News

Injury Report: "With injuries, [DE] Trent Cole will not practice today with a calf strain. The swelling is going down with that, so that is a positive. [T] Jason Peters will not practice today with a hamstring strain. Like I told you before, it will be a struggle for them to get ready for this weekend but they're working like crazy to rehab and get stronger. [DE Juqua Parker] JP will be out there today working, we'll just see how he does. [DE] Darryl Tapp will be out there likewise working." 
 
Opening Remarks: "We look forward to the challenge of playing the Bills. They have a good football team obviously by their record, and they're very deserving of that record. Our guys are in here today studying them,  getting familiar with them, and getting ready to practice."
 
On whether T King Dunlap will start in place of Jason Peters at left tackle: "King will move over. He'll replace Jason if he's not ready to go, and you'll see him over there in practice today."
 
On any other changes on the offensive line: "Yeah, [G] Danny [Watkins] working in there, too, and we're going to give him more to do this week and see how he does. He'll be at the right guard spot."
 
On what Watkins has done in the past month to get back into the mix: "Really, he's worked with [offensive line coach] Howard [Mudd] and just going over all the small things it takes to play. We've eased him back in the past couple of weeks, and he's handled it well and done well. We'll give him a little bit more this week and we'll see how he does."
 
On whether a more physical presence is needed on the inside of the o-line: "I wouldn't say that, no. I'd just say that we're always trying to get the best guys on the field that we possibly can. It really has nothing to do with what the other guys have done, their size or anything like that."
 
On whether Watkins not starting at first was more mental than physical: "There were three things I mentioned to you: he moved right from college to the NFL, that's tough. He moved from tackle to guard, that's tough. He moved from the left side to the right side, and that's tough. We took a step back to hopefully take a step forward, and that was the approach. He's worked very hard for the chance to get in there, and he'll get a shot this week."
 
On whether Watkins now feels less burdened and overwhelmed: "I think that just comes with reps. I think that's just what happens when you move positions."
 
On whether there will be any changes at the safety position this week: "No, safeties are the same. Listen, they'll all have a role, but we're going with the same guys."
 
On what kind of changes he thinks need to be made to get a better result this weekend: "Listen, the obvious, and it's not anything that hasn't been said already, is we have to do a better job in the red zone on both sides of the ball. Our giveaway/takeaway  ratio isn't up to par, so that has to be better. We've gone through and analyzed the different areas and we've got to make some adjustments as coaches and players. We're all in this together, so it's not one person. We all have to pull together and get better."
 
On any other adjustments in particular for Sunday's game: "I probably wouldn't do that, no. Not right now"      
 
On whether S Jaiquawn Jarrett is closer to playing on defense: "He worked in and had four or five special teams plays, which was a first. He did pretty good there. We'll continue to give him some work. You saw him work in with the defense last week a little bit, and he'll get a little bit more this week. We'll just keep bringing him along."
 
On whether LB Keenan Clayton's strong special teams play shows that he can help on defense: "He's been in with the defense on certain packages. All those linebackers will have a chance to play, and that's what we've done with them. I don't take away from him there because that was a nice play. It was one play, and it was a nice play. Appreciate that."
 
On the one message that he conveys to the team as they endure losses: "It's players and coaches, and we say let's get better. Let's identify the problems and attack them. That's what we're doing."
 
On how the mental factor of losing affects the team's attitude: "If you do that right there, and you're aggressive with it and you're real and all that works. As coaches and players, you have to be real with it. Then, you stay aggressive. That's important."
 
On whether too much has been made of switching CB Nnamdi Asomugha from zone to man coverage, and vice versa: "You're talking about one of the greatest corners in this game right now. He's been thrown into a little different scheme, and [CB] Asante [Samuel] went through it a little bit when he first came here. Nnamdi is going through it, and he didn't have the luxury of mini camps and all that. 90 percent of his plays are great, and there's a handful that he'd like to have back. He's honest with you about it, and he'll take care of that. He's a great player, and schematically, we'll put him in the best possible position we can. That's our responsibility to do that."
 
