Thoughts from Mangini, Favre

A few questions and answers of interest from today's conference calls with Jets quarterback Brett Favre and coach Eric Mangini. Click the "full entry" link at the bottom of this entry to view more of the Q&A.

First, Favre:

Q: What was your personal reaction to Tom Brady's injury? And what was your professional reaction, as far as what it means for the New York Jets?

Favre: I didn't really have a personal [reaction]. Of course I know Tom [Brady]. The last time I talked with him [was when] he called me last year when I broke the record for touchdown passes and he congratulated me. Our relationship is really nothing more than that, but I have a tremendous amount of respect for him and what he's done and I felt bad for him. That's one of those injuries that's a freak injury, it can happen to anyone, but the thing is a guy who's been that steady and consistent for a long time, and I know that people think, 'Oh, ok Tom's down, this team is in trouble.' But how many times have we seen this with the Patriots? I know it's Tom, but that's the same thing they said with [Drew] Bledsoe. You can't replace Tom. It's not going to happen. The guy has been outstanding, but you can overcome, and that was really my professional reaction. It's a shame, it's unfortunate but they'll be fine. They've always been fine. When he comes back he'll be as good as ever.

Q: As a quarterback, what kind of advice would you give to quarterback Matt Cassel going into his first start? Obviously the nerves are going to be there and it's a big divisional game on the road. And what do you remember of when you were first thrust into your position with the Green Bay Packers when quarterback [Don] Majkowski went down?

Favre: I don't think I'm in a position to give Matt Cassel that much advice. I think he's fallen in the footsteps of somebody who's been pretty damn good. And he obviously handled himself well the other day. He's probably going to tell you guys he's ready, he's worked for this opportunity and that's all true and I think he'll do fine. But for me, I think of every guy who's ever had his first start, there was no person that I could think of who was ever more raw than me. I mean, I'd never really played in a passing offense. I was always in an option-style offense and was asked to do things that normal starting quarterbacks in this league were never asked to do; I blocked and just, you name it. So I was really learning on the run. I had a lot of talent, but was very raw. I didn't know how to use it. To me, if a guy was double-covered or triple-covered it didn't matter; I could throw it through them. The precision part of my game didn't come until later when I started reading defenses and looking at it from a different perspective, and a lot of it had to do with Mike Holmgren. But I think Matt Cassel is ready to accept this role. I think he did great the other day [vs. Kansas City] and I don't see any reason why he doesn't continue to play well.

Q: What are your thoughts about the Patriots defense that you're going up against on Sunday?

Favre: I think they're damn good. We played them a couple years ago in Green Bay. I didn't make it to halftime, but it goes without saying that [Mike] Vrabel, Tedy [Bruschi] and Rodney [Harrison] make that defense go, as far as knowing the scheme, getting guys lined up [and] the savvviness is outstanding. But they're front guys and I know AD [Adalius Thomas] is a friend of mine, a Southern Miss guy and a hell of a player, and it goes on down the line. I mean, their defensive line is as good as anybody in football and not to mention they have probably the smartest defense in football. You're not going to outsmart them; you've got to outplay them. That's easier said than done.

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Mangini's Q-and-A:

Q: With the Patriots losing Brady, does that change at all how you defend wide receiver Randy Moss?

Mangini: Moss is tough to cover regardless of who is throwing him the ball. The best example is the 51-yarder that he caught [vs. Kansas City] when they were backed up. He is an explosive, explosive player. He and Tom had great chemistry but I can't imagine that he is going to be that much less explosive.

Q: Do you take any thing from having been around Cassel when he was a rookie with the Patriots?

Mangini: There is some familiarity there but guys change and they grow and develop. A good example of that is Tom's growth from his rookie year to his second year. Even with Brett Ratliff here, who really struggled as a rookie just calling a play in the huddle. When he did get a play out, he usually fumbled the snap. A year later, he is like a different guy and that is true with a lot of players. If you keep working at it there is going to be tremendous growth. I think Matt has grown quite a bit.

Q: What has been the biggest surprise for you since working with Favre?

Mangini: I didn't have any set expectations going into it. Obviously, I respected him tremendously as a player. I didn't know him that well as a person. I have gotten to know him and one of the things that has been very impressive is his approach and his daily approach. He studies extremely hard. A good example of that is when I was talking to the team and went through the special teams keys from last week to win the game. The next day I asked Brett what they were and he was able to rattle them off without any problem. He is a guy that on outside runs, reverses or any of those types of plays he wants to get out in front and lead the pack. He works with the 'show team' guys to make sure they are giving the best look possible. He is getting together with the defensive guys, he is not solely focused on offense, he is just a down-to-earth guy. For such an impressive resume it is easy to understand why he has been so successful for so long and such a good teammate.

Q: How has your offensive line looked? You spent a lot of money on it in the offseason. Are you happy with how guard Alan Faneca and lineman Damien Woody are meshing with the team?

Mangini: I think Alan and Damien have been great. They have been great in terms of what they can do on the field but also in terms of their contributions in the room. They will work with some of our younger players. On how they have meshed, Alan got voted as one of captains, which gives you an indication of his relationship with the rest of the team. It is a pretty hard thing to do. I think that [first year assistant head coach/offensive line coach] Bill Callahan has done an excellent job as well. The guy has been a head coach in the league [Oakland] and a head coach in college [Nebraska] and an offensive coordinator. He sees things from a big-picture perspective. He is a great technician with the offensive line on the little details. Both of those things have shown up on the field.