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November 18, 2012
FedExField
Executive Vice President/Head Coach Mike Shanahan
Opening statement:
“It was a nice win. I thought our guys played extremely hard. [It was] nice to come up with a few turnovers and not commit any. That was the difference in winning and losing. I’m extremely excited about how hard they played. Obviously, not a perfect game – none of them are – but I like what I saw.”
On quarterback Robert Griffin III’s most statistically efficient performance so far this season:
“Except for that one incompletion, I thought he did OK [laughter]. He played hard. It wasn’t easy by any means. They’re a good football team. We kept on persevering and made some plays there in the second half and [that was] obviously the difference in the game.”
On the defense:
“I think we did everything pretty well. They did a good job on a couple screens early and moved the ball, but we kept them out of the end zone. Any time you get those three turnovers at the right time, it’s always a difference in being able to take a little pressure off the offense and obviously make some plays there in the second half.”
On the psychological impact of winning today:
“That’s what you have to do. This is a tough profession. Everything is not going to be perfect and we lost some tough games – some games we should’ve won, a number of games we were ahead into the fourth quarter. You don’t get it done, so you find out what type of character you do have and the toughness of your football team. It was a game we had to have. We knew that. The players went out and fought and fought for a full 60 minutes and obviously came up with a bunch of plays and [that was] the difference in the game.”
On Griffin III’s touchdown pass to wide receiver Santana Moss:
“It was an 'Oh, no…Oh, yes.’ It was one of those things. Santana made a great play and Robert gave him a chance. For a guy to come down with that type of play and Robert to have the ability to throw it that far to give him a chance – especially with the down and distance that it was – was a great play at a very needed time.”
On safety Brandon Meriweather:
“I think everybody saw his impact. We saw it throughout the preseason. He gives us a lot of energy back there and you can see what type of football player he is. He proved it today. His knee is a little but sore. Right now, we’re keeping our fingers crossed that it’s nothing serious. We’ll get a chance to evaluate that tomorrow and I’ll update you sometime Monday or Tuesday.”
On the defense playing all four quarters:
“I think you’re right. It’s one of those games that you have to play your best, which we’ve talked about here in the last few days. You have to play your best football in the second half of the season and, obviously, our backs were against the wall. We had to come out with a win and play our best football – offense, defense and special teams. No game is perfect. We will learn from our mistakes, but I like where we’re at. We have a short week of preparation. I told them, 'Enjoy the win for about 12 hours.’ We’ll get coaches obviously to go back and take a look at the scheme that Dallas is playing right now and get a chance to study that. Monday will be more of a special teams practice. Tuesday and Wednesday will be offense and defense. We have about a day and a half before we leave for Dallas on Wednesday afternoon to get ready to play on Thursday. I told them to enjoy their win for a short time – 12 or 14 hours – and get ready to go.”
On if he is looking forward to the short week before playing Dallas:
“If you’re looking forward [to it] or not, it really doesn’t matter. The mindset has to be that you have to enjoy this [win] for a short time, because after the game you’re going to have about 10 or 11 games before we play the Monday night game against the Giants. Our football players know that everything is going to be pretty hectic. We have a lot to get done in that short amount of time. After that game is over with, you’ve got about an extra three or four days of recovery time, which is always great. We knew the schedule going into the year. We had this type of schedule in preseason. We actually worked on it. We know what’s out there and what we have to get done. I think our players are looking forward to playing very quickly. They understand what a tough week it will be, but what an important week it will be as well.”
On running back Alfred Morris being on pace to get 1,400 yards:
“I don’t know about the yards. He’s obviously an excellent, great back. He’s going to get his yards. Hopefully, he can stay healthy. He’s a big-time back. I can guarantee you that. If he can stay healthy and just keep on doing the things he’s done, he will be a big-time back for a lot of years. He’s a special guy.”
On how the rush affected Eagles quarterback Nick Foles and the offensive line:
“That’s to keep them a little bit off balance. The main thing is six points. You have to work in the National Football League to keep people out of the end zone and we were able to do that and [it is] really a credit to our players and coaches.”
On penalties:
“Working a little bit out of that pistol and the shotgun puts a little pressure on our offense. We’re going to keep on working on it to get better at it. Obviously, it wasn’t perfect today. We had a couple situations in there that we had some miscommunication – we couldn’t get there or somebody went down or we got it in after the 15 seconds – but we’ve got some young players there who will continue to get better. It’s something we’ll work on, but it’s something we have to get better at.”
On how wide receiver Aldrick Robinson was able to get so open on his touchdown reception:
“What happened there is Aldrick did a great job setting it up. I think [wide receiver Brandon] Banks was the guy that came in motion and he played the around, so the free safety came up for the wide receiver taking off on the around to play that thinking it was going to be a handoff. That’s how Aldrick was wide open.”
On injuries to cornerback Josh Wilson and tight end Logan Paulsen:
“I think both guys are quite sore, but I don’t think it will be anything that will keep them out of the game unless it’s something they haven’t shared with me yet. They should be OK.”
