 }})
- Joined
- Apr 11, 2009
- Messages
- 49,341
- Reaction score
- 7,228
- Points
- 2,244
- Location
- Greensboro, NC
- Military Branch
- Alma Mater
October 30, 2013
Redskins Park
Executive Vice President/Head Coach Mike Shanahan
On the injury report:
“Did not practice today was [safety Jose] Gumbs – ankle is still a little bit sore. Limited was [wide receiver Pierre] Garçon, calf. People that practiced full were [defensive end Stephen] Bowen, [safety] Reed Doughty, [quarterback Robert] Griffin III, [wide receiver Leonard] Hankerson, [nose tackle Chris] Neild, [tight end Logan] Paulsen and [running back Chris] Thompson.”
On starting slow:
“We’ve been working on that to try to get something going, but I think that, especially the first drive, you try to get that consistency and move the ball down the field and score some points, but we haven’t been able to do that. But that’s what we’re working on.”
On quarterback Robert Griffin III’s knee:
“It’s a non-issue. I didn’t notice it today. I know he’s still probably a little bit sore. He didn’t share any of those thoughts with me today. I know he’s getting treatment, but I didn’t see anything out on the field.”
On what he wants from tight end Fred Davis the rest of the season:
“There’s always a lot of rumors and speculation that are out there. That happens all the time when somebody gets out there and there’s some talk about being traded. I just shared some of my thoughts with Fred and let him know that I expected him to practice at a certain level and have his mind ready to play in the game and you never know when that situation is going to occur. We had a good conversation and he practiced well today.”
On if Davis being inactive has been related to a bonus in his contract:
“Well, to be honest with you, [Communications Manager] Ross [Taylor] just shared that with me. One thing I try to do as a head coach now as compared to when I was in Denver – I don’t look at any of those incentives. I keep myself away from those things. I didn’t know that until I was just told about two minutes ago that that was a clause for those reasons. I don’t make decisions based on money.”
On safety Reed Doughty:
“Talking about Reed, I think he will be able to go. At least the last few days were positive. There have been no setbacks. He practiced today so that was a good sign.”
On where the passing offense is at this point in the season:
“We’re a work in progress right now and every once in a while you’ll see something very positive like you did a week before against Chicago and then you see ourselves in that fourth quarter against Denver have the ball seven times and we had five turnovers. I’ve never been associated with something like that before, I don’t believe anyhow, and that was disappointing. So, we’re working on the little things. Making some headway and hopefully we can do that.”
On how to keep players happy when they feel they are not being targeted enough:
“You’re not trying to keep everybody happy, you’re trying to get people to perform. It’s not my job to keep them happy, but you talk about the things you do poorly. If it’s a dropped pass, an errant throw, a missed read, a block, a missed assignment, those are all things that contribute to you being successful or not. To be where we were last year on offense, you’ve got to eliminate mistakes. We were very good in that last year. We’ve got to get back to that, and if we do, then we’ll have a great second half of the season.”
On why the defense has not been able to play its best for a complete game yet:
“Well, it depends what you’re talking about. It was a great job for two-and-a-half quarters and they had a couple of pretty long drives. They did a good job of making a fourth-and-1, fourth-and-2. I thought we put them in some tough field position, when I say we, I mean our team. Three times inside the 35-yard-line, you turn the football over, they always want to turn it into field goals, not touchdowns. We put the defense in some tough field position and at the same time we got four turnovers, so they did enough to win the football game, but I think I addressed that pretty strongly afterwards. You can’t do what we did in the fourth quarter and go against a good football team and win. That’s what we’re working on today and hopefully by the end of the week, good things will happen this weekend.”
On the importance of pass rushers getting sacks, specifically outside linebacker Brian Orakpo:
“It’s pressure – you don’t have to actually have sacks but you want to keep the quarterback off-balance. You want him to step up. Maybe somebody gets a sack because of the way that you are rushing the quarterback. A guy – being able to jump on that football with [Broncos quarterback] Peyton Manning to get a turnover over there – Rak’s done a number of good things this year, but let’s evaluate a guy after a year, not after four games, five games – let him play out the year and let him get a full year under his belt. Then it’s a lot easier to talk about somebody’s season.”
On the difference in Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers this year:
“I’ve been watching Philip Rivers for a lot of years. He’s an excellent quarterback and I just smiled when people thought his game was going the wrong direction because you can see just by watching him that he’s a solid player – more than a solid player, he’s probably playing as good as anybody in the National Football League right now. When you’re throwing for 74 percent like he is, you know he feels very comfortable with his supporting cast. They did add a few players on the offensive side of the football which has helped him, but he is playing with a lot of confidence. He’s making throws that he’s done throughout his career. Very impressed with how he’s played.”
On if the team has a number two receiver and what it will take for someone to win the job permanently:
“When you say you have 'a guy’ is when a guy starts performing. We can’t have dropped balls. We have to execute properly. I think we do have a second guy. Who that guy is right now I’m not sure. But we’ve got guys competing and we’re going to have a guy step up. We’ve got guys with the ability to be a number two, but you want to take control, and that takes everybody. A guy not getting the pass doesn’t necessarily have to do with him not getting open, it may be us functioning as a unit, and that’s when the numbers come up.”
On how receivers can be effective playing in a rotation:
“When they go in and they get an opportunity, then they better show us that they deserve to be in there more time and if you do, then you’ll stay in there longer. If you don’t do something outstanding and you’re full-speed, the chances are you’re not going to be in there all the time.”
On what has caused struggles in the downfield passing game:
“I know why, but I don’t get into detail on that. We try to go out on the field and work on it, practice on it, but the difference between this year and last year to me is very obvious, but different things that we work on every day to hopefully get to where we want to be.”
On if defenses are playing differently to eliminate big passing plays:
“Oh, you get a number of different things. Every year it changes. I can’t go into detail for obvious reasons but I get a chance to read about it every day.”
On how to coach defenders to hit legally but still play aggressive:
“That’s what you try to do. I mean, we all understand that you can’t go to the head. You’ve got to try to go in the chest area and above the knees, and what [linebacker] London [Fletcher] is basically saying is it’s tough sometimes. In the heat of battle, you’re trying to hit a guy and then all of a sudden somebody ducks at the last second and you have helmet-to-helmet contact. We all understand that, and it has nothing to do with intent. That’s probably what London is talking about. These guys are aggressive guys. They want to go out there and play hard. All of a sudden every once in a while something like that will happen. For an example – like 'Rak, you know 'Rak was fined and all of a sudden it was close, but when the league took a closer look they took the fine away. They said, 'Hey, we looked at it and that was a good hit,’ but it still was a penalty. We got charged for the penalty. Sometimes that’s the difference in winning and losing the game, so from a head coaching standpoint, you talk about the rules, not that you always agree with them. But whatever rules are implemented, it’s your job to make sure they’re enforced or they’ll make sure they’re enforced and you’ve got to obviously deal with those rules and hopefully not cost yourself a game.”
