New York Jets: Todd Bowles breaks down Week 2 matchup

By Luis Tirado Jr. | Sep 18, 2015

The New York Jets will face a huge test on Monday Night Football as they visit the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts will do everything in their power to bounce back from their shocking Week 1 loss to the Buffalo Bills and will absolutely bring it to the Jets in front of their home crowd and the national audience tuning in.

The preparation that head coach Todd Bowles will make this week will be crucial to how his Jets will handle what will be one of their early tests of the season. With the way he game plans, Bowles should definitely be ready for anything the Colts throw his way.

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We here at The Jet Press would like to thank the Media Relations Department of the Jets for sending us a complete transcript on what Bowles had to say about this huge Week 2 matchup and the latest across the team. Enjoy!

On if there is any progress for Antonio Cromartie…

Not yet. He still didn’t practice, (he’s) just over there with the trainers right now. So, he’s still day-to-day, week-to-week.

On when Darrin Walls was injured…

He strained his hamstring at the end of practice yesterday.

On what his concern level is for Walls availability for Monday Night…

Day-to-day, we’ll see if he can go later on in the week.

On if he feels stretched thin in the cornerback position…

No, we still have four corners. We still have (Dexter) McDougle, (Buster) Skrine, (Darrelle) Revis (and Marcus Williams).

On Devin Smith…

He was full-speed. He practiced and he had a good practice.

On if he anticipates D. Smith playing on Monday…

We’ll see at the end of the week, (after we) see how many plays he can get in. We’ll decide that at the end of the week.

On how Smith responded to the minimal contact drills today…

I saw some of it. He survived and he did okay.

May 27, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets wide receiver Devin Smith (84) during organized team activities at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

On if he was pleased with D. Smith’s performance in the minimal contact drills…

So far, yes.

On if only targeting tight ends once last game was part of the game plan…

That’s what they gave us. He (Jeff Cumberland) was covered the times we were going to throw to him, he just went through his reads and he made his plays.

On Chris Owusu in the last game…

He made some plays. He blocked well. He made some big plays for us. I thought he played good.

On if Owusu will get the same amount of playing time as last game…

It’s week-to-week. We don’t usually get into game plan so, Monday night they’ll see it when you see it.

On if it’s unlikely that Cromartie will play Monday…

Not yet, no.

On if Rontez Miles still has the same intensity…

Yeah, he does. He practices the same way he plays. Rontez has a lot of intensity, practices hard. He’s just got to wait for his opportunity.

On how Jeremy Kerley has dealt with his role…

I think he’s a pro. He’s another guy that has to wait for his opportunity. We know he can play. We have a lot of guys over there who can play. We can’t put everybody on the field so when their opportunity arises, they have to be ready.

On Andre Johnson…

I mean, Andre is Andre. He’s a great player. He didn’t get all the balls that they wanted to throw to him. I’m sure they’re going to amp him up a little bit more this week. We understand they have a lot of great receivers so we’ve got our work cut out for us.

On Willie Colon…

Willie has been a consummate professional. He brings a lot of toughness to our team, as well as our offensive line. He works and gives you everything he has when he’s out there. You said he had bad knees going in, but he’s been healthy, he’s been sprinting, he’s been running around everywhere. He’s been a very pleasant surprise.

On how impressed he was with the right side of the offensive line on Sunday in respect to Colon and Breno Giacomini…

They played hard. All of them played hard down there. I thought in the second half they really played hard, they dug some blocks out of there against a good defensive line by Cleveland. So, we just have to keep getting better.

On if he can see Colon having a career in television…

I’m sure he can. Willie’s a very bright guy. He knows football, he talks very well. He understands people, so I’m sure he’d be successful.

On if he has seen a slippage in Frank Gore’s play…

No, I haven’t seen it at all. I mean, they’ve only played one game. The Gore I know and the Gore who works hard in the offseason, you can still see the toughness. He’s got very good feet. He’s a good blocker, he’s got good hands. He’s an inside-outside runner. I expect him to get a heavy dosage this week.

Sep 13, 2015; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Indianapolis Colts running back Frank Gore (23) runs the ball during the first half against the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

On if it’s odd that he’s still playing at his age as a running back…

Don’t say that, we’ve got some of those guys too (laughing). No, I don’t think it’s odd. I think he takes care of himself. If you take care of yourself when you get in this league you get to play a long time. To be a running back and take the pounding that he’s taken over the years and still be a quality, great running back, that speaks a lot on his part.

