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October 17, 2012
Redskins Park
Executive Vice President/Head Coach Mike Shanahan
On the status of injured wide receiver Pierre Garcon’s foot:
“I wish I knew. He is sore right now. We want to get him well. I told him to do whatever he can do. If he needs to rest, rest. Whatever he can do to get him ready to play. Right now he is sore, obviously it’s very painful so hopefully it will get well soon.”
On if he knows what is going on with Garcon’s foot or if it is a 'mystery’:
“It is very much a mystery. You don’t know, anytime somebody has a hard time with a knee or sometimes it is an ankle, the bottom of his foot, and you go out there and practice and all of a sudden you go 10-15 yards down the field, and there is a pain in there and you can see it when he practices or when he tries to push off. So we are going to hopefully give him a little time, get that thing healed. How long it will take? I don’t know. One, two days…two, three weeks? I really don’t know. He is a tough guy. You watch him go through preseason, you watch him go through the OTA days, he’s a very physical player and if he could go, he would go. But at the same time, I don’t want to set him back for the rest of the season, so I told him, 'Hey, when you feel like you’re ready, you let me know.’ We will do everything we can with treatment and those types of things to get him ready to play.”
On players suffering head injuries:
“I think we are much more aware of the problems with head injuries. I think when someone does have a symptom like [safety] Jordan [Pugh] did during the game; they look at it very carefully. Like [wide receiver] Aldrick [Robinson], like [quarterback] Robert [Griffin III], like Jordan is going through right now, we monitor them every day and right now Jordan felt pretty good today. I haven’t talked to the doctors after practice, hopefully there is no setback. And if he keeps on doing like he is, hopefully he will be able to play.”
On if he will go back and look at the procedure regarding concussions after Pugh suffered symptoms the second time:
“Let’s not go through this again, I think we are fine with the procedures that are intact right now. Believe me, I’ve never seen more time spent with people and rightfully so, looking at different injuries. It’s in the doctor’s hands. They do a great job of evaluating these people and hopefully they always make the right decision.”
On if he is surprised the offensive line has done more than he imagined this season:
“You keep your fingers cross to start off because you never know for sure. You are hoping Kory [Lichtensteiger] is going be able to come back, but [tackle] Jammal [Brown], we didn’t know really what was going to happen.[Tackle] Tyler Polumbus, you are lucky enough to get him off the waiver wire last year. He was released and he’s come in and done a good job for us. He has been able to stay healthy.
Redskins Park
Executive Vice President/Head Coach Mike Shanahan
On the status of injured wide receiver Pierre Garcon’s foot:
“I wish I knew. He is sore right now. We want to get him well. I told him to do whatever he can do. If he needs to rest, rest. Whatever he can do to get him ready to play. Right now he is sore, obviously it’s very painful so hopefully it will get well soon.”
On if he knows what is going on with Garcon’s foot or if it is a 'mystery’:
“It is very much a mystery. You don’t know, anytime somebody has a hard time with a knee or sometimes it is an ankle, the bottom of his foot, and you go out there and practice and all of a sudden you go 10-15 yards down the field, and there is a pain in there and you can see it when he practices or when he tries to push off. So we are going to hopefully give him a little time, get that thing healed. How long it will take? I don’t know. One, two days…two, three weeks? I really don’t know. He is a tough guy. You watch him go through preseason, you watch him go through the OTA days, he’s a very physical player and if he could go, he would go. But at the same time, I don’t want to set him back for the rest of the season, so I told him, 'Hey, when you feel like you’re ready, you let me know.’ We will do everything we can with treatment and those types of things to get him ready to play.”
On players suffering head injuries:
“I think we are much more aware of the problems with head injuries. I think when someone does have a symptom like [safety] Jordan [Pugh] did during the game; they look at it very carefully. Like [wide receiver] Aldrick [Robinson], like [quarterback] Robert [Griffin III], like Jordan is going through right now, we monitor them every day and right now Jordan felt pretty good today. I haven’t talked to the doctors after practice, hopefully there is no setback. And if he keeps on doing like he is, hopefully he will be able to play.”
On if he will go back and look at the procedure regarding concussions after Pugh suffered symptoms the second time:
“Let’s not go through this again, I think we are fine with the procedures that are intact right now. Believe me, I’ve never seen more time spent with people and rightfully so, looking at different injuries. It’s in the doctor’s hands. They do a great job of evaluating these people and hopefully they always make the right decision.”
On if he is surprised the offensive line has done more than he imagined this season:
“You keep your fingers cross to start off because you never know for sure. You are hoping Kory [Lichtensteiger] is going be able to come back, but [tackle] Jammal [Brown], we didn’t know really what was going to happen.[Tackle] Tyler Polumbus, you are lucky enough to get him off the waiver wire last year. He was released and he’s come in and done a good job for us. He has been able to stay healthy.
Will [Montgomery] stayed healthy. [Guard] Chris Chester stayed healthy with a couple setbacks here in the preseason. But overall, I have been happy with our guys. They are starting to feel very comfortable with the system, they know what they are doing, and it shows on the field.”
On if the Giants defensive line will be a challenge for the offensive line this week:
This will be a big challenge this week because we are dealing with a defensive line that is very deep. They got seven or eight guys that can sure enough play, so, this is a big challenge for us.”
On if the concept of the identity on offense is important to winning:
“I don’t know, I just read about it. You always try to win games. What we try to do is adjust our offense to the type of defense we are going to face and we have the capabilities to do a lot of different things. As you get a quarterback like Robert and see what he is comfortable with, you try to run your offense accordingly. It is a learning experience. You are going to grow with this thing every week. It is kind of fun to deal with a guy like Robert because you can do so many things and he picks up things so quickly and he is able to execute them on the football field. It is a work in progress for us, it is kind of fun to tinker around with a number of different things. Some things you haven’t done before, other things you have and you can see what he does and what he likes.
On forming an offensive identity:
“Every place I have been in, everybody says 'What do you call this offense?’ Rick Reilly had asked and he wanted a name so I said, 'Call it the East Coast Offense.’ I get tired of answering the question to be honest with you. I’m not sure what the name of the offense is but we are just experimenting with what Robert can do and we are having fun with it. Hopefully we can keep executing. “
On the importance of winning a division game:
“I think everybody knows that if you win your division, you are guaranteed a home playoff game. So always winning your division is big, you are guaranteed that. So, that is the mindset for even young guys who haven’t been in the National Football League that makes sense to them. It is always big playing within a division. It is something you look forward to, especially these veterans, and these young guys get to learn how important it is.”
