NYG Postgame (vs. Cowboys) Transcripts: G Will Hernandez -- November 4, 2019
Q: On tonight being a particularly physical game at the line of scrimmage
A: We’re talking football, here. It’s going to be like that, every game. You know, that’s the way it is. That’s what fans come to watch. That’s how we are, that’s just simply just the kind of players there are in this league. That’s just how it is.
Q: Moving forward for the offense, what do you guys need to do to clean some of this stuff up, score more points, and just become more consistent on that side of the ball?
A: I mean, starting with the run game. That’s the number one thing that we’re focused on and we should be able to do well every single game. There’s no excuse. Everything is going to work itself off of that.
Q: That looked like a cheap shot from DeMarcus Lawrence after the field goal. Would you agree with that?
A: I mean, like I said, it’s football. That shit is going to happen. Like, that’s how the game is. I knew exactly what I was getting myself into. That’s why I play this game- because I love that kind of (expletive). You know, that’s just the way it is. We play hard and that’s how it goes.
Q: Do you think that when Daniel gets hit and you stick up for him- does acting like that, can that help to set a tone for what you guys are trying to build here? Can that have an impact in the game?
A: Yeah, I mean, first of all, I don’t think nobody acts in any way. That’s just something that’s just unacceptable. Never going to let your QB get hit, especially out of bounds like that. Like, that’s just not part of the game- especially when we’re talking about our QB. I don’t care who you are, what it is. That’s unacceptable. I mean, that’s just the things we have to take care of- if that happens, we take care of it. But we keep playing ball- part of the game. But that’s unacceptable. We don’t let that happen to our QB.
Q: Was there anything specifically said to you, at least later in the game, that sparked the chippy-ness or did that all stem from the hit on Daniel Jones?
A: I said, before this game, I care very little to what they have to say. Most of the (expletive) that they said, I didn’t even hear it. Like, it’s just all mumbling to me. It’s like, I don’t even pay attention to it. I don’t care. All I care about is what you did on that play. Did you do anything that affected my team negatively? If not, I don’t care what you have to say.
Q: What has to change to help Saquon get more yards, especially those inside-runs. He seems to be a little bit bogged down right now.
A: I mean, it’s just when we have breakdowns here and there. You know, in order for the run-game to work, you have to be very efficient: everybody has to be on their block, on their assignment every single play. [If] one man breaks down, it can cost us the whole play to shut down. That’s the first thing we’re going to prioritize in doing right because we know we can do it right and just simply, we have to go out there and do it. It’s simple.
Q: Was the most frustrating part of this game the idea that this was a first-place team that you were playing, and it seemed like they were giving you opportunity after opportunity to take control of this game and, for whatever reason, you guys weren’t able to do that?
A: I mean, it’s really never about what the other team is doing. It’s about what we’re doing. We focus on what we gotta do and the things we do right and if we don’t get those things done, then it really doesn’t matter what the other team is doing. We’re not doing the things we gotta do. So, at the end of the day, we don’t blame the other team, we don’t blame anybody, we don’t point fingers. We don’t make excuses of ‘why’, we just simply take it upon ourselves and we know that if we get better at some of the things we do, we’re going to get the results we want.
Q: When you get the ball for the first time at the 8-yard line after the turnover, you come off the field with a three-point lead. Is that a little bit demoralizing, when you get the ball at the 8? You’re thinking: going into the end zone, obviously, the first time you guys got the ball.
A: We always go in with the intent to score. But, points are points. We get the points up on the board, but, I mean, it’s not going to shut us down. We’re not mentally weak that way to just come off the field and be like: ‘oh, we couldn’t score on the first drive, now we’re going to have a hard…” No. There’s none of that going on. We got points up there, and then we go in, already thinking of the next drive. We don’t even think about what happened on that drive. We move on. That’s just the way you gotta play.
Q: Throughout tonight, you were inside their 10-yard line a bunch of times and came away with field goals. How difficult is it to beat a team like the Cowboys kicking field goals when you’re in range to score a touchdown?
A: I mean, it was pretty close all the way up until the fourth quarter. So, I mean, as difficult as you’re making it sound, it’s not so difficult. We were right there [even] with [kicking] field goals. So, like I said: [if] one of them turns into a touchdown, there you go, there’s a big game-changer, a big difference right there. That just shows that one play is really sometimes all you need to win a game.
Q: If there’s one thing, as a group, that the offensive line can do better, what is it?
A: Run game.
