Defensive Coordinator Bob Sutton
Q:When you look at the Jets, how do you evaluate all the weapons on offense?
SUTTON:"It takes a long time. They're a top-five team in almost every category: total yards, rush average per game, pass yards, I think they're sixth in scoring defense and I believe they're 10th in third down conversions. They're playing really well. Ryan Fitzpatrick is just under a 100.0 quarterback rating with around a 63% completion percentage. They're playing really well. They've got a good balance in the sense that they'll keep running the ball. They're not looking to get a lot of yards, they're going to keep running it. That's one thing they've done a really nice job of. The other day against Buffalo, [Matt] Forte had 30-some carries for just over 100 yards. That means they're patient in the run game and they're going to keep doing it. They're playing really well on offense and it'll provide a great challenge for us and really any defense. They have multiple wide receiver sets, they have two outstanding guys at receiver that you have to deal with. Number 81 [Quincy Enunwa] is playing at a really high level for them. He's upped what he's done and it's upgraded their offense."
Q:How common is it to face the four-wide sets that the Jets will line up in from time to time?
SUTTON:"It's really Chan Gailey's [preferred style]. Ever since his days with Pittsburgh, Buffalo and Dallas. He's always been a guy that's used four wide outs. It's something he really believes in and it causes issues from time to time with matchup standpoints. They can spread you out and do a good job running the ball. It's very similar to the three-wide sets, in the sense that the tight end, in many offenses, is a big wideout. Some teams don't use four wideouts if they have a tight end they feel can do the same thing. It creates a certain amount of problems and challenges. Like anything, it's sometimes not the number of wideouts, but who the wideouts are. In their case, that's proven to be a tough challenge for defenses."
Q:When a team widens you out, does it make it tougher to get pressure on the quarterback?
SUTTON:"I don't think it affects the rush of the passer at all. In some ways it makes it easier. There are less guys that can chip block you and do those kinds of things. I don't think that's the issue though. The issue is how you match up. They're all detached from the formation. It's about how they make you shift and move you around. Those are more so the real challenges that go into it."
Q:How much happier were you with the run defense, and what did you attribute that to?
SUTTON:"I hope it was that they practiced hard the week before and they'll continue to practice that way. I thought the guys in the run defense did a good job of meeting the challenges that we left the San Diego game with. We talked in here a week ago about executing and getting knocked off the ball. A lot of times, it was just that execution, where we were supposed to be, how we lined up and how we got off the block. I thought a lot of those guys did a really good job. Dontari Poe in particular did a really good job of that and separating from the blockers. When you're getting blocked, the stalemate favors the offense. You've got to be able to take a blocker on, knock him back and then be able to separate and be a factor on the play."
Q: What has made Nick Mangold such a consistent and standout player?
SUTTON: "Nick [Mangold] has been a really good player ever since he came into the league. He has good size, strength, very smart guy from protections to understanding the kind of people that he's playing against, the type of techniques that he's going to need to use to block – this player opposed to that player in the same game. I just think he's a true pro. He's obviously played a lot of snaps in this league. He seems to just keep going. Dontari [Poe] has got a big challenge. You know, he's been a Pro Bowl player, obviously, so that'll be a really great matchup inside."
Q: Do you coach Marcus Peters to tone his emotions down and how much of his emotion is what makes him great?
SUTTON: "Well, I think Marcus [Peters] is an intense competitor, and that's one of the reasons that he's played so well in the National Football League. I don't think you ever want to take that away from him. He's a highly competitive guy. He loves to play. He loves challenges. He doesn't do everything right. You know, like I said to someone earlier, you got to remember this guy is in his third game of his second year. He's a young guy. He hasn't been here for a long time. I think he's got to learn all those little things, like you are leading, to like, 'Hey, I can't let this go past this point.' I mean I'm just being honest, that's hard when you're that kind of individual. When I'm competitive, and I'm fired up and that, it's just a challenge. He's just got to learn to do that. I would never take him back and say, 'Hey Marcus, I don't want you to say anything, I don't want you to be,' No – that's who he is, and that's one of his real strengths. I think he'll learn, this is when I get to that point, I just got to… That's going to be his challenge."
Q: Fair to say with Marcus Peters, overall net positive last game even with some of the yards allowed, the penalties, the two picks?
SUTTON: "Yeah, I would say he did some really good things and that he has some things that he has to clean up like anybody. I think we can say, 'Hey, here's what we did really well, and here's what he didn't do as well as we liked him to do and what we think he can do.' To be a really good player in this league, and to be a really good team or a really good unit, you need a high level of consistency. Anytime you're playing like we do, and you're sitting out there by yourself, there's going to be times guys catch passes on us, and we understand that. But, at the same time, we can't give up those long ones and that, so that's what you've got to battle with."
Q: With the multiple wide receiver sets that they use and the athletic guys that they can spread out, how does that change your defense and the type of personnel you want to favor in a game like this?
SUTTON: "Well, you're more in a sub package, obviously. Again, not a lot different than you do with a lot of the teams that play the 11-personnel, wide receiver groups – just depending on who the tight end is. Look at our tight end, if he's in there, you can say, he's not a problem – he's a tight end. He's a problem. [Travis] Kelce is a problem for anybody. It doesn't change dramatically what you do. It's obviously just spreading you out because that player is not in the fold. Now, you watch 81 [Marcus Easley] for Buffalo. He ends up playing a lot like a tight end plays. He's an effective player. He is tough – very tough guy - competitive, plays with a lot of emotion, which we were just talking about and does a really good job. So, they kind of get something out of him that a lot of teams in four-wide – they don't have that guy. We would go in and say, 'Go in and do the dirty work,' and he's willing to do that."
