Transcripts: Strickland & Leonhard 12/21
New York Jets CB Donald Strickland, 12.21
On the facemask penalty on the last drive…
The rule change (and) it’s an unfortunate incident that happened. He had his hand on my facemask at the same time. I was trying to swipe at the ball and just kind of got caught up on his facemask a little bit.
On if the Falcons’ touchdown drive was his worst…When everything is on the line at the moment that was probably my worst series I would say of a defensive series. Especially as a veteran player, you don’t want to make those critical mistakes at that juncture of the game.
On Tony Gonzalez’s touchdown…
Usually I am supposed to get a jam on two, re-route two, which is Jenkins. So when he went to the flat I kind of chased him a little bit when I should have just let him go and sat back. That was the whole premise right there. I sort of chased him a little bit and I was supposed to just step back. I know I was supposed to jam two and I know he is the go-to-guy in that situation. My antenna should have been more alert on him (Gonzalez) getting the ball. That would have probably been the game.
New York Jets S Jim Leonhard, 12.21
On Coach Ryan’s comments after the game…
I didn’t really see anything, but from what I heard today, he’s not throwing the towel in. It’s not like we’re not going to show up these last two games and pack it in and get ready for next year. He’s (Rex Ryan) all about getting to the playoffs and winning championships, winning Super Bowls. He felt like, without looking at everything, that wasn’t a possibility this year. It’s not that he gave up on us. We don’t feel like he quit on the team or anything like that. You couldn’t get any farther from that. He got caught up and said things that he didn’t have the facts to back up.
On the team’s playoff chances…
Hope is definitely still alive. We got more help than any team in League history yesterday. Everyone that needs to lose is losing. We still have a chance. We were just in the mindset that we had to win them all to have a chance. When we lost that game yesterday, we didn’t feel like we had a chance. We’re still alive, we’re still going to fight. We’ll prepare as well as we’ve prepared all season and go out there and let the cards fall wherever they may.
On the Colts game…
You prepare for all of them to play and if they don’t, that’s good for us. You have to prepare that they are going to play the entire game. They have a bye, they have that bye coming up. You expect them to continue to play their players and if they decide to take them out then that is what they decide to do. If you go out there preparing for a backup quarterback and end up facing Peyton (Manning), you are in trouble. You prepare for all of the all stars that they have and if they chose not to play certain guys, that will certainly help us.
4 Responses to Transcripts: Strickland & Leonhard 12/21
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Harvlis says:
I like Strickland but, he did do a horrible job on Sunday. On the winning drive, I am wondering how, on third and nine, Strickland ended up covering Roddy White instead of Revis. White gets open for a sixteen yard catch to keep the drive going. Prior to that, Roddy White was missing from action. As for the pass to Gonzalez — the Jets deserve to lose, for not covering him.
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Brendan says:
Harvlis,
That Gonzo TD was Strickland’s fault too. He was late getting to his zone and Gonzalez found the gap (of course he did, he’s been doing that for 10+ season) and sat down in it.
As for how Strickland ended up guarding White, I think it had to do with the Falcons putting him in the slot and motioning him around the field constantly in the second half. I think the Jets called a zone that play and that’s why Revis wasn’t on him that play (or that’s my best guess why).
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miketaliaferro says:
Saw the TD replay, and you can clearly see Strickland with his back to the play bite for the outside, then, out of position, turn back with a sort of “Hunh? What?” double-take to the realization that he’d just blown it.
You don’t prepare for Peyton Manning, you just hope he hasnt prepared for you, HA!