Q&A with Ryan Nassib: Will he play vs. Steelers?

"QB Ryan NassibAugust 8, 2013 Q: What are your thoughts on your professional debut on Saturday?A: First off, it’s a dream to be able to play in an NFL game, regardless of its preseason or regular season. I’m excited, ready to get out there and play somebody else. It’s going to be a fun week. Q: Is there anything in camp that’s maybe been a struggle for you that you might want to emphasize for this game?A: Coming into a new offense and trying to learn a whole new system, there’s going to be struggles every day, especially when you put in new stuff. Really, my main emphasis to work on this weekend is to know what the game plan is, have that down and then, as we go on, continuing to improve. Q: Do you know how much you’re going to play yet?A: I do not know, leave that up to the coaches. Q: There are two guys ahead of you and they both have a decade of experience in the league. Do they have any advice for you?A: They give me advice every day. They’ve been extremely helpful, what to expect, certain things to do when you’re in doubt, if you’re not sure about something, just giving me little tips like that. They were rookies at one point and they had to go through the same thing, so they’ve been extremely helpful. Q: Has the learning curve been bigger than you thought it would be?A: No, coming in I expected it. I knew the Giants had a very sophisticated offense, coming here and realizing how sophisticated it is, there’s no question how good they have been, that’s why they are so good is because the guys who have been here who have been playing know what they’re doing and they’ve got answers for everything. So that’s probably one of the biggest things. This is complex but learnable so it’s going to take some time but once you know it, once you understand the philosophies, you’ll be alright. Q: Are you nervous about Saturday at all?A: One good thing is I’ve played in that stadium a couple times already so the atmosphere, it’s going to be a little different, but the field is going to be a little familiar. But yeah, going into your first game, there’s always going to be some nerves. Q: The fact that it’s home for you make a difference?A: It’s not really home. I’m from Philly, Pittsburgh is a little bit away but I’ve got some family members coming and stuff. It’s going to be nice to be able to play in my home state and play in front of some family and friends. Q: You’ve thrown a few interceptions in training camp. Is that because you’re trying to force things because they want you to throw the ball? Have there been times you would have simply thrown the ball away in a regular game?A: More or less. Some of the interceptions were just bad balls on my part or missed communication or plays that are kind of new that I had to learn on the fly, like, oh, now I know. Those INTs are a part of the learning process, you learn from them and try to move on. Q: What would be an ideal way for this to play out on Saturday for you?A: First off, win the game. First and foremost, we go out there to win. Just going out there and executing, moving the ball, being efficient and scoring points when we get out there. Q: Is there a little bit of a mental cushion for you, knowing that you don’t have to play once the regular season starts?A: Well, not as much because, regardless of where I am on the depth chart or my chances of playing, I’m always going to prepare like I’m a starter, that’s just how I’ve always been, ever since I was back at college. That’s just what I do because on any given day something can happen so you’ve got to be ready."