HEAD COACH MIKE SHANAHAN

On if he is surprised Jets QB Brett Favre was able to learn a new system quickly

"It is always tough; it is like learning a new language. It takes a lot of time and it takes a lot of effort. I am sure when he first got into the system he questioned himself because I am sure it wasn't easy for him. It wasn't easy for the coaches as well. I am sure there was a learning process involved and he has done a great job."

On if the Jets success is attributed to him alone or other aspects

"There are a lot of other things involved. They are doing an unbelievable job in the running game both in the rush offense and the rush defense. Usually when you have that combination and the weapons that they do, then you have a chance to have a balanced attack. One of the reasons they have been able to control the football is because their run defense is very impressive, giving up 3.4 yards per carry which will usually lead the league or be close to it every year."

On if the team is struggling sometimes due to immaturity

"There are always mistakes made within a game. We are a young football team and we do make mistakes and it could be due to immaturity, a lack of experience or all of the above. We just have to work on getting better each week."

On S Marlon McCree

"Right now it doesn't look good for Marlon. He is still getting better but he did not practice today and I think the chances of him playing this weekend are not very good. He will be back, hopefully, before the season is over."

On his decision to bring in newly-acquired FB Andrew Pinnock

"We had him as a highly-ranked fullback. He is coming off of an injury but he went through our physical and passed. I am very impressed with how he has played in the past and it looks like he is ready to go. He practiced well today. Hopefully he is what we need. With our tailbacks being down and Peyton Hillis getting work there, it gives us a second fullback. You are never sure what is going to happen with injuries and we only have three running backs on the roster right now."

On K Matt Prater

"He is a veteran guy and he has been in the league a little bit. He didn't miss a field goal today, he kicked very well. Hopefully the mindset he has in practice will carry over to the game. He is an excellent kicker and I have confidence that he will get it done."

On Jets second string RB Leon Washington

"He is an excellent back, but they have an excellent offensive line. One guy can't do it by himself. They have a great play-action scheme and they do a bunch of different things with their running game. They have an offense that is well balanced with a lot of talent. The additions they got in the off season have really helped them.

QUARTERBACK JAY CUTLER

On going against Jets QB Brett Favre

"It is fun. Obviously, I grew up watching Brett Favre and I have kind of admired his game. I don't know if this is his last year or if he has some more in him, but he is one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play."

On if he has a stronger arm than Favre

"Yeah I think so (laughing). He is 39, soon to be 40. I think he may have given me a run back in his 20's but I think I got him now (laughing)."

On if he thinks he will play as long as Favre

"No, that is a long time. I was talking to (C) Casey (Wiegmann) and he has been playing 13 or 14 years and that is a long time. He (Favre) still enjoys it, he loves it and he hasn't been injured. I think that is one of the things that has allowed him to play this long, he hasn't had any injuries and has stayed relatively healthy. It is hard to do at that position for that long."

On if he is surprised with Favre's success with the Jets

"It is hard to make that transition in such a short amount of time. It wasn't like he came in during the offseason, he came during training camp and had to make it happen. It was tough and I was surprised that he did it."

On comparing his style to Favre's style

"We both take chances and we both throw into tight coverage. We both make some throws that we probably regret after watching them on film. It is all part of it. It is how I have always played and probably the way he has always played. At 25 years old, playing as much football as I have played, it is hard to completely change a style at this point.

On if he has ever thrown any way other than normal throwing motion

"I haven't done the underhand, backhand, left hand or any of that type of stuff but maybe in the years to come."

On having a young team

"I have talked about that the last couple of weeks with some of the coaches and some of the players. As young as we are, especially offensively, we had a lot of success early and then we had a little bit of a dip. Most of the time, on our first drives, we are usually successful. Anytime it ends in a turnover where you think you should get seven and go up, it hurts. I think this team, especially offensively, gets down a little bit and it takes us some time to rally and get us back on top. A lot of that is on my shoulders. It comes with time, experience and maturing a little bit as an offense but we are getting there."

On if he needs to work on letting mistakes go and moving on

"I let things go. I may have some emotional outburst, but as soon as the next series is up I am ready to go again. It is far from my mind because I have too much stuff to worry about. I think, if anything, we need to work on getting everyone fired up and ready to go for the next series."

On similarities between the Jets defense and the Patriots

"They are similar. They are relying a lot on the two safety look and you have to be able to run the ball against that because they are not stacking the box. If you get a few four, five or six-yard runs they might bring a safety down. They are going to try and stop you with their front seven. They have done a good job so far this year. We have to run the ball, it's plain and simple."

On playing against the 3-4 defense

"It seems like every time we play we are playing against the 3-4 (defense). It used to be only a few teams, but now it seems like everyone is running it. We are comfortable with it and we have the blocking schemes down. That is the hardest part of it, getting the blocking and the passing schemes down. We feel good about it."

On playing the Jets on the road

"We had a good day of practice today and hopefully we will have good days on Thursday and Friday. We will load up on Saturday and try to make it happen. At this point every game is so crucial and everyone in the locker room knows it. It is a big game for us."

On dealing with the wind at the Meadowlands

"I talked to (QB) Patrick (Ramsey) about playing in the Meadowlands and he told me that it was hit and miss. Sometimes the wind cuts right through there, but I should be able to handle it. It shouldn't be a big deal."