JETS HEAD COACH TODD BOWLES

CONFERENCE CALL WITH NEW ENGLAND MEDIA

November 21, 2018

Q: What was Sam Darnold able to do in practice today and how did he respond to being out on the field?

TB: He did not practice today.

Q: And how's he looking at this point to being available Sunday?

TB: Still possible, we'll know more by Friday.

Q: What have you seen watching Lawrence Guy on film?

TB: I think he does an outstanding job. He's big, he's strong, he's tough and he makes plays. I think what they do with him in that scheme is outstanding, but I think all of them up there do a good job.

Q: What has Jamal Adams meant to your defense and what kind of growth have you seen from him?

TB: Well, he's becoming a pro in his second year, with his eyes, from film study, just understanding how people are attacking him, the things he has to do and his reads are a lot quicker, as they should be in the second year. He just keeps working at trying to get better each day and you really like that about him.

Q: A lot has been made around here about the inconsistencies of the Patriots offense. Is this the same Patriots offense that you've been seeing for years?

TB: Same people, same offense we've seen for years. We really kind of worry about our own offense at this point in time, and we know they have great players, and we know they can turn the switch and play great football and that's what we're expecting.

Q: What are your thoughts on Josh Gordon and how he's fitting in with the Patriots?

TB: He's always been an outstanding receiver, a lot of respect for the guy as a player and a person and he makes some big plays for them all the time. But they have a slew of weapons and they can go to any one of them.

Q: What has your experience been with Sam Darnold this year in getting to know him and to where he's progressed to now?

TB: It's been great getting to know him, just watch him grow as a person and a player. The reads – the more he was playing – the reads have slowed down for him. He's in and out of the huddle. He's in command of a lot of things. Obviously, he still needs to see some things and has a ways to go to get better from that standpoint but as a person, off the field, he's been outstanding. Great sense of humor, great study habits, great work ethic, doesn't expect anything, works for everything he gets and you can appreciate that as a coach.

Q: Even though the numbers haven't been there this season for Rob Gronkowski, do you still have to treat him as a game-breaking talent when you prepare for the Patriots?

TB: He'll be a game-breaking talent until he retires. That's the only time you don't have to worry about him. Like I said, between Gronk, and [Julian] Edelman, and [Josh] Gordon, and [James] White, and [Sony] Michel and they have [Phillip] Dorsett and they still have them all. They still have a whole bunch of guys that you've got to defend. That's no disrespect to any of them. They have a bunch of guys that you have to defend and they run a great scheme, and that's not even mentioning the quarterback who's probably better than everybody. They still have [Chris] Hogan as well so it'll be a tough matchup.

Q: You've been in and out of the AFC East in your career. Maybe thinking back to when you were with Miami, how much has this Patriots offensive scheme changed or staying similar over time?

TB: Well, they've done a great job of bringing in guys that fit their system. Obviously, there's been some tweaks over the years and they have their basic plays but then they have plays that have wrinkles that are new all the time and that goes as a credit to Coach [Bill] Belichick and his staff as well as [Tom] Brady. So you just have to play them and you have to execute. They make you execute and test all your rules and your discipline at all times, so you really have to be sharp trying to play them.

Q: How big of an influence has Josh McCown been on Sam Darnold this year?

TB: Josh has been great because he can tell him things sometimes from a player standpoint. The coaches can tell him as well but when you have another guy, another player, tell you as well and you can see the game like he sees the game and vice versa, it really helps out a lot.

Q: There are some people down on the Patriots defense after the Tennessee game, but after looking at it holistically, what do you see out of the defense right now and what's the biggest challenge of facing the Patriots defense?

TB: They've been playing great football. I understand they lost the last game. That was uncharacteristic of how they play and I know they'll bounce back. They're very solid up front. They play great man-to-man coverage. They've got very good coverage safeties that are very intelligent and you know they play very smart football. And they've got linebackers that can cover and blitz as well. I expect them to play normal Patriots football. Again, it's going to be a battle.

Q: Is Tom Brady's arm as physically strong as ever?

TB: It'll be as strong as ever until he retires.

Q: You said Rob Gronkowski is going to remain a game-breaking talent. As someone who's gone up against him over the years, what challenges does he present for a defense?

TB: Well he can block. He can beat corners, safeties and linebackers so it doesn't matter who he goes against. He's just a well-rounded player. He's a very intelligent player. I don't know if he gets enough credit for being a smart player but he's a very intelligent player. He understands what's trying to be done to him and he makes adjustments and tweaks so it makes him a tough cover.

Q: How beneficial was the bye week for you guys?

TB: It was good. We got some guys back that were banged up – it happened late in the week. But everybody in the AFC East had a bye so it came at a good time, and it's always good to step back and study yourselves and then try to go from there.