Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator Mike Kafka

Q: (Head Coach) Dabs (Brian Daboll) has talked about wanting to get (quarterback) Daniel (Jones) into this week's preseason game. What are you looking for from him? Obviously he's coming off a big injury, but is it more just getting him experience back in games or is it looking for a specific thing in regards to performance?

MIKE KAFKA: Yeah, that's the plan. I think just getting Daniel (Jones) in the mix with all 11 guys and the groupings and kind of that first group in there just to get a feel for everybody, whether it's the offensive line, the receivers, and just continue to work together. We have worked well all camp, and so this is just another opportunity in the preseason to get it with live bullets.

Q: As a former quarterback, what are the challenges to a guy getting back in there in a real game for the first time in a while? Is it just speed, is it intensity, is it the first hit, the vision, what is it?

MIKE KAFKA: Well, DJ (Daniel Jones) specifically, he's played a lot of football. He's a veteran guy, so it's nothing about that part of it. It's more just the group, our offense kind of getting together and working together, communicating all the things that we've been stressing all offseason.

Q: What have you seen from him out here? To us, he looks good, you know more about it. What is your impression of what you've seen?

MIKE KAFKA: He's doing a great job. He's doing a great job. Each day he's just getting a little bit better. I think those are things that we've talked about, whether it's his footwork, whether it's his progression, whether it's just communicating with the offensive line and kind of getting that feedback as well. He's part of it. He's one-eleventh of that group, but he's a big part of that, and I think he's doing a really nice job.

Q: The accuracy is something, my impression, early in camp maybe you see more inaccurate throws than usual. Is that something maybe you have to get confidence in your leg or you're working on things there, or is that just early in camp that that kind of happens?

MIKE KAFKA: I don't have the exact numbers of what the beginning of camp was versus the end of camp, but I think it's just a lot of getting used to the timing of the guys that are on the field, tying in your feet and tying in the protection. There's a lot of things that kind of go into it, and from a fundamental standpoint, whether it's receiver route depth, the area or space in the field where they've got to attack, whether it's the offensive line, whether there's push or there's not push, it's the footwork of the quarterback, what type of drop are you taking, three-step drop, a quick three, a big three. All those things have to tie in and match up for a pass to be effective. So, we stress it. We look at it. We evaluate it. We talk about those things in depth. And whenever we can improve on those things, we try to enact on it, and then we work on it in individual, in a group setting and then in a team setting. It's a nonstop process to get those type of plays off, and those are things that we talk about on every single play, whether it's a run, pass, play action, screen, all those details are just super important.

Q: You seem to be working with (tight end) Theo Johnson getting involved more. Talk about his progress and how he's starting to grasp what you're looking to do…

MIKE KAFKA: Yeah, Theo (Johnson) is a rookie, and he's right on schedule with where he's at in his development. He was one of those guys that kind of started a little bit later in training camp, just getting back from the injury. But he's doing a really nice job. I'm happy. I'm excited about him. Going to keep inserting him into the offense and continue to find ways to get him involved.

Q: Along those lines, (tight end Darren) Waller obviously isn't here anymore. What strides would you like (tight end Daniel) Bellinger to make in year three?

MIKE KAFKA: So, Belly (Daniel Bellinger) is one of those kind of guys that kind of does it all in the pass game, in the run game. He's continuing to develop and grow. He's getting stronger. You saw that leap from year one to year two, and you can see his confidence in year three of just being in the same system for three years. That's going to pay dividends for him. I'm excited about him because he's one of those guys that I see and I visualize as a leader of that group. So, whether he's on the field or he's off the field, he's one of those great teammates that you can rely on.

Q: Does (running back) Eric Gray look like he's a different football player than a year ago?

MIKE KAFKA: He does. He does. As a young player, as a rookie, you're trying to find your way. This is kind of the process that a lot of young players go through, and some are faster than others. But Eric (Gray) is having a good camp. He's certainly really confident right now in his running, his pass-pro(taction), his routes, and that was an aspect of his game that we saw at Oklahoma when we drafted him. So he's going to continue to grow and continue to develop, and he's a bright young player that we're excited about.

