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October 20, 2013
FedExField
QB Robert Griffin III
On if the game was his most emotional comeback in his career:
“Definitely in the NFL, and this is the highest level to play this game, so it was definitely the most emotional. It felt good and [it was] a great team win. We had to win a shootout. We did and that is what we have talked about as a team. Whatever the situation calls for, that is what we have to do.”
On the feeling in the huddle before the last scoring drive:
“Very confident. I told the guys we had to have positive plays and get positive yards on each play. If we don’t, [we have to] make up for it on the next play. We have to take it one play at a time and when we had those crucial third-down situations, we had guys step up for us.”
On if he regained his form from last year:
“Without a doubt. We had a feeling about this game. I know I did. I talked to the guys before the game about having a breakthrough. We have been through a lot of adversity – offseason, and the beginning of the season not going the way we wanted it to. We needed that breakthrough. I told them they would be the ones to make the plays to make it happen. I think the guys believed it; they saw it and we went out there to make it happen.”
On the touchdown pass to wide receiver Aldrick Robinson:
“I just had a feeling in that situation. You can talk to [Offensive Coordinator] Kyle [Shanahan] about the play call and if I went about it the right way. He called the play. I had a thought and went with my instincts. I gave Al [Aldrick Robinson] a chance to make a play on it and he made it on a heck of a football player, [Bears cornerback] Charles Tillman, who got me earlier in the game. It wasn’t payback or anything like that, I just saw something and went with it. I made a great play and when I saw him catch it, there was a feeling of last year like when I threw to [wide receiver] Santana [Moss] down the middle of the field against Philly and he caught it over two defenders. Al catching those field posts in the Dallas and Philadelphia game…We had that feeling the whole game. Our mojo is definitely working today.”
On if the win helps the team’s momentum going into the game against the Denver Broncos next week:
“It does. Denver is going to be a tough opponent. They are a great team playing at a high level. [Denver linebacker] Von Miller is back, but I don’t know how he played today. He is always a weapon on the defensive side of the ball and you have [Denver quarterback] Peyton Manning on offense. You tie all that in with the emotion of Coach going back to Denver, [and] it is definitely going to be a high-emotion game and we have to be ready for anything. The momentum we have from this win over a quality team helps.”
On if he was surprised by the play of tight end Jordan Reed:
“It doesn’t surprise me because it’s what the coaches saw in the draft meetings. You see something special from a kid like him. When he comes in and is willing to work hard… He did spend whole offseason with me, so I definitely got to know him well. He is a hard worker, has great talent and like he said after the game, if he works and keeps making plays, I will continue to have more faith in him. He made some big plays for us today and can be a weapon. We just have to make sure that we all take it one game at a time, one step at a time.”
On running backs Alfred Morris and Roy Helu, Jr.:
“I love those guys. They played great. Alfred, the battering ram, who can even take the top off of it and go for the long runs like he did the week before. And then Helu is more of the speed guy, but he’s got a little bit of Alfred in him as well. So we’ve got two great backs back there that can run the ball as long as we give them the lanes to run the ball. They can make guys miss and Helu did a great job in the red zone, and Alfred like you said, did a great job in between the 20s. But I feel fortunate to have those two guys behind me.”
On if he was “feeling it more” this game:
“I’m just trying to do whatever it takes to help this team win games. That’s what it comes down to. I know I’ve got to have a mindset of protecting myself, and even though I ran a lot today, I thought I did a better job at protecting myself even when I cut back in – you know, I got down, kept my legs down. It is what it is, and I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do to help this team win and so if that’s part of it and we won a game in part because of it, then I’m willing to do it and don’t think twice of it.”
On if this was the first time the offense felt like it did last year:
“Yeah, I just felt like we were in sync. We all refer to last year, even myself, coaches, the media because last year was a great year for us, offensively and as a team. Just in general, for this year, we felt in sync for the first time I think most of the game, probably the entire game and that’s why the scoreboard reflected it. Defense came up with a score for us, which helped us at the end of the game. We definitely felt in sync; the offensive line was working for me, giving me time to throw the ball. And the receivers were making plays in the passing game.”
