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Quotes (12/18): Coach Brian Daboll, QB Drew Lock, WR Malik Nabers

Head Coach Brian Daboll

Q: How are you doing at your quarterback position?

BRIAN DABOLL: Drew (Lock) should be okay.

Q: Intention is for him to start this week?

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah.

Q: Where's (quarterback) Tommy (DeVito) at in his progression so far?

BRIAN DABOLL: He's moving through the protocol. He'll do something today. I envision him being- I mean, who knows with concussions, but he'll have a chance. If he is, he'll be number two.

Q: How hard is it with all the yo-yoing like this? I mean, it's not all you're doing. You made a change with Daniel (Jones) and then a guy, then an injury, then a guy, then an injury, then a guy. I mean, it's a strain on everybody, isn't it?

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, you go out there and do the best you can. Prepare the guys. The three of those guys work hard. Try to take in the game plan. Go out there and practice. So, they all got to be ready.

Q: How about for the whole operation around it? The receivers, the cadence, everything?

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, it's all a little bit different with each guy. So, certainly, you'd like one guy in there the whole time, but that's not the reality.

Q: With Atlanta inserting (Falcons quarterback Michael) Penix (Jr.), does that change things at all? Does Atlanta changing quarterbacks change things for you?

BRIAN DABOLL: Well, look, the defensive guys, a few days before were doing a lot of work on (Falcons quarterback Kirk) Cousins. Penix hasn't played, I would say, a ton. He got in the Denver game when the score was out of hand, like seven snaps or somewhere around there. Seattle. Played in the preseason against Miami. And then we have tape from him in college. So, catching up to do relative to the starting quarterback.

Q: What did you think of him before the draft as a prospect?

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, good player. He was a good player at Indiana. He was a good player at Washington. Made it all the way to the national championship game. Had a lot of good pieces around him. He's a good quarterback.

Q: Do you look at tape of him in Washington at this point or is that kind of too different because it's a different system?

BRIAN DABOLL: Well, no, you're looking at the player. So, I've looked at tape this morning back from Washington. I know the defensive coaches have as well. Again, he's played sparingly. I think he's thrown 22 passes in the preseason and the regular season.

Q: You're mostly going on the preseason, I guess?

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, he's thrown 22 passes. So, you look back at the other tape. Not schematically, just skill set of the player and stuff that he does well.

Q: You've talked in the past about guys that whether they're going all the way back to recruiting or guys you met with when they were coming out in the draft. It's pretty fresh, you guys did your homework on Penix last year. How much do you lean on that until you kind of gather through the process last year?

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, I mean they have their system that they run. Again, you go off the information that you have relative to the tape, which is not a ton with preseason and regular season and some of the stuff at Washington. You can't change offenses dramatically during the middle of the season when this happens. I'm sure they'll have their own wrinkles. You'd have to ask them how they're going to do it, but he's a good player.

Q: Anyone else not going today?

BRIAN DABOLL: (Guard Aaron) Stinnie, he's in concussion protocol. (Inside linebacker) Bobby (Okereke). (Outside linebacker Brian) Burns, he's got an ankle. (Linebacker) Patrick Johnson's got a knee. Everybody else will do stuff.

Q: Are they week-to-week or day-to-day?

BRIAN DABOLL: I think Burns is day-to-day. Patrick is longer. I wouldn't say day-to-day. Stinnie is in concussion protocol.

Q: Is Patrick a serious knee injury?

BRIAN DABOLL: It's more than a day.

Q: Not like a tear-your-knee surgery type of thing?

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, I think he'll be out probably this week.

Q: Are you hopeful (cornerback Cor'Dale) Flott and (cornerback Deonte) Banks will be back this week?

BRIAN DABOLL: Yes, hopeful.

Q: With Burns obviously playing as well as he has … and still playing hard … setting the tone

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, he's a professional. Pro football player that goes out there and takes pride in what he does.

Q: Are there signs you look for with rookies? I'm thinking of maybe (wide receiver) Malik (Nabers) and certainly (running back) Tyrone (Tracy Jr.). This late in the season, guys who have a lot of workload just to kind of make sure they're okay. They've never kind of gone through this before in the NFL.

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, (Director of Player Engagement) Ashley Lynn does a good job. Our player programs is all hands-on deck with the young guys. Again, they've played a lot of football for us. They know what's expected. Been productive.