On if he thought the flag on Griffin III’s touchdown pass to Santana Moss was for holding:
“I’ll be honest with you. I didn’t, because we talked about it a number of times on the sideline. I kept seeing hands in our facemask, so I had said it a couple times to the officials. I can’t say I was looking at that at that time, but we saw a number of those happen during the game. I was hoping that’s what it was but wasn’t sure.”
On how he looks at teams in the NFC East:
“I’ll be honest with you, you just concentrate week by week. We understand this is a very tough division – a very competitive division. Ownership, everybody wants to win and they’re going to do what they need to do to win or all they can do to win. You just have to concentrate week by week. You can’t get caught up in who does what. You just concentrate on what you can control.”
On if he will have to adjust his expectations for wide receiver Pierre Garçon:
“No, not at all. It’s good to have him back. He’s a big threat. It’s not going to happen overnight. He’s got to get back in football shape. It was nice to have him out there. He’s going to be a big-time player for us and he’s going to help us by just being out there. He puts the threat into a defense for the big play opportunity.”
On if he balances enjoying the win against finding flaws:
“You do. Like you mentioned, you have to do that after a win or after a loss. You have to look at the things you do poorly, but it’s a lot easier to look at those things after you win. That’s what you have to do. You have to fight for 60 minutes. At the end of the day you’re saying, 'Hey, you have to find a way to win the game.’ Then, you go back and you’re tough on yourself and you take a look at the film so you eliminate those mistakes and you can keep on winning football games. But you’re right, you have to be very tough after a win on the things you did poorly."
Quarterback Robert Griffin III
On the game:
“It was fun to go out there and play the way we did. With the mistakes we had, we were not sharp all the way around, but we made the big plays. I think all the guys are satisfied with the outcome.”
On the Redskins’ defense:
“Their play was great. Whenever your defense plays like that, it makes you feel as an offense that you don’t have to press to try to score every time. You can go out there and feel the rhythm of the game. The defense played great the whole game. They had some turnovers, got us the ball in great situations and we capitalized.”
On the play of wide receiver Pierre Garçon:
“It feels good to have guys like that in the huddle with you. It gives you an extra sense of confidence and he brings some attitude to the receiving corps. He is a good leader and it is good to have him back out there. I think the receivers appreciated him stepping up and playing.”
On his long touchdown passes to Aldrick Robinson and Santana Moss:
“I was wide open on Aldrick touchdown. It was just a matter of, 'Was the ball going to come down?’ since I threw it pretty high. The scheme worked. Whenever the coaches draw up a great play for us and it works out exactly how they think it will, we have to capitalize on that. The past couple of weeks, before the bye, we hadn’t done that. Today we did. With Santana’s touchdown, he may not be the biggest guy and I know people make fun of that, but he played big in that moment.”
On the beginning of the third quarter:
“I think guys had to zero in and not hurt ourselves. A lot of times we have been stopped because of penalties. We have to make sure we don’t have those kinds of mishaps. When we do, you have to able to clear it and move on to the next play. Guys did a good job of clearing it today. We did have a lot of little mistakes and things that were a little bit off. But guys did a great job of clearing that and making the big plays.”
On the offense’s efficiency:
“I didn’t second guess what my instincts were telling me as far when to throw and when not to throw or when to run and when not to run. You thank God to be able to have those moments and feel things the right way and it all works out for you.”
On the penalty on the touchdown pass to Moss:
“That was a pretty funny moment on the field. I didn’t know it was a penalty until after I celebrated. [Philadelphia Eagles] Cullen [Jenkins] knew there was a penalty so he mocked my celebration. We had a nice discussion about that on the field. It really was a nice discussion, there was no trash talking at all. He said he felt like an idiot after it. It is good to see guys out there having fun. We all know that their backs were against the wall and our backs were against the wall. We were out there fighting for the same thing but we are grateful enough to come out on top.”
On his lack of turnovers:
“[Baylor Head Coach Art] Briles always told me that there is a difference between playing fearless and being stupid. You have to be able to tip toe that line. If it would have been an interception, the pass to Santana would have been stupid. Because it was a touchdown, it was fearless. God blessed me with the ability to move around a lot more than other quarterbacks. You try to use that when you can, if a guy is not open, so you don’t have to force things. But when guys are open, you get them the rock and let them make plays.”
On the end of the game:
“I didn’t feel like there was any quit from them at all. We knew early and often that we were going to get their best shot. I talked to the guys about it the day before the game just to get their minds right for a fight. Despite the score, it was still a fight out there. We were just able to make the big plays when it counted. As a team, this was big for us. We all knew it was not time to panic but it was time to buckle down and make sure we put our best foot forward every time we step on the field. The way we played, the offense and the defense, was extremely impressive.”
On the Eagles’ defense:
“They did a good job. They are extremely good against the run and that’s why we had to throw the ball a little bit more. [Running back] Alfred [Morris] still squeaked out those tough yards and I was able to get outside and make some things happen. They are a good run defense and they shut it down for a little bit. We were able to exploit what they were doing on the outside.”
On being named captain:
“It meant a lot because you don’t take anything lightly. Whenever a group of men, because I am a 22-year-old kid to most of them, votes me as their captain, it shows they believe in me as their leader. I told them thank you because it is not something to take lightly. The 'C’ on your chest means something. I am extremely proud to be their captain and thankful they believe in me.”
