Wednesday Media Transcript: Head Coach Ben McAdoo

Head Coach Ben McAdoo

November 29, 2017

Opening Statement: Alright, excited to head out to the west coast to play Oakland. They’re right in the thick of the AFC West. Talented players and play makers in all three phases and excited for the ball game. Let’s open it up.

Q: What do you think of your team’s response to the change at quarterback?

A: I think we had good day at practice. A lot of energy out there today. They were flying around, caught a great day for it. It’s obviously emotional. A lot of reactions out there. I get the reactions and I understand the emotions. I understand the responses. It’s been a tough couple days. We feel we have to put our emotions aside and make the best decision for the New York Football Giants and I’m at peace with the decision.

Q: Are you surprised how strong some of the reactions have been from former players?

A: Again, I’m right in the middle of the preparation for this ballgame. I don’t get a chance to really see it. I know it’s out there, but I’m focused on the preparation.

Q: Can you talk about Eli Manning’s response and how professional he has been?

A: Eli – he’s a pro. He’s a Hall of Famer, tremendous teammate and competitor and he showed up today doing everything he can do to help the other quarterbacks and the offense and the team get better and have a chance to win on Sunday.

Q: You were in Green Bay when Brett Favre left and Aaron Rodgers took over. Do you have a feeling there is no good way to move on from a Hall of Fame quarterback?

A: Yeah, again, nobody says we’re moving on from anybody. But, when you’re going through a situation like this, this isn’t my first time going through it like you said. You know, there’s going to be emotions involved. There’s going to be outrage and you have to stick to your decision and do what you feel is best for the organization.

Q: How different is Davis Webb’s daily preparation now since things have changed a little bit?

A: Davis is – he immerses himself in the preparation studying the opponent. Does a lot of film study, does a lot of looking outside of the breakdown for unique clips, especially of players we’re playing. So, he’s into the preparation each and every week and we’ll tailor that more and more as he gets an opportunity down the road to game plan.

Q: Will his reps be affected on the field?

A: At this point in time, no.

Q: Do you have any regrets about not being more prepared for when this kind of changeover happens?

A: Davis does a tremendous job preparing each and every week. He prepares like he’s going to play in the game. He goes through the same meetings, the same rituals that the other quarterbacks go through. He’s studying the opponent. He goes above and beyond and puts together the Saturday morning study where he goes through and studies film, clips outside of the breakdown and does a lot of research that way. So, he’s prepared.

Q: Why doesn’t Davis Webb’s role change?

A: He’s the number three quarterback this week.

Q: Why wouldn’t it change now if you said you want to get an evaluation of him?

A: Eventually, it will change.

Q: Who runs the scout teams?

A: Eli ran it and Davis ran it today.

Q: Do you think Geno Smith gives you guys a better chance to win Sunday?

A: We feel confident that we can put a plan in place to have Geno be successful on Sunday and for our team to have an opportunity to win.

Q: You said yesterday that based on the game plan you feel Geno gives you a better chance to win. Why?

A: Don’t put words in my mouth. I didn’t say that. I said that I feel we have a game plan in place where we feel Geno can give us a chance to be successful and win the ballgame on Sunday.

Q: Do you change the game plan based on who the quarterback is or do you still put more focus on who the opponent is?

A: Yeah, the game plan is based off of all of our players on offense and the quarterback drives it.

Q: How did Geno Smith look today?

A: Geno looked sharp today. He’s working hard at it. The communication part of things are early and the down when the ball is snapped – he knows where he wants to go with the ball. He’s decisive and I’m excited to watch him play.

Q: Was there any consideration given to going from Eli Manning right to Davis Webb?

A: You know what, Geno has been number two. He won the number two job. We brought him in for a reason to compete for that job and we want to take a look at him before we go to number three.

Q: Are there any other starters you plan on sitting down to evaluate other young players?

A: Again, I’m not going to give that information out. This was a special circumstance. A special situation that we felt like we needed to address right from the get-go.

Q: Have any of the players come to you to talk about the change at quarterback?

A: I’ve had some private conversations. Yes.

Q: Does it concern you that players feel the need to come to you about a move like that?

A: No. I mean, I have an open door policy. I encourage open communication. Anybody or any player that wants to come speak to me about any issue is welcome.

Q: What’s your message to them?

A: Just like I said to you – our message is pretty simple. It’s that we have to do what we feel is best for the future of the organization to put us in a position this Sunday to win the game and we have to plan that way.

Q: You said yesterday that you have to take emotion out of it. Is this a circumstance where it’s hard to take the emotions away?

A: Maybe on the outside, but that’s not my job. My job is to take the emotion out of it as hard as that may be and it’s a challenge. It’s tough. I’ve been in the room with him for four years. He’s done a lot for this organization. I respect it, but at the end of the day my job is to make sure we have a clear evaluation of the players in the room.

Q: One of your biggest messages for this team was empathy. So, do you have empathy for what Eli is going through right now?

A: Absolutely. Like I said, it’s tough. It’s hard. No one expected us to be where we are right now, including me. I’m disappointed that we’re here, but with that being said, we got to move forward.

Q: How do you think Eli Apple has responded to the full practices this week?

A: I think he responded well. I think he did some good things on special teams today and that’s a great place to start.

Q: Has Eli Manning made any requests to get released or traded?

A: Not that I’m aware of, no.

Q: Was John Mara on the same page as you and did he endorse this move?

A: Like I said yesterday, we’re all on the same page. A decision like this doesn’t get made without everybody being on the same page and being aware of what’s going on.

Q: What do you want to evaluate and what do you want to see from Geno Smith and how much have you watched from him the previous time?

A: Yeah, I’ve watched a lot of Geno previously. I evaluated him coming out. Obviously, I saw his Jets film. That was part of bringing him in here. He’s a talented player with a big arm. He can create. I want to see him run the offense, complete the ball, put points on the board and give us a chance to win.

Q: If Geno Smith plays well, do you see him playing the rest of the year?

A: We’re going to take one week at a time and at some point in time, like I said, Davis will get his opportunity.

Q: Is it hard for Geno because he hasn’t had the constant reps with receivers like Eli has and how do you expedite that timing and that sense of communication?

A: I mean, he’s been out here practicing and getting some reps on Wednesdays and Thursdays in practice and even on Saturdays he’s been getting some reps with the offense. Eli didn’t take every rep. But, I’m confident that he’ll get up to speed in a hurry.

Q: Is Geno Smith’s skillset a better fit for your offense than Eli’s?

A: No. The offense is – it’s a system and you can pull and you can plug and you can pull anything in the system each and every player that you have on the roster. Quarterback and otherwise.