Jets Postgame Quotes (Week Ten)

Head Coach Robert Saleh

Q: Is there anything you can do to help this team get the ball in the end zone?
Coach Saleh: “We have self-inflicted wounds. It’s been the same story for the last couple of weeks. We
have to figure it out. We have to figure out how to stop shooting ourselves in the foot when we get those
opportunities. We felt the offense moved the ball really well. They had five shots in their territory and
came with four field goals. We aren’t going to win football games.”

Q: How do you get the penalties under control?
Coach Saleh: “We have to try and figure it out, but we have addressed it, and they know what the rules
are. They’re just coming at the worst times, obviously.”

Q: Are you at a loss with the stretch with no touchdowns? Is it just hard to believe?
Coach Saleh: “What’s frustrating is the different ways that we’re creating to not get in the end zone. Zach
[Wilson] scored, but obviously his toes were barely out. We scored on the next play, but we got a holding
penalty. We’re driving the ball well and we knock ourselves into a non-advantageous situation where
we’re second-and-20. It just happened over and over and over again. We’re generating offense, we’re
moving the ball, but again, we’re not finishing our drives the way we need to.”

Q: Do you feel that because of these offensive struggles you guys are wasting your defense on what
they’re doing?
Coach Saleh: “We played great defense. We do have a championship defense. It’s not about wasting, but
we have to take advantage of it, obviously. I give the Raiders credit. They made the plays when they
needed to, but we have to find a way to start generating points, for sure.”

Q: With the offense, if the quarterback is staying the same, and the play caller staying the same, what
gives you the confidence that at this point in the season you can turn it around because this has been
almost every game?
Coach Saleh: “No, for sure. The hard part for me is when I’m watching the game, obviously, like I’ve said,
it’s very easy to look at the play caller, the head coach, the signal, or the quarterback. But we moved the
ball and just penalties. They were line penalties, tight end penalties, running back penalties. Just dumb,
dumb stuff that we need to get cleaned up or it’s not going to change. If we can clean it up and at least
give ourselves a chance to play clean football, to see what it looks like, I still believe we’ll look pretty
good.”

Q: How do you go about addressing that? Is it something you practice? how do you coach that out of a
team?
Coach Saleh: “As a coach, you always talk about the pre-snap and post-snap penalties, but in-play
penalties are a little bit trickier, I guess you could say. But some of them are just — I have my thoughts,
obviously I’m not going to say much here, but we will try again.”

Q: What gives you the confidence to turn this around?
Coach Saleh: “Same thing, like I said. I thought the offense moved the ball well today. We had five drives
into their territory and came away with four field goals and a turnover. A lot of them are just self-inflicted
wounds. If we could get that out of our game, we’ll be alright, but right now obviously it’s not good
enough.”

Q: In the first four or five games this season penalties weren’t an issue for you guys. What changed?
Coach Saleh: “I’m just going to keep my thoughts on how that happens to myself, but it’s definitely been
a problem like these last four games.”

Q: How do you think Zach Wilson played?
Coach Saleh: “Again, I thought he did all right. There were a couple of plays that I’m sure he wants back.
I thought the linebacker [Robert Spillane] made an unbelievable play on the interception. I thought he
moved around the pocket well and I thought he picked up some good yards with his legs. We were
converting third downs; I think it was the best rate we’ve been converting them. To give a full assessment
on Zach, I think it’d be fair to ask for everyone around him to play a little bit better, especially with the
penalties. Overall, I thought he did a decent job.”

Q: Why isn’t Breece Hall more involved in the passing game?
Coach Saleh: “It’s stuff that we’ll look at. Usually with his production, it’s going to come on check downs,
but that is something we definitely need to look at.”

