Coach Daboll Weekly Q&A

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Dabs' Digest: Weekly 1-on-1 with Coach Brian Daboll

Jan 05, 2024 at 02:03 PM

Michael Eisen

Giants.com Senior Writer/Editor

EAST RUTHERORD, N.J. – Dabs' Digest, Giants.com's weekly conversation with head coach Brian Daboll:

Q: Dexter Lawrence is a Pro Bowl starter. Are you happy to see him get that recognition? He was good last year, but have you seen him make a jump this year?

Daboll: "Yes. He's a really good football player. He's dominant in the interior part of the defense, glad he was back with us, obviously, and very happy for him."

Q: If you were looking at him from a scout's perspective, is what sets him apart the fact that he is so athletic for someone his size?

Daboll: "I would say a lot of things set him apart. He's got great size, length, athletic ability, quickness, power and explosion. That's why he's getting recognized, because he's an exceptional football player, but he's an even better person."

Q: Dane (Belton) got those three takeaways last week against the Rams. Even in training camp practices, he intercepts passes. Do you think that some players just have a knack for finding the ball?

Daboll: "I do. Like you said, he did it in training camp practices and when we practiced against Detroit. The ball does find him, and he finds the ball. You have to be in the right spot and do the right stuff and be instinctive. I was happy to see him have some production."

Q: Belton stepped in for Jason Pinnock, who had missed only six snaps all season, but hurt his toe. Pinnock has the team's longest active starting streak. You talk about players who are smart, tough and dependable. Is that Pinnock?

Daboll: "It is. He's an explosive athlete, too. He's plays a variety of different roles in our defense, whether he's back in the deep part of the field or he's covering man-to-man, or if he's pressuring. He's done a nice job for us all year."

Q: On a larger scale, you have 19 takeaways since Week 10, which leads the league during that time. Your 27 takeaways is the Giants' highest total since 2015. The cliche is they come in bunches, but that's what seems to be happening. Can you point to something specific as to why your takeaways have increased?

Daboll: "Obviously, we haven't got the results that we wanted, but taking care of the ball and getting the ball is an important ingredient to giving yourself an opportunity to be where you want to be at the end of the game. The guys have done a good job of running to the ball. Different guys have very good instincts in terms of doing that and punching the ball out or being in throwing lanes. And the pressure package in our system that Wink (Martindale, the defensive coordinator) uses really helps the guys. It's been a collective effort from the coaches to the players. They've done a really good job."

Q: Your turnover differential is plus-9, the Giants' highest in 11 years. The Eagles (this week's opponents) are minus-7. Do you look at that and say it's an area where you could have an advantage?

Daboll: "Every game is a little different. How the ball bounces in each game, it's a little bit different. But it's certainly something that we try to place an emphasis on each week and in practice and drill work and running to the ball, punching it out, ball security, taking care of it and when you're in a crowd - that was part of Gunner (Olszewski's 94-yard punt) return, where he kind of doubled it up and spun off him. So, it's definitely an important area to each game."

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