QB Eli Manning
December 10, 2014
Q: How is your back Eli Manning?
A: Feels great, no issues.
Q: What was it like today going back to work after a win? Did you sense that there was a different energy in practice?
A: Yeah, I think it is nice to come in here after a win. The first time the team has been back together. There is definitely a sense of relief getting that win, but we can’t keep celebrating at this point. We’ve got to get ready for the Washington Redskins, we’ve got to get back to having great practices, getting prepared, and going out there and trying to get a another one.
Q: From a defensive standpoint, what do they do well?
A: They do a good job getting to the quarterback. They get sacks, they don’t give up many yards, it is tough to run the ball against them, they have a good scheme, some different blitzes, they are going to keep you on your toes. You have to have a great week of preparation, make sure everybody is on the same page, and hopefully we can block them up long enough to get some plays down the field.
Q: Did the offensive linemen offer you a wheelchair or anything?
A: No, all good, all good. They have been playing well, no sacks last week. Hopefully we can do that again.
Q: How did you get hurt?
A: I don’t know if I really got hurt. I feel good, the coach wanted to take a few reps off, it wasn’t many reps anyway, so it is not going to limit me in my practices for the week, or the game. Just kind of some of the procedures you have to go through now in the NFL.
Q: Back in the division, no matter where you are in the standings, does that always add a little extra to the game?
A: No doubt, no doubt. Anytime you play in the division, we’ve got the Washington [Redskins] at home. It is going to be a big game. We played them early in the year, we probably played them our best game that day, so I am sure they want a little revenge on that. We are going to expect their best and they will have some new wrinkles for us, and some new things, and we have to be prepared.
Q: We have seen Odell Beckham Jr. throw the ball, we’ve seen him running on the reverse, we’ve seen him obviously catch the ball, punt returns. What does he mean to this offense?
A: He is an explosive player; we are finding ways to get him the ball. He is also opening up some running lanes for our backs, opening up some other things for the receivers. Putting him in some spots, some to give him the ball, some to be a decoy to get the defense to get attracted to him and key him so we can hit some other guys. He has done a good job growing within the offense, understanding the concepts of the routes, not just what his route is, how we can move him around a little bit, get in some different spots. Defenses can’t key on where he is going to be lined up.
Q: Thoughts on the owners today passing a new personal conduct policy. Just in general, what are your thoughts going forward about having a good policy in place, and how important is it for the league and for the players.
A: I am unaware of what happened today, I have been here practicing. I will have to read up on it, and let you know once I get informed on what occurred.
Q: Jay Gruden described his quarterback situation in Washington as a merry-go-round. He’s got three guys, obviously. Do you have a sense of how difficult it must be for a young quarterback to go around and around? You start a couple of games, then you are out a couple games, it has to be difficult to grow and learn.
A: Yeah, I guess it can be difficult. I think sometimes it can be an eye opener. You might learn what you need to do, but that is just football. There is going to be stretches, you are going to have tough games, tough situations, and learning a new offense, and being a young player is not easy. You have to keep working, and that is all you can do.
Q: When you were a rookie many years ago, you were adamant that you wanted to play and that was the best way to learn, not sitting on the sideline. Do you still feel that is the best for a young quarterback?
A: Yeah, I think for a rookie quarterback coming in, I think you can learn so much being on the sidelines, I think it is helpful maybe at first. The thing for me to sit and watch, watch Kurt Warner, watch him prepare, watch him do things. I wanted to play that first season, it would’ve been tough if I didn’t play at all my first year and got named the starter that second year and hadn’t played a game. I think you learn a lot playing, you make a lot of mistakes, and you learn about those mistakes, and this is kind of half the battle.
Q: Your consecutive game streak. Is that a point of pride for you when you look around the league?
A: I think I want to be there for my teammates, I want to be there for the organization, we have a lot of guys who are banged up, and hurting, they are there practicing, they are there playing on Sundays, and I want to do the same for them always. You definitely want to be there for your teammates to show that you are committed and you are doing whatever you can to be out there on the field for them.
Q: You are not a big fan of the injury report, are you?
A: I never really looked at it. I don’t know if I really deserve to be on an injury report. Kind of told me they had to list something. I said okay. You can’t really control that.
Q: You would prefer to not be on the injury report, right?
A: If I were truly injured, then that would be fine. I don’t really consider myself injured right now.
Q: You don’t feel like you earned the right?
A: I didn’t earn the right, I didn’t earn the right.
Q: That is not something you really want to earn too often, is it?
A: No, try to avoid it.
