 }})
- Joined
- Apr 11, 2009
- Messages
- 49,310
- Reaction score
- 7,207
- Points
- 2,244
- Location
- Greensboro, NC
- Military Branch
- Alma Mater
November 3, 2013
FedExField
QB Robert Griffin III
On his mindset during the game:
“First of all, let’s talk about what the defense did at the end of the game. That was huge. That gave us an opportunity to go out there in overtime and gave us a chance to win. It was definitely a team win and defense stepped up big. I’m sitting there praying to Jesus. They came through for us. He came through for us. It’s amazing – a great feeling. Anyone can win blow out games or lose, but whenever you can win a team game like that in overtime, it’s a certain special feeling you get. Offensive line played great today. Running the ball, all our backs ran well. Our fullback [Darrel Young] ran well.”
On his level of confidence going into overtime after the defense’s stand at the end of regulation:
“I think we took it more as our defense and God has given us an opportunity when we didn’t think we would have that opportunity. Anytime you have first-and-goal from the 1, a lot of people would say, 'Oh, that game is over.’ So I think once our defense got that stop, we knew there was overtime, we received [the ball], we knew we were going to win that game and that’s the confidence we had, because it was like God’s blessing us with another opportunity to go out and win the game and that’s what we had to do.”
On if the criticism from fans and the media motivates him:
“No, you have to let that stuff run its course. Everyone’s looking for someone to point the finger at. What we talk about in our locker room is making sure we stay together and nothing else matters, so forget all the chatter. That’s what I tell the guys and that’s what you have to do. You have to come to work every day ready to go and [San Diego Chargers free safety] Eric Weddle, after the game, said something to me. I want to thank him for saying what he said. I won’t share it with you guys, what he said, but it was in reference to the critics and stuff like that. You’ve just got to go out and play. He’s a very well respected safety.”
On the performance of wide receiver Pierre Garçon:
“Everybody did and Pierre, stepping up big for us, made some great catches – made the catches that were there and made some catches that not many people can make. So he stepped up and the rest of the receivers followed his lead. It was great to see that, great to see that fire. Great to see him ball out today.”
On whether or not this game feels like a turning point in the season:
“Yeah, it does. Just the way we went about it. Defense stepped up big. They created some turnovers and we scored touchdowns. At the end of the game, we couldn’t quite execute that four-minute offense all the way to win the game. They stepped up big for us and had a goal line stand. So the way we won the game, I think that can be a turning point for us. It’s definitely a team bonding-type game where you can come closer together. Guys will celebrate tonight, but we have to get back ready for Thursday – quick turnaround, but it’s something we enjoy, we relish, so this game is a must-win for us.”
On if he regrets his decision to scramble and leap on the play where he went hard to the ground:
“No, you just have to make a decision. A lot of people criticize me for that type of stuff all the time and I could have gone out-of-bounds and we could have been short of the first down and I saw an opportunity to fly, so I got my wings and tried to fly. I hit the ground pretty hard, so you know, people, we really can’t fly. No matter how much we dream about it, but I just saw the opportunity and at that point in the game I thought we needed it and that’s why I took it.”
On the option pitches to tight end Jordan Reed and wide receiver Santana Moss and the handoffs to fullback Darrel Young:
“Yeah, I was just trying to switch it up. I don’t want to go out there and have people know what you’re doing all the time, so as an offense, you have to switch things up, keep the defense off-balance and that’s what we did as an offense. The one thing you don’t want to do is become predictable. Whenever we’ve been on throughout the whole season, we’ve done a better job of just mixing things up – run/pass, giving them different looks. Give them something to think about.”
On bouncing back after having a field goal blocked at the end of a 92-yard drive on the first possession:
“I think for the most part, the guys on the team, we try to control what we can control. You have to worry about the little things and let the big things fall into place. We put a 92-yard drive together, didn’t come up with points, but we understand we are moving the ball on offense and that’s a positive. If something bad happens every time you go in the tank, you aren’t going to have a very successful team. When things get bad, you have to get good and that’s just something to live by. You miss a field goal, something bad happens here, you have to get good to overcome that.”
On stretching the defense downfield:
“It makes them have to worry about not only [running backs] Alfred [Morris], myself, [Roy] Helu [Jr.] and DY [Young] running the ball. Our offensive line is really premier at doing those things and it makes them have to cover more holes. The holes that were there we took advantage of and had some big plays down the field – catch and runs. Some were catch and get hit and tackled, but it’s a good thing for us and opened up some holes for us not only in this game, but later on in the season we’ll be able to do some different things to get open.”
On the mood in the huddle toward the end of a drive:
“Score points. Score touchdowns. You know we want to score touchdowns every single time. Guys know we’re an offense built to go on those types of drives. We can also be a quick-strike offense and score points quickly, but more often than not we’re going to put a good drive together and covert those third downs, get that tough yardage, and at the end of the game, those holes will get bigger.”
On talking to the alumni before the game:
“It’s just a great feeling to have the alumni guys come back. The way we won that game was awesome for them. The whole mood about the whole day kind of felt like this is what we had to do. It’s our time and we have to take advantage of it – now or never. To have those guys there is always an honor. You try to cherish every single one of those moments you can, because those are legendary. You can tell your kids about those when you have kids. For me or some of the guys that do have kids, it’s just a special feeling.”
On sending a message to opponents:
“I don’t know if it sends a message to defenses. I know they see the tape and they’ll definitely be more aware of DY – the three-touchdown fullback – so they’ll be more aware of that. Like I said, it’s just giving them something else to think about, and doing something that we’re good at. We trust DY with the ball. He’s always had a pretty good rushing average for us. Three touchdowns, it’s probably one yard per carry, but hey, he doesn’t really care about that as long as he’s helping us win.”
On the tipped ball in the end zone:
“The guy tipped the ball and I tried to knock it down, but was not successful, so they got a touchdown. Those are things you have to avoid, and I don’t know how to explain to you guys how to avoid that. You have an open guy and you try to hit him, but sometimes the defense is going to hit the ball in the air. We had a lot of bad balls today, and it’s something that in certain situations we can work on it, but in three-step-drops, it’s pretty hard to avoid those.”
