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December 4, 2011
FedExField
Game Notes: Washington Redskins vs. New York Jets
• Attendance for the game was 74,121. The game was the Redskins’ 366th consecutive sellout, including preseason, regular season and playoffs. All 146 regular season, postseason and preseason games at FedExField have been sellouts.
• Rookie RB Roy Helu rushed 23 times for 100 yards with a touchdown. Helu’s 23 carries matched his career high, set last week at Seattle.
• Helu has rushed for at least 100 yards in two consecutive games, making him the first Redskins rookie running back to do so since Reggie Brooks in Weeks 10-11 in 1993.
• Helu capped the Redskins’ opening drive with a 2-yard touchdown run. It was the second touchdown of his career and his second in as many weeks.
• Helu’s touchdown run marked the second consecutive game in which the Redskins scored a touchdown on their opening drive. The last time the Redskins scored touchdowns on opening drives in consecutive games was in Weeks 12-13 of the 2009 season, when the Redskins scored opening-drive touchdowns at Philadelphia on Nov. 29 and vs. New Orleans on Dec. 6.
• Helu rushed for a season-best 63 first-half yards on 11 carries. His previous best was 55 yards in the first half last week at Seattle.
• Tight end Fred Davis finished with six receptions for 99 yards and recorded a season-long 42-yard reception on the Redskins’ opening drive.
• Davis became the first tight end in Redskins history to reach 80 receiving yards or more in six games in a single season. Redskins tight ends had previously twice compiled five games of 80-plus receiving yards in a season in team history (Chris Cooley in 2007 and Bill Anderson in 1959).
• Davis had two receptions of at least 30 yards, becoming the first Redskins tight end with two receptions of 30 or more yards in a game since Stephen Alexander on Dec. 16, 2000 at Pittsburgh, a span of 172 regular season games.
• Davis had 82 receiving yards in the first half, the highest first-half total of his career. It also tied his previous high for most amount of yardage in any half, tying his 82-yard second half vs. the New York Giants in Week 1.
• Wide receiver Santana Moss became the fourth-leading receiver by yardage in Redskins history with 42 receiving yards on six receptions. Moss, who now has 6,514 yards during his time in Washington, surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer Bobby Mitchell, who had 6,492 receiving yards as a member of the Redskins.
• Nose tackle Barry Cofield batted down two passes, improving upon his single-season career high, which now stands at eight and leads NFL defensive tackles this season.
• Linebacker Brian Orakpo improved upon his single-season career high in passes defensed, which now stands at four.
• Linebacker Perry Riley recorded the first fumble recovery of his career in the second quarter, recovering a muffed punt by New York’s Patrick Turner.
• Linebacker London Fletcher played in his 220th consecutive game, tied with Tampa Bay cornerback Ronde Barber for the most among active non-specialists. It was also his 175th consecutive start, the most among active linebackers.
• Punter Sav Rocca placed four punts inside the 20-yard line, giving him 25 punts downed inside the opponents’ 20-yard line this season. That total matched his season high of four, set vs. the New York Giants in Week 1.
• Anthony Armstrong registered his first career kickoff return, taking a lateral from Brandon Banks on a reverse for 28 yards.
• Rookie running back Evan Royster recorded the first reception of his career, catching a 3-yard pass in the second quarter.
• Brandon Banks had six kickoff returns for 136 yards. Following Sunday’s early games, Banks leads the NFC with 904 kick return yards on a league-leading 39 returns.
• The Redskins finished with 164 kick return yards, the team’s highest total since Nov. 15, 2010 vs. Philadelphia.
• The Redskins held the Jets to 266 yards of offense one week after holding the Seattle Seahawks to 250 yards of offense. This marks the first time since Weeks 6-7 of the 2009 season that the Redskins have held opponents under 300 yards of offense in consecutive weeks.
• Tight end Logan Paulsen received his third start of the 2011 season and the third start of his career.
Executive Vice President/Head Coach Mike Shanahan
On how frustrating it is to lose a lead with nine minutes left in the game:
“It’s frustrating. You come out in the second half and I think we had three series of three-and-outs. On offense we had a chance to get the momentum of the game and we didn’t. They come back with a pretty good play with a little sluggo call. They got the touchdown but we’re still in the football game. I’m just disappointed in the way we finished. We didn’t get much going on offense. It’s hard to win the football game when you finish like we did.”
On if kicker Graham Gano was instructed to kickoff short after the go-ahead field goal:
“No, he just hit the ground first.”
On the difference after the first successful drive:
“Well, number one, they played us a little more man-to-man coverage. We didn’t quite make the plays. They played a little more zone in the first quarter. Collectively, it just takes one guy here or there. We had a rhythm going. We settled for some field goals instead of touchdowns once we got in the red zone. Combination of just kind of losing your plays a little bit and not being able to finish. It’s hard to put it to just one person.”
On quarterback Rex Grossman’s health:
“His shoulder was hurting before the game. He got a shot. I can’t tell you how he feels right now, I can just tell you he’s disappointed.”
On if the defense played well enough to win:
“That’s what I was saying. That’s why I was disappointed coming out in the second half with three series with pretty good field position, three plays and out. You got a decent opportunity against a football team that’s got a pretty good defense. We didn’t do that. We did it in the first quarter and most of the second quarter. I’m disappointed we didn’t get the ball in the end zone and disappointed with the way we started out the third quarter. We had a chance to at least get ahead by 10 and we didn’t.”
On the suspensions of offensive lineman Trent Williams and tight end Fred Davis:
“Well number one, I’ve received no information about it so I can’t comment on it at this time. But, I will comment on it in the next day or two depending on what has happened.”
On the offense’s performance:
“I just thought we were very average collectively on offense. We started out good and for whatever reason we lost – I wouldn’t say we lost our poise – but they got the job done and we didn’t. I though we took it to them in the first quarter and a half. We had the momentum going and all of a sudden it didn’t seem like we could get anything going. They picked up their run defense a little bit and we went in the other direction. I thought [running back Roy] Helu started out exceptionally and at the end we were just pretty average.”
On if he could tell that Fred Davis would be open a lot:
“Well, it’s part of our game plan to give Fred an opportunity. Fred does a great job against linebackers and safeties. All four corners do a pretty good job, they’ve been successful throughout the year and we kind of took advantage of that early. But, obviously, we didn’t capitalize enough in the second half.”
