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5:11 PM Wed, Oct 29, 2008 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Tim MacMahon E-mail News tips
While standing in front of his locker this morning, Brad Johnson didn't want to discuss the possibility of getting benched for Brooks Bollinger.
I'm sure Johnson was just thrilled to do a conference call with the New York media, which isn't exactly known for sugar-coating its questions. Check out how the call started.
Q: How thin of a piece of ice are you on in terms of Bollinger perhaps looking over your shoulder?
A: I have really just kind of focused in on taking care of myself and trying to help this team win. Last week was that kind of a case and I'm just trying to play smart football and give our team a chance to win. So that is really the only thing I can focus on - not really what people want to get conjured up.
The entire transcript is after the jump.
Q: Have they expressed to you at all if things don't go well early in the game that they might make a change?
A: No, I haven't talked to anyone. The only thing I have done is that I have been in here Monday and watched the film, worked out. Tuesday I watched all of the Giants film. I met with the coaches. And that is the only thing we have talked about - just the game plan for the Giants.
Q: As a quarterback, how daunting of a task is it to go against the Giants' pass rush?
A: They are daunting over the last - ever since they have been going. Obviously they lost some tremendous players and it seems like they really haven't lost a step with what they are trying to do. They have bigger players, bigger schemes. They have a Super Bowl ring to show for it last year and they have a (6-1) record to show for it this year. They know what their strengths and weaknesses are. And they cover for it. They apply a lot of pressure in a lot of different ways just from their front guys rushing, from a dog to their perimeter blitzes. So they do a great job of it. They have been in the scheme together and understand it very well.
Q: Did Tampa put a lot of guys in the box against you guys?
A: They showed a lot of different things that they did. At times they had all out blitz, at times they had dogs, at times they just played a four-man rush. They are extremely good at what they do. They have proven it - that is the reason why they have been one of the best defenses over the last 10 years. And I think they are first or second in the league this year as far as interceptions. They have created a lot of turnovers and scored off of them. It reminds me of the teams that I played with down there in Tampa for my tenure there. They are back on track to where they used to be.
Q: What I am asking is how much of a commitment did they make to stopping your running game?
A: They were very good at it. We didn't have a lot of yards per rush per attempt. But we kept coming and got the first downs that we need at crucial times in the game. But they are good at what they do just like the Giants from putting guys in the box to just guys running to the ball fast. And that is what they do.
Q: With all of the injuries that you guys have it would seem the Giants have an advantage. How are you guys approaching this?
A: We are trying to win. And however it comes - you never know who is going to get hurt or what happens during the course of the season. The Giants kind of had to go through that with some injuries and some retirements earlier in the year. And they have recovered pretty well. So right now we have a lot of guys banged up. We are playing with backups at different positions and just trying to find a way to win. That is what we do. They seem to find ways to score points in different fashions. On defense they have taken a safety last week and to score point, too. So anyway you can get a win, that is what we are trying to accomplish.
Q: You mentioned that you were two games behind the Giants. Can you almost determine this as a 'must win?'
A: Every game is a big game. There is a lot of football to be played, regardless of what happens and hope that you can get one step closer to what your final goal is at the end of the year and every game counts. So it is big game, obviously being a division game, being on the road. We are going to give it everything we have got.
Q: How comfortable are you within the offense right now? You played two games and you haven't got a lot of yards. Are you comfortable enough to open things up a little more now?
A: Whatever it takes. Every game takes a different action to what happens. Last week was the case where we threw five or six balls away, taking care of the ball, did not want to get in a turnover game with the Tampa Bay Bucs. That is how they beat people this season. If you go back and look at every game and see how they beat people, that is the way they did. So we wish we would have had more yards and more points but any way you can get a win you take it and you move on and you don't make any apologizes for it. So we are working hard and that is all we can do.
Q: You have been around a lot of locker rooms over the years. What is this one like compared to some others? Is it one of the more unusual ones you have been around?
