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REDSKINS QB KIRK COUSINS
On winning consecutive games for the first time all season:
"It’s great to get to 7-7. We finished 6-2 at home. It says a lot about our play at home and our crowd. They were phenomenal today. Winning two in a row is good. We just keep taking steps forward. I’ve said all along it’s a process. I don’t think everything gets fixed in one week or one day. But we just keep staying at it. I think we’re heading in the right direction and that’s encouraging."
On how he felt coming into the game today:
“I think play-calling today was outstanding, it put me in a position to be successful. We very rarely got in third-and-long, especially in the first half, which enabled us to dictate the terms on first and second down and have a run-pass mix, play-action pass and bootleg. Really want to credit Jay [Gruden] and Sean [McVay] for the play-calling they put together because it put me in a position to be successful. And I can’t say enough about the weapons we have on the outside. I mean, I can go on and on about DeSean [Jackson], Pierre [Garçon], and [Jamison] Crowder and Jordan Reed. We’ve got a lot of guys who can catch the football for us and make plays and be electric. I’ve said all along it’s my job to be a distributor and today was no different. They kept making me look good.”
On RB Alfred Morris’ performance today:
“Like you just said, a guy who’s in there every day. What’s so special about Alfred is he hasn’t been injured, he keeps going, he’s just so consistent and a guy you can rely on, and a guy you want with you when you’re backed into a corner. He had a great explosive run today and continued to be a reliable force for us. I mean a great teammate and the kind of guy you want to play with.”
On making throws that allow the receivers to make one-on-one plays:
“I think we did a good job today of giving guys opportunities to make plays. I think it’s not just me, it’s something you develop between you and the receivers as you learn the offense as a whole. The continuity you have is you play with the same receivers over time and you play in the same system over time, it enables you to be more and more successful and puts you in a better position. I think that’s a credit to playing with these guys over several weeks, starting to pick up. People forget I was playing with the twos and the threes – not the ones – until a week before the season started. I wasn’t exactly working with those ones and building a rapport with them all offseason.”
On staying hot on opening drives:
“I think it’s play-calling. Sean McVay sits down the night before and spends a long time saying, 'What are our best-first 15-20 plays in the game. What do we really want to run?’ And then he does a really good job as the drive is going sticking to those 15 or if he feels something else should be brought in, being able to adapt. But that’s all coaching and play-calling, and then it’s our job to execute. But coaches have put us in a really good position to be successful, especially the last few weeks in those early drives. I would credit Sean for that.”
On being more vocal today:
"Trying to bark out the cadence – even at home, you’ve got to be loud. There’s a lot of yelling. You’ve got to keep 10 guys corralled – I’m like the mother goose, trying to keep all 10 guys where they need to be. But it’s a tough job and it does require a lot of yelling.”
On his touchdown run:
“The touchdown run was a play that was supposed to work a little differently. The defensive end played it well and prevented me from being able to pitch it to the halfback. We talk about when that happens, extend the play outside, look for a pass option, if it’s not there look to run it. We don’t draw it up to get 13 yards and a touchdown, but I guess it’s better to be lucky than good sometimes.”
On spending the first three years of his career mostly watching:
“Yeah, I think any experience you have is going to make you better, whether it’s a positive experience or a negative experience. I’ve learned from every opportunity that I’ve gotten playing – whether it went well or poorly – learning and trying to grow from it. And from the day I was drafted, I felt the need to trust God leading me here and his plan for my life. And I didn’t know what it was going to involve, but I did feel like he brought me here. And I just felt a need to trust him, and I’ll continue to do that. I don’t know where this is going to go after this season, so I just continue to trust him and follow his lead.”
On his touchdown run going right instead of the left:
“It was designed to go to the halfback, so it would’ve been shoveled to my left, but the ball would’ve been caught going to the right side of the center. The cut, I’m sure wasn’t a LeSean McCoy cut, I guess it was enough. I’d have to watch the film, but I’m sure there was some pretty good blocking for me to be able to get 13 yards down there. I don’t think I would’ve made anybody miss. Credit the guys around me for making that happen.”
