Offensive Coordinator Ben McAdoo
October 8, 2015
Q: You guys really got the ball out quick in Buffalo. How much was that the plan and how much of that was the offense in general?
A: It was probably a combination of both. They do a nice job with their front, they’re pretty good there. Playing in the noise, we thought that it was best for the offensive unit to play with good time and precision in the game.
Q: Is that something you measure, how quickly the ball comes out on each pass? Is it important for you to be at a certain number?
A: No, we want to play fast and get the ball out on time when it’s supposed to get out and to who it’s supposed to go to. Go through your reads and take the completions when you have them.
Q: It seems like when you guys have needed a big play, Rashad Jennings has sort of stepped up. What does that say about him?
A: He certainly did on Sunday. That was a big play in the game for us, and it was good to have him make it. It was a challenging play in the game, it’s not like he just came up and made an ordinary play. He went above the x’s and o’s there and came through for us and provided a nice lift when we needed it.
Q: The guys have been talking a little bit about being more self-governing in terms of taking ownership of the offense. Have you seen that this year from them? In terms of spurring themselves on.
A: Absolutely, I think the second year in the system, it’s an adjustment-based offense. It’s good to get input from everyone in the locker room, and they take pride in that and they take ownership of it. It’s good to have.
Q: On that pass to Rashad, obviously they said it was a hot read. He gave credit to Eli [Manning] saying that Eli is reading the defender and kind of putting the ball where, letting Rashad know to come inside. Does it get down to those kinds of details that you guys have honed in on?
A: Yeah, Eli did a nice job on the play. He drew the defender to him and put a ball just above his outstretched arms with it. 55 [Jerry Hughes] does a nice job of batting the ball down, he’s a jumper, that’s kind of been his game in the league and he’s had a lot of success at it. Eli did a good job of drawing him to him and getting the ball up where he couldn’t get a hand on it and putting it where he needed to put it to stop Rashad so he can cut back and gain some green. It was a nice play.
Q: Up two scores late, I think it was a third down when the interception came. Any looking back and saying maybe we should just run it and take the field goal there or do you just want to be aggressive and keep going for it.
A: With over four minutes left in the game, it was a lot of time left in the game and until you start milking the clock in four-minute mode, you want to stay aggressive, keep your foot on the gas, and go for the knockout shot there.
Q: What’s the difference between 17 and 21 at that point in your mind then?
A: Four points. We have confidence, we train the situation, we believe that we’re going to go out there and execute the way we’re capable. You have to give credit to the defense.
Q: Your line kept their defensive front from getting any sacks and getting very many pressures. Can you talk a little bit about the progress that unit has made?
A: They’re playing well together right now. They’re doing a nice job communicating. Buffalo, they did an excellent job of creating some chaos. They have some noise, they do it with scheme, they have good players, and they’re well coached. You have to be on the same page and we felt they did a nice job in pass protection communicating and keeping the quarterback clean long enough where he can get the ball out on time.
Q: The outside expectations for Odell Beckham [Jr.] this year were obviously sky high and his numbers aren’t what they were last year, but they’re still pretty good. Do you feel like the Manning/Beckham connection hasn’t quite hit on all cylinders or are you okay where it is?
A: I think, in general, we’ve haven’t been as clean outside the numbers as we’ve liked to be. It’s not the quarterback, it’s not Odell, it’s not Rueben [Randle], it’s just a combination of everything, and that’s something we’re working at right now to get better at. We’re going to keep targeting Odell and we feel his production will come as long as he’s dialed in. He’s doing a nice job blocking and being physical out there and we expect the numbers to be there. What those numbers will be, I don’t know, but he’s going to have plenty opportunity.
Q: Do you think he’s getting a lot more attention than he did a year ago from defenses? Is he having any trouble finding his way open with that extra attention?
A: After whe played the first game of his career last year against Atlanta and got the game winner, after that, he’s been receiving a ton of attention since that moment.
Q: It seemed like last week was the first week you got the third receiver involved. Was that the game plan or was that just how it happened?
A: It’s just the way things worked out. Dwayne [Harris] has been doing a nice job in practice and to be able to get him the catches on game day was good for him. It’s healthy for him, he came through for us, he had a nice day out here today for us, and as he grows more comfortable with the offense and the more his feet talk to him, the more productive he has a chance to be.
Q: How close is [Geremy] Davis to starting to make another boost?
A: We’ll find out. He just has to keep coming out, keep practicing, and at some point it’s going to transition to the game field.
Q: Where do you move on now at tight end? You have two rookies and a second year starter.
A: Next man up. We just the develop the guys in the room and keep working on getting those better, and working. Larry [Donnell] is the lead dog in there right now and he’s got to stand up, he’s got to lead those guys. Kevin [Gilbride] does a great job with them, so whoever is in there, we’re going to play with, we’re going to develop them, and we trust them. They wouldn’t be here if we didn’t trust them.
Q: Daniel [Fells] was probably your best blocking tight end. Who’s the best blocking tight end in that group now?
A: Larry does a nice job blocking and we’re bringing the other guys along.
Q: What do you make of Ereck Flowers, a rookie who sounds like he gets ticked off any time he has to miss a snap, even though you can argue he’s hurt sometimes?
A: I think it’s encouraging when you bring a guy in like Ereck who loves football. You can see that, that’s evident, he doesn’t want to miss, he’s a tough guy, and we look forward to him getting healthy and continuing to develop and improving his technique.
Q: Tom [Coughlin] spoke a little bit last week about the play calling against Washington late in the game, being aggressive and then you mentioned the aggressiveness earlier. Is there any more conventional wisdom in play-calling in this league you think?
A: The game has probably changed a little bit. You like to put as many big guys on the field as you can at the end of the game and run the ball. That’s tougher to do now, you don’t have as much time in pads as maybe you used to have, and that’s not an excuse, that’s just the reality. The game is played with more speed on the field and more in space, so with that being said, it’s tougher on the quarterback because he has to deal with more adjustments and more moving things around him. There are more moving parts, so he has to be very crafty with his time.
Q: Miles White is a guy you’ve known obviously since his rookie year. Promoting him this week, what do you like in Miles and has he progressed?
A: Miles is a smart player. He’s been in the system for a while. He’s a guy that can stick his foot in the ground and create some separation that way. As a rookie, he came in, he was a young guy, what he had the big game up in Minnesota? I think it was Sunday night but it may have been Monday. It was a night game but he came in and he played for us and did a nice job. We expect him to do the same from here on out.
Q: Has your offensive line exceeded your expectations so far?
A: They’re like everybody else, under construction. We’re all a work in progress and they’re right there with us.
Q: Are they greatly improved from Week 1 in your estimation?
A: They got better last week and we need to take another step this week. Just get a little bit better each week, find a way to win the games, and we’ll be where we need to be.
