WR Golden Tate -- October 7, 2019
Q: How tough is it to see Sterling go out with a concussion?
A: Yeah, it’s tough but you know how important this game is to him and how much he wants to be out there. I don’t completely know the situation with him other than he went into protocol today. I just hope he is back soon. Obviously over the last five weeks, he has been a huge part of our offense and a big reason why we have won these games. We want him back as healthy as soon as possible.
Q: Is it frustrating that you get back, Saquon is hurt and now Sterling is in the protocol, who knows about Engram. You guys haven’t had your full compliment of an offense out there yet?
A: It’s tough because it’s hard to reach your potential when you don’t have everybody out there. It’s unfortunate, but then again it’s also football. That’s what we sign up for and you never know when injuries are going to happen.
Q: Without Sterling, your role is going to be a little different, are you ready for that next step?
A: Honestly, whatever it takes to win, that’s the goal here for everybody in this locker room. That’s what I want my part to be, just help us win, so if that means I run more plays, so be it. Less plays, whatever, just win. Coming into this locker room after last week’s win was fun and today wasn’t as fun, we want to get back to winning.
Q: I assume you will be in the slot more if Sterling is not in?
A: I’m not sure, we’ll see. We kind of flushed last night’s game today and started early on these guys. We’ll see as the game plan develops, we’ll see.
Q: A lot of these young guys have not played against the Patriots. Do you have to warn these guys that it’s Brady, Belichick, you have seen them on TV, but now you have to play against them?
A: I haven’t even thought about it that way, it’s just another opportunity. I think we have to play good football against teams like them. You know they are going to come well prepared. Obviously, their defense is ranked number one in the National Football League. That means we are going to have to play good, solid, fundamental football. What I mean by that is hold on to the ball. Be efficient on third down. When we get to the red zone, we have to get seven points. We have to try our best to control the clock the best we possibly can to keep Brady and company off the field. It’s always going to be about us. If we do our jobs the best we can and we execute the best we can and take these next few days to really study up on who the New England Patriots are, I think we’ll go out there and we will give ourselves a chance to do something special.
Q: How hard is to study for the Patriots, they have always been known as a chameleon kind of team. The can play any which way they want to on a given Sunday and throw all kinds of different looks at you. Is it really easy to say we just prepare and study for them when they can look so different every single week?
A: I think you have to find any tendencies you can, and you have to watch film a little bit closer. Like you said, they do a lot and they do a lot well. They are going to be well balanced, they’re not going to major in one coverage over the next. Playing for (Matt) Patricia last year, I kind of can understand how they do things at times. We have a lot of faith in the people upstairs, our coaches and the players in here. We just have to do our jobs. You look back at some of the losses we have taken and the games we’ve won, if we just do our jobs a little bit better individually, some of these games might crack open a little bit sooner.
Q: What is the overall mood of this team?
A: I don’t think we are discouraged and, honestly, if I came in here and the whole locker room was having a party, I would be pretty pissed off. I don’t think anyone in this locker room likes to lose. The good thing about the situation is that in a few days we get to try to get that taste out of our mouth. The mood isn’t super giddy, I think it’s more serious this week, we understand the task that is coming up in a few days and how serious this is and the opportunity we have to do our jobs on Thursday Night Football. Not discouraged, a little bummed about yesterday but ready to move on.
Q: When you play a team that is the defending champion, do you almost feel like if you can get the win you can jumpstart the season?
A: My mentality is I come into each game expecting to win, no matter who it is. If it’s the ’85 Bears, I expect to win and that’s just how I’ve grown up in this league and where I’ve played so far. I don’t see it as ifs, just go out there and get it done.
Q: As a veteran in this locker room, with all the young players that you have, not just at your position, do you feel any urgency to go around to make sure guys see this Thursday night game the way you do?
A: I guess after playing with Patricia, who was there for a long time, Detroit and New England are pretty similar because you have some (of the same) personnel and a few things. I will definitely, specifically in my position group, I’ll share any intel that I have, or anything I view that is going to help us win. As far as the defense, I don’t know how I can really help those guys.
Q: Let me re-phrase the question—just the idea that you’ve got a lot of young guys in here who for years have watched Super Bowls and for years have watched these teams and these players—there might be a little bit of an “awe” factor walking in there Thursday night. You say you don’t have that awe factor, so do you have to talk to the younger players to kind of get them to realize you’re not going up there for a show, you’re going up there to win a football game?
A: I don’t think so. I don’t think we have a locker room full of fanboys. I think we understand we’re all in the NFL, we’re going out there to do a job. We’ve all played in big games, I think, at some point, and it’s a big one because it’s the next one on our schedule, but I don’t think we need to put too much pressure on ourselves. I think we need to keep our emotions in check—I don’t think we want to get too high, we don’t want to get too low—just live in the moment, enjoy having the opportunity to go play in a very hostile environment against a great team, and go out there and shock the world. It’s as simple as that. We’ve just got to start by the focus that we pay attention to detail this week, the film stud. Obviously it’s not going to be a very physical week on us because it’s a quick turnover, but mentally just prepare ourselves the best we possibly can.
Q: Pat Shurmur said he didn’t take your comments yesterday as any sign of dissatisfaction or anger wanting to get more balls. He said you could ask any receiver and they’d say they want to be more involved.
A: Were (my comments) taken, at any point, that I was unhappy?
Q: I think there was some debate about what you were trying to say—like, was he unhappy that he didn’t get more in his first game back?
A: First things first, if anyone ever needs clarification, just ask me. Don’t assume my words. I try to say things and be intentional with them. The only thing that I was saying is that I hope I’m more involved at some point. But I do understand that this is my first week back, there is a process to this. You don’t just throw someone right in the fire when things can happen in another way. I am very happy to be a New York Giant, I am very happy to be back in this locker room and playing football. I think it would be more alarming if I said, ‘No, I don’t want to play more, I don’t want more passes.’ I would look at that guy a little funny. As a player who sees himself as a playmaker, I don’t think there’s ever going to be too many opportunities. Anytime that I have a chance to be on the field, get the ball in my hands, I feel like that’s an opportunity to make a special play or do something great to help our offense or bring a spark. Of course, I’m always going to want more opportunities. If we play 70 plays and I play 61 of them, the way I’m built, I want to play all 70. That’s more opportunity for me. That’s the only thing I was trying to say. I am far from being unhappy.
Q: You’ve said several times that you want to do what you can to help Daniel (Jones) in the process. Is there anything beyond just being a receiver and catching balls that you can help him with after playing with him for a week?
A: Yeah, one thing that I’m doing right now is trying to understand how he sees things. On the field and off the field, I think we are both learning about each other. He’s learning what type of receiver I am, I’m learning what type of quarterback he is. I think, eventually, we are going to do some great things together. I think we are going to make a great combination of plays together, and that’s exciting. We’ve watched film together. I think just picking each other’s brain. For instance, yesterday there was a time during the game where he said, ‘hey, what do you see?’ I told him what I saw. I asked him, on a pass that we didn’t connect on, ‘hey, what did you think there?’ Just trying to understand that is important and is going to help us in the long run.
