FLOWERY BRANCH -- New York coach Tom Coughlin has guided the Giants to two Super Bowl victories.
The Giants (2-2) are set to host the Atlanta Falcons (2-2) at 1 p.m. Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J.
He spoke to the Atlanta media on Wednesday.
Here's what he had to say:
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
Q: How will you all try to get some pressure on Matt Ryan and his revamped offensive line?
A: I'm not speaking specifically to Atlanta, but that's what we always tried to do here. We have some years that were better than others. I don't think that we necessarily have an abundant number of sacks, but we do try to get people in the face of the quarterback and rush the quarterback and move him off his spot. That type of thing. That's just an objective.
Q: Can you talk about the defense’s ability to get turnovers?
A: We finally got some breakthrough there. We'd be starving for takeaways. We'd been giving the ball away, but not getting any takeaways. Then the last couple of weeks we started to make a move in that direction. We had a nice night the other night (against Washington). We were a plus-five and that helped an awful lot. That gave us good field position. We've had decent field position for the last couple of weeks and that made a big difference in our scoring.
Q: Could you give us an update on Odell Beckham Jr.?
A: He practiced today. We had a limited number of snaps that he went through and he did some really nice things today. We'll just have to see how it turns out later this afternoon and tomorrow.
Q: Could you tell us about the tight end from Grambling who’s come on for you of late?
A: Larry Donnell has been here as a practice squad player. He's worked very hard. He's worked his way up through the ranks. He's a talented young man. But when he first came to us, you're talking about a guy who was in a position that was foreign to him. He's advanced and we see a young man who is certainly making progress. He continues to have a ways to go.
Q: What has running back Rashad Jennings been able to do for you?
A: The young man is a pro. He's a very, very good example to everyone in terms of how he works and how hard he works, how he prepares and the way he takes care of himself. He's given us some outstanding performances running the football. A couple of weeks ago he had a big game. He's just been a guy who will contribute in any way that he can. He catches it well, he's a pass protector and he's giving us a nice boost in the run game.
Q: How has your offensive line been revamped?
A: It was a major, major goal of ours to again draft or bring in some players who could help us at those spots. So, we did and fought through some growing pains. We are starting to make a little progress there. We need to continue that because we place so much of an emphasis on the defensive and offensive lines.
Q: How has the transition been to the new offense under new coordinator Ben McAdoo?
A: Well, we made the decision after Kevin (Gilbride) decided that he was going to retire. I interviewed a bunch of people who were outstanding candidates. I just thought that Ben was the best man for the job. I thought it was very, very good for our quarterback. …the new system. The verbalization and all of those things have stimulated Eli. He's studied and he's worked hard. I think it's just now starting to pay off.
Q: What’s it like being one of the longest tenured coaches in the NFL?
A: I'm one year at a time. I'm fortunate to be in the position that I'm in. For a young guy, I've got a lot of work to do.
Q: How much attention do you pay to the Falcons injuries and how do you plan to take advantage of them?
A: I'm concerned about my team. I have to get my team ready to play. Mike Smith is an excellent coach. He has an outstanding staff and they'll do the very best they can under the circumstances, but we'll worry about our team.
Q: Is it time for the game-day rosters to be expanded after the Falcons had to finish the game with a tight end playing right tackle?
A: I don't think anybody wants that to happen. I know it's very rare in this league, but it did happen. I may have some thoughts on rosters, but not generally. I think that perhaps where we ought to start is maybe with a little bit of help with people who have these Thursday night games.
Q: What are some of the things that Victor Cruz does very well?
A: He does a lot of things very well. He's a captain this year for us. He's involved in a leadership role. He's a positive and solid man on the football field. He's an excellent football player. He's really done an outstanding job for us. You talk about these last two weeks, he contributed over 100 yards these last two weeks.
Q: What do you see on film when you look at Julio Jones?
A: He's a heck of a football player. We've admired him since the time he was in college and he's been an outstanding pro and he continues to hold our highest regard.
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