Coach Tom Coughlin
November 12, 2015
Q: Can you talk about how, without Prince Amukamara, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie has helped out. It seems like DRC has really taken it upon himself to really be a leader back there.
A: He has, no doubt. He’s done that pretty much all fall and the timing was right for him to do that, obviously. But (Jayron) Hosley has stepped up back there, certainly not everything is perfect, but (Trevin) Wade played better last week. So I think there’s some things going on back there.
Q: When you have a defense that has so many takeaways and you go up against a team that doesn’t give the ball away as an offense, how do you entice them into doing that?
A: Get more takeaways. You look at tape and you recognize individuals who are vulnerable and you talk about, you pinpoint some things. And then you do the opposite on the other side of the ball, which is all the things we’ve stressed from day one—high and tight principles, where the elbow should be, protecting the ball, getting the ball covered up, not making a mistake with the ball. You’ve got a guy who has only thrown two interceptions, so you better be good at stripping and doing some things after the ball is caught.
Q: I know you always put an emphasis on the run game, but when you play a great quarterback like Tom Brady, for your running game, does that put more emphasis on it because obviously you want to keep the ball out of those guys’ hands?
A: That’s well said. You have to keep the ball, you’ve got to take full advantage of your drives, your opportunities and the good mix, and the clock running is all part of that. It’s all part of the thinking.
Q: Do you know what you’re going to do with Will Beatty today?
A: He remains on PUP. He has an issue with a rotator cuff on the right side that’s going to require some surgery, so he remains on PUP.
Q: When did that happen?
A: He’s had an issue with that for quite a while.
Q: How big a blow is that for you? You probably expected to have him back the last couple of weeks.
A: We sure did. Obviously, we have. And on his behalf, he’s practiced and he’s worked hard to try to see what he was able to do with it, and it’s just not going to be something that will allow him to be the player that he can be. So that’s why the decision.
Q: Is the rotator cuff related to the pectoral injury?
A: No. No, it’s not related to the other side.
Q: Is it a new injury while he was rehabbing?
A: It’s a new injury based on as he began to work in the offseason and strength was such as issue that this other thing cropped up and they did all the work on it. That’s all I can tell you, I don’t have a day by day.
Q: Was he trying to play through it?
A: He was trying to see what he could do with it. He wore a strap and so on and so forth, but it just wasn’t enough.
Q: Was it a relief yesterday to get the news back that Justin Pugh didn’t have a concussion, that it was just an illness?
A: It certainly was. As late in the week as it was that we were talking about, it made it even more.
Q: Was he feeling better this morning?
A: He’s better this morning, he feels better.
Q: Damontre Moore continues to get these roughing the passer penalties. Is there something he’s doing?
A: Obviously, there’s something he’s doing.
Q: Are people overreacting to him?
A: I think a little bit. But you’ve got to play your way out of that, the idea that you’re a penalty guy. That’s what he’s confronted with. The problem is that it doesn’t always get called the way you’re seeing it with him. In other words, it may or may not be a foul, it’s that close. But you have to make sure he understands it’s because of the fact that he has a record of this that it’s being called so close. So he’s got to change.
Q: How do you get a guy like him? You don’t want him to back off, you want him to be aggressive, right? What kinds of things can he do?
A: You’ve got to know the rules. You can’t use the top of your helmet, you can’t use the helmet as some kind of spear, you can’t take the quarterback low, so all of those things.
Q: Was the helmet why you think they called the penalty the other day?
A: I don’t think so the other day.
Q: The other day was just late?
A: The helmet came prior. He wasn’t even late. I don’t think it was that late the other day, to be honest with you.
Q: Was he low though maybe?
A: No, he wasn’t. As you looked at it, he was about hip high.
Q: You had a lot of success with him and JPP, it was only a seven or eight snaps, but them on the ends and Robert Ayers on the inside. In your estimation, is that your best pass rush unit?
A: Something we can work with. Something we can work with.
Q: What do you like about Robert inside?
A: He can maneuver in there. He’s not an easy block for the guards inside. He can avoid and he’s quick.
Q: Are you averse to having a corner like DRC on Gronkowski? Is that just not a matchup you would look for?
A: You guys are going to talk me into something here.
Q: I’m just curious because he’s such a difficult matchup, but normally you wouldn’t put a corner on a tight end of that size.
A: True. True. Well done.
Q: Can you avail Steve Spagnuolo to this line of thinking?
A: I’ll make sure he gets that question directly.
