Kayvon Thibodeaux: “We’re going to play physical” | New York Giants

Kayvon Thibodeaux: “We’re going to play physical” | New York Giants

Hey Kvon, good morning. How you doing, Art? Good morning. Good. Uh, you know, sometimes when we talk about setting the edge and run defense, we we tend to make it a lot more simplistic that I’m sure it actually is. Can you talk about the evolution of your game within that and how you guys uh, you know, approach that on Thursday night? Yeah, I would definitely say, you know, when it comes to stopping and run, it’s definitely, you know, technique, discipline, um, all the things that we practice, but then it’s also mentality. You know, coming into a game, you you kind of got to know that a team is going to run. Most teams are going to start off trying to run the ball. And, you know, with a team like who we played last week, you know, they got a great um, set of players that they can run the ball with. And, you know, we’re going to have to step up to the plate. you know, you you know, your your game. I mean, I you know, I don’t I won’t speak for you, but it seems like you really have done a great job this year being a lot more physical. It’s not that you weren’t physical beforehand, but going back to the summer when we talked about all the things that you, you know, worked on, is was that a big part of your game, just being able to hold up on that edge and being able to, you know, be a physical force? Well, the funny thing about, you know, offseason training is that nothing is ever perfect, right? There’s no drill. There’s no one thing that you can do that guarantees you, you know, success on the field. But I will say that, you know, there was definitely a lot of, you know, emphasis that I put on this off seasonason, just honing in on my craft and honing in on my discipline and becoming more mature as a run defender and a pass defender. I think my whole career, not just in the NFL, but in college, you know, I took pride in the run game. And for me coming to this next level, I understood how important it was and how I needed to improve on not just the run, but on the pass to be, you know, a four down player. So, you know, we always kind of say like you got to stop the run to be able to get the opportunity to rush the passer. So, I’ve taken pride in that this year. Thanks, K. Appreciate it. Evan Barnes. Hey, Kar. How you doing? Speaking of kind of going on that note, when you guys are now rotating so much between you, Burns, and Abdul, do you see how it’s helping you guys be able to be so effective because you guys are just being able to be so much more fresh with that uh rotation? I think that is, you know, a realistic perspective, but I also think, you know, we’re all, you know, in shape and ready to play ball just however much the game, you know, will go. So, I won’t necessarily say that it’s um well, I will say that it is a positive having guys that you can kind of flow in and that can rush and that can do different things, but I think we all are still, you know, will be capable to play more snaps or what whatever the case may be, you know, depending on the game or the situation. Gotcha. Okay. And then also, when you get a chance, I know you guys are off this weekend, but um when you have you got a chance to look at this Denver offense yet? Uh no, not yet. We’re looking at it. We’re looking at it today and you know, tomorrow. Got it. Okay. So, I’ll flip to this question. Um, obviously Thursday the vibes are high and everybody was just kind of, you know, riding the wave of this wind. So, for you as a player, how do you try to make sure these vibes stay the way they are? Because obviously you don’t want to get so high, get so caught up in that, but how do you try to make sure that you guys can sustain it going into this uh this match up on Sunday? You got to be critical of the film. You know, you got to look at your tape, see what you can get better at. You know, even though I feel like I played pretty decent uh this Thursday, I think there still is a lot of things to get better at. And I think, you know, when you do have a weekend off, it’s time for a lot of self-reflection and and some healing. So, you know, just understanding what you can get better at as an individual and then also, you know, as a team and seeing what we can improve on. Thank you, Brian’s on Levy. Hey, Kon, thanks for doing this. How you doing? Uh, Bicks, I know you just said you haven’t scouted them much, but you guys share an alma mater. I don’t think you guys were teammates, but do you guys have a relationship from you going back there at all or you have any kind of relationship with Nicks and just watching him play, what do you think of him as a quarterback? I think he’s a great player. You know, the the memories I do have of him started with him at Auburn and beating us at Oregon and then uh he ended up, you know, um going to Oregon after that. I didn’t actually go to school with him, but I am familiar with them. We’ve been at the top of the recruiting class uh for a while, you know, since about high school. So, I’ve been to different camps and different um environments where he’s been. Um I think he’s