like I said we just got to keep it going.
On tonight’s performance..
Oh man, it was great, great. Those type of games, you just got to appreciate. You sitting there in the middle of the field lights on, just shining everywhere during the tv time out, and there’s a lot of stuff that could be running through your mind but your just blessed to be out on the field with everything that’s going on. Outside of football, we have to share our gratitude for each other, work together grind out these tough wins, have our brothers back when things aren’t going well. That’s what this football life is all about. I hope everybody can really enjoy this win and understand why we won. Obviously, watch the film and get better, but let’s keep it going. If we can play the way we are playing with the people that we are missing, with the numbers that we do have, keep that mental strength then we’ll see.
On the defense resilience…
I’ll tell you what, on the defensive side we been through hell and back. Looking back to 21, the injuries’ we had, new defense, just trying to learning, how teams were attacking us. So, we been in this scenario before as a defense. I really give a lot of credit to our coaching staff, and obviously to the plyers. TA (Tony Adams) and Michael Carter II played to different spots that they haven’t played before and they found that out earlier this week. So, everyone just adjusted, believed in each other and we feel if you can communicate together, we can be a great defense regardless.
RB Breece Hall
Video: Here
On being on the verge of scoring in the red zone…
Yeah, yeah. It is getting better every week. We got to keep coming together at practice and getting one percent better every day.
On the two-point conversion…
I didn’t even see; I was running to the other side, and I just heard everyone screaming and I turned around. So, I didn’t even see what happened to be honest.
On how beating the Eagles sends a statement that the Jets shouldn’t be looked past…
I feel like we sent that message game one, but like you said we can compete with any team in the League, so it is what it is.
On the defense…
I just know they are going to get us the ball back, that is the biggest thing. I Always believe in those guys.
DL Quinnen Williams
On the energy level going against an undefeated team…
It didn’t do nothing, we just went out there and played our game, played our scheme, play how we usually play. We just made an emphasis this week on communicating and execute, and that was the biggest thing was figuring out how to start fast in these games. We’re always a second half team, it was just a great opportunity to piece it with the first half and continue to dominate in the second half.
On the feeling of getting his first career interception…
Coach always gets on us about running to the ball, so I seen it in the screen, I just played it and ran to the ball. I think Jermaine Johnson made an unbelievable coverage play today and an unbelievable sack, so he’s playing lights out. And like I said, he’s communicating and executing to the highest level, and I think he just knocked the ball out and it just fell right into my hands, so when I got it I was like, ‘Okay I’m going to score.’ I tried to turn on the Jets, I know Tyreek Hill and the Miami Dolphins be competing with speed, so I tried to get my 22 miles an hour, I couldn’t get a chance to pick it up.
On Coach Saleh’s comment of ’embarrassing the gauntlet of quarterbacks’…
All the quarterbacks we’ve faced are super amazing. I don’t want to say embarrassed, but again, we’re just focus on playing our defense. We got a goal, and that goal is to be the number one defense in the NFL, our goal is to make the playoffs, and we’re just trying to focus on that and get better every single day so we can achieve that.
DL John Franklin-Meyers
On playing against some of the high rated quarterbacks in the league…
It’s everybody. It starts with offense, putting us in position to get some of those safeties and we’ve seen that, great field position, back them up. Then defensively, defensive line, we’re out there hunting, we’re out there getting them off the spot, doing everything we can to get them down. On the back end, those guys are covering their [explicit] off, they’re plastering and you see most of our second plays and guys chasing stuff down. But we’re getting a quarterback to run around, make a bad decision in the back end and capitalize on it every time. We got to love to see it for those guys.
On if their win is a statement to the rest of the league…
I think when you see what we do on the weekend and we got bases, how can you count us out? You see defensively, we’re going to shut the door every time. We’re a second half team, we’ve played well in the second half. We got to start faster, we understand that. But offense, just continue to wear these guys down. Run the ball well, Zach (Wilson) is being comfortable, o-line is blocking their [explicit] off. We’re doing good, so you love to see it. Bye week get healthy and then get some guys back and then shoot, let’s see what happen.
On if this defense is capable of taking this team to the playoffs…
Without a doubt. You see what we do. I mean, the most points we get was against the Cowboys, but any case we’re closing the door in the second half. Like I said, we got to start faster, we understand that. As a defensive line, we understand we got to get the quarterback down more, pressures aren’t enough, hits aren’t enough, we got to get them down. But what an opportunity we have to improve on what regard to the game.
