On who will be the punt returner Sunday: "Right now the plan is for (WR) DeSean (Jackson) to come back. (WR) Jeremy (Maclin) did a nice job last week, but if DeSean is healthy and playing he'll be out there."
On the weather being an issue for the kicking game:"It is. Those are the things that can cause you problems in the kicking game. Fortunately we have an experienced kicker in (K) David (Akers) and (P) Sav (Rocca) has gotten better working in the wind. Those are things that do affect a kicking game significantly."
On whether Akers should approach his kicking different to be more successful at Giants Stadium: "Dave is an experienced kicker. In my experience with him when I was here before, he did a nice job there. I haven't been through him with those struggles that he's had at their stadium, but I think the important thing for a kicker and punter is (that) he's in a good rhythm right now. To sustain that and continue that, that's the most important thing, and just realize that you have to go and execute just like any other week."
On the importance of Maclin's big punt return last week: "It's very important. You're a young player, trying to establish yourself. He had not had the success earlier in the season and I think that gave him a big boost in confidence and helped the other guys block in form and everything to see him make a play like that. It was big. It was very big for him."
On whether S Macho Harris will be the backup for Jackson: "If for some reason that Jeremy is not able to play and be able to return punts then (Macho) would take over."
On whether Harris will take kickoff returns: "At this point yes, that's being evaluated as we go along throughout the week, but as of today yes."
On Giants punt returner Domenik Hixon: "I like him. I think he's a very good player. He's stronger than you realize. He runs tough. He has the ability to break tackles. He's a slasher type of runner. Obviously made a big play for them last week against the Cowboys where he made a couple of people miss and then was strong enough to kick through a tackle and finish it. He has the speed to finish it. I think he's a very good player."
On how he feels about the coverage units on kickoffs and punts: "I think our punt team throughout the whole season has been consistent and done a nice job and Sav has directionally punted the ball well enough for us to get our coverage in place. I think they've done a good job. Kickoff-wise it's been up and down a little bit. There are some games where we'd like it to be better and then there have been a few games recently where we have done a real good job."
On the difference between covering a kickoff versus a punt: "It's very different in the fact that when you kick the ball off you know where it is going exactly. You should know exactly where it's going. Your lanes and everything, the philosophy of the coverage is the same but the style is different. When the ball is punted you have a chance to get on top of the returner quicker, where on a kickoff he has more time to run at you and it's more of a designed play. It's like playing defense on a kickoff return. The lane discipline is critical on kickoff coverage. In punt coverage you have to rally and get to the ball. We use the same philosophy and the techniques we're using are the same, but it's very different."
On whether he is evaluating kickoff returns because S Quintin Demps health isn't 100%:"It's an ongoing process with him. We know that Quintin has done a nice job in the past. We respect the fact that he's been a good returner in the past. His health is getting better each week. I think that (Macho) has done a nice job. I think for a young guy, rookie coming in, I like the way he runs north and south. It is kind of an ongoing evaluation."
On whether Giants P Jeff Feagles' directional punting is the reason he is still a punter in the NFL: "Yes it is, it's exactly that. He obviously doesn't have the leg strength that he had years ago. He's done a good job for over twenty years and his ability to put the ball where he wants to put it has allowed him to stay in the league and be successful as long as he has. It's also helped their coverage tremendously. His average is way down, I think it's around a 40-yard average, but their net is only two or three yards less than that because of his ability to place the ball where he wants to."
On whether CB Joselio Hanson will be a gunner Sunday: "Yes, we're excited to have him back. He was doing a great job before his suspension. We expect him to step right back in and fill the exact same role he was doing before."
On the challenges of place kicking in Giants Stadium: "It's usually the conditions this time of year you end up with the weather being a factor up there. It's out in the open and that allows the wind to get into the stadium, it swirls around. This time of year it's tough to go up there and execute, but I have total confidence in our guys. When you're in a rhythm as a kicker and a punter that's what's important. If you can just stay in a rhythm, go out and execute regardless of where you're at we should do fine."
On Akers, Rocca and LS Jon Dorenboss getting into a rhythm: "It's important that those three have comfort level and the timing and a rhythm that they get into. They obviously fell into it early in the year. I'd say after about the fourth or fifth game we really got things smoothed out and since then they've been excellent."
On whether he tweaked anything about the field goal unit when he arrived: "Not really. I just have a lot of confidence in Dave. You have to understand, when I was here before with Dave he was kicking great. In 2004 when I was here, before the year they went to the Super Bowl, I came in and told him right away, 'I have total confidence in you. I believe in you. I think you're a great kicker.' I think that helps. When you're a player and a coach and you have to communicate with your guys, I told Sav the same thing, 'You have a lot of potential. You just have to get your technique squared away.' That's my role in this and that's what I'm trying to do to help those guys."
