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August 12, 2013
Executive Vice President/Head Coach Mike Shanahan
On what he expects quarterback Robert Griffin III to do in practice tomorrow:
“He’ll do very similar to what he did today. Tomorrow’s practice will be very similar to today. Initially… tomorrow’s practice was going to be like a normal Wednesday/Thursday/Friday during the season, but with us canceling Saturday’s practice, Saturday was today and Monday of course is Tuesday, so we’re going to handle Wednesday/Thursday/Friday like we would during the season.”
On if Griffin III will play against the scout team like he would during a normal week:
“He’ll take a couple reps on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday with each team period. Tomorrow he’ll be the same as he’s been.”
On if Griffin III will participate in 7-on-7 tomorrow before starting 11-on-11 on Thursday:
“Yeah, and walkthroughs like we did earlier today.”
On Griffin III’s understanding of his recovery plan:
“That’s my job, not necessarily to do what he likes, but to do what’s the best thing for him and this organization. My job is to get him ready for the first game and that’s what we’re hoping we can do. Now, without a setback, I believe he will be ready for the first game, and I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that there is no setback and we can have him for the first game of the season. But if there is a setback, we’ll have to adjust accordingly.”
On 'Operation Patience,’ as named by Griffin III:
“I’ve been doing this for a lot of years. I’ve dealt with a lot of different people, and what you do is you want to take care of him, and he’s doing a great job. I mean, he’s worked so hard in rehab. I’m really proud of everything he’s done. He’s just kind of been off the charts. My job is to get him ready for the first game, and I just don’t want to push him when we don’t have to. I just like where he’s at. He’s making strides. Hopefully there is no setback and he can be ready, but if there is a setback, we’ll have to adjust accordingly.”
On linebacker Roddrick Muckelroy:
“Sore shoulder. Hopefully there is not much of a setback. I think it is just sore at this time.”
On Griffin III wanting to play in the preseason:
“First of all, I love when somebody wants to play. I love it when somebody wants to be out there. That is a good problem to have as a head coach, when you want people out there, you want people competing and you want people working hard. But my job is to make sure that we do the best thing for Robert and that is what I am going to try to do.”
On if there’s a possibility that Griffin III could play in the third preseason game:
“No. No possibility.”
On what doctors cleared Griffin III to do:
“What a doctor does, he takes a guy like Robert or you can take a look at Chris Thompson, talk about Brandon Meriweather, any of these players, the doctors OK him to practice. And you take a look as a head coach, and you can see what he can do. Some guys we don’t have practice after a couple of days. We’ll take a few days off. Other guys are well on their way that are making progress. Everybody’s a little bit different case. A lot of times when they say you’re ready to go, these doctors, they say, 'I’m not sure if he can play in a preseason game.’ Well when you practice every day, that is just like a game. I think practices are tougher than games, especially in these two-a-day practices. When somebody says, 'Well, you can’t play in a preseason game but you can practice,’ well, you practice at game-day speed every day. That’s my job is to evaluate that, see where he’s at and get him ready for the first game… What Dr. [James] Andrews said is that he would not recommend he play in any preseason games, but he can practice, but you can’t practice full speed. So that was my initial talk with Dr. Andrews starting off.”
On the doctors’ input on the plan for Griffin III this preseason:
“Dr. Andrews says his recommendation was not to play him in any preseason games and evaluate him on a day-to-day basis, but he is ready to practice, do drill work, get him stronger, make sure you feel good about where he’s at… The doctors said 'Evaluate him every day,’ just like they did when he came back after vs. Philly. They clear him, then you have to evaluate him every day. You talk to the doctors. You talk to Robert. But at the end of the day, our game plan is still the same as we’ve talked about. Hopefully he’s ready for the first game of the season. If there is no setback, he’ll be ready, and he’s going to have to trust me there.”
On staying on the same page with Griffin III:
“That’s what my job is. My job is to make sure he’s ready to play. I could bring Robert back three weeks ago. We could be sitting here right now, him practicing two, three weeks ago, and all of a sudden something happens to that ACL, and we’re sitting saying, 'Well, maybe we should’ve waited an extra week or two.’ I know when the first game is. I’m going to do what I think gives him the best chance to be ready for the first game, give him the proper reps, the proper practice plan. I like competitors, though. I like people that want to go. The great ones do that. The great ones want to practice, they want to play. Robert does petition you guys. I like it. It’s good. Especially you [laughter].”