Q: When you were in Kansas City, you obviously had a number one receiver, game-breaking type player. What does that do for an offense, and how does that challenge you when you have a guy like that?

MIKE KAFKA: Anytime you can get those matchups. That's what this league's about, is getting the right matchups: one of your better players on one of their lesser players. Wherever you can formulate that and really the position you're talking about receiver, it could be a tight end, it could be a running back, it could be a formation that creates those mismatches. That's what this game's about. That's what this league's about. It's a personnel league. And then, as coaches, you look at those players and you put them in the spots, and then you create the seams and you get creative with how you can get those guys the football.

Q: How intrigued are you to see (wide receiver) Malik (Nabers) possibly get an opportunity to go up against a guy like (cornerback) Sauce Gardner next week and kind of give him that experience or see how he kind of stacks up in that regard?

MIKE KAFKA: I mean, that's kind of a little bit further in the future here, but we're excited about, you know, Houston. They've got a talented group. (Cornerback Derek) Stingley is one of those premier corners that we've got to look at, and I think it'll be a good matchup all around. They're a really good defense with a lot of production.

Q: There used to be a school of thought that it was hard for rookie wide receivers to come in and make a big impact, the change from college to NFL. Not necessarily about Malik (Nabers) now, but in general, do you think it is easier for these young guys to make the transition, and if so, why?

MIKE KAFKA: I don't know if I would say it's easier. I would just say each player has their own way of growing within that team, within that system, because there's a lot of factors that go into it. I really believe in our development plan with (Head Coach) Dabs (Brian Daboll), myself, and then the receiver group, (Wide Receivers) Coach (Mike) Groh and (Offensive Assistant/Game Manager) Cade (Knox). Those guys do a great job of really breaking it down for the young players to make sure they understand the rules, their assignments, and they can go and execute them. That's probably as important as anything when you look at each team and each young player. You've got to see how that development plan is built up.

Q: People attack the running back in the run game differently around the league now. You see different teams want to take different approaches. For you and what you guys have now, the advantages you look for at receiver, can you look for those advantages with different styles in a run game situation where you have these guys who seemingly all bring something different to the table?

MIKE KAFKA: As far as a scheme or for a player?

Q: Yeah, well, a scheme and player. Just the idea of how it matches up on a week-to-week basis. It's a lot different than maybe what you had last year in terms of having that one player who you knew was really going to be the bell cow…

MIKE KAFKA: I think, as we've grown as an offense from year one to year two, in year one we were kind of working through that with the people we had on offense. Year two, kind of similar, right? And then we had to deal with some injuries. So we've been able to kind of work through it as a staff, things that we really like and we can get to quickly. So going into year three, we feel confident enough to continue to add things to guys' plates as they're more familiar with the offense, find things in the defense that we can get to and understand a little bit more about our players and what their strengths are and get to those things faster.

Q: I don't know how good your crystal ball is, but how long will it take (center) JMS (John Michael Schmitz Jr.) and (tackle) Evan (Neal) to ramp up to getting into the game?

MIKE KAFKA: Yeah, I'd probably lean on (Head Coach) Dabs (Brian Daboll) on the actual timeline of that, but I know they're working their tail off in the training room and they want to be out there.

Q: With (guard Jon) Runyan now being on that left side, next to (tackle) Andrew Thomas, from an offensive standpoint, does that change or maybe lean one way when you need to go get three yards? 'Those might be our two best offensive linemen, let's try to lean on them and run behind them? How do you view that?

MIKE KAFKA: That's a good question. Yeah, you definitely have to take that into account when you're building the plan. But if you want to be multiple, you can't just do that every snap. You think about it, you certainly talk about what schemes do our players handle the best, whether it's a double team on the left side, whether it's a gap scheme on the right side, for example. Those are things that we talk about a lot and if you need to get to that, in game, then we can. It's all about just understanding our players' strengths and weaknesses.

Defensive Coordinator Shane Bowen

Q: What have you learned about (outside linebacker) Brian Burns so far?

