Transcript: SS Jabrill Peppers

NYG Postgame (vs. Philadelphia Eagles) Transcripts: SS Jabrill Peppers

November 15, 2020

Q: I'm not sure if you're even aware in that situation, but the fact that you're the guy that gets the touch down of Boston Scott short of the sticks, and get your defense off the field to pretty much seal that game and give the ball back to the offense, is that in your mind at all satisfying or a little redeeming?

A: Not really, because when you break it down, he had a highlight touchdown on me to win the game. I was just thinking about making an open field tackle and getting off the field. I wasn't really thinking about it like, 'Oh, I gave up this. Let me get this back.' That was my mindset going into the game. I have to make impact plays and just to wash the bad taste out of my mouth.

Q: Can you talk about a little bit of the frustration of twice in this game where you looked like you had your eyes on the end zone - one on the punt return and one on the almost pick six there at the end.

A: For the punt, it was just heat of the moment. I'm a fierce competitor. We all love each other here and we know each other personally. I can come at certain guys a certain way because I know that'll motivate them and get them going. I was just more upset because I felt like that could have been a touchdown. Maybe I'm looking at it wrong, but I felt like, maybe if I squeeze through that next level right there, I'm on the punter. I like my matchup against the punter 10 out of 10 times. On the pick, I wasn't really frustrated. It could have kind of been something like last week, but I was more, let me break to the man, and secure the tackle and make them snap it again to keep the clock going. Two big plays that I feel as though I left out there. At the end of the day, it didn't hurt us because we got the W, so I can sleep good at night.

Q: What does it feel like to be a contender here heading into the end of November?

A: We just taking it one game at a time. Like I told y'all last week, we know we're a pretty good football team and it's just about coming out here and executing on game days. We're just going to enjoy this bye week, rest our bodies, get some guys back and prepare for the six-game stretch.

Q: You said before that you know you're a good football team. Obviously, you've put together a good couple of weeks in a row shows that you might be right. Do you feel like you might finally be able to show what this team really is?

A: We're taking steps. We still have a long way to go, but we're taking steps. I definitely feel like we're a better team today than we were three weeks ago. Three weeks ago, we lost this game in the final minutes. Now we found a way to hang on. You just build off that, man, and keep executing by getting one percent better day in and day out.

Q: A lot of times when a team starts off the way you guys started off, the head coach will change his approach or shuffle things up. It looks like, from the outside, Joe Judge was the same dude the entire way through. What does that element of confidence from him say about him and how does it help the team overcome that start?

A: Joe has been a part of a lot of winning programs. All we had to do was buy in. We knew it wasn't going to be easy. A lot of the times it was more execution things. When you see how close you are, and then it's a play here and a play there, it kind of keeps you wanting to keep pushing and keep chomping at the bit. You have to stay bought in because it's going to turn and we felt that. We were in it damn near every game we played and it just came to a couple plays here and there. That's our mindset, man. We're going to stick to the script, come to work to get better each and every day and execute on game days.

Q: Kind of along those lines, what's the biggest difference in this defense from the last time you played these guys? Last week, you got the two picks to close it out. Today, you slammed the door on defense. What's the biggest difference and how much pride do you take on defense to be able to end these games back-to-back weeks?

A: Well, the first game, we were kind of vanilla when they went tempo, you know, cover-three, cover-two, cover-three, and cover-two. This game, we had a lot more multiples. That's a testament to the coaching staff and putting us in places to excel and giving them looks on the fly while they're going tempo. They think they're getting this and we're actually doing this. I think that gave them trouble tonight.

Q: In the third quarter there, you guys come out, they score quickly, then Daniel (Jones) and the offense go right back down and answer. As a defense, you guys have been playing well and giving yourself a chance to win a lot of these games, but how big was it to see the offense answer that score?

A: That was huge, especially as a defender. What I was telling the defense, the offense bailed us out, let's go. To see the offense go down and respond that quickly, it definitely gives you confidence and makes you want to go back out there and get them the ball right back.