Q: How is Rich Seubert doing?
A: Rich is doing okay. He is making progress. So we are hoping he
will be able to work next week.
Q: With eight days to go do you like the way your team is getting
set as you continue to move along?
A: Yeah, I do. The idea of working here at home and being able to
get into a routine and get the majority of what our thoughts are put
together is a very good thing. A lot of what we have talked about is
obviously being able to deal with the environment at the Super Bowl
and managing ourselves and focusing when all of these things are going
on around us. But when we go to work we are going to focus on our
football. And hopefully that is the formula that we need.
Q: How are the three players from yesterday?
A: Mike Johnson was back. The other two guys (FB Madison Hedgecock
and DT Manny Wright) were really still pretty much not strong enough
to practice. So they were sent back home.
Q: In terms of distractions was the trip to London helpful in terms
of preparing for something like this?
A: Well, perhaps, I think it was. That was a real short term kind
of a thing; whirlwind. This is a little bit more extensive. But no
question being in that environment and having the kind of media
attention that went with that game, I’m sure that is going to help a
lot of these young guys for sure.
Q: What is the overall message that you try to convey to them in
terms of focusing on the game but at the same time trying to enjoy the
experience?
A: Well, that pretty much sums it up. I think we have good sound
leadership and we have some guys that have been in this game and have
been able to talk to the players about it. We certainly do want our
players to enjoy it, enjoy the journey, if you will. But at the same
time, while we are having fun and understanding all of that, we do
have a very serious purpose.
Q: How do you go about recapturing the energy you had in the last
game with the Patriots, that kind of nothing-to-lose, go-for-it
mentality you had?
A: Well, you build up to this. Obviously this is such a big game
that I’m not worried about the energy level. I think the energy level
will be fine but the Patriots are a very good football team and we
have to make sure that all of the details from our standpoint are
covered and the players are ready to go. And once that is the case,
then I think we will get a good effort.
Q: How is Strahan? Does he have a touch of the flu at all?
A: A cold. He will be okay.
Q: A couple of players this week said to the effect that nobody
remembers the loser of the Super Bowl. Do you believe that?
A: Who was the loser two games ago? (PAUSE). That’s exactly what
happened in our team meeting. I asked the same question. It took ……
somebody mentioned it.
Q: Bill Belichick talked a little bit about Ahmad Bradshaw
yesterday. He was very complimentary. He feels like defensively it
changes a lot of how you approach the line of scrimmage. Can you talk
a little bit about what Bradshaw has been able to bring?
A: Bradshaw brings a little bit of style and a good change of pace
for us. We have the big back and then we have Bradshaw come into the
game. He is very quick. He has proven that he is powerful and he can
break tackles. He is a threat, now, whether it is in the open field or
at the line of scrimmage. He does have good power and he has
demonstrated the ability to go all the way. So he has been a very good
combination back for us.
Q: Has he done everything for you guys that you expected him to do
this season? I know he slipped a little bit in the draft --- a lot of
people talked about character questions, things of that nature. Has he
really fulfilled everything you hoped to get out of him this season?
A: Well, we hoped more. We hope more going forward. We have one
game to play. But he has been very good and he has been a young man
who has gained ground. And even in the little setbacks that he has
had, he has handled that well and kept working hard to try to
reestablish anything that we thought in the beginning when we put the
kickoff return on the ground. That was the issue so he proved he was
able to secure the ball. And he has pretty much accepted every
challenge.
Q: What have you seen out of Eli the last three weeks that has made
him so consistent and so…..?
A: Well he is playing very well and he is very focused. He has
been very accurate; played through all kinds of weather and really has
been able to stay right on course the entire time. So he is playing
well and we were certainly riding the nature of his games in that the
ball has not been turned over either.
Re: Manning
A: I have seen it in him for a long time. It is not just in the
last few weeks.
Q: Given what you have seen of Kevin Dockery this week do you think
he is going to be able to play next week?
A: We’ll see. We’ll see. He came back and worked a little bit
today. So we will see.
Re: having a the full roster available next week
A: Obviously you would like to have all hands on deck. And we are
getting closer to that.
Q: A couple of years ago when Jeff Feagles was talking about
retiring, he said you guys had a conversation. What did you tell him a
few years ago; what do you tell guys that are on that verge of maybe
stepping down?
A: They have some very serious thoughts that they are going
through and obviously a lot of that has to do with family. But once
you get beyond the family issue --- I’m very honest with the guys and
I thought Jeff could continue to play and I didn’t see why there was
any mark along the way --- whether he was 38, 39, or whatever, he was
in great shape and a very, very good athlete and still performing at a
very high level. The thing of it was --- that’s why I say it has to be
a determination from the family’s standpoint because very much is
involved in that. His sons are getting a little bit older. He doesn’t
want to miss anything with them. But I think once they have had an
opportunity to spend some time together ---- he had made up his mind
that this is what he wanted to do.
Q: How tough is it for Plaxico not to practice a lot?
A: He has been practicing of late, probably for the last four
weeks for a couple of plays each section so that he keeps his hand in
it. And the quarterback continues to throw to him and that has been
good; has been very good.