SHANE BOWEN: Obviously the talent is evident. The skill set is unique. I think just his approach day in and day out. He's taking on a leadership role in that room. I think it's evolving for us in the unit. But really, ultimate pro on how he goes about his business. He wants to be one of the premier players in this league, and he works that way.

Q: You think there's another level for him to get to? He's already a really good player in this league. He's a Pro Bowl player in this league. Is there another level that you think he could take his game to? And if so, like what ways can he get there?

SHANE BOWEN: Absolutely. I hope he does take it to a new level. I do. I think just continuing to be consistent to make sure he takes advantage of his opportunities when he gets chances to rush. I think the complementary piece of what we have up front is probably going to help him a little bit, too, having (defensive lineman) Dex (Dexter Lawrence), having (outside linebacker) KT (Kayvon Thibodeaux), having whoever that fourth guy is. I think that's going to play a role. But I hope all these guys are striving to achieve more than what they've achieved and have goals beyond what has been so far that they can go try to attain for themselves and obviously for us.

Q: Isaiah Simmons, is he starting to define a role in what you want him to do in his defense, or are you still kind of mixing and matching with him?

SHANE BOWEN: Yeah, he's done a good job. I think he's played a little sub-backer for us in some of those passing situations. He's been inside on early downs for us. I think he's continued to improve and find some comfort in the places that we've put him up to this point. I've been pleased with him so far throughout camp. I have seen growth from him. I have. To be in some unfamiliar positions at times, especially out there on early downs, I think he's done a good job of kind of understanding, being able to turn the page and progress in his understanding, not just only his role. I've been encouraged by him and hopefully that continues.

Q: You said 'Whoever that fourth guy is,' when you're talking about up-front. Who is standing out aside from (defensive lineman) Dex (Dexter Lawrence)? I know (defensive lineman) Nacho (Rakeem Nunez-Roches) obviously has a role too, but who else of those young guys?

SHANE BOWEN: Yeah, I think Nacho (Rakeem Nunez-Roches) has done some good things. I think (defensive lineman) Ryder (Anderson) has done some good things. I think (defensive lineman) Elijah (Chatman) has done some good things in there. (Outside linebacker) Azeez (Ojulari) possibly. Who knows where that goes. But I think they've all kind of done some good things when they've had their opportunities to rush in there with that group.

Q: You guys seemed to challenge (outside linebacker) Kayvon (Thibodeaux) to take a step this year. Do you think he's had a really good camp so far and what do you like about it?

SHANE BOWEN: Yeah, I do. The one thing I've noticed with Kayvon (Thibodeaux) is he's working hard to improve. I think he wants to take that next step, it's not just us. We're going to continue to push him, but I think consistently you felt him a little bit more out there each day. I haven't seen many lull days from him, but it hasn't really been the roller coaster ride. He's done a good job accepting the challenge and accepting the way we want those guys to play, the play style, what's involved with that position and the expectation (Outside Linebackers Coach) Charlie (Bullen) has for that position and I have for that position. I've coached that position. I think he's done a good job accepting that and he's working hard and there's been improvement.

Q: Where are you with the second cornerback position opposite Tae (Deonte) Banks? Obviously (cornerback) Cor'Dale (Flott) is out right now.

SHANE BOWEN: (Cor'Dale) Flott has been hurt, so he hasn't been out there. I think (cornerback) Nick (McCloud) done a really good job. We moved him out there and he's had opportunity. So they're going to keep battling it out. We'll see where it goes. But those two guys have done a good job. I think (cornerback) Hawk (Tre Hawkins III) had a really good game last week. He was challenging guys. He had a few PBUs (pass break-ups). I thought he showed up in the run game. He's done a good job for us out there. So, continue to compete. Those guys battle it out and kind of see where it goes.

Q: Is that an area, as a defensive coordinator I'm sure there's 12 areas of concern, right? But is that an area of specific concern for you right now?

