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November 20, 2013
Redskins Park
Executive Vice President/Head Coach Mike Shanahan
On injuries:
“Hank [wide receiver Leonard Hankerson] has got an LCL. It will need surgery. When that will occur, I’m not positive at this time. [Tight end] Jordan Reed still has a concussion – did not practice today. [Defensive end Stephen] Bowen – knee, did not practice as well. It’s a right knee. [Cornerback] Josh Wilson has an inflamed toe. He did not practice. And [safety Jose] Gumbs with the ankle, same thing, did not practice. And [cornerback E.J.] Biggers had full practice today.”
On status of defensive end Adam Carriker:
“Carriker, kind of like what I told you before, even though he’s on the 21-day list, it’s a very longshot he would be up. He’s doing rehab. He’s lifting weights, working extremely hard, but it’d be a minor miracle if he came back this year.”
On the timetable for Hankerson’s rehab:
“I would say usually an LCL – just guessing from what they talked about with [quarterback] Robert [Griffin III] initially – it’d be a few months.”
On deciding between keeping Carriker on the PUP list or putting him on the Reserve/Injured list:
“Either way he’s going to be IR’d if we don’t activate him in 21 days. I said there’s still a chance – there’s a longshot, so that’s why we activate him. Basically he’s IR’d if he doesn’t practice so it’s the same thing… I do believe in miracles, by the way.”
On if he has spoken to the league regarding tackle Trent Williams’ situation:
“I did talk to [Vice President of Officiating] Dean [Blandino]. I can’t go into detail about that, but it was a number of issues. I didn’t call him just about that situation, but I did talk to him briefly about that.”
On if he expects Joshua Morgan fill the role vacated by Hankerson:
“We can play a number of people there but Josh will be the starting Z receiver going into this game. I’ve got a lot of confidence in him. He had a good practice today. Obviously Santana [Moss] knows that position as well. Nick [Williams] can play both inside and outside if needed as well as Aldrick [Robinson], so we’ve got some guys that we can flip-flop different positions if needed.”
On if his impression is that the NFL is still investigating the Trent Williams issue:
“I really don’t know. I think what Trent said and a number of people have talked about and exactly to what extent they’re going to investigate it, I really don’t know.”
On if tight end Fred Davis would be activated if Jordan Reed cannot play vs. San Francisco:
“Yes, he would be activated.”
On if he has to remind the players that they are family after they’ve discussed their teammates publicly:
“Well, first of all, the guys are family. We don’t have any problems with the guys in our locker room. I think everybody expresses themselves a little bit differently. What may be perceived as something that might be a little bit negative, I can guarantee you it’s not. We’ve got a good locker room. As I’ve said many times, we’ve got great character. Some people express their opinion certain ways and I think it comes with experience. Sometimes you look back and you say something and you go, 'Boy, I wish I would have worded it differently.’ That’s just the nature of our business. It’s the nature of people being in situations, especially after the game, where you kind of get overwhelmed. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said something – I know it’s hard for you guys to believe that I would do something like that, but – where you say something and you go, 'Ah, why did I say that?’ Or I’ll say something, then I’ll look at the film and I’m going, 'Oh my God, I thought that occurred – it didn’t occur.’ That’s why usually after a game I don’t say a whole lot about the game, me personally, because I’m not really sure until I do look at that film. Especially after a loss, sometimes emotions get the best of us. I can guarantee you we’ve got a bunch of great guys that are working extremely hard and I know they’ve got to answer some questions because we’re all accountable for what we say but I feel good about where we’re at.”
On if he likes being in “do or die” situations:
“I don’t think anybody likes being in that situation. You would like to be 9-1. Those are the situations you want to be in where you don’t worry about it – you’re just trying to figure out who you’re going to play in the playoffs. But obviously we’re in the situation where every game is big and you want to play your best football, especially with a Monday night crowd in front of the country.”
On if he has any questions about quarterback Robert Griffin III’s leadership:
“No, I don’t. I don’t have any questions about his accountability and leadership. As I said, people say it different ways. What Robert was saying in my opinion was, 'I was trying to get it out of there, throw it away, throw it out of the end zone to fourth-and-one.’ He didn’t throw it far enough and not very many people can even make that throw, to even think about the flick of a wrist throwing the ball out of the end zone. He can do it very easily. But I understand what Santana meant. I understand what Robert meant. But that’s men coming together. You’ve got a tough loss and a lot of emotions after a game and all of a sudden, hey, you look back and say, 'Maybe I wish I would have said it a different way, but this is what I meant.’ I know Robert meant nothing by it. I know Santana meant nothing by it. Both guys expressed their opinion. You’ll probably be asking Robert here in a couple of minutes what exactly did you mean by it, and he’ll share that with you.”
