Defensive Coordinator Dennard Wilson

Q: What do you think of the way you guys played?

DENNARD WILSON: I think we came out and played tough and played physical like we asked them to do. Were we perfect? No. We're still chasing that. I think the guys tried to execute the game plan. They tried to execute it well. They believed in the game plan, and we got the results that we wanted. But there's some things we need to clean up. First week, we got to get better and keep growing. And if we keep doing that, I think our defense will just keep getting better and better as the season goes.

Q: What do you like about the package where (outside linebacker) Kayvon (Thibideaux) slides inside? I guess even to some degree having (defensive lineman Chauncey) Golston, an edge inside. What around here used to be called with JPP (former Giants defensive lineman Jason Pierre-Paul) and (former Giants defensive lineman) Osi (Umenyiora), the NASCAR package. What do you like about that?

DENNARD WILSON: Well, I mean, I like the versatility in all those guys. As we progress, Thibs might have a better matchup on a guard. He might have a better matchup on a tackle. It could be (inside linebacker) Arvell (Reese). It could be (outside linebacker Brian) Burns. So, we have flexibility. The guys do a good job because our defense is really, when they learn it, is exceptional. So, it's just pieces. It's just X's moving across the board. So, I like it. It presents problems to other teams and we become a faster defense when they're all up there. So, we'll continue to keep sprinkling that in and expand the package.

Q: There was nothing situational about the way you handled your inside linebackers. They both played every snap. I mean, what is the reason for that? I'm sure because they're good players. And also, how, in your mind, when you can just put those guys out there and they can play, you don't have to worry about them. You can mix and match other places. How beneficial is that for you?

DENNARD WILSON: Well, I think it's extremely beneficial. I mean, you have two players that can play both spots, really. There's really not a mismatch problem. When Arvell is on and playing the WIL or dime linebacker position. And then, (inside linebacker) Tremaine (Edmunds) is another good athlete. So, it calms the defense a little bit. You can move them around. They can play different spots as well. So, it makes the defense even easier not to be able to have to substitute all the time for favorable matchups for the offense.

Q: Is that unusual, in your mind, to have two guys, inside linebackers, who don't come off the field?

DENNARD WILSON: Well, it is unusual now, like in today's game, because you still have the ability to go dime and take one off or vice versa. But with us, with our flexibility and their athletic ability and their football intelligence, it's a good thing for us that they can play every snap.

Q: What do you think you need to do better on third down?

DENNARD WILSON: Oh, well, first and foremost, leveraging on route concepts. There were some plays where we were supposed to have outside leverage and we gave up outside leverage. A couple of those third downs were penalties. And that's the number one thing we need to correct going forward is the penalties. And when you look at the game, the penalties hurt us. All the penalties led to scoring points, right? So, we got to clean up that part of it. And then, on third down we just got to have a tighter game plan, be able to surround what they do offensively, and just go execute. And if we do that, we get them on a couple third downs, we get off the field, no penalties, we play an even cleaner game. So, we're chasing that. That's what we're doing going forward. Those are two areas that we must get better at going into this game because this offense is an efficient offense. So, it's eliminating the penalties, and being able to produce on third down and get off the field.

Q: What did you see with the penalties? What's the teaching point off those?

DENNARD WILSON: Well, the teaching point is this. You don't need to grab. We are in position at the top of the route. It's just cleaning up our hands. We're going to be physical. We're going to challenge people. But at the top of the route, we have to understand how they're going to call it. And it's no excuse. When they get to the top of the route, we can't grab. We can be in the pocket, understand where your leverage is, where your help is, and everything else but we have to clean that up. We cannot hurt our team and hurt our defense by getting penalties. And that's something that we're going to correct and it's been pointed out. And it's one thing that we're going to get better at going forward.

Q: With Kayvon (Thibodeaux), you talked about his outing, talking about moving him inside. What'the buy-in been like with a veteran guy like him? Being able to play a role where he's usually outside, but now he's shifting inside the defense here and there.

DENNARD WILSON: Well, I think as the whole defense, as a unit, from top to bottom, from coaches to players, the buy-in is huge on just, let's go out and do what we need to do to win a football game. It's not about individuals. It's not about all the stats. It's us playing together because when we all play together and we excel on the football field, we'll all get the results that we want. So, the buy-in is huge. There's a bunch of guys that are here that's very selfless. And that's why I love being around them. They are team guys. They want to excel. They want their teammates to have success. And if we keep feeding on that same energy, we'll keep growing.

Q: What about a guy like Chauncey Golston? I mean, he's not a big guy in terms of playing with his hand in the ground all the time. What makes him able to do that?

