POSTED: Sunday September 9th 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New York Jets Game Notes vs. New England 9.9

 


    • Darrelle Revis became the first Jets rookie to start at cornerback on opening day since Ray Mickens on 9/6/96 at Denver.
    • Chad Pennington eclipsed 12,000 career passing yards at 11:42 of the first quarter on an eight-yard completion to Jerricho Cotchery.  Pennington, who went 16-of-21 with 167 passing yards and two touchdowns, now has 12,140 career passing yards, which is fifth on the Jets all-time list.  He trails Vinny Testaverde by 357 yards for fourth place. 
    • Pennington passed Vinny Testaverde (1,094) for fourth on the Jets all-time completion list with his 15th completion, a 13-yard pass to Chris Baker at 3:33 of the third quarter.  Pennington completed 16 passes on the day, giving him 1,096 for his career.
    • Laveranues Coles hauled in a seven-yard and one-yard touchdown receptions, the 32nd and 33rd of his career and 25th and 26th of his Jets career.  The multi-touchdown effort was the fifth of his career and fourth as a Jet.  His last multi-touchdown effort came against Miami on 10/15/06.


  • Coles hauled in seven receptions (59 yards), giving him 513 catches for his career.  He passed Frank Sanders (507), Nat Moore (510), Mark Duper (511), Herschel Walker (512) and Earnest Byner (512) to move into 85th on the NFL?s all-time reception list. 

  • Coles 341 receptions and 4,504 receiving yards as a Jet rank seventh and eighth on the club?s all-time list.

  • Coles caught his first pass at 5:12 of the first quarter, marking his 62 consecutive game with a reception.

  • Kenyon Coleman established a career-high in tackles leading the Jets with 10 solo tackles and 12 total tackles. 

  • Kellen Clemens, who went 5-of-10 for 35 yards, threw a six-yard pass to Thomas Jones at 10:06 of the third quarter for his first NFL completion.

  • Wallace Wright caught an 11-yard pass from Kellen Clemens with 45 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter for his first career NFL catch.  It was his lone catch of the game.

  • Thomas Jones ran for 42 yards on 14 carries, giving him 5,426 rushing yards for his career.  He is now 83rd on the all-time rushing list.  He passed Jim Nance (5,401) and Dick Bass (5,417) today and was passed by Denver Broncos Travis Henry, who ran for 139 yards at Buffalo, giving him 5,534 rushing yards for his career.


    New York Jets Head Coach Eric Mangini, 9.9

    Opening Statement?

    When talking to the team, the message is consistent to what we are always talking about- coming back and approaching every week the same.  I thought we had a good week of practice, we had a good plan, but we didn?t execute the plan as well as it should have been executed.  That?s all of us.  It?s coaching and players, across the board.  Having those big plays the Patriots had ? the kickoff returned for a touchdown, the long pass to Randy Moss makes it tough.  There were a lot of positive things in the game and a lot of things we can build off of.  It has got to be more consistent through four quarters.  You can?t come in to halftime in one situation and then make it really difficult for yourself, as we did in letting up a long return.  That is what our focus will be on coming back next week, approaching it the same way.  Getting those things we didn?t do well this week corrected and moving forward and making progress.

    On their defensive pressure on Tom Brady?

    I thought New England did a good job today with their mixture of running the ball and having the big people available and when you have to commit to stopping the run, you bring him up in the box which creates the opportunity for deeps plays.  They had a nice balance there and it?s something we will have to look at more closely.

    On New England?s offensive and defensive strengths?

    We had a very specific game plan that we liked and there were a lot of positive things from the game.  Anytime you give up the big plays the momentum shifts and then the approach dramatically shifts.  That?s never really a situation you would like to be in.

    On electing to punt on fourth-down during the first drive?

    You make a lot of those decisions during the game.  At that point in the game, I thought it would be better to punt.  We ended up punting and getting it down to the nine-yard line.  The key is then being able to transition into a defensive mode and keeping it at that point.

    On Chad Pennington?s injury?

    We will be looking at Chad and obviously analyzing where he is.  We will just have to see as we go.

    On Pennington?s re-entry into the game?

