BB: This is an exciting time of year
for all of us. You think back to January, February, and some of the
team-building that went on at that point the preparations for the season,
offseason program, and all the work and effort and energy that has gone into
the season, to get to the point to be in the playoffs, it's an honor to be
one of the last teams in the playoff hunt here, after the regular season has
culminated. Obviously, it's a big challenge for us this week against the Jets. This is one of the best teams in football. They're very hot right now.
They've won six of the last eight, beat all the division teams on the road,
and they're very good in all three phases of the game. They have a lot of
great players. I think Eric [Mangini] and his staff have done a great job
down there this year. They have them playing very well. Obviously, they came
up here and handled us, so we know what kind of test we're in for. I'm sure
it will be a tough, division game, like they all are. This being the third
time, it's about as well as you could know a team when you play them the
second game of the year, right at the beginning, and then in the middle of
the season, and now in the postseason. That's spread out, that's a pretty
good body of work. We've seen all their plays this year, I'm sure they've
seen all ours, so I think these two teams know each other well, have a lot
of respect for each other. Certainly at this end. We know that we're going
to have to play our best football of the year to be competitive with the
Jets. That's what we need to do, we need to have a good week, we need to
play well on Sunday. We know it's going to be a dogfight, like it always is.
Q: What are the changes that the Jets have made from the first time and second time that you've played them?
BB: They haven't had many. They haven't had many. It's the same offensive
line. It's the same receivers. Their backs have kind of been in and out a
little bit. The quarterback, obviously. The tight end. Defensively, it's the
same front seven. [Victor] Hobson, [Bryan] Thomas, [Jonathan] Vilma, [Eric] Barton, [Kimo] von Oelhoffen, [Dewayne] Robertson and [Shaun] Ellis. Don't
forget this is a team that, two years ago, was a field goal away from the AFC Championship game. They're a very experienced. They have some young
players on the team, but they're a very experienced team. They're one of
those experienced teams in the playoffs this year. All of the players that
we talked about [Chad] Pennington, [Laveranues] Coles, [Jerricho] Cotchery, [Chris] Baker, those guys have a lot of playoff experience there.
Don't make any mistake about it. They have guys who have been there before
and have played a lot of good football for them. Certainly in two years
there are some new faces, I'm not saying it's the same team from two years
ago, but it's pretty close.
Q: This is the first time that you have played a team three times in the
same year since you've been here. What kind of role do you think that
familiarity will play on Sunday? Is there anything that's a little bit
different about it?
BB: No. Anytime you get them the second time around, you look back at the
previous game. But when you play teams in the division twice a year, every
year, you get to know them pretty good. We've seen teams like Denver and Indianapolis and Pittsburgh multiple times in a year. Three versus two, you
look back at that first game in September, that was so long ago. What was
that, four months ago? Not that you can learn something from it, I'm just
saying it's a long time ago.
Q: Some of the tendencies that you think of when you're going into a matchup
like this, do you have to try to take this for what it is now and for what
the Jets have been over the last three weeks rather than looking too much
back on those other two games that you played before?
BB: I think it's a balance of that. I think it's a balance of it. I don't
think you want to ignore a matchup between your team and the other team
because there are a lot of common threads in that. But at the same time, it
was a long time ago, in some respects the Jets and the Patriots in September
would have more bearing on the Jets and the Raiders even though it was last
week just because of the people playing in the game matched up against each
other. That being said, there's also a trend that every team has from one
point in the season to another. I think in some respects, the Raiders game
is more important than our first game with them. In other respects, our game
gives a little better matchup picture of certain players performing against
each other, or how certain schemes match up in watching the game from last
week. I think it's a balance of that. I think there's a lot of information
out there. Like I said, we've seen all of their plays. They've seen all of
ours. I think everybody knows each other pretty well. You have to be careful
of that, over-analyzing things, but at the same time, you want to make sure
that you can defend things that they do well and try to not let them take
advantage of the things that you feel like they're going to jump on.
Q: Now that there's been a full regular season played, is it possible to
determine how much of an effect Eric has had down there from your
perspective?
BB: I think they have a good football team. That's obvious. I think a lot of
people have played a part in it. Obviously, Eric has done a good job. The
staff has done a good job. The players have played well. In the last half of
the season, they were right at the top of the league in a lot of statistical
categories, especially defensively. They're really good on special teams.
