Just a little bit. Okay, Jim, We've talked a lot about big plays this year, and Sunday seemed like really the epitome of that. I mean, if you look at the way their offense worked, it was two or three big plays running, two or three big plays passing, and the rest of the time you had them really stymy. Is that just kind of part of being aggressive or is what is it? I wouldn't put it just on that. I mean, everything's designed to get everybody stopped on every play.
But um, you know, I mean sometimes when you have that philosophy, you know, you can set yourself up a big places to big plays we allowed in this game I don't think had to do with that at all. There have been times this year that we've given up some big plays where you know, there's been some you know, give and take, you know, scheming to take something out the um, you know, all three different things. But their biggest runs were avoidable, and probably their biggest pass was avoidable.
What happened on that thirty four yard touchdowns Tom Jalen Watkins never got there? Yeah, you know, I mean that's that that situation there just sixteen seconds left. Um, you know, it's it's a game where we're holding onto a one score lead. We don't want to let them get a field goal. They got a field goal kicker that um can hit from just about anywhere. We don't want to The wind was really an issue there too. We don't
want to let it get any closer. And we played a man to man coverage with too deep And you know, Jalen's a young player, Joalen Watkins a young player, but he made a rookie mistake right there at quarterback pumped him and I was able to make a big play on us. But you know, that's that's one of those things.
We're playing tight coverage. We first of all, we don't want to let them get out of bounds, you know, so we're playing outside technique because if we can get them in bounce, um, they're gonna have a hard time getting another playoff. And then second of all, we should be over the top on that. That wasn't That wasn't very good. I never liked to blame execution on a play, but I know, I know what would like to have
that one back. Jaillen Mills didn't seem to like the coverage that he was in did you guys have that conversation. I have an understanding of what he was what he was talking about. Yeah, we did. We have a new system. I'm gonna take the earpiece out of Jordan Hicks's head. I'm gonna put it in Jail's so Jaylen can approve of every call we make from now on before it gets related to the defense. I mean, I love the
hell out of that kid, I really do. He is a competitor and you know, people talk about speed, people talk about ability to play the ball. To me, the number one criteria for playing corner is you have to be a competitor, and he is. He's given up some plays this year. He's made some plays and given up some but it's never let it affect his psyche. Actually, at halftime, I told those guys, I said, hey, blame
me for that call. And the reason I said it was because I didn't want them to play conservative in the second half. But looking back, there's a lot of calls you'd like to have back in the game. The call wasn't the issue there, it's the execution the call. He understands that he knows. Um. We've had conversations and we talked a little bit yesterday. But you know, I'll I'll stand behind Jalen Mills the second time in three weeks Bride and Cloud. It doesn't seem like it's effort
in this case technique, I guess again a touchdown run. Um, you know, what are the issues with him there? Yeah, it's another guy that I had conversation with yesterday. I spent my whole day having conversations. Um, you know, here's here's my take on that, and talking to Rodney. I have a perspective on that also, Um, Brodney was doing the wrong thing for the right reason. Um. And I say this, He's trying not to allow a big play right there, and as a result, we end up giving
up big plays. And I told him, I would rather you shoot your gun. I'd rather you take that shot then shoot a chickens and and give ground and give ground and hope that you can buy time for other people to make the play. There's times that you have to do that, and it's tough being the middle of the field defender and a run breaks. Um. You know, there's a big difference between being a safety and I'd like to tell those guys and being a risky you know.
I mean, it's it's it's a different thing. But you don't want a safety that's ready fire aim, and you don't want a safety that's ready aim aim aim aim aim. Never pulled a trigger. And that's where that's that's where I told my opinion was that's where. That's where he's gotten to these last couple of games. And I want him to get back to early in the season where that twenty three was a blur everywhere on the field.
