Big Blue Kickoff Live 10/9 | Giants vs. Commanders Preview

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0:27 Hello again, everybody, and welcome to Friday's edition of Big Blue Kickoff Live, presented by Cadillac, the official luxury vehicle of the New York football Giants. Matt Sytek, Paul Dottino with you for the next hour to talk Giants football as they prepare for Sunday's road game against the Washington Commanders at 1 p.m. down in D.C., We are coming to you from the Giants podcast studio presented by Hackensack Meridian Health. Keep getting better. So glad you could join us.

0:54 We're at 201-939-4513. Don't forget an archive of this show. If you're not watching us live on YouTube, which is where you can also send questions and comments, you can hit us up on your podcast platforms everywhere, giants.com slash podcasts or the Giants mobile app. You know, we talk Giants football on the show all the time, so I am going to take one quick second at the top of the show because Mike Ditka has passed away, and he is a Hall of Famer in so many ways, representative of what the National Football League is all about. So, Matt, I'm going to just take a little bit of a turn here.

1:30 Please do.

1:30 And I just want to send condolences to not only Ditka's friends, family, and all of those who ever knew and worked with Mike Ditka, but I send it out to the football world because when you talk about personalities and people who epitomize the National Football League, especially the modern era of the National Football League, Mike Ditka was as tough a cookie, as colorful a cookie, and as hard-nosed and as blood and guts football as anybody could ever want, either as a player or as a coach.

2:07 Yeah, I'm with you.

2:08 I mean, growing up, I'm 34 years old, and growing up, I heard of Mike Dicca. That's because of the legacy that he built. I feel like, obviously, his career, probably more success as a coach than a player, although he did win a Super Bowl as a player.

2:26 He was a heck of a tight end.

2:27 He was, from what.

2:29 I've read about and seen in highlights and stuff.

2:32 You didn't want to get in his way, let's put it that way, because he could bowl you over in a heartbeat.

2:36 But when you talk about just the all-time... NFL legends, not about a particular team, but just the legends of the sport.

2:44 Right.

2:44 Ditka is in that conversation.

2:46 He transcended the game.

2:47 He really did.

2:48 And, you know, you, you mentioned who the, you know, condolences out to. And I, not that I've expect many of their fans to be watching a giants radio podcast, but to bears nation out there. Cause I have, I have one of my best friends is a huge Chicago bears fan. And he was a little distraught about this news.

3:06 So condolences to you guys as well, because obviously, you know, He really was the face of that franchise for decades, generations.

3:16 It's a sad day for the NFL.

3:17 And, you know, in all ways, from the time when he was a player as a tight end with the Bears and with the Cowboys, then, of course, an assistant coach, and then became a head coach, right? We know him with the Bears and the 46 and Buddy Ryan and all those guys. But we also know when he was the head coach of the New Orleans Saints, he added a lot of color to the game. Remember the wig and the sunglasses he wore during the draft? He made the huge trade where he took the entire— Saints draft and traded it to go get Ricky Williams which of course didn't work out so well but he always had fun with it yeah and then and then after he got done as a head coach was a studio guy with ESPN and I have to tell you because he

3:59 didn't have any pretense about himself he was the real guy he was fun to listen to you learned a lot about the game from him and And he wasn't a polished TV guy. He was just a football guy talking football on a football show. And I just loved the genuine affection that he had for the game. And I just think the NFL was better because Mike Ditka was in it in every way, shape, and form.

4:26 I'm with you.

4:27 And for some of our younger fans or maybe fans around my age, he also showed a lot of personality. He was in that Will Ferrell movie, Kicking and Screaming. which is not exactly a football movie, but it just goes to show the sort of personality, the larger-than-life personality that he had, that he was cast and kind of starred in this movie and was hilarious in it.

4:52 It was so, so funny.

4:54 Just for some of the, obviously, on the list of accomplishments for Mike Ditka, that is at the very bottom. But just for some of the younger fans who maybe you don't really know who Coach Ditka is.

5:06 That he was in that movie. Yeah, I feel like you might know him from that.

5:10 Look up some videos, a guy who wasn't afraid to have fun and make fun of himself and be a caricature of himself when necessary to get a good laugh. The whole Saturday Night.

5:21 Live skates, right? Of the Bears.

5:24 That all was born out of his mid-80s Chicago Bears teams. 100%. So he really crossed a lot of lines of culture and became a true icon of the league and a representative of the National Football League.

5:37 So, again.

5:38 Just want to send out all of our condolences to all of those who have known, worked with, or even rooted for Mike Ditka because the NFL has lost one of its truly, truly great personalities. Mike Ditka passing away early this morning. I believe it was age 86, if I'm not mistaken, Matt. With that, we do open up the phones to you at 201-939-4513 as we begin our preview of the Giants and the Washington Commanders. Now, let's get right to what we already know, Matt. The Giants still, going into today's practice, had two gentlemen on the injury report that were of significance and hadn't done anything all week.

6:22 That was Jason Pinnock and Chauncey Golston.

6:25 Yep.

6:25 Pinnock, because of a concussion.

6:27 Yep.

6:27 Golston because of a neck. Coach John Harbaugh said he was going for a second opinion. When you ever hear that, it's usually not a great sign. So I would say Pinnock is probably, well, I don't want to say anything. I just want to say right now, those two guys haven't done anything this week.

6:44 Coach did mention on Wednesday when asked about Chauncey Golston, he said that his.

6:49 Injury could be long-term.

6:52 He didn't say definitively. He said, as you mentioned, getting a second opinion. But The fact that Coach even entertained the possibility of it potentially being long-term, I would say, puts his status for at least this Sunday in some serious doubt.

7:06 Yeah. Now, I will say, yesterday in the locker room, I got a chance to talk to Hottie Ward.

7:11 Hottie.

7:12 Guy who you are a very big fan of.

7:14 Yes, I love Hottie.

7:15 And, you know, the fortuitous— and I want to spend a minute on this, and then we'll mention the commander's injuries that— And there are some big ones, folks. Okay, so hold on to your tights because there are some big ones. But I want to mention Hadi with you for a minute because... You know, you were here when he was here last time. And he's not just a player who offers you some versatility, offers you some power and pop and strength on the defensive side of the ball. But he also offers, as we say, he's a glue guy.

7:47 He's one of those guys who is emotional, who's energized, who's intense, who's focused, who can rally guys in the huddle. Hottie Ward is a really good fit, and I think the Giants are very fortunate at the timing of being able to grab him. Remember, he signed right before the Cardinals game but did not dress for the game. He wasn't prepared. He just got here. When I spoke to him yesterday, he said, oh yeah, he said, I will definitely be ready to play some this week if they want me to.

