Coach Tom Coughlin, 09.18.09

Q:  Phillips and Dockery practice today?

A:  No.  Both we are going to hold out for.  Hopefully they will make it.

Q:  So you are listing them as ....

A:  Questionable.

Q:  How about Canty?

A:  He is out.

Q:  Do you know anything more about the injury now?

A:  Calf strain; calf strain.

Q:  Did Dockery have a setback because he had been working?

A:  He had done a good job for about a day and a half.  He got sore.  So we are holding out that he will feel better.

Q:  What about C.C. Brown? If he has to step into a starting role, how do you feel about him?

A:  Good; very good. He has taken a ton of reps, special teams, defense - prepared himself very well.

Q:  You said there were a couple of times in the preseason where there were some mental mistakes.  Do you think he has progressed from that point?

A:  Yes.

Q:   How much has Boley proved to you this week?

A:  He has worked, he has practiced, he has worked, and he has been into it.  Now he doesn't make any mental errors. The big thing was getting him on the field and working him and he did that.  So we will see.

Q:  How much changes without Canty; nothing?

A:  No, not really.

Q:  Do you start to get concerned about your defensive tackle depth with Canty joining Alford?

A:  Not game by game, I don't. I do if it is a normal practice week and we have to have x amount of bodies, yes. But when it comes to game time you are right close to the number anyway.

Q:  Phillips must be discouraging because it sounded like he practiced very well yesterday.  I guess his knee just did ----.

A:  I think he will be OK, though. It is just precaution again.  

Q:   So with Phillips it sounds like you won't have to bring a safety up from the practice squad?

A:  Well, you never know. We have until tomorrow at 4 pm.

Q:  Sounds like this knee with Phillips is something that you are going to end up dealing up ..?

A:  We are going to manage this for the year, yes.

Q:  You talked on Sunday about that "sudden change" series that could have swung the game.  This defense seems to have done a good job of that the last couple of years. 

A:  They have; they have mentally prepared themselves. And when they go on the field in that situation they don't look at it as a thing that is ‘half empty.' They figure they are going in and make a play and keep the guy from scoring or force a turnover or something like that. They have been very good that way, yes.

Q:  Any progress on Sintim?

A:  No, not really. 

Q:  When you look at your running game last week, what do you need to see that you didn't see last week?

A:  Well, we have to - all of the way around it is just going to have to be more - we are going to have to execute better. We are capable of ---.  That is a good defensive front now, don't get me wrong. You are talking about - I think when we won in Washington last year we had 108 yards rushing. What did we have the other day, 103?

Q:  Right.

A:  And they added a couple of good players into that group, too. It is always a question of communication, execution, performance. So you are constantly reviewing that.  And let's face it, we set the bar up there pretty good and we expect to be very good on a week to week basis. And we learn from it and we go on.

Q:  Aside from the managing of the practice with Kenny, is he, when he is out there, able to do everything you expect him to do?  Can he still have the big year that he was hoping for despite the knee?

A:  Hopefully. Hopefully it is not going to - let's face it, when you don't practice every day there is something. He has to make up for it by the studying, being with his coach, the little tips and keys that you get.  But when he worked he was obviously very good in center field and he obviously got some very good clues because he ended up where the ball was probably three or four times yesterday. So he is just going to have to work extra hard in the classroom.

Q:  How well did Barden work this week?

A:  Good. He had a good week; he did. I thought he came back Thursday and practiced real well. He is learning and he is growing and he is starting to understand it a little bit better. 

Q:  Enough to merit heavy consideration?

A:  We'll see. We will see.