QB Rex Grossman
On the offense’s first drive:
“Usually you script your first 15, and I stayed on schedule and had some great plays and some great runs. We were able to score, which obviously feels good on the first drive, but that was the only touchdown of the game, pretty much the reason why we lost.”
On what changed after the first two drives:
“The first half was alright. The second half, it was always something. Whether it was a sack on first down that put you behind the chains, or you know, it was just frustrating. I don’t really have an answer for you. It’s a cliché, but I don’t know, we got stuck there in the second half and weren’t able to have the same production.”
On how his shoulder is feeling:
“I feel fine. I’ll be alright.”
On what happened at the end of the first half:
“The reason the run plays worked was because we put them in the situations we saw on tape and we executed. Any position you put us on the field, whether it’s in that red zone area, in those situations you are going to call what you think you saw on the film that you think is going to work. That’s the reason we call the plays we call. Your point is to stay with the running game because it’s hot, but we’ve got confidence with every part of our offense that it’s going to work. I’m sure that’s why we call those plays.”
On what happened with the delay of game at the end:
“Initially we lined up an illegal formation, which is a penalty either way.”
On if the Jets changed up their defensive schemes during the game:
“Yeah, they did a good job in mixing up all of their stuff. They never give you the same look twice. They never play the same type of scheme twice. They did a lot of unique blitzes and you can’t get a beat on them. They are a pretty damn good football team.”
On why he struggled offensively later in the game:
“It’s frustrating. I don’t know what else to say about it.”
CB Kevin Barnes
On being frustrated over the helmet-to-helmet call on Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez:
“It wasn’t helmet-to-helmet. They threw [the flag] because it was after the whistle. Nobody could hear. That’s what it was. They blew a late whistle and I’m playing and I hit the quarterback simultaneously.”
On if it was especially disappointing to lose given how close the game was:
“It’s very disappointing because it’s kind of high school of them. It’s even worse that they weren’t trying to run up the score. We were just breaking down the last few drives and you can’t do that as a professional.”
On his thought of the last two Jets scores:
“The last six or seven minutes of the game were really embarrassing. Those last two touchdowns by them were complete breakdowns by us that we just can’t allow to happen.”
NT Barry Cofield
On how today’s loss compares to others:
“I think it’s extra disappointing. Especially defensively, we played well for three and a half quarters. A lot of things hurt with the way we finished. We have a lot to learn from, and we need to get ready for next week. Nobody is going to feel sorry for us. We’ve got to get better.”
On not being able to have a winning season now:
“Week to week is all we can focus on. We’ve got another tough AFC East team coming in next week and that’s all we can focus on. We had goals of playoffs and a Super Bowl, those are the type of goals you set as a team, and to set a goal of just having a winning record is not what we set out to do.”
G Chris Chester
On what he was thinking after the offense scored on the opening drive:
“We don’t get too high or too low, we just wanted to keep moving the ball like we did.”
On what the offense could have done better today:
“There are probably some plays out there that we missed. They [Jets] have a good defense but we didn’t play at a consistent level for 60 minutes.”
On his thoughts after building up some offensive momentum the past two weeks and losing:
“It’s kind of frustrating but we can’t start feeling down on ourselves. We have New England coming here next week we can’t dwell on this game. The same would apply if we had won, you learn and you move on. That’s what we have to do.”
LB Ryan Kerrigan
On being on the field for so long in the second half playing a part in the Jets final touchdowns:
“I don’t think so. I think it was just one guy out of his gap here or there. We have to be more gap sound and can’t let this kind of thing happen. We played well for 50 minutes and then the last 10 we’re not us.”
On if he felt the defense played their kind of football the first three quarters:
“Absolutely. You look at the scoreboard at the end of the third quarter and see that we’ve only given up 160 yards of offense, we were playing really well. Unfortunately, things got out of hand at the end.”
LB Lorenzo Alexander
On being able to force a turnover on special teams today:
“The returner muffed the ball, but we did our part by hustling down there, hitting him and that allowed us to pick it up. It was great because it’s something we haven’t done all year.”
On the short kickoff after the Redskins took the lead:
“We had a bloop [short kick] call. The hang time wasn’t what we would have liked it to be but we’ve still got to cover that kick. We still had guys over there that should have made the play.”
On calling a bloop kick:
“As a team, we wanted to put the ball in the hands of guys that aren’t used to it. Especially when they have a guy like [Joe] McKnight back there, it’s a chance to catch them off guard, a lot of times that works for us.”
S Reed Doughty
On the points given up at the end of the game:
“Giving up a few of those runs that were a little bit longer. They started the ball on the 10-yard line which is not exactly where you want to start, but that’s what we were given. We needed to not give up points or at least a field goal and we gave up points right there. Then we tried the onside kick and we get a quick seven [scored on us]. It just can’t happen. It’s not always one person and that can’t happen. It’s not one person’s fault every time.”
On the meaning of the next four games:
“We need everything. Unfortunately, I’ve been a part of that a few times. They mean everything to this organization, to the fans, to you as a player, you’re being evaluated and what you’re trying to put on film. We’re trying to build a team here. Obviously, playoffs are not in the picture this year, but next year, we need to see the young guys step up and we need the old guys really to take leadership. I take pride in trying to put a football team out there every week. We’re out to win, we’re not just going out there.”
New York Jets Coach Rex Ryan
On his team’s overall performance:
“It was a great win for us today. It was a tough game. We knew it would be tough because of the Washington Redskins defense. We thought our offensive line made a difference in the game, blocking and opening up some holes to have definitive running plays in the game. We viewed the Redskins as a team that was third in the league in sacks and it really showed.”
On wide receiver Santonio Holmes’ performance:
“He had four catches during the game, becoming a real difference maker. When we needed it the most he made a huge play and Mark made a great throw.”
On quarterback Mark Sanchez’s performance:
“Mark sometimes sailed the balls, but when it counted the most in the third quarter, he found a way to get the job done. I was really proud of that.”
On the Jets’ offense and defense:
“I was proud of the offense’s 18-yard drive in the first quarter. To respond, we were on our heels on defense. Mike Shanahan is a great play-caller but we were able to make the right adjustments. For us to come back and make the 18-yard drive against the Redskins defense was tremendous.”
