MAYFIELDS & McCOYS
Baker’s Browns, Colt’s Giants poised for vintage feud
With Daniel Jones still nursing hamstring and ankle injuries, the Giants will go back to Colt McCoy (right) at QB on Sunday against Baker Mayfield (left) and the surging Browns. The game could turn into an old-school defensive clash reminiscent of a different age.
Rookie Giants offensive guard Shane Lemieux blocks out time for some Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby.
Q: What’s one word to describe your playing style?
A: I think I’m an edgy player. I like the last shove. Everyone in the New York Giants organization wants a person to say “HA!” You want to play with some “HA!”? It’s a term that we use with the Giants. When you watch someone play, you want to turn on the tape and you want to say “HA!” That’s good! Q: Why is a pancake block so cool?
A: I think there’s two different things about a pancake block. One is when you knock down a defensive lineman, when they have to get up, that just makes ’em more tired. It wears them out. Secondly, it’s just imposing your will on a defender. It’s pretty vital in a game, especially like football.
Q: You’ve never missed a practice from high school on. When was the last time you missed a practice? A: I don’t think I ever have, honestly. Yeah, I’ve never missed a practice ever (laugh). Q: What’s the closest you came to missing one?
A: I had a respiratory infection my first four games of my senior year in college [at Oregon], and that was pretty rough. I couldn’t breathe right, my chest was like pounding. ... I got through it somehow. I’d take periods off in practice but I would still be there and I’d still be doing stuff. I had sprained MCLs earlier on, and dislocated fingers. ... I’ve always played with ’em, man, I don’t know. Q: What is Colt McCoy like in the huddle?
A: He has seen a lot. He never gets too high or too low, he commands a really good huddle. Q: Daniel Jones in the huddle?
A: Both of them are similar guys in that aspect.
Q: What has impressed you most about Daniel Jones?
A: He’s the ultimate competitor, that’s for sure. He’ll do whatever it takes to get the job done. He plays with a lot of “HA!” If he’s getting pressured, he’s not scared to step up. That shows a lot of physicality for a quarterback. The willingness of a quarterback to step up in the pocket shows a lot of “HA!”
Q: What is the confidence level in McCoy?
A: There’s no drop-off whatsoever. I think we got the utmost confidence in him. The way he carries himself, even when he had to come in the Cincinnati game, he was ready to go.
Q: What will it be like having Freddie Kitchens replace Jason Garrett as playcaller?
A: We’re not gonna skip a beat in that aspect.
Q: Describe Nick Gates on the field.
A: Gates, he’s crazy, he turns into a different guy on the football field, man. He plays with a ton of energy, he talks a lot of smack, I love playing next to that guy. He’s tough, he’s loud. He’s a center, so he has to command a lot of presence just vocally. The way he plays and the way he acts out there, it’s energizing for sure.
Q: How does that differ from the way you play?
A: I’d say I like to play the same way. I think we both have similar traits in that aspect.
Q: If I played on the defensive line, what would Gates say to me to throw me off my game?
A: Gatesy will show you before he tells you. He’ll like to walk the walk before he talks the talk. I think he’ll probably have a conversation with you at first, and if you don’t want to have a conversation, I think he’ll feed off of that and keep pushing buttons (chuckle). Every single game it’s something else, it’s random stuff. Q: Fellow rookie Andrew Thomas on the field? A: He’s always really, really focused. The cool thing about Andrew is he never gets too high or never too low, like a constant state of like neutral.
Q: Kevin Zeitler?
A: He’s kind of the same way, he never really lets anything get to his mind. He’s been in the league for a long time, he’s seen a lot of stuff. And just watching the way he works and watching the way he prepares, and then watching just his posture on the sideline, he’s always really dialed in. I watch Zeitler just to see how I need to act, ’cause I’m still learning, and I think that’s one of the best guys to learn from.
Q: Describe coach Joe Judge.
A: He’s a leader, that’s for sure. He cares a lot about a team, cares a lot about the players. I think that he pushes us to be great. He never accepts anything else other than greatness, and I think that’s really inspiring.
Q: O-line coach Dave DeGuglielmo?
A: The wisdom that he has, and as long as he’s been in this league, he has a lot of information to give.
Q: You will face Myles Garrett this week.
A: He’s a freaky athlete, he’s twitchy, he has a bunch of pass-rush tools, he’s good in the run game, he’s a smart rusher, he can plan the rushes, he can react off the linemen, he can do it all. He’s an elite player, that’s for sure.
Q: If you could block one defender in NFL history, who would it be?
A: Warren Sapp.
Q: If you could pick the brain of one offensive lineman in NFL history?
A: Joe Thomas. I think he has the longest consecutive snap streak. I think it’d be kind of interesting just to pick his brain about how he maintained that.
Q: I’m guessing that one of your career goals is to never miss a snap in the NFL?
A: Yeah, that would be awesome.
Q: What was it like beating Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl? A: That was the climax of my college career. We had a lot of juniors that decided to come back, including Justin Herbert. My class went through a lot, we went through a phase that Oregon really wasn’t used to.
Q: Describe Herbert’s success with the Chargers.
A: He’s getting better every week. He shows he has a lot of confidence in himself, and he looks like he’s having fun out there, I think that’s the most important thing. He’s a competitor as well, and it’s really cool to see him having success, because there were a lot of people that doubted him.
Q: Growing up in Yakima, the University of Washington was your first choice?
A: They never offered me, so I didn’t get the opportunity.
Q: Did that give you a chip that you still carry today?
A: Yeah for sure. I came from a small town, I was the only person ever to go [Division I] out of my entire high school for football, so that was the big chip. I was two hours from the University of Washington. It wasn’t until I got there, I kind of realized, “Man, I’m starting as a redshirt freshman at Oregon, and U-Dub didn’t even throw an offer out there.” Q: Three dinner guests? A: Johnny Cash, my late grandpa Zig, Joe Rogan.
Q: Favorite movie?
A: “Lawless.”
Q: Favorite actor?
A: Tom Hardy.
Q: Favorite actress?
A: Sandra Bullock.
Q: Favorite singer/entertainer?
A: Colter Wall.