Head Coach Brian Daboll

Q: Just curious if you have any updated word on (kicker) Graham Gano?

BRIAN DABOLL: He has a hamstring so we'll see where he's at and I would assume it's going to be a few weeks here.

Q: So, what's your plan going forward at Kicker?

BRIAN DABOLL: We'll work guys out and (kicker) Jude (McAtamney) has been with us so we'll make a decision off of the workout. Based on how they do in the workout and then Jude.

Q: When you look back, what was the biggest problem with the run defense yesterday?

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, I'd say two things. Usually this happens for run defense, two things, tackling and then run fits. So those are two things that we stress them every week but put an added emphasis on them this week.

Q: First your running game, the offensive line, it seemed like probably got overshadowed a little bit, but it seemed the holes were pretty sizable. I know they were hard on themselves for their run blocking after Week 1. What'd you think of that particularly with the offensive line?

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, I'd just say the offense in general I thought made very good improvements from Week 1 to Week 2. We stayed on track. We played in positive down and distances. We ran with the ball well. I'd say the receivers blocked well. That was a really good run to start off the game by (running back Devin Singletary) Motor and a great block by (wide receiver Darius) Slayton coming in on the right side and then Motor making the guy miss, crack replace guy. Wasn't a lot of free runners. Most of the time we got a hat for a hat, we got movement at the line, and I thought Motor ran well. Saw the hole well, made good cuts, got downhill, that was an improvement. The pass protection was an improvement. We didn't have very many negative plays, which helps offensively when you're moving the ball. There was a lot of a lot of good things that came out of that and a lot of improvements on that side of the ball.

Q: And then big picture wise, 0-2 teams, I don't have the stats in front of me, but 0-2 teams don't usually get to the playoffs. They don't usually make much of their season. This organization has been 0-2 nine of the last 12 years and not much has come of those seasons. Is this a pivotal point? Can you feel as the head coach, as the leader of your locker room, is this a pivotal point for you guys in your season to make sure which way it turns?

BRIAN DABOLL: I think you just have to focus on the week at hand. I've been part of some 0-2 teams that ended up pretty well. I know they have here. So again, what really happened 10 years ago or last year, like I've always said, really has no bearing on anything this season. I thought we made some improvements in a lot of areas. Need to continue to improve on the things that we're not doing well at this time and focus on the Cleveland Browns.

Q: What 0-2 team were you part of that turned it around?

BRIAN DABOLL: That was a long time ago, 2001.

Q: Yeah, that team.

BRIAN DABOLL: 1-3. So again, that's 2001 or 2020, none of that really matters. What matters is doing the things we need to do internally to fix some of the things that we're having issues with. Again, there's been some improvement. There was improvement in the red zone defense from Week 1 to Week 2. There was improvement, I'd say, in almost every area offensively and we need to continue to build off those things and then fix the things that that aren't up to standard

Q: Noting of course you're only two games in but did you have to kind of uplift any spirits or give a little pep talk to your team about this not being a lost season or the idea that you can turn it around starting this week?

BRIAN DABOLL: This is two games in, so it's a long NFL season. Again, we had a good week of preparation. I thought there were a lot of good things in the game. I thought there was improvements again from Week 1 to Week 2 and that's where our focus needs to be.

Q: Was there anything different after the game or this morning about your interaction with ownership?

BRIAN DABOLL: No, consistent.

Q: Are there any other players you're worried about as far as injury goes other than Graham?

BRIAN DABOLL: No.

Q: I know how much you've always said how much you hate to lose. Was yesterday one of those games where you sat there and said, 'how did we lose?' You should have won?

BRIAN DABOLL: Anytime you lose you're not happy. Yeah, there was opportunities to be had and at the end of the day they made it they made one more play than we did. Again, I'm not going to make an excuse, they played well. I thought we did some good things; just came up short.

Q: When you mentioned earlier things that aren't up to our standard that you have to fix, I was wondering what comes to your mind when you say that? What specifically, maybe one little example, are you talking about?

BRIAN DABOLL: Well, I talked about one of them: our run defense and our run fits and our tackling. Our ball security, which was a big fumble there at the start of the second half, which we had a good drive going. Those are the big things that we need to make sure we take care of and improve on.