DENNARD WILSON: Well, he's not a big guy, but he plays big. He uses his length, his arm length. He plays with good center of gravity. He gets good vertical knockback. When you watch him, his technique is always the same. He plays same foot, same shoulder. He squeezes and constricts blocks. He plays the way that you're supposed to play when you're in that position. And he's done it in the past. It's not like he hasn't done it. And Chauncey, man, kudos to him. He's a guy that's playing a five-technique in our base front. He moves around. He has a lot on his plate, but he's doing a great job for this defense. And I expect him to just keep getting better and better within it.

Q: On (safety Jevon) Holland's interception, we see the end. When you watched the entire play, what did you see, and why were you guys so effective?

DENNARD WILSON: Well, obviously we didn't get any sacks in the game, but we hit the quarterback nine times. And (Dallas Cowboys quarterback) Dak (Prescott) was not comfortable in the pocket. The thing that really made that play was Thibodeaux's effort off of the edge to go try to hit him in the center mass. And that's what got the ball to go up in the air and when the ball's up in the air, we got to go get it. So, it was the rush. It was getting the quarterback off his spot. Him not being comfortable and then Jevon being what he does. He patrols the airways, and that's a knack that he has and he went and found the ball.

Q: When you looked at the schedule, you see Dak and his receivers game one, then (Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew) Stafford and his receivers game two. Did you say, okay, well, there's no easing into this for us, is there?

DENNARD WILSON: Well, it's the National Football League. It's nothing easy, right? We understand the challenge that the first game presented to us. That's why we played the style of football that we had to play, right? Every week you go into a game, it's not about what you just want to do. It's about how do you stop or slow down this team. And we went in with a certain game plan against those receivers. We'll have a game plan going against this offense, who is a very good offense. They run the ball extremely well. They have two elite receivers. They're big. They block. They have good tight ends. So, we have to have a game plan to surround what they do as well. So, it's a challenge, but it's going to be a challenge all year. And we have the guys willing to take those challenges and go out there and compete at a high level.

Q: What's it like as a defensive coach sitting there and you only have two possessions in the second half. What's it like watching the offense mount those drives.

DENNARD WILSON: Oh, that's a lot. As a defensive coach, you preach three and out's, and you try to get off the field. You try to take the ball away and get it back to your offense. But when your offense can just eat up all the clock, I mean, it's a great feeling. And then from my perspective, when you sit there and watch it for as long as I did, I mean, it was some outstanding stuff from the operation, from the offensive alignment with the combo blocks, the kick-out blocks, (quarterback) Jaxson (Dart) was dialed in, the passes that he made, how the receivers made the plays that came to them and got up field. It's a beautiful thing to watch. And from a defensive perspective, you want an offense that can run the ball. And hopefully we can keep doing it.

Q: Put a slot corner aside, how do you look at your third outside corner? Because I think when the injuries happened, I think (cornerback Paulson) Adebo went in first, and then (cornerback Deonte) Banks came back, and then (cornerback Colton) Hood went in.

DENNARD WILSON: The way I look at it, we got four starters. I believe in all the guys that line up and play. When they get an opportunity to play and go out there, I expect the same results no matter who it is. To me, they're nameless faces. They have a jersey number. They are on the New York Giants, and we expect them to play at a high clip.

Q: What makes a (Los Angeles Rams Head Coach) Sean McVay offense so hard to defend?

DENNARD WILSON: Because he wants to run the ball. Sean wants to run the ball, to set up his play actions. They have a Hall of Fame quarterback that has seen it all, that can make all the throws. He's decisive where he's going. He's fast to get the ball out. Sean does a good job of attacking players as well with scheme. I think he's one of the best football coaches in the National Football League, and we have a hell of a challenge going against this offense.

Q: I assume stopping the run is obviously your number one priority.

DENNARD WILSON: Stopping the run is the number one priority every week.

Offensive Coordinator Matt Nagy

Q: What did you like best about (quarterback) Jaxson's (Dart) performance when you went back and watched it?

MATT NAGY: Probably the biggest thing is what we talked about last week when we were here. You guys were asking, 'What do we want to see from him?' He was calm, he was composed, he made plays when plays were needed. The moment was never too big for him. I wasn't really sure going into it. We're a young team, and even in training camp, in our preseason, we get excited. I love that part, but sometimes you wonder, is the moment too big? And I came out of that thinking and knowing with our guys, the moment's not too big. I think now the next thing will be, for Jaxson, for us as coaches, and the rest of the players, is zero complacency, unacceptable. We've got to understand that what happened on Sunday night was expected. You guys also asked, you said, 'What do you think's going to –' I don't know. Now we know, Week 1, what we did. But at the same point in time, this league is difficult. People make adjustments, and our expectations and our standards are to go out there and hit repeat. You know what I mean? So, that's our next challenge. We embraced that and had fun that night. But it's right on to L.A., because they are really well coached. They're a good football team, and you can take last week and throw that away.