On the performance of linebacker Aaron Maybin:
“I told Maybin that sacks win games and he responded to me saying, I know it coach. Then he went out there and got one, then I said to him that a fumble was even better, so I am proud of the effort on his part. They know where he stands now as a player.”
On the injury to running back LaDanian Tomlinson:
“I haven’t been updated yet.”
On the team’s progress during the last couple of games:
“It tells us that we have to get better because we don’t want it to always come down to fighting in the final quarter. It does hoeever, tell you the character and the guts of this football team and how we believe in each other and get the job done. We know we have to get better moving forward.”
On what allowed Sanchez to finish strong:
“It’s the competitiveness. Nobody wants to acknowledge it – but we all look at the other parts. Every quarterback struggles – with the exception of Peyton [Manning] and [Tom] Brady, I think. You have your moments though, but I’ll take a guy that can roll up his sleeves and say, 'You know what, we’re going to get it done’ – and everybody believes in him. It’s just a matter of time. The fact that we never through any picks – there was one that was close - but that was a huge thing as well.”
On scoring three touchdowns in five minutes:
“It was fantastic. I wish [RB] Shonn [Greene] would have just kneeled on it – gotten down to the one-yard line and kneeled on it. That was something I was a little upset with because of the simple fact we had to go back and play defense, you have to cover a kick, and sometimes I’ve seen guys get injured in those situations. And, that was something I was disappointed in myself for not telling them. I’ll take that responsibility.”
On his feelings going into the half with the Redskins’ leading by a field goal:
“The feeling going in there was not too good – a little disappointed. I think we turned over – had seven returns that had been fumbled which is ridiculous. And [WR] Jeremy [Kerley] is an outstanding player – we have to find a way to get it done. Lead Jeremy out there and he’ll catch it in a hurricane. I’m fine with that.”
On the defense preventing holding :
“I think our defense played really well. Just one of those things – we kind of got a feel for them. Our guys did a great job – we were dialed in. I did Dennis Thurman [DB coach] did a great job – assisting Wilson calls. I think it was really, really big. We had them dialed up pretty good. Our guys did a great job in execution.”
On his confidence about the Jets making the playoffs:
“We know where we think we’re going. Are we more confident than 100%? I don’t know about that.”
On Rex saying something to either player regarding Sanchez’s touchdown pass to WR Santonio Holmes:
“I’d like to say I said, 'Why don’t you just shoot it to Ton down there?’ But we were just focused on playing the game, but in critical times you look for #10 [Santonio Holmes] and there he was.”
On the unusual use of Wildcat plays to mix up the game:
“Absolutely. It was something I had mentioned - that I would like to run some wildcat this week, and do some direct snaps. And I’ll let him tell you it was my play to put the power in for the touchdown because it was – thank you very much.”
New York Jets QB Mark Sanchez
On winning touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes:
“I think we felt their cornerbacks and safeties sitting on some of our shorter routes, and we had called quite a few shorter routes, a lot of quick game stuff so it was a good opportunity to get a double move on, and we got the perfect coverage. We had plenty of time to throw it. That, and our offensive line did a great job in protection all day, and you just have to get the ball there, and [Holmes] did the rest. It worked out really well for us.”
On if they were setting up the play to Holmes:
“It had been a long time coming, and it worked out when it did so that was great.”
On his tendency to start off the game rough and then making a big play late:
“The real pattern is that we are just hurting ourselves with substitution penalties, getting calls in a little late, and we need to get up to the line of scrimmage faster so we can play faster. We need a better sense of urgency and a better tempo, and that starts at the quarterback so I need to get better at that, but I am proud of the way the guys finished. They hung in tough. It was a great execution of the four-minute drill except we need Shonn Greene to fall down and finish the game so we will get that cleaned up, and we have to keep playing well and get better and learn. I was just happy that we started off fast. An 18-play drive to start of the game should give you plenty of momentum to get things going. We shouldn’t have stalled after that.”
On the offensive line’s performance:
“Two games in a row, just a phenomenal job. They are getting coached hard by Coach [Bill] Callahan. He isn’t cutting them any slack in practice, and it is showing. They have taken to some tough coaching. They have taken to the intricacies of our blocking schemes, and I am really proud of how they are communicating in a loud stadium on the road. Clean up the false start; we will get better at that. I am really proud of that group. They have done a great job for us.”
On thoughts going through heads on the go-ahead touchdown drive:
“The most important thing we are learning to do, what I am learning to do, is not to let the game spin out of control. We hurt ourselves quite a bit, substitution penalties, delay of games, illegal block, little things that we can clean up, and we are just making it tougher on ourselves. Getting to third-and-25 against a defense like this, against a Coach [Jim] Haslett defense, your chances of picking up first downs are pretty slim. I think the only thing that I talked to the guys about is to just hang in there, be smart; we are going to get things fixed. Let’s stop hurting ourselves, stop with penalties, and convert. We had to scramble first down to Shonn [Greene]. We had a guy coming free off the edge. If that is 3-and-24, we do not get a first down so we just tightened things up and played a lot sharper.”
On today’s win:
“You’re happy for every win. I’m just thrilled about our protection, I’m thrilled about our running game and we’ll keep getting better at our passing game. It’s going to take work this week and the coming weeks but I’m proud of this victory and it’s a good win for our organization.”
On if the win is satisfying because of recent criticism:
“It’s satisfying for our team. There are bigger things on our plate than worrying about stuff like that, so that’s where my focus lies.”
On being satisfied with this week’s win, unlike last week’s win:
“It was better because we didn’t turn the ball over. We rushed the ball well and we continued with great protection and we just need to clean up some things in the passing game… so we can be more efficient on third down.”
On keeping the winning streak alive:
“That’s huge. Two in a row is huge but these are all for nothing if we can’t win the next few. We need to cherish this victory tonight and get on the train ride home, then get ready for a good Kansas City team at our place. So we need to play well at home.”
On concerns with Kansas City next week:
“We know they’re a good team. They’ve been kind of like us, a little inconsistent. We’re going to have to play our best and we’re going to have to take care of the football like we did today. We’re going to have to run the ball well. We’re going to have to protect the quarterback like we did today and we’ll have a chance. We have a lot of work to do.”
