DE Jason Pierre- Paul
Q: Are you looking for a little bit of Giants pride this weekend?
A: We always have Giants pride. It is what it is.
Q: Coming off a game like that, are you extra motivated to get out there and have a good performance?
A: No, we actually are motivated to come in and fix our corrections. We are going to see them again in the future. We moved past that game and now we are more focused on Dallas.
Q: How big is this football game in your mind?
A: It is a big; it is going to be a big game. Any division game is a big game; it is going to be one of the big games. This can make or break our season.
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Q: How do you stop this kid DeMarco Murray who has been on fire? **
A: You've got to play the run. We've got to play the run to our best ability and trust our guys. Trust that we are going to be in the right spots and in our right fits.
Q: Do you think guys got lulled into a false sense of security?
A: I think we came out sluggish and finished the game sluggish. They were the most physical team and that was last week, so we are way past that.
Q: What is the difference between DeMarco Murray and LeSean McCoy?
A: He is a good runner; all of them are good runners. It is a division game and we've got to play to our best and we are going to do that.
Q: Are you confident that this this team after taking a hit in the run defense will bounce back?
A: We're good, we're good. We know what we need to do win a game. That is just one game, it is not justifying the whole season, we will be good, we'll be okay.
Q: It seems like Dallas and Giants games are the most dramatic, most emotional, back and forth. What do you expect in a game when you play them?
A: Come out with a win. It is a division game and it counts as two, our thing now is to just win this game and go into our bye week not worrying about nothing and coming back fresh.
Q: Teams continue to steal the momentum from each other all the way through the game. Is that something you have to be wary of emotionally, that it is going to be an up and down kind of game?
A: I feel like as a player, as a football player, once you step on that field, you don't know who is going to win the game. You have to be confident in yourself that you know your team is going to come out there and perform as well as you think they are going to perform. That is all phases of the ball, that's offense, defense, and special teams. We do well in those ,we don't have nothing to worry about.
Q: How do you keep the confidence up after having such a horrible performance?
A: Just come in, and what you do in practice is what you are going to do in the game. We come in and practice and make sure we execute our plays and talk, guys together, one on one, we'll be alright.
Q: With where you guys are in the division, with a bye week coming up, do you look at this as a must-win game?
A: It is a must-win game, every game is a must-win game. Unfortunately, sometimes you don't win. This is like a must-win game for us because it can justify our season.
QB Eli Manning
Q: Does a loss like Sunday night sometimes linger a little bit longer than other ones?
A: No, it can't. You deal with it on Monday, you watch the film, you try to make some corrections and by Tuesday you're preparing for the next opponent. It doesn't take long when you've got another division rival coming up, another big game for us. We're getting ready for Dallas and we're moving on.
Q: How would you describe the challenge this week going into Dallas?
A: They're playing good football. Their defense is playing fast, they run to the ball, they're making plays. Not many teams are scoring a lot of points on them. Their offense does a great job of holding on to the ball, winning the time of possession, so you're not getting, the opposing offenses aren't getting many possessions. They're finding ways to win games, so you've got to give them a lot of credit. They've got a good team and their players are playing well.
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Q: Who do you look to, who makes up for the loss of Victor Cruz? **
A: I think it's the team. Everybody's got to do their part. It's not doing more than you were doing earlier or before, it's just doing your job, everybody doing their job and playing at a high level and doing their responsibilities. We'll have a number of different receivers in, moving guys around. They all have to play well.
Q: Did you see Victor at all today?
A: No, I haven't seen him today.
Q: It looks like their back seven team speed is pretty good in Dallas and also, they've been limiting the opponent's big plays.
A: Yeah, they do a good job. They're not giving up many big plays, they're keeping things underneath and they play fast. They've got a lot of team speed with their secondary, their linebackers, the defensive front. They rotate in a lot of guys so they're fresh and they play fast. And again, a lot of teams aren't running a whole lot of plays against them so they're not getting worn out. They're doing a good job.
Q: I know it's still relatively early in the season but a division game, you guys have the bye week. How important is it to come out with a win?
A: Yeah, this is a big one. We're already two games behind in the division, we've dug ourselves into a little hole and this is a huge game for us. We've got to go out there and play well.
Q: Do you expect your team to bounce back after last week's performance?
A: Yeah, I expect us to do that. I think we've responded well to the losses when we've had them or when we've had a tough game this year. We know we have to play better than we did. We've got to figure out how to move the ball and be more successful and stop having the mistakes that hurt us last week. I think we'll do that. We have a tough challenge ahead of us, they're playing great football and we've got to play to their level.
