Coach John Harbaugh

Appreciate you all being here. Heck of a win. I'm really proud of our players and everybody in the organization, but first of all I just want to… we talked to our guys about being humble and about giving credit where credit is due, and faith is a big component of what we do, however guys define that, and for me, it's our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and our faith in our Creator. And you start with that, heart is in the right place, and I think that kind of epitomizes a little bit about the way the guys played. It was a team effort. It was a hard-fought game against an opponent in an unbelievable environment. This crowd, I'm telling you, man, the parking lot. The parking lot was off the chain driving in here. It was packed! I'm talking like four and half hours before the game. I get here early now, and I'm thinking it's going to be easy to get in here and it wasn't. And then the stadium was just absolutely electric from beginning to end. The sideline was electric before the game. I mean the whole thing was just quite an environment. It was really great to be a part of it and to see our guys step up in that environment, to handle all that and to focus on the football. It wasn't perfect, there is a lot of things we can do a lot better, but it was a winning effort and when they had to make the plays, they made those plays and that's what ended up winning the game. Seeing them finish the way we did on offense was tremendous.

Q:  You've been a part of a lot of wins in your career, but taking everything into consideration for your first time in New York against Dallas, where does this one rank for you and how much does this one mean?

A: It's funny, it's number one. It's number one because it's the one right now. My dad always says that. He'll say this in the car on the way home, he'll say, John, you've never had a better win than that. He says it every time, you know, and I'm going to tell you, I think this time it might be true. But this was really special because these guys, these players, these guys who've had belief from the beginning, who don't bat an eye, who just try to do the right thing every single day. Who try to be on point, and even when they're not on point, they're willing to bounce back and make it right. Maybe there's a mistake, maybe there's a false start, but we come back the next play and we find a way to make a play and erase the mistake and make it right and make it better. Buying into that kind of a mindset just in practice and then seeing it happen in the game, that's what as a coach you feel so good about.

Q:  The end of the first half you had the false start penalty. It's third and nine and I know I'm thinking maybe you kind of take the foot off the gas, settle for a field goal. What did you see from your quarterback in that spot to go down there and get a touchdown?

A: I thought we had a really good game plan. I give (OC) Matt (Nagy) a lot of credit and all the coaches a lot of credit. The coaching staff, a lot of this coaching staff really works really well together. I know we talked about that and they had a lot of good plays in that we felt were plays that could be difference-making plays in the game. Gotta have it type plays. And that was one of those calls. The first touchdown run was one of those calls too that you just try to create plays that are going to make a difference for you. So they did a great job with that and seeing the quarterback execute the way he did. He had a lot on his plate too. We can get better in and out of the huddle, to the line, calling the plays, all those kind of things, operation, but I thought (QB) Jaxson (Dart) did a great job of managing that because there's a lot for him to manage. And then making the plays, he made some throws, man. Some of the throws like to (TE Isaiah) Likely on the sideline, some of those throws were just pinpoint accurate type throws. It was a great performance by Jaxson.

Q:  In the days before you took this job, you had a vision of what it would be like to beat this team out of the tunnel. How did tonight's reality match up with that vision?

A: I don't lead teams out of the tunnel. I'm already on the sideline when they come out of the tunnel, so you have to rephrase your question.

Q:  The atmosphere of tonight versus the vision you had of what it would be like to be head coach of the Giants?

A: That's a great… I'm not going to say that's a great question, but it's a pretty good question.

Q:  A decent question.

A: It was more than I expected in all honesty. It was incredible. The stadium was unbelievable. It was everything that you would think, but it was more than I thought. It was really something. I want us to play well enough that we can create that atmosphere every single week here going forward throughout the season. That's up to us. That's our job as coaches and players to create a football team good enough to deserve that type of a stadium every time we play.

Q:  When you want to build a team you have these ideas – big, physical – how much did this product look like what you were trying to do?

A: Yeah, I think we're on our way. You'll talk to the players and they're going to tell you that we have a lot of work to do. They're going to tell you all the things that could have been better and should have been better. But they're also going to tell you that we're on our way. We took steps in that direction and then you can keep creating it throughout the course of a season. I feel like everybody understands the vision, and it's not like one man's vision. It's our vision together because everybody contributes to that and what it's going to look like. We're talking with each other all day, coaches-players, players-coaches, players-players, all day, all the time about how to get where we want to get. We've got guys meeting with their coaches and they're meeting on their own, watching tape on their own, after meetings are over, trying to create that vision that you're talking about.

Q:  Before the kneel down, you were nine for ten on third down. Is that poise? Is that execution? Is that coaching? Is that Jaxson? What is that?

A: It's all those things. It's definitely play-making, though. What you're talking about, Jaxson and the players. How about the pass protection? The pass protection was outstanding, stellar. The offensive line, they may be up for the position group of the game, could be the d-line too, though. It would be between those two groups.

Q:  You'll probably be very happy you don't have to talk about this much more, but when did you get a sense that (WR) Malik (Nabers) was good to go? And what did you see from him out there?

A: (Laughs) I got a sense like about three hours before the game, maybe two and a half, somewhere in there, when he went out and tested it and he felt ready and that's when the decision was made. It was his call. He had been cleared medically, but he had to feel right. He had to feel like he was ready to go and he could protect himself and perform the way he wanted, and he did. Malik played a great game. He played a heck of a game.

Q: Are you talking about when he went on the field here, or did he go?

A: He was here.

Q: You said three hours.

A: Yeah, it was about three hours before the game, I think when he went out. Maybe two and a half. He went out on his own. Were you guys in the stadium yet? You were here? He was out there. Did you see him? Oh. (Laughter) I don't know what he did. I wasn't out there.

Q: Is that even all the more impressive that Jaxson had as much as he did on his plate for him to execute the way he did?

A: I do think it is. I'm talking about a second-year quarterback who, as you guys have kind of pointed out, he kind of was in that Ole Miss offense, and that offense last year was kind of an extension of that in some ways, right? So, for him to have all this on his plate and to execute the way he did, to me, was just tremendous and very impressive.

Q: Did any of the guys say anything about this being your first win after the game went off?

A: They did. They did. There were four or five game balls given out and players got them, and then (President and CEO) Mr. Mara stepped in and gave me a game ball, so we did a little dance.

Q: How did that make you feel?

A: It made me feel good. It made me feel very proud. In fact, I felt very grateful. I felt grateful to be the coach of the Giants. Just to be in this environment, without getting too sappy about it, I just felt very grateful and that's why I tried to open it up very humbly, thanking my Lord and Savior because that's where it all begins. And then all the people involved with this opportunity. To me, it was meant to be. In a lot of ways, that's how I feel about it.

Q: And who'd you give the game balls to?

A: I can't remember, but we can get that to you here when we get out.

Q: Coach, when you brought Isaiah (Likely) over, with you were you expecting him to have such an impact so early?

A: Yeah, I kind of was. I mean, we paid him a lot (laughter). That's what we paid him for and he did it. And even after he put the ball on the ground, which I was not happy about, he knows he's going to get that video about three o'clock in the morning this morning with a comment. But he said, he goes, 'You can trust me.' He said, 'You can trust me.' And Skatt (RB Cam Skattebo) said the same thing. He said, 'You can trust me.' And I do trust him. I do trust those guys.

Q: John, when you said you took the job you talked about the presence of John Mara and how much it meant. So, in that locker room battle with John Mara, how much did that mean to you?

A: It meant a lot. It meant so much. And the guys, you can see the respect the guys have for Mr. Mara. And when he steps into the middle of the circle there and said what he said, they, man, it gets quiet real fast. He's a presence. He's a titan in this industry. I'm very grateful that he's our owner.

Q: Did you think your execution at the end of the first half and Dallas starts coming back a little bit, getting some momentum, you guys get the interception, touchdown. You come out in the second half and take command. Is that because you practiced that, all the situational work you guys do? Do you attribute that to that?

A: I'd like to think so. I'd like to think it was a result of that. I do think the guys were very situationally aware. But it also comes down to making plays. I mean, for (safety) Jevon (Holland), we chased him out of the pocket, had him on his back foot, tried to throw it out of bounds, couldn't quite get it there. And here comes Jevon Holland out of nowhere like a lightning bolt. He has great hands, makes the play on the ball. Now we got the ball back with a little bit of time, go down and score a touchdown with great execution. Take the opening kickoff, which we talked about at halftime, and methodically take it down the field. How long was that drive? How many minutes? Eight-minute drive. Eight-minute drive to go down and score again. To your point, that's a 14-point turnaround right there. That's what wins games. And now from that point on, you've got to extend the lead and then you've got to find a way to finish in the fourth quarter. We're going to be mad about that drive that went down there and got them within eight. But the offense answering, the offense making it right with the next drive, that's winning football.

Quarterback Jaxson Dart

Q: You feel in the groove today?

A: Yeah, I felt very comfortable. I thought that we just did a really good job of staying in progress throughout the game, whether it was the run game, whether it was the pass game. Thought our O-line just played their ass off, and that just helped everything around. So, I'm really just happy with how the offense executed. I thought Nags (Giants offensive coordinator Matt Nagy) called an awesome game, and I thought the guys just played really, really hard. So, it made my job a lot easier, and guys all over the place made a ton of plays, so I'm excited about that.

Q: At the end of the first half, when you guys get that false start and back up to third-and-9, in some situations, maybe you take the foot off the gas, go in, bleed the clock. You get the ball in the second half. How much did you appreciate the fact that you said, now we are going, we are attacking?

A: Yeah, I think that we all just saw it the exact same way. There was no thought of doing anything other than that. We have the players out there to go make plays. We executed at a high note up until that point. We hurt ourselves with the turnover, but I think that the o-line did a great job of just showing that we can pass-pro(tect) in those situations, in crucial 'got-to-have-it' third downs. And then guys got open, great pass pro, and then made a play, and we were able to capitalize and really double up on those two possessions, which was really big in this game.

Q: You guys had two drives in the third quarter that went over eight minutes as an offense. How do you guys feel about that, establishing what you want the team to be—more physical, more methodical, and just executing slowly but effectively?

A: Well, I don't know if methodical would be our identity throughout the entire season. I think that that was just what was needed to win this game. We had success, we had the lead, and our coaches did an amazing job of just putting us in a great situation to capitalize on those moments and to really just be in control. So, I think every single game is going to have a different thing that you have to adjust to, but that was kind of the key thing tonight: We were able to put really long drives together, execute on a high note, and then when we got down to the red zone, we were able to capitalize with a touchdown.

Q: Did the opening drive set the tone for the night?

A: Yeah, absolutely. I think that always helps for sure. I think that we all just knew what the plan was, what we were going to do. We were confident in the plan, and when you have that moment, we able to do that, and then our defense has a big stand on their possession. It's just complementary football and put our team in a really good situation and gave us confidence.

Q: What did you think of having (Giants wide receiver Malik) Nabers for the game?

A: It was great. He's just a guy where, no matter what the coverage is, no matter who they put out there on him, you have all the confidence in the world that he's going to make a play. And I think that we were all not 100 percent sure what was going to happen. So, I was just super stoked. I think that once he was able to feel those lights and feel the game-day environment, maybe he had a little bit of adrenaline, and then he's just a guy who wants to play for this team, loves the game. And I'm so happy that he was able to come back and have a game like this where he was just able to play really, really efficient and good football.

Q: When did you find out he was going to play?

A: Well, I didn't really want to ask for a while. So, I was just watching him during the warm-ups, and I was trying to keep my distance and I was able to see this from his, like, you know, his communication, I guess. And then I saw him give one little nod before he came in and did routes on air, and then I went over and told (Giants quarterback) Jameis (Winston) that I think Uno's (Malik Nabers) playing, and I was just ecstatic from that point on.

Q: Is that when Jameis went over to him after that? Did you send Jameis over to kind of find out for sure?

A: Yeah, I had him go over.

Q: He said that (Giants Head) Coach (John) Harbaugh tackled him during walkthrough. Did you see that happen?

A: Yeah, we were all just chilling on the sideline. It was right before we were supposed to start our walkthrough, and things were just up in the air. We didn't know exactly what was going to happen. And me and Coach Harbs kind of had some conversations. He's like, 'You know what, like, I think that once he gets hit for the first time and realizes that he's okay, then he's going to feel confident.' So I think in his mind that triggered, 'Oh, maybe I should tackle him right then and there.' So, we're all just standing there, and then all of a sudden Leek goes down on the ground, and our team's super protective of him. So we all turned to look, and it's Coach Harbs tackling Leek, and then he pops up and he goes, 'See, you're all good.'

Q: There's so much made of how much more is on your plate with this offense, how different this offense is. Why do you think that is?

A: Well, I think that we put in a lot of time this offseason. Like, there's a ton of extra work that was put in. We have an amazing staff, guys who have done it at the highest level for so long, and to be able to have a coaching staff like that, it's so easy for the players to buy in. And then they wanted to see how much we can handle on our plate, and I wanted to take it upon myself to do as much as I can. You know, even though it was maybe tough, but I felt like it was the best thing for our team to be successful. So, I love that part of the game, and I think that that's just going to continue to make me a better player.

Q: When they closed it to 21-14, what was your mindset at that point?

A: Let's go score again.

Q: Did you say anything in the huddle at all, or no?

A: I didn't feel like there was too much that needed to be said. I think that we were all on the exact same accord. Just go down and score again. You've been doing it multiple times throughout the game, so why not just do it again?

Q: What's it like to be able to get that first victory for Coach Harbaugh, and what was that environment like in the locker room afterwards?

A: It was huge. I just think that we have so much respect for Coach Harbs, and this team will do whatever he says because we have all the faith in him that he's going to put us in the best situation to win. So, the identity of the team starts at the top, and it starts with how he's conducted himself, with how he's created a tough team. And we want to take that on our shoulders, and we've bought into what his plan is week in and week out. So, we were definitely happy to get it for him. And then I think we were just really happy to get it for the players, but for the whole organization. Like, seeing the crowd out there tonight, they had a huge impact in the game, just the energy and momentum. That stuff's huge. So, just everybody showing up, showing out on a big night like tonight, where it was bigger than even just the game itself, was just a really special environment to be in. And, you know, proud of how our team handled it and came out with a win.

Q: You think a series of plays to Motor (Giants running back Devin Singletary), where you get to the line reading what was there and going back to essentially the same play in that spot, what does that say about your growth in this offense?

A: I felt like we had times we out-leveraged them, whether it was just in the flats or just checkdowns. And our backs did an awesome job of being able to scan their protection responsibilities and to get out fast in the flats. And that makes it hard for the defense at times. So, Motor did an unbelievable job of being able to kind of just hide, get out fast, and then just kind of felt space and the ball.

Q: Is this what your second year in the league is going to look like?

A: I'm just focused on right now. We got a big game coming up next week. So, I'm not going to get too high, not get too low. Our team has to continue to get better. There's a lot of things that we need to clean up. Same with myself. So, I'm just going to continue to just try to grow and be the best player that I can be.

Wide Receiver Malik Nabers

Q:  What was the deciding factor for you when playing?

A: The deciding factor was when I got out there, I just felt good. I felt good, I got a little chill through my body. I was like 'Yeah, it's time, it's time.'

Q: So, you really didn't know until two hours before?

A: I really didn't know; my family didn't even come to this game because it's a one-on-one battle that you have go through. You have to do it for yourself. I didn't want everybody here, I didn't want my family here and I feel like I let them down by not playing, so I had to do it for myself first. I had to go out there, feel it out, feel like I was doing it and I felt good.

Q:  When did you decide that you were going to do it?

A: I decided really in warmups; really during warmups I felt really good, I felt good running around. I was catching really (well), I stretched really (well), warmup went pretty well. I just felt like it was time to go.

Q:  What was it like to hear your name during the starting lineup and to run through the tunnel again?

A: It was amazing, it was amazing. It was amazing to take it all in, get right back on track to where I left off. I'm happy that the fans still love to see me out there.

Q:  I know it's just one day, but how different does everything feel right now? You want to know, you beat the Cowboys, the ball bounced your way, literally everything that hasn't been right for three years went right.

A: We got guys in here that expect to win. During the walk-through I looked at everybody's eyes, and I could tell from everybody's eyes that they were ready to play. There was no doubt in anybody's mind that we weren't coming out here giving our best foot forward and winning this game. Harbs' (Giants Head Coach John Harbaugh) speech before the game yesterday, I (saw) it in his eyes that he knew we were coming out to play. We were coming out to play hard and that gave me all the confidence I needed.

Q: How's your knee feeling now?

A: I'm feeling good right now. We'll see how the adrenaline wears off, see where we're at. I'll get back to the treatments, get back to still moving forward. The recovery process is not done. Still have to do great work, still have to prepare for next week, and prepare for practice. So, we'll see how we're feeling.

OLB Brian Burns

Q: When Nabers (Giants WR Malik Nabers) and Likely (Giants TE Isaiah Likely) are playing well, to actually see it come together, what's that like?

A: Well, the confidence comes from the preparation, and I feel like we prepared well and that showed tonight with the way that we took control of the game. I think the time of possession was a huge difference; that means if we control the tempo, we control the game itself. That is very important.

Q: Brian, have you seen this stadium like this before the way it was tonight [with the fans as fired up as they were]?

A: I don't know if I have seen it like this before; the energy was amazing for sure.

Q: Is the expectation level to win different now than at times last year? Does this team more-so expect to win than the team that was beaten down at the end of last year?

A: Yes; like I said before, I feel like we prepared, that builds confidence. We did come into tonight expecting to win. We know they have two all pro receivers and an all pro quarterback. It's about us and about doing what we did in camp, which showed tonight.

Q: What was it like to give John (Giants Head Coach John Harbaugh) the game ball at the end of the game?

A: It was great; he deserved it. Him building this culture. I'm really here for Harbaugh; I love Harbaugh.