On how much of the team’s offensive performance is related to the difference in Griffin III this year:
“We talked about this a year ago. We talked about what type of offensive scheme did we use last year – a little bit different than we’re using this year. Denver had a little bit more team speed. Sometimes your game plan will change. Part of the growth of a quarterback is getting as many reps as you can. He didn’t get a lot of reps this offseason. We knew what they had to defend – different defenses. They know Robert is not exactly the same as he was a year ago and so we are going to get different defenses. That’s very obvious. But, as you can see, over the last few games, at times, you can see that speed has come back and he’s feeling more comfortable. We’re not just going to put him out there just to run a certain offense. It all depends on what type of players we’re facing and what we think gives us the best chance to win the football game.”
On if the chemistry was affected by Griffin III not being able to participate in the offseason:
“It has nothing to do with chemistry. It has to do with repetition. You want your quarterback in his second year to get as many reps as possible. He didn’t get any reps in the second year, but he’s still doing a lot of good things. Collectively as an offense, we’re going to go against some different defenses than we did a year ago just by the nature of where we’re at and we’ve got to work through it.”
On if he favors having helmet-to-helmet penalties reviewable by replay:
“Well, to me it [Brian Orakpo’s hit] it was tough even on replay. You had to go back to a close-up on it to see that that didn’t happen. I’m not sure they would have saw it on TV. We talk about things all the time. We’d like to clean it up but sometimes you’ll stop the game. You can’t have replay for everything, but I was just pleased that 'Rak was playing hard – it was close but it was in the chest area. I’m just glad they took back the fine.”
On his presentation to the team prior to last year’s winning streak and if he will make a similar presentation this year:
“I don’t think you’ve got to be a math major to figure out – the Giants got six losses, Philly’s got five, we’ve got five, Dallas has got four. We’ve got a bunch of games left. Whoever finishes the season has a chance to take the NFC East… [Last year] we just came off of a bye week and we said, 'Hey we’ve got seven games left, we’ve got Philly at home, we’ve got a chance if we win out. We’ve got to take them one at a time.’ Our football players know that this is a journey and you’ve got to take them one at a time and even though there’s a lot of things that go on during a season you’ve got to persevere, you’ve got to work hard, because once you get on a run, you’ve got a chance to do something special. It’s who’s playing the best in January who’s got a chance to win the Super Bowl. A year ago, I think Baltimore last their last four out of five. We beat them here. They found a way to win the Super Bowl. They started playing the best football after they played us, so anything is possible, but you’ve got to play good, solid football and that’s what we’re trying to do.”
On performance of safety Bacarri Rambo against Denver:
“He had an excellent game. Gumbs went out, he came in, took advantage of his opportunity. That’s what you want. You could see that he was a different player going out there tackling – more of a sense of urgency. You can tell that if he does get on special teams, if he works his way up to special teams, he’s going to play with a chip on his shoulder. Sometimes it takes a guy not being up for a game or two to understand how important it is for him to play. The thing I like about Bacarri is he stepped up and played at the level where he’ll get a chance to play again.”
Quarterback Robert Griffin III
On the status of his left knee:
“I felt good today in practice, so I’ll just keep seeing how it feels each day. I’ll be ready for the game, I think, and just take it one day at a time.”
On eliminating slow starts on offense:
“We just have to execute better from the get-go. We work on stuff all week in practice and we have to be able to translate that over to game day and that takes everybody. We just can’t have some of the things that we’ve been having – missed assignments, missed throws, dropped passes. All those kind of things can lead to not being successful and we’ve got to eliminate those.”
On if he has an opinion on why the slow starts have been occurring:
“I think everybody has opinions about it, but we’re the only ones that know what’s really going on. My job is not to come up here and tell everybody everything that goes on in this organization. Our job is to keep that stuff in-house and make sure that we get better from it because it takes all of us.”
On where the offense ranks:
“Just middle of the pack, as far as throwing the ball and all that good stuff, to me, stats and rankings and stuff like that, it doesn’t always really tell the true story in my opinion. We’ve struggled at times. We’ve been really great at times. Against Chicago, we threw the ball extremely well and ran the ball efficiently and this past week, we didn’t do that. It’s a week-to-week thing, we just need to be more consistent with it.”
On how he feels physically now compared to the beginning of the season:
“I feel better, but it takes all 11 of us out there to go out and be ranked [seventh] in offense, in total offense. There’s one thing we’re going to be able to do and teams know that – we’re going to run the football. We’ve just got to make sure we stay true to that, stay true to who we are and the passing will come.”
On how different the offense is this year from last season:
“I think every year is different, of course, but we just need to find that consistent place for all of us. Getting the plays run the right way, being where you’re supposed to be, getting open, making the throw, staying on the field – all of those things come into play. So, I mean, there’s no secret. Like I said after the game, there’s no secret sauce, no secret weapons. You’ve just got to go out there and execute.”
On how shocking it is for him to be 2-5 and be 21st in the NFL in passer rating:
“It sucks, and like I said, there’s a lot of things that go into that, but it’s not for me to discuss that stuff up here. We have to fix that stuff out there on the practice field and on the game field. Nothing that we say is going to change that. Talk doesn’t help. You’ve just got to go out and act and make sure that you get out there and do the best you can.”
On how helpful a consistent second wide receiver opposite Pierre Garçon would be:
“We definitely need to have balance in the receiving corps, but it’s our job – me as a quarterback and the coaches – to put guys in the right positions to make plays and we have to do that. There’s nobody out there that’s going to come in and save the day. We’ve just got to make sure that we go and work with the guys that we have and use their skills to the fullest.”
On what he can do to help his teammates become more effective:
“Like I said, we’ve just got to execute better. I don’t know what else to tell you guys.”
On if he is fine with wide receivers publicly voicing their frustrations:
“I mean, these are grown men, so I can’t control what they say, obviously. We’re all in this together and everybody’s going to be frustrated here and there, but the only way for us to get better is to stick together and that’s what we’ve got to do.”
On comparing last year’s offense to this year:
“I just think we’re not as efficient as an offense and that’s the bottom line. Everyone wants to point the finger at this, point the finger at that. I’m not going to do that. We’re just not efficient, efficient enough as an offense. You know, we’re ranked [seventh] in all the rankings and all the yards. That’s all fine and dandy, but at the end of the day, you’ve got to win football games.”
On if taking a lot of hits can affect his performance late in games:
“When you get hit – a lot of teams say, 'Get hits on the quarterback. It can affect him and make him try to get rid of the ball a little bit quicker out of the pocket, make him make some bad decisions.’ I try to make sure that never happens. You’ve got to make sure you take each play as its own play. Yeah, somebody might get through here and there, but you’ve got to still sit in that pocket and you’ve got to make plays and when the plays are there to be made, you’ve got to make the throw no matter who’s coming after you. From that standpoint, you’ve got to stare down the barrel of the gun and be ready to go.”
