Mike Kafka sat down in his office with Giants.com for a conversation about the latest at 1925 Giants Drive. We catch up as the team comes off its late bye week and prepares for the final four games, starting with a visit from the Commanders.

Q: I'll probably regret starting here, but how have you been handling "Hard Knocks" with the team?

Kafka: It's a cool opportunity to be involved in that, and I think our players are handling it well. They're kind of going about their normal day, their normal business. The Hard Knocks people have been great to work with. They're not in your grill. They're not a distraction around the building, but they're still getting good work and painting the picture.

Q: Your team speech the day after the New England game made the rounds. Are you surprised that people are surprised you have that side to you?

Kafka: It's one of those things, the team meetings, they're such a special, unique part of the team because you're just in there with literally everybody on the team. Those messages, that was an example of something getting kind of cut up and sliced, which is fine, but the team meetings, the group meetings, those individual meetings with the players, those are so special in terms of the players and the coaches. I think it's cool for the fans to get an inside look of what that looks like. It's not necessarily like that every time. There are different messages for different weeks, different days, but you try to build something that I think can reach the players and do what's best for the players. I don't really necessarily mind how people think or view us. All I care about is how the guys inside that team meeting view me and view the messaging and view the team. So that's really kind of where my mind is at on it. It is what it is.

Q: It's raw.

Kafka: It's raw. It's different. But that's really special in terms of the access. It's really cool for the fans to see that because it is kind of a sacred space.

Q: You had John Michael Schmitz break down that meeting at the end. Why was that and what have you seen from him this season?

Kafka: He's been phenomenal. He's been a pro. He has been getting better every single day, every single week. He's kind of the hallmark of how we define finish and attitude with toughness. I've got a lot of respect for JMS and what he's gone through and what he's battled through. He's a key cog to the offense and how we operate. For guys like that, that's who I want to break the team down at the end of a day, whether good, bad, indifferent. You look for guys like that to break the team down, and he's one of those leaders you look to.

Q: Outside to his left is Andrew Thomas. A lot of people are surprised he's not higher in Pro Bowl voting. What kind of season is he having?

Kafka: He's always gone under the radar, but he's an elite player that every single week, week in and week out, is just going to get his job done and do it at a really, really high level. In the meetings, he's a pro at a really, really high level. He's not the outspoken kind of guy, but when he speaks, everyone listens. He does a lot of his talking by his play. That's football. I've got a lot of respect for AT and his leadership and what he brings to our offense.

Q: Switching to this week's matchup, the first Commanders game was so long ago. Can you take anything from that, given all that has changed on both sides?

Kafka: Absolutely. There's plenty of things and a lot of learning lessons you can take from those games. I go back and look at old games from a couple years back. You see when (Commanders head coach) Dan Quinn was in Dallas (as defensive coordinator), is there anything that came up that could possibly be an issue for us? So, yeah, you look at all that stuff. He's always done a good job. You can absolutely learn from those weeks.

Q: Does Week 1 feel like a lifetime ago?

Kafka: It's a long season. It's the nature of the season. Yeah, it was a while ago. You look back, you see how our team has grown offensively. You see how our entire team has grown – offense, defense, special teams. You can always pull from the good and the things you can make corrections from.

Q: You've had a lot of run-ins with Quinn in a variety of roles. What do you get from one of his teams?

Kafka: I've got a lot of respect for DQ and how he operates. Getting to know him over the course of the last few years of going against him in the division, I've got a lot of respect for him as a coach, as a person. I think he does a hell of a job. His teams are always ready to go. They're going to fight to the end. They play tough. I wouldn't expect anything different this week.

Q: Over the bye week, you look at everything. What do you hope comes from that? Jaxson Dart said he looked at every single play.

Kafka: I did a full self-scout of offense, defense, special teams. I looked at everything and tried to find some solutions to the issues that are coming up and build on all the things we did well. There's a lot of stuff out there, so continue to build, build complements and build on some of our strengths.

Q: Cam Skattebo posted a video of himself walking around without the boot or scooter. How good is it to see him around the facility?

Kafka: Our training staff is doing a hell of a job getting him up to speed. I know he's attacking the rehab like an animal, as I'm sure you all would anticipate. So, it's no surprise.

Q: With Jayden Daniels out, Marcus Mariota gets the start again. You were teammates for a little while in Tennessee.

Kafka: We were there (together) for about a week and a half. He was great. He was great to work with.

Q: Now as an opposing coach, what do you see from him all these years later?

Kafka: He's the ultimate pro. We played against him in Kansas City in a playoff game and he took over the game. He has that type of ability as a passer, as a runner, as a game manager. He can make plays inside the pocket, outside the pocket, so we'll have our hands full on defense.

Q: Washington lost Zach Ertz, but the receivers are getting healthy with Terry McLaurin and Noah Brown. What challenges do they present when complemented by Deebo Samuel?

Kafka: A lot of challenges, run-after-the-catch guys, explosive receivers. They attack all three parts of the field – short, intermediate, deep. They have pretty unique skillsets. Deebo is a returner as well, so he adds another element. If he's not getting 20 touches on offense, he's going to get another 10 or 12 on special teams. He's going to be around the football, same thing with McLaurin. We fully expect to have our eyes on those guys.

Q: The Commanders are unique in that they are fourth in the league in rushing, but their leading rusher (Jacory Croskey-Merritt) has only 550 yards. How do they make that happen?

Kafka: It's just being unique and diverse with their scheme. It's different guys touching the football, jet sweeps, QB runs, obviously the running backs. The running backs are kind of by committee, a group of three guys that are doing really well. So, they mix and match it, and they get creative with how they run it.

Q: With Ertz out, do you expect to see more from Ben Sinnott? He was a second-round draft choice last year.

Kafka: Ben will have an opportunity, and we saw that on tape when he was coming out of college at Kansas State. I know he's got a unique skillset to get out on the perimeter and run around and some athleticism. I'm sure they will use him in that way.

Q: Bobby Wagner doesn't go away. You prepared for him as a player and now as a play-caller. What does he present?

Kafka: He's seen so much football. He's so instinctual and aggressive and still has that great feel for the football. He's a playmaker. You've got to know where he is every single snap. The same thing with Frankie Luvu, you've got to know where he is every single snap. Those guys are the heartbeat of the defense. They get everything lined up. When the biggest plays need to be made, those guys are around the football. Again, a lot of respect for those guys and how they play.

Q: Bobby Okereke is the Giants' club winner for Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year. What can you say about him as a player and person?

Kafka: Man, it has been such a pleasure to work with Bobby on a daily basis and now being around him a little more in this role (as interim head coach). Watching him lead that group of guys, watching him communicate, watching him prep, just the attitude he brings to the meetings – he's just positive and energetic every single day. I've never seen him have a bad day. Even when things aren't perfect, he still finds a way to bring guys along with him. It's just really cool for him to be nominated for that and I'm proud of him.