Osi Speaks Up

Osi Umenyiora has been tough to find in the Giants locker room of late. However, Umenyiora spoke on a conference call to start the bye week and shared his thoughts on the Giants, who have now lost four games in a row. Here's what Osi had to say...

Q. Thoughts in general on the defense?
A. I think we played pretty well for the most part, but all that was pretty much negated by that last drive (on) which we gave up a game-winning touchdown.

Q. What do you think happened on that last drive? What went wrong?
A. What went wrong? Not particularly sure. I haven't watched the tape yet, so I am not exactly sure what went wrong. It looked like they caught a couple of passes. We didn't get to the quarterback like we had been the whole game, so I think that cost us.

Q. Is there a confidence issue at this point after four straight losses?
A. Not at all. I don't see anything like that at all. I think we still have the utmost confidence in ourselves. Obviously that was a game that we lost but we should have won. I don't think that did anything to dampen our confidence. We just have to find ways to win those game. We still think we are one of the best teams in the NFL. We just have to go out there and prove it from here on out.

Q. Were you guys generally happy with the pressure you got on the quarterback?
A. I think we did okay. I think it can always be better. We only had two sacks, it seemed like we should have had eight. We only came out of there with two, so we have to find a way to get more sacks.

Q. Communication problems, do you think they were real and were they fixed?
A. Yeah, they were definitely real. If you watch the tape and see what was going on, there was a lot of communication problems. Guys talking before the ball is snapped. I am not going to say that they were completely fixed, but we did a much better job of communicating and everybody in touch with the coverage. I think we did a much better job of that yesterday.

Q. How do you feel about your play this season? Are you in top form?
A. I think I am doing okay. I think I am doing the things that I am being asked (to do). I am pressuring the quarterback, I am getting quarterback hits, I got a couple of sacks. I think I am playing the way I usually play. I always feel that I could be playing better. This year is no exception. I could be playing better, but I think I am doing pretty well.

Q. One of the things that Bill Sheridan said in the spring was that he wasn't planning on dropping you guys into coverage much. But this week we saw Justin Tuck dropping to cover Antonio Gates. Is it kind of frustrating to be asked to do something that is not your specialty?
A. Is it frustrating? Not really. I think whatever Bill asks us to do, we are going to go out there and try to execute. We would like to be rushing instead of dropping, but you can't rush every time. Different situations call for different things. They are max protecting, they are chipping, they are sliding. Even if he does let us rush, they are being negated by what the offense is trying to do. Sometimes you have to use blitzes and overloading blitzes and stuff like that. I don't think we are frustrated by it at all.

Q. Do you think what you guys are doing, being asked to drop every once in a while, is worthwhile?
A. I would say so. Obviously we would want to limit that. We definitely want to limit that. I remember a couple of years ago when I was at the Pro Bowl, the offensive coach from Carolina said that anytime you see a premier pass rusher drop into coverage you are doing the offense a favor. We still have to do it, it's necessary.

Q. When a good team that believes in itself gets into a bad streak like this, what is the hardest part of turning it around?
A. I think just mentally. I think once you start losing games like that, you might lose your edge a little bit. But, to be honest with you, I am not even concerned at all. This is a situation that the Giants are comfortable right here. We have our backs against the wall. We always come out swinging. Hopefully we will be able to do that for the rest of the games right here. This is something that we are used to. I am definitely not panicked right now, but it is not something that we should let get into the psyche of everyone else. We have to win this next game against Atlanta and we will take it one step at a time from there.

Q. When you look at the schedule of opponents coming up, how difficult is the task you face as a team?
A. Very difficult. Obviously those are very, very good football teams, but they are teams we can beat. Dallas is a team we have beaten before. Philadelphia is a team that is always a close game against them. Atlanta, we beat them a couple years ago, we haven't played them in awhile. These are all teams that we can beat. These are teams that we have to beat because nobody wants our season to end early.

Q. How does Sheridan react to a losing streak like this?
A. He is a hundred percent in charge of the defense. He is firmly in charge of it. A situation like this, the way he is, I think we really appreciate that. He is not a guy who is just going to come out here and just blast all his players and keep punching us and pushing us down even though we have already lost four straight games. He does a good job of pointing out the positive things as well as the negative things. He does a good job. He is in charge of the defense and we look to him for direction.

Q. Is it best for you and your teammates to just not think football and get away? Or do you still need to focus and push some buttons during this bye week?
A. I think for the overall good of the team it is best that we get away. But, for me personally, I am not going to be able to stop thinking about football or how I am going to be able to help the team get off this four game slide that we are on. That is where my mind is gong to be, that's where my mind has been since last night. I don't anticipate it stopping anytime soon. I am probably different than most people. I think for the most part everybody needs to just get away and relax and enjoy themselves and their families and come back reenergized. I am going to just keep working.

Q. When you say you are going to keep working what does that mean?
A. I am going to go the facility and not leave until Friday. I am going to stay here, I am going to watch film, I am going to work out. Things that can help me get a jump on Atlanta. It is obvious that we need every little advantage that we can get.