Mike Mularkey Quotations

We appreciate everything these coaches have done in terms of their time and efforts and sacrifices, especially in taking away from their families. It's just that it is time for a change in taking another step in a different direction.

Whether it was running the ball or giving up the Moss touchdown, we really had no chance to stop them. We lost the line of scrimmage on both sides.

We're going to play more because we need to be in a rhythm on both sides of the ball, special teams, altogether before we come out of this game. Hopefully, it happens early, but we'll just wait and see.

If it'll put everybody at ease, I'm going to start Kelly next week against the Raiders,

I always lean on Sam, good or bad times. I have so much respect for him because he's been through many more seasons as a head coach and been around the league a lot longer than I have.

He has some talent there running the ball. I don't want him to make a habit of it, but with a first-year quarterback, the thought process speeds up and typically the first instinct is to run.

He doesn't need the work tonight. I'm just being smart about it.

I would say it's likely. But J.P. took a number of reps. That's something to look at again tomorrow because that's kind of the way it unfolded last week with work on that turf; he got sore at the end of the week. He looked good today and we'll see where he is tomorrow.

I think he's going to keep on a steady climb. I think he will continue to get better. He wants to. That's the fun part about him.

We practice probably more than most teams on our special teams and it shows up on the field. And we do a lot more in the spring with our guys, fundamentals and techniques, and it shows up on the field.

There has been a lot of factors, it hasn't been just Willis, it hasn't just been the offensive line, it's been something somewhere that has not allowed us to continue what we did early in the year.

I've been very up front with them, ... I think I've been myself. I don't even know if I could fake being the other way. They know that I have a passion for the game, and they know that just because I'm a head coach I'm not saying anything different than when I was a coordinator, or a tight ends coach or a quality control guy. I think they respond to the fact that there's nothing phony.

I've taken business as usual like I'm going into the season as head coach. There's more question out there than there was in here, especially with me. I've approached it full speed.

So (opponents) doing some things defensively to stop it - that's had something to do with it. Also we've played some very good teams - the best thing they do is stop the run. That combination is part of it. Willis had a little slow start. This is a team he came back against and had a big game against. . . . There's been a lot of factors.

It will be a consideration, of course, ... But with two weeks to go (before the final cut) there's things that could happen. If it was today we'd have to do that, yeah.

It's a frustrating game. Some of the things, we didn't give ourselves a chance to win. ... We were not coming up with the big plays when we had the chance to make them and I can't tell you why.

It is time for a change in taking another step in a different direction.

It's hard to see him go. But that's the tough part about this business when you want to make a change and, in some instances, a big change at the coordinator's spot. But it was necessary to make the change.

It's unfolded exactly the way you'd think. We brought in Kelly for a reason. Because his experience, his playing time, his playoff experience, all the things he brings to the table as a proven veteran. With J.P., (he's) a guy who's trying to still take steps toward being that quarterback we know he can be. Their play shows it. Anything that's not surprising about that is surprising. That's what you'd expect from those two quarterbacks because of the experience factor.

Tampa Bay's (two-deep zone) coverage was trying to take away the deep threats, so you've got to have somebody inside that's got a good feel for finding soft spots underneath the coverage. Sometimes it's not a matter of how quick or how fast you are, but how elusive you can be and how well can you get open. Josh did a nice job of that (Sunday).

I've heard it's been a big hit outside and people are excited about it. If it gets our offense jacked up because of the emotional dance, I'll take it any time.

I've heard it's been a big hit outside and people are excited about it, ... If it gets our offense jacked up because of the emotional dance, I'll take it any time.

It was good work. Both teams got lot of good things to teach off of, got a lot of reps.

I'm not going to talk about next year's competition at any position. We're going to stick with the Jets.

I just can't explain it. Sometimes it's the old saying about the ball bouncing. It has not bounced in our direction for a lot of the season.

I haven't been to this point and I'm not going to start now. I'm going to approach this job full speed ahead. I'll talk to all the players and get a good feel for their state of mind.

I look at it as we were in the field too long. I'm not blaming our defense. I think our defense played really good football. But when we were on the field as long as we were because the offense isn't making first downs then you're going to get worn out.

He's throwing the ball good. But with more work on the turf (in practice), he got sore last week. . . . I'd like to get him in the game at some point. Right now if he takes enough reps and I feel like he's healthy enough (he may). But I'm not going to put him out there if he's not healthy.

I'd have no problem whatsoever working with him. He's well respected among fans and among coaches - it's nothing but a positive.