Brandon Jacobs, 12.03.09

Q. Every game is a must-win from here on out. How much are you looking forward to playing Dallas?

A. I always look forward to playing Dallas. That’s a good team, it’s a hard fought game, guys are going to get out there and have fun. It’s a divisional game and I enjoy playing in it.

Q. Are you looking forward to playing at home this time?

A. Oh, no question. They had a lot of energy down there when we went down there the first time. It was sweet, and I really enjoyed playing in that one. Now it’s good to get them here and you know they are going to come here and do the same thing that we did over there. They are sitting on top of the division now, they have a lot of momentum. They are a good football team and we have to get ourselves together because if we go out there half-stepping against them, they are going to beat us.

Q. How important is it to set the tone with the running game early?

A. It’s always important to get the running game going early because if you get the running game going early, you will have a lot of other things to work off of that and you get a chance to utilize your whole game plan.

Q. With Danny Ware out and Ahmad is 50-50, do you expect to get more carries?

A. If Danny Ware is out and Ahmad is iffy, do I expect to see more carries? Who else are they going to give it to? I’m joking, man. I do expect to see more carries, I do expect more playing time than I normally get. I am looking forward to that challenge and looking forward to that opportunity.

Q. How has Gartrell Johnson looked in practice so far and how is his understanding of the playbook?

A. He is getting there. He is just like every rookie that comes in and struggles with the playbook. He has learned throughout the whole season and has gotten a lot better. He is learning the concepts and I think he is right where he needs to be for a rookie. He is learning and he is getting better and he is going to be able to take some snaps for us also.

Q. Last time you played the Cowboys the "hate" word was thrown around a little bit. Is that a fair word to describe your feelings?

A. If I play for the Giants or if I play for Buffalo or anybody, my hatred for the Cowboys will remain the same because, as a kid, I just never liked the Cowboys. My family did, and that is the reason why I didn’t. No one there never did anything to me. It’s just that I always took the team that people, that a lot of people, loved and that was the one that I disliked.

Q. Is it fun to take that out on the field though?

A. It is definitely fun to be able to take it out on the field. I love playing against those guys. They are a good group, good, classy group. They go out there and they play football and that is what I am looking forward to doing.