EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Judge's Chambers, a weekly interview with Giants coach Joe Judge exclusively for Giants Season Ticket Members:
Q: Was the bye a nice break in your routine? Were you able to remove yourself from football for a while? Or is it hard to set aside football when you're the head coach?
Judge: "I think for anybody you have to kind of force yourself to build in a little bit of downtime. You almost want to schedule that in, structure that, you have to almost put it on yourself that, 'Ok, on this day and a half or two days over the weekend, I'm not picking up any ball.' That being said, you're still watching on T.V. Your mind never really stops, so you're still texting with your coordinators and different things, saying, 'Hey, you watching this game? See what just happened there? Maybe we can do something similar.' Or maybe, 'If we got that, how would we handle it?' Sometimes you can never really put it down. But I think that's why we enjoy it so much. Ultimately, it was good for the players to get physically refreshed. These guys stayed in town, so a lot of them came in and still got workouts in and got some extra treatment and some body work throughout the week. But we've seen a good response this week in terms of going out to practice and guys feeling fresh. Good juice and energy out there."
Q: Did you get a chance to watch the Washington-Dallas game yesterday?
Judge: "Absolutely. I watched it while we were sitting there eating dinner. Thanksgiving, we always have the game on in the background in our house."
Q: When we last saw the team, you were finishing up a stretch in which you had five division games in six weeks. During the time, the team improved a lot. Were there one or two areas where you thought you really made big strides in that six-week stretch?
Judge: "I think just the team as a whole improved dramatically. I thought our fundamentals really showed the improvement. To me, that was the biggest thing. That was a big emphasis for us, and we watched a lot of the tape early on in the season, and we had to make sure the players were able to tie together the fundamentals, which is truly the most important part of it, to the scheme that we were doing on a weekly basis, and make sure we did a good job as coaches of simplifying what we're doing schematically to match up with things that are similar for each player in different concepts we're working. The biggest improvement I saw from the team was just fundamentals across the board elevating. That's allowed us to play better. You tackle better, you run better, you take care of the ball better, those things are going to help you win."
Q: Six games left, you're in the thick of the division race, you essentially control your own destiny. Is this about as good of a position as you could ask for as you enter the final six weeks of the season?
Judge: "I would just say for our entire division, everyone is really on equal ground right now. The most important thing for us is to improve on a daily basis and be the best team we can be at the end of the year. That's really all we're talking about as a team that we're concerned about. If we don't improve, it's not going to matter anyway. If we don't get better every week and give ourselves a chance, it's all going to be irrelevant. To us, it's about going 1-0 each week. Obviously, the division thing is something that's out there. But really, our emphasis right now is just going 1-0 this week against the Bengals."
Q: You have some roster decisions to make this week. You always have decisions to make about inactive players, although I think most of them have been pretty clear cut this year. It may be a little bit more complicated in Cincinnati. Do you prefer to have a good idea early in the week who will be inactive so you can practice the players who will be on special teams, or would you rather have the players earn a uniform during the practice week?
Judge: "It goes both ways, to be honest with you. The first thing we discuss as a staff is how do we want to play the game. That ties into different positions that are going to be up for the game and different areas where you may need more depth based on how you want to play the game. We do a preliminary list of guys who may be down. That being said, it all comes down to how they practice throughout the week. What we do is we bracket a lot of guys. It could be guy A or guy B based on how they practice, or guy A or guy B based on how a certain scheme shakes out or whatever it may be. But ultimately, we want to let the players earn it throughout the week in how they practice, especially on Wednesdays and Thursdays. They've been good. They come and they compete every week, that's been positive for us. You want your coaches to have a general idea of who they may have available, although we're very clear that it's not going to be decided until Friday after practice. But we want to make sure we have a good preliminary idea that they can go ahead and map out what's going on."
Q: You're making an effort to really recognize practice squad players who do well. This week in practice, Carter Coughlin wore Lawrence Taylor's No. 56 and Colt McCoy wore Frank Gifford's No. 16. What's the genesis of that?