On how Griffin III has done dealing with everything that comes with being an NFL quarterback:
“Which I’ve said many times – it’s a growing experience. It’s not easy. I think it’s the toughest position to play in all of sports. Usually Robert is dead on with everything – it comes very natural to him. But what doesn’t come natural to anybody is going through the trials and tribulations you go through after winning and losing. It’s tough. You’ve got to fight through it and he’ll learn by it just like he does with every snap he gets against every coverage. It’s a constant learning experience, and that’s what you’re hoping for your guys that, 'Hey, you know what, nothing is going to be pretty, not every year is going to be pretty, but can you grow from it?’ And he’s a guy that can grow from it because he’s extremely bright.”
On the miscommunication on the final offensive play of the game vs. Philadelphia:
“I don’t get into detail about that. You look back and you know as a coach the protection did come out the right way, so I’m taking a look at different players on the field trying to look at why a guy ran a certain route, and at that time I really didn’t know, but I knew something was wrong. It really doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, you get it done or you don’t get it done – it’s an experience. I know you want to write who said what. I get upset when we have a timeout with coaches, with players, me, making sure that you’re put in that situation, everything comes out correctly, and it doesn’t happen that way all the time.”
On what teams are doing to slow down 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick:
“No. 1, they played a very, very good defensive team. They haven’t given up a lot of plays, a lot of points to anybody, and I think everybody can see how well Carolina’s been playing. But everybody makes adjustments every year. All defenses will make adjustments to an offense and you just have to adjust as a offensive team. There’s always a philosophy that you have going in – some people like to throw the ball, some people like to run, some people like to have a little bit of balance. Whatever type of defensive coordinator you’re going to go against, people try to have the ability to take whatever you are doing – the strength of your team – and try to take it away. And if they can take it away, you’ve got to be able to adjust. That’s going to happen to all quarterbacks in this league and people are talking about Kaepernick right now – our team’s doing that – well sure they are. He’ll adjust because he’s got a lot of talent. He’s got speed. It looks like he’s a hell of a competitor and I just think he’ll keep on getting better and better, but there’s a growing curve and sometimes it takes time.”
On why it is important for his message to be that the next game is the most important:
“When you start looking at games ahead thinking one game is more important than the other then your focus is not going in the right direction. There’s only so many things that you can do in a day, and whatever that game plan is, you better be concentrating on your responsibility. And for us, on a Wednesday we’ve got a certain part of the game plan, on Thursday we’ve got a certain part, Friday we’ve got a certain part, Saturday. It takes a lot to concentrate just in those areas to get ready for San Francisco. If you’re in the back of your mind getting ready for the game on the following Sunday night, then the chances are you’re going to miss something getting ready for the Monday night game.”
On Hankerson’s seasons ending in November in both 2011 and 2013:
“When I saw Hankerson on the ground, I really didn’t see until I looked at the film on how he got hit and it really came late. I don’t know if you saw it but it was a hit where he was actually on the ground and a big lineman came right over the top and hit him right in the knee. So when I saw that just watching the film the next morning I didn’t have a good feeling that something positive was going to happen.”
On evaluating players:
“That happens all the time. We talked about it at 3-6. We talked about, 'You’re always being evaluated.’ And these players understand that. You’re going to get the best out of somebody. You’re going to evaluate them the whole 16 games and we want to see how people perform when there is a little adversity. So yeah, are players being evaluated just like last year? Sure they are, and rightfully so. We’ll see what kind of character they have, how they fight, how they play, and they better – we’re playing some good football teams.”
Quarterback Robert Griffin III
On his reaction to wide receiver Santana Moss’ comments and how he can assure his teammates of his leadership:
“You don’t say anything to the guys when it comes to that [leadership]. The second you start changing and letting what outside people say affect what you do is the time that guys start to not believe in you. So you don’t do that. You go out to practice every day ready to work. Me and 'Tana talked. We’re on the same page and we just want to beat San Francisco. That’s all that matters to us right now.”
On if he wishes he could take back anything he said following the Philadelphia game:
“I think at the end of the day, I just have to know in that situation after a tough loss to a divisional opponent I can’t give anybody any opportunity to read into my words and misinterpret anything. Some of the things I said – I was trying to give a good compliment to Philly. I wasn’t trying to take any shots at anybody and it turned out that way. You’re asking me today and like I said, if I could take any of that back, yeah, I would take it back, because in the heat of that moment, you’re frustrated. You’re trying to figure out why things didn’t work. I’m trying to give you guys honest answers and it hurt us in that sense. That’s on me. I’ve just got to take more time to think about things and just not, even when I’m trying to give an honest answer, sometimes, 'Let me look at the film’ is good enough, because you can look at the film and figure it out.”