On getting a win they desperately needed:
“There are no words for it. It was big. I like happy locker rooms, I know you guys like happy locker rooms. It’s good to see smiles on guys’ faces. We had a breakthrough today and we need to make sure that carries on for the following weeks. We’ve still got a hole to get out of, but when you’re coming off a win and you’re sitting there at 2-4, it’s a lot easier to than if you’re sitting at 1-5.”
On preparing for a possible shootout against Denver next week:
“It’s tough how to phrase that, because Denver is a powerhouse on offense but I’m not going to concede our defense to that. I have faith in our defense and I have to believe that they can shut them down. Like we had to win a shootout today, if we have to win a shootout in Denver, then that’s what we go out and do. As an offense, you can always get better. I don’t know if there’s a ways to go, but there were plays out there that we could have executed better. But we won the game, and that’s something we can’t lose sight of. We’re going to watch the film – we won’t watch it with smiles on our faces – we’ll watch it and we’ll critique ourselves real tough, and you get better from that. But I think we made enough plays today to win the game, and that’s all that matters.”
On Shanahan going back to Denver with the Redskins at 2-4:
“There’s definitely a bigger difference going in 2-4 rather than 1-5. We have a little more momentum on our side and the position in the division. And then with Coach, I can’t really speak for Coach when it comes to that. He won two Super Bowls, coached there for a long time and has a lot of ties to that city. I hope he can keep his emotions under control. We’ll definitely play that much harder for him. He’s our coach and we’re going to go out there and go to battle for him.”
On if he has crossed a mental hurdle:
“I think that the mental part of it that I did get over was not thinking out on the field and just reacting. I don’t that was anything to do with my knee, the knee brace or anything else, I think that was just for me mentally playing the game, irrelevant of my injury. That’s the breakthrough I feel like I’ve had for myself and I’m proud of that, to just go out there and play with your instincts. That’s what I meant when I say that’s what got me here and that’s what’s made me the player that I am. It’s what makes a lot of those guys in there the players that they are. I think we all did a better job at just having fun. We know our assignments, just go out there and have fun playing football.”
On his connection with Jordan Reed:
“When you look at it coaches talk-wise, he’s wider to separate. He’s got good hands. Like I like to say, he has a wide catch radius, so he can catch just about anything you throw at him. Aside from that, in the offseason, he just worked hard. He didn’t get to practice very much, just like I didn’t and we worked together. I tried to teach him little things, here and there. I’m no tight ends coach, but I am a quarterback and I kind of know what you’ve got to do to get the ball thrown to you so I tried to help him in that sense. But other than that, he’s done a good job at absorbing everything that Sean McVay, the tight ends coach, and [offensive coordinator] Kyle [Shanahan] have been trying to teach him. And then he knows his stuff; he’s on top of it. He doesn’t have too many busted assignments. That’s something that is a great thing when you are a rookie coming into a new offense.”
On Chicago Bears cornerback Charles Tillman:
“Charles Tillman – we went to the same high school. It was a dream come true for me to play against him today. He did get me with the interception, but I got him back with the touchdown.”
LB Brian Orakpo
On his interception return for a touchdown in the second quarter:
“I’ve never scored, actually. I started playing football in middle school and I never scored in middle school, high school, college or the pros. I’ve never had a pick in general. It was a crazy feeling. I was so excited that I didn’t know what to do once I got in the end zone. It was a phenomenal feeling. I’ve been preaching that I’m trying to get my 'Ryan Kerrigan’ on, with all the picks he’s got – and [linebacker] Rob Jackson. I’m trying to catch up a little bit.”
On what he saw develop during that play:
“The crazy thing is, it all kind of fell into place. We’ve been preaching ever since the Green Bay game, getting 11 helmets into the frame, running to the ball. We’ve been doing it throughout practice for the past four weeks. Everybody is running to the ball. I don’t care if it’s 60 yards down the field, just run to the ball – and that’s what happened. I was in coverage and I had nothing really to work. [Safety] Reed [Doughty] made a hell of a play on the ball, and I just happened to be there, running to the ball, chasing it and it fell right into my lap. I was able to take it to the crib. It was a great feeling.”
