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October 6, 2014
FedExField
Quarterback Kirk Cousins
On making progress as a team:
“I think we did some good things. I think there are plenty of places we have to get better. Until we win, we’re always going to focus on where we need to improve. Well, Seattle is a great football team. We did a lot of good things tonight. We went toe-to-toe with them and there are still so many things that we are capable of doing better. And I think that gives us hope going forward knowing the kind of team that we have. It’s just a matter of putting it all together and putting it out there in one whole game to get that win.”
On his performance:
“I think stats are stats. I think ultimately quarterbacks are going to be judged on winning. You know, we’re not doing that right now, but hopefully we can get in a stretch right now and get right back in it. I’ve seen it happen before. We did some good things tonight — absolutely. We moved the ball at times and made some big plays. I continue to get better. I’m continuing to learn. By no means do I feel like I have arrived. But every game, every rep, I’m getting better and I feel like I’m getting close.”
On difficulty of going the length of the field under pressure:
“When you’re backed up like that against a great defense, the odds are stacked against you. When you get down to the strike zone and you get down to the red zone, you want to come away with a touchdown instead of a field goal. So that missed opportunity there where we had to kick a field goal was tough. But like you said, when you’ve got bad field position, it is a challenge to go 89 yards against arguably the best defense in the NFL. ”
On Head Coach Jay Gruden’s comment about Cousins’ making easy passes look hard and hard passes look easy:
“I feel like if I could point to some place where I need to get better, it would be on third down — on third down medium, on third down and long. We’re looking for a completion. We’re looking for a first down. The odds are stacked against us a little bit. They pinned their ears back rushing, but we need to find a play somewhere. I think those are the places where I can, will, and need to get better. But as I said earlier, I’m close and I can feel myself getting close. I’m not there yet, but I do feel like I’m really getting close. ”
On communication issues with the headset:
“There were communication issues with the headset, but that happens on a regular basis. Headsets go out at times, especially in two-minute situations. That’s kind of always been something you have to be prepared for. It’s unfortunate, but it’s something that does happen probably more often than you think.”
On the amount of time he had in the pocket:
“They have a great pass rush in Seattle and they were bringing it. We didn’t take any sacks, I don’t believe. So that is a positive. At the same time, when you lose and didn’t quite make enough plays to win, you start to look at plays where you think about what you could have done differently. To answer your question, they did a great job protecting. They didn’t have any sacks, which sums it up.”
On the 60-yard touchdown to wide receiver DeSean Jackson and then his 57-yarder later:
“I’m still learning on how to play with a guy like DeSean. He’s in a category in his own. It takes some time to build that chemistry and learn how talented he is, how much you can let the ball go and he can get it. He is so good at tracking it in the air. I’m still learning how to work with him. Those two plays show how good he is. It’s just a matter of every week getting him the football, because when the ball is in his hands, good things happen.”
On if he has the option to run:
“I do. From a play calling standpoint to a scheme standpoint to a coaching standpoint, I always have that freedom there and that is still built into the game plan. It’s not as natural for me to do it like a Russell Wilson or Robert [Griffin III]. It’s probably times I need to go back and be tough on myself. Can I be more of a runner here or maybe not a runner? Maybe I need to be a scrambler or off-schedule plays. When you watch the great guys play, a lot of them are off-schedule plays. An area where I can get better. It’s tough to simulate until you are in a real game with a live pass rush. [There are] many areas where I’m looking to be hard on myself. That’s an area where I can go back and improve.”
On sticking with the run,:
“I feel like that’s our foundation. That is what we do so well, that zone running game. We have great running backs. When you start to get away from your identity, who you are, I think you get bigger problems. We’ve got to stick to who we are, what we are good at. We knew coming into this game with Seattle that it was going to be a little rocky. They are good at stopping the run. They are a top defense and have Super Bowl rings for a reason. They are going to be good at stopping the run. We had to commit to it because that is who we are and it’s our identity. For the most part we are good at it. Credit Seattle in that sense.”
Wide Receiver DeSean Jackson
On the status of his preexisting shoulder injury:
“My shoulder’s pretty sore, but I think it’s in a lot better shape than what it was a couple weeks ago. It’s week to week but I’m doing everything I can to get my treatments and better it up so, toward the end of the season, I won’t feel it anymore. It’s no serious concern. I’m just getting my treatments and doing what I need to do to take care of my body.”
On how the game played out:
“Yeah, it was a tough team we played. They’re Super Bowl champions. What I felt when it was 10-17, we really couldn’t catch that break to tie the game up. Everybody is doing anything and everything we can to continue to play and try to get a break but we were never really able to do that.”