Q: Have you ever been that efficient on third down before?

MATT NAGY: No, I don't think so. That was a good day, and again, the players really executed well. The one that really stands out to me, I think, was a big one, was we had a penalty, we got kicked back to third-and-9, and they ran a little bit of a non-traditional Tampa 2 defense. And they had a drop end and Jaxson threw the out route to (wide receiver) Malik (Nabers). I think that's not an everyday coverage. And Jaxson saw that, he stayed – he remained composed. And that was just one of those nine makes that we had. When you have that, the key to doing that is making sure you're staying ahead of the chains. Which is, again, a credit to Coach Harbs (Head Coach John Harbaugh), because what he does such a great job at is, and what he did this past week was, he explained to all of us what the recipe is each and every week, and to try to stay ahead of the chains was one of them. And we did that, and then the players executed.

Q: There was a sequence early in the fourth quarter where I think Jaxson hit (running back Devin) Singletary in the flat three times, right? They were not the same play, obviously. Can you talk about that sequence, what you saw, what Jaxson adjusted to, that whole thing? Because it looked like he just did the same thing three times, and it wasn't that.

MATT NAGY: Right, it did look like that, although it wasn't. But at the same point in time, I think the credit to Jaxson is understanding that in those moments – in that situation, that part of the game, a field goal was massive. And so, we had lost some yards on the screen play, and then we got to a point where we needed to make sure that, if anything, we got up 10, for sure. Touchdown's beautiful. And it just so happened that he stayed within his progression and his reads. They were a little bit off in some of their rules that they have, probably, in their coverages, and he exploited that. So, just keep things simple. You guys see it, it's day-one stuff. But sometimes day-one stuff is where the simplicity of execution can really happen. And it just so happened at that moment.

Q: How much do you think the success that Jaxson had in the pocket sort of signifies the growth that he's probably made from year one to year two, like the work you guys did this offseason?

MATT NAGY: That part's important, is making sure that his presence and understanding where he's at and where the ball's going. One thing as a coach that you look for, is you look to see – me being up in the box – is are his eyes going to where my eyes are going? And really, in that game, I'm telling you, almost every play he went to where he was supposed to go. Which means he's calm, he's seeing things, the moment wasn't too big. And there's times too, you guys probably don't know this, but there's a lot of stuff that goes on on the headset and the communication between myself and the quarterback, and whether it's substitutions, formations, motion shifts, things that he's doing within the play, and I can't tell everybody here, enough of how well he managed that part of it. And there was a few times where I got the play in later than I should have, and he fixed it, he made me right. And I love that about him. And so, that's the teamwork part, but very cool, very calm, very collected. And then I just know too, like the next day, that thing's pushed away now, it's onto the Rams, and that's the next part. We cannot get complacent, and we won't.

Q: Malik says he really didn't know he was playing until warmups two hours before. So, I'm wondering for you, what that's like. Do you have an 'if Malik plays' call sheet, and then an 'if Malik doesn't play' call sheet?

MATT NAGY: Yeah, I was a little bit stressed on that one. I had two different call sheets, one stuffed in my bag, and I never wanted to look at it, because I just did not want to see that one. But that's right, that's what's real, and that's okay. He came out and got that early catch, which was good, and now we'll go from there. But you certainly love to get him out there, and as I said last week, he's worth two guys when he's out there.

Q: What'd you see from the O-line?

MATT NAGY: I just – I saw a bunch of guys, I saw some ballers out there. I saw them being physical. They were really – man, they, from the very first play, decided what they were going to do. We talked about it all week, but then you've got to execute, and they did that. They just wanted more and more and more, and so when you're calling plays, and you're able to get positive yards and stay ahead of the chains, and then they protect in the way they protected, that was just really a beautiful thing for us to see. And now, again, we've got to keep that going. But I love those guys, and it was really, really cool to see.

Q: In Kansas City, you guys were known for red zone creativity and effectiveness down there. You were four-for-four in the red zone on Sunday night. What goes in – and some of those touchdowns, I mean, they were pretty full of misdirections and things of that nature – so what goes into that design when you get closer? How much input do the players have? I can't say – it's probably different with (Chiefs quarterback) Patrick (Mahomes) and those guys there, but have you started to influence with some of the guys here too?