On if defenses are playing deep passes differently or the offense simply needs to get better at executing them:
“Yeah, we’ve got to get better, obviously… We’ve got to execute better – be better, do this, do that. Like I said, I can sit up here and point fingers and do anything everybody wants us to do – 'everybody wants us to fail, everybody wants us to break apart’ – and that’s just not what I’m going to do. So when it comes to the downfield passing, it sounds cliché, it sounds repetitive, but we do have to do better. We do have to execute the downfield passing a lot better and make plays.”
On if defenses are trying to take away the deep pass:
“Yeah, I mean obviously teams are doing a better job with their corners and what the refs are allowing guys to do as far as bumping guys on routes and then holding – all that stuff – and that’s not an excuse. If they’re going to allow it, we have to play through it. Guys have to stay on their routes. We’ve got to get to the spots we’re supposed to be and then make the throws.”
On how trying it is to stay positive despite losing:
“It’s very trying. It’s a test and you’re going to get put through tests in your life and you’ve got to decide how you’re going to react to them. You can react in a negative way or a positive way. I choose to be positive. I don’t go out there and scream at guys. We talked about this before, but my way of leading, you have to be positive. A guy drops a pass, he knows he dropped a pass. He’s going to make that catch for you. If I miss a throw, I know I missed a throw. I’m going to make that throw for them next time. That’s just the approach you have to take towards it, because as soon as you change as a leader, I think guys can see that as well. And when you change, it kind of feels like the ship’s sinking. So I’m not going to go out there and I’m not going to change who I am as a person. I’m not going to demand any less out of them and they’re not going to demand any less out of me.”
On his and linebacker Brian Orakpo’s financial stake in a Texas tea company:
“We’re both from Texas, so that did happen. They came to me and him, he was in it before I was, but they brought us both in to work with the company. It’s a great little business they have going on there and if you want some tea, I have a lot in my garage, so swing by.”
On if he has responsibilities with the company:
“I don’t want to talk about that right now. Like I said, we’re 2-5, we need to win football games and not worry about tea. I don’t need to hear that. I don’t need that to be the headline – 'We’re worrying about tea.’ No, I’m worrying about us winning football games.”
On if he is able to make suggestions to Offensive Coordinator Kyle Shanahan:
“That is a tough question that I am not going to answer, because that’s something that I have to address internally. That’s not something that I can come out and tell you guys, 'Hey, I’m doing this, I’m doing that,’ because that’s not beneficial. So that’s something I’ll keep between me, Kyle and the rest of the coaches and the players.”
On how he manages players wanting more touches:
“I just make sure no one becomes a cancer on your team and your job as a quarterback is to know how to manage people. I feel like I’ve done a good job of that my whole career and you’ve got to manage different personalities. Everybody’s got a different personality. Everybody has to be talked to a little bit different. Everybody gets pushed a little bit differently so it’s just about making sure all those things continue to work. It’s a tough job, but that’s what I signed up for and I’m willing to do it. It’s a lot easier [in year two] but when you sit at 2-5 and you’re not where you want to be and you had high aspirations and still do for your season and your team, when things go wrong it can test your character and you have to make sure your character stays strong and that’s what we’re trying to do.”
On his feelings about rules regulating legal and illegal hits:
“I cannot touch that. I don’t know. The NFL is trying to make the game safer, so I don’t know what it’s doing. I know with [safety Brandon] Meriweather and what he said when he came back, I can’t speak for him but we know him as a person and he’d never do something like that. I think he was just really frustrated with the whole situation. It can be frustrating and there’s a lot of frustrating things going on right now around this team and around the league and you’ve just got to know how to manage it. That’s what we signed up for as professional athletes and we have to do it.”
On if he has input in formulating the game plan during the week:
“Yeah, I mean we communicate. I don’t know if I have any input as far as, 'I want this play put it.’ We have our base offense and that’s what it goes with and I communicate to them what I like and what I don’t like.”
On how much more involved he is in the play selection this season compared to last:
“A little more input, but coaches coach, players play. We always say that. It’s the truth. If they feel strongly about something, that’s what we’re going to run.”
On if he has more ability to change things at the line of scrimmage:
“Yeah they’re putting more stuff on me at the line of scrimmage as far as run checks, passing checks, and that’s always fun to do.”
On his favorite Halloween memory:
“Favorite Halloween memory – probably dressing up as Michelangelo the Ninja Turtle when I was younger, so that was fun. I celebrate Halloween and Hallelujah Night, so my church we always throw Hallelujah Night. A lot of churches don’t celebrate Halloween, so guys come up dressed as David, you know, a bunch of other things and that’s always fun too. So it’s a great holiday – hope everybody stays safe.”
Chargers Coach Mike McCoy
On what he is preparing to see from the Redskins:
“Obviously with RGIII [Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III] – very explosive player and you know the big play capability he has, whether he’s escaping pressure in the pocket and making plays with his feet on the edge and obviously the defensive secondary always has to stay alive because they’re very explosive. [Executive Vice President/Head Coach] Mike Shanahan has always had one of the best running games. I was with him obviously in training camp in ’95 and since that day he’s always had one of the best running games. You’ve got to be able to stop the running game and not give up the big plays and I think they’re a very explosive offense and they do a lot of good things. Defensively [Defensive Coordinator] Jim Haslett has always been a guy that’s gotten after the quarterbacks whether it’s a four-man rush or with pressures and doing certain things he’s always done a nice job of making it difficult for the offenses.”
On the difference in quarterback Robert Griffin III from last year to this year:
“I think he’s a very talented player, obviously, and any young player in this league regardless of who you are, the more time you play, the more reps you take, the better you’re going to be. He’s a very talented player that can do a lot of different things and you’ve got to make sure to be very disciplined on defense because he’ll expose you in a hurry.”
On the importance of quarterback Philip Rivers’ completion percentage and what has led to his improvement in that area:
“I think he’s very efficient. He’s playing the game the way the quarterback is supposed to play it in our system and I think he’s done a great job of buying in and executing the system the way we want him to. [Quarterbacks Coach] Frank Reich has done a great job of coaching him, Ken Whisenhunt, the Offensive Coordinator, has done a great job of calling the games, and the players are buying into the system. When you have a quarterback like Philip that is going to execute the way he is, good things are going to happen and it’s just a matter of trusting the system and taking what the defense is going to give you.”
On how they prepare for a game across the country:
“I firmly believe and have sold the team that this is one of 16 games and regardless of – we have a number of East Coast trips that we’re taking this year – it doesn’t matter what time we play. It’s an opportunity. It’s a gem in the NFL to play a game, so you can’t worry about what time you’re kicking off. We start early in the morning. We have 7:20 meetings every day, so we’ve done a nice job to this point in time on the road.”