On what he has learned about being a leader in the NFL:
“It’s a constant learning experience. I sit next to one of the greatest leaders, I feel, in the NFL in London Fletcher and we get to talk a lot. So that’s very helpful, having him there.”
On if he feels the need to take more responsibility by using “I” or “me” more often in his comments:
“You guys asked me about the last play of the game. I said I tried to throw the ball away and it didn’t work. I don’t know who else is to blame for that. I tried to throw the ball away and it didn’t work. So like I said, you just can’t let those little things – 'I’, 'me,’ people trying to coach you in those areas – take advantage of or just turn what you’re trying to say. But at the end of the day, like I said, I talked to London and those guys and they knew what I was trying to say. Maybe I can say 'I’, 'me’ a whole lot more, but other people can take that the wrong way, too.”
On if he spoke with Executive Vice President/Head Coach Mike Shanahan and Offensive Coordinator Kyle Shanahan to clarify his comments about how the Eagles were prepared for their plays:
“I did. We’re just all frustrated. He’s calling plays out there. We’re trying to run them. Some of the things weren’t working earlier in the game. Later in the game we got it going, but it was just a little bit too late. So it’s just all real frustrating, but we’re all on the same page and we’re all a family. We’re all out there fighting together. Everybody wants to win.”
On how he deals with criticism after not experiencing much criticism with the level of success he’s had:
“I mean, you just have to shut it all out. And I have had to deal with criticism in my life. I dealt with two 4-8 seasons at Baylor. It’s nothing like this at this level in the NFL, but you can’t look at that stuff. You have to come into work and put your phone away. You can’t look at any of that stuff out there. The means to get news nowadays, there’s so many different ways to do it and you just can’t look at it. You’ve got to block it out and never change who you are as a person, as a player, as a teammate, and just keep pushing forward.”
On whom he leans on when facing adversity:
“Yeah, you lean on your family. You lean on your coaches, your teammates. In all those instances, all those people have helped me throughout all this. It’s a constant learning experience and it’s a great game and you can’t stop smiling. Uou can’t get down, because it’s a beautiful game we get to play. We get to go out there, showcase our talents and get to do good things in the community, so there’s nothing to frown about.”
On the best advice he has received on facing adversity:
“Keep chopping wood. You’ve got to keep pushing forward. Once again, never change who you are. Come to work every day with a smile, upbeat, get guys to play and make sure no one ever quits. That’s the main thing – make sure we all go out there with the same goal, same mindset, and that’s to win.”
On if there were communication issues on the final interception against Philadelphia:
“Bottom line, last play of the game, I tried to throw the ball away and it didn’t work. It’s my fault. I didn’t get it far enough in the back of the end zone and that’s all anybody needs to know really.”
On if he relates to John Wall’s comments that a people’s perceptions of him change drastically based on the team’s performance:
“John, he’s a talented basketball player, a nice guy. He came down to Baylor and I got a chance to meet with him, show him around a little bit and it was an enjoyable experience. I know what he means. It’s just, like I said, when you ask about how you deal with the criticism? How do you deal with that? John knows who he is. I know who I am. You can’t worry about those things. Sometimes things like that can get to you if you let it. You’ve got to make sure that you don’t. You have got to stay above that, stay above the fray and just make sure that you keep your mind focused. He wants to be a great basketball player. I want to be a great quarterback. We have to lead our teams to victory and that’s what we’ve got to do.”
On if he embraces his role as a leader despite his youth:
“Talking to guys, it’s all these questions about leadership. There’s no 'Why is that guy a leader?’ It means something different to everybody. You just either are or you aren’t. We’ve got a lot of good ones on this team. I believe in them. I know we can do whatever we put our minds to and I think we will.”
On his relationships with Kyle Shanahan and Mike Shanahan:
“I got this earlier today, too. It’s three guys that want to win football games. We want to win and that’s the bottom line. Whenever you’re not winning, it creates a lot of madness, especially in where we’re at right now with the Washington Redskins. The only way to stop the madness is for us to win and you’ve got three guys – Coach, Kyle, myself – we all want to win and that’s a good recipe.”