8:14 Yeah, I mean, I think I mentioned this when the news first came out that.

8:17 The Giants were bringing him back, but I kind of think of him in terms of his personality and what he adds, I guess, to the locker room and just on the field from like an emotional perspective as sort of like a Cam Scadaboo, but on the defensive side of the ball in terms of the energy.

8:31 He won't be doing backflips though.

8:33 No, well, you never know, but I would hope not. But yeah, he really, you know, we said it two weeks ago. He's kind of, or last week, he's just a glue guy. You know, he brings so much juice to the locker room, to that side of the ball. So, and as you mentioned, obviously the timing is, worked out kind of well, unfortunately worked out well with, you know, they brought him back last week and then Chauncey Golsan goes out with an injury and he's, he's not the only one because the last week the Giants also signed Charlie Jones to the active roster, right?

9:03 Along with Braxton Berrios.

9:04 And then of course Braxton Berrios suffered the injury and is now on injured reserve. So that, that's another one where, you know, it's unfortunate, but the timing, you know, kind of worked out pretty well for the Giants that they made those moves in got ahead of it in a way. Obviously, you can't predict those injuries were going to happen and wish that they didn't. But timing-wise, I guess you could say in that sense, the Giants were a little fortuitous that they kind of got ahead of those two moves.

9:30 It's sometimes crazy how things work out, right? I mean, Ward was on the Vikings practice squad. And when I addressed him yesterday when I was talking to him at his locker, and I said to him, wow, you know, you had a pretty good year last year. Career high in quarterback hits, 22. Tied at career high, five sacks at 30-something tackles.

9:50 Under Denard Wilson.

9:51 Under Denard Wilson. He said, well, yeah. He said, you know, I enjoyed working with him. I enjoyed working in his scheme. Didn't know exactly how. this was going to work out during the offseason. But he said, the reason I signed with the Vikings practice squad is because it gave me a chance to come in and practice and stay in shape.

10:09 He said, I knew if I signed with someone on the practice squad that he could always get plucked and go to a 53. He said, I figured I'd be better off going to a practice squad than just sitting home and sitting out. So that's why he wound up signing with the Vikings practice squad. In effect, it was like a training program for him to keep himself going, which I thought was a great move. And I wonder why maybe more players don't do that. Or at least if they do it, they don't admit to it. Ha ha, he flat out said to me, he's like, look, I figured I was better off being on a field than not being on a field.

10:43 Yeah.

10:43 So anyway, he winds up here with the Giants, and he feels like he's in darn good shape, and he feels like he can definitely play some snaps if they're going to make him one of the active players on the roster.

10:53 All right.

10:54 No other Giant has been out of practice this week. There's been a couple of little bumps and bruises otherwise.

11:01 Yeah, there were some big names that missed the first practice of the week, which I think raised some concern.

11:07 But then they came back.

11:12 Because there were some big-name guys. Malik was DNP on Wednesday. Isaiah Likely was limited.

11:20 Skadaboo was limited.

11:22 And as the media noted, had the red non-contact jersey on.

11:27 Well, all those guys were back yesterday.

11:29 The sky was falling is what you're telling me.

11:31 Yes.

11:31 Oh, and Andrew Thomas as well. But then yesterday's practice... Malik was back out there. Thomas was back out there. Scadaboo shed the red non-contact jersey. Likely was out there again. And the Giants are practicing right now. The media is out there. Obviously, we are not.

11:47 We're sitting here.

11:48 But I'm just looking at tweets from the media saying all of those big-name offensive players are once again out there again, which you never know, obviously. We'll find out with the final injury report in a few hours. But the fact that all those guys are out there for a second straight day I would say at least has them trending in the right direction for Sunday.

12:07 For sure.

12:08 Now, looking at the commander's injury report, there are two in particular that are of significant note. That would be Stefan Diggs and one Terry McLaurin, who both have hamstring injuries. McLaurin's is really serious. They already said that last week, that he's going to miss some significant time. Diggs, I don't know how serious that one is, but as of the moment, we don't know what's going on in Washington this afternoon, but those two guys were not practicing yesterday.

12:40 Well, to start, first of all, because I'm the one that has to manually put this in onto Giants.com.

12:46 Oh, what?

12:46 Jake Daniels?

12:47 No, no.

12:48 You know he's playing.

12:48 The commanders have, no exaggeration, more than one-third of their active roster on the injury report.

12:55 23 players.

12:57 Mm-hmm.

12:57 Which.

12:58 is annoying for me because I have to manually put every single one of them in.

13:01 No, no, no, don't be annoyed. No, don't be annoyed.

13:05 There's not a problem with that.

13:07 Well, yeah, we don't wish injury upon anyone.

13:09 We don't wish it on anybody, but there's nothing wrong with listing all of that stuff to.

13:14 Get the people the information. Well, it's just, of course, that is true, yes. But 23 players is crazy.

13:20 Now, a lot of them are, you know, full participants, limited participants, so obviously those guys, you expect them to play. But there was a good chunk, what is it, like six or seven players that have.

13:30 Been DNP, or at least DNP Wednesday, Thursday. There was one player, Nick Allegretti, offensive lineman.

13:37 He's a backup now, though. He's been benched. True. He played so poorly, they benched him.

13:40 A week ago.

13:41 He was limited on Wednesday and then a DNP yesterday. But the two wide receivers, I think, are the biggest question marks. So the situation around them was a little weird. I'll start with McLaurin because— He got hurt during practice last week. It wasn't during the game in week three. It was during practice, I believe on Friday, right before their London game. And then apparently the reports were that he was pushing to play.

14:06 He did not play.

14:06 He missed the game on Sunday and then has been DNP Wednesday and Thursday. So you would think that would put him on the wrong side of questionable, but the reports out of Washington from this morning are that he's.

14:20 Back at practice today and he's out there.

14:22 So.

14:23 With hamstrings, with wide receivers, you got to be careful. I mean, hamstrings for any player, but especially a wide receiver who relies on their speed and, you know, cutting so much, more so than a lot of other positions. You don't want a, you know, maybe a mild injury to turn into something more serious.

14:41 On a chilly day in a hurricane?

14:43 Yeah.

14:44 On real grass?

14:45 So with McLaurin, you know, we'll have to see. The fact that he's out there today, according to the reports, I would say it gives him a chance. We'll see what he does.

14:55 True.

14:56 It gives him a chance.