New York Jets WR Santonio Holmes
On his touchdown reception:
“It was a play that had to be made for us. Coach [Rex Ryan] dialed it up at the right time. The defender bit on the slant move and it was a double-move route and he jumped all over the first part of the route and the rest was history. Mark [Sanchez] put the ball right in a great place for me to catch it and that’s the ballgame.”
On why their offense struggles until the fourth quarter to make plays:
“I’ll tell you it’s because we play the game until the end of the game. We never think to win a ballgame in the first, second or third quarter. Things happen throughout the ballgame. The other team gets paid as well to go out and play their best defense, just as we go out and play our best offense. Today, it came down until the end of the game. Those guys made big plays all over the place and so did we and we won the game more at the end.”
On what Ryan said to them during halftime:
“He just told us to go out here and win this ballgame. We’ve been letting these guys hang around too long and let’s go win and let’s finish them off. And that’s what we did. We came out and didn’t start as well as we wanted too on offense to start the second half, but we were able to dial in a few of things here and there: screen passes were working good for us. Mark [Sanchez] found the guys and hit us when he needed to.”
On how it feels to be on a win streak:
“As of two weeks ago, it was one game at a time, and that’s all we could really focus on. I honestly don’t even know who we got next. I am just happy that we got this victory today and we can relax until Sunday and then be ready to go again come Sunday.”
On how it felt to win at FedExField:
“I honestly don’t think anybody paid attention to the schedule. We had one game on our schedule, which was the next game coming up with the Redskins and it was a must win game for us… But it was a victory for us and it kept us where we needed to be at.”
New York Jets LB Aaron Maybin
On the mentality of the defense:
“We’ve been harping for the past couple of weeks, about not letting our worst drive be our last drive. Not allowing teams to finish in crunch time, being able to buckle down at the appropriate time. Right before the play, Coach [Rex] Ryan came to me on the sidelines and said, 'Sacks in the fourth quarter win football games.’ So that was the mentality of our whole defense. So for us to be able to go out and close them out was pretty good.”
On how the defense played after the first drive in the third quarter:
“To reiterate what I said before, about our worst drive not being our last drive, I think it’s pretty clear to see what our worst drive was today. It’s not positive to start off so slow, but for us to be able to buckle down and play that style of defense for the majority of the rest of the game was good for us.”
On if he saw himself being double teamed:
“Yeah, but that’s fine by me. If you’re going to double-team me, you are opening up for somebody else. I fit into this defense as a piece of the puzzle, and I’m fine being the decoy, I’m fine when I get my chances to be the
feature pass rusher. It’s all a part of the defensive game plan, and I’m happy just being a part of getting to win.”
On if he thinks he got into Rex Grossman’s head:
“No, because if you saw I probably hit him about five or six times. He’s got to get the ball out of his hands so fast, that you really have to attack every single rush like it’s your last rush. He is pretty elusive, and he’s not the fastest guy or the quickest guy, but he’s slippery. That’s the only way to describe him, and he’s starting to get comfortable in that offense, so he’s starting to feel pressure and move in the pocket and things like that. So as he gets comfortable, he’s definitely somebody you have to be aware of, as far as how you attack him.”
On if it meant something to have a big play in a game close to home:
“For the rest of the season, every week, in my mind that next week is going to be the biggest game. So, right now, for us to just finish up playing our biggest game of the season, it feels good. We will watch the film and table it and start getting ready for Kansas City.”
On if it meant something to him personally:
“Yeah, it feels great, but my personal success ties in with the team directly. As the team goes, that’s how I’m feeling.”
On if he feels the team is playing the way they should be:
“No, I mean, until you see those kind of mistakes and eliminate it, the turnovers, especially in special teams and things that are uncharacteristic of our team in general, until you see all those little mistakes get eliminated, I doubt any of us will really be satisfied. In my opinion that speaks to the character of the guys in this locker room, it’s like a constant quest for perfection. Constantly coming in, and even this week having people say that we are playing against a better defense than ours, we took that personally. It’s something that us as a team, we are just going to continue to keep on fighting, and continue to keep on trying to get better at all three facets of the game.”
New York Jets G Brandon Moore
On how he explains the team’s strong fourth quarter after struggling early:
“We’ve been in slugfests like this for the past three seasons. We like to pride ourselves on being a team that finishes, not happy with the way it started of course, it was pretty bad there but when you have a team that can finish a game like that and actually step up and make some plays it’s good to see. So I would rather have that than a team that can’t step up and finish in the fourth quarter.”
On the importance of the win:
“We understand what we’re playing for. We’re playing to get a playoff berth. We went into a hostile environment with a sense of good defense and an offense that was moving up and down. It was a tough win.”
On his team’s performance in the game:
“It wasn’t pretty football for the first three quarters. We just found a way to break it open, and that’s good to see as a team.”
New York Jets T D’Brickashaw Ferguson
On the protecting quarterback Mark Sanchez against a good defense:
“Understand that, hey, protection is key. We did everything we could to protect Mark today, but Mark did a great job today getting the ball out and a made our job easier but you know these guys are great pass rushers and we just tried to do what we could to stop them today.”
On if every game is now a must win:
“Yeah, right now, every game, our backs are against the wall. We’ve got to win and we’ll continue to go out there and do that for these last couple of games before our run to the playoffs hopefully.”
New York Jets RB LaDainian Tomlinson
On if there any explanation for the team’s surge in the fourth quarter:
“Well, they played us tough all game. We knew it was going to be tough playing at their place. That’s a good defense on that side of the ball and they battled. Good pass rushers, but our offensive line controlled the game today, even though it took until the fourth quarter for us to impose our will but eventually we did that.”
On wearing teams down:
“Yeah, it’s been the formula, the way we win games. Of course, you know is our style, ground and pound, make completions and play good defense. Today you saw us doing exactly that. That’s our recipe. That’s how we win games. Everybody knows it. We know it and as long as we continue to do that we should be fine.”
On if he feels the team is catching fire right now:
“Yeah, absolutely. We have always prided ourselves on playing our best football in December going into January. That’s how this team was built and I think we’re starting to do that and our schedule kind of sets up for us to do that, to make a run at the playoffs. We just have to stay focused and take it one game at a time and hopefully we do that.”
