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Postgame Quotes (9/25): Manning, Donnell, Rolle

Head Coach Tom Coughlin

On playing against a divisional rival:
"We were excited about coming down here to play in the division. The guys worked hard, they focused. We were able to get past the previous game very quickly and get into this week. I thought the response was very good on the part of some of the guys who were nicked up, and we didn't think for sure would be able to go with a short week. But they did, they responded well. We played well. We did a lot of very good things. To be plus-five [turnovers] is really something. I was pleased with the first half, the ball control aspect of it. We held the ball away from Washington. They had done an unbelievable job the week before. They held it for 12 minutes in the first quarter. So that was an issue, that was something that we tried to do something about and I think we did respond very well to that challenge. Then we put some points on the board, did some outstanding things in the passing game. I thought the quarterback [Eli Manning] got us in a lot of very good situations, played very, very well. Picked our game up all the way around again, got some outstanding contributions from the offensive line up front. We were eventually able to run it a little bit, not so much in the early going. They're an outstanding team against the run. And then our defense had their moments, we played well, we got a lot of turnovers. They were able to move the ball on us a couple of times, and we'll work hard at that, but overall very, very excited and happy to win."

On the scoring drive at the end of the first half:
"That was the whole point there, when we got the turnover, that's usually the way it is with a two-minute deal, you say let's see how we're going to get started. We got started well, so then we started to put the wood on the fire. We got to that critical situation, where you look with seven seconds left and take the shot on a fourth down play. It worked out very well for us. [Wide receiver] Victor [Cruz] steps out of bounds with one second left, which is very good, and we got an opportunity to kick a field goal. So we accomplished a couple of things there. We proved to ourselves that with a minute to go, we can march the ball and we made a play with seven seconds left – down the field to be honest with you -- so that's an opportunity to have one second left and only take six seconds off of the clock."

On the play of tight end Larry Donnell:
"I just keep saying, let's just keep him getting better, and he's gotten better each week. He's an outstanding athlete, obviously. He has the size. He can get up over the top of people, so he had a very good game, a very good first half for sure. A good ball game tonight and we just hope he keeps getting better."

On if tight end Larry Donnell has exceeded expectations:
"No."

On the improvement of the offense from the first two games:
"Controlling the ball, making first downs, the precisions, I think is there for the most part. Our execution is much better. Guys are making plays for us, you know, there doesn't seem to be the misfires in the middle of drives that we were having, so we've been able to do something about that. I think our protection has been for the most part good. I mean you're talking about two outstanding pass rushers on the outside of this team. So I thought we did a pretty good job of that tonight. Our execution with the no-huddle has been really good. It's been good to us." On the effect of playing with a lead:
"Well, it gives you all the versatility of what you'd like to accomplish. You stay to the plan much better, you don't have to forego some of the things you had initially thought would be effective. You try not to change when you're not down by far, but it is a factor."

On the difference of being 2-2 vs. 1-3:
"That was the whole thing:
to be able to leave here tonight and be 2-2, and 1-0 in the division, that was huge. You know, it's exciting to be in the hunt, and by being able to come out of here with a win hopefully we have a chance."

On quarterback Eli Manning's accuracy throughout the game and if it's a product of his focus or the new offense:
"No, he's very focused and his confidence you can tell has risen. His confidence in his team has risen. So, he's very sharp."

On the effectiveness of the running game:
"We still wanted to run. We knew what we were up against – look what [Eagles running back LeSean] McCoy was able to do a week before. They did an outstanding job, so we knew it wasn't going to be easy, but we wanted our time at the bat. We wanted that opportunity and to have a good mix between run and pass. We made up our mind, we were going to try and stick with that. We weren't having a lot of success with it right away but still was going to try and stick to it."

On the defensive performance against wide receivers DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garçon:
"It was an outstanding performance by everybody, by defense up front in terms of the pressure. It goes to the entire defense. They are two outstanding football players. The week before with 11 catches and DeSean with his 81-yard touchdown. That's something to come away without them hurting us."

On the referee's explanation of the pass to Rueben Randle:
"I just shook my head. I mean, I was told he didn't make a football action or something like that when he came down with the ball."

QB Eli ManningOn the first half and how 'locked' in he felt:* *

"Yeah, yeah, it felt good in the first half. I would have liked to have hit – thrown – a better ball to [wide receiver] Victor [Cruz] in the first third down. Missed him, threw it a little bit behind him. But besides that, I thought things were clicking really well. Had a good idea of what they were doing from the preparation and they didn't change a whole lot, but had a good feel for where guys would be dropping, who's going to be open and guys were winning. They were winning one-on-one battles, they were getting the ball out quickly, ran the ball well, defense was getting us some turnovers and it was a good first half and really, the whole game I thought the offense was in a good rhythm and defense…"*On tight end Larry Donnell: *