SHANE BOWEN: I think it's just an area we haven't totally made a decision on. I think that's just where we're at right now. We're working these guys, trying to find the best 11 as a unit together. And who those pieces are doesn't always come down to possibly even the most talented player across the board. It's finding the best 11 for us. Not really an area of concern as much as just something we're continuing to work through.

Q: Many times we don't see the inner workings of a team. When you guys make a trade, let's say (defensive lineman) Jordan Phillips, I mean, do they come up to you and say, 'Do you need him?' or how does that work?

SHANE BOWEN: Yeah, I'll let (Head Coach) Dabs (Brian Daboll) and (Senior Vice President/General Manager) Joe (Schoen) address that. I think Dabs (Brian Daboll) is coming up here in a little bit. I'll let him kind of talk about roster decisions and kind of how all that goes down.

Q: Just philosophically, in your history, do you like having the number one corner(back) travel with a receiver or do you just prefer to play sides?

SHANE BOWEN: I think it depends by game plan who you're going against, matchups, skill sets of who our guy is and who their guy is and how they match up. I'm not opposed to it, especially in certain situations. But, at the same time, as soon as you do some of that stuff, at times it shows your hand, too. It's ultimately what you're trying to get across scheme-wise, just pre-snap alignment, what information you're willing to give the quarterback, some of that comes into play, but (I'm) not opposed to doing it.

Q: You only let up three points in the first game. What tenets of your defense do you feel like kind of stood out that you got some reinforcement on in the production?

SHANE BOWEN: Want to give it to me one more time?

Q: What tenets of your defense that you've been preaching and teaching with your team did they put on the field?

SHANE BOWEN: I think the thing I was most proud of was probably their resolve. They had some drives on us and our guys kept playing. They turned the page and focused on the next play. We found stops in the red zone, we found stops on fourth down and we found turnovers. That's what this league is. Those guys get paid, too. We're going to have to be able to continue to play the next play and not worry about what happened but focus more on what's about to happen. I was extremely pleased with that. (I) Felt they played physical for the most part. Showed up in the run game. I thought we were square and playing with our hands. There is some technique things we have to continue to work on. But I felt like they were swarming, flying around. I think just naturally, just the style of play. It's not like we're going into these games game planning a whole lot. It's more about getting evaluations and hopefully as a unit continue to progress our style of play and how we want to attack each down.

Q: You mentioned (outside linebacker) Azeez (Ojulari) before and just where he fits. Obviously with all the attention on (outside linebacker) Kayvon (Thibodeaux) and (outside linebacker Brian) Burns, what have you seen from the Azeez (Ojulari) so far and why would he be an option to maybe be that fourth guy up-front with Dex (Dexter Lawrence) and the two guys?

SHANE BOWEN: I think he's had a really good camp. I do. I think he's been consistent. Like I think he's flashed throughout camp each day. There's usually a play or two where I'm like, 'Okay, that's a great play.' That's something I've been pleased with him about is just the progression and being able to be the same guy every day. Again, when you get to those passing situations, it's finding the best four, whoever that is and however we got to coordinate it, to be able to get to the quarterback. He gives you a lot of versatility in that regard. I think (Brian) Burns gives you some versatility. KT (Kayvon Thibodeaux) gives you some versatility in that regard. It's just a matter of where you place them. If you've got three edge guys on the field, well there's only two edges. So, it's where you place them. That's something we'll kind of work through as a staff as, again, some of these personnel decisions unfold with the front guys as well.

Q: And somebody argues who gets to be next to (defensive lineman) Dex (Dexter Lawrence), right?

SHANE BOWEN: That's right.

Q: Is Tyler Nubin's playmaking starting to stand out in practice now that he's on the field?

SHANE BOWEN: It was good to see him last week versus Detroit as well. He continues to get better. He continues to improve each day. I think the one thing with him is he's finally out there. He's healthy. We missed him those first two weeks. And he's had ground to make up to get back in that competition. He's been good. He's taking advantage of the opportunities. Doesn't make the same mistake twice. I've been encouraged by where he's at right now.

Special Teams Coordinator Michael Ghobrial

Q: Where are you with your punt return at this point? Who do you look at as your primary options, obviously (wide receiver) Gunner (Olszewski) and who else after that?

