Head Coach Brian Daboll
Daboll: Good, hard-fought win. 60-minute game. We made a few more plays than they did, particularly in the end and give credit to our players. They played for 60 minutes. It's good to get a win.
Q: You talk about being prepared a lot. The way (running back) Saquon (Barkley) on that last drive didn't go for the score, is that something you prepare for? Or is that something he took upon himself?
A: No. We prepare for it. We communicated it after the turnover, one first down. We didn't need any more points. We just ended by kneeling on it, so (offensive coordinator Mike) Kafka and (Director of Football Data & Innovation) Ty (Siam) and (Offensive Assistant/Game Manager) Cade (Knox) do a good job with that.
Q: All week, you talked about (outside linebacker) Kayvon (Thibodeaux) affecting the pocket, affecting the pocket. I guess the last play, he comes up with the strip sack, the defense comes up with two huge turnovers at the end. Can you talk about the defense, Wink's (defensive coordinator Wink Martindale) unit, and obviously Kayvon at the end?
A: Yeah. I thought they played the best when it counted the most. Obviously, we gave up some plays there to (Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark) Andrews and in the run game a little bit, tightened down up in the red zone, but when it counted the most, the players and Wink dialed up a couple of good schemes and the players executed well in the fourth quarter. That's what we thought it would be – a fourth quarter game.
Q: Did Wink get a game ball?
A: He broke down the team. I gave the coordinators all game balls last game.
Q: What do you think overall of the grittiness of your club, especially today?
A: I'm just proud of the way they compete. We talked about trying to play fast, trying to play physical, being resilient and finishing. Throughout the game, I thought those showed up – obviously not perfect. There's certainly a lot of things we can fix; that's why we'll be in tomorrow, to try to fix them. And I'm just proud of the way the guys competed.
Q: Why do you think that no matter what's going on, you were losing the whole game. You weren't doing much offensively, but your team was able to be resilient. What is it about them? Why do you think you guys are able to do that pretty consistently now?
A: It's something we've preached since day one – since we've been here: coaches, people in the building. This league is hard. It's not always going to be perfect. There will be a lot of people down on you. And you might be down on yourself, wish you could do better. But you keep on getting back up. You keep on swinging, keep on competing, regardless of the score or the situation of the game. And that's not easy to do, right? That's not easy to do when you're down. If you sit on the bench and start bitching and complaining, that's easy to do. It's hard to stick with it and get ready to play the next series and not worry about if you just got beat on a pass or if you got sacked. You've got to flush it pretty quick. Dr. Lani (Lawrence) does a great job – our team psychologist – of talking to the team. And I think our guys, each week we get a little bit better. We know we're a long way away. (It's the) early part of the season. But we just try to compete and do the best job we can.
Q: They were up 10, and you guys obviously needed something. (Quarterback) Daniel (Jones) goes five for five on that last, pretty extensive drive, throwing to guys.
A: Fourth quarter?
Q: Yeah.
A: Again, right?
Q: What is it about him that his numbers are his numbers, but five for five and he comes right down the field?
A: I'm not really worried about that; you know that. I'm not worried about numbers. His job is to compete, to lead his football team down, particularly the offense, make good decisions with the football, take care of it, execute in the red zone. And this was another fourth quarter one for him. Again, when you're a quarterback, you love to throw it 60 times a game. But we have to, each week, we have to play the way we think we have to play. Look, it was far from perfect. It really was. That's a hell of a football team over there, but I appreciate the way he competes. And I think his level-headedness really helps him.
Q: On their first touchdown, it appeared that you only had 10 defenders –
A: We did. We had 10. Yeah, unacceptable.
Q: What happened?
A: We had 10. Unacceptable.
Q: An individual just forgetting?
A: I'm not going to get into it; that can't happen. Put it on me. That's my fault.
Q: They were obviously focused on Saquon all day, but it looked like there was that one drive where you can see you guys were really focused on getting him going, which he did.
A: Who, Saquon?
Q: Yeah, Saquon.
A: You're always trying to get him going, and they know that, too. They got really good coaches, really good players, and it's not always going to be pretty. The run game never is. But I thought Mike did a good job of kind of mixing and matching calls, made some timely calls and eventually he hit on a couple. I don't think we hit on any big, big ones. But the line got moving forward a little bit, made some big plays there in the end. Again, good team win – everybody involved. But we got a lot of work to do.