14:57 And then the other guy, Stefan Diggs, that one I feel like is even weirder because I follow all these reports, the Washington beat reporters, and they've all been saying all week it's not that serious. There were reports that he would be out there and that he was out there, but then all of a sudden you get the injury report and he's DNP Wednesday and Thursday, and apparently he's not out there today either. So if you mispractice Wednesday, Thursday, Friday with a hamstring injury as a wide receiver, that puts you obviously on the wrong side of questionable. So between these two guys, I would say I think there's a decent chance at least one of them suits up.

15:31 Now, which one? Take your pick. Take your guess. I have no idea. We're here.

15:36 We don't know.

15:37 It doesn't seem like both of them. It doesn't seem like there's a good chance that both of them are out there. I would expect, you know, if McLaurin is back today, maybe he suits up. Either way, Jaden Daniels will definitely be out there because he's been a full participant and they have their rookie wide receiver, Antonio Williams, who in the one full game with Jaden Daniels had his best game of the season, four catches for 64 yards and a touchdown. He will likely see an elevated role if either of those two veteran receivers are not out there. So this is, Whether or not McLaurin and or Diggs are out there, this is not an offense that anyone should just take lightly, especially with Jaden Daniels

16:16 back under center.

16:16 No, no. I'm going to say I don't think either of the receivers are going to play based on what was going on earlier in the week. Now, again, just because McLaurin has a jersey on this morning, I don't know that that means a whole lot yet, to be honest. And I do think weather conditions will have a big part in it, too, because as you get into that game-time decision phase– You've got to be very careful with hammies on that field in that weather. 100%.

16:43 I agree with you 100%. But do you think, asking you, do you think the fact that a lot of people are saying that this is kind of like a make-or-break game for the commanders, that if they lose this, they drop to, what, one and four on the season? It's kind of hard to come back from that, even though it doesn't, you know, you can talk about the state of the NFC East, whatever, but it's tough to, you know, go on a playoff run when you start one and four.

17:08 So if you lose this game.

17:09 Hammies are so tricky, Matt.

17:11 I'm with you. That's why I'm genuinely asking.

17:15 And I think more often than not, trainers will err on the side of caution when you're dealing with hamstrings because, you know, if you've got to deal with one of those, you're talking about a serious, serious problem if you make it worse. I mean, it's a serious problem. And that's impacting the player. Forget about what you're talking about with the team. It's not fair to the player to say, okay, you know what? We know you could make it worse on this horrible field and these horrible conditions, but it could be our last hurrah. You got to go out there.

17:48 I don't know too many trainers who would do that.

17:52 I agree.

17:53 I would lean, given all the circumstances, towards them probably not playing.

17:59 But we'll see.

18:01 All right.

18:01 There's one other item I did want to mention. Because, again, there are so many people on their injury report. To Corey Kroski Merritt is their leading ball carrier. He is averaging less than three yards a carry. He has been limited by a groin. Folks, again, have you tried running on wet grass, especially that field in Washington, which is not very good with a bad groin? Again, I'm not saying he's not going to play, but his effectiveness on a wet field would be severely limited.

18:38 And their backup running back, Rashad White, is also on the injury report. He missed last week with a shoulder injury, has been limited the last two days. I'm not even going to attempt to guess whether or not he's going to suit up.

18:50 It's a wounded animal, right? The Giants are going down there to play a wounded animal. And they cannot take this team lightly. They need to go down there and enforce their will on them and basically bludgeon them into the ground and walk out of there with a 4-1 record. That's what the.

19:06 Giants have to do.

19:07 And while I'm kind of having a little bit of making light with this, just a tad, and I'm speculating at how... some of these things can definitely impact the game that's all true but the giants can't feel that way the coaches and the players have to feel all these guys are going to be in tip-top shape and play great if the giants feel that way and prepare that way they will go down there and take care of business.

19:28 Yeah i mean look again jayden daniels is back he's been a full participant in practice so he's going to play this week and he's a full go according to their offensive coordinator he is probably their biggest threat in the ground game. Yeah, we know what he can do on the ground. He is a dual threat, the epitome of a dual threat quarterback. So you know, just because Ja'Cory Kroski-Merritt or Rashad White, even Austin Eckler, who's now back, it doesn't matter about the efficiency of those guys because when you have a quarterback like Jane Daniels, who's capable of running the way that he is, that makes that run game overall just dangerous and one that cannot be overlooked despite what the stats might show.

20:08 And, of course, the other storyline. Sonny Stiles on one side, Arvell Reese on the other side. The two Ohio State alums going at it for their respective teams on the defensive side of the ball. Stiles is having a great start. Arvell Reese has been spectacular. And I think right now, after one month, the frontrunner for defensive rookie of the year.

20:31 But Sonny Stiles, you can make an argument, he's right behind him.

20:35 Yeah, I mean, obviously we're... We're four weeks into the season, but Arval Reese, Sonny Stiles, and I'll throw Rodriguez from the Dolphins into the conversation. Those three, again, only four games in, but seem to be the four frontrunners for Defensive Rookie of the Year. All four have been playing spectacular, and.

20:55 I laid off four of them.

20:57 Inside linebackers are the three guys that seem to be leading the way.

21:02 In defensive rookie of the year as of now. Pretty wild, huh?

21:05 Pretty wild.

21:06 All right.

21:07 201-939-4513 is our phone number. We could go over a whole bunch of other numbers and stats and everything else for you, but I don't think you guys want to do that. We're going to get to your calls. If there's some stuff you do want to know about the Commanders, we'll be very glad to get into it. But right now, we'll start from Boca Raton, Florida, and go to Jerry.

21:25 You are first up on Big Loop Kickoff Live. Hello.

21:28 Hello, and I was surprised and shocked to hear about the passing of Mike Ditka. And I have a little anecdotal story to tell you. In 1959, I was a freshman at the University of Pittsburgh. Mike Ditka was the tight end. Ivan Tonsic was the quarterback. Ed Schrockman was... was on the team as well. And those guys, we shared the same floor in SoCal right across from Pitt Stadium.

21:58 Wow.

21:59 And we shared the same floor. And once in a while. Ditka would lead the other guys to start terrorizing the non-athletes, and they would run up and down the floor, and they would terrorize those of us who were non-athletes. And I used to have to lock myself in the room whenever he would decide that this was a time that they were going to have a field of chaos. And so it brings back memories, but I'm really saddened to hear that. And I thank you for sharing the information with us about his passing. He was always a favorite of mine.

22:36 Well, he was as old school as it comes, and the kind of antics that you're talking about, well, those are certainly old school things that were done in many different dorms and locker rooms over the years.

