SHANE WALDRON: Good afternoon, how is everyone doing? Another beautiful day. A lot of drop off and pick up, and all of things.
So it was fun. Nice reset there.
Q. How challenging was it against the Giants with all the moving parts on the offensive line?
SHANE WALDRON: I think those guys did a great job up front. I think one guy I think that particularly did a nice job was Evan Brown. Coming in this year taking over that center job, he's been a steady player for us. Been that anchor on the offensive line all year long, and all of a sudden he gets thrown into a scenario where he had to go play guard for the majority of the game, a spot we haven't repped him at at all throughout this time.
So talked through it, explained the things. He's smart enough. He's played in the league at that position. To be able to transition right over there in that moment, and then Olu comes in and plays center for us there once a couple more guys are hurt, and for us to keep functioning at high level was really impressive.
Like I said, it starts with Evan and what he's meant to us and how well he's played, how well he's approached his preparation, and it's really shown on the field at both spots this year.
Q. So he hadn't played any snaps at guard? I know he had played there...
SHANE WALDRON: Yeah, maybe a couple walk-through snaps here and there, but not he's been our center and earned that role. A lot of other guys had rolled through that guard position, but the way things play out with the Game Day actives and what was our best option there once we lose multiple people, he was the guy that we knew had played that position, we could trust him, he could go in there and function, and he did just that.
Q. What about Anthony...
SHANE WALDRON: Yeah, he's done a great job, too. He came in and filled that role at the right guard spot. I think for a young player, you know, you see right away his physical talent showing up. He's big and powerful. Ability to move and bend.
He's done a nice job fitting right in and, again, letting us continue to play on offense at a pretty high level. We know we got some things we got to work on and clean up, but to have that many moving parts within the course of a game or throughout the course of the last few practice weeks but still feel comfortable about everyone's knowledge of their positions has been a really credit to Andy Dickerson and Kel'i Kekuewa and those guys helping out and the players really learning the big picture of the scheme not just one position.
Q. It's the best-case scenario for next man up. The reps that you get at practice have to be critical in that moment. Have you changed your practice philosophy and the number of snaps you want guys to get over the course of the week for those specific moments?
SHANE WALDRON: Yeah, I think as we go through our week of practice, I think some important periods we have where we go against our defense or have some periods where it's always competitive, but you're getting guys put in and it's not just scout team cards. Those guys are running. Once the season gets going, I think helps them to prepare and play at a high level when their number is called within the game.
Again, it's like what Geno did as the backup quarterback in that spot when I first got here where he was preparing to play every single game like he is the starter. When it came to fruition, he's maximized his opportunity. It's really similar for the O-line, because quarterbacks and O-line are really the two positions that the backups might not get a chance to play throughout the course of the game, the backup receivers, running backs, tight ends. Those guys are naturally subbing in and rotating during the game, but the quarterback and the O-linemen, only time they're really substituting in and when the guy in front of him has an injury or has to come out of the game.
With the O-linemen subbed in and Drew gets his chance this past week and lead us on a scoring drive before the half was a big deal.
Comes back to that preparation and those guys in that position preparing like they're going to be the starter that week whether they were or not.
Q. (Regarding starting quarterback.)
SHANE WALDRON: Yeah, I think that was great for him, great for his confidence. Knowing that it's a long season and sometimes you're going to need the backup quarterback; sometimes you're going to need the backup O-linemen, running backs. For any of those guys to get in and get live game reps, and for Drew to step in in that situation, especially where it's a scenario waiting to see is Geno going to be able to come back or not, I'm sure all the things that are racing through your brain when you're in Drew's shoes.
Then to come in and does a really nice job on the third down of finding Nolan, and Noah run after catch right there up the sideline really sparked us on offense and sparked our team, and able to cap it off with the touchdown run to Ken there.
It's great for Drew's confidence. Never want that to have to happen because of injury, but if stuff does happen we're confident in his ability to come in there and step up for Geno.
Q. If you only had Drew, Geno on your active roster, who would be your emergency quarterback?
SHANE WALDRON: If we didn't have...
Q. If you only had those two guys.
SHANE WALDRON: Yeah, we would have it designated with a different guy depending on the actives that week. DeeJay Dallas has been that guy, but you're always going to have a third guy. Going to be one of the skill position players there that you designate that week for the green dot thing they have to have in an emergency role there if you don't have a third quarterback backup.
