DE Jason Pierre-Paul
August 20, 2014
Q: How are you doing?
A: I’m good.
Q: You talk about the chemistry a lot with the offensive line, how is the chemistry on the defensive line coming along?
A: We’ve still got work to do as far as the front. We’ve got a lot of work to do. We have a couple weeks left and hopefully we’ll get it right.
Q: Are you where you want to be through the preseason? When you came in your goal was probably to stay healthy, number one. Are you where you want to be in regards to that and in regards to your progress?
A: I’m fine. Every day I’m still working on my technique, that’s with everybody to. But as far as health wise I’m fine. I’m out there every day doing what I can.
Q: Is your body letting you do everything you want to do?
A: Yeah.
Q: It is? So there’s nothing holding you back?
A: No.
Q: How hard has it been to get that cohesiveness on the defensive line when you guys aren’t really playing a full game, a full quarter, a full half?
A: It’s hard because you don’t know, especially that game in Indy, you don’t know how it would have gone if the three’s would not play that game. Maybe it would have been a four-quarter battle, who knows? We did good a little bit in the first quarter as a defense but we still have some nicks and bruises that could have patched up. We came in and we executed them or whatever. I’ve got to say we still have work to do as a defense.
Q: How important is it for you to get sacks in the preseason?
A: Not important. It’s not important at all. We only get 25 snaps, that’s not a realistic number for me to play, play hard in 25. You don’t get a feel of what the offensive tackle’s doing or the inside rusher. I’m not worried about sacks in the preseason. Wait a couple weeks and we’ll see.
Q: Does the Jets preseason game have more energy, more intensity because of the supposed rivalry and does it really make any difference at all?
A: I think so. We both are in New York and we want to know who the best team is. I say the Giants are. But as far as that, everybody’s going to be playing hard. The stadium will be packed and the crowd will be going wild or whatever. They’re the home team, right? So we’re going to play our hearts out. We’re going to make a statement basically.
Q: Do you look at what their defensive line does? They seem to have a pretty good defense.
A: No, we just study on our game. It’s not like they can help us. We study our game and we try to execute all our plays.
Q: Coach Coughlin has told us this week that he really needs to see more out of the starters. Has that message been filled, do you believe, throughout the locker room? And are guys looking to make a statement in this game?
A: I didn’t get the memo.
Q: I think it was verbally to us, kind of osmosis-wise reaching to you guys.
A: Probably. I think as far as the defensive players, could probably talk about the offense too, when it comes time to play hard I think we’re going to step and play in harmony together. Right now guys are probably getting their technique down and seeing what they can do best or what they do do best in the game situation. As far as lacking or slacking or whatever, I know the guys will pick it up. I’m not saying they do slack but come the first game you’ll see a big different in the defense and the offense.
Q: It’s always said that this game is typically the dress rehearsal, the closest to a regular season game. Do you agree with that and if so, what more do you expect to see out of the team?
A: I think so. I think it’s a dress rehearsal game but I can’t speak for anybody else but myself. When I go out there I make sure my technique is right, how I’m rushing the passer, check my footwork out when I watch film and watch the tackles to see what they’re doing, if I was late off the ball or whatever. I just watch myself. Then I watch my whole D-line to see who is getting late off the ball or whatever. If I see something wrong I tell them. That’s just basically it.
Q: Do these games get chippy with the Jets because of the rivalry or not because it’s the preseason?
A: It’s going to be a hard game. We’re going to play hard and they’re going to play hard.
Q: Is there any extra verbal…?
A: Not from me. I’m going to go out there and play a football game and do what I do best.
WR Victor Cruz
August 20, 2014
Q: You guys have achieved a lot – Super Bowls – with Eli. Do you still need success in this offense to build confidence or do you guys already have that confidence?
A: I mean, we definitely have enough confidence in ourselves knowing that everything’s going to be OK but from an offensive standpoint you definitely want to make some plays, to have some success to kind of build on that confidence and build on that going into the final preseason game and into the regular season. We feel good about ourselves and our confidence is high so everything is clicking.
