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

Q: The Giants are one of six teams that have started the same five offensive linemen in every game. Obviously, that will change now because of Andrew Thomas' injury. This is a veteran group that has played more than 400 snaps this year. Are you confident the communication and level of play will remain high?

Daboll: "Yeah, we talk about next man up, so I've said this before, no one's going to replace Andrew, but the person that's in there is going to be responsible to do his job and do it at a high level, and that's why those guys are on this team."

Q: Lisfranc injuries are supposed to be so painful. How did he keep playing after suffering his in the third quarter?

Daboll: "Tough guy."

Q: In the two games (running back) Tyrone Tracy has started, he's totaled 237 scrimmage yards. He seems to have made a strong case for more playing time. Are you thinking of splitting the reps when Devin Singletary returns?

Daboll: "I think all three of those guys (including Eric Gray) will get opportunities."

Q: How excited are you to get (wide receiver) Malik (Nabers) back?

Daboll: "It'd be nice to get him back. Unless something happens, he'll be back. He's in a good spot."

Q: Since you arrived here, both Darius (Slayton) and Wan'Dale (Robinson) have caught 120 passes. They're different players, but in terms of attitude, work ethic and toughness, are they similar?

Daboll: "Absolutely. They have a great team-first attitude. They're unselfish. They have a good skill set. They're smart. The quarterback trusts them. They've done a nice job."

Q: The defense has played pretty well - tied for ninth in points allowed, 10^th in yards allowed, which is the best by the Giants for six games since 2010. Why do you think the defense has performed at a high level consistently in the first six games?

Daboll: "I think (defensive coordinator) Shane (Bowen) has done a great job since he's been here. And then we have (outside linebacker) Brian Burns and (defensive lineman) Dexter Lawrence and (inside linebacker) Bobby Okereke and Nacho (defensive lineman Rakeem Nuñez-Roches) and players that are good football players that have taken to his system and what he and his staff are instilling. I think the young secondary has improved each week. We're going to need them to continue to do that. But it's been good."

Q: You lead the league with 26 sacks and are the only team that has four players with at least 3.0 sacks (Lawrence, Burns, Azeez Ojulari and Jason Pinnock). When you have pass rushers from all three levels of the defense, how helpful is that?

Daboll: "I think it's just good team defense. The important thing for us is being able to create pressure different ways, whether it's with four, whether it's with secondary players, linebackers, but everybody being tied into the rush plan. And they've done a heck of a job."

Q: Everyone talks about continuity on the offensive line, but is it difficult getting a new kicker and holder aligned with a long snapper on the fly?

Daboll: "Yeah, but that's the National Football League. You work as hard as you can work at it so that all the timing and the snaps and the holds and the kicks - those are point plays. They're important point plays."

Q: You've had only two penalties in each of the last two games, which on the face of it is good, but obviously the one the other night was costly (an ineligible receiver infraction that nullified a 56-yard completion). Is that a teaching point that no matter if the penalties are low, any one penalty could really hurt you?

Daboll: "The pre-snap and post-snap penalties are the ones that we've got to make sure we're doing a good job of avoiding. That allows you to stay on track. Stay on track and play the game in positive situations. (With penalties), you're going backwards. It's hard to overcome and continue to either score or stop them."

Q: I'm sure in your long career you have faced players that you coached and then went to other teams. Saquon Barkley's return is a big story this week. People here like and admire Saquon. They also want to beat him and the Eagles on Sunday. Is that the general attitude you've encountered in those situations?

Daboll: "There's a lot of those situations. That's the NFL nowadays. Like I said, we've got respect for Saquon. He's a good football player and we have to do a good job of trying to defend him."

Q: Do the Eagles' schemes look significantly different than they did last year since they have two new coordinators in Kellen Moore on offense and Vic Fangio on defense?

Daboll: "Well, they're different. I think anytime you get new coordinators, the schemes are going to change. Vic has been doing this a long time. Known Vic for a while. He's a heck of a football coach. But his system is his system. Just like Kellen's system is Kellen's system. I think you try to adapt to the players that you have. But there are a lot of similarities when you go back and look at Vic's stuff and what he did at prior places."

Q: It seems (Eagles quarterback Jalen) Hurts reignited his relationship with wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith against Cleveland. Is this challenge similar to the one you faced last week, an opponent with two elite receivers?

Daboll: "We play elite receivers every week. (Dallas') CeeDee Lamb, (Cincinnati's) Ja'Marr Chase, (Minnesota's) Justin Jefferson. The hits keep coming. A.J. Brown and DeVonta, just like last week with Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase. Seems like that's the way the league is going with very skilled players on the outside that are tough to defend."

Q: Statistically, (Eagles linebacker) Zack Braun looks, in his first season as a fulltime starter, like one of their best defensive players. As you look at him on tape, is he playing at a high level?

Daboll: "He is, yeah. Athletic, fits the system well. Active player in the middle there at linebacker, and he's done a nice job."

Q: They seem to have cranked up their pass rush last week. They had five sacks after they had just six in the first four games.

Daboll: "They have a talented front, a bunch of high picks. Number 98 (defensive tackle Jalen Carter) is a problem. He's a tough guy to block. They got some size in there and they play the (defensive tackle Ojomo) Moro kid, number 97, who's got some quick twitch in there. Their edge guy is Brandon Graham. He's been there forever. I don't see a drop off with him. Very smart player. Got a lot of respect for how he plays."

Q: They've had some special teams issues, including a blocked field goal last week that was similar to the block Isaiah Simmons had in Seattle. I guess you have to expect they'll be ready or aware of that play.

Daboll: "Oh, sure. Anytime something like that happens, whether you block it or it gets blocked against you, there's a lot of correction that goes on. They have good coaches over there. I'm sure that play will be evaluated and fixed."