REDSKINS WR DESEAN JACKSON
On going to Philadelphia next week in the playoff hunt:
“When the opportunity presents itself, we definitely know what we’re in for. I want to credit first off the team and our coaches. Everybody knew this was a big week. We had a lot on our hands. Everyone said we couldn’t win back-to-back games, so I think this was the first time in a long time we were able to get accomplished what we wanted to get accomplished. Like I said, it was tough game and it came back on us and we just made it through. I don’t really look too forward. I don’t want to make headlines or news. I don’t really care too much about that. We’ve got a game to win against Philly. Inside, I definitely will be going crazy in my mind, but I don’t want to make it a bigger game than what it already is.”
On his touchdown catch:
“It was a great throw by Kirk [Cousins]. I actually saw the defender. He was a little over top of me a little bit and Kirk threw a great back shoulder [throw] for myself. The defender slipped and I saw my guy in front of me and I ran around him. He tried to trip me up, but I kicked out of there. It was big play coming out the half. We needed that to spark us up and get momentum and like I said throughout the game, that’s what I live to do – spark it up, get big plays and get the momentum and everything going like that.”
On if he heard the fans chanting 'You Like That’ during the game:
“Yeah, definitely [laughter]. Throughout the whole game you hear that. It’s something that he created when a lot of people thought he wasn’t going to be a good starting quarterback or think he wasn’t going to be able to get the job done. Especially with the decision that they made on naming him the starting quarterback, as far as us, we’re just doing everything we can to get behind him, to stand by him, play him and be in the position that we need to be in once plays are called just to get our jobs done. Just play together, have a great offense and all that good stuff. 'You like that?’ Everybody is rolling with it.”
On if he felt more in the flow of the offense:
“Honestly, I’ve felt that since I’ve been back aside from the first game, that being the Patriots game. That game was kind of me trying to get a feel for it. But ever since then I’ve been the regular DeSean out there, just doing what I need to do and the opportunities weren’t really presenting themselves. Defenses were keyed in and you know with Kirk, he’s a young quarterback. This is his first full year of him being a starter in this league, so he has a lot that he’s trying to accomplish and he has a lot coming at him. Defenses are showing different looks and all that. I think the more and more we play together and the more snaps we take together, I think we’ll see more days like this. As a wide receiver it’s tough because you do want to make the big plays, but sometimes it’s not always planned out to be that way. I just credit the coaches - Sean [McVay], Jay [Gruden] and Kirk honestly just for staying patient with me, him getting me the ball and being able to know what I’m capable of doing.”
On building trust with QB Kirk Cousins:
"With a young quarterback who doesn’t have as many reps as you would think or you would want, it really just comes down to trusting. There are interceptions at times, things like that can shy off a quarterback. But he’s just doing a great job of staying with it. That’s the biggest thing I can say, because anything can happen. You can try and throw deep and if it doesn’t happen, or if you see defenders out there, I can see how that might spook a guy. And you know, a guy doesn’t want to make mistakes, a guy doesn’t want to turn the ball over. I understand everything. That’s why being a wide receiver in this league, just being patient with him and telling him to trust it… Like I say all the time, the worst thing that can happen is you can overthrow me. But, as far as interceptions go, if the ball is a completable ball, if I can’t get it, the defender’s not going to get it. And like I said the worst thing that can happen is you overthrow me. But just really having confidence and trusting each other is something we try to do."
On his injury:
“I mean it’s a bruised knee. I didn’t think that was going to go away as soon as I wanted it to go away, but I just tried to manage the pain. I padded my knee up before the game. I fell on it one time this game, and that made it a little sore but besides that I’m just competing and doing everything I need to do to help my team win games. It’s not a life or death situation, it’s just a bruised knee. Going into next week I’ll be all right.”
