RB Shane Vereen
August 30, 2016
Q: What is your takeaway on how this team looks, given that the preseason is almost over?
A: I think there have been a lot of good things and we have also had our ups and downs, as most teams do during camp, but I definitely think it has been a good learning experience, not just for the young guys, but also for the vets. I know offensively we would like to be better than what we have been as far as the preseason games are concerned, but I think in practice we are working on the little things and we are growing to be the offense we are expected to be.
Q: Coach McAdoo hasn’t told us the snap counts for Thursday night. Based on your experience, do you want to play? Do you think the offense needs some more work?
A: Luckily, that is not my call because you have to walk the fine line between taking the right amount of risk as well as getting the right amount of work. Me personally, yeah if I get a couple snaps, then great and I want to make the most of those snaps. I don’t want them to go to waste and I think that is kind of how everyone else feels as well.
Q: Have you played in the fourth preseason game in the past?
A: Yeah. I played in it last year.
Q: Not with New England though?
A: No, I did my first couple years as well.
Q: Going against this defense, do you get a sense of how much they have improved from last year?
A: I mean, with the amount of film, you can definitely see some things that stand out. They have a lot of talented guys in their front seven and in their secondary as well. A lot of guys jump up off the screen for you, but it has been preseason, so you kind of see some vanilla looks and stuff like that, so it is hard to really tell what you are going to get.
Q: I was talking about your defense.
A: They have been very, very exciting to watch. I have been very happy, very pleased, watching them and excited when they are on the field. They have definitely been making plays and turning the ball over and that is all we can ask as an offense.
Q: Do you have a message to the offensive struggles?
A: Relax. It is preseason for a reason. It is camp for a reason. There are a lot of times where the coaches have something else in mind. Something that we need to work on, something that we don’t need to work on, something that they need to see. It is what it is. It counts on September 11th.
Q: You have had a couple years with Eli here. What do you like about him and what kind of a leader is he?
A: I can’t really speak enough volumes about the type of leader he is on the field. He is always poised, he never seems too rattled in a situation and he leads his team really well. When he is on, he is on. It is a joy to play with him and learn from him and really get to know him in this offense.
Q: Your confidence in this offense hasn’t skipped a beat at all?
A: No, not at all. Not at all. I think we have enough guys and I think we have a lot of talented guys that fill the room up pretty well.
Q: Do you hear the talk about the worries about the offense?
A: No, I learned a long time ago to tune stuff out. I don’t really watch SportsCenter during the football season. So yeah, I just work on focusing on what I need to do personally to help the offense be better.
Q: How do you view the lack of success of the offense and how it translates to the regular season?
A: There is always a learning curve. Even though we have been in the offense for a couple years, there are still spots we need to get better at, still small details that we need to refine. Nothing is going to be perfect. Especially not in the NFL. The other teams and the other defenses, they get paid, too. They have seen our offense, as well, so it all culminates into the same learning process and just grinding through it and getting ready for the season.
Q: What have you seen from the young receivers?
A: I think the young receivers have definitely come in and really started to learn the system and really learn the game of football. They have made strides. I know I have been impressed with what I have seen from them and they continue to keep working, which is key.
Q: Was it nice to see Victor Cruz go deep today?
A: Yeah, anytime 80 is on the field, it is nice to see and I am sure everybody feels a little more comfortable.
