 }})
- Joined
- Apr 11, 2009
- Messages
- 49,375
- Reaction score
- 7,261
- Points
- 2,244
- Location
- Greensboro, NC
- Military Branch
- Alma Mater
December 22, 2013
FedExField
QB Kirk Cousins
On the last drive:
“We didn’t get a first down. We had three incompletions, and that was it. We have to find ways in those situations to move the chains and give us a chance.”
On the Cowboys doing anything differently defensively on the last drive:
“No, they were just playing prevent defense, and we just have to get completions and move the chains.”
On the last play:
“I was concerned about the delay of game. We didn’t get in the formation we wanted to be in. I thought I needed to snap the ball. I was trying to give our guy a chance. Wasn’t in a good position there, and it didn’t go our way.”
On the interception before halftime:
“I tried to anticipate the angle he was coming out at, and I didn’t anticipate it correctly. [Wide Receiver] Santana [Moss] did a good job breaking in, and I threw it a little bit more up the field. That’s where you talk about chemistry. You talk about reps. You talk about being an experienced quarterback. It’s a game of inches. I’d like to think down the road, I’m going to know where he’s going to go and I’m going to anticipate that a little better. That’s probably a touchdown as opposed to an interception if it’s thrown more inside. Santana did nothing wrong there. I just did a poor job of anticipating where he was going to go.”
On what he was thinking before the last drive:
“We were thinking what’s important now. What’s important now was to get the ball back with a little over a minute left – get some completions, move the chains, get the first down and go from there. We knew we just had to get into field goal range. Throughout the entire game, you’re looking at a situation and thinking what’s important now.”
On throwing behind receivers:
“We’ll go back and watch the film, and we’ll evaluate. Each individual throw could be different. I consider myself to be an accurate quarterback. I think that’s one of my strengths. If at time throws are inaccurate, it has something to do with having a poor mechanic on that play, or just having a poor understanding of where the ball needs to be thrown. Certainly, there are some things I can go back and be hard on myself about.”
On the Cowboys taking away play-action:
“They were mixing it up. They did at times take it away. Other times, we did run it and it was a success. It was one where I missed [wide receiver] Pierre Garçon and we had it open. They went back and forth and mixed it up. Sometimes, it was there and sometimes it wasn’t.”
On Garçon breaking the Redskins receptions in a season record:
“I didn’t know. How many catches did he have? I knew he needed 10, so I talked to him about trying to get five just so he could be halfway for next week. I’m glad he got 11 and broke the record. He’s fearless. He plays very hard and made some great plays for us today. He’s the kind of guy you want on your side when you are backed into a corner. You want Pierre standing with you. He’s put together a good season individually. He did a great job today. He did all he could to give us a good chance to win. We came up short and we need to find ways to come out these kinds of games with a win.”
On his emotions with back-to-back close losses as a starter:
“This is the NFL. Every game is typically going to come down to the last two minutes. There is going to be a battle week-in and week-out. And we are going to have an emotional roller coaster throughout the season. If you don’t like it and it’s too tough, then you can’t hang. This is to be expected and it’s a part of the game. Certainly, I would’ve liked to come out with two wins and we were a couple plays away from having that. But this is the NFL. I like to think with a little bit more experience, those will be wins in the future.”
On his feelings about preparing for starting his second game:
“It felt good to get reps. I feel prepared for each game. I feel like our coaches put together an outstanding game plan. It is a grind, it is the NFL season. We just want to come out with wins. It makes it a lot easier when you win.”
WR Pierre Garçon
On breaking Pro Football Hall of Famer Art Monk’s 29-year old team record for receptions in a season:
“It’s pretty cool, but with the season going on like this, it’s pretty hard to celebrate anything right now.”
On his awareness of being close to tying and breaking the record:
“The guys let me know on the sideline – that’s about it.”
On his catch from the ground during the second quarter:
“I lost my footing out there. I knew the ball was coming to me, and I just had to make a play.”
On if he was aware of the ovation he received from the fans after breaking the record:
“Yeah, but we had a play after that.”
On his feelings regarding his individual accomplishments this season:
“When you believe in yourself, you know that you can do things. The records are always meant to be broken, so I just continue to play. I knew I could play, I’m just happy to be in the league, happy to make plays, and happy to be out there every day.”
On his chemistry with quarterback Kirk Cousins:
“Kirk is doing good. He’s been given a tough job to do, and he’s doing well – no complaints about that, we just have to win as a team.”