MATT NAGY: Yeah, that whole process of the game planning part, I want to give a lot of credit to our coaching staff. We have a lot of guys on staff that – they have their areas, and they spend a lot of time while we're all doing different things. They're up there looking at their areas, and red zone specifically, we're putting ideas and thoughts together. They had a specific front that they ran down there that we knew they were going to run, and we wanted to try to work something off of that, and we did that. So, the players now and then, and like you mentioned in Kansas City, the best part is having the players have ownership. And so, when they feel good about plays, so they may tweak a play here or there, or have some ideas, and we embrace that. But the way we play football, and anybody – we went into last week and we said, no field goals, we need touchdowns. And that's got to be all year, but no field goals, no field goals, no field goals. Touchdowns, touchdowns, touchdowns, and we did that. We put a great game plan together, the players executed it, and now we have to be able to – we've got to be able to do it again, and all year long. It can't just be a one-week thing.

Q: Matt, you called plays for the first time with the Giants from the booth. I mean, what did you like best about what you did? You have a big responsibility calling those plays.

MATT NAGY: Yeah, it's not easy, and you don't really know going into it how it's going to go. I think the biggest thing is you rely on your prep and your coaching staff. I mean, I really, these guys here, I cannot say enough about the staff that we have and the knowledge that they have. So, we put it all together, and then they give me an opportunity. Now I've got to put my spin on it, when do I think things should come? And again, (Senior Offensive Assistant) Greg Roman does such a phenomenal job, along with (Offensive Line Coach) Mike Bloomgren and (Assistant Offensive Line Coach) Grant (Newsome), and all of our coaches on staff. They do a great job of working in that run game, and we put it all together. And we're going to create our offense, the New York Football Giants offense. That's what we want to build, that's what we want to create. And this past weekend was the first week of seeing that, and now we're going to continue to build each and every week off of that.

Q: How much does (fullback) Patrick Ricard – Coach Harbaugh calls him – he says there's no one like him in the world. How much does he allow you to do some different things, some unique things, maybe some things that you're not used to?

MATT NAGY: It's a great chess piece for us, because what he allows us to do is he plays basically three different positions in one, whether it's an O-lineman, whether it's a tight end, or whether it's a fullback. So, it's a little bit of a chess piece. He's super smart, so you can do different things formationally, personnel-wise. And so, it becomes a little bit of a back and forth with the defensive coordinator on what you're doing personnel-wise with him. But then we've got to be able to protect that, too, and make sure we're doing enough passes as well. So, it's been great for me to learn who he is from day one when he got here. He's also really good at what he does. So, it's one thing to be smart and be able to use him, but he's really good at what he does, too.

Q: Are those misdirections challenging to execute as a group of 11? And then, does the personnel that you guys have make it easier to run those? Because let's say they're watching Ricard for a block and he's switching sides.

MATT NAGY: Yeah, it's like eye candy, and that's hard. Misdirection is difficult anywhere on the field, but in particular, you get down there in that tight quarters area, in that red zone, inside the five and different areas, it's hard. The linebacker's eyes are going certain places, and so those are the good ones. When you see that first touchdown run we had, the way that the fellas executed. I mean, it wasn't just the left side, it was the right side as well. And so, when you can just walk into the end zone and Zay (tight end Isaiah Likely) is doing his little celebration before we're in there, those are the fun ones and the nice ones. But we've just got to keep that going. I want to make sure that everyone, our players, know the details of what we do is so important. We don't just say that, you've got to do it. And we just came out of a walkthrough. We just got a ton of reps in in that walkthrough. Walkthroughs are just as important to us right now as some of the practices. So, we've just got to be locked in every single day and, again, have a ton of respect for L.A. because they're well coached and they've got great players.

Q: Matt, you just mentioned Isaiah, you came from a place where the chemistry between a quarterback and a tight end was out of this world. The chemistry between Jaxson and Isaiah, what have you seen and was that a product of that?

MATT NAGY: I can tell you this, I was there for the beginning stages of that, what you talked about with that example, and I've seen it through throughout for many years. And what we have here with Jaxson and Zay is right there. I mean, it's not there with them yet, but it's at the beginning stages, it's there. That's the exciting part, is they're just super, super talented people. And it's going to take a little bit of time, but they were on. They were on the other night and I think you guys saw that. That one throw that he had to Zay on third down, he had some pressure in his face. He made a great throw, great accuracy. And then Zay made a great route and great catch, keeps the sticks moving. So, we're building towards that. Those guys know it, but they're not satisfied either.

Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Chris Horton

CHRIS HORTON: Good to see everyone. Hope all you guys are doing well. Just a quick little recap from the game. You know, I thought our guys came out and played hard. They played physical. They played the way they practice. And that's what we focus on when we're out here. If we want to play good football, then we do it in practice. And so, I was very pleased with the way we played. For our young specialists, just for those guys to get out there, get that opportunity Sunday night, get those reps, they were valuable. They performed well. Again, I was very pleased with the group.

Q: When you have a game-changing punter and he only gets to show his skill once, a lot of people celebrate. I'm sure you do too. How do you think (punter) Jordan (Stout) is eager to kind of get involved in the game? Because it's such a strength for you guys on special teams.

CHRIS HORTON: Alright, that's a really good question. You know, we talk a lot about the opportunities. When you get your opportunities, you make the most of them. Jordan is a very effective punter. And that one punt he had throughout the game, it was very effective. He kept the ball away from (Cowboys wide receiver KaVontae) Turpin, who's a dangerous returner. So, he did his job. And that's all you could ask for. Whatever opportunity we get, we take advantage of it. It's a good feeling when you're not punting the ball. That just means your offense is rolling. And so, we will take advantage of those things. So again, when we get those opportunities, we take advantage of them, and we roll.

Q: With a young kicker like (kicker Dominic) Zvada, one thing I get asked about sometimes is, 'What about kickoffs?' Because that's different than a field goal. It looks simple getting the ball in that 20-yard zone. Is it simple, is it something they really have to adjust to?

CHRIS HORTON: It's not simple. I don't think anything that those guys go out there and do is simple. When we talk about the kickoffs, everything's strategic, everything – where we want to play the ball – and when you look at those five reps, I give a lot of credit to him. He came out here, he practiced his butt off for us to put that ball in. They play with one returner to get that guy rolling, right? So, just being able to move the returner, being able to place the ball in a certain spot, that takes a lot of skill. And Sunday night, I mean, he was on point, and it was really good. So, we appreciate that. And again, just work, and we'll continue to move the ball around and do a lot of different things.

Q: What's the key on coverage units to playing violent but still under control?

CHRIS HORTON: What's the key? Is there a difference, playing violent and playing under control?

Q: Do you want guys to get down there fast, whether it's punt or kick coverage, and be able to attack the ball but also not be out of control in their gaps?

CHRIS HORTON: I think it's a level of skill. We're talking about professional athletes. These guys are very skilled in what they do. They're able to stop and start. They're able to move their bodies in certain spots. So, the idea of just being violent, we're going to play violent. That's just kind of our makeup. That's how you play this game. I truly believe this game should only be played one way, and that is with physicality. When we're talking about our coverage units just getting down the field, running people over, that's who we want to be. That's what makes us us, right? So, when it comes to just slowing down and being under control, I think the best way to phrase that is we take everything to the edge, and we go so far to make sure that we don't fall off the cliff. So, we want to be as physical and as edgy as possible without going over the cliff and creating penalties.

Q: We saw Zvada in West Virginia – I mean, it's obviously outdoors in the summer. What would you consider – how likely would you be to attempt long kicks with him? What would kind of be the limit to him, and what would you kind of put into that equation when deciding? There was a couple times where you ended up converting the third downs, but when it was a potential, like, 60-plus yarder, how likely would you be to attempt those?

CHRIS HORTON: Again, it's situationally, right? Where are we in the game? What's the process? We go out there, we warm up, we go through it, we pick a line. And then throughout the course of the game, we stick with that line, unless some unforeseen circumstance, weather, comes in. Then we might change the line. If not, we're going to stick with that line, and we put him out there because we feel really good about what he's done throughout the process, throughout the week to give us that chance, and throughout the warm-ups.

Q: I know it changes week-to-week, but what is that line? Where do you guys feel comfortable?

CHRIS HORTON: We felt good going out probably at 58 just to start. If you've got to start the game, we feel good at like 58 yards. We feel pretty good about it.

Q: How much does that line fluctuate? Is it a yard, is there a big gap between, or is it pretty standard?

CHRIS HORTON: It's pretty – I think it's pretty standard. When you go out in the course of a game, the first one, it just depends, right? What's the weather like? What is – if it's a nice day – again, this kid, he has a strong enough leg to get the ball there. But it's all about the consistency. And is that ball – are we hitting a straight ball, right? Are we going to change? If we feel like there's a process where he might change because he might overswing because he is a little bit further back, we're going to think about those things. Those are things that we see throughout the warm-up, and then we just kind of base our line based on that.

Q: With (cornerback Deonte) Banks I'm curious, because obviously you know what (wide receiver Braxton) Berrios is as a returner. Seeing him on Sunday, what impressed you, or what impressed you throughout this preseason about what he can do in the return game?