Q. You have to designate that ahead of time?
SHANE WALDRON: Yes.
Q. (Indiscernible.)
SHANE WALDRON: We'll find out this week. (Laughter.)
Q. This is the first time you've dealt with Geno Smith being (indiscernible). How do you handle that?
SHANE WALDRON: Yeah, think the first play right after that try to get a screen going because you could tell we had to call a timeout. He was in the moment and I know emotions are running high right there, so really trying to get a grasp of what the significance of the injury was.
Geno is so tough. He's not going to let anyone know anything is going on. So just getting a feel for that and then getting him into the doctors and letting them check him out and verifying he's okay.
Once he was verified that he was okay, felt good about him coming back in the game. Then just talked to him and, hey, what do you like? Is there anything you don't feel good or comfortable with running right now?
You know, he felt comfortable with everything there, and so trusting him and trusting his opinion of where he is physically, because he's the only one that really knows. He still looked fine rolling out and running the bootlegs and the keeper game right there, so felt good when he came back in to be able to operate and function at a normal level.
I know he was hurting and grinding through the rest of that game.
Q. So you didn't change anything?
SHANE WALDRON: Didn't have to update anything there.
Q. What have you made the first four weeks for Jaxon? How do you feel like he's been?
SHANE WALDRON: Yeah, first of all, he's handled it tremendously, because Jaxon has done a great job working day in and day out, coming in here from the unfortunate incident with the wrist in the pre-season there to finish things out, and then really battling to come back quickly from that injury showed his toughness.
And I think he's come out here every day and worked like anyone else. Like he's prepared to have that breakout game. I know with the receiver position sometimes the way the coverage plays out or the way the calls play out it doesn't work out in his favor, and it hasn't quite yet.
We want him to have the ball just as much as we want DK and Tyler and Noah, Will, Zach, Colby, Ken, all these guys. I think they're all doing a good our job knowing some moments you got to put the team first and the touches will happen within the moment and not pressing to find those things, but let them come to you naturally.
I think Jaxon as done a good job handling it. He's been under the big spotlight before. He's had success. He knows what it's like. Just waiting for that moment that it works out the right way for him and not taking anything away from his preparation. He's doing everything the right way.
Q. Have you talked to him about that?
SHANE WALDRON: Yeah, we have had conversations about just working on your craft, controlling the things you can control, and not pressing to make it more than something that it actually is, which is the ball hasn't gone his way a couple times. There was a couple times we had -- multiple times actually -- that we maybe called things for him that the coverage contour played out differently or the pressure got somewhere that we had to get the ball out.
So those are just things that are going to happen. He's got a really good and balanced mindset about it. I know he's a competitive guy, so like every great receiver, every great skill player in the league, those guys, they want the ball in the hand and be able to impact the game, and we want that for them.
So we keep working with him and he'll keep doing a great job. He has a bright and long future ahead of him.
Q. Do you have to declare a fourth guy then to for the quarterback?
SHANE WALDRON: Gosh, I'm going to plead the fifth because I don't want to say the wrong thing right now.
Q. Just curious.
SHANE WALDRON: Dooms Day scenario over here.
Q. I wasn't meaning like...
SHANE WALDRON: Just kidding. I actually don't know that answer, so rather than say the wrong thing, I'm going to be honest and say I don't know.
Q. The importance of balance playing against a good defense, obviously high ranking on the, you know, pass defense, but obviously their run defense is pretty good too.
SHANE WALDRON: Yeah, I think Lou Anarumo, that defense, they're such a well-coached group with such a balanced approach. They play their good core concepts really well. They have a really good pressure package.
You know, with Hendrickson running off the edge right there they got an elite pass rusher. With all those different things they're able to play like ever defense in the league is now, that's multiple coverages, multiple front, present multiple looks.
For us on offense going against a group like this, especially on the road, it's really going to be about communication, a lot of the communication will be visual because of the road atmosphere. Guys having an understanding of what's gone on, that pre-snap picture or post-snap read, whether you're a receiver or you're a running back in protection or running the ball.
So I think, like I said, going against a team that's multiple on their defensive front, they'll mix and match personnel groupings against our different offensive personnels, so you just got to come back to rules and communicate at a high level and play fast and let the guys have fun.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports