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December 16, 2007

Transcript: Jets quarterback Chad Pennington's postgame press conference

With the poor third down and red zone play, do you feel like you guys let one get away today?
We obviously had some opportunities to make it real interesting. That’s what it came down to, third down and red zone efficiency, and a lot of time it does come down to those two areas. Being 21 percent on third down and then 0-4 in the red zone, you’re not going to win that way.

After you threw that pass to Justin McCareins in the end zone, did you have a feeling it was going to get overturned?
To be honest with you, just from my personal vantage point, I felt like there wasn’t enough evidence to overturn it. But that’s why I play the game and why the league gets paid to make those decisions. Once it was overturned, we had to move on to the next down and opportunity, and we still had opportunities to make plays even after that one.

Can you talk about finally getting into a rhythm?
The first series or two it feels weird because you haven’t had any reps throughout the week. I played Tom Brady all week, but I’ve been in this position before and I knew I had to prepare mentally and do some things after practice to stay as sharp as I can, understanding that I wouldn’t get any physical reps.

Did you put up as good of numbers as Brady [in scout team]?
I don’t know. I didn’t get a chance to count.

Do you feel like you guys proved a point tonight?
I don’t think you ever prove a point by losing. Our guys don’t feel that way. We’re not into moral victories, that’s for sure. We’re highly disappointed. We always feel like no matter what the records are coming into a Patriots-Jets game, it’s always a good game and a game we have a chance to win. And no matter what’s going on around us, we’ve felt that way. Our defense played exceptionally well; got some big plays on special teams [like] the blocked punt. Offensively we just didn’t do enough, so that’s disappointing.

What are your thoughts for next week? Do you hope to start?
I’m just going to be me. I don’t have any control over the coaches’ decisions. I prepare as hard as I can and do everything I’m supposed to do to be ready. And when I’m called on I’ll be ready.

Did the weather play a part?
There’s two ways to look at it: when you’re a little kid and there’s snow on the ground and it’s messy outside, you beg your mom and dad to let you go out and play. I really didn’t worry about the weather. Obviously, that presented some different challenges and I think your antenna goes up a little as far as ball security and making sure you do have a good grip on the ball, especially when you’re making a down the field throw because if the ball does slip out or something, bad things can happen. I just tried to block that out and be aware of the surroundings.

What were you able to exploit today?
I think our guys did a great job in space and we were able to get our playmakers the ball in space and let those guys make plays. We weren’t quite as successful as we want to be, especially in crucial opportunities such as third-down and red zone [opportunities]. That’s the difference in the game and that’s what all these kind of games come down to. It’s one thing to be successful in first and second downs, but third down and the red zone are where you make your money, and we didn’t make enough.

Was it motivation to try to beat the Patriots’ unbeaten streak?
We never talked about the streak. What was important for us is that it’s a division game and that we had a change to get our third division win. And any time the Pats and the Jets get together it’s exciting and a playoff atmosphere and there are good players on the field. We didn’t focus on [the streak], we just focused on what we needed to do to win and we had a good game plan, we just didn’t execute.

Was it difficult to get your rhythm back after Brad Smith went into the game? Do you take that personally?
I don’t take that personally because it wasn’t a surprise. We had a package for Brad and I knew as a quarterback, and we knew as an offense, that that package could be called at any time, so I didn’t take it personally . . . That’s what you have to do sometimes when you have [someone] like Brad who makes play like that, as a quarterback you have to be ready. It’s hard sometimes, but that’s no excuse. You have to come in and execute. I don’t have any excuses, The first time I got in was a third down and a completed comeback for 18 yards, so I don’t have any excuses.

Can you talk about how quick that transition from watching to playing happens?
The biggest difference in that you go from having no adrenaline to all of a sudden getting an adrenaline rush real quick. And that’s a good thing. That’s what you need to play this game. You can’t play it lax, you can’t play it not focused, you’ve got to have some intensity and some drive. If you don’t, you’re going to get hurt out there, so that was what’s different from going from kind of being a spectator and doing everything you can from the sidelines and all of sudden you’ve got to jump in there and start making some things happen.

Posted by Art Martone  at 7:24 PM | Permalink