Judge: "It came from a conversation (assistant general manager and vice president of football operations) Kevin Abrams and I were having one day. We were talking about different ways of making sure our guys understand the history of this program and organization. One thing that we're trying to always do is educate our players on the area we represent and the organization we represent. To me, it's critically important that they understand the players that came before them. It just came up in the conversation. There are certain retired numbers. Wouldn't it be something if we let those guys pick a number? That led to retired numbers and the Ring of Honor guys. What we did was put together a book on the members of the Ring of Honor, and the players, if they earned player of the week, they can go in and they can pick what number they want to wear. But they have to learn all about that player. When they're called on, they have to present to the team in terms of who that player was, what was significant about his career, what was significant about what he did for the Giants organization. Colt presented Wednesday at the end of practice on Frank Gifford. I thought he did a tremendous job of really setting the bar high for everyone else who has to go after him. But I just thought it was a good tribute. Look, these guys were obviously great players. If you're going to put their jersey on or represent their name and number, then you better have another great week of practice. You can't afford to go out there and slack off, because God knows what happens if some of those guys watch someone wearing their jersey and they weren't out there giving 100 percent."
Q: Daniel (Jones) had the two turnover-free games just prior to the bye. Was more emphasis placed on taking care of the ball or is that part of the natural evolution of an improving quarterback to play a clean game like that?
Judge: "We're always emphasizing ball security with all of our players. It starts with the center, goes to the quarterback who touches it every play, then the running backs, receivers and tight ends touch it when the ball comes their way. But I just think as a whole, our players have been working hard on that. It ties into the fundamentals I've talked about in terms of what's improved over the last stretch of games. I think Daniel is just having constant improvement throughout the entire season on a weekly basis in all areas."
Q: Graham Gano's status for the game in Cincinnati on Sunday is uncertain (because he is on the Reserve/Covid-19 list). He has 245 career field goals. If he doesn't play, you're going to replace him with Ryan Santoso, who has never attempted a regular season field goal. Any particular concerns about that if that happens?
Judge: "No. Ryan's shown a ton of improvement since he's been here. I think Tom (Quinn, the assistant special teams coach) and T-Mac have done a great job working with him. He's a very talented player, he has a huge leg, and he's a big, strong dude. We have a lot of confidence in him. You know what, we try to rattle really all of our specialists occasionally when they're out there performing. I try to go ahead and pick at him when he's out there performing, and this guy is mentally tough. He kind of ignores all of the external factors and concentrates on his job. He's demonstrated to the team that he has the ability to get in there and help us compete and win games, so we have all the confidence in the world in him."
Q: Keeping with the theme, (punter) Riley Dixon had 53.3-yard net average, allowed no returns and had a 71-yard punt against the Eagles, and he's tied for the league-lead with 21 kicks inside the 20. He's been under the radar a little bit. Can you talk about the year he's having?
Judge: "I think he's having a tremendous year. He's definitely a very good punter. He's a really good athlete, which opens up a lot of windows for different fakes or how he can handle different situations. But just in terms of being a pure punter, I think Riley does a really good job. It's not just his traditional punts of sitting back there and trying to hit it as far as he can and as high as he can. It's using the alternative kicks right now, whether it's the plus-50 trying to pin that thing inside the 10-yard line or learning how to use the wind and not fight against the wind in what he's doing on a weekly basis. He's shown a lot of growth. Again, I think Tom and T-Mac do a tremendous job with those specialists. They really do. He's a guy that just keeps on getting better and improving. I love having him on the team. He has a great, calm demeanor about him. A lot of poise, but at the same time, he's a guy that brings some competitiveness and fire to him every day. He's definitely his own toughest critic. Again, I like to kind of poke at those guys a little bit and see if I can rattle their cages when they have to perform. He never disappoints."
Q: The Bengals have the third-lowest percentage of running the ball in the league. Do you think that might change with a new quarterback? Or because the strength of their offense is that wide receiver group - (Tyler) Boyd, (Tee) Higgins and (A.J.) Green - they'll stick with what they do best?