CHRIS HORTON: Tae Banks (cornerback Deonte Banks), I was impressed last year when I just – when I turned on the tape and I watched him run. This is a strong returner. This is a physical guy. This is a guy that's got really good vision for a defensive back, and he wants the ball in his hands, and he's strong, and he's a downhill runner. Fits everything that we do. So, those are the things that impress me. And he wants to be back there. He wants to be the returner. When you've got a guy like that and you've got good football players, they want the ball, you make sure you put the ball in their hands.

Q: I think (cornerback) Paulson (Adebo) probably played more special teams snaps on Sunday than he has since his rookie year. How did a guy like that respond to that?

CHRIS HORTON: Debo (cornerback Paulson Adebo) was outstanding. Again, one of the things we talk about when we get here is, if we're all here for the same goal, and that's to win football games, then no matter what's being asked of us, we're going to go out there, we're going to compete, we're going to give our best. And then we talk to those players, okay? We look at them, 'Where do you excel at? Where can you help us the most?' And if there's an opportunity to get players on the field, we want to do that because they're good football players.

Q: When Tae couldn't go on a couple of reps, I think, in the second half, a couple of kickoffs, you turned to (running back) Tyrone (Tracy Jr.). What is it that you like about Tracy in that role?

CHRIS HORTON: Just gives us the running back, the vision. A guy, again, that can run returns downhill. They're downhill plays. And a guy that can bounce off tackles. You know, it's kind of the same thing that you see from all our returners. We just want guys that have a lot of skill, guys that can make plays on their own, and guys that can make people miss in the hole. Because a lot of times it's going to be one guy that you might have to make miss.

Q: No concerns there with the fumbles? Because, obviously, he's fumbled a couple times. He's a running back.

CHRIS HORTON: Not concerned at all. Just things that we talk about. Just from a fundamentals standpoint, you're going through traffic, let's make sure we protect the ball.

Q: What's it like as the special teams coordinator when both teams convert like every third down it felt like? You must have the punt team up a lot and the punt return team.

CHRIS HORTON: You definitely are up on third down. Hey, punt ready, punt ready, punt return ready. But at the end of the day, I'm excited. I'm excited because that just means they're flowing on offense, man. We're not punting that ball, that just means we're rolling, and I feel pretty good about that. And then when we do get ourselves out there, we take advantage of our plays. Our number one goal is just execute on a high level, every time we step on that field.

Wide Receiver Malik Nabers

Q: We don't have to ask you if you're playing this week, right?

MALIK NABERS: No.

Q: How did you feel coming off that game? Like on the Monday and the Tuesday off, playing that many snaps for the first time?

MALIK NABERS: A little sore, but manageable.

Q: And how much different is this week now that you know that the kind of uncertainty and the cloud where your head's gone, how much different does it feel going into this game?

MALIK NABERS: I mean, the same. Continue to still work with trainers, tell them how I feel, be out there with the team, run as many routes as I can. The game is on Monday.

Q: But does the certainty help?

MALIK NABERS: No.

Q: We saw you out there, we saw you make some of the – making plays. How much more of a level is there to your game as you get more and more comfortable, and back out there longer and longer?

MALIK NABERS: I mean, whatever the coaches give me, I mean, whatever ball is being thrown, I feel like I can make those plays. And I feel like just – I never had to go up and make a crazy catch this week or, I mean, last week and do anything like spectacular. So, I mean, I'll see when the ball is being thrown, I've got to make those catches.

Q: When you went back and looked at yourself, what did you see? How close do you think you were to prime Malik Nabers?

MALIK NABERS: I'm rusty. I'm rusty, but –

Q: Why do you say that? What do you see that tells you you're rusty?

MALIK NABERS: Slipping, falling, pretty much it.

Q: You were angry when you didn't cut around that one guy.

MALIK NABERS: Yeah, just got to get back into more of the football mentality of getting north. Just taking a picture of the defense, know where everybody's at. I left some yards out there, I left some plays out there. I feel like I could've scored on probably two of them if I just run straight, get more yards. So, I kind of think that was just the most frustrating thing about it, was just like I left a lot out there that I could've got.

Q: When you slip, is that – how much is that you cutting on that leg when you're doing that? Or is it something else?

MALIK NABERS: Something else, I was just slipping.

Q: Malik, everything that you had thought of in the offseason, when you were thinking the highs of the highs, walking off that field on Sunday night, they took that one picture of you, (quarterback) Jaxson (Dart) and Zay (tight end Isaiah Likely). Did that kind of capture the emotions of, when this thing is going right, that's what you want to feel?