FedExField
Game Notes: Washington Redskins vs. New York Jets
• Attendance for the game was 74,121. The game was the Redskins’ 366th consecutive sellout, including preseason, regular season and playoffs. All 146 regular season, postseason and preseason games at FedExField have been sellouts.
• Rookie RB Roy Helu rushed 23 times for 100 yards with a touchdown. Helu’s 23 carries matched his career high, set last week at Seattle.
• Helu has rushed for at least 100 yards in two consecutive games, making him the first Redskins rookie running back to do so since Reggie Brooks in Weeks 10-11 in 1993.
• Helu capped the Redskins’ opening drive with a 2-yard touchdown run. It was the second touchdown of his career and his second in as many weeks.
• Helu’s touchdown run marked the second consecutive game in which the Redskins scored a touchdown on their opening drive. The last time the Redskins scored touchdowns on opening drives in consecutive games was in Weeks 12-13 of the 2009 season, when the Redskins scored opening-drive touchdowns at Philadelphia on Nov. 29 and vs. New Orleans on Dec. 6.
• Helu rushed for a season-best 63 first-half yards on 11 carries. His previous best was 55 yards in the first half last week at Seattle.
• Tight end Fred Davis finished with six receptions for 99 yards and recorded a season-long 42-yard reception on the Redskins’ opening drive.
• Davis became the first tight end in Redskins history to reach 80 receiving yards or more in six games in a single season. Redskins tight ends had previously twice compiled five games of 80-plus receiving yards in a season in team history (Chris Cooley in 2007 and Bill Anderson in 1959).
• Davis had two receptions of at least 30 yards, becoming the first Redskins tight end with two receptions of 30 or more yards in a game since Stephen Alexander on Dec. 16, 2000 at Pittsburgh, a span of 172 regular season games.
• Davis had 82 receiving yards in the first half, the highest first-half total of his career. It also tied his previous high for most amount of yardage in any half, tying his 82-yard second half vs. the New York Giants in Week 1.
• Wide receiver Santana Moss became the fourth-leading receiver by yardage in Redskins history with 42 receiving yards on six receptions. Moss, who now has 6,514 yards during his time in Washington, surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer Bobby Mitchell, who had 6,492 receiving yards as a member of the Redskins.
• Nose tackle Barry Cofield batted down two passes, improving upon his single-season career high, which now stands at eight and leads NFL defensive tackles this season.
• Linebacker Brian Orakpo improved upon his single-season career high in passes defensed, which now stands at four.
• Linebacker Perry Riley recorded the first fumble recovery of his career in the second quarter, recovering a muffed punt by New York’s Patrick Turner.
• Linebacker London Fletcher played in his 220th consecutive game, tied with Tampa Bay cornerback Ronde Barber for the most among active non-specialists. It was also his 175th consecutive start, the most among active linebackers.
• Punter Sav Rocca placed four punts inside the 20-yard line, giving him 25 punts downed inside the opponents’ 20-yard line this season. That total matched his season high of four, set vs. the New York Giants in Week 1.
• Anthony Armstrong registered his first career kickoff return, taking a lateral from Brandon Banks on a reverse for 28 yards.
• Rookie running back Evan Royster recorded the first reception of his career, catching a 3-yard pass in the second quarter.
• Brandon Banks had six kickoff returns for 136 yards. Following Sunday’s early games, Banks leads the NFC with 904 kick return yards on a league-leading 39 returns.
• The Redskins finished with 164 kick return yards, the team’s highest total since Nov. 15, 2010 vs. Philadelphia.
• The Redskins held the Jets to 266 yards of offense one week after holding the Seattle Seahawks to 250 yards of offense. This marks the first time since Weeks 6-7 of the 2009 season that the Redskins have held opponents under 300 yards of offense in consecutive weeks.
• Tight end Logan Paulsen received his third start of the 2011 season and the third start of his career.
Executive Vice President/Head Coach Mike Shanahan
On how frustrating it is to lose a lead with nine minutes left in the game:
“It’s frustrating. You come out in the second half and I think we had three series of three-and-outs. On offense we had a chance to get the momentum of the game and we didn’t. They come back with a pretty good play with a little sluggo call. They got the touchdown but we’re still in the football game. I’m just disappointed in the way we finished. We didn’t get much going on offense. It’s hard to win the football game when you finish like we did.”
On if kicker Graham Gano was instructed to kickoff short after the go-ahead field goal:
“No, he just hit the ground first.”
On the difference after the first successful drive:
“Well, number one, they played us a little more man-to-man coverage. We didn’t quite make the plays. They played a little more zone in the first quarter. Collectively, it just takes one guy here or there. We had a rhythm going. We settled for some field goals instead of touchdowns once we got in the red zone. Combination of just kind of losing your plays a little bit and not being able to finish. It’s hard to put it to just one person.”
On quarterback Rex Grossman’s health:
“His shoulder was hurting before the game. He got a shot. I can’t tell you how he feels right now, I can just tell you he’s disappointed.”
On if the defense played well enough to win:
“That’s what I was saying. That’s why I was disappointed coming out in the second half with three series with pretty good field position, three plays and out. You got a decent opportunity against a football team that’s got a pretty good defense. We didn’t do that. We did it in the first quarter and most of the second quarter. I’m disappointed we didn’t get the ball in the end zone and disappointed with the way we started out the third quarter. We had a chance to at least get ahead by 10 and we didn’t.”
On the suspensions of offensive lineman Trent Williams and tight end Fred Davis:
“Well number one, I’ve received no information about it so I can’t comment on it at this time. But, I will comment on it in the next day or two depending on what has happened.”
On the offense’s performance:
“I just thought we were very average collectively on offense. We started out good and for whatever reason we lost – I wouldn’t say we lost our poise – but they got the job done and we didn’t. I though we took it to them in the first quarter and a half. We had the momentum going and all of a sudden it didn’t seem like we could get anything going. They picked up their run defense a little bit and we went in the other direction. I thought [running back Roy] Helu started out exceptionally and at the end we were just pretty average.”
On if he could tell that Fred Davis would be open a lot:
“Well, it’s part of our game plan to give Fred an opportunity. Fred does a great job against linebackers and safeties. All four corners do a pretty good job, they’ve been successful throughout the year and we kind of took advantage of that early. But, obviously, we didn’t capitalize enough in the second half.”
