EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Cleveland Browns head coach Pat Shurmur is familiar with the New York Giants, even if the Browns don't play the Giants often.

Shurmur spent 10 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles as the team's quarterbacks and tight ends coach between 1999-2008.

Here are some snippets from his conference call with New York/New Jersey reporters on Wednesday:

Q: After a tough loss against the Eagles last week, what is your overall impression of the Giants and, in particular, Eli Manning?

A: "Ok, thanks for narrowing it down (laughs). Eli, heck, I have a great deal of respect for Eli. When I was in Philly, I was involved in over 20 of these games against the Giants. At any point in the game, Eli can get hot, and he has the confidence to lead his team to victory. I’m sure the guys in the huddle with him know that. You have to play them all the way out, and it’s very important that you keep trying to get pressure on him (Manning) because, regardless of the quarterback, that’s the best way to disrupt them."

Q: With Brandon Weeden, although he is a rookie, does his age change the “type of rookie” that he is?

A: "Well he’s obviously unique in terms of the rookie status because he’s 28-29 years old, but I will say this: There are certain things that although his age has helped him with some of the off the field things that young players deal with, you still have to go through the process of playing; first your opener, then on the road, then at home, before or after a loss, you have to go through the process. I think he’s displayed, at least to me, that he’s improving. I think now he has to improve and put together a winning performance, much like Eli. I have a great deal of respect for Eli because he’s won football games and two championships, so he’s found that right combination there in New York."

Q: Will Josh Cribbs play Sunday?

A: "Yeah, Cribbs, he’ll be out there."

Q: With Trent Richardson, what is something you can share with us that most people wouldn’t know about him?

A: "He’s extremely tough, he’s extremely competitive. I’ve watched how hard he works. He comes from a winning program so he knows what it takes to win, and he knows how to demand from himself. All the things about process that I just talked about earlier, and I think we’ve all seen that when he gets the ball in his hands, he can get in the end zone. This league is about scoring points and eliminating scores, and if you have a running back that can get the ball in the end zone, it’s a big value."

Q: Coach Coughlin started his press conference this morning by saying, “Don’t be misled by the Browns’ (0-4) record.” Do you remind your players of that as well?

A: "I’m pretty much a, 'you are what you are' type guy. I understand what our record is. I understand what this team has and the character that we have. We’re going to continue to keep fighting. What’s important is that we amp up our effort even more, and each guy feel the pressure to make one or two plays better than the week before. That’s the message here. There’s no moral victories in finishing close. I make sure our players are reminded of that as well."