On anticipating next week’s game against Philadelphia:
“Biggest thing I can say is that depending on what happens tonight with the Eagles game, we have a game to win. We just saw the Giants lose, and everybody was happy about that, but we control our own destiny. I mean we go into Philly next week and if we win that game we’re definitely a lock for the playoffs. I think this week will be a great week. There’s two games left in the season, we’re winding down to the end of the season. And if we win out, we control our own destiny. All the guys in the locker room, we have guys that came from other teams and guys like myself that have played in big games. We’re just excited for the opportunity and it can’t get any better than going back to Philly.”
REDSKINS TE JORDAN REED
On the win against the Bills:
“I’m just real humble. I just love how this team is coming along. We’ve just got to stay focused and keep riding this wave.”
On QB Kirk Cousins’ play:
“He’s an incredible athlete. He’s an incredible player and incredible person. He’s working hard and it’s paying off for him.”
On trying to secure another home game in the NFC Wild Card Round:
“We just need to come out here and get these wins and, you know, just stay focused… We’ve just got to keep it going.”
REDSKINS T TRENT WILLIAMS
On the feeling in the locker room after remaining in the playoff hunt:
“We’re just worried about Philly right now. We can’t look at the playoffs right now because it’s not guaranteed, so we’re worried about Philly.”
On preparing for the Bills’ defensive line:
“It’s just like we prepared for anybody. We always get a challenge every week. This year we’ve played a ton of great defensive lines and this was nothing different.”
On keeping consistent and putting back-to-back wins together:
“Just staying in their ear and just trying to keep guys upbeat. That’s about it. It’s really nothing special.”
REDSKINS DL TERRANCE KNIGHTON
On the team’s ability to disrupt the Bills’ offensive line:
“Compliments to our offense for starting fast, starting the game, making them play from behind and allowing us to play and get off the ball and rush the passer. Our offense is playing complementary football and that’s really it.”
On the goal line stand:
“That’s what I do, man. They challenge me, three plays in a row and they’ll learn.”
On if 'Capital Punishment’ is back at full strength:
“Yeah, we’re working. Like I’ve said, we’re playing for something bigger now. We’re still in the driver’s seat. Obviously, you’ve heard the cheers now [following the Giants’ loss in Carolina]. We’ve got to go on the road and handle our business and just respond.”
On if the energy in the stadium was different:
“They’re ready for playoffs. We just want to give it to them and get a home game here. We’re taking it one game at a time. Obviously, you see the big picture but you’ve just got to focus on the task at hand and right now, we’ve got a short week versus a good team that’s in the same position as we are. We’ve got to get a lot of rest and turn our focus to Philly real quick.”
REDSKINS CB WILL BLACKMON
On the feeling in the locker room leading up to the game this week:
“The deal was just to win every game from here on out. The best way to control your own destiny and get in the playoffs is just to win. So, even though it wasn’t a divisional opponent, it was still the next game. We had to come home, take care of business for our last home [game] and now we’re on to Philly.”
On the ability to focus on the game:
“All the young guys are surprisingly extremely mature. I think us veterans especially do a good job just leading by example. I mean everybody, I can’t name them all, they get after it. All the young guys step up. The guys who we signed late, step up. That’s the one thing – whoever comes in here – they know what we’re trying to accomplish. There are no weak links.”
On the play of the defense in the third quarter:
“You knew they were going to come out and try to do some things. That’s how it is. There’s a lot of momentum swings. They have a lot of great players on their team. You knew they were going to try to do something but that’s when we have to bring that extra percentage of attitude to make sure it doesn’t happen. Credit to them for coming out and trying to make something happen. The one that’s a constant theme this year with the team is we’ve been able to handle adversity. I’m very proud that we were finally able to put two games in a row and finish off at home.”
