Interim Head Coach Mike Kafka
Opening Statement: ''OK, so the one kind of bigger injury – (Giants LB Demetrius) Flannigan-Fowles is coming out with a neck. We'll see where he's at. I haven't had a chance to talk to him yet. But that was the one, kind of the one big one."
On the decision to go for it on fourth-and-goal on the final drive of the fourth quarter: "Yeah, we did want to be aggressive. Just thought it was a good time to take points in that situation. Go up two scores and just hit a good flow. Wanted to just go up two scores."
On not having Giants DL Dexter Lawrence II on the field during Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs's long touchdown run: "So, Dex is battling for us. He had a little nick with his – he got a little nicked for us. So, he was battling. He gave us everything he had for as many plays as we could possibly get him in there. But there was a management part of that to make sure we could maximize him in certain situations – third downs, things like that where his pass rush could be in effect. So, he wasn't out there for that first down."
On if Giants DL Dexter Lawrence II would have been put in the game if that drive continued: "Absolutely. Yes, absolutely."
On if losing games in the fourth quarter has become the Giants' same-old-story: "I wouldn't say it's the same old story. I think we had an opportunity at the end of the game. Took a really good team to overtime. We've got to find a way to finish those games. I really believe in our players. I believe in our coaches. They're battling their heart out for us. Just continuing to have that mentality, that aggressive mentality and continue to ramp it up come practice time this week. That's the only thing we can look at right now is where can we get better, where can we improve? Take those little things and let's really work them. Let's detail them out and make sure that doesn't happen again."
On when Giants DL Dexter Lawrence II got hurt during the game: "So he has just been battling it throughout the game. I think it kind of flared up again during the fourth quarter."
On if he thought they could end the game by going for it on fourth-and-goal on their final drive of the fourth quarter: "Yeah, we're just trying to score as many points as possible and try to win the game. So, if we're going to be aggressive on fourth down that means we like the play-call like we want to do. I think there are times in the game when you just got to take that in to consideration of, 'When do you want to kick the field goal? When do you want to go for touchdown?' I thought all game we had really good consensus and really good communication with the entire staff, our game management crew on when we wanted to be aggressive and be calculated when we could go for fourth downs and take shots at the end zone."
On how losing yards on third down factors into the decision going into fourth down: "Yeah that factors into it, for sure. That definitely factors into it. We're around the field. You're all of a sudden – now you're fourth-and-goal from the six. Maybe just – our decision was a correct one. I stand by it. We took points to go up 10 points."
On if the field goal in the first quarter affected their decision to go for it on fourth down late in the game: "Later in the game? No, you just take every situation within itself. That one play you focus on where you're at in the game for that. You don't try to make decisions based on previous plays or results. So, we just went with our numbers and what we felt confident in that situation for that play." On what he saw from the defense during Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs's touchdown run during overtime: "I'll have to look at the tape. I'm talking with the offense. Obviously I saw the run, didn't know exactly what happened as a result of that run. Probably looking at, 'Were the fits right on it?' But he's a good player. We knew he was going to get in some space and they were going to give him some opportunities. We had to figure out a way to rally him up and that one he got us."
On if he went into the game planning to run the pass from Giants WR Gunner Olszewski to Giants QB Jameis Winston play today: "Yeah, we had it up. We've had it up for a couple weeks. Just felt like a good opportunity and a good time in the play to call it." On if the touchdown pass play to Giants QB Jameis Winston has a name: "It does have a name. It's just Gunner getting in the game, we were just - I don't need to share the name but it was a good play by those guys."
On why he smiled with players on the sideline when the game was going to overtime after Lions K Jake Bates made the game-tying field goal: "Yeah, I mean we were going to overtime. 'Let's go win in overtime or go win it in the game right there.' We still had the opportunity to go down the field, great. That's a great opportunity to go try to win the game. So, I'm trying to keep my cool. I'm going to try and stay positive with the guys because we still had chances and until the clock runs out, we're going to continue to take chances to try to win the game. So, we're not going to - that's football. I've played it, been in it as a player my whole life, coaching it. Things like that happen. That's a great challenge. Now it's another opportunity for the offense to come up and step up and try to win it. And we had some opportunities there at the end as we were driving it and then we kind of got a setback so we laid off the gas and said, 'Alright, let's take this thing into overtime.' But I want our players to feel that way. If something bad happens, alright great, just get back on the horse and let's get back in our mentality of attack mode."
On how difficult it is to perform so well today and come short of the win: "Listen, this is a team game. Everybody's got to work together on it, special teams, offense, defense. So, there's not one group. It's all of us. It's the players, it's the coaches, it's the staff, it's the whole organization finding a way to win. And so, we've got to find ways to get better, find a way to create an edge for ourselves and that's what we're going to do as a - myself, I'm going to evaluate everything. Across the board, where can we find an edge to go win a football game? That's where we're at right now."
