[via CBS NY]

First up to talk about the acquisition, Coach Tom Coughlin:

[clips via Giants.com]

Listen to the interview here:

Here are some of Rolle’s best comments after week 1:

On the state of the defense after losing in Washington

“I definitely feel there is a lot of work to be done. We have a lot of guys playing different positions. We have to fill in some key areas. We still haven’t found that chemistry yet. It’s getting close and it is definitely getting close. We’re definitely striving to get things on a better track.”

On his outlook on the Giants team in general after week 1:

“As a team and organization we know that the Washington Redskins are not a better team than us. We know that. Hands down. If we played them 100 times they might win 5. They won that day. It never leaves a good taste in your mouth when you lose to an opponent you know you are better than. We understood where things went wrong. I don’t think we played a good game at all as a team. I don’t think we played well on special teams, on defense or offense. I think that is something we realize and once you realize the problem then you could work on fixing it and that’s exactly what we are going to do.”

On the defenseless receiver penalty that lost the game for the Giants

“It was a caught ball and the guy was on the ground and he only had one more yard to get, so as a football player my first instinct is he is going to try to reach and put the ball over that line. Once I felt like he was going to try to reach to put the ball over that 1-yard line my instinct was to go and try to hit him as hard as I can and try to force a turnover. I know he is not going to reach over and have full control of the ball, so my instinct was to go over there and create a turnover the best way I can. My initial target point was definitely not a head shot, but as he started rolling it kind of threw my target off it a little bit. I think what happened is my shoulder definitely hit him first, but as I hit him the back of my helmet caught his helmet. I’m not the one to sit here and say it was a good call or it wasn’t a good call, but in my eyes it was a legit call and something I can learn from. Next time I have to make a smarter play and try to tackle him down and force him with my hands instead of my shoulders.”

[via WFAN]

Last week I was able to catch up with Giants and former Fresno State tight end, Bear Pascoe. We chatted about his nickname, life without football,  and his expectations for the upcoming season.

Pascoe is entering his 3rd season with the New York Giants and is currently in a battle for the starting tight end position. He is competing against Jake Ballard, Daniel Coats, and Travis Beckum.

Pascoe, a former 6th round pick by the 49ers in 2009, is ready to prove he has what it takes to be a starter in the NFL.  

Question: Little known fact, but your real name is actually McKenna. How did you earn the nickname of Bear?

Bear:  There are lots of stories I could share with you, but the truth is when I was born I was very large and I was always the biggest person in class. It was just a nickname my parents gave to me when I was a little kid because I was bigger than everybody else and I was just a “bear” of a kid.

Question:  If you weren’t a football player, what would you be doing? 

Bear:  I have a degree in Agricultural Education and with that I could teach or run a farming outfit. I grew up on a big cattle ranch, so there is a very good chance I would be cowboying, training horses, and trying to make it in the rodeo world. 

Cowboy Bear- Yee Haw!

Question: What are your expectations for this upcoming season?

Bear:  This season I am focused on earning a starting position and doing everything I can to help this team win games. The more games we win, the farther we go.  

Question:  How was your relationship with now Oakland Raider, Kevin Boss?

Bear:  I had a really good relationship with Kevin Boss and still do. He is a great guy and one of my good friends. I wish him all the best out in Oakland and I know he will do great. 

Question:  Do you see a bowl game for your alma mater Fresno State this year?

Bear: Oh yeah every year! I know they have a young team, but Coach Hill will get them in shape for sure. Anybody, Anywhere, Anytime.

Pascoe during his Fresno State years

Question: What is the greatest moment in your life to this date? 

Bear:  That is kind of tough because God has blessed me. I would say winning my first truck in team roping when I was 15, the day I was drafted, playing in my first game for the Giants, and my first catch in a game are all great moments. I know there are some experiences I am forgetting, but in every area of my life I have had an experience that has changed my life in some way. 

*A special thanks to Bear Pascoe and Kim Staninger for allowing me to take their time for this interview. *

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NK: The Giants have shown some very inconsistent play throughout their 13 games, are the G-Men setting themselves up to be a first-round bust in the playoffs for the third straight year.

RV: I suppose you can never rule that out completely, especially since they’ll have to go on the road, but I don’t think so. They are more playoff ready than they were each of the last two years. In 2005, Eli Manning was in the midst of a horrible, late-season slump as the playoffs hit, and the Giants were basically pulling linebackers off the street (Remember Jay Foreman or Alonzo Jackson? I didn’t think so) for their playoff game. In 2006, they were missing Amani Toomer, Michael Strahan, Luke Petitgout, Justin Tuck and had a ton of players nursing injuries. This year they are relatively healthy. Manning is playing better (at least a little). And oh, by the way, they are 6-1 on the road. They’re not as good as the Cowboys or Packers, but can you really argue that they have no shot at winning in Tampa or Seattle – the two possible places they’ll have to play in the first round? No. They’re at least as good as those two teams. There’s a long way to go, but I think they have a better shot of getting to the second round than they did in either of the last two years.

NK: What position do you think the Giants will make their top priority in this year’s NFL Draft?

RV: Obviously it’ll depend a little on where they are drafting and who is available, but if I were them I’d think about a play-making linebacker, safety or even another cornerback. They are fairly set on offense, I think. And even if Michael Strahan retires, they’re OK on the defensive line. But the back seven has some serious questions. Kawika Mitchell (the weakside linebacker) is going to be a free agent and Mathias Kiwanuka (the strongside linebacker) could head back to the defensive line if Strahan retires. But there are even bigger questions behind them. Their safeties have not been good, and Gibril Wilson has yet to live up to his promise. And while last year’s first-round pick, Aaron Ross, looks like a keeper at cornerback, what about the other side. Sam Madison has had a good year, but he’s not getting any younger. And they’re not exactly deep at that spot. So I’d lean towards corner or safety – the best available at either of those spots – but I’d keep an eye out for linebackers, too.

NK: Michael Strahan keeps hinting at retirement once again, but judging by his play he still has a few good seasons left in him. Is this Strahan’s final weeks in a Giants uniform?

RV: Maybe. But nobody knows. Even those closest to him go back and forth on what they think he’s going to do. Some of it depends on how the season plays out. If they get to the Super Bowl, he’ll be happy to go out in a blaze of glory. If they self-destruct and Tom Coughlin somehow ends up getting fired, Strahan isn’t going to stick around for another rebuilding job. But if it’s somewhere in between, he’ll probably come back. The real question, though, is this: At what cost? Next year is the last year of his contract and one thing everyone seems to agree on is that he’s looking for one more big payday. He’s very likely to ask for (demand) a contract extension, and I don’t think the Giants are going to give him one. That could set the stage for another training camp holdout. Or it also could be the catalyst that finally causes him to drop the curtain on his Hall of Fame career. Honestly, the answer to that question is something we’re probably not going to know until next July or August. I don’t think Strahan even knows right now.

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