Q: Can you tell me what you might have in mind to improve the red zone defense?
A: Just the mentality. When we stepped out in that red zone, that's really supposed to be our tough defense. We have to improve our mentality down there in that area.
Q: When you guys break camp tomorrow, what's the sense of urgency when you go home?
A: The first sense of urgency is Pittsburgh, but I think when we return to camp next week in the Meadowlands, we're going to start over mentally from an installation – some of the things that we haven't run in the last, let's say, five, six practices. Do they have recall? We're going to be demanding from that standpoint. The last time I called this pressure was last Monday, can you recall all of the adjustments, etc. The sense of urgency needs to be in our learning and see how much we have retained from camp.
Q: Are you satisfied with the energy and attention to detail?
A: I'm not going to say that I'm satisfied. I think that we've made progress in that area. There's a lot of room for more progress. We have to become consistent in what we do and how we do it. That's what I'll be looking for also
Q: How did you evaluate the jobs that Linval Joseph and Jason Pierre-Paul did in their first NFL game?
A: I was pleased with how they prepared and practiced, and how they played. I thought Joseph was strong inside. I thought he was sometimes dominant inside. He wasn't as consistent as we'd like to see, but he did show me some flashes. I think he played about thirty-some plays and I was very pleased with how he approached the ballgame, the attitude that he approached the ballgame with. Jason, he was very good physically, mentally. He had the one sack in the ballgame. His conditioning – I think he got tired only once or twice. We had a couple of loafs by him and Linval. We need them to improve their conditioning. As a defense overall, we have to improve our conditioning. I was not satisfied, but I was pleased with the progress those young guys made.
Q: You didn't get the sense that they were overwhelmed at all?
A: No, I didn't and that was a good thing. The game wasn't too big for them. They enjoyed playing the game, and that was a good sign.
Q: The strong and weak side linebackers, are they different in your defense then a standard defense? Bryan Kehl said that you guys are the only ones who do it like that. Is that accurate?
A: There are some guys who do it that way. We're a little different in that sense, yes.
Q: He said it's not really that big of a deal because in an over defense you're playing over the ball so it's not like an under defense where the will is playing over the tight end. Is that accurate?
A: That's somewhat accurate. The way we teach and the way we do things is really based on the technique of what the guy in front of them is playing, so we try to cater to the technique of the defensive linemen to compliment the linebacker who is playing behind them.
Q: So it's not your traditional standpoint of there is the tight end, that's where the strong side linebacker is going to be?
A: Correct, yes.
Q: How are these guys adjusting to that?
A: I think that they've been very good with it. From a retention standpoint and a learning standpoint, I think it's been positive.
Q: Does that allow you to play gaps differently? Does that allow you to bring safeties and linebackers up different ways?
A: Yes, it allows us to move our people in different areas and play gaps differently and gap exchange differently to fit runs to fit passes. Yes, it definitely allows us to do that.
Q: How has your defense gotten better as camp has gone on?
A: We've made some strides each and every day. I told them one day that we had an aches and pains practice because it ached me to watch them and it pained me to watch them and it wasn't very good – I thought they responded well. I think that they've tried each and every day to practice hard, to focus and concentrate. I've only really seen one practice that we've had that was painful for us.
Q: What did you think of your first camp with the Giants?
A: It was pretty awesome. I've never seen as many fans come out for autographs and support and cheer the team on. Albany is a beautiful University and the fan support is unbelievable.
Q: Do you sense your profile has been raised, with people knowing who you are, asking for autographs, wanting to talk to you?
A: I really don't think about things like that. I've really been too busy to think in those terms. It has just been training camp for me and working. If someone asks me, I'm very flattered that they think enough of that for an autograph.
Q: Do you sense that most people know who you are?
A: Sometimes yes, sometimes no, I guess.