On how much the team’s confidence level has grown over the last couple of weeks:
“I think confidence has always been there. It was just a matter of us just doing the little things. Like, for me, for example, I had a couple of technique errors last game you know where I got beat off the line of scrimmage. Then, I had some mental errors where I wasn’t in the right spot. It was just fine-tuning those things because especially this late in December — fortunately, I’ve played a lot of December football, where it matters — it’s the little stuff we need to take care of because everyone is confident. Everyone is going to play hard. They’re going to try hard. It’s just a matter of honing in on your assignments.”
REDSKINS RB ALFRED MORRIS
On how he feels after the win:
"Great. We finally got two wins in a row. We played against a good opponent and came out on fire. We were able to finish the game. Man, it’s not how you start – it’s how you finish, and we’ve been finishing really well these last few games of the season. Hopefully we can keep it up, get into the playoffs and make some noise."
On how the team finished drives with touchdowns today:
"Just clicking together. The coaches do a great job of calling plays. We’ve been getting great opportunities and just executing and making plays. We’ve been having some big third downs. The receivers have been doing a great job in third-and-longs, making those big, tough plays. It’s been very helpful to keep drives alive, and that’s what you have to do, convert on third down and keep drives alive. We were able to capitalize coming off those first two drives."
On his big run today:
"Any run is good, just to keep the team ahead of the chains. Any opportunity I get, I do my best to make the most of it. And I was able to get a big play. Also, I could’ve gone out of bounds, if I wanted to be nitpicky about it, to save us more time. We could’ve scored again before halftime. It’s always good when you get your number called and are able to capitalize off of that."
On what he saw on the run to give him the big play:
"They were just overplaying it. They knew we are a zone-heavy team. It was actually a run to the right and they overplayed it and I was able to find a crease, backside, one-on-one with a safety. That’s when the big runs come, when you can make the second and third-level guys miss. And I was able to do that today and get a big run and get a spark for the team."
REDSKINS LB PRESTON SMITH
On his sack today:
“The guy tried to cut me. I defeated the cut block on the backside. After that, it was a free sack. I just had an open run. I saw Ryan [Kerrigan] put pressure on him and I had the chance to secure a sack.”
On what they were able to take advantage of against the Bills’ offensive line:
“Once we get going, a lot of things fall into place for us. Once we play downhill, you can see a lot of great things. When we play together as a team, a lot of things fall into place. Going forward, we’ve got to keep this momentum going. We’ve got to keep getting on the film and stay healthy and take care of our bodies and do things the right way.”
On celebrating his sack with CB Quinton Dunbar:
“That’s one of my good friends on the team that I hang out with outside the locker room, too. We had come up with a celebration and we coordinated that if I get a sack or if he gets an interception, we were going to do it.”
On the team’s mindset going into this week:
“We’ve just got to keep the ball rolling. We’re on a two-game win streak right now. We’re going on the road in a hostile environment against a divisional competitor. These guys are trying to fight us for first place and a playoff appearance. We’ve just got to keep playing hard. They’re a good team. They do a lot of good things. We’ve got to get in the film room. We’ve got to come to play like we did today.”
REDSKINS DE RICKY JEAN FRANCOIS
On his first sack of the season:
“I didn’t know it was a sack actually. I just wanted to make the play and make sure Tyrod Taylor didn’t get up field. T-Knight [Terrance Knighton] came up to me and told me, 'You know it was a sack, right?’ We started laughing and he told me to hit the dance. I hit it because of T-Knight.”
On what it means for this team to get back-to-back wins:
“We finally put that to bed. That’s the first thing. Now, it’s going to be three in a row. That’s another thing we’re going to have to put to bed.”
On what the team has to do this coming week:
“The same thing we took care of this week. We’ve got to make sure we stay responsible. We’ve got to make sure we’re doing our thing. At no given chance can we fall off beat. If we fall off beat and get complacent, we’re going to be back in the same predicament that the Redskins [have] always been in each year.”
