New York Giants offensive line in action!

SEPTEMBER 11, 2023 BRIAN DABOLL PRESS CONFERENCE…
New York Giants Head Coach Brian Daboll addressed the media on Monday (VIDEO):

Q: I’m curious what you thought when you went back and looked at the film. Was it what you expected? Was it worse than you expected? Did you come away seeing things that left you optimistic?

A: Yeah, it’s probably about what I expected after talking to you guys last night. There were a few things you can build on but when you get beat like the way we got beat, no excuses. I’d say there’s a lot of work that needs to be done, a lot of corrections that need to be made and that’s what we’ll do today.

Q: Anything specific that stood out to you?

A: No, it was a collective effort. I think seven times the ball was either in their hands or on the ground, which you start with ball security. We didn’t do a good enough job with that and there’s some things – third down and red zone situational football that we didn’t do a good enough job of. Then obviously, we didn’t score a single point so a lot to learn from, a lot to improve on and that’s what we’ll try to do today.

Q: Any update on (tackle) Andrew Thomas? I know he was possibly getting imaging today.

A: Yeah, he is. I don’t have it yet. I’ll have it on Wednesday.

Q: Last year after Week 1 to Week 2 you made some pretty significant lineup changes. (Former Giants wide receiver) Kenny Golladay and (former Giants inside linebacker) Austin Calitro both went from playing 40 something snaps to playing less than five snaps. How do you judge what a guy has done for you all of training camp and offseason to become a starter versus “hey, this guy didn’t play well against an opponent?”

A: That’s a good question. Again, we evaluate the tape, I’d say, with a critical eye starting with us as a staff first and the players and then if – not to go back into last year, but you sit down as a coaching staff during the week. Obviously, you take into account what happened the previous game and you have difficult discussions if you need to have them and then try to make the best decision you can for the team based off of – you do look at performance in training camp, no question about it, but you also are real with performance in the game, so I’d say it’s probably a little bit of both and at the end of the day you’ve got to make the decision you think is going to help your team.

Q: Without naming any names, is it fair to say those hard conversations are going to have to happen this week with guys who maybe didn’t perform as well yesterday?

A: Yeah, we try to have them every week regardless of the outcome of the game, so it’s a consistent theme of here’s what we can do better, here’s what we did well. It’s always a lot easier to hear them when you do well and you get a win than it is with a loss, but those are conversations that we have I’d say on the week-to-week basis after every game.

Q: Obviously, so much attention was paid to your offensive line, but your pass rush didn’t get any sacks or much pressure at all either. Do you chalk that up to the circumstances of the game and the score or is that an area that draws your attention to what needs to be much better?

A: I’d say every area. After a game like last night, every area we’ve got to draw our attention to. But that’s what we’ve got to do as a coaching staff, that’s what we’ve got to do as players. We’ve got to improve in, I’d say, a number of areas and try to take the next step the upcoming week.

Q: I went back and looked at your coaching record for 23 years in the NFL and I think this was your second worst loss you’ve ever taken as a coach, any sort of coach. My question is, what is the head coach, what do you think is their biggest responsibility after a game like that? I was looking at the Patriots from your days there and there were times where you guys got beat bad, I think Buffalo one year beat you 31-nothing, but next week came back and won. What did (Patriots head coach) Bill (Belichick) do maybe that helps you now or others that helped you and what do you think your role is?

A: I’d say you take it for what it’s worth. It was a poor performance. You learn from the things that you can learn from and then you really got to get focused on the next week. Whether it was a win or a loss, it really has no effect on the next week. Your job is to be honest, to show them some of the things that we can do better as a team. Whether it’s a staff, whether it’s players and then to get on to next week. Like I said, it’s a humbling league and one week doesn’t have much effect on the next week. Your preparation, your performance ultimately on Sunday, or whenever that day is, does. That’s what we will focus on, a lot to learn. We’ll do our best to teach it, to learn from it, to go out there and have a good week of practice and to get ready for the next week’s opponent.

