DT Cullen Jenkins
Conference Call, September 14, 2015
Q: How do you straighten this out by the time you get back on the practice field after such an emotional game?
A: We have to stay positive and rally together. I know it’s tough and I know just for myself this is probably one of the toughest losses that I’ve had in my career. I found myself, even today, needing a boost. Some of the coaches helped pick my spirits up. [Michael] Strahan was in the building and he talked to us and that helped a lot. It’s things like when we just have to rally together, stay behind each other, and get through this together.
Q: Obviously the 4th quarter wasn’t what you wanted out of the defense, up until that point were you starting to see strides of things coming together? Or was it still not what you wanted to see?
A: I thought we were playing. We were fighting, we were playing together really well, we were rallying behind each other, rallying to the ball, playing physical, and I thought we showed a lot of good things out there. The things that we just have to do better, we just have to get more crisp in our technique and our responsibilities. I think that, that really changed the bit of it, that fourth quarter, but we have to build off of that. What we put out there on the film is a start and it’s something that we can build off of, and it’s something that everybody has to look at positively, and understand that we can be even better, and even more dominant.
Q: What seemed to break down on that final drive? Was it a matter of a missed assignments or some fatigue? Can you pinpoint what happened on Dallas’ final possession?
A: I think that the assignments, some of the technique in the assignments, weren’t the best. [Tony] Romo made some great plays, they had some great calls against us, and I think for us, we, especially the last drive of the game, maybe we mentally had gotten a little down and we can’t let that happen.
Q: One of the things that was missing was a pass rush, how much of that was Dallas? How much of that was you?
A: I think they schemed us pretty well. The ball came out very fast most of the night and when it does that…you’re trying to get as much push as you can and trying to get your hands up in hopes of tipping a pass and affect the throw.
Q: Do you have to guard against the team or some teammates just being so devastated by the loss that it’s tough to bounce back?
A: Definitely devastated, and I think I’ve probably been one of the most devastated in the defensive meeting room. I had a lot of guys coming to me trying to pick me up and help morale because it was tough. You go out there and you fight, we fight as hard as we did, and we put ourselves in position, and we just couldn’t close it out and finish it. It’s a game, it tough, but it’s definitely a learning experience for us now and it has to be something that we get some positive from to help us during this long season.
Q: Do you think that when Dallas went to the hurry-up it exposed the communication a little bit between the first time middle linebacker [Uani ‘Unga] and you have the starting safety [Landon Collins] who’s also a rookie?
A: I thought for the most part we were communicating well the whole night. Towards the end we did have a couple plays where the communication wasn’t the best, but I think that was more to do with just the players not being on the same page with their responsibilities and their checks. I don’t think it had to anything to do with the communication from the sideline. I think we just have to jell better together as a group and know what each other is thinking kind of. We have to anticipate calls from each other and just be on the same page.
because JPP blew up his hand.
Quote:
Why is this guy the starting defensive end for the NY Giants? He's 34 years old,6-2,305 with no experience playing defensive end in a 4-3. He was washed up last year and now he's starting at a position that usually requires length,speed,and quickness in which has has little. Play Moore please.He cannot be any worse.
because JPP blew up his hand.
That and they don't trust Owa or Moore. They likely trust him to maintain his gap and are willing to forgo pass rushing to save the team from getting blown up in the run game. We did hold Dallas to under 85 yards rushing on 22 attempts (3.6 yards per) and their longest rush was for 16 yards. For perspective we averaged 3.5 yards per carry.
Unfortunately THERE IS NO MOTHERFUCKING PASS RUSH INSIGHT for this team, my god that was brutal to watch.