On winning consecutive games for the first time all season:
"It’s great to get to 7-7. We finished 6-2 at home. It says a lot about our play at home and our crowd. They were phenomenal today. Winning two in a row is good. We just keep taking steps forward. I’ve said all along it’s a process. I don’t think everything gets fixed in one week or one day. But we just keep staying at it. I think we’re heading in the right direction and that’s encouraging."
On how he felt coming into the game today:
“I think play-calling today was outstanding, it put me in a position to be successful. We very rarely got in third-and-long, especially in the first half, which enabled us to dictate the terms on first and second down and have a run-pass mix, play-action pass and bootleg. Really want to credit Jay [Gruden] and Sean [McVay] for the play-calling they put together because it put me in a position to be successful. And I can’t say enough about the weapons we have on the outside. I mean, I can go on and on about DeSean [Jackson], Pierre [Garçon], and [Jamison] Crowder and Jordan Reed. We’ve got a lot of guys who can catch the football for us and make plays and be electric. I’ve said all along it’s my job to be a distributor and today was no different. They kept making me look good.”
On RB Alfred Morris’ performance today:
“Like you just said, a guy who’s in there every day. What’s so special about Alfred is he hasn’t been injured, he keeps going, he’s just so consistent and a guy you can rely on, and a guy you want with you when you’re backed into a corner. He had a great explosive run today and continued to be a reliable force for us. I mean a great teammate and the kind of guy you want to play with.”
On making throws that allow the receivers to make one-on-one plays:
“I think we did a good job today of giving guys opportunities to make plays. I think it’s not just me, it’s something you develop between you and the receivers as you learn the offense as a whole. The continuity you have is you play with the same receivers over time and you play in the same system over time, it enables you to be more and more successful and puts you in a better position. I think that’s a credit to playing with these guys over several weeks, starting to pick up. People forget I was playing with the twos and the threes – not the ones – until a week before the season started. I wasn’t exactly working with those ones and building a rapport with them all offseason.”
On staying hot on opening drives:
“I think it’s play-calling. Sean McVay sits down the night before and spends a long time saying, 'What are our best-first 15-20 plays in the game. What do we really want to run?’ And then he does a really good job as the drive is going sticking to those 15 or if he feels something else should be brought in, being able to adapt. But that’s all coaching and play-calling, and then it’s our job to execute. But coaches have put us in a really good position to be successful, especially the last few weeks in those early drives. I would credit Sean for that.”
On being more vocal today:
"Trying to bark out the cadence – even at home, you’ve got to be loud. There’s a lot of yelling. You’ve got to keep 10 guys corralled – I’m like the mother goose, trying to keep all 10 guys where they need to be. But it’s a tough job and it does require a lot of yelling.”
On his touchdown run:
“The touchdown run was a play that was supposed to work a little differently. The defensive end played it well and prevented me from being able to pitch it to the halfback. We talk about when that happens, extend the play outside, look for a pass option, if it’s not there look to run it. We don’t draw it up to get 13 yards and a touchdown, but I guess it’s better to be lucky than good sometimes.”
On spending the first three years of his career mostly watching:
“Yeah, I think any experience you have is going to make you better, whether it’s a positive experience or a negative experience. I’ve learned from every opportunity that I’ve gotten playing – whether it went well or poorly – learning and trying to grow from it. And from the day I was drafted, I felt the need to trust God leading me here and his plan for my life. And I didn’t know what it was going to involve, but I did feel like he brought me here. And I just felt a need to trust him, and I’ll continue to do that. I don’t know where this is going to go after this season, so I just continue to trust him and follow his lead.”
On his touchdown run going right instead of the left:
“It was designed to go to the halfback, so it would’ve been shoveled to my left, but the ball would’ve been caught going to the right side of the center. The cut, I’m sure wasn’t a LeSean McCoy cut, I guess it was enough. I’d have to watch the film, but I’m sure there was some pretty good blocking for me to be able to get 13 yards down there. I don’t think I would’ve made anybody miss. Credit the guys around me for making that happen.”
