NYG Postgame (vs. Falcons) Transcripts: QB Daniel Jones
Q: What is the mood of this team right now?
A: I think guys are frustrated and certainly disappointed with the results. We’re all competitors and we want to win and we expect to win, so that’s frustrating and we’ve got to understand that and feel that today. But as we move forward, we’ve got to use that to motivate us to look at what we’ve done well and what we need to correct and how we need to attack this week going forward.
Q: How do you explain – it seems to be that you guys keep ending up on the wrong side of these tough losses. Can you put your finger on it and say, this is what we need to do, and this is what we’re doing wrong?
A: I don’t think it’s one thing or even two things. I think it’s a combination of a lot of little things we’ve got to do better. In this league, these games come down to the fourth quarter. They come down to making plays when you have to, and we’ve got to do that better. We’ve got to execute and make those plays.
Q: (Head Coach) Joe talks about finishing the game, how do you finish a drive and end with touchdowns instead of field goals? What do you guys to do that?
A: I don’t think it’s anything different than what we need to do on P and 10 when we get the ball. I think it’s about executing plays, understanding the situation and how that factors in. Ultimately, it’s about executing plays, taking what they give us and not hurting ourselves. We’ve got to be able to maintain that execution down the field throughout drives and not allow ourselves to stall. We’re able to move it and we’re able to make a lot of positive plays, move down the field, execute and then you’ve got to continue that into the red zone.
Q: How hard is it to stay positive after the losses you’ve had after these past two weeks?
A: Like I said, we expect to win. We want to win. Everyone in that locker room is a competitor and it‘s frustrating, but we have no choice but to let this motivate us to continue to work, to put our heads back down and go back to work, correct what we need to correct and get better from it.
Q: You looked pretty excited when you take down the ball in the end zone and you kind of a carry a guy in, do you allow yourself in that moment to say, ‘I think we have the points to win now. We’re finally gonna win a game here’?
A: No, I don’t think at any point – I don’t know what the time was there in the fourth quarter, but like I said, these games come down to final drives and often times late in the fourth quarter where we’ve got to make a play. The game is not over. We haven’t scored enough until the game is over, until the clock runs out. We’ve got to be ready and be ready to go.
Q: There was a lot of pressure on you coming into this year to play a certain way. It seems like you have played well, but the wins still aren’t coming. Is there a part of you that says, ‘is there anything more I can do?’ I mean, how much more can you do to affect the wins for this team?
A: A lot. I think there’s a lot. We all can do a lot more and we have to. We believe we have a good football team, and we have the guys to make it work. We’ve all got to do better. We’ve all got to play better, correct things and move forward. It’s going to come from all of us.
Q: What happened on the fumbled snap?
A: I’ve just got to handle it better.
Q: How much did it change the offense to lose two of your leading receivers early in the game?
A: It affects the game. It affects the game plan. Those are two key guys and big-time playmakers for us, but I thought the guys stepped up and did a great job. (Wide Receiver) Collin (Johnson), (Wide Receiver) C.J. (Board), all those guys who were in there played great. They were ready and prepared, and I thought they did a good job.
Q: How were Shep (Wide Receiver Sterling Shepard) and (Wide Receiver) Darius (Slayton) after the game?
A: They were doing alright. I think any time you get hurt like that, it’s frustrating. Those guys want to be out there. They’re competitors, so I know they’ll work hard to get back.
Q: Do you feel for (Tight End) Evan Engram when you guys hear boos every time there was a bad play his way? Fans were cheering when he was getting subbed out of the game. Do you feel for a teammate when something is happening like that?
A: Yeah, absolutely. I don’t think that was deserved. I think one tipped ball and I could’ve thrown it better at the end. I’m not sure I really understood that. He played hard all game and fought back from an injury a few weeks ago to be out here. He’s a big-time player for us and is going to be huge for us down the stretch.
Q: What do you say to him? You’re one of the team leaders, that’s got to be a tough thing for anybody to handle when they’re cheering him off the field?
A: I think he knows how much we believe in him, how much I believe in him. Like I said, he’s a big-time playmaker for us. He’s made a ton of plays in the past and I have no doubt he’ll continue to do that as we get going in the season. I’ve got a lot of trust and a lot of faith in him personally and I know our team does as well.
Q: You guys punted from the 39 – I think it was 4th-and three, 4th-and-four, is that frustrating? Do you want to like lobby, ‘let’s go for it here’? How frustrating is it to play so conservatively?
A: No, I mean, that’s certainly not my decision and I understand it at that point in the game. It makes sense, so it’s our job to execute plays and to make sure we don’t get in those situations.
Q: Was the inability to execute today more self-inflicted or do you feel it was something they were doing on their end as a defense?
A: I think overall, I’d say we executed well. I wouldn’t say it wasn’t an issue of execution. I think there were certainly some things we can do better down the stretch and things we’ve got to clean up, certainly. I think a lot of those issues are self-inflicted and things that we’ve got to clean up and things we’ve got to do better.