Q: You said, “Everyone has to be better around Zach Wilson.” When you look at the numbers that are
starting to compile, they’re not good. He has one passing touchdown in his last 21 quarters. You see
other guys around the league going out of the blue and throwing multiple touchdowns in a game, why
is it not working?
Coach Saleh: “I don’t know. I have to keep digging on tape. And it’s like I said, when you’re sitting in thirdand-
12-plus because you’ve had a penalty, you’re fighting to just get back on track. When it’s first-and-20,
second-and-20, third-and 11-plus situations, not many guys around the league will score touchdowns.
And I think that what’s frustrating is that we’re not giving ourselves a chance to continue and stay on
schedule to see what would happen. Hopefully that answered your question, but it’s frustrating because
the answer lies in the fact that we’re moving the ball and we’re committing penalties and shooting
ourselves in the foot, not giving ourselves a chance to stay on track.”

Q: Aaron Rodgers told NBC today that his plan is to return in mid-December. Does that line up with
what you are anticipating as well?
Coach Saleh: “I don’t know. If the doctors clear him, then we will clear him.”

Q: We saw C.J. Mosley and Garrett Wilson go to the sideline. Were there any injuries?
Coach Saleh: “They all came back. C.J. would’ve been able to finish the game if they had a two-minute
drive.”

Q: Anyone else?
Coach Saleh: “Sam Eguavoen is dealing with a hip.”

QB Zach Wilson

Video: Here

Q: Can you describe the frustration with moving the ball? It seems like the penalties are the first thing.
Wilson: “So much frustration. I don’t know how to put it any other way. I mean, I don’t know if people
could see us frustrated on the sideline, in a good way. I mean, it’s a good thing to be frustrated. But the
hard thing is I know everyone’s battling. The penalties aren’t like anyone’s not trying, but we have to find
a way to be better there. I know everyone’s out there battling, but we have to find a way to be better.”

Q: Did you feel like you were moving the ball well, especially in the first half?
Wilson: “I did. I absolutely did. I felt like in the second half, we didn’t get as many first downs to keep
some drives alive. But I thought we were moving the ball well. I didn’t feel like they were doing much to
stop us. I felt like we were stopping ourselves and have to be better.”

Q: What happened on the interception at the end?
Wilson: “Yeah, I have to be better there. I knew 41 [Robert Spillane] was the guy who ought to get there.
So, I tried to beat him with the ball. He made an unbelievable play, but I have to see that obviously. And
it hurts because we made some harder plays to get there. To throw an interception to lose the game sucks
and I hate that. So, I have to be better for the guys, for the team, everyone battling. So, I know how crucial
the ball is, especially when you’re not scoring touchdowns. You have to take care of the football. So, I have
to be better there.”

Q: When you look at the totality in the past few weeks, 36 straight drives, no touchdowns. I believe it
was 21 quarters, one touchdown for you. For yourself, what are specific things that when you look at
yourself as a leader of the team, leader of the offense can you be doing differently?
Wilson: “Just getting everyone on the same page, communication. Like I said, a lot of self-inflicted wounds.
Of course, there are plays that everyone’s going to watch and everyone’s kind of taking their turns, but as
a leader, it’s how can I get everyone on the same page. Communication starts with just everyone knowing
their assignment and obviously the negative plays killing it. So, we have to find a way to be better there,
and I think I can maybe just try and be a little bit over exaggerated on communication and maybe that
stuff can help and just do everything I can there.”

Q: What were you feeling when you dove over the pylon there? Did you feel like you had the
touchdown?
Wilson: “Yes. It was interesting because I was looking to step out and obviously didn’t want to get hurt.
But they kind of gave me a lane there. So, then I just tried to kind of dive for it, protect myself, and I knew
I was close on the sideline. So, it was unfortunate that my foot stepped out. I want to say we had a negative
play right after that pushed us a little further back and we scored on the next play, but then they called it
back for a penalty, so we have to find a way to be better. It’s just not good enough.”

Q: On that play when Breece Hall scored, it looked like a flag came right across your line of sight and
you looked exasperated. Is it hard to believe that you guys had the opportunity and couldn’t get into
the end zone?
Wilson: “It literally feels like every good play we have is getting called back out there. It’s just so frustrating
because you understand how important every single drive is. We need to be better there as a team. We
need to find a way. I’m going to find a way to help the guys out from knowing the call, understanding
situations, whatever it is. We need to find a way to be better in those situations.”