Q: Have you talked to Victor yet?
A: I've sent him a text, I've left him a voice mail. I know sometimes when these things happen, you're injured, you're not looking to reach out and talk a lot. I left him a long message and told him I'd reach out to him and try to catch hold of him. I have not gotten him in person yet.
Q: I don't want to trivialize what he's going through, but is there any way that what happened to him and the loss of him can be an inspiration, something that sparks a team?
A: Guys have to keep going. We can't have it be an excuse. It's an opportunity for someone else to step up in that receiver position and make plays for us. That's what we've got to do.
Q: That's sort of what happened to him when he first broke on the scene, somebody got hurt…
A: Somebody got hurt, he stepped up into a role and made a lot of big plays for us. Someone's going to have an opportunity to do that. Let's see who can be that guy to step up and make big plays for us.
Q: Kevin Ogletree, is it hard to get chemistry in a week where…?
A: Yeah, it's hard. It's hard on him, just getting all of the information that we've been working on for months and months. He's a veteran guy, smart guy. I thought he did a good job today learning things pretty quickly. We'll try to see what the plan is for him so he knows what he's doing when he's out there and can play fast.
Q: I know you guys got briefed on Ebola and what's going on in Dallas. Do you have any worried about being down there?
A: No, I don't worry about myself or the team. I think what we're doing, where we're staying, I think we'll be okay.
Q: Obviously Tony Romo has been helped by the running game this year. Is it sort of a general rule of thumb that if a quarterback doesn't have to do it himself in the passing game, that it's better for everybody?
A: Yeah. Usually it makes life a little easier when you can run the ball and you can… usually it gets good down and distance, you don't get a whole lot of third and long situations. You don't feel like you have to force things, you can control the clock, so it does help out, but he's also playing well. You see him making a lot of plays, extending plays and hitting some big ones. It seems like he's got a good feel for what's going on, feels good and is playing well.
Q: The other day when you talked to us on the conference call you mentioned about the team had to kind of grow up. I'm just curious what you meant by that. Was there something maybe mentally in the game that you saw?
A: No, I think just grow as a team. It's not really in a bad way, just keep growing as a team, getting better. We've got some young guys, some new guys who have to play for us, and they've got to kind of grow up quickly in a sense that they've got to learn everything. You have some rookies playing, you've got some new guys into the system coming in and helping us out. We've just got to all be at the highest level and make all the plays and play at a high level.
Q: What's your confidence level in Odell Beckham?
A: Odell, he's had two good weeks and he's done a lot of good things. He's made a lot of plays and run good routes and done all of the right things. I've got confidence in him. He has the ability to make some plays for us.
Q: You've always had a great rapport with your offensive line. Can you kind of go in there and say, 'Hey guys, there's no Christmas presents this year if we keep playing like that,' or…?
A: No, I have a great relationship with these guys. They're busting their tails. We've had a good stretch and, hey, sometimes you have those games where it's tough and again, some are on me. I held the ball too long a couple times. The first sack was all on me holding it too long and getting their team fired up. That's going to happen some, the sacks are going to happen. We've got to just… it's a team effort to eliminate those and make some plays.
Q: So you think there will be an improvement this week?
A: Yeah, they'll be ready to go and play well.
Q: Ben McAdoo always said that this offense was sort of based on personnel first. Now that your personnel is changing, do you see the offense changing?
A: No, I don't think it's going to change a whole lot. I think each week we'll have some different thoughts on how we want to attack the opposing defense and also putting guys in certain positions to do what they do well. You might run a few different plays but it's all still stuff that's in the system, so I don't see it changing in that aspect.
Q: But you're not going to try to shoehorn one player into Victor's role. Or are you?
A: I think we'll have a couple guys doing a couple different things depending on what they do best and what they feel comfortable with. Some guys will be in the slot and have to run the routes that Victor ran just because those were part of our plays that we have.
Q: How important is time of possession? Obviously the Eagles don't value it much but Dallas seems to value it quite a bit.
A: It's something we pay attention to and I think it's important for our offense and our style of play to control the clock, have long drives if we can. I think it can wear out the defense, make the defense tired and a lot of time when you control the clock, you're running the ball well and you have good down and distance. You do those things well and that usually leads to successful offenses.
Q: Dealing with the emotional aspect of Sunday, is that gone already? Is that something that goes away?
