ESPN NFC East Blog

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

Here's the entire transcript from Tom Coughlin's news conference Thursday.

Reporter: What did Plaxico say to you personally? Did he apologize to your personally?

Tom Coughlin: That is between he and I.

Reporter: When did you find out about the whole incident?

TC: Saturday morning about 6:15 to 6:20.

Reporter: Who told you?

TC: I had some voice messages that I really hadn't listened to. But I got a call from Charles Way.

Reporter: What about Mr. Barnes, are you comfortable with how he handled the situation?

TC: Listen, the state of the union was stated yesterday. I don't have anything new to tell you about that stuff.

Reporter: Derrick Ward?

TC: I think so. He had it re-taped. I think he was fine. He ran around fine.

Reporter: Burress' attorney has basically said ...

TC: I said that I am done talking about that.

Reporter: Any indication from practice that this team has lost any focus or are they still right where you want them to be?

TC: Our energy level is high. Work was good today. It was fast. Guys are certainly not always perfect, but it was fast and the guys were into it. 

Reporter: Corey Webster?

TC: He didn't practice again today but I think he is coming along. I think he is coming along. We will see about tomorrow.

Reporter: Come game day when the whistle blows, kickoff, these guys are professional athletes and have been playing this game for a long time since they were kids. Is their focus just on football at this point and nothing else?

TC: I think that is pretty much the case. That is certainly what happened the other day. 

Reporter: Fred Robbins?

TC: Fred practiced. We probably listed him as limited again but he is practicing, doing whatever he needs to do.

Reporter: The challenge of Philadelphia, obviously, you have said it before. It always comes down it seems like to the last couple of minutes. I'm sure you don't expect anything different this week.

TC: I don't. They are a very good football team; they are very well coached. Our games are classic games, back and forth games. We just played a few short weeks ago. We have another one of those games. So I really don't see it being any different.

Reporter: You kind of kept Westbrook in check the last time.

TC: Certainly he and Donovan [McNabb] and DeSean [Jackson] and all of their weapons certainly looked very good the other night against Arizona.

Reporter: Is there a tangible advantage to clinching the division this week?

TC: To win a game. It is the next game; that is the game that we want to win. The division comes with the game, certainly that is one of our goals.  We have many mountains to climb.

Reporter: Was Ward limited after he had his ankle re-taped?

TC: Not really. I can't tell you what he is going to be like in the morning if that is what you are asking me.

Reporter: Because Antonio Pierce is the quarterback of the defense, do you find that you have to talk to him just to settle him down and see how mind and how is focus is?

TC: Not really. We have had little conversations pretty much every day, but not today.

Reporter: How is he doing?

TC: I think he is doing well.

Reporter: Is there a little extra incentive to get that first-round bye to get the extra rest for the guys?

TC: You know what, those type of things we are not going to discuss.  We are talking about winning the division. That is right where it stays right now. There is a lot of football to play. Most years December is the start of the National Football League season. I see it no different. I see it no different. We have lots of big games coming up.

Reporter: Do you personally have any reason to believe that Pierce or Bradshaw will not be on the field on Sunday?

TC: I don't believe so.