Q: What is your understanding of when the play clock goes to zero, when the officials would call a delay of game? It looked like their second touchdown came after it hit zero.
A: You'd have to ask them. Sorry.
Q: But what did they explain to the coaches about it just in general?
A: I got it. I'm not going to get into it. It's whatever they call, they call.
Q: What kind of tone does it set, or does it create an identify when guys play through things? Like (tackle) Andrew (Thomas), (center Jon) Feliciano, Saquon (all played through things). Does the rest of the team see that and follow that?
A: I think that would really be a good question for the guys. I know as a coach you respect that. Again, you don't ever want to put anybody out there that can't do it. The trainers do a good job of communicating, and those guys – we have tough guys. It's a tough sport. So, credit to those guys for fighting through. Again, I don't have any idea of what those things are other than they were good to go. So, they fought through it, and played well in the fourth quarter.
Q: You keep saying, 'There's things we need to work on a lot. It wasn't perfect.' What are the things you're referring to?
A: I understand the question. There's strategy each game of how you want to try to play some of the things you need to do, and we certainly could do better of that today. Specific – I don't want to get into specifics. I hope you can respect that, but there's a lot.
Q: At the start of the season, is this where you thought the team would be at this point? Or what were you imagining at this point?
A: I don't go too far ahead. Sorry. I don't get too far ahead; I just try to do what I can do to help the team the best I can. And I ask everybody to do the same thing in the organization, and collectively together, that's where our focus needs to be is continuing to improve, owning things when they don't go right and taking responsibility, competing for one another, playing for one another. Again, we've played six games, so it's a long season left. There's a lot of work to be done.
Q: We always hear about all coaches saying, 'We got to play 60 minutes. We got to play 60 minutes.' But your guys are playing for 60 minutes. That's not so easy. How do you get them to buy into that week-in and week-out?
A: Well, you try to do that before this even happens back in training camp and OTAs and create situations offensively, defensively, the kicking game – what a great return, blocked well, by (running back) Gary (Brightwell) that gave us a little bit of life there in the early part of the game. You just try to make things as competitive and put them in situations where they got to compete. Again, what they do during the week – I can't emphasize it enough – their attitudes, their commitment to getting better, being on time to everything, taking care of their bodies, that's important. And that leads to – it doesn't always lead to wins – but doing the right thing on a consistent basis is what we're trying to establish as a program: Let's get guys that want to do the right thing and want to compete and that play hard.
Q: You didn't mind throwing (wide receiver) Wan'Dale (Robinson) in there. It wasn't his debut, but it was sort of in some ways.
A: Pretty much.
Q: What did you think of him?
A: I'm glad he caught those couple balls when he had the opportunity to. I have to look at them – that touchdown, I was excited for him anytime you can get your first touchdown obviously along with a win. But I don't know how many plays he played, but we managed him a little bit. Hopefully we'll get some more out of him next week.
Q: Is that touchdown – that's not, he's in the slot, it looks like kind of rugged a little bit. Is that the play that you like for him?
A: No. I like a lot of plays for him. Again, when you have that many people out, the quarterback's got to make a decision based on coverage, where to go, when to go there. And he did a good job.
Q: You won four games last year. What do you make of 5-1?
A: Go into work tomorrow and get better.
Quarterback Daniel Jones
Q: When it was 20-10, on the sideline it seemed like (Head Coach) Brian (Daboll) was pretty fired up. What was he saying.?
A: Yeah, he was pretty fired up. I think we all were. He wanted to see a sense of urgency and understanding the point of the game that we were in. We needed to respond as a group, as an offense, and I think that's what he was communicating.
Q: How do you describe the relationship you're building with (Tight End Daniel) Bellinger? He scored a touchdown today for you.
A: Like I've said, I think he's found ways to make key plays here and there and heads up, instinctual, football plays. He's got a knack for getting open, finding space, and making key plays for us. So, he deserves a lot of credit. We'll continue to try to get him the ball and let him make those plays.
Q: In the second half being down, how do you explain the constant 'we're never out of the game' mindset?