REDSKINS WR DESEAN JACKSON
On going to Philadelphia next week in the playoff hunt:
“When the opportunity presents itself, we definitely know what we’re in for. I want to credit first off the team and our coaches. Everybody knew this was a big week. We had a lot on our hands. Everyone said we couldn’t win back-to-back games, so I think this was the first time in a long time we were able to get accomplished what we wanted to get accomplished. Like I said, it was tough game and it came back on us and we just made it through. I don’t really look too forward. I don’t want to make headlines or news. I don’t really care too much about that. We’ve got a game to win against Philly. Inside, I definitely will be going crazy in my mind, but I don’t want to make it a bigger game than what it already is.”
On his touchdown catch:
“It was a great throw by Kirk [Cousins]. I actually saw the defender. He was a little over top of me a little bit and Kirk threw a great back shoulder [throw] for myself. The defender slipped and I saw my guy in front of me and I ran around him. He tried to trip me up, but I kicked out of there. It was big play coming out the half. We needed that to spark us up and get momentum and like I said throughout the game, that’s what I live to do – spark it up, get big plays and get the momentum and everything going like that.”
On if he heard the fans chanting 'You Like That’ during the game:
“Yeah, definitely [laughter]. Throughout the whole game you hear that. It’s something that he created when a lot of people thought he wasn’t going to be a good starting quarterback or think he wasn’t going to be able to get the job done. Especially with the decision that they made on naming him the starting quarterback, as far as us, we’re just doing everything we can to get behind him, to stand by him, play him and be in the position that we need to be in once plays are called just to get our jobs done. Just play together, have a great offense and all that good stuff. 'You like that?’ Everybody is rolling with it.”
On if he felt more in the flow of the offense:
“Honestly, I’ve felt that since I’ve been back aside from the first game, that being the Patriots game. That game was kind of me trying to get a feel for it. But ever since then I’ve been the regular DeSean out there, just doing what I need to do and the opportunities weren’t really presenting themselves. Defenses were keyed in and you know with Kirk, he’s a young quarterback. This is his first full year of him being a starter in this league, so he has a lot that he’s trying to accomplish and he has a lot coming at him. Defenses are showing different looks and all that. I think the more and more we play together and the more snaps we take together, I think we’ll see more days like this. As a wide receiver it’s tough because you do want to make the big plays, but sometimes it’s not always planned out to be that way. I just credit the coaches - Sean [McVay], Jay [Gruden] and Kirk honestly just for staying patient with me, him getting me the ball and being able to know what I’m capable of doing.”
On building trust with QB Kirk Cousins:
"With a young quarterback who doesn’t have as many reps as you would think or you would want, it really just comes down to trusting. There are interceptions at times, things like that can shy off a quarterback. But he’s just doing a great job of staying with it. That’s the biggest thing I can say, because anything can happen. You can try and throw deep and if it doesn’t happen, or if you see defenders out there, I can see how that might spook a guy. And you know, a guy doesn’t want to make mistakes, a guy doesn’t want to turn the ball over. I understand everything. That’s why being a wide receiver in this league, just being patient with him and telling him to trust it… Like I say all the time, the worst thing that can happen is you can overthrow me. But, as far as interceptions go, if the ball is a completable ball, if I can’t get it, the defender’s not going to get it. And like I said the worst thing that can happen is you overthrow me. But just really having confidence and trusting each other is something we try to do."
On his injury:
“I mean it’s a bruised knee. I didn’t think that was going to go away as soon as I wanted it to go away, but I just tried to manage the pain. I padded my knee up before the game. I fell on it one time this game, and that made it a little sore but besides that I’m just competing and doing everything I need to do to help my team win games. It’s not a life or death situation, it’s just a bruised knee. Going into next week I’ll be all right.”