    With any injury, we have doctors on the sideline who I talk to, who will examine anyone, whatever the case may be, who has been injured in the game.  We go by those discussions and discussions with that player before we put that player back in.   It is very important to us to put the player in when we do feel he is able to return to the game and there is a process with that.

    On inserting Kellen Clemens with seven minutes remaining?

    In that situation you know what you are getting.  You are getting a lot of hand in the dirt, firing off the ball.  They are playing the pass aggressively, so that means they are rushing and want to have the quarterback be able to move over in the pocket.  It was just the timing of the game and the situation of the game.

    On the offensive line?s pass protection?

    They did a lot of positive things in the passing game.  I thought we moved the ball effectively in throwing the ball.

    On Thomas Jones? performance?

    The plan was game specific and for the opportunities he had, there were some good things.  Each week that plan is going to change based on the opponent and the strengths that they have.

    On Justin Miller not returning to game after sideline talk?

    We were just talking about the way we wanted to play that defense moving forward.  It had nothing to do with being angry at him about that play, it was more of, ok, if we see this again, if we go to this again, this is how I want you to play it next time.

    Anytime there is someone we need to examine, we have our medical staff take a look at it, that type of thing to see where they are.  It was not coaching based.

    On New England?s kick return for a touchdown?

    It?s difficult anytime you give up a big play, but it was the start of the second half.  If you are going to give up a big play, you have a lot time left at that point to recover from that play, to create drives and do things.  There are going to be big plays throughout the course of a game.  Adversity is going to strike and you just have to deal with it, move on, and get to the next series.

    On the versatility of play-calling with Pennington?s injury?

    You don?t have as much flexibility in terms of ?move in the pocket?-type plays at quarterback.  That wasn?t really a big part of what we were trying to do today anyway, but those would be the plays that would be eliminated.

    On New England?s roster?

    They have a lot of good players, whether it be wide receivers, tight ends, running backs, quarterbacks - they do a good job across the board.  I thought they played well today.

    On Pennington?s scoring drive after his injury?

    It shows Chad?s character.  We were in a certain situation ? we put him back in the game, he drove them down.  He was able to work through the distraction of the injury and be very effective in that drive.

    On putting Pennington back in the game?

    There is a process and player safety is important to us.  We wouldn?t put a guy back in a situation where we felt he would be at risk.

    On Pennington going for an MRI?

    I will have to talk to the doctor.


    New York Jets WR Laveranues Coles, 9.9

    On being concerned about Chad Pennington and his injury today?

    I am just as concerned about him as I would be about anybody else.  The main thing is that he is okay.  That?s what is important ? his spirits and making sure is alright.  That?s what?s important to me as a person, more so than just football, making sure he is alright.  He?s a tough guy, he has fought through quite a bit.  Just being a part of the team he leads, and being a teammate of his is just great.  It?s an honor to play with a guy like that, to see him continue to fight the way that he does regardless of the circumstance at that point in the game. 

    On today?s loss?

    It has nothing to do with our coaching staff, that?s for sure.  They had a great game plan and put us in great positions to make plays.  As players we have to look at ourselves individually and ask, ?did you play the best game that you could play today?  Did you man up or did you get whooped??  That?s one of the main things.  We had one of the better game plans that I?ve had in a long time around here.  My hat goes off to the coaching staff.  As players we did not execute as well as we should have.

    On the second half kickoff return?

    We, the players, have to do a better job of making plays.  That is what it?s about.  The coaches can only do so much.  The players have to look individually in the mirror to see what you can do to help your team.

    On the fans cheering for Jets QB Kellen Clemens when he entered the game?

    Fans are fans.  We?re the team.  It?s not going to bother me at all. 

    On the second Jets touchdown pass?

    It?s a design play.  When we see a certain coverage, Chad puts the ball up.  If they don?t give us that coverage, then we?re going to run the football.

    On the Jets electing to punt on the 4th-and-1?

    He?s the coach and we?re the players.  He makes the decisions.  We just support him regardless.  It could have been 4th and less than an inch, if he decides to punt, as players and as a group we stand fully behind that decision.  I think he made the right decision.

    On the Jets? outlook for the next game?