22:49 Yeah, and it was an experience that I never realized how effective it was and how much of an impact he was going to have in pro ball. And he was a damn good tight end for the University of Pittsburgh, because I remember one year we beat Notre Dame, Boston College, and Penn State the last three games of the year, and he was one of the influential factors in that year.

23:20 Thank you, Jerry.

23:21 It's sad to see him pass.

23:23 Yes, sir. Appreciate the phone call. And by the way, part of the reason that the Parcells-era Giants in the 80s were so great and so beloved is because you had some of these incredible battles, right? During the Parcells-era, he would coach against Bill Walsh. He would coach against Joe Gibbs. He would coach against Mike Ditka. I mean, it was... Jimmy Johnson.

23:50 Think about it.

23:52 Some of these all-time greats, and the Giants won two Super Bowls during the Parcells era. They were always in contention, well, outside of maybe one year or two, and obviously the work stoppage year. But part of the reason that the Parcells Giants are so revered is because not only did they win, Matt, they won against some very, very high profile competition. Even John Robinson with his Rams in those days, that was a good Rams team too, you know? And so, you know, it's, it's not just the fact that you win in your era, but it's also the competition that you beat in your era that raises the level of your stature, so to speak. And I think that just, to me, it always raised Parcells to another level because

24:43 he did so well, not just for the Giants, but so well to beat some absolutely terrific franchises and terrific head coaches. Anyway, we go back to the phones. We go to TJ in Connecticut. You are next on Big Blue Kickoff Live. Hello. Mr.

25:02 Positino, it's an honor.

25:03 Oh, thank you, sir.

25:04 Good to talk to you, too. Oh, great.

25:06 Been a big fan for a long time.

25:08 Thank you.

25:08 So I have two points. If you, well, one concern in one, one point, if you'd let me.

25:15 Yeah.

25:16 So Arvo Reese, what a talent. I mean, the kid is a specimen, a beauty.

25:24 He's so good.

25:25 And we finally have that counter to the running quarterback that has gashed us for so many years. We have been getting cooked by that. It's, it's amazing to see. So that's my first point, and I would like to see how you think about that because I think he's amazing.

25:43 Is there anything we could add?

25:45 No.

25:46 I mean, he, look, the first two weeks of the season, I think he would even say, he has said, especially the Rams game, he did not play up to his own standards.

25:59 And I think he took that loss to the Rams hard. He took it, like, tough.

26:05 The whole team did.

26:07 And since then, it's only been two games, but those two games since then, he's not only played like a seasoned veteran, but he has played like one of the best linebackers in the NFL the last two weeks. He's been spectacular. And the craziest part about it, he just turned 21 years old.

26:27 He is a kid, and he looks like a man amongst boys out there.

26:31 But you can tell he speaks football.

26:34 Oh, yes.

26:34 He lives and breathes football. That's why he's perfect for a hardball system because he's with them watching film every game and he doesn't make the same mistake twice. That's all you can ask for from a rookie. Learn from your mistakes. And he does.

26:50 Yeah, I mean, I've seen dating back to when he got drafted by the Giants, people on Twitter, you know, on X have made light of some of his off-the-field, you know, interviews. and questioning him about how smart he is, how football smart he is. He is so football intelligent. It is not even funny.

27:10 Every single coach will say... He's savvy. He has instinct.

27:13 100%.

27:13 As you mentioned, he does not make the same mistake twice. He's not perfect.

27:17 He's made some mistakes. He'll make more, but he doesn't make them again. And that is what you want a rookie to do.

27:23 But that's the NFL.

27:24 That's the NFL.

27:26 100%.

27:26 The margin of error is so small that even the best players make mistakes, but... It's how you learn from that.

27:31 For sure.

27:32 He has proven that he is willing to learn, and he doesn't have an ego either. You can tell that.

27:38 The part that makes him really.

27:42 Hunted him out to the flat. He gets up and everyone's hyping him up. And he's like, what, what, what? And it's like, dude, that was an insane play you just made. And he didn't even realize it.

27:50 But that's routine for him.

27:52 That's the point. Yeah, that's what he expects from himself.

27:55 I think in talking with other football people about Reese, the thing that blows them away, you know, I'm talking about guys who played the game and understand the position. What they say is it's not just his power and his size and his speed and his incredible athleticism. That, of course, is something we can all see. Even someone who's never played the game can see all of that.

28:19 What they say to me is he's got this ridiculous amount of anticipation, instincts, if you will. Like Matt mentioned that word before. It's the key word because that allows him to play even faster than his body because his mind is ahead of the play.

28:38 And wow.

28:40 Wow.

28:40 The sky's the limit for him. And like I said, when we talked about the draft and we were all about Sonny Styles, because none of us, none of us thought there's any way Arbel Reese is getting a five. There's no way he's getting a five. We're disqualifying him from any of our conversations because Arbel Reese is not getting the five. There's no point even talking about him.

29:03 We're going to have to talk about the next level of guys. Well, And lo and behold, he gets to the Giants.

29:09 Yeah.

29:10 I mean, all those all those draft conversations that we had leading up to the draft, I remember them perfectly.

29:15 We were, you know. talking about Sonny Styles and Caleb Downs.

29:18 And then at the very end, we made a little, like, cliff note being like, oh, by the way, if Orville Reese somehow lands to us at five.

29:25 Scrap everything we just said. Forget everything we just said.

29:27 Go get Orville Reese.

29:28 Run to the podium, and that's your pick right there. Because we just, we did not think that there was a possibility. But the most aggressive.

29:34 He came to five.

29:35 Yeah.

29:36 It's, and I think some of the teams that drafted ahead of the giants are probably regretting that now.

29:42 I know, I know some fans on Twitter at least. Yeah.

29:45 I'm not, not to throw shade.

29:46 I have a lot of Jets fans, friends. I love you guys. But, um, also with CC Malanoa.

29:54 Yeah.

29:54 He's incredible. I play guard. It's a hard position, especially if you're going from tackle. He's going to figure it out. He's going to be fantastic.

30:01 Oh, he's played very well.

30:03 Last week was probably the one game where he struggled some.

30:08 I love that pick.

30:09 I agree with you. I agree with you.

30:11 But the one concern I wanted to have, and I'll let you guys go because I've been on this call too long for you guys, this defensive coordinator coming from a Brian Flores defense, I do have concerns about Jameis Winston's He's been a little hesitant the past couple games while he's starting, and I know it's been bad weather and we're going to have bad weather again Sunday, but I'm a little concerned how this defense, because they do the blitzes with zone. That could kind of mess with him a little bit. I'm a little concerned.

