QB Jason Campbell answered questions after practice.
Q: How are you doing physically?
Campbell: I'm doing good. Just continue to work out here in practice and get better.
Q: How did you hurt your foot? Was that in game one?
Campbell: Actually, yes. [It was] game one, early in the game, second quarter but at the same time, it is something you work through and continue to push yourself through it. Like I said, it is going to be sore the first couple of days at practice but by Sunday, it is usually ready to go.
Q: To bring the team from behind twice in the fourth quarter and almost have the game-winning touchdown pass, do you feel almost cheated in a way that could have been the best comeback of your career?
Campbell: Well, things happen. I understand that it is a 60-minute game and we still almost had a chance to finish it, right there at the end. It is a game of inches and Denarius [Moore] made a great opportunity to go up and make that catch and he did everything that he could. Like I said, you take your hat off to them. They made the play at the end to win the game and it is heartbreaking when you look back at it after the game, two days later, but at the same time, you have to be able to shift it behind you and move forward. I've been in games like that at least four or five in my career, but they all pretty much ended the same way. It's tough because if you win that game, it is like 'Oh, what a great comeback.' If you lose the game, it's like you have to shove it out the window. That is pretty much how it is.
Q: To come back twice in that game where they put clamps on the run in the second half and you were having a hard time getting yards on the ground after the first half where you were running pretty good. You talked in training camp about how the next step was to be able to throw the ball during times when you were not running well and you were doing that. Is that good for you guys?
Campbell: Definitely. There are a lot of positives that you can take from that game. The ultimate goal was to win it but the fact that we didn't win, we still take some positives away. In the first week, we threw for 105 yards and we didn't throw it a lot because our running game was taking us. This game, the Bills were pretty much stopping the run for a little bit and it created opportunities in the passing game. You see guys like Denarius and [Derek] Hagan out there making plays and it is exciting to see. We are not just one oriented offense. One week we can pass and then the other we can maybe pass and run, so you never know. The guys just have to be ready anytime we are calling plays and anytime we are running plays and we'll work the plays based off of how the game is going.
Q: What about Denarius? As a rookie he's pretty impressive and aggressive to the ball.
Campbell: Definitely. He's one of the rare rookies that you see coming into the league, like Jacoby [Ford] last year, some of the catches he would make midair to come down with the ball. Like you see with Denarius, last year it was Jacoby and this year, you see Denarius making those plays. The two that he caught, one in the end zone and one on the sideline, were two great catches. You put a ball up there for a guy and it builds so much trust in a quarterback to trust a receiver like that. You can put the ball around and he will try to make a play for you.
Q: What do you guys need to do to be successful against the Jets defense?
Campbell: We have to stay on schedule, we have to stay on long distance and our long down plays, we have to control the penalties, and we are playing against a football team as good as they are on defense, we really have to be at the top of our game. Our progression as a quarterback, our offensive line, staying on guys making sure they finish because they are a group of guys that play like a bunch of hungry dogs chasing the ball, so it's a challenge.
Q: You have two great corners and they have different schemes and blitzes, and looks.
Campbell: Yeah, they give you different looks at least every two to three plays and it is always different looks. They are a defense that tries to give the offense multiple looks, try to give the quarterbacks different looks, so it is something where we have to play within ourselves. At the same time, everyone has to know what they have to do and be on top of it because you never know how a game is going to go like this. We are playing against a really good defense, we feel like we have a really good offense, and our defense showed up and can make plays also so you never know. At the same time, it is a big game for us.
Q: It wasn't your team the last time Sanchez played here. When a guy is out eating a hot dog like that, what do you think?
Campbell: I wasn't here when that happened and a lot of guys were not here when that happened. The guys understand it is a big game whether that situation or not, I think guys understand the fact that the Jets are coming in here, it is an AFC game, and we are coming off of a loss. We have a sour taste in our mouth and guys want to do everything they can to win and get rid of that because we do have a tough schedule, it is a tough first quarter of our season, and you just have to go out and play. It doesn't make you play any harder. The fact that we lost and you are trying to get us back on the winning track makes us play harder.
Q: Have the guys who were here brought that up at all last week?
Campbell: No, we haven't talked about it.
Q: In terms of command and tempo for the first couple games, has it been as good as you could hope for? Are guys on schedule there?
Campbell: Yeah, I think a lot of it has to do with having the same guys from last year, for the most part. The center [Samson Satele], myself, the offensive line, the running backs, and we have a few new receivers since a couple of guys are out. But for the most part, it's some of the same things we did from a year ago. You are not thinking about those things and it is a reaction point at this time. You see something, you react to it and we are more of an experienced group up front and I think that is helping us in critical situations.
Q: What makes Darrelle Revis so good?
Campbell: Just the ability to play the ball. He plays the ball very well in the air, he's a smart corner. Just like a lot of great corners you always see a guy stick his nose in the run game. That's something he does; he doesn't shy away from it. He's a tremendous talent and like I said, those guys don't come around very often, but he's one of them.
Q: Is there anything you can glean from going against Nnamdi [Asomugha] in practice to facing Revis?
Campbell: Nnamdi was a great corner but the difference between him and Nnamdi is that Nnamdi was a taller corner. The way both of them play the ball is very similar. They break on the ball and the anticipation on routes. Sometimes they break to the route before the route even develops and I think that comes from study and game planning during the week. It is a challenge, as a quarterback you just have to go out there and play your game and make sure you stay on top of things you need to do.
Q: What do you see from [Antonio] Cromartie?
Campbell: He's athletic with some of the picks he has made against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He's one of those guys that when he sees the ball in the air, he tries to go attack it. He's pretty much like a receiver on defense and we understand he has great hands, he returns kickoffs, so he's an athletic corner that probably somewhere in his career played both sides of the ball, college or high school. That is how it is.
Q: How do you feel about being home and playing in front of the home crowd?
Campbell: We haven't been home in four weeks. I hear we have a sold out crowd and that is exciting. I think our fans respect the way we are playing and it is not like we are going out there and lost the game last week because we didn't show up. We showed up, we played hard, Buffalo kind of caught fire at the end but we understand we laid it all on the line for them. We really tried to do everything we can to turn this program around and get it going in the right direction. Win the AFC West division, get into the playoffs, and fight extremely hard. We understand it is not a short process, but at the same time, we are going to do everything we possibly can to keep this thing going in the right direction.
Q: You are playing well going into the home opener. Is this the first time that you have a sense that it is your team and like this is your showcase?
Campbell: Definitely, I feel like this is my team. I felt that way last year until earlier in the season, I got pulled that early. It kind of stalled you for a little bit, but I kind of moved past that and once I got back in there I've always felt that way since then. That is my standpoint and it is exciting to lead this team. We're a young football team in a lot of areas but we are also an exciting football team trying to go places and I'm just glad to be in the position I'm in to lead these guys.
Q: How nice is it to have so many weapons and playmakers to work with?
Campbell: It is like a kid in the candy store and which one you want to use. I just want to get everyone back and then we can really put the pieces together. Jacoby didn't play much in the preseason, he hasn't played much during the season, so when we do get him back, it is going to take him a bit to get him back into the flow of the game. Same thing with Louis Murphy and we lost Darrius Heyward-Bey last week but it's also good to see other guys step up. Now, we really have a legit five to six guys in our receiving corps including Chaz Schilens. As a quarterback, you don't have to just drop back and try to get the ball to this guy but you read the coverages. I trust those guys to be where they are supposed to be, and then make the play on the ball. It is fine because you're not just targeting one guy. You have a group of guys working together.
