HEAD COACH GREG SCHIANO

(On T Gabe Carimi's illness)

"He's going to miss the game. I don't think [it's a long-term issue], no. I think he'll be back relatively soon."

(On how guard Carl Nicks looked in practice)

"Pretty good. He went all three days – limited – but he did go. So, that's the best we've been in a long time."

(On Nicks' status for Sunday's game)

"If he's like he is now, I suspect he'll play, but we just have to wait and see how everything responds each day."

(On if Nicks would be on a snap count if he plays)

"Let's just get him to game time, then we'll see. If he can play, then how long – that'll be up for grabs. I don't even know if he can yet."

(On if tight end Tim Wright will get more snaps in Sunday's game)

"He's had a hat [been active] every week so far, so that won't be new. Let's see. He was in the game more last week than the week before, but before we really say anything about him, let's see if he can play. Let's get him out there and see if he can make a play or two."

(On what stands out about Wright)

"He's got some talent and he's a hard worker. He's got the things that give him a chance to be good, so let's see if he can do it."

(On tight end Tom Crabtree's health)

"He's limited."

(On safety Mark Barron)

"He's improving. He's an improved player. [He] still [has] a long way to go to be a great safety and he works his tail off to do that. He has a strong desire to be a great safety, so as long as he keeps that desire and puts in the work that he does, he's going to get there. He's got the tools. It's just getting more and more understood for him – both what the offenses are doing and what we're doing. As that happens, I think he gets to be a faster and faster player. I think when you understand everything better, you play faster, so we just have to keep building on that, and I think he'll get faster yet."

(On why New England is so successful at home)

"They don't lose much, period, but if you're a good team that doesn't lose much, period, then you're certainly probably going to be better in your home [stadium]. They're more apt to do their up-tempo stuff at home, because the noise isn't an issue – that's something. That may be part of it, but I think it all goes back to your first point: They don't lose much."

(On facing a championship-caliber team like New England)

"Even the way you just said it, 'I know that it's 16 one-game seasons.' It really is 16 one-game-seasons. That's the way I approach it, that's the way I hope our team approaches it. Do we get excited about playing a team that is traditionally one of the championship teams? Absolutely, they're a time-tested, great team. So is that exciting for our guys, is that a challenge, as a competitor does that not get you revved up? Sure it does, but literally when we talked about that, that win or that loss will not count more than any other win or loss. We're looking forward to the challenge. Winning up there is even more of a challenge. I think when you focus on that you sometimes get yourself out of whack. You got to focus on what your job is and go out and do your job the best you can, every man that's on that plane has to go up there to do that and that's what we're setting out to do."

(On if they emphasized cutting back on the penalties in practice this week)

"Well, if there's such a thing as added emphasis, probably, emphasize it even more. You try to dig deeper and find out exactly what the cause is. We knew what some the causes were, but we may have gained some more information that'll help us as coaches, to do our job better and I think the players as well. As I always say to you guys, it's a combination of things, it's not one thing, otherwise that would be easy to fix. I do think there's been a concentrated effort from everyone involved to get it fixed. But again until we do it, its talk."

(On how the weather will affect the team this weekend)

"I think that if it's extreme weather, then that changes for everybody. As long as it's not extreme then I don't think [it will]."

(On what keeps him confident things will get turned around)

"We have good players, proven methods, good schemes, good coaches. When you have all those good components and you're doing things the right way it'll turn. Everybody that's been in competitive athletics goes through some stretches where they wish it was better. If you have the components-now you're kidding yourself if you don't have the component, then you're just wishing. I know we have the components so we've just got to stick our guns and it'll turn."

(On if playing New England in the preseason helps the team prepare)

"I don't know, it's so hard to tell, to get inside the mind of each and every player. I think for maybe one guy it does and then another guy it makes no difference. I think what makes a difference is guys going out and doing their job. When you do your job and you do it the best you can and when you add up those 11, whether you do it in Alaska or you do it in Foxborough you win games. That's what we have to do, stay focused. I understand your question, because there's a little bit more familiarity, maybe for a rookie or somebody, where now they've there and it's not the first time they've seen them. But it's so hard, when you ask those general questions you're dealing with individual players, I think it's more of an individual thing."

