QB Eli Manning
December 23, 2015
Q: I know you don’t know the status yet of Odell, but if he’s not with you guys on Sunday, how do you fill that void without him in the lineup?
A: We’ll be fine. We’ve got guys, great opportunity for other guys to step up. We’ll run our offense and go about our business. The guys know what they’re doing, guys know the routes, guys know how to get open and we’ll go about it and make plays.
Q: What do you see in guys like Rueben Randle and Hakeem Nicks being able to step up and get those extra reps?
A: Yeah, definitely. Young guys will be put in position to make plays and we’re going to run our normal offense. We’ll put guys in a position to do what they do well and to get open. We’ll have to make plays, but we’ve got guys who can do that.
Q: Minnesota’s front seven, pretty stout, they’ve got 34 sacks, I think it is. How much do you have to be concerned with what they do? I hear they’re very confusing to deal with.
A: They’ve got a good front seven. They do a good job getting pressure on the quarterback, getting sacks, a lot of times just bringing four guys, not with pressure. But their linebackers, when they do come, they do a good job. They bring some safety pressures. So they do a good combinations of things. They do a good job stopping the run and getting to the quarterback.
Q: I know you have to focus on the game, but you also understand the scoreboard watching situation here. You guys need Washington to lose. How can you put that totally out of your mind and focus on the game? How hard is that to do?
A: No, our focus will be on the game. It’s all we can worry about, all we can do. We’ll understand the other game, what’s going on there, and what has already gone on by the time we’re playing. We just go about our business.
Q: There’s such a mental aspect just knowing the playoff scenarios when you’re in the game Sunday night. Finishing strong, how much has that really been a theme?
A: Yeah, we’ve got to do it. We’ve done it some, but not enough this season. But we’ve got to find a way to finish this season better than we’ve started and finish each game strong. So see if we can get in that situation, keep it close, get it close, and win in the fourth quarter.
Q: As one of the leaders of this team, did you feel like at any point during the game it was your job to pull Odell aside and say, “Hey, we don’t need this right now.”
A: It wasn’t a distraction during the game. It was one of those things where you don’t always see everything that’s going on. You’ve got run plays where you’ve got your back turned or you’re trying to get everyone lined up. So said a few things and saw him get dumped a few times. You don’t see everything that went on.