On if a defense can prepare for Griffin III just by watching film:
“I think so. They’ve watched a lot of different type of offenses through the years. I think they’ve studied what people do during the off season. What Carolina has done and what Denver has done, some Wildcat systems, Miami and a number of people have done through the years; they are always on top of those things. You always try to put in a couple wrinkles that people haven’t seen and its fun for us as well.”
On Griffin III and rookie running back Alfred Morris not having faced the Giants previously:
“It doesn’t take them that long to look at film and these guys are the best at what they do and they will come up with a game plan. One thing the Giants are going to do, you know where they are at. They do a great job of executing on both offense and defense; they are very talented and very well-coached and they don’t make many mistakes.
On how Griffin III has spread the ball around:
“For a quarterback, you are never really sure going into a game who is going to get the ball. So, when he spreads it around, it usually goes with his reads. Take a look at the coverage, if one and two is covered, and then he goes to three and four. So he is not really sure going into the game who is going to get the ball, and when a lot of guys get the ball it is usually because they change the coverages up.”
On if Griffin III is better at reading coverages than he thought he would be this early:
“As I said before, every time you play a game as a quarterback you get better. I thought last week Robert protected himself so much better. He knew when to slide, when to get out of bounds, and even on a couple of those option plays, he kind of hit the ground at the right time. Then he knew when to make the big play down the sideline and that comes with experience; so does reading coverages, knowing where to go, the timing gets better and better. You just enjoy a guy who works at his craft like he does and he wants to be as good as he possibly can be.”
On if the NFC East is still one of the most physical divisions in football:
“The NFC East is always known to be a great division. The AFC West, at the time I was there, the Raiders had won, the Broncos were doing pretty good, Kansas City was right up there, and these divisions change year by year. Sometimes maybe the NFC East for four or five years is at the top, maybe one or two years we’ll be down and same thing with AFC teams. But consistently, you have to say the NFC East, at least in my opinion, has been at the top and most consistent.
On if a different kind of football is played in the NFC East:
“I think really it has to do with ownership. I think these owners have been in the NFC and it has been a priority to be the best at what they do.”
On if Griffin III has surprised him:
“Everything kind of surprises you a little bit because you don’t know what to expect going in. You like the guy, you’ve seen what he has done in his collegiate career, being a Heisman trophy winner and a nice guy, and you really don’t know exactly the makeup of somebody until you put them under pressure. How does he do in a third or fourth quarter? How does he do after a loss? How does he handle situations after a win? I just liked the way Robert has handled himself from day one. He’s cool, calm, and collected and nothing seems to bother him and he always seems to say the right thing and the right time; not many rookies do that.”
On if he has ever started division play this late in a season:
“You know what, I really can’t recall if I ever have this late. If I have, this is as close to being as late as I can remember.”
On if he likes to start division play this late in the season:
“I think it has been good for us with the number of young guys on our offense. You take a look at Robert, you take a look at Alfred, then you take a look at our wide receivers who were with us last year, then you take a look at our right tackle that just had a couple of games so I think it has helped us.”
On how close tackle Jammal Brown is from being activated from the physically unable to perform list:
“I can’t really tell you that yet. He is running. He is getting in better shape. I don’t think he is ready for any football related drills, but he has made some strides. I think he is feeling very good. I would think it would be a chance after the bye week or during the bye week that he might be able to start practicing and that is just a guess at this time, but there is a chance. He is getting better.
On if there will be competition at tackle when Brown returns:
“You have to see how he practices first, exactly where he is at and what level of play does he have. Nobody takes over his position until they can prove that they can play at a higher level, regardless of if that person has been a starter or not.”
On Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder diving instead of sliding:
“In fact [former Bronco quarterback] John Elway used to do that a lot. Instead of sliding, he would go head first. Quarterbacks feel differently. A lot of guys feel more comfortable sliding. When you go head first, you can take a shot, you’re open game. So if you can slide, you protect yourself a little bit more. Some guys like to get that extra yard or two but they’ll take a couple of forearms to the head like Robert did last week. He slid forward and had a guy come right on top of his head so hopefully we can slide and protect him a little bit better.”
On the status of injured long snapper Nick Sundberg:
“He can’t play until after the bye week so we will get a chance to evaluate him, see where he is at, and hopefully get him back as soon as he is ready to go.”
Quarterback Robert Griffin III
On his first NFC East game against the Giants:
“You hear it all the time. Both these teams have played each other a bunch. They know each other really well, know the personnel really well. The coaches know each other really well. It will be fun to do something different out there, get to play against a division foe. The Giants are Super Bowl champions and I look forward to it.”
On his best accomplishment so far:
“Just being patient. Taking what the defenses are giving us and just taking each game as its own. We’re doing different things every game. We’ve got to see how different teams respond to that. So for us, it’s about making sure we execute what we went to the field to do. We’ve done a good job of that in our other games, even though we haven’t won all of them. I think we’ve grown as a team and that’s good.”
On the hype of the team’s first division game:
“Everybody out here is a professional. They’ve played these guys a bunch. They know what to expect. They know what’s going to be heated and everyone’s going to be ready to play…I don’t think our guys do take games off. This is definitely going to be heated. I’m not much of a trash talker so if there’s trash talking, let there be it. That’s all that you can say about it. Everybody’s going to be ready to go.”
On if playing six teams before an NFC East opponent felt like playing a non-conference schedule in college:
“By no means. The Giants are, right now, one of the best teams in the league, but I don’t look at it that way. Every team in the NFL has good players. Everybody has a guy, even more so than college. Everybody on these rosters was somebody somewhere big-time. I look forward to playing them and like I said, it’s going to be a lot of fun. There’s no SMU or Division II or 1-AA comparison to playing the Giants.”
On if divisional opponents change his preparation:
“No. I used to high jump back in the day, way back in the day. A couple years ago, my dad was telling me you jump the same way you jump at 6’8” that you do at 6’0”. Just because it’s at 6’0” it doesn’t mean you put less into it. So for me, you always keep your preparation the same way, whether it’s the Giants or anyone else. You keep it the same way and I make sure I do that.”
