(Have you ever been called a 'coward' before? (reference to Vikings' linemen comments about the use of cut-blocking techniques))
I'm sure I've been called worse than that. I haven't read them, but hey, I gave an honest answer to a question in the press conference the other day. We have a lot of respect for their tackles. We play a certain way on offense, they play a certain way on defense. I really don't want to get into the he-said, she-said type things.
(Do you use that as motivation?)
No, I won't. To me, that stuff is totally irrelevant to the football game. Our focus is on beating that football team on their own turf. They watch the films, we watch their films, and we play a certain way, and they play a certain way. We try to put our players in the best situation to be successful, and that will be our plan Sunday.
(Talk about the versatility and threat of Mewelde Moore)
Anytime you have a running back that is a punt returner, to me that speaks for itself. He has always been that type of player. I had a chance to watch him when he was at Tulane. I think he is an exceptional football player with the ball in his hands whether it's as a runner or as a receiver. He breaks a lot of tackles, too. He's a stout guy and someone you need to contend with on special teams and on defense.
(Any word on Woodson and Jennings?)
Woodson practiced today, and I anticipate him going. Greg Jennings did not complete practice today, so we'll work him out Sunday. He'll be a game day decision.
(Was Jennings too sore to keep going? Did he do team stuff?)
I just felt it was smart. I saw what I needed to see. He felt better than when he started, so just being smart. He did team stuff; he just didn't do all of it.
(Will Charles return punts on Sunday?)
We'll talk about that today in our post-practice meeting.
(Did you work with noise in practice today?)
Yes, we did all week.
(How did the players respond to drills with the noise?)
I thought they handled it fine. We really didn't have any problems with it. Once again, it's something we do every away game. It will obviously be louder in the dome, especially the way with the noise level there. It will be louder than we've been exposed to all year, but we're ready for it.
(How does Bodiford look on kick and punt returns?)
I like Shaun. Shaun is explosive, has the ability to run north and south and the ability to make people miss. I'd be very comfortable with him in both punt of kickoff.
(Did Cullen Jenkins practice today?)
We rested him today. He was sore. It was his ankle, but I fully anticipate him going. It was clearly precautionary and came up last minute before practice.
(Have you ruled out Morency and Miree?)
Yeah, pretty much.
(How is the work routine going for you now halfway through the season? Are you able to get out of here by 9pm or do you have the cot upstairs?)
I'm in a rhythm now, and I think it happens to every coach, particularly in the first year, as far as the daily schedule. As far as what time I can get out of here at night, I'm sure it's normal for most people. I'm in a routine now and very comfortable with it.
(Seems the whole organization is here earlier now - have the players and staff adapted to that?)
I'm not sure what time everyone got here in the past, but I know as a football team we start earlier. When putting together scheduling, I've operated in the old scheduling system, and I've also been a part of this new scheduling system - that's why we're doing this one. I just think that the time management is better spent, and it helps your football team, coaches and support staff be fresher come Sunday. The most important day is game day, and we're not doing a lot of extra things. We have a plan, we've stuck to our plan, and frankly if anything, on offense we've really cut back on a number of areas. The emphasis in scheduling is more on time management. We start an hour earlier but our players are done two hours earlier.