Judge: "I think (coach) Zac (Taylor) does a really good job of game planning against specific opponents. Whatever he identifies our weakness to be and how he wants to go ahead and match up against us, we'll definitely see a share of that. I would just say, as a whole, their team has a ton of talent. This receiving corps is really elite. I'd be shocked to not see them push the ball down field as they've done all year. I think they have two very capable quarterbacks, both guys a little bit different. (Ryan) Finley gives you a little bit more legs outside the pocket to extend plays and scramble. Brandon (Allen) does a good job of sitting back there dissecting, and he really gives his receivers an opportunity to go up there and make tough catches. Whether it was in Denver or whether it was in L.A., he demonstrated that he'll put the ball up there and the guys he had there went up and made catches. This corps of receivers has already shown with Joe (Burrow) throughout the year that they'll go up there and make those 50/50 catches at a much higher percentage. This is a very talented offense. We're going to expect them to play with that explosive, big-play mentality. But the one thing that people forget about with these guys sometimes is they really extend drives well. They have 29 drives over 10 plays. That's one of the tops in the league right there. They can stay on the field, move it and get it down into position. They have a kicker (Randy Bullock) who has a big leg. Once they get into some kind of range, they have not been hesitant to go ahead and put him out there and let him take a shot."
View photos of the history between the New York Giants and Cincinnati Bengals.
New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor (56) is seen in action during an NFL game against the Cincinnati Bengals Oct.13, 1985 in Cincinnati. (Tony Tomsic via AP)
New York Giants running back Rodney Hampton (27) is seen in action during an NFL game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Dec. 11, 1994, in East Rutherford, N.J. (Allen Kee via AP)
Defensive end Michael Strahan (92) of the New York Giants sets on defense against the Cinncinnati Bengals December 11, 1994. (AP Photo / Al Messerschmidt)
New York Giants running back Gary Downs (34) is seen in action during an NFL game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Dec. 11, 1994, in East Rutherford, N.J. (Allen Kee via AP)
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Jeff Black (8) hits the turf after being tripped up by New York Giants Michael Strahan (92) during the second quarter of their game at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday, Dec. 11, 1994. Blake gained 4-yards on the play. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)
New York Giants quarterback Dave Brown (17) throws a pass during an NFL game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Dec. 11, 1994, in East Rutherford, N.J. (Allen Kee via AP)
New York Giants running back Rodney Hampton (27) is seen in action during an NFL game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Dec. 11, 1994, in East Rutherford, N.J. (Allen Kee via AP)
New York Giants' Willie Beamon (21) and Michael Strahan (92) congratulates Kicker Brad Daluiso (3) on his 52-yard field goal in the second quarter of their NFL game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Dec. 11, 1994 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/L.M. Otero)
New York Giants tackle Doug Riesenberg (72) is seen in action during an NFL game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Dec. 11, 1994, in East Rutherford, N.J. (Allen Kee via AP)
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Jon Kitna (3) is sacked by New York Giants linebacker Reggie Torbor (58) during the first half, Sunday, Dec. 26, 2004, in Cincinnati. The Giants' Lance Legree (70) looks on. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)
CINCINNATI - DECEMBER 26: Defensive end Osi Umenyiora #72 of the New York Giants runs against the Cincinnati Bengals on December 26, 2004 at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals defeated the Giants 23-22. (AP Photo/Scott Boehm)
CINCINNATI - DECEMBER 26: Running back Ron Dayne #27 of the New York Giants runs with the football against the Cincinnati Bengals on December 26, 2004 at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals defeated the Giants 23-22. (AP Photo/Scott Boehm)
CINCINNATI - DECEMBER 26: Running back Tiki Barber #21 of the New York Giants is flipped in the air as he is tackled against the Cincinnati Bengals on December 26, 2004 at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals defeated the Giants 23-22. (AP Photo/Scott Boehm)
CINCINNATI - DECEMBER 26: Tight end Jeremy Shockey #80 of the New York Giants catches a pass against the Cincinnati Bengals on December 26, 2004 at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals defeated the Giants 23-22. (AP Photo/Scott Boehm)
CINCINNATI - DECEMBER 26: Bengals and Giants players line up at the line of scrimmage prior to the snap during the Cincinnati Bengals against the New York Giants on December 26, 2004 at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals defeated the Giants 23-22. (AP Photo/Scott Boehm)
