Injury report: "Really on the injury front, the only person not practicing today is [T] Winston Justice with a knee hyper-extension. [T] King Dunlap will take his reps today. We'll just see how he does here. We have full confidence in King, so if he has to be the guy that goes, then I think all the players have full trust in him."
Opening remarks: "We look forward to the challenge of playing the Dallas Cowboys. They're playing good football right now. They're a good football team and our team knows that. We're going to go through the process here to make sure that we get ready for a good football team. That's what our guys are focused in on. We're not worried about what happened last year or in the future or anything else. It's all about right now and making sure that we focus in on right now and exhaust that process of getting ready to play a good football team."
On what has changed in Dallas compared to earlier in the season:"Well, obviously, they changed head coaches. Listen, I'm a big Wade Phillips fan and I think Jason Garrett is a very good football coach, too. I think they went from one good coach to another good coach. I think they're running the football a little bit more, they don't have quite as many turnovers on offense and they've increased their turnovers on defense. That turnover margin becomes a big stat for them, I think."
On whether you have to come back and do things differently after losing to a team three times in the previous season: "You learn from every game and they got us last year. That's also the obvious and so you learn from each game. Again, you put your gameplan together to play this football team and you focus in on that and concentrate on that and then you worry about all the other stuff."
On how his team is doing since the last meeting with the Cowboys:"Well, we have a few changes in here. Both teams have some changes. I've said this before, every year is different in the National Football League. That's the way it is and that's one of the great things about the league. The schemes are basically the same. Their schemes are basically the same as what our schemes are from last year. Both teams are very similar to what they were last year as far as the scheme part. There are different players in some different spots and we'll go play."
On what Justice has to do to be ready for Sunday's game:"Well, we just have to make sure he can function at a level where he can play in a game. He's not there right now."
On how much it would help to have CB Asante Samuel and DE Juqua Parker back for Sunday: "Well, I said this when they weren't in the defense, I expected the guys that stepped in for them to do a good job and they did that. I'll also say that they're a big part of our defense. Both of them have great personalities and they're both veteran players and they've had success in this league. We welcome them back in. I was proud of the guys that stepped in for them. On the other hand, I welcome these guys back."
On whether Samuel and Parker are both fully healthy or are working through some discomfort: "Well, I think they're ready to go. We'll see. This is the first time that they've got right back together and practiced here. They feel good and we'll just see how they do in practice.
On whether Parker will be the starting LDE:"Well, we rotate those guys anyway. We'll just see. We'll see how both of them feel and go from there."
On what he took after the two consecutive losses to the Cowboys and why he felt like the team needed change: "Well, again, some guys were at the end of their deals, they were free agents and so on. Then, other changes, we are always trying to get better at certain positions and we were a little bit older football and we wanted to make sure that we brought in some youth through the draft. We've always been big on the draft and we had some spots where we were kind of filling in with certain people, free agent people. We wanted to make sure that we got back into the draft and we had plenty of picks which helped to be able to do that."
On whether he decided on the change ahead of time or whether those two games against the Cowboys crystallized his decision on the roster: "I wouldn't say that. I would be slamming the guys that were here and I wouldn't do that. I will tell you, though, we were blessed to have that many picks. Whether those guys were here or weren't here. Then we created some trades, but we had this good nucleus of picks that, if we did it right, we felt like we could bring in some young guys to add to the roster. I thought we needed that. [General manager] Howie [Roseman] thought we needed that and that's kind of the direction that we went there."
On whether guys in the locker room still feel sour or are humbled by the loss in Dallas last year: "Well, listen, I'm not sure that's how it goes in the NFL. I think what you do is – they got after us last year – you learn from your mistakes and then you move on. And like I said, every year is different in the National Football League. But if you worry about all of that, or you play outside of yourself instead of playing your game and focusing in on the process of getting yourself ready as a football team and a football player, if anything distracts that, then you have problems. So that's where our guys are, that's where our coaches are. We're getting ready for a good football team. We're focused in on that process and that's what we're on."
On whether the team is physically stronger this year than last year at this same point in the season: "I don't know that. I mean, I don't know that. We had a very good strength coach last year in Mike Wolf. We hired [head strength and conditioning coach] Barry [Rubin] this year and just changed a couple things around. But I'm not sure one over the other, I don't want to - I'll tell you these young guys have been very diligent about getting in the weight room and doing their thing, and the veteran players likewise. So I think they're working extremely hard in there and I think they worked very hard this offseason, which is a tribute to Barry and the players for dedicating themselves."
On the Cowboys losing WR Dez Bryant to injury: "Well, listen, Dez is a good football player. He's playing good football for them in both the base offense and the nickel offense and then also on special teams. But they have some other receivers that are pretty good too. Listen, he's a good football player."
On whether the Cowboys are a better defense now than one month ago: "I think, first of all they've played some pretty good teams and they've gotten their hands on the ball, which is very important when you're playing defense. And so, I think that's the biggest difference when I go back and say what I said there. I think they've eliminated some turnovers on the offensive side. They've created more on the defensive side. I think that's the biggest difference, there."
On whether film of Cowboys QB Jon Kitna from a couple years back when the Eagles played against him can help when facing him on Sunday: "Well, you look at everything and make sure you check everything out. He's a good football player, a veteran player. [He's] got a real good feel for the game, always has. And it's important that we study him, just like the other guys, but it's important that we study him [because] he's a big part of what they do."
On whether the players are feeling rejuvenated after some time off: "Well, I think naturally you have a little more energy when you come off a break. Again, it's important that that's channeled into this process that we're talking about here in getting ready for the Cowboys. And that starts, we had our walk-through and now we go into our practice, and it's important that that's channeled right into getting better at the gameplan today."
On why it is important to give the players a mental break during the bye week or long weekends mid-season: "Well, listen, normally they come back a little fresher, but I'm kind of stating the obvious. I think you guys, yourselves, when you get away and you come back you have a little bounce in your step, and that's how these guys are. That's how the coaches are, same thing, they took a couple days off and are ready to go. But again, it's important how you channel that. You have a little extra energy then you have to channel it the right way."
On his complaints about late hits: "You know what, I'm done with all of that. We're moving on playing the game and [QB] Michael [Vick] feels the same way. And I probably put him in a bind by saying anything about it. So it's about going and playing now. We're not worried about any of that stuff."
On why he believes he put Vick in a bind by mentioning the late hits: "No, it has nothing to do with the other teams. It's just that he even had to talk about that. But anyways that will take care of itself."
On how much the time off helps in terms of preparation for him and the rest of the coaches: "Well it doesn't necessarily affect the preparation. You know you have a little more time to obviously look at them. But that's about it."
On whether Samuel or Parker will be limited when practice is indoors: "You know, we'll see how they do today. I want to see how they move around today."
On the starting RG for Sunday: "I don't know, we'll see."
