**

Coach Tom Coughlin**

Q: Jason Pierre-Paul was sick?
A: Yes, he was sick.  He's actually been sick since Monday, I guess.  

Q: Is it something that could threaten to keep Jason out?
A: I don't think so.  You always wonder about that, it's been beautiful, but that little change in the temperature, I don't know.  He should be okay.  

Q: So it's like a head cold or something?  It's nothing with his …?
A: My degree is not in medicine, he's sick.  He went to the doctorsm the doctors said he has to take …

Q: It's not a knee, it's not an elbow?
A: Sick.  

Q: Tom, obviously we make a big deal about the turnovers, but how about the number of takeaways by the defense?
A: It balances out pretty well.  Field position, the frustration of not getting the short field and then when we've gotten the short field, we haven't done much with it.  It's disturbing.  The turnovers, you can talk all you want, but it has to happen.  It has to happen on the field.  Take care of the ball, get the ball away from the other guy, get yourself in some field position, take advantage of it.   

Q: Well, you have a new quarterback who is dealing with new elements on his team.  Does that present an opportunity for the secondary to make plays like that?
A: Well, (Freeman)'s a veteran.  He's played right up to this week and he's had a couple of weekends off where he hasn't played, but he's been learning a new system.  You would hope so going into any game.  I'm sure if he wasn't ready to play in their system and know exactly what they require him to do, then he wouldn't be in a position he's in as a starter.  

Q: Tom, I know Eli said the other day that he's not going to get gun shy.  You guys like to throw the ball down the field.  When things are going so badly with the turnovers, is there any way you can try to be more conservative that might limit the big plays, but also maybe limit the other?
A: The only thing is you have to look at, for example take the last game…the turnovers came on basically a quick throw, five-step drop, on both of the first two and basically a five-step drop seam route in which the ball traveled a little further than 12 yards, but not a whole lot further.   I understand what you're saying and in an attempt to tighten things up and not get into the tip ball stuff and that business, the reads and the misreads, that's what you attempt to do.  You're not going to take the ball, the opportunities, away if they're there.  

Q: With a young quarterback you might do that.
A: You might.

Q: But this guy you just won't, with the way the offense is set up?
A: We've tried to put ourselves in a little bit of a better position in terms of what we want, how we want it and where etc.  You're not going to take away from the opportunity to take advantage if it's there.  Like the ball he threw down the sideline is a great example of that.

Q: I guess also it plays into it how the game is going.
A: You're right.

Q: If you're down by ten points, sometimes you have to take more chances.
A: At some point, yes.  

Q: Tom, with a guy like Adrian Peterson, how big of a role does Jon Beason have in stopping him?
A: All 11 of them have big roles.  You have to be in the right place at the right time.  If you're not, you could pay for it because obviously his speed factor has been shown with a 78-yarder and a 60-yarder, that type of thing, the nose for the ball and being at the right spot at the right time and coming out of the man in the middle, yeah, very important.  

Q: Is there any sense in the locker room that some of the luck hasn't gone your way and you guys just might be due for a win?
A: I don't sense that's what people are thinking.  We're pretty much realistic.  We have to make our own breaks, if that's what you're getting at.  I think we're taking that position.  

Q: What is the significance of getting David Baas back this week?
A: I think it's very important.  They're very good upfront.  The inside people have good size and can play with power.  Anytime you can add David Baas to that formation, or that type of front, you're going to be in better shape.  

RE: Baas being re-inserted into a line that has improved over the past couple games
A: Jim Cordle has done a heck of a job.  He really has.  The more working parts we can have, the better.  

Q: Does Baas look fine?
A: He had a good day yesterday, seemed to be doing well today.  I always say you have to find out the next morning.  

Q: Seems like the first time in a while where you have decisions to make on the inactives, not medically related.
A: We'll see about that.  I mean, I wasn't able to do it Wednesday.  

**

Offensive Coordinator Kevin Gilbride**

Q: How is Andre Brown looking?
A: We'll wait and see. He's looking pretty good right now as he comes back doing individual stuff. He actually has been doing some scout team work and he's looking good. We'll play it by ear. 

Q: How much easier was it for you to get into a rhythm calling plays last week once you got the running game going and had some extended drives?
A: Anything of consistency, whether you're throwing or running the ball, just makes it so much easier because you start to call something and you see the way the defense adjusts to stop you and then you can come back and exploit their overreaction or over adjustment. The problem is when nothing is working. That's when you're scrambling, so it was good and it was really, really encouraging to see us run the ball well the way we did. We haven't done that in a long time, so that was very encouraging and hopefully we can keep that aspect of the game going and stay away from the turnovers. We should be in good shape. 