CINCINNATI - DECEMBER 26: Tackle Luke Petitgout #77 of the New York Giants blocks against the Cincinnati Bengals on December 26, 2004 at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals defeated the Giants 23-22. (AP Photo/Scott Boehm)
CINCINNATI - DECEMBER 26: Center Shaun O'Hara #60 of the New York Giants gets ready to snap the football against the Cincinnati Bengals on December 26, 2004 at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals defeated the Giants 23-22. (AP Photo/Scott Boehm)
CINCINNATI - DECEMBER 26: Running back Tiki Barber #21 of the New York Giants runs with the football against the Cincinnati Bengals on December 26, 2004 at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals defeated the Giants 23-22. (AP Photo/Scott Boehm)
CINCINNATI - DECEMBER 26: Center Shaun O'Hara #60 of the New York Giants gets ready to snap the football against the Cincinnati Bengals on December 26, 2004 at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals defeated the Giants 23-22. (AP Photo/Scott Boehm)
CINCINNATI - DECEMBER 26: Tight end Jeremy Shockey #80 of the New York Giants runs a pass pattern against the Cincinnati Bengals on December 26, 2004 at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals defeated the Giants 23-22. (AP Photo/Scott Boehm)
CINCINNATI - DECEMBER 26: Running back Rudi Johnson #32 of the Cincinnati Bengals runs with the football against the New York Giants on December 26, 2004 at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals defeated the Giants 23-22. (AP Photo/Scott Boehm)
CINCINNATI - DECEMBER 26: Defensive end Osi Umenyiora #72 of the New York Giants runs against the Cincinnati Bengals on December 26, 2004 at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals defeated the Giants 23-22. (AP Photo/Scott Boehm)
CINCINNATI - DECEMBER 26: Tight end Jeremy Shockey #80 of the New York Giants runs a pass pattern against the Cincinnati Bengals on December 26, 2004 at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals defeated the Giants 23-22. (AP Photo/Scott Boehm)
CINCINNATI - DECEMBER 26: Running back Ron Dayne #27 of the New York Giants runs with the football against the Cincinnati Bengals on December 26, 2004 at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals defeated the Giants 23-22. (AP Photo/Scott Boehm)
CINCINNATI - DECEMBER 26: Tight end Jeremy Shockey #80 of the New York Giants runs a pass pattern against the Cincinnati Bengals on December 26, 2004 at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals defeated the Giants 23-22. (AP Photo/Scott Boehm)
CINCINNATI - DECEMBER 26: Tight end Jeremy Shockey #80 of the New York Giants blocks against the Cincinnati Bengals on December 26, 2004 at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals defeated the Giants 23-22. (AP Photo/Scott Boehm)
CINCINNATI - DECEMBER 26: Quarterback Eli Manning #10 of the New York Giants drops back to pass against the Cincinnati Bengals on December 26, 2004 at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals defeated the Giants 23-22. (AP Photo/Scott Boehm)
CINCINNATI - DECEMBER 26: Defensive back Will Allen #25 of the New York Giants runs in pass coverage against the Cincinnati Bengals on December 26, 2004 at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals defeated the Giants 23-22. (AP Photo/Scott Boehm)
CINCINNATI - DECEMBER 26: Running back Tiki Barber #21 of the New York Giants runs with the football against the Cincinnati Bengals on December 26, 2004 at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals defeated the Giants 23-22. (AP Photo/Scott Boehm)
CINCINNATI - DECEMBER 26: Defensive back Will Allen #25 of the New York Giants runs in pass coverage against the Cincinnati Bengals on December 26, 2004 at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals defeated the Giants 23-22. (AP Photo/Scott Boehm)
CINCINNATI - DECEMBER 26: Wide receiver Ike Hillard #88 of the New York Giants runs with the football against the Cincinnati Bengals on December 26, 2004 at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals defeated the Giants 23-22. (AP Photo/Scott Boehm)
CINCINNATI - DECEMBER 26: Running back Tiki Barber #21 of the New York Giants runs with the football against the Cincinnati Bengals on December 26, 2004 at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals defeated the Giants 23-22. (AP Photo/Scott Boehm)
CINCINNATI - DECEMBER 26: Wide receiver Amani Toomer #81 of the New York Giants runs a pass pattern against the Cincinnati Bengals on December 26, 2004 at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals defeated the Giants 23-22. (AP Photo/Scott Boehm)
CINCINNATI - DECEMBER 26: Quarterback Eli Manning #10 of the New York Giants hands off against the Cincinnati Bengals on December 26, 2004 at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals defeated the Giants 23-22. (AP Photo/Scott Boehm)
CINCINNATI - DECEMBER 26: Running back Ron Dayne #27 of the New York Giants runs with the football against the Cincinnati Bengals on December 26, 2004 at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals defeated the Giants 23-22. (AP Photo/Scott Boehm)