On getting away during the bye week and bouncing back after the loss to the Carolina Panthers:
“For me, it was about getting away from the familiar and being able to zero in and refocus on everything. Coach [Mike Shanahan] talks to all of us and their individual coaches talked to them about things they can get better at. I’m not sure what they said but it worked. My mindset wasn’t completely changed but I was energized to go and win however many games we need to win to make the playoffs. Right now, I think it was the most physical I have ever seen our team play as a whole, both offense and defense. It was impressive to have [safety Brandon] Meriweather back out there at safety. It seems like it brought some tenacity back to those guys. Everybody stepped up and now we have to go do it on Thursday against the Cowboys.”
On the touchdown pass to wide receiver Aldrick Robinson:
“When you are playing football out there, guys have certain responsibilities. The safety’s responsibility was to be deep. When you have an open guy and you can stare a receiver down, you are going to cover that open guy. Aldrick is extremely fast and if you make a misstep he is going to get by you.”
Wide Receiver Santana Moss
On his touchdown:
“Honestly, it was just time to make a play. They called my number and a play was made. It kind of happened so quick I didn’t even realize the situation and what was going on around me. I just saw an opportunity and being that those opportunities don’t come as often as they used to, I try and make sure I capitalize off every one that comes my way… That was just me being hungry and knowing that this opportunity may not come again. I’ve been a victim before of catching balls down there and not getting in the end zone some years back, and I just saw it. I was hungry just knowing that those kinds of plays are big for our team. You have to try and take advantage of every chance you get to score. Touchdowns don’t come easy. When I had the opportunity, I just made sure I did the best with it.”
On his ability to make that play:
“I guess it’s a gift. It’s something that, whenever I get the opportunity, I just use it. I never thought of it. I use to be asked that question by [former] Coach [Joe] Gibbs back in the day when I was here with him. It’s almost instincts. That’s what it is. I just see it and it’s my time to get it. I put everything else out there and try to attack the ball.”
On motivation from the coaching staff:
“When you see what type of team you have, and knowing all the players and the things they can do, you don’t need a coach to really hype you up. We have the opportunity and just need to do something with it. Luckily, we do have the kind of coaches around – especially from our head coach [Mike Shanahan] – he basically just lets us know where we are at and how he felt about us when we weren’t playing our best football. I don’t think today we played our best football, offensively. There are going to be games like that. I’m proud to stand up here with a win, knowing that we didn’t play our best. We need to just kind of gain from our defense. If we can just continue to play together, regardless of who is up and who is down, I think we can come up with wins. I’m proud to be on the other side of it for a chance.
On quarterback Robert Griffin III:
“I feel great for him. Robert just keeps doing what he is doing … with Robert, nothing is going to change. Robert is going to go out there and be special. That’s a gift that he has. He’s a special guy. He brings [that gift] to our offense. He really ignites our fire. When he is doing his thing, he’s on fire, and then it just rubs off on everyone else. I’m glad to have a guy like that.”
On playing against a struggling team:
“Honestly, one thing I use when I come to games is not about what other teams are going through or have, but just worrying about myself and dealing with what I have going on. That’s the way you’ll be able to come out on top. Try and make sure you are the best that day. We are going to keep that mindset, regardless of who we face, and worry about what the Redskins have to do. Hopefully we can come out on top.”
On celebrating the win:
“Celebrating is probably overrated for these kinds of wins because you don’t really get a chance to. You always have to watch out for the next day. Due to the fact that we play on Thanksgiving, I’m kind of looking forward to it, so I’m not even thinking about it. I’m already moving on and ready to get the body rested up so we can go out there and play on Thursday.”
Linebacker Ryan Kerrigan
On if he was surprised the Eagles tried to drive at the end of first half:
“I wasn’t surprised. We kind of figured it would be some sort of draw or screen just to see what resulted from that play. Fortunately for us, we were able to get on top of the ball and able to get us another possession.”
On forcing three turnovers in the first half:
“It was huge. From the start, first possession and second possession, that’s the kind of football we’ve wanted to play all year. We forced turnovers and especially with Philly having a young quarterback, we wanted to really get after him and force some turnovers and steal every possession for our offense.”
On facing the Eagles without quarterback Michael Vick:
“Of course, Michael Vick’s speed and feet kind of change how you rush a little bit. But we still have to have good gap integrity with [quarterback] Nick Foles because he’s still able to escape the pocket and make some throws on the run. But it is always a huge factor when Michael Vick’s back there and has the ability to throw on the run.”
On having their backs against the wall and securing a win:
“That’s how we’ve got to play for the rest of the season because every game we’ve got to play like our back’s against the wall because it really is. We’ve got to come out with the same kind of intensity, same focus, same drive from the start like we did today and good things will happen.”
Wide Receiver Aldrick Robinson
On his touchdown reception:
“I had a deep route. I had seen the safety come down and I knew I was getting the ball. Robert [Griffin III] threw me a perfect ball so I could run for it and I got it.”
On Griffin III’s performance:
“He played great. Today was a good day for him. He said all week he wanted to dominate and that’s what he did today.”
On if he was surprised he was wide open for the touchdown:
“No, we actually got that look in practice, so it played out like it did in practice.”
