Injury Report: "We're listing [RB Brian] Westbrook as out so he will not play, but he practiced and he actually felt pretty good, had a couple of good days of practice, two of which were on turf. [WR Jeremy] Maclin was back today and moved around good. [WR] Kevin Curtis will travel. Both of those two are listed as questionable. Everybody else is probable."
Opening Remarks:"I look forward to the challenge of playing the Giants up in New York. We know what kind of football team they are. We have had a week to study them and we've played them before. They're an awfully good football right now. On our side, the guys had a good week of practice and preparation and they look forward to the going up and it's going to be a heavyweight fight, we know that. They look forward to that challenge."
On how much he thinks Westbrook benefitted from the last couple of days of practice: "Every time he touched the ball, and even when he didn't, he was sprinting the length of the field and getting some work in there. When he did have the ball he was trying to make some moves and kind of get back into the swing of playing football. He has a new helmet he's wearing and he's testing that out. I think it was good for him and it's taking baby steps here, but he was able to make it through these days and felt good."
On what type of helmet Westbrook is wearing: "I'll have to get you that name. I don't want to give you the wrong name. Other players wear it too."
On whether the new helmet provides more cushioning: "Yeah, that is exactly what it is, a little more cushion in there and protection."
On what he needs to see from Westbrook for him to play and whether he would consider seeing how he responds to contact before playing him in a game:"We won't do that with the contact part. The part on my side, I just have to hear from the doctors and trainers and then Brian. I'd be foolish if I didn't listen to him and his part of it. When he's ready to go they will all let me know and we'll go with it."
On what Westbrook has said thus far about how he is feeling: "He feels pretty good. I haven't talked with him after this practice, but coming into this practice he felt good. He went out and he moved around well. It didn't look like there were any setbacks, so that's a good thing."
On whether he knew all week that Westbrook would not play Sunday: "I'm just taking it day by day. I just wanted to let him go and see how he was moving and how he felt and just get a feel back out there. I think it is the right thing to do and we'll take it from there."
On whether he thinks Curtis' recovery is ahead of schedule: "He moved around pretty well, probably better than I thought he would for having all of those different things done to that thing. He says he feels good and we'll go out and see what he can do here. Whether he dresses or not I can't tell you that. I don't know that yet."
On whether Curtis is on the bubble in terms of being able to play Sunday: "He's a bubble guy, yeah; he'd be the bubble guy."
On whether the decision about Curtis dressing will be based on whether Maclin is able to play: "I haven't even gotten there yet. I wanted to make sure he got through this practice. I'm taking small steps here. We'll see."
On Maclin's foot injury:"Maclin should be fine."
On whether WR DeSean Jackson potentially feeling concussion symptoms has played a role in deciding to have Curtis travel with the team:"You guys are covering all the bases, yes."
On how he plans on using LB Akeem Jordan considering Trotter is playing well: "The thing Akeem can do, he can play all three spots and he really has done that this week, whether it's in our regular personnel, or our other personnel, in certain nickels and dimes, all that stuff. He's going to play. Again, we want to see how he does as he goes in the game. He will play though."
On the Giants needing a win this weekend and whether a desperate team is a more dangerous team: "Listen, we're all fighting to stay alive. That's how it is. I think we're all in that same boat. There's a game that separates us and it's that time where it's a battle every week."
On whether he feels the team is hitting their stride right now: "I think they enjoy playing together and they take coaching very well. Those are things that I know now. Now in this last quarter here, we just began the last quarter and we did okay in that game. We have to see how we do down the stretch. That kind of makes your team and tells you a little bit about the team as you go, so really you put a name on it at the end of the year and we'll see how we do down this stretch here."
On what he wanted to see from CB Joselio Hanson this week and whether he has seen that: "The thing we had to see is what kind of shape he came back in, and he was in good shape, and then how fast he could knock the rust off and see where he was football-wise. It looks like he's changing direction, planting and driving, all those things are there. If he gets tired we have people that can rotate in with him. He's only on a couple of different personnel groups so he should be okay. He's working some special teams."
On everything that has gone on the last month and whether he feels better going into this week than he has felt going into previous weeks: "Today was the first day that everyone practiced that's not on IR. That's a plus from a team standpoint, but again, nobody and no team is completely healthy this time of the year. It was good to have everybody back out there. I'm talking about [RB Brian] Westbrook even though he's out he practiced, and [WR] Jeremy [Maclin] came out and practiced."
On whether getting through the last month with a winning record makes him feel like they've gotten over the hump considering all the injuries: "Every game is a hump as we go here, so we'll see. We'll see how it all plays out here."
On whether he has any memories of particular games at Giants Stadium: "We just had some great games up there. Every game we have is one of those. I can't pick one of them out. I'm not going to be sad to see – hopefully they move the seat, the guy that when I come out of the tunnel talks to me about how many salad bars I need to visit, I won't miss that part, but there have been some great games up there."
On whether he thinks this team has benefited from working through injuries and developing depth over the past weeks: "It's probably the guys who have stepped in and played and I think that can help you down the stretch here. It's important that they stay sharp. If their playing time is more limited, then they have to stay more involved and make sure that they stay sharp."