On watching highlights from his 76-yard touchdown run:
“I didn’t realize how much I slowed down at the end when I was looking back at the guy, but I was enjoying the moment. I don’t usually do stuff like that. I didn’t realize that. I talked to a bunch of the players and the coaches and they said that was one of the best moments they’ve ever been a part of. I definitely realize how big it was. It’s fun to watch, but I’m done watching it now. Whether it’s on ESPN or on my phone or someone else’s phone, I’m not going to watch it. I’ve moved on to this next game. That’s something that will live on in history. I’m sure 20 years from now, they’ll probably still be talking about it and that’s a great thing about being able to play at the highest level.”
On Pierre Garçon:
“Pierre is one of the best receivers in the league and he’s proven that time and time again. We’d love to have him out there. The rest of the guys have done a great job of stepping up. No matter whose number is called, we spread the ball around a lot in this last game. When we do get him back, he’ll definitely be an asset for us. I told him today, I said I try not to get frustrated with not having him out there. He told me he tries to keep a cool mind so that when he goes get back out, he’ll be ready to go.”
On if he thinks about the reward of a long run outweighing the risk of getting hit:
“I have to, because like I told everyone, I have to make a conscious effort to try to make sure I take care of myself and not be too aggressive in situations where I shouldn’t be. I thought I did a good job in that against Minnesota. I got down, got a first down run, I ran out-of-bounds numerous times – just try to make sure I don’t leave those guys hanging out there. I thought I did a better job of that and I continue to do that – making sure I stay safe but can still be aggressive at the same time.”
On whether or not he likes contact:
“I mean the fans and my teammates don’t want me to love contact, so I don’t love contact. I am a competitive guy and I do not mind getting hit, but whenever I can shy away from getting hit, I am the quarterback of this team and they need me out there every play. It’s not a pride thing, it’s not a 'I’m a lesser man because I’m going to slide out of bounds.’ It’s just a matter of being smart. Like I said, I’ll still be aggressive, but I did slide a few times and got out of bounds when I should.”
On preparing for the Giants’ pass rushers:
“When you have players that are so special, you don’t know what you’re in for until you get out there on the field. These guys are very hard to block, but we have guys that are up for the challenge. [Tackle] Trent [Williams] is up for the challenge, [tackle] Tyler [Polumbus] is up for the challenge. Whoever else we use to help them out will be up for that challenge. By no means am I going to say those guys won’t touch me, but it’ll definitely be fun to get out there and play with the type of talent that they have.”
On the identity of the offense:
“I think the identity is very cliché and every team will say it, but it’s just taking what they give us. You can go in with a game plan and the game plan can completely change based on a drive or two series, based on what the defense is doing. Our game plans are pretty dense and we have many things that we can do with it. If they’re going to shut one thing down, you move to another thing. You know with a Mike Shanahan-type offense, one thing we’re going to do is run the ball. We’ve done that consistently all year. It all starts there. If we can’t run it, we’re going to have to throw it. But like I said, we’re going to try to run the ball and that’s what we do.”
On the defense showing different looks in training camp to prepare him for regular season:
“I feel well-prepared based on what our defense did to me in camp and just watching film. The teams that we’ve faced have done a great job of disguising coverage by rolling at the second. That’s just a part of football. Teams aren’t going to show you exactly what they’re going to do every time. I feel prepared just based on the preparation I’ve put in in the film room and with the coaches – talking to them about different looks. From that regard, you’re never totally surprised, but teams have done a good job of disguising coverage.”
On confusion by defenses helping get receivers open:
“Guys are definitely getting free in situations and we’re hitting them in spots that normally teams don’t hit receivers in. The whole objective is to create confusion. That’s what every offense wants to do and we’re doing a good job of that right now. Once we do create that confusion, then we can do whatever we want to do.”
On sharing success with fellow rookie Alfred Morris:
“It’s great. I told him when I met him a few months ago that I was mad because the coaches drafted him over my guy Terrance Ganaway from Baylor. Ganaway talked to me and told me I would like Alfred because he was a good guy and he was with him at the Senior Bowl. I grew to like him immediately. He’s a guy that works extremely hard. Like I said, you want more guys like him on your team, not less of them. It’s been great. He’s definitely been a surprise story – not only for the media, but for the players as well. It’s been great to watch him go out there and work. He’s truly something special.”
On if he expects division play to be different:
“I expect to see something different every week. It’s just the nature of different types of plays that we run and different teams are going to try to do different things – whether it’s soft coverage, blitz, man coverage, one-high, two-high, it doesn’t matter. I’m expecting something different, but it’s not like I can say, 'Hey, they’re going to do this this week.’ I’m not going to make it a guessing game. Whenever we get out there on the field and we can line up with them and see what they’re doing, that’s when we’ll figure it out. Right now, we’ll go with what’s on the tape and when they throw a curveball at you, you just have to be ready to adjust.”
On defensive end Osi Umenyiora originally calling him Bob:
“As far as I’ve heard, Osi said he’ll call me whatever I want to be called. I think that was after the first game. It’s whatever…Bob, Robert, I don’t care. I don’t really talk that much trash. Osi is a great player, he’s done great things, so I can’t argue with him.”
On if he cares about being respected around the league:
“Your play makes you respectable. It’s not you trying to stick it to somebody. I’ve never been that kind of player. I’ve never tried to single out any one guy. He’s a defensive end, I’m a quarterback. His job is to try to sack me, my job is to facilitate the ball to everyone else. It’s not going to be a one-on-one battle between me and Osi.”
On what he wants to be called:
“Whatever. It doesn’t matter. Robert, RG3, whatever. It doesn’t matter.”
On how he is progressing:
“Just throwing everything when I’m supposed to throw it, getting to my checkdowns when I’m supposed to get to my checkdowns. I’ve done a better job of managing that aspect of the offense. That comes through hard work, it comes through gametime reps – just knowing where to go with the ball. Everything is clearing up. Every game that goes by, things are clearing up. That’s something that I’m excited about.”