On winning today’s game:
“It feels good but we’ve got to get past this and get ready for Dallas on Thursday.”
Tackle Trent Williams
On snapping the team’s three-game losing streak against the Eagles:
“It always feels good to get a win against anybody, even when it’s a division opponent. It feels a little better. It means a little more, but we can’t harp on it too long. We’ve got another game to play in about four days.”
On the touchdown pass to Santana Moss:
“I didn’t really see it. I just [saw] the replay and it was a great play by Santana. He’s been making big plays for the last 10 years. He has that big play ability.”
On people saying the team gave up after the Carolina Panthers game:
“You’ll make more of it than we do. We have to play no matter what’s said. Everybody has a mouth and a voice so everyone’s going to talk. We can’t pay that much attention to it. We know we have to win. Time is running out.”
Linebacker Lorenzo Alexander
On the defensive play calling:
“I think coach [Jim] Haslett did a great job of calling the game, mixing it up, and really getting after him [Eagles quarterback Nick Foles]. I don’t think he allowed them to get him out of his game plan. They started running a lot of screens and even though they got a couple plays on us, he stuck to his guns and guys got out there and executed and made some plays. We put a lot of pressure on Foles all day and he didn’t really have a chance to sit in the pocket and go deep to DeSean [Jackson] or [Jeremy] Maclin. It was good for us because we were able to keep them in front of us all day. A team that’s built for big time plays, to prevent them from getting any was definitely a step up for us because we have been giving at least one [big play] up a game.”
On the team’s brighter postgame mood compared to the last few games:
“That’s what a win does for you. When you lose, everybody comes down on you and rightfully so, but when you win, you get praised as well. After this game, we can’t get too high or get too low. You know, keep a level head. We have a lot of football left ahead of us and as easily as you can get down on yourself when the media, and the fans, and everybody is telling you how bad you are, don’t believe the hype. We still have to stay level headed; even in this game mistakes were made. We still have to prepare well, make the corrections, and get ready for Dallas.”
Fullback Darrel Young
On if the early touchdown took some weight off of the offense’s shoulders:
“Absolutely, I don’t think we’ve had that sense [of early accomplishment] since the St. Louis game. Just scoring early like that, I think anytime you get off to a great start in a game you have a better feeling and it puts the opposite team into a different game plan.”
On if he is content with his play:
“No, because I had a minus. There are like two minuses I can think of right now. I just want to get better. Sometimes you hear players say they feel like they played their best game today. I don’t even feel like that. There were a couple mistakes that I made. Whether I should have gotten my head on the outside [of the defender when blocking] for Robert [Griffin III] to run down the sideline, he came back inside me and got tackled. He could have gained 14 yards but he got 10 yards. I have to be better than that, but I’m hard on myself, I have to give it my all.”
Safety Brandon Meriweather
On how it felt to get on the field:
“It felt great. It felt great to actually be out there with the guys that you went through the rain and the pain with.”
On how his knee felt:
“It felt good, it felt real good. I was out there and I was able to run and cut and cover a little bit. Just to be in a competitive situation was better for it than anything.”
On if leaving the game was a precautionary measure:
“Yeah, it was more me thinking about the future then me going back in there when we were already up by so much, and the defense was actually playing great.”
On how it felt to get his hands on the ball during his interception:
“It actually felt better just to see the defense play the way we did, just to see us come together as a unit, put distractions in the background and actually play.”
On how his presence on the field is able to bring life to this secondary:
“I don’t think it was me. I actually think the fact that all four starters were actually together for the first time just brought an upbeat to our defense. We realized that everything falls on us, so we played like it.”
Eagles Head Coach Andy Reid
Opening statement:
“LeSean McCoy has a concussion and Brent Celek was hit in the head but he tested out OK. Turnovers early, penalties early, drops and big plays were all problems for this game. That is my responsibility to make sure these guys get an opportunity to do the right thing and get them to do the right thing. I am not doing a good enough job at it.”
On why LeSean McCoy was still playing when they were down 25 points:
“Because we were trying to catch up and win the game.”
On if he regrets keeping McCoy in the game:
“No.”
On what has happened to the secondary:
“The obvious is that you can’t give up those big plays. And if you are in a position to make a play, you need to make it. We had three turnovers.”
On if he has intentions of finishing the season:
“We need to get ready for the Monday night game.”
On if there is a lack of team focus:
“I don’t think it is a lack of focus. I see them playing hard, I see them focused at practice. I think at times we may be trying too hard and you can’t press them and make plays.”
On why he called a timeout with a minute left in the half:
“That’s just what I chose to do.”
On if the team’s talent is overrated:
“Guys who are in are expected to play and do well. That’s how it is. No excuses.”
On the team trying to meet high expectations:
“I take full responsibility for that. It’s my fault that that’s the way things are going.”
On if team is getting worse:
“We didn’t look better today. We didn’t do a good job today.”
On if the team can still make the playoffs:
“We are going to keep battling.”
On quarterback Nick Foles’ performance:
“He made a few young guy mistakes that he’ll learn from. He is being given an opportunity to correct those.”
On if players are no longer 'buying in’ this season:
“I think guys are buying in. They all want to play. They all want to be out there and score on the offense.”