On the difference between DE Jason Babin's first time here and now: "The nine technique fits his game. The way he plays, he's not a guy that reads a whole lot. He's coming off and he's got one speed and that's about 110 miles per hour, and that's how he plays."
 
On how the Eagles can get better on defense: "Well again, it's everybody doing their job. That's really what it is. It's not one guy that's got to stop it, you've got to play as a team and make sure you take care of your gaps. There's some things we can do better there, we've identified those, and we'll continue to work on them here and get them better."
 
On whether DT Derek Landri will be ready to play Sunday: "I've got to see how he does today. I haven't seen him practice yet, so I've got to see how he does."
 
On whether the wide-nine scheme adjusts at all depending on the down and situation: "We do that, we've done a couple different things, you know, with the slant game and so on. There are some other things we can do to mix it up. We'll continue to do that."
 
On whether T Winston Justice is healthy enough to play and whether he has given any thought to playing him at right tackle: "I'll probably leave it the way I've got it right now with the two guys there and continue to bring Winston along." 
 
On whether Justice is ready to play: "Yeah, he's there. He's very close."
 
On what Landri adds to the mix: "I'd tell you that he's a tough guy. I'd probably compare him to when we had [DT Paul] Grasmanis here. Nothing looks real pretty, but he didn't really care he just made plays. That's what this kid did for us in the preseason and what he's done in his career. He's a tough guy that has a high motor."
 
On his perspective on being 1-3 and how it affects the team's prospects: "There's nothing you can do about the past right now, right? So you've got to take care of the ‘now' and you've got to learn from the past, that's the approach you take. We are 1-3, that's reality. Now we get ourselves ready to play the Buffalo Bills, that's what you do."
 
On whether he has been encouraged by the way the players have responded: "I'll tell you what, I was encouraged by it. I was encouraged by the number of guys who were in here the last couple of days. When they didn't have to be here they were here. I'm very fortunate as a head coach to have guys that want to change, and coaches that want to change. The coaches were here, obviously, late last night, and there are a lot of head coaches that might be sitting in this seat that probably can't say that, but I've got guys that want to get better, and coaches that want to get better, and that's a good start."
 
On whether one of the things that has been hurting the team is an intangible such as momentum: "There's always a mental side to the game. I'd be wrong to sit here and tell you that. So you look at all phases when you're sitting right here, and so there's an obvious mental side for both coaches and players. You go through and you look at that and you look at the scheme, you look at everything, that's what you do."
 
On why DT Cedric Thornton was not called up to the active roster: "Cedric's got a great future, big kid, comes from a very small school, and he's learning the defense, and he's working like crazy to do it; he's got a great attitude. [Defensive Line Coach] Jim's [Washburn] just bringing him along, right, that's what he's doing. We're glad to have him. Landri's got a little bit more experience." 
 
On what is going on at the tight end position and whether TE Brent Celek is struggling: "I wouldn't say that. That's not how I feel, to answer your question, I don't feel that way. The ones that [TE] Clay [Harbor] has been catching Brent has been blocking. That's all part of the scheme. You saw that last year against the Vikings, Clay caught the ball in the end zone when everyone jumped up on Brent and that allowed Clay to make the catch. They're both good, we've got two good tight ends, and we're going to use both of them."
 
On QB Michael Vick's injured finger: "Well, he jammed one of his finger tips, and you know, came back. Obviously it didn't affect him too much, he played pretty good."
 
On whether it is safe to assume that he expects either Tapp or Parker to play Sunday: "Well listen, we'll see today. I'm thinking they're both going to go out and practice and then I'll evaluate it and see how they feel. I'd probably tell you Tapp is a little bit further along right now, but let's see how JP feels. He's working like crazy, he went through a bunch of things yesterday and Monday, change of direction things, and he did pretty good, so we'll see how he does."