Q: With (wide receiver) Jalin Hyatt in particular, I know we asked you about this last week, but I'm curious, he hasn't played a ton in either of the first two games. What does he have to do to show you that he deserves more playing time?

BRIAN DABOLL: I think he got 13 or 14 plays. Again, that's not because of Jalin Hyatt. (Wide receiver) Slay (Darius Slayton) is doing a nice job with his opportunities of doing the things that he needs to do. And then we sprinkle in (Jalin) Hyatt in particular plays. And then (wide receiver Malik) Nabers is… he's been on the field most of the time and we've mixed in 12 (personnel), we've mixed in 11 personnel, not as much 10 personnel, but he'll be ready to go when his number is called.

Q: You haven't gotten him involved at all, really. He has zero catches. I know you invested in him last year and you gave him a lot of opportunity. It was a lot of first team reps this summer. How much do you feel like you need to get something out of him?

BRIAN DABOLL: I think we need to get stuff out of everybody. But again, the two receivers that do start are Slay (Darius Slayton) and (Malik) Nabers. He's the third guy in, per se, when we go two receiver sets and he's the fourth guy in three receiver sets.

Q: With a young team, we've mentioned and you've mentioned about the youth of this roster. Does a coach have to have his antenna up even more in the locker room with a young team to make sure this is not, 'Here we go again.' There hasn't been a lot of winning the last couple of years. So, do you have to maybe take a lot of ownership with that with a young group?

BRIAN DABOLL: Each week we got to focus on the team we're playing and the things we need to do to go out there and perform well. And that's where our guys' heads are at. That's where they're going to be at. Learn from the things from one week to the next and keep improving.

Q: I don't know if anyone's going to complain about targeting (wide receiver) Malik Nabers, they would complain if you didn't target him, I'm sure. But the tight ends had a lot of snaps in the game and they're not really targeted, yesterday certainly. Do you want, when this offense is settled, do you want it to be a more diversified attack? So maybe Malik (Nabers) does not have to get 18 and maybe the (tight end) Theo (Johnson)s get involved and maybe (running back) Devin (Singletary) in the passing game, things like that?

BRIAN DABOLL: I think the tight ends were involved. They were involved in protection and allowing us to throw the ball 20, 25 yards down the field or deep comebacks or go's or posts. So, everybody has a role to do. That depends on the game and the team we're playing. And when their number is called, I expect them to go out there and make it. Whatever that may be, whether it's blocking, pass blocking, run blocking. It takes all 11.

Q: Would you like the offense to maybe be unshackled at some point where you don't feel you need to keep the tight ends in to protect as much and maybe they can do some of the things that you think they can do?

BRIAN DABOLL: Well, I think that depends on who you're playing and what you're getting. So, I wouldn't say that was necessarily the plan going in, but that's what we thought we needed to do. I thought the guys executed well. I thought they performed. They stayed on track. I thought they played well on the offensive side of the ball, doing the things we needed to do. We missed a couple big ones down the field, just couldn't connect on them. But run after catch was good. Route discipline was good. Protection was good. Run game was good. That turnover, that was a huge difference in the game. We were down 1-0 on turnovers and… We need to build off of this.

Q: Going back to the run fits a little bit, something that (Defensive Line Coach) Andre Patterson said last week kind of stands out a little bit in my head. The idea that, with (Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden) Daniels and the way he ran in Week 1 gave you six gaps to cover. And especially if you played certain things up front, it really put you in a bind in terms of the rush discipline or anything else. Did you see that come to fruition yesterday? Maybe played a little tentatively up front and that's how the run defense kind of sprung some leaks. Did that have something to do with it, the ability of (Jayden) Daniels to kind of break out when it wasn't a designed run, so to speak?

BRIAN DABOLL: Most of his scrambling the first game was off of passes. So, I don't think they played tentatively. We just got to do a good job of accounting for all our gaps and making sure when we get him in the open field that we can bring them down tackling too. The fundamentals of tackling and then the discipline of gap control are two areas we're going to continue to work on.

Q: One other thing I wanted to ask you was there were a couple of the yards after catch, the run after catch from Malik (Nabers). The passes to the outside, I know it was probably a product of the Commanders playing off of him and then crashing down. But was that something that you guys had worked on coming in? Because it seemed like he had a plan as soon as he caught the ball, the idea to break to the outside and really gain probably about 10, 15 yards a pop. I'm just curious if that's part of just his natural awareness. Is that something that you guys identified that would be a part of the game plan?

