Head Coach Tom Coughlin
Q: Is this even more frustrating because of injuries this year and you never had your full complement of players going back to OTAs?
A: Well, you said it. What I always say at the beginning of the year is what you really pray for is that you can play with the team that you have when you come out of camp. It doesn't last very long, but it is part of the game and it happens to every team.
Q: How is Jacquian [Williams] doing?
A: He has a headache. It really never stopped.
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Q: Is this season maybe more frustrating in the fact that going back to OTAs with David Wilson and from there on it was one injury after another? **
A: It certainly has been a huge disappointment, but I try not to dwell on it, to be honest with you. You can't afford to. If you did, you would be a basket case.
Q: How has [Mark] Herzlich's role changed now?
A: Herzlich is the same as he played last week. Special teams and defense.
Q: How has [Geoff] Schwartz looked this week?
A: Schwartz has practiced and done alright. I haven't noticed anything other than he has been able to take some reps.
Q: Have you settled on him to replace [Justin] Pugh at right tackle?
A: I haven't settled on that. I have my thoughts about it, but I am not prepared to share them yet.
Q: 10 years ago today you named Eli [Manning] as your starting quarterback… Any thoughts on that anniversary?
A: It was a heck of a move by me, wasn't it? I was reminded of that this week. I wasn't aware of it, but I was reminded of that. I was just reminded of the fact that at that point in time we had Kurt Warner, who was a great pro and a great human being. An excellent, excellent quarterback and I just didn't see what I wanted to see at that point. We were (5-4) or something of that nature, and I felt that it was time to, for the good of the franchise, to take the franchise quarterback and to put him on the field. So we did. It was an experience for Eli for that second half of the season. It was a good move in the long run because of obviously what happened the next year and years to come.
Q: At the end of last night's game, the Raiders were on the verge of winning their first game and a couple of players were celebrating and the guy who settles everything is Justin Tuck, who calls a timeout… Is there any satisfaction from that, knowing that whatever he brought to Oakland came from here?
A: Justin Tuck was an excellent football player for us for an awful lot of years. Two rings. I heard of this, but I did not see it, but it is not surprising.
Q: It is also an association of what he learned here so it is a reflection of…?
A: We are a big situation-oriented team and doing things the right way and understanding the circumstances. I remember just mentioning to the Raider people to make sure that Justin's role was to also help train the young players and share his experience with the young players and obviously that it was he did.
Q: With the game between the Jets and Bills being moved to Detroit… You have been through that.
A: A little bit different, though. We were in the air heading for some place. We don't have a hotel. We get steered to Kansas City and we were just fortunate to find a hotel, and then we still didn't know when we were going to play. Then we got the news about the (Metrodome) roof falling in, and then all of that stuff. Finally the decision was made and the thing that was most impressive about that whole circumstance with the players was…it is mid-stream adjust is the phrase we use. They handled it well. They handled it very well, and we ended up playing Monday night.
Q: To go back to the Eli thing for a minute… He has done a lot of impressive things for you. The fact that he started every single one of those games since that point… Where does that rank for you and what does that say about him?
A: That is a most impressive statistic, to be able to line up and play all those games consecutively and to accumulate the number of games he has started in. It is a tribute to his toughness and his will to want to play and his desire to be on the field as the captain of the New York Giants and lead his team. I have seen him – I remember there was a time when the speculation was his shoulder was hurt and he wouldn't be able to play and he didn't throw all week, but he took the field and started the game and threw the ball and did well. It is a great testament to his toughness and his desire and the inspiration and the motivation that he has to play the game.
Q: On difference between DeMarco Murray this year and in the past?
A: He is just as fast as he has always been, which is a playmaker. He catches the ball out of the backfield and makes you wonder whether you are ever going to get him down, even on a check down. What I see is the powerful nature and the way he is running the ball this year and the fact that he has over 1,200 yards and he has all those carries and he is still going strong.
DE Jason Pierre- Paul
Q: Did you see Jason Tuck's play last night?
A: Yeah, good timeout, right? They almost got caught. Man, that was some crazy stuff.
Q: You had a lot of success last time against the Cowboys. Coach said it was one your highest games grading out. What was it that you thought you could take advantage of?
A: It wasn't really any taking advantage. Tyron Smith is good competition, one of the best tackles in the league. We go at it every time, he brings it, I bring it. It is a big challenge for us.