On whether or not this was his best career game in terms of getting pressure on the quarterback:
“It felt like one of my best. Obviously I didn’t get any sacks, but Coach praised us as far as the pressure and getting there and being a force out there. I’m just doing the best I can, and like I said, [in] some of your best games, sometimes you won’t get a sack. It’s just contributing and continuing to get pressure on the passer, and making plays in the backfield and wherever you can go to a W. I attribute that to a lot of hard work from all of my teammates. I’m just proud. I’m very proud of the way we finished the game. We struggled in the second half a little bit defensively after the phenomenal first half we had, but we were able to hang in there and make plays down in the end.”
On how difficult it was to play against backup quarterback Josh McCown:
“As a general fan watching the game, you might be like, 'Oh, wow, the starting quarterback’s down. We’ve got a great shot now of getting after it – really blowing a team out,’ but you don’t practice against the guy. We didn’t even really know who the second quarterback was going into the game. So when he came in, we didn’t really have a great scouting report on him and we didn’t realize how mobile he was. That’s why he was able to make some plays early with his feet, moving around. I thought he did a great job. He did a great job as far as coming in and changing the pace of the game, and really making some plays and putting Chicago back in the game. We hunkered down at the end – big sack by [nose tackle] Barry [Cofield] and Kerrigan and we were able to finish the game.”
On his touchdown and the overall aggressiveness of the defense this year:
“We’ve just been trying to create turnovers. [Defensive Coordinator Jim] Haslett and the rest of the coaching staff have been preaching that - creating turnovers and giving possession back to our offense. The fortunate thing about the turnovers that we had is that we were able to score, so that just puts points on the board. It’s great. We’ve got to keep it up week in and week out, and if we keep doing that, we can build off of a game like this and really look forward to the future.”
On the offense moving the ball today and if it gives the defense confidence:
“Oh, absolutely. This is what I’ve been waiting for. I missed all last season with our offense clicking on all cylinders and a healthy [quarterback] Robert [Griffin III], and I was so jealous of those guys last year when our defense was able to go out there. And, who cares, [you can] make a mistake, but at least you’re trying to be a playmaker. Well, now it seems like our offense is clicking. Robert is getting his feet back and he’s making plays and they’re scoring a lot of points, so that really can pay tribute to us making big plays on the defensive side – really getting after it, getting some great turnovers and doing a phenomenal job getting off the field.”
TE Jordan Reed
On what this win means for the team:
“It feels great. Everybody was focused and just to see that hard work pay off for us feels good. We just have to keep working hard.”
On his relationship with quarterback Robert Griffin III:
“I was injured for the OTAs and we were just throwing – me and him – and it just carried on. We just got a feel for each other out there and we just have to keep working on it.”
On what is working for him:
“I just try to get open the best I can and [Griffin III] sees me out there and throws perfect passes, catchable balls and I just make the plays for him.”
On if being this productive gives him confidence:
“It gives me confidence because I work hard every day in practice. I stay after with my coach and work on things – just to see it paying off gives me great confidence that hard work pays off.”
On when it started to click between him and Griffin III:
“We’ve been throwing since OTAs and I didn’t notice any time that it started clicking. It’s always been easy for us.”
On if today was his coming out party:
“It felt good just being able to make plays for my team.”
RB Roy Helu, Jr.
On answering Bears’ scores late in the game:
“When they scored, we were just so determined to change what this week would look like and to change what we would move on forward as a team to look like. Fortunately, we got it done execution-wise.”
On if he expected to get as many carries as he did today:
“No.”
On why he got so many carries:
“[It is] a break for [running back] Alfred [Morris]. We did a little spot stuff with our turbo offense, so we definitely wanted to keep fresh legs in there and it would have been the same for me too if I was getting tired – Alfred would have been in there, too.”
On if he is OK with how the carries are divided:
“Yeah, absolutely. I just go back to [the fact that] I wasn’t playing last season, so to be a part of something bigger than myself with this organization – I’ll take whatever role I can. Today, it just happened to be more of a red zone role because we were running more turbo.”