BRIAN DABOLL: I'd say it's a combination of both. He's a talented player that can do things with the ball in his hand and you saw that yesterday. (He) gained in a lot of yards after contact, as did (wide receiver) Wan'Dale (Robinson) when Wan'Dale (Robinson) got the ball thrown to him. So that's going to be, that's going to have to be a big part of our game. We have players that can do something with the ball in their hands in space, run after catch-wise, and we'll continue to build off that.

Q: Just curious if you think the run defense issues, do you see personnel changes that need to happen there? Scheme changes that you feel need to happen? Or do you really think it just comes down to the execution of the players being better?

BRIAN DABOLL: It's probably just a combination of everything. That long one they had on third and one, we stuffed them up the middle and we had two guys that thought he was rushing the pile so they were trying to push the pile. He squirted out. It was a couple crack replace things that happened, where somebody came in and cracked one of the force players so the next player has got to fill. Or just being aggressive and going to get it. So, everybody's accountable to it. Run defense takes all 11 (players) to be on the same page and to make sure… I'd say it's not just a gap control but tackling too. I think it was quite a few missed tackles yesterday that gives them extra yards or gives them first downs or second and short situations or takes third down, (they) hand it off and now you're in a first down. We're going to continue to work on those fundamentals.

Q: (Outside linebacker) Brian Burns said several times yesterday said that the competitive stamina of the team needs to be better. What does that mean to you in a game like yesterday? What is competitive stamina?

BRIAN DABOLL: To me, it's finish. It's chasing, it's tackling, it's gang tackling. It's chasing a ball carrier on offense. It's finishing blocks on the kickoff return. It's all those things that you need down in and down out on a consistent basis. I'd say that there was a high level of it most of the time and then there were a few plays that'll get you. Those few plays will get you if we're not all running to the ball or we're not chasing a ball carrier when the ball carrier fumbles. Those are things that we continually emphasize. And we need to make sure that that's part of our identity.

Q: (Cornerback Cor'Dale) Flott's injury, what is his injury or is that not a concern to you at all?

BRIAN DABOLL: Not a concern.

Inside Linebacker Bobby Okereke

Q: What was your main takeaway when you went back and watched the film from that game yesterday?

BOBBY OKEREKE: Defensively we got to do a better job tackling. We need to shore up our run fits. And just have more discipline doing our job. Talking about me specifically, kind of three quarters doing your job, a quarter trying to do someone else's job, trying to make a play and that trickles down. I think everybody just needs to focus on doing their job.

Q: I'm surprised you said that. Did you think you were… Basically you're saying you thought you were trying to do too much? Especially early in the game there?

BOBBY OKEREKE: I think mindset wise, yeah. I think my focus just wasn't 100% on doing my job. And if it was, I think we would have had a better result.

Q: I had something else to ask you, but since you said that, why wasn't your, you're a veteran you know what the deal is, why wasn't your head wrapped around the immediate task at hand and maybe trying to go outside what you wanted to do?

BOBBY OKEREKE: A multitude of things. As the game gets going, you want to make a play. It's early in the season. You want to get some momentum going. That's the foundation of fundamental defense, 100% doing your job.

Q: As a team captain, two years running now. 0-2, you have a very young team. How do you make sure that that same old, same old doesn't filter into your group, to the whole team?

BOBBY OKEREKE: You have a 1-0 mentality, and you focus on what you can control and that's practice. Going into this week, like I said, we'll have an emphasis on run fits, an emphasis on tackling and an emphasis on discipline, doing our job.

Q: The Giants have been in this spot a lot and it used to be (former New York Giants running back) Saquon (Barkley) and (former New York Giants safety) Xavier McKinney and (former New York Giants wide receiver) Sterling Shepard, who were here for a long time. And you have a different locker room now. What you're saying here to begin is you're putting it on you, which it sounds like a guy who's trying to take control of his locker room and be a captain. Is it important that some of these new guys, is this a teetering point for some of the new look Giants here to make sure like, 'Hey, we're going to show that we're the accountable ones?'