Q: We talked about how Tom was asking the starters for more production, more urgency, etcetera. Have you seen in practice the last couple days, as a veteran, a change in the response of the players?
A: I have, I have. You can see kind of a renewed energy out there on the practice field. Everybody’s getting things done on the right pace, everybody has an energy about themselves to know that we’ve got to change the current mood that’s around here offensively. We’ve got to get things going, we’ve got to get on the right track. You can see a difference out here on the practice field. Everything was clicking; everybody was on the same page. There were a lot less mental errors out here and you can see a change.
Q: Was it talked about amongst the players or did they kind of just get the message from coach and do it on their own?
A: We got the message. We understood, he has a way of saying it that makes it very loud and very clear so we got the message and we understood that. He didn’t even have to say anything for us to know that we had to play better and we had to perform better from an earlier standpoint in the game, when we’re in the game. We understand that and hopefully we can change that come Friday.
Q: When you look at the Jet game it is an exhibition game. Does it mean any more or is it just simply the third or the fourth preseason game of the year?
A: It means something in the sense of… obviously for ourselves offensively when you’ve got something to prove, when you’re trying to build some continuity, it means something. It’s all, you know, a matter of circumstance, how your team is doing at that point in time, whether this game means something or not. I think offensively for us one’s it definitely means something. It means for us to come in there and build some continuity and build some sequence and get a drive going in the right direction. So it definitely means something for us.
Q: Did you get a sense at all early on that maybe the offensive was pressing a little too much to get everything right, get everything down, and thus not play as loosely as you have in the past?
A: Not necessarily. I didn’t feel like we were pressing anything. In the Bills game the second drive we took it down the field pretty good and got in the end zone. That was, I didn’t feel like we were pressing anything so I don’t feel that way, at least as of right now.
Q: Do you worry at all that Odell Beckham is going to get too far behind early to help you guys much this season? He missed obviously a lot of spring time, a lot of training camp time and now maybe…?
A: I don’t think so. I think it’s just a matter of him getting himself healthy and getting out here. Like I said before, he’s been locked in mentally and I think that’s been the biggest key for him – being, as any rookie that comes in, locked in mentally and obviously coming out here on the field once he gets ready he’ll be behind the eight ball a little bit, having to play come catch-up. He’s the kind of guy that can get things squared away and be good to go.
Q: Is it easier, I mean the offense is different for a receiver than it used to be and sounds like a little less complicated. Will that, do you think, help the fact that maybe he can get out there quicker than you think?
A: I think so, I think that can help him. And as far as… it’s just the confidence level too. When he gets out there and makes a couple plays and starts to do things he can build that confidence on that. I think the play sheet and the play calling, it being a lot easier and more straightforward that it was in years past, that you can kind of pick it up and flow right in.
Q: Have you been able to share some of your experiences? You were on IR obviously as a rookie so you know what it’s like to not be able to go out there. Have you been able to share some of that with Odell?
A: Yeah, I’ve spoken to him a couple times when he’s asked me just my opinion or just asked me to kind of talk to him a little bit. I just told him to stay locked in mentally, that’s the one thing he can do at this point is to make sure if they ask you any question there should be no excuses, you should know everything that’s being asked of you at every position because that’s your craft right now, that’s all you can be locked in on. He has to understand that. So he’s been doing that in the meeting rooms and he’s been staying locked in and queued in, he’s not been drifting or anything like that, which is a good sign.
Q: Usually the final preseason game you guys see maybe a series – I mean very, very little. So if this is really the dress rehearsal, do you guys put more emphasis on knowing this may be your last shot to show what you really can do before the regular season starts?
A: I think so, at least individually I do. I think I try to get myself, even before the game, I try to prepare myself as if I’m playing the entire game so I can get in there and get into a groove and be comfortable mentally while I’m in the game. But it’s definitely, that’s the way we have to approach it as if this is our game and we have to play to win and act like this is our last chance that we get to rehearse before Week 1 so we’ve got to approach it that way for sure.
