Head Coach Brian Daboll

Q: Who's not going today?

BRIAN DABOLL: (Guard Aaron) Stinnie, (inside linebacker) Bobby (Okereke), (linebacker) Patrick Johnson and probably (cornerback) Stro (Greg Stroman Jr.). We'll see where he's at.

Q: At least those first three guys, they're not going to be able to make it for Sunday?

BRIAN DABOLL: Don't think they will.

Q: Including (Aaron) Stinnie.

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah. He's still in the protocol.

Q: (Quarterback) Tommy (DeVito) is still in the protocol?

BRIAN DABOLL: No, he's good.

Q: So, it sounds like you're getting cornerback reinforcements for the game?

BRIAN DABOLL: We'll see. Hopeful that today goes good and get those guys back out here. They've had a couple good days. We'll see where we're at today.

Q: We were just asking (Offensive Line Coach) Carm (Carmen Bricillo), now that you've seen five games of (tackle) Evan Neal at right tackle, do you still see him as strictly a right tackle or is the part of you that's the Head Coach, got to plan for the future, want to see him at guard?

BRIAN DABOLL: I understand the question. We're really just getting ready here for Atlanta. We'll focus on this game and he's had a good week of practice at right tackle.

Q: So, nothing's crossed your mind about at least seeing him at guard in these final three games?

BRIAN DABOLL: I'd say our focus is on Atlanta this week and he's our starting right tackle.

Q: Has he been practicing at all at guard that we're not seeing?

BRIAN DABOLL: I'd say that we move a lot of people around. But we're really focused on him playing right tackle this game. But you never know.

Q: How's (outside linebacker Brian) Burns doing?

BRIAN DABOLL: (Brian) Burns will do stuff today. I think he'll be fine. He had two days off, so hopefully he's better today and he's going in the right direction.

Q: We are going to talk to Andrew Thomas for the first time today since he got banged up. How has he been back at the facility? Just tell us where he is meeting-wise?

BRIAN DABOLL: He does his treatment. There's times he's in the meetings. Andrew (Thomas) is a good leader for us. Helps the guys when he can help the guys.

Q: You have a guy like that who misses so much time in one year, comes back, misses a ton of time in year two. How much does that put him back going into the third year?

BRIAN DABOLL: He's diligent, he's a pro in what he does and he's a really good player. That left tackle position, particularly when you have a player that plays at a high level, is always challenging when that guy's out, schematically, on what you need to do. So, we've missed him. I think (tackle) Jermaine (Eluemunor) has done a really good job moving over there. But, again, injury, then another injury. But if there's anyone that can come back from it good… He does everything right.

Q: Do you wish you moved Jermaine (Eluemunor) over as soon as he got hurt? Like in hindsight, do you wish you did that quicker?

BRIAN DABOLL: Again, we're focused on this week.

Q: With Andrew (Thomas), do you worry at all about… When big guys have foot injuries that sometimes becomes a longer-term problem? Is that anything you guys have talked about of there being potential there?

BRIAN DABOLL: I think his rehab is right on track and he's doing everything he can do to continue to get better.

Q: How's everyone else's rehabs going?

BRIAN DABOLL: It's all different. They're all guys that go in there in (Head Athletic Trainer) Ronnie (Barnes)'s room. They work extremely hard. Unfortunately, guys get hurt. But they're doing everything they can do to get as good as they can.

Offensive Tackle Andrew Thomas

Q: How are you feeling?

ANDREW THOMAS: I'm feeling okay, relatively. I'm progressing every day, trying to do the rehab and get back on it. I feel pretty good.

Q: Have they given you a timetable for when you might be back? Could you see yourself doing stuff in the spring? Is it training camp? What do you think?

ANDREW THOMAS: Yeah, right now, they told me it's about a five-month recovery, but I'm not sure exactly where I'll fall. I'm just doing everything I can to progress. Right now, I have two more weeks, and I'm out the boot. So, for me that's an accomplishment. Just trying to stay on path and not have any setbacks.

Q: How tough has it been, two years in a row, to be dealing with pretty major injuries?

ANDREW THOMAS: It's frustrating. Obviously, I want to be out there and help my team. I think I'm a big part of this team, and when I'm not out there, it hurts. But all I can do is just prepare every day, do everything I can to get back, and hopefully turn this thing around.

Q: Do you know exactly when you got hurt in the Cincinnati game?

ANDREW THOMAS: Yeah, it was the drive we scored. We were right in the red zone. It was just a normal down block, and I felt something go, but I just finished the game or whatever. But I knew something was wrong.

Q: Sometimes when bigger guys have foot injuries, it's something that keeps coming back. How much does that concern you, and is there anything that you've been told or that you're looking at and say, 'okay, this is what I can do to make sure that it doesn't happen to me'?

ANDREW THOMAS: Yeah, I've dealt with foot surgeries before. The biggest thing is just not rushing. So, I think I'm going to do a good job of that, listening to the trainers. Definitely being heavier is a harder thing when it comes to those recoveries, but I'm just taking my time to get back.

Q: Do you think that losing weight then is something that you might at least consider?

ANDREW THOMAS: I haven't really thought about that, but that may be a possibility, trying to be more lean. We'll see.

