Q. Wonder if we can get a couple injury update, Quez left the game and Jordan Davis played limited snaps. Can you update us on that?
NICK SIRIANNI: Still looking through these guys. They are progressing nicely. Nothing that we think is real serious but we'll see and we'll have more for you on Wednesday.
Q. The Giants seem to be the epitome of live by the blitz, die by the blitz. What's been your assessment when you see the giant bring pressure and how do you think the Eagles offense, including Jalen have responded by seeing all these blitzes?
NICK SIRIANNI: Obviously still early in my studies of them. You go through a Monday morning, you really do a lot of evaluation on yourself and what you did and we are obviously just really early on it. I know this style of defense, it can create a lot of issues and you have to be on it as far as your rules and do everything with your rules and make sure you have plays that can block these things.
So like I said, early in our preparation but they make you think. They are well-coached and have good players, and we're going to have be to on it. The scheme that they have is really challenging. There will be a lot of time that we will spend here in the office like every week to make sure that we have a plan for these guys and put our players in position to make plays.
Q. You mentioned this early in the week, it's mainly about what you guys did. So curious, now that you've watched the film, the tweaks on special teams that you guys did, how do you think that worked out and why do you think it worked out so well?
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, I think the guys came and they were ready to go. Like our coaches put them in a good spot to do some different things what with we did and a little bit of that, too, was what Tennessee was doing.
Not going to give you the answers probably on scheme because we've got to play again this week against a really good opponent but with what our adjustments were and how our players played, like I think it was a big -- guys just stepped up and made plays and Coach Clay and all the special teams coaches did a good job of getting them in position to be able to make plays.
But there was a number of guys that made plays. It wasn't just one guy. It was a full team. Just like it was full team defense yesterday on display, it was full team special teams defense, and return game going on out there. A bunch of guys made that thing go and that's what football is, it's a great team sport and it takes all 11 to make it go.
Q. What type of impact has James Bradberry had for this defense through the first 12 games?
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, he's been on fire. I really just think that he sees the field well. He makes the play when the play comes to him, right, and I just think that he's just been a great veteran help to the, been a complement on the other side to Slay. He's steady, he's a pro. He doesn't say much but he goes out and does his job every day and he leads by example.
I've really enjoyed getting to know James, and you see why he's been the type of pro that he's been when you see his work habits every single day of how he goes about preparing for an opponent and how he goes about preparing for a wide receiver. He's a really good corner and not only because he has great, great talent but also because he has great, great preparation, great football IQ and great toughness and I'm sure glad he's an Eagle.
Q. Since Goedert got hurt, you've found new weapons on offence. Do you feel like you've discovered something in the offense that when Dallas comes back you'll have more options that you feel comfortable with?
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, you know, it will still always be an issue of how many -- you've only got one ball to spread around, right. Obviously when Dallas comes back you're going to want to get him involved just like you want to get him involved before he got hurt. But it is nice that the guys are stepping up in his absence and making plays, which is only going to make him more difficult to defend.
When you gain that confidence in guys, you say to yourself, well, maybe I can have one more play for him or one more play for that. It definitely forces you as a coach to think about how you are going to get all these guys the ball. The offense ran through those three guys. I think when Dallas gets back, when that happens, we'll be obviously excited to get him but there's still going to be -- the offense will go through these guys, but things go through your mind, he made a play here, he made a play there and we have to give Quez the ball because Quez is really dangerous. It will definitely make us harder to defend and people will have to plan for everybody on that side of the ball to stop.
Q. I know you're still wrapping up yesterday's game but I have seen you talk about Brian Daboll and the influence he's had on your career. How would you explain that and in particular that year in Kansas City together?
NICK SIRIANNI: You know, it wasn't by any means a year that either of us probably want to remember. It was my first year as a position coach. Brian was our coordinator. We didn't have a great year as far as statistically record-wise, all those things. I think we were pretty good at rushing the ball if I remember rightly but the things I learned about -- particularly defensive football, right.