On President Obama’s statement about Griffin III restoring faith in local teams:
“He said he was taking me up on that basketball game he promised me at the National Prayer Breakfast. That’s another point. It’s fun whenever you can have the president talking about you. I think the question about the Nationals and the loss they suffered, it’s tough for everybody. I watched a little bit and I wasn’t tweeting about it because I don’t want to stir up anything. It was tough, but for us to come out as the Washington Redskins and help lift up this whole area was great.”
On if President Obama will take him up on the game of basketball:
“Not right now. Maybe in the offseason, but not any time soon.”
On potentially running for office:
“I’ve got a lot other guys to be running away from right now – Pierre-Paul, Osi, all those guys. No interest in politics for me right now, maybe the 40 year-old me or 45 year-old me will want to get into that. But right now, I’m going to stick to football.”
New York Giants Head Coach Tom Coughlin
On how quarterback Robert Griffin III has improved since his debut:
“He runs in the endzone, for crying out loud. He’s got a better feel of what’s going on. He’s more acclimated to the game, to the circumstances, the situations. He’s playing with outstanding, he’s not forcing anything. I’ve seen improvement like you would imagine for an athlete of that caliber over the course of the six games.”
On if Griffin III has given the offense an identity:
“I don’t know. That’s up for your people to say. I know he’s a tremendous threat in both run and pass. The fact that he has the ball in his hands as many times as he does, of course, is a plus for the Redskins offense.”
On if facing Carolina’s zone reads will help them prepare for the Redskins:
“That part of it will help. I don’t know that it’s exactly the same, but that certainly will give us a reference points as we start to teach this week. This will be the second – the third, actually – option-oriented attack that we would have to try to defend. So we’ve had some experience with it. Have we worked against a guy that’s as fast and elusive a Robert is? No.”
On if the NFC East is as physically challenging this year as in the past:
“I think it sure is. It’s a knock-down, drag-out division and the games are so competitive and so close – nail-biters that are fourth quarter decisions. The division itself is something that any of us that are in it are really proud of.”
On if the fact that the Giants lost divisional games and still won the Super Bowl speaks to the competitiveness of the NFC East:
“I think it does. I think it makes a heck of a statement to the quality of the football that’s being played, and coaching as well. If you can somehow emerge in this division, then you’ve gone through many, many battles and hopefully you’re battle-tested for about anything anyone can throw at you.”
On the importance of turnover margin:
“I think second only to points scored and points against, it’s the critical factor. The whole idea of winning the turnover battle, but not only that, it’s the thinking that goes with that in terms of you’re trying like heck not to give the other guy any break. You don’t want him to have the ball in good field position. You don’t want him to have the ball in a circumstance where he hasn’t earned that turf, that yardage that we fight for so desperately. All of that thinking goes a lot with that idea of winning the turnover battle.”
On what separates teams that can score on defense from teams that can’t:
“They’re in the right place at the right time. [Safety Madieu] Williams’ score the other day was clearly a hurried-up throw and the quarterback didn’t set his feet and he was the right man at the right place at the right time. To have four defensive scores, to be plus nine at this points in the season, they’ve done a really good job of ball hawking and being in the right place at the right time and taking full advantage of it – whether they’ve picked the ball up off the ground and run it in the endzone or intercepted that ball and run it into the endzone, it all scores the same.”
On if he is surprised by how well the offensive line is playing:
“No, not really. They’re still a tremendous, broad range of offense there. It’s not just any one thing. The way in which the concept is taught from the very beginning by Mike [Shanahan] and his crew is very evident. I’m not surprised. They really work at their scheme over and over and over again. They found another good, young back and one drafted rookie who is playing very well and understands the scheme and that certainly complements the other aspect of that they’re featuring – which is the option.”
On losing twice to the Redskins last season:
“We’re not happy. We’re not happy about having lost twice. Hopefully, the players are certainly paying attention to that. You can cite a bunch of things that get your attention right away – No. 2 rushing team in the league, No. 8 against the rush, the plus-nine turnover margin, the athletes that are on the field, their commitment to speed, a lot of reasons that we look at and try to understand what it’ll be like, whether we’ll take that. We have to find a way to win.”
On why they lost to the Redskins last December:
“I don’t have an answer for that. The Redskins played well and we didn’t.”
On quarterback Eli Manning’s chemistry with receivers:
“He works at it. He works with the receivers. It doesn’t matter if they’re old, young, whatever – he’s been able to communicate very well with them about what his intentions are. They study together and communicate what expectations there are in terms of adjustments and where the quarterback expects the receiver to be. He works at it.”
On linebacker London Fletcher:
“He’s an exceptional football player. He has done this for a very long time. I can’t say I’m surprised by anything. He’s very physical, he’s a tackle-machine and he’s smart. He puts himself in the best place he could possibly be in as he recognizes what the offense is trying to do. He’s done it for so long and for so well that I’m not surprised.”
On his thoughts about nose tackle Barry Cofield:
“Solid, solid, good football player – just like he was when he was here. He plays with good intensity. [He’s] really smart, puts himself in good position, plays well with his hands [and] moves laterally well.”
New York Giants Quarterback Eli Manning
On his first NFC East game as a rookie:
“I can’t remember my first one, but obviously just a great history between the NFC East teams – especially the Giants and the Redskins. That goes back a long way. There have been some great battles over the years and great teams and great playoff teams and championship teams. You know it’s just going to be always a very physical game. Both teams know each other very well and their personnel and so it’s always a great competition.”
On if NFC East games are more intense than non-divisional games:
“It’s tough to say. I think all games are pretty intense and all teams are good. I think it’s just the fact that you know the guys you’re going against. You’ve played against them over the last couple of years. Neither offense has changed a whole lot over the years – Washington has changed a little bit – but you know what to expect and it’s clearly just a matter of execution and going out there and performing at a high level.”
On being sacked only four times this season:
“When you don’t have many sacks, it’s a combination of a lot of things. The offense line, obviously, playing well and doing a great job with their one-on-one blocks and picking up blitzes. It’s running backs doing their jobs and seeing their responsibilities when blitzes come and stepping up and making blocks and when they’re not helping out and getting chips and helping out our tackles and our offensive line, receivers getting open in a timely fashion and not getting stuck with a whole lot of third-and-longs. You have to hold the ball and every once in a while I have to do my job and either move in the pocket or break out of the pocket to make some throws. Last few weeks, we’ve had a lead going into the fourth quarter where our throws have been down a little bit where you’re not having to throw it 50 times in a game when the defense can just pin their ears back knowing you have to throw. I think when we run the ball well, it slows down that pass rush a little bit. I think it’s a combination of a number of different things.”
On how different the Redskins pass rush looks without linebacker Brian Orakpo:
“They’re still doing a good job. Their defense is still causing a lot of turnovers, and that’s usually happening because they’re getting some pressure on the quarterback. With some interceptions, what occurs is that quarterbacks don’t know how to throw the ball before he’s ready. They do a good job of mixing up different pressure packages and different blitzes and getting into some different coverages. They’re trying to take away the quick passing game. Guys are going to have to get open quickly still, because they do a good job of getting to the quarterback.”
On losing to the Redskins twice last season:
“Coach [Tom] Coughlin has mentioned it a little bit, but we know they’re a good team. Last year, they played us very well. Offensively, we didn’t do a whole lot against them in either game and had some turnovers. We have to make sure that we have a great understanding of our plays this week, what their defense is doing – some of their coverages and different looks – and make sure we know how to respond to that and get open and move the ball and be efficient in our offense.”
On quarterback Robert Griffin III’s 76-yard touchdown run:
“I heard about the run kind of in the last few minutes of the game and having the big play. Obviously, he had the ability to make some game changing plays. Our defense will have their hands full, but we have some good players over there as well, so hopefully we’ll be able to hold him in check a little bit.”
On linebacker London Fletcher:
“London is one of the all-time great persons, great players, a true professional. I have great respect and admiration for the way he attacks the game. He’s a smart player. He’s always in the right spot doing the right things. He gets everybody else lined up. He has a great understanding of what they’re doing and always seems to be in the right spot, because he’s making tackles all over the field. I’ve got tremendous respect for him.”
On what allows him to get on the same page with his receivers so quickly:
“We just have high expectations for them and expect them to come in and work hard. Our coaches do a great job of getting them mentally prepared. We practice intense practices where we’re trying to get great looks and make sure they understand exactly how things are going to be done. If it’s not done perfectly in practice, we’re going to correct you and make sure that we fix things so it’s done the proper way so we have the best chance to succeed on Sundays.”
On being 0-2 in the division:
“Obviously, you want to have a better division record. We'd like to get our first division win of the season, but there’s still a lot of football. It’s an important game [this weekend], it’s always an important game in the division. We’ve got to make sure we go out there and this week prepare very well and go out there and play hard, play smart, and try to put us in a chance to win the game in the fourth quarter.”
On if the Giants defensive line will be a challenge for the offensive line this week:
This will be a big challenge this week because we are dealing with a defensive line that is very deep. They got seven or eight guys that can sure enough play, so, this is a big challenge for us.”
On if the concept of the identity on offense is important to winning:
“I don’t know, I just read about it. You always try to win games. What we try to do is adjust our offense to the type of defense we are going to face and we have the capabilities to do a lot of different things. As you get a quarterback like Robert and see what he is comfortable with, you try to run your offense accordingly. It is a learning experience. You are going to grow with this thing every week. It is kind of fun to deal with a guy like Robert because you can do so many things and he picks up things so quickly and he is able to execute them on the football field. It is a work in progress for us, it is kind of fun to tinker around with a number of different things. Some things you haven’t done before, other things you have and you can see what he does and what he likes.
On forming an offensive identity:
“Every place I have been in, everybody says 'What do you call this offense?’ Rick Reilly had asked and he wanted a name so I said, 'Call it the East Coast Offense.’ I get tired of answering the question to be honest with you. I’m not sure what the name of the offense is but we are just experimenting with what Robert can do and we are having fun with it. Hopefully we can keep executing. “
On the importance of winning a division game:
“I think everybody knows that if you win your division, you are guaranteed a home playoff game. So always winning your division is big, you are guaranteed that. So, that is the mindset for even young guys who haven’t been in the National Football League that makes sense to them. It is always big playing within a division. It is something you look forward to, especially these veterans, and these young guys get to learn how important it is.”
On if a defense can prepare for Griffin III just by watching film:
“I think so. They’ve watched a lot of different type of offenses through the years. I think they’ve studied what people do during the off season. What Carolina has done and what Denver has done, some Wildcat systems, Miami and a number of people have done through the years; they are always on top of those things. You always try to put in a couple wrinkles that people haven’t seen and its fun for us as well.”
On Griffin III and rookie running back Alfred Morris not having faced the Giants previously:
“It doesn’t take them that long to look at film and these guys are the best at what they do and they will come up with a game plan. One thing the Giants are going to do, you know where they are at. They do a great job of executing on both offense and defense; they are very talented and very well-coached and they don’t make many mistakes.
On how Griffin III has spread the ball around:
“For a quarterback, you are never really sure going into a game who is going to get the ball. So, when he spreads it around, it usually goes with his reads. Take a look at the coverage, if one and two is covered, and then he goes to three and four. So he is not really sure going into the game who is going to get the ball, and when a lot of guys get the ball it is usually because they change the coverages up.”
On if Griffin III is better at reading coverages than he thought he would be this early:
“As I said before, every time you play a game as a quarterback you get better. I thought last week Robert protected himself so much better. He knew when to slide, when to get out of bounds, and even on a couple of those option plays, he kind of hit the ground at the right time. Then he knew when to make the big play down the sideline and that comes with experience; so does reading coverages, knowing where to go, the timing gets better and better. You just enjoy a guy who works at his craft like he does and he wants to be as good as he possibly can be.”
On if the NFC East is still one of the most physical divisions in football:
“The NFC East is always known to be a great division. The AFC West, at the time I was there, the Raiders had won, the Broncos were doing pretty good, Kansas City was right up there, and these divisions change year by year. Sometimes maybe the NFC East for four or five years is at the top, maybe one or two years we’ll be down and same thing with AFC teams. But consistently, you have to say the NFC East, at least in my opinion, has been at the top and most consistent.
On if a different kind of football is played in the NFC East:
“I think really it has to do with ownership. I think these owners have been in the NFC and it has been a priority to be the best at what they do.”