A: It's just a tough group. We've got a competitive spirit, a competitive stamina, something Dabs has preached since he got here in the spring. I think guys have really taken to that and really tried to make that something we show every time we get on the field. It's a tough, gritty group. It wasn't perfect again today, a lot of things we can clean up and do better but found a way to win down the stretch.
Q: You guys are 5-1. Do you think of it like, 'wow' or do you say, 'hey we're still just building something here. Going forward, one game at a time'.
A: I think that's the way we have to look at it is one game at a time. We're 5-1 and I think that's certainly something that helps us build confidence but when you look at the tape and when you're playing these games, you realize how much more we can do and ways we can make a few more plays here and there, tighten up a couple things, and we're better off going throughout the game. That's where our focus is. That's where, as a group, that's where we're going to look to improve on and how we're going to go forward.
Q: Why do you think you guys have been so much better in the second half?
A: I don't know. I think it's probably a lot of things. Just execution early on in the game hasn't been as good as it could be. We've made good adjustments at halftime and found certain things that are working throughout the game. So, that's definitely something that we need to look at and something we need to improve on going forward.
Q: What did (Wide Receiver) Wan'Dale (Robinson) add today?
A: A good bit. He made a couple of big plays for us there. Good football player, smart player, and he'll definitely help us out going forward.
Q: What can you say about (Wide Receiver) Darius Slayton's resiliency? He's barely on the depth chart in the preseason and now he's starting by Week 6.
A: He's a great player, tough guy, competitor, smart football player, and someone who I have a lot of faith in. Built a lot of chemistry over the years and he's made a lot of plays for me, for this team, and I've got a lot of belief and confidence in him. Certainly, wasn't a surprise to me for him to be playing as big a role as he is now.
Q: When (Running Back) Saquon (Barkley) goes down at the end, is that something you guys discussed in the huddle before that play?
A: Yeah, that's something we prepare for each week. Something we're talking about on the sideline, in the huddle and a heads up play by him. It's one thing to talk about it, it's another thing to execute in the heat of the moment and he did it well. So, credit to him on that.
Q: When was the last time you had this much fun playing football?
A: (Laughs) I don't know. It's been a while, for sure. But a lot we still got to do to improve and work on and that's what we're going to focus on doing. Certainly, more fun to win.
Q: There are some people who probably look at this team and say they're shocked that every week you seem to find a way. Are you guys in that same category?
A: We're not shocked. No, we're not shocked that we find ways to win. I think we're confident in what we can do and we're confident in our toughness, our ability to compete and find ways to win down the stretch. So, no, we're not shocked. I think we understand there's a lot still out there for us, (and) there's a lot we've got to work to improve on, but no, we're not shocked.
Q: Did you hear the cheers as you were introduced?
A: No, I didn't really hear them.
Q: How were you feeling and what were you doing when (Safety) Julian (Love) got the pick?
A: I was excited. I was on the sideline and you're preparing for the next situation. Then you see that play, it's a sudden change, and you're just trying to get ready to execute whatever's called.
Q: Considering how well the defense has played in some of these big spots, when you're on the sideline and you're able to cut it down to three, when you step back on the field, what's kind of going through your mind, knowing that they can potentially swing the game and you could be back out there in a big spot?
A: I think you just want to be prepared for all situations and that's what you're doing is discussing each situation, what happens, what we're going to call, and how we're going to execute it from there. So, I think we do a good job communicating that from coaches to players throughout the group. I feel like we've been prepared.
Q: You threw touchdown passes to two rookies, that doesn't happen that often. Where would you be without those guys?
A: Those guys deserve a lot of credit. They stepped up and made big plays for us throughout the game. Bellinger has made a lot of big plays this season for us at key points of the game. So, continue to try to get him the ball. Wan'Dale did a good job getting open and making a couple big plays, too. We'll continue to work with them and see ways we can give them the ball.
Q: You guys are 5-1 this season, if you had to put one message out to the Giants' fans who were electric all game long, (Defensive Coordinator) Wink Martindale asked a couple of weeks back for the fans to bring that electricity. What's a message that you can send now that you guys won a great game today?