On if any perceived issues within the organization are a result of the 3-7 record:
“I just think the 3-7 is the root of the issue. You’ve got a team that comes into the season with high hopes and I don’t think they were too farfetched. We felt like we’d come out and play extremely well and we haven’t this year. We haven’t been consistent enough. I haven’t been consistent enough. It shows in our record. It’s sad for us and it’s frustrating for us because we’ve only been beat a couple of times this year. We’ve lost a lot of games on our own and that’s the tough part as players because we know we’re not a 3-7 football team. So that’s the tough part.”
On if he feels his image has taken an unfair hit this season:
“Can’t worry about that stuff. Just trying to win football games.”
On his relationship with linebacker London Fletcher:
“I talk to London – now, just the 3-7 season, last year. He’s a good guy to be able to listen to because you don’t always have to talk. I come up here because I’m mandated to come up here and talk, so a lot of the time it’s good to just sit back and listen. London is a guy that has a lot of experience, a lot of wisdom, and I appreciate a lot of the stuff that he said not only today when you guys were there talking to him when I’m right there but also just throughout the year and throughout last year. It’s been a pleasure to play with London.”
On Mike Shanahan’s comments about Griffin III’s growing pains and missing an opportunity to improve in the offseason because of rehab:
“I’m not going to sit up here and combat anything that Coach says because he’s got a lot of experience as well and he’s been coaching for a long time and he’s helped me out there on the field a lot. So if that’s what he feels then I’m glad that he feels that way and this offseason we’ll get a lot more reps, a lot more time to be with the team, and just get out there and be a cohesive unit. That’s the biggest thing and that might be the growing pains that we’re going through. Like I said, the bottom line is you’ve got to look in the mirror, and for me I just need to be more consistent and play a lot better for us to win football games.”
On why the team has remained united in the locker room despite struggles:
“I just think just rallying behind each other. When you’re sitting there at 3-7 everybody takes a lot of heat and you’ve just got to make sure that you still show up to work every day ready to go. I think that’s the biggest thing and we’ve got the right kind of guys in our locker room. London said it today. I wasn’t here in 2009 or any other seasons, but he said there’s not a dismay amongst the team. A lot of it is outside the team and we just can’t let that penetrate us.”
On if he and the team are “ticked off” about their current record:
“Oh, we’re mad. I mean, we’re real ticked off. I’m real ticked off. London’s real ticked off. The only thing we can do about it is win. Like I said, you can’t change who you are so I’ll still come up here and I’ll go out with the team and make sure everybody is getting their stuff done the right way. Still be yourself – laugh, joke and go play football, play the game that you love. But at the end of the day, everybody is upset. Everybody is mad. When everyone is on the same page in that regard, it’s good because you can take it out on the football field and that’s what we’re doing. That’s what we’re going to do. That’s all you can say. We’ll be mad. We’ll be a mad football team on Monday night and I think that’s a good recipe for us. It is what it is. We’re where we’re at because of what we’ve done. We’re where we’re at because of what I’ve done. That’s the way you have to approach it.”
On facing San Francisco’s defense:
“San Francisco, you can look at them on paper and they have a great defense, and you can watch them on film and they have a great defense. They play physical. It’s going to be a challenge and you’ve got to accept that challenge. I think our guys will. I think they’ll accept that challenge and we’ll have to go out there and play a tough team in a tough environment for them preferably on Monday night at our house so we’ll just go do that.”
On how he compares to 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick:
“I don’t know. I haven’t had a big chance to watch him. We get so tied up into what we’re doing on our teams I don’t really get a chance to check out the other quarterbacks and what they do, so I couldn’t give you an accurate account of that.”
On if they have any relationship:
“No. I mean hopefully in the future we can meet up and do some stuff, but right now I don’t.”
On if he can relate to the struggles Kaepernick is going through this season:
“Like I said, I couldn’t give you an accurate account of what they’ve done or what he’s done or what they do on offense. I can tell you what they’ve done on defense and that’s shut a lot of teams down, so we’ve got a big challenge ahead of us.”
On expectations both quarterbacks built in their first seasons as starters:
“With expectations, you want that. You want guys to expect you to succeed – to be great – and for us there was a lot of expectations coming into this season and we just haven’t lived up to them and that’s unfortunate. You can either look at adversity and say, 'Look, I’ll let you beat me and we’ll be down and out and we’ll quit on the rest of the season,’ or you can buckle up, stare adversity in the face and let it know that you won’t be beaten. That’s the way I approach it. That’s the way I know those guys in the locker room approach it. That’s all you can do.”
On if he is appreciative of the re-sodding at FedExField:
“I think everybody is appreciative of the way they changed. It looks better. Your footing is better. We’ll get to go play some fast, physical football and I hear it’s supposed to be cold so everybody bring their jackets.”
