Andy Reid answered a lot of questions about the status of Brian Westbrook who hasn't practiced all week because of a swollen knee. Andy thinks BWest will play but we will find out some time this weekend.
Head Coach Andy Reid Press Conference
11/16/07
Injuries:
“[RB] Brian Westbrook did not practice today. I have him down as questionable. He’s got a little bit of swelling on his knee, and a little soreness there. So, we’ll see how he does here. [WR] Jason Avant went out and practiced with a strained groin and he didn’t finish practice. Again, we’ll just see how he does by game time.”
Opening Remarks:
“Again, we look forward to the challenge of playing the Dolphins. Their record is not an indicator of the kind of football team they are. Our players have had an opportunity to see the film now and they understand the competition that they are going to put forth against us on Sunday. It’s important that we’re all focused in and have done enough studying and we go out and play a good game.”
On when the swelling in Westbrook’s knee occurred:
“Wednesday. After Wednesday’s practice it was a little bit swollen there.”
On whether it was the same knee that was hurt before:
“Yes.”
On whether it started hurting after last week’s game or after practice:
“You know when he noticed it was after lifting.”
On whether he will play on Sunday:
“I think he’ll be ready. We’ll see how it goes, but I think he’ll be ready to go.”
On whether Westbrook’s knee injury is comparable to his knee injury last year:
“It’s not bad. There’s a little bit of swelling in there and he’s got some soreness, and we’re going on turf for the last couple of days.”
On whether he’s concerned about continuing to increase Westbrook’s work load:
“Buck was down last week, so he didn’t get the normal amount of plays that he’s in there. So, Buck will be back up this week and he’ll get in there and be able to spot him when needed.”
On whether the coaches go back to the scouting reports from the draft when looking at Dolphins QB John Beck:
“[The coaches] get that report on Monday, so they’re aware of the college part of it. Then, there’s a write-up on him from the preseason games that he played in. And, that’s really what you bank on right there. He had enough snaps where you get a pretty good feel of what he can do. He’s a pretty good player.”
On whether he thinks Beck will manage the game and not do too much:
“They’ve got a good running back and then, Beck’s got a strong arm. I’m sure they’ll run the football a little bit, then give him an opportunity to take a shot. He’s great with the timing routes and he knows where everybody’s at on the field. He’s a little bit older guy and he’s coming from an offense that threw the football in college, so he’s got a little bit of a feel there.”
On whether it’s strange to see DT Jevon Kearse on the scout squad:
“I’ll tell you what man, he’s a warrior. I have the utmost respect for the guy. If the leg’s bothering him, he doesn’t say much. We’re just going to back off a little bit and let that thing get back and ready to go.”
On whether this is a permanent change:
“We’re going to back off a little bit and let [Kearse] get a little rest there. He doesn’t take too many snaps in practice. We’re just going to keep it there and see how he responds there.”
On whether he’s surprised to see Kearse not healing as quickly:
“No, I’m not. I’m really not by the injury he had. I don’t think we realize how bad that was. We do as a team, here. But, he’s battled through that thing and that’s tough. That’s a tough thing and he’s tougher than nails. It doesn’t hurt to take a step back to go forward. Really, that’s all this is.”
On whether he recalls his preparation for QB Donovan McNabb’s first game:
“It was really what I told you guys on Wednesday, you go out and you run the offense. You run what you’ve been practicing and what he’s been watching here and going through meetings with and what he’s familiar with. Then, you sit down with him and talk to him and see how he feels about it, the gameplan. Then, you let it roll.”
On how difficult is it for the defense to play at a high level when they’ve gone through so many changes:
“The positive on this thing is that we’re getting guys back healthy. Although, I said what I just said about Jevon, we are getting guys back healthy quicker on the back end of things with the secondary. It’s important that they continue to practice and play together and get better a bit every week. And, that’s really what we’re looking at.”
On the health status of the secondary:
“They’re getting there, but you have to play. That’s what you have to do. So, that’s what they’re doing. There’s no easy way around it. You have to go out, play in the game, and continue to improve every week. As long as you’re stepping forward and not backwards, that’s a good thing.”
On what getting to .500 would mean to this team:
“I haven’t thought [about it] much. I don’t look at the record. You get so focused in on the game. Maybe we can talk about it after the game and go from there, but I try to focus everything in with the players and coaches on taking care of business one play at a time. Like I’ve talked to you guys about it, I’ve talked to them about it- [don’t] worry about all the other stuff. You get caught up in ‘what if we were here or there,’ you go crazy; then you can’t concentrate on the Dolphins. This is a football team that’s been close the last few games here. You have to spend all your energy right there.”
On whether TE L.J. Smith is playing as well now as he did last season:
“I thought he played pretty well this past week, not that he didn’t play well the times before, he just looked stronger as he went through the game. I think he came out feeling better. So, I’d probably say that.”
On the decision-making process of signing players to the practice squad:
“That’s really where [general manager] Tom [Heckert], [director of pro personnel] Scott Cohen, and the [player personnel] side get together with Tom and find players they think can fit into the system. They have a list out there of guys that they’re interested in and continuously bring in players to work them out during the season, guys that are out on the street. You have an idea if somebody goes down or somebody gets picked up off your practice squad, you can shuffle somebody else in there and take a look at them. [You can] see how they are, how they fit into the system.”