On the play of wide receiver/kick returner Eddie Royal:
“This is the type of player we knew Eddie could be. I coached Eddie in Denver obviously before he came here so I knew a lot about him. We had seen on the film on him obviously when we first went to Denver in 2009 and the success he had with us over a couple years period and the successful rookie year he had, so I knew a lot about him when I got here and was excited to get back with him. He’s great to have on our football team and he’s done everything we’ve asked him to do to at this point in time. What he’s done has not surprised me at all.”
On any changes he has seen in Royal over the years:
“Like I mentioned earlier about young players, the more you play, the more experience you get. There’s certain things that – a disguise is not going to get him anymore, but it might have got him in the early years of his career with, you know, coverages or safeties spinning or doing certain things. He’s done a great job of buying into the system and the changes and he knew a lot of things that, whether they had come from Denver, that I had run or some things we had kept from the previous system, so he’s done a great job of filling his role.”
On keeping Royal off special teams unit:
“We’re going to try to do what we think is best for the football team in all positions. And whoever we think is the best guy out there for the job, it’s going to change from week to week.”
On if his team will be fearful of safety Brandon Meriweather:
“No, we’re going to go out and play the game. Just play the game and everything takes care of itself.”
On their philosophy on tackling in practices and offseason activities:
“It’s all about fundamentals and techniques. Our coaches do a great job of teaching the proper techniques and it’s a fast game and things happen in a hurry, so you react accordingly.”
On how difficult it is to adjust to the new rules on hitting when not being able to hit in practice:
“Everyone is playing by the same rules. So everyone’s got to abide by the same rules and there’s a reason behind it and the great Heads Up football program that the NFL has established with youth sports and everything is the right way to do it. You’ve got to follow the rule.”
On only having six dropped passes all season:
“I don’t want them to drop any balls. I wish it was zero. When you have talented players that stay focused and concentrate, hopefully they don’t drop many balls the rest of the year.”
On why they have struggled to force turnovers:
“It’s something as a football team you always talk about, you always work on. It seems like in this league they come in bunches and certain teams get on a roll – get a couple a weekend, then they keep on going. We’re going to do whatever we can. We have plenty of drills we’ve been talking about and it’s an emphasis here that we’ve got to create more turnovers and protect the ball on offense, and it’s all part of what you try to preach and see what they can do.”
Chargers WR/KR Eddie Royal
On returning home to play near his hometown:
“I don’t know, I’m still trying to get the tickets together, but it’ll be fun. For me, I’ve just got to treat it like another game. It’ll be good to play in front of friends and family, but at the end of the day, I’ve got to focus and go out there and do my job.”
On how the process asking former Westfield High School teammate Evan Royster for tickets is going:
“[Laughter] It’s going good. I’ve just got to make sure that he follows through and gets me those tickets. But like I said, it’ll be good to be able to play in front of my friends and family and I had to ignore a couple of phone calls this week.”
On nearly signing with the Redskins last offseason and why he chose the Chargers:
“I was real close. It would’ve been a good deal just being able to play at home and play for [Executive Vice President/Head] Coach [Mike] Shanahan, who drafted me. So it was an opportunity for me to make all of that happen, but at the end of the day I thought that being in San Diego was a better fit for me and I’m happy with my decision. I’ve got a lot of respect for the Redskins and that was my favorite team growing up, so it’s hard to say no to those guys.”
On if he stays in touch with Royster and his teammates from Westfield state championship team:
“Yeah, I still talk to a good number of the guys from that team. That’s something special, you know. You win the state championship, that’s something you talk about for a long time and I’m still in touch with a lot of those guys. That’s one of those memories you won’t forget.”
On Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Percy Harvin also playing in that championship game:
“Yeah, it was a number of D1 players in that game. I think the score was 38-14. I’m pretty sure about that, but we had a good game that week.”
On if he had a punt return for a touchdown in that game:
“Yeah, and another touchdown I think.”
On how difficult it is to put aside the distraction of playing at home:
“Once you get going, you’re just out there playing football. I’m so focused on what I have to do on each play I don’t have time to worry about anything else, and it’s good this being my second time. I’ve experienced it before so I know what to expect. It’s nothing to get nervous about or anything. You’re excited to play in front of your friends and family, and at the end of the day, it’s just football.”
On his memories of playing for Mike Shanahan:
“All great memories. Coach Shanahan’s a great coach and he was an even better person. When you get lost in the football aspect of it all, you don’t really think about coaches as people, but he was a great man to be around. I learned a lot from him – just how to be a standup guy. I’ve got a lot of respect for him and it was just an overall great experience for me.”
On how he’s changed as a receiver since his time with Shanahan:
“I think just the knowledge of the game, knowing how to run different routes against different coverages, learning how to set DBs up different ways and not making every route look the same – just the little things about playing receiver. A lot of things your do the same day in and day out, but it’s the little things that you tweak and change that make you a better player.”
On the team having only six drops:
“We’re keeping track of everyone, you’ve got to give Philip a lot of credit for that also. He throws a lot of catchable balls. He puts the ball in a good spot for us. He never throws it too hard to where you have a hard time catching it. He puts enough zip on it for it to get there and make sure the defender can’t make a play on it, so a lot of that goes to Philip. Guys are working hard at it. We work hard at it in practice. We’ve got a lot of drills that we do to make sure that we’re looking the ball in and doing the little things when it comes to catching the ball.”
On Rivers’ completion percentage:
“You just try to get into a rhythm and try to keep things going. I really think the key is every guy is so focused on doing his job the right way. If each guy does their job the way that it’s supposed to be done, then we’ll have success over long drives. And we’ve got guys that are paying attention to the little details of each play call, and when you can do that, your offense is going to have success. So from here on out, that’s one thing that we have to do.”
On if he is worried about playing against safety Brandon Meriweather:
“You’ve got to go out and play football. Guys on the other side are going to be good players. They’re going to make plays when plays are there to be made. At the end of the day, you’ve just got to focus on you and making sure that you’re doing your part and let everything else worry about itself.”
On if the team is enjoying proving people wrong:
“I know it sounds cliché and it sounds like you hear it all the time, but we’re really just focused on each game. At the end of it all, we’ll look up and see our record and see where we’re at. Of course, you want to get to the tournament, to the playoffs, and be one of those teams, but you can’t look too far ahead. You’ve got to really focus in on each week and each opponent and just keep working. And at the end of the season, lift your head up and see where you’re at and if you get another chance to go play, then you’ve got to put your head back down and go to work again.”
On if he still has a home in Northern Virginia:
“Yeah, I do. That’s always going to be home for me. I feel like it was a great area. I love the area. I’m a Virginia Tech guy also, so I tried to stay around closest to home as I could. But yeah, I love the area, and that’s probably somewhere I’ll look to live when I’m done playing.”