And you don't want to be risky and you don't want to take chances sometimes when when you're the closed player, but you got to pull the trigger when it comes. And I have enough confidence in him to trust his judgment to pull the trigger. And you know, just you know, Less talked about the big plays and think things like that. Roddy knows big plays have affected us. He's trying not to allow big play and sometimes that's the wrong approach
to take. And hopefully we can get him back to, you know, being the blur on the field that he was first half of the season. Had a question about the jail and play to the thirty four years past. He questioned whether it was the right coverage to is it more concerning when it is a veteran guy like that who was wondering whether it's the right call. No, not at all. I mean, everybody's got their opinion. We're
not trying to allow a field goal. The second that our calls are designed to let people get in field goal range. As a second, you're gonna find somebody else standing up here. Now there's there's differences. Now whatever, You're up two scores and it's late in the game, and you're willing to, you know, play soft zone coverage. But I'll sit up here and take the call or take the questions all day long rather than have played soft
zone coverage. Give them ten yards, they kick a field goal at the end of the first half, and that that weather gets bad in the second half or to score gets changed, and all of a sudden, you know, we lose a close game because of that attitude. You know, we're going to live and die being based on being aggressive. And um, I think all those guys understand that there's frustration involved. You give up a play there sixteen seconds left.
Nobody wants to give up a play right there. Um, But you know, sometimes you know, sometimes uh, you're sometimes the ability and we didn't blitz. I mean, you know we played we played actually the same coverage that we had a sack strip. Um, you know, to set up one of our touchdowns and got a sack early in the game. They were max protecting a lot. We're adding extra guys to the coverage. Um, you know, it is what it is. Malcolm did a great job covering his guy.
No one did a great job covering his guy. The problem was on the other side of the field. What's been your assessment about Benny Logan's play this year. He's been a consistent player. You know, we missed him the last time we played the Giants. Um. That's made a lot of plays. I think my the plays that I've been most impressed with him have been plays that he's made down the field. He's hustled to play against the Bengals, forced to fumble after we got after we had allowed
a first down. It got us back in that game, and you know, we weren't able to do anything else with it. But you know, made that play, made a play last week against the Redskins where he was running down the field and made plays. And when you're a three hundred pound guy, you know you, effort is a big thing, and when you're making plays versus the past down the field, I think in some ways that's every
bit as valuable as making a sack. Three hundred pound guys hitting smaller guys have chances, the force penalties, and he's been consistent against the run. Hasn't got a ton of sacks, but he's been effective against the past. But I've been most impressed with his effort and its toughness. Well, the Thursday night football and all the opinions swirling around
about it. I know you used to playing on Thursdays in Detroit, but as a coordinator, how difficult is it to turn around both the physicality and the scheming of it and be ready for Thursday Night. You know, scheming is a little bit easier for this game because it's an opponent that we've already played this year. So with a couple changes, you know, we thought they were going to give Vareem back, but obviously he's not coming back. I think other than that, it's pretty much the same grout.
The right tackle has changed and they're using their tight ends a little different way, but Eli's Eli. Their scheme stays the same, which makes it from a from a schematic preparation standpoint makes it a little bit easier the difficulties in the execution. We have to sort of brainwash ourselves into, you know, getting on a scheduled Players are
very regimented, coaches are very regimented. And told the team this morning or told the defense this morning that it's Friday right now, and you've got to put your mind on today's Friday, tomorrow's Saturday, and then the next day Sunday, and you can go on fumes for a week, you know, and you have a little chance to catch our breath after this observe. I'll pass on that one. That's not my job to judge, to judge or observe or anything else.
I'm trying to do my best I can with with the defense, and um, you know, really don't have I will say this, I like his aggressiveness. Um, you know, I really respect his decision to go for two to win that game. You know, I think that's that sends a good statement not only to the team, but to the city. And um, you know, let's him know he's trying to win. You know, it goes it goes to you know, making a call of to heave in the
first half. We're not playing conservative. We're not you know, you know, trying to you know, do anything other than go out there. And when I really respect that to going for fourth down, you know there'll probably be a lot of fourth or a lot of defensive coordinators that you know, Mike Bristle at that. I I embraced that also, you know, he had chances to keep drives alive. And
the most important thing in this league is scoring points. Um, you know, points points give us some leeway on defense and certainly give us a chance to win the game. I really respect those things. Over your time with you noticed getting particularly ragged. You know, do you pick up all of the after effects or anything of it, of you know that shifting a schedule or anything like that.