A: Yeah, it's got to go away by the time you start to prep for the next game. We only have 16 regular season games, you can't let one game affect the next game. Each one is too precious and so you work your tail off to prepare for that upcoming game and after it happens you put it away and you've got to do it all over again for the next one but you've got to be totally committed to it and just worry about this next week.
Q: Can that work in both ways? Either you're so high coming off a game…?
A: No doubt. It's got to work both ways. It's not just… off a win that next week, you can't assume, 'Hey, we've got this figured out,' or, 'I've got this, I can cruise this week,' or, 'I can relax a second.' You've got to be totally focused and keyed in and dialed in and totally committed to go out there and play your best.
Q: Do you sense that it might be less of a challenge to get everybody's attention when you're coming off a game like you guys were?
A: I think we treat every game and each week like you lost your game and have that focus. You're usually a little upset, a little ticked off and you want to kind of have that determination, come into the next week like you're not going to let it happen again.
WR Odell Beckham Jr.
Q: What's this like for you? You finally come back and now your role is so important.
A: It's just tough because the guy that it happened to is a guy that's looked after me since day one, since I got here. Now us as receivers have to step up, really make him proud and try to fill his role.
Q: Is this kind of a game where you guys need to step up as a team because last week wasn't the best effort?
A: Absolutely. We got on a little streak, we won three games in a row. It's never good to lose, but it's good to get knocked off that high horse and realize that at any given moment, any team could beat you. We've got to come out and prepare hard this week and have got to play hard against Dallas.
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Q: With Victor Cruz being out, a lot will probably be asked of you this week. Do you feel, at this point, you can handle that? **
A: I definitely feel more comfortable with where I'm at now as far as the playbook and getting my body underneath me, but like I said, it's tough to fill that role that he played. Not just what he did on the field but off the field, his presence… it's hard. It's one of those things where as sad as it is, it's the nature of the game. We've got to try to move forward and keep progressing.
Q: How strange was this practice for you? Like you said, he looked after you and now he's not in the meeting rooms with you, he's not in practice.
A: It was definitely weird just not even seeing Vic around. It will take some getting used to but we've got to move on quickly. As hard as it is, we've just got to try and move on.
Q: Obviously there's a shock element to him being hurt the way he was.
A: We didn't really address it or anything like that. I don't know if they're planning on doing that, but I think everybody on the team knows. I just look forward to being able to get a chance to talk to him and see how he's holding up.
Q: Is it important, is it almost like you need closure to see him and see that he's okay?
A: Right. It's one of those things where it's just a freak play. It's part of the game of football, those things happen, but it's just, like I said, it's tough to see a guy like that, something happen like that to him.
Q: A lot of people have to step up, don't they? It's got to be a lot of individuals that fill the void for Victor being hurt.
A: I think that's just in general, with the entire team. We all have to step up and we all have to play better, especially coming off of last week. I feel like there are things that us as receivers, that we definitely have to do now. You get out there and make more plays and give Eli places to throw the ball. I think that's something that the receivers take pride in. We're going to have to go and make plays day in and day out.
Q: Are you personally ready for the opportunity and the challenge?
A: Absolutely. Like I said, as hard as it is, you just have to try and move on. It sounds bad but it's always the 'next guy up' mentality. We all need to step up as a corps.
Q: What kind of confidence do you have in this receiving group?
A: A lot. We've got a guy I played with, Rueben, and we've got Preston Parker. We've got some new guys who came in and looked good. We just need to bring it all together and find out how well we're going to fit in in the puzzle.
Q: Did you see Victor today?
A: No, I didn't get to see him.
WR Kevin Ogletree
Q: What about the opportunity to help a team that is a little bit wounded right now?
A: It is a great opportunity and I am excited. I am anxious to get in here and do whatever I can do to help as soon as possible.
Q: What about with Eli [Manning], have you had the chance to get on the same page with him already?
A: Just watching him. Without freaking him out, I have been just watching him do everything. All the signals. All the mannerisms and everything on the field that pertains to us as receivers, so I can have everything and be where I am supposed to be.
Q: What are some realistic expectations from you and from the coaching staff of what kind of impact you can actually make on the game this weekend?
A: I don't know. I am excited that I have the chance to do something to help a team win. It just happens to be home, and it is pretty exciting.
Q: Understanding that nobody walks in and fills Victor Cruz's shoes… You are walking into a situation where the receiving corps is banged up and hurting and needs everybody to lift it… What is the best way to make that happen?
