Head Coach Brian Daboll

Q: Can you talk about the progression you see from their rookie year to now with (running back Eric) Gray and (quarterback Tommy) DeVito?

BRIAN DABOLL: Two guys that do the right thing on and off the field. Where Tommy (DeVito) came from in rookie camp to where he was playing last year to understanding a lot of the nuances of our offense, I think he's made strides. And I have thought (Eric) Gray has gotten stronger as camp went on. He made a couple nice plays tonight. Two young players, keep developing them.

Q: How's (quarterback) Drew Lock? We know he came out and said he had a hip injury.

BRIAN DABOLL: He's sore.

Q: How about (inside linebacker) Dyontae Johnson?

BRIAN DABOLL: Same. He was going to come back. He was talking about it. I think he had an ankle. Injury-wise, I don't have any update. I haven't met with (Medical Services/Head Athletic Trainer) Ronnie (Barnes) or anything like that.

Q: But you guys are confident that (quarterback) Drew (Lock) is going to be fine long-term?

BRIAN DABOLL: We'll find out tomorrow but I don't foresee it being a long time.

Q: Was that about (quarterback Drew) Lock?

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, it was about (Drew) Lock.

Q: How did feel that the offense did when (quarterback) Drew (Lock) was in there?

BRIAN DABOLL: Some good things, some things to clean up in all areas. The thing I was proud of was we controlled the line of scrimmage. Ran the football, which you need to do. Almost had weather every game we played here last year, so it was good to get weather tonight. Went backwards some on a few holding penalties but had some lanes, ran hard, blocked force. It was going to be an emphasis tonight to be able to run the football regardless of if it's raining or not. Defensively, I thought we did a good job. Stopped them, I think, on four fourth-downs, (they were) 0-for-3 in the red zone. I thought (Defensive Coordinator) Shane (Bowen) was really good. Just being the first time with him, very composed, got the play in quickly, good communicator with the signal callers. And I'd say same thing with (Special Teams Coordinator) Ghoby (Michael Ghobrial), very organized. They did a nice job creating field position for the first time out there. But the procedure, I was pleased with the procedure of the coaching staff and of the players.

Q: When you called plays in Buffalo, were you in the booth or on the field?

BRIAN DABOLL: I did both. I've been on the field and in the booth.

Q: How did it go tonight?

BRIAN DABOLL: Good.

Q: Like riding a bike?

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah. We want to score on every possession as an offensive player caller. But I'm proud (that) we established the line of scrimmage. We're going to need to do that throughout the season. Some things you always want back, but… Communication, the coaches did a great job. I'm back over to the defense to give them some thoughts. They have their own thoughts. (Offensive Coordinator) Mike (Kafka) had a lot of good thoughts tonight. But the communication, that's good. I was happy with the communication from the staff. Having (Offensive Line Coach) Carm (Carmen Bricillo), having (Tight Ends Coach) TK (Tim Kelly), having (Running Backs Coach) Joel (Thomas) for the first time out there, listening to the defensive guys, listening to the special teams guys. I was happy with the communication aspect of all those guys.

Q: How much different was it? Obviously, when you're an offensive coordinator, when the defense is on the field…

BRIAN DABOLL: It wasn't different. Other than calling plays during offense. I was on the defensive side of the ball when they were calling defense, I was talking to special teams.

Q: That's not different than when you were OC (Offensive Coordinator)?

BRIAN DABOLL: Oh, different than an OC (Offensive Coordinator). Sorry, I thought you meant last year. Yeah, other than you go and listen to the defensive calls or give them reminders, 'Hey, be alert here. Possible hard count. We're going to go for it if we get fourth'… whatever it may be. But other than that, not a whole lot.

Q: The deployment of some of the guys. The starters on defense did not play other than (cornerback) Deonte (Banks). He was just getting some reps, Deonte Banks?

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah. (Cornerback Cor'Dale) Flott would have played, but he had a quad (injury). (We'll) see how he is. Young defensive backs. And really, (cornerback) Nick's (McCloud) had a lot of experience. He's played a lot on special teams. You want to see some of these younger guys too. Yeah, we played (Deonte) Banks. We'll see where we're at when we play Houston. But playing a little bit here.

Q: You had Malik Nabers out there?

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, he's a rookie.

Q: [Inaudible]

BRIAN DABOLL: All the rookies played. Most all the second-year guys played.

Q: (Cornerback) Nick (McCloud) is a little banged up?

BRIAN DABOLL: No, he's okay. We're just making sure we take care of him. He's done a lot of running. Again, that was more of an individual plan. Plus, he's played a lot for us in the kicking game. We gave him the night off.