Q: What kind of difference can David Baas make up front?
A: Jimmy Cordle has played very, very well. Obviously David is the starter, so you hope when your starter comes back you're going to continue to play as well, if not better, and that's what we will expect and I think David gives you some more experience and a guy that has earned the starting position for us. You'd like to think you're going to get better, but part of the thing is the changes. All the changes just keep hurting the cohesiveness and the coordination, but David has been there with those guys before. He's had David Diehl next to him. He's had Kevin Boothe next to him, so I think the transition will be fairly seamless and fairly quick. 

Q: Do you feel the offensive line has played better the last two weeks?
A: No question. No question, absolutely. The last two weeks they've played very well, so that's been a huge step in the right direction. 

Q: What do you think Peyton Hillis is able to provide?
A: He's going to have to play. The injury factor has been incredible, so he's going to play some. We're just kind of waiting and seeing and trying to judge exactly how much he can pick up in a short period of time. Fortunately, he's a bright guy. He's been down in Tampa Bay, which uses our system, so he's more familiar than the average guy would be coming into a brand new situation. There's a lot of nomenclature and terminology that he's familiar with, so I think that's going to expedite the process, but it's still new. There are still some differences, so we're kind of assessing it as we go, but right now he's been impressive. 

Q: How much can you realistically expect Brandon Jacobs to shoulder the same load as last game coming off of a hamstring tweak?
A: You're asking me medical questions that are impossible for me to predict the answer to. The thing that he did last week was inspirational, to be honest with you, to see the toughness he displayed and the commitment he made to our football team to help us get that component of the game going. I know he's going to give us everything he's got. We'll just play it by ear and see how he's holding up. I don't mean to be evasive, but it's just impossible to predict. 

Q: Would you rather have him to be able to…
A: I could care less. As long as somebody is doing it and doing it well. Obviously if he's doing it and certainly he's earned the right to get the start at it, then we'll be happy with anybody running the ball as well as he did. 

Q: How do you feel about your tight end play this season?
A: I thought Brandon (Myers) did a nice job blocking for us. Like all of us at all positions, we haven't been as productive as we'd like to be, but it's not just one position; it's all of us. 

Q: Is Michael Cox still in the mix?
A: Yeah. Again, the injury factor has caused everybody to be moved up a couple of notches in the depth chart. We're looking at him trying to get him as ready as we can. 

Q: How is Andre Brown looking?
A: We'll wait and see. He's looking pretty good right now as he comes back doing individual stuff. He actually has been doing some scout team work and he's looking good. We'll play it by ear. 

Q: How much easier was it for you to get into a rhythm calling plays last week once you got the running game going and had some extended drives?A: Anything of consistency, whether you're throwing or running the ball, just makes it so much easier because you start to call something and you see the way the defense adjusts to stop you and then you can come back and exploit their overreaction or over adjustment. The problem is when nothing is working. That's when you're scrambling, so it was good and it was really, really encouraging to see us run the ball well the way we did. We haven't done that in a long time, so that was very encouraging and hopefully we can keep that aspect of the game going and stay away from the turnovers. We should be in good shape. 

Q: What kind of difference can David Baas make up front?
A: Jimmy Cordle has played very, very well. Obviously David is the starter, so you hope when your starter comes back you're going to continue to play as well, if not better, and that's what we will expect and I think David gives you some more experience and a guy that has earned the starting position for us. You'd like to think you're going to get better, but part of the thing is the changes. All the changes just keep hurting the cohesiveness and the coordination, but David has been there with those guys before. He's had David Diehl next to him. He's had Kevin Boothe next to him, so I think the transition will be fairly seamless and fairly quick. 

Q: Do you feel the offensive line has played better the last two weeks?
A: No question. No question, absolutely. The last two weeks they've played very well, so that's been a huge step in the right direction. 

Q: What do you think Peyton Hillis is able to provide?
A: He's going to have to play. The injury factor has been incredible, so he's going to play some. We're just kind of waiting and seeing and trying to judge exactly how much he can pick up in a short period of time. Fortunately, he's a bright guy. He's been down in Tampa Bay, which uses our system, so he's more familiar than the average guy would be coming into a brand new situation. There's a lot of nomenclature and terminology that he's familiar with, so I think that's going to expedite the process, but it's still new. There are still some differences, so we're kind of assessing it as we go, but right now he's been impressive. 

Q: How much can you realistically expect Brandon Jacobs to shoulder the same load as last game coming off of a hamstring tweak?
A: You're asking me medical questions that are impossible for me to predict the answer to. The thing that he did last week was inspirational, to be honest with you, to see the toughness he displayed and the commitment he made to our football team to help us get that component of the game going. I know he's going to give us everything he's got. We'll just play it by ear and see how he's holding up. I don't mean to be evasive, but it's just impossible to predict. 