On anticipating next week’s game against Philadelphia:
“Biggest thing I can say is that depending on what happens tonight with the Eagles game, we have a game to win. We just saw the Giants lose, and everybody was happy about that, but we control our own destiny. I mean we go into Philly next week and if we win that game we’re definitely a lock for the playoffs. I think this week will be a great week. There’s two games left in the season, we’re winding down to the end of the season. And if we win out, we control our own destiny. All the guys in the locker room, we have guys that came from other teams and guys like myself that have played in big games. We’re just excited for the opportunity and it can’t get any better than going back to Philly.”
REDSKINS TE JORDAN REED
On the win against the Bills:
“I’m just real humble. I just love how this team is coming along. We’ve just got to stay focused and keep riding this wave.”
On QB Kirk Cousins’ play:
“He’s an incredible athlete. He’s an incredible player and incredible person. He’s working hard and it’s paying off for him.”
On trying to secure another home game in the NFC Wild Card Round:
“We just need to come out here and get these wins and, you know, just stay focused… We’ve just got to keep it going.”
REDSKINS T TRENT WILLIAMS
On the feeling in the locker room after remaining in the playoff hunt:
“We’re just worried about Philly right now. We can’t look at the playoffs right now because it’s not guaranteed, so we’re worried about Philly.”
On preparing for the Bills’ defensive line:
“It’s just like we prepared for anybody. We always get a challenge every week. This year we’ve played a ton of great defensive lines and this was nothing different.”
On keeping consistent and putting back-to-back wins together:
“Just staying in their ear and just trying to keep guys upbeat. That’s about it. It’s really nothing special.”
REDSKINS DL TERRANCE KNIGHTON
On the team’s ability to disrupt the Bills’ offensive line:
“Compliments to our offense for starting fast, starting the game, making them play from behind and allowing us to play and get off the ball and rush the passer. Our offense is playing complementary football and that’s really it.”
On the goal line stand:
“That’s what I do, man. They challenge me, three plays in a row and they’ll learn.”
On if 'Capital Punishment’ is back at full strength:
“Yeah, we’re working. Like I’ve said, we’re playing for something bigger now. We’re still in the driver’s seat. Obviously, you’ve heard the cheers now [following the Giants’ loss in Carolina]. We’ve got to go on the road and handle our business and just respond.”
On if the energy in the stadium was different:
“They’re ready for playoffs. We just want to give it to them and get a home game here. We’re taking it one game at a time. Obviously, you see the big picture but you’ve just got to focus on the task at hand and right now, we’ve got a short week versus a good team that’s in the same position as we are. We’ve got to get a lot of rest and turn our focus to Philly real quick.”
REDSKINS CB WILL BLACKMON
On the feeling in the locker room leading up to the game this week:
“The deal was just to win every game from here on out. The best way to control your own destiny and get in the playoffs is just to win. So, even though it wasn’t a divisional opponent, it was still the next game. We had to come home, take care of business for our last home [game] and now we’re on to Philly.”
On the ability to focus on the game:
“All the young guys are surprisingly extremely mature. I think us veterans especially do a good job just leading by example. I mean everybody, I can’t name them all, they get after it. All the young guys step up. The guys who we signed late, step up. That’s the one thing – whoever comes in here – they know what we’re trying to accomplish. There are no weak links.”
On the play of the defense in the third quarter:
“You knew they were going to come out and try to do some things. That’s how it is. There’s a lot of momentum swings. They have a lot of great players on their team. You knew they were going to try to do something but that’s when we have to bring that extra percentage of attitude to make sure it doesn’t happen. Credit to them for coming out and trying to make something happen. The one that’s a constant theme this year with the team is we’ve been able to handle adversity. I’m very proud that we were finally able to put two games in a row and finish off at home.”
On how much the team’s confidence level has grown over the last couple of weeks:
“I think confidence has always been there. It was just a matter of us just doing the little things. Like, for me, for example, I had a couple of technique errors last game you know where I got beat off the line of scrimmage. Then, I had some mental errors where I wasn’t in the right spot. It was just fine-tuning those things because especially this late in December — fortunately, I’ve played a lot of December football, where it matters — it’s the little stuff we need to take care of because everyone is confident. Everyone is going to play hard. They’re going to try hard. It’s just a matter of honing in on your assignments.”
REDSKINS RB ALFRED MORRIS
On how he feels after the win:
"Great. We finally got two wins in a row. We played against a good opponent and came out on fire. We were able to finish the game. Man, it’s not how you start – it’s how you finish, and we’ve been finishing really well these last few games of the season. Hopefully we can keep it up, get into the playoffs and make some noise."
On how the team finished drives with touchdowns today:
"Just clicking together. The coaches do a great job of calling plays. We’ve been getting great opportunities and just executing and making plays. We’ve been having some big third downs. The receivers have been doing a great job in third-and-longs, making those big, tough plays. It’s been very helpful to keep drives alive, and that’s what you have to do, convert on third down and keep drives alive. We were able to capitalize coming off those first two drives."
On his big run today:
"Any run is good, just to keep the team ahead of the chains. Any opportunity I get, I do my best to make the most of it. And I was able to get a big play. Also, I could’ve gone out of bounds, if I wanted to be nitpicky about it, to save us more time. We could’ve scored again before halftime. It’s always good when you get your number called and are able to capitalize off of that."
On what he saw on the run to give him the big play:
"They were just overplaying it. They knew we are a zone-heavy team. It was actually a run to the right and they overplayed it and I was able to find a crease, backside, one-on-one with a safety. That’s when the big runs come, when you can make the second and third-level guys miss. And I was able to do that today and get a big run and get a spark for the team."
REDSKINS LB PRESTON SMITH
On his sack today:
“The guy tried to cut me. I defeated the cut block on the backside. After that, it was a free sack. I just had an open run. I saw Ryan [Kerrigan] put pressure on him and I had the chance to secure a sack.”
On what they were able to take advantage of against the Bills’ offensive line:
“Once we get going, a lot of things fall into place for us. Once we play downhill, you can see a lot of great things. When we play together as a team, a lot of things fall into place. Going forward, we’ve got to keep this momentum going. We’ve got to keep getting on the film and stay healthy and take care of our bodies and do things the right way.”
On celebrating his sack with CB Quinton Dunbar:
“That’s one of my good friends on the team that I hang out with outside the locker room, too. We had come up with a celebration and we coordinated that if I get a sack or if he gets an interception, we were going to do it.”
On the team’s mindset going into this week:
“We’ve just got to keep the ball rolling. We’re on a two-game win streak right now. We’re going on the road in a hostile environment against a divisional competitor. These guys are trying to fight us for first place and a playoff appearance. We’ve just got to keep playing hard. They’re a good team. They do a lot of good things. We’ve got to get in the film room. We’ve got to come to play like we did today.”
REDSKINS DE RICKY JEAN FRANCOIS
On his first sack of the season:
“I didn’t know it was a sack actually. I just wanted to make the play and make sure Tyrod Taylor didn’t get up field. T-Knight [Terrance Knighton] came up to me and told me, 'You know it was a sack, right?’ We started laughing and he told me to hit the dance. I hit it because of T-Knight.”
On what it means for this team to get back-to-back wins:
“We finally put that to bed. That’s the first thing. Now, it’s going to be three in a row. That’s another thing we’re going to have to put to bed.”
On what the team has to do this coming week:
“The same thing we took care of this week. We’ve got to make sure we stay responsible. We’ve got to make sure we’re doing our thing. At no given chance can we fall off beat. If we fall off beat and get complacent, we’re going to be back in the same predicament that the Redskins [have] always been in each year.”