Injuries: "(S) Nate Allen had surgery to repair his patella tendon yesterday evening and it was successful. (Head team physician, head orthopedic surgeon) Dr. Pete DeLuca did that. (DE) Brandon Graham had his knee repaired and that was successful - Anterior Crucial Ligament and Dr. (James) Andrews did that. And they're both resting well right now, so they'll get on the rehab as soon as they possibly can. (LB) Stewart Bradley won't practice today; he'll be listed as out. (CB) Jorrick Calvin has a sore lower back, but he'll be out there today. And then, (LB) Keenan Clayton is getting better with a hamstring strain, and that's just a day to day process. We'll have to see how he does, (but) he won't practice today. And (DT) Mike Patterson has a sore knee and he won't practice today."
Opening Remarks: "We look forward to the challenge of playing the Minnesota Vikings. We know that they have a good football team. They have a defense that is one of the best defenses, actually, in the National Football League. They're experienced, they're complex, and they have good players and good coaching. So (Vikings head coach) Leslie (Frazier) had been – he was the coordinator prior to being the head coach and is still active with that and they're still doing basically the same things they did when Leslie was coordinating. And so, it's an aggressive bunch, so we really have to play well offensively and prepare well. And then, their offense, you know we obviously prepare for (RB Adrian) Peterson, and we prepare for (QB Brett) Favre, and then we go from there. So whoever plays, plays, but we'll be ready for all of them and that's the way we'll prepare for it. They obviously are an aggressive bunch there and when Brett's playing the quarterback position they have a lot of experience there. When he's not though there's not the experience but there's an obvious amount of talent there with a young player that I think is potentially very good here. He hasn't had enough games here to show that, but I think he's a heckuva football player. And then special teams-wise they can be very explosive on special teams so we have to make sure that we go through the process this week; it's very important that we do that and we eliminate any distractions that might be there with the holidays and then also with any media things, attention that you get when you come off a game like we did. So our players are focused in; we had a good walk-through today and we'll continue to go through the process this week."
On WR Jason Avant's status:"Yeah, Jason passed everything. Now he passed it all yesterday, so he's ready to go and he has no symptoms; there (are) no headaches or anything else."
On whether there is any structural damage to Patterson's knee: "Mike's okay. We're just going to rest him up here a little bit."
On whether it is difficult after an emotional win to get the team focused for Sunday's game: "The thing you know is we didn't play very well for three quarters, and then I thought coaches and players reached down deep and won the game; nobody gave us anything. We went and won the game. And so, it's important that you build on that part, but you better figure out the problems that happened in the third quarter and get those taken care of and make sure you see those and work on that."
On whether promoting DT Jeff Owens from the practice squad had anything to do with Patterson's injury: "You know, this time of year people – first of all we've had some injuries. But then it's not as much with Mike's knee as this time of the year you want to make sure you keep the players that you feel are good football players the best you can. It's hard to keep them all, but we had some injuries in places where we were able to do some things."
On whether the team is excited at the possible prospect of being Division Champions:"I'm proud of the guys. I've been proud of them the whole year the way they've handled themselves and they've gotten better every week. And I think this group has big hearts, and so I appreciate that part. But listen, last week doesn't matter for this week. I will guarantee you the Vikings could care less coming in here, what we did last week. That's not what they're thinking about. They're thinking about coming in here and disrupting your world on the (December) 26th. And so, they have an experienced team there, in most positions, so you better be ready to roll."
On whether he's spoken to the National Football League about not receiving replays in the booth and New Meadowlands Stadium: "I'm not going to get into all that; that's hindsight. And that's something I wouldn't talk about anyway."
On whether he is preaching to the team the importance of winning the last two games and potentially earning a first round bye:"Yeah, listen, these guys know all that. They need to not worry about that as much as they need to worry about getting ready and going through the process to play the Vikings. And I think anything that takes away from that process that's where the problems come in. You have a good football team that's coming in here, you respect them, and then you prepare yourself ready to play the game and don't worry about anything else."
On whether it would be strange to see Favre on the sidelines when the team plays the Vikings on Sunday night:"Well, you know what, we played against each other so many times that - where I've been the head coach and he was playing the quarterback position – it seems like we've played each other just a number of times there. So at that moment you're not really caught up in that part. He won't be caught up in it and I won't be caught up in that part, we're just trying to do the best we can for (our own) team in our own positions. And I'm sure we'll talk when we go out on the field and we'll probably talk afterwards, but at that moment during the game that's not what you're thinking about, nor are you looking toward that. Your mind's other places that are valuable to your team."