Q: Would you rather have him to be able to…
A: I could care less. As long as somebody is doing it and doing it well. Obviously if he's doing it and certainly he's earned the right to get the start at it, then we'll be happy with anybody running the ball as well as he did. 

Q: How do you feel about your tight end play this season?
A: I thought Brandon (Myers) did a nice job blocking for us. Like all of us at all positions, we haven't been as productive as we'd like to be, but it's not just one position; it's all of us. 

Q: Is Michael Cox still in the mix?
A: Yeah. Again, the injury factor has caused everybody to be moved up a couple of notches in the depth chart. We're looking at him trying to get him as ready as we can. 

**

Defensive Coordinator Perry Fewell  *Q: Coach Coughlin and the players have been talking about getting home with blitzes and the pass rush on defense. How much can you do in a week to switch things up and help facilitate that?
A: It really all depends on the football intelligence and then the chemistry of your defensive football team or your football team period. Sometimes when you have a group that's working together consistently you can get very creative. So I think it really all depends on if the group is healthy, if the group is working together and then there's a lot of different things that you can do. 

Q: Do you feel like you have that group?
A: We haven't been really consistent because of injuries and that type of thing. We have a new linebacker, so having him hear the terminology and understand the terminology and then respond to the terminology at a rapid pace… You've got to hear the calls enough and then work with the people enough to understand where you go, what you do and how to do it. 

Q: What did you think of Jon Beason last week?
A: I like what he gave us, especially in the run game. The in-line quickness, the ability to get to the ball and make a football play I thought was very good for us. Obviously, we have some work to do in the pass game. 

Q: Is Beason going to wear the radio helmet this week?
A: We are seriously thinking about it and considering it. He's a very smart and intelligent football man and we think he can handle a lot of those situations. We haven't made a firm decision on it, but we're leaning that way. 

Q: How do you pick up the pass rush?
A: Sometimes you've just got to whip somebody's ass and you've got to get to the quarterback. We can try to become more creative and do some things of that nature, but it just comes down to you've got to win an individual battle and sometimes you've got to beat two people and if the ball is coming out quick, sometimes you've just got to will yourself to get there and even if the ball comes out quick, knock it down. There's no magical formula. There's no scheme or anything like that. It's like turnovers; they come in bunches. And sacks, they haven't come in bunches for us right now, and we're working hard to rectify that situation and it's going to happen for us. We're talented enough that it will happen for us. 

Q: Will a couple of third and longs and a lead help in that regard?
A: Anything like that. Those things give you an opportunity to get more sacks, no doubt about it, and to get more interceptions, too. 

Q: The defense hasn't forced many turnovers as well. What are you doing to try and facilitate it?
A: Trying to make the players more ball aware and that's all you can do. You've got to put pressure on the receivers. Your front and coverage have to work in harmony and when I say front and coverage work in harmony… If we're playing man or whatever, we've got to do a good job of jamming the receivers to hold up the route getting down the field and then the rushers have got to do a good job of getting there and if we're playing zone, we've got to do a good job of jamming the receivers so the rush can get there. Vice versa, if we're pressuring… So we've got to work in harmony together. 

Q: Have you been disappointed that when you send an extra linebacker or safety they haven't been getting to the quarterback?
A: I expect them to win more one on ones. Yes. I expect them to win more one on ones. 

Q: Is there anything you're seeing of why they're not winning those battles?
A: I'm not going to reveal that right now. From a football standpoint, there are some things that are happening and we're going to fix that situation. 

Q: The Vikings are playing a quarterback who has had a couple of weeks off and is new to their system. Do you expect the Vikings to run a vanilla offense?
A: I don't think they'll be vanilla. I don't know what they'll be. Yes, he's been there a couple of weeks. He's a veteran quarterback. He's had enough starts. The head coach feels comfortable enough to give him the reigns. I don't think he wants to come in and run a vanilla offense. I think he feels comfortable enough that he has enough offense to come in and compete. 

Q: He has a security blanket in #28. *
A: Yeah. That's a pretty good security blanket. 

Q: Is Adrian Peterson the most dangerous running back in the league?
A: Yeah. I don't think there's any doubt about it. When I watched the tape… He was the MVP of the league last year and he's dynamic. 

Q: How important is it to keep Peterson contained and not let him get to that second level and third level?
A: It's vitally important that we definitely keep him from that second level and if he hits that third level he's got such a gear that you normally don't catch him and he's a very patient runner. When I say patient, you can contain him, contain him, contain him, and then 'bam,' he's out. That's what we've seen on tape. Teams have really gotten after him and have done a good job and once you vacate a gap or once you miss a tackle, he makes a big play. 