    That?s the great thing about this league, you never know what?s going to happen.  You can only play the cards you have been dealt.  We still have a full week of preparation ahead of us.  I don?t think we know anything for sure about anything.  Well, at least I don?t, unless you all got some information that I didn?t get.  Once we find out where everybody stands and how everybody feels, we?ll go from there.  This is a resilient team.  They chose these guys to be on this ball club for a reason.  We?re all going to stick together and I?m sure we?ll be fine.

    On the gap in success between the Jets and the Patriots?

    I didn?t know anything about a gap.  We still get to play them again.  Whenever that time comes, we have a lot of ball games in between where we have an opportunity to play.  This was one ball game, one out of 16.  If we had just beat them twice but were 2-14, would we be good or would we be awful?  You make your own decisions.  It was one game. 

    On Patriots WR #81 Randy Moss? play today?

    I play offense.  When I?m on the sideline, I?m trying to figure out what we?re going to do when we go back in.  I did not get the opportunity to watch whatever he did.



    New York Jets T D?Brickashaw Ferguson, 9.9

    On today?s loss?
    We have to go out there and execute better.  Obviously, the Patriots are a great team.  I made some mistakes and there were some other mistakes made that we need to cleanup.  Tomorrow, we?ll look at the film and make the necessary corrections.

    On the disappointment in losing the home opener?
    Whenever you?re not successful, you?re going to feel certain reservations. We know we?re a team and can recover from anything. 

    On Chad Pennington?s toughness?
    Chad is a natural leader.  I think it speaks volumes whenever a quarterback can take a hit and still come back and play.  He?s definitely a great leader out there. 

    On whether the team will lose confidence?
    I think confidence always builds.  There?re things that we can do to improve ourselves.  It?s one game and we have many games to play this season. 


    New York Jets RB Thomas Jones, 9.9

    Opening statement?.

    The game got away from us today. In the second half, they got the momentum with that kickoff return. It kind of went downhill from there. I think they had the momentum coming from the second half and they played a good game.

    On positive aspects of the game?

    In the first half it was a tight game. We were doing some things well.  They were doing some things well. Like I said, in the second half the game kind of got away from us. We didn?t want to give up big plays. That was one of the things coach stressed during the week and unfortunately we gave up some big plays. Those plays gave them the momentum and let the game get away from us, but I think we did some positive things in the running game during the second half. I think we did some positive things moving the ball. Defensively, I thought we did some positive things as far as making sure the guys were back for most of the game. There were a lot of different things we did during this game that were positive.

    On playing after missing the preseason?

    I felt pretty sharp. I felt good physically. The trainers did a really good job of getting me back on the field. I felt like I ran hard. Unfortunately, we were behind and didn?t get a chance to run the ball as much as we could have, but we just have to forget about this loss move onto the next week against Baltimore.

    On screaming out after long run in the 3rd quarter?

    It?s frustrating when you can?t get into the open field and do what you do, but I play with a lot of emotion when I?m out there. I?m really into the football game and that being the first big run and positive run of the game, I was excited. That was what I was feeling at the time. So during the course of the game, depending on how I?m feeling, I may yell or do whatever I need to do to get the offensive line going and lead by example. If they see me excited and see me out there happy to make plays, that going to motivate them too.



    New York Jets QB Chad Pennington, 9.9

    On his first thoughts on getting injured?

    I really never had a lower leg injury before, so I was just trying to walk it off.  I?m not going to lay there, I know that.  I?m going to walk off the field, try to get back into the game, which I was able to do, and take it from there.

    On if he was surprised about getting back into the game after the injury?

    It?s frustrating.  Injuries are part of the game, but it?s frustrating.  I didn?t know what to think.  Like all of my other injuries, I?ve never experienced this, I?ve never had to go through this.  I wanted to let the doctors look at it, then get back out there.

    On missing any extended time because of this injury?

    I have no idea.  I am sure I will see the doctors frequently this week and we?ll see what happens. 

    On slamming his helmet on the sidelines after the injury?

    Yes, I was frustrated.

    On New England?s play today?