On whether Vikings QB Joe Webb was on the Eagles' radar prior to the draft this season: "Yeah, we did look at Joe, and he's a phenomenal talent. He's a good kid. He did very well. I was glad that (former Vikings head coach) Brad (Childress) left him at the quarterback position. They were contemplating moving him to wide receiver and those types of things. I think he has a lot of talent and want-to to be a good football player at this level. Like any young quarterback, they develop and it takes time, so that's what Brad did with him for this year. And now, it's paid off. He had some great drives the other night, and you saw his ability to run, do the play-pass, the naked stuff—and he's got an absolute gun of an arm."
On what the team does during the daytime of a night game: "You try to do the same thing you do on the road and at home, whether it's night or during the day. So if you have a night game, on the road you do the same thing you do here. Then we break the day up with meetings and obviously you have your meals and chapel, and all of that stuff. It's broken up, but at the same time you give them enough time to really get off of their feet and relax a little bit and get ready to go."
On whether players get time off for the upcoming holiday: "Well, the Saturday schedule's a little bit different. We won't bring (the players) in until a little bit later—like an hour and a half later—than what we normally do. Give them a time, the ones that have family here or children, give them a time to spend that time with their kids and family. And then the evening, they still have the same check-in time at the hotel, but they'll have time after practice. But the rest of the week kind of just stays the way it is. Had (Christmas fell) on a Wednesday or Thursday, then you change it up, but it kind of fits perfectly into the football schedule."
On whether he will be more vocal this week since he has such a young team:"I'm going to tell you, and I've said this before, you better be real with the players. And really, anybody you deal with, and if you're not, then people read through that and think you're an actor instead of a football coach and a teacher. I don't change, that's not what we do. I expect them to go through the process, work hard, and do the things that put them in this position and let's go play."
On who will play right tackle this week:"(T) Winston (Justice) will be back in there."
On whether he has gone through any tests in the past couple of days:"Yeah, he did. He worked on Monday."
On whether it's important for Justice to be healthy when facing DE Jared Allen: "Yeah, that he feels good, that he can sustain a bull rush. That's the number one thing. Not that that's what he's going to get every time, but you've got to be able to sustain that. He had the lateral quickness before, it was just being able to plant on it for the run game and the bull rush. And he's good to go. (T) King (Dunlap) did a heck of a job. King's really coming off of two very, very good games against good players, so that's a nice situation to have right there."
On whether there have been any setbacks for WR DeSean Jackson or CB Asante Samuel: "No, nothing more than normal soreness. They'll be out there. They'll practice."
On how he makes sure the Eagles are ready for two very different quarterbacks in Favre and Webb: "Well, we've had that before. I don't know if Brett's going to play or not. I know he's the toughest son of a gun I've ever been around. He and (former Eagle) Jon Runyan, I'd put in that same category. Those guys are wired the same way, very tough individuals. You've got to prepare (for both), you have to do that. You have to have kind of a plan for each one. The bottom line is you've got to play football is what you've got to do and do what we do best and play fast no matter who's in there. I think that's the important part when it really comes down to it."
On whether S Kurt Coleman will have the same exact role that S Nate Allen had: "He'll just work in like what Nate was doing."
On the opportunity Coleman has had and the progress he has made: "Exactly, he's got an opportunity to play and start and all of that. He showed that he's a good player. He's smart. He looks like he really enjoys playing the game. Plays fast and aggressive. Looks like the guys around him trust him and he did well when he had the chance."
On promoting players from the practice squad and how he evaluates those players: "We do evaluate them in practice. And I tell them that we do. Both (general manager) Howie (Roseman) and I make sure that we keep a close eye on that and the progress they make. And then you give them little coaching points as you go. Now the position coaches actually work with them, either before or after practice, or in between sets, and they get a little individual work for them on the things that we do. So the coaches know, and so do the players, that at any time they can be asked to come up. They better know what they're doing. That's our responsibilities as teachers and coaches, is to make sure that they know, in case they have an opportunity to be moved up and play, they're not just there as glorified blocking dummies. They're there saying that you're going to be ready to roll here if something happens."
On when practice squad members get to work with coaches:"They go to all of the meetings, and then before or after practice, and then any time in between. If there's a special teams period and they're not on it and you can grab them, you grab them. Whatever it might be, any bit of time you can get, you want to make sure that you teach them."
On Jackson and Vick bailing the Eagles out last week against the Giants: "If you're going to be a good team, you can be a heck of a coach, but you better have good players, too. We're all in this thing together. And great players do great things in great games, and so, that's what takes place."