On why the team is not producing wins consistently:
“You know, it’s a process man. New coach, new quarterback that’s getting a lot of new experience and things like that. There’s a lot of new players added to the team here, so we’re trying to find our identity or continually go out there and just give us a chance to win. That’s the best I can say.”
Safety Ryan Clark
On the team’s performance:
“I’ve been doing this a long time. I am just a free safety. All I can control is No. 25. I’m going to come back and work. I’m going to get these rusty ankles fixed up that I hurt tonight, and come back and play ball. I think you saw that from all the guys in here though. It’s not necessarily about building on the good things. It’s figuring out what we didn’t do enough of to win. I think that’s the way guys are looking at it right now. Hopefully, we’re not saying we can build on it, because you can’t build on a loss. It’s still an L. What we have to do is find the things we did well, need to do those, and the things that made us lose the game, do those better.”
On his disappointment last week in how the team handled adversity:
“Without question. I think for me I was very disappointed with our reaction to adversity last week. I was very disappointed in the way we attacked after we were punched in the mouth. I think tonight that is what I wanted to see. I want to win. I understand that we don’t get paid to play football. We get paid to win football games. Period. We have to be better. For me, at this point in my career, I can’t play for a group of men who will lay down, and we didn’t, so I can live with that.”
On if he is running out of time for close calls:
“Definitely.”
Linebacker Brian Orakpo
On how hard it was to deal with Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson getting outside:
“That is a difficult thing. You normally – the edges - you can see Russell getting out but at the same time the way we are playing is playing play run, run. It’s hard man, it’s hard. You are trying to read the mess and you really can’t tell who has the ball. Russell who kept it a lot more than he would on his keeps this game than he showed on film. I guess he knows that we play our stuff a little but more aggressively than other teams when we are trying to stop the run. He did a good job, it was almost like he wasn’t even reading, it was almost like it was designed keeps the way he was hitting the edges and his quarterback boots and things of that nature.”
On adjustments made when the score was 17-0:
“Just squaring ourselves a little bit more, plaster a little bit better, like I said before. And then we got ourselves back in the game. We didn’t run out of gas, just didn’t make enough plays at the end. Phenomenal effort, we almost had it, was coming back. We almost did it but fell short.”
On how he felt like the defense did overall:
“I mean, we lost, but like I said phenomenal effort, guys didn’t quit regardless of the score we just kept fighting. We gave ourselves a chance at the end.”
On where he feels the Redskins are as a team:
“Obviously, like I said, we are 1-4 and we are disappointed, but these are the defending Super Bowl champions and we went toe-to-toe with these guys and that is something to hang our heads high on getting ready for Arizona.
Linebacker Ryan Kerrigan
On adjustments made from first half to second half:
“We just kind of just tried to play the bootlegs a little bit better. I mean, that is where he was really effective early in the game was on those keepers, which we didn’t see much of those on film in the previous weeks so you’ve got to tip your hat to them for adjusting during their bye week.”
On how frustrating it is to lose this way:
“Well, it is frustrating because we left it all out there and we came up short. But if we get that kind of effort and just limit the big plays and limit the mistakes then we have a chance to be good and start stacking up some wins.”
On Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson’s ability to create with his legs:
“He was a special player tonight. I don’t think it was anything we were really doing poorly, I mean the guy is just a football player and was making some really great plays.”
Safety Brandon Meriweather
On how the defense played as a whole tonight:
“I thought we played OK. I think we got a lot of things to get better with but we played OK. I think we played alright.”
On frustration on the long third down catch by Marshawn Lynch late in the game:
“It is always frustrating. Anytime you give up a play you shouldn’t, it’s always frustrating. So, you know, it is what it is.”
On how to process this loss with better performance than last week:
“You keep giving the same - you keep giving effort. As long as you are giving effort and you’re going out and doing your job, everything is going to fall into place. So, you know, you just have to go out and keep giving effort and let the chips fall where they may.”
Running Back Alfred Morris
On the rebound in the second half:
“We just corrected our mistakes. Their defense in the first half played one heck of a game, and we really didn’t match them the first half. We came back in the second half. In the first, we were able to get a touchdown, give us a little more momentum coming out in the second half – and the ball first. I mean, we had a lot of opportunities, and we didn’t capitalize on them. In the end, we lost.”
On the outcome of the game and if he is disappointed:
“Yes, because our effort was high. We played hard, but like I said, we didn’t capitalize on all the opportunities we were given. We didn’t match the defense early on. Thinking in the first half we had three or four three-and-outs. You know, you just can’t do that and expect to win the game.”
On Seattle’s defense shutting down the run:
“They’re just very active. They were doing a good job shedding blocks. You have them blocked, they’ll give us a look. They would shed guys and fall back into the holes. It was definitely causing problems in the running game. We didn’t do so good on the ground today and I think that hurt the offense.”