Co-Offensive Coordinator Brad Childress
OPENING STATEMENT:"We got a good Jets team coming in here, so looking forward to the challenge."
Q: What is the Jets defense like?
CHILDRESS: "Very, very strong inside seven, and that's not anything to degrade with [Darrelle] Revis out at the one corner. I had the other corner, 41 [Buster Skrine] in Cleveland. But, the front seven is substantial. They're big, physical guys – most of them are first round draft picks, and then you have a guy like David Harris who is a 10-year pro. Their anchoring linebacker, Erin Henderson, who was with the Vikings before he got there. The front seven is substantial."
Q: Is there emphasis this week to work after and before practice to get everyone on the same page?
CHILDRESS: "Yeah, I think so. You can be this much off, and you can look out of whack. You're always working for that perfection in practice – realizing you're never going to obtain it, but if you don't shoot for it, you're never going to get there."
Q: Were you surprised that they were a little off last game, seeing you have guys that have been here for a season already?
CHILDRESS: "Well, I think you're always going to anticipate that they're going to play their best game, and in particular, in light of the turnovers, that's not something that we've been known for here. I can go back and tell you our three fumble games were Denver of Thursday night last year and the year before that was Indianapolis. So, that doesn't add up to a good result. You've got to take care of the football."
Q: How do you establish the tempo presence earlier in the game?
CHILDRESS: "You have to have success with the plays you're calling. It's very trite, but you execute the plays that are given to you versus the looks that you're seeing, and the substantial front that you're talking about, whether it be run or pass. Everybody has a hand in it. Then, you know, we trust Alex [Smith] as a decision maker."
Q: What do you feel like the identity is of this offense, so far?
CHILDRESS: "I think it remains to be seen. I think you're continually in flux. You may not be who want to be as you go through the season. I don't think we're really laying our hat on any one thing right now."
Q: How do you think your interior stacks up against the Jets?
CHILDRESS: "I think a second week will do some guys good, and you've got to man up in there. That's a tough deal. Those guys realize it, and the Jets defensive front realizes that. You expect them to probe in that area, I imagine."
Q: If Jamaal Charles came back, would that just expand your options at the running back position?
CHILDRESS: "I don't see any downside to him coming back. Those guys did a remarkable job through last year – all the guys that played. Same thing when Jamaal [Charles] comes back, you welcome him with open arms, and we always try to make use of different guys' skill sets. We'll choose the ones we want to use with him."
Q: Doesn't seem like you'll have a chemistry issue if you divvy up carries a little bit?
CHILDRESS: "You know what, that's such a good running back room. They all pull for each other so hard, and EB [Eric Bieniemy] has them as such a tight unit. I don't see any chemistry issues at all."
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Special Teams Coordinator Dave Toub**
Q: What are your thoughts on Cairo [Santos'] field goal being extended to 54 yards?
TOUB: "Yeah I'm always happy for him. We knew it was 54 yards when he kicked it. It came out that it was a 53-yarder and our people did a good job of checking on it and getting it changed to 54 yards --which it should have been. I'm happy for him. That was his career long."
Q: What was it you saw from Tyreek [Hill] and [Demarcus] Robinson at the gunner position this week?
TOUB: "They're doing a really good job. They're both rookies and down the road, they're going to make some rookie mistakes. Right now they're off to a really good start after two games. They're making plays for us, they're [doing] what we expect them to do as far as outrunning corners and safeties. They have two games under their belt. People see it, they're going to start scheming them up a little bit, maybe doubling them a bit more and we expect those things to happen. Hopefully they can keep playing at the high intensity they are."
Q: Have you ever had rookies make that kind of impact this quickly?
TOUB: "Yeah, we've seen that before. Every year we have rookies step up. We have a really good class this year."
Q: What do you see from Jalin Marshall?
TOUB: "He's really strong. He breaks a lot of tackles and that's one thing. In one game, we counted 10 broken tackles. He's a north and south type runner. He likes to spin too so it's going to take a bunch of guys swarming to the football to get him stopped."
Q: With Tyreek [Hill] and Knile [Davis], what are the types of things that he [Tyreek Hill] can develop specifically to improve on the kick return?
TOUB: "Tyreek's pretty good already. He has a lot of natural skills. The thing I have to be careful of is coaching him too much. Over coaching him makes him read too much, rather than let his instincts take over. On the return, the big return that got called back, he was a bounce returner. He came and felt like those guys were over pursuing it. He planted a foot and got up field. Those types of things you can't coach. He has to be able to see that, you never know how it's going to be in a game and he was able to react to that. You have to be able to let his instincts take over and he has to trust our blocking. Brock Olivo calls it running through smoke. A lot of times the hole doesn't look like it's there. He's got to run and all of a sudden, 'bam' it shows up late and he sticks with it. Those are the things that we're working on with him. Knile [Davis], he's an established guy. He does what he does best -- which is go north and south and when we need that type of returner, he'll be in the game. We even had one instance in a game where we had both of those guys in the game."