A: First of all, Victor is a good friend of mine and you never want to be forced into a situation like that because of an injury, but that is inevitable. Those things happen. What a great player he is and you are not going to find a guy anywhere that is going to come in and do what he did. Really great player, really good friend and it is going to have to be a group thing. [All the receivers] are going to have to do something better to pick up the slack.
Q: How familiar are you with the offense Dallas is running right now?
A: Well, [Dallas' Offensive Coordinator] Scott Linehan was my offensive coordinator last year, so pretty familiar.
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Q: Have you spoken to the defense at all or have they been asking you any questions at all? **
A: No. The coaches and everyone upstairs, they have a good plan. They were in here last night at 9-something working on [Dallas]. They have a pretty good idea of what they like to do and some tendencies. If they do ask, I am more than willing to answer and help, but I think they have a good grasp of what is going on.
Q: Is part of the scheme for Dallas that they are trying to get the running back one-on-one with the cornerback? Sometimes it looks like the receiver doesn't even block the corner.
A: That is a little different because when I was in that offense, we were solely responsible for the cornerbacks. I haven't seen too much of Dallas' offense. I am not sure.
Q: You picked an easy game to get back into right with Giants vs. Cowboys?
A: It is not easy, but a fun one.
Q: Does it also help that you don't have to learn a playbook per se but more of a game plan or a scheme, which is more limited than having to learn an entire book?
A: Yes, with the scheme and the game plan, there are basics and fundamentals before that. With missing that, you are right when you do condense it for a game plan and make things specific, then you can remember it better because there is less volume, but I am just excited to do something good for our team.
Q: You have been in a few [offensive] systems now and have that in your background… Will that help you?
A: I think having to make that sudden change was an experience. It might help me this time around.
Q: Have you gotten s chance to look at Dallas' defense?
A: I pick up my iPad in about five minutes. I will be all over them tonight.
Q: Does it mean anything to be with this team as opposed to some other team?
A: I am home. It is a great opportunity to help [a team] you grew up watching. I am excited.
CB Jayron Hosley
Q: One door closes and another one opens, huh?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: How ready are you to walk into this door and see what's inside?
A: I'm ready. Right now, honestly, I don't know what, where I'm going to fit in with this defense. I've just got to be ready when my number's called and prepare this week like I'm a starter. That's how I'm approaching it.
Q: Coach Coughlin seemed to indicate that you would be first up to take Trumaine McBride's spot.
A: Well, there you go. The… man said it, so I've got to be ready. I'll prepare myself and make sure I'm focused and ready to go.
Q: Have you shaken off the four weeks of rust from your four weeks of inactivity?
A: It was a long four weeks. I worked out, I was in shape, but it's football. You can't just get out there and expect for everything to go your way. You have to get back to being used to seeing things and reacting and just being ready. Right now I feel good. I feel ready.
Q: When you came here you were not a slot guy in coverage. When you came here they kind of put you into that role. How comfortable are you there?
A: I've grown at the position. I learned to play the position. I feel more comfortable than I did my rookie year, so at this point I feel like I'm more prepared to play and play that role and be effective.
Q: What's the biggest adjustment you had to make?
A: Just… I had more time. I've had more plays at the position now. I've seen it more, I've been through it more. I've practiced it, I've repped it more, so it's just being able to see things and recognize it, not worry so much about what you're doing but what the offense is doing so I could be more instinctive.
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Q: Were you happy with the way that training camp and the preseason went for you? **
A: Honestly, no, I'm not. But that's what it's for. Right now, I feel like I'm at a much better place than I was at the time. I feel more comfortable, I feel more fluid. Especially with the time off, I had more time to work on myself and work on certain things. At this time, I feel much better than I did during training camp.
Q: What was it during that time…?
A: It was little nicks and things, having to deal with little small injuries and not feeling 100 percent. At this time, I feel good, I feel 100 percent. I'm ready to go.
Q: Did the impending suspension weigh on your mind back then…?
A: If I said it wasn't, I'd be lying, but at the same time football is my main focus. When I'm out there, I've got to block those things out. It's hard but at the same time you've got to know what's more important. Off the field is off the field, on the field is on the field.
Q: Do you think the Cowboys will see a new guy in there and want to go at you right away?
A: I hope they do.
Q: Why do you hope they do?
A: It's what I've been here for. I hope they think I'm, you know, the weak link. I hope they do.
Q: You don't think you are obviously.
A: Would I be saying that if I thought that? Like I said, I'm ready to play. I'm not here to talk trash or anything like that. I'm confident in myself. If they feel a certain way about me in that position, that's how they feel. I've just got to do my job.