On if he gives a different look than starter Alfred Morris:
“I think Alfred has speed and is just deceptive. His strides are longer. No, I think both of us strive to be more complete backs and I think that’s what is more similar than anything.”
On how they communicate:
“We encourage each other on the sideline because we don’t know which way the game will go, but we know simple things like 'How are the keys?’ This and that and keeping our heads cool.”
On how the win feels after missing last season due to injury:
“It was good. It felt good to respond in the way that I was able to and the more amazing thing is – first, we got a win, and second, I never felt any hindrance with my surgery from last year, so that was really encouraging.”
CB DeAngelo Hall
On his state of mind playing against quarterback Jay Cutler:
“Like I said, from the beginning of the week, it wasn’t me versus him. It was us versus them. My goal was to try and help our team win. Ultimately, if I get interceptions, that helps us win. I’m just trying to go out there and help our team win. I tried to get my hands on the ball and had the chance a couple of times, but didn’t capitalize. It felt good seeing Rak [linebacker Brian Orakpo] running in the end zone with one. It felt good seeing the rest of our guys making plays. We have to keep trying to get better.”
On how the defense played today:
“OK. OK, not good, not great, not bad. We played OK.”
WR Aldrick Robinson
On if his drop against the Detroit Lions was on his mind during his touchdown reception today:
“No, I’m not thinking about that. That’s gone. That’s behind me now. I just knew I had to make that play and I did.”
On getting bumped by a defender on the touchdown:
“I felt the bump. It should have been a P.I. [pass interference penalty], but I guess the refs saw that it did not mess me up or anything, so they didn’t call it. It didn’t affect me at all.”
DL Chris Baker
On what this win does for the team:
“It’s a little bit of a confidence booster. Our offense played well. Our defense played well in the first half. We have to get better at the second half, but we got the win and that is all that matters.”
On what the team did best today:
“We know we can fight. We know if we get down, we can climb back into games. We know we can dominate a team like we did in the first half, but we have to carry it on through the whole game – not just the first half. But a win is a win"
FedExField
QB Robert Griffin III
On if the game was his most emotional comeback in his career:
“Definitely in the NFL, and this is the highest level to play this game, so it was definitely the most emotional. It felt good and [it was] a great team win. We had to win a shootout. We did and that is what we have talked about as a team. Whatever the situation calls for, that is what we have to do.”
On the feeling in the huddle before the last scoring drive:
“Very confident. I told the guys we had to have positive plays and get positive yards on each play. If we don’t, [we have to] make up for it on the next play. We have to take it one play at a time and when we had those crucial third-down situations, we had guys step up for us.”
On if he regained his form from last year:
“Without a doubt. We had a feeling about this game. I know I did. I talked to the guys before the game about having a breakthrough. We have been through a lot of adversity – offseason, and the beginning of the season not going the way we wanted it to. We needed that breakthrough. I told them they would be the ones to make the plays to make it happen. I think the guys believed it; they saw it and we went out there to make it happen.”
On the touchdown pass to wide receiver Aldrick Robinson:
“I just had a feeling in that situation. You can talk to [Offensive Coordinator] Kyle [Shanahan] about the play call and if I went about it the right way. He called the play. I had a thought and went with my instincts. I gave Al [Aldrick Robinson] a chance to make a play on it and he made it on a heck of a football player, [Bears cornerback] Charles Tillman, who got me earlier in the game. It wasn’t payback or anything like that, I just saw something and went with it. I made a great play and when I saw him catch it, there was a feeling of last year like when I threw to [wide receiver] Santana [Moss] down the middle of the field against Philly and he caught it over two defenders. Al catching those field posts in the Dallas and Philadelphia game…We had that feeling the whole game. Our mojo is definitely working today.”
On if the win helps the team’s momentum going into the game against the Denver Broncos next week:
“It does. Denver is going to be a tough opponent. They are a great team playing at a high level. [Denver linebacker] Von Miller is back, but I don’t know how he played today. He is always a weapon on the defensive side of the ball and you have [Denver quarterback] Peyton Manning on offense. You tie all that in with the emotion of Coach going back to Denver, [and] it is definitely going to be a high-emotion game and we have to be ready for anything. The momentum we have from this win over a quality team helps.”
