‘I don’t really say a lot the night before games:’ Giants’ Brian Daboll keeps it simple before games

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — One of the biggest questions surrounding the Giants going into the biggest game of many of the players’ careers has been about how they’ll handle the moment. The Giants have kept a levelheadedness to them this season regardless of the outcome each week, but the playoffs carry a different weight to them.

Regardless, Giants head coach Brian Daboll didn’t plan to say much to his team the night before their big game or even prior to Sunday’s 4:30 p.m. kickoff against the Minnesota Vikings.

“We’ll have our meetings tomorrow morning, we’ll get on an airplane, we’ll go have some meetings at night and then I don’t really say a lot the night before games. It’s a players game, we’ve prepared the right way, now we’ve got to go out there and play,” Daboll said. “It’s a players’ game. I say a lot during the week getting them ready but the night before the game to me, that’s players’ time. Same right before the game, that’s players’ time. It’s a players’ game and we’ve got good leaders in our room and we’re just going to go out and play.”

The Giants coach said that he does meet with the captains on Friday mornings and he will try to get across a message or at times the captains will bring up things that they want to emphasize. ” We’re all inclusive in this, we’re all in this together,” Daboll said.

The players seem to appreciate the short meetings they have on Saturdays before a game. Andrew Thomas said that Daboll won’t talk to the players for more than five minutes during those meetings and that there is an understanding that at that point there isn’t much more preparation they can do.

“We been preparing all week. We been practicing and then the rest of that time is just doing whatever you do,” Thomas told amNewYork. “If you want to relax, you want to take a nap. Some people watch more film. For me. I’m more relaxed. Watch Netflix or something. Get my mind off the game and then I’ll get back locked in the next one.”

New York is going into its first playoff appearance in seven years which would seem like the icing on the cake to a surprise season that saw the Giants go 9-7-1 this year. The players have already stated that they’re not satisfied just making the playoffs, but anticipate making some noise during them.