"Larry, yeah, you know had a couple – the first touchdown just he was running up a seam down the middle and the guy's running with him, but you can throw it high and let him make a play. So it's a throw we worked on and I'm going to throw you open on these scenarios and he did a good job making some big catches for us. He's done a good job of just understanding the timing of the offense of these plays, when the ball is going to come to him and he's making some tough catches for us."
On if Donnell has exceeded his expectations:
"Yeah, probably so. I think he just hasn't had a whole lot of game action but he did well. I was hoping he would be able to play to this level, I really was, and I was excited about the possibilities for him this year, but he's played really well. We do a good job moving around and putting him in different spots and he creates some mismatch and, you know, had a corner on him one time, we threw the fade. We had a linebacker on him another time. You know, he couldn't get open on the linebacker but he beats the corner. I don't think it's supposed to work that way, but that's the way it goes sometimes. But you know, he ran a slant on a third down conversion so he's doing some good things, but all the guys I thought played really well. [Wide receiver] Rueben [Randle], couple go routes to him should have have had a touchdown on the slant, but if I put in a little bit more in front of the slant then he'll see that safety, take that hit and get the interception. Things were clicking, our offensive line played really well again for the second week in a row." **

On how important the game was tonight:"Well, it's good. After a rough start, no one likes to start 0-2, but two wins in a couple days, four days – feels good and especially I was kind of hoping after last week I thought we had a really good rhythm last week and we're getting a feel for this offense and the timings of all these things and the checks and all our possibilities. I was hoping we could just continue on the short week I thought we were able to do that and it was really fun."On if he heard about Derek Jeter's performance tonight:"Yeah, I heard, I heard. My friend told me at the very end of the game that he hit a walk-off single to win it in his last home game. That's very Jeter-like, sounds about right. He's always been clutch and steps up in big moments and [I] have no doubt if he was put in that situation he would come through again."  *On if he takes any lessons from Jeter:"I've taken a lot of lessons from Derek and how he has handled a lot of things. How he deals with the media, how he is perceived by fans. He works hard, his commitment to his sport, to his craft. Being a good teammate and being a good leader. I try to watch him and learn from him. He's definitely been a role model for me, my first 10 years and will continue to be and follow that style of being an athlete in New York City, that he set. It will be tough to emulate him; there is no way you can do it. You can try. He definitely set the bar for athletes in New York City."On if he is starting to like the offense:"Yes, starting to like the offense. It's fun. Each week we have some new things, and what plays will work. We have a lot of good meetings with [Offensive Coordinator] Coach [Ben] McAdoo, just discussing, talking football and what plays we like, what are hard get to, what our checks are. It's fun. Each week is a challenge. Each week is a lot of movement and formations and a lot of no-huddle. Practices are fast paced, but it's exciting. It's fun. I think offensive lineman and receivers are starting to feel the tempo of things and see what we can do with this offense. We just have to keep working."On if it feels like a different team since facing Arizona:"I think we had to come together as a team. I knew that first couple of games, it was going to take some time for us to understand the timing and rhythm of this offense. To get totally comfortable with new plays, new cadence, new people and a lot of new things going on. I think we've gotten better every week. That's what we've got to continue to do. We can't be satisfied with where we are. There is still definitely room for improvement, room to get better. We're going to do that, we're going to stay hungry and keep trying to improve every week."Safety Antrel RolleOn forcing Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins into mistakes:* "Well, I think we put him into situations where obviously he had to throw the ball to try to create a first down. I think our coach did a great job of putting us in the right position to capitalize on opportunities. And I think we just did that. We capitalized on opportunities. The defensive line did a great job of putting some pressure on him — forcing throws. Guys did a great job of playing their technique — playing their assignment and also playing beyond the Xs and Os." On if Cousins stared down his targets: "On certain routes, he was staring down his targets, but like I said, I think guys played with phenomenal technique. They were in the right position at the right time. And then the offense went out there and did the phenomenal job they did running points up on the board. It forced them to try to go out there and try to pass the ball more frequently." **

