TE Evan Engram Conference Call -- September 23, 2019
Q: Can you just talk a little bit about how different the offense felt yesterday with the new quarterback?
A: I wouldn’t really say different. We definitely had the same schemes and the same things we’ve been running. Just to have some big plays, some big explosive plays, put a lot of our guys in good positions to make plays with the ball in their hands. It just paid off.
Q: What was the difference if everything was the same? Why were you able to execute?
A: Like I said, nothing was really much different. We went out there, we made plays, and we got the win.
Q: What was the plane ride home like?
A: It was definitely a lot better than the first plane ride home. It’s really special getting a win, it’s a good feeling in the locker room. It was a hard-fought battle and a comeback victory. It was really fun celebrating with the guys, and it felt good to come back home.
Q: How hard is it going to be to replace Saquon? How much of a bummer is that, his injury?
A: Yeah, it’s tough. Saquon is obviously a special talent. He brings a lot to our team and our offense. It’s unfortunate, he’s definitely in our prayers. (We’ll) try to get him back as soon as possible.
Q: Can you walk us through Eli’s demeanor on the sideline throughout the game? What did you guys notice, did anything in particular stick out as something that you thought was impressive?
A: He was a big soundboard for Daniel. There were a lot of tough situations we got in, some adversity, we fell behind, and (then) through some good things, he made some good throws and good plays, he was that supportive soundboard. Obviously, Eli has been through pretty much everything, and he was a big help for Daniel through the good and bad.
Q: You talked briefly about not having Saquon in the lineup. He’s such a focal point of your offense in the passing game and the running game. Can the offense still function and be a high-scoring offense without him? With Wayne Gallman as the only running back on the roster, is he capable of doing any of the stuff that Saquon did?
A: We lost Saquon before the half and we came back. A lot of guys stepped up and made plays and we found a way to win. I think we have a lot of talent, and we have the personnel to be successful and to move forward. We are definitely rallying behind Wayne and are going to push him, and make sure he gets prepared this week, as we all know that he will. We are all going to come in on Sunday with that same mentality that we had going into the second half after losing Saquon.
Q: Obviously Saquon is such a huge part of your offense, and you have a quarterback now who is going into just his second start. As you guys try to alleviate pressure on Daniel, rather than putting more on his shoulders, how do you guys try to hope to do that and make up for Saquon’s absence?
A: It’s simple, we just have to make plays. We are going to get opportunities. A lot of guys are going to have to step up, like I said, and we just have to get it done. Coach is going to do a good job at game planning, putting Wayne in good spots, and putting other guys in different positions to be successful. At the end of the day, we just have to make plays when they come to us and just continue to build off yesterday.
Q: On the first play of the third quarter when you had the catch and run for a touchdown, is that a tight end’s dream to see open field, and to get a block? Have you run any faster on a football field than that?
A: (laughter) I think that might have been the fastest that I have run, definitely with the ball, and probably in my career. It was a play we kind of drew up, we kind of called it coming out of halftime. We knew that we definitely needed a spark. Personally, that’s my goal and what I strive for to be for this team, just to be a spark plug. We definitely were in position to make a big play. It was also important everyone did their job protecting Daniel, receivers ran great routes, and Daniel hit me in stride. Slay (Darius Slayton) made a huge block downfield. Just distracting that guy for a little bit gave me a leeway to get down the sideline and get in the end zone.
Q: Do you get a different feel now that you’ve won a game with this team?
A: Definitely. It’s definitely very motivating, but at the same time, we understand that we can be even better. It’s definitely a good first step in the right direction. It’s important we enjoy it and build off of it, but there were some mistakes and some things that we can fix to put us in an even better spot. It definitely gives us some life and gives us some motivation moving forward, but also, it’s important for us to stay hungry, to come in each and every day to find ways to get better and build off of it.