MICHAEL GHOBRIAL: Yeah, you have Gunner and (wide receiver) Isaiah (McKenzie) who have done it in this league. When I'm judging these guys in the preseason, the biggest thing is I'm looking at practice, all our preseason games, their history. But those two guys have obviously done it at a high level in this league. So, I'm going to give those guys opportunities to show me what they can do.

Q: What is it about Isaiah that makes him a good returner?

MICHAEL GHOBRIAL: Again, the experience in this league is huge. Being in those situations, being in weathered games, those things all factor into the comfort of having a returner that's going to make smart decisions and everything. Isaiah works his tail off and so does Gunner. That whole group does a heck of a job in terms of being intentional and deliberate with everything we're asking them to do. So, I'm excited for both those guys to get more reps.

Q: You talked last time about some of the vets that are like leaders of the special teams group. What young players have jumped out to you?

MICHAEL GHOBRIAL: It's hard to single any of them out, and I know that's maybe not the answer you're looking for. I think our staff has done a heck of a job in terms of assembling a great group of young players. And all those guys, like I said, look to the veterans of how it's supposed to be done. And when you have that veteran leadership, those guys believe that is the only way it's supposed to be done. So, that's why it's incredible having those older guys in the room. So, all those young guys, legitimately, like I have no knock on any of them. They're very intentional and deliberate. They're trying to learn. They're always asking questions. It's hard for me to point one single person out, but for the majority of them, they're all looking to continuously get better, and that's where having those veterans in the room really help.

Q: Gunner had a history of ball security issues before he came here, and last year he did not. So, when you say experience is so important, do you look at that and say, 'well, he's fixed that, so I don't have to worry about that', or do you look at the whole breadth of someone's history?

MICHAEL GHOBRIAL: I think whenever you're dealing with any veteran, the biggest thing for those guys is they've got to self-scout themselves. What have they put on tape. What are things that they've had challenges with. What are some things they've got to bring more attention to. In terms of coaching, you're always coaching the fundamentals of owning the football and taking care of the football. I know that's important to him is to make sure he's always putting that ball away and making smart decisions with it. So, that's something we harp on with all our returners or all our ball carriers is making sure they own the football. The one thing I always challenge all our veterans is can they look at themselves and truly find one part of their game that they truly need to improve every single day, and that's something I want them to share with me to where I can make sure they're holding their end of the bargain in terms of that as well.

Q: (wide receiver) Isaiah Hodgins hasn't played much on special teams in his career. How important do you think that will be for him to get a spot, and what have you seen from him on special teams?

MICHAEL GHOBRIAL: In terms of obviously the roster, big picture of that, that's not something necessarily that I can speak to. But I will say that Isaiah is a guy that has played ball in this league and has been very involved in all the drill work, all the positions, and he got some special teams reps. He's done it before in his career, maybe not to the same magnitude of some other guys in terms of volume, but he's great in terms of just approaching the game the right way. Obviously, his experience as a receiver also helps him in certain situations on our units, and that's a thing that I've got to handle with my job is just making sure he understands, 'well, this is the similarities of what you're already doing. Let's do this in this spot when we're asking you to do this on KOR', for example, or whatever unit that may be.

Q: In your meetings with us and across the league, people have talked about, 'well, after the first week of the preseason, we'll have a better sense of what the kickoff is going to look like'. Did it have the appropriate reaction for you? What you watched? Did you see what you saw? Were there a lot of surprises?

MICHAEL GHOBRIAL: Absolutely.

Q: Where are you at?

