Woody Johnson addresses team after loss

Many thanks to FOX BUSINESS NETWORK for the following article:

NEW YORK JETS OWNER WOODY JOHNSON TELLS FOX BUSINESS “THE RECORD WE WANT IS THE ONE WE DIDN’T GET”

In an interview to appear tonight on FOX Business Network’s (FBN) America’s Nightly Scoreboard (7 PM/ET), New York Jets owner Woody Johnson discusses last Sunday’s AFC Championship Game loss with host David Asman. Johnson stated that the team “had a lot of opportunities in that game to take it over” but that the loss “wasn’t anyone’s fault.”

Excerpts from the interview are below:

On the missed opportunities in the AFC Championship Game:“I think we had a lot of opportunities in that game to take it over, the first half we didn’t score, the second half they didn’t score. And the second half we had this opportunity to take advantage; a winning team does that and my hat’s off to them.”

On if Jets head coach Rex Ryan is to blame for the loss:“No, I don’t think it was anyone’s fault. I think the team had played that extra game, I think that was part of it. Maybe if we played it at another stadium, although we are awfully good on the road. It’s just one of those days. We were within five points, we could have won it…there are a lot of things that could have happened that didn’t happen for us.”

On the Jets gaining in popularity this year:“That’s good, we’ve become popular. The previous game [with the Patriots] set all kinds of records, but the record we want is the one we didn’t get. We came very, very short. We didn’t get our possession in the last series, we bet on the defense, we didn’t kick an onside kick, and Rex bet on what he’s good at, and that’s defense, and it didn’t happen.”

On having no plans to sell the team:“I don’t really care how valuable it is because I’m not going to sell it, but I think we work for the fans. So if the fans have confidence, I think that’s good, because that’s our job is to win Super Bowls…the fans, if they have confidence, then I’m happy.”

On head coach Rex Ryan:“I think what the fans will see moving forward is what a great coach and how knowledgeable he really is behind all that. He knows his locker room. Number one, it comes from trust and love and he loves his players, From day one, he didn’t even know them, but he respects his players, he respects anybody that does this line of work. This is tough. And, he will back you 100% as a player. Very loyal.”

On whether the team mentality will stay the same next year:“I think it is. Every year you get a little bit of a different team, but I think Rex will bring it together. That’s why we hired him. Because he understood the team. He’s a second generation coach. I think you get something with that.”

On who will win the Super Bowl:“One of the two teams..they are both great teams. They both, by definition, went through the gauntlet. It’s a very tough thing to get in the position they are in, so my hat’s off to them.”