Coach Tom Coughlin
Q: How is Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie doing? When we were out here he didn't seem to do that much.
A: I thought he did a little better, to be honest with you, early in practice. Who knows?
Q: Is it impossible at this point to game plan saying, 'We know he's going to be there for the whole game?'
A: I don't believe we can do that as this point.
Q: How much does that limit you?
A: It limits you.
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Q: Jerry Reese talked about you guys talking a lot about the defense and what kind of… **
A: We talk a lot about everybody. We talk about you sometimes. What was the question?
Q: He said you guys talked a lot about what has been wrong with the defense and how to fix it. What is your view of why the defense has been so inconsistent in the first seven games?
A: I don't go back a whole lot further than the last two, to be honest with you. I know that people have run the ball on us and that has set us up for play-action. I think that the Dallas experience, they ran the ball on us and made some big plays. It was a good football game, we had a chance to do something about it and we didn't do it. It's not, yeah you'd like to have a shutout every week, but let's face it, when you're playing against teams that are putting an awful lot of yardage up and points, etcetera. For me it starts with that, it starts with stopping the run, but of course, you've got to get after the passer. It seems like every week we're facing an outstanding passer. We will again this week.
Q: Mike Harris with Jacksonville played a lot of nickel. Is that a role he might play here?
A: Yeah, he could play nickel, sure.
Q: Is he going to be ready, do you think?
A: Well, we'll see. There is one scenario where he will have to and another scenario, but he's learning both the nickel position and the corner spot.
Q: Jayron Hosley came in, now he's had a battlefield promotion kind of thing. What does he look like to you now with more reps and more time in there?
A: I told him today, I thought yesterday he showed a lot of quickness and speed. I'd like to see it pretty much on every play. He does have cover ability, he's just got to do it over and over again consistently.
Q: T.Y. Hilton is in the slot most of the time?
A: They put him wherever they want, wherever they'd like to have him.
Q: He's very comfortable in the slot?
A: Yeah.
Q: That will be an interesting match-up with Hosley. What's your level of confidence there?
A: He's our guy. If he starts at nickel, he's our guy. Let's go.
Q: We talked to Damontre Moore and he talked about becoming a more trustworthy player. How is he doing?
A: He's working at it. He's going to be in the rotation. We're urging him every day to focus on and concentrate on his assignments. He's athletic, but we have to do it within the scheme, so that's where we are.
Q: How is Geoff Schwartz? The last time we saw you was before you had seen him out there.
A: He moves around okay. I think he's still got some restrictions there, but it's good to have him back out there.
Q: Is it a long shot at this point for him to be ready in such a short period time?
A: To be ready for when?
Q: Monday.
A: I would say that's a reach.
Q: You have 100 former players or somewhere around there that are expected at the game on Monday. What does that mean to you when those guys are around and the fact that you keep them close?
A: I think it's really a testimony to, 'Once a Giant,' that famous statement that Mr. Mara makes. 'Once a Giant, always a Giants.' The fact that these players would come back and support and recognize Michael Strahan receiving his ring on Monday night, that says a lot. That says a lot.
WR Odell Beckham Jr.
Q: Jerry Reese said he wanted to see the offensive be more aggressive and get more big plays… Is it that simple, that you just go and run down there and get them? What has to happen?
A: Execution. First you have to snap the ball, second the offensive line has to block, third [receivers] have to get open, Eli [Manning] has to throw it and we have to catch it. It is as simple as that. We need to execute better and I am excited to see what is going to happen Monday.
Q: Is there a danger in forcing a big play? Does that lead to unnecessary mistakes?
A: Not necessarily. I guess as a receiver, selfishly, anytime you get a chance to make a play, you are going to want to make it. I know for myself and the receiving corps, as well, once the ball is in the air, the ball is ours. It is our ball or nobody's ball, that is our mentality as receivers. Hopefully we get a couple chances to make big plays and show up big for Eli.
Q: Obviously Pittsburgh shredded [the Colts defense]… Is that something that was indicative of other Colts films that you had seen or is it something Pittsburgh did uniquely that allowed them to be so successful?
A: Watching the film, as with every team, there are flaws. There are things that we are going to try and attack. Pittsburgh did a great job at it. They had one of those nights when they were on and the offense was clicking. It is one of those things where we are going to come out and execute to the best of our ability.
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Q: In your experience when a team gets roasted like that, don't they usually bounce back hard the next week? **
A: Absolutely. Their pride is on the line. They know what happened last week and they are going to play with a chip on their shoulder. We fully expect that. I always embrace a challenge. They have a great defense over there with great defensive backs and safties. It is going to be a challenge.
Q: You have had some success in the first three games… How much do you feel that you are still learning on the job?
A: You are always learning. For the most part, I have the playbook down. There are little things that you add in here and there. You have to pick up on them. There are a couple of things we added in and you just have to pick up on it and pick up on it fast.
Q: In terms of beyond the playbook, when you are out there on the field, are there technique things that are becoming easier or more difficult?
A: I know there are a lot of things I have to work on. I try to get them in practice as much as I can. There are times in a game where I wish I would've done this or I wish I would've done that. I am trying to eliminate that feeling of saying I wish I would've done this instead of now being able to do it.