FedExField
Quarterback Kirk Cousins
On making progress as a team:
“I think we did some good things. I think there are plenty of places we have to get better. Until we win, we’re always going to focus on where we need to improve. Well, Seattle is a great football team. We did a lot of good things tonight. We went toe-to-toe with them and there are still so many things that we are capable of doing better. And I think that gives us hope going forward knowing the kind of team that we have. It’s just a matter of putting it all together and putting it out there in one whole game to get that win.”
On his performance:
“I think stats are stats. I think ultimately quarterbacks are going to be judged on winning. You know, we’re not doing that right now, but hopefully we can get in a stretch right now and get right back in it. I’ve seen it happen before. We did some good things tonight — absolutely. We moved the ball at times and made some big plays. I continue to get better. I’m continuing to learn. By no means do I feel like I have arrived. But every game, every rep, I’m getting better and I feel like I’m getting close.”
On difficulty of going the length of the field under pressure:
“When you’re backed up like that against a great defense, the odds are stacked against you. When you get down to the strike zone and you get down to the red zone, you want to come away with a touchdown instead of a field goal. So that missed opportunity there where we had to kick a field goal was tough. But like you said, when you’ve got bad field position, it is a challenge to go 89 yards against arguably the best defense in the NFL. ”
On Head Coach Jay Gruden’s comment about Cousins’ making easy passes look hard and hard passes look easy:
“I feel like if I could point to some place where I need to get better, it would be on third down — on third down medium, on third down and long. We’re looking for a completion. We’re looking for a first down. The odds are stacked against us a little bit. They pinned their ears back rushing, but we need to find a play somewhere. I think those are the places where I can, will, and need to get better. But as I said earlier, I’m close and I can feel myself getting close. I’m not there yet, but I do feel like I’m really getting close. ”
On communication issues with the headset:
“There were communication issues with the headset, but that happens on a regular basis. Headsets go out at times, especially in two-minute situations. That’s kind of always been something you have to be prepared for. It’s unfortunate, but it’s something that does happen probably more often than you think.”
On the amount of time he had in the pocket:
“They have a great pass rush in Seattle and they were bringing it. We didn’t take any sacks, I don’t believe. So that is a positive. At the same time, when you lose and didn’t quite make enough plays to win, you start to look at plays where you think about what you could have done differently. To answer your question, they did a great job protecting. They didn’t have any sacks, which sums it up.”
On the 60-yard touchdown to wide receiver DeSean Jackson and then his 57-yarder later:
“I’m still learning on how to play with a guy like DeSean. He’s in a category in his own. It takes some time to build that chemistry and learn how talented he is, how much you can let the ball go and he can get it. He is so good at tracking it in the air. I’m still learning how to work with him. Those two plays show how good he is. It’s just a matter of every week getting him the football, because when the ball is in his hands, good things happen.”
On if he has the option to run:
“I do. From a play calling standpoint to a scheme standpoint to a coaching standpoint, I always have that freedom there and that is still built into the game plan. It’s not as natural for me to do it like a Russell Wilson or Robert [Griffin III]. It’s probably times I need to go back and be tough on myself. Can I be more of a runner here or maybe not a runner? Maybe I need to be a scrambler or off-schedule plays. When you watch the great guys play, a lot of them are off-schedule plays. An area where I can get better. It’s tough to simulate until you are in a real game with a live pass rush. [There are] many areas where I’m looking to be hard on myself. That’s an area where I can go back and improve.”
On sticking with the run,:
“I feel like that’s our foundation. That is what we do so well, that zone running game. We have great running backs. When you start to get away from your identity, who you are, I think you get bigger problems. We’ve got to stick to who we are, what we are good at. We knew coming into this game with Seattle that it was going to be a little rocky. They are good at stopping the run. They are a top defense and have Super Bowl rings for a reason. They are going to be good at stopping the run. We had to commit to it because that is who we are and it’s our identity. For the most part we are good at it. Credit Seattle in that sense.”
Wide Receiver DeSean Jackson
On the status of his preexisting shoulder injury:
“My shoulder’s pretty sore, but I think it’s in a lot better shape than what it was a couple weeks ago. It’s week to week but I’m doing everything I can to get my treatments and better it up so, toward the end of the season, I won’t feel it anymore. It’s no serious concern. I’m just getting my treatments and doing what I need to do to take care of my body.”
On how the game played out:
“Yeah, it was a tough team we played. They’re Super Bowl champions. What I felt when it was 10-17, we really couldn’t catch that break to tie the game up. Everybody is doing anything and everything we can to continue to play and try to get a break but we were never really able to do that.”