On Giants QB Jameis Winston's performance today: "Jameis played his tail off. Very, very proud of him. I mean the throws he made – he stood up in the pocket versus a very good defense, had a lot of production in the pass game, our guys won for him early, our O-line blocked their tail off all game, our backs ran hard. I really liked the plan and I though Jameis executed it and managed the game excellently."
On Giants WR Wan'Dale Robinson's performance today: "I think Wan'Dale had a career high in yards. He had a good - we liked the matchup there and he's a very talented player and we just let him go and he made some big-time plays for us. Again, tough kid, battled through getting dinged, taking some big hits and this kid just continues to just keep on coming back and fighting. He's a guy that I can just go to war with every day of the week."
On how he will move forward with the starting quarterback next week: "Yeah, we'll just see where (Giants QB) Jaxson (Dart) is in the protocol and then we'll just make a decision based off that info." On how he can make sure that the locker room does not think it is the same old story of the Giants struggling: "Continue to come together as a group, continue to lead them, continue to show/give them examples and put them in positions that are difficult so that they can work their way, battle through it. I think having confidence - I do have a lot of confidence in this group of players, a lot of confidence in this group of coaches. And so, there's a lot of good things that can come out of this game. We'll take those and we'll continue to build on that. And then the stuff that we've got to get cleaned up, those issues, we'll find solutions for these guys. And then we'll go work it and have a great intent in practice and put together a great practice design so that we can go and knock these things out that are giving us issues." On if Giants QB Jaxson Dart will start next week once he comes out of concussion protocol: "Yeah. Barring a decision, we'll just - yeah, we'll kind of play that out. But I like Jaxson if he's healthy and ready
to go."
On if he still has full confidence in Giants Defensive Coordinator Shane Bowen: "Yeah, I do. I have a lot of confidence in Shane and his entire staff."
Quarterback Jameis Winston
On the difficulty of having great plays but not coming out with the win: "One thing that one of my mental coaches, Jim Brogan, always told me, we always repeated is that the success is in the struggle. We have to continue to endure. One of my favorite Bible verses is count on all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the (testing) of your faith produces perseverance and let that perseverance have its perfect work so you can be complete lack of nothing. I think this team is just in the season where we are enduring certain trials. I was so proud of the defense when they got that turnover. We just have to find a way to win, and that's as simple as that. I have to do my role better. We all have a part in this. The coaches are putting us in a great position to do so. Collectively, we just have to find a way, and we will."
On the decision to go for it on fourth down at the end of regulation: "We are desperate for a win. That's one of the things I was echoing in the locker room, let's be desperate for a victory. This is one of the best teams in the NFL. We came here on a mission, and we didn't complete that mission. We have to find a way, and whatever it takes, we are willing and able to do it."
On how Giants Interim Head Coach Mike Kafka managed the game: "He's been doing phenomenal. He's been doing phenomenal. He's an excellent head coach. He's poised, he's confident. We have to help him out, myself included."
On whether he expected Giants Interim Head Coach Mike Kafka to call trick plays today: "He's an NFL quarterback. He wants to win. He's doing whatever it takes to win, and they worked. We just didn't win."
On what he is seeing that is causing the team not to execute in clutch moments: "Yeah, honestly, I think it's more of a spiritual thing than an X's and O's thing. I think that we have to dig deep and continue to exhibit unwavering faith in not giving in to an energy of denial or doubt. I love Coach (Mike) Kafka's message: leave no doubt. And today, we left some doubt out there. We were on the three-yard line with the chance to put the freaking nail in the coffin. And I missed (Giants TE) Theo Johnson on the quick flat. That is the details. That is the execution that is required to win tough NFL games. On if something needs to change for them to execute: "I am so confident in our offense, in the coaches that put in work, day-in and day-out. We, collectively, will do a better job at executing in those moments."
On whether he liked the call to go for it on fourth down: "There's so many ifs, ands, and buts. My pass to the right to (Giants TE) Theo Johnson, if it is four inches to the left, that's a touchdown, and we finish the game."
On the play where Giants RB Devin Singletary threw him a pass: "I think it's just, when you have a good offensive line, and you've got a running back that can throw, you've got a receiver that is working his butt off and does everything required, you give him a chance. And those are morale boosters. You should've seen the sideline, man. We were pumped. We were excited. And we need that. We need that
energy moving forward because that's where our eyes are. We're going to take constructive criticism on this game. What are the pieces that we can get better at, and we are going to use that energy to help propel us to find a way to get a win."
On his first-career NFL reception: "I like to consider myself an athlete. I believe that I can make plays like that for this team. If I need to play tight end, I can. I do whatever it is that's required for this team to have success. I'm grateful that (Giants Head Coach Mike) Kaf (Kafka) gave me an opportunity and (Giants WR) Gunner (Olszewski) trusted me to – he gave me a chance. Sometimes that's all you got to do at the quarterback position, get your guy a chance."
On his yards after his catch from Giants WR Gunner Olszewski for a touchdown: "You know (Giants QB) Russell Wilson) sent me a picture of doing the Heisman in like a little GIF – I think it's called a GIF. I did the Heisman, and we got in the endzone. We just didn't win, guys. We got to win."