A: It is one of the hardest working teams that I have ever been a part of. Obviously my years in Tampa, those were hard working guys; in the building the same way. And that is the way it is here. Guys work hard from offseason to now and there is a lot of pride. Obviously being the Dallas Cowboys you get a lot of attention - the HBO coverage from 'Hard Knocks' and national media coverage. But not anything happens more here than any other team. It just gets a lot of coverage, just kind of like the Giants would. I have been in big markets. So that is kind of the way I look at it. But the way the schedules ran, the way the guys work, I don't think that has really changed from other teams even though it does have a lot of - some super stars names and things like that, but things aren't really that much different.
Q: Have all of the injuries kind of shaken your confidence at all?
A: Every team has to deal with injuries. We have some injuries to a lot of players and some key players. And you just have to deal with it and somehow keep finding ways to win different ball games in whatever fashion. Over the last four or five weeks we have had to struggle in some different ways and find a way to win a couple of those ball games. We have done that and hopefully we can continue that.
Q: Are you expecting to have Witten on the field with you Sunday?
A: Yeah, I hope so. He seems in good spirits and we will find out come Sunday.
Q: How integrated is Roy Williams in the offense?
A: He is getting more involved, obviously a quick change coming from Detroit - learning the system on the run. The first week he just kind of got here and was just trying to find where his uniform was. There were so many things going on that week. Last week he got more involved in the system. And got more attempts - some more balls thrown at him. As each week goes on he will get more involved in more personnel groupings where he is on the field.
Q: So right now he is still working with the limited playbook? Only certain plays he is going to be in there for?
A: No, he is in there now. It is just a matter of what plays and what personnel groupings that we have. We change it up constantly. So it just depends on that more than anything. But he has picked up on it in a week and half since he has been here pretty good.
Q: How much did losing to the Giants in the playoffs carry over for your guys? Was there a thought like, "Hey if we didn't lose that game that could have been us celebrating in the Super Bowl?"
A: I'm sure there are a lot of teams that way. Tampa felt like they were in a close game there; had a lead until they had a kickoff fumble. We had a tough game with them and then Green Bay felt the same way, I'm sure. But the thing about the Giants - they deserved to win and they went on to the Super Bowl and won that one, coming from behind. So they deserved to win last year. And everybody wishes they could have got it done. But either you get it done or you don't. And last year we didn't in the playoffs. The Giants - that's why they have the hardware to show for it.
Tim MacMahon E-mail News tips
While standing in front of his locker this morning, Brad Johnson didn't want to discuss the possibility of getting benched for Brooks Bollinger.
I'm sure Johnson was just thrilled to do a conference call with the New York media, which isn't exactly known for sugar-coating its questions. Check out how the call started.
Q: How thin of a piece of ice are you on in terms of Bollinger perhaps looking over your shoulder?
A: I have really just kind of focused in on taking care of myself and trying to help this team win. Last week was that kind of a case and I'm just trying to play smart football and give our team a chance to win. So that is really the only thing I can focus on - not really what people want to get conjured up.
The entire transcript is after the jump.
Q: Have they expressed to you at all if things don't go well early in the game that they might make a change?
A: No, I haven't talked to anyone. The only thing I have done is that I have been in here Monday and watched the film, worked out. Tuesday I watched all of the Giants film. I met with the coaches. And that is the only thing we have talked about - just the game plan for the Giants.
Q: As a quarterback, how daunting of a task is it to go against the Giants' pass rush?
A: They are daunting over the last - ever since they have been going. Obviously they lost some tremendous players and it seems like they really haven't lost a step with what they are trying to do. They have bigger players, bigger schemes. They have a Super Bowl ring to show for it last year and they have a (6-1) record to show for it this year. They know what their strengths and weaknesses are. And they cover for it. They apply a lot of pressure in a lot of different ways just from their front guys rushing, from a dog to their perimeter blitzes. So they do a great job of it. They have been in the scheme together and understand it very well.
Q: Did Tampa put a lot of guys in the box against you guys?
A: They showed a lot of different things that they did. At times they had all out blitz, at times they had dogs, at times they just played a four-man rush. They are extremely good at what they do. They have proven it - that is the reason why they have been one of the best defenses over the last 10 years. And I think they are first or second in the league this year as far as interceptions. They have created a lot of turnovers and scored off of them. It reminds me of the teams that I played with down there in Tampa for my tenure there. They are back on track to where they used to be.
Q: What I am asking is how much of a commitment did they make to stopping your running game?