Redskins Park
Executive Vice President/Head Coach Mike Shanahan
On the injury report:
“Did not practice today was [safety Jose] Gumbs – ankle is still a little bit sore. Limited was [wide receiver Pierre] Garçon, calf. People that practiced full were [defensive end Stephen] Bowen, [safety] Reed Doughty, [quarterback Robert] Griffin III, [wide receiver Leonard] Hankerson, [nose tackle Chris] Neild, [tight end Logan] Paulsen and [running back Chris] Thompson.”
On starting slow:
“We’ve been working on that to try to get something going, but I think that, especially the first drive, you try to get that consistency and move the ball down the field and score some points, but we haven’t been able to do that. But that’s what we’re working on.”
On quarterback Robert Griffin III’s knee:
“It’s a non-issue. I didn’t notice it today. I know he’s still probably a little bit sore. He didn’t share any of those thoughts with me today. I know he’s getting treatment, but I didn’t see anything out on the field.”
On what he wants from tight end Fred Davis the rest of the season:
“There’s always a lot of rumors and speculation that are out there. That happens all the time when somebody gets out there and there’s some talk about being traded. I just shared some of my thoughts with Fred and let him know that I expected him to practice at a certain level and have his mind ready to play in the game and you never know when that situation is going to occur. We had a good conversation and he practiced well today.”
On if Davis being inactive has been related to a bonus in his contract:
“Well, to be honest with you, [Communications Manager] Ross [Taylor] just shared that with me. One thing I try to do as a head coach now as compared to when I was in Denver – I don’t look at any of those incentives. I keep myself away from those things. I didn’t know that until I was just told about two minutes ago that that was a clause for those reasons. I don’t make decisions based on money.”
On safety Reed Doughty:
“Talking about Reed, I think he will be able to go. At least the last few days were positive. There have been no setbacks. He practiced today so that was a good sign.”
On where the passing offense is at this point in the season:
“We’re a work in progress right now and every once in a while you’ll see something very positive like you did a week before against Chicago and then you see ourselves in that fourth quarter against Denver have the ball seven times and we had five turnovers. I’ve never been associated with something like that before, I don’t believe anyhow, and that was disappointing. So, we’re working on the little things. Making some headway and hopefully we can do that.”
On how to keep players happy when they feel they are not being targeted enough:
“You’re not trying to keep everybody happy, you’re trying to get people to perform. It’s not my job to keep them happy, but you talk about the things you do poorly. If it’s a dropped pass, an errant throw, a missed read, a block, a missed assignment, those are all things that contribute to you being successful or not. To be where we were last year on offense, you’ve got to eliminate mistakes. We were very good in that last year. We’ve got to get back to that, and if we do, then we’ll have a great second half of the season.”
On why the defense has not been able to play its best for a complete game yet:
“Well, it depends what you’re talking about. It was a great job for two-and-a-half quarters and they had a couple of pretty long drives. They did a good job of making a fourth-and-1, fourth-and-2. I thought we put them in some tough field position, when I say we, I mean our team. Three times inside the 35-yard-line, you turn the football over, they always want to turn it into field goals, not touchdowns. We put the defense in some tough field position and at the same time we got four turnovers, so they did enough to win the football game, but I think I addressed that pretty strongly afterwards. You can’t do what we did in the fourth quarter and go against a good football team and win. That’s what we’re working on today and hopefully by the end of the week, good things will happen this weekend.”
On the importance of pass rushers getting sacks, specifically outside linebacker Brian Orakpo:
“It’s pressure – you don’t have to actually have sacks but you want to keep the quarterback off-balance. You want him to step up. Maybe somebody gets a sack because of the way that you are rushing the quarterback. A guy – being able to jump on that football with [Broncos quarterback] Peyton Manning to get a turnover over there – Rak’s done a number of good things this year, but let’s evaluate a guy after a year, not after four games, five games – let him play out the year and let him get a full year under his belt. Then it’s a lot easier to talk about somebody’s season.”
On the difference in Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers this year:
“I’ve been watching Philip Rivers for a lot of years. He’s an excellent quarterback and I just smiled when people thought his game was going the wrong direction because you can see just by watching him that he’s a solid player – more than a solid player, he’s probably playing as good as anybody in the National Football League right now. When you’re throwing for 74 percent like he is, you know he feels very comfortable with his supporting cast. They did add a few players on the offensive side of the football which has helped him, but he is playing with a lot of confidence. He’s making throws that he’s done throughout his career. Very impressed with how he’s played.”
On if the team has a number two receiver and what it will take for someone to win the job permanently:
“When you say you have 'a guy’ is when a guy starts performing. We can’t have dropped balls. We have to execute properly. I think we do have a second guy. Who that guy is right now I’m not sure. But we’ve got guys competing and we’re going to have a guy step up. We’ve got guys with the ability to be a number two, but you want to take control, and that takes everybody. A guy not getting the pass doesn’t necessarily have to do with him not getting open, it may be us functioning as a unit, and that’s when the numbers come up.”
On how receivers can be effective playing in a rotation:
“When they go in and they get an opportunity, then they better show us that they deserve to be in there more time and if you do, then you’ll stay in there longer. If you don’t do something outstanding and you’re full-speed, the chances are you’re not going to be in there all the time.”
On what has caused struggles in the downfield passing game:
“I know why, but I don’t get into detail on that. We try to go out on the field and work on it, practice on it, but the difference between this year and last year to me is very obvious, but different things that we work on every day to hopefully get to where we want to be.”
On if defenses are playing differently to eliminate big passing plays:
“Oh, you get a number of different things. Every year it changes. I can’t go into detail for obvious reasons but I get a chance to read about it every day.”
On how to coach defenders to hit legally but still play aggressive:
“That’s what you try to do. I mean, we all understand that you can’t go to the head. You’ve got to try to go in the chest area and above the knees, and what [linebacker] London [Fletcher] is basically saying is it’s tough sometimes. In the heat of battle, you’re trying to hit a guy and then all of a sudden somebody ducks at the last second and you have helmet-to-helmet contact. We all understand that, and it has nothing to do with intent. That’s probably what London is talking about. These guys are aggressive guys. They want to go out there and play hard. All of a sudden every once in a while something like that will happen. For an example – like 'Rak, you know 'Rak was fined and all of a sudden it was close, but when the league took a closer look they took the fine away. They said, 'Hey, we looked at it and that was a good hit,’ but it still was a penalty. We got charged for the penalty. Sometimes that’s the difference in winning and losing the game, so from a head coaching standpoint, you talk about the rules, not that you always agree with them. But whatever rules are implemented, it’s your job to make sure they’re enforced or they’ll make sure they’re enforced and you’ve got to obviously deal with those rules and hopefully not cost yourself a game.”
