Tight End Darren Waller
Q: Anything coming out of that game or needed to do anything special, anything different, anything out of the ordinary because obviously you had the hamstring earlier in the week?
A: No, just normal daily routine that I've been on. Back to feeling good in practice, felt better this week at practice than I did last week so that's all you can ask for.
Q: Just want to clarify what you mentioned after the game. You said it's a nerve issue in your hamstring, right?
A: Yeah.
Q: Is that what it was also last year, the nerve issue in your hamstring?
A: No, I pulled my hamstring, and you know sometimes it's in that area. Like maybe some scarring can get built up and that area can become just kind of like a lot going on in that area, it can compress the nerve a little bit, so you can feel a pinch a little bit, so it's just a matter of getting that stuff out of there.
Q: So now it's a nerve issue from the previous muscular damage?
A: Yeah.
Q: But when people hear nerve issues, it's like 'oh jeez' but it sounds like from what you are saying this is something that can be kinked out, or for lack of a better term, work out the kinks in this?
A: Yeah, certain things like nerve gliding, getting your pelvis a little bit more mobile. It's not anything severe.
Q: So, you tweaked it?
A: I mean I feel like it's more so like a compression in that area. So, it's just opening up the areas around it, but yeah, not really like a hamstring strain you think of normally.
Q: What do you think of the plan, (head coach Brian) Daboll said that the plan is going to be, kind of basically give you off once a week. I guess it's generally on Wednesdays as sort of like a vet day.
A: I just trust whatever the coaches have in mind because I want to be out there and work and sometimes to my own determinate, I'll run myself into the ground. It's good to have a plan and I feel like I am always going to trust what coaches and people above me have to say and their opinions, so I am just going to follow what they got, what they want me to do.
Q: What have you learned about this team in the last couple of days after Sunday night?
A: I feel like this is a team with a short memory. Sometimes you've got to have in this league because things aren't always going to go the way you want them to. This past game was very unfortunate as far as the results are concerned, but at the end of the day, it's not the start we would've imagined but we still have plenty of more opportunities and I feel like guys took that into account and practiced with a lot of energy this week.
Q: There was a lot of anticipation for your debut. Obviously, it didn't go well on the scoreboard. Aside from that, what did it feel like on Sunday?
A: I feel like there is good things to take away. I feel like there were opportunities to be had in the passing game. I feel like I was creating separation on a lot of different occasions, so just to try and carry that over to this week in practice and into the next week because at the end of the day, making yourself available to the quarterback is what I can do and what I can control, and I want to keep controlling that.
Q: Guys have talked, like you have here just now, about how encouraged they've been by practices and tempo and energy this week. What are you envisioning from the response for this team on Sunday, in terms of how you guys will come out?
A: Just the overall details and the small things and the consistency on the offensive side because like you said, we had a good start, good first drive, there were some good plays in there, but as far as the consistency, that lacked last Sunday and that's where I feel like we will step up the most.
Q: What do you think about this, kind of road trip a little bit? I know you are not looking ahead to the game, but the idea that when you leave here on Saturday, you are essentially not returning back to Jersey until after Week 3. What's that like for just a player going into it, how are you preparing yourself?
A: Yeah, it's uncomfortable. This is my third time doing it, I did it once my rookie year, going from east coast to the west coast. Did it last year going from the west coast, played in New Orleans, and then stayed in Florida and played the Jaguars. It's a little bit uncomfortable, you still just got to find ways to keep your routine going, despite being in a hotel or being on the road a little bit more. Yeah, it's not the trip you'd imagine, you want to just go play and then come back home, but that's not the cards we've been dealt, and you got to handle it because that's just reality.
Q: Is it hard not to lump two games together because of that?
A: Yeah, you can, but it just takes being present and knowing like, okay, there is no point, there is no advantage to me looking forward to a game when I have an opponent right in front of me that is talented and could very well beat me if I am not completely focused.
Q: How much do you think you can individually help this team get on track?
A: I feel like for me, I can control it starting with leadership, starting with encouraging guys, empowering guys to move on and be excited about the opportunity this week. Also like I said, just continuing to get open, create separation, make myself available to DJ (quarterback Daniel Jones) whenever opportunities present themselves and just go from there.
Q: Just to be clear, you don't think you will be inhibited at all with any hamstring this week, right?
A: No, I'm playing.
Q: Do you have any long-term concerns at all about this hammy thing, at all?
A: No, not really just because as far as the severity of last year and the time it forced me to miss, it's nowhere near that because last year there were times, where it was like, I legit can't run because my hamstrings pulled, but I can run at practice, I can run routes and do it for two hours, so I'm like yeah, I feel great.
Q: You just had to stay on top of the stretching stuff, right? To loosen it up.
A: Got to stay on it, coming in early, staying a little bit later.
Q: Are there any concerns at all about a hangover from Sunday night for this team?
A: Not from where I stand, not with the way guys are flying around, practicing on both sides of the ball. I feel like guys are excited for a new challenge. Nobody wants to carry that forward because that's not who we are, and we feel like we are going to have the opportunity to show who we are on Sunday.
