QB Eli Manning
August 8, 2016
Q: Coach says you’re getting better as you’re getting older. Do you feel that way?
A: I hope so. That’s the goal, to keep improving, learning, knowing limitations and what you have to improve on from year to year, enjoy the process of learning, continue to learn, continue to teach, be a teacher, be a coach to the receivers, get them up to speed but also be a student, ask tons of questions from McAdoo, coach Cignetti, Sully and try and pick their brains and know what they know so we’re all on the same page.
Q: After about a little more than a week, what do you see from the defense, do you see it gelling?
A: Yes, I think our defense has done a good job, I feel like they’re on key, they’re doing a good job knowing their assignments, playing fast, getting to their checks quickly and you just see them making plays. I’ve always thought the best defense is not always the scheme, the scheme is important, but it’s the players. Can they make plays; can they play man coverage in crucial situations when you need a stop? They’re making some nice plays.
Q: What are you trying to get out of the first preseason game?
A: Just to get back out there. For me being a quarterback, it’s a long time without live action where these guys are rushing for you, trying to sack you, so you have to move in the pocket, you have to feel the rush, buy some time, slide around. Obviously we have some new guys at the receiver position, so we get them in the mix and see how they adjust to things when the defense is going and it’s live and see if they can adjust to things, play fast and get all their assignments.
Q: We’ve made a big deal about who’s going to call plays, whether it’s Sully or McAdoo. From your perspective, how will that change things for you?
A: I’m not sure, you just have to get in there and see how it’s going. I don’t think it’ll make a huge difference from my perspective. It’s still a play coming in and I have to run it, so I don’t see it being a big difference either way.
Q: How’s training camp going for you?
A: I feel like I’m having a good camp. I feel like I’m playing fast, seeing things well and throwing the ball accurately, so we have to keep that going.
Q: Is there anywhere where you feel your age a little bit, whether it’s on the field with things you can do or recovering off of it at all?
A: No, there’s really not. I feel healthy, I feel like my arm is live, I can make all the throws. I think I’ve gotten smarter over the years just with my training, my warmup, just taking care of my body, having a plan to get through practice and make sure I feel healthy. I used to just kind of roll out of bed and go practice. Now I need about an hour to get loosened up. It’s just maintenance. I’ve gotten in the routine of doing it over the years, I see the difference and have stayed with it.
Q: What’s your impression of training camp in general, in terms of the music, timeouts, etc.? Do you feel the differences?
A: I think it’s still a matter of trying to get guys to perform well and be well prepared. I’ve enjoyed the schedule. Doing the installs of practice the night before, come in the morning do a little quick meeting but really get out on the field and go practice and then hit the film and make corrections, and then at night make more corrections and then install again. I think the schedule has been good. At practice you don’t have a lot of guys sitting in the meeting room for three or four hours before you get out there on the field, so I think things are going well. Now, a lot of the offense is installed, you just hope people can retain all the information and you don’t forget what was installed last week, but I think the guys are doing well with that.
Q: You mentioned being a teacher and you do have really young receivers you’re working with. Where’s that line between the mistakes drive you nuts but you also enjoy the growth?
A: I think you just understand that mistakes are going to happen. Going into this, third year in the offense, I understand from their perspective, some of this stuff was new to me two years ago and I didn’t realize. I try and kind of tell them things that it was tough for me to understand the first time and try and explain it in layman’s terms and to let them understand that this is the first time they’re doing it. It’s not going to be perfect, there’s going to be a mistake and it’s not a mistake, it just can be done better in a lot of ways and you just teach off that. You just talk to them, it’s a lot of talking and that’s how you get better and how you learn. At this stage, if it’s the first time or second time they’re doing it, you can’t expect it to be perfect. That’s not the way it is. You just have to get a rep, get it on tape and have conversations to get it fixed and do it better the next time. Even the next time, there’s going to be adjustments, it’ll be a different look. You only get so many plays, so just try and teach and get examples of it, talk them through it and see if they can get a mental rep to see if they can get through it.
Q: Jerry Reese said to us that you know this team is on your back. Do you feel that way?
A: I think as a quarterback you have a big responsibility. You have to play well, take over and I have to do my job and play at a high level. I understand that, I demand that of myself anyway, so I don’t think you try and put any added pressure. You understand that you’re trying to go out there and do my best but I have to play well.
Q: Do you think JPP feels similarly on the defensive side of the ball? I’m interested in what you’ve seen from him and how he seems this year.
A: I think JPP has had a good camp. Just to see him back in full speed and full action. Last year he came in and you saw the energy but there was a long break for him. He’s been through a lot this year, had the whole offseason to just understand he’s got something to prove this year, and I wish for him to have a huge year.
Q: What is he like, to have something to prove?
A: We’ll see; it should be interesting and fun to watch.
Q: How are you and Odell better or different in year three?
A: I think Odell just being even more on the same page with things. He’s very in tune to details of routes and what he’s doing, but just to continue to move him in different spots and just grow within the offense and be on the same page, the right timing and be that much sharper. It’s not a whole lot of different routes and different stuff, it’s just doing them better and having a better understanding of what you’re trying to accomplish.
Q: Your working relationship, though? You can tangibly see that out there, that you know what he’s going to do?
A: Sure, yes. I think just the timing of it. I think there’s always certain routes or certain routes for whatever reason we struggle with or we’re not as in check as we need to be, so we just look at it and see if I’m doing something wrong or you’re doing something wrong so we can get on the same page and hit it, master one, and find something else and keep working on it. You feel great about all the routes in your tree that you’re going to run a good bit of.
Q: How has Victor looked so far?
A: Victor has looked sharp, he’s making plays, getting the speed. For me the biggest difference seeing him back in April to now is just adjusting to the ball, the balls in the air, it’s different when you’re catching on the JUGS machine than when you’re just catching balls and now hey, you have to turn back, you’re running full speed, you have to adjust, hold a defender off a little bit, just making those tough catches and adjusting to the ball in the air are things that he’s doing much better now. He just had to get some live action and is playing some football.
