The New York Giants’ defeated the Chicago Bears, 22-16, extending their winning streak to five games, their longest since 2010. Still, head coach Ben McAdoo refuses to take anything for granted.
“We're 1-0 this week. We like where we are, we liked how we finished the ball game today with a win. We'll get ready for next week starting tomorrow,” he told reporters after the game.
It’s a Belichick-ishly subdued response from a first-year head coach, but it seems equal parts measured and sincere. By no means did the Giants’ play their best football Sunday, and McAdoo knows there’s work ahead.
“Tale of the two halves today. I'm proud of the way the guys responded at halftime. 13-0 in the second half. Came out with the fire burning,” he said. “We still have a lot of work to do, we realize that, and we look forward to doing it.”
A win is a win, but the Giants’ defense likely won’t be able to rescue them every week. Not with tougher opponents and playoff football on the horizon. After another potential trap game at the Cleveland Browns in Week 12, the Giants will close out the season with the Pittsburgh Steelers (5-5), Dallas Cowboys (9-1), Detroit Lions (6-4), Philadelphia Eagles (5-5) and Washington Redskins (5-3-1).
Here are some takeaways from McAdoo’s post-game presser.
On his message to the team at halftime, when they trailed 16-9 ...
“Just stay the course. Live and learn from the first half, flush the first half, and get back out there and play your tail off in the second half and we'll like where we'll be at the end of the ballgame.”
On getting the stop at the end of the first half ...
“Every possession in these ball games is important when it comes down to the end. Everything seems to count.“
On Landon Collins ...
“Landon came up for us big again today. Anytime you can end the game on a play like that, that's encouraging. Sideline was fired up, we were fired up for Landon, he made a heck of a play. ... He's just a productive player, he's been productive ever since I've been standing up here in front of you. But he's confident with his ball skills now and you see that showing up any time the ball is in his vicinity. He's a ball hawk.“
On going for it on fourth down ...
“We thought it was going to be one of those types of ballgames that when you're on the fringe area, whether you kick a field goal, whether you go for it. We needed to go for it on more fourth downs today than normal. We have confidence in the guys to be able to punch it in there, so going for it on fourth down seemed pretty natural.“
On Robbie Gould’s two PAT misses...
“We'll address it and we'll move on; it was a tough day to kick the football. ... The wind obviously was a factor every time you had a play in the kicking game today.”