On challenges T.Y. Hilton presents…

He gives them another weapon. He’s fast, he’s a good route runner. He runs well with the ball. He’s not just a deep threat. He’s an inside-outside guy, he blocks. He’s the full package. I mean he’s a load. They have a bunch of them that are a load.

On if he buys into the theory that an 0-1 team is dangerous…

Everybody is a dangerous team. Whoever we’re playing that week is a good team. Anybody can beat anybody, we just have to take care of ourselves.

On if he buys into the psychology results that a 0-1 team is dangerous…

I just worry about my own team.

On if he thinks the Colts are a different team when they play indoors versus outdoors…

Again, they’ve only played one game. They won the division the past few years. I don’t think so. They’re a playoff caliber team. In order to win your division, you have to win more than home games, so they play well outdoors too.

On Donte Moncrief…

Between (Andre) Johnson, Moncrief, (T.Y.) Hilton and they still have (Phillip) Dorsett, they have a bunch of weapons, not even to mention the tight ends. We have our hands full. Moncrief has got size, he’s got speed, he’s got a vertical, he’s got good hands. They’ve got a bunch of places to throw the football.

On the Colts defense…

They can get after the quarterback. They’ve got good corner play and they’re a tough team. They’re a tough bunch to play, you don’t win a division then come in and all of a sudden become a bad team. They had one outing. That doesn’t mean anything. It’s early in the season. We understand that these guys are (a) playoff championship game caliber team and that’s the team we’re expecting.

On if he gives that message to the team…

Yes, they understand that. They understand what they’re going into.

On if he believes that Brandon Marshall is better prepared for games because he goes against Darrelle Revis every day in practice.

I’m sure it helps him. It helps both of them. But, there are tough corners he’s going to face every week. So going against Revis every day, he just doesn’t get any days off. He doesn’t get any game day stuff off, he doesn’t get any practice time off.

On Vontae Davis…

I had Vontae my first two years in Miami and to see him grow to where he is now, he’s been physically gifted for a long time, (he) put the mental part of the game together with his physical and he’s become a complete player.

On what Davis does especially well.

He does everything. He’s one of those corners you’re not going to push around because he’s big. He’s a rocked up, 200-and-something-pound corner who runs a 4.4, with a vertical and he has great quickness. He has great quickness and hand-eye coordination. It’s going to be a challenge for Brandon.

On if he has given any tips to Marshall about going up against Davis…

They played against each other in Miami. They know each other pretty well from that standpoint. So, they know each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

On if he has spoken to Lorenzo Mauldin…

I haven’t spoken to him in about a day or so. But, he’s doing a little better, he’s still going through protocol.

Sep 13, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) looks to pass while New York Jets linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin (55) rushes him during the second half at MetLife Stadium. The Jets defeated the Browns 31-10. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

On if Mauldin was at practice…

No, he was not.

On if Mauldin is able to come to meetings…

Yes, he is.

On if Mauldin was in meetings today…

He didn’t do it today, but he’s able to do it. He had appointments to go to (today).

On how often the Colts send out both of their tight ends on passing routes…

Depending on what they run, they can send them both out and they can keep them both in, depending on their scheme and what kind of passes they want to throw, but both of them are very good.

On how challenging it is to have two tight ends going out on pass routes…

It’s very challenging. We have to make sure we do a good job of covering and mixing zone and man and trying to make them play honest.

On if he expects Robert Mathis to play…

Right now, we’re expecting him to play. He’s been practicing all week, but we have to block whoever’s out there.

On how effective he thinks Mathis would be coming off of an injury…

I couldn’t tell you right now. I just know he was a great player before he got hurt and if he comes back, obviously he’s healthy enough to come back. We’ll have our hands full with him too.

On what pleased him about the run-blocking of the offensive line in the last game…

Well, they stuck to it. I mean, when they got stuffed a couple times in the first half, the key is to stick to it and keep pounding away and keep grinding and eventually hope we broke something. So, you’ve got to give credit to those guys for sticking to it.

Next: New York Jets: Ryan Fitzpatrick breaks down Week 2 matchup

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