On the plan between he and Griffin III:
“First of all, there is no arrangement. I give him an idea of what, Robert, we talk privately about what I thought our game plan was before. I don’t share that with anybody. I haven’t shared it with any coaches. There’s nobody that I’ve shared this with. I’ve just shared it with one person, and that’s Robert, my game plan… I’ve already said this: my plan, hopefully our game plan, is to play him Week 1. I want to play him Week 1. But if there’s a setback, we might not be able to play him Week 1, maybe not until Week 5 or 6. I’m hoping that there’s no setback. If there isn’t, I think we’ve got a good game plan. We just have to work it day-by-day.”
On wide receiver Donté Stallworth:
“Same thing. Hamstring, sore.”
On safety Phillip Thomas:
“Phillip Thomas is going to see Dr. [Robert] Anderson in Carolina tomorrow, just to look at that mid-foot sprain. Hopefully there’s no setback there, but we’d like a specialist to look at it just to make sure.”
On safety Brandon Meriweather:
“We gave him more reps today. I thought he looked good. He had one breakup today that I was impressed with down the field, so hopefully there is no setback and he can keep on getting better.”
On the likelihood of tight end Jordan Reed playing on Monday:
“I think so. If there is no setback after today and he keeps practicing throughout the week, there is no reason that he shouldn’t play.”
On linebacker Nick Barnett:
“I think we’re getting [him] back in football shape. I’m not sure if there will be a setback tomorrow. Hopefully he is not too sore. I think we have got to be very careful with him just coming off of minor surgery. So we’ll evaluate him on a day-to-day basis.”
On quarterback Rex Grossman in the game vs. Tennessee:
“I thought Rex did a good job. The one where [wide receiver] Lance [Lewis] lines up off the ball, that could have been a touchdown there. He got rid of the ball in some very tough situations where not many people would have the awareness to get rid of the ball like he did. I thought he did a good job.”
On Grossman’s longevity:
“I think anytime you’re a part of the 90, you’re competing with all the other players and if at the end of the day you’re one of the top 53, then you’ve earned that spot. Every time you go into camp, you are starting over. I don’t care if you are a first-, second-, third-team quarterback, you have been in the league for 10 years, 12 years, you’ve got to go out and prove yourself both in practice and in games. That’s not only at the quarterback position but every position.”
Executive Vice President/Head Coach Mike Shanahan
On what he expects quarterback Robert Griffin III to do in practice tomorrow:
“He’ll do very similar to what he did today. Tomorrow’s practice will be very similar to today. Initially… tomorrow’s practice was going to be like a normal Wednesday/Thursday/Friday during the season, but with us canceling Saturday’s practice, Saturday was today and Monday of course is Tuesday, so we’re going to handle Wednesday/Thursday/Friday like we would during the season.”
On if Griffin III will play against the scout team like he would during a normal week:
“He’ll take a couple reps on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday with each team period. Tomorrow he’ll be the same as he’s been.”
On if Griffin III will participate in 7-on-7 tomorrow before starting 11-on-11 on Thursday:
“Yeah, and walkthroughs like we did earlier today.”
On Griffin III’s understanding of his recovery plan:
“That’s my job, not necessarily to do what he likes, but to do what’s the best thing for him and this organization. My job is to get him ready for the first game and that’s what we’re hoping we can do. Now, without a setback, I believe he will be ready for the first game, and I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that there is no setback and we can have him for the first game of the season. But if there is a setback, we’ll have to adjust accordingly.”
On 'Operation Patience,’ as named by Griffin III:
“I’ve been doing this for a lot of years. I’ve dealt with a lot of different people, and what you do is you want to take care of him, and he’s doing a great job. I mean, he’s worked so hard in rehab. I’m really proud of everything he’s done. He’s just kind of been off the charts. My job is to get him ready for the first game, and I just don’t want to push him when we don’t have to. I just like where he’s at. He’s making strides. Hopefully there is no setback and he can be ready, but if there is a setback, we’ll have to adjust accordingly.”
On linebacker Roddrick Muckelroy:
“Sore shoulder. Hopefully there is not much of a setback. I think it is just sore at this time.”
On Griffin III wanting to play in the preseason:
“First of all, I love when somebody wants to play. I love it when somebody wants to be out there. That is a good problem to have as a head coach, when you want people out there, you want people competing and you want people working hard. But my job is to make sure that we do the best thing for Robert and that is what I am going to try to do.”
On if there’s a possibility that Griffin III could play in the third preseason game:
“No. No possibility.”