Redskins Park
Executive Vice President/Head Coach Mike Shanahan
On injuries:
“Hank [wide receiver Leonard Hankerson] has got an LCL. It will need surgery. When that will occur, I’m not positive at this time. [Tight end] Jordan Reed still has a concussion – did not practice today. [Defensive end Stephen] Bowen – knee, did not practice as well. It’s a right knee. [Cornerback] Josh Wilson has an inflamed toe. He did not practice. And [safety Jose] Gumbs with the ankle, same thing, did not practice. And [cornerback E.J.] Biggers had full practice today.”
On status of defensive end Adam Carriker:
“Carriker, kind of like what I told you before, even though he’s on the 21-day list, it’s a very longshot he would be up. He’s doing rehab. He’s lifting weights, working extremely hard, but it’d be a minor miracle if he came back this year.”
On the timetable for Hankerson’s rehab:
“I would say usually an LCL – just guessing from what they talked about with [quarterback] Robert [Griffin III] initially – it’d be a few months.”
On deciding between keeping Carriker on the PUP list or putting him on the Reserve/Injured list:
“Either way he’s going to be IR’d if we don’t activate him in 21 days. I said there’s still a chance – there’s a longshot, so that’s why we activate him. Basically he’s IR’d if he doesn’t practice so it’s the same thing… I do believe in miracles, by the way.”
On if he has spoken to the league regarding tackle Trent Williams’ situation:
“I did talk to [Vice President of Officiating] Dean [Blandino]. I can’t go into detail about that, but it was a number of issues. I didn’t call him just about that situation, but I did talk to him briefly about that.”
On if he expects Joshua Morgan fill the role vacated by Hankerson:
“We can play a number of people there but Josh will be the starting Z receiver going into this game. I’ve got a lot of confidence in him. He had a good practice today. Obviously Santana [Moss] knows that position as well. Nick [Williams] can play both inside and outside if needed as well as Aldrick [Robinson], so we’ve got some guys that we can flip-flop different positions if needed.”
On if his impression is that the NFL is still investigating the Trent Williams issue:
“I really don’t know. I think what Trent said and a number of people have talked about and exactly to what extent they’re going to investigate it, I really don’t know.”
On if tight end Fred Davis would be activated if Jordan Reed cannot play vs. San Francisco:
“Yes, he would be activated.”
On if he has to remind the players that they are family after they’ve discussed their teammates publicly:
“Well, first of all, the guys are family. We don’t have any problems with the guys in our locker room. I think everybody expresses themselves a little bit differently. What may be perceived as something that might be a little bit negative, I can guarantee you it’s not. We’ve got a good locker room. As I’ve said many times, we’ve got great character. Some people express their opinion certain ways and I think it comes with experience. Sometimes you look back and you say something and you go, 'Boy, I wish I would have worded it differently.’ That’s just the nature of our business. It’s the nature of people being in situations, especially after the game, where you kind of get overwhelmed. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said something – I know it’s hard for you guys to believe that I would do something like that, but – where you say something and you go, 'Ah, why did I say that?’ Or I’ll say something, then I’ll look at the film and I’m going, 'Oh my God, I thought that occurred – it didn’t occur.’ That’s why usually after a game I don’t say a whole lot about the game, me personally, because I’m not really sure until I do look at that film. Especially after a loss, sometimes emotions get the best of us. I can guarantee you we’ve got a bunch of great guys that are working extremely hard and I know they’ve got to answer some questions because we’re all accountable for what we say but I feel good about where we’re at.”
On if he likes being in “do or die” situations:
“I don’t think anybody likes being in that situation. You would like to be 9-1. Those are the situations you want to be in where you don’t worry about it – you’re just trying to figure out who you’re going to play in the playoffs. But obviously we’re in the situation where every game is big and you want to play your best football, especially with a Monday night crowd in front of the country.”
On if he has any questions about quarterback Robert Griffin III’s leadership:
“No, I don’t. I don’t have any questions about his accountability and leadership. As I said, people say it different ways. What Robert was saying in my opinion was, 'I was trying to get it out of there, throw it away, throw it out of the end zone to fourth-and-one.’ He didn’t throw it far enough and not very many people can even make that throw, to even think about the flick of a wrist throwing the ball out of the end zone. He can do it very easily. But I understand what Santana meant. I understand what Robert meant. But that’s men coming together. You’ve got a tough loss and a lot of emotions after a game and all of a sudden, hey, you look back and say, 'Maybe I wish I would have said it a different way, but this is what I meant.’ I know Robert meant nothing by it. I know Santana meant nothing by it. Both guys expressed their opinion. You’ll probably be asking Robert here in a couple of minutes what exactly did you mean by it, and he’ll share that with you.”
