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December 19, 2012
Redskins Park
Executive Vice President/Head Coach Mike Shanahan
On the status of quarterback Robert Griffin III:
“What the doctors will do is evaluate him tomorrow. Hopefully there is no setback, no swelling with the knee. He will be evaluated through the week. When the doctors tell me the ligament is ready to go, I will announce when he is ready to go.”
On if he feels better about Griffin III’s chances to play on Sunday than he did last week:
“The doctors are going to look at him. When they feel like the ligament is strong and they feel like there is no setback, I think what he did today…he had a full practice. I think they will be able to look at him tomorrow and watch him practice tomorrow. Hopefully there is no swelling but you just don’t know. So, they will look at it tomorrow and hopefully they will tell us it is full-go. I’m not sure when they are going to make that decision.”
On if Griffin III is moving better than he was last week:
“Last week he was moving pretty good too. But he did look good today and was pretty close to full speed.”
On if Griffin III took as many reps as he did before his injury:
“Yes, he took all the reps today…most of the reps. Well, we never talk about reps anyhow, right?”
On if Stephen Bowen’s injury is a concern:
“No, he’s got an upper part of the bicep. He can play with that. [It is] pretty painful right now. But people have played with that. Now if it was the lower part of the bicep, he would be out; he would have surgery. But the upper part of the bicep he could play with and hopefully he would be able to do that.”
On if Bowen’s injury happened earlier in the game:
“Yes, it happened earlier in the game.”
On if the injury sustained by center Will Montgomery was minor:
“No, he is a pretty tough kid.”
On Montgomery’s injury:
“MCL, just like we talked about it before.”
On if he presumes Montgomery will be healthy enough to play on Sunday:
“Yes. He had full practice today. Hopefully there is no setback. It is a second-degree MCL [injury]. He gets some blood flow to that area and it is quite painful but he practiced today so hopefully he can keep on going.”
On why he never kept wide receiver Santana Moss, safety Reed Doughty, defensive end Kedric Golston and linebackers Lorenzo Alexander and London Fletcher when he inherited the roster:
“They are great football players. They are great people and that is how you build a football team. What you try to do, at least what I try to do over the first couple of years, see how people practiced, how they played, how important football was to them, especially in the second half the season like we talked about before. Guys that give you everything should be on this football team and that is what those guys are. The guys that are still here from the first two years are guys that you want in your foxhole. They give you everything they’ve got and that is what you try to do when you build a football team is get the best players.”
On his confidence level in tackle Tyler Polumbus’ ability to play on Sunday:
“I’m hoping there is no setback. He is feeling very good right now. So you have protocol that you go through and it is a day-by-day evaluation. But he did walkthrough today. He feels good. He’s had no setbacks since the game so that is a good sign.”
On if Polumbus’ concussion protocol was accelerated at all:
“He didn’t practice. He just walked through. So he wasn’t going to practice. But [it is] typical. Nobody else had any side effects. He hasn’t had any side effects but he probably couldn’t go full speed until Friday.”
On the contingency plan if Polumbus can’t play:
“We have a couple different directions we could go. Obviously we have [Tom] Compton, we have [Maurice] Hurt, but we aren’t going to get into detail there for obvious reasons.”
On the NFL suspending offensive lineman Jordan Black:
“To be honest with you, I learned a lot from just reading about you guys…all the detail of it. I knew a lot of that, but when players take up for a guy like they did, players do it when they know. And for whatever reason, I can’t talk about it in detail because it is a part of the guidelines of the NFL, but I think our players said it all.”
On momentum carrying over from game-to-game:
“Anytime you have your backs against the wall, you know each game is very important. You have to concentrate on that game and you can’t worry about other games. You just have to make sure that everybody gives their best shot and you find a way to win and that is what we have been doing. If you do win, you feel more confident. I think in the second half of the season, I think our receivers as a group have played at one of the best levels in the National Football League. I think after the bye [week], that segment in itself has been a difference on offense. We have had a lot of guys play very consistently on offense but that area has just picked up and taken it to a new level. One of the reasons why you see some of the stats is because of the way they have played. You’re hoping in different areas on your football team you could continue to do that for the next coming weeks.”
On Montgomery:
“No. 1, Will has done a great job. He is a warrior. He is a fighter. Like you mentioned, he makes all the calls on the offensive line. He coordinates the group, gets everybody on the right person but you have to have other people ready. Kory [Lichtensteiger] is ready. [Chris] Chester is ready. [Josh] LeRibeus is ready. We have a number of people that could go into that position because you practice it every day. But hopefully there is no setback because we need him and he has done a great job for us all year. But during the game, he went down and Lichtensteiger came in and did a great job. Maurice Hurt moved over and he has some playing experience and we have even [Adam] Gettis…we have Gettis, we have Compton. So we are much deeper than we were a year ago at the offensive line position.”