On if Griffin III has surprised him:
“Everything kind of surprises you a little bit because you don’t know what to expect going in. You like the guy, you’ve seen what he has done in his collegiate career, being a Heisman trophy winner and a nice guy, and you really don’t know exactly the makeup of somebody until you put them under pressure. How does he do in a third or fourth quarter? How does he do after a loss? How does he handle situations after a win? I just liked the way Robert has handled himself from day one. He’s cool, calm, and collected and nothing seems to bother him and he always seems to say the right thing and the right time; not many rookies do that.”
On if he has ever started division play this late in a season:
“You know what, I really can’t recall if I ever have this late. If I have, this is as close to being as late as I can remember.”
On if he likes to start division play this late in the season:
“I think it has been good for us with the number of young guys on our offense. You take a look at Robert, you take a look at Alfred, then you take a look at our wide receivers who were with us last year, then you take a look at our right tackle that just had a couple of games so I think it has helped us.”
On how close tackle Jammal Brown is from being activated from the physically unable to perform list:
“I can’t really tell you that yet. He is running. He is getting in better shape. I don’t think he is ready for any football related drills, but he has made some strides. I think he is feeling very good. I would think it would be a chance after the bye week or during the bye week that he might be able to start practicing and that is just a guess at this time, but there is a chance. He is getting better.
On if there will be competition at tackle when Brown returns:
“You have to see how he practices first, exactly where he is at and what level of play does he have. Nobody takes over his position until they can prove that they can play at a higher level, regardless of if that person has been a starter or not.”
On Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder diving instead of sliding:
“In fact [former Bronco quarterback] John Elway used to do that a lot. Instead of sliding, he would go head first. Quarterbacks feel differently. A lot of guys feel more comfortable sliding. When you go head first, you can take a shot, you’re open game. So if you can slide, you protect yourself a little bit more. Some guys like to get that extra yard or two but they’ll take a couple of forearms to the head like Robert did last week. He slid forward and had a guy come right on top of his head so hopefully we can slide and protect him a little bit better.”
On the status of injured long snapper Nick Sundberg:
“He can’t play until after the bye week so we will get a chance to evaluate him, see where he is at, and hopefully get him back as soon as he is ready to go.”
Quarterback Robert Griffin III
On his first NFC East game against the Giants:
“You hear it all the time. Both these teams have played each other a bunch. They know each other really well, know the personnel really well. The coaches know each other really well. It will be fun to do something different out there, get to play against a division foe. The Giants are Super Bowl champions and I look forward to it.”
On his best accomplishment so far:
“Just being patient. Taking what the defenses are giving us and just taking each game as its own. We’re doing different things every game. We’ve got to see how different teams respond to that. So for us, it’s about making sure we execute what we went to the field to do. We’ve done a good job of that in our other games, even though we haven’t won all of them. I think we’ve grown as a team and that’s good.”
On the hype of the team’s first division game:
“Everybody out here is a professional. They’ve played these guys a bunch. They know what to expect. They know what’s going to be heated and everyone’s going to be ready to play…I don’t think our guys do take games off. This is definitely going to be heated. I’m not much of a trash talker so if there’s trash talking, let there be it. That’s all that you can say about it. Everybody’s going to be ready to go.”
On if playing six teams before an NFC East opponent felt like playing a non-conference schedule in college:
“By no means. The Giants are, right now, one of the best teams in the league, but I don’t look at it that way. Every team in the NFL has good players. Everybody has a guy, even more so than college. Everybody on these rosters was somebody somewhere big-time. I look forward to playing them and like I said, it’s going to be a lot of fun. There’s no SMU or Division II or 1-AA comparison to playing the Giants.”
On if divisional opponents change his preparation:
“No. I used to high jump back in the day, way back in the day. A couple years ago, my dad was telling me you jump the same way you jump at 6’8” that you do at 6’0”. Just because it’s at 6’0” it doesn’t mean you put less into it. So for me, you always keep your preparation the same way, whether it’s the Giants or anyone else. You keep it the same way and I make sure I do that.”
On watching highlights from his 76-yard touchdown run:
“I didn’t realize how much I slowed down at the end when I was looking back at the guy, but I was enjoying the moment. I don’t usually do stuff like that. I didn’t realize that. I talked to a bunch of the players and the coaches and they said that was one of the best moments they’ve ever been a part of. I definitely realize how big it was. It’s fun to watch, but I’m done watching it now. Whether it’s on ESPN or on my phone or someone else’s phone, I’m not going to watch it. I’ve moved on to this next game. That’s something that will live on in history. I’m sure 20 years from now, they’ll probably still be talking about it and that’s a great thing about being able to play at the highest level.”
On Pierre Garçon:
“Pierre is one of the best receivers in the league and he’s proven that time and time again. We’d love to have him out there. The rest of the guys have done a great job of stepping up. No matter whose number is called, we spread the ball around a lot in this last game. When we do get him back, he’ll definitely be an asset for us. I told him today, I said I try not to get frustrated with not having him out there. He told me he tries to keep a cool mind so that when he goes get back out, he’ll be ready to go.”
On if he thinks about the reward of a long run outweighing the risk of getting hit:
“I have to, because like I told everyone, I have to make a conscious effort to try to make sure I take care of myself and not be too aggressive in situations where I shouldn’t be. I thought I did a good job in that against Minnesota. I got down, got a first down run, I ran out-of-bounds numerous times – just try to make sure I don’t leave those guys hanging out there. I thought I did a better job of that and I continue to do that – making sure I stay safe but can still be aggressive at the same time.”
On whether or not he likes contact:
“I mean the fans and my teammates don’t want me to love contact, so I don’t love contact. I am a competitive guy and I do not mind getting hit, but whenever I can shy away from getting hit, I am the quarterback of this team and they need me out there every play. It’s not a pride thing, it’s not a 'I’m a lesser man because I’m going to slide out of bounds.’ It’s just a matter of being smart. Like I said, I’ll still be aggressive, but I did slide a few times and got out of bounds when I should.”
On preparing for the Giants’ pass rushers:
“When you have players that are so special, you don’t know what you’re in for until you get out there on the field. These guys are very hard to block, but we have guys that are up for the challenge. [Tackle] Trent [Williams] is up for the challenge, [tackle] Tyler [Polumbus] is up for the challenge. Whoever else we use to help them out will be up for that challenge. By no means am I going to say those guys won’t touch me, but it’ll definitely be fun to get out there and play with the type of talent that they have.”
