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Coach Tom Coughlin**
Q: Do you discuss the Eagles' problems at home, their home losing streak?
A: Just what's most recent. That's all we talk about.
Q: Can you talk about the job Jim Cordle has done for you?
A: Cordle has been a man who's ready to go and he's demonstrated that many times this year. He never knows when he's going to be called upon, such as last week, and all of a sudden, 'boom,' he's in the game for the majority of the game. He's done that on a number of occasions and whether he knows he's going to start and play or whether he doesn't, he's prepared and that's the best thing you can say about him.
Q: Your run defense has been pretty good against elite running backs in recent weeks. What does that tell you about your run defense?
A: We've done a good job of stopping some of the premier runners in the game and, of course, it's an objective for us every week. It was an objective coming out of last season, so it's very important to us. Now, on the other hand, Michael Vick ran for 79 yards (against us last time), so there you go.
Q: Can you talk about having to lean on Peyton Hillis and Michael Cox again with Jacobs being doubtful?
A: The two guys that carried the load a week ago will have to do it to a certain extent. (John) Conner does know what to do in those situations if it ever came to that, and Bear can play fullback, as you know, so we have a little bit of leeway there.
Q: Do you go on the assumption if Vick is playing, he's 100 percent?
A: Yeah. I go on the assumption that if he's playing, he can go because a lot of what he does is not scripted. A rush lane will open up and he takes off.
Q: When you talk about your run defense, how much of it has been the emergence of your defensive tackles?
A: A big part of the actual tight interior runs have been the ability of those guys to control the inside and they've done a pretty darn good job of it.
Q: Could you have expected to get as much as you've gotten out of the veterans that you brought in?
A: That was the reason they're here. If we didn't believe they were going to play well, we wouldn't have them here.
Q: How has Jon Beason impacted the run defense?
A: He's been a huge plus.
Q: When it's only three weeks between facing an opponent, does that change the preparation because you know them so well or not so much?
A: Part of it is that and part of it is whatever the circumstance might be as they approach us and we approach them. It will be the same thing. Both teams will make some adjustments. We've had a chance to look at other teams against them since our first meeting and so you'll make adjustments based on that, too.
Q: Did you look back at that game and figure out why Vick was able to get the big running lanes?
A: Yeah. We knew that following the game as we evaluated it and we've worked hard on those kinds of assignments. A lot of that depends on how many people are rushing. There's going to be a gap if there's x amount of people rushing. There's going to be a gap and he does a good job of finding it.
Q: Do you sense that the offensive line is coming together and finding its way?
A: I do.
Q: Do you imagine a similar split between Hillis and Cox?
A: We'll see about that.
Q: Is it more of a hot hand kind of thing?
A: No. There's some strategy involved.
Q: Even Hillis' first game?
A: Yes.
Q: You mentioned that you can compliment and then correct when you are making corrections after a win. Have you found that this week? Has there been a different atmosphere at all?
A: I don't know that it's been a different atmosphere because, to be honest with you, the players have been pretty good by Wednesday. But they have been very receptive, let's put it that way.
Q: Are you going to be interested to see how the fans react tonight at the Jay Fund dinner with a different record than in previous years?
A: I think anyone there tonight will be pretty sincere about why they're there. So if they boo me off the podium… That's a pretty steep ticket to want to come and do that. I'm prepared for most things. I don't know about that.
RB Peyton Hillis
RE: Being sore after first game action on Monday night
A: I expect that it (soreness) is going to be here for a couple more weeks but I have to work through it and try to produce.
Q: We were talking to Kevin Gilbride and asked if he was going to take it easy with you since you only played your first game of the season and he goes, "Who else are we going to give the ball to?"
A: I don't know if that's good for me or bad for me. But I'm here, I want to contribute, I want to help this team win, and no matter what the results are in the end, I'm happy to be here.
Q: Were you a little shocked the other night when you're carrying the ball 18 times?
A: It was shocking and surreal at the same time because a week ago I wasn't doing anything and then I was on Monday Night Football carrying the ball. I'm very thankful and I'm very blessed to be put in this situation and to have the coaches rely on me.
Q: Has your understanding of the offense improved even more or did you kind of…?
A: It increases bit by bit every day. Sometimes I'll take a drawback just depending on what formation the defensive line is in, are they a 3-4 or 4-3 team and what kind of presence they bring in third down situations, stuff like that. But, overall as a whole, I'm getting better and better every day.
Q: Do you find yourself not reacting as fast as you would if you had been through training camp here?
A: Most definitely. I think that, especially me, when you get in the groove of things and start going through it bit-by-bit, day-by-day and week-by-week, you get slowly better. I expect to do that. I expect that this Sunday is going to be a lot better for me, too.
Q: You were happy with your performance?
A: This past Monday? Not really. I expect a lot more out of myself, but I am happy that we got the win and that's the most important thing.
Q: You couldn't have hoped for a better situation.
A: No, as far as the situation goes, I think the good Lord is looking out for me upstairs because I think that, the way things are turning out, that really answered my prayers.
RB Michael Cox
Yeah, I guess just being out there more and getting a better feel for everything. I feel better, especially after getting my first real game at running back out there.
Q: Was it fun?
A: Yeah, definitely.
Q: Did it boost your confidence at all to get in a game and live game situations?
A: Yeah, definitely. I definitely feel my confidence rising a little bit having more experience and knowing what it's like already.
Q: Do you think that Monday night you maybe gave the coaches a little more confidence in you? I think they had expressed some reluctance to put you out there because you're a rookie.
A: Yeah, definitely because I didn't really make any mistakes so I feel like they saw that and feel more confident in putting me in the game.
Q: In watching what you did, do you see places where you can improve and things you can work on?
A: Yeah, definitely. Just going over the film and seeing where I could have done better and just things like that.
Q: When you study Philadelphia, what are you expecting and how much are you expecting to get the ball?
A: However much the coaches want me out there, but I do expect to play a good amount in the game.
Q: How difficult do you think it will be to run against Philadelphia?
A: It's going to be hard every game, being in the NFL. But I'm going to try my best and hopefully get the win.
Q: Are you comfortable coming out of the backfield and catching passes as well as running?
A: Definitely.
Q: Is that something you'd like to do more of?
A: Hopefully I get a chance to this week, but we'll see what happens.
DT Shaun Rogers
Q: How difficult is McCoy to deal with?
A: McCoy is very shifty. He's an excellent back. He presents a lot of issues as far as tackling him goes. But we have to take the same type of mentality as far trying to slow him down up front, allow our linebackers to keep moving, gang tackle and play team defense.
Q: How optimistic are you that you can go on Sunday?
A: That's one of those decisions that's going to have to be made by upstairs, the training staff and myself. That's really one of those things that we're going to wait and see.
Q: Are you one of those kinds of guys who usually tries to talk the coach into letting you play?
A: I love to play the game, so whatever I can do to play the game I'm going to try to do. We'll leave the rest up to them.
Q: How confident would you be in your defensive tackle teammates to continue to be stout against the run if you cannot go?
A: I have the utmost confidence in those guys. I think we have a formidable front and those guys have done well. There is a lot of ball in that room. That being said, with Mike Patterson and Cullen Jenkins and, of course, Linval, that's a lot of guys that have played a lot of games. I'm not worried about them.
Q: What can you guys try to do differently to slow down Vick?
A: We have to play team defense and try to execute as best as we can. Those guys and that scheme pose a lot of threats in different ways. You might not always get one, you might get one and not the other, as people have seen. But we just have to play team defense and smother him all the way down the field, make him go the long way and hopefully keep him out of the end zone.
