Is this just another game for you? Absolutely? Rex. You had alluded earlier today. I guess in your comments to reporters up in Buffalo that kind of might change your approach with how much you talk up things in the off season. Uh. Why is that? Well, probably because we failed miserably and now, but you know, I think it's uh, I mean, that's that's probably the truth. You know. I sometimes you don't think about the consequences. I said, what's
really on my mind, what I truly believe. But then it comes back and it bites you when it's you know, if it if it doesn't go right, and as we've historically know that I've done that more than once. Um. But and the reason for it. I'll take all the criticism, and I get that, that's fine. I just don't want my team to be criticized for it or look that way because their work that they put in and all that,
I don't think they deserve it. Obviously we came up short. Uh, but you know it's not by lack effort or anything else. It's it's just we didn't get it done. And um, you know, so I think in instead of it all being negative that way, Um, you know, I could probably prevent, you know, some of that with a common or something. I'm always going to be true to myself, but at the same time, maybe I can keep those things internally
a little bit more. That's how much would it mean to you personally if you could knock the Jets out of the playoffs. I just want to win, and if you can win, you know, I think that would be big, no question about it. You have two wins over a really good football team, so I think that would be big for us. But as far as them, I'm not going to get you know, is there going to be
a little more satisfaction that way? I mean, I I can't tell you that, um, because there's a lot of people there that I care about and you want them to do well, But I don't want them to do well at my expense, you know, from a competitor in me, I want to beat them. And that's that's the truth. That's just the way it feels, you know, that's the
way it is, um. And you know, so you know, whether it's my brother, where it's whether it's a lot of friends and all that stuff over there, I'm still going to try to win, regardless of who I'm up against Rex. Do you think that your players have bought in to your you know, your method, message, your theme and everything that you wanted to instill in then this year? Well, I think it's safe to say that not all of them have, you know, I think that's that's safe to
say that. But I think there's a number of them that have. What makes you say that not all of them have? Rex? Well, because you know, I guess you know, you can read comments or you can read whatever you want. Um, So I think you can make a point of that, But I don't sense it when I'm here. I see guys working hard. I see you know, preparing and things like that. So those are real positive things about me. Um, I like this team. I do. I like to like
our football team. Uh you know, I know a record isn't isn't what we wanted to be, but um, I like this team. REX has some of that criticism from your own players hurt you and bothered you. Yeah, probably so, um you know, when you look at it, it's you know, I've never had a negative you know, the I've never been looked at as a problem, you know, I think you know, so, Yeah, I guess that would be uh uh yeah. I mean if that bothers me, no, no
doubt about it. Now. I haven't said anything publicly until now about it, but sure that that would bother me. It doesn't mean I'm gonna change who I am or how I go about my business. I can promise you that. Why do you think things didn't work this year for you guys? Rex? I who knows? You know who knows? I know. I can promise you one thing. We have one more game to play and we're gonna put that's that's where we're looking at. I think, you know, to really look at it, to go into it in detail
and all that kind of stuff. I don't think so appropriate right now, Rex, looking back on the Jets game and the regular season, where you wont do you think in retrospect you put too much emotional emphasis on the importance of just that one win in the wake of it, and maybe that had a negative effect on the team going forward. No, no way, I mean, we knew that was gonna be a huge game. You know, we're we're you know, two games back or something. You had to get that win to try to, you know, to have
a shot at the playoffs. I don't think there's any doubt about that. We had to get that win. So yeah, we put everything we had into it. We put everything we have in every game, but that was a big one. There was no question knew you were going against an outstanding team and it was gonna take, you know, everything we had uh to have a chance with the game, and we did. We put everything we had into it
and uh and it came out, you know, the right way. X. After the game of Fitzpatrick had probably maybe his worst game of the year in that game. He admitted afterwards that he made a lot of poor decisions. What were you guys able to do to seemingly confuse him in that game? I'm not really sure, you know. I think we just went out and we played well. Um it's I don't I don't think we tricked him or anything. Just um, you know, so I think that's it. I think the call coming in is not me trying to
clog the lines. Also, by the way, there's another one. What do you think of the way jobs got go ahead? Right? Do you think this passage is playing over his head lately? I think he's playing great. Look, we've seen him play like this before. I mean, you know, I just don't know if if, if we've ever can you know, seen him play like this for an entire season. I mean, guys doing phenomenal um you know. Now, look, hey, it helps having you know, Eric Decker and uh, Brandon Marshall
over there. I think that probably helps also, But you know, a good running game, it thinks. But but he's doing a great job. He gets the ball out of his hand quick. You know, he doesn't take sack. He's competitive as heck, he's always been that way. So there's a lot of things I admire about him. I'm not going to say that he looks much better with the beard, and I think he's undefeated with that beard, so maybe he needs to shave it this week. Rex, what kind
of shape is your team in health wise? Uh? You can You've had guys banged up here and there really throughout the season. But as the season ends, what do you guys down? Well, we're about tim starters down, so we're probably not great shape. But the guys that are out there are pretty healthy. What's McCoy status this week? Next question? I think you can figure that one out. Not too good, Rex, you coached obviously a lot of
guys that are on this Jets roster. Does it Does it hurt at all to see the team that you coached a year ago have so much success in the season after you're gone. No, not really fact, you know, it's I think, you know, I really thought a whole lot about it, But they're, like I said, there's a lot of guys I care about on that team, and it's actually great to see him having success. I just
don't want them to have success at my expense. You know, I'm going to give to everything I can to win this game and from the competitor, and mean, that's that's what I'm gonna do, right, You guys obviously had a lot of optimism, understandably coming into this year with the way things have unfolded, and especially some of the comments
players have made criticizing you. How concerned are you about the wheels coming off really quickly for you in Buffalo and how do you plan to go about preventing that from happening. Well, the wheels aren't coming off here. I think if you're around, uh, the entire football team, you'd realize that. You know, wheels, wheels are powerful, you know, far from coming off. So we've got a lot of positive things here as well. And I think that's that's
the thing that maybe people aren't focused on it. I get it, you know, so file a lot why you can We'll see what happened, rights, How how difficult that the game plan for Marshall and Decker real difficult? Uh, you know it's and that's a thing like Eric Decker is a great player by himself, Brandon Marshall is a great player by himself. But put them together, I mean it's uh, and the other guys And I'm not look, I'm not downplaying the other guys. The other guys are
good players. But these guys are great players. And so yeah, it's you know, you wish they were smaller. Both of them got size, the red zone threats, they do it all, so um yeah, it's it's uh, it's rough. And then the fact you got guys that can run the football in a big offensive line, So it's it's uh, it's a huge challenge without question. Rex How deflating would it be to to lose this week and not only end the season on a losing note, but but have the
Jets clinch your playoff spot in your building? Well, I'll be deflating that we you know, we've see you. We're gonna put everything we have in this game. It's our last game, losing at home. Uh, you know, with staying there's no question the fact that you know, this team has success going into the playoffs and all that doesn't have any you know, it isn't isn't the part. We just want to win, you know, And um so I
think that's you know, that's it. I haven't. I haven't thought about one one second what it would be like if if we lost or whatever. So, uh, you know that's not where my focus is. Prediction. Yeah, prediction is I'm not gonna get anything. So now you know what I think. Uh, I think it's gonna be. You know, it's gonna be a great game. Obviously, I'm hoping the weather. I hope the wind blows like fifty. So that's what we're hoping for.