Obviously Brian was an offensive coach or offensive coordinator but he taught me so many things about the defensive side of the ball that I know was significant to him and his development.
I think what Coach Daboll did ws really, I always felt like he took me under his wing and said, I'm going to really help this guy; it my son. I really felt that way about myself and Jim, we were there together, he really took us under his wing and wanted to teach us as much as he possibly could because I think he always would say, he saw something in us and he really wanted to contribute to our success as coaches. And he did that. He's just such a smart coach.
Like I said, the things that -- we really bonded a lot over wide receiver play, a lot, a lot, in the pass game, but particularly the conversations that we had about wide receivers.
I remember we went out to work a guy out at Appalachian State, quick, from Appalachian State myself and Coach Daboll went out there and we just had so many good conversations about the position and about offense.
And then him and I being from the same area of the country in western New York, just always had a connection with him. So again, like I said, the things that he was able to do to help my career, I feel like he took me, right, like any good coach does, you're here, and you want them to be able to take you to the next level and then some. That's what we tried to do with players, how can we get these guys to raise their game to another level.
Well, Brian Daboll did that for me as a coach. I felt like I was here and he took me to a couple levels higher because of the things he can you tell me about offense, about defensive football.
We have always stayed in touch since that year. I always felt like, man, I wish I had more years around him because of how much moth I learned in just that one year from him. Can't say enough good things about him. I see why the team, again, I am just early in my studies but I can see why his team is playing so well and they are -- because they are sound because they have got a really good head football coach over there in New York.
Q. In which areas do you think DeVonta Smith has grown the most in year two?
NICK SIRIANNI: What DeVonta is so naturally skilled at the position and so fundamentally sound and so savvy with just how to run routes, right. He's just gaining more knowledge on that. I wouldn't say when he came in here that he had a weakness, right, because he just did so many things so well.
He's just getting better at doing things that he does so well. I mean, he just keeps getting better at it. I do feel like he's just got this tremendous feel in zone coverages to where to sit in the holes and where to see the holes.
Where I think he's taken a step is he has this outside -- he's a phenomenal outside receiver who has this feel to be able to go inside and just have a feel for inside because there's a lot more -- it's a lot different inside. Outside you have to do a couple things. You have to beat the guy and you have to beat the leverages, you have to identify different coverages but inside you've got to feel everything. There's more guys in there to feel around and so he has a good feel for that because he has such good football IQ.
So DeVonta, I just see him continue to grow there. I really feel like, you know, the guy I had like this was Keenan Allen where he was able to go inside, outside and really change the game both from the slot and from the outside. I just I feel like DeVonta has made that -- that's no secret because he's in there a bunch but that's where he's made a big jump. He probably always had the ability to do it. We just started putting them in there a little bit more so he -- yeah, he's had a nice year so far and we look to continue to build upon that.
Q. I apologize if Tim didn't ask -- when he asked about the injuries about Kyzir, is he one of the guys you talked about or month?
NICK SIRIANNI: I didn't really talk about anybody. Just the guys that, you know, we had some -- like any game, you're going to have some bumps and bruises. Nothing that we felt Kyzir -- I just generalized it, right. Nothing like we felt was going to be serious or anything that we were concerned about, and so like I said, it's early, it's early for these guys. They are in the training room and we are still getting feedback from the trainers and the doctors.
Again, liked, it's nothing that we are real concerned about and hopefully we'll have everybody for this week. But it's too soon to tell that completely. You know, we'll have more information for you on Wednesday.
Q. Obviously Nakobe played quite a bit in Kyzir's place. Curious to your thoughts out he played, he had like five tackles and maybe 20 snaps and everything.
NICK SIRIANNI: Yeah, we thought he played well. And I think that started in his special teams reps. He had the hit at the beginning of the second half that really established the physicality that we wanted to play with and that would were coming out again in the second half to play physical and Nakobe really started thing off.