A: Just that we're going to compete. We're going to compete for 60 minutes and try to give the fans something to be proud about. Give them a reason to cheer and that's what we're trying to do each week. A lot we've got to clean up and we're going to get better as a team each week, but we're going to compete, we're going to play hard and fight for 60 minutes.
Running Back Saquon Barkley
Q: Were you getting your shoulder looked at?
A: Nah, I was just working with the kids. I work with Covenant House and Children's Promise. Invite them to every home game and win, lose or draw I try to go up there, answer some questions and take some pictures.
Q: How is your shoulder?
A: Shoulder is good.
Q: What does it mean to be a 5-1 football team right now?
A: It feels good. (Head coach Brian Daboll) Dabs said it, it's okay to be happy. You can be happy being 5-1. It's hard to win in this league, you can enjoy it. At the end of the day, you can't get too overconfident. You got to keep taking it week by week, keep following the process and that's the mindset we are going to continue to have.
Q: When did you know you were going to slide down on that run to the outside? Was it something you had talked about beforehand?
A: The run before that, we have a call that alerts us. Our coaches do a really good job not only in that situation but throughout the week. We practice all those situations. The run before that, I feel like if I really wanted to, I could have went this way and kind of scored but I was focused on protecting the ball. I ran up to Dabs and was making sure, "We're not scoring here. We're not scoring here, right?" And he told me, "Yeah." Did a spin move, had an opportunity and just got down. I knew once you get the first down, that secures the win.
Q: What are you going to say to those fantasy fans that have you?
A: I know fantasy fans are going to be a little upset about that, but I've got a job to do and that's to do whatever I can to help my team win a football game. Anytime you can make a play that can secure a victory, you got to do that. Like I said, it's credit to the coaches and obviously (quarterback Daniel Jones) DJ within the huddle making sure we all knew that and we were able to do that.
Q: What was the offensive huddle like at 20-10 when you get the ball back?
A: Go score. That's the only thing we had in our mindset – go respond. That's the first thing that we said. There was no panic within this team at all. Not only the offense but defense, special teams. Great complementary football. Everyone out there is making plays, feeding off each other, vibing off each other and I think we've been showing that so far in the season and we got to continue to do that.
Q: You've won a lot of games, I don't have to tell you that. What's different about this group?
A: I mean, it's a different team in my opinion. Every year is a new year. Obviously, we have a lot of the same guys, but every year is a new year with a new coaching staff. It's just, I would say, to answer what's different – just the trust that we have in each other, the love that we have for each other. We're all competitive guys who go out there and just play for each other. We find a way to win these games. It's been like this in the past. Obviously, we came out of it on the wrong side of it a lot of times but now we're finding a way to win games. That's a testament to the coaches and all those guys in the locker room.
Q: On your touchdown, when did you decide to leap over? There was pretty much no one there.
A: I was jumping no matter what. I was in that situation, and I was like, "So be it, I'm going to jump. Just got to protect the ball." A lot of times, defenses aren't expecting that. Probably switch it up next time because they are probably going to expect it next time. Also, it just depends on the feel of the game.
Q: You mentioned that you were losing these kinds of games, right? The last few years. How much does it feel like the little break that you might need there is falling in your favor?
A: Yeah, I would say that. Sometimes – you go to Week 1, we played a heck of a game and they went out there and missed a field goal. Special teams did a great job and they missed a field goal. The year prior to that, I don't really want to talk too much about prior, but the year prior to that, we're playing the Commanders and they say we jumped offsides. Obviously, there's controversy or whatever. They missed a field goal, they get another opportunity and they make that field goal. You get that one, stuff like that can help change the team. You can see when you start winning games in the NFL, those kind of build and they stack up. When you continue to get that confidence, every week you go out there like no matter what the score is, you're going to find a way to win games, especially when you have the type of guys that we have in our locker room and the coaches that we have.
Q: Script seems to be the same every week. They focus on you early, shut you down early. You guys keep going and this is three times you've been down double digits. Do you just feel like it just doesn't matter if they shut you down for a quarter? Would you like to, one of these weeks, have a hot start?
