COACH TOM COUGHLINCoughlin: This week, we prepare for the Baltimore Ravens, a team that played for the AFC Championship last year. A very talented football team that is 9-5, a team that has long been known for their physical play. They're a big, massive, defensive football team. They've had a couple of injuries. Offensively, very talented with (Joe) Flacco, (Anquan) Boldin, Torrey Smith, Ray Rice, who we know well. He has over 1,000 yards rushing, 55 receptions and their special teams have the number eight kickoff return and punt coverage team in the league, the number two kickoff return in the league with Jacoby Jones averaging 32.5 yards per kickoff return. So, they're a talented team. They've lost the three games in a row here at this point in the season, but they are in the playoffs and we certainly know, having played them in the past in the pre-season and watched their progress throughout the year, that they are a very physical football team and very, very talented.
Q: What about their defense? They've had an odd year defensively with the loss of key players. They're not ranked as high as they have been in the past. Do you still see a lot of difficulties in that defensive unit?
A: I do. Sure, I do.
Q: Is it the same kind of scheme?
A: Yeah. It's physical toughness. They've had some injuries at the linebacker level and they're playing a lot of people at that spot, but they're playing well and responding. You watch last week's Denver game, you know Denver balanced their rush and pass against the defense and had a couple of big plays as well.
QB ELI MANNING
Q: What's it going to take to beat this Ravens team?
A: Well, it's going to take for us to go out there and play our best football. That's what we expect, that's what we're working on and they're a good team. They're talented, and they've got some injuries, but they might get some guys back. We don't know what that circumstance is, but we've got to have a great plan, go out and play the style of football we know we can play.
Q: Why do you guys seem to play your best football when your backs are against the wall? Do you expect that this week?
A: You hope for it and you prepare to go out there and play our best. That's all you can do. We know what we're playing for. We know what's on the line and all you can do is prepare for the future, go out there and hopefully, we can take our practice and what we're doing with good plays and take that onto Sunday.
Q: What is it that Ed Reed has done so well for so long to get so many picks?
A: He's just a tremendous athlete and a guy who, if he sees something or he gets a feel of how a quarterback is working in a certain way, he's going to fly to the ball. Sometimes, he'll leave his area, but he makes plays and you always have to have an eye on him. Pre-snap, you have to see where he is. Post-snap, see where he's going and what he's doing, because he's a tremendous player.
DE JASON PIERRE-PAUL
Q: You guys go from a team that looks like they can beat anyone in the league one week and then get shut out 34-0 the following week. Who are the New York Giants right now?
A: I really don't know. I know one thing for a fact, I feel like we're one of the best teams in the NFL. Week after week, we come out on top, then we fall back down, come back up top, go on a losing streak, then come back on top again. This week our backs are against the wall. We're starting the playoffs early. This is a playoff game for us. We have to win, otherwise we're out. The guys know and I know it and I'm getting ready to give it my best shot and do all I can. We'll see.
Q: If you had to describe the personality of this team over the past month or six weeks, could you even do it?
A: I don't know. It's hard. Like I said, you don't know what you're going to get from us. We're not consistent until somebody's going to get fired or our backs are against the wall or it's either all or nothing. It's where we're at right now. It's either all or nothing, and we'll be packing our stuff to get out of here early, and I ain't trying to go home early. I want to make that run, at least get in the playoffs and show them that we can do it. That's what we're striving for and hopefully we can get there.
Q: What were some things you've talked about to try to make that a reality?
A: We're just out there executing plays. The last game, the Falcons game, we have to get out of our head and move on. We just know we have to win this game. This is an important game to us. Baltimore is already in the playoffs. We just have to come hard. That's what we're doing. We're practicing out there, some guys are off, but they'll be ready to go later this week. We just have to go out there and practice hard. That's what we're doing.
WR VICTOR CRUZQ: You guys go from a team that looks like they can beat anyone in the league one week and then get shut out 34-0 the following week. Who are the New York Giants right now?
A: I really don't know. I know one thing for a fact, I feel like we're one of the best teams in the NFL. Week after week, we come out on top, then we fall back down, come back up top, go on a losing streak, then come back on top again. This week our backs are against the wall. We're starting the playoffs early. This is a playoff game for us. We have to win, otherwise we're out. The guys know and I know it and I'm getting ready to give it my best shot and do all I can. We'll see.
Q: If you had to describe the personality of this team over the past month or six weeks, could you even do it?
A: I don't know. It's hard. Like I said, you don't know what you're going to get from us. We're not consistent until somebody's going to get fired or our backs are against the wall or it's either all or nothing. It's where we're at right now. It's either all or nothing, and we'll be packing our stuff to get out of here early, and I ain't trying to go home early. I want to make that run, at least get in the playoffs and show them that we can do it. That's what we're striving for and hopefully we can get there.
Q: What were some things you've talked about to try to make that a reality?
A: We're just out there executing plays. The last game, the Falcons game, we have to get out of our head and move on. We just know we have to win this game. This is an important game to us. Baltimore is already in the playoffs. We just have to come hard. That's what we're doing. We're practicing out there, some guys are off, but they'll be ready to go later this week. We just have to go out there and practice hard. That's what we're doing.
SAFETY ANTREL ROLLE
Q: What do you think happened with the tackling on Sunday?
A: I think guys were flying around. I think guys were hustling. It's just for whatever reason we were unsuccessful in getting the job done, so we definitely have to do a better job this week.
Q: What does that mean when facing Ray Rice?
A: You've got to play ball. You've got to study your opponent, understand his strengths and weaknesses, understand how he likes to run the ball and just go out there and get it done. Get it done at all costs.
Q: Do you get a sense of what the response will be after you guys have been in this situation last year?
A: I think today we went out there and we had a good practice, but we've got to go out there and play Sunday. That's the bottom line. Obviously, we had a good week of practice last week also, but we didn't go out there and perform as well on Sunday. So we've got to go out there and just get the job done at all costs, no matter what.