QB Rex Grossman
On the offense’s first drive:
“Usually you script your first 15, and I stayed on schedule and had some great plays and some great runs. We were able to score, which obviously feels good on the first drive, but that was the only touchdown of the game, pretty much the reason why we lost.”
On what changed after the first two drives:
“The first half was alright. The second half, it was always something. Whether it was a sack on first down that put you behind the chains, or you know, it was just frustrating. I don’t really have an answer for you. It’s a cliché, but I don’t know, we got stuck there in the second half and weren’t able to have the same production.”
On how his shoulder is feeling:
“I feel fine. I’ll be alright.”
On what happened at the end of the first half:
“The reason the run plays worked was because we put them in the situations we saw on tape and we executed. Any position you put us on the field, whether it’s in that red zone area, in those situations you are going to call what you think you saw on the film that you think is going to work. That’s the reason we call the plays we call. Your point is to stay with the running game because it’s hot, but we’ve got confidence with every part of our offense that it’s going to work. I’m sure that’s why we call those plays.”
On what happened with the delay of game at the end:
“Initially we lined up an illegal formation, which is a penalty either way.”
On if the Jets changed up their defensive schemes during the game:
“Yeah, they did a good job in mixing up all of their stuff. They never give you the same look twice. They never play the same type of scheme twice. They did a lot of unique blitzes and you can’t get a beat on them. They are a pretty damn good football team.”
On why he struggled offensively later in the game:
“It’s frustrating. I don’t know what else to say about it.”
CB Kevin Barnes
On being frustrated over the helmet-to-helmet call on Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez:
“It wasn’t helmet-to-helmet. They threw [the flag] because it was after the whistle. Nobody could hear. That’s what it was. They blew a late whistle and I’m playing and I hit the quarterback simultaneously.”
On if it was especially disappointing to lose given how close the game was:
“It’s very disappointing because it’s kind of high school of them. It’s even worse that they weren’t trying to run up the score. We were just breaking down the last few drives and you can’t do that as a professional.”
On his thought of the last two Jets scores:
“The last six or seven minutes of the game were really embarrassing. Those last two touchdowns by them were complete breakdowns by us that we just can’t allow to happen.”
NT Barry Cofield
On how today’s loss compares to others:
“I think it’s extra disappointing. Especially defensively, we played well for three and a half quarters. A lot of things hurt with the way we finished. We have a lot to learn from, and we need to get ready for next week. Nobody is going to feel sorry for us. We’ve got to get better.”
On not being able to have a winning season now:
“Week to week is all we can focus on. We’ve got another tough AFC East team coming in next week and that’s all we can focus on. We had goals of playoffs and a Super Bowl, those are the type of goals you set as a team, and to set a goal of just having a winning record is not what we set out to do.”
G Chris Chester
On what he was thinking after the offense scored on the opening drive:
“We don’t get too high or too low, we just wanted to keep moving the ball like we did.”
On what the offense could have done better today:
“There are probably some plays out there that we missed. They [Jets] have a good defense but we didn’t play at a consistent level for 60 minutes.”
On his thoughts after building up some offensive momentum the past two weeks and losing:
“It’s kind of frustrating but we can’t start feeling down on ourselves. We have New England coming here next week we can’t dwell on this game. The same would apply if we had won, you learn and you move on. That’s what we have to do.”
LB Ryan Kerrigan
On being on the field for so long in the second half playing a part in the Jets final touchdowns:
“I don’t think so. I think it was just one guy out of his gap here or there. We have to be more gap sound and can’t let this kind of thing happen. We played well for 50 minutes and then the last 10 we’re not us.”
On if he felt the defense played their kind of football the first three quarters:
“Absolutely. You look at the scoreboard at the end of the third quarter and see that we’ve only given up 160 yards of offense, we were playing really well. Unfortunately, things got out of hand at the end.”
LB Lorenzo Alexander
On being able to force a turnover on special teams today:
“The returner muffed the ball, but we did our part by hustling down there, hitting him and that allowed us to pick it up. It was great because it’s something we haven’t done all year.”
On the short kickoff after the Redskins took the lead:
“We had a bloop [short kick] call. The hang time wasn’t what we would have liked it to be but we’ve still got to cover that kick. We still had guys over there that should have made the play.”
On calling a bloop kick:
“As a team, we wanted to put the ball in the hands of guys that aren’t used to it. Especially when they have a guy like [Joe] McKnight back there, it’s a chance to catch them off guard, a lot of times that works for us.”
S Reed Doughty
On the points given up at the end of the game:
“Giving up a few of those runs that were a little bit longer. They started the ball on the 10-yard line which is not exactly where you want to start, but that’s what we were given. We needed to not give up points or at least a field goal and we gave up points right there. Then we tried the onside kick and we get a quick seven [scored on us]. It just can’t happen. It’s not always one person and that can’t happen. It’s not one person’s fault every time.”
On the meaning of the next four games:
“We need everything. Unfortunately, I’ve been a part of that a few times. They mean everything to this organization, to the fans, to you as a player, you’re being evaluated and what you’re trying to put on film. We’re trying to build a team here. Obviously, playoffs are not in the picture this year, but next year, we need to see the young guys step up and we need the old guys really to take leadership. I take pride in trying to put a football team out there every week. We’re out to win, we’re not just going out there.”
New York Jets Coach Rex Ryan
On his team’s overall performance:
“It was a great win for us today. It was a tough game. We knew it would be tough because of the Washington Redskins defense. We thought our offensive line made a difference in the game, blocking and opening up some holes to have definitive running plays in the game. We viewed the Redskins as a team that was third in the league in sacks and it really showed.”
On wide receiver Santonio Holmes’ performance:
“He had four catches during the game, becoming a real difference maker. When we needed it the most he made a huge play and Mark made a great throw.”
On quarterback Mark Sanchez’s performance:
“Mark sometimes sailed the balls, but when it counted the most in the third quarter, he found a way to get the job done. I was really proud of that.”
On the Jets’ offense and defense:
“I was proud of the offense’s 18-yard drive in the first quarter. To respond, we were on our heels on defense. Mike Shanahan is a great play-caller but we were able to make the right adjustments. For us to come back and make the 18-yard drive against the Redskins defense was tremendous.”