A: Yeah, I mean you would love to come out there and blow a team out by 30, but it's the NFL, that's rarely ever going to happen. Whatever way, any way that you can do it – that's the way that matters. Find a way to win. Yes, they've been doing a really good job of focusing on the run, stopping the run and doing different things. You got to give credit to (offensive coordinator Mike) Kafka and all those guys coming in in the second half, making adjustments and also sticking with the run. It's easy when you're down by 10 points to give up the run and become a pass-heavy team. We know the identity of this team and we know what we have up front, the players that we have and we were able to get things going and find a way to win.
Q: Do you thrive on work? You seem to do your best job third quarter, fourth quarter when you're getting the ball a lot and when you're working too.
A: I would say you kind of fall back on your training. That's the kind of mindset that you have when you want to get stronger as the game continues to go on. Football, and anything, is kind of just getting in a rhythm, getting a feel. Obviously, credit to Baltimore – they did a good job in the first half but in the second half, we were able to get a rhythm and a feel. Not just myself, but get on time with all the linemen and tight ends. Stacking runs together and stacking runs together and then off of that, run a naked or a waggle. That stuff helps and it builds. Kind of just going off to just the mindset that I have in my training and, also, credit to the coaches and how they prepare us in camp for us to continue to get stronger as the game continues to go on.
Q: In your first four years, there were numerous times when you've said, "We're going to turn this. We're going to turn this and I want to be a part of it and I can't wait to feel what it feels like." Is this what you imagined when you said that? What has it been like?
A: Yeah, I kind of said it today. There's a point of time, I forgot – I think it was after the pick. No, not the pick, before the pick. Or before the sack-fumble, I forgot. But like the stadium was jumping. The stadium was so loud you could really feel the energy from the fans, and it wasn't always necessarily like that in the first couple of years. We weren't doing a really good job of going out there and winning games. Obviously, we are doing that now. It's New York City. We got some of the greatest fans from New York and New Jersey. Like I said, I want to go out there and give them something to be proud of. I feel like this team has been doing that and we got to continue to do that.
Q: You still came into this game as pretty big underdogs. You've been underdogs in four of your five wins. What do you think of that and how much do you guys embrace that?
A: We really don't care, to be honest. It is what it is. You guys can say whatever you want. People can say whatever they want. The only thing that matters is in-house. We got to continue to focus on the process and keep believing on each other.
Q: Do you feel like you're one of the best teams in the league?
A: I feel like we're a great team. We're a very confident team, we know that. Like coach said, it's okay to be happy, but you don't need to get overconfident – continue to stay humble, continue to keep that mindset, get better each day and love the process.
Safety Julian Love
Q: Julian, congratulations on the win. What do you see taking shape with this team right now? It seems like a pattern has developed with you guys of keeping it close and finding a way to win in the fourth quarter.
A: I think (Head Coach Brian) Coach Dabs (Daboll) has done a great job of really building on what we have in front of us. We're a team that might not win the game 40-0; we're a team that will bring our team into the fourth quarter and make key plays in key situations to win games. That's who we are; we're resilient, so thankfully made out with this game that against a really good team.
Q: Julian, what did you see on that interception? Obviously, you see that the play was messed up. What're you looking at after that?
A: Those plays are really dangerous because you have the most dynamic quarterback back there. It was a bobbled snap, but as soon as he got it, you could see his eyes were looking down field. That's when he's made his great plays in his career. I wasn't covering, whoever he tried to throw it to. I was kind of just baiting him; I saw someone wide open, saw (Ravens Quarterback) Lamar (Jackson) kind of lock-in, and then I baited the throw a little bit, and thankfully I made the play in a critical situation.
Q: Your play leads to a touchdown, but then there's plenty of time for the Ravens to come back certainly, but what did you see on the last play when Kayvon (OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux) gets his first-career sack and gets the turnover situation?
A: Wink [Giants Defensive Coordinator Don 'Wink Martindale'] has said for weeks that once we get a turnover and once, we start creating turnovers, they're going to come in bunches. That stuff is contagious. I made a play on the previous drive, and you see our team just make a play immediately right after that. That's how football works; it's a game of momentum, it's a game of building off of each other, and this team has done such a great job of doing it across all sides of the ball; offense, defense, and special team capitalizing on each other. That's what that was; the epitome of what that was for us.
Q: How was Wink after beating the Ravens?