    They get a really good pass rush.  They?ve got some unique defensive linemen that can run the 3-4 defense and 2 gap, but then also have the ability to push the pocket and get upfield.  You don?t find that.  Normally they?re stout on the run but then can?t rush the passer or vice versa.  These guys do a good job of both.  They presented some problems for us.  We were just inconsistent with it.  There were times we were able to get the ball out, get our guys some space, make some plays in the passing game.  Then there were other times where they were able to push the pocket and get in relatively quickly. 

    On the difficulty in playing after the injury?

    I was trying to rely on my experience from the Jacksonville game and trying to stay focused.  Even though I felt unstable, I felt like I was seeing things well throughout the game.  I could still get the ball to our playmakers.  At that point in the game, we still had the threat of trying to run the football because it was still early, so I felt like I could still get back out there and help us.

    On if someone fell on his injured leg during the QB sneak play at the goal line?

    No, but I was really glad that they didn?t.

    On his desire to go for the 4th and 1?

    As players we trust Coach Mangini with his decisions and we don?t second-guess those things.  Early in the game it was one of those things where you look like heroes if it happens and you look like the goat if it doesn?t happen.  Right there, we went the safe route.  We got the punt to about the nine-yard line which we felt really good about, so I didn?t have a problem with that.

    On if the cheering for Kellen Clemens surprised him?

    When I was a backup on our team (in 2002), the crowd cheered for me, too.  I would hope that our team would support anyone that?s out there.  They gave him a cheer and I?m glad that they did.  He needs support; our whole team needs support.  There is nothing wrong with that. 

    On him finally coming out of the game?

    With six minutes left, down 31-14, I had to for the first time be brutally honest with myself as far as injuries are concerned and saying without the threat of the run, I?m kind of a sitting duck back there.  I just didn?t feel like it would be smart either for me or my teammates to go back in with six minutes left. 

     

    On if it was his call to re-enter the game or not?

    At that point in time, it?s not the lack of the running game, but it?s that you are down 17 points. They are not going to respect the running game. They are going to pin their ears pack and rush the passer because you have to put points on the board quickly.  The second touchdown drive you saw we did have some bursts with the running game.  That?s something we have to continually work on.  We didn?t line up against a defense that was a poor run defense.  They are pretty stout and do a great job with their punt seven.  What we have to do is look at it and see where we can get better. 

     

    On what was discussed on the sideline about him re-entering the game?

    They asked me if I could go back in and I said yes.  So I went back in. 

     

    On if the Patriots are that much better ?

    When you look at the game, they beat us in all three phases and that?s why the score ended the way it ended.  We didn?t tie any phase and we didn?t have an edge in any phase.  They had the kickoff return, they were very solid on offense and were pretty stingy on defense.  When that happens, that?s not a recipe for success.  When you play against a really good team like that, you have to find an edge and take advantage of that.  We didn?t have an edge today. They had all three edges on us.  That?s something I hope we can get better at. 

     

    On playing next week?

    I don?t know what?s going to happen.  We?ll work hard.  That?s one thing I pride myself on doing, working hard and putting my nose in grindstone and doing everything I can to be available. 

     

    On putting himself at risk by insisting to re-enter the game?

    I have a lot of respect for this game and this game is a game that you get banged up (in).  You take some hits and you may have to deal with some minor and major things.  I don?t make my decision on playing looking into the future.  I make my decision on the present and whether or not I can help my team at the time. 

     

    On why he continued to play despite his injury?

    My mindset hasn?t changed as far as trying to play.  I?m going to do everything I can to be available.  That?s not going to change.  Based upon my past experience, sometimes that?s out of your control.  We are going to do what we can to win the football game.  We were able to sneak in one time on a third down on our scoring drive where we got 12 men on the field and that was effective and we tried to do it again.  At that time, coach (Mangini) was going to try to call the plays to help us win, and if I?m out there, I?m saying that I can run our plays. 

     

    On being injured in the Jacksonville game and why this situation was different?