They don't turn the ball over. They hit a lot of high percentage
completions, which goes a lot to the quarterback, the protection and the
receivers. I think there's plenty of credit to go around down there. They're
10-6. They've won six of the eight. They won all three division games on the
road. That's pretty good. I think everybody has had a hand in that.
Q: Out of necessity you've used a lot of people in the passing game. Is that
element where you need it to be at this time of the year in terms of the
rhythm and timing?
BB: I don't know. I don't know. We'll take the players and the team that we
have and put our best effort out there on Sunday and see where that takes
us. I don't know. I don't have any predictions on how it's going to go or
what we're going to do. We'll just go out there and do our best with all the
players that we have, just like we will at every other position.
Q: Does it increase the degree of difficulty when you've had to use so many
bodies?
BB: I'll don't really rate the degree of difficulty. I think that for the
gymnasts. We just go out there and take the team and try to prepare them and
prepare for the game. The ratings on who was this and who was that, I don't
know.
Q: Corey Dillon passed O.J. Simpson last week for all-time yardage. Do you
have any insight as to how he's been able to perform at such a high level
for so many years?
BB: He's strong. He's durable. He's tough. He has good run skills. He's hard
to tackle. He's pretty much out there every week. He makes a lot of yards on
his own. He does a good job of reading the blocks and getting what is there
and then he does a good job of getting some extra yards on his own with his
balance, his toughness, his power and his vision.
Q: What, if anything, is it that you tell some of your rookies about some of
the differences between what they experienced for the last 21 weeks versus
what they're about to experience in the playoffs?
BB: It will pick up a little bit. It will pick up. It's probably different,
but similar, to going from preseason to the regular season. It's just a
higher level and everything is more focused. It's a one-game season, so
therefore it could be a one play season. Games come down to one play or one
situation. Everything has to be as perfect as you can get it, as good a
football as we can play, that's what we need to do.
Q: How has your relationship with Eric evolved and changed from when you
worked together for so long to where it is now?
BB: I don't think this is really a game about relationships, I think it's
about two football teams. That's what we are. We're trying to put our best
game out there, and I'm sure Eric and his staff and his team are going to do
the same on Sunday. That's really our focus on the game, to perform our
best.
Q: There are times where you've played other coaches that you know or other
coaches that you've had relationships with.
BB: Yes and it's the same situation it's our team against their team. We
played against Miami a couple weeks ago down there with Nick Saban. I've
known Nick for a long time. I've known Eric for a long time. We're not
playing. The teams are.
Q: How comfortable are you with Stephen Gostkowski going into the playoffs?
BB: I'm confident in all of our players. I'm confident in our team. That
goes for everybody. If they're here, I'm confident in them.
Q: Where do you think he is now compared to where he was in training camp?
BB: Training camp?
Q: Just how he's progressed since then.
BB: We've had 20 games. We've had over a hundred practices. I'd like to
think that everybody has improved in that time. I think he has. I think
everybody has. I don't know how you could play 20 games and have a hundred
and something practices, two hundred and something meetings and all of that
without improving. I think everybody has gotten better in that period of
time. I would hope so.
Q: How is Rodney [Harrison] doing?
BB: He's doing all right.
Q: Is he better than he was after the game on Sunday?
BB: He won't play in this game. He'll be out.
Q: Bad may be the wrong word, but do you feel bad for Rodney after all he's
done to be on the field this season?
BB: I don't think it's a bad word at all. I do feel bad for Rodney. Nobody
has worked harder than he has. He's had a couple of significant injuries,
three in the last, however many months it's been, 13, 14, I don't know how
many months it's been. Nobody works harder than he does. Nobody does more
for the team in every area. It's a tough break. I feel terrible for him.
Nobody wishes he could be out there more than he does, but I feel the same
way, not from my standpoint, but from the team's standpoint and what he
deserves. Unfortunately that's the way it is.
Q: After seeing the tape, do you believe it was a clean hit?
BB: We're onto the Jets. Do you have any Jets questions? We're done with Tennessee. We're done with last year. It's the Jets.
Q: Is injured/reserve a consideration for Rodney?