And when he was in there, he did a nice job and that's what we would anticipate of our first guy in. If one of those guys were to get hurt, you know, like what -- and miss some time like Kyzir had to in the second half, we had a lot of faith in Nakobe to come in and make a play. We are really happy with our depth there.
We are really happy with the development of Nakobe. We are really happy with the way T.J. and Kyzir are playing. They are playing at a-high level and so Nakobe just got to keep trying to make his way through special teams and when he gets the opportunity to play and we also see that in practice. So we're really happy with Nakobe and how he's performed when he's gotten opportunities and what he does in practice as well.
Q. We asked about Jalen not throwing to his left quite as much or not throwing over the middle quite as much as compared to most other quarterbacks, that has not been the case this season it seems like. Is that something that you guys tangibly worked on with him or is that just the result of more weapons in the offense and the way that things have shaken out?
NICK SIRIANNI: I think some things, when you say to the left, that is something that I think just happens based off of which way, the progression starts. That I don't put much stock into. I think as far as over the middle, yeah, I mean, that can happen off of coverages, it happens off different things, different routes that you're doing. So I don't look too much into that. Except for the fact that you want to be multiple to defend in every area, so if you have a tendency to throw it right all the time, you know, we concentrate on that.
If you have a tendency to throw outside all the time, you try to concentrate on that to make yourself more matchups. But you know, the way the teams play, your run game that, dictates where the ball goes. It's just such a -- you know, you come in with a plan but it's so dictated -- where the ball goes into game is so dictated on -- it really is on what the defense is playing. That's what good quarterback play is, right, where the defense is playing this, they take the ball where it needs to go based off the coverage or based off of what happened in the rush.
To me, it's been more of what Jalen has done well is that he is just continuing to progress as a quarterback of knowing where to go with the football versus every different look. And that's not surprising.
Like when you guys asked me a question about Jalen before, he's got all these touchdowns this year, all these yards rushing and passing, and no matter what, the first answer I'm going to give you on Jalen every time is that he's doing these things because he's so locked in. I'm telling you, like he's the one in here till all hours of the night.
He's the one in here popping his head in in the Tuesday night offensive coaches meeting and seeing if Brian Johnson is still in there so he can continue to go over the game plan when it's nine o'clock at night and we'll take those guys into; he's the one in there -- he grinds. He wants to be great. I think it's a product of him just continuing to get better and he's just going to keep getting better because of who he is and -- and the time he puts into it and how much it means to him and what great football character he has.
Q. Miles Sanders is closing in on a thousand yards for the season. From last year to this year what progress have you seen him make? Seemed like he came into training camp in a lot better shape. Is that how you saw it, too?
NICK SIRIANNI: I think because all you guys were saying he was the No. 2 back, he got pissed off at you guys -- it was you guys. No, I'm kidding.
No, he's been really good this year as far as taking care of the football. He's been really good this year of picking up pressures. He's been really good this year of seeing the pressures and identifying it and you know, everything.
So those are things that some of those things are not even about the yards. They are about, you know, him in just the development of his game. He just keeps getting better and getting better and better. And how explosive he is and how good of a football he is, but he's just taking advantage of all his opportunities. Yesterday there wasn't a lot of opportunities and he took advantage of the ones he got; and the week before there was a lot of opportunities for him and he took advantage of the ones he got.
Miles has stayed healthy this year. I know he got dinged up a little bit last year, or else we would have been talking about, if he didn't get dinged up last year, which is part of the game, we would be talking about how this is the second year in a row that he's had a thousand yards.
He's done a nice job playing and doing all the little things right to help that room. And you know, we look for him to continue to do all these things and I'll be -- I'll be the first one to high five him when he hits that thousand yard mark and say, let's go to the next one.
But we'll really be excited for him once he hits that thousand yard plateau because that's something that -- that means something in this league. It's just always a nice thing to have when the guys get that because that's a good recognition, not only of the player that they get a thousand yards but also the entire time because it takes everybody to contribute to that.
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