On the performance of linebacker Aaron Maybin:
“I told Maybin that sacks win games and he responded to me saying, I know it coach. Then he went out there and got one, then I said to him that a fumble was even better, so I am proud of the effort on his part. They know where he stands now as a player.”
On the injury to running back LaDanian Tomlinson:
“I haven’t been updated yet.”
On the team’s progress during the last couple of games:
“It tells us that we have to get better because we don’t want it to always come down to fighting in the final quarter. It does hoeever, tell you the character and the guts of this football team and how we believe in each other and get the job done. We know we have to get better moving forward.”
On what allowed Sanchez to finish strong:
“It’s the competitiveness. Nobody wants to acknowledge it – but we all look at the other parts. Every quarterback struggles – with the exception of Peyton [Manning] and [Tom] Brady, I think. You have your moments though, but I’ll take a guy that can roll up his sleeves and say, 'You know what, we’re going to get it done’ – and everybody believes in him. It’s just a matter of time. The fact that we never through any picks – there was one that was close - but that was a huge thing as well.”
On scoring three touchdowns in five minutes:
“It was fantastic. I wish [RB] Shonn [Greene] would have just kneeled on it – gotten down to the one-yard line and kneeled on it. That was something I was a little upset with because of the simple fact we had to go back and play defense, you have to cover a kick, and sometimes I’ve seen guys get injured in those situations. And, that was something I was disappointed in myself for not telling them. I’ll take that responsibility.”
On his feelings going into the half with the Redskins’ leading by a field goal:
“The feeling going in there was not too good – a little disappointed. I think we turned over – had seven returns that had been fumbled which is ridiculous. And [WR] Jeremy [Kerley] is an outstanding player – we have to find a way to get it done. Lead Jeremy out there and he’ll catch it in a hurricane. I’m fine with that.”
On the defense preventing holding :
“I think our defense played really well. Just one of those things – we kind of got a feel for them. Our guys did a great job – we were dialed in. I did Dennis Thurman [DB coach] did a great job – assisting Wilson calls. I think it was really, really big. We had them dialed up pretty good. Our guys did a great job in execution.”
On his confidence about the Jets making the playoffs:
“We know where we think we’re going. Are we more confident than 100%? I don’t know about that.”
On Rex saying something to either player regarding Sanchez’s touchdown pass to WR Santonio Holmes:
“I’d like to say I said, 'Why don’t you just shoot it to Ton down there?’ But we were just focused on playing the game, but in critical times you look for #10 [Santonio Holmes] and there he was.”
On the unusual use of Wildcat plays to mix up the game:
“Absolutely. It was something I had mentioned - that I would like to run some wildcat this week, and do some direct snaps. And I’ll let him tell you it was my play to put the power in for the touchdown because it was – thank you very much.”
New York Jets QB Mark Sanchez
On winning touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes:
“I think we felt their cornerbacks and safeties sitting on some of our shorter routes, and we had called quite a few shorter routes, a lot of quick game stuff so it was a good opportunity to get a double move on, and we got the perfect coverage. We had plenty of time to throw it. That, and our offensive line did a great job in protection all day, and you just have to get the ball there, and [Holmes] did the rest. It worked out really well for us.”
On if they were setting up the play to Holmes:
“It had been a long time coming, and it worked out when it did so that was great.”
On his tendency to start off the game rough and then making a big play late:
“The real pattern is that we are just hurting ourselves with substitution penalties, getting calls in a little late, and we need to get up to the line of scrimmage faster so we can play faster. We need a better sense of urgency and a better tempo, and that starts at the quarterback so I need to get better at that, but I am proud of the way the guys finished. They hung in tough. It was a great execution of the four-minute drill except we need Shonn Greene to fall down and finish the game so we will get that cleaned up, and we have to keep playing well and get better and learn. I was just happy that we started off fast. An 18-play drive to start of the game should give you plenty of momentum to get things going. We shouldn’t have stalled after that.”
On the offensive line’s performance:
“Two games in a row, just a phenomenal job. They are getting coached hard by Coach [Bill] Callahan. He isn’t cutting them any slack in practice, and it is showing. They have taken to some tough coaching. They have taken to the intricacies of our blocking schemes, and I am really proud of how they are communicating in a loud stadium on the road. Clean up the false start; we will get better at that. I am really proud of that group. They have done a great job for us.”
On thoughts going through heads on the go-ahead touchdown drive:
“The most important thing we are learning to do, what I am learning to do, is not to let the game spin out of control. We hurt ourselves quite a bit, substitution penalties, delay of games, illegal block, little things that we can clean up, and we are just making it tougher on ourselves. Getting to third-and-25 against a defense like this, against a Coach [Jim] Haslett defense, your chances of picking up first downs are pretty slim. I think the only thing that I talked to the guys about is to just hang in there, be smart; we are going to get things fixed. Let’s stop hurting ourselves, stop with penalties, and convert. We had to scramble first down to Shonn [Greene]. We had a guy coming free off the edge. If that is 3-and-24, we do not get a first down so we just tightened things up and played a lot sharper.”
On today’s win:
“You’re happy for every win. I’m just thrilled about our protection, I’m thrilled about our running game and we’ll keep getting better at our passing game. It’s going to take work this week and the coming weeks but I’m proud of this victory and it’s a good win for our organization.”
On if the win is satisfying because of recent criticism:
“It’s satisfying for our team. There are bigger things on our plate than worrying about stuff like that, so that’s where my focus lies.”
On being satisfied with this week’s win, unlike last week’s win:
“It was better because we didn’t turn the ball over. We rushed the ball well and we continued with great protection and we just need to clean up some things in the passing game… so we can be more efficient on third down.”
On keeping the winning streak alive:
“That’s huge. Two in a row is huge but these are all for nothing if we can’t win the next few. We need to cherish this victory tonight and get on the train ride home, then get ready for a good Kansas City team at our place. So we need to play well at home.”
On concerns with Kansas City next week:
“We know they’re a good team. They’ve been kind of like us, a little inconsistent. We’re going to have to play our best and we’re going to have to take care of the football like we did today. We’re going to have to run the ball well. We’re going to have to protect the quarterback like we did today and we’ll have a chance. We have a lot of work to do.”