On how much of the team’s offensive performance is related to the difference in Griffin III this year:
“We talked about this a year ago. We talked about what type of offensive scheme did we use last year – a little bit different than we’re using this year. Denver had a little bit more team speed. Sometimes your game plan will change. Part of the growth of a quarterback is getting as many reps as you can. He didn’t get a lot of reps this offseason. We knew what they had to defend – different defenses. They know Robert is not exactly the same as he was a year ago and so we are going to get different defenses. That’s very obvious. But, as you can see, over the last few games, at times, you can see that speed has come back and he’s feeling more comfortable. We’re not just going to put him out there just to run a certain offense. It all depends on what type of players we’re facing and what we think gives us the best chance to win the football game.”
On if the chemistry was affected by Griffin III not being able to participate in the offseason:
“It has nothing to do with chemistry. It has to do with repetition. You want your quarterback in his second year to get as many reps as possible. He didn’t get any reps in the second year, but he’s still doing a lot of good things. Collectively as an offense, we’re going to go against some different defenses than we did a year ago just by the nature of where we’re at and we’ve got to work through it.”
On if he favors having helmet-to-helmet penalties reviewable by replay:
“Well, to me it [Brian Orakpo’s hit] it was tough even on replay. You had to go back to a close-up on it to see that that didn’t happen. I’m not sure they would have saw it on TV. We talk about things all the time. We’d like to clean it up but sometimes you’ll stop the game. You can’t have replay for everything, but I was just pleased that 'Rak was playing hard – it was close but it was in the chest area. I’m just glad they took back the fine.”
On his presentation to the team prior to last year’s winning streak and if he will make a similar presentation this year:
“I don’t think you’ve got to be a math major to figure out – the Giants got six losses, Philly’s got five, we’ve got five, Dallas has got four. We’ve got a bunch of games left. Whoever finishes the season has a chance to take the NFC East… [Last year] we just came off of a bye week and we said, 'Hey we’ve got seven games left, we’ve got Philly at home, we’ve got a chance if we win out. We’ve got to take them one at a time.’ Our football players know that this is a journey and you’ve got to take them one at a time and even though there’s a lot of things that go on during a season you’ve got to persevere, you’ve got to work hard, because once you get on a run, you’ve got a chance to do something special. It’s who’s playing the best in January who’s got a chance to win the Super Bowl. A year ago, I think Baltimore last their last four out of five. We beat them here. They found a way to win the Super Bowl. They started playing the best football after they played us, so anything is possible, but you’ve got to play good, solid football and that’s what we’re trying to do.”
On performance of safety Bacarri Rambo against Denver:
“He had an excellent game. Gumbs went out, he came in, took advantage of his opportunity. That’s what you want. You could see that he was a different player going out there tackling – more of a sense of urgency. You can tell that if he does get on special teams, if he works his way up to special teams, he’s going to play with a chip on his shoulder. Sometimes it takes a guy not being up for a game or two to understand how important it is for him to play. The thing I like about Bacarri is he stepped up and played at the level where he’ll get a chance to play again.”
Quarterback Robert Griffin III
On the status of his left knee:
“I felt good today in practice, so I’ll just keep seeing how it feels each day. I’ll be ready for the game, I think, and just take it one day at a time.”
On eliminating slow starts on offense:
“We just have to execute better from the get-go. We work on stuff all week in practice and we have to be able to translate that over to game day and that takes everybody. We just can’t have some of the things that we’ve been having – missed assignments, missed throws, dropped passes. All those kind of things can lead to not being successful and we’ve got to eliminate those.”
On if he has an opinion on why the slow starts have been occurring:
“I think everybody has opinions about it, but we’re the only ones that know what’s really going on. My job is not to come up here and tell everybody everything that goes on in this organization. Our job is to keep that stuff in-house and make sure that we get better from it because it takes all of us.”
On where the offense ranks:
“Just middle of the pack, as far as throwing the ball and all that good stuff, to me, stats and rankings and stuff like that, it doesn’t always really tell the true story in my opinion. We’ve struggled at times. We’ve been really great at times. Against Chicago, we threw the ball extremely well and ran the ball efficiently and this past week, we didn’t do that. It’s a week-to-week thing, we just need to be more consistent with it.”
On how he feels physically now compared to the beginning of the season:
“I feel better, but it takes all 11 of us out there to go out and be ranked [seventh] in offense, in total offense. There’s one thing we’re going to be able to do and teams know that – we’re going to run the football. We’ve just got to make sure we stay true to that, stay true to who we are and the passing will come.”
On how different the offense is this year from last season:
“I think every year is different, of course, but we just need to find that consistent place for all of us. Getting the plays run the right way, being where you’re supposed to be, getting open, making the throw, staying on the field – all of those things come into play. So, I mean, there’s no secret. Like I said after the game, there’s no secret sauce, no secret weapons. You’ve just got to go out there and execute.”
On how shocking it is for him to be 2-5 and be 21st in the NFL in passer rating:
“It sucks, and like I said, there’s a lot of things that go into that, but it’s not for me to discuss that stuff up here. We have to fix that stuff out there on the practice field and on the game field. Nothing that we say is going to change that. Talk doesn’t help. You’ve just got to go out and act and make sure that you get out there and do the best you can.”
On how helpful a consistent second wide receiver opposite Pierre Garçon would be:
“We definitely need to have balance in the receiving corps, but it’s our job – me as a quarterback and the coaches – to put guys in the right positions to make plays and we have to do that. There’s nobody out there that’s going to come in and save the day. We’ve just got to make sure that we go and work with the guys that we have and use their skills to the fullest.”
On what he can do to help his teammates become more effective:
“Like I said, we’ve just got to execute better. I don’t know what else to tell you guys.”
On if he is fine with wide receivers publicly voicing their frustrations:
“I mean, these are grown men, so I can’t control what they say, obviously. We’re all in this together and everybody’s going to be frustrated here and there, but the only way for us to get better is to stick together and that’s what we’ve got to do.”
On comparing last year’s offense to this year:
“I just think we’re not as efficient as an offense and that’s the bottom line. Everyone wants to point the finger at this, point the finger at that. I’m not going to do that. We’re just not efficient, efficient enough as an offense. You know, we’re ranked [seventh] in all the rankings and all the yards. That’s all fine and dandy, but at the end of the day, you’ve got to win football games.”
On if taking a lot of hits can affect his performance late in games:
“When you get hit – a lot of teams say, 'Get hits on the quarterback. It can affect him and make him try to get rid of the ball a little bit quicker out of the pocket, make him make some bad decisions.’ I try to make sure that never happens. You’ve got to make sure you take each play as its own play. Yeah, somebody might get through here and there, but you’ve got to still sit in that pocket and you’ve got to make plays and when the plays are there to be made, you’ve got to make the throw no matter who’s coming after you. From that standpoint, you’ve got to stare down the barrel of the gun and be ready to go.”