On the second to last play of the game:
“He [Kirk] threw it to a spot, I didn’t go there – incomplete. It’s a lot of things – it’s not one thing or one play.”
On the space Dallas gave him to run routes in the first half:
“When they play man, you beat man, there’s space.”
On not being able to finish the game and disrupt the Cowboys’ playoff hopes:
“It’s been disappointing all year. It’s just more things to work on for this offseason and get ready for next year.”
On if he takes losses harder than his teammates:
“I don’t know – I play hard, so I give it all I got. If we don’t win, then there’s nothing to be that excited about.”
On forever being compared to players like Monk and what that means to him personally:
“It’s cool. I’m not going to lie about that. To be up there with Art Monk and those guys – I saw [former Redskins quarterback] Doug Williams today, and it’s pretty cool. But, there’s still a lot more that I can do, and want to do, and will try to do throughout my career here. It’s just football.”
On what Doug Williams had to say to him during their encounter earlier today:
“It was quick. He said 'Congratulations,’ I said thanks and that I appreciated it.”
On his feelings after today’s loss against the Cowboys compared to the loss to the Kansas City Chiefs:
“We had them [the Cowboys], and then we let it go. It’s been happening a lot this year, but it’s the Cowboys, so it hurts a little bit more. It will hurt for a while, but we’ll just keep battling.”
On being asked the same questions after the same events occurring this season:
“Same result, same story, same answers.”
On if it matters to try to end the season on a high note next week at the New York Giants:
“Yeah, it always matters. When you’re playing in the NFL, every game matters. If you get an opportunity, you have to take advantage of it.”
LB London Fletcher
On how the game ended:
“Man, I thought we had it. If you think about it, it was fourth-and-10. What better way would there have been for me personally to end my career with a defensive stand on the goal line? You have to give [Cowboys quarterback Tony] Romo credit. He bought time and made plays. He made two plays for them, but particularly the one play where he bought time and hit a deep pass to get them into the red zone. Then, that pass that they ended up winning the game with. I love this team. I love the way we fought today. We just came up a little short.”
On the keys to his longevity in the NFL:
“God’s grace, first and foremost. Sixteen years ago, I came into the league as a longshot. But based on God’s plan, I was a sure-shot. People didn’t know what was inside of me, what he put inside of me, or what I was playing for. It was more for my family. I was trying to put them in a better situation. I thank Coach Vermeil, [former St. Louis Rams Head Coach] Dick Vermeil, who was the right coach at the right time for me. He gave me a true opportunity to make his football team with the St. Louis Rams. And all my coaches and teammates along the way, I really commend them as well.”
On his emotions walking off his home field for the last time:
“They were really the emotions that I had all week. As much as I tried to make this a normal game and normal week, it wasn’t. I really had to curb my emotions throughout the week. At the end, the reception that I got…. Not only today, but just throughout the week as I’ve seen people all over the DMV area, people bought me lunch and all kinds of stuff – over at Jackson’s in Reston, I’ll give them a shout-out. They picked up my tab. Everybody has been so receptive and that was the reason I’m glad I decided to announce that this was going to be my last season, just really for the fans.”
On his thoughts when he was kneeling on the sideline toward the end of the game:
“At that moment, I was thinking we were going to win the ballgame. That’s what my thoughts were. I was just thinking were going to win it with a field goal. That was really what I was thinking.”
On Dallas’ fourth down conversion to win the game:
“We went with a defense that has been really big for us and a good defense over the years. We’ve played it and held teams to field goals throughout my time here in Washington. That was the same defense we played when we held them to a field goal the previous time they were in the red zone. I don’t really know what happened with the rush. I know we had guys in tight coverage, but I guess the back [DeMarco Murray] maybe leaked out and [Tony] Romo was able to buy some time. He stepped to his right and found Murray in the sideline for a touchdown.”
On what made the defense play so well in the second half:
“They hadn’t done much to do anything against us. We gave up a big run. The 43-yard run that they got against us was more because of a missed tackle. They really hadn’t done anything. It was more about playing our defense and executing. [Cornerback] Josh Wilson forced a fumble, [Cornerback] DeAngelo [Hall] played great coverage on the cover six. He’s been playing great all year long and made an interception. We really gave our offense short fields and we were able to convert those into touchdowns. That was the biggest difference.”
On Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo’s ability to extend plays and what he saw in him today:
“That’s the thing about Romo, he’s a great quarterback, especially when you allow him to make those off-schedule plays and buy time. He eluded the sack a couple times when we had guys free. That’s just him, that’s what makes him great – the ability to do that type of deal. Unfortunately, he’s done that to us a number of times since I’ve been here, but again, take our hats off to them, especially him. He made plays that won the ball game. I know he’s much maligned in some of the things he’s done in the past that probably cost them ballgames, but today he made plays to win the ball game.”
On what next week will hold as he officially winds down his career:
“Not sure. I couldn’t imagine it being much tougher than this week just because this was the last time I get to wear the burgundy and gold in front of the fans here. Next week, it’ll be emotional, but I think this one was more emotional because it was the last time I get to play in front of the home crowd.”
On his emotions throughout the game on memories throughout the years:
“When you’re going through the game, you don’t have time to think about all that. You more or less think about plays they’re running. How can I make a play? Things that they’re doing. That’s what I was thinking about throughout the course of the game. We went up nine points and I felt pretty good. I knew we had to go out and make more stops defensively, we just weren’t able to do it.”
On if he feels he will be a Redskin for life:
“I think so. I think what I’ve been able to do is I’ve had great relationships in all the places I played. started off in St. Louis – won the Super Bowl title there. I had some great memories there, great friendships that I developed there. My time in Buffalo, spent five years there, again made some great relationships. Then spending seven years in Washington… At the time I came here, a lot of people didn’t think that would happen for me. Most people will probably remember me as a Redskin, but I hold all those places near and dear to me. I don’t see how you can devalue any of the other places I played at. Again, I spent four years in St. Louis and five in Buffalo, seven here. Burgundy and gold will always be in my heart.”
On if he will talk to Dan Snyder and Bruce Allen about Mike Shanahan’s future:
“If they want to ask me, I’ll give my opinion, but Mr. Snyder is a very smart man, and Bruce [Allen], they’ll have a plan, but they know how I feel about Coach Shanahan. I’ve been around this game a long time. Around here in D.C., I think some stability would be great. I think Coach Shanahan is headed in the right direction as far as the team. Any time you go 3-12, you know there’s going to be change, but I think the best thing would be to let a little bit of time pass, get away from the season, decompress and then go out and evaluate the situation. What’s the best thing for the Redskins organization? Coach Shanahan [will] talk to Mr. Snyder and say, 'These are the changes I think we should make and go let’s from there.”
RB Alfred Morris
On wide receiver Pierre Garçon:
“That’s 'P’ on an everyday basis. He does such a great job. He comes out here – he’s ferocious on the field. You can’t help but love to play with a guy like that. He came out and gave us his all. He definitely helped us in a lot of situations and he definitely helped us set up a lot of scores. He left it all out on the field today. Like I said, I’m proud to call him my teammate.”
On linebacker London Fletcher playing what could be his final home game:
“It was special and I wish we got him a win in his last home game. But nonetheless, he had a great career – a great guy, definitely. In the locker room, I’ve been sitting next to him and I’ve definitely been picking his brain, so hopefully I can use what I did learn going into the future.”
CB DeAngelo Hall
On trying to win linebacker London Fletcher’s last home game:
“Obviously, we all want to win for different reasons. Having Fletcher out there, it was definitely something we all wanted to try and go out there and give it our all. We wanted to win for ourselves, for our fans, for this organization and just get the bad taste out of our mouth. It wasn’t so much about winning this way. It’s about whatever motivates you. It was definitely frustrating to have the game in a place we would like, and we just couldn’t pull it out.”
On if he noticed the excitement of the fans at the end of the game:
“Absolutely. Anytime you have Dallas and the Redskins together, it’ll be pretty crazy. The fans were definitely behind us 100 percent. You can’t ask for anything more than that. To not be able to come out of here with this win is definitely frustrating.”
On Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo’s ability to improvise:
“I have to watch the film and see. I don’t know what happened on the long one that got them down there. The other one, it was a little bit of a scramble play, but that’s what he does. That’s what makes him a great quarterback – he can see pressure and make a guy miss. On that particular long play, I don’t even know what happened.”
On how they felt after getting the third down stop down at the goal line:
“Ecstatic. To take it from third-and-one, possibly fourth-and-one to fourth-and-10 was big. We felt great about it. We felt we had the right call dialed up, and we just didn’t execute it.”