BOBBY OKEREKE: Yeah, I think that's the mindset and attitude of guys in the building. We're pointing the thumb, not the finger. Everyone has their own individual responsibility. It's 11 guys on a field at a time. So, especially on defense, our focus is everyone doing their job to the best of their ability. If we do that, we'll like the result.

Q: And my experience, obviously not with this team, and you were with the (Indianapolis) Colts, so could not be your experience, is that when a team loses a game where it's a management issue or a roster issue or a coaching issue like you did by not having a kicker available yesterday is players get frustrated with the coach. How do you guys avoid that? Is that something that you have to be on the lookout for? Maybe you've seen it other places.

BOBBY OKEREKE: I'd say that's not really in our mindset. Especially looking at this game. I know me specifically. I didn't tackle very well. Didn't do my job 100% to my ability. That's really where my focus is, and I know guys have their own individual focus on what they can do better.

Q: The word accountability, I would imagine, means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. And you're obviously taking accountability for your game. How do you see that manifest itself during the week? Does it start today? Does it start on Wednesday? What does that mean to you as a captain on this team and what you need to see from everybody in the locker room?

BOBBY OKEREKE: It really started last night on the bus watching the film. I'm watching the film with guys like (outside linebacker) Kayvon (Thibodeaux) and (defensive lineman) Dex (Dexter Lawrence II). I think it's really just being honest. Having those honest conversations, being self-aware, realizing when you made a good play and when you didn't make a good play, when you did your job and when you didn't. Overall, it's just having the dedication throughout the week, whether that's my process tomorrow, on a Wednesday, a Friday, a Saturday, a mock game. Just making sure my dedication and focus is on making the corrections week to week.

Q: One other thing I wanted to ask you just in terms of… (wide receiver) Malik (Nabers) talking yesterday at his locker, mentioned the veterans on this team, name dropped some guys, but collectively and said, 'These guys trust me as a young player and I didn't come through for them late.' Do you take an opportunity, I know it's another side of the ball, but the leadership of this team for you guys in the locker room, when you see or hear a young guy say that, how do you react to that?

BOBBY OKEREKE: I love that. Obviously, he knows and everybody in the building knows he was a star that game. He played extremely well. I think that moment is going to be big for him in his career. He'll remember that. He'll make the corrections throughout the week. His focus and energy will be on making that play. I think he'll have a lot of successful endings to games because of that play he missed.

Q: How different is this defensive scheme from what you were used to under (former New York Giants Defensive Coordinator) Wink (Martindale)?

BOBBY OKEREKE: I'd say pretty different. Obviously, with Wink (Martindale)'s style, we blitzed a lot. We ran a bear front, sometimes had a five-man front. This is a little bit more different. We're playing quarters. Some of our fits are different. But the same fundamentals of football always show up, playing fast and physical and doing your job.

Q: It's easy to say this because you've lost two games. But, in talking to the defensive players and leaders, there does seem to be some frustration, perhaps, with roles or with growing pains and that kind of thing. Can you fix that during a season if I'm accurate there?

BOBBY OKEREKE: A hundred percent. I think if you have the right perspective and mindset of making the corrections week to week, you'll get better and you'll like where you're at later on in the season. So that's where our focus is. We made some corrections from Week 1 to Week 2. We like the progress, still not where we need to be, so we'll make the corrections from Week 2 to (Week) 3 and we'll get a better result.

Q: Just a quick one, if I may. Have you seen (Defensive Coordinator) Shane Bowen's interest in hearing players' feedback and what worked well, what maybe didn't?

BOBBY OKEREKE: For sure. I think we have an open room. Shane (Bowen) talked about it today: guys taking accountability. (It) Starts player to coach, coach to player, really everybody demanding more from each other so that we can have the result we want.

Q: I think you said last year, once you hit your stride, you looked back and said it took you a few games to maybe adjust to Wink (Martindale)'s defense. Do you think any of that's going on for you now? It's another new scheme and it might take you a little time to feel your way through it?

BOBBY OKEREKE: Potentially. You never want to feel your way through the start of a season. You work so hard. All these coaches, people in the building put in so much work, so you want to have a great result to start. Sometimes for me, when I overthink, I'm not playing fast. So, getting myself to a spot where I'm clear-headed and playing fast, that's what I'm working on right now.

Q: Obviously, I think at some point last year it probably clicked for you. Is it fair to say maybe it hasn't yet in this defense this season?

BOBBY OKEREKE: I think growing pains is part of it. Just looking to make the corrections from last week to next week.

Offensive Tackle Andrew Thomas

Q: With the offensive line, it seems that you've gelled pretty quickly together and are playing some pretty good ball. I know that's a complete softball question, but fair is fair. Do you feel that way about your group?

ANDREW THOMAS: I think we definitely had a better showing in the second game than we did the first one. There are still some things that we can improve on to allow us to be more explosive and score more points, but I'm definitely happy with the improvement.

Q: When you get to see what (wide receiver) Malik (Nabers) does, what is your reaction? I know you have your own responsibilities during the game, but when you do see the plays he makes, what goes through your mind?

ANDREW THOMAS: It's exciting as an offensive lineman. You get to see him make plays in space and not just Malik, we have really talented guys on the outside. If we give (quarterback) Daniel (Jones) time, he can get it to our playmakers, and we can be explosive. We just have to be consistent with it.

Q: (Outside linebacker) Bobby (Okereke) was just on five minutes before you and said he thinks he was trying to do three quarters his job, a quarter somebody else's job, trying to make a play and if he just focused on his job, the Giants would have had a better result. I'm wondering if that's a team-wide message, if that has filtered into the offense at all? That seems like a show of leadership that maybe this team needs right now.

ANDREW THOMAS: Yeah, the first thing (Head Coach Brian Daboll) Dabs said when we had meetings today is basically look in the mirror and see what you could have done better as a player. It's really easy when things aren't going well to finger point. But the great teams, they stick together by looking in the mirror and seeing what each individual could do better. We're doing that, I'm doing that as offensive lineman, and obviously our room, stick together and want to make sure that we're doing everything we can to help the team win.

Q: I think you've been 0-2 before. The Giants have been 0-2 nine of the last 12 years, and nothing has really come of those seasons. That'll wear down the fans, how does that not wear down the players, the prospects of 0-2 seasons don't usually go anywhere?

ANDREW THOMAS: I definitely understand the perspective of the fans, but for us as players, it's a new team every year. A lot of us haven't been there for some of those years, so we're just focusing on the next opportunity that we have. Obviously, we didn't start fast, 0-2, but it's a long season, so we're just focusing on Cleveland this week, trying to get a win, and we'll see if our things shake out from there.

Q: How important is it at a time like this for a team like this for the head coach to set the tone, or when you're professionals, do you have to do it yourself?

ANDREW THOMAS: When you say set the tone, what are you referring to?

Q: Just set the mood, set the agenda, try to right this ship…

ANDREW THOMAS: I think teams take on the personality of their coach, but I think the best teams lead themselves. Obviously, the coaches put us in positions to make plays, but it's really up to us. They don't cross the white line, so it's up to us to have the mentality to be dominant, physical, and execute. That's up to us.

Q: Do you almost feel like, comparatively speaking, just the balance that you're able to have from you to (tackle) Jermaine (Eluemunor) across the board kind of gives you guys, functionally you're able to kind of maybe going back to that idea of you're doing your one-fifth rather than feeling like you need to compensate for what may be your perceived weakness somewhere else on the line, and that's how you're able to put forth a performance that you did yesterday and continue to grow?

ANDREW THOMAS: I think it's all five of the guys. As you guys know, it takes all five to be a good offensive line. If one person has a bad play, then that play can be ruined. I think all five of us have done a good job of gelling together, getting on the same page there. Like I said, there are still things that we can clean up in our run fits and just setting together, (inaudible), things of that nature, but I think it's the whole collective.

Q: I just wanted to follow up on what you said about the best teams' police yourselves. Do you feel like this team has enough policemen? Are you trying to become one of them? Because in the past, I feel like those guys aren't here anymore. The (Eagles running back) Saquons (Barkley), the (Packers safety Xavier) McKinneys, the (Buccaneers wide receiver Sterling Shepard) Sheps…

ANDREW THOMAS: I think we have a good group of captains. Obviously, the personalities are different than what we had before, but I think we have a good group of leaders and what we're working on now is just not being individuals as far as offense, defense, and special teams. Everybody picking each other up, playing together, because the only way you can be successful in this league is to play complementary football. So, we're just trying to be on the same page across all three phases.