On how Griffin III has done dealing with everything that comes with being an NFL quarterback:
“Which I’ve said many times – it’s a growing experience. It’s not easy. I think it’s the toughest position to play in all of sports. Usually Robert is dead on with everything – it comes very natural to him. But what doesn’t come natural to anybody is going through the trials and tribulations you go through after winning and losing. It’s tough. You’ve got to fight through it and he’ll learn by it just like he does with every snap he gets against every coverage. It’s a constant learning experience, and that’s what you’re hoping for your guys that, 'Hey, you know what, nothing is going to be pretty, not every year is going to be pretty, but can you grow from it?’ And he’s a guy that can grow from it because he’s extremely bright.”
On the miscommunication on the final offensive play of the game vs. Philadelphia:
“I don’t get into detail about that. You look back and you know as a coach the protection did come out the right way, so I’m taking a look at different players on the field trying to look at why a guy ran a certain route, and at that time I really didn’t know, but I knew something was wrong. It really doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, you get it done or you don’t get it done – it’s an experience. I know you want to write who said what. I get upset when we have a timeout with coaches, with players, me, making sure that you’re put in that situation, everything comes out correctly, and it doesn’t happen that way all the time.”
On what teams are doing to slow down 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick:
“No. 1, they played a very, very good defensive team. They haven’t given up a lot of plays, a lot of points to anybody, and I think everybody can see how well Carolina’s been playing. But everybody makes adjustments every year. All defenses will make adjustments to an offense and you just have to adjust as a offensive team. There’s always a philosophy that you have going in – some people like to throw the ball, some people like to run, some people like to have a little bit of balance. Whatever type of defensive coordinator you’re going to go against, people try to have the ability to take whatever you are doing – the strength of your team – and try to take it away. And if they can take it away, you’ve got to be able to adjust. That’s going to happen to all quarterbacks in this league and people are talking about Kaepernick right now – our team’s doing that – well sure they are. He’ll adjust because he’s got a lot of talent. He’s got speed. It looks like he’s a hell of a competitor and I just think he’ll keep on getting better and better, but there’s a growing curve and sometimes it takes time.”
On why it is important for his message to be that the next game is the most important:
“When you start looking at games ahead thinking one game is more important than the other then your focus is not going in the right direction. There’s only so many things that you can do in a day, and whatever that game plan is, you better be concentrating on your responsibility. And for us, on a Wednesday we’ve got a certain part of the game plan, on Thursday we’ve got a certain part, Friday we’ve got a certain part, Saturday. It takes a lot to concentrate just in those areas to get ready for San Francisco. If you’re in the back of your mind getting ready for the game on the following Sunday night, then the chances are you’re going to miss something getting ready for the Monday night game.”
On Hankerson’s seasons ending in November in both 2011 and 2013:
“When I saw Hankerson on the ground, I really didn’t see until I looked at the film on how he got hit and it really came late. I don’t know if you saw it but it was a hit where he was actually on the ground and a big lineman came right over the top and hit him right in the knee. So when I saw that just watching the film the next morning I didn’t have a good feeling that something positive was going to happen.”
On evaluating players:
“That happens all the time. We talked about it at 3-6. We talked about, 'You’re always being evaluated.’ And these players understand that. You’re going to get the best out of somebody. You’re going to evaluate them the whole 16 games and we want to see how people perform when there is a little adversity. So yeah, are players being evaluated just like last year? Sure they are, and rightfully so. We’ll see what kind of character they have, how they fight, how they play, and they better – we’re playing some good football teams.”
Quarterback Robert Griffin III
On his reaction to wide receiver Santana Moss’ comments and how he can assure his teammates of his leadership:
“You don’t say anything to the guys when it comes to that [leadership]. The second you start changing and letting what outside people say affect what you do is the time that guys start to not believe in you. So you don’t do that. You go out to practice every day ready to work. Me and 'Tana talked. We’re on the same page and we just want to beat San Francisco. That’s all that matters to us right now.”
On if he wishes he could take back anything he said following the Philadelphia game:
“I think at the end of the day, I just have to know in that situation after a tough loss to a divisional opponent I can’t give anybody any opportunity to read into my words and misinterpret anything. Some of the things I said – I was trying to give a good compliment to Philly. I wasn’t trying to take any shots at anybody and it turned out that way. You’re asking me today and like I said, if I could take any of that back, yeah, I would take it back, because in the heat of that moment, you’re frustrated. You’re trying to figure out why things didn’t work. I’m trying to give you guys honest answers and it hurt us in that sense. That’s on me. I’ve just got to take more time to think about things and just not, even when I’m trying to give an honest answer, sometimes, 'Let me look at the film’ is good enough, because you can look at the film and figure it out.”