On the identity of the offense:
“I think the identity is very cliché and every team will say it, but it’s just taking what they give us. You can go in with a game plan and the game plan can completely change based on a drive or two series, based on what the defense is doing. Our game plans are pretty dense and we have many things that we can do with it. If they’re going to shut one thing down, you move to another thing. You know with a Mike Shanahan-type offense, one thing we’re going to do is run the ball. We’ve done that consistently all year. It all starts there. If we can’t run it, we’re going to have to throw it. But like I said, we’re going to try to run the ball and that’s what we do.”
On the defense showing different looks in training camp to prepare him for regular season:
“I feel well-prepared based on what our defense did to me in camp and just watching film. The teams that we’ve faced have done a great job of disguising coverage by rolling at the second. That’s just a part of football. Teams aren’t going to show you exactly what they’re going to do every time. I feel prepared just based on the preparation I’ve put in in the film room and with the coaches – talking to them about different looks. From that regard, you’re never totally surprised, but teams have done a good job of disguising coverage.”
On confusion by defenses helping get receivers open:
“Guys are definitely getting free in situations and we’re hitting them in spots that normally teams don’t hit receivers in. The whole objective is to create confusion. That’s what every offense wants to do and we’re doing a good job of that right now. Once we do create that confusion, then we can do whatever we want to do.”
On sharing success with fellow rookie Alfred Morris:
“It’s great. I told him when I met him a few months ago that I was mad because the coaches drafted him over my guy Terrance Ganaway from Baylor. Ganaway talked to me and told me I would like Alfred because he was a good guy and he was with him at the Senior Bowl. I grew to like him immediately. He’s a guy that works extremely hard. Like I said, you want more guys like him on your team, not less of them. It’s been great. He’s definitely been a surprise story – not only for the media, but for the players as well. It’s been great to watch him go out there and work. He’s truly something special.”
On if he expects division play to be different:
“I expect to see something different every week. It’s just the nature of different types of plays that we run and different teams are going to try to do different things – whether it’s soft coverage, blitz, man coverage, one-high, two-high, it doesn’t matter. I’m expecting something different, but it’s not like I can say, 'Hey, they’re going to do this this week.’ I’m not going to make it a guessing game. Whenever we get out there on the field and we can line up with them and see what they’re doing, that’s when we’ll figure it out. Right now, we’ll go with what’s on the tape and when they throw a curveball at you, you just have to be ready to adjust.”
On defensive end Osi Umenyiora originally calling him Bob:
“As far as I’ve heard, Osi said he’ll call me whatever I want to be called. I think that was after the first game. It’s whatever…Bob, Robert, I don’t care. I don’t really talk that much trash. Osi is a great player, he’s done great things, so I can’t argue with him.”
On if he cares about being respected around the league:
“Your play makes you respectable. It’s not you trying to stick it to somebody. I’ve never been that kind of player. I’ve never tried to single out any one guy. He’s a defensive end, I’m a quarterback. His job is to try to sack me, my job is to facilitate the ball to everyone else. It’s not going to be a one-on-one battle between me and Osi.”
On what he wants to be called:
“Whatever. It doesn’t matter. Robert, RG3, whatever. It doesn’t matter.”
On how he is progressing:
“Just throwing everything when I’m supposed to throw it, getting to my checkdowns when I’m supposed to get to my checkdowns. I’ve done a better job of managing that aspect of the offense. That comes through hard work, it comes through gametime reps – just knowing where to go with the ball. Everything is clearing up. Every game that goes by, things are clearing up. That’s something that I’m excited about.”
On President Obama’s statement about Griffin III restoring faith in local teams:
“He said he was taking me up on that basketball game he promised me at the National Prayer Breakfast. That’s another point. It’s fun whenever you can have the president talking about you. I think the question about the Nationals and the loss they suffered, it’s tough for everybody. I watched a little bit and I wasn’t tweeting about it because I don’t want to stir up anything. It was tough, but for us to come out as the Washington Redskins and help lift up this whole area was great.”
On if President Obama will take him up on the game of basketball:
“Not right now. Maybe in the offseason, but not any time soon.”
On potentially running for office:
“I’ve got a lot other guys to be running away from right now – Pierre-Paul, Osi, all those guys. No interest in politics for me right now, maybe the 40 year-old me or 45 year-old me will want to get into that. But right now, I’m going to stick to football.”
New York Giants Head Coach Tom Coughlin
On how quarterback Robert Griffin III has improved since his debut:
“He runs in the endzone, for crying out loud. He’s got a better feel of what’s going on. He’s more acclimated to the game, to the circumstances, the situations. He’s playing with outstanding, he’s not forcing anything. I’ve seen improvement like you would imagine for an athlete of that caliber over the course of the six games.”
On if Griffin III has given the offense an identity:
“I don’t know. That’s up for your people to say. I know he’s a tremendous threat in both run and pass. The fact that he has the ball in his hands as many times as he does, of course, is a plus for the Redskins offense.”
On if facing Carolina’s zone reads will help them prepare for the Redskins:
“That part of it will help. I don’t know that it’s exactly the same, but that certainly will give us a reference points as we start to teach this week. This will be the second – the third, actually – option-oriented attack that we would have to try to defend. So we’ve had some experience with it. Have we worked against a guy that’s as fast and elusive a Robert is? No.”
On if the NFC East is as physically challenging this year as in the past:
“I think it sure is. It’s a knock-down, drag-out division and the games are so competitive and so close – nail-biters that are fourth quarter decisions. The division itself is something that any of us that are in it are really proud of.”
On if the fact that the Giants lost divisional games and still won the Super Bowl speaks to the competitiveness of the NFC East:
“I think it does. I think it makes a heck of a statement to the quality of the football that’s being played, and coaching as well. If you can somehow emerge in this division, then you’ve gone through many, many battles and hopefully you’re battle-tested for about anything anyone can throw at you.”
On the importance of turnover margin:
“I think second only to points scored and points against, it’s the critical factor. The whole idea of winning the turnover battle, but not only that, it’s the thinking that goes with that in terms of you’re trying like heck not to give the other guy any break. You don’t want him to have the ball in good field position. You don’t want him to have the ball in a circumstance where he hasn’t earned that turf, that yardage that we fight for so desperately. All of that thinking goes a lot with that idea of winning the turnover battle.”