Q: Did you walk out of there last night saying I know we are a lot better team than this?

A: I’d say when you walk out after a game like that, there is a lot of emotion. You put everything you got into it, and we didn’t perform well and that starts with me. There is a self-reflection and then you watch the tape, you go through whether it’s decisions, whether it’s plays, whether it’s techniques and then you move on to the next week.

Q: Did you sleep at all last night?

A: Not a whole lot, no.

Q: You are going to strive for consistency obviously every week. It’s going to be, you evaluate tape, you are going to talk about what you did well, what you didn’t do well, win or lose, but when it’s 40-nothing, is there a different hat that you have to put on in your Monday morning presentation to the players because it’s not a typical outcome?

A: I’d say what I say in there, I keep private, but certainly you understand that these guys are human and there is an element of emotion to it, and you know we didn’t perform well. So, you own it, you, again, tell them the things that you need to fix. It starts with you and then you move on. So, you can’t let it linger too long, you go through today, you go through the tape. It won’t be a fun tape to watch, it wasn’t with the coaches, it’s not with the players, but you know that’s what happened. So, you can’t run from it, you can’t hide from it, you own it, and then you move on.

Q: Is there a fine line between you’re my guys so and we’re going to have to get better versus we have other options if you are not performing.

A: I’d say we are all in this together. We’ve worked hard. Obviously the results were not good yesterday, but you keep your eye on the prize, you keep on grinding, you keep on working, and again, it’s one game here, so if it was the other way around, it’s still one game. I wish it was the other way around, but it wasn’t so you move on to the next week.

Q: I’m just wondering how tough it is to kind of deal with, for lack of a better phrase, the idea that on both lines, you really were manhandled it seemed last night.

A: I’d say we’ve got to do a better job. Again, some of that is scheme, some of it is play, some of it is situation. It’s hard to get into a rhythm when you feel like you’re climbing a slippery slope, and that’s what happened. We give a field goal up for a touchdown. Then we give up a — (running back) Saquon (Barkley) gets hit, that pops up, that’s a touchdown. We get the ball back and we throw an interception on the minus side. Then we miss a field goal. So, there was a slippery slope last night that I didn’t do a good job of getting them out of their way and getting them on to the next play. So yeah, that’s what it was.

Q: For the youngsters, the rookies in particular that you’re counting on for big roles, do you or does the rest of the staff, depending how you delegate, have to kind of check in with them after a game like this?

A: Yeah, I’d say you try to check in with all your players. Again, this is the greatest team sport, and we didn’t get it done yesterday. So, we are committed to improving, but sure, you have conversations, not just with the rookies, but the veteran players, too. There’s a lot of pride in that locker room from the people and you have a game like that, from really top to bottom, it’s not an easy thing, but you have to own it. It is what it is.

Q: With (kicker) Graham Gano getting X-rays, were they negative and then is there a chance you’re going to have to bring in a kicker for a workout?

A: I’d say that we’re not there yet. He did. I don’t have the results just yet. That’d be a Wednesday deal.

Q: (Cornerback) Deonte Banks, has he come out okay from the cramping?

A: Yeah, it was really cramps. So, I think that’s trending in the right direction.

Q: Any other injuries or concerns health-wise pop up on the day after?

A: No, I’d say we came out fairly clean. Obviously G.O. (safety Gervarrius Owens) and (cornerback Cor’Dale) Flott are working their way back. Tae (cornerback Deonte Banks), we talked about him. (Inside linebacker) Cam (Brown) is working his way back. (Tight end) Darren (Waller) came out okay. (Wide receiver) Wan’Dale (Robinson) is working his way back. And then waiting on Thomas and (tackle) Matt Peart, got an MRI; he’s still there.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and on YouTube:

• WR Darius Slayton (Video)
• CB Adoree’ Jackson (Video)

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The players are off on Tuesday and return to practice on Wednesday (12:45PM-2:45PM). Head Coach Brian Daboll and select players will also address the media on Wednesday.