    It remains to be seen.  That?s something that is up to us as a team to pull together and fight through a loss like this; fight through the adversity and get back to the first week, which in the past we?ve been pretty good at.  We?re going to fight through this and that?s why it?s a 16-game season.  I felt like we had a really good plan going in and offensively we had some bursts of excitement. (There were) some really positive things that happened with our guys out in space and we were able to make plays and do some exciting things that was presenting them with problems.  What we have to do is look at those things, build upon those things and be very critical of the errors and mistakes that we made and move on.  Even if you win this game, you don?t say we?ve made it.  (We) haven?t made it. It?s a 16-game season and they are all important. 

     

    On whether his injury is a high-ankle sprain?.

    I have no idea.  I don?t have any experience other than playing basketball in high school.  That?s about all the experience I have with that injury. 

     

    On not going back in?..

    I?ve discussed it with Eric (Mangini) and I felt like with six minutes left in the game and being down 31-14 and having to drop back every play knowing that they are going to rush the passer would probably not be good.  It wasn?t good for our team.  It wasn?t good for me.  That?s the first time I?ve ever done that.   It was a very difficult discussion and decision to make. 



    New York Jets CB Darrelle Revis, 9.9

    On playing against Tom Brady?
    He made big plays.  He was in the pocket and found his receivers, his playmakers Randy Moss and Wes Welker.  That?s something Brady did a great job with.

    On starting the season with a loss?
    Nobody wants to lose the first game.  This was a big game for us, opening day or not.  Their playmakers came out and made big plays.  Brady is the mastermind on offense.  He did his job well today.

    On how long the loss will linger in his mind?
    We have to get right back.  We have to get this out of our mind right now and get focused on our next opponent.
     


    New York Jets LB Jonathan Vilma, 9.9

    On Ellis Hobbs? touchdown return?

    That was tough to swallow.  The good thing was that our offense went out there and put together a pretty good drive.  It?s tough for us because we?re usually pretty good on special teams, but on that play we weren?t. 

    On what Randy Moss adds to the offense?

    The deep ball, obviously.  He hit us with a couple of deep balls, so he brings that to the table for them.  Of course everyone knows that, but you still have to stop him.

    On losing the opening game?

    It?s a little discouraging.  You always want to play better in the first game, but it?s not the end of the season for us.  We have 15 games left.  It?s just a matter of going back, regrouping and getting ready for Baltimore.

    On the adjustments that need to be made?

    Stopping big plays.  We had them in a lot of third downs.  On third-and-nine we gave up 11 yards.  On third-and-10 they hit us for a big one.  On second-and-long they hit us for a long bomb. 

    On the Patriots pass protection?
    They did a good job pass protecting.  They did some things different on the offensive line to hold us.  They did a good job with that.  They kept their backs in and their receivers got open. 



    New England Head Coach Bill Belichick 9.9

    Opening Statement?

    I am real proud of our players today. I thought they went out and played a really good game.  I thought we executed a lot of things well in the game.  Some things could have been better but I thought overall it was a real solid effort.  We got really good play from our entire offense.  Obviously whenever you score that number of points, that?s good.  We made some plays on defense.  And we had a big play in the kicking game.  Overall it was a solid effort.  The players deserve a lot of credit.  It?s been a long week and a long preseason to get ready for this game, and we came down here and did a good job.  Its one game, it doesn?t really mean much.  We have a long way to go, we haven?t clinched anything.  We have San Diego next week; they are one of the best teams in the league, so we will have our hands full with them.  There are some corrections we have to make. We have to move on and get better, but we did some positive things today to build on. 

    On Ellis Hobbs coming out of the end zone eight yards deep on his touchdown return?

    He?s aggressive and he made it work, so nobody is going to say anything too him about that. 

    On the play of WR Randy Moss?

    That?s the way Randy plays.  When he as a chance to make plays he makes them. 

    On the play of the offensive line?

    I thought the offensive line did a good job.  We ran the ball with some consistency and stayed out of long yardage situations.  It was a good solid effort, we didn?t have a lot of penalties, didn?t turn the ball over, so we did some good work.

    On the overall execution of the game plan?

    There are some things we can do better so we will be working on those.

    On the play of DE Jarvis Green?

    Jarvis has been a good player for us.  He?s one of our most dependable players, he works hard and we have a lot of confidence in him.   Today, he played well.

    On what WR Randy Moss got out of training camp?