On if defenses are playing deep passes differently or the offense simply needs to get better at executing them:
“Yeah, we’ve got to get better, obviously… We’ve got to execute better – be better, do this, do that. Like I said, I can sit up here and point fingers and do anything everybody wants us to do – 'everybody wants us to fail, everybody wants us to break apart’ – and that’s just not what I’m going to do. So when it comes to the downfield passing, it sounds cliché, it sounds repetitive, but we do have to do better. We do have to execute the downfield passing a lot better and make plays.”
On if defenses are trying to take away the deep pass:
“Yeah, I mean obviously teams are doing a better job with their corners and what the refs are allowing guys to do as far as bumping guys on routes and then holding – all that stuff – and that’s not an excuse. If they’re going to allow it, we have to play through it. Guys have to stay on their routes. We’ve got to get to the spots we’re supposed to be and then make the throws.”
On how trying it is to stay positive despite losing:
“It’s very trying. It’s a test and you’re going to get put through tests in your life and you’ve got to decide how you’re going to react to them. You can react in a negative way or a positive way. I choose to be positive. I don’t go out there and scream at guys. We talked about this before, but my way of leading, you have to be positive. A guy drops a pass, he knows he dropped a pass. He’s going to make that catch for you. If I miss a throw, I know I missed a throw. I’m going to make that throw for them next time. That’s just the approach you have to take towards it, because as soon as you change as a leader, I think guys can see that as well. And when you change, it kind of feels like the ship’s sinking. So I’m not going to go out there and I’m not going to change who I am as a person. I’m not going to demand any less out of them and they’re not going to demand any less out of me.”
On his and linebacker Brian Orakpo’s financial stake in a Texas tea company:
“We’re both from Texas, so that did happen. They came to me and him, he was in it before I was, but they brought us both in to work with the company. It’s a great little business they have going on there and if you want some tea, I have a lot in my garage, so swing by.”
On if he has responsibilities with the company:
“I don’t want to talk about that right now. Like I said, we’re 2-5, we need to win football games and not worry about tea. I don’t need to hear that. I don’t need that to be the headline – 'We’re worrying about tea.’ No, I’m worrying about us winning football games.”
On if he is able to make suggestions to Offensive Coordinator Kyle Shanahan:
“That is a tough question that I am not going to answer, because that’s something that I have to address internally. That’s not something that I can come out and tell you guys, 'Hey, I’m doing this, I’m doing that,’ because that’s not beneficial. So that’s something I’ll keep between me, Kyle and the rest of the coaches and the players.”
On how he manages players wanting more touches:
“I just make sure no one becomes a cancer on your team and your job as a quarterback is to know how to manage people. I feel like I’ve done a good job of that my whole career and you’ve got to manage different personalities. Everybody’s got a different personality. Everybody has to be talked to a little bit different. Everybody gets pushed a little bit differently so it’s just about making sure all those things continue to work. It’s a tough job, but that’s what I signed up for and I’m willing to do it. It’s a lot easier [in year two] but when you sit at 2-5 and you’re not where you want to be and you had high aspirations and still do for your season and your team, when things go wrong it can test your character and you have to make sure your character stays strong and that’s what we’re trying to do.”
On his feelings about rules regulating legal and illegal hits:
“I cannot touch that. I don’t know. The NFL is trying to make the game safer, so I don’t know what it’s doing. I know with [safety Brandon] Meriweather and what he said when he came back, I can’t speak for him but we know him as a person and he’d never do something like that. I think he was just really frustrated with the whole situation. It can be frustrating and there’s a lot of frustrating things going on right now around this team and around the league and you’ve just got to know how to manage it. That’s what we signed up for as professional athletes and we have to do it.”
On if he has input in formulating the game plan during the week:
“Yeah, I mean we communicate. I don’t know if I have any input as far as, 'I want this play put it.’ We have our base offense and that’s what it goes with and I communicate to them what I like and what I don’t like.”
On how much more involved he is in the play selection this season compared to last:
“A little more input, but coaches coach, players play. We always say that. It’s the truth. If they feel strongly about something, that’s what we’re going to run.”
On if he has more ability to change things at the line of scrimmage:
“Yeah they’re putting more stuff on me at the line of scrimmage as far as run checks, passing checks, and that’s always fun to do.”
On his favorite Halloween memory:
“Favorite Halloween memory – probably dressing up as Michelangelo the Ninja Turtle when I was younger, so that was fun. I celebrate Halloween and Hallelujah Night, so my church we always throw Hallelujah Night. A lot of churches don’t celebrate Halloween, so guys come up dressed as David, you know, a bunch of other things and that’s always fun too. So it’s a great holiday – hope everybody stays safe.”
Chargers Coach Mike McCoy
On what he is preparing to see from the Redskins:
“Obviously with RGIII [Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III] – very explosive player and you know the big play capability he has, whether he’s escaping pressure in the pocket and making plays with his feet on the edge and obviously the defensive secondary always has to stay alive because they’re very explosive. [Executive Vice President/Head Coach] Mike Shanahan has always had one of the best running games. I was with him obviously in training camp in ’95 and since that day he’s always had one of the best running games. You’ve got to be able to stop the running game and not give up the big plays and I think they’re a very explosive offense and they do a lot of good things. Defensively [Defensive Coordinator] Jim Haslett has always been a guy that’s gotten after the quarterbacks whether it’s a four-man rush or with pressures and doing certain things he’s always done a nice job of making it difficult for the offenses.”
On the difference in quarterback Robert Griffin III from last year to this year:
“I think he’s a very talented player, obviously, and any young player in this league regardless of who you are, the more time you play, the more reps you take, the better you’re going to be. He’s a very talented player that can do a lot of different things and you’ve got to make sure to be very disciplined on defense because he’ll expose you in a hurry.”
On the importance of quarterback Philip Rivers’ completion percentage and what has led to his improvement in that area:
“I think he’s very efficient. He’s playing the game the way the quarterback is supposed to play it in our system and I think he’s done a great job of buying in and executing the system the way we want him to. [Quarterbacks Coach] Frank Reich has done a great job of coaching him, Ken Whisenhunt, the Offensive Coordinator, has done a great job of calling the games, and the players are buying into the system. When you have a quarterback like Philip that is going to execute the way he is, good things are going to happen and it’s just a matter of trusting the system and taking what the defense is going to give you.”
On how they prepare for a game across the country:
“I firmly believe and have sold the team that this is one of 16 games and regardless of – we have a number of East Coast trips that we’re taking this year – it doesn’t matter what time we play. It’s an opportunity. It’s a gem in the NFL to play a game, so you can’t worry about what time you’re kicking off. We start early in the morning. We have 7:20 meetings every day, so we’ve done a nice job to this point in time on the road.”
