EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Dabs' Digest, Giants.com's weekly conversation with head coach Brian Daboll:
Q: With the spate of injuries that you have, how does it complicate your preparation for the game? Do you pick a starting 22 that are healthy to practice and can play special teams, and then reassess tomorrow and the next day?
Daboll: "You have the guys that are healthy, that you know are going to be out there, then you've got to put them in spots that they've got to get ready to play. It compounds it with who are the backups, practice squad guys, who do you have to get ready. So, there's plenty of conversations to make sure that the guys that are potentially out there, that they are given the opportunity to get ready."
Q: I would imagine that makes it complicated trying to prepare to get 46 ready to go on Sunday.
Daboll: "Yeah, that's the NFL. That's what we need to do and that's what we try to do. Again, you're giving multiple reps to guys, some are young players. Some just got here, but that's what you have to do."
Q: Specifically on the O-line, the first six games you had the same five starters. Now it's going to be six different combinations in the last eight games. For a group that depends so much on continuity and communication, how challenging is that for that group?
Daboll: "The O-line, obviously the backup guys always take reps on the look team, and you put it into your own terminology so different guys work together. But that's the NFL, particularly in December if you're dealing with injuries. Next guy has got to step up, and that's why they meet so much and work together in individual drills and combination things. So that's where we're at."
Q: You're going back to Tommy DeVito as your starting quarterback after two games with Drew Lock. Does it affect the offense to keep changing quarterbacks like that?
Daboll: "Whoever's ready to play, we've got to help them get ready to play, and that's what we'll do with Tommy."
Q: And I know you're always asked this when you change quarterbacks about tailoring the offense to that specific quarterback.
Daboll: "We're in week whatever it is (15). Whatever we game plan each week is to try to play well offensively, whoever the quarterback is."
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Q: This is the only team in the league in which the players who are one and two in scrimmage yards are rookies and the players who lead in rushing and receiving touchdowns are rookies, (wide receiver) Malik (Nabers) and (running back Tyrone) Tracy (Jr.). Have you been on a team with a running back and a receiver who are rookies who have made this kind of impact together?
Daboll: "I couldn't give you that answer. I think they are both good young players. They continue to improve. They've stayed healthy for the most part. And I'm glad we've got both those guys."
Q: We asked you last week about compensating for the loss of (tight end) Theo (Johnson) and Belly (tight end Daniel Bellinger) played 61 snaps and had five catches, both season highs. Is that stepping up when you needed it?
Daboll: "Yeah. Belly's been a consistent guy for us since he's been here. Again, we miss Theo. Theo's a good young player. Said that last week. And Belly did a nice job of stepping in and being ready to go."
Q: Micah (McFadden) said he talked to Bobby (Okereke) and Bobby said, 'Do some extra wind sprints because you're going to do a lot of talking out there with the green dot' (which signifies he gets the calls from defensive coordinator Shane Bowen). Were you pleased with how that went?
Daboll: "Micah played well. Micah had a good game. He was productive, fast to the ball, tackled well. Micah played a good game."
Q: And the responsibility of calling the play?
Daboll: "Anytime you're a linebacker or safety, it's a heavy communication position, as it is whether you're just relaying a call. But with those two positions, there's a lot of communication involved. Micah did a good job."
Q: You're a five-time Super Bowl champion, but you've mentioned if you're in the league long enough, you're going to go through down times. When you were in Kansas City (in 2012), the Chiefs lost 12 of their last 13. In Miami (in 2011), the Dolphins lost their first seven. As you get further along in your career, are these types of situations harder to deal with for you?
Daboll: "No, I think you just control what you can control, which is control this week. So that's where our focus is."
Q: "You spent 11 seasons on Bill Belichick's staff. What do you think of him becoming the coach at the University of North Carolina?
Daboll: "I'm sure he'll do a great job there, and obviously this is something that he wanted to do, so happy for him."
Q: In the weekly NFL statistics, the Ravens (who visit MetLife Stadium Sunday) are in the top three in several categories, including third in points and first in yards a game. Is this about as complete an offense as you've seen all year?
Daboll: "Everything starts with the quarterback (Lamar Jackson). He's a dynamic football player as a passer, as a runner. Instinctive, moments never too big. Bounces back from a negative play with an unbelievable play. Won a lot of football games, and you've got 22 (running back Derrick Henry), who is as good as there's ever been, standing next to him. Big, strong, fast. Couple those two guys with the skill players that they have around them and their offensive line. (Wide receiver) Zay Flowers is a dynamic receiver, (Rashod) Bateman is fast. Those two, (tight end Mark) Andrews, (tight end Isaiah) Likely, (center Tyler) Linderbaum. But Lamar Jackson is an excellent football player. They're tough to defend, and it starts with him."
Q: He's 23-2 against the NFC. The Giants are one of the two. Two years ago.
Daboll: "Yeah, I remember."
Q: What do you recall about that game?
Daboll: "It was good to get a win."
Q: Did you go back and look at that game?
Daboll: "You look at some of the stuff. When they win, they score a lot of points. Every win they've had other than the Dallas game, they've scored over 30 points, and three times they've scored over 40 points."
Q: They're very different backs, but your defense did a very good job on (Saints running back Alvin) Kamara last week (44 yards on 17 carries).
Daboll: "Good team defense. We had the one mishap there in the red zone, but tackled much better, did a nice job up front with those young defensive linemen. This is a different challenge with this football team. Like I said, Lamar, Henry, when (running back Justice) Hill goes in there, he's explosive, too."
Q: And Flowers, Bateman, and (wide receiver Nelson) Agholor combined, they're averaging 15.5 yards a reception.
Daboll: "They're good, but Lamar helps that out."
Q: Their defense is first in the league against the run and last against the pass.
Daboll: "I think they play good complementary football. (Linebacker) Roquan Smith, (cornerback Marlon) Humphrey, (safety Kyle) Hamilton, got talented players, and they play good complementary football. They know what they need to do. They have a really exotic third down package that creates problems offensively and they have good players. They feed off an offense that scores 30 points a game, much like Buffalo when we were there."
Q: And lastly, (kicker) Justin Tucker might be the best kicker ever, but he's had some issues this year.
Daboll: "He's done this for a long time. I'd expect him to be at his best. He's been, like you said, one of the best to ever do it, and that's what I'm anticipating."
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