30:46 Durante Jones comes over from the Flores system with the Vikings. And to your point, TJ, I want to give you a couple of numbers here because I did see some factual data that would give you cause to be a bit nervous. Jameis Winston's quarterback rating against the Blitz this year is only a second worst in the league compared to Kyler Murray. I mean, he kind of.

31:11 Sacked himself a couple times. I love Jameis, and he's made great plays, but he has had issues with that where he kind of breaks the.

31:18 Pocket down himself. He has, and so that's number one. And then number two, the Washington Blitz percentage is second in the league at 46%. Again, he's coming from the Flores system, so that should not surprise you. It's tricky. Now, having said all of that, on the other side of the coin... Washington has allowed at least 30 points in each of the last three games. So if you can execute, you can burn them.

31:48 And even with that very high blitz rate, which again is second behind only Brian Flores himself, the commanders have only had seven sacks this year in four games, which is bottom 10 in the NFL. So, you know, you're right that the, you look at James's splits between when he's pressured or blitzed and when he's not, and there's a drop off. I mean, that goes for basically every quarterback, but, If we know this, if we're up here talking about this, you know, you two, obviously the coaching staff is well aware of this and are making plans. You know, maybe this is a day where James gets the ball out quickly.

32:23 A lot of short passes.

32:24 Maybe they just.

32:25 Run it a lot.

32:26 How about that?

32:26 Or a lot of running, which with the weather, I'm sure there will be a lot of running.

32:30 Yeah, grounded pounds.

32:31 TJ.

32:31 Greg Roman's really going to earn that paycheck.

32:33 I agree with you. Thank you for the call, TJ. Please call again.

32:36 Thanks, TJ.

32:37 Be well. All right, we go to Roberto in Florida. Roberto, hope you are standing up and getting through your times. And great to have you back.

32:49 Yes, I am, Paulie. Yes, I am, Paulie. Hey, Matt, what's going on?

32:53 How you doing, Roberto?

32:54 Listen, Paulie, you know, I was born in Puerto Rico, third world. So, you know, life has been throwing me lemons. for quite a while, so I make very good lemonade, right? So I leave that as it is, right?

33:08 You are amazing, Mr.

33:10 Excitement. That's about the best thing I could possibly say.

33:12 Yes, yes. I'm also a Christian, so, you know, acceptance is big in my life. Monday we're going to do what they call the Walk of Honor. Okay. Monday morning, and then, you know, I see him... I see him when I get there, you know.

33:32 God bless you, my man.

33:33 So with that, you know, life is good. I'm above ground, so I got work to do. Now listen, listen, let me tell you something. You know, this is starting to look like the days of the Tuto Jones and the Randall Cunningham and the Huggins and the Spans and the– Great skies, atmosphere, and you know, once we got through playing those three teams, like the Super Bowl, if we weren't there to watch the Super Bowl, it was boring because watching the NFC Central was like every Sunday was a Super Bowl. Right? But listen, check this out. I'm here, and I got two brief points, right? I'm like an emotional attorney for James Winston, right? Like, Seattle lost the game.

34:28 What do we do? We bench the quarterback. Pittsburgh lose the game. What do we do? We bench Aaron. Same with quarterbacks that are running for quarterback of the year. What do we do? Bench him?

34:43 No.

34:44 Can we wait until Winston loses a game for us to stop bringing any concern. I mean, like Winston is doing everything possible within his grip to win games. We winning games right now. Listen, we heard this before from a lot of coaches, including Parcell that the best way to get to the playoff is to win the division.

35:07 Right.

35:08 Right.

35:08 So listen, scare men can win.

35:10 Right.

35:11 But this is where I'm at with Winston. And this is what I wish to see a little more from Winston, which is, like, is the most humble person you could see on a microphone. It'd be nice if Winston started pouring in a little sense, a little bit of arrogance going into the field, maybe some ego, and just let it rip, right? Because I don't want to hear about...

35:35 injuries from the Redskins. What I want to hear is, the Redskins got a bloody nose. When we go there, we're fine. We'll punch them in the mouth.

35:42 Roberto, with all due respect, there's supposed to be a hurricane at the stadium on Sunday. It's not the kind of game that conventional wisdom indicates you're going to let it rip. OK, that's the kind of game, much like the Tennessee game that was here a couple of weeks ago. And by the way, that storm did not crush North Jersey.

36:04 It did crush other areas in the metropolitan region, but it did not crush North Jersey. And look what happened to that game. It was a slow crawl through the raindrops. I think that's what you're going to see Sunday.

36:19 I'm going to tell you this and let you go. That storm just came here. It bypassed the West Coast. I'm on the West Coast of Florida.

36:26 Okay.

36:26 So it's going to be there. But remember what I told you about the Carragory 5?

36:31 Right.

36:32 We've got the Scataboo, I don't know, Harris, Singletary.

36:39 Okay. I just assume that Hurricane Scataboo run roughshod over the commanders is what I just assume have, if it's okay with you.

36:51 I call the running room the category five, although they keep recording the tight end. But my five running backs, I call them the category five. Listen, go Giants, man. I have no fear. We got the pieces to go toe-to-toe with any team. Right? So, you know, we're not going to go, you know, 16-1. That's not real. But we are in a good position to take over the division and get into the playoff, maybe get somebody coming into the early post-playoff season through midlife. God bless you, Paul.

37:33 Thank you for your thought. And my thoughts and prayer for the Decoff family. God bless you both. And I'll leave it off.

37:39 Thank you, Roberto. Thank you, Roberto.

37:40 Stay well.

37:42 We got literally just now we got some commander's news.

37:46 Please.

37:46 Dan Quinn is talking to the media.

37:49 First of all, he confirmed Jaden Daniels will start.

37:51 No surprise there. He ruled Stefan Diggs out. So no digs.

37:58 Terry McLaurin did practice today, and Quinn said he looked good, and they're going to make a final determination later today. It wouldn't surprise me if at the very least he gets a questionable tag for Sunday's game.

38:08 Okay.

38:09 And then running back Rashad White is clear to play. So he makes his return after missing last week. And then who was the last player that was mentioned? I believe it was offensive lineman Sam Cosme, their guard, has been clear to play. So Diggs is the only starter that seems to be ruled out as of right now.

38:30 And there is at least a question mark surrounding Terry McLaurin.

38:33 Okay.

38:34 Well, keep looking.