WR Santana Moss
On being teammates with linebacker London Fletcher for so long:
“When you have a guy like London that’s played to win and basically showed you how to be a pro, you want to go out there and give it your all. You want to go out there and give it your all regardless of the situation and what the matter is. We actually knew what we had at stake this far in the season, and that was nothing. So why not go out there and put our hearts on the line for a guy who has showed us so many ways how to be a good professional and how to play as long as he’s played? I think everybody went out there with a full heart. We will always remember London for being a standup guy and being a beast for 16 years. I don’t know how he did it for 16 years. He’s going to be someone that you just can’t replace. At the end of the day, I think everybody went out there and left everything on the field, and we still came up short.”
On why the team is coming up short despite giving all that effort:
“If I had a solution, we probably would have started winning a long time ago.”
On Wide Receiver Pierre Garçon’s record-setting season:
“He’s been that guy for us. He was brought in here to be that guy. Every time they called his number, he seemed to show up. You have to tip your hat off to a guy like that. Even when we were in the dumps, we could always rely on [No.] 88. I’m very pleased to be his teammate. I’m very pleased to have him as a guy I count on and also start the party off since he’s the guy, nine times out of 10, where we’re going to call his number early and often.”
CB Josh Wilson
On how it felt playing the last home game with linebacker London Fletcher:
“We were definitely out there trying to do it for him in his last home game. We try to get the win every time. We were out there just trying to win the game. It was definitely exciting. It was definitely fun to be out there with him.”
On if he felt it was an emotional game for Fletcher:
“He definitely wanted to go out with a bang, and it was just unfortunate that we weren’t able to get that done.”
On slipping on the long completion:
“It was a scramble play. [Romo] got out of the pocket and started scrambling. You don’t have a clue what he’s going to do. I slipped. It’s tough in these conditions. You just have to make that tackle and give your defense and your team another chance.”
NT Barry Cofield
On finishing games:
“We’ve got to prepare better. We’ve got to do whatever it takes to go out and finish with a win.”
On if linebacker London Fletcher addressed the team after the game:
“He said a lot all day. We appreciate everything that London has done for us. We really wanted to go out there and win for him. That was the theme all week, so this is definitely disappointing.”
On forcing a high throw from Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo on third-and-goal in the fourth quarter:
“Yeah, I got my fingertip on it. I don’t know how much it affected the ball, but it was a big stop. Things were going our way at that point. Especially after the third-down goal-line play, we really felt like we were in a good spot. But it’s a cruel game. It’s up and down and the emotions of the game can be striking at times. We’re all disappointed.”
On the go-ahead touchdown by Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray:
“I don’t know, I’m playing defensive tackle, so I’m just rushing, trying to push the pocket. Romo made the play, so we’ll figure it out on tape exactly what went wrong.”
On if there is more momentum to be seized in the second half:
“You’re always trying to seize the momentum. We felt like we had it, but it can change quickly, and obviously, it did. That’s been the story of the season. We really haven’t controlled the momentum of games. A lot of times, the negativity has spiraled out of control and we’ve had a tendency to let negative momentums drag us down as opposed to building on positive momentum and having all three phases play well at the same time, and that’s why we are where we are.”
On if having the leads and losing them is the most frustrating part of losing:
“It’s definitely frustrating. Postgame, you’re just thinking about that game and what went wrong. We’re just disappointed about this week, and we have to do better.”
On if the team is waiting for the negative things to happen at this point:
“I would hope guys don’t have that attitude. When you look back and recall the season, we’ll probably think about all the bad bounces and the plays we should have made. But week-to-week, we just approach each game trying to win, trying to execute that week. Obviously, this year, more often than not, we haven’t.”
On if he is looking forward to hitting the reset button:
“I think we’re looking forward to going out there and trying to get a win and end the season on something positive and then go forward from there. Hopefully, with one game left, guys aren’t looking too far into the future. You only have one, so you can only put your all into this one and realize that you can leave it all on the field. I hope that’s what guys do.”
On if he is thinking about possible changes after the next game:
“When I think about it, all I think is we need to go out and play better so there aren’t a lot of changes. That’s my main thought – trying to get the job done and trying to win, trying to eliminate the amount of changes. If they happen, they happen. Needless to say, I’m not consulted on all of that stuff, and that’s all above my head.”
On the emotions of the game down the stretch:
“It’s very disappointing. The ebbs and flows and the ups and downs of this game are what makes it a great game and what makes it extremely frustrating and disappointing at times. Obviously, this year, more often than not, we’ve been on the down side. We have to go back to the drawing board and try to finish out the year.”
