Rex Ryan Press Conference Transcript 10/6/10
On Wednesday New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan addressed the media. Here is the transcript from the press conference courtesy of the Jets.
Opening remarksβ¦
βEven though we donβt technically have to give an injury report, hereβs the deal: John Conner had a little neck thing, but he was full today, so he is fine. Guys that were limited were Calvin Pace, Wayne Hunter, Nick Mangold, (Darrelle) Revis, Jason Taylor and Shaun Ellis. Shaun Ellis, knee; Taylor, elbow; Revis, hamstring; Mangold, shoulder; lower leg for Wayne Hunter; and Calvin Pace, foot. The only guy that didnβt practice was (Jamaal) Westerman. He was held out of everything.β
On Randy Moss being traded to Minnesotaβ¦
βI was hoping they would have waited a week. That would have been much nicer. Clearly, by them making the trade when they did, you know heβll play this week. Thereβs no doubt about that. We just (have) to get ready to play him. I thought it was interesting. Clearly, it was a little surprising. We knew we were going to have to play him another time, so it might as well be this week.β
On what made the Moss trade interestingβ¦
βNew England trading him for a draft pick instead of Moss playing for the whole year. I have a great deal of respect for Randy Moss. He is one of the premier vertical receivers in the game still. Here we go. I was kind of thinking, βI feel pretty good,β and then all of a sudden, βHey, Minnesota just traded for him. There goes sleeping well this week.β Surely, he be wonβt up to complete speed with everybody else, but my brother said heβs a smart guy. Thereβs no doubt heβll be playing this week.β
On if there was gamesmanship involved in the tradeβ¦
βNo, I donβt think so (smiling). Probably so. Itβs good for New England the fact that he is playing this week. It would be real gamesmanship if they trade him back (laughter). That would be the one where itβs like, βThatβs not right.β I hope that doesnβt happen.β
On if Darrelle Revis will be able to play this weekβ¦
βI donβt know. Weβll see. He moved out there pretty well today. Heβs not opening up completely, but it was encouraging to get him out on the practice field. He was working hard. Hopefully, heβll be ready to go. As far as matching up with Moss, I really donβt know where heβs going to play. Is he left side? Right side? Slot? Who knows? I think itβs too early to say. Weβre just now game planning.β
On how the acquisition of Moss affects Minnesotaβs game planβ¦
βIt definitely affects it. Youβve got a guy who they say is one of the best vertical threats in the game. Usually you go into games, without our corners, most of the time you roll your coverage to Moss. Thatβs something that most teams do. Most teams do it.β
On the impact of the trade on the Patriotsβ¦
βI donβt know. They know their team a lot better than we do. I just know heβs a huge threat. Generally, wherever he goes, he takes two with him. It helps your numbers in other areas. Maybe they have the next Randy Moss out there. Weβll see.β
On if he is more confident that Calvin Pace will play this week than Revisβ¦
βIβm confident in both guys. I think both guys will play. I went in the training room the other day and both Calvin and Darrelle were there and Wayne Hunter and I was like, βYou guys are missing all the fun.β They were like, βYeah, I know. Weβre playing this week.β Ok, weβll see. It is true. Guys want to play. Theyβre doing everything they can to get back on the field. Iβm confident theyβll be out there this week.β
On if how a player is practicing affects the decision of whether or not he will playβ¦
βYes. Even last week when I saw Calvin, he just wasnβt quite there yet. That was something I mentioned and Iβm sure he felt.β
On how they will use Revis if he playsβ¦
βI think itβs too early to tell right now. Letβs let him get one more day of practice in. Will he always be on the left? Iβm not sure. We got posted by that one kid, (Anquan) Boldin, that first week. If heβs ready to match-up, weβll match-up. Weβll see how he feels.β
On how much Moss will help Brett Favreβ¦
βHeβs got a good group of receivers, but when you add Randy Moss to the picture, (it creates) match-up problems. Youβve got (Bernard) Berrian (and) youβve got Percy Harvin. Their tight end (Visanthe Shiancoe), I know he had a hamstring (injury). He probably needs to rest a few more weeks (smiling). Iβm no doctor, but you donβt put a guy out there with a hamstring (smiling). That would make it easier I think. Really, youβve got some match-up issues. You have a guy that can throw it 80 yards at least. Theyβve got some fast guys and he can throw it out there.β
On Santonio Holmes being able to help the offenseβ¦
βI think heβs going to be a huge thing for us. We certainly have some match-up issues that the other team is going to have to face, too. You can go three wides with us and you have Holmes, (Braylon) Edwards and Jerricho (Cotchery) and Dustin (Keller). There are some match-up issues there as well. He looks sharp. He looks like he hasnβt missed a beat. He looked good.β
On if they will ease Holmes into the game planβ¦
βHeβll go. Youβre basically going to rotate three guys in regular personnel groupings and three wides are always out there. Brad Smith, his role as a receiver might be a little less than itβs been in the past, but Bradβs still a great weapon and is a guy you can bring in there.β
On if there is a concern about integrating Holmes into an offense that is doing wellβ¦
