Quarterback Eli Manning
September 5, 2018
Q: What are you most looking forward to in the first game on Sunday?
A: I think just getting out there with this team, with these guys and I’m looking forward to having a great week of preparation, going out there and playing a full game and see if we can make enough plays to win the game and celebrate with our team.
Q: Are there any things that were not identified during the preseason that you’re still curious about that you’d still like to solve a mystery about what this team is?
A: No. I think obviously through the course of a season you learn a lot about a team and so we just got to come together as a team and figure out the roles of certain guys and how that’s going to play throughout the course of the season. We got to come out and figure out how we’re going to be able to win games.
Q: So much new personnel, you’ve been through some changes, but to start a season with so many changes…?
A: I guess anytime you have a coaching change, you change your offense, there’s going to be some new things. I feel good with the offense and what we’re doing and I feel we can go out there and execute and be successful early.
Q: Have you talked to coach (Tom) Coughlin this week and do you plan to or if not, do you plan to before the game?
A: No, I haven’t talked to Coach Coughlin. I wouldn’t think we would talk before the game unless I see him before kickoff at some point.
Q: What do you expect out of the Jaguars defense? It’s a new year obviously, but same guys.
A: They’re talented, they got a talented crew. Up front they’re good, they’re good in the secondary so we got to play smart football, we got to obviously block them up and give our guys time to get open, we got to run the ball. We just got to play smart and don’t give them anything easy.
Q: How different does this year feel compared to expectations from last year?
A: At the start of the year you’re always excited. You’re always excited about the year, you feel good about things so we got to go out there, we got to have a great week of preparation, make sure everyone knows all of their assignments, exactly what’s going on and then you got to bring that to Sunday. That’s what it’s all about is bringing it to game day, making those plays, going out there and finding a way to keep the games close and winning in the end.
Q: You have not started a season home in a long time, usually you’re on the road. How much…
A: Yeah I think that’s exciting, I think it’s always fun to start the season at home with your home crowd so it should be a great atmosphere and I think it’s helpful to start [at home] – you can use your cadence at home, you don’t have to worry about crowd noise and all those things so I think it should help us out to get off to a good start.
Q: Any feelings on Tom Coughlin being maybe not on the other sideline, but being on the other team, you know, your head coach for a good chunk of your career?
A: Obviously still have a great relationship with Coach Coughlin and cherish the time that we had and appreciate those 12 years of him being my head coach. But besides that, I look at this game and say it’s the Giants against the Jaguars and I’m trying to get our offense prepared to go against that defense.
Q: When you watch film, can you see Tom’s kind of influences in certain things that the Jaguars are doing?
A: I don’t think I would go that far. You just see their defense and I do not think you are necessarily looking for things that he emphasized. When he was coaching, I did not always know the defense side of what he was saying to that defense.
Q: Its been a while since you’ve thrown a pass to Odell (Beckham Jr.) in a competitive environment against an opponent. Does it feel like a long time?
A: No, it doesn’t feel like a long time just because we’ve had all summer to throw routes in practice and throwing enough to him in the last four years that I know we’ll be on the same page and be able to get completions and be successful.
Q: You said last week that you’d be interested in seeing what the game plan is. Have you looked at it and have much input?
A: Yeah obviously got some of the game plan going in and in already and going to practice that today. Excited about the things and look forward to practicing them and kind of see what we like and what’s going to make it.