On what separates teams that can score on defense from teams that can’t:
“They’re in the right place at the right time. [Safety Madieu] Williams’ score the other day was clearly a hurried-up throw and the quarterback didn’t set his feet and he was the right man at the right place at the right time. To have four defensive scores, to be plus nine at this points in the season, they’ve done a really good job of ball hawking and being in the right place at the right time and taking full advantage of it – whether they’ve picked the ball up off the ground and run it in the endzone or intercepted that ball and run it into the endzone, it all scores the same.”
On if he is surprised by how well the offensive line is playing:
“No, not really. They’re still a tremendous, broad range of offense there. It’s not just any one thing. The way in which the concept is taught from the very beginning by Mike [Shanahan] and his crew is very evident. I’m not surprised. They really work at their scheme over and over and over again. They found another good, young back and one drafted rookie who is playing very well and understands the scheme and that certainly complements the other aspect of that they’re featuring – which is the option.”
On losing twice to the Redskins last season:
“We’re not happy. We’re not happy about having lost twice. Hopefully, the players are certainly paying attention to that. You can cite a bunch of things that get your attention right away – No. 2 rushing team in the league, No. 8 against the rush, the plus-nine turnover margin, the athletes that are on the field, their commitment to speed, a lot of reasons that we look at and try to understand what it’ll be like, whether we’ll take that. We have to find a way to win.”
On why they lost to the Redskins last December:
“I don’t have an answer for that. The Redskins played well and we didn’t.”
On quarterback Eli Manning’s chemistry with receivers:
“He works at it. He works with the receivers. It doesn’t matter if they’re old, young, whatever – he’s been able to communicate very well with them about what his intentions are. They study together and communicate what expectations there are in terms of adjustments and where the quarterback expects the receiver to be. He works at it.”
On linebacker London Fletcher:
“He’s an exceptional football player. He has done this for a very long time. I can’t say I’m surprised by anything. He’s very physical, he’s a tackle-machine and he’s smart. He puts himself in the best place he could possibly be in as he recognizes what the offense is trying to do. He’s done it for so long and for so well that I’m not surprised.”
On his thoughts about nose tackle Barry Cofield:
“Solid, solid, good football player – just like he was when he was here. He plays with good intensity. [He’s] really smart, puts himself in good position, plays well with his hands [and] moves laterally well.”
New York Giants Quarterback Eli Manning
On his first NFC East game as a rookie:
“I can’t remember my first one, but obviously just a great history between the NFC East teams – especially the Giants and the Redskins. That goes back a long way. There have been some great battles over the years and great teams and great playoff teams and championship teams. You know it’s just going to be always a very physical game. Both teams know each other very well and their personnel and so it’s always a great competition.”
On if NFC East games are more intense than non-divisional games:
“It’s tough to say. I think all games are pretty intense and all teams are good. I think it’s just the fact that you know the guys you’re going against. You’ve played against them over the last couple of years. Neither offense has changed a whole lot over the years – Washington has changed a little bit – but you know what to expect and it’s clearly just a matter of execution and going out there and performing at a high level.”
On being sacked only four times this season:
“When you don’t have many sacks, it’s a combination of a lot of things. The offense line, obviously, playing well and doing a great job with their one-on-one blocks and picking up blitzes. It’s running backs doing their jobs and seeing their responsibilities when blitzes come and stepping up and making blocks and when they’re not helping out and getting chips and helping out our tackles and our offensive line, receivers getting open in a timely fashion and not getting stuck with a whole lot of third-and-longs. You have to hold the ball and every once in a while I have to do my job and either move in the pocket or break out of the pocket to make some throws. Last few weeks, we’ve had a lead going into the fourth quarter where our throws have been down a little bit where you’re not having to throw it 50 times in a game when the defense can just pin their ears back knowing you have to throw. I think when we run the ball well, it slows down that pass rush a little bit. I think it’s a combination of a number of different things.”
On how different the Redskins pass rush looks without linebacker Brian Orakpo:
“They’re still doing a good job. Their defense is still causing a lot of turnovers, and that’s usually happening because they’re getting some pressure on the quarterback. With some interceptions, what occurs is that quarterbacks don’t know how to throw the ball before he’s ready. They do a good job of mixing up different pressure packages and different blitzes and getting into some different coverages. They’re trying to take away the quick passing game. Guys are going to have to get open quickly still, because they do a good job of getting to the quarterback.”
On losing to the Redskins twice last season:
“Coach [Tom] Coughlin has mentioned it a little bit, but we know they’re a good team. Last year, they played us very well. Offensively, we didn’t do a whole lot against them in either game and had some turnovers. We have to make sure that we have a great understanding of our plays this week, what their defense is doing – some of their coverages and different looks – and make sure we know how to respond to that and get open and move the ball and be efficient in our offense.”
On quarterback Robert Griffin III’s 76-yard touchdown run:
“I heard about the run kind of in the last few minutes of the game and having the big play. Obviously, he had the ability to make some game changing plays. Our defense will have their hands full, but we have some good players over there as well, so hopefully we’ll be able to hold him in check a little bit.”
On linebacker London Fletcher:
“London is one of the all-time great persons, great players, a true professional. I have great respect and admiration for the way he attacks the game. He’s a smart player. He’s always in the right spot doing the right things. He gets everybody else lined up. He has a great understanding of what they’re doing and always seems to be in the right spot, because he’s making tackles all over the field. I’ve got tremendous respect for him.”
On what allows him to get on the same page with his receivers so quickly:
“We just have high expectations for them and expect them to come in and work hard. Our coaches do a great job of getting them mentally prepared. We practice intense practices where we’re trying to get great looks and make sure they understand exactly how things are going to be done. If it’s not done perfectly in practice, we’re going to correct you and make sure that we fix things so it’s done the proper way so we have the best chance to succeed on Sundays.”
On being 0-2 in the division:
“Obviously, you want to have a better division record. We'd like to get our first division win of the season, but there’s still a lot of football. It’s an important game [this weekend], it’s always an important game in the division. We’ve got to make sure we go out there and this week prepare very well and go out there and play hard, play smart, and try to put us in a chance to win the game in the fourth quarter.”