38:36 Keep looking and see what else is coming out of D.C., Folks, just want to remind you, the Giants Huddle podcast is always up there with Giants interviews as well as other people around the media and around the National Football League. I do believe this week on the Huddle, one of the interviews that will be up is with Arvell Reese because he's part of the radio pregame show on Sunday.

38:56 It is already up.

38:57 There you go.

38:58 The interview with Arvell can be found on Giants.com, your Giants YouTube, Giants podcast platform.

39:05 So go give it a look.

39:07 All right. Great stuff. Don't forget the Giants TV mobile app.

39:12 It's free and.

39:12 You get all kinds of funny stuff and highlights on there. So take a glance at that. You can secure your Giants 2026 season tickets. They've only had three home games, which means there are six remaining. You can go to Giants.com slash tickets to learn more. Also, you can possibly get a single game ticket. If you don't want season tickets or whatever reason you can't do that, well, whatever.

39:35 Just join us for a game.

39:36 Why not?

39:37 It's getting to be a real fun place to be. Again, MetLife Stadium as this Giants team keeps rolling on. The Giants Foundation will host a 5K racing kids run presented by Quest on Sunday, November 8th at 9 a.m. at MetLife Stadium. That proceeds will benefit the Giants Foundation. Get a commemorative T-shirt after the race. There'll be appearances by Giants legends and a live DJ. Register now at Giants.com slash 5K. The Giants Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit corporation.

40:08 All right, we got those announcements out of the way. We go back to the phones. On line two, we have Dan from Connecticut. You're next on the show.

40:15 Hello.

40:17 Hey, hi, guys.

40:17 Can you hear me?

40:18 Yes, sir.

40:19 How are you?

40:19 Hey, funny that Roberto mentioned that 212 Jones. I was an usher at Yale Bowl when I was a kid.

40:30 Oh, my.

40:31 Remember?

40:32 I remember Ed Too Tall Jones walking by me. I thought I was in Land of the Giants.

40:42 He was not only a great player and an imposing figure, but man, did he wreak havoc on the Giants. He was like one of their nemesises for many, many years when he was part of that Dallas defensive line.

40:57 Yeah.

40:59 But anyway, this week, you know, Winston has a tendency to fire a little higher. I'd like to see the Giants go with it. You know, they're guys that can pick it out of the air, like, you know, Fedoni, maybe Fields. I wish they kept Beckham for that reason, too. But that's about all I had to say this week.

41:21 I'm hoping the networks put the Giants on this week. I'm sick of watching the Patriots.

41:26 Ha, ha, ha. We don't have any control over how the networks hit the switch and give you which game.

41:34 But I will tell you this.

41:36 Again, the forecast is not good. It is one of the messier fields in the NFL. The grass field in Washington is not a great field. Now, it gets worse a lot later on in the season. We're only in October, Matt, so it's probably not in terrible shape right now. But depending upon how much it gets soaked over the weekend.

42:04 It could be really messy. That's the bottom line.

42:06 Yeah, no doubt about it.

42:07 I'm looking at the forecast now, and it does look like there's a chance. It's going to be raining all morning, so the field is definitely not going to be in good shape regardless of how it is at kickoff.

42:20 But it does look like.

42:22 The percentage chance of rain as you get closer to kickoff is decreasing a little bit.

42:28 So maybe, maybe the rain eases up a bit as we get close to kickoff. What about after it starts?

42:35 Look, the likelihood is still that it's going to be raining throughout the game. It's just the percent chance of rain, which is high 90s, 100% all morning, drops down at 12 p.m., drops down to 70%.

42:49 So maybe both teams get lucky.

42:52 It's going to be wet. But regardless, the field is not going to be in good condition. As you mentioned, the field in general is not– the best playing conditions in the NFL, and you add in hours and hours and half an inch of rain all morning, it's going to be sloppy out there.

43:09 Yeah. Yeah, it is. And so it is highly likely, highly likely that both teams will want to lean on their running games. And I just, without being disrespectful, because we know that Jaden Daniels has legs, right? He can get around. He can cause you a lot of trouble. He can be very slippery. And I'm not saying that to.

43:28 Be a pun.

43:29 OK, the Giants running back room is sturdier, stronger, more powerful. And I think just quite frankly, a deeper running back room than what the commanders have.

43:42 I mean, deeper for sure.

43:43 I mean, the Giants have four running backs on the on the roster, on the active roster that have proven that they can play at a high level in the NFL.

43:51 Mm hmm.

43:57 Rashad White also shown flashes, but not exactly the big bruising type of running back. And Austin Eckler, he is a veteran that has done it for a long time, but he was on his couch.

44:09 Up until a couple weeks ago.

44:10 Yeah, they had to bring him back.

44:11 Yeah, in terms of the depth, I would go with the Giants' depth at the running back position. We were talking about Jaden Daniels and his ability to run, which is certainly there. My only question is, with this being his first game back from that pretty gruesome elbow injury that somehow only sidelined him for two games. I can't imagine the commanders or Jaden himself will want to put him in a position where he is taking a good amount of hits, which obviously as a quarterback, you try to protect yourself anytime you run with it, but that can only get you so far. If you're in the heat of a game, fourth quarter, and you're running with the football, you're going to try to pick up that first down. So apparently he's going to be wearing some

44:50 sort of big brace. It's his left elbow, so it's not his throwing elbow.

44:53 Correct.

44:54 I do.

44:55 I'm interested to see if that, the injury that he only suffered a couple of weeks ago that looked pretty bad, if that does make him a little bit more hesitant to take off and run like the Jaden Daniels we're used to seeing.

45:08 All right, we go to Joe in Pennsylvania. You are next on Big Blue Kickoff Live. Hello.

45:12 Hi, Paul.

45:14 I'm Matt. How you doing?

45:15 How you doing, Joe?

45:17 I have to mention Dick. I think I can remember him a little bit as an athlete, but When he was coaching, man, he was classic. Paul, do you remember the one night on Monday Night Football there? I think Flutie was his quarterback, and he threw an interception, and oh my God, Ditka blew up. His plays went flying all over. He was classic there.

45:42 He was a character.

45:43 He was a character.

45:46 I'm so grateful that the NFL has guys like Mike Ditka. Because it's those guys that add the oregano to the sauce.

45:55 You know what I mean?

45:56 Yeah. Then they played on Monday Night Football. I think it was against Shores, undefeated Dolphins. And the Dolphins, I think, beat the Bears. It was a really good game. I mean, there was some classic football back there. And the coaches with Parcells and Buddy Ryan. It was a dogfight.

46:14 No doubt.