FedExField
Executive Vice President/Head Coach Mike Shanahan
Opening statement:
“It was a nice win. I thought our guys played extremely hard. [It was] nice to come up with a few turnovers and not commit any. That was the difference in winning and losing. I’m extremely excited about how hard they played. Obviously, not a perfect game – none of them are – but I like what I saw.”
On quarterback Robert Griffin III’s most statistically efficient performance so far this season:
“Except for that one incompletion, I thought he did OK [laughter]. He played hard. It wasn’t easy by any means. They’re a good football team. We kept on persevering and made some plays there in the second half and [that was] obviously the difference in the game.”
On the defense:
“I think we did everything pretty well. They did a good job on a couple screens early and moved the ball, but we kept them out of the end zone. Any time you get those three turnovers at the right time, it’s always a difference in being able to take a little pressure off the offense and obviously make some plays there in the second half.”
On the psychological impact of winning today:
“That’s what you have to do. This is a tough profession. Everything is not going to be perfect and we lost some tough games – some games we should’ve won, a number of games we were ahead into the fourth quarter. You don’t get it done, so you find out what type of character you do have and the toughness of your football team. It was a game we had to have. We knew that. The players went out and fought and fought for a full 60 minutes and obviously came up with a bunch of plays and [that was] the difference in the game.”
On Griffin III’s touchdown pass to wide receiver Santana Moss:
“It was an 'Oh, no…Oh, yes.’ It was one of those things. Santana made a great play and Robert gave him a chance. For a guy to come down with that type of play and Robert to have the ability to throw it that far to give him a chance – especially with the down and distance that it was – was a great play at a very needed time.”
On safety Brandon Meriweather:
“I think everybody saw his impact. We saw it throughout the preseason. He gives us a lot of energy back there and you can see what type of football player he is. He proved it today. His knee is a little but sore. Right now, we’re keeping our fingers crossed that it’s nothing serious. We’ll get a chance to evaluate that tomorrow and I’ll update you sometime Monday or Tuesday.”
On the defense playing all four quarters:
“I think you’re right. It’s one of those games that you have to play your best, which we’ve talked about here in the last few days. You have to play your best football in the second half of the season and, obviously, our backs were against the wall. We had to come out with a win and play our best football – offense, defense and special teams. No game is perfect. We will learn from our mistakes, but I like where we’re at. We have a short week of preparation. I told them, 'Enjoy the win for about 12 hours.’ We’ll get coaches obviously to go back and take a look at the scheme that Dallas is playing right now and get a chance to study that. Monday will be more of a special teams practice. Tuesday and Wednesday will be offense and defense. We have about a day and a half before we leave for Dallas on Wednesday afternoon to get ready to play on Thursday. I told them to enjoy their win for a short time – 12 or 14 hours – and get ready to go.”
On if he is looking forward to the short week before playing Dallas:
“If you’re looking forward [to it] or not, it really doesn’t matter. The mindset has to be that you have to enjoy this [win] for a short time, because after the game you’re going to have about 10 or 11 games before we play the Monday night game against the Giants. Our football players know that everything is going to be pretty hectic. We have a lot to get done in that short amount of time. After that game is over with, you’ve got about an extra three or four days of recovery time, which is always great. We knew the schedule going into the year. We had this type of schedule in preseason. We actually worked on it. We know what’s out there and what we have to get done. I think our players are looking forward to playing very quickly. They understand what a tough week it will be, but what an important week it will be as well.”
On running back Alfred Morris being on pace to get 1,400 yards:
“I don’t know about the yards. He’s obviously an excellent, great back. He’s going to get his yards. Hopefully, he can stay healthy. He’s a big-time back. I can guarantee you that. If he can stay healthy and just keep on doing the things he’s done, he will be a big-time back for a lot of years. He’s a special guy.”
On how the rush affected Eagles quarterback Nick Foles and the offensive line:
“That’s to keep them a little bit off balance. The main thing is six points. You have to work in the National Football League to keep people out of the end zone and we were able to do that and [it is] really a credit to our players and coaches.”
On penalties:
“Working a little bit out of that pistol and the shotgun puts a little pressure on our offense. We’re going to keep on working on it to get better at it. Obviously, it wasn’t perfect today. We had a couple situations in there that we had some miscommunication – we couldn’t get there or somebody went down or we got it in after the 15 seconds – but we’ve got some young players there who will continue to get better. It’s something we’ll work on, but it’s something we have to get better at.”
On how wide receiver Aldrick Robinson was able to get so open on his touchdown reception:
“What happened there is Aldrick did a great job setting it up. I think [wide receiver Brandon] Banks was the guy that came in motion and he played the around, so the free safety came up for the wide receiver taking off on the around to play that thinking it was going to be a handoff. That’s how Aldrick was wide open.”
On injuries to cornerback Josh Wilson and tight end Logan Paulsen:
“I think both guys are quite sore, but I don’t think it will be anything that will keep them out of the game unless it’s something they haven’t shared with me yet. They should be OK.”
On if he thought the flag on Griffin III’s touchdown pass to Santana Moss was for holding:
“I’ll be honest with you. I didn’t, because we talked about it a number of times on the sideline. I kept seeing hands in our facemask, so I had said it a couple times to the officials. I can’t say I was looking at that at that time, but we saw a number of those happen during the game. I was hoping that’s what it was but wasn’t sure.”