(On if the team needs to work harder if they lose this game)

"It would be hard for me to say that, because our guys work. They work hard, so to say that they worked harder makes no sense. That's why it's so frustrating the two games we've played so far that they haven't turned out better because I don't have complaints about the way we're working. I think the one thing-eventually our play will become more consistent because our work ethic is consistent. We just need to keep improving it, so our it consistently climbs, but it's not like we're like this [rollercoaster], yet some of the game has been like that. We need to carry it from the meeting room to the practice field, from the practice field to the game field."

WIDE RECEIVER VINCENT JACKSON

(On how to recover from two difficult losses)

"Two tough losses, down at the end of the game. I think they were both within less of three points between the two of them. That's what this game is about, you look across the league, each and every year games are getting closer and closer so it's about finishing games, putting yourself in the position to win at the end. I think we can finish a little better and we will get the results we want."

(On how he feels about his own performance and the offense)

"I feel solid, I'm excited about our offense, I think we're continuing to grow, continuing to be more efficient with things we're calling and getting the ball around different guys. I think we're doing well as an offense."

(On why he thinks the offense has not yet clicked)

"The biggest thing is penalties, setting yourself back. It's hard to get drives going when you're going backwards and not forward. As long as we're taking care of the football, we're eliminating mental errors and we're not going backwards in penalties, I think this offense could do just fine."

(On on of his long catches and how it was ruled out)

"I guess it was something before [quarterback] Josh [Freeman] wasn't under the center. Usually, offenses are allowed to shift and what not. The referee said I was on the line of scrimmage, but it was something before with the tackle being uncovered, before, when we broke the huddle. Usually that's - we're surprised that gets called with as much as teams shift now a days, we do that all the time. It's something that happens, it's their discretion and you live and learn and you move on."

(On how the team is handling outside distractions)

"We're doing just fine, our job doesn't change with one loss. We're coming back to the table with the same approach every Monday, to win the next season and once that game is over it's over. We've got to come back and prepare for the next opponent because they come on too fast. I think the guys' energy and their level and their confidence is still there. We're going to continue to play, it's a lot of football left."

(On the rumors of disarray)

"Absolutely, there is no disarray in this building. We know what we have to do; we know the team that we are. We just, again, haven't closed off two games, but then again there's a lot of football left so we're excited about that."

(On if there is a sense of urgency this week)

"Every week there's a sense of urgency. This season is too short. In football, each win each loss is paramount in this drive to get to the playoffs and to become a Super Bowl contending team, so every week is urgent."

GUARD CARL NICKS

(On if he'll be able to play the entire game on Sunday)

"We're going to find out [laughs]. That's the plan, but we're going to find out. You guys will see, sooner than I will, if I'm gassed out there."

(On New England Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork)

"He's actually a nice guy off the field, a really nice guy. He's a [future] Hall-of-Famer, point blank. That's what he is. He's a great athlete, surprisingly. People just looking at him wouldn't [know] how quick he is, how fast he is, and how strong he is. He's a complete d-tackle."

(On getting back out on the field)

"It feels really good to get back to work and feel like I'm contributing to the team and not feeling useless and sickly. It's a really good feeling. I'm hiding it well, but I'm very excited."

(On if he ever had doubts about being able to play this year)

"The MRSA thing happened so fast, and then, with the toe, I always just assumed I'd come back. I never really doubted it. It just took a lot longer than I thought."

(On if there's a sense of urgency this week)

"Yeah, no one wants to be 0-3. We're hungry for our first W [win]. I don't know if there's a sense of urgency, we just need to dot the 'i's and cross the 't's and do what we're supposed to do. I think, if we do all that, and we execute, and we don't turn the ball over, we should win."

(On being excited about blocking for running back Doug Martin)

"You know, I've got him on one of my fantasy teams [laughs]. I told the guys, 'Man, you're not helping me out much,' but last game he did really good, so hopefully we can get him in the end zone more and help me out too. Doug's a fantastic running back, and hopefully we can do big things when I'm back."