DB Logan Ryan
December 16, 2020
Q: When you watch the Browns, they seem balanced. How do you defend them?
A: Gotta stop the run. They’re the number three rushing attack in football, they have two great running backs, they’re committed to the run, a lot of their offense is built off the run game. And I think that their receivers, starting with [Browns Wide Receiver] Jarvis Landry, they block really well, they’re extremely tough and him himself is like a running back with the ball. So, I think to defend them you have to tackle well, but it starts with stopping the run in the National Football League and I think the Browns take pride in running the football, so that’ll be a great challenge and exciting contest on Sunday night, our run defense versus their run offense.
Q: To follow up, one of the things I was thinking was when the game came out originally it was [Browns Wide Receiver] Odell’s [Beckham Jr.] return. Is there any disappointment he’s not going to be there?
A: I don’t know. I think that what I learned in football throughout my life playing this game 20-plus years is that it never goes as planned, there’s always adversity, there’s challenges, it doesn’t always come out how you might think on the schedule, especially this year with the challenge of Covid. It just is what it is and I just think they’re doing a really good job over there. Although we have a lot of respect for Odell, he’s a great competitor, he won’t be out there and we’ve just got to take advantage and prepare for the guys who will be.
Q: What’s it like as a teammate to see your quarterback clearly not 100 percent trying to play? What does that do for the rest of the team?
A: When you go out there on the field, you go out there to do the job to the best of your ability. Our quarterback is tough as nails. I’m not going to speak on what his percentage is, I don’t think anybody is really 100 percent at this point in the year, but you’ve got to go out there and do the best you can in your job. For us, like I told you guys weeks ago, whether it’s [QB] Colt [McCoy], [QB] Daniel [Jones], [Head Coach] Joe Judge in his quarterback days, it don’t matter who we’ve got out there, we’ve got to go out there and play good defense, we’ve got to go out there and defend the grass, we’ve got to go out there and get turnovers. That’s all I can control, that’s what I will control and do a better job for the New York Giants of having some dominant defense and getting our offense more opportunities with the ball.
Q: Hey Logan, I know you’re obviously focused on the Browns game, but I was wondering what does it mean to you to be first place in Pro Bowl voting like you have been?
A: Yeah, I think I’m definitely focused on the Browns first and foremost. I think being first place by just being a team-first player, I’m not really chasing stats, I’m trying to do whatever job the team asks me to do that week. I’m definitely trying to lead and inspire no matter what adversity I face this year on and off the field, no matter what our record states I’m trying to give my best. Look, I played my butt off at Tennessee for years and felt like I deserved it and didn’t get it, so to have the recognition of the fan base, this great fan base and the amount of eyes on me, and playing here is something I embrace and something I love of the pressure cooker that New York City is with the lights always on you. So I love the fans for them to vote me as many times as they did, making the Pro Bowl would be a huge accomplishment, I haven’t made it yet in my career and it’ll be a huge goal checked off my list. But a lot of those accolades come with putting the team first and I feel like that’s my first goal, always putting the team first and whatever comes my way comes my way, but try to be the same guy each and every day. I salute all the fans who voted for me, I couldn’t thank you enough, it definitely will be a huge honor to be a Pro Bowl safety for the New York Giants.
Q: Logan, before a football question, how is the wife feeling? And a football question, [Browns Quarterback] Baker Mayfield, it seems like the light is finally going on with this guy, really playing well the last five, six games. What do you see as the difference in him this year?
A: Yeah, the wife is doing well, she’s back on her feet – appreciate you asking – she’s getting Christmas shopping done. If she’s watching, I’ve still got to find some time to get her a gift, maybe I’ll go out in this blizzard and get her something, I don’t know. I’m behind on Christmas shopping this year. Baker, yeah he’s playing well. I think they’re doing a good job of allowing him to run the offense based on the run game, like we talked about. Obviously, it’s a little different system that he’s been in with the boots and the overs and the play-action passing. He’s doing a good job taking care of the ball, only 14 turnovers all year as a team. That’s pretty good in the NFL and when they don’t turn the ball over they tend to win, so we’ve got find a way to turn the ball over on them, put the pressure on them. And you know it’s Sunday under the lights, so we’ll see who shows up and who don’t. I know we’re prepared, I know we’re doing everything we can to make it tough on him, but he’s definitely doing a good job leading that offense. He’s a competitor, he wants to win bad, he’s fiery, he’s a trash talker and I think it’s a tough, physical team and he’s a fiery leader on that team, so we’ve got to make it tough on him. But it definitely starts with him and he’s doing a good job, they’re putting up a lot of points lately and we have a lot of respect for them.
Q: Hey Logan, obviously every week in the NFL is a physical game, but these two teams you have coming up these next two weeks are known for their physicality, they’re going to try and run the ball down your throat and win that way. What’s the approach, what’s the thought in your mind or for the defense in general when you have these kinds of games?
A: Yeah, make it no doubt, no question about it. We want to dictate the game on our terms and the New York Giants with Joe Judge as the coach and the players that we have here this year is a physical team. I don’t think we’re a finesse team, I don’t think that we try to spread it around and whip the ball around and run a whole bunch of trickery. I think we’re built on toughness, I think we’re built on being a physical team, I think we’re built and we play well when we run the ball, when we stop the run and when we cover kicks. I know Joe Judge stands by that, we’re bought into that. This will be the most physical game of the year, it has to be, it’s Sunday night, it’s a big game, don’t get that confused, we understand that. Everything we want is in front of us and it starts with a physical opponent, and we’ve got to go out there and bring it. We have a really good defensive line, we play a prideful, tough defense and we’re preparing for the challenge and we’ll be ready for the challenge. This is definitely a physical opponent and I think we’re a physical defense, and that’s strength on strength.
Q: When this team gets together this morning really for the first time since Sunday when you left the stadium – you’re a guy who has a pretty good read on the pulse of this team since September – did anything change this morning from where you’ve been the last couple of weeks? Did you feel the need to say anything more, send a message to the group in what needs to lie ahead for this team?
A: There’s no need for me to speak. Wednesday is a day that we’ve got to learn the game plan and dive into it, embrace practicing in the cold, embrace the opportunity we have. Look, we’re playing meaningful December football on Sunday night. That hasn’t happened here in some time and that’s a great opportunity. There’s no speech needed to say, ‘Yeah, you get to play meaningful December football.’ That’s not every opportunity you have in the league, not every player has that right now. There’s some guys in this league that don’t have that opportunity to play a meaningful game at this time of the year, so we get that opportunity, we’re extremely excited. We didn’t perform how we wanted to last week, but we won four of our last five games. Last week is last week, it’s as big of a deal as we want to make it. To me, I think we know how to win and we have a formula to win, and when we do it and do it well we win and we can beat anybody in the league, and when we don’t we don’t look too good. I think we’ve got to go back and keep our confidence, and be prepared and be excited for the opportunity we have to play a great opponent that’s coming off a great, entertaining game and we get play them on Sunday night with the whole world watching and get to see what we can do and have all our goals in front of us. So I just think that’s a great opportunity, you’ve got to be excited. If you love football, Sunday night’s the place to be.