Q: Do you look at Tracy as a guy? I mean, you had (running back Devin Singletary) Motor and Motor got hurt. Then Tracy came in and there was a change made. Do you look at Tracy as a guy who's a legitimate running back one on a good team?

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, he's done a nice job for us. He's got a lot more carries than he's had the past couple years combined, so I wouldn't say a lot but more. He's done a nice job for us.

Q: With Stinnie in the protocol, what are you doing up front? Using any of the younger guys? Is that (guard Jake) Kubas in that spot?

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, Kubas will get some reps. We'll see where Stinnie is on this protocol, but Kubus will certainly get reps.

Q: There's a report that (President and Chief Executive Officer) John Mara could end up asking (Senior Vice President and General Manager) Joe (Schoen) to hire a coach after this season. How do you react to that and does that make it difficult when something like that comes out to focus on what you're doing?

BRIAN DABOLL: No, I just had a good conversation with John 10 minutes ago.

Q: About that?

BRIAN DABOLL: No, not about that. Just a normal conversation. We have good conversations every week.

Q: How do you react to the suggestion that could happen?

BRIAN DABOLL: I just focus on the things I can control.

Q: Do you have any conversations with him beyond this year? Because I would think that could impact how you operate at this point.

BRIAN DABOLL: I'd say we have a number of conversations about a lot of different things that I'll keep private.

Q: Do you think you and Joe have enough separate responsibilities that it would be fair to blame one of you and not the other or give you one credit and not the other?

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, we're just getting ready here for the Falcons.

Q: When you're going against a team that is fighting for their division, for a playoff spot. Is there any pride or added motivation to play spoiler?

BRIAN DABOLL: No, we just try to go out there and play as well as we can. Prepare, be disciplined, focus on the things we can control.

Q: Is there something with the rookie quarterback you hope that (Defensive Coordinator) Shane (Bowen) and his defense can exploit? A guy playing in his first game?

BRIAN DABOLL: Again, all these guys are good players. We're just going to try to do the best we can in terms of getting ready to play a game against a good football team that is fighting for a playoff spot.

Quarterback Drew Lock

Q: How are you feeling?

DREW LOCK: Good, I'm feeling a lot better. It's good to be back out there with the guys, practicing. It's not fun when you're in here doing treatment, missing stuff and not playing. It feels good to be back out there.

Q: What is it like watching another quarterback go in, and just the flip flopping of it all?

DREW LOCK: It's the job. Me and (quarterback) Tommy (DeVito) both came here not as a starter. You've got to be ready for your time to be the starter. It gets pulled back, you go back in, it gets pulled back, you go back in. It's part of the gig. You always want to be the guy out there. It stinks standing on the sideline. But sometimes that happens, and you've just got to be ready for your next one.

Q: I know that this is kind of the life of a backup, but this is kind of, even for that, it seems a little bit extreme, like the back-and-forth. How strange is it to you guys?

DREW LOCK: It's definitely different. But, at the same time, Tommy was upset when he got his bell rung, he didn't get to play. I went in there, the heel thing happened and then he goes back in. We've just had some unfortunate things happen and we just keep rolling with the punches.

Q: Were you close to 100% on Sunday or how close were you to 100% on Sunday?

DREW LOCK: The mixture of stuff I took to be the (number) three (quarterback). You can feel close to 100%, but no, I was not close.

Q: It's your first time being in that emergency situation. You're inactive but then Tommy goes out, you get the news at halftime. I saw you come off the sideline, maybe started warming up a little bit. First time in your career, I'm assume, you were in that position. What is that like?

DREW LOCK: I thought backup's a weird thing about always needing to be ready. Being the third and then having the first go down was different. It's just a different mentality – but the same time, I was trying to not do too much just in case I had to go in. Then Tommy goes down, I'm like, 'Okay, I might actually have to go in.' You've got to start picking up and getting loose and ready to go and see if this heel is going to let me go.

Q: Is it fair to say that you've made a lot of progress from Sunday to today and that's why you're able to do it?

DREW LOCK: Correct. We were in the boot for four days. Took it off and did a little bit in the indoor, definitely wasn't going to be able to be the two. Got through to being the three that Sunday. Another Monday of nothing, another Tuesday of nothing. Majority of the day Wednesday doing nothing and being at this point ready to go.

Q: Was it your left or right on the heel?

DREW LOCK: Left.

Q: And the elbow was the same side?

DREW LOCK: The elbow was left, and the heel was left, just draw a line.

Q: Who fell on you?