A: He was on top of the world. You'd be kidding yourself if you don't want to beat your former team in any aspect. I know that he's done a great job of not putting that on us of not making this game bigger than it was, but for sure, it means a little more to him. He had an extra chip on his shoulder. He was all smiles after the game.
Q: Did it mean more to you all to get the win for him?
A: I would say that I'm close with Wink, so yes, I want to win for win for him and succeed for this organization. This is my fourth year here, so everything is for the guy next to me because that's what it has to be. That's what good teams do; you play for the people next to you. I think this defense was really rallying around Wink and being resilient.
Q: Why do you guys think you had trouble against the run? What were they doing that made it hard?
A: They were being the 'Baltimore Ravens Rushing Attack'. They've been dynamic in the run game for the past few years, and we had a good plan, and it's a matter of executing for us. I think there's a lot to clean up from this game. It's always a good thing when you have a lot to clean up, and you get the win. That type of stuff has not been happening in recent years. They [the Baltimore Ravens] are a great team, their offense was playing great for a lot of it. We were just resilient holding them on touchdowns and making them settle for field goals. They missed a field goal early, and stuff like that just makes who we are as a team.
Q: On the first touchdown you guys gave up, you only had 10 defenders out there, so clearly that is one of the things that you guys have to clean up?
A: Yes. Stuff like that is unacceptable; that is stuff that you can control, having the right people on the field. It's from the top down. We're all accountable; players, coaches, and we all take ownership of that. That's stuff that good teams don't do, so we'll clean that up for sure. That's something that you wince at when you see it, and you're frustrated with yourself for sure, but it happens in the game of football.
Q: Julian, so much has been said about the culture of this team and what Daboll has brought. (Running Back) Saquon (Barkley) said he is having fun and that Daboll is letting you guys just be yourselves. What do you think he has instilled in you guys that has caused this turnaround? You have been with this club for four years now. What is it that this guy is doing to push you guys even further than you have been pushed before?
A: I think his approach has been great. I've told that to him. When we win games, when we lose games, it stays constant. His mindset and his mentality and his approach to us stays really constant. There is not super high-highs when you win or super low-lows when you lose. I told him 'Man, that's an approach I haven't seen in recent years.'. He also knows what has happened in the past. He knows how we have been feeling in that building and creating a culture to where if you make a bad play, your head isn't down all day, and you're embarrassed for your teammates or for yourself. You shake it off really quickly, and you can approach everybody as people. He's created a beautiful culture in the building right now; the staff and everybody top-down. I think that's why he's been successful so far.
Q: Is that the intercepted ball you have? What do you do with those?
A: I save those. That's a future Hall of Fame quarterback. When you get a pick off of somebody like that, you have to keep the ball. I have a (Kansas City Quarterback Patrick) Mahomes ball, and now I have a Lamar ball. You keep those ones. You keep those tight.
Q: Coming back on the field after the game, it gets cut to a three-point deficit, what is the conversation like on the defensive side of the ball? Is there a conversation? Or is it just 'come out and do your business'? How do you kind of come back on the field after that moment?
A: Yes, that's a critical situation in a game. If you're down 20-10, things can go either way at that point. You can either go 'Alight, we'll chalk it up', and this team has some individuals on the sidelines who were just fired up and just stayed positive because that's the game. One touchdown by your offense makes it a whole new game where it becomes a three-point game. Going into that, we knew we had some juice, and we knew we had an opportunity in front of us to at least hold them to three points instead of getting a touchdown. I got the interception, and to create an opportunity like that, that's when the momentum is just completely flipped. The stadium was rocking; somebody said that they had never heard the stadium so loud before after the pick and I couldn't tell because I partially blacked out from the moment [of the interception] of just the excitement of it all. Those situations are critical.
Q: How big was it for (Tight End Daniel) Bellinger getting that TD to keep you guys in it and answering the call right after the Ravens had scored? Mindset-wise, did that set you up for success?
A: That's just the epitome of who we are as team. Not settling for three and getting a touchdown in that situation shapes how the Ravens are approaching the next drive, and shapes how we approach the next drive. So, great play, great catch. Our offense really stepped up for us in some key moments in this game.