On if he was surprised by the play of tight end Jordan Reed:
“It doesn’t surprise me because it’s what the coaches saw in the draft meetings. You see something special from a kid like him. When he comes in and is willing to work hard… He did spend whole offseason with me, so I definitely got to know him well. He is a hard worker, has great talent and like he said after the game, if he works and keeps making plays, I will continue to have more faith in him. He made some big plays for us today and can be a weapon. We just have to make sure that we all take it one game at a time, one step at a time.”
On running backs Alfred Morris and Roy Helu, Jr.:
“I love those guys. They played great. Alfred, the battering ram, who can even take the top off of it and go for the long runs like he did the week before. And then Helu is more of the speed guy, but he’s got a little bit of Alfred in him as well. So we’ve got two great backs back there that can run the ball as long as we give them the lanes to run the ball. They can make guys miss and Helu did a great job in the red zone, and Alfred like you said, did a great job in between the 20s. But I feel fortunate to have those two guys behind me.”
On if he was “feeling it more” this game:
“I’m just trying to do whatever it takes to help this team win games. That’s what it comes down to. I know I’ve got to have a mindset of protecting myself, and even though I ran a lot today, I thought I did a better job at protecting myself even when I cut back in – you know, I got down, kept my legs down. It is what it is, and I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do to help this team win and so if that’s part of it and we won a game in part because of it, then I’m willing to do it and don’t think twice of it.”
On if this was the first time the offense felt like it did last year:
“Yeah, I just felt like we were in sync. We all refer to last year, even myself, coaches, the media because last year was a great year for us, offensively and as a team. Just in general, for this year, we felt in sync for the first time I think most of the game, probably the entire game and that’s why the scoreboard reflected it. Defense came up with a score for us, which helped us at the end of the game. We definitely felt in sync; the offensive line was working for me, giving me time to throw the ball. And the receivers were making plays in the passing game.”
On getting a win they desperately needed:
“There are no words for it. It was big. I like happy locker rooms, I know you guys like happy locker rooms. It’s good to see smiles on guys’ faces. We had a breakthrough today and we need to make sure that carries on for the following weeks. We’ve still got a hole to get out of, but when you’re coming off a win and you’re sitting there at 2-4, it’s a lot easier to than if you’re sitting at 1-5.”
On preparing for a possible shootout against Denver next week:
“It’s tough how to phrase that, because Denver is a powerhouse on offense but I’m not going to concede our defense to that. I have faith in our defense and I have to believe that they can shut them down. Like we had to win a shootout today, if we have to win a shootout in Denver, then that’s what we go out and do. As an offense, you can always get better. I don’t know if there’s a ways to go, but there were plays out there that we could have executed better. But we won the game, and that’s something we can’t lose sight of. We’re going to watch the film – we won’t watch it with smiles on our faces – we’ll watch it and we’ll critique ourselves real tough, and you get better from that. But I think we made enough plays today to win the game, and that’s all that matters.”
On Shanahan going back to Denver with the Redskins at 2-4:
“There’s definitely a bigger difference going in 2-4 rather than 1-5. We have a little more momentum on our side and the position in the division. And then with Coach, I can’t really speak for Coach when it comes to that. He won two Super Bowls, coached there for a long time and has a lot of ties to that city. I hope he can keep his emotions under control. We’ll definitely play that much harder for him. He’s our coach and we’re going to go out there and go to battle for him.”
On if he has crossed a mental hurdle:
“I think that the mental part of it that I did get over was not thinking out on the field and just reacting. I don’t that was anything to do with my knee, the knee brace or anything else, I think that was just for me mentally playing the game, irrelevant of my injury. That’s the breakthrough I feel like I’ve had for myself and I’m proud of that, to just go out there and play with your instincts. That’s what I meant when I say that’s what got me here and that’s what’s made me the player that I am. It’s what makes a lot of those guys in there the players that they are. I think we all did a better job at just having fun. We know our assignments, just go out there and have fun playing football.”