DREW LOCK: It was just weird, just like a plant thing on the heel. A guy here, hits you here. One of those. Football, I guess.

Q: Is it something you'll have to worry about the rest of the season?

DREW LOCK: No, it's over now. It's over now. Once you step out there too, it kind of all just goes away.

Q: You're back 100% ready…

DREW LOCK: Yeah, good to go.

Q: You've done a lot of running lately, is it going to take away from the wheels at all or what?

DREW LOCK: Nope. That's going be up to them, if they let me do it. The legs are right, feet are right, arm is right, just got to get the brain right.

Q: What have you seen from (Falcons quarterback) Michael Penix (Jr.)? I know that's the opposing quarterback but obviously a draft prospect.

DREW LOCK: Being in Washington when he was up there doing his thing, being in Seattle – it was fun to go to those (University of Washington) Dawgs games from what I heard. Watching him, he's a talented, talented kid. Definitely can push the ball downfield like the best of them. There was a lot of buzz up there about him. He's a great player. He deserved that buzz and he's getting his shot now. Best of luck to him, just can't say that this week.

Q: From the time you played a couple weeks ago and then had a miss in the last game, have you prioritized one or two things that you've said to yourself, 'Okay, when I get back out on the field, I need to make sure I do this, I check that box.' What would they be?

DREW LOCK: My biggest one was just being exact and being precise with my feet. The element that I've kind of always brought to the game is being able to make plays, being able to scramble and get out of the pocket. The part that needs to be honed in a little bit from the film that I've watched, is just being precise with our feet. The plays will come to you when they're there. Don't need to get out and run all the time. But, if they're there, take it. Just be perfect in the pocket with your feet, get through your reads and be an NFL quarterback.

Wide Receiver Malik Nabers

Q: How are you feeling at this point? Is the hip something you still have to keep an eye on?

MALIK NABERS: Yeah, it is something that I'm trying to get back right, but it is what it is at this point.

Q: Nothing that's going to stop you from playing, at least as you can see going forward?

MALIK NABERS: No.

Q: Have you thought about any of the records or milestones that are kind of in front of you now? I know some of them at least have popped on your radar. You are one catch for tying (NFL wide receiver) Odell (Beckham Jr.) and (Eagles running back) Saquon (Barkley) for the franchise record here. 99 yards from a 1,000. 15 from (Rams wide receiver) Puka Nucua's rookie catch record. Anything stand out to you about those?

MALIK NABERS: Yeah, I'm keeping track of it. I'm keeping track of it.

Q: Any one of them stand out to you?

MALIK NABERS: All of them.

Q: Why?

MALIK NABERS: They just all do. If I can put my name in the record books, I'm going to do it.

Q: (Colorado Head) Coach (Deion Sanders) Prime today saying that he guarantees if the Giants have the number one pick that they're keeping it and they're going to draft (Colorado quarterback) Shedeur (Sanders). I know you played a little pass with him before the Heisman. Just how do you feel about that? How would you feel about him being your next quarterback?

MALIK NABERS: Deion is very confident in his son, but that's something upstairs that they've got to do. They've got to look over the film and see what quarterback that they want. I'm not sure if they want a quarterback. I'm not sure. It's not draft time, but the decision will be made when it's time for the draft.

Q: How would you feel if that was, in fact, the decision that was made after playing some catch?

MALIK NABERS: I am not answering that.

Q: You were in the same draft class as (Falcons quarterback) Michael Penix (Jr.). What do you make of him as a quarterback? Obviously, I know your side isn't facing him exactly.

MALIK NABERS: Gunslinger. Has a pretty deep ball. He's going to give his guys chances on a lot of deep ball passes. He's a great player.

Q: I don't even know if that's on your radar about the individual stuff. But you and (running back Tyrone) Tracy (Jr.) have a chance to be the first teammates since '06 to go for 1,000 yards from scrimmage as a rookie together as teammates. Were you aware of that? But also, what does it mean to have two guys, you and Tracy, as rookies to kind of come together this season and kind of see a light at the end of the tunnel?

MALIK NABERS: Yeah, I was aware of it. Somebody told me about that probably like two days ago. So, yeah, I was very aware of it. And I asked him today (on) how much he needs to get to his 1,000 all-purpose (yards). He said he hasn't looked at it, but it got brought up to me. But it shows how much gratitude, how much work that we put in through the season. Everything hasn't gone our way, but the young guys have stepped up tremendously and been trying to make plays when we are there. And it's just a pat on both our backs.

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