Q: A lot had to unfold for you to be in this spot. For you to come back they still had to have a roster spot for you. You lost two guys that were playing in the slot that might have been ahead of you. Did you ever doubt that it might happen, that you might be in this spot and you might be in this spot here with this team?
A: Honestly, didn't know. I couldn't worry about that. What happened upstairs happened upstairs. I take it as a second chance for me, especially being in the situation that I was in. Not many guys get that second chance. Right now I'm at a point where I just take advantage. I feel more free. I'm not worried about what's going on or whatever the league is going to do. It's been done, I'm moving on. I'm in a much better place, more focused.
RB Andre Williams
Re: Dallas defense
A: [Dallas'] scheme is simple enough to where they can execute and play very fast, so we're going to have to play mistake-free football in order to stay competitive.
Q: You have to get the rushing attack going this week… Do you agree?
A: Absolutely. When you can run the ball, you can move the chains on downs and control the time of possession and play a balanced offense. Establishing the run game early is definitely going to be a point of emphasis.
Q: Do you think you can run against this defense, which has been very good this year?
A: I think I can.
Q: Is your whole offensive attack ready to bounce back after Philly?
A: I think so. Like I said, we know how to win as a unit. We know what it takes. It is just going to be getting back to mistake-free football, and putting ourselves in better positions than we did last week.
Q: It looks like [Rolando] McClain rejuvenated his career as the middle linebacker for that team… Is he really the heart that makes that defense go?
A: Well, I think they have a group of players on that defense that can play. The middle linebacker is always the quarterback of the defense, but they have a lot of players on the defense, especially in the secondary, that play a big role.
Q: The common thread is speed?
A: Yes. Like I said, they play a defense where it is simple enough where they know what they are doing on every play and they can play fast.
Q: Does a loss like this past week linger a little bit longer?
A: That is up to the team. That is up to the organization to say. We have a lot of games left to be played and a lot of football to play and it is time to turn the page and re-start and get ready for who is next week.
Q: When you watch the tape and view your performance, what did you see?
A: I think I did well in certain places and didn't do well in other places. There are things I can do to get better. Overall we didn't do very well as a team, so I can't say much for my performance. We have to get better this week for Dallas.
Q: Were there holes to run when you went back to look at [the tape]?
A: Absolutely, and there were some holes that I missed, too. It is all about preparing better and understanding versus certain fronts and schemes where those holes are going to be.
Q: How much of that is getting used to running behind this line?
A: I think there are a lot of factors that go into it. Some of it is comfort. Some of it is momentum of the game and getting into a rhythm, understanding and sustaining drives where you can see how the defense is going to evolve down the field. When we perform like we did last week, and put ourselves in bad situations, you are not really getting a true look all the time when you are in 3rd and 15 and 3rd and long situations.
OT Will Beatty
Q: You hate to a call a game a must-win this early in the season… How important is this game?
A: You can look ahead and say we are two games behind and beating Dallas would make us one game behind. In all reality, with Dallas being in our division and us having to play them twice, going into the bye week you have to put it all out there on the line. You can't save anything. 'Okay we have Dallas this week. Next week we have off.' It is everything you've got, every play is going out there having fun. Giants football didn't show up last Sunday night and we have to make sure that we bring that. Be ourselves and don't try to do anything magical or special, just keep improving as we were from earlier in the season during our three-game win streak. That is Giants football. Keep it moving forward and that is all we have to do.
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Q: People talk about speed on [Dallas'] defense… Is that something that jumps out on tape when you look at them, how they run to the football? **
A: You know that you can't give up. The play is never over until the end of the whistle. Being a division game, there is that extra hit or jumping on the pile – That intensity their defense is going to try to use to their advantage to wear us down. You know that going into the game. [We] have to make sure we are staying on our blocks and make sure that after Eli [Manning] throws the ball, you are not only blocking but running downfield and protecting the ball carrier. Letting them know that they are not going to be the only ones running to the ball. We are trying to get that extra yardage pushing the pile. That intensity level, we have to make sure that we match that knowing that what they put on film.
Q: Rolando McClain was a guy that was out of the league for a couple years, but he was a top-10 pick… Is he somebody at middle linebacker that you see as the leader of their defense?
A: If they call him a leader, then he is a leader. We see him as 'middle three.' [He] is going out there making calls. You know what they do scheme-wise. We are in here studying so we can try to pick up….