On how he looks at teams in the NFC East:
“I’ll be honest with you, you just concentrate week by week. We understand this is a very tough division – a very competitive division. Ownership, everybody wants to win and they’re going to do what they need to do to win or all they can do to win. You just have to concentrate week by week. You can’t get caught up in who does what. You just concentrate on what you can control.”
On if he will have to adjust his expectations for wide receiver Pierre Garçon:
“No, not at all. It’s good to have him back. He’s a big threat. It’s not going to happen overnight. He’s got to get back in football shape. It was nice to have him out there. He’s going to be a big-time player for us and he’s going to help us by just being out there. He puts the threat into a defense for the big play opportunity.”
On if he balances enjoying the win against finding flaws:
“You do. Like you mentioned, you have to do that after a win or after a loss. You have to look at the things you do poorly, but it’s a lot easier to look at those things after you win. That’s what you have to do. You have to fight for 60 minutes. At the end of the day you’re saying, 'Hey, you have to find a way to win the game.’ Then, you go back and you’re tough on yourself and you take a look at the film so you eliminate those mistakes and you can keep on winning football games. But you’re right, you have to be very tough after a win on the things you did poorly."
Quarterback Robert Griffin III
On the game:
“It was fun to go out there and play the way we did. With the mistakes we had, we were not sharp all the way around, but we made the big plays. I think all the guys are satisfied with the outcome.”
On the Redskins’ defense:
“Their play was great. Whenever your defense plays like that, it makes you feel as an offense that you don’t have to press to try to score every time. You can go out there and feel the rhythm of the game. The defense played great the whole game. They had some turnovers, got us the ball in great situations and we capitalized.”
On the play of wide receiver Pierre Garçon:
“It feels good to have guys like that in the huddle with you. It gives you an extra sense of confidence and he brings some attitude to the receiving corps. He is a good leader and it is good to have him back out there. I think the receivers appreciated him stepping up and playing.”
On his long touchdown passes to Aldrick Robinson and Santana Moss:
“I was wide open on Aldrick touchdown. It was just a matter of, 'Was the ball going to come down?’ since I threw it pretty high. The scheme worked. Whenever the coaches draw up a great play for us and it works out exactly how they think it will, we have to capitalize on that. The past couple of weeks, before the bye, we hadn’t done that. Today we did. With Santana’s touchdown, he may not be the biggest guy and I know people make fun of that, but he played big in that moment.”
On the beginning of the third quarter:
“I think guys had to zero in and not hurt ourselves. A lot of times we have been stopped because of penalties. We have to make sure we don’t have those kinds of mishaps. When we do, you have to able to clear it and move on to the next play. Guys did a good job of clearing it today. We did have a lot of little mistakes and things that were a little bit off. But guys did a great job of clearing that and making the big plays.”
On the offense’s efficiency:
“I didn’t second guess what my instincts were telling me as far when to throw and when not to throw or when to run and when not to run. You thank God to be able to have those moments and feel things the right way and it all works out for you.”
On the penalty on the touchdown pass to Moss:
“That was a pretty funny moment on the field. I didn’t know it was a penalty until after I celebrated. [Philadelphia Eagles] Cullen [Jenkins] knew there was a penalty so he mocked my celebration. We had a nice discussion about that on the field. It really was a nice discussion, there was no trash talking at all. He said he felt like an idiot after it. It is good to see guys out there having fun. We all know that their backs were against the wall and our backs were against the wall. We were out there fighting for the same thing but we are grateful enough to come out on top.”
On his lack of turnovers:
“[Baylor Head Coach Art] Briles always told me that there is a difference between playing fearless and being stupid. You have to be able to tip toe that line. If it would have been an interception, the pass to Santana would have been stupid. Because it was a touchdown, it was fearless. God blessed me with the ability to move around a lot more than other quarterbacks. You try to use that when you can, if a guy is not open, so you don’t have to force things. But when guys are open, you get them the rock and let them make plays.”
On the end of the game:
“I didn’t feel like there was any quit from them at all. We knew early and often that we were going to get their best shot. I talked to the guys about it the day before the game just to get their minds right for a fight. Despite the score, it was still a fight out there. We were just able to make the big plays when it counted. As a team, this was big for us. We all knew it was not time to panic but it was time to buckle down and make sure we put our best foot forward every time we step on the field. The way we played, the offense and the defense, was extremely impressive.”
On the Eagles’ defense:
“They did a good job. They are extremely good against the run and that’s why we had to throw the ball a little bit more. [Running back] Alfred [Morris] still squeaked out those tough yards and I was able to get outside and make some things happen. They are a good run defense and they shut it down for a little bit. We were able to exploit what they were doing on the outside.”
On being named captain:
“It meant a lot because you don’t take anything lightly. Whenever a group of men, because I am a 22-year-old kid to most of them, votes me as their captain, it shows they believe in me as their leader. I told them thank you because it is not something to take lightly. The 'C’ on your chest means something. I am extremely proud to be their captain and thankful they believe in me.”