FedExField
QB Kirk Cousins
On the last drive:
“We didn’t get a first down. We had three incompletions, and that was it. We have to find ways in those situations to move the chains and give us a chance.”
On the Cowboys doing anything differently defensively on the last drive:
“No, they were just playing prevent defense, and we just have to get completions and move the chains.”
On the last play:
“I was concerned about the delay of game. We didn’t get in the formation we wanted to be in. I thought I needed to snap the ball. I was trying to give our guy a chance. Wasn’t in a good position there, and it didn’t go our way.”
On the interception before halftime:
“I tried to anticipate the angle he was coming out at, and I didn’t anticipate it correctly. [Wide Receiver] Santana [Moss] did a good job breaking in, and I threw it a little bit more up the field. That’s where you talk about chemistry. You talk about reps. You talk about being an experienced quarterback. It’s a game of inches. I’d like to think down the road, I’m going to know where he’s going to go and I’m going to anticipate that a little better. That’s probably a touchdown as opposed to an interception if it’s thrown more inside. Santana did nothing wrong there. I just did a poor job of anticipating where he was going to go.”
On what he was thinking before the last drive:
“We were thinking what’s important now. What’s important now was to get the ball back with a little over a minute left – get some completions, move the chains, get the first down and go from there. We knew we just had to get into field goal range. Throughout the entire game, you’re looking at a situation and thinking what’s important now.”
On throwing behind receivers:
“We’ll go back and watch the film, and we’ll evaluate. Each individual throw could be different. I consider myself to be an accurate quarterback. I think that’s one of my strengths. If at time throws are inaccurate, it has something to do with having a poor mechanic on that play, or just having a poor understanding of where the ball needs to be thrown. Certainly, there are some things I can go back and be hard on myself about.”
On the Cowboys taking away play-action:
“They were mixing it up. They did at times take it away. Other times, we did run it and it was a success. It was one where I missed [wide receiver] Pierre Garçon and we had it open. They went back and forth and mixed it up. Sometimes, it was there and sometimes it wasn’t.”
On Garçon breaking the Redskins receptions in a season record:
“I didn’t know. How many catches did he have? I knew he needed 10, so I talked to him about trying to get five just so he could be halfway for next week. I’m glad he got 11 and broke the record. He’s fearless. He plays very hard and made some great plays for us today. He’s the kind of guy you want on your side when you are backed into a corner. You want Pierre standing with you. He’s put together a good season individually. He did a great job today. He did all he could to give us a good chance to win. We came up short and we need to find ways to come out these kinds of games with a win.”
On his emotions with back-to-back close losses as a starter:
“This is the NFL. Every game is typically going to come down to the last two minutes. There is going to be a battle week-in and week-out. And we are going to have an emotional roller coaster throughout the season. If you don’t like it and it’s too tough, then you can’t hang. This is to be expected and it’s a part of the game. Certainly, I would’ve liked to come out with two wins and we were a couple plays away from having that. But this is the NFL. I like to think with a little bit more experience, those will be wins in the future.”
On his feelings about preparing for starting his second game:
“It felt good to get reps. I feel prepared for each game. I feel like our coaches put together an outstanding game plan. It is a grind, it is the NFL season. We just want to come out with wins. It makes it a lot easier when you win.”
WR Pierre Garçon
On breaking Pro Football Hall of Famer Art Monk’s 29-year old team record for receptions in a season:
“It’s pretty cool, but with the season going on like this, it’s pretty hard to celebrate anything right now.”
On his awareness of being close to tying and breaking the record:
“The guys let me know on the sideline – that’s about it.”
On his catch from the ground during the second quarter:
“I lost my footing out there. I knew the ball was coming to me, and I just had to make a play.”
On if he was aware of the ovation he received from the fans after breaking the record:
“Yeah, but we had a play after that.”
On his feelings regarding his individual accomplishments this season:
“When you believe in yourself, you know that you can do things. The records are always meant to be broken, so I just continue to play. I knew I could play, I’m just happy to be in the league, happy to make plays, and happy to be out there every day.”
On his chemistry with quarterback Kirk Cousins:
“Kirk is doing good. He’s been given a tough job to do, and he’s doing well – no complaints about that, we just have to win as a team.”
On the second to last play of the game:
“He [Kirk] threw it to a spot, I didn’t go there – incomplete. It’s a lot of things – it’s not one thing or one play.”
On the space Dallas gave him to run routes in the first half:
“When they play man, you beat man, there’s space.”
On not being able to finish the game and disrupt the Cowboys’ playoff hopes:
“It’s been disappointing all year. It’s just more things to work on for this offseason and get ready for next year.”
On if he takes losses harder than his teammates:
“I don’t know – I play hard, so I give it all I got. If we don’t win, then there’s nothing to be that excited about.”
On forever being compared to players like Monk and what that means to him personally:
“It’s cool. I’m not going to lie about that. To be up there with Art Monk and those guys – I saw [former Redskins quarterback] Doug Williams today, and it’s pretty cool. But, there’s still a lot more that I can do, and want to do, and will try to do throughout my career here. It’s just football.”
On what Doug Williams had to say to him during their encounter earlier today:
“It was quick. He said 'Congratulations,’ I said thanks and that I appreciated it.”
On his feelings after today’s loss against the Cowboys compared to the loss to the Kansas City Chiefs:
“We had them [the Cowboys], and then we let it go. It’s been happening a lot this year, but it’s the Cowboys, so it hurts a little bit more. It will hurt for a while, but we’ll just keep battling.”
On being asked the same questions after the same events occurring this season:
“Same result, same story, same answers.”
On if it matters to try to end the season on a high note next week at the New York Giants:
“Yeah, it always matters. When you’re playing in the NFL, every game matters. If you get an opportunity, you have to take advantage of it.”
LB London Fletcher
On how the game ended:
“Man, I thought we had it. If you think about it, it was fourth-and-10. What better way would there have been for me personally to end my career with a defensive stand on the goal line? You have to give [Cowboys quarterback Tony] Romo credit. He bought time and made plays. He made two plays for them, but particularly the one play where he bought time and hit a deep pass to get them into the red zone. Then, that pass that they ended up winning the game with. I love this team. I love the way we fought today. We just came up a little short.”
On the keys to his longevity in the NFL:
“God’s grace, first and foremost. Sixteen years ago, I came into the league as a longshot. But based on God’s plan, I was a sure-shot. People didn’t know what was inside of me, what he put inside of me, or what I was playing for. It was more for my family. I was trying to put them in a better situation. I thank Coach Vermeil, [former St. Louis Rams Head Coach] Dick Vermeil, who was the right coach at the right time for me. He gave me a true opportunity to make his football team with the St. Louis Rams. And all my coaches and teammates along the way, I really commend them as well.”
On his emotions walking off his home field for the last time:
“They were really the emotions that I had all week. As much as I tried to make this a normal game and normal week, it wasn’t. I really had to curb my emotions throughout the week. At the end, the reception that I got…. Not only today, but just throughout the week as I’ve seen people all over the DMV area, people bought me lunch and all kinds of stuff – over at Jackson’s in Reston, I’ll give them a shout-out. They picked up my tab. Everybody has been so receptive and that was the reason I’m glad I decided to announce that this was going to be my last season, just really for the fans.”
On his thoughts when he was kneeling on the sideline toward the end of the game:
“At that moment, I was thinking we were going to win the ballgame. That’s what my thoughts were. I was just thinking were going to win it with a field goal. That was really what I was thinking.”
On Dallas’ fourth down conversion to win the game:
“We went with a defense that has been really big for us and a good defense over the years. We’ve played it and held teams to field goals throughout my time here in Washington. That was the same defense we played when we held them to a field goal the previous time they were in the red zone. I don’t really know what happened with the rush. I know we had guys in tight coverage, but I guess the back [DeMarco Murray] maybe leaked out and [Tony] Romo was able to buy some time. He stepped to his right and found Murray in the sideline for a touchdown.”
On what made the defense play so well in the second half:
“They hadn’t done much to do anything against us. We gave up a big run. The 43-yard run that they got against us was more because of a missed tackle. They really hadn’t done anything. It was more about playing our defense and executing. [Cornerback] Josh Wilson forced a fumble, [Cornerback] DeAngelo [Hall] played great coverage on the cover six. He’s been playing great all year long and made an interception. We really gave our offense short fields and we were able to convert those into touchdowns. That was the biggest difference.”
On Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo’s ability to extend plays and what he saw in him today:
“That’s the thing about Romo, he’s a great quarterback, especially when you allow him to make those off-schedule plays and buy time. He eluded the sack a couple times when we had guys free. That’s just him, that’s what makes him great – the ability to do that type of deal. Unfortunately, he’s done that to us a number of times since I’ve been here, but again, take our hats off to them, especially him. He made plays that won the ball game. I know he’s much maligned in some of the things he’s done in the past that probably cost them ballgames, but today he made plays to win the ball game.”
On what next week will hold as he officially winds down his career:
“Not sure. I couldn’t imagine it being much tougher than this week just because this was the last time I get to wear the burgundy and gold in front of the fans here. Next week, it’ll be emotional, but I think this one was more emotional because it was the last time I get to play in front of the home crowd.”
On his emotions throughout the game on memories throughout the years:
“When you’re going through the game, you don’t have time to think about all that. You more or less think about plays they’re running. How can I make a play? Things that they’re doing. That’s what I was thinking about throughout the course of the game. We went up nine points and I felt pretty good. I knew we had to go out and make more stops defensively, we just weren’t able to do it.”
On if he feels he will be a Redskin for life:
“I think so. I think what I’ve been able to do is I’ve had great relationships in all the places I played. started off in St. Louis – won the Super Bowl title there. I had some great memories there, great friendships that I developed there. My time in Buffalo, spent five years there, again made some great relationships. Then spending seven years in Washington… At the time I came here, a lot of people didn’t think that would happen for me. Most people will probably remember me as a Redskin, but I hold all those places near and dear to me. I don’t see how you can devalue any of the other places I played at. Again, I spent four years in St. Louis and five in Buffalo, seven here. Burgundy and gold will always be in my heart.”
On if he will talk to Dan Snyder and Bruce Allen about Mike Shanahan’s future:
“If they want to ask me, I’ll give my opinion, but Mr. Snyder is a very smart man, and Bruce [Allen], they’ll have a plan, but they know how I feel about Coach Shanahan. I’ve been around this game a long time. Around here in D.C., I think some stability would be great. I think Coach Shanahan is headed in the right direction as far as the team. Any time you go 3-12, you know there’s going to be change, but I think the best thing would be to let a little bit of time pass, get away from the season, decompress and then go out and evaluate the situation. What’s the best thing for the Redskins organization? Coach Shanahan [will] talk to Mr. Snyder and say, 'These are the changes I think we should make and go let’s from there.”
RB Alfred Morris
On wide receiver Pierre Garçon:
“That’s 'P’ on an everyday basis. He does such a great job. He comes out here – he’s ferocious on the field. You can’t help but love to play with a guy like that. He came out and gave us his all. He definitely helped us in a lot of situations and he definitely helped us set up a lot of scores. He left it all out on the field today. Like I said, I’m proud to call him my teammate.”
On linebacker London Fletcher playing what could be his final home game:
“It was special and I wish we got him a win in his last home game. But nonetheless, he had a great career – a great guy, definitely. In the locker room, I’ve been sitting next to him and I’ve definitely been picking his brain, so hopefully I can use what I did learn going into the future.”
CB DeAngelo Hall
On trying to win linebacker London Fletcher’s last home game:
“Obviously, we all want to win for different reasons. Having Fletcher out there, it was definitely something we all wanted to try and go out there and give it our all. We wanted to win for ourselves, for our fans, for this organization and just get the bad taste out of our mouth. It wasn’t so much about winning this way. It’s about whatever motivates you. It was definitely frustrating to have the game in a place we would like, and we just couldn’t pull it out.”
On if he noticed the excitement of the fans at the end of the game:
“Absolutely. Anytime you have Dallas and the Redskins together, it’ll be pretty crazy. The fans were definitely behind us 100 percent. You can’t ask for anything more than that. To not be able to come out of here with this win is definitely frustrating.”
On Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo’s ability to improvise:
“I have to watch the film and see. I don’t know what happened on the long one that got them down there. The other one, it was a little bit of a scramble play, but that’s what he does. That’s what makes him a great quarterback – he can see pressure and make a guy miss. On that particular long play, I don’t even know what happened.”
On how they felt after getting the third down stop down at the goal line:
“Ecstatic. To take it from third-and-one, possibly fourth-and-one to fourth-and-10 was big. We felt great about it. We felt we had the right call dialed up, and we just didn’t execute it.”
WR Santana Moss
On being teammates with linebacker London Fletcher for so long:
“When you have a guy like London that’s played to win and basically showed you how to be a pro, you want to go out there and give it your all. You want to go out there and give it your all regardless of the situation and what the matter is. We actually knew what we had at stake this far in the season, and that was nothing. So why not go out there and put our hearts on the line for a guy who has showed us so many ways how to be a good professional and how to play as long as he’s played? I think everybody went out there with a full heart. We will always remember London for being a standup guy and being a beast for 16 years. I don’t know how he did it for 16 years. He’s going to be someone that you just can’t replace. At the end of the day, I think everybody went out there and left everything on the field, and we still came up short.”
On why the team is coming up short despite giving all that effort:
“If I had a solution, we probably would have started winning a long time ago.”
On Wide Receiver Pierre Garçon’s record-setting season:
“He’s been that guy for us. He was brought in here to be that guy. Every time they called his number, he seemed to show up. You have to tip your hat off to a guy like that. Even when we were in the dumps, we could always rely on [No.] 88. I’m very pleased to be his teammate. I’m very pleased to have him as a guy I count on and also start the party off since he’s the guy, nine times out of 10, where we’re going to call his number early and often.”
CB Josh Wilson
On how it felt playing the last home game with linebacker London Fletcher:
“We were definitely out there trying to do it for him in his last home game. We try to get the win every time. We were out there just trying to win the game. It was definitely exciting. It was definitely fun to be out there with him.”
On if he felt it was an emotional game for Fletcher:
“He definitely wanted to go out with a bang, and it was just unfortunate that we weren’t able to get that done.”
On slipping on the long completion:
“It was a scramble play. [Romo] got out of the pocket and started scrambling. You don’t have a clue what he’s going to do. I slipped. It’s tough in these conditions. You just have to make that tackle and give your defense and your team another chance.”
NT Barry Cofield
On finishing games:
“We’ve got to prepare better. We’ve got to do whatever it takes to go out and finish with a win.”
On if linebacker London Fletcher addressed the team after the game:
“He said a lot all day. We appreciate everything that London has done for us. We really wanted to go out there and win for him. That was the theme all week, so this is definitely disappointing.”
On forcing a high throw from Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo on third-and-goal in the fourth quarter:
“Yeah, I got my fingertip on it. I don’t know how much it affected the ball, but it was a big stop. Things were going our way at that point. Especially after the third-down goal-line play, we really felt like we were in a good spot. But it’s a cruel game. It’s up and down and the emotions of the game can be striking at times. We’re all disappointed.”
On the go-ahead touchdown by Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray:
“I don’t know, I’m playing defensive tackle, so I’m just rushing, trying to push the pocket. Romo made the play, so we’ll figure it out on tape exactly what went wrong.”
On if there is more momentum to be seized in the second half:
“You’re always trying to seize the momentum. We felt like we had it, but it can change quickly, and obviously, it did. That’s been the story of the season. We really haven’t controlled the momentum of games. A lot of times, the negativity has spiraled out of control and we’ve had a tendency to let negative momentums drag us down as opposed to building on positive momentum and having all three phases play well at the same time, and that’s why we are where we are.”
On if having the leads and losing them is the most frustrating part of losing:
“It’s definitely frustrating. Postgame, you’re just thinking about that game and what went wrong. We’re just disappointed about this week, and we have to do better.”
On if the team is waiting for the negative things to happen at this point:
“I would hope guys don’t have that attitude. When you look back and recall the season, we’ll probably think about all the bad bounces and the plays we should have made. But week-to-week, we just approach each game trying to win, trying to execute that week. Obviously, this year, more often than not, we haven’t.”
On if he is looking forward to hitting the reset button:
“I think we’re looking forward to going out there and trying to get a win and end the season on something positive and then go forward from there. Hopefully, with one game left, guys aren’t looking too far into the future. You only have one, so you can only put your all into this one and realize that you can leave it all on the field. I hope that’s what guys do.”
On if he is thinking about possible changes after the next game:
“When I think about it, all I think is we need to go out and play better so there aren’t a lot of changes. That’s my main thought – trying to get the job done and trying to win, trying to eliminate the amount of changes. If they happen, they happen. Needless to say, I’m not consulted on all of that stuff, and that’s all above my head.”
On the emotions of the game down the stretch:
“It’s very disappointing. The ebbs and flows and the ups and downs of this game are what makes it a great game and what makes it extremely frustrating and disappointing at times. Obviously, this year, more often than not, we’ve been on the down side. We have to go back to the drawing board and try to finish out the year.”