46:16 Okay, getting back to the Giants. I was just saying, if it is... so rainy and everything like that. Maybe this is the week he brings in the other quarterback there we got and let him run his RPOs there or so.

46:33 I don't know.

46:36 It might be something to mix it up if we're not moving the football. And then also I think one thing, we have our specialty teams. I think they're the They're leading the league. So even our returns now are even getting bigger with the guys we have back there. So that's all I want to say, Paul.

46:57 Well, Joe, I will add two things to your comment. And first I will say about the special teams. With a very messy field, you are right. There is always the potential that a special teams play. can be very, very instrumental in a big play that could turn everything within the football game. There's no question about that. Bad weather and special teams usually do not mix very well.

47:24 They just don't.

47:26 Turnovers could be in there, whichever way it goes. No doubt. I don't know how Washington is with turnovers. Actually, you know what?

47:35 I got that number right here in my notes because I got all this stuff here prepared. During the course of the week, as I always do.

47:41 They've only had two turnovers on offense all season.

47:44 They are plus three on their turnover ratio, which is tied for fourth best in the league.

47:49 They beat Seattle, and they had the Eagles on the rope. The Eagles beat them at the very end. Nope, they're whatever. And, hey, Tampa Bay won last night, beat the Cowboys. There you go.

48:02 Yeah, for sure. And, by the way, your other comment before we let you go, Joe, about the quarterback.

48:08 John Harbaugh.

48:09 Did say after the game last week that they had had a small package of plays for J.J. McCarthy. So it would not be totally out of the question if somehow, some way, you see him make a cameo or two during the course of the afternoon Sunday.

48:27 At this point, he's been here.

48:31 We heard Coach Nagy, the offensive coordinator, say yesterday he gave him an A-plus, right? for how he has prepared, how hard he has worked, and how much he has tried to digest. So I think it's in play. It's in play from last Sunday forward that he could potentially see some cameo role in any game.

48:54 Yeah, I mean, Coach did mention after the game last week that J.J. McCarthy was active and they did have– I don't know, a certain number of plays prepared in case they did decide to call his number, but just want to pump the brakes a little bit because he did also say that, at least this past Sunday, they did not actually, during the game, consider using any of those plays and putting him in.

49:19 Right.

49:20 Was prepped for it. They're prepped for it.

49:21 Cause as, as we know, this coaching staff is going to prepare for any and every possibility, every circumstance you could possibly think of. So I would assume that there will be plays prepped again for JJ this Sunday, but I, it would take some, you know, some, I don't want to say extreme circumstances, but, some specific circumstances, I think, for him to actually go into the game.

49:44 All right, Joe.

49:45 I was thinking if they were really ganging the line and you can't throw the ball, it's that bad that maybe they'd try a series, and if we're not moving it at all, they'd try a series or two.

49:56 It's possible.

49:57 It's certainly possible.

49:58 Thank you, Joe.

49:59 Thank you for the call, Joe. We go to line one. Mike in New York.

50:03 You are next on Big Blue Kickoff Live. Hello.

50:05 Hello.

50:06 Hey, guys.

50:06 How's it going?

50:07 Love the show.

50:08 Thank you.

50:09 Appreciate you dialing us up. We're having trouble with your signal, Mike. Can you possibly maybe move to another desk.

50:23 Or another room? You're going in and out.

50:27 Sometimes these cell phones are not as reliable as we'd like them to be.

50:31 Any better now?

50:32 Much better. Yes. Great.

50:35 I'll probably be your quickest call of the day here.

50:37 Quick question, what are you going.

50:39 To be happening at the center position this Sunday?

50:43 Well, it's funny you mention that because I just asked John Michael Schmitz about his new family addition when I was in the locker room yesterday. He did have a new baby girl, him and his wife, last week. Very, very proud, of course. And we know that Hudson... who played the game last week while JMS did not play because he had missed so much practice time, according to coach John Harbaugh, because of the whole pregnancy, that right now it's like anybody's guess. Hudson has a sore knee.

51:16 He wears a brace on his knee. I believe it's his left knee, if I'm not mistaken. Well, you could see it when he gets out on the field. So I'm not giving you any secrets here. So I do not know, honestly.

51:27 And I don't think John Harbaugh is going to tell anybody. No, I don't think he's going to share that information.

51:33 I think it won't be until warm-ups on Sunday when the beat reporters are tweeting which guy is lined up with the starting offensive line during warm-ups. My guess would be that will be the first time we get any sort of indication of who will be starting at center.

51:48 Coach has said, though, he's been pleased with both players.

51:51 Yeah, and Matt Nagy said the same thing.

51:54 He did.

51:55 For Brian Hudson, who came into training camp seemingly like a long shot to even make the roster, ended up beating veteran Lucas Patrick, who is now starting for the commanders at center, actually.

52:07 Indeed.

52:07 But he ended up beating him out for the backup center role, and he filled in really well this past Sunday.

52:12 He had a strong game.

52:14 So as Coach mentioned on Monday when speaking to the media and asked about this, having two centers that you think are qualified to start in the NFL, that is a good problem to have.

52:25 No doubt.

52:27 201-939-4513.

52:29 We have a few minutes left in the program. We go to some of our YouTube comments. Legacy 201 says, rest in peace, Mike Ditka, forever a major influence on the game. John McCreary Jr. 285 says, Paul, how long do your five mile walks take? Well, when I was younger, okay, and this goes back a few years now, I could do them in under 75 minutes. Now it's more like 85 minutes. I don't quite go as fast as I used to.

52:59 And if you're only adding 10 minutes, how many years later since you started these walks? That's pretty good, Paul.

53:04 Well, you know, to be honest with you, I used to like, when I was doing it when I was younger, I purposely would like try to beat my times all the time. So I put an extra stress level on trying to walk like three and a half miles an hour because I wanted to beat my own times all the time. And I would race myself day by day, by day, by day. Now that I'm older and I'm more mellow, I just do the walk at a kind of a little bit more of a leisurely pace. And I'm not competing with myself anymore.

53:31 More mellow. I was going to say, this is more mellow, Paul. What were you like?

53:36 I set myself up for that, didn't I?

53:38 Yeah.

53:40 Ed Squires, $ 34.

53:42 99.

53:42 We need our offensive linemen to really work hard to open up lanes for Scat, Harris, Devin, or even Tracy. Look, I will say this. Of running backs who have at least, I believe the stat is for a minimum of 50 carries, or maybe it's 20. I can't remember the minimum on the chart. But Scataboo. Has only had approximately one and a half yards before contact.

54:11 Did you see this stat, Matt?

54:14 I don't. I don't believe so.

