Injury Report: "The players that are out and that did not practice today: [WR] Kevin Curtis, [S] Quintin Demps, [LB] Akeem Jordan and [RB] Brian Westbrook. Everybody else practiced today. [CB] Sheldon [Brown] was limited but he was out there practicing. He's getting better; we'll just see how he does with it. We have him listed as questionable and it will be a day-to-day process going up to the game."
Opening Remarks: "Looking forward to playing the Chicago Bears, the guys had a good week of practice, preparation and I know the coaches and players are ready for this game. We know what kind of team we are playing, excellent football team, so we prepared ourselves that way."
On whether Demps and Jordan are out for the game or just practice today: "They're out for the game."
On whether he thinks Curtis will be able to play soon or thinks he will be put on Injured Reserve: "I'm not going to do that right now with him, put him down. I think he's still a bit away. I don't know exactly how long, but I think he's a little bit away here."
On who will start at middle linebacker Sunday: "We'll see. It depends on the personnel groups that they put out there."
On LB Joe Mays getting reps this week: "He's worked in there. He worked in there last week a little bit too. We have different combinations that we can use there."
On what Westbrook is doing rehab-wise now that he's back in Philadelphia: "Right now nothing for this week, we're backing off this week just letting him rest. This is on the doctor's orders there: back off, let him rest, that's the plan the doctor had for him. Next week he can start going to meetings and some things. We'll see how he feels as he goes."
On whether Westbrook will be out for next week's game: "Yes."
On whether he will be out for the week after next: "I think the doctors want to see how he does after two weeks. What kind of symptoms he has and then they'll just go back through and evaluate him after that, two to three weeks. We'll just see how he feels after that."
On RB LeSean McCoy's youth and maturity: "He is a young guy. He and [WR Jeremy] Maclin are both the two youngest guys on the team. With LeSean, a couple of things helped him. Number one was the reps that he was able to take in training camp, and then two was having Brian around to communicate with him. [Running backs coach] Ted [Williams] has done a great job of teaching him, but to have a player there along with a good coach I think helps, a veteran player like Brian. We've seen strides every week. He keeps getting better and better and more comfortable. It's the same skill level, it's just he's more comfortable with the offense."
On whether he's worried that McCoy will hit a wall at this point in the season and may lose focus on technique particularly regarding ball security: "Yeah and this team does a good job with that, they work to strip the ball out of your arm. LeSean is aware of that. Those are things that you look at and you communicate with him. If there are any signs there then you have to back off a little bit. The young guys, they've kept their energy level up and they're moving around pretty [well]."
On whether Westbrook's concussion recovery is taking away from him mentoring McCoy: "This week, you've seen it, he's come in but we kept him out of meetings and that type of thing. We kept him away, but they still talk. It's not like they don't communicate."
On QB Donovan McNabb calling this game a must win: "I think preparation is the key, so that's the important part of it. I don't get too caught up in that part of it as much as exhaust yourself on the gameplan and make sure you know the Chicago Bears and you know the things we've installed there, that you can go out and execute them fast and aggressively."
On S Quintin Mikell saying that the Eagles getting to the playoffs last year was a miracle:"You always remember that it's hard work that gets you to that point, those things just don't happen just saying they're going to happen. You have to go out and you have to function and you have to focus in at your job at hand. Everybody has to do their job better starting with the head coach and every player and coach. So those things just don't happen."
On whether they have thought about bringing in any new players this week: "We have some guys that we feel can step in there and play, so that's what we've done."
On whether CB Sheldon Brown can play a whole game if he goes: "We'll just see how he does. He moved around pretty good today when he was in the team period. He took all the scout team reps yesterday and felt pretty good coming out of it. We'll see how that works out."
On whether he has noticed any new intensity among the veterans this week: "They've been that way throughout the practices and as we've gone throughout the week, they did well this week. [Is there] a drastic difference? No, other than, I'm not saying that what they were doing before was bad, I thought they were focused in the weeks before."
On Sheldon potentially missing a game: "I know he wants to be out there and that's what he's shooting for, but again, the doctors and trainers have to go off his symptoms and make sure he's okay. Sheldon has always been a fast healer, someone who doesn't miss. We'll see how that goes."
On whether he's worried about making too much of this game: "(Joking) No, but I think you are. (Serious) Listen, I'm focused in on the Chicago Bears, that's what I'm focused in on, and I think all the guys are. It's important that that's how we approach it."
On whether the defensive line is going to have to carry the defense this game:"I've said this before, I think your offensive and defensive lines have to do that every week. They have to be in the right frame of mind to dominate each and every week in this league. It's the same way this week as it will be the following weeks."