Q: It looked like on the first down to pass to Odell Beckham Jr., the deep one, you kind of turned your back and took a shot.
A: No, it wasn’t a hit, I feel good. It wasn’t a play or anything; I wouldn’t worry too much about it. I’m not.
Q: Did they give you choice of which body part you wanted to say was hurt?
A: What did they go with? Back?
RE: Back
A: Back, generic enough. That’s good. That works.
Q: Is that always a hard thing, especially as a quarterback, you have a target on your back already? If you list somewhere the other team knows, now they are aware of it?
A: Yeah, obviously you don’t want to give them an area to attack. I don’t think they really look at that, I think they see a free shot at the quarterback, those guys’ eyes light up anyway. You don’t need to give them an extra incentive
Re: practice snaps
A: Took most of the reps. Ryan Nassib got a few reps, but that is not totally uncommon anyway, Kind of looked at it, looked at plays I definitely wanted. Some new stuff, some things that were in the signals, possible checks, a few runs here or there, a few passes we’ve thrown a thousand times, but let Ryan Nassib get a few reps.
Q: Do you feel like this might change the threshold for taking you out of the game late in terms of a certain number of points and they might pull you out?
A: No, I don’t think it will affect anything, I don’t think it will make any difference.
Q: You mentioned how the first Washington game is maybe your team’s best this season. Have you looked at that tape?
A: I haven’t looked at it yet. I will watch it this week, just trying to see few plays from it, but not as a whole. I think we protected well offensively. The defense got 5-6 turnovers, had a short field to work with, that always helps the offense. We were effective in the red zone. We just had great opportunities and took advantage of it. Hopefully we can see what we did well. Go make some adjustments, we will make some adjustments, and we protected the ball, and got the ball out pretty quickly.
Q: You remember all that without having watched the tape again?
A: Yeah, threw the ball accurately, got a lot of completions. A lot of completions on first and second down, didn’t have many third downs. I just kind of remember being well-protected and getting protected, good protection, and the ball coming out quickly.
Q: Do you think when you do watch you will sort of say, why weren’t we able to sustain that in other games?
A: It is just football. Every game is its own game. There is a reason why you are successful, or not successful, in each one. You can’t just say, “We will just run those same plays we did in Washington and we will be successful again.” It is all timing, and again the defense getting turnovers and getting great field position, all of those things are factors in the game.
LB Jameel McClain
December 10, 2014
Q: I want to ask you about [Devon] Kennard… He had mentioned that you have been taking him under your wing… Can you talk about the development you have seen from him?
A: Kennard is a phenomenal kid. Kennard is focusing on his game and he focuses on details. For him to be so young and be such a professional, it is amazing. Kennard and I are talking. It really is a linebacker thing. We all are paying attention to everything and trying to get everybody right. That is what Kennard is all about, is improving. You see the transition of Kennard.
Q: Does he remind you of anybody in particular?
A: To be honest, he reminds me of myself.
Q: How so?
A: When I was his age, I played multiple positions or it is how my career has been. Being able to come in and hit the ground rolling right away, that is something that I was used to. He is very smart, and you know I am pretty smart.
Q: Is there any extra zip around here coming off a win?
A: I don’t know about extra zip. It is always good to come in and work when we get a win. That is always a great thing to do. You get that feeling in meetings. Every day you get a zip around here, regardless of whether we win or lose, because guys want to come back and prove something. It is always better to look at film when you win.
Q: They are ranked 10th in the NFL in terms of offense and you may face two to three quarterbacks… How do you prepare for that?
A: You just prepare for everything. If you know you can’t directly look at one thing, then you have to prepare for all of the quarterbacks. All of them do some things well. That is what we have to prepare for. The best part is that these are two teams that understand each other. There is not going to be any tricking going on in this game.
Q: Going back to playing multiple positions… Is that difficult for a linebacker coming out of college?
A: It is difficult for anybody to play multiple positions. To put that on a rookie shows the trust that the coaches have in the rookie and his professionalism. It is definitely not something that is easy for anybody to do. For a rookie, like I have said before, it is pretty impressive.
Q: Does [Kennard] ask a lot of questions of you guys or does he take it all in?
A: I would say it is kind of a mixture. He is more of an absorbent type of guy. When he asks a question, it is most of the time the right question, sometimes it is not, but most of the time it is the right question.
Q: Is trying to win out important to you?
A: Absolutely. It is important to me to win in general. I want to win and I want to put on a good performance and the team wants to put on a good performance. Winning out, that is the case of it, we deserve it. The players deserve it for their hard work. The coaches deserve it for their game plans. Winning out is definitely a goal.
