Head Coach Hue Jackson addresses the media.
Q: Considering that C.J. [Chris Johnson] and [DeMarcus] Van Dyke, two cornerbacks, is that a concern for this week?
Coach Jackson: It's a concern but I think we're early in the week we'll see where we are tomorrow and the next day. I think that hopefully we'll get some of these guys back, get them back rolling.
Q: First thoughts on the Jets?
Coach Jackson: They're good, they're tough, they're mean and they're coming to the O [O.co Coliseum] to play the Raiders. Looking forward to it lets get it on.
Q: How did defense respond today after Sunday?
Coach Jackson: They responded they know what they need to do, no doubt. I expect that this team will get it done. We're going to find out though Sunday at one o'clock, we'll find out.
Q: Are the Jets in any way a model what you are doing here, something to compare it to? It kind of sounds like the whole building a bully thing, but Rex doesn't say it in so many words, but its kind of what they're doing.
Coach Jackson: It's what he is, it's what I am. His personality and mine, I'm not Rex and Rex is not Hue, but I'm sure we have a lot of similarities. We believe in violent, physical, tough, aggressive football teams and I'm going to build it here. I didn't tell you it's going to happen over night but I'm going to build it. That's what I truly believe in and that's what I want our football team to be. I didn't say the Jets. It's what Hue Jackson wants his football team to be. We've got some work to do and I understand that, we all do. But I'll tell you what we are going to work at it and eventually we're going to get this thing done that way.
Q: Given where you're at now are you ahead of pace or are you about where you thought you'd be?
Coach Jackson: Well I'll tell you this, it's like anything else sometimes you think you're further along and then sometimes you look back and you think you're not as far along. I think we're somewhere in the middle but again it's a process. It's been two weeks and there is fourteen more to go to get there and I believe that we can get it done and we will get there.
Q: Does going up against a guy like Revis change your approach offensively?
Coach Jackson: No, I respect him and I think he's a tremendous football player one of the best corners in the league. That's the challenge of pro football you got to go play. We're not going to all of sudden go away from him. They've got a good play on the other side too. We respect Darrelle Revis and Revis island all that good stuff but we got to go play. We think we've got some good players too.
Q: [Nick] Mangold is out this week, a really great Jets offensive lineman. Does it change things for you in any way or obviously you didn't get as much heat for the four man rush in Buffalo? Does it alter your philosophy at all going against the Jets and Sanchez?
Coach Jackson: Well I think they're a different style of offense than what we've seen last week. That team last week spread us out pretty quick. I think they're philosophy on offense is a little bit different than what the Jets are. The Jets will run the ball at you, they're going to exert their will on you and try to throw the ball down the field and get it to their best player. So I think it's a little different style, Nick Mangold is as good as anybody at his position but it's not going to change the way we have to play defense. We've got to get the run stopped and make contested plays on the pass and play great solid Raider defense.
Q: With the front seven why is there such a struggle stopping the run?
Coach Jackson: Well, I'm not going to tell you that it is I mean that was the same defensive team that played against the Broncos. Last week again that team spread us out and obviously made some plays in the running game that was very unfortunate. We've got to tighten that up and we will. The consistency of playing run defense in the NFL is an every day deal. It's an every game every day deal, you don't get to take a play off somebody's going to scratch where it itch and if you're itching in the run game people are going to keep scratching. We got to get this better I said we'll get this better and we will get this better.
Q: How is Denarius Moore?
Coach Jackson: Tremendous. That was this past Sunday and he's got to do it again. I keep telling him as I tell all our players the consistency of performance has got to be the key. You got to do what you do week in and week out and then you have the right to be said that you're a really good football player.
Q: What do you think is making him so effective as a young player?
Coach Jackson: I don't think he has any fear, he has no fear whatsoever. He loves to compete and play. He's excited about it and he relishes those opportunities to go out and compete against the best.
Q: Are you concerned how other teams are going to spread you out defensively like the Bills did?
Coach Jackson: Oh they could, I mean if I was some other team I would. I'd find out if we got it handled, if we got it fixed. That's just the nature that this is a copy cat league. One team sees that worked against you then people are definitely going to try it and see if you got it solved. I think our players understand that, but we're looking forward to the challenge what a tremendous challenge at the O our fans and our stadium we're looking forward to it.
Q: What do you see from Stanford [Routt] out there being the number one cornerback now assuming that role and everything that comes with it?
Coach Jackson: Well, he's made some plays obviously he had an interception last week. I think he's really into the game, not that he wasn't before. I think he's understands the position that he's in and he's up for the challenge, he wants it and he's not running from it that's for sure. He'll be the first to tell you that he needs to get better too, we all do and we will.
Q: [Jason] Campbell is pretty much everything you could of hoped for up to this point, he brought you back twice in the fourth quarter, took you down the field in the air when the run started slowing, and that was one of the things that you wanted to see him do. How close is he to being what you envisioned?
Coach Jackson: He's closer and I've told you guys before I think the sky is the limit for Jason. I think year two in the system me and him the rest of the staff and the offense we're going to make improvements and we have. We got to do it consistently and he has to do it consistently. Jason Campbell is as fine a quarterback as there is in this league, but his true measure is going to winning and losing games. That was a tough one last week. He's got to come out and get after it this week. We've got a very good opponent in our stadium and he's got to go play well.
Q: We saw Denarius Moore back taking punts there. Is that something you can go to this week?
