Giants players and coaches meet with the media following Thursday night's game:
Coach Ben McAdoo
Exciting end to the preseason, ended up with the bang there. Got a good look at a lot of different players. Let's just open it up.
Q: Is Aldrick Rosas your kicker after that?
A: He did a nice job tonight. We wanted to put him through the test and see how he responded and he did a nice job.
Q: So, did he pass the test?
A: Yeah, we feel like we have two kickers that can kick at a high level in this league.
Q: Backup quarterback, what did you think between Geno [Smith] and Josh [Johnson]?
A: They both rose to the occasion, gave them each some reps and practice this week and let them both play and they both responded well.
Q: Did you feel that was the best both have played this preseason?
A: Yes.
Q: I guess, linebackers, what did you think of the reserve guys that you saw tonight?
A: They came in, they were flying around. There was some good there. There is some things that we need to clean up. But there were some guys flying around, we got a forced fumble there, which was nice to see to get the turnover.
Q: What has JT [Thomas III] done in the short period he has been back? I guess, in your mind, to make a push…
A: JT's made progress each and every day. It was good to see him out there today. He had a little more work out there in this ballgame. And to cause the turnover, be involved in the turnover, was good to see.
Q: I know this was before the game, but Odell [Beckham Jr.] on the field, did you watch? Did you get a report on him…
A: No, he's in treatment and doing his workouts. We will see how he responds in the morning.
Q: The tight ends, how are you going to balance that with the fullback? And [Matt] LaCosse and [Will] Tye, where does that stand?
A: We are going to go watch the tape, see how it all shakes out. But they certainly made it tough on us tonight.
Q: Can you carry four tight ends and a full back?
A: We can do anything we need to do. We are going to carry the best players we can carry. So we are going to go look at the tape and see how it shakes itself out.
Q: How do you assess Adam Bisnowaty's preseason?
A: He's a young player who is developing. He has position flex from guard and tackle. He's played tackle for us because we feel we have some guys in there at guard that are better suited to play guard and not tackle. So we have played him a lot at tackle. So, he is a young player on the come.
Q: Ben, it's always good to win a preseason game and to win it the way you did, talk about that?
A: Well, I think it's good to see the young quarterback go out and move the team down the field in a last eight situation, which we call it. And use our timeouts and get out of bounds and a kicker out there who's in the middle of a competition and position it to win the game, in a great environment.
Q: Please talk about Geno Smith's playing time.
A: Geno completed a lot of balls. He's been completing balls all preseason, we just haven't finished any drives and he had a chance to finish drives today, which was encouraging to see. He completes the ball at a high percentage. He knows where to go with the ball – we all know he can throw it. He didn't have any critical errors, which was encouraging.
Nat Berhe, Safety
(On the game)
"That was fun. That can only give us momentum going into this next game. We have been preparing for Dallas since the start of the week. We are looking forward. I think a lot of the time guys in the NFL are serious because this is our job. But you get back to something like this [tonight] and that feels like college almost. The atmosphere, and having fun with your teammates, it is having fun. I've been here, this is my fourth year and seeing that [excitement] you know guys are cool with each other."
(On a prediction for the season)
"I wish I was Nostradamus, but I am not so I am just going to say one game at a time."
Josh Johnson, Quarterback
(On the game)
"It was a great, fun night. The offense had a heck of a night, all the touchdowns, it was a fun night. We had a great week of preparation. Everyone went out there and put their best foot forward for their last opportunity to show that they can make this team. It was good football and I think the fans enjoyed it. I told Jacoby [Brissett] after the game that he had a heck of a game. He brought his team back and they did a good job. Then we went down and won the game. It was a good game for us. It felt good. There is nothing better than being out there on that field. Everyone supports one another. This team does a great job of that. The young guys are out there and for some it is their first time ever playing an NFL game and to be in that moment. The support is necessary and we just want to tell the guys we want them to succeed."
(On a prediction for this season)
"One game at a time."
Matt LaCosse, Tight End
(On what he thought of his opportunity)
"I had the opportunities tonight to make a few plays and I'm glad I was able to show some people that when the lights come on I can play, too."
(On what he thought of his chances to make the team)
"My mom told me growing up not to worry about things you can't control. It's in their hands now. I played well and I think I showed them I could play. I'm not going to worry about it. I'm going to enjoy this win and go see my fiancé and my dad and have a good time."
(On what it feels like to be here after the last two years)
"It's a blessing. I think it shows the character of this organization. A guy like me, undrafted out of Illinois, and to be given two opportunities, that's unheard of. It's unbelievable and I just want to tip my hat to the [New York] Giants organization."
Aldrick Rosas, Kicker
(On whether he was hoping it would come down to a game-winning field goal)
"Yeah, I'm grateful for all opportunities, but I was hoping to be in a situation like that."
(On what he was thinking about after the Patriots took the lead)
"That was a great kick by [Stephen] Gostkowski and I was just hoping I would get another chance. Hopefully get within my range to solidify it. I was happy to come through for my teammates."
(On whether he had anything left to prove to make this team)
"I feel like I got a variety of opportunities already thrown my way, but any opportunity thrown my way I will be ready for it."
Geno Smith, Quarterback
(On his performance)
"I came out strong, did pretty good for the most part. Maybe one or two of those sacks I could have broken out of that tackle and thrown it away. Other than that I think I played okay."
(On finishing drives)
"It's very important. We've had a number of drives during preseason that were pretty good and we put together long drives, but weren't able to get touchdowns. Tonight we got one and a field goal, obviously you want to get a touchdown there, but overall it was pretty good. Anytime you can get points on the board, it's positive."
(On Matt LaCosse)
"I have a lot of trust in Matt. It was man coverage, I think the corner came off of his man, but I trusted Matt, and he did a good job going up and getting that thing and getting into the end zone." (On if he thinks he won the job)
"I don't know, I never really think about that honestly. I just want to go out there and play good football. That's been my goal the entire time is to improve and get better as a quarterback. That's the reason I came here, because I saw the ability to do that. Every day I've been getting better, and getting a clearer understanding of how the coach wants things done. How we communicate things, that's a big thing being able to go out there and communicate to the guys on the field."
Davis Webb, Quarterback
(On the last drive)
"Well first of all what a kick. It was a 50-yard kick, what a great drive with good protection. We had some new guys in there and they executed great. There was a great catch by Matt LaCosse, probably the play of the game. He had some great catches on that two-minute drive. It was just fun to get out there, I've had some two-minute opportunities throughout the fall camp and to execute it in the last preseason game against the Patriots, it's a lot of fun."
(On Matt LaCosse)
"He's an unbelievable player; he had a great fall camp. We really like him one on one, he's a mismatch. He's bigger and faster, he's agile enough to get in and out of routes. He's a great route runner and blocks his butt off and works hard. So I'm a huge fan of Matt's, he's a good friend on the team."
