[If the Jets can execute their offense there, they should be able to execute it anywhere.] You're playing on the road and it's always a challenge to communicate no matter how well you know the offense, ... You can't hear yourself think sometimes. |
[In the losing Miami locker room there were some players trying to pour saltwater over the Jets' victory, particularly on Chad Pennington .] The guy cannot get the ball down the field, ... I don't remember any great throws. It was more things we didn't do than things [Pennington] did. |
[Meanwhile, about 1,700 NFL players are ready for Kickoff 2005.] It's for real now, ... We've got to go -- hard and fast. |
[Pennington was not going to put it off again, as he did last year.] Last year I felt like I could come back and help our team win and help get us into the playoffs, ... This year I couldn't answer that with an honest answer because I didn't know. |
[The reality was in between.] At least now I know where I stand and what my challenge is, ... Now that I have the answers, my career hasn't flashed before me. For those 10 days that I didn't know, there was a lot of emotions. |
A great goal for us would be to not have a losing record, |
At times it wasn't very exciting, ... But when you play fundamental football, you have a good chance to win. And that's what we did. |
Both Laveranues and myself probably had the longest week of anybody, ... We couldn't wait for Sunday to get here to play well and make a difference. |
Byron is one tough guy and he can play through just about anything. I know he will be ready to go on Sunday. |
Byron is pretty amazing physically as far as the punishment he can take and still respond and try to help his team win games. I know how tough he is. I have seen it for a long time. It takes a lot to get him out of the game. |
Done it before, we'll do it again. |
Everybody's wondering, 'What's going to happen with Chad?' ... 'Is he ready?' We don't know. I have to prove it on the field and that's all there is to it. |
Everything looked really good, ... There was a tear in the [shoulder] capsule area, and a minor tear in the underneath surface of the rotator cuff. It just needed to be cleaned up a little bit, two sutures put in. That was it. |
Everything looks great from here on out. I don't think it's a problem. I feel like I'm healed. |
For all you book writers out there, you can't write a better book than that. There's not a better Christmas present that I could have this year than to watch our team go into the playoffs and win the championship. |