Post-Game Transcript: Head Coach Brian Daboll

Head Coach Brian Daboll

Q: How do you sum up what happened out there today?

A: A disappointing loss.

Q: Can you explain the decision there on the (kicker) Graham (Gano) field goal? Not going for it, what went into that?

A: Kick a field goal there, and they have 24 seconds with no timeouts, and they need a touchdown. So, counted on making the field goal, and then they'd have 24 seconds with no time outs, still have to drive it the length, and our defense was playing well all game. That's why I made the decision.

Q: The flip side is to say—

A: There's always a flip side. I understand what it is.

Q: That still doesn't end the game, right? Why not take the opportunity there to end the game by getting the one yard?

A: Yeah, I mean, in hindsight, I understand the question. Completely legit question, but it's a decision that we made to try to kick a field goal with Graham. Our defense was—they were like, 0-for-12 on third down. They were playing well. That's the decision we made. It didn't work out.

Q: Is Graham healthy?

A: Yeah. Graham's alright.

Q: Wouldn't trusting your defense embolden you to go for it?

A: What's that?

Q: In that type of situation, trusting your defense?

A: Then they would need a field goal to tie. There are so many different things. If they go down and get a field goal, we didn't get it. I felt comfortable with what we talked about. It didn't work out, and I'm disappointed.

Q: What was the real plan behind (quarterback) Tommy DeVito the last two weeks? Because it seems as though you didn't trust him on the field. He didn't throw a lot. If that's the case, why didn't you bring in somebody like (quarterback) Matt Barkley, who is experienced? Because (quarterback) Tyrod (Taylor) is not necessarily—he's very familiar with injury.

A: I'd say this: this game, I kind of figured this is the way the game would be played out. We were going to run the ball regardless. With the weather conditions and the way our defense was playing, we knew it would be kind of a fourth-quarter game. I felt comfortable with him running the offense. But again, the plan was we were going to keep it on the ground quite a bit based on the weather and based on how we thought the game was going to be played out, and it played out pretty much the way we thought it was going to be played out. Just came up short.

Q: How is Tyrod doing? Is he back here?

A: No, he went to the hospital. I don't have any update on him. Prayers go out to him. I hope he's okay.

Q: Did you get a chance to speak to him before he left or when he came to the sidelines?

A: No, I was going to the sideline. He went kind of right down, and trainers took him right in. Right now, he's there.

Q: Do you know how bad (tight end Darren) Waller's injury is?

A: I don't. Just hamstring.

Q: You obviously bottled them up all game, like you said, up until that last drive. What happened for them to get the two big completions? Did you soften the coverage?

A: One, we had the DPI there in overtime. The other one we kind of lost it, got outside of the contain, and threw it up there. They made a couple of good plays.

Q: With Tyrod's injury Graham Gano missing field goals left and right, and the report coming out about the swollen leg, is it the plan tomorrow to bring in a couple of quarterbacks like you did and also maybe a couple of kickers?

A: I understand the question. I'm not there yet. We talk every Monday morning, so, it's not right now.

Q: What did you tell your guys afterward and what's their mindset after a game like today?

A: I said it was a tough loss. This one hurts.

Q: What do you think was the problem in the passing game? You finished with negative nine yards.

A: We ran it almost every play.

Q: Why is that? What was the thinking behind that?

A: Weather, control the game, thought our defense was going to play well, figured it would be a close game. (Running back) Saquon (Barkley) had some good runs. We had some opportunities. Just trying to win the game a little bit of an old-school way today.

Q: If (quarterback) Daniel (Jones) is not ready, what's your plan for quarterback next week?

A: I can't give it to you right now.

Q: What did you think when Matt Barkley and (quarterback) Ian Book came to visit?

A: I'm not there. We'll talk about that stuff tomorrow when I sit down with (General Manager) Joe (Schoen) and the rest of the guys. This one hurts. It's a tough loss.