54:15 Yeah, hold on a second. Let me see if I have it in my notes. I believe it's like 1.3 or 1.5 yards before contact. And of running backs who have the minimum requirement, in other words, not a guy who just ran the ball five times, okay, of one of the semi-regulars or rotational backs in the league, he has the lowest, the lowest average yardage before contact in the league. which basically tells you that the Giants offensive line, well, you know what? They're not run blocking quite as well or quite as consistently as they should be. Because you want a guy like Harris or Skadaboo to get that second gear going so the power and the might and the momentum they have can carry guys even further down the field.

55:06 Yeah, I'm with you.

55:07 And I've got a fun stat for you that Dan Salamone featured in his weekly Inside the Numbers article. Cam Scadaboo has now played in 12 NFL games, dating back to last year, of course.

55:20 When Cam Scadaboo has.

55:21 At least 18 rushing attempts, the Giants are 5-0. When Cam Scadaboo has 17 or fewer rush attempts, the Giants are 0-7.

55:34 So, wow.

55:36 I did not realize that, but.

55:39 Considering what the weather is supposed to be like for this game on Sunday, I would not be surprised if he reaches that 18 rushing attempts mark. So hopefully the Giants have the same fortune as.

55:50 They have in the other five games. How about this?

55:52 He goes for 18 and Najee Harris goes for 18. And between the two of them, they have 36 runs.

55:59 I mean, if they each get 18 runs, I would seem to think that that means things are going.

56:03 Pretty well for the Giants in this game. I would agree. So I would sign up for that.

56:07 Thank you. Eleveny Manny says, must win this Sunday.

56:11 Let's go.

56:12 I don't care who's healthy or not on the other side of the field. Go attack them. Well, look, here's the thing. If you're going to run the ball a whole ton and you're going to pound it and you're going to grind it out, trust me, you're going to want to get an early lead because there's not much more that can demoralize the other team than if you get a lead on them. in a bad weather game and just start pounding away and slugging at them. Usually, more often than not, that will take that other team's morale right down into the mud. And you can impose your will on them easier in the second half as you continue to bludgeon them in the miserable conditions. So I'm with you.

57:02 I agree.

57:02 You get the early lead and that leads to what we were just talking about with Skadaboo and Najee. Singletary, Tracy, all those guys getting a ton of carries. Go back to the Titans game, the last game that was played in very poor weather conditions.

57:16 The Giants jumped out to an early lead. It wasn't a big lead, but a lead nonetheless.

57:21 Jameis Winston finished the game with 22 pass attempts.

57:25 The Giants as a team.

57:26 Had 32 rush attempts.

57:29 You look on the other sideline, the Titans.

57:31 21 total rush attempts. Cam wore through the ball 36 times in that horrendous weather.

57:38 And that's a bad recipe.

57:40 Yeah.

57:40 I mean, 36 attempts, only 181 yards. Because with the wind and the rain being what it was, you couldn't throw the ball downfield.

57:47 So everything was just short. And that's not a recipe to win a game in these weather conditions. So I'm with you. Get out to an early lead. Play good defense.

57:56 Stop the run and run the ball, which is what the recipe for success is we've been talking about. Since John Harbaugh took over back in January, we've been saying that's what they got to do.

58:05 Now, I will tell you, Washington is only allowing 93 yards a game on the ground, which is sixth best in the league, and four yards per carry, which is 13th in the league. They've got three players who, in particular, have done a nice job against the run this year. Javon Kinlaw, the former Jet, who is now playing 4-3 defensive end.

58:28 I mean, I'm sorry, 3-4.

58:29 He's playing 3-4 defensive end now with the Redskins scheme or the Commander scheme. I'm sorry. See, I still slipped. He's playing 3-4 defensive end, and he's really, really playing very well against the run. Sonny Stiles, the middle linebacker, obviously playing very well. We told you about that earlier in the program. And Frankie Louvo was still there. And, you know, he's actually turned into a pretty good player.

58:54 He has, yeah.

58:55 So those are the three guys you have to worry about if you want to try to move the ball on the ground against Washington.

59:01 And when you look at their four games, they've had— Mixed results. They're two of their games. They've been outstanding against the run. And I feel like that is... skewing the stats to make them look at what they are. They were phenomenal against the Cowboys. They shut Javante Williams down.

59:17 Yeah. But Dak Prescott threw for 280 yards and four touchdowns.

59:21 The following week, they completely shut down the Seahawks run game, which with, you know, Zach Charbonnet still injured. So that was, a mixture of Jadari and Price, Emmanuel, Wilson, George Helani. They completely shut him down. The Seahawks only had 44 rushing yards, but Sam Darnold threw for 380 yards and another four touchdowns. So they have had some success in limiting the run, but the Eagles had success against them on the ground, and the Colts last week with Jonathan Taylor had success on the ground. Now, Saquon Barkley in week one, Jonathan Taylor last week, Those are two of the better running backs in the NFL when healthy. Javante Williams is good, but he's not on that same level, and then none of those Seahawks guys are even close

1:00:03 to that level.

1:00:04 No, this commander's front seven deserves some respect.

1:00:06 For sure.

1:00:07 100%.

1:00:07 They can be tough.

1:00:09 They definitely can be tough, and a Dan Quinn defense in general can be tough.

1:00:13 No doubt.

1:00:14 Especially with Sonny Stiles, we were talking about before, that middle linebacker. But I did just want to say that they can be run on. Teams have had success on the ground against them. It's just it's been up and down.

1:00:25 Yes. Programming note before we say goodbye. Sunday, 1 o'clock, Giants and Commanders down in D.C. That game, of course, is on Fox.

1:00:36 5 in New York.

1:00:37 And don't forget, at 11 a.m., the pregame show on WFAN here in New York. Then after that, MSG has postgame live, one hour live after the game, immediately following that final gun game. as well as over on WFAN is the radio postgame show, which goes on for two hours following the game as well. So a lot of ways to consume Giants football on Sunday if you're not making the trip down to D.C., but If you do make the trip, make sure you bring some raincoats.

1:01:10 Bring a poncho.

1:01:11 It's going to be wet. Thanks for listening to today's episode of Big Blue Kickoff Live, presented by Cadillac, the official luxury vehicle of the New York football Giants, coming to you from the Giants podcast studio, presented by Hackensack Meridian Health. Keep getting better. The show is part of the Giants platforms everywhere, the Giants YouTube channel. and at Giants.com slash podcasts. For Matt Saitek, I'm Paul Dottino. We will see you again on Big Blue Kickoff Live, presented by Cadillac again on Monday.