On his chemistry with safety Quintin Demps:"It was good. It was a short week. We were scratching our heads out there a couple of times, but it went good. I couldn't be happier for Quintin. He's finally gotten an opportunity. I think he made the best of it today—making plays and being in the right position at the right time. Like I said, the chemistry is good. Obviously, there is a lot of work to be done on both sides, on my behalf as well as his, but we'll get it done. We'll get it done and like I said, this is a collective effort. Up front, linebackers, defensive backs, and I think we did a phenomenal job today."On his advice to tight end Larry Donnell on being in the spotlight:"Larry will be fine. He's a star, man. He's a star. I think he's worked his butt off all through training camp to be in the position that he is today. While other people may not know what he's capable of, you know, we know. We see him out there every day. And it started in training camp with him winning the position and he's earned that right. So I told him to just keep climbing, keep climbing. He's a very humble guy. He's a low-key guy. He doesn't say much at all. He just goes out and there and performs."On being 2-2 now:"This is a long season. Everyone is impatient. I think we're more impatient than anyone else. Of course we want to go out there and win right away, but unfortunately it wasn't on our side. It wasn't our time. Right now we're still gelling and we still have a long ways to go. Right now we're just finally putting together some good football on both sides of the ball. We're working collectively as a group. We're benefiting from one another. Offense is benefiting from our turnovers. We're benefiting from them keeping the drives going, putting points on the board, and allowing us to create more turnovers. So, this is a team effort. This is what [Head] Coach [Tom] Coughlin preaches on. When times are tough and down, we have to make sure we stick together, so that has always been our motto."On how he felt going against Cousins:"It's Christmas. That's what it is. You want games like that. You want games where you're playing ahead and the other team is trying to play catch up. You know, they have to force the ball. They're trying to make the long throws and complete long passes and it gives the defense more opportunities to create turnovers. So, like you said, it's like Christmas. Kirk Cousins — he's been doing a phenomenal job in the offense. You can't take anything from him. I think he's been running the offense efficiently. I think he's been right on point. The last two weeks the guy scored over 70 points, so he must be doing something right. You can't take credit away from him. He's a great quarterback. I think he's going to be an up and rising star in this league at some point soon when he gets more opportunities. But, we just came out on top today. We were just the better team today."On how looking at film helped with Cousins:"We just went out there and tried to make plays. When the opportunity presented itself, we just made sure we captured the moment and we played together. We all left some plays out there. I know I left two or three plays out there that I could've been better and made plays on. It's a short week. It's a lot on your mind. You're trying to gather all this information within like a three day span. It's tough. Your body is still sore. Tough man wins the game and we were the tougher team today." *On how big of a night it was for him:"It was a big night. Not just for me, but for the team also. Having a victory like that, being able to contribute and help the team like that, feels awesome."On his touchdowns:"The first one… They all tie into each other, so every time I think about one I just smile from ear-to-ear. It's just a great feeling. The very first one we did a couple times at practice the other day. [Quarterback] Eli [Manning] checked to it and saw the coverage he wanted, and he just threw it, and I went and got it. Same thing. Same thing. They had a little guy out there and I ran the fade."On potentially getting a fourth touchdown:"I didn't know after the third one, but hopefully I did. It came to me, but unfortunately I didn't catch that one."On his thoughts after this game after almost not making the team last year:"It's a dream come true. I just sit here and think about it in this moment right now. It's a dream come true. I'm still working hard and focusing on getting better and better every day."On if he feels like he became an instant star:"I wouldn't say that. I'm just trying to stay the course, work hard every day to help this team continue to get better, so I can continue to contribute like that."On how many press conferences he has given:"Well, besides this one, probably a couple last week, but this is probably the biggest one so far."On if it's fair being 6-foot-6:"I would say on my part. It helps though. Eli, we get down there deep and he sees what he wants and he throws it up there and I go get it."On the three touchdowns being similar:"I just look at Eli and we're down there, and I connect eyes with Eli. You know he's about to throw it, so I get to get it together because he's about to put it up there."On if he has felt like he exceeded the expectations the team had for him:"No, not at all. I feel like there is more room for improvement. That's what I'm going to do every day. That's how I was able to help tonight. Stay the course and grind and get better. Keep working at it."On if he saved the touchdown balls:"No, there is more coming."RB Andre Williams *On getting the running game going: "The run always complements the pass. The pass complements the run. [Quarterback] Eli [Manning] was having a great game tonight passing the ball, but it was good to be able to control the clock as well, to move the downs when we needed to and just let him do his work." On how the Giants' lead helped open up the running game: "We were running the ball and when they start getting up slow and they quiet down, you know, things are going to keep rolling. The O-line did a great job opening up the holes and we just had success." WR Victor Cruz

On if the final drive in the first half was indicative of the Giants' offense: "I think it's very indicative. It's just our execution level is extremely high right now. We know exactly what we want to accomplish on each and every play. It's just coming through with every down and distance, every play call we are confident we can get the play done and move the chains to put our team in a position to score." On how comfortable he feels: "I think we are just clicking. We understand what's being asked of us in this offense. We just have to catch the ball when it's thrown to us and be in the right place in the right time when [quarterback] Eli [Manning] is looking for us. I think that's where we thrive. That's when we are doing things right, when Eli's upright and able to deliver the ball to us." On the young Redskins secondary: "We knew that they were banged up in the secondary, but we just wanted to go out there and dictate…not just from a receiver's standpoint. Our entire offense wanted to go out and put the pressure on them, not so much us…a little hurry-up offense kept them on their heels the whole game." On the passing game evolving over the past two weeks: **"We know exactly what we need to do. We know exactly how to execute. It's just a matter of going out there and doing it. A matter of going out there and understanding the coverages from both a quarterback and receiver [standpoint] and executing the play calls."

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