Mike Kafka on Calling Plays on Sideline vs. Booth | New York Giants

Mike Kafka on Calling Plays on Sideline vs. Booth | New York Giants

Mike, I had a a kind of a big picture league question if you don’t mind before these guys start grilling you on the on the Giants. Uh big trend lately has been former players being a head coach. You may be a head coach soon one day. What do you think former players as head coaches bring to their teams that other other guys don’t who haven’t had experience playing in the league? Yeah, I mean I’m trying to think back. I’ve been under a couple, you know, in my time at Northwestern, Coach Fitz, being a former player, former Wildcat, um, and understanding what that is. And I think, and then being in coach Reed, who’s, you know, played played college at a high level and obviously coached for a long time, but didn’t necessarily play in the league. So, you know, I’ve kind of had both experiences in my time. And, um, you know, I don’t think there’s one one right way or the other. I think just different experiences. Each coach kind of brings their own touch and and feel to how they approach the game. And I think reaching to players, getting them to understand the importance of certain things, whether it’s on the field, off the field, the fundamental part of it. Um, you know, just sharing your experiences. I think for me, that’s been probably the coolest thing is, you know, being in those same seats with the guys, being in the locker room with the guys, being able to relate to the players and understand what they’re going through. And then, you know, this it’s not any secret, you know, this time of year right now when when cuts are kind of going down. But I’ve been in those I’ve been in those positions, you know. I’ve I’ve sat there. I’ve been cut before a number of times, you know, and I’ve also been part of it where I made the team, you know, so I have I can share that and understand what the players are going through. But those have been my experience as a coach, as a player. Um, you know, I think there’s no right or wrong way to it. It’s just what you bring to the table as a as a person. Appreciate it. Thank you, Neil Best. Obviously, from what we’ve been able to see, your offensive line has looked, you know, pretty good in these preseason games. How what what have you seen from them and how is it harder or easier with offensive lines to draw conclusions from preseason games than you know compared to you know the skill position guys? What what what do you think of what you’ve seen so far? Well, it’s you know everything certainly starts up front in the run, the pass game, the screen game, all everything. and Karm and James have done a really good job of of getting that group together, getting everyone on the same page and working its way inside out, right? From the center to the guards to the tackles to the tight ends being an extension of that run game in the pass game, the the running backs, the receivers. So, we talk about a lot being 11man operation, but it starts with the guys up front, the coaches are an extension of that, and then all the skill groups making sure we’re all on the same page. And that’s just part of really what we honed down this off seasonason was making sure the the language that we’re using in the huddle, the language that we’re using at the line of scrimmage, it all means something. And so what is that telling the players and how to operate, how to execute their position and role um and so I think it’s been really good and I think you’re seeing it. The players are buying into it and they’re um they’re doing well. Is is it any harder with linemen, you know, to tell what’s going on in a preseason game compared to other positions or is it kind of a similar judgment? No, you get a feel. You certainly get a feel for it as a play caller. You see that they’re handling it. There’s not a whole there’s not a whole lot of pressure at some, you know, in some points. And so, you get a feel for what the how the rush is going, how the O line’s kind of leaning on the defensive line, what kind of movement they’re getting at the line of scrimmage. So, that’s been that’s been really productive and really good this this preseason and and through really through camp. Thanks, Evan Barnes. Hey, Mike. How we doing? Great. I have two questions for you. one. Um, how would you assess the Jackson Duty’s first two preseason games as far as what you’ve liked about what he’s done so far? Yeah, I think Jackson’s been, you know, really good with the opportunities he’s had, um, in terms of the run game, the pass game, obviously having some production downfield. Um, I think he’s just really starting to put together some of the stuff on the offense. Um, in terms of just the plays, right? just understanding what we’re trying to do on offense and just really, you know, he’s done a great job with the leadership part of that and making sure the guys are in the right spot. He’s working with guys, you know, in that second that third group who maybe be young players, other rookies alongside of him. Um, other veterans that have been that played a lot of football as well. So, he’s doing a great job just kind of leading the group. And again, we’re talking about 11man operation. He’s leaning on those veterans. He’s leaning on some of the older guys in the room