On what he has learned about being a leader in the NFL:
“It’s a constant learning experience. I sit next to one of the greatest leaders, I feel, in the NFL in London Fletcher and we get to talk a lot. So that’s very helpful, having him there.”
On if he feels the need to take more responsibility by using “I” or “me” more often in his comments:
“You guys asked me about the last play of the game. I said I tried to throw the ball away and it didn’t work. I don’t know who else is to blame for that. I tried to throw the ball away and it didn’t work. So like I said, you just can’t let those little things – 'I’, 'me,’ people trying to coach you in those areas – take advantage of or just turn what you’re trying to say. But at the end of the day, like I said, I talked to London and those guys and they knew what I was trying to say. Maybe I can say 'I’, 'me’ a whole lot more, but other people can take that the wrong way, too.”
On if he spoke with Executive Vice President/Head Coach Mike Shanahan and Offensive Coordinator Kyle Shanahan to clarify his comments about how the Eagles were prepared for their plays:
“I did. We’re just all frustrated. He’s calling plays out there. We’re trying to run them. Some of the things weren’t working earlier in the game. Later in the game we got it going, but it was just a little bit too late. So it’s just all real frustrating, but we’re all on the same page and we’re all a family. We’re all out there fighting together. Everybody wants to win.”
On how he deals with criticism after not experiencing much criticism with the level of success he’s had:
“I mean, you just have to shut it all out. And I have had to deal with criticism in my life. I dealt with two 4-8 seasons at Baylor. It’s nothing like this at this level in the NFL, but you can’t look at that stuff. You have to come into work and put your phone away. You can’t look at any of that stuff out there. The means to get news nowadays, there’s so many different ways to do it and you just can’t look at it. You’ve got to block it out and never change who you are as a person, as a player, as a teammate, and just keep pushing forward.”
On whom he leans on when facing adversity:
“Yeah, you lean on your family. You lean on your coaches, your teammates. In all those instances, all those people have helped me throughout all this. It’s a constant learning experience and it’s a great game and you can’t stop smiling. Uou can’t get down, because it’s a beautiful game we get to play. We get to go out there, showcase our talents and get to do good things in the community, so there’s nothing to frown about.”
On the best advice he has received on facing adversity:
“Keep chopping wood. You’ve got to keep pushing forward. Once again, never change who you are. Come to work every day with a smile, upbeat, get guys to play and make sure no one ever quits. That’s the main thing – make sure we all go out there with the same goal, same mindset, and that’s to win.”
On if there were communication issues on the final interception against Philadelphia:
“Bottom line, last play of the game, I tried to throw the ball away and it didn’t work. It’s my fault. I didn’t get it far enough in the back of the end zone and that’s all anybody needs to know really.”
On if he relates to John Wall’s comments that a people’s perceptions of him change drastically based on the team’s performance:
“John, he’s a talented basketball player, a nice guy. He came down to Baylor and I got a chance to meet with him, show him around a little bit and it was an enjoyable experience. I know what he means. It’s just, like I said, when you ask about how you deal with the criticism? How do you deal with that? John knows who he is. I know who I am. You can’t worry about those things. Sometimes things like that can get to you if you let it. You’ve got to make sure that you don’t. You have got to stay above that, stay above the fray and just make sure that you keep your mind focused. He wants to be a great basketball player. I want to be a great quarterback. We have to lead our teams to victory and that’s what we’ve got to do.”
On if he embraces his role as a leader despite his youth:
“Talking to guys, it’s all these questions about leadership. There’s no 'Why is that guy a leader?’ It means something different to everybody. You just either are or you aren’t. We’ve got a lot of good ones on this team. I believe in them. I know we can do whatever we put our minds to and I think we will.”
On his relationships with Kyle Shanahan and Mike Shanahan:
“I got this earlier today, too. It’s three guys that want to win football games. We want to win and that’s the bottom line. Whenever you’re not winning, it creates a lot of madness, especially in where we’re at right now with the Washington Redskins. The only way to stop the madness is for us to win and you’ve got three guys – Coach, Kyle, myself – we all want to win and that’s a good recipe.”