βItβs going pretty good, without question, but when you have a chance to add a great football player then you add him. Thatβs what Santonio is. Like I said, there is nothing wrong with our chemistry and it is going well. Itβs just if you had Merlin Olsen, you want to work him into the rotation. I think Merlin would be out there and thatβs how I kind of look at Santonio Holmes.β
On if his offensive philosophy is still going to be ground-and-poundβ¦
βSure. Absolutely. The great thing is having those weapons makes you play Cover Two. Thatβs what Minnesota wants to play anyway. They should be confident stopping the run. They have one of the best run-stopping groups in the league, so I donβt think theyβre going to change for us.β
On if heβs concerned the opportunities for the wide receivers will be limited because he wants to be a ground-and-pound teamβ¦
βWeβre a football team and it doesnβt matter. We just want to win. We have two great running backs. Theyβre both touching the football. Theyβre doing a great job for us. We care about winning. Thatβs really all we care about. Now, individually would you like to catch a lot of balls? Yes. In some games Braylon (Edwards) may catch more than Santonio (Holmes) and Jerricho (Cotchery). Maybe Jerricho catches more than those other two some games. Itβs just the way it works. Weβre in the win business and our team wants to win. More than anything else, we want to win.β
On how much it helped that Holmes was able to go to meetings and work out during his suspensionβ¦
βI thought it was great for us because heβs not missing anything. Heβs on top of what heβs doing. I think that was really big, especially when you have a new player coming into a system. I think that was really a positive thing for us.β
On if there is more pressure for Revis to return with Minnesota trading for Mossβ¦
βI feel plenty of pressure to want him back there without question. Iβve been wanting him back there for a while, but weβve got to do whatβs in the best interests of Darrelle and our team. If heβs not ready to go, then we will not put him out there. Yes, you want him out there without question. We all want him out there.β
On how he will know Revis is 100% healthyβ¦
βI think the player has to tell you. He has to tell you and then you always listen to your medical people: the doctors, trainers, the experts. You get a good feel for it, but the player needs to sign off as well. We will never throw him out there if he doesnβt think heβs ready to play. That doesnβt make any sense. When Darrelle feels good, the fact that heβs out there practicing now, the commitment that heβs made through this process of trying to get better, rehab (and) strength and conditioning exercises, you canβt do more than heβs done. Now itβs just a matter of getting that confidence, opening up and letβs see how that goes. You want him to be well. We all want him to be well. If itβs grabbing, if itβs doing all that kind of stuff, then maybe itβs not ready, but Iβm hopeful that heβll be out there on Monday.β
On if LaDainian Tomlinson being willing to share carries affects the tone of the offenseβ¦
βThatβs a great point. I never thought about it. All we are is about the team. Our guys buy in. All you have to do is watch how Braylon Edwards blocks and you know the commitment we have for each other. It is hard to argue. If LT is willing to (share carries), how can you argue? This guy is a first ballot Hall of Famer. Maybe some of these other guys can be looked at in that light, but I donβt know. There are very few LaDainian Tomlinsons out there. You see the way he is. He gets as excited for Shonn (Greene) as he does himself when Shonnβs making a big play for us. Heβs just a great teammate. I know one thing, heβs lifted not just the offense, but the defense as well. Heβs one of those rare players who has that kind of gift.β
On how Tomlinson has lifted the defenseβ¦
βTheyβre inspired by watching him play. Itβs hard not to be. He came in and spoke to the defense one day. He spoke to the offense and I looked at him and said, βYou ready to go down the hallwayβ and he goes, βYep,β and went right down the hallway and gave the same message to the defense. It was powerful listening to a guy thatβs worked his entire career and came here, dedicated himself to his teammates and heβs chasing the same thing everyone else is. It was great. It was from the heart and it really meant something to everybody.β
On if Holmes has learned anything from his suspensionβ¦
βI know one thing. He was here at six in the morning. He couldnβt wait to get back to playing football (and) back to his teammates. I havenβt really gotten an opportunity to really talk to him about the suspension. For a young man that loves football as much as he does, to have it taken away from him, a lot of times that will be the wake-up call people need.β
On if defending Favre is still a challengeβ¦
βHeβs still throws it like the old saying, βHe can throw a strawberry through a battleship.β Heβs got that great arm and he still does. He can change the arm angle. Itβs crazy what he does. You guys know. You saw it up close and personal. Itβs still the same guy. The problem we face also is they have arguably the best running back in the league (Adrian Peterson). You used to play Green Bay and they never really had that when I was there. You had some good backs, but nobody in this guyβs class. Thatβs another problem we have.β
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