Guard Ben Bredeson
October 23, 2023
Q. Do you feel like you guys have stabilized things on the offensive line a bit? I don’t know if that means maybe getting comfortable with constant change. It’s not like you guys have settled into the same line, (offensive lineman) Tyre Phillips was on the Eagles last week, but it seems like the results are better.
A: I think we took a great step forward in the past week and like you said, Tyre coming in, I thought he did a good job and I thought we played well together as a unit.
Q. How do you think that plays into the last two weeks? There have certainly been more aggressive throws, more downfield throws. Obviously, a lot goes into that. (Quarterback) Tyrod (Taylor) versus (quarterback) Daniel (Jones) and (running back) Saquon (Barkley) being healthy versus not being there. What is the offensive line’s part in that? Do you feel like you guys have given the offense the time to take more shots than you were earlier in the season?
A: Obviously, with more downfield throws like that you need to have a little bit more time and some strong protection. I feel like we’ve been working well as a unit and have been taking a good step forward in working together in pass pro.
Q. I know you don’t go against your starting defense every day like you do in training camp. What have you seen from them in terms of a couple of weeks ago we were on them about not tackling well and now it seems like they are playing like one of the best units in the league. What have you seen from those guys in terms of motivation or play or just answering the bell?
A: Obviously, on the offensive side, we knew what we had in our defense going against them every day in training camp and leading up to the season. We have some great leaders on the defensive side of the ball, and we have a lot of great athletes back there as well. From the defensive line all the way back to the safeties. I believe it’s a very talented group and they’re playing really, really, well right now.
Q. Yesterday (offensive lineman) Justin (Pugh) was talking about how the offensive line has been ‘overcommunicating’ to make sure that given the different guys that were coming in and out of the line up and everybody is on the same page. Can you talk a little bit about that process and have you found that to be helpful for your play?
A: Absolutely. I think one of the biggest pieces in offensive line play is making sure that we’re all on the same page and going to the right guys and accounting for our responsibilities. When we don’t have a whole lot of time to gel together, like a full training camp or OTA’s or things like that, we have to overcommunicate and make sure that we all know who we’re responsible for and be able to be working together as a unit.
Q. Can you give a quick example of the overcommunication process? Is it like you’re sitting at lunch, and somebody calls out a play or is it something more involved to it?
A: It might be something more involved. It’s more so – we call it sometimes a call and a response and just making sure that everybody knows what their responsibilities are. Communicating at the line of scrimmage, coming off on the sideline and communicating there what we’re seeing and any possible adjustments or anything like that and talking through it and making sure that everyone knows what the plan is and how we need to execute.
Q. This is not a trick question, I’m not asking who you like better. Can you just talk about being in the huddle, being on the field with the two different quarterbacks, Tyrod and Daniel? Is there a different feel or is there a different style that these two guys present? Every person and every player is different. Can you speak to that a little bit?
A: Like you said, obviously, Daniel and Tyrod have their – I’d call it slightly unique characteristics that are different from one another but for the main point, they’re both great veteran leaders, great quarterbacks, taking control of the huddle and making sure that everyone’s on the same page. It’s a pleasure to block for either one of them.
Q. What are some of those characteristics that you see manifest itself in a huddle or on the field?
A: I guess it could just be their own personalities, things like that. I think they’re both wired like true professionals and they’re both kind of wired the same way. From the o-line perspective, we don’t really – I wouldn’t say that there’s a complete difference in style of play with the two quarterbacks. I think they both make sure that we’re all staying calm. Just speaking from this past game, Tyrod did a great job of having that veteran presence and making sure that even when things weren’t going right, that we were all staying together. When Daniel is in, he’s doing the same thing. He’s checking with us on the sidelines and making sure…it’s not like we’re really skipping a beat or we’re having anything too different when it’s Tyrod or Daniel back there.
Q. How different does the offense look to you when you go back and watch it on tape with and without Saquon?
A: Saquon is – he’s a key part to this offense and he’s an exceptional running back and a great player for us. It’s awesome when he’s in the game and he can make some explosive plays like we saw this past game. He adds a great dynamic for us on the offensive side of the ball.
Q. How much as an offense do you feel better today than you did the past few weeks? Just on the fact that when you got that first touchdown, when you ended that streak, does that take a weight off your shoulders at all?
A: I don’t know if it’s a weight off the shoulders, it’s just good to see some results. Especially a red zone touchdown like that, where there were some times where drives were stalling out down there and to be able to finish in the red zone was awesome.
Q. I know you haven’t been here too long but what do you make of the Giants-Jets rivalry? What do you see from their defensive front that you’re going to have to go against this week?
A: In terms of the Giants-Jets rivalry, I know that this is going to be a game that’s near to a lot of people’s heart. Personally, I can’t speak a whole lot out of that at the moment, because I’ve only been here for a couple of years, and we haven’t had a regular-season game against the Jets while I’ve been here. I’m looking forward to it, I’m very excited to be a part of it. They have a good defense. They have a good defense, and we need to be prepared and ready for that.
Q. I know you haven’t done much studying on them but when you look at their defense, it seems like they are very balanced between their edge rushers and their middle and they don’t really blitz a lot. What does that mean for an offensive line? Is it just about winning one-on-ones and things like that?
A: Yeah, it’s winning your one-on-one matchup and it’s working together as a unit and being able to help. Someone’s always going to be in a position where maybe they can get some help and sometimes you’re just going to have win your one-on-one matchup. Like we talked about earlier, in a previous question about overcommunicating and making sure that everyone’s on the same page.
Q. Did you get any kind of sample size at all from the preseason game? They did play their starters a little bit I guess in that game, correct?
A: Correct. Yeah, I got a little bit, yeah. Like you said, there was a small sample size there, so we got a couple drives of it from that last preseason game. Like I said before, they have a good defense over there.
Q. Just because you’re in the same city and sometimes your games aren’t at the same time, have you watched them at all? Just even on TV?
A: Yeah, I mean, I watch some games so obviously you’re always tuned into it. There are times where we’ll have a late game or they’re playing on a Monday night, something like that and you catch the game, so I’ve seen them play before.
Q. When you watch it do you watch it as an offensive lineman, or do you just watch the game?
A: Sadly, that’s kind of how the football watching goes for me now is watching the o-line. It’s taken out that whole watching the game as a fan. I’m always tuned into the o-line of whatever team has the ball so –
Q. The D-line too? O and d-line?
A: Yeah, I mean, exactly. I tend to watch the blocking more than the ball, watching it as a casual fan.
