Post-Game Transcript: Head Coach Pat Shurmur

NYG Postgame (at Jets) Transcripts: Head Coach Pat Shurmur -- November 10, 2019

Opening Statement: Injury wise, I think Jackrabbit (Janoris Jenkins) had a concussion there, Solder had a concussion early in the game. Disappointed we lost. We all understand the importance of every game, especially this game. It was a hard-fought game. We found a way to be down 14 points, and then we found a way to be up. Then we found a way to be down and we lost it. That’s the reality of it. I’m sure you have things you’re interested in, so I’ll answer your questions.

Q: What’s the state of this team? Six straight losses going into the bye week. How would you describe it?
A: The state? We are disappointed we haven’t been able to win a game for six, right? That’s the way it works. We’re disappointed that we didn’t win this game. That’s where it’s at. The state of the team, that’s where we’re at.

Q: Do you expect to make any staff changes or anything over the bye week…self-scouting?
A: Staff changes, no.

Q: Do you evaluate this game differently after losing to a team who has a worse record?
A: No, every game we look at independently. Again, it was a hard-fought game for all of the reasons I had mentioned in the outset. We ended up losing it. Credit them, they made enough plays to win and we certainly didn’t.

Q: It seemed like down the stretch there when you were trying to put some drives together—Daniel (Jones), it seemed like there was nothing there for him?
A: No, I think we were challenged a little bit. We had three backup linemen in there at that point. It’s pretty obvious we were struggling to run the football, so then most of it goes on his shoulders. We just couldn’t get that done.

Q: On the third and long on the second to last possession, why not give (left tackle Eric) Smith some help?
A: We were giving him help throughout the game. Two times before that we did, and they ran twist stunts. To me, that’s a footnote.

Q: Why do you think you had so much trouble getting the run game going?
A: Well, they did a good job and we obviously didn’t do a good enough job blocking them. That’s how that works.

Q: Do you have any concern about your job after this?
A: My concern is putting a team on the field that’s going to win a football game—that’s my concern. It’s always a one-week concern getting ready to play the next opponent and put a winning performance on the field. That’s my concern.

Q: You’re obviously going to have discussions here with ownership over the next couple of weeks during the bye week. What do you say to them to show them that, I think you said last week, that you’re on the right path? What do you say to them in that regard?
A: Well, obviously, anything that I speak about behind the scenes would be behind the scenes stuff. I wouldn’t share any of that with you, especially at this point.

Q: What would you say to the fans then?
A: I think they should be as disappointed with the fact that we lost as I am. That’s what I would say.

Q: What would you say to them as to why you’re on the right path, what do you see?
A: Because I think I’m seeing the things that will help us in the long run. Certainly, we haven’t done enough in the short run. We’re all going to get to see now, all of these young players, and we added a few more out there today, we’re going to get to see them develop as we go forward.

Q: You said, ‘things.’ What things are you referring to?
A: That’s not for here.

Q: The sack fumble, do you think the ball should have been out by the time Jamal Adams gets there?
A: Well, we need to do a better job protecting. We did have guys open. That was a team thing.

Q: Is Daniel one of those things you see headed in the right direction? In the game there was some production, but he had mistakes. What do you see?
A: Yeah— I do, I do. He plays every game heroically, finds a way to get production. Like every young player, he has mistakes.

Q: Does Saquon (Barkley) look right to you?
A: He got banged up a little bit today, so I don’t know. I’m sure that contributes. We’ll look at it as we go, he got banged around pretty good.

Q: It’s very unusual for a guy of his caliber to have one rushing yard.
A: Yeah, it’s very unusual of anybody’s caliber in any game.

Q: It seems like Daniel is struggling to pick up safety blitzes, is that a concern to you?
A: I don’t see it being that way. I see there were a couple times when he had to throw it hot and he did. That also falls on some of the guys who are blocking for him to do a better job.

Q: You mentioned that it’s really important to win every game, but especially this game. Why?
A: Because I understand the importance of living in this region, I get it. For our fans, I get that.

Q: In a bye week, you typically assess everything. How many more changes or dramatic changes can you make?
A: Again, that’s what we’ll talk about moving forward. Again, that’s not for now.

Q: Is there an idea on the fourth and 19, after you already burned all of your timeouts on the Jets drive, that you were kind of committed to that drive and you maybe had to go for it on fourth and 19?
A: Yeah, well certainly we felt like we could get the ball back again. Certainly, we were way behind in the game in terms of the clock management part of it because we would only get the ball with 30 or something seconds. When you punt the ball, they could always fumble it, then they are going to run a few plays where we’ve seen something happen there. We felt like because we were so far backed up and it was such a long fourth down that was the right thing to do.

Q: Along those lines, any thought to saving at least one of your timeouts for when you got the ball back on offense?
A: Yeah, once you start burning them there, we felt like it was the right thing to do. I guess in hindsight I would’ve liked to have all three.

Q: Why didn’t the quarterback sneak on the fourth and inches work?
A: We didn’t get enough surge and the ball got spotted behind the chains. That’s why. I felt good about going for it there, and it worked out in our favor. We got a stop, they missed a field goal—so you play on.