    All the players that miss practice go to the meetings and the film corrections.  So players that are injured do what they can do and we try to focus on that. 

    On the player substitution pattern?

    We played everybody.  I think all the reserves played.  I think all the backs, tight ends and receivers played.  We utilized a lot of different people. 

    On having multiple offensive weapons?

    Right now we are just trying to play consistently on offense.  When you play good, good things happen when you don?t then it doesn?t really make a difference.  If we play consistently we will score some points.

    On if the Jets blitzed?

    They did blitz.  I don?t know what the numbers were but I thought they pressured us quite a bit. 



    On the play of CB Asante Samuel?

    He worked this week in practice, did extra conditioning.  They ran a lot of three-wide receivers sets so we were in a lot of multiple defensive back defenses.  I would have to look at the film.  I?m sure there were some things he did well and some things he will have to improve.  That?s the same with everybody, starting with the head coach.

    On if there is an advantage in bringing Randy Moss on the field late?

    I think all teams defensively have to be aware of that.  We have to be aware of that.  Is Brad Smith in the game?  Is it (Justin) McCareins, is it (Jerricho) Cotchery, is it (Laveranues) Coles?  That?s something every team deals with.  We weren?t trying to create big mismatches with substitutions; we were just trying to utilize all of our skill players offensively.

    On if the competitive gap between the Jets and the Patriots is getting wider?

    It?s just one game.  It was 14-7 at the half and a pretty competitive game.  We got lucky to make a few plays.  They are a good team.

    On the running game?

    I thought we had balance offensively.  We ran the ball.  We didn?t break a lot of long runs but we stayed out of long yardage situations like third-and-15, third-and-20. 



    New England Patriots QB Tom Brady, 9.9

           

    On the team?s play in the season opener?

    I think there were a lot of positives.  We did some good things but I think we stopped ourselves a few times out there. Anytime you get a win on the road in this division, it?s a tough way to start. I am really proud of the way the team prepared.  Most importantly, I think we had a really great week of practice.  Anytime you do that you can go out there and play with confidence and we were prepared for whatever they threw at us. It?s a tough team to play and I think we just made a few more plays better than they did.

    On what he envisioned making a throw to Randy Moss?

    Randy is a competitor and Randy is a football player. He loves playing football and I said earlier he was a great player before he got to the Patriots and its obvious he is still a great player. I just hope the team just continues to progress. As well as he played, I think the other receivers equally did a great job in their role and that?s the important thing.  The running game was there.  The play action worked great.  When we needed guards on the goal line we got it with a bunch of big third-down completions.  The offensive line played spectacular.  It was a great performance all around but there?s a lot to build on and there?s a lot to correct and I think each week presents different challenges.  Next week it?s the Chargers and it will be entirely different. We have got to get back to work and have a great week of practice and be prepared for one of the best teams in football.

    On the offensive line?

    I think the offensive line did a spectacular job.  They worked so hard and I think they?re so well coached.  The coach puts a lot of pressure on the offensive line and they are so consistent. It?s the same group that we had last year and if they can do that then they can really build and compliment from year-to-year. They can really pick up this year where they left off from last year.  I think we have plenty of time to throw and plenty of time to survey the field when they are pressured we are always on the right guy. The run game, they got a hat on the hat and the running backs get clear reads on the whole.  It?s a great group and they work extremely hard and I am proud of the way they played. I think we?re lucky to have those guys and they set the tone for this entire offense.


    New England Patriots DL Jarvis Green, 9.9

    On beating D?Brickashaw Ferguson to sack Chad Pennington?

    I?m not sure. I know I just had a pretty good move around the corner. He sat down and I went around him. The entire game I was using the inside move on him. I don?t think he expected me to make a move outside.

    On what happen in the pile when Pennington got injured?

    I don?t know. I took him down. I don?t know what happened or if anyone else fell on top of him. He got twisted up in there some how.

    On Pennington returning to the field after being hurt?

    He?s a competitor. Chad Pennington is the leader out there, and I know he wanted the ball back to get his team back into the game. I saw him hobbling a little bit like he was in some pain. But he?s a competitor and he showed a lot of leadership for his team today.