On winning at home:
“It means a lot to us, but I think it means a lot to our fans. We’re never going to quit. We’re never going to be a team that is down-and-out no matter what our record is. We needed this win. Our fans needed this win so they can believe in us. We appreciate the fans that showed up and cheered until the very end for us. That means a lot to us as players, because we’re not out here playing for the heck of it. We’re playing for a reason. The fans are one of those reasons, so we want to make sure we’re giving them something to believe in.”
On the success converting on third down:
“We were more efficient. I talked about it after the last games – guys needing to be where they need to be and making the tough catches if there needs to be a tough catch, fighting for the extra yards. The offensive line did a great job protecting me and giving me a good pocket to deliver the ball. On my part, being more decisive and getting them an accurate ball that they can run with. All around a whole lot better today.”
On the playoff picture:
“It’s huge. Like you said, fans want to have something they can believe in. Players want to have something they can believe in, and the way our division is set up right now, we have something to believe in, and we know we can control our own destiny. We need to get another win on Thursday, take that miniature bye week and come back. Whoever that team is, we have to play and have to go after them as well.”
On his throwing angle:
“It’s something you watch on film. You talk with your coaches about and say 'Hey, is there any way I can avoid this on this play on that play?’ I felt like on some of the screens there was an opportunity for me to make a play over the defensive end when they slapped it in the air. Sitting here right now, I couldn’t tell you what we could do different, but that’s why we have film study and that’s why we watch it.”
On his biggest surprise at the halfway point of the regular season:
“The big surprise for us is the way we started the season. We want to be better than that in the next eight obviously. We want to make that push for the playoffs and win our division, and that’s the only thing that’s on our mind. Anything after that just comes with it. For us it’s just about taking it one game at a time. When you’re on that field just take it one play at a time. Positive yards every play. I think we did a better job of that today and I think that’s why we won.”
On how to manage the short week:
“Just being on top of your recovery. You have to get in the cold tub, and you have to do the stretching. It’s a quick turnaround, so you have to study your game plan even more. Coaches aren’t going to pull off the brakes when it comes to that stuff. They’re still going to put in the same amount of plays, if not more. You have to be able to have that film study and have that study time and be on.”
On being balanced today like last year:
“It feels great obviously, and it did feel like last year with the balance. You have a guy like Alfred back there, and a guy like Helu backing him up. Two physical runners, guys who we trust with the ball in their hands. They did a great job for us. Offensive line it helps them out when we can run the ball like that, and then set up the pass. I thought we did a good job of mixing up the play-action pass and drop back passing, and then of course on third down when we had to have it. We had a lot of third and eight situations and we made that happen.”
LB London Fletcher
On if he could remember a goal line stand like the one at the end of regulation:
“You search your memory back to try to think of a play like that in the past or a stand like that in the past… I know when – the Super Bowl [Super Bowl XXXIV as a member of the St. Louis Rams]. I don’t think it gets any bigger than that. You talk about winning the Super Bowl… I was on the field when that play right there [happened], so that’s one that comes to mind. You talk about a stop like that in the Super Bowl – biggest game there is.”
On what the win does for the team:
“You know it can be some momentum for us – a big time momentum boost for us. Hopefully, we can carry it over on Thursday night against a really good team in Minnesota who, for one reason or another, haven’t been able to get the victories. But they were a playoff team like us last year – won 10 games. For us it’s going to be a situation where hopefully we can carry this over to Thursday night.”
On the goal line stand:
“At the end of the day, you want to win. Defensively, we were called on to make a play. We didn’t care who made the play. D-Hall [cornerback DeAngelo Hall] had great coverage on the fade. We had our best cover guy against their guy. He stood up. We had to stop the run on one play. Everybody stood up and got penetration. We were able to get to the running back. Then, they tried the sprint out. It was a situation where everybody at some point in time had to do their job, their responsibility, and it may be a situation where it’s a defensive back having the right leverage – not allowing his man to get outside of him on a route when they tried to run the sprint out. It’s things that don’t necessarily show up in the stat sheets but it was huge in us winning that ball game.”
On what the win says about the team:
“It says that there’s a lot of fight in this team. We didn’t start off great from a team standpoint but I think special teams made some plays there. You talk about the big field goal we had to have. Coverage units were good. Offense had some good drives. Defense had some good stops, a couple of interceptions. Over the course of the ballgame, every phase made some plays to help win this ball game.”
FB Darrel Young
On if his carries were a part of the game plan going in:
“Honestly, that play’s been in for a couple of weeks, but when we get down on that goal line, I appreciate Alfred [Morris] so much that I love blocking for him – I’d do anything to get him in the end zone, but it was game-planned for a little bit. Coach [Shanahan] said when we get down there, it was going to be the first run call this week, so I appreciate him trusting me in a situation like that.”
On the last time he scored a game-winner or three touchdowns:
“Back to high school. It’s been a long time [laughter]. A long time.”
On the feeling as they took the ball to start overtime:
“Honestly, we just had to dig deep. This Redskins organization has a lot of history and tradition to it. Yet, it’s a perfect opportunity to go out there and show the older guys that this is what we’re out here for. We’re out here to represent you guys. We appreciate everything you did to put us in this situation, so everything we worked so hard for in training camp and throughout the season, all the adversity we’ve overcome, it was so good to put a drive like that together and finish.”
On if he feels the team is improving week-by-week like they did in the second half of last season:
“Yeah, honestly, when we’ve been losing these games the last couple of weeks, we’ve been talking about the little things, doing the little things right, everything we did right to go on that run. We fell short last year, but there’s some things you can transfer over to this season in terms of handling adversity. Just to say we can come back and win this game like this… We were up, they tied the game, defense did a great job. It’s a credit to everyone –coaches, player. It's coaches emphasizing and players executing. That’s what’s been the difference in the past couple of weeks. Today, we just executed and finished.”