Q: It looked like Malik (Nabers) on his first route, it looked like there was something there…

BRIAN DABOLL: (Quarterback) Drew (Lock) thought he saw something with the safety coming down on the tight end, so he pulled the trigger. He thought the guy was running out underneath him, so he was trying to make a smart decision.

Q: On a lighter note, your play calling tent seemed to get a lot of attention. Have you used something like that before, the tent you used to shield the rain from your play sheet?

BRIAN DABOLL: No, it was just coming down, and I don't like the laminated one, so I just put a little cover on it.

Q: Why don't you like the laminated? Do you like to write on it?

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah. We have another sheet that's waterproof, but I just like the paper.

Q: What impressed you about (quarterback) Tommy (DeVito) tonight?

BRIAN DABOLL: He's getting better. I think he's got firm control of the offense. The guys have a lot of confidence in him. I have confidence in him. He's really come a long way since he's been here. It's good for him to play as much as he did. So, keep on developing him. Quarterbacks are hard to find in this league. Undrafted, free agent, won three games, played in some games last year for us. Still knows he has a long way to go, but smart, accurate, makes good decisions. Good young player to work with.

Q: What do you think of the way they're testing first downs with the laser instead of the chains out there? Does it delay the game?

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, whatever it is, whether they're holding it running out or whatever.

Q: When the defense is on the field and you're sitting there writing on your play sheet, is that based on just your own thoughts or is that something (Offensive Coordinator) Mike (Kafka) is relaying down? Just curious how that process works.

BRIAN DABOLL: So as soon as they come off, you're always communicating throughout the series, too. Like, 'Hey, write down number 25. Watch this safety and what he's doing.' Or 'Go to this.' Or 'What's the backside end doing?' Or, 'How are the double team's going?' So, you're communicating through the series. They come off, I might say, 'Hey, I'm thinking about these three plays in the next series. You guys talk about it. Is there something that you want to see or you think is good that you watch?' I mean, tonight you were able to watch it on the tablets. That was the one game where you could watch basically the game. So, those guys communicate. They give it to me, some of the things that they'd like to see. I kind of have a feel as I'm watching the game of what's going on. But it was really good communication. Mike (Kafka) kind of heads that all up. I get back on with him in between (series), but I got a pretty good sense of what I want to get to based on what I'm seeing during the series.

Q: With (running back Eric) Gray, obviously last year's rookie experience was difficult for him. He gets hurt. It didn't seem like he was ever in a comfort zone. The process to get him back to where he is tonight and obviously running the football. Did you have to build back his confidence at all from last year to this year?

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, new season. I think everybody has more confidence when you go through a season as a rookie. Expectations, all the things that go along with it. Knowing the offense. It was good to see him make a few plays out there tonight. But let's start with the offensive line. Creating holes. He had some good runs in open space. A couple good plays on screen plays. But, a collective effort. We're going to have to continue to try to do that and establish the run game. (Be a) Physical team. Variety of run schemes. That's something that's important to me as a play caller. I think it's important to our team. To be physical, to be able to do that. Running backs will get plenty of opportunity. You don't get a ton of that during training camp practices. It's, 'This guy was free in the hole. Would have been a two-yard loss.' Well, I mean, really nobody knows until you're out here tackling. 'It was going to be a sack,' but it wasn't a sack. That's why these games are so valuable.

Q: Do you like how OLB Boogie Basham's playing?

A: Yeah, I'll go back. I can't give you an evaluation on all these guys. We'll go back, we'll look at it. I'm sure there's stuff to correct but just the overall standard of which they played with just stopping them down in the red zone a few times, the level of energy that they had tackling. We had that pick. Unfortunately they got it back from us. It'll be a good learning experience. I thought we played physical. That's something that we want to try to be is a physical football team in all three areas.

Q: Did you learn anything about the new kickoff rule--?

A: Nah, I mean we'll go back and look at it. Again, that'll be a work in progress. I was pleased with Special Teams tonight, just the organization out there, the way they played physical, kicking the ball, the gunners. Again, we need to be a physical team.

Q: Is that something that you wanted to do this offseason, heading into camp, that you wanted to be a little bit more of a physical team?

A: Yeah, I thought we brought guys in that have some toughness, young players, some veteran players and again, this is a physical sport. Mental and physical, so being mentally tough, being physically tough, I think you've got to train that. You do that in training camp. It's also the type of individuals you bring in. I think Ghoby does a great job with that. I think (Defensive Coordinator) Shane (Bowen) does a great job with that, the new coaches we brought in. We're a work in progress, but we're going to try to be physical.