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh (84) catches a fourth down pass for a first down against New York Giants defenders Brent Alexander (26) and Frank Walker (41) in the fourth quarter, Sunday, Dec. 26, 2004, in Cincinnati. Cincinnati won 23-22. (AP Photo/Tom Uhlman)
New York Giants tight end Kevin Boss, right, makes a catch for a 21-yard gain as he is tackled by Cincinnati Bengals safety Chinedum Ndukwe during the second quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008, at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
New York Giants Eli Manning #10 in action against the Cincinnati Bengals at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008. The Giants beat the Bengals in overtime, 26-23. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
New York Giants Amani Toomer #81 in action against the Cincinnati Bengals Simeon Castille #21 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008. The Giants beat the Bengals in overtime, 26-23. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
New York Giants Corey Webster #23 in action against the Cincinnati Bengals Chad Johnson #85 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008. The Giants beat the Bengals in overtime, 26-23. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Cincinnati Bengals T.J. Houshmandzadeh #84 in action, getting tackled against the New York Giants Sam Madison #29 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008. The Giants beat the Bengals in overtime, 26-23. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Cincinnati Bengals Dhani Jones # 57 with New York Giants Eli Manning #10 after a game at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008. The Giants beat the Bengals in overtime, 26-23. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
New York Giants' Reuben Droughns, left, tries to get a few extra yards during the first half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008. The Giants won 26-23. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Cincinnati Bengals Marvin White attempts to tackle New York Giants running back Derrick Ward (34) during the third quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
New York Giants' Steve Smith, left, tries to push past Cincinnati Bengals' Marvin White during the second half of an NFL football game at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008. The Giants beat the Bengals in overtime, 26-23. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer, right, is sacked by New York Giants defensive tackle Fred Robbins during the third quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. The Giants won 26-23 in overtime. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
New York Giants running back Derrick Ward (34) is tackled after gaining 13 yards by Cincinnati Bengals safety Marvin White as Bengals cornerback David Jones (20) helps out during the third quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. The Giants beat the Bengals 26-23 in overtime. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
New York Giants' Fred Robbins, left, gets a hand on a pass from Cincinnati Bengals' Carson Palmer, right, during the second half of an NFL football game at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008. The Giants beat the Bengals in overtime, 26-23. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
New York Giants' Derrick Ward, right, gets past Cincinnati Bengals' Marvin White (26) during the second half of an NFL football game at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008. The Giants beat the Bengals 26-23 in overtime. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
New York Giants tight end Kevin Boss catches a touchdown pass over Cincinnati Bengals' Marvin White (26), Chinedum Ndukwe, left, and Simeon Castille, rear, during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. The Giants beat the Bengals 26-23 in overtime. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
New York Giants' Amani Toomer, right, catches the ball while Cincinnati Bengals' Simeon Castille tries to bring him down during the second half of an NFL football game at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008. The Giants beat the Bengals 26-23 in overtime. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
New York Giants' Fred Robbins, right, sacks Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer, center, while Bengals' Levi Jones looks on during the first half of an NFL football game at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
New York Giants' Jeff Feagles, left, celebrates after John Carney (5) kicked the game-winning field goal during overtime of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008. The Giants won 26-23. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer, right, passes the ball as he is pressured by New York Giants defensive end Justin Tuck during the first quarter of a NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008, at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs (27) goes over the top of the pile to score a touchdown during the second quarter of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) passes against the Cincinnati Bengals in the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Nov. 11, 2012, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Michael Keating)
New York Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks (88) is tackled by Cincinnati Bengals defensive back Chris Crocker (33) after a short gain in the second half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Nov. 11, 2012, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Tom Uhlman)
The Cincinnati Bengals, left, line up against the New York Giants in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 11, 2012, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Tom Uhlman)
New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz makes a catch during a week 10 football game against the Cincinnati Bengals on November 11, 2012 in Cincinnati, Ohio (AP Photo/Evan Pinkus)
New York Giants tight end Martellus Bennett (85) makes a catch before getting hit by Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Emmanuel Lamur (59) during a week 10 football game on November 11, 2012 in Cincinnati, Ohio (AP Photo/Evan Pinkus)
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) passes against the Cincinnati Bengals in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 11, 2012, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Tom Uhlman)
The New York Giants defensive line attempts to block an extra point attempt during a week 10 football game against the Cincinnati Bengals on November 11, 2012 in Cincinnati, Ohio (AP Photo/Evan Pinkus)
New York Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks (88) runs with the football during a week 10 NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, November 11, 2012 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals defeated the Giants 31-13. (AP Photo/Scott Boehm)
New York Giants offensive tackle Will Beatty (65) blocks during a week 10 NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, November 11, 2012 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals defeated the Giants 31-13. (AP Photo/Scott Boehm)
New York Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw (44) runs with the football during a week 10 NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, November 11, 2012 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals defeated the Giants 31-13. (AP Photo/Scott Boehm)
Cincinnati Bengals running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis (42) is tackled by New York Giants middle linebacker Chase Blackburn (93) after a short gain in the second half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Nov. 11, 2012, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Michael Keating)
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) looks to throw a pass against the Cincinnati Bengals in an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 11, 2012, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Tom Uhlman)
New York Giants and Cincinnati Bengals players line up at the line of scrimmage prior to the snap of the football during a week 10 NFL football game between the New York Giants against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, November 11, 2012 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals defeated the Giants 31-13. (AP Photo/Scott Boehm)
New York Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks (88) is tackled by the Cincinnati Bengals in an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 11, 2012, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Tom Uhlman)
New York Giants kick returner David Wilson (22) is tackled by Cincinnati Bengals' Mohamed Sanu (12) in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 11, 2012, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Michael Keating)
New York Giants running back Andre Brown (35) scores on a two-yard run against the Cincinnati Bengals in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 11, 2012, in Cincinnati. Cincinnati won 31-13. (AP Photo/Tom Uhlman)
New York Giants guard Chris Snee (76) and offensive tackle David Diehl (66) blocks during a week 10 NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, November 11, 2012 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals defeated the Giants 31-13. (AP Photo/Scott Boehm)
New York Giants running back Andre Brown (35) is tackled by Cincinnati Bengals outside linebacker Vontaze Burfict (55) in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 11, 2012, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Michael Keating)
New York Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw (44) runs with the football during a week 10 NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, November 11, 2012 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals defeated the Giants 31-13. (AP Photo/Scott Boehm)
A look down the line of scrimmage as the New York Giants take on the Cincinnati Bengals during a week 10 football game on November 11, 2012 in Cincinnati, Ohio (AP Photo/Evan Pinkus)
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) throws a pass against the Cincinnati Bengals during a NFL football game in East Rutherford, N.J. on Monday, Nov 14, 2016. (Kirby Lee/NFL)
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) talks with Cincinnati Bengals tackle Andrew Whitworth (77) after playing in an NFL football game, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2016, in East Rutherford, N.J. The Giants won 21-20. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
A look down the line of scrimmage as the New York Giants take on the Cincinnati Bengals during a week 10 NFL football game on November 14, 2016 in East Rutherford, NJ. (Evan Pinkus via AP)
New York Giants running back Rashad Jennings (23) runs the ball against Cincinnati Bengals strong safety Shawn Williams (36) during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game, Monday, Nov. 14, 2016, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard (87) scores a touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game, Monday, Nov. 14, 2016, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard (87) scores a touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game, Monday, Nov. 14, 2016, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) throws a pass against the Cincinnati Bengals during the second quarter of an NFL football game, Monday, Nov. 14, 2016, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) during the NFL regular season game against the Cincinnati Bengals and the New York Giants on Monday, Nov. 14, 2016 in East Rutherford, N.J. The Giants won, 21-20. (Ric Tapia via AP)
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) runs the ball against the Cincinnati Bengals during the second quarter of an NFL football game, Monday, Nov. 14, 2016, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) throws under pressure from Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Geno Atkins (97) during the second quarter of an NFL football game, Monday, Nov. 14, 2016, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
New York Giants tight end Jerell Adams (89) crosses the goal line for a touchdown despite the efforts of Cincinnati Bengals outside linebacker Vincent Rey (57) during the first quarter of an NFL football game, Monday, Nov. 14, 2016, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard (87) touchdown during the NFL regular season game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday, Nov. 14, 2016 in East Rutherford, N.J. The Giants won, 21-20. (Ric Tapia via AP)
New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard (87) is tackled by Cincinnati Bengals free safety George Iloka (43) during the first quarter of an NFL football game, Monday, Nov. 14, 2016, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) waits for the snap during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Monday, Nov. 14, 2016, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
New York Giants tight end Jerell Adams (89) during a week 10 NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals on November 14, 2016 in East Rutherford, NJ. (Evan Pinkus via AP)
The line of scrimmage between the New York Giants and the Cincinnati Bengals during an NFL game between the New York Giants and the Cincinnati Bengals, Monday, November 14, 2016, in East Rutherford, NJ. (Tom Hauck via AP)
New York Giants running back Rashad Jennings (23) during the NFL regular season game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday, Nov. 14, 2016 in East Rutherford, N.J. The Giants won, 21-20. (Ric Tapia via AP)
New York Giants running back Bobby Rainey (43) gets tackled by Cincinnati Bengals outside linebacker Vincent Rey (57) in action during an NFL game between the New York Giants and the Cincinnati Bengals, Monday, November 14, 2016, in East Rutherford, NJ. (Tom Hauck via AP)
New York Giants running back Rashad Jennings (23) and guard Bobby Hart (68) celebrate in the final minute against the Cincinnati Bengals during a NFL football game in East Rutherford, N.J. on Monday, Nov 14, 2016. The Giants defeated the Bengals 21-20. (Kirby Lee/NFL)
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) throws the ball during an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday, Nov. 14, 2016 in East Rutherford, N.J. New York 21-20. (Aaron M. Sprecher via AP)
New York Giants running back Rashad Jennings (23) celebrates during an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday, Nov. 14, 2016 in East Rutherford, N.J. New York 21-20. (Aaron M. Sprecher via AP)
New York Giants running back Rashad Jennings (23) celebrates during an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday, Nov. 14, 2016 in East Rutherford, N.J. New York 21-20. (Aaron M. Sprecher via AP)
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green (18) is tackled by a host of New York Giants defenders during an NFL football game on Monday, Nov. 14, 2016 in East Rutherford, N.J. New York 21-20. (Aaron M. Sprecher via AP)
New York Giants tight end Jerell Adams (89) runs into the end zone in action during an NFL game between the New York Giants and the Cincinnati Bengals, Monday, November 14, 2016, in East Rutherford, NJ. (Tom Hauck via AP)
New York Giants running back Rashad Jennings (23) gets tackled by Cincinnati Bengals outside linebacker Vincent Rey (57) and Cincinnati Bengals outside linebacker Vontaze Burfict (55) in action during an NFL game between the New York Giants and the Cincinnati Bengals, Monday, November 14, 2016, in East Rutherford, NJ. (Tom Hauck via AP)