On the play of quarterback Robert Griffin III:
“Honestly, Robert Griffin, I don’t expect anything different from him. He’s a tough guy. I said Robert’s back when he jumped and made that first down. But I said he wanted that, but I said that’s not the first time I’ve seen him like that. They’ll take some criticism back from what he’s been getting the last couple of weeks just because he’s so determined to do that. Honestly, I think he just wanted it and just for him to go out there – I don’t think he had any passing touchdowns. I don’t know, but he was a leader today and that’s what we needed. He came in the last play and said, 'DY, I need you on this man, let’s finish the game,’ and I said, 'All right, let’s do it, man.’”
On the play of wide receiver Pierre Garcon, specifically his blocking:
“That’s what separates our team. Our receivers block. You don’t see any of our receivers dogging it on a play. That’s not disrespect to any other receivers in the league, but that’s what Coach Shanahan preaches. He talks about Rod Smith all the time, Ed McCaffrey, and those guys blocked all the time. Pierre making big plays. I don’t expect anything different. He does it in practice. He did it in Indy. He did it in college. That’s why he’s here. That’s why he is who he is now today. Like I said, it’s just all the receiving coaches, we’ve had changes throughout the years, but they still emphasize the same thing, and that Shanahan’s system in terms of, 'You guys are going to block. You get the extra 15 yards. You get the running backs an extra 15 yards.’ We’ll go from there with stuff.”
On the feeling having to watch the defense during the goal line stand:
“Frustrating, but [Jim] Haslett’s a great coordinator and he puts guys in situations all the time. That’s kind of what we do in OTAs and camp – play situational football. I know every team does it, but it actually showed today for us. The defense stepped up and did a great job. [It was] frustrating from our standpoint just because we know we could have ended that game if we would have went down and scored before they got the ball back. But we punted, tried to make them go 90 [yards], and they did a good job driving down the field. We just had to do it and we did it.”
On the potential touchdown by San Diego Chargers running back Danny Woodhead in the fourth quarter:
“I didn’t think it was a touchdown, but then again, it’s not my job to say if it is or not. I was hoping it wasn’t, but then again, our defense did a great job. That’s what you want in your defense, guys stepping up. Every guy out there deserved to be basically the captains today, just because everyone had to step up and do what we needed to do to win.”
On if he has given any thought to diversifying his touchdown celebrations:
“No. Bobby T [Assistant Head Coach/Running Backs Coach Bobby Turner] doesn’t like that, the running backs coach. He’s old school, man. I’d rather just give the ball to a fan and just walk back to the sideline, man. I’m good. I want to keep my job.”
On scoring all three of his touchdowns on third-and-one:
“Honestly, we were struggling on third down coming into this game and going back to last year and when Shanahan took over in 2010. Third downs have been a problem for us. When we started going to that run last year, third down was actually on our side. And like I said, for them to give me the ball on third down, that’s a lot of trust and I appreciate the coaches just allowing me to be in that situation and to be standing here today. That’s a credit to them and obviously the offensive line for blocking. And Alfred, I told him 'thank you’ when he got stopped on the two. Said, 'I appreciate you, man.’ It’s a credit to everyone out there.”
T Trent Williams
On their mindset finishing the game:
“We just said, 'This is an opportunity to go down here and right our wrongs.’ We gave them a touchdown and the defense played their butt off the whole game and we felt like it was on us. We knew we could only do it one play at a time. We had to stay within ourselves and play the same football that got us to that situation. We just relaxed and Kyle [Offensive Coordinator Kyle Shanahan] just called the plays and we ran them.”
On if the team talked about wanting to win for the alumni on Homecoming Weekend:
“We didn’t actually voice that, but obviously when you see all the greats on the sideline in their Redskins letterman jackets and wearing our throwback jerseys kind of paying tribute, you want to come out and play your best and give them something to smile at. You don’t want to come back and stink the place up with all the legends in the building.”
CB DeAngelo Hall
On the mentality during the goal line stand:
“We just had to keep fighting. Anything could happen. We could’ve gotten a pick, but obviously that didn’t happen. We had some good calls where we had a chance to make some plays, so we felt good about it.”
On if he was surprised the Chargers didn’t run the ball more on the goal line:
“Not at all. We were expecting them to try and give us something we weren’t prepared for. The guys in this locker room were prepared for anything, and that’s what they gave us.”
On if he can imagine what it would have been like had they scored:
“Being down seven or down four would have been catastrophic, but thankfully we’re not talking about that right now. We’re talking about that goal line stand and our offense marching down the field.”
On if the team can turn the season around after the win:
“It was definitely a character-building situation. But to be up 10, you can’t let a team march down the field a couple times and have a chance to win it there. We’ve got a lot of things to correct. Do you like the fight in the guys? Absolutely. Do you wish you weren’t in that situation? Absolutely. There are a lot of things we can learn from that and a lot of things we have to work on, but you can see the resiliency in these guys and get the stop. That’s almost impossible there—when a team has the ball like that with a few seconds left on the clock, that’s a tough situation to be in. These guys just kept fighting.”
CB Josh Wilson
On the goal line stand:
“At the end of the day, we needed to get the stop defensively at the end. In a goal line situation, everyone has to step up and make plays to get the stop at the end.”
On how this feels for the team:
“It adds another win for us. We’ll add them up at the end of the season and see where it takes us.”
On making the short week more palatable:
“It makes us a little happier for a couple hours, but then we get back to preparing for the Vikings.”
On the mentality for the stop at the end:
“They still had to come through us. That was the mentality we had. It wasn’t going to be easy, but they had to go through us and we made a stand.”
RB Alfred Morris
On having a complementary passing game along with the running game:
“It helps a lot – especially when you can quick strike as opposed to running it down the field and wearing yourself out. It’s easier to get a deep pass rather than run through five or six defenders.”
On if he sensed a certain type of confidence as momentum built:
“We definitely sensed it. Our whole thing was to play a complete 60 minutes, and we felt like we hadn’t been doing that in previous games. We came out and did that today. They came back and tied the game up, but we were able to finish it off after halftime and drive down and win.”
On the team’s mentality going into overtime:
“We all said we were going to score and put the game away right now. We knew it was going to happen. We were all on the same page and it took all 11 of us.”