Q: Any fines for (Cornerback) Fabian (Moreau) and (Safety) Dane (Belton) because they had a chance for interceptions early and couldn't hang on?
A: No, I'm lenient on rookies, for Dane's sake. For Fabian, we told him he owes us two. That's the mindset (Defensive Coordinator) Wink (Martindale) has instilled early. If we make a bad play, he's not going to berate you, he's not going to get down on you, he's just going to say, 'alright now you owe us two.' So, yeah, we were saying that to Fabe for sure. But those moments, you've got to capitalize on.
Q: Dabs spent all summer talking about changing the culture and positive mindset, but when this season started were you expecting it to take hold quite this quickly? Or what were you expecting from the team this season?
A: When I first got to OTA's, and I spent about a week with Wink, I told my wife right away, 'I just love the environment right now that's going on in the building. From staff that works upstairs, to the players, to the trainers, to equipment, everyone involved throughout, the chef's that we have in our kitchen; the environment was different. I had joy going into work each day, I had joy leaving work each day. When you build a culture like that good things are bound to come. I never put expectations on our records. I knew people were going to be playing harder and be bonded closer because of the culture that Dabs was able to build early on.
Defensive lineman Leonard Williams
Q: Most starting quarterbacks fall on that ball or throw it out of bounds. So, when he let the ball go did you think like, oh he's throwing it away at first?
A: Honestly the way it went up in the air it kind of did seem like he was throwing it away because he kind of just threw it off his back foot. It looked like it was about to go out of bounds, and it went down the middle of the field.
Q: How shocked were you that he tried to make something happen there? Because it seemed kind of crazy.
A: I guess I'm not too shocked because he's a play maker. He's a big-time key on their offense and those type of guys want the ball in their hands when it's a clutch situation and I'm sure, it was crunch time and he wanted to make a play.
Q: You were down by ten. What's the mentality of this team the way you fight back?
A: I think it's the same mentality that we have every week. We're a team that fights all four quarters, every minute of the game, and I think the best thing about this team is we don't bend, we don't fold, we don't break and all that type of stuff. We're just excited that we came away with the win.
Q: Did anybody tell you that you're 5-1?
A: No, outsiders are talking about it, but none of us are talking about it. Like I've been saying, we just need to move on to next week and we can't bask in defeat, and we can't bask in victory. We've just got to keep moving forward.
Q: How do you move on from such an exciting finish?
A: The same way that we have to move on from a bad loss. We watch film, we correct mistakes, and correcting the mistakes is just a lot easier when you have the win. It's always harder to correct mistakes after a loss. We just have to keep moving forward. We've done a good job of going to London, beating a good team out there. We had every excuse under the sun to say, 'oh we're tired, we were traveling,' all these other things, but this team is just staying on the mission and focusing on what's important.
Tight end Daniel Bellinger
Q: What's the feeling around the team now being 5-1. How much do you feel the confidence?
A: It's more or less just keep fighting. Yeah, it's good where we're at, but we still have to keep taking it one practice at a time and keep getting better so we can keep growing this thing.
Q: What did you think of (Wide Receiver) Wan'Dale (Robinson) finally getting his first touchdown after having to wait?
A: I thought it was awesome for him. I know he's been working his tail off in the training room and I'm glad he got out there.
Q: The rookies are making a big impact. Do you see this as a surprising thing to be able to contribute so early on in your career?
A: Coach Dabs always just preaches, 'If you know what to do and know how to do it, keep building that trust.' So as rookies, we just come in and do what he asks and make sure we know what to do so we can get on the field. I think it comes down to keep going in that manner and just knowing what to do.
Q: It's been two weeks in a row with comebacks like this against really good teams. What does that say about this group?
A: We're a resilient group. We work hard. We fight hard and when the tables are down, we just keep fighting. That's what we do.
Q: Can you talk about this rookie group that contributed today in a big way for a lot of guys?
A: Coach Daboll, he preaches just guys knowing what to do and knowing how to do it. We just keep building that trust with the older guys and the vets. I think we have great leadership that helps us with that. Just keep going and keep moving.
Q: How would you describe your touchdown?
A: Just how we are as a team – resilient. The players are resilient. We kept fighting. It wasn't perfect, but it got the job done.
