Q: What did you learn from playing with Darrelle Revis last year?
RG:He was a great player so every time in practice last year you can go up against a player with such a skill set you just try and get better as a player. He just comes in ready to work. He's a professional, and he's always ready to play the game.
Q: Have teams defended you differently the last couple of games?
RG:Every game is different – different players, different personnel, different coverages you see, and that's why you've just got to prepare every single week. You prepare for everything. You just can't go into practice and expect one coverage just the whole game. You've got to expect variations of coverages, variations of players, and just go out there in practice, get it all down mentally and physically so you're prepared come Sunday.
Q: Do you want more touches?
RG:Everyone always wants more touches but that's not the case. The case here is just going out and doing my job. If it's blocking, if it's going out and running a route to help someone else get open, if its running a route to get open and get the ball, I've got to make a play when the ball's thrown to me. Overall, it's just great going out there and doing my job.
Q: Julian Edelman recently described himself as "just some guy" but is he more than that?
RG:He's not "just some guy". Julian's a great player. He comes in every day ready to work. No matter who it's versus, he's going to go in and he's going to work as hard as he can. If it's versus the best player in the league or if it's versus a rookie playing his first game, it doesn't matter. He comes in with the preparation and mindset to always be ready.
Q: How good are the middle linebackers of the New York Jets?
RG:They're good. They've been there for a while. They know the system there. They're the leaders of the defense and they bring it every time. They know how to play the game well and they know how to play football well. They're not just fast, big, and all that, but they're physical, too, so you've got to be ready for that.
Q: Do the Jets look on film like they are your biggest challenge thus far?
RG:They're a good team – a very good defense and definitely on film they look really good, too. They're big, fast, they can cover, they can play the run so we've just got to go out there and execute as team, execute as an offense and be prepared.
Q: Have you been asked to do more blocking the past few weeks?
RG:I mean, it doesn't seem like it. Some games it just goes how it goes. I mean, sometimes we run the ball 40 times a game. Sometimes we pass the ball 40, 60 times a game. It all just goes with the flow. I mean, you always want a balanced offense. You want to be able to pass the ball, you want to be able to run the ball and be effective every single week. How every game plan goes – if we're running the ball and we're gaining 10 yards every single play – why would you stop running? However the game plan goes that game, how the feel of the game goes, just got to be prepared for anything and do anything.
Q: What did it mean to you to become the fastest tight end to reach 60 touchdown receptions?
RG:I haven't even thought about it. A couple people told me about it. It's always a cool honor but what's always better, what always means more is getting that win which we did last Sunday, and that's what the goal is again this week.
Q: What are your thoughts on joining the elite company of Tony Gonzalez, Antonio Gates, and Shannon Sharpe?
RG:Those three are unbelievable players, or were players when they were playing. Just the way that they played and approached the game every single week, they came prepared. It's not like they showed up and just went through the motions. Those players that you just mentioned showed up every single time and were ready to play, ready to make a play, ready to go up and get the catch, and you could just see them out there on the field giving it all they have every time.
Q: Is it nice to be in their company?
RG:Yes, definitely. [It's] definitely an honor to be in that type of company, for sure.
Q: Do you sense when opponents are devoting extra attention to you and does it open up opportunities for others?
RG: Sometimes you sense that, for sure. Sometimes you see it and that's what makes the game of football such a great game because it's such a team game. It's not just about one individual player. It's about the offense as a whole. You see the receivers out there – they're making great plays, the running backs. Everyone just works together as a team and the one mission is to get the win. If we get that win, everyone works together and does their job then everything's all good.
