On the play of the defense, particularly keeping the game close until the offense got going…
The defense has been spectacular all season. Stats don't do justice (to) what they have been able to accomplish. The d-line was outstanding today. The linebackers were outstanding today. The young DB's, play after play and through all of the adversity…call them what you will. We had that game over several times in regulation, but credit to them. They were fantastic.
On the second-half performance of QB Zack Wilson…
It started on the 3rd-and-10 conversion in the first half. Like we all talk about with these young kids – they're kids. You get a little ball rolling; you get a little bit of confidence and it starts to snowball. He showed everything that we see in practice. We see it all. The kid was outstanding. There are still things that he knows he can clean up. He had a chance to end it in overtime, but the guy was resilient. He had resolve and he's a playmaker.
On Wilson's TD pass to WR Corey Davis and what went through his head on the sidelines…
It's 'No, no, no, no, oh my God!' (laughs). But that's what he did. That's what he did throughout is college tape. He got confident and got rolling. He got outside the pocket and made a play.
On whether the Jets were planning to go on fourth down in OT if he threw an incompletion on third down…
We were going for it. That's a big learning lesson for him. He knows we have two downs. Just throw it away. Let's go for it on fourth down. Let's go win the game.
On living with the ups and downs that come with Wilson's style of play…
He took some check downs early. He took what the defense gave early. I thought Mike (LaFleur) called a spectacular game. Mike was aggressive in his play calling. There were certain shots where Mike was going for the jugular the entire game. There were certain looks that he was getting that made him can out of some stuff. You take the good with the bad. Just like one loss doesn't define him – one win doesn't define him. He has to get back to it and continue to grow and get better from this.
On if today is an indication of the vision he has for the pass rush…
Again, credit to this d-line. They've been doing it all year. Getting after the quarterback, but it's rush and coverage. I don't think enough credit goes to these young kids on the backend. Two new safeties stepping up and playing a heck of a game back there with communication. Ashtyn (Davis) getting his first run, (Sharrod) Nesman getting his first run. They lose (Brandin) Echols and they didn't flinch. That was a big thing we talked about at halftime. You can't flinch, not against a team of Tennessee's caliber. The d-line has been relentless all season. It was cool to get to see them get (Ryan) Tannehill on the ground.
On whether he considered using his final timeout to ice the kicker in overtime…
No. You have to let the flow of the game go. The crowd is going nuts. Don't let him think about it. Let him kick it.
On having a quarterback that can improvise…
I'm speaking like a defensive coordinator right now. For defensive football, quarterbacks who improvise and go off-schedule, there's no call for it. You call a play, you beat it in sequence or in timing, and then the quarterback does something that disrupts the entire flow. A quarterback who can improvise and go off-schedule, there is no play call for it. It's 'Hold onto your seats and hope something good happens.' For him, that's what he has shown and done. Not that it is going to be like that every week – hopefully, it is (laughs) – but it was good.
On having faith in Wilson to make the right decision and win the game by throwing on 3-and-10 in the fourth quarter…
A lot of faith. We got the look. He's been making that throw all game. That's just one of those – like, the game is over right there. We talked about it and those are the things that he's going to get better at. Those are the things that he has to take home with him and get better in those situations and make the throw to put the dagger in the game. We're taking three knees right there and it's over. When he's rolling the way he was, it was very easy for Mike to call the game and put it in his hands. He was making really good decisions, even with the interception. Unfortunately, Corey (Davis) falls and it ends the way it did. Regardless, I thought he was awesome.
On the effect of having WR Jameson Crowder back…
You guys saw it. He's a security blanket. That big third down conversion in overtime that I thought was going to end up getting us that win. He's a reliable one-on-one separator. When you have one of those security blankets and you know where he's going to be, those guys are priceless.
On the play of WR Corey Davis…
That play over the middle, I'll tell Corey that he has to make it, but I will also tell Zach that he has to put it on him. For Corey, he's had a couple of games where he knows he has more in the tank. For him to settle his mind and slow his heart rate down and play the way he did – especially against his former team where a lot of times, guys kind of (try to) do way too much – shows his professionalism and the resolve that he has. He was lights-out today.
On what the win will do for Wilson moving forward…
We'll see, right? There are going to be a lot of things that he will need to take from this. Just like I said, just as losing a game doesn't define you, neither does winning. You have to stack these things up. You have to stack up great days and continue to get better. We have a really good opponent coming up in London. We have to do our best to find ways to get better and not read our press clippings.
On what the locker room is like right now…
Awesome.
On the defensive game plan…
It's the same that you would always say against a team like that. Whether you (try and) stop the run, they have a great play-action passing game. On third down, it was going to come down to getting off the field and playing man coverage and doing everything we could to make Tannehill's life miserable. They were 5-of-19 on third down and we had seven sacks. I feel like (Jeff) Ulbrich did an unbelievable job preparing and the players did an unbelievable job executing.
On the areas he saw Wilson improve from last week…
For Zach, it's just letting the game come to him. He didn't make any mistakes. The interception was unfortunate, but he made the right reads. He put the ball where it needed to be. He was aggressive when he needed to be. Believe it or not, he was boring when he needed to be. Just thought he did a really, really nice job playing this game.
On injuries…
Echols has a concussion. That'll be day-to-day.
On what he said to Wilson after the win…
'You having fun yet?' That's it.