New York Jets WR Santonio Holmes
On his touchdown reception:
“It was a play that had to be made for us. Coach [Rex Ryan] dialed it up at the right time. The defender bit on the slant move and it was a double-move route and he jumped all over the first part of the route and the rest was history. Mark [Sanchez] put the ball right in a great place for me to catch it and that’s the ballgame.”
On why their offense struggles until the fourth quarter to make plays:
“I’ll tell you it’s because we play the game until the end of the game. We never think to win a ballgame in the first, second or third quarter. Things happen throughout the ballgame. The other team gets paid as well to go out and play their best defense, just as we go out and play our best offense. Today, it came down until the end of the game. Those guys made big plays all over the place and so did we and we won the game more at the end.”
On what Ryan said to them during halftime:
“He just told us to go out here and win this ballgame. We’ve been letting these guys hang around too long and let’s go win and let’s finish them off. And that’s what we did. We came out and didn’t start as well as we wanted too on offense to start the second half, but we were able to dial in a few of things here and there: screen passes were working good for us. Mark [Sanchez] found the guys and hit us when he needed to.”
On how it feels to be on a win streak:
“As of two weeks ago, it was one game at a time, and that’s all we could really focus on. I honestly don’t even know who we got next. I am just happy that we got this victory today and we can relax until Sunday and then be ready to go again come Sunday.”
On how it felt to win at FedExField:
“I honestly don’t think anybody paid attention to the schedule. We had one game on our schedule, which was the next game coming up with the Redskins and it was a must win game for us… But it was a victory for us and it kept us where we needed to be at.”
New York Jets LB Aaron Maybin
On the mentality of the defense:
“We’ve been harping for the past couple of weeks, about not letting our worst drive be our last drive. Not allowing teams to finish in crunch time, being able to buckle down at the appropriate time. Right before the play, Coach [Rex] Ryan came to me on the sidelines and said, 'Sacks in the fourth quarter win football games.’ So that was the mentality of our whole defense. So for us to be able to go out and close them out was pretty good.”
On how the defense played after the first drive in the third quarter:
“To reiterate what I said before, about our worst drive not being our last drive, I think it’s pretty clear to see what our worst drive was today. It’s not positive to start off so slow, but for us to be able to buckle down and play that style of defense for the majority of the rest of the game was good for us.”
On if he saw himself being double teamed:
“Yeah, but that’s fine by me. If you’re going to double-team me, you are opening up for somebody else. I fit into this defense as a piece of the puzzle, and I’m fine being the decoy, I’m fine when I get my chances to be the
feature pass rusher. It’s all a part of the defensive game plan, and I’m happy just being a part of getting to win.”
On if he thinks he got into Rex Grossman’s head:
“No, because if you saw I probably hit him about five or six times. He’s got to get the ball out of his hands so fast, that you really have to attack every single rush like it’s your last rush. He is pretty elusive, and he’s not the fastest guy or the quickest guy, but he’s slippery. That’s the only way to describe him, and he’s starting to get comfortable in that offense, so he’s starting to feel pressure and move in the pocket and things like that. So as he gets comfortable, he’s definitely somebody you have to be aware of, as far as how you attack him.”
On if it meant something to have a big play in a game close to home:
“For the rest of the season, every week, in my mind that next week is going to be the biggest game. So, right now, for us to just finish up playing our biggest game of the season, it feels good. We will watch the film and table it and start getting ready for Kansas City.”
On if it meant something to him personally:
“Yeah, it feels great, but my personal success ties in with the team directly. As the team goes, that’s how I’m feeling.”
On if he feels the team is playing the way they should be:
“No, I mean, until you see those kind of mistakes and eliminate it, the turnovers, especially in special teams and things that are uncharacteristic of our team in general, until you see all those little mistakes get eliminated, I doubt any of us will really be satisfied. In my opinion that speaks to the character of the guys in this locker room, it’s like a constant quest for perfection. Constantly coming in, and even this week having people say that we are playing against a better defense than ours, we took that personally. It’s something that us as a team, we are just going to continue to keep on fighting, and continue to keep on trying to get better at all three facets of the game.”
New York Jets G Brandon Moore
On how he explains the team’s strong fourth quarter after struggling early:
“We’ve been in slugfests like this for the past three seasons. We like to pride ourselves on being a team that finishes, not happy with the way it started of course, it was pretty bad there but when you have a team that can finish a game like that and actually step up and make some plays it’s good to see. So I would rather have that than a team that can’t step up and finish in the fourth quarter.”
On the importance of the win:
“We understand what we’re playing for. We’re playing to get a playoff berth. We went into a hostile environment with a sense of good defense and an offense that was moving up and down. It was a tough win.”
On his team’s performance in the game:
“It wasn’t pretty football for the first three quarters. We just found a way to break it open, and that’s good to see as a team.”
New York Jets T D’Brickashaw Ferguson
On the protecting quarterback Mark Sanchez against a good defense:
“Understand that, hey, protection is key. We did everything we could to protect Mark today, but Mark did a great job today getting the ball out and a made our job easier but you know these guys are great pass rushers and we just tried to do what we could to stop them today.”
On if every game is now a must win:
“Yeah, right now, every game, our backs are against the wall. We’ve got to win and we’ll continue to go out there and do that for these last couple of games before our run to the playoffs hopefully.”
New York Jets RB LaDainian Tomlinson
On if there any explanation for the team’s surge in the fourth quarter:
“Well, they played us tough all game. We knew it was going to be tough playing at their place. That’s a good defense on that side of the ball and they battled. Good pass rushers, but our offensive line controlled the game today, even though it took until the fourth quarter for us to impose our will but eventually we did that.”
On wearing teams down:
“Yeah, it’s been the formula, the way we win games. Of course, you know is our style, ground and pound, make completions and play good defense. Today you saw us doing exactly that. That’s our recipe. That’s how we win games. Everybody knows it. We know it and as long as we continue to do that we should be fine.”
On if he feels the team is catching fire right now:
“Yeah, absolutely. We have always prided ourselves on playing our best football in December going into January. That’s how this team was built and I think we’re starting to do that and our schedule kind of sets up for us to do that, to make a run at the playoffs. We just have to stay focused and take it one game at a time and hopefully we do that.”