Q: Obviously, different tackles have different strengths. Does your power sort of help against him?
A: It is all different, all of those tackles don't play alike, it is all different. I approach the game differently every time. He is one of those tackles that you have to actually study really hard. I studied him real hard, so that is why sometimes I am successful and sometimes I am not, that is basically it. It is going to be a great competition, a great atmosphere; we are going to be ready to play. Our main focus is to stop the run and to stop it.
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Q: You go back over your career against Dallas and you have some big plays. You go back to 2011, the field goal block. Do you get up for this game more than the others? **
A: Any division game, I try to play even harder, it is more studying. We play each other twice a year, you really have to study because things do change up. You don't play the same as you played the game before; you have to change things up. I changed a couple of things up, so we will see how they react….It is a good competition and it is a great challenge, I am going to be ready.
Q: Do you study mostly what he has done against you or what he has been doing recently against others?
A: Recently, he can do this against me, but come again it is totally different. That is why you have to really study, and I have been studying his recent games, so I will be okay. I am up for the challenge.
Q: From your standpoint, is it amazing that as a team you guys have never been healthy going back to OTA's? Never been the full 53 in this locker room.
A: That is the part of football. You never know when you are going to get injured, can't expect it, it just happens. We don't have all of our 53 that we started with, but the guys that we have now, we all challenge it, and we can run to the football and make plays. We've got to have those playmakers make plays this Sunday.
Q: Do you have a play that stands out in your mind that you have made against the Cowboys?
A: When it comes to the Cowboys, I always play great against them. It is really nothing that stands out. I just do my job, I am out there to make plays, and play football.
Q: I know you don't want to talk about your contract.
A: You all are always bringing up my contract, I am trying to play some football.
Q: Does it ever kind of occur to you or do you ever think about the fact that this could be your last Cowboys game as a Giant?
A: I am not worried about that, to be honest. Everything is going to work out for itself. To be honest, I would love to be a Giant next year, but I don't know what the future holds. At this point in time, I am just trying to win these six games to get in the playoffs.
Q: Obviously, you are trying to win, but at the same time you see the top of the standings are the Cowboys and the Eagles. How much would it add to it if you could sort of get them off track or ruin their season?
A: They have to come through here; they have to come through here. I am not talking stuff or whatever, but every team has to come through here. We have a couple home games left and three away games. They have to come through here, any team that comes through here, we are going to be playing our hardest. We still have something to play for. We made it hard for ourselves being in the predicament we are in now, and we can dig ourselves out of it by winning all of these games. We have six games left, let's win them, I think we can. We had a great week of practice, preparation, everybody did their jobs. Running to the ball, interceptions, getting to the quarterback, stopping the run, and those are things we need to do. Special teams has to step up and offense has to step up, we all have to play as one. If everybody plays as one, we are going to win this game.
Q: You are saying you are not satisfied just being a spoiler, you think you can run the table?
A: Yeah, I think we can run the table, I honestly do, I think we can run the table, we did it before. With a whole group of guys that was different, and we have a different group of guys now, I am pretty sure we can do it. Don't count us out yet, don't count us out yet. We made it hard for ourselves, we can dig ourselves out this hole.
Q: Tony Romo has made a living against the Giants by alluding pressure. What makes that little extra difference about him that he is able to get away from the sack just when you think you've got him?
A: He is a good quarterback. Most guys, they don't take the approach of his up field shoulder. Right when you think you have him, he slips right out your back pocket. He has been great at that. It is not luck; he knows what he is doing as a quarterback. He knows how to extend the play. Big ups to him and like I said, it is going to be a big challenge, it's a division game, we are ready to give them our best shot.
Q: Getting aside with the timeout the Justin Tuck called last night. When you see something like that, is it kind of a reflection on his background here?
A: Even though he is on a different team, he is still the same Justin Tuck. That was a great play, calling the timeout he did. He called a timeout while everybody was celebrating, who knows. If he didn't do that, they wouldn't have won that game. He did a great job and that is Justin Tuck. Always being a leader on this defense and he is truly missed, but he is a good captain, he is a good player.
Q: Do you still talk to him?
A: I haven't talked to him in a while. I might reach out to him today. He gave me his new number, he told me not to give it to you all.
