Q: How did Michael Vick look yesterday and what are your thoughts going forward as far as starting him against the Giants?
A: Mike took some snaps in team, which was the first time in two weeks. He had done some seven-on-seven before that. He looks like he's progressing and we'll evaluate as we go through Wednesday, Thursday and Friday here and see what he can do and can't do.
Q: Do you look at him slightly differently as far as getting him ready for a game because so much of his game is with his legs and with a hamstring that's an issue unless you're 100 percent?
A: No. I look at him the same way I look at anybody that's injured, is, are they cleared first and foremost by our medical staff, and then what can they do in terms of talking to Mike and finally getting feedback from him. I treat him the same as any other injured player.
Q: You rarely played teams twice in one season in college. What challenges are there for you to face a team for the second time in one month?
A: I don't look at it as a challenge because they have the same exact situation. They have to look at us the same time. It's just kind of how the league is run. Obviously, you spend more time because you played each other, but then you look through that game and they did this last time, they won't do it again, and you play that guessing game. It comes back down to what happened in the first game. We'll go do what we do and they're going to do what they do and we're going to see who has the best team at the end of the day on Sunday.
Q: Does your team's nine-game home losing streak weigh on the players at all?
A: I don't think we talk about it. Obviously, we want to give our fans what they deserve and we've had an unbelievable home crowd in the games that we've been home this year. I just got in this year. I wasn't part of it last year, but there's that tremendous support at home and we're itching to go out there and get a victory in front of our home crowd.
Q: Do you understand why the fans booed the team towards the end of last Sunday's game?
A: Yeah. We were losing, so I understand that.
Q: You don't want to stick a rookie quarterback in a situation where you're down in the fourth quarter and you have to be in comeback mode. How do you think Matt Barkley's experience went last game?
A: Matt did some nice things. You have to look at everything everybody does when they go in there. You evaluate the total performance. Obviously he wants the interceptions back. I think Matt was just trying to force the issue. We were down 17-3. In his mind, we score a quick touchdown, get an onside kick and then we have a shot at winning this thing. I thought, in some instances, Matt made some really good decisions. He got rid of the ball quickly. He knew where everybody was. He had a pretty good understanding of what we were trying to get accomplished. We came in the day after the game and he knows what he did. He forced it a little bit. Obviously, you can't do that against a good team, but he'll benefit from the experience. I know that.
Q: Jon Beason has come in and had an impact on this Giants' defense the last two weeks. I'm just curious what you've seen and what differences that he may present than the defense you saw a couple of weeks ago?
A: He's had a big impact, as we look at it. Herzlich was down in our game and it looked like they had to play Pays (Paysinger), Williams, and Rivers a little more. I think it gives them a true (Mike?) linebacker. I think in the two games that he's played, the Bears and the Vikings, he's been outstanding. I think he's been the leading tackler. Obviously he's a talented player, an All Pro player. I think he's a big upgrade on the defensive side of the ball and that's where it's not the same team, at least from a defensive standpoint, or even offensively with Peyton Hillis over there. We didn't play Linval Joseph the last game because he was hurt. We anticipate him being back. Even though it's been a three-week span between the two teams playing, I think there's some personnel changes that are going to be different for us, going to be the first time we've seen them. I think Beason has been playing very well right now.
Q: Spencer Paysinger is getting a lot of playing time. Chip, you saw him so much, were you surprised that he's elevated himself into a starting linebacker in the NFL?
A: No, I'm not surprised at all. Pays was awesome when I coached him at Oregon. He was a real leader of our defense, a true three-down guy that can play in nickel situations. He's got great coverage ability. He's an outstanding special teams player. I always thought Pays was a guy that, for some reason, was probably more underrated in college than he should have been. He was really the glue for us on the defensive side of the ball. I'm not surprised at his production. That's the Spencer Paysinger that I know. He was the backbone of our defense that took us to a National Championship game and he's doing the same thing in the NFL.