On if any perceived issues within the organization are a result of the 3-7 record:
“I just think the 3-7 is the root of the issue. You’ve got a team that comes into the season with high hopes and I don’t think they were too farfetched. We felt like we’d come out and play extremely well and we haven’t this year. We haven’t been consistent enough. I haven’t been consistent enough. It shows in our record. It’s sad for us and it’s frustrating for us because we’ve only been beat a couple of times this year. We’ve lost a lot of games on our own and that’s the tough part as players because we know we’re not a 3-7 football team. So that’s the tough part.”
On if he feels his image has taken an unfair hit this season:
“Can’t worry about that stuff. Just trying to win football games.”
On his relationship with linebacker London Fletcher:
“I talk to London – now, just the 3-7 season, last year. He’s a good guy to be able to listen to because you don’t always have to talk. I come up here because I’m mandated to come up here and talk, so a lot of the time it’s good to just sit back and listen. London is a guy that has a lot of experience, a lot of wisdom, and I appreciate a lot of the stuff that he said not only today when you guys were there talking to him when I’m right there but also just throughout the year and throughout last year. It’s been a pleasure to play with London.”
On Mike Shanahan’s comments about Griffin III’s growing pains and missing an opportunity to improve in the offseason because of rehab:
“I’m not going to sit up here and combat anything that Coach says because he’s got a lot of experience as well and he’s been coaching for a long time and he’s helped me out there on the field a lot. So if that’s what he feels then I’m glad that he feels that way and this offseason we’ll get a lot more reps, a lot more time to be with the team, and just get out there and be a cohesive unit. That’s the biggest thing and that might be the growing pains that we’re going through. Like I said, the bottom line is you’ve got to look in the mirror, and for me I just need to be more consistent and play a lot better for us to win football games.”
On why the team has remained united in the locker room despite struggles:
“I just think just rallying behind each other. When you’re sitting there at 3-7 everybody takes a lot of heat and you’ve just got to make sure that you still show up to work every day ready to go. I think that’s the biggest thing and we’ve got the right kind of guys in our locker room. London said it today. I wasn’t here in 2009 or any other seasons, but he said there’s not a dismay amongst the team. A lot of it is outside the team and we just can’t let that penetrate us.”
On if he and the team are “ticked off” about their current record:
“Oh, we’re mad. I mean, we’re real ticked off. I’m real ticked off. London’s real ticked off. The only thing we can do about it is win. Like I said, you can’t change who you are so I’ll still come up here and I’ll go out with the team and make sure everybody is getting their stuff done the right way. Still be yourself – laugh, joke and go play football, play the game that you love. But at the end of the day, everybody is upset. Everybody is mad. When everyone is on the same page in that regard, it’s good because you can take it out on the football field and that’s what we’re doing. That’s what we’re going to do. That’s all you can say. We’ll be mad. We’ll be a mad football team on Monday night and I think that’s a good recipe for us. It is what it is. We’re where we’re at because of what we’ve done. We’re where we’re at because of what I’ve done. That’s the way you have to approach it.”
On facing San Francisco’s defense:
“San Francisco, you can look at them on paper and they have a great defense, and you can watch them on film and they have a great defense. They play physical. It’s going to be a challenge and you’ve got to accept that challenge. I think our guys will. I think they’ll accept that challenge and we’ll have to go out there and play a tough team in a tough environment for them preferably on Monday night at our house so we’ll just go do that.”
On how he compares to 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick:
“I don’t know. I haven’t had a big chance to watch him. We get so tied up into what we’re doing on our teams I don’t really get a chance to check out the other quarterbacks and what they do, so I couldn’t give you an accurate account of that.”
On if they have any relationship:
“No. I mean hopefully in the future we can meet up and do some stuff, but right now I don’t.”
On if he can relate to the struggles Kaepernick is going through this season:
“Like I said, I couldn’t give you an accurate account of what they’ve done or what he’s done or what they do on offense. I can tell you what they’ve done on defense and that’s shut a lot of teams down, so we’ve got a big challenge ahead of us.”
On expectations both quarterbacks built in their first seasons as starters:
“With expectations, you want that. You want guys to expect you to succeed – to be great – and for us there was a lot of expectations coming into this season and we just haven’t lived up to them and that’s unfortunate. You can either look at adversity and say, 'Look, I’ll let you beat me and we’ll be down and out and we’ll quit on the rest of the season,’ or you can buckle up, stare adversity in the face and let it know that you won’t be beaten. That’s the way I approach it. That’s the way I know those guys in the locker room approach it. That’s all you can do.”
On if he is appreciative of the re-sodding at FedExField:
“I think everybody is appreciative of the way they changed. It looks better. Your footing is better. We’ll get to go play some fast, physical football and I hear it’s supposed to be cold so everybody bring their jackets.”