On the offense playing up to its high expectations:
“We know the type of offense we are. We haven’t been showing it all year, but we are a high-powered offense just like we were last year. Sometimes, we just don’t get it down the way we should get it done – be it penalties, mistakes or lack of execution – but that’s the type of offense we are. We were confident, we stayed together and we got it done.”
On how this victory can change the path of this season:
“It’s good. After we lost [to Denver], we felt like we should have won that game, but we didn’t get the job done. So to come back this week and find ourselves in a sticky situation and find a way to get it done, it’s definitely a momentum boost going into this next game, which is going to be a quick turnaround. We have to be confident and focused, and getting a win this week can definitely help us out.”
LB Brian Orakpo
On if today’s victory was the biggest win of the season:
“[Yes], as of right now, because we needed a win, it was huge. Like I said, we were able to get momentum towards the end, the way we came out there defensively and stopped them, and the offense was [hitting] on all cylinders, and with the overtime, it was huge. It gives us momentum going into Thursday night against the Vikings, and we can feed off this – watch the film, make the corrections that we need to make, and like I said, this is huge for us moving forward.”
On the defense being motivated by the offense’s production:
“We feed off of each other. This is a team where we have to play on all three phases, stick together and play for one another, and we were able to do that towards the end. It was huge for our defensive stand and for our offense to go out there, score and close the game out. It gives us momentum for the future and I’m excited.”
On the goal line stand:
“It was huge. Like I said, one of the best moments I’ve been a part of. In most situations, the offense will easily score from one yard with three or four downs to go, so we were able to stop them on all downs. It was just huge – remarkable for guys to step up, make plays and be physical down there.”
On what this game does for the team going into the second half of the season:
“We’ll see. We’re going to continue to work hard, continue to strive. We’re still 3-5, we know what our record is, but we’re going to take it game by game. And like I said, this is huge momentum for us moving forward.”
On the importance of this game for the team’s season:
“We needed this – this was a must-win. We needed this, especially with the other teams [in the NFC East] winning. It can get us back in the playoff picture, back in the hunt, and for the second half of the season, we really needed this win. I think guys played remarkable throughout the entire game handling adversity. It was a back-and-forth game. Hats off to the Chargers. They fought hard as well. But like I said, we were able to close it out and bring home a W.”
On having a feel for the Chargers’ play calling in the red zone:
“We were just playing our assignments – everybody playing their keys, playing their fits, playing assignment football. We were really not too sure what they were going to do, especially when they tried to spread us out at the goal line, but everybody was just playing their gaps, playing their responsibilities and doing what they were supposed to do – not doing too much, and it was able to propel us off the field.”
WR Pierre Garçon
On how it feels to get the win:
“It’s definitely a great feeling. We played all-around well. The defense played well, special teams played well, and the offense played well, so it’s a good feeling. We still have a little bit of work to do but we’ll take it.”
On how he feels personally:
“Just another day out there playing football. We completed passes. I tried to get as many yards as I can after the catch. Sometimes you have good days, sometimes you have bad days.”
On what was clicking today on offense:
“We ran the ball well. Alfred did a great job running the ball, completed passes moving down the field. That was key.”
On fullback Darrel Young’s game:
“Three touchdowns – that’s definitely good. A few weeks ago [running back Roy] Helu [Jr.] had [three] touchdowns, so it’s definitely a great thing when those guys are scoring touchdowns.”
On having a career game after voicing his frustration with the offense:
“I feel good, but we still have a lot of work to do. We still need to convert on third downs, especially in crucial moments and on those last drives when we’re out there. The day’s going to come where we’re going to have to be better. We’ve got to keep fighting, and we’ve got a short week looking forward to Minnesota.”
On the defensive stand:
“They did a great job. They tried to throw the ball, but the leaders out there on defense, [cornerback DeAngelo] Hall and [linebacker London] Fletcher, they did their thing.”
On how he was feeling on the last drive with the crowd holding its breath:
“I was holding my breath, too. [Chargers quarterback] Philip Rivers is a gunslinger; he’s always taking chances, and I’m glad we stopped him when we needed it.”
On what he was yelling the last drive:
“I can’t remember the last drive. I was just motivating the guys to keep playing, and they put it on our back to finish the game.”
On the short week coming up:
“It’s definitely easier after a win, but it’s still a short week. We still have to travel to Minnesota and play a tough team up there.”
On who he would give the game ball to:
“The whole team. I’d probably give it to Coach.”
On quarterback Robert Griffin III bouncing back:
“You have to bounce back, especially under pressure. Things are going to be tough in the league, but you’ve got to continue to bounce back whenever you get the chance.”
On the mood going into overtime:
“We knew what we had to do. It wasn’t any different from the first drive or the last drive. We had to score seven points; that was our mindset going in.”
On his one-handed catches the last few games:
“Just putting a hand out there and trying to catch the ball and squeeze it at the right time. It was nothing special; they just stuck to the glove.”
On succeeding after struggling the previous week:
“It feels good, but there’s a lot of things we still have to work on and still have to get better at. There are going to be some tough days and some good days, and you have to continue to push yourself and work hard and at the end of the day you can’t complain.”
On the what the goal line stand means for the team:
“We kept playing for 60 minutes, and it shows a lot how we kept fighting for the whole game.”
On what he was hoping for as the Chargers were on their last drive:
“I was hoping for a turnover because we needed one. I was hoping the defense would get a turnover.”
On what the win means for the team:
“It’s a good victory, but we still have a tough game on Thursday and have to continue to play well.”
CB David Amerson
On holding onto the ball for his second career interception:
“I try to pride myself on – if I ever get my hands on the ball – trying to hold onto it. That is kind of what I pride
myself on.”
On his celebration on the bench:
“Football is an emotional game and I was just very emotional. It was a big play at that point of the game and I was just going on all emotions. It wasn’t planned or anything like that. I was just out there having fun.”
On the Chargers continuing to throw his way:
“We play a lot of man coverage, so you know they run through a lot of double moves and the slant. That is what happens on slant-and-go. I know on the last drive we had, they gave me a corner post. I mean, it is what it is and you just have to go out there and compete.”
