New York Giants News, 9/9: Jason Pierre-Paul “Still Getting Warmed Up”

New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul isn’t worried about any lingering effects from the core injury that ended his 2016 season after 12 games.

“I look at an injury [as] something to just get over. To be honest, after my hand surgery and my hand accident, I feel like there’s no injury I can[‘t] really overcome,” Pierre-Paul said on Friday. “Due to my injury on the Fourth of July, I look at every injury like, ‘Okay, get over it.’ If I can come back from that I can come back from everything. So, I proved it. I’m out there playing well right now, I’m just trying to get better, that’s it.”

Pierre-Paul was dominant in limited preseason action.

“I’m still getting warmed up. I feel like I’m still getting warmed up, still [have] a couple of things I need to tighten up. But as the season goes on, that’s what you still work on,” he said. “Preseason is preseason, training camp, OTAs, all that [was] getting you ready for football. I think everybody feels the same way about it. But I’m just getting warmed up and we’ll see what I can do in the regular season.”

How To Define A Good Running Game

Offensive line coach Mike Solari was asked Friday how he would define a good running game. His answer had nothing to do with yards gained or average yards per carry.

“A good running game is when you can run the football when you need it to run in the sense of a short-yardage, a goal line, a four-minute, when you have to run the ball,” Solari said.

That is something the Giants were not able to do with any consistency a year ago. Beginning Sunday night we will find out if Solari’s group has improved enough to help the Giants do that.

Romeo Okwara Learning Linebacker Spot

The Giants used defensive end Romeo Okwara at linebacker some during the preseason, usually in passing situations to get an additional pass rusher on the field. It sounds like we can expect to see the 6-foot-5, 275-pound second-year man in that spot during the regular season as well.

“Romeo has the physical and mental traits that we think can help us. The more you can do, the more valuable you become. We’re excited to see him keep developing,” linebackers coach Bill McGovern said.

McGovern credited coach Ben McAdoo, who occasionally allowed players opportunities to try new positions, for Okwara’s shot at playing linebacker.

“Ben had those flex days where we kind of switched guys at positions and you see him move around, you see his length, you see his athleticism,” McGovern said. “His mental makeup too really allows him to kind of grasp it quicker than some and that’s what has really helped him.”