New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard (87) touchdown during the NFL regular season game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday, Nov. 14, 2016 in East Rutherford, N.J. The Giants won, 21-20. (Ric Tapia via AP)
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) during the NFL regular season game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday, Nov. 14, 2016 in East Rutherford, N.J. The Giants won, 21-20. (Ric Tapia via AP)
New York Giants running back Rashad Jennings (23) during a week 10 NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals on November 14, 2016 in East Rutherford, NJ. (Evan Pinkus via AP)
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green (18) gets tackled in action during an NFL game between the New York Giants and the Cincinnati Bengals, Monday, November 14, 2016, in East Rutherford, NJ. (Tom Hauck via AP)
New York Giants outside linebacker Jonathan Casillas (52) in action during an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday, Nov. 14, 2016 in East Rutherford, N.J. New York 21-20. (Aaron M. Sprecher via AP)
New York Giants running back Rashad Jennings (23) is pursued by Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Carlos Dunlap (96) during a NFL football game in East Rutherford, N.J. on Monday, Nov 14, 2016. The Giants defeated the Bengals 21-20. (Kirby Lee/NFL)
New York Giants running back Rashad Jennings (23) gets tackled by Cincinnati Bengals outside linebacker Vincent Rey (57) and Cincinnati Bengals outside linebacker Vontaze Burfict (55) in action during an NFL game between the New York Giants and the Cincinnati Bengals, Monday, November 14, 2016, in East Rutherford, NJ. (Tom Hauck via AP)
New York Giants wide receiver Dwayne Harris (17) runs with the ball in action during an NFL game between the New York Giants and the Cincinnati Bengals, Monday, November 14, 2016, in East Rutherford, NJ. (Tom Hauck via AP)
New York Giants running back Rashad Jennings (23) during a week 10 NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals on November 14, 2016 in East Rutherford, NJ. (Evan Pinkus via AP)
Leonard Williams (99)
Tae Crowder (48)
Daniel Jones (8)
Julian Love (20)
Leonard Williams (99)
Cam Brown (47)
Daniel Jones (8)
Sterling Shepard (87)
Sterling Shepard (87)
Tae Crowder (48)
Shane Lemieux (66), Andrew Thomas (78)
Sterling Shepard (87)
Q: Boyd does a lot of his work in the slot. Is that a particular challenge for Darnay Holmes this week?
Judge: "I think it's a challenge for anyone who covers him. He's a very talented receiver. We have to all play our best. We have to make sure we understand where he is at all times and the types of routes he runs in different positions. But whoever covers, whether it's Boyd or Green or Higgins, I can keep going down the list of guys they've got, this is a tremendous challenge for our defense. We have to make sure that we're prepared to go win this game."
Q: Their top two tacklers are (Vonn) Bell and (Jessie) Bates. In some circumstances, you don't want your safeties to be your leading tacklers. But you said this week that (Lou) Anarumo coordinates from the back going forward. Is that unusual or do you think their injuries upfront have played a part in that?
Judge: "I think their safeties play aggressive. A lot of their tackles come from lining up in the box anyway. They're playing a lot of single-high defense, which puts a safety at linebacker depth anyway. It's the same as looking at it as the linebackers making tackles or that box safety. It's not that they're getting a lot of runs down the field and making all these tackles. They have just been in an aggressive position to get up there and fit it and make those plays. I think they play aggressive from the backend, and Lou does a great job of tying everything together in front of them. But no, I don't think that's indicative of them having issues. I think it's just how aggressive their safeties play and how Lou plays aggressive with them to get them down in the box and make plays."
Q: You mentioned Cincinnati's special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons and his special teams yesterday. (Brandon) Wilson led the NFL with a 31.3-yard kickoff return yardage last year. He's still pretty good at 24.1. Is he someone you really must pay attention to this week?
Judge: "Yeah, I don't care if it's with the ball in his hands as the kick returner or he's covering on kickoffs or punts. This guy is a weapon. He really is. He's one of the tops in the league. He's an elite player. You have to have a lot of respect for this guy right here. For Giants fans, he is kind of like Dwayne Harris in terms of having a core player who also is your returner, which is very rare. To have that dual skillset of being a guy who can run down the field and make tackles also with the offensive skillset to be the returner, that's something that's rare and is really a weapon for them. You find a guy like that, you want to hold onto him and keep him. But he's definitely… Darrin knows how to find these guys and develop them, and this guy has made a lot of plays out there."
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