On playing against his childhood friend, Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen:
FedExField
QB Robert Griffin III
On his mindset during the game:
“First of all, let’s talk about what the defense did at the end of the game. That was huge. That gave us an opportunity to go out there in overtime and gave us a chance to win. It was definitely a team win and defense stepped up big. I’m sitting there praying to Jesus. They came through for us. He came through for us. It’s amazing – a great feeling. Anyone can win blow out games or lose, but whenever you can win a team game like that in overtime, it’s a certain special feeling you get. Offensive line played great today. Running the ball, all our backs ran well. Our fullback [Darrel Young] ran well.”
On his level of confidence going into overtime after the defense’s stand at the end of regulation:
“I think we took it more as our defense and God has given us an opportunity when we didn’t think we would have that opportunity. Anytime you have first-and-goal from the 1, a lot of people would say, 'Oh, that game is over.’ So I think once our defense got that stop, we knew there was overtime, we received [the ball], we knew we were going to win that game and that’s the confidence we had, because it was like God’s blessing us with another opportunity to go out and win the game and that’s what we had to do.”
On if the criticism from fans and the media motivates him:
“No, you have to let that stuff run its course. Everyone’s looking for someone to point the finger at. What we talk about in our locker room is making sure we stay together and nothing else matters, so forget all the chatter. That’s what I tell the guys and that’s what you have to do. You have to come to work every day ready to go and [San Diego Chargers free safety] Eric Weddle, after the game, said something to me. I want to thank him for saying what he said. I won’t share it with you guys, what he said, but it was in reference to the critics and stuff like that. You’ve just got to go out and play. He’s a very well respected safety.”
On the performance of wide receiver Pierre Garçon:
“Everybody did and Pierre, stepping up big for us, made some great catches – made the catches that were there and made some catches that not many people can make. So he stepped up and the rest of the receivers followed his lead. It was great to see that, great to see that fire. Great to see him ball out today.”
On whether or not this game feels like a turning point in the season:
“Yeah, it does. Just the way we went about it. Defense stepped up big. They created some turnovers and we scored touchdowns. At the end of the game, we couldn’t quite execute that four-minute offense all the way to win the game. They stepped up big for us and had a goal line stand. So the way we won the game, I think that can be a turning point for us. It’s definitely a team bonding-type game where you can come closer together. Guys will celebrate tonight, but we have to get back ready for Thursday – quick turnaround, but it’s something we enjoy, we relish, so this game is a must-win for us.”
On if he regrets his decision to scramble and leap on the play where he went hard to the ground:
“No, you just have to make a decision. A lot of people criticize me for that type of stuff all the time and I could have gone out-of-bounds and we could have been short of the first down and I saw an opportunity to fly, so I got my wings and tried to fly. I hit the ground pretty hard, so you know, people, we really can’t fly. No matter how much we dream about it, but I just saw the opportunity and at that point in the game I thought we needed it and that’s why I took it.”
On the option pitches to tight end Jordan Reed and wide receiver Santana Moss and the handoffs to fullback Darrel Young:
“Yeah, I was just trying to switch it up. I don’t want to go out there and have people know what you’re doing all the time, so as an offense, you have to switch things up, keep the defense off-balance and that’s what we did as an offense. The one thing you don’t want to do is become predictable. Whenever we’ve been on throughout the whole season, we’ve done a better job of just mixing things up – run/pass, giving them different looks. Give them something to think about.”
On bouncing back after having a field goal blocked at the end of a 92-yard drive on the first possession:
“I think for the most part, the guys on the team, we try to control what we can control. You have to worry about the little things and let the big things fall into place. We put a 92-yard drive together, didn’t come up with points, but we understand we are moving the ball on offense and that’s a positive. If something bad happens every time you go in the tank, you aren’t going to have a very successful team. When things get bad, you have to get good and that’s just something to live by. You miss a field goal, something bad happens here, you have to get good to overcome that.”
On stretching the defense downfield:
“It makes them have to worry about not only [running backs] Alfred [Morris], myself, [Roy] Helu [Jr.] and DY [Young] running the ball. Our offensive line is really premier at doing those things and it makes them have to cover more holes. The holes that were there we took advantage of and had some big plays down the field – catch and runs. Some were catch and get hit and tackled, but it’s a good thing for us and opened up some holes for us not only in this game, but later on in the season we’ll be able to do some different things to get open.”
On the mood in the huddle toward the end of a drive:
“Score points. Score touchdowns. You know we want to score touchdowns every single time. Guys know we’re an offense built to go on those types of drives. We can also be a quick-strike offense and score points quickly, but more often than not we’re going to put a good drive together and covert those third downs, get that tough yardage, and at the end of the game, those holes will get bigger.”
On talking to the alumni before the game:
“It’s just a great feeling to have the alumni guys come back. The way we won that game was awesome for them. The whole mood about the whole day kind of felt like this is what we had to do. It’s our time and we have to take advantage of it – now or never. To have those guys there is always an honor. You try to cherish every single one of those moments you can, because those are legendary. You can tell your kids about those when you have kids. For me or some of the guys that do have kids, it’s just a special feeling.”
On sending a message to opponents:
“I don’t know if it sends a message to defenses. I know they see the tape and they’ll definitely be more aware of DY – the three-touchdown fullback – so they’ll be more aware of that. Like I said, it’s just giving them something else to think about, and doing something that we’re good at. We trust DY with the ball. He’s always had a pretty good rushing average for us. Three touchdowns, it’s probably one yard per carry, but hey, he doesn’t really care about that as long as he’s helping us win.”
On the tipped ball in the end zone:
“The guy tipped the ball and I tried to knock it down, but was not successful, so they got a touchdown. Those are things you have to avoid, and I don’t know how to explain to you guys how to avoid that. You have an open guy and you try to hit him, but sometimes the defense is going to hit the ball in the air. We had a lot of bad balls today, and it’s something that in certain situations we can work on it, but in three-step-drops, it’s pretty hard to avoid those.”