    On using your veteran experience on a young left tackle, D?Brickashaw Ferguson?

    He?s a pretty good player; as for being a first-round pick, I think he?s got better from last year. He has a lot more to do to improve, but he?s a pretty good player. He?s athletic and quick and he uses his hands very well.

    On stopping the Jets run game?

    I think we played pretty well today to start the season off here in New York. We finished off well, but there?s still a lot we need to work on.

     




    New England Patriots CB Ellis Hobbs, 9.9

    On having doubts on the kick return for TD?

    One thing I understand is if I want to have a great year I have to start off right, humble myself, and go out there and be aggressive.  There are 10 other guys out there blocking for me.  I couldn?t have done it without them.  I tell those guys all the time, even in practice; I?m bringing it out.  You don?t make plays on the sideline.  I never wanted to have a ?what if? factor.  I understood the danger of taking it out that deep.  One false step and I could have been a zero.  But I ended up being the hero.  I wanted to bring those 10 other guys with me.

    On knowing it was an NFL record?

    I didn?t know at first but after I came off they told me.  Like I said, records are meant to be broken.  If I hadn?t taken it out, you wouldn?t have though about it.  The most important part is everyone continued to play the game.  No one looked back, they kept blocking.

    On his thought process?

    My main thought was not to let my teammates down and to just keep moving forward.  I?m not going to lie - I looked up at the screen at the 20 (yard line).  When you?re out of danger and you have some blockers behind you, it?s just like a quarterback.  When he knows he?s not feeling pressure, it was the same thing for me.  I knew it was a risk, but this isn?t college or high school.  They pay me to return kicks, not kneel the ball. I didn?t even think about kneeling the ball.

    On not playing the next defensive series?

    I didn?t come for the next series.  I needed to get my composure, humble myself.  After a great play you go out cocky and then the Jets would have been able to see that and come at me.

    On playing San Diego next?

    We haven?t been waiting for it all season, but we knew it was there.  We took care of week one, now it?s time for week two.  We don?t have all summer to prepare, we have a week.  So whatever the game plan is we have to go out and execute.

    On the offense today?

    They did a great job.  I?m pretty sure the media was watching during training camp.  You guys had your doubts.  You weren?t seeing everybody out there.  Everyone wanted to see Randy Moss.  He?s here now.  It?s all about making plays.  Our offense made plays today as well as our defense.

    New England Patriots WR Randy Moss, 9.9

    On the win?

    I felt pretty good.  Overall, it was a team effort today. I?m very happy and blessed to have been out there with my teammates and to get a victory.

    On overcoming a preaseason injury?

    I?ve been in the training room for so long and the training staff has done a fantastic job of getting me back and rehabbing me to get me on the field knowing what I had to do for at least two weeks.  It just felt good.  I?m happy but at the same time we know it?s just the first game of the season and we have a lot more to play.

    On his 51-yard touchdown reception?

    It was a good read by Tommy (Brady).  I read the defense, the corner was down and the safety was back to the right so I came all the way across the field.  Tommy had faith in me, believed in me and we had good protection.  Everything we did today was very well executed.  The coaches got us prepared all week and we went out and made it happen.

    On whether he felt like he had something to prove?

    I?ve been in the league long enough that catching balls and running after the catch comes natural.  The biggest thing that I wanted to focus on this week was making sure my mind was fresh and tough enough to play because I hadn?t played this season.  I didn?t want to let my team down or put them back, so I just wanted to go out, see what I had and give them my all.

    <<Brady, Tom 9.9.doc>> <<Ferguson, D’Brickashaw 9.9.doc>> <<Game Notes vs. NE 9.9.doc>> <<Hobbs, Ellis 9.9.doc>> <<Coles, Laveranues 9.9.doc>> <<Jones, Thomas 9.9.doc>> <<Mangini, Eric 9.9.doc>> <<Moss, Randy 9.9.doc>> <<New England Head Coach Bill Belichick 9.doc>> <<New England Patriots Jarvis Green 9.9.doc>> <<Revis, Darrelle 9.9.doc>> <<Vilma, Jonathan 9.9.doc>> <<New York Jets QB Chad Pennington_9.9.doc>>

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