Mike McCarthy Press Conf. Transcript - Oct. 27


(Is Brad Jones' injury a long-term one?)
Brad Jones has a significant shoulder injury that is going to require surgery. We don't have our hands around exactly when the surgery is going to occur and so forth, but it's the same shoulder that Brad injured in training camp. He has been fighting through it. He wants to try to keep going. We haven't made a decision on which direction we are going to go, but at some point it will require surgery.

(So it is possible you could put off surgery and he could try and play?)
Like I just stated, we don't have our hands around exactly which direction we are going, but he has a significant shoulder injury that at some point will require surgery.

(Can you talk about the challenge of assimilating the three new linebackers into your system?)
I'm excited about having the three linebackers. Particularly, and what I told them in the team meeting today, they are going to have an opportunity to make an impact on our special teams. I think our special teams improved. I thought they were productive against Minnesota and we have had a lot of change, but I think there is definitely more to get out of our special-teams units. They will be given that opportunity first, and frankly just having fresh bodies out there, and we'll get them acclimated to our system as fast as we can. It's good to have all three of those guys.

(When did Jones' injury occur?)
The actual play? I couldn't tell you. I don't have the exact play. He played his best game and he played through it.

(You have had some success against blitzing defenses and the Jets do a lot of that. What has been the key to your success?)
We're like every other team in the league, we practice against pressure and we have an opportunity to train against our own defense that is pressure-oriented. So I am sure that has definitely helped us the last two years. But they do a very good job with their scheme. They are going to challenge you really in all three phases schematically. They are well-coached. They are coming off a bye week, so we anticipate potentially unscouted looks, especially when you have a high-volume pressure scheme as the Jets do. I think that is definitely the norm. But they do a very good job with their pressures and that is going to be a big challenge for us in New York on Sunday.

(Do you think Jackson has become a more instinctive, decisive runner over the past five or six games?)
I think that is fair. I think Brandon is a lot like any other runner. The more attempts that he is given, the better he is going to be, and I think we're doing a better job of tailoring runs between John and Brandon and getting them repped during the course of the week. The continuity of the run-blocking unit in my opinion has improved each week, and I thought he played his best game against Minnesota. He needs some more opportunities to get into more of a rhythm and that's definitely a direction we'll probably go this Sunday.

(What is the outlook this week on how you handle your PUP guys?)
Day-to-day. So much other things going on frankly at practice today with the different personnel changes, I didn't even watch Al or Atari. They'll definitely be a week better and we'll make that decision at the end of the week again.

(How much of a setback did Pickett have and how much of a chance does he have for this week?)
Really he and Cullen are in the same boat. We're going to give them the week to see if they can get ready. I think he played six plays in the game and he just couldn't go. You could see it on the first double-team that he was part of that he didn't have the strength in the ankle. I'll let you know at the end of the week. He didn't go backwards they told me. So he is about the same I guess if you are trying to rate it.

(As someone who's coached quarterbacks, what are your thoughts on Mark Sanchez in his second year?)
I think the most important thing is he's running the offense. I think he's doing a very good job managing the offense. You can see Brian Schottenheimer and Matt Cavanaugh, I think they're doing an excellent job in his training. They've gone to more three-step drops. He does a very good job in my opinion in the movement phase of quarterback play with the keeps and so forth. He's not throwing interceptions. He's been smart with the football. Their run game is definitely keeping them in favorable down and distances, so I think that helps any quarterback. He's doing a very good job managing their system. A lot of formations, a lot of variation in their run game as far as killing plays at the line of scrimmage, you can see that. He definitely looks like he's made a big step from last year.

(Are you going to be able to cobble together a defensive line for a power running team like the Jets?)
Well, we're going to show up and play. I don't know exactly who's going to be out there yet. But we're going to be ready to go, I can promise you that. They're probably the best run team that we'll face so far this year. That's the opinion of our coaches. Just the combination of how they're playing, Bill Callahan does an excellent job with that group, the scheme and the personnel and the efficiency they're playing with, and I think both backs, they complement each other very well. Tomlinson is playing at a very high level, and we've been very impressed with what we've seen so far.

(Does Tomlinson seem to have his burst back with the Jets, like when he was younger?)
Definitely. The thing you really see is the second-level running. He's making people miss on the second level, and he's extending runs into the secondary. He's been very impressive in our film study.

(Rex Ryan made no secret he thinks Revis is the best corner in football. Can you compare Revis and Woodson and the challenge of going up against a guy like Revis?)
I think Revis is an excellent football player. I thought the same last year, but really, Revis and Charles play different positions. Charles plays inside as much or more in our defense. But they're both excellent football players. Revis will be an excellent challenge for our perimeter this week.

(The pass offense Sunday night, there were a few incompletions where it looked like the wide receivers made one read and Rodgers thought something else. Was that something you have to correct this week after that game?)
Well, we've had an opportunity to correct it. We work on it all the time. Really, the one third-down coverage they went to a two-man and played it from a catch technique that we weren't on the same page. But a couple of the other ones, one was actually a hard throw, hot throw where the protection wasn't declared properly where Aaron was just getting the ball out to his left, and Greg hadn't come out of his break yet. And I think the other two they just weren't on the same page as far as whether it was going to be a back-shoulder throw or up the field. But those are things we work on every day, and I think we did have four of those in the game. This group here is going to jump up and challenge us man-to-man, and that's what we have to get ready for.

(Of the three linebackers you signed, Wilhelm has the most experience. Is he the guy who could help you the most this week?)
I think you have to look at experience, and common background also helps. But we're looking for the impact first on special teams. Like I told them, your vehicle to the 45 is through special teams. We'll have a chance to evaluate them today, we'll have them on film. Kevin Greene will have a chance to talk in detail with both the two outside linebackers. Wilhelm will be with our inside linebacker group. I'll have probably more information on where they stand tomorrow. But today was more about getting them evaluated.

(The other two are both outside linebackers?)

(Do teams in the NFL take on the personality of their head coach in any way?)
I think there's definitely part of that, and I think it goes from the day you arrive, what you expect from your football team, and what you feel your identity is. So yeah, I think there's definitely truth to that.


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