On winning at home:
“It means a lot to us, but I think it means a lot to our fans. We’re never going to quit. We’re never going to be a team that is down-and-out no matter what our record is. We needed this win. Our fans needed this win so they can believe in us. We appreciate the fans that showed up and cheered until the very end for us. That means a lot to us as players, because we’re not out here playing for the heck of it. We’re playing for a reason. The fans are one of those reasons, so we want to make sure we’re giving them something to believe in.”
On the success converting on third down:
“We were more efficient. I talked about it after the last games – guys needing to be where they need to be and making the tough catches if there needs to be a tough catch, fighting for the extra yards. The offensive line did a great job protecting me and giving me a good pocket to deliver the ball. On my part, being more decisive and getting them an accurate ball that they can run with. All around a whole lot better today.”
On the playoff picture:
“It’s huge. Like you said, fans want to have something they can believe in. Players want to have something they can believe in, and the way our division is set up right now, we have something to believe in, and we know we can control our own destiny. We need to get another win on Thursday, take that miniature bye week and come back. Whoever that team is, we have to play and have to go after them as well.”
On his throwing angle:
“It’s something you watch on film. You talk with your coaches about and say 'Hey, is there any way I can avoid this on this play on that play?’ I felt like on some of the screens there was an opportunity for me to make a play over the defensive end when they slapped it in the air. Sitting here right now, I couldn’t tell you what we could do different, but that’s why we have film study and that’s why we watch it.”
On his biggest surprise at the halfway point of the regular season:
“The big surprise for us is the way we started the season. We want to be better than that in the next eight obviously. We want to make that push for the playoffs and win our division, and that’s the only thing that’s on our mind. Anything after that just comes with it. For us it’s just about taking it one game at a time. When you’re on that field just take it one play at a time. Positive yards every play. I think we did a better job of that today and I think that’s why we won.”
On how to manage the short week:
“Just being on top of your recovery. You have to get in the cold tub, and you have to do the stretching. It’s a quick turnaround, so you have to study your game plan even more. Coaches aren’t going to pull off the brakes when it comes to that stuff. They’re still going to put in the same amount of plays, if not more. You have to be able to have that film study and have that study time and be on.”
On being balanced today like last year:
“It feels great obviously, and it did feel like last year with the balance. You have a guy like Alfred back there, and a guy like Helu backing him up. Two physical runners, guys who we trust with the ball in their hands. They did a great job for us. Offensive line it helps them out when we can run the ball like that, and then set up the pass. I thought we did a good job of mixing up the play-action pass and drop back passing, and then of course on third down when we had to have it. We had a lot of third and eight situations and we made that happen.”
LB London Fletcher
On if he could remember a goal line stand like the one at the end of regulation:
“You search your memory back to try to think of a play like that in the past or a stand like that in the past… I know when – the Super Bowl [Super Bowl XXXIV as a member of the St. Louis Rams]. I don’t think it gets any bigger than that. You talk about winning the Super Bowl… I was on the field when that play right there [happened], so that’s one that comes to mind. You talk about a stop like that in the Super Bowl – biggest game there is.”
On what the win does for the team:
“You know it can be some momentum for us – a big time momentum boost for us. Hopefully, we can carry it over on Thursday night against a really good team in Minnesota who, for one reason or another, haven’t been able to get the victories. But they were a playoff team like us last year – won 10 games. For us it’s going to be a situation where hopefully we can carry this over to Thursday night.”
On the goal line stand:
“At the end of the day, you want to win. Defensively, we were called on to make a play. We didn’t care who made the play. D-Hall [cornerback DeAngelo Hall] had great coverage on the fade. We had our best cover guy against their guy. He stood up. We had to stop the run on one play. Everybody stood up and got penetration. We were able to get to the running back. Then, they tried the sprint out. It was a situation where everybody at some point in time had to do their job, their responsibility, and it may be a situation where it’s a defensive back having the right leverage – not allowing his man to get outside of him on a route when they tried to run the sprint out. It’s things that don’t necessarily show up in the stat sheets but it was huge in us winning that ball game.”
On what the win says about the team:
“It says that there’s a lot of fight in this team. We didn’t start off great from a team standpoint but I think special teams made some plays there. You talk about the big field goal we had to have. Coverage units were good. Offense had some good drives. Defense had some good stops, a couple of interceptions. Over the course of the ballgame, every phase made some plays to help win this ball game.”
FB Darrel Young
On if his carries were a part of the game plan going in:
“Honestly, that play’s been in for a couple of weeks, but when we get down on that goal line, I appreciate Alfred [Morris] so much that I love blocking for him – I’d do anything to get him in the end zone, but it was game-planned for a little bit. Coach [Shanahan] said when we get down there, it was going to be the first run call this week, so I appreciate him trusting me in a situation like that.”
On the last time he scored a game-winner or three touchdowns:
“Back to high school. It’s been a long time [laughter]. A long time.”
On the feeling as they took the ball to start overtime:
“Honestly, we just had to dig deep. This Redskins organization has a lot of history and tradition to it. Yet, it’s a perfect opportunity to go out there and show the older guys that this is what we’re out here for. We’re out here to represent you guys. We appreciate everything you did to put us in this situation, so everything we worked so hard for in training camp and throughout the season, all the adversity we’ve overcome, it was so good to put a drive like that together and finish.”
On if he feels the team is improving week-by-week like they did in the second half of last season:
“Yeah, honestly, when we’ve been losing these games the last couple of weeks, we’ve been talking about the little things, doing the little things right, everything we did right to go on that run. We fell short last year, but there’s some things you can transfer over to this season in terms of handling adversity. Just to say we can come back and win this game like this… We were up, they tied the game, defense did a great job. It’s a credit to everyone –coaches, player. It's coaches emphasizing and players executing. That’s what’s been the difference in the past couple of weeks. Today, we just executed and finished.”