On why the team is not producing wins consistently:
“You know, it’s a process man. New coach, new quarterback that’s getting a lot of new experience and things like that. There’s a lot of new players added to the team here, so we’re trying to find our identity or continually go out there and just give us a chance to win. That’s the best I can say.”
Safety Ryan Clark
On the team’s performance:
“I’ve been doing this a long time. I am just a free safety. All I can control is No. 25. I’m going to come back and work. I’m going to get these rusty ankles fixed up that I hurt tonight, and come back and play ball. I think you saw that from all the guys in here though. It’s not necessarily about building on the good things. It’s figuring out what we didn’t do enough of to win. I think that’s the way guys are looking at it right now. Hopefully, we’re not saying we can build on it, because you can’t build on a loss. It’s still an L. What we have to do is find the things we did well, need to do those, and the things that made us lose the game, do those better.”
On his disappointment last week in how the team handled adversity:
“Without question. I think for me I was very disappointed with our reaction to adversity last week. I was very disappointed in the way we attacked after we were punched in the mouth. I think tonight that is what I wanted to see. I want to win. I understand that we don’t get paid to play football. We get paid to win football games. Period. We have to be better. For me, at this point in my career, I can’t play for a group of men who will lay down, and we didn’t, so I can live with that.”
On if he is running out of time for close calls:
“Definitely.”
Linebacker Brian Orakpo
On how hard it was to deal with Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson getting outside:
“That is a difficult thing. You normally – the edges - you can see Russell getting out but at the same time the way we are playing is playing play run, run. It’s hard man, it’s hard. You are trying to read the mess and you really can’t tell who has the ball. Russell who kept it a lot more than he would on his keeps this game than he showed on film. I guess he knows that we play our stuff a little but more aggressively than other teams when we are trying to stop the run. He did a good job, it was almost like he wasn’t even reading, it was almost like it was designed keeps the way he was hitting the edges and his quarterback boots and things of that nature.”
On adjustments made when the score was 17-0:
“Just squaring ourselves a little bit more, plaster a little bit better, like I said before. And then we got ourselves back in the game. We didn’t run out of gas, just didn’t make enough plays at the end. Phenomenal effort, we almost had it, was coming back. We almost did it but fell short.”
On how he felt like the defense did overall:
“I mean, we lost, but like I said phenomenal effort, guys didn’t quit regardless of the score we just kept fighting. We gave ourselves a chance at the end.”
On where he feels the Redskins are as a team:
“Obviously, like I said, we are 1-4 and we are disappointed, but these are the defending Super Bowl champions and we went toe-to-toe with these guys and that is something to hang our heads high on getting ready for Arizona.
Linebacker Ryan Kerrigan
On adjustments made from first half to second half:
“We just kind of just tried to play the bootlegs a little bit better. I mean, that is where he was really effective early in the game was on those keepers, which we didn’t see much of those on film in the previous weeks so you’ve got to tip your hat to them for adjusting during their bye week.”
On how frustrating it is to lose this way:
“Well, it is frustrating because we left it all out there and we came up short. But if we get that kind of effort and just limit the big plays and limit the mistakes then we have a chance to be good and start stacking up some wins.”
On Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson’s ability to create with his legs:
“He was a special player tonight. I don’t think it was anything we were really doing poorly, I mean the guy is just a football player and was making some really great plays.”
Safety Brandon Meriweather
On how the defense played as a whole tonight:
“I thought we played OK. I think we got a lot of things to get better with but we played OK. I think we played alright.”
On frustration on the long third down catch by Marshawn Lynch late in the game:
“It is always frustrating. Anytime you give up a play you shouldn’t, it’s always frustrating. So, you know, it is what it is.”
On how to process this loss with better performance than last week:
“You keep giving the same - you keep giving effort. As long as you are giving effort and you’re going out and doing your job, everything is going to fall into place. So, you know, you just have to go out and keep giving effort and let the chips fall where they may.”
Running Back Alfred Morris
On the rebound in the second half:
“We just corrected our mistakes. Their defense in the first half played one heck of a game, and we really didn’t match them the first half. We came back in the second half. In the first, we were able to get a touchdown, give us a little more momentum coming out in the second half – and the ball first. I mean, we had a lot of opportunities, and we didn’t capitalize on them. In the end, we lost.”
On the outcome of the game and if he is disappointed:
“Yes, because our effort was high. We played hard, but like I said, we didn’t capitalize on all the opportunities we were given. We didn’t match the defense early on. Thinking in the first half we had three or four three-and-outs. You know, you just can’t do that and expect to win the game.”
On Seattle’s defense shutting down the run:
“They’re just very active. They were doing a good job shedding blocks. You have them blocked, they’ll give us a look. They would shed guys and fall back into the holes. It was definitely causing problems in the running game. We didn’t do so good on the ground today and I think that hurt the offense.”