Q: I gather that you're pretty happy with the team this week. The two joint scrimmages, the way they brought the physicality tonight. Is it sort of, kind of like meeting what you want?

A: Yeah, I mean again, we're a work in progress. We've got a long way to go, but the style in which I expect us to play is a physical brand of football. Is it always perfect? No, but the effort, the attention to detail, the concentration, the focus on the sideline, the communication from the coaches, the chemistry together, that's what you're trying to build. We're not there yet but we're certainly trying to build it.

Quarterback Tommy DeVito

Q: How would you describe your career? How you thought about it as a rookie versus going into your second year? What are the things that you're looking to progress in?

TOMMY DEVITO: Yeah, it's kind of crazy standing here right now knowing a whole year has passed. My thoughts going into preseason are a little different now. Last year was a little bit of nerves. First NFL game, so there was a lot of excitement that went into it. But now I kind of get the gist of it, played in some actual games that are a little different than preseason. But treat every game like it's the Super Bowl. So, you go out there and try to play everything and put your best foot forward. For me, trying to avoid sacks, get out of negative plays. Had two really negatives plays in my head today that I would want to get back. One was a sack. The other one was sliding on third down. I got down early. That was pretty bad. I told (Head Coach Brian Daboll) Dabs to give me the rock so I could make it right. So I ended up converting on that fourth and one. Really, just trying to eliminate a lot of the negatives and keep the offense on pace moving forward and score points.

Q: You think you made a case for yourself tonight?

TOMMY DEVITO: Every day is a step in the right direction. Try to build off it every single time I go out on the field and have the opportunity to be out on the field. Like I said, a couple (plays) I've noticed for now, but I'm sure when I watch the film it's going to be a couple more things that I want to correct and get back. But continuing to try to use these next two upcoming games to put my best foot forward.

Q: Did you hear the cheer for you when you trotted out?

TOMMY DEVITO: I did, yeah. I love it. I appreciate all the fans for that. It's a lot of support. It means a lot to me.

Q: You look very comfortable. How did you feel?

TOMMY DEVITO: I felt great. O-Line did a great job. Running backs did a good job in protection, did a good job getting out. They were playing a lot of prevent, they only played a couple of coverages. A lot of it was trying to take away deeper passes. The running backs did a good job being able to check the protection and get out as well with it. So, it's a big step up from last year. It's been a big emphasis. Yeah, O-line did a great job and I felt very comfortable.

Q: So your mindset this year is different than a year ago?

A: For sure.

Q: Could you elaborate on that?

A: Like the whole thing that I just said? I've been in here for a year. It's not my first NFL game any more. That's really what it was. I've gotten hit in the NFL before. I've played, I've won, I've lost. I've kind of dealt with a lot in the past year. I felt comfortable being the situation again today.

Q: When Drew Lock goes out and you have to come in a little earlier that expected, you didn't flinch?

A: I mean, no. Backup job is pretty tough. It happened a couple times last year. It has happened in my career prior in high school, college. To be in the situation last year, where you have to always be ready to go, even if it was a little bit sooner than I anticipated. Regardless, when it's your time to go, you've got to go.

Q: In preseason, there's no game planning and things like that. How much did it help to scrimmage against Detroit this week and then play them for real?

TOMMY DEVITO: Yeah, it definitely helps. It's a little different in practice. You get some more exotic looks, some crazier things. Same thing with us. We run some different plays, and then we get out here, it's a little bit more vanilla, if you will. But, yeah, to be able to go against them, see what their personnel is like, how they play certain things, it's definitely beneficial. But sometimes it's paralysis by analysis. Let's just go out there and play.

Q: How was your communication different with Daboll tonight with him being the play caller than last season?

TOMMY DEVITO: It was very good. Me and him, as you know we used to have those meetings once a week when I was on practice squad, and then as time went up, we stopped meeting. So our communication from then to now has built up. So when he calls a play, I know what he's thinking. It's very good, clean communication between me and directly with the head coach and whoever's calling the play. So, everything was really good tonight and we'll continue to build off it.

Q: On the touchdown drive, the 24-yard swing pass to (running back) Eric (Gray), and then what did you think of his move on the touchdown run?

TOMMY DEVITO: That boy has been in the lab working. I mean anytime our backs get t the second level, you usually see me standing back there like this, even when (running back Dante Miller) Turbo hit a crease on one of them. I saw him bend the corner and I was like 'ooh'. They have that ability, and they've all done such a great job. But, yeah, Eric especially, to have that screen go and then all of a sudden get up to that second level, make a miss, and I was like, 'this dude better not get caught'. And he did not. He had a tremendous game. I looking forward to seeing him roll more.

