New Orleans Saints CB Jabari Greer
Media Availability
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
What were your thoughts on last night's game after reviewing the film?
"I thought we performed well. We did a good job of tackling, minimizing explosive plays, swarming to the football, and populating the football. We did a good job of forcing them to turn the ball over and keeping them to field goals early in the game. Anytime you can do that, you can be successful."
What are your thoughts on Drew Brees?
"He's a guy that does the work that's needed to be successful. You see the success he has on Sunday, but he and all the quarterbacks work tirelessly. They're the first ones in here and the last ones gone. They are meticulous with their preparation. You see the work and the effort that they put in being paid off. He's a great guy and a humble guy. You wouldn't never know it if you didn't know him, but he's a guy that is truly one of those guys that you want to root for off the field as well. He's a guy that is very humble and approachable and is a team-first guy."
When you're a defensive back facing an elite quarterback like Drew Brees when he's in the zone, what is your game plan against those kinds of quarterbacks?
"As a corner, you just have to hold up and allow your guys to get there. If a guy can elude the rush and create time for himself to throw the ball, what else can you do but be in position on your guy and try to make a play? If a quarterback can elude the rush and give himself time to throw the ball, that's deadly."
How would you say the defensive players on the team relate to Drew Brees?
"He's just one of the guys. He's a great guy to be around. That's one thing that we have in this locker room. We have no larger-than-life personalities, Drew included. These guys are humble, they're approachable, and they're men of character. It's great playing with them. We relate to him just like we relate to each other. He's a guy we can joke with just like we joke with everybody else."
Would you say there are certain roles he takes that transcends the offense and defense?
"Drew's one of those guys that's highly respected in the locker room and among the league. When he says something, we truly pay attention with any aspect. During the lockout, he was the guy that was keeping us in the loop with the lockout that was going on and with anything going on with NFLPA. He was a member on the executive committee. He's a guy we truly listen to. Whatever role he decides to take on , I think he has our commitment to him and what he brings to this table."
From an attitude and excitement level, do you guys feel like you have your foot on the pedal from here on out?
"I feel like we're getting better. I think everybody would say we're getting better. We realize the importance of these games in November and December. Anytime that you can put something together and become a more complete team in this period, you're really setting yourself up for bigger and better things down the road. That's what we're doing. First of all, we're having fun playing the game. We're preparing and we're enjoying the time we have here, but we realize the importance of it."
Have you had a chance to look at Matthew Stafford much?
"Through the season, we have. We haven't started breaking down film yet, but we know Matthew Stafford is a guy with a strong arm and can make all the throws. He was the first overall pick a couple of years ago. He's athletic and is a guy the team trusts with the ball. We definitely have a challenge ahead of us, but as long as we stick to what we do and come together I think we'll be alright."
So you expect a different quarterback than what you saw in 2009?
"Of course. He has more experience and he's really connecting with his targets. He's had some success this year, so we realize he's a different quarterback and isn't the same quarterback that we saw two years ago."
Where does Calvin Johnson rank among difficult matchups for defensive backs?
"I don't know. That's not a list that I focus on. He is definitely one of the top receivers in the league. We realize that this is an opportunity. Anytime you go against one of the top guys, it's an opportunity to make your mark. It's an opportunity to step up. You realize it's going to be a challenge, but with any challenge comes an opportunity."