Q: Corey Webster seems to be confident that he will play on Monday night. Are you as confident and what does he bring?
A: I'm very hopeful. Obviously, we have a couple more days of practice and so I've got to see what the next couple days of practice brings, but I did like having that veteran experience out there when he practiced the other day. He was excited to be out there and play. He had fresh legs and that was good. You've got a bounce in your step and you've got some fresh legs and Corey is a guy that can make plays and turn the ball over for us, too, so you like having that in your football team on the field. 

Q: You've done a good job with some marquee running backs the last couple of weeks. Does that translate over to this game or is Peterson a different animal?**
A: I think he's a different guy. I watched him in the offseason study and he's really good. I see guys hit him, tackle him, beat him up, punch him and he just keeps coming. He's got an iron will and he's just a strong runner and he's got a great determination to make those yards and so we all have to be on the same page. We'll have to swarm tackle. We'll have to gang tackle. We'll have to see what we hit and hit what we see. 

Special Teams Coordinator Tom Quinn

RE: Extra time between games to evaluate
A: I think we always do that. We always have time to continue to look at our cut-ups, see what we've done and what we need to improve and anything that we've been deficient at. It does give you time to do that. 

Q: Is there anything you'd like to see improve?
A: I'd like to get the punt returner more opportunities to return. We've been getting a lot of pressure. That's one thing. A lot of it's based on field position and the situation that we're in. 

Q: Your coverage, except for a couple punt returns, the coverage has been pretty good.
A: Yeah, we haven't had a lot of kickoff returns against, we've had touchbacks but we'll start getting more of those. We did a decent job against Chicago except for one that we kind of let out, a couple guys ran by the ball. Punt, yeah, is a constant work in progress. We're just getting better.

Q: You've played seemingly a great return guy every week. What about Patterson stands out? What makes him so good?
A: What makes him so good is that he is big, strong and fast. He's bigger than most returners and he can stick his foot in the ground and get vertical in a hurry so you have to make sure you don't give him a bunch of open windows because his vision is outstanding. He sees it, he hits it, it looks like a team will have him bottled up and he sticks his foot in the ground and comes back out the other side. We have to be really disciplined against him. 

Q: Josh Brown has had one attempt in three games, if that. Is it hard to stay sharp? I know you do it in practice all the time, but is it hard to stay sharper if you're not getting an attempt in a game at all?
A: I don't know. Sometimes you get five field goals in a game and sometimes you get one or two or zero. You just go about your weekly work each week and when you're called upon, you're called upon. I think he's done it enough that it's not that big of an issue. 

**

Center David Baas **

RE: First couple days back on the field
A: Let's just say yesterday was a good day. Today was even better. I think our team's out there working hard and we're ready to go out there and play our best on Monday night. I want to be a part of that and so far things are going well. 

Q: Tom did seem very optimistic. Do you expect that it would be as much as a game time decision or do you think you'll know before that?
A: Honestly, right now I don't know. I'm just trying to out there and keep getting… today I took every rep so it's definitely something that I'm working on. I'm just trying to get a feel for it and get out there and work with my teammates. Like I said, things are going well right now. No predictions but right now I would say that we've got a really good chance.

Q: Can your neck turn around now?
A: It's doing much better and I've been constantly working and getting treatment. It gets very repetitive and boring when you have to be here so early in the morning but it's necessary to get the treatment and get it ready. All I want to do is get back out there and play hard, give 100 percent effort and help my team win.

Q: --
A: You know, honestly, I can only do my part. There are four other guys on the offensive line with me, there are other guys on the field, we all have to do that together. What I bring to the table is knowledge and any skills that I possess. If I can go out there, like I said, it doesn't matter what play, if I can do something that can help this team win or bring a spark or anything I can do, I'm going to go 100 percent and do that because we need a win.

Q: How frustrating has this year been? You've been battling injuries basically the whole year.
A: I've been battling injuries my whole career. It's nothing new. You just have to go out there and push through it and play. You have to play like a New York Giant when you're out there. I think everybody has to expect to do that. That's one thing that I definitely have prided myself on is trying to lead by example out on the field. No matter if I'm hurt or not hurt, it doesn't matter. If I'm out on the field, I'm representing the New York Giants and I plan to play like one. 

Q: Have you seen anything from Peyton Hills out there?
A: The only thing I've seen is when he runs by me after a block, so that's good. I know he's new but he's been in the system down in Tampa. We expect him, if he's in there, to do good things for us. It doesn't matter, there are injuries all around, you have to be able to step up and midstream adjust and produce. That's what we've got to do. We haven't been doing that and obviously our record shows that. We need to change that, regardless of who's in.