and um and on that offensive line that have done it and played well and then he’s taken it to the next level. All right, my second question not quarterback related. Uh we saw Elijah Chapman play fullback. We asked Dave kind of how you guys, you know, wanted to use him in that role. Just what did you see when you looked at Chad’s tape from running fullback that made you think, hey, we can incorporate this in the offense this season? He’s he did it in college. You know, we went back to into the archives and watched some of the stuff he did in college. And I think for Chat, you know, just his ability to be another dynamic player like he is on defense, we felt and we brought it up to the staff and and and Dabes and and and had an idea about maybe introducing him as a fullback and seeing what that looked like. So, you know, no better time in the preseason to kind of test it out before before the bright lights. So, you know, we wanted to see what it looked like and I thought he did a really nice job jumping in there. We saw I think Dave also said that he’s been breaking his helmet in practice or in games when he’s hitting those blocks. Is that something you like seeing from him just take to it and be that physical on offense? Yeah, the physicality, you know, you see it on defense and so it it was it was cool to see it translate on the offensive side and him go stick his face in in a block and yeah, he’s broken a couple face masks over the over the course of training camp. So, um he he’s doing a great job though. It’s really cool. Awesome. Thank you. Yeah, thanks Charlotte Carol. Hey M. How’s it going? Hi Charlotte. um with Malik not out there the last two games. What have you seen uh from how the offense is running kind of without him there as a focal point? Yeah, next command next man up. That’s really our been our mentality as an offensive unit whether any position really. So, you know, if some guys not available then the next guy’s got to step up into that role and know that’s our job as a coaching staff is to make sure we put the right guys in the right spots regardless of the position groups and just being flexible with how we want to approach each game. I know in the preseason, you know, you’re kind of rolling through the different groups, you know, the first group, the second group, the third group. So, you’re not thinking of it like on a 60 play or a whole game, I would say, you know, kind of volume, but you still have to work through those substitutions and and make sure everyone kind of knows their different roles and different spots that they could be in. We’ll take three more. Dan Dugen. Hey, Mike. Uh just curious why uh taking the calling players on the sideline and how that’s gone. Yeah, just different. Just wanted to test it out, be down with the group. You know, you’re you’re on the field for practice and you’re you know, you’re talking with the guys, you’re communicating and so you know you I think it was just a cool transition and just wanted to me and Dave just talking about it, wanted to try it out for the preseason. So did you know if you’re going to continue doing that or is it still up in the air? We’re still going to evaluate it. You know, we still got one more preseason game left. So, we’ll evaluate it and and talk through it and see what what is best for the team. Gotcha. And then I have a bigger picture question from your past. Like obviously Mahomes sitting that rookie year like that’s the gold standard of like why you should sit a guy but you were there like what were the benefits of him sitting or would he if he started week one would he have been as good as he become? You know what I mean? Like is was there benefits that you saw those weeks where he wasn’t playing? Yeah, there’s I think every quarterback every quarterback’s different. you see guys that play week one or day one starter like Jaden Daniels a guy like that last year it was day one he was the first guy in um but then you know other other players have different trajectories and different um I guess stories, right? So um I I don’t think there’s a right or wrong way. I think you got to understand the guy. I think you got to understand where your team’s at. I think you got to understand um you know how fast of a learner he is or where he’s at in his kind of the pro profile of the player and and where the offense is and what you can do with the offense. So I don’t think there’s a right or wrong way. I think you just have to you have a plan for what you want to do and then just kind of work through it from there and adjust along the way. There’s no like cookie cutter way of of doing it. Just be flexible with it. You know, try to try to work through each and each of those growth periods. you know, you get through the first part of um you getting them into rookie mini camp, right? And you’re working through like, all right, here’s this like the NFL game. Here’s what it looks like. Here’s what it sounds like. And then you get to the phases and OTAAS and you get through training camp. Now you’re in the preseason. Now everything kind of ramps up a little bit faster kind of each level you go through and that’ll happen the same way in the season. So, I think preparing those guys as much as you can, whether it’s a quarterback or any rookie young player, as long as you kind of have a plan and you