On the play of quarterback Robert Griffin III:
“Honestly, Robert Griffin, I don’t expect anything different from him. He’s a tough guy. I said Robert’s back when he jumped and made that first down. But I said he wanted that, but I said that’s not the first time I’ve seen him like that. They’ll take some criticism back from what he’s been getting the last couple of weeks just because he’s so determined to do that. Honestly, I think he just wanted it and just for him to go out there – I don’t think he had any passing touchdowns. I don’t know, but he was a leader today and that’s what we needed. He came in the last play and said, 'DY, I need you on this man, let’s finish the game,’ and I said, 'All right, let’s do it, man.’”
On the play of wide receiver Pierre Garcon, specifically his blocking:
“That’s what separates our team. Our receivers block. You don’t see any of our receivers dogging it on a play. That’s not disrespect to any other receivers in the league, but that’s what Coach Shanahan preaches. He talks about Rod Smith all the time, Ed McCaffrey, and those guys blocked all the time. Pierre making big plays. I don’t expect anything different. He does it in practice. He did it in Indy. He did it in college. That’s why he’s here. That’s why he is who he is now today. Like I said, it’s just all the receiving coaches, we’ve had changes throughout the years, but they still emphasize the same thing, and that Shanahan’s system in terms of, 'You guys are going to block. You get the extra 15 yards. You get the running backs an extra 15 yards.’ We’ll go from there with stuff.”
On the feeling having to watch the defense during the goal line stand:
“Frustrating, but [Jim] Haslett’s a great coordinator and he puts guys in situations all the time. That’s kind of what we do in OTAs and camp – play situational football. I know every team does it, but it actually showed today for us. The defense stepped up and did a great job. [It was] frustrating from our standpoint just because we know we could have ended that game if we would have went down and scored before they got the ball back. But we punted, tried to make them go 90 [yards], and they did a good job driving down the field. We just had to do it and we did it.”
On the potential touchdown by San Diego Chargers running back Danny Woodhead in the fourth quarter:
“I didn’t think it was a touchdown, but then again, it’s not my job to say if it is or not. I was hoping it wasn’t, but then again, our defense did a great job. That’s what you want in your defense, guys stepping up. Every guy out there deserved to be basically the captains today, just because everyone had to step up and do what we needed to do to win.”
On if he has given any thought to diversifying his touchdown celebrations:
“No. Bobby T [Assistant Head Coach/Running Backs Coach Bobby Turner] doesn’t like that, the running backs coach. He’s old school, man. I’d rather just give the ball to a fan and just walk back to the sideline, man. I’m good. I want to keep my job.”
On scoring all three of his touchdowns on third-and-one:
“Honestly, we were struggling on third down coming into this game and going back to last year and when Shanahan took over in 2010. Third downs have been a problem for us. When we started going to that run last year, third down was actually on our side. And like I said, for them to give me the ball on third down, that’s a lot of trust and I appreciate the coaches just allowing me to be in that situation and to be standing here today. That’s a credit to them and obviously the offensive line for blocking. And Alfred, I told him 'thank you’ when he got stopped on the two. Said, 'I appreciate you, man.’ It’s a credit to everyone out there.”
T Trent Williams
On their mindset finishing the game:
“We just said, 'This is an opportunity to go down here and right our wrongs.’ We gave them a touchdown and the defense played their butt off the whole game and we felt like it was on us. We knew we could only do it one play at a time. We had to stay within ourselves and play the same football that got us to that situation. We just relaxed and Kyle [Offensive Coordinator Kyle Shanahan] just called the plays and we ran them.”
On if the team talked about wanting to win for the alumni on Homecoming Weekend:
“We didn’t actually voice that, but obviously when you see all the greats on the sideline in their Redskins letterman jackets and wearing our throwback jerseys kind of paying tribute, you want to come out and play your best and give them something to smile at. You don’t want to come back and stink the place up with all the legends in the building.”
CB DeAngelo Hall
On the mentality during the goal line stand:
“We just had to keep fighting. Anything could happen. We could’ve gotten a pick, but obviously that didn’t happen. We had some good calls where we had a chance to make some plays, so we felt good about it.”
On if he was surprised the Chargers didn’t run the ball more on the goal line:
“Not at all. We were expecting them to try and give us something we weren’t prepared for. The guys in this locker room were prepared for anything, and that’s what they gave us.”
On if he can imagine what it would have been like had they scored:
“Being down seven or down four would have been catastrophic, but thankfully we’re not talking about that right now. We’re talking about that goal line stand and our offense marching down the field.”
On if the team can turn the season around after the win:
“It was definitely a character-building situation. But to be up 10, you can’t let a team march down the field a couple times and have a chance to win it there. We’ve got a lot of things to correct. Do you like the fight in the guys? Absolutely. Do you wish you weren’t in that situation? Absolutely. There are a lot of things we can learn from that and a lot of things we have to work on, but you can see the resiliency in these guys and get the stop. That’s almost impossible there—when a team has the ball like that with a few seconds left on the clock, that’s a tough situation to be in. These guys just kept fighting.”
CB Josh Wilson
On the goal line stand:
“At the end of the day, we needed to get the stop defensively at the end. In a goal line situation, everyone has to step up and make plays to get the stop at the end.”
On how this feels for the team:
“It adds another win for us. We’ll add them up at the end of the season and see where it takes us.”
On making the short week more palatable:
“It makes us a little happier for a couple hours, but then we get back to preparing for the Vikings.”
On the mentality for the stop at the end:
“They still had to come through us. That was the mentality we had. It wasn’t going to be easy, but they had to go through us and we made a stand.”
RB Alfred Morris
On having a complementary passing game along with the running game:
“It helps a lot – especially when you can quick strike as opposed to running it down the field and wearing yourself out. It’s easier to get a deep pass rather than run through five or six defenders.”
On if he sensed a certain type of confidence as momentum built:
“We definitely sensed it. Our whole thing was to play a complete 60 minutes, and we felt like we hadn’t been doing that in previous games. We came out and did that today. They came back and tied the game up, but we were able to finish it off after halftime and drive down and win.”
On the team’s mentality going into overtime:
“We all said we were going to score and put the game away right now. We knew it was going to happen. We were all on the same page and it took all 11 of us.”