MALIK NABERS: Yeah, it just shows just how much work those guys put in, how much work I put in just to get back out there with those guys, and how happy they were to see me. And how happy they were to get – just (to be) a 1-0, 1-0, just to get a win at home on Sunday night. It just shows how much work they put in, how much work and just prepared that we were, how we came out. And it was just a good moment to just share with your brother, share the world with your brother.

Q: You guys are out there feeling good after a win, but this is kind of a different challenge. This is the team everybody's calling the Super Bowl favorite, the team that everybody's calling a super team after all the additions they made on defense this year. What kind of opportunity is this proving ground,  statement kind of moment is this for you guys?

MALIK NABERS: Just trying to get another win, stack another win up. We got the win, but we're very humble about it. And we know we've got to – because week after week is going to be another game, another challenge, another defense, another scheme. So, we're just locking in on knowing what we've got to do, doing what we have to do. That's really it. I feel like we'll take care of ourselves. If we do what we're supposed to do, we'll win.

Q: How optimistic do you feel about the offense? It's one thing to see it in training camp to know what you're doing, but then to see it on the field, in games, how optimistic does it make you feel about that moving forward.

MALIK NABERS: I mean, the offense is great. I mean, we marry up the run game with the play action with the drop back. Jaxson does a great job of just knowing where to go with the ball pre-snap, knowing where to get to, knowing which way to run the ball. So, the offense is great. I mean, I think we handled it pretty well.

Q: There's going to be a lot of great receivers on the field in this game. Obviously, with you, with the two on the other side, anything from watching (Rams wide receiver) Davante Adams for years that you respect or even (Rams wide receiver) Puka Nacua, his game's so different than yours. Anything you take from those two guys?

MALIK NABERS: Those guys are a pretty good receiver group. I've been watching Davante for a long time. He has a terrific game. Puka also does a lot of great things, contested catches. But we're just locking in on just what we have to do as a receiver group and what we have to do on offense.

Q: What have you liked about working with (Wide Receivers Coach) Chad (Hall) this year? You did work with him a little bit last year. He was in a different role. What have you learned about him? What do you like about him?

MALIK NABERS: It's more technique, locking in on receivers being technicians and about just using your hands, using your feet, making sure everything is in the right cylinder for you to run routes. So, just with him talking, I understand what he's saying and I like everything that he's saying about just saying everything in the cylinder or just getting your feet right, making sure which way you want the DB to go. So, just listening, honing in on what he has to say and just taking it to the game.

Q: How would you describe his personality?

MALIK NABERS: He's live. He's live. If you know, you know, if you don't, you don't. He's live, though. That's a good thing. It's a good thing.

Running back Cam Skattebo

Q: Saw you hit a little traffic at the beginning of the night. How was that?

CAM SKATTEBO: Yeah, it was fun. As I come in and out of this building every day, I see these guys working in the parking lot. I see them every day. So, I like to mess with those guys, give them a hard time. I've made friends with a couple of them. So, those guys, they know me every time I drive by, whatever car I'm in, they know who it is. So, those are my guys. I was giving them some crap, just giving a little love to them, but it was it was just all fun and games.

Q: I know you're from Sacramento, right? Are you going to be able to fly people down to L.A. for that game?

CAM SKATTEBO: Yeah, I've got a lot of family going, family, friends, people I went to high school with, cousins, grandma, grandpa. There are a lot of people going. So, it'll be a nice little homecoming. It's about seven hours from home. But that's an easy drive for my family. They did a 12 hour drive to Arizona all the time. So, that won't be too bad for me. It's going to be fun.

Q: What do you think of the way you guys ran the ball last game?

CAM SKATTEBO: I was pleased. It was physical. It was downhill. I enjoyed it. I'm not too sore. The guys up front did their job. They took care of the four down guys and then got to the next level and did a good job doing that. So, I was pleased with it. I know we can get better. There were some plays where like, 'Holy cow, what are we doing?' But those guys, they're professionals. They're going to fix it. They're going to get better. I'm going to fix my track. I'm going to get better at my stuff. I mean, they did a great job. So, I'm excited to continue to do it.

Q: After so much talking about (wide receiver) Malik (Nabers) coming back after that surgery, I had to realize in my mind like, 'oh, Cam's coming back from surgery too, it's his first game back.' Did that resonate at any point with you?

CAM SKATTEBO: You mean like with my injury coming back from it?