BB: Not now. Look, we'll do whatever we think is best for the football team
and our players. Whatever that is, that's what we'll do.
Q: Does the presence of a rookie kicker affect your decision making going
into the playoffs?
BB: No. I don't think it can. No. You have to have confidence in all of your
players and do what you think is the best thing for your team. If you don't
have confidence in them, you should find somebody else.
Q: What is it about Tom Brady that makes him such a good playoff
quarterback?
BB: What makes Tom a good playoff quarterback? I think his record speaks for
itself. It really does. He's a clutch player. He's smart. Tough. He makes
good decisions. He's well-prepared. I think we can go on and on and talk
about Tom Brady's record and success in the playoffs. It's pretty well
documented.
Q: What is the toughest thing about Pennington and the way he plays?
BB: He's very efficient. He's smart. He reads coverages well. He does a good
job of controlling the defense, I think that's why he hits so many passes.
He knows where he wants to go with the ball, when it's open he hits it. If
it's not open, he can look the defense off, try to create some space. He has
a really good group of receivers. They can get open. They don't need a lot
of time to get open. They catch the ball well. He gets the ball to the
receivers in position where they can run with it. So a lot of times they get
yardage on catch and run plays, it might be a short pass, but it ends up
being a significant gain because he hits them in stride. They find a hole in
the defense and that type of thing. I think he does everything well. He's
smart. He has a quick release. He reads coverages well. He makes good
decisions. He doesn't hold the ball long. He uses all of his players. I know
that Coles and Cotchery have had a lot of production, but he works the other
receivers. He works the tight end. He works the backs. He's a pretty solid
player in all areas.
Q: What does [Nick] Mangold do well?
BB: He's a good player. He does a lot of things well. He's a good center.
Q: Does he have good aptitude for a rookie? You had that situation as well
with [Dan] Koppen.
BB: He's a good player.
Q: What types of challenges does the Jets offense present, the way they
shift right before the snap?
BB: They change personnel groups a lot. They change formations. They line up
the same players in different spots and try to build formations differently.
It forces a lot of recognition late, either right before the snap or
sometimes after the snap. It's hard to really get a good read on where they
are because they do shift around and move around a lot and they a substitute
a lot. Communication is an issue and, visually, recognizing what they're
doing is an issue.
Q: Do you see the same thing defensively?
BB: Yes, they do a lot of different things. Definitely. They have a lot of
different packages. 3-4. All various sub packages 4-2, 4-1, 3-2. They
have some five, six, seven DB packages in there. Different combinations of
people that do different things. They move [Kerry] Rhodes around a lot. He
plays different spots. They've move their corners around some, too. Their
linebackers, they can rush, they can cover, sometimes they're on the line.
Sometimes they're off. They give you a bunch of different looks.
Q: Is it particularly difficult with them to identify pre-snap where the
rush is coming from?
BB: I think they do a good job defensively. There are some things that you
can identify, you still have to block them or you still have to get away
from them, whatever it is. Again, there are times where it's hard to
they give
you the same look and maybe do a couple of different things off of it.
That's not uncommon. A lot of defenses do that. But, they do a good job of
that. They do a good job of just playing what they play and making you try
to defeat them. That's a problem, too. I think that's the biggest problem.
Blocking them. Getting open. They have good players. They have a really good
front seven. Their secondary has been a very productive group. Rhodes has a
bunch of interceptions. Their safeties are active. The corners are
competitive. They jam well. They're physical. They tackle well. That's why
they're not giving up very many points. Good field position. Good defense.
Good read area. They don't give up many big plays. That's a good formula.
Q: I realize that pass defense is a lot more than just the secondary, but
your team only gave up 10 touchdown passes this year, which I think was even
better than 2003. Why do you think the pass defense and the red zone
especially were so good this year?
BB: Again, as you said, defense is team defense. In order to be good in any
area, whether it's pass defense, run defense, long ball, short ball, short
yardage, it takes 11 guys. I think it's a combination of team defense and
the way the unit has performed. Again, it's easier to play pass defense when
it's longer yardage and you know what they're going to do. You still have to
stop them, but you can do that. So that has to do sometimes with the run in
the front. Each group complements each other. I think whatever success a
team has on defense, certainly there are key components of it, but it has to
be pretty good as a whole overall unit or eventually it's going to lead to
problems everywhere.