Coach Jackson: You never know. Absolutely, I keep telling you guys. I'm going to put the best players out there. That's what I'm going to do. The guys that can win games for us they're going to play. I've been true to that our good players are going to play.
Q: Kick returns were kind of an issue the last game; is Taiwan Jones an option on that?
Coach Jackson: Everybody is an option right now. Whatever it takes to get this ball matriculated down the field or score a touchdown that's what I'm going to do. If a guy can help us win he's going to play.
Q: The offensive line does a good job at protecting Jason. They've only allowed a sack or two. What kind of challenges is the Jets defensive front going to bring?
Coach Jackson: They're a very multiple front team that comes from a lot of different directions. Very creative with their blitzes and their dogs and how they go about it. They'll present a challenge, but again, they can only play eleven they can't play with twelve, sometimes it looks like they got thirteen out there but they don't, they can only put eleven out there. We just have to figure out and be very solid with our communication so we can get them blocked.
Q: Counting preseason you've been on the road for the last three weeks. You get to play a home opener for the Raider Nation. Any thoughts on that?
Coach Jackson: I'm excited about it. I mean we have been away from our fans. We want that place filled up, Silver and Black, screaming, yelling for this football team. I keep saying that the time is now. We're 1-1. We're right at the top of our division and we need to keep playing and keep winning. We need to get back in that winning mode like I know we can, like I know we will. But we have to go play a really good football team this week.
Q: Hue, I know it's all about the present now but last time the Jets were here there were some incidents on the side line. People have been talking about that. What do you think?
Coach Jackson: Oh they are? The hot dog? I don't eat hot dogs during the game but it sounded like somebody did. That was his prerogative back then, I wasn't here. I hope we can make it more interesting for him so he doesn't have to eat hot dogs. So hopefully we can take the mustard, the relish, and the onions all that and put it away and play a little football.
Q:You're a creative coach, a fiery coach. You motivate your players different ways. Do you internally talk about that [incident]?
Coach Jackson: I can't let all my secrets out. I can't do that. The guy had a hot dog. Was it a Wienershnitzel or where'd it come from? I don't know. It looked to pretty good by the way he was eating it so I'm sure we'll have some fun this week.
Q: You don't seem so surprised by Denarius because you saw it during training camp on a daily basis making big plays, but at some point early in camp you must have been a little impressed in that he was a 5th round draft pick you didn't take him in the second round or the first round. He was a 5th round draft pick doing those things. At what point in camp did you think wow we've got something here?
Coach Jackson: Probably about the third or fourth time he did what he did in practice because that's the way guys play when they're really good. I've been fortunate, I've cut my teeth with running backs in this league but I've coached some real good receivers in this league and I know what they play like, what they act like and how they perform. He reminds me of some people I've been around. I don't like to draw comparisons but he makes plays and that's all you can ask a guy to do. We've got some other guys that can make some plays and I think that whole group is on the verge of really being something very consistent and obviously with the quarterback the way he's throwing the ball and where he's putting the ball, guys got a chance to make plays.
Q: What does it do for a quarterback's confidence when he's able to go up and get the ball?
Coach Jackson: Tremendous because it's trust. You believe that a guy is going to make a play for you and sometimes the play doesn't happen just the way you draw it up sometimes you got to ad lib it and sometimes you got to have trust in a receiver that they will make a play for you. We've got some guys that are starting to really make those plays. We've got some guys on the sideline and hopefully we'll get them back because they can make plays also.
Q: You have a good relationship with Rex [Ryan]. Talk a little bit about how that started and how that developed into a relationship.
Coach Jackson: Well when I was in Cincinnati and he was in Baltimore we used to obviously have some very spirited games against each other. We always talked about if he got me a job maybe I'd have the opportunity to work for him. And then my time in Baltimore with him I was kind of like his set up man. I use to go talk to all the quarterbacks before the game so I'm going to make sure I keep everyone away from my quarterback in this game. Rex is an unbelievable personality, a true football man, totally understands the game, loves the game, very passionate about it and has a very strong will for winning. My time with him I learned that he has some characteristics that I love which is I don't like losing just like he doesn't. He's very competitive and I'm just as competitive when it comes to anything. The relationship grew over time there in Baltimore through John Harbaugh and through him being on defense and me being on offense and I have a tremendous amount of respect for the football coach that he is and what he's gong to bring to this stadium on Sunday. I also have a tremendous amount of respect for our staff and our football team and what we're capable of doing and again we're looking forward to this challenge.
Q: What is it about Rex that gets guys to come together and want to be great for him?
Coach Jackson: What Rex does is he collects his kind of guys. The guys that believe what he sells and that's what it's truly all about. He believes in winning and he's there because he wants to win and the guys that are there I guarantee you are there because they want to win and they believe in his system. He has a way of putting people in position to make plays and I truly respect that, that's what we're trying to create here for our team. We want to put guys in the best position to be all they can be offense, defense and special teams. I think, not that we're modeling after the Jets or Baltimore or any of that, it's just my philosophy I truly believe it and I've been around some men who do it that way and have had success.
Q: Are you still in the process of getting your kind of guys here?
Coach Jackson: Well I think all that's a process. I think you work through it. I think we've got some tremendous young players here and I think we're getting better each and every day but again it's still a process. I mean he's in year three of his process. I'm in year one of mine but I'm very excited about what we're dong, where we are and what's here. What we have to do is continue to work and finish. That's what we have to do.