On the offense playing up to its high expectations:
“We know the type of offense we are. We haven’t been showing it all year, but we are a high-powered offense just like we were last year. Sometimes, we just don’t get it down the way we should get it done – be it penalties, mistakes or lack of execution – but that’s the type of offense we are. We were confident, we stayed together and we got it done.”
On how this victory can change the path of this season:
“It’s good. After we lost [to Denver], we felt like we should have won that game, but we didn’t get the job done. So to come back this week and find ourselves in a sticky situation and find a way to get it done, it’s definitely a momentum boost going into this next game, which is going to be a quick turnaround. We have to be confident and focused, and getting a win this week can definitely help us out.”
LB Brian Orakpo
On if today’s victory was the biggest win of the season:
“[Yes], as of right now, because we needed a win, it was huge. Like I said, we were able to get momentum towards the end, the way we came out there defensively and stopped them, and the offense was [hitting] on all cylinders, and with the overtime, it was huge. It gives us momentum going into Thursday night against the Vikings, and we can feed off this – watch the film, make the corrections that we need to make, and like I said, this is huge for us moving forward.”
On the defense being motivated by the offense’s production:
“We feed off of each other. This is a team where we have to play on all three phases, stick together and play for one another, and we were able to do that towards the end. It was huge for our defensive stand and for our offense to go out there, score and close the game out. It gives us momentum for the future and I’m excited.”
On the goal line stand:
“It was huge. Like I said, one of the best moments I’ve been a part of. In most situations, the offense will easily score from one yard with three or four downs to go, so we were able to stop them on all downs. It was just huge – remarkable for guys to step up, make plays and be physical down there.”
On what this game does for the team going into the second half of the season:
“We’ll see. We’re going to continue to work hard, continue to strive. We’re still 3-5, we know what our record is, but we’re going to take it game by game. And like I said, this is huge momentum for us moving forward.”
On the importance of this game for the team’s season:
“We needed this – this was a must-win. We needed this, especially with the other teams [in the NFC East] winning. It can get us back in the playoff picture, back in the hunt, and for the second half of the season, we really needed this win. I think guys played remarkable throughout the entire game handling adversity. It was a back-and-forth game. Hats off to the Chargers. They fought hard as well. But like I said, we were able to close it out and bring home a W.”
On having a feel for the Chargers’ play calling in the red zone:
“We were just playing our assignments – everybody playing their keys, playing their fits, playing assignment football. We were really not too sure what they were going to do, especially when they tried to spread us out at the goal line, but everybody was just playing their gaps, playing their responsibilities and doing what they were supposed to do – not doing too much, and it was able to propel us off the field.”
WR Pierre Garçon
On how it feels to get the win:
“It’s definitely a great feeling. We played all-around well. The defense played well, special teams played well, and the offense played well, so it’s a good feeling. We still have a little bit of work to do but we’ll take it.”
On how he feels personally:
“Just another day out there playing football. We completed passes. I tried to get as many yards as I can after the catch. Sometimes you have good days, sometimes you have bad days.”
On what was clicking today on offense:
“We ran the ball well. Alfred did a great job running the ball, completed passes moving down the field. That was key.”
On fullback Darrel Young’s game:
“Three touchdowns – that’s definitely good. A few weeks ago [running back Roy] Helu [Jr.] had [three] touchdowns, so it’s definitely a great thing when those guys are scoring touchdowns.”
On having a career game after voicing his frustration with the offense:
“I feel good, but we still have a lot of work to do. We still need to convert on third downs, especially in crucial moments and on those last drives when we’re out there. The day’s going to come where we’re going to have to be better. We’ve got to keep fighting, and we’ve got a short week looking forward to Minnesota.”
On the defensive stand:
“They did a great job. They tried to throw the ball, but the leaders out there on defense, [cornerback DeAngelo] Hall and [linebacker London] Fletcher, they did their thing.”
On how he was feeling on the last drive with the crowd holding its breath:
“I was holding my breath, too. [Chargers quarterback] Philip Rivers is a gunslinger; he’s always taking chances, and I’m glad we stopped him when we needed it.”
On what he was yelling the last drive:
“I can’t remember the last drive. I was just motivating the guys to keep playing, and they put it on our back to finish the game.”
On the short week coming up:
“It’s definitely easier after a win, but it’s still a short week. We still have to travel to Minnesota and play a tough team up there.”
On who he would give the game ball to:
“The whole team. I’d probably give it to Coach.”
On quarterback Robert Griffin III bouncing back:
“You have to bounce back, especially under pressure. Things are going to be tough in the league, but you’ve got to continue to bounce back whenever you get the chance.”
On the mood going into overtime:
“We knew what we had to do. It wasn’t any different from the first drive or the last drive. We had to score seven points; that was our mindset going in.”
On his one-handed catches the last few games:
“Just putting a hand out there and trying to catch the ball and squeeze it at the right time. It was nothing special; they just stuck to the glove.”
On succeeding after struggling the previous week:
“It feels good, but there’s a lot of things we still have to work on and still have to get better at. There are going to be some tough days and some good days, and you have to continue to push yourself and work hard and at the end of the day you can’t complain.”
On the what the goal line stand means for the team:
“We kept playing for 60 minutes, and it shows a lot how we kept fighting for the whole game.”
On what he was hoping for as the Chargers were on their last drive:
“I was hoping for a turnover because we needed one. I was hoping the defense would get a turnover.”
On what the win means for the team:
“It’s a good victory, but we still have a tough game on Thursday and have to continue to play well.”
CB David Amerson
On holding onto the ball for his second career interception:
“I try to pride myself on – if I ever get my hands on the ball – trying to hold onto it. That is kind of what I pride
myself on.”
On his celebration on the bench:
“Football is an emotional game and I was just very emotional. It was a big play at that point of the game and I was just going on all emotions. It wasn’t planned or anything like that. I was just out there having fun.”
On the Chargers continuing to throw his way:
“We play a lot of man coverage, so you know they run through a lot of double moves and the slant. That is what happens on slant-and-go. I know on the last drive we had, they gave me a corner post. I mean, it is what it is and you just have to go out there and compete.”
On playing against his childhood friend, Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen: