On specific thiings Giants QB Eli Manning has done this year that he hasn't done in years past: "I think everything's different. They're running an entirely different thing. They're doing a lot more one back looks than they have been in the past. It's similar to what [Giants offensive coordinator] Ben [McAdoo] was doing when he was in Green Bay. They seem like they've picked it up over the last couple weeks too. But it's very different than what they did before."
On going into games wanting a certain number of touches from running back Darren Sproles: "No, we don't talk about numbers. Obviously our running backs are the focal point of what we're doing, so we think those come. So it's just a matter of just getting a rotation going and making sure there is a fresh guy in there."
On catching the ball out of the backfield: "You can't force that. A lot of times in the last couple games he's been double covered. You can't tell [QB] Nick [Foles], if he's doubled, throw it to him because you want to get him a catch. If they are going to double him, than we need to go somewhere else. But we're starting to see more double coverage of him coming out of the backfield. If that's the case, someone else has to be open."
On the lack of younger players and draft picks playing on the team this year: "I think it's probably circumstantial. You have [DT] Beau Allen playing a lot and he got drafted in the seventh round. We say the same thing about everybody when they get here: 'When you get here, you're a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, and the best players are going to play.' If the best player happens to be a young player, then he's going to play. If the best player is an older player, he's going to play. But it's all based on what you do when you get here. We don't look at a guy and say, 'Hey, he's this, we have to force him in.' I think you'd lose the rest of the guys on your team if you say, 'Why are you playing this guy? Just because we drafted him high.' He has to prove that he deserves playing time."
On whether he puts emphasis on playing high draft picks: "No, the emphasis is winning each week, that's it. Bottom line. If I'm going to try to groom a guy because he's going to be a good player two or three years down the road, I ain't going to be here two or three years down the road. We're trying to win our next game, and our best guys are going to play in our next game. That's the way I've always approached it and that's the way I'm going to approach it."
On whether he's seen progression from young players like DB Jaylen Watkins and DE Taylor Hart: "I do. I do. I've seen growth in all those guys. The other thing is I've seen growth in a lot of other guys. [LB] Brandon Graham's a lot better of a football player this year than he was last year. Brandon Graham warrants playing opportunities and when he gets in there, he does a really good job with it. That's the way I've always done it. It's been a meritocracy. If you merit playing time, you'll get playing time. But it just can't be because we took somebody 'here' or we think 'this' about that guy. That's not the way I want to do it. That's not going to be done. We're going to play the best guys and give ourselves the best opportunity to win each and every week. If we start planning now that we want to develop someone three or four years down the road, I think we're short changing them. I think we're short changing the guys in the locker room that are giving everything they've got and trying to understand, 'Why am I not playing if I'm better than that guy right now?' The bottom line is we're winning right now and that is the most important thing for us. That's what we're always going to look to is, 'What is our short-term goal in terms of winning football games?' I know if I was a paying fan, I wouldn't want to go out there and say, 'Hey, they're going to develop and be somebody and three or four years down the road they're going to be a really good football team.' That's not what this deal is about. You have to win every single Sunday."
On Graham's progression this year: "I think Brandon's able to play both positions, so he backs up both [LB] Connor [Barwin] and [LB] Trent [Cole]. I really shouldn't say back up, it's a rotation. We're trying to get those guys in. And the other thing when you look at BG [Graham], and I don't know if you really watch it intently, but it's how well he's playing on special teams. He's light years ahead of where he was last year from a special teams standpoint. You're really getting a guy that's invested in it. He's worked very hard in the offseason and it's paying off. But you're also getting production out of Trent and you're getting production out of Connor. We feel that we've got three guys in there that again, when you look up, it's not, 'Why is he in the game? It's alright, let's go.' Part of what we're doing is trying to get the best guys out there and giving them an opportunity to make plays."
On whether LB Mychal Kendricks wearing a helmet was a sign of progress: "It's a sign of progress. He did some light running on the side. He wasn't involved in any team or 7-on-7 things, so we'll gauge it again and what he can do today. He's ahead of where he was last week, but I couldn't tell you where he's going to be by the end of the week. But we'll see where it goes from that standpoint."
On T Matt Tobin versus T Dennis Kelly: "I think Matt's improved. Again, I think part of it is coming off the ankle injury. He probably wasn't 100 percent healthy, but he's such a tough guy. He's going to go out there and give you everything he's got. I think he's improved from Game One to Game Two. He's still got a wealth of experience that he needs to get under his belt and the only way you're going to get him that is if as he plays. His understanding, his knowledge, I think he's a pretty smart football player. He's probably a little bit more athletic, I think, than Dennis at certain times. Dennis is probably a bigger, more drive blocking, forceful type of guy than Matt, but I think Matt's a little bit more athletic than him. So that's kind of what separates those two guys right now."
On whether he expects to have LB DeMeco Ryans ready for Sunday: I hope, but I don't know. We'll see what happens. If there is one guy that I wouldn't count out of anything, it would be DeMeco. But we'll see how he progresses during the week. One thing about DeMeco, is he's extremely honest with you. He'll tell you if he can go or can't go. That's exactly what he told the trainers on Sunday. We'll see where he is. It sounds like he's progressing, so we're hopeful for that, but we'll see what happens in these next couple days of training."
On what he knows about Ryans' injury: I really don't know. I know it's a groin, so I don't know the difference between bruise or sprain. I want to know when he can come back to play. So whether it's a 'Spruise,' I don't know. That's not my concern. My concern is getting him on the field and getting him ready to play."