a great person. He’s a great athlete. He’s a great player. I think he’s savvy. I think he’s having, you know, playing some great ball. But um we’re definitely going to try to, you know, contain him and and and limit, you know, what he can do on Sunday. And then postgame, Dex said something like, “You guys urged uh Bowen to be a little more aggressive and Burns was really complimentary of Burns’s game of uh Bowen’s game plan being aggressive, especially on that flot pick.” I’m just curious. You’re one of the leaders of the defense. Is that something has that been a communication with you guys and Bowen like, “Hey, trust us. Let’s let’s be let’s dial it up a little bit more.” Well, I would say, you know, it starts with just open communication, you know, and trust with the coaches and the players. And I think that we have that in this uh building and facility or whatever. But I think that, you know, Bowen has been um elevating and changing and and evolving on how he calls different games and kind of, you know, his growth as as well as our players and understanding, you know, what works and what doesn’t work, what we like, how to, you know, um different plays or schemes that will kind of help our skill sets. But I I would say it’s a collective, you know. I would say there’s no individual, there’s no, you know, kind of oneman show. I think uh Bowen does a great job of hearing out the players and I think, you know, the players do a great job of making sure they, you know, uh do what what Bowen asks of us. So, I would say just continuing to gel together and to to to continue to just keep the main thing the main thing and and go out there and execute. Thanks, Kayla. We’ll take two more. Patty Traina, good morning Kavon. How are you? How you doing, Patty? I’m doing well. Thank you for asking. came on. To my untrained eye, it looks like the defense has been getting home a lot more with four. What do you attribute that to? I would say, you know, individual skill. They they can’t a team can’t slide, you know, the same way every time, right? They got to kind of figure out who to stop. And I think the tough part about being an offensive line is that, you know, you usually want to leave the one-on-one for the weakest guy, right? you want to try to double team the best guys, lay the one-on-one for the weakest guy on defense, but for us, uh, we don’t really have a weak link, right? Like everybody is kind of trained to go. So, being able to whoever gets that one-on-one, being able to win that and show up and and make the play, you know, has been good for us. Thanks, Kavon. Last one, Paul Schwarz. Hey, Kavon. How you doing, Paul? Good, good. Um I I would think you would agree that you know the best teams are consistent from week to week, right? Not predictable, but you know this Sunday, whatever day it is, we’re going to get this. Do you know right now, first of all, as the team week to week, what you’re going to get from, you know, the Giants? Uh could you ask that question one more time? like as as far as what we like what we’re gonna do or well just as far as look you know over the years you say when you play the Chiefs you know they’re going to do this every week that you may not win when you play the Ravens this is what they are do you know what the Giants are every week now so far yeah um if I’m speaking for I guess offense I would say you know smash my football like they’re going to try to be physical and they’re going to you know try to win the game up front and I would say similar things to to defense you know we going play physical. We’re going to try to win the game up front and affect the quarterback. So, I would say from a, you know, identity perspective, uh, this is a team that when people come here, they’re going to have to win it up front. You know, we don’t we don’t play Q ball. We play smashmouth football in New York. And I think that, you know, aside from just the identity of the team, you know, we play with a relentless passion and a um a vigor to win. Do you think that has to be earned, Kavon? I mean, you you’re saying that from within, but do you think down the road these teams are going to look at the Giants and say, “All right, this is what they are. This is what we have to deal with.” Or not yet. It’s got to be something. Well, again, people aren’t watching these interviews trying to get the answers. People watching the tape, right? And the tape is what is the resume, you know? So, these characteristics that I’m bringing up, the smash football, this is something that I’ve gotten specifically from the tape. And when I watch our team, this is what I think we show on tape, you know, and I think that that speaks volume to the league and that speaks volume, you know, to to our peers. You like that um you like that resume? You like that um identity for this team? I think it can definitely still be cultivated. It can definitely still be upgraded and and you know, we can continue to pour in, but I do like the trajectory we’re on.

Outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux speaks to the media Monday from the Quest Diagnostics Training Center.

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