On what doctors cleared Griffin III to do:
“What a doctor does, he takes a guy like Robert or you can take a look at Chris Thompson, talk about Brandon Meriweather, any of these players, the doctors OK him to practice. And you take a look as a head coach, and you can see what he can do. Some guys we don’t have practice after a couple of days. We’ll take a few days off. Other guys are well on their way that are making progress. Everybody’s a little bit different case. A lot of times when they say you’re ready to go, these doctors, they say, 'I’m not sure if he can play in a preseason game.’ Well when you practice every day, that is just like a game. I think practices are tougher than games, especially in these two-a-day practices. When somebody says, 'Well, you can’t play in a preseason game but you can practice,’ well, you practice at game-day speed every day. That’s my job is to evaluate that, see where he’s at and get him ready for the first game… What Dr. [James] Andrews said is that he would not recommend he play in any preseason games, but he can practice, but you can’t practice full speed. So that was my initial talk with Dr. Andrews starting off.”
On the doctors’ input on the plan for Griffin III this preseason:
“Dr. Andrews says his recommendation was not to play him in any preseason games and evaluate him on a day-to-day basis, but he is ready to practice, do drill work, get him stronger, make sure you feel good about where he’s at… The doctors said 'Evaluate him every day,’ just like they did when he came back after vs. Philly. They clear him, then you have to evaluate him every day. You talk to the doctors. You talk to Robert. But at the end of the day, our game plan is still the same as we’ve talked about. Hopefully he’s ready for the first game of the season. If there is no setback, he’ll be ready, and he’s going to have to trust me there.”
On staying on the same page with Griffin III:
“That’s what my job is. My job is to make sure he’s ready to play. I could bring Robert back three weeks ago. We could be sitting here right now, him practicing two, three weeks ago, and all of a sudden something happens to that ACL, and we’re sitting saying, 'Well, maybe we should’ve waited an extra week or two.’ I know when the first game is. I’m going to do what I think gives him the best chance to be ready for the first game, give him the proper reps, the proper practice plan. I like competitors, though. I like people that want to go. The great ones do that. The great ones want to practice, they want to play. Robert does petition you guys. I like it. It’s good. Especially you [laughter].”
On the plan between he and Griffin III:
“First of all, there is no arrangement. I give him an idea of what, Robert, we talk privately about what I thought our game plan was before. I don’t share that with anybody. I haven’t shared it with any coaches. There’s nobody that I’ve shared this with. I’ve just shared it with one person, and that’s Robert, my game plan… I’ve already said this: my plan, hopefully our game plan, is to play him Week 1. I want to play him Week 1. But if there’s a setback, we might not be able to play him Week 1, maybe not until Week 5 or 6. I’m hoping that there’s no setback. If there isn’t, I think we’ve got a good game plan. We just have to work it day-by-day.”
On wide receiver Donté Stallworth:
“Same thing. Hamstring, sore.”
On safety Phillip Thomas:
“Phillip Thomas is going to see Dr. [Robert] Anderson in Carolina tomorrow, just to look at that mid-foot sprain. Hopefully there’s no setback there, but we’d like a specialist to look at it just to make sure.”
On safety Brandon Meriweather:
“We gave him more reps today. I thought he looked good. He had one breakup today that I was impressed with down the field, so hopefully there is no setback and he can keep on getting better.”
On the likelihood of tight end Jordan Reed playing on Monday:
“I think so. If there is no setback after today and he keeps practicing throughout the week, there is no reason that he shouldn’t play.”
On linebacker Nick Barnett:
“I think we’re getting [him] back in football shape. I’m not sure if there will be a setback tomorrow. Hopefully he is not too sore. I think we have got to be very careful with him just coming off of minor surgery. So we’ll evaluate him on a day-to-day basis.”
On quarterback Rex Grossman in the game vs. Tennessee:
“I thought Rex did a good job. The one where [wide receiver] Lance [Lewis] lines up off the ball, that could have been a touchdown there. He got rid of the ball in some very tough situations where not many people would have the awareness to get rid of the ball like he did. I thought he did a good job.”
On Grossman’s longevity:
“I think anytime you’re a part of the 90, you’re competing with all the other players and if at the end of the day you’re one of the top 53, then you’ve earned that spot. Every time you go into camp, you are starting over. I don’t care if you are a first-, second-, third-team quarterback, you have been in the league for 10 years, 12 years, you’ve got to go out and prove yourself both in practice and in games. That’s not only at the quarterback position but every position.”