And I think there's there's obviously given take. I mean, and we got same themes all throughout this press conference. There's given takes with calls, you know, aggressive call. You know, hey, you can stop a lot of things, but you know you might set up potential for a big play. You're a safety and your ability to you know, go shoot your gun and potential to give up a big play.
I think Thursday Night Football probably the same way. Um, you know, there is a there is a challenge to get ready that week, but there's also a benefit of it and you get that week rest at the end. You know, for us, it doesn't it doesn't come into great time with only one game to play. When I was in Detroit, it came on Thanksgiving with four weeks to play behind it. You know, I think a lot has been said about that mini buy and things like that.
There's some benefit to that. Um, you know, I think that, you know, there's there's calls benefit to anything. Our jobs to play the game. If if it's Sunday one o'clock or it's Thursday, Um, you know, we go and play. And everybody's got the same set of rules when it comes to getting ready to play. Outside the Giants blitz more than usual. Has that had to do with the individual opponents or the need to get more pressure? Um? It probably a little bit more individual opponents, um, you know,
and just and maybe just the way the games have gone. Um. You know, sometimes though I'd be careful, sometimes it looks like a blitz and it's not, you know, referenced that that play looks like we're bringing six guys we're really only bringing four and two of them are covering the guys that are in the backfield. So it looks like pressure when it when it might not be. Um. Every week's a little bit different. Sometimes there's matchups that you
want to try to get. Sometimes there's matchups you want to try to avoid when it comes to blitz and pressure. But regardless of how we do it, whether it's blitz or four man pass rush, UM, you know, whatever it is, our lifeblood is always going to be putting pressure on
the passer. I think the best way to succeed in this league if you can find a way to do that, Um, I think you're going to be successful over the long term if you If you struggle to do that, you're going to be behind the eight ball the whole time. And again, however you do it, you do it where you're eliminated and there's some logic and scene play resident string up for whatever reason, certain conversation that happens between you and the head coach or the front office, or
do they just need you to play. Whoever you're going to play, Well, let me say that I'm I've sat in here the chair, I'm going to do exactly what the head coach wants to do. I mean, there's no question about that, UM, you know. But I think that the message that we've received from him has always been we're going to do everything we can to win this game. And there's no other agenda for this team other than winning on Sunday. And you know, maybe sometimes that you know,
might not be what everybody everybody wants. Maybe some you know, hey, let's let's see what this guy can do, or see what this guy can do. UM, And we're every week we're going to try to, UM, do the best we can to win that game and have no other agenda. And I think when you can honestly say that, I think that, UM, you know, the players respect that. I think that everybody can respect that, and um, you know,
and you feel good about it. I don't like, have an agenda other than doing, UM, doing what you think is best to win that game, not what you think is best for the course of you know, five year plan or ten year plan or you know, next year or anything else. Talk about where the Giants defense is going this season. When last time you played him, you guys were pretty much on even ground. They've gone that way.
You guys are going this way. What's the biggest reason in your mind that you guys have maybe going south when they went to the other direction. I haven't. I haven't spent a lot of time looking at them, So I really can I can talk about us. Yeah, I can talk about us. UM. You know, I think there's a lot of things. We talk about putting pressure on the quarterback. We went through a spell where we weren't getting very much pressure. We talk about stopping drives on
third down. We went through a spell maybe not as bad, but we're a couple of games where we weren't very good on third down. You know, you have to find a way to keep big plays from happening. Big plays equal scores in this league. You know, I think the last couple of weeks, we've seen some signs. We've seen some flashes of us early in the season. The turnovers
we scored, UM we scored last week. We had a couple of big turnovers in this game, one that set up a score, another one that kept a potentially game clinching score off the board and gave us a chance to win that game. You saw some sacks, you saw some third downs stops. We just haven't been consistent enough over the course of over the course of the whole game, and that's where we need to get back to. That's it. Wow,