On getting away during the bye week and bouncing back after the loss to the Carolina Panthers:
“For me, it was about getting away from the familiar and being able to zero in and refocus on everything. Coach [Mike Shanahan] talks to all of us and their individual coaches talked to them about things they can get better at. I’m not sure what they said but it worked. My mindset wasn’t completely changed but I was energized to go and win however many games we need to win to make the playoffs. Right now, I think it was the most physical I have ever seen our team play as a whole, both offense and defense. It was impressive to have [safety Brandon] Meriweather back out there at safety. It seems like it brought some tenacity back to those guys. Everybody stepped up and now we have to go do it on Thursday against the Cowboys.”
On the touchdown pass to wide receiver Aldrick Robinson:
“When you are playing football out there, guys have certain responsibilities. The safety’s responsibility was to be deep. When you have an open guy and you can stare a receiver down, you are going to cover that open guy. Aldrick is extremely fast and if you make a misstep he is going to get by you.”
Wide Receiver Santana Moss
On his touchdown:
“Honestly, it was just time to make a play. They called my number and a play was made. It kind of happened so quick I didn’t even realize the situation and what was going on around me. I just saw an opportunity and being that those opportunities don’t come as often as they used to, I try and make sure I capitalize off every one that comes my way… That was just me being hungry and knowing that this opportunity may not come again. I’ve been a victim before of catching balls down there and not getting in the end zone some years back, and I just saw it. I was hungry just knowing that those kinds of plays are big for our team. You have to try and take advantage of every chance you get to score. Touchdowns don’t come easy. When I had the opportunity, I just made sure I did the best with it.”
On his ability to make that play:
“I guess it’s a gift. It’s something that, whenever I get the opportunity, I just use it. I never thought of it. I use to be asked that question by [former] Coach [Joe] Gibbs back in the day when I was here with him. It’s almost instincts. That’s what it is. I just see it and it’s my time to get it. I put everything else out there and try to attack the ball.”
On motivation from the coaching staff:
“When you see what type of team you have, and knowing all the players and the things they can do, you don’t need a coach to really hype you up. We have the opportunity and just need to do something with it. Luckily, we do have the kind of coaches around – especially from our head coach [Mike Shanahan] – he basically just lets us know where we are at and how he felt about us when we weren’t playing our best football. I don’t think today we played our best football, offensively. There are going to be games like that. I’m proud to stand up here with a win, knowing that we didn’t play our best. We need to just kind of gain from our defense. If we can just continue to play together, regardless of who is up and who is down, I think we can come up with wins. I’m proud to be on the other side of it for a chance.
On quarterback Robert Griffin III:
“I feel great for him. Robert just keeps doing what he is doing … with Robert, nothing is going to change. Robert is going to go out there and be special. That’s a gift that he has. He’s a special guy. He brings [that gift] to our offense. He really ignites our fire. When he is doing his thing, he’s on fire, and then it just rubs off on everyone else. I’m glad to have a guy like that.”
On playing against a struggling team:
“Honestly, one thing I use when I come to games is not about what other teams are going through or have, but just worrying about myself and dealing with what I have going on. That’s the way you’ll be able to come out on top. Try and make sure you are the best that day. We are going to keep that mindset, regardless of who we face, and worry about what the Redskins have to do. Hopefully we can come out on top.”
On celebrating the win:
“Celebrating is probably overrated for these kinds of wins because you don’t really get a chance to. You always have to watch out for the next day. Due to the fact that we play on Thanksgiving, I’m kind of looking forward to it, so I’m not even thinking about it. I’m already moving on and ready to get the body rested up so we can go out there and play on Thursday.”
Linebacker Ryan Kerrigan
On if he was surprised the Eagles tried to drive at the end of first half:
“I wasn’t surprised. We kind of figured it would be some sort of draw or screen just to see what resulted from that play. Fortunately for us, we were able to get on top of the ball and able to get us another possession.”
On forcing three turnovers in the first half:
“It was huge. From the start, first possession and second possession, that’s the kind of football we’ve wanted to play all year. We forced turnovers and especially with Philly having a young quarterback, we wanted to really get after him and force some turnovers and steal every possession for our offense.”
On facing the Eagles without quarterback Michael Vick:
“Of course, Michael Vick’s speed and feet kind of change how you rush a little bit. But we still have to have good gap integrity with [quarterback] Nick Foles because he’s still able to escape the pocket and make some throws on the run. But it is always a huge factor when Michael Vick’s back there and has the ability to throw on the run.”
On having their backs against the wall and securing a win:
“That’s how we’ve got to play for the rest of the season because every game we’ve got to play like our back’s against the wall because it really is. We’ve got to come out with the same kind of intensity, same focus, same drive from the start like we did today and good things will happen.”
Wide Receiver Aldrick Robinson
On his touchdown reception:
“I had a deep route. I had seen the safety come down and I knew I was getting the ball. Robert [Griffin III] threw me a perfect ball so I could run for it and I got it.”
On Griffin III’s performance:
“He played great. Today was a good day for him. He said all week he wanted to dominate and that’s what he did today.”
On if he was surprised he was wide open for the touchdown:
“No, we actually got that look in practice, so it played out like it did in practice.”
