Head Coach Ben McAdoo
August 7, 2017
Q: Are you changing anything this week to prepare for the upcoming game?
A: No, we’re still in camp.
Q: Can you get a sense of team chemistry this early?
A: It’s tough at this point with so many guys on the squad. There’s a lot of guys fighting for jobs, a lot of guys on the bubble. The competition is making us better. So, there’s some nerves out there but I think that when they get in the locker room and get around each other, they seem to enjoy each other.
Q: When you go three two-minute drills without a score, do you think that’s an offensive thing or defensive?
A: A little bit of both. It’s nice to see the defense keeping them out of the end zone when they need a score. The offense had some sloppiness at the end of the drives where we need to get better. We need to be more crisp finishing drives. There were some opportunities there, but the defense held them out nicely.
Q: How do you think WR Sterling Shepard looked in his return to the field today?
A: He was running around, I didn’t see any noticeable limp or anything like that. He was moving around good, some change in direction, looked fine.
Q: Was that his plan, to come out and do a little bit?
A: Yes.
Q: With the regular season less than a month away, how important is it to you to err on the side of caution with a situation like Shepard”s?
A: It’s hard to be cautious coaching this game. We have to get guys ready to go play and compete. That’s the big thing right now, and getting the fundamentals right. If you go through and you’re cautious and you’re not physical, it’s hard to be ready in Week One.
Q: Would you be open to playing Shepard in the first preseason game?
A: If he’s ready to go.
Q: Have you made a decision on who will play on Friday?
A: We haven’t had our play-time meeting yet, no.
Q: Do you think the offense is ahead of the defense or vice versa?
A: I think it just depends on which play it is. It depends on the starting point of the play. Offense could have a good starting point and have a chance, because we’re just rolling calls in on both sides of the ball right now, we’re just trying to get some work, trying to get the schemes in on both sides. I think we have a good competition going on both sides, but I think it just depends on the play. I don’t think any side of the ball is ahead of each other at this point.
Q: Is WR Brandon Marshall getting more comfortable in the offense?
A: It just depends on the call. A lot of times, like I just said, we’re just rolling calls in there. He had some more opportunities today and took advantage of those opportunities.
Q: With FB Jacob Huesman, is there anything of his previous experience at quarterback that translates?
A: I think you saw him today, we played him a little bit in two-minute. We put him in there and he transitioned nicely. So, he can pick up some of the running back stuff, the single back stuff. He can be in a fullback-type because he’s played quarterback. I think he gets the game from that standpoint.
Q: Has there been any cutbacks with QB Eli Manning’s reps?
A: Today was an acclimation day, and we wanted some things leading up to the competitive team periods. It was an acclimation day.
Q: What differences do you see in WR Darius Powe?
A: You just coach him on the details now, he knows what he has to do and how to do it. But the fine details of the game, that’s what you spend your time when you’re talking to him about the game. When you’re coaching him on specific plays or concepts, it’s about the details.
Q: Does he show up faster on the field because he has all that knowledge?
A: Yeah, he’s a player that knows what to do and how to do it. Anytime you know what to do and how to do it, you have a chance to play fast and use what your abilities are.
Q: How is S Mykkele Thompson’s move to cornerback going?
A: He’s had some good days, and some days where he’s lost some battles, but he keeps on battling.
Q: Why did you make the decision to put him back at cornerback?
A: I felt it gave him his best chance to make the team.
Q: He was alright with that?
A: That’s a better question for Mykkele.
Q: With WR Brandon Marshall, how rare is his ability to catch balls in traffic?
A: He’s a big man. When there’s a lot of noise around him, he doesn’t seem to flinch. We’re not in a live environment at this point in time, but he’s a guy that’s made a living. It seems the more traffic around him, the better he gets.
Q: Is this what you expected from him?
A: Yeah. Again, we’re just out here practicing right now. He’s not live, he hasn’t been tackled yet in practice. The film shows, the evidence shows year after year that the more traffic he’s in, it seems like the better he plays.
Q: Do you intend to tackle in practice at all?
A: Not at this point, no.
Q: At any point?
A: Check my dictionary, I think it has ‘never say never.’ We’ll leave it at that.
Q: Do you intend to tackle in practice at all?
A: Not at this point, no.
Q: At any point?
A: Check my dictionary, I think it has ‘never say never.’ We’ll leave it at that.
That's great!
Was this the expected answer?
A: No, he's getting less comfortable each day. By the time the season starts, I expect a 12 year vet to look like a rookie out there.
How about:
Q: Given WR Brandon Marshall is a 12 year vet and has been with several different teams and offenses, is he getting more comfortable in the offense as quickly as you expected?
Or
Q: Given WR Brandon Marshall is a 12 year vet and has been with several different teams and offenses, how do you get him more comfortable in the offense versus a rookie or veteran with far less experience?