A: They were very good at it. We didn't have a lot of yards per rush per attempt. But we kept coming and got the first downs that we need at crucial times in the game. But they are good at what they do just like the Giants from putting guys in the box to just guys running to the ball fast. And that is what they do.
Q: With all of the injuries that you guys have it would seem the Giants have an advantage. How are you guys approaching this?
A: We are trying to win. And however it comes - you never know who is going to get hurt or what happens during the course of the season. The Giants kind of had to go through that with some injuries and some retirements earlier in the year. And they have recovered pretty well. So right now we have a lot of guys banged up. We are playing with backups at different positions and just trying to find a way to win. That is what we do. They seem to find ways to score points in different fashions. On defense they have taken a safety last week and to score point, too. So anyway you can get a win, that is what we are trying to accomplish.
Q: You mentioned that you were two games behind the Giants. Can you almost determine this as a 'must win?'
A: Every game is a big game. There is a lot of football to be played, regardless of what happens and hope that you can get one step closer to what your final goal is at the end of the year and every game counts. So it is big game, obviously being a division game, being on the road. We are going to give it everything we have got.
Q: How comfortable are you within the offense right now? You played two games and you haven't got a lot of yards. Are you comfortable enough to open things up a little more now?
A: Whatever it takes. Every game takes a different action to what happens. Last week was the case where we threw five or six balls away, taking care of the ball, did not want to get in a turnover game with the Tampa Bay Bucs. That is how they beat people this season. If you go back and look at every game and see how they beat people, that is the way they did. So we wish we would have had more yards and more points but any way you can get a win you take it and you move on and you don't make any apologizes for it. So we are working hard and that is all we can do.
Q: You have been around a lot of locker rooms over the years. What is this one like compared to some others? Is it one of the more unusual ones you have been around?
A: It is one of the hardest working teams that I have ever been a part of. Obviously my years in Tampa, those were hard working guys; in the building the same way. And that is the way it is here. Guys work hard from offseason to now and there is a lot of pride. Obviously being the Dallas Cowboys you get a lot of attention - the HBO coverage from 'Hard Knocks' and national media coverage. But not anything happens more here than any other team. It just gets a lot of coverage, just kind of like the Giants would. I have been in big markets. So that is kind of the way I look at it. But the way the schedules ran, the way the guys work, I don't think that has really changed from other teams even though it does have a lot of - some super stars names and things like that, but things aren't really that much different.
Q: Have all of the injuries kind of shaken your confidence at all?
A: Every team has to deal with injuries. We have some injuries to a lot of players and some key players. And you just have to deal with it and somehow keep finding ways to win different ball games in whatever fashion. Over the last four or five weeks we have had to struggle in some different ways and find a way to win a couple of those ball games. We have done that and hopefully we can continue that.
Q: Are you expecting to have Witten on the field with you Sunday?
A: Yeah, I hope so. He seems in good spirits and we will find out come Sunday.
Q: How integrated is Roy Williams in the offense?
A: He is getting more involved, obviously a quick change coming from Detroit - learning the system on the run. The first week he just kind of got here and was just trying to find where his uniform was. There were so many things going on that week. Last week he got more involved in the system. And got more attempts - some more balls thrown at him. As each week goes on he will get more involved in more personnel groupings where he is on the field.
Q: So right now he is still working with the limited playbook? Only certain plays he is going to be in there for?
A: No, he is in there now. It is just a matter of what plays and what personnel groupings that we have. We change it up constantly. So it just depends on that more than anything. But he has picked up on it in a week and half since he has been here pretty good.
Q: How much did losing to the Giants in the playoffs carry over for your guys? Was there a thought like, "Hey if we didn't lose that game that could have been us celebrating in the Super Bowl?"
A: I'm sure there are a lot of teams that way. Tampa felt like they were in a close game there; had a lead until they had a kickoff fumble. We had a tough game with them and then Green Bay felt the same way, I'm sure. But the thing about the Giants - they deserved to win and they went on to the Super Bowl and won that one, coming from behind. So they deserved to win last year. And everybody wishes they could have got it done. But either you get it done or you don't. And last year we didn't in the playoffs. The Giants - that's why they have the hardware to show for it.