On whether Ryans could play without practicing: "Yeah, I don't know what the exception is. We just grade everybody based on, 'Are they prepared to play, do they understand the game plan and can they go? We've never been in this situation before. So we'll get a feel for where he is with the game plan and how comfortable [defensive coordinator] Billy [Davis] and [inside linebackers coach] Rick [Minter] feel with what we have in there."
On Giants RB Andre Williams: "Yeah, he's a big, physical runner. I think it's evident. You watch him in the preseason or watch him when he was at Boston College. He ran for over 2,000 yards last year at BC. He's a guy who you knew who he was coming out. He was at the Combine, and you had a chance to see him. Big, hard nosed, physical runner. He's in the same mold. All three backs of their backs are kind of similar type guys. They're all bigger running backs and physical, downhill guys. He fits into the mold of what a New York Giants running back is."
On the biggest reasons for the Giants' improvement defensively: "I think health. It looks like [Giants defensive end Jason] Pierre-Paul is a little bit more healthy than he was last year. They've added a couple guys in the secondary that I think have helped them a little bit. But it seems like they were banged up a lot of last year, with guys in and out of the lineup and really struggled from an injury standpoint. But they seem like they're a lot healthier now. They've got a good understanding of [Giants defensive coordinator] Perry [Fewell's] scheme in terms of what they're trying to do and what they're trying to accomplish. And they present some problems because they're really well coached. I think when you get a healthy group that's well coached, that's why they're playing better on the defensive side of the ball."
On why LB Connor Barwin bats down so many passes: "I think he just has a good feel when he's rushing the quarterback, if he's not going to get there, to get his hands up. We always talk about attacking the quarterback's throwing arm, and he's got a really good sense and feel for doing that."
On how the addition of rookie wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr., changes the Giants' offense: "It's a little bit different. I don't know if it changes because of what they're doing offensively. All five guys are live. You watch the tight end against the Redskins, [he] had a big game. And the next week it goes to [WR] Victor Cruz, the next week it may go to [WR] Rueben Randle. I don't think you can look at it. All it does is give them another weapon out there. Obviously an extremely talented football player. Was a high draft pick in the first round. They got him back there a little bit in the return game. He didn't have any returns the other day just because of how the ball was punted. But they're going to put him back there as a returner. They're also going to get him inserted in there. It's another weapon. What they're doing now is they're spreading the field a lot more than they have in the past. So when you have Victor Cruz, and Beckham, and Randle and the tight end in the game, it makes it difficult in terms of everybody is a viable option for him.
On what he saw from Beckham going into the draft: "Explosive, really dynamic with the ball in his hands. Great with run after the catch. Was an outstanding returner at LSU also. That's obviously kind of the same skill set that he had. He's got really, really good hands. You loved what type of route runner he was. He can get in and out of breaks. He's got long speed where he can beat you deep. But he's not just a linear guy. He can get in and out of breaks and change direction very quickly. Again, really, really good hands."
On what happens with the defensive headset if DeMeco Ryans cant go Sunday: "We'd have to go through that. Really depends on where Kendricks is too, so that will be a decision that will be made later in the week. I don't think it's very different in terms of what we do. Most of the things we do -- we don't really huddle much anyways. So everybody's getting a signal and the guy with the head set, DeMeco's getting the verbal signal. But everybody works off the signal system. So who has the headset on defense isn't that big a deal."
On what happened with the headset when Ryans came out Sunday against the Rams: "We just signaled. It wasn't a big deal. You can ask, I don't know if they put the headset on someone else, but it's not that big of a deal for us on the defensive side of the ball."
On whether he's surprised by the amount of zone the team has seen this year: "No, and it's by game. Two teams really chose to do it, San Francisco and Jacksonville. Other guys were split. I think the Colts were split, the Redskins were split. I'm not surprised by anything. I think what you've got to get an understanding of is when you get through the first couple of drives is what their plan is and how they express how they're going to play things."
On how much credit the special teams unit deserves: "I think it deserves a lot. We spend a lot of time on it and it's a big emphasis of what we're doing. But obviously when you get a kickoff return for a touchdown, a punt return for touchdown, and two blocked punts for touchdown, it deserves a ton of credit."
On why the special teams has changed so much from last year: "We've changed some of the personnel. We acquired some guys in the offseason. I think the guys that have been here, the [TE] James Caseys, [WR] Brad Smiths, those guys have gotten better. [LB] Brandon Graham has gotten better. Everybody in year two has gotten better from a special teams standpoint, and we've added some guys. [TE] Trey Burton who was an undrafted free agent we picked up out of Florida has done a really good job for us. The addition of [S] Chris Maragos and [LB] Bryan Braman. We have a bunch of guys invested in being special teams football players."
On fixing QB Nick Foles' mechanics: "We all look at it, but [quarterbacks coach] Bill [Musgrave] takes care of it. Bill was an outstanding quarterback in college. Played in this league for six years. Is as good a quarterback coach as I've been around. Bill handles that on an individual basis and in individual drills."
On the dime package: "We're getting better at it. I think [CB] Nolan [Carroll's] getting a good feel of being in there. He's done some really good things, did a great job in the 49ers game on a rush on [QB Colin] Kaepernick and taking the open gap and forcing the ball out early on the interception that [S] Malcolm [Jenkins] had. But I think Nolan's starting to get more comfortable at it. It's obviously a work in progress, but we've added more and more as we get going here. But I think Nolan's doing a really good job of it."
On changing quarterbacks coaches and whether that could be tied to Foles' mechanical issues: "No, I don't think there is a tie to that at all. I think, yes, Nick feels very comfortable. I think Nick really enjoys Bill. I think Bill is a hell of a quarterback coach, and I think we're fortunate to have Bill.
