Good morning. The Jaguars are coming off of three wins, two of them in spectacular fashion. They feature an outstanding running game, an outstanding running back, good offensive line, lots of team speed, speed on special teams, returner's ability. The defense is very physical - they get after you with a good front, a good front seven. They are, as you know, a team that won a couple of weeks ago with the batted ball issue and then a 75-yard screen last week, but they had to hold Cleveland off at the end of the game and had an interception to do that. They played very well over in Dallas - they were the recipient of many turnovers and they converted them and won. They won a game the other day by turning the ball over six times themselves and still winning the game, which is a very rare experience. They're a good football team. We look forward to a very physical battle this weekend here at home.
Q: Michael Clayton - what did you see from him?
A: Well, I think he's a veteran player, he's been on the field, he worked out well. He's anxious, he's excited about the opportunity, as are we, so we're going to see how far he can go with the learning and depending on how well he does with that, we'll make some adjustments as to how much we can use him.
Q: Has he played in a similar offense or are you starting from scratch?
A: Well, as far as the terminology and what have you, it's different for him, but he did feel relatively comfortable with the way that things were explained to him, so we'll see. You'll know really fast whether he can be full speed or whether he's hampered a little bit by what to do here and there. I think that if we can keep it as we practice it - in other words, it's first and second down today - then he has a better chance to have a handle on it.
Q: Would you rather give him a smaller package or the whole thing?
A: We'll see. Well, he's going to get, as I said before, he'll get the game plan. He doesn't have to get the volume. He's got to learn what's going to happen this week.
Q: Can you still be a balanced football team offensively this week?
A: Well, we're going to try to be and we're going to approach the game just as we approach any game. We're going to depend on some of the people that have been here to learn, to be in a position to help us with regards to that, but we will be able to just go along, but the way in which we've gone about our business has been very similar.
Q: Is receiver one of the easier places to drop guys in?
A: No. Not with the adjustments that have to made. Every route, for example, every pattern has adjustments within it for coverage. A guy has to, one, recognize the coverage, be in the right place at the right time, make the right adjustment and the quarterback has got to feel like he's going to be there, so no, it's not.
Q: So the adjustments aren't universal? They're Giants specific?
A: Oh, absolutely. Every team has different ways in which they function.
Q: How did Hakeem do with his procedure?
A: He did well. According to what has been reported, the situation was well done, well handled and he's optimistic about a speedy recovery.
Q: Still three weeks?
A: That's what they're saying.
Q: Tuck was on the report today.
A: He's sore - got a helmet in the thigh area and that type of thing. He's better. He came in this morning, got his work in and he was a little bit better, so I'm thinking tomorrow will be a better day.
Q: Diehl is cleared to do something?
A: We'll see. Whatever has been told to you, I'll just stay with it. So many times we've said this and then gone out on the field and I have to explain again how come it didn't progress to more, so we'll be real conservative with this one.
Q: Is O'Hara expected to do anything this week?
A: No one has given me any indication that those guys are any further than just advanced in where they are, but not ready for the field.
Q: Would you put Diehl at left guard?
A: We'll deal with that one when we get there.
Q: Is there any change with Hedgecock?
A: He's going to try today and hopefully he can do some work.
Q: Blackmon's chest from the hit he took?
A: Multiple.
Q: What do you see from David Garrard?
A: He's playing within himself. You've seen it - he has a very, very high completion percentage. He still is the same player - he can run the ball, he has a very strong arm, they do some of things where they come off play action, like we're familiar with, the ball goes way, way down the field, he has speed at the position to get there for him. He's done a real good job. Last week was the four interceptions, so that wouldn't be called one of his better days, but he and his team are improving.
Q: Where's your trust level with putting an extra load on Bradshaw given his fumbles?
A: Well, we have three running backs. We have to utilize them all. We do want to be balanced. We are trying to get our running game back to where we want it to be. I know it's only a one game dip, but we want more production in the run - that's just the way we do things here. We'll come out with four wides and let it fly.
Q: Knowing his issues are you inclined to give more carries to Jacobs?
A: Well, we'd like to have Ahmad evaluate the whole situation and improve obviously in that area, work on that. We have a couple of things that hopefully we can help with in the small amount of time that we devote to individual at this time of year, but hopefully there is something we can do to continue to resolve that issue, but we're not going to stop trying to be balanced.
Q: Would you ever have to tell him to stop fighting for those extra yards?
A: I think sometimes it's...yes, you can say that, but you don't want to take that away from a player. The simple fact of the matter is, with the amount of exposure in this league, every team in the league goes for the ball. Everybody goes for the ball. I see people that aren't even worried about tackling, they just go try to grab the ball. I think there's a spot there where the absolute most secure position, no matter if you're striving for extra yards or what, has to be the number one priority. Easier said than done.
Q: Was it a lapse in his technique when it got pulled out?
A: Well, he didn't get it as secure as you need to get it.
Q: Is he still your starter?
A: We're going to have Brandon start this week, but as I said, there are plenty of carries to go around.
Q: Is the ball security issue the reason why Brandon is starting, or does it go beyond that?
A: Well, the number one consideration is to try to stop beating ourselves. That's one area that we should be able to improve. It's very frustrating not to improve in that area.
Q: Is there the mindset that your team really has to run the ball?
A: Well, I think it has been presented basically like that.
Q: Do you still have lots of connections to the Jaguars and the community?
A: I have a lot of connections to the community, not the franchise.
Q: Does this game mean anything extra for you?
A: It's a very important game.
Q: Will tomorrow be a normal day?
A: It'll be like a Friday schedule, so it starts the same time, but what we'll do is the players will be done around 1:30 and then the next day will be basically like an in-season Friday, but we're going to expand that to make sure that we take the tape from the day before that doesn't get looked at because the players are going home - we'll do that first and then we'll get into our Friday installation.
Q: Has Brandon won the job or has Ahmad lost it?
A: Well, yeah. Brandon has run the ball - it's basically been like a two to one deal, both guys have had lots of carries - we're going to try to get Danny Ware some work as well.
Q: Do you think it will remain this way?
A: We're going to play this game. We'll see how we do this week.
Q: In '07 you stopped Eli's turnovers late in the season - can you do that again now?
A: He's very much aware of it and it can be done. Yes, it can be done and really it's important that it gets done. Now, not pointing the finger and not talking blame, but those kinds of things, you talk about the number of tipped balls - we do have some issues there as well, people being in the right spot at the right time.
Q: How did Bradshaw take the change?
A: He's not happy, but he's going to fight his way through it. Why it would be a total surprise to anybody is beyond me.