Roman on the Giants defense: “They’ve got an endless supply of scheme.”

SANTA CLARA — Greg Roman spoke after Vic Fangio in the media tent Thursday afternoon. Here’s what Roman said about the New York Giants defense, courtesy of the 49ers.

 

Opening Statement:

“Good afternoon. Getting ready to play the Giants here. A really smart, savvy defense. They know how to win. Really starts with their defensive front, very talented players, very smart, heady players. They know how to change things up as the course of the game goes. Looking at them in the past couple of years, really looking at every game they’ve played the past couple of years. They’ve got an endless supply of defensive scheme. They’re very well coached and they do a nice job of handling all of it. They know how to win. Besides the scheme part of things, when they get that four-man rush cranked up, they can put a lot of pressure on the quarterback. I think we all know that. The coverage guys are really playing well. So, I think our guys have got a lot of respect for this defense and we’re knee-deep in it. Any questions?”

 

You say they know how to win. Is that a factor of playing in a competitive environment, playing a lot of big games over the years, learning how to win those types of games?

“I think it’s a credit to their players and coaches. I think they understand the situation in a game and they might put it into fifth gear if the situation dictates it.”

 

New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin has said the pass rush hasn’t been as good as good as he thought it should be in the early part of the season. Do you see that on the film?

“I see a lot of good football players that present a lot of problems for an offense. Every play in the game is going to be a little bit different. But they look like they’re playing at a real high level to me.”

 

What are some things you’ve seen, you talked about the defensive line earlier, anything specific in their defensive line, Jason Pierre-Paul, that you’ve seen in them?

“Jason Pierre-Paul is a rare player and he has incredibly great length, strength, and for a man his size and length, he can bend extremely well. So, he can play with leverage. A lot of times, guys that big can’t bend necessarily and play low. He does it as good as anybody, and [DE Justin] Tuck is just a very, very heady player and he’s physical. He’s got really good length. He understands what he’s seeing, knows how to play the game. He mixes it up nicely. Just very talented, smart football that those guys play. Pierre-Paul is a force against the run and against the pass. I mean, you guys have seen what has done in the past throughout the playoffs last year. If you go back, in some short yardage situations, he blew up Tampa Bay. They had a 3rd-and-1. He just exploded on them. Rare, rarephysical talent and really good football players.”