Q: A lot of things have gone wrong on this team. If I remember correctly, last year, bagging day or whatever, you put a lot on yourself, like if I didn't get hurt, maybe the season would be different. You were beating yourself up a little bit. Do you feel that way again this year or no?

ANDREW THOMAS: Yeah, sometimes you have the should've, could've, would've, but it happened. At the end of the day, that's what happened. I can't do much to change what happened. All I can do is try to prepare for next year, and that's what I'm going to try to do.

Q: What do you think of what happened with Daniel (Jones)?

ANDREW THOMAS: Yeah, it's the nature of the business. Obviously, that's my guy. I love DJ. One of my favorite teammates I have, but it's the nature of the business. I'm wishing the best for him in his future endeavors, and that's all I've got on that.

Q: You're a captain here. How do you feel about the future of this franchise? Obviously, two losing years in a row, a lot of speculation on your coach and GM. How confident are you as a captain, as one of the long-term guys, that you guys are going to get this turned around at some point?

ANDREW THOMAS: Yeah, that's the mindset. You always have to feel like we're going to turn it around. If you have a negative mindset, you'll never overcome. I'm trying to be as positive as I can, having this season-ending injury, but I think we have a good, collective group of some young players that can play well. It's going to take some time, but I think we'll get there.

Q: What do you think as you're sitting there watching everything that's unfolding here, what's your estimation of what went wrong here?

ANDREW THOMAS: I mean, I'm not sure. I can't really put my finger on one exact thing, but watching, and it's the same as when I was playing. When you lose, it's frustrating. You put a lot of work into it, all the way down from the cleaning staff all the way up to the GM and head coach. Everyone is putting a lot of work in, and it's frustrating when you don't have the results that you want. But all you can do is go back to the drawing board.

Q: Have you been pleased with the effort the guys have been showing? Guys are still fighting out there even though the wins haven't come, are you pleased with that?

ANDREW THOMAS: Yeah, for sure, and I know I can speak specifically for the O-line because I'm in meetings and watching, and we always play hard and give everything we have. We have a lot of injuries right now, but guys are willing to rotate, play different positions, and I think that's a good character to have on the team.

Q: Do you feel like your role now is to do a little bit of teaching some of the other guys in the O-line to kind of get them prepared?

ANDREW THOMAS: In the beginning, I wasn't too involved in meetings just because I was coming off surgery, but recently I've been back in meetings, and the guys said they missed my presence, so I'm just trying to help if I see something, try to point it out. I'm not at practice, obviously, on IR. But trying to do the best I can to help.

Q: People look at you and (defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence II) Dex as the foundational Giants, and Dex has been quite vocal about it, 'I'm tired of losing'. You're not quite a vocal guy with us, but do you feel that too? Is this wearing on you? Are you tired of losing, going forward towards next year?

ANDREW THOMAS: Yeah, no one is happy to lose. Like I said, we put a lot of work into it, and I think the most frustrating thing is we have pieces, we have talented players on this team that can perform at high levels just about consistency, so I would say that's the most frustrating part.

Q: Why do you think the offense these last two years hasn't been able to score?

ANDREW THOMAS: I can't really put my finger on one thing, but I would say it starts up front always. I think protection and being able to open run lanes for the quarterback, and the biggest thing I would say the past two years is explosive plays. I talk to (Offensive Line Coach Carmen Bricillo) Carm the other day, I think we lead the league in 17 play drives. Like we have long, sustaining drives, but in this league it's hard to do that consistently. We don't have enough explosive plays, so I would say that's one thing I would say that we could probably improve on.

Q: Do you have a sense of why the work you guys put in during the week, it's not translating onto Sunday in terms of wins?

ANDREW THOMAS: I would say there are certain things that we do work on, technique-wise and scheme-wise that do translate, but like you said, if it doesn't equal a win sometimes, it feels like we didn't improve at all. I would say there's been improvements as an offense, and just dealing with what we've had as far as different quarterbacks playing, all the injuries, I think the guys have done the best they could.

Q: It feels like every offseason here, it's like, how are the Giants going to rebuild their offensive line? I think (guard Greg Van Roten) GVR is the only free agent. Do you feel like you guys have the offensive line to go forward, or what are your thoughts on the offensive line? It should be you and (tackle) Jermaine (Eluemunor) and (guard Jon) Runyan (Jr.).

ANDREW THOMAS: I think the injuries were tough this year. We were all healthy. I thought we were playing better. I thought that's the best football we've played up front in a while, so hopefully next year we can stay healthy and continue to build that continuity.

Q: You said the five-month thing, so what's the next couple of months like for you? Are you going to stick around here? What are you going to be doing?

ANDREW THOMAS: I'll be here, rehabbing, just trying to do everything I can to get back.

Q: You mentioned that you need to create more explosive plays. Do you think you guys need to try to call more shot plays, or is it about that you're not executing the explosives that are called well enough?

ANDREW THOMAS: I think it's a little bit of both. When coaches call plays, it's based off of trust. If we're not executing or we're not protecting the right way, if we're not getting checks the right way, it makes it hard. 1st and 10, you call a deep ball, and now you're 2nd and 10 if you don't convert. That's very hard to overcome, so I think it's a little bit of both. I think if we continue to build the continuity with the offensive line, figure out what we're doing at the quarterback position, because we have injuries, we have trades, all these different things. But once we get on the same page, I think we can do something special.