Q: Do you think that touchdown passes allowed is a significant stat?
BB: I think it's relative to how many touchdowns they're scoring rushing. If
they're not getting many rushing and they're not getting many passing, then
it's significant. If they're getting them all on the ground and none in the
air, what difference does it make as long as the ball is in the end zone. To
me, the most important stat is points. There are only two ways a team can
score one is on big plays or two is to drive the ball and that means red
area defense. If you're not giving up big plays, and you're playing good in
the red area, then they're not going to be scoring a lot of points. If
you're giving up big plays and you're not playing good in the red area, even
though they only get down there once or twice a game, you're still going to
give up a decent number of points even though they might not be down there
very often. If they score, that's how it adds up. The Jets in the second
half of the year are the best red area defense in the league. They've given
up the second fewest long plays in the league behind Miami, long passes, so
that's why they're not scoring. If you look at the teams that give up a lot
of points, it's either big plays or inefficiency in the red area. One or the
other. How else are they going to get them? Those are the two key
components. I'm not saying the other things aren't important, rushing
defense, third down, et cetera, et cetera. In the end, if you want to score,
you're going to have to get it one of those two ways, either a big play or
red area.
Q: Do you have any bad feelings about Eric leaving here?
BB: I never said that. We're way past all of that. We're talking about a
playoff game here where the season is at stake for both teams. That's where
my focus is right now.
Q: Mike Westhoff, what has he done so well with coaching the Jets special
teams unit to make them so effective? They don't have many penalties.
BB: They do everything well. We've competed against him when he was in Miami and then when he went to the Jets. He's been in this division, since I've
been here, in 2000. His special teams units always play well. They're a
problem. They return the ball well. They cover well. They have some
deceptive plays. They've onside kicked a couple of times this year. They ran
a fake field goal against us a couple of years ago. They've been in a couple
of different funky punt formations, unbalanced line, walking up under
center, stuff like that. They give you a lot of different things that you
have to prepare for. At the same time, they're very sound. They do all the
fundamental things well. They tackle well. They use their hands well in
coverage. They play with good lane discipline and leverage. As you said, in
the return game they don't get many penalties so whatever yards they get,
they can keep. They have a couple of good returners [Rashad] Washington and obviously Justin Miller, a Pro Bowl guy. They're physical. They block
well. They're sound. They're tough. And they've been like that. He had good
special teams when he was in Miami. They've been good at the Jets. He's done
a great job wherever he's been. It's always a problem going up against him.
Q: What's the number one priority covering kickoffs?
BB: Anytime you go in the kicking game, a big part of it is the kick. If you
get a good enough kick, you and I could go out there and cover them. That's
not always going to happen. So then once you actually have to cover them, it
comes down to lane discipline, leverage, toughness, tackling. You have to
get the guy on the ground. Even if you're in good position, if you don't
tackle him, then all the rest of it is meaningless.
Q: With the success that Laurence [Maroney] and Ellis [Hobbs] have had, does
that give you good flexibility there?
BB: We have confidence in our returners Laurence, Ellis, Kevin [Faulk], Willie [Andrews]. We've used a lot of different guys back there and I think
that our production has been fairly consistent. Whoever we use, we have
confidence in. It's a combination of ballhandling, blocking, reading the
plays properly, and at some point a good returner will make some yards on
his own if you can give him some space either running over somebody,
breaking a tackle, or eluding him or outrunning him. Some combination of
those. In Miller's case, he does all of the above. He's strong. He runs
through them. He's quick. He dodges them. He's fast and he outruns them.
That's why he is a Pro Bowl returner. He has a lot of weapons.
Q: What is it about Daniel Graham that makes him such an effective blocker?
BB: First of all, he's experienced. He
knows what to do. There are a lot of
things that happen pretty quickly on the line of scrimmage there. You're
really lined up very close to those guys you have to block and they move and
they stunt and all of that. Experience. Intelligence. He's tough. He's
strong. He has good lower body strength. He can get moving. He has good
balance. He's a hard guy, once he gets on somebody, he's a hard guy to get
off. Some blockers you can move, or toss, or shed a little bit easier. He's
hard to do that because of his balance and lower body strength.
