clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Tom Coughlin Discusses Postponement

Q: Could you give us a little update on the mental state of your team after the long travel ordeal?
A: Well, I think they've handled it very well. I think that the guys realized right away that it was out of our hands and really fully out of our control. We fully expected to get into Minnesota - that didn't work, we diverted to Kansas City, tried to resume our meetings last night and just as soon as we did - about a half hour into the meetings - we got word that the game was going to be moved - probably moved to Monday night, so we quickly knew that we had another full day, so we tried to prepare our team for that, then early morning I got the phone call about the collapsed roof and at that point in time there were a series of phone calls back and forth between the owners and the commissioner and that type of thing, so we actually spent most of the morning waiting. I had scheduled a couple of meetings, which I thought were going to be information meetings, but I really didn't have any, so we kind of waited it out and then the decision was made and Continental could fly us, which was another question mark, even today, because it's storming here in Detroit, so Continental thought we had a window and we took it. We are here, it is snowy, et cetera, et cetera, but we're here. I think that having finalized exactly what the schedule is and when we will play and the fact that we're in Detroit and that type of thing, I think that as our meetings begin here this evening shortly, I think our players will zoom back into the mental part of it. It's back into the hands of something that we can do something about. We're here, the game is scheduled for 7:20. We got an unexpected - we were going to leave very early in the morning this morning. That changed with the news last night, so we backed that off a little bit. Actually we've been doing a lot of waiting around for information.

Q: Will the inability to have any physical work the past couple days be a problem?
A: I don't think it will. Most of the guys will go to the stadium tomorrow and go on the field and do some vigorous exercises - running, et cetera - and then come in and shower and dress for the game, so I think that part of it will be done. It's obviously not the way you want it to be, but you do what you have to do. We have to be focused now on the fact that we've had some issues here with weather and we've had some problems as a result of it, but the time awaiting us is very close to that intent.

Q: Have you had any time to get a jump on next week's Eagles game since it'll be a short week?
A: As soon as it ends up being a Monday night game, you click with your staff into a Monday night game preparation in terms of using your time, for example tomorrow morning, to be organized for the next opponent. We will do that, it wasn't expected, we didn't travel with that information. We didn't travel with a lot of clothes, to be honest with you. We've got most of our players and coaches here with a couple of days worth of clothes, but we will kick into a preparation mode in the morning tomorrow and then of course shut it off in the afternoon for the game.

Q: Do you expect Steve Smith and Hakeem Nicks to play?
A: Well, we'll see how that goes, but the decision will be made tomorrow on both of those guys.

Q: Does this compare to anything you've ever been through?
A: No. No. I have been asked that question and I have tried to think of anything that's even close, but to be honest with you, I don't think there is anything.

Q: Are the players in high spirits?
A: They are. This afternoon while we waited we were entertained a little bit by some of our rookie vocalists. That seems to always stir them up. They've handled it well and we certainly are fully aware of it. I think tonight's meeting will be really sharp, so here we go.