Head coach Brian Daboll
Opening Statement:
"Okay. Another tough one. So with (Giants QB Jaxson) Dart, as he was going back out on the field, just didn't seem right. So, we called the trainers over and said let's get him out and make sure he gets looked at. Went in and got looked at and ended up being evaluated for a concussion. Ten-point lead there in the fourth quarter, and give them credit. They made a lot of plays. The quarterback made a lot of plays, a lot of loose plays, scramble plays. Just didn't get the job done."
On 'going for it' after the penalty on the 1-yard line:
"I thought about it. I thought take the points, get a ten-point lead in the fourth. Our defense was playing good."
On if the 'number of hits Dart takes' have 'caught up to him':
"Yeah. It's unfortunate but, unfortunate he got hurt."
On the defense:
"They made some good plays there at the end. (QB) Caleb (Williams), I thought we had him a number of times, where we didn't get him down and he extended plays. We knew he would. He did it in the Raiders game. He did it in plenty of games. Did it the series before. He booted out on the last series and went down and scored. It's a tough, tough way to lose."
On if Dart 'was checked immediately after his fumble':
"No, he wasn't. So if they would have called him down. But when he was going in there, somebody said something, like, what? Like don't put him in."
On if 'you decided' to take Dart out:
"I did, yeah. Coaches on the sideline; but, yeah, just took him out."
On when the decision was made:
"I don't know when it was. It was in between the series. Didn't think it was good to go back out there. Well, I said 'make sure you go get checked by the doctors' and brought the trainers over is what I did."
On the number of hits Dart takes:
"Yeah. I just say it's unfortunate he got hurt."
On if Dart's play style 'is sustainable':
"I'm not sure exactly of the play that it happened. No, I'm concerned for the kid."
On clarifying his previous statement:
"I don't know the exact play that it happened for him relative to getting hurt or not getting hurt. I don't know the play.
"I don't know the play. I don't know when it was. I mean, I just know that when he was going back out there, we were sitting around the huddle. I saw him, I got Ronnie over there to check him out."
On if Giants QB Russell Wilson will start next week 'if Dart can't':
"We'll see. Right now, we just had a tough one here. I'll take a look at everything."
On if 'you saw it at the quarter break':
"I don't know when I saw it. I just saw it when we were huddled up there. The coaches were talking. Never put a guy out there that we thought was hurt."
On 'why the team can't finish and close games':
"I mean, there were a number of things today. There were all three phases, just didn't get the job done."
On 'why he believes it was a tough loss':
"I believe in the guys we have, people in the room, coaches and players. Lost another tough one. So got to start doing it."
On 'trying to stop bad collapses':
"Having next play mentality. I thought (Giants Defensive Coordinator) Shane (Bowen) tried to mix it a number of times these last couple drives; play zone, pressure, play man. The two plays that Caleb got out were man. There was a number of plays. We had to punt. That gave them a short field. There was a number of plays. It wasn't just one thing, which is usually is."
On 'if you're worried about your job':
"I'm just focused on these guys in the locker room."
On 'kicking short field goals and not longer field goals':
"The one to (Giants TE Daniel Bellinger) Belli, I thought we had a good play. I thought (Giants Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator Mike) Kafka had a good play. Had a number of fourth down and one plays. The first one, (DB Kevin) Byard (III) came down. We had a little pick play for (Giants WR) Wan'Dale (Robinson) and just didn't hit that one.
"Kind of a hard play action to Belli, which was close there in the end zone, we hit the fourth and one, where he made a great play, and I'm not sure he would have had it but ended up making a great play for it. Had to keep so we went for the four times. Hit two and didn't hit the other."
On his message to the locker room:
"They're tough losses, they really are. We put so much into it. The coaches put so much into it, the players. It's painful when you have these endings. You stick together, and that's what you have to do. It's easier said than done. Those are tough. You put everything you've got into it each week. Whether it's game planning, practices. Let the guys compete their tails off out here for the whole game. And then to come up short, it's tough. It's tough."
On 'what you say after a fourth straight loss':
"Just that. Stick together. That's what you have to do. But, again, there's a number of plays, a number of things that could have happened that usually don't happen when you lose the game or happen when you win the game. And the guys battled but just didn't get the job done."
On Dart's performance before the injury:
"Playing good. Yeah."
On the emotions of Dart's injury:
"You're really in the moment. You've got to get ready to play. Russ had to go in there. We have confidence in Russ. But you never want to see any of your guys going down."
"Thanks."
Quarterback Russell Wilson
On the end of the game:
"First of all, it was disappointing, obviously, seeing (Giants QB) Jaxson (Dart) go down. To be able to step in and be ready to go, I thought the guys did well being ready to go the first drive. I thought (Giants TE) Theo (Johnson) made a good catch. I thought (Giants RB Devin Singletary) Motor's catch, when he ran the flat and I got outside the pocket, I thought he was going to score there going down the sideline. And us getting all the way down to the 1, I thought that was a good drive. We've got to find a way to get a touchdown there, I feel like. And then they made plays. They made a couple of plays, and that was just unfortunate for us. But I felt mentally ready and all of us being ready to respond. Unfortunately, we didn't get to win the game."
On when 'you realized you'd have to come into the game':
"After that drive, Jaxson went down. Just I was trying to be prepared to go."
On clarifying if that's 'when he fumbled':
"Yeah. He made a great effort trying to make a play. He did a good job just trying to be tough and all that. And I just was prepared. The thing is, you always have to be ready to go. So I felt like I was really ready to go. I thought (Giants Associate Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator Mike) Kafka, that first drive, gave me a couple of really good plays early on to get going."
On if 'you would've liked to have the chance' to score a touchdown 'from the half yard line':
"Yeah, you always want to score a touchdown there. I thought we did a really good job driving all the way down the field. That was a huge drive for us. I thought we did a good job getting down there, making plays. The line did a good job being physical that drive in particular. We needed a touchdown there. Obviously, we knocked a field goal down, which was a good thing for us, at least. But you always want to score touchdowns in this game. That's always the key. That's what you always want in the red zone. We knocked in a field goal."
On his team's performance this season:
"I think there's been some really tough games this year where we've taken the lead late or whatever it may be or have a lead. I think part of that's just fundamental execution, all of us making one more play than them. You go back to the Dallas game, we had two big plays, two minutes. And then 25 seconds to go, guys made great plays but, unfortunately, weren't able to finish it. The Saints game was a tough one for us. We had that lead. Just across the board, I felt like we've just got to play cleaner football down the road. I thought we played a really good game throughout the game. I thought it was good to be back in there with the fellas, battling and all that. We had all the confidence in the world. We've just got to collectively -- offense, defense, special teams -- finish the game."
"Thank you."