Q: How much of blocking is experience and how much of it is sort of a
natural affinity for?
BB: Well, it's a combination of both. If the guy is just standing there,
then it's a one-on-one block, we've all done the Oklahoma drill in high
school and all of that. That's one thing. But, when they start moving and
stunting and changing up on you, sometimes it's three blocking three, or
four blocking four. So it's just not one guy blocking his man. It's the
combination of all of us seeing a certain look and being able to sort it out
and get them all picked up and then use good technique and good blocking
fundamentals after you're able to sort that out and pick it up. It's a
combination of both of those things. If it's just, like I said, one player
with a guy standing there, well then that's just one-on-one blocking. But a
lot of times, that's not the case.
Q: In November the Jets front seven was able to put a lot of pressure on Tom
Brady. How much of that had to do with the conditions of the field and how
much of it had to do with missed blocking assignments by the offensive line?
BB: The Jets front seven puts a lot of pressure on everybody. That's a good
group. von Oelhoffen is a good end. Ellis. Those guys anchor their
respective sides of the line. Robertson is quick and explosive inside.
They're good on the outside with Thomas and Hobson. Vilma and Barton do a
good job inside. So they have a good front seven. They mix up the rush
combinations. They'll occasionally bring a safety down, Rhodes or [Erik] Coleman, and put them into the front somehow. You have to block a lot of
different people and even if you know who to block, you still have to block
them and that's a problem. That's why they're one of the best defensive
teams in the league. They have a really good front seven. They're all hard
to block. They all make plays. You just can't say, 'We just have to block
one guy.' You have to get all of them. That's a challenge. It was certainly
a challenge for us. I don't think we did a particularly good job of it, but
neither have a lot of other teams. I think you to give them some credit for
the way they play as well. Hopefully we can do better this week, but it will
be a challenge. They're good upfront.
Q: Do you think the field conditions will help out now?
BB: Both teams are on the same field.
Q: Could you just talk about Asante [Samuel's] season?
BB: I think Asante has had a solid year for us, all the way through, going
all the way back to training camp. I think that's an important part of it,
is the preseason and the training camp leading up to the season, that's
where a player builds his fundamentals and techniques. There's no position
on the field where technique and position and the little things are more
important than in the secondary. You get guys on the line, they're only
lined up that far away from each other, they hit and then the play is over
and they're pursuing and all of that. In the secondary, you have to cover a
guy for two, three, four seconds and be in position and read the release and
read the route and break on the ball and use proper technique to make the
play on the ball or make the tackle or whatever. It's a long play in
relative terms, from a technique and a position standpoint. There are times
where as a secondary player you could be in good position for 95 percent of
the play and then the last 5 percent, you mis-time the ball or reach with
the wrong arm or something like that and then it's a completion. The
fundamentals and techniques in the secondary are important. They start in
the offseason and they extend into training camp and that's what has to
carry the players at that position a long way. I think Asante has done a
good job of that. He works well with his safeties, when they have
combination coverages, knowing where your help is, and how to use it and
that type of thing. He's a smart player. He's instinctive. He has good ball
skills. I think a lot of those things play into it. I think it's hard for a
player just to come in at the end of a year and do everything right without
all of the fundamentals that go into that position because it's a long play
from a technique standpoint. Just like the quarterback, it's a longer play.
It's not like lining up this far away from a guy.
Q: Nick Saban just took the Alabama job.
BB: Did he really? He did?
Q: Yes, he's at the podium now. Can you comment on that?
BB: I'm sure that whatever Nick has to say then I'm sure that's the truth.
Whatever decision he made, I'm sure he has good reasons for it. He's a good
coach. He's a good friend. He's a smart guy. I'm sure whatever the situation
is, he has a good reason for what he did.
Q: Are you surprised by that decision? You looked a little surprised.
BB: I thought it was going to be announced earlier and it hadn't. I don't
know. Again, it's Nick's decision. It's his personal situation so I couldn't
really comment on it. I spoke to Nick, yesterday I guess it was, but we
didn't talk about that.
Q: Do you think it will revive your friendship, getting him out of the
division?
[Laughter]
BB: It will certainly put it on different footing. It would certainly put it
on different footing. |