On the play of wide receiver/kick returner Eddie Royal:
“This is the type of player we knew Eddie could be. I coached Eddie in Denver obviously before he came here so I knew a lot about him. We had seen on the film on him obviously when we first went to Denver in 2009 and the success he had with us over a couple years period and the successful rookie year he had, so I knew a lot about him when I got here and was excited to get back with him. He’s great to have on our football team and he’s done everything we’ve asked him to do to at this point in time. What he’s done has not surprised me at all.”
On any changes he has seen in Royal over the years:
“Like I mentioned earlier about young players, the more you play, the more experience you get. There’s certain things that – a disguise is not going to get him anymore, but it might have got him in the early years of his career with, you know, coverages or safeties spinning or doing certain things. He’s done a great job of buying into the system and the changes and he knew a lot of things that, whether they had come from Denver, that I had run or some things we had kept from the previous system, so he’s done a great job of filling his role.”
On keeping Royal off special teams unit:
“We’re going to try to do what we think is best for the football team in all positions. And whoever we think is the best guy out there for the job, it’s going to change from week to week.”
On if his team will be fearful of safety Brandon Meriweather:
“No, we’re going to go out and play the game. Just play the game and everything takes care of itself.”
On their philosophy on tackling in practices and offseason activities:
“It’s all about fundamentals and techniques. Our coaches do a great job of teaching the proper techniques and it’s a fast game and things happen in a hurry, so you react accordingly.”
On how difficult it is to adjust to the new rules on hitting when not being able to hit in practice:
“Everyone is playing by the same rules. So everyone’s got to abide by the same rules and there’s a reason behind it and the great Heads Up football program that the NFL has established with youth sports and everything is the right way to do it. You’ve got to follow the rule.”
On only having six dropped passes all season:
“I don’t want them to drop any balls. I wish it was zero. When you have talented players that stay focused and concentrate, hopefully they don’t drop many balls the rest of the year.”
On why they have struggled to force turnovers:
“It’s something as a football team you always talk about, you always work on. It seems like in this league they come in bunches and certain teams get on a roll – get a couple a weekend, then they keep on going. We’re going to do whatever we can. We have plenty of drills we’ve been talking about and it’s an emphasis here that we’ve got to create more turnovers and protect the ball on offense, and it’s all part of what you try to preach and see what they can do.”
Chargers WR/KR Eddie Royal
On returning home to play near his hometown:
“I don’t know, I’m still trying to get the tickets together, but it’ll be fun. For me, I’ve just got to treat it like another game. It’ll be good to play in front of friends and family, but at the end of the day, I’ve got to focus and go out there and do my job.”
On how the process asking former Westfield High School teammate Evan Royster for tickets is going:
“[Laughter] It’s going good. I’ve just got to make sure that he follows through and gets me those tickets. But like I said, it’ll be good to be able to play in front of my friends and family and I had to ignore a couple of phone calls this week.”
On nearly signing with the Redskins last offseason and why he chose the Chargers:
“I was real close. It would’ve been a good deal just being able to play at home and play for [Executive Vice President/Head] Coach [Mike] Shanahan, who drafted me. So it was an opportunity for me to make all of that happen, but at the end of the day I thought that being in San Diego was a better fit for me and I’m happy with my decision. I’ve got a lot of respect for the Redskins and that was my favorite team growing up, so it’s hard to say no to those guys.”
On if he stays in touch with Royster and his teammates from Westfield state championship team:
“Yeah, I still talk to a good number of the guys from that team. That’s something special, you know. You win the state championship, that’s something you talk about for a long time and I’m still in touch with a lot of those guys. That’s one of those memories you won’t forget.”
On Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Percy Harvin also playing in that championship game:
“Yeah, it was a number of D1 players in that game. I think the score was 38-14. I’m pretty sure about that, but we had a good game that week.”
On if he had a punt return for a touchdown in that game:
“Yeah, and another touchdown I think.”
On how difficult it is to put aside the distraction of playing at home:
“Once you get going, you’re just out there playing football. I’m so focused on what I have to do on each play I don’t have time to worry about anything else, and it’s good this being my second time. I’ve experienced it before so I know what to expect. It’s nothing to get nervous about or anything. You’re excited to play in front of your friends and family, and at the end of the day, it’s just football.”
On his memories of playing for Mike Shanahan:
“All great memories. Coach Shanahan’s a great coach and he was an even better person. When you get lost in the football aspect of it all, you don’t really think about coaches as people, but he was a great man to be around. I learned a lot from him – just how to be a standup guy. I’ve got a lot of respect for him and it was just an overall great experience for me.”
On how he’s changed as a receiver since his time with Shanahan:
“I think just the knowledge of the game, knowing how to run different routes against different coverages, learning how to set DBs up different ways and not making every route look the same – just the little things about playing receiver. A lot of things your do the same day in and day out, but it’s the little things that you tweak and change that make you a better player.”
On the team having only six drops:
“We’re keeping track of everyone, you’ve got to give Philip a lot of credit for that also. He throws a lot of catchable balls. He puts the ball in a good spot for us. He never throws it too hard to where you have a hard time catching it. He puts enough zip on it for it to get there and make sure the defender can’t make a play on it, so a lot of that goes to Philip. Guys are working hard at it. We work hard at it in practice. We’ve got a lot of drills that we do to make sure that we’re looking the ball in and doing the little things when it comes to catching the ball.”
On Rivers’ completion percentage:
“You just try to get into a rhythm and try to keep things going. I really think the key is every guy is so focused on doing his job the right way. If each guy does their job the way that it’s supposed to be done, then we’ll have success over long drives. And we’ve got guys that are paying attention to the little details of each play call, and when you can do that, your offense is going to have success. So from here on out, that’s one thing that we have to do.”
On if he is worried about playing against safety Brandon Meriweather:
“You’ve got to go out and play football. Guys on the other side are going to be good players. They’re going to make plays when plays are there to be made. At the end of the day, you’ve just got to focus on you and making sure that you’re doing your part and let everything else worry about itself.”
On if the team is enjoying proving people wrong:
“I know it sounds cliché and it sounds like you hear it all the time, but we’re really just focused on each game. At the end of it all, we’ll look up and see our record and see where we’re at. Of course, you want to get to the tournament, to the playoffs, and be one of those teams, but you can’t look too far ahead. You’ve got to really focus in on each week and each opponent and just keep working. And at the end of the season, lift your head up and see where you’re at and if you get another chance to go play, then you’ve got to put your head back down and go to work again.”
On if he still has a home in Northern Virginia:
“Yeah, I do. That’s always going to be home for me. I feel like it was a great area. I love the area. I’m a Virginia Tech guy also, so I tried to stay around closest to home as I could. But yeah, I love the area, and that’s probably somewhere I’ll look to live when I’m done playing.”