On winning today’s game:
“It feels good but we’ve got to get past this and get ready for Dallas on Thursday.”
Tackle Trent Williams
On snapping the team’s three-game losing streak against the Eagles:
“It always feels good to get a win against anybody, even when it’s a division opponent. It feels a little better. It means a little more, but we can’t harp on it too long. We’ve got another game to play in about four days.”
On the touchdown pass to Santana Moss:
“I didn’t really see it. I just [saw] the replay and it was a great play by Santana. He’s been making big plays for the last 10 years. He has that big play ability.”
On people saying the team gave up after the Carolina Panthers game:
“You’ll make more of it than we do. We have to play no matter what’s said. Everybody has a mouth and a voice so everyone’s going to talk. We can’t pay that much attention to it. We know we have to win. Time is running out.”
Linebacker Lorenzo Alexander
On the defensive play calling:
“I think coach [Jim] Haslett did a great job of calling the game, mixing it up, and really getting after him [Eagles quarterback Nick Foles]. I don’t think he allowed them to get him out of his game plan. They started running a lot of screens and even though they got a couple plays on us, he stuck to his guns and guys got out there and executed and made some plays. We put a lot of pressure on Foles all day and he didn’t really have a chance to sit in the pocket and go deep to DeSean [Jackson] or [Jeremy] Maclin. It was good for us because we were able to keep them in front of us all day. A team that’s built for big time plays, to prevent them from getting any was definitely a step up for us because we have been giving at least one [big play] up a game.”
On the team’s brighter postgame mood compared to the last few games:
“That’s what a win does for you. When you lose, everybody comes down on you and rightfully so, but when you win, you get praised as well. After this game, we can’t get too high or get too low. You know, keep a level head. We have a lot of football left ahead of us and as easily as you can get down on yourself when the media, and the fans, and everybody is telling you how bad you are, don’t believe the hype. We still have to stay level headed; even in this game mistakes were made. We still have to prepare well, make the corrections, and get ready for Dallas.”
Fullback Darrel Young
On if the early touchdown took some weight off of the offense’s shoulders:
“Absolutely, I don’t think we’ve had that sense [of early accomplishment] since the St. Louis game. Just scoring early like that, I think anytime you get off to a great start in a game you have a better feeling and it puts the opposite team into a different game plan.”
On if he is content with his play:
“No, because I had a minus. There are like two minuses I can think of right now. I just want to get better. Sometimes you hear players say they feel like they played their best game today. I don’t even feel like that. There were a couple mistakes that I made. Whether I should have gotten my head on the outside [of the defender when blocking] for Robert [Griffin III] to run down the sideline, he came back inside me and got tackled. He could have gained 14 yards but he got 10 yards. I have to be better than that, but I’m hard on myself, I have to give it my all.”
Safety Brandon Meriweather
On how it felt to get on the field:
“It felt great. It felt great to actually be out there with the guys that you went through the rain and the pain with.”
On how his knee felt:
“It felt good, it felt real good. I was out there and I was able to run and cut and cover a little bit. Just to be in a competitive situation was better for it than anything.”
On if leaving the game was a precautionary measure:
“Yeah, it was more me thinking about the future then me going back in there when we were already up by so much, and the defense was actually playing great.”
On how it felt to get his hands on the ball during his interception:
“It actually felt better just to see the defense play the way we did, just to see us come together as a unit, put distractions in the background and actually play.”
On how his presence on the field is able to bring life to this secondary:
“I don’t think it was me. I actually think the fact that all four starters were actually together for the first time just brought an upbeat to our defense. We realized that everything falls on us, so we played like it.”
Eagles Head Coach Andy Reid
Opening statement:
“LeSean McCoy has a concussion and Brent Celek was hit in the head but he tested out OK. Turnovers early, penalties early, drops and big plays were all problems for this game. That is my responsibility to make sure these guys get an opportunity to do the right thing and get them to do the right thing. I am not doing a good enough job at it.”
On why LeSean McCoy was still playing when they were down 25 points:
“Because we were trying to catch up and win the game.”
On if he regrets keeping McCoy in the game:
“No.”
On what has happened to the secondary:
“The obvious is that you can’t give up those big plays. And if you are in a position to make a play, you need to make it. We had three turnovers.”
On if he has intentions of finishing the season:
“We need to get ready for the Monday night game.”
On if there is a lack of team focus:
“I don’t think it is a lack of focus. I see them playing hard, I see them focused at practice. I think at times we may be trying too hard and you can’t press them and make plays.”
On why he called a timeout with a minute left in the half:
“That’s just what I chose to do.”
On if the team’s talent is overrated:
“Guys who are in are expected to play and do well. That’s how it is. No excuses.”
On the team trying to meet high expectations:
“I take full responsibility for that. It’s my fault that that’s the way things are going.”
On if team is getting worse:
“We didn’t look better today. We didn’t do a good job today.”
On if the team can still make the playoffs:
“We are going to keep battling.”
On quarterback Nick Foles’ performance:
“He made a few young guy mistakes that he’ll learn from. He is being given an opportunity to correct those.”
On if players are no longer 'buying in’ this season:
“I think guys are buying in. They all want to play. They all want to be out there and score on the offense.”