LB Quincy Williams
On beating the undefeated Eagles…
We were really excited about it and everything like that. Then the preparation throughout the week, the mindset. You won’t come out surprised when you put in the work.
On coming out of the game with a victory…
The biggest thing we knew was not who’s the better team, but who could execute the most, and execute the longest.
On Quinnen Williams’ first interception…
I was thinking get him to the house, block anybody, just take off running. If I wasn’t tired, I was going to get there. I was just happy that he dropped the ball. I was like, I have to get that ball from him.
On the team coming back from three of the biggest teams in the League…
The difference is believing. No matter what happens to us, good bad, playing the next play. The biggest thing is preparation going to the sideline like if something hit us, we’re not going to let it hit us again.
LB Jermaine Johnson
On their performance today against one of the best offenses in the League…
Like I said, we have a lot of confidence, real (expletive) what we say, then it’s our job to do what we have to do to go back it up. At the end, I’m just proud of the guys we have in this locker room. I’m proud of the way that we performed tonight. I’m proud of the way that we faced adversity and came out victorious.
On his performance today compared to after the Chiefs game…
To be honest, that did sting a little bit. Just seeing stuff like that, especially me out there, I don’t think I played awful, but I definitely didn’t do what I know my guys needed me to do. That stung a lot, so I looked myself in the mirror and said, ‘What are you going to do for these guys? Make a change. Just, what are you going to do to standout, to help the guys? I just looked myself in the mirror and made some sacrifices, start focusing on what I had to focus on. Not that I wasn’t performing, but just really, really challenging myself to do everything I could to be the best that I could be, not just for me, but for the guys we have in this locker room.
On if tonight’s win was a statement…
One hundred percent, but like I like to say, it’s no surprise to me. I know the guys we have in here, the way we face adversity, the way we just shut out rat poison and negative comments and talk, even positive, too. These guys would show up to work every single day. We show up and we do extra every single day. We don’t just do what’s on the schedule, you know what I’m saying? We really work our butts off to go out there and put the best product on the field and end with a victory. I’m just happy the way these guys showed out and the way we faced adversity and the way we came out victorious.
CB Bryce Hall
On taking advantage of the opportunity and contributing in a big way…
Oh man it’s an honor, it’s a special unit and I was just saying earlier, I was telling MC (Michael Carter II) and some of the other guys, this is going to be a special story when it’s all said and done. So I’m just so excited to be able to do that and I’m just thankful to God for these opportunities that he gives me, and that gives me confidence you know, when I have these opportunities he’s putting me in these positions and I then walk in there with confidence and ready to go and dominate. There’s so much respect to D.J. (Reed) and Sauce (Gardner), nothing but love, support, helping us all the way through this week. I love those guys, and it’s a special thing we got here.
On what the last two weeks have meant for him…
Last two weeks? Oh it’s special because just the process, when you go through a process and when you get to this point, just going through trials and different things, man it just makes these moments so much sweeter, and that’s what I love, that’s why I appreciate it. So these last two weeks have been special and I’m super grateful for them, and it’s cool to see how everything just continues to work out.
On finding a way to beat Philadelphia…
I think it’s just the next man up mentality and nobody flinched, nobody wavered. We had the confidence and the belief in each other and it was a special moment. Just shows like the amazing group of people that we have here, and then the coaches putting us in great situations to execute, it really didn’t take anything super heroic, we did our job and we executed and we strained all the way to the end, I think that’s what you saw there.
S Tony Adams
On if he thought he was going to score…
I definitely thought I was going to score. I thought I was going to set them up and comeback, but it worked out how it was supposed to work out.
On if he has ever had a play like that in his career…
I had a game winning interception before in college, but it was nothing like this. To do it with these guys and this locker room, after all we went through, after the late news this week, it is an honor. It’s an honor to (handle) business with these guys, just doing my job.
On if he talked to Sauce Gardner after the game…
Yeah, I talked to all the guys, just telling them how proud I was of them corners who stepped up. J (Jordan) White (Whitehead) told us he was going to lead us today and that is exactly what he did on that back end and them guys up front they are always hunt, they are always eating. We got a hell of a captain in C.J. Mosely who led us this whole game, told us don’t flinch. Quincy (Williams) playing his ass off, the D-line eating on the back end we held it down, like we said we were going to do that, like we were going to stand on business. That is a great team out there, to have that win means a lot, it means a lot.