HEAD COACH REX RYAN (opening comments) * *
"Obviously, it is a huge win for us. It is pretty clear that if we win next week we're in the play-offs. That's your ultimate goal when you start training camp and everything else. We're excited about this opportunity and we get to play in front of our home crowd (next week). We'll see what happens but we're excited about the opportunity in front of us."
HEAD COACH REX RYAN (on getting everything he wanted for Christmas)
"We are just happy as heck we got a win. Our guys competed great and I know Indianapolis earned that right to do whatever they want and shoot, they took some guys out, but like I said, they earned that right to do whatever they want. That's a hell of a football team over there. We're just excited our guys did the job. We can only compete against whoever's out on the field and our guys did a great job. We found a way to win the game."
HEAD COACH REX RYAN (on feeling fortunate at facing Indianapolis at this point in the season)
"I feel fortunate that we were able to win the game. Our guys played great. We found a way to win. Again, this football team beat fourteen teams so they earned the right to play it the way they wanted to."
HEAD COACH REX RYAN (on expectations as to when Peyton Manning would come out)
"We were just going to line up and play one way or the other. Whoever was out there we knew it was great competition. Whoever was in that Colt uniform that's who we were playing against. Again, our guys played their tails off. We did a great job on Special Teams, obviously, we had that return for a touch down; covering kick-offs and everything else. We ran the ball, it was tough sledding early but we stayed with it; option runs obviously. I am proud of our team's effort."
QB-MARK SANCHEZ (on going against a high power opponent)
"I felt like our defense played well; especially at the end of the game. Regardless of the colors, I thought we missed a couple opportunities but we came out with the win and that's exactly what we wanted to do. So, I though we did everything we needed to do to get the win and it was great."
QB-MARK SANCHEZ (on teams the Jets needed to lose doing so)
"I didn't pay attention to it much. You heard some murmurs before the game- just people talking about it but we needed to focus on the Indianapolis Colts. We got the job done today and it was awesome. It's a great feeling. So, that's it, it didn't change our focus."
QB-MARK SANCHEZ (on his execution of the game)
"Me being me, I'm thrilled about the win. I'm happy for our team and our organization. This really gives us a shot, we're playing Cincinnati next week still. This wasn't our best game, I left some plays out there and got sacked twice- those were totally my fault. Those can't happen in a game where it's real close. We also need touchdowns and not field goals. So, it was an exciting win, I'm thrilled about the win. I know they are tough to come by in this league and we'll take winning no matter what."
RB-THOMAS JONES (on seeing QB Curtis Painter take the field)
"I didn't even pay much attention to it. We were here to play the game. No matter who is in there. That's the NFL. It is hard to get a win regardless of who is playing and who is in the game."
FB-TONY RICHARDSON (on the win in general)
"Ups and downs -- it's kind of been the story of our season. Everything kind of fell into place for us today. We came in here with the mindset to take care of our business. I don't even remember the score when they took (Manning) out, but our defense did a great job. We just kept playing."
* *
WR-JERRICHO COTCHERY (on controlling their own destiny in the playoffs)
"We've remained positive. This is a group that's going to continue to work hard every week. That's how we've been every week, despite some of the things we've gone through. We've kept that positive vibe in our locker room, and that was the most important thing of all of this. ... We feel good about having the opportunity. "
WR-JERRICHO COTCHERY (on the Colts' decision to replace Manning)
"They're the No. 1 team in the AFC, and they can make whatever decision they want to make. But we're not going to apologize for a win. I think they felt like they got some good work, so they were going to pull the guys out. ... They've built a great team here. The backups are pretty good as well. You still have to go down and score points. You still have to stop them on defense. You still have to do your job on special teams. We did that."
WR-BRAD SMITH (on his kickoff return for a TD)
"We wanted to make a play. Everybody on the special teams wanted to be a part of something to get the game going in our favor. When you go back and see that film and see the blocking on that play, it was textbook. I can't tell you how easy they made it. Hats off to them."
WR-BRAD SMITH (on what the return did for the team)
"It was a big boost. It was something we needed. It wasn't a single player. ... It was one of the most exciting plays in my life, knowing the situation of the game and seeing the guys on the sideline."
OL-DAMIEN WOODY (on the Jets' playoff chances after the early games)
"I was focused on this game and getting ready to play a heckuva football team. That was the mindset of the whole team. Guys in the locker room weren't asking, 'Hey, what's the score of this game or that game?' Whatever happened, happened. We were focusing in on this game."
OL-DAMIEN WOODY (on whether he was surprised to see Curtis Painter enter the game for the Colts)
"We just went about business as usual. ... Our whole mindset was, regardless of who was in there, we were going to play the type of football we're capable of playing."
* *
LB-CALVIN PACE (on seeing QB Curtis Painter take the field)
"We noticed it. In the same respect, whoever's in the opponent's jersey, we got to go out there and perform and find a way to get them off the field. All those guys are capable. If you are on a roster in the NFL you are a capable player."
LB-BART SCOTT (on his reaction when the Colts pulled Manning and some of their other starters)
"I just think they had it pre-planned like a preseason game. Brad (Smith) really did a great job of setting us up and changing the momentum. (The Colts) came back and seized it again, but we were still fighting back and forth. It wasn't one of those things where it was a blowout, they put the backups in and that's how we won. It still was tight."
LB-BART SCOTT (on getting the win and moving firmly back into the playoff picture)
"At this point, I'll take whatever I can get. I couldn't care less how we get in. You just want to get in the tournament. We've had some bad luck this year. We've lost some heart-breaking games. Like I said, I don't care how we get in. ... We have to seize the opportunity. Once you're in the tournament, you never know what will happen."
LB-BART SCOTT (on whether he thought Manning would return to the game)
"I was prepared for if he came back in. We had done a decent job up to that point of defending him. It was the third quarter and there was only 15 points on the board with that type of offense. It's not like we were out there laying an egg, and they just said, 'Here, you guys can have the game.' "
LB-BART SCOTT (on his reaction to the decision to take Manning out)
"We were starting to get to him a little bit. At that point they figured why risk it. They want to win Super Bowls. That's their philosophy and (that's) their right to do it."
CB-DARRELLE REVIS (on the feeling on the field when Peyton Manning left the game for the Colts)
"It was a different changeup. At one point we thought they were going to put Peyton back in because they wanted to win the game and chase after history. But you still have to prepare for the backup, too, because you don't know what's going to happen with the starter. If he gets hurt, they're going to pull him out like they did with Peyton today. I think we just wanted to make turnovers as much as we could, and it didn't matter who was out there."