On his connection with Jordan Reed:
“When you look at it coaches talk-wise, he’s wider to separate. He’s got good hands. Like I like to say, he has a wide catch radius, so he can catch just about anything you throw at him. Aside from that, in the offseason, he just worked hard. He didn’t get to practice very much, just like I didn’t and we worked together. I tried to teach him little things, here and there. I’m no tight ends coach, but I am a quarterback and I kind of know what you’ve got to do to get the ball thrown to you so I tried to help him in that sense. But other than that, he’s done a good job at absorbing everything that Sean McVay, the tight ends coach, and [offensive coordinator] Kyle [Shanahan] have been trying to teach him. And then he knows his stuff; he’s on top of it. He doesn’t have too many busted assignments. That’s something that is a great thing when you are a rookie coming into a new offense.”
On Chicago Bears cornerback Charles Tillman:
“Charles Tillman – we went to the same high school. It was a dream come true for me to play against him today. He did get me with the interception, but I got him back with the touchdown.”
LB Brian Orakpo
On his interception return for a touchdown in the second quarter:
“I’ve never scored, actually. I started playing football in middle school and I never scored in middle school, high school, college or the pros. I’ve never had a pick in general. It was a crazy feeling. I was so excited that I didn’t know what to do once I got in the end zone. It was a phenomenal feeling. I’ve been preaching that I’m trying to get my 'Ryan Kerrigan’ on, with all the picks he’s got – and [linebacker] Rob Jackson. I’m trying to catch up a little bit.”
On what he saw develop during that play:
“The crazy thing is, it all kind of fell into place. We’ve been preaching ever since the Green Bay game, getting 11 helmets into the frame, running to the ball. We’ve been doing it throughout practice for the past four weeks. Everybody is running to the ball. I don’t care if it’s 60 yards down the field, just run to the ball – and that’s what happened. I was in coverage and I had nothing really to work. [Safety] Reed [Doughty] made a hell of a play on the ball, and I just happened to be there, running to the ball, chasing it and it fell right into my lap. I was able to take it to the crib. It was a great feeling.”
On whether or not this was his best career game in terms of getting pressure on the quarterback:
“It felt like one of my best. Obviously I didn’t get any sacks, but Coach praised us as far as the pressure and getting there and being a force out there. I’m just doing the best I can, and like I said, [in] some of your best games, sometimes you won’t get a sack. It’s just contributing and continuing to get pressure on the passer, and making plays in the backfield and wherever you can go to a W. I attribute that to a lot of hard work from all of my teammates. I’m just proud. I’m very proud of the way we finished the game. We struggled in the second half a little bit defensively after the phenomenal first half we had, but we were able to hang in there and make plays down in the end.”
On how difficult it was to play against backup quarterback Josh McCown:
“As a general fan watching the game, you might be like, 'Oh, wow, the starting quarterback’s down. We’ve got a great shot now of getting after it – really blowing a team out,’ but you don’t practice against the guy. We didn’t even really know who the second quarterback was going into the game. So when he came in, we didn’t really have a great scouting report on him and we didn’t realize how mobile he was. That’s why he was able to make some plays early with his feet, moving around. I thought he did a great job. He did a great job as far as coming in and changing the pace of the game, and really making some plays and putting Chicago back in the game. We hunkered down at the end – big sack by [nose tackle] Barry [Cofield] and Kerrigan and we were able to finish the game.”
On his touchdown and the overall aggressiveness of the defense this year:
“We’ve just been trying to create turnovers. [Defensive Coordinator Jim] Haslett and the rest of the coaching staff have been preaching that - creating turnovers and giving possession back to our offense. The fortunate thing about the turnovers that we had is that we were able to score, so that just puts points on the board. It’s great. We’ve got to keep it up week in and week out, and if we keep doing that, we can build off of a game like this and really look forward to the future.”