Q: What about the ability of this team to keep coming back week after week? (Quarterback) Daniel Jones seems to be a master at leading you guys in these rallies.
A: The leadership we have is amazing. To keep fighting, to keep pushing when guys are banged up and when we're down a little bit to just keep working and keep fighting.
Q: It may have been a secret before but the first month of the season, you have been making some bigtime plays. I think defenses are going to start keying in on you…
A: Honestly, I just have to keep making steps and making strides. There's some big plays, but there's a lot of stuff I can improve on.
Q: When you hit paydirt though, because you do so many things including blocking in a big way, how valuable is that to you?
A: I love blocking. It's a big part of the game. I think for tight ends, it's really important. It can really bring a hybrid to the game just helping our offense whether we need a big block on a run or a slip out for a pass.
Q: How would you describe the overall quality of this victory?
A: Good. I feel like there's a lot more to improve on once we see the film. But it always feels good to win.
Q: What does it feel like to see Wan'Dale score his first touchdown?
A: It was awesome. I know he's been working a lot. He's been working his tail off in the training room. I see him working a lot in the training room, so I was happy for him to get out there and score.
Outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux
Q: You get your first NFL sack and it comes in a clinching situation. I don't think it could be much better than that, huh?
A: No, I mean, just fighting all year so far. It's been six games and just keep trying to get better and keep growing and just keep doing the little things to make sure that when the time does come I can execute.
Q: What was the move that you used to beat (Ravens QB Lamar Jackson)?
A: Well, you know, with Lamar he was holding the ball a little bit so we had that idea that he was going to be able to pat the ball with the coverage, so just being able get off, use my second moves, and keep rushing. It was more of an effort sack less than a first move sack.
Q: How difficult is it knowing that they need to get that last possession score and you guys want to make sure you contain him because if he gets away it's a problem.
A: I mean for me it wasn't difficult once the offense went in and scored. We as a defense knew that we had to take it away, so we were able to come in and we knew the situation. I think the greatest part about is the coaches, they really help us and for me being a rookie, they've been teaching me the situations and knowing that they were down, we knew that they had to go a long distance to score so we really had to get after them.
Q: As you came back from the knee injury could you tell you were getting closer and closer to getting it?
A: I was getting closer and I just knew eventually it was going to come. I couldn't really pout about it, I couldn't worry, I couldn't listen to you guys, I just had to really lock in and get what I had to get done.
Q: What did it mean to get this for (Giants Defensive Coordinator) Wink Martindale and the insight that he gave you?
A: Truth be told, Wink didn't really care. Wink cared about winning and Wink wanted to win this game, but it never went deeper than us—us as a team, us as a player. So, Wink just made sure that he prepared us as much as he could and we went out there and executed.
Q: How special is it to contribute to a win the way you did today?
A: It's a blessing. It was the greatest moment. I really sat out there and cried just because the emotion I felt that now, I'm in the NFL. Now that you can really contribute and this is what they pay me to be here for, so the fact that I was able to get it done is a great feeling.
Q: Did you really cry?
A: Yeah, I really cried.
Q: Do you cry a lot?
A: You know, yeah, cool guys cry.
Q: Was the ball on your mind coming around that corner?
A: I mean, you know, you've just got to get him. Lamar is tricky, shifty, so the one thing we teach is getting that rip at the end, making sure you finish, so that time I had emphasis on my finish and "one for the good guys".
*Wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson*
Q: On playing today…
A: I'm satisfied with the results. Just to see it all come to life is pretty special.
Q: How hard was it to wait an extra four or five weeks for that dream to come to fruition?
A: It was really hard. I never really missed more than two weeks of football in a row, so being out that long was really, really hard. But I was glad to come back and help us win.
Q: Tell us about the touchdown. The route you ran, it seems like there was no one within 20 yards of you.
A: I have to give credit to the man right here. David Sills. He got me a little pick route and DJ (QB Daniel Jones) put it right there in the flat for me and I got uphill.
Q: Is that a touchdown you'll remember forever?
A: Oh yes definitely. For sure.
Q: What was the play that sparked it for you?
A: Once I broke out and saw that no one was outside of me, I figured DJ would be giving me a chance. He shot it out to me, and I just had to get up field.
