“Today is Thursday, take it one day at a time. We’ll keep working today, and work tomorrow and get ready.” — Ben.



Highlights from Ben’s interview with the media today:


On whether his high ankle sprain is more painful or difficult to deal with than his broken foot –

“It’s similar in ways, putting pressure on it hurts. With this, I can’t get on my toes, which is kind of important to running and throwing. I can’t twist with it. Those kind of things are the most painful. With [the broken foot] I could tape it up and not move it, I could function with it. This is a little tougher to deal with. I think if I had the same injury in my right one it would be worse, because that’s the one you stop on and stuff like that. But in terms of throwing and planting and rotating on that one, yes it’s difficult.”


On what he is doing to treat the ankle sprain –

“Well if you can’t do anything for it, we’re doing a lot of stuff for nothing because we’re in there non-stop. I’m in there early, at the beginning of practice. It’s range of motion stuff, it’s hot tub, cold tub, resistance moving, massage…everything we can possibly do. We got molded today with a cast for an ankle brace to see if that helps. So we’re doing everything we can.”


On whether he would consider the pain better or worse than it was in the second half of the game –

“It would be worse. It’s one of those things, the second half of that game you’re playing off of adrenalin, you’re playing off emotion. The next couple days after that I kind of just shook my head because I couldn’t have done it then, I don’t know how we did. It’s amazing what adrenalin and wanting to be out there for your guys does.”


On whether he thinks he can get some practice in on Saturday –

“That’s the way I’m looking at it. We have an extra day, which is a huge blessing. I’ve done it before, it’s not ideal, especially against a great defense like this, it’s definitely not ideal. But if I have to do it, I’d do my best.”


On whether this has been the most painful injury he has suffered to date –

“They’ve all been pretty painful. This is just difficult because I can’t do it. If it was just a matter of pain, I’d be out there. But it’s physically unable to do certain things. I wish I was able to do everything and just having to deal with pain because I can do that.”


On his back-up quarterbacks getting it done –

“I feel very confident with those two guys, whoever it might be. I know that they can get it done, we’ve seen it happen in the past. that’s a great relief for someone like me because I know how good those guys are. Having said that, I want to be out there, I want to be the guy.”


On whether there is some improvement in the ankle –

“Absolutely. I can walk around now without a boot, not for very far and very fast, but I can get around without a boot. It’s good becuause we’re trying to get the motion. The masseuse last night got a lot of the swelling out. It actually looks like an ankle now.”


On when he hopes to practice –

“I don’t know. We’ll see. We’ll kind of keep playing it by ear. I’ll see if I can get out there in a tennis shoe and just move around a little bit.”


On wearing the boot –

“The more I’m out of it, the more I want to move it.”


On wearing a brace inside his shoe to support the ankle –

“It’s some kind of new thing. We just molded it a little bit ago. They’re sending it to New Jersey to get made. I tell them to do whatever they have to do.”


On whether he is concerned about aggravating the injury –

“I think so. I’ve tried to exhaust every question with these guys: is it a matter of making it worse or just dealing with the pain? Obviously, you can make it worse. That’s the point of the ankle brace, to try to prevent that if possible. I’m not going to go out there and worry about making it worse, I’m going to go out there and play if I can.”