MICHAEL GHOBRIAL: Absolutely it did. Number one, it was so cool with this new rule to see obviously all 32 teams come up with their own little spin of how they viewed the advantages of it and certain things that you saw them coaching their players to do. Because in your mind, when you're game planning and you're looking at what is the best way we can coach this, sometimes you can't always put yourself in somebody else's shoes because you haven't seen what they've done yet. So, when you have that volume of games now, we watched literally every single game, every single play multiple times, and we studied it just like we studied the XFL tape. It was great to finally see our rule come into play because of the little nuances and changes that the NFL implemented with our kickoff and kickoff return. So, it was great, and that's one thing I promised our players as soon as we get a volume of plays that we can show you, we're going to show you, and we're going to make technique tapes. We're going to show you situations that you may be in. We're going to show you why we're doing this this way. We're going to show you, 'oh, this is something we'll have to tweak'. So, it's great that we finally had a good crop of plays to show guys, and I have a smile on my face because there's a little bit more certainty. There's some conviction in terms of some things that we're teaching that we're excited about with our players, and then now you're starting to hear players more interactive in our meetings. So, when these players ultimately were gathering information, there were some things that they were giving back, but ultimately until they practiced the play against another team, they didn't necessarily know all the nuances that they felt in their involvement. Well, now that they were able to play that play, they could say, 'oh, this is what we've got to do here. Oh, this is what we've got to do here'. So now my coaching points, I give them the keys to it. 'Okay, coach me up on this guy. What didn't he do? What did he do well? Why was he in position to make this tackle?' Those things are all so critical in terms of having success, and then makes me proud just to hear our players be able to give that information back.

Q: But even with all that new data that you now have, isn't it also true that the teams that figure it out faster are going to have an advantage? Two or three years from now, everybody's going to know the nuances. The first couple weeks of regular season, you guys are still kind of figuring this out, aren't you?

MICHAEL GHOBRIAL: Yes, 100 percent. I think that with any play, though. You're always looking at trying to gain advantages and being able to adapt and evolve, especially with this play being new. But at least there's more volume of plays that we can look at to where some of those principles that we're teaching on kickoff, kickoff return, we can feel more convicted about. Ultimately, we're going to have to evolve. And it's going to be great to see more plays this week. And then once we figure out what those new fundamentals are going to be, we're going to continue to evolve this play until we are extremely happy with the product.

Q: What was it like the last few years being on the other side of Jets-Giants' practice or preseason? And are you looking forward to facing them next week?

MICHAEL GHOBRIAL: Obviously, I have a lot of great relationships with players and coaches that are still in that building. I've always had tremendous respect for the Giants organization. It's so cool to be here with the New York Football Giants. And again, I say it with a smile on my face because I think I have one of the greatest jobs in America. I do and I'm so happy that I'm here. The nature of this league is you cross paths with people that you've coached with, that you've played with. So, it's going to be exciting to see those guys. But ultimately, like I'm so excited to just be here and be with the guys and develop relationships here.

Quarterback Daniel Jones

Q: What are you looking to accomplish in this preseason game?

DANIEL JONES: For one, it's the first time out in the game situation, live situation. So, you want the operation to be clean, in and out of the huddle at the line of scrimmage, communicating with the guys and making sure we're ready to go. And then obviously you expect a high level of execution. I think we want to take what we've practiced, what we've prepared and put it on the field. It won't be perfect, but we expect it to be good. So, I think we're ready to go.

Q: You didn't even mention testing your knee there in a game environment. Does that come into your thinking at all? Do you want to take a hit to some degree? Do you want to be able to run the ball at some point?

DANIEL JONES: Yeah, I don't think I'll be thinking about my knee much. I think I've tested it. I've tested it in practice, tested it in my rehab and workouts and feel like it's in a good place. So, yeah, I'm confident my knee will be ready to go. It won't be something I'm thinking about much.

Q: You went through joint practices; you've been out here every day. What in the game situation will be different for you that you of want to check in your head that, 'okay, I got through that'?

DANIEL JONES: Well, I think it's a little bit faster, I think is one thing. And the pass rush is real. They can hit you in the game. So just feeling that, sensing that, but I think that just comes down to getting the ball out on time, moving well in the pocket. All the things you work on in a practice situation get tested in a game when you can get hit.

Q: How did (wide receiver Malik Nabers) Leek look to you?

DANIEL JONES: He looked good. So, yeah, I think he's feeling good and yeah, looked good today.