On the offense moving the ball today and if it gives the defense confidence:
“Oh, absolutely. This is what I’ve been waiting for. I missed all last season with our offense clicking on all cylinders and a healthy [quarterback] Robert [Griffin III], and I was so jealous of those guys last year when our defense was able to go out there. And, who cares, [you can] make a mistake, but at least you’re trying to be a playmaker. Well, now it seems like our offense is clicking. Robert is getting his feet back and he’s making plays and they’re scoring a lot of points, so that really can pay tribute to us making big plays on the defensive side – really getting after it, getting some great turnovers and doing a phenomenal job getting off the field.”
TE Jordan Reed
On what this win means for the team:
“It feels great. Everybody was focused and just to see that hard work pay off for us feels good. We just have to keep working hard.”
On his relationship with quarterback Robert Griffin III:
“I was injured for the OTAs and we were just throwing – me and him – and it just carried on. We just got a feel for each other out there and we just have to keep working on it.”
On what is working for him:
“I just try to get open the best I can and [Griffin III] sees me out there and throws perfect passes, catchable balls and I just make the plays for him.”
On if being this productive gives him confidence:
“It gives me confidence because I work hard every day in practice. I stay after with my coach and work on things – just to see it paying off gives me great confidence that hard work pays off.”
On when it started to click between him and Griffin III:
“We’ve been throwing since OTAs and I didn’t notice any time that it started clicking. It’s always been easy for us.”
On if today was his coming out party:
“It felt good just being able to make plays for my team.”
RB Roy Helu, Jr.
On answering Bears’ scores late in the game:
“When they scored, we were just so determined to change what this week would look like and to change what we would move on forward as a team to look like. Fortunately, we got it done execution-wise.”
On if he expected to get as many carries as he did today:
“No.”
On why he got so many carries:
“[It is] a break for [running back] Alfred [Morris]. We did a little spot stuff with our turbo offense, so we definitely wanted to keep fresh legs in there and it would have been the same for me too if I was getting tired – Alfred would have been in there, too.”
On if he is OK with how the carries are divided:
“Yeah, absolutely. I just go back to [the fact that] I wasn’t playing last season, so to be a part of something bigger than myself with this organization – I’ll take whatever role I can. Today, it just happened to be more of a red zone role because we were running more turbo.”
On if he gives a different look than starter Alfred Morris:
“I think Alfred has speed and is just deceptive. His strides are longer. No, I think both of us strive to be more complete backs and I think that’s what is more similar than anything.”
On how they communicate:
“We encourage each other on the sideline because we don’t know which way the game will go, but we know simple things like 'How are the keys?’ This and that and keeping our heads cool.”
On how the win feels after missing last season due to injury:
“It was good. It felt good to respond in the way that I was able to and the more amazing thing is – first, we got a win, and second, I never felt any hindrance with my surgery from last year, so that was really encouraging.”
CB DeAngelo Hall
On his state of mind playing against quarterback Jay Cutler:
“Like I said, from the beginning of the week, it wasn’t me versus him. It was us versus them. My goal was to try and help our team win. Ultimately, if I get interceptions, that helps us win. I’m just trying to go out there and help our team win. I tried to get my hands on the ball and had the chance a couple of times, but didn’t capitalize. It felt good seeing Rak [linebacker Brian Orakpo] running in the end zone with one. It felt good seeing the rest of our guys making plays. We have to keep trying to get better.”
On how the defense played today:
“OK. OK, not good, not great, not bad. We played OK.”
WR Aldrick Robinson
On if his drop against the Detroit Lions was on his mind during his touchdown reception today:
“No, I’m not thinking about that. That’s gone. That’s behind me now. I just knew I had to make that play and I did.”
On getting bumped by a defender on the touchdown:
“I felt the bump. It should have been a P.I. [pass interference penalty], but I guess the refs saw that it did not mess me up or anything, so they didn’t call it. It didn’t affect me at all.”
DL Chris Baker
On what this win does for the team:
“It’s a little bit of a confidence booster. Our offense played well. Our defense played well in the first half. We have to get better at the second half, but we got the win and that is all that matters.”
On what the team did best today:
“We know we can fight. We know if we get down, we can climb back into games. We know we can dominate a team like we did in the first half, but we have to carry it on through the whole game – not just the first half. But a win is a win"