you give them the opportunity to kind of see it and make mistakes and and go through those learning um learning phases, I think that’s where you kind of see the best player show up. Thanks. Thanks, Jared Schwarz. Hey, Mike. How are you? Hey, Jared. Um just just with Jackson, um how how has the communication been in terms of relaying the plays to him, you know, play by play and how different do you have to communicate plays with him than a veteran like than like Russ? We talk about a a lot in the quarterback room of how he wants to hear certain things. Guys have certain preferences. Maybe they want, hey, give me a reminder on this, give me a reminder on that. Um everyone’s a little bit different really. All four guys are different. So that’s just part of that open lines of communication between myself and the quarterback room and you know in a given play how we’re talking it you know whether it’s on the field and I’m giving to him the headset or we come off on the sideline and we’re looking at the pictures and getting ready for the next series of things that I’m thinking through. So um you know I wouldn’t say it’s any different than anywhere else I’ve been. It’s just about kind of learning that player and learning what he likes and and that that feedback loop being connected with him doing the same to me. Thanks. Thanks. Last one. Brian on Levy. Hey, Mike. How are you? Hey, how’s it going? Good. Uh, it almost felt like you guys were running two different playbooks the other night, like uh what you were doing with Russ and then more of a collegey uptempo style with Jackson. Is that situational? Is that playing to each guy’s strengths? Are we making too much of it or is it really almost two different offenses when you have a guy with Russ’s strengths and experience versus a guy with Jackson’s strength and inexperience? I’d say I’d say I think you’re making a little bit too much of it, but I mean I think it was we we did do two different things with each quarterback. You know, we did uptempo with Jamus and Dvito as well. I just think we were trying to get a couple things worked on. Um I think if Russ plays a little bit longer in that game, we’re probably getting into the no temp the uptempo stuff as well. So, I don’t think it was anything like specific for the guys. Um, we had a plan that we were going to kind of work that. It’s just the way that the game went, we stuck with it a little bit longer than um than maybe we were thinking and just kind of was working. So, we were just rolling with it and I think the guys handled it really well. You know, it’s not easy with those 12, 13 play drives of uptempo fast, but you’re pushing the defense, you’re pushing yourself mentally, you’re getting tired. Um, but I thought the guys did a really nice job, particularly when you get in those long drives down in the red zone when you’re when you’re gassed and you’re just like now they go and execute at a high level. It was pretty cool to see. But based on the quarterbacks, I think we’ve we’ve always kind of had that package in our in our back pocket. We can use it whenever we feel like it. But, you know, I think early in the game, we’re trying to get a couple things accomplished and seen, and then as the game kind of developed, we just jumped into it. And I feel like every coach I’ve ever talked to starts out his career saying like, I’m gonna adjust my system to my player strengths and then like adversity hits or whatever and then a lot of people end up trying to do like revert to what they know and what they’ve done and like sometimes you end up fitting a square peg into a round hole. How important is it with Jackson, especially a quarterback, a rookie quarterback to for you guys to adjust to what he does? That’s just part of the pro. It’s learning any every player, whether it’s Jackson or another rookie or even Russ, I mean, a veteran, a longtime veteran. Um, you want to learn those guys, what they what do they do best, and what do they do? What do they do really well that maybe they haven’t done a lot of in their career that we know they can do well? Like Russ is really good in the two-minute drill. Historically, he has been. So, like that’s no that’s no huddle. That’s tempo. That’s not to say he hasn’t done that a whole lot in his career, but I think he’d be good at it. So, um, you know, then maybe that aspect of it shows up and and using those other guys in different spots, but you know, when you talk about a uh Russ as a veteran guy being able to do all and he can really do anything. I think, you know, in my heart, I think he can do anything. And then, um, you know, a young guy like Jackson jumping in, he’s learning the NFL game. You know, maybe a little bit more shotgun than he has been under center. That’s that’s fine. like that’s normal, but he’s got plenty of work under center. He had it all spring and all training camp. And so, it’s not that he can’t do it. It’s just about how much do you want to do and um in certain plays may marry up with certain things differently. But, you know, I don’t see any of the any putting really any restrictions on the quarterback room at this point.

Assistant Head Coach & Offensive Coordinator Mike Kafka speaks to the media Monday from the Quest Diagnostics Training Center. Presented by Ford.

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