Q: Do you have to go possibly longer than you might want in a first outing with (quarterback) Drew (Lock) kind of on the table? (Quarterback) Tommy (DeVito) gets three quarters or something?

DANIEL JONES: I'm ready to go. I'm ready to play as much as (Head Coach Brian Daboll) Dabs wants me to play. So, I don't know. That's probably a better question for him and kind of how he's seeing the whole situation. But I'm ready to play and looking forward to getting out there.

Q: What does it mean for you to be able to get back at this point, you're here for the second preseason game? You're playing for the first time in a game situation since your injury.

DANIEL JONES: Yeah, it was always kind of the plan and expected to be here. So, what it means I don't know. I'm excited about it. I'm ready for it and expected to be ready for it.

Q: Sometimes running backs, they say, 'I need you to get that first hit, that first tackle to the ground'. Obviously, you're not looking to be sacked. You mentioned the live rush, you know you're wearing a red jersey in practice. They're not supposed to touch you. Do you think that will be another milestone you need to get through if you get jostled around pretty good in the game?

DANIEL JONES: Yeah, I'm not seeing it differently than I would any other year. I think with the first hit of the season and playing again after time off. Maybe I've had a little bit longer time off than in a normal situation. But as far as my knee or any of that, I'm not too concerned about that first hit. But like any preseason or like any first contact of the year, I think that kind of makes you feel like football again.

Q: I guess you wouldn't mind if it doesn't come also?

DANIEL JONES: I wouldn't mind. Yeah, I'm certainly not trying to get hit. (Laughs).

Q: Do you have to wear anything different, neck-wise after the two neck injuries?

DANIEL JONES: There's no concern with the neck. My neck is 100 percent good.

Q: It's been hard for you guys in practice to have the offensive line where so many guys are moving in and out. How do you guys handle that?

DANIEL JONES: Yeah, I think they've done a good job handling it. We've been nicked up a little bit through camp. And you want to get as much time with the group to build chemistry and playing with the people that are going to be out there. But everyone's done a good job stepping in and playing well. And we've got a lot of guys who've played a lot of games, a lot of good veterans in that group.

Q: You just mentioned it the experience up front. Is that something you can sense early on when you start working with this group that these guys have seen a lot? You're not dealing with younger players. It's not to say the younger players can't play, but there's something about having that experience that they kind of need.

DANIEL JONES: Yeah, I think having some veterans in that room, some guys who've played in the league for a long time is important. And it helps me, helps the younger players in the room. It helps everybody. Yeah, so I think that's important to have those guys. And I'm excited about the guys we brought in and how they've played.

Q: You mentioned you've spoken to some teammates about coming back from a torn ACL. So, I'm curious, have you talked to any quarterbacks specifically and what's it like coming back from that injury?

DANIEL JONES: I haven't, no. But I've talked to other guys. I think it's just about feeling good. And like I said, I've tested it, done everything I feel like I've needed to do in practice or rehab situation and ready to go.

Q: Is this a much different offense with Malik as the central figure and focus versus a running back in the past being your top offensive weapon?

DANIEL JONES: We're still working through exactly what our offense is going to major in, what we're best at, what we're not as good at. I think that's what training camp is for largely. Yeah, Malik's going to be a big part of what we do for sure. And he's shown up through camp, made a ton of big plays for us. And he's going to help us out a ton. So, how the offense looks and how it presents itself on Sundays, I think depends on who we're playing and kind of what the game plan calls for. But we have a lot of confidence in Malik and all our wide receivers and our running backs. I think we've got a talented group.

Q: Is getting back on the field exciting or is it just another game?

DANIEL JONES: No, it's exciting. I'll be excited to be out there again and just going through the game routine, the pregame, getting out there, playing in front of a crowd. I think all that's exciting. So, I'm looking forward to doing that again.

Q: People want to know, keeping the beard?

DANIEL JONES: I don't know. Yeah, I've gotten a lot of questions about the beard. It's not a new me, but we'll see. We'll see what happens.

Q: How about your mom? What does your mother think?

DANIEL JONES: She's alright, I think.