Q: Yeah. It was your first game…

CAM SKATTEBO: I mean, I got a little emotional during the national anthem, but I think the big thing was his (wide receiver Malik Nabers) injury. Obviously, mine was gruesome. But his was such a long process and such a, I don't know, process because of an ACL. It's a little more hard to come back from that. And all props to him for grinding this whole offseason. We were alongside each other in the training room and I started to get a lot better faster because of the different injury. And his was a little bit slower of an incline. I used to tell him all the time, me and (quarterback) Jaxson (Dart) would tell him, we'll meet you in week one. So, it was awesome to be out there and be with Jaxson him and look at him and be like, 'Dude, you did it like we got to week one.' So, I look back at my injury like I was supposed to come back and I was supposed to play game one, so it was really cool to see him come back and actually do it.

Q: How would you describe the rehab process for you?

CAM SKATTEBO: It was tough. It was tough because I had a lot of uncertainty and each process to happen. When one thing was hurting and it started feeling better, something else would start hurting. And over time, it got better and better, and different things popped up. So, depending on what I did in rehab, something else was going to pop up and bother me. I had to work through all those little kinks and make sure that everything was feeling good. And I still have a little bit of soreness here and there with certain cutting and over time. But I mean, I feel great, man. I feel like what I've done in the PT room has put me in a good, successful position to be able to continue to play this game.

Q: What has (Head Coach John) Harbaugh done this week to emphasize ball security?

CAM SKATTEBO: Yeah, I mean, the guy had a great punch out. The guy that hit me, hit me in the elbow, the same thing with Zay (tight end Isaiah Likely) kind of came from behind. I think it's less of the ball security and more of the ball focus. I think we're less focused on the ball and you're right, ball security, we need to hold it high and tight. But the focus of how important the ball is, is what we need to focus on. And I think throughout this week, I think the focus on making sure we know we have the ball in our hand is something that we need to work on. He's demanding that we take care of it.

Q: The first week was obviously a primetime rival, the Cowboys, you pay attention to things like that and the Rams are supposed to be a super team, Super Bowl favorites. What kind of opportunity is this for you guys to make another statement?

CAM SKATTEBO: Yeah, I mean, it's another opportunity to win a game and it's another opportunity to go out there and establish dominance in the run game and do what we do. I like to look at each day as its own. We've got a new team, a new coach, a new staff, a new training room. Everybody on that side of the ball is new. We're going to continue to prepare out here, which coach Harbaugh and the staff does to prepare us for this, prepare us for this game. And we're going to go out there and execute.

Q: The Rams came off a bad loss, they're ticked off. They're going to be an angry team. And if they're angry, do you think about that at all and then what are you going to do?

CAM SKATTEBO: Yeah, I mean, I don't think it's like they're angry and we're not. You don't have a bad day because someone else is having a bad day. You're not going to be angry because someone else is angry. If they want to be angry, they want to be angry. I mean, I doubt they're angry, but they had a rough situation and so be it. They're ready to play next week, just like we are. I'm ready to go, I'm excited to play against them and see what they have. And it's going to be a fun one.

Q: What's it like running behind (fullback Pat) Ricard?

CAM SKATTEBO: Safe, I feel safe. When he hits the first linebacker and I don't have to take them both on, it's really nice. My mom – when we first signed Pat, my mom didn't really know who he was at first. And then I kind of showed her some videos and kind of taught her what he was going to be doing. And she goes, 'I want to meet that guy.' So, my mom says it's safer, and me, 300 pounds in front of me as a lead blocker on top of the o-line is awesome. It feels awesome.

Q: Arguably your two best games so far in your young career are primetime games. Is there anything about playing under the lights that you guys, are you an emotion-based kind of performer?

CAM SKATTEBO: I feel like I'm the best player on the field and you guys notice it more when the lights are on because more people are paying attention. I'm going to play the same exact way I do every game. So, if the lights are on, lights are on. If the lights aren't on, you're still going to see me play the same ball just as much the same amount of people aren't paying attention. So, it doesn't get blown up as he was a star. Okay, the lights are on, I'm going to play just the same ball as I always play. I'm the type to, when the lights are on, I do probably play my best ball. That's probably how it is. But I feel like I play (well) every game, every game I get on the field, I play as hard as I can and give it my best shot.

Q: One of those things going into this game will be (Rams defensive lineman) Aaron Donald. What does he bring? What challenges does he present trying to go up against a guy like him in the middle?

CAM SKATTEBO: Yeah, I mean he's had a couple years off and I'm sure he's ready to go and excited to play. But he's, he's still got to play football. He hasn't practiced a ton. He hasn't played in a game yet or played a ton. So, I mean, if it is his first game, then he's got to be ready for it just like we do. So, I'm excited to play against him. He's one of the best to ever do it. It's going to be fun. It's going to be a good challenge for the guys up front. It's going to be a good challenge. If I have to meet him in the hole on third and one, then so be it. I've got to get one yard. But he's a good player. He's one of the best to ever do it. So, all respect to him.