Q: I know you're a young guy also, but have you kind of seen Eric blossom a little bit, if that's the word I can use?

TOMMY DEVITO: Yeah, for sure. Same situation. I think I feel for my rookie class. We all came in together. There was a million things thrown at us at once. Especially with him in his situation where he was getting some playing time early, especially on special teams. So there's a lot going on in your head. So to have that one year under your belt, to have ups and downs and everything. That will just make him a better player as well as myself and everybody else, I'm sure, moving forward. So I'm sure he was very comfortable going into this game more than he was last year. I don't want to speak for him. That's how I was, but I assume it's probably similar.

Q: Tommy, you've played a lot of football in your life so far. Are there things that you've learned last year and this year in terms of watching film and studying film that you didn't know before?

TOMMY DEVITO: Yeah, there's so many little intricacies. Basically, the biggest difference is the hashes in defenses. Like in high school and college, the hashes are really wide. So you can only get away with doing a certain amount of things. In the NFL, everything's so much tighter. So a lot of it can look similar, but it's not so much of a boundary as there is in college or high school, if you will. So that makes the biggest difference for defenses. So really just learning how defense … like Cover 2. In college, it used to be all the way, because they have so much field to cover because of the hashes. In the NFL, it's a little different. So just small things like that as far as alignments. And that's all it is week to week.

Q: Daboll said before you came in, we should ask you about the fourth and one. You were referring about sliding?

TOMMY DEVITO: Yeah, that's what that was about. He kind of gave me a heads-up as I was walking in. I was like, 'yeah, I'm probably going to get hit anyways'. So yeah, I messed up that third down up pretty bad. Slid early, should not have slid. Knowing where the sticks are. He was kind of getting at me after that. I was like, 'Dude, just give me the quarterback sneak. I'm going to make it right.' He said, 'you better get that yard'. I said 'I got it'. Leaned on my offensive line and we got it. Convert to get back to first down. But, should've never came to that. I should have handled that in the beginning. But knocking some rust off, that's good. Happy it happened right now than any other time.

Q: Is that something that will be repeated in film session to slow it down and reinforce that?

TOMMY DEVITO: Oh, for sure, yeah. They're going to hit me a couple of times. I'm sure (Offensive Passing Game Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach) Shea (Tierney) will turn around and say 'are you good on this now?' Yes, dive head first or just run the dude over or make him miss. I'll be good moving forward.

Q: Are you just different after the experience last year? Like, just more confident, more sure of yourself, that kind of thing?

TOMMY DEVITO: I think I've always been pretty confident. That's kind of always how I've carried myself. Yeah, it certainly helps when you've been in a situation, won a couple games, and playing in like a real game atmosphere, that definitely helps.

Q: After the Drew injury, did Dabs come up to you and say, 'don't worry, we're taking a penalty'?

TOMMY DEVITO: No, I was out there and was like, 'all right, we're rolling'. And then he started calling plays. 'Actually no, we're going to do this, taking it'. But yeah, I was ready to roll.

Running Back Eric Gray

Q: How much do you feel like you needed that (scoring both touchdowns of the game) to kind of boost the Training Camp that you're having? Obviously, it's a pretty wide-open running back race.

A: Yes, for sure. I just wanted to put my best foot forward. Like I said, I just want to be Eric Gray; just be me. Last year, I kind of made football more than it is. It's just football at the end of the day. Just being me.

Q: For you guys in the Running Back Room, in general, all of you young guys, a lot of the talk in the off-season has been 'How are the Giants going to move on from Saquon Barkley.' Have you guys had a little bit of a chip on you shoulder to show 'Hey, we're young guys that can play'?

A: Yes. Everybody has felt like what you are saying. I feel like everybody has done a great job; whether you're young and learning the system, or like me, a second-year player in the system, just being comfortable just being yourself.

Q: Eric, how much did it mean to be part of that running game tonight? As opposed to last year when you just were returning kickoffs. I'm sure you had the itch to want to get the ball out of the offensive formation.

A: It felt good. That's what I do, that's my title: Running Back. To be out there to be able to be me, that felt good.

Q: What did you learn about yourself last year that makes you a better player now as you get prepared for this running back-by-committee situation?

A: That football is the same game I have been playing since I was four years old. There is no difference. When you're young, people try to hype up that the NFL is a different league, but it's the exact same game that I've been playing since I was four.

Q: What did you see from the offensive line tonight? You almost had 100 total yards.

A: That's what Dabs and this entire staff tried to put together this offseason, get that O-line going, and it showed tonight. They showed how good they are and how nasty they want to be upfront. These guys are looking forward to it.