Q: There were times when it looked like Saquon was trying to will the offense. What did you think of how he did play today?

A: He played hard. I mean, I told the guys at halftime we're going through 26 (running back Saquon Barkley). We're going to hand it off a bunch, we're going to play good defense, we're going to try to control the field position with our kicking game. We drove down there; it was a long drive there in the third quarter. Just kind of play it a certain way to try to win the game, and it just didn't work out.

Q: You've been around the game for a while. Have you had a disappointing loss like this before?

A: They're all disappointing. Every loss is disappointing.

Q: The way you leaned on your defense all day, how stunned were you that they were able to get into field goal range in 24 seconds?

A: They did a good job. Give them credit. Not much else for you.

Q: What was the feel in the locker room afterward from your players?

A: Disappointed.

Q: There was another fourth-and-one in the second quarter—

A: Same situation. Points. We were trying to get points. So, when we got down into the area, we thought that we were in good field position, and we were going to take points. So, it didn't work out.

Q: You said Graham is good, but he told us that he needs surgery on his left knee. Do you think that's affected him at all?

A: I don't know. Going into it, we felt comfortable with him.

Q: Did losing Waller early affect any of your game planning?

A: Anytime you lose a good player, it affects your game plan, sure. Down to one tight end, and (offensive lineman) Marcus (McKethan) played some tight end that (Tight e End coach Andy) Bisch(off) was going through with him during the week. But that's not an excuse. We just didn't get it done.

Q: Is there a concern Waller is going to be lost for several weeks?

A: Don't know. Yeah, I have no idea.

Q: Does an offense need you sometimes to put confidence in them to get a fourth-and-one? Is that a tangible part of a decision like that at all?

A: Look, I made the decision I thought was the best for the team. It didn't work out. So, at the end of the day, I take responsibility, but I thought it was the best for the team, and that's the way I'll always make them.

Q: Have you recognized that some of those decisions over the last few weeks even going back to Buffalo kind of were the difference in some of those low-scoring, very close games, where it's, like, fourth-and-inches, fourth-and-one, that you can continue the momentum?

A: Yeah, every decision that you make, you try to make for the best interest of the team in that particular game. That's what we'll always do. Sometimes, it doesn't work out. I accept responsibility for that, but you sit down, you have discussions, you talk about it on the headset, and then you make a decision, and that's what you need to do.

So, it didn't work out. We still had a few seconds there at the end to try to stop them. Give them credit, but disappointing loss.

Q: How do you think (quarterback) Tommy (DeVito) handled himself? It was his first NFL game in the regular season.

A: Obviously, we handed it off a bunch. He controlled the huddle. He's made progress since he's been here, but we didn't throw it much.

Q: How much of a reflection of the game plan in the second half was DeVito being at quarterback, or your game plan—

A: I would say it was a collective. How the defense was playing, we tried to play field position game, control the ball, run the ball, we came out and had a good drive there, not turn it over. We had a couple of little actions here or there. We threw one to (tight end Daniel) Bellinger, and we threw one out into the flat, but it was really to rely on Saquon, the offensive line, our defense, and play field position in terms of the kicking game.

They did an outstanding job on their units. We were backed up three times, I think, which is a long, hard way against that defense, too. Also controlling the ball in terms of not giving it to them in a backed-up field, a short field, something happens. So, we were playing, I'd say, a conservative game. Just didn't work out at the end.

Q: What'd you see from your new punt returner (wide receiver Gunner Olszewski)?

A: He fielded the ball, and he made some good plays with it.

Q: You're sitting at 2-6. The trade deadline is two days away. Where do you guys stand, does that affect how you'll handle the next few days?

A: I understand the question; I'm not there yet to talk about that.

Q: What did ownership think of today's game when you talked to them?

A: Yeah, I'll keep all that stuff that we talk about between us. Nobody's happy when we lose. When you lose, it's disappointing. Good conversations, but normal conversations.