On if the continuity of the offensive line makes play calling easier:
“You have guys that have been together for a couple of years. That is a big time. Polumbus, obviously, not a couple of years but is very familiar with the terminology of the system. He is a very sharp guy and a quick learner. And mostly the guys we have brought in are on top of their game as well. So they are able to do a lot of things if somebody does go down and hopefully not miss a beat.”
On what was needed for the wide receivers to play better:
“They had to play. They didn’t have anybody here a year ago. [Leonard] Hankerson wasn’t here because he played one game. Aldrick Robinson was on our practice squad. Except for Santana [Moss], nobody else was a part of our organization. Pierre Garçon obviously got hurt after the first quarter of the New Orleans game. He’s been a difference maker out there. Josh Morgan had the ankle [injury] coming in. I think he separated himself over the last number of weeks. He is a big-time football player. They are playing with a lot more confidence, both in the running game and passing game, and that sometimes gives you the edge to kind of get over the hump a little bit.”
On the Eagles’ defensive line:
“It’s basically the same defense. They are not running as much Wide 9 except in passing situations. But I think everybody anticipated that coming. But they are a very, very talented football team and they put a lot of pressure on the quarterback.”
On if he laughs at the extremes regarding the direction of the team when it had a record of 3-6:
“No, I never laugh at that because we’ve got to prove that we can win. We’ve got to prove we’re going in the right direction. I understand the perception that until you can get something done, it’s not done. But as I said to our football team before this year started, I said, 'Hey, you guys are so much better than you think you are. You’re going to find out during the season how good you are because we’ve got not only some good football players but we’ve got some great character.’ I said, 'Talk is cheap. Just keep on working, keep on fighting and sooner or later, it will happen.’ I’ve been doing this too long. You see quality guys and you see guys working and usually it pays off.”
On feeling a sense of accomplishment for this season:
“First of all, there’s only one team that’s happy at the end of the year. Your expectations have to be very, very high and you have to believe in yourself. You understand that there’s only one team that’s happy. Hopefully, we’ve got our football team thinking that type of mindset. If you think that way, then you have a chance to accomplish your goal.”
On the chance of playing for an NFC East championship in Week 17:
“As I told our football team today, you always want to be able to control your own destiny in December. If you can do that, every game that you play you will remember for the rest of your life.”
On Griffin III saying he was unhappy about not playing against the Browns but respected the team’s decision:
“I love it, to be honest with you. I love guys that want to play, especially when they play when they could be injured. I know he was hurting, but there’s a difference between being hurt and being injured. When the doctors feel that it’s in his best interest not to play, then you go with the doctors. But his mindset that he was just hurt gives you an idea of what type of competitor he is. He doesn’t want to let his teammates down. He’s got guys out there that he knows are hurting quite a bit. Very few players at this time of year are completely healthy and when they see their quarterback wanting to go out there and risk maybe a possible career to help their football team win, players know he’s made of the right stuff.”
On linebacker Vic So’oto:
“It was good to have him in. To be honest, I’ll look at him here for the next couple of hours once I look at practice. But you’re always evaluating players, hopefully getting the best group you can and there’ll be a process where we’ll evaluate him on a day-to-day basis. We probably won’t be able to see a lot but we feel like he’s a guy that can help us in the future.”
On facing the Eagles defense with an injured offensive line:
“It’s a big test because they’re very, very talented and they play extremely hard. In the National Football League, each week is a big test and you’ve got to go out there and compete, play physical, just like we did last week against Cleveland. I think Cleveland played as hard as any football team we’ve played all year. You could tell it was a playoff game for them – winning four in a row, coming back home wanting to show everybody. It took us a while to get going but thankfully, we did. We played at a higher level in the second half and that’s what you’ve got to do this time of year – play your best football.”
Quarterback Kirk Cousins
On this week’s preparation relative to last week:
“I said it last week when it looked like there would be a stronger chance that I’d play that more would be similar than different in the sense that I’m still preparing and focusing on my opportunity to play like I did in past weeks. I guess that’s not changing this week. Certainly, Robert [Griffin III] is healing. As more time passes getting away from his injury, he’ll be able to recover. He’s getting stronger every day, but I’m still approaching it like I may still have an opportunity to play and I need to do my job day-to-day to be ready to go.”
On the game against the Browns:
“I’ll start with what I didn’t like. I didn’t like the slow start. I believe it was four series of three-and-out. Fortunately, our defense bailed us out. Sometime you can only go four series in an entire first half. Fortunately, our defense did a job where we were still able to get our fifth series in the first quarter. It gave us a chance to get back in the game. You’re not going to get that luxury every week. Aside from the slow start, I think we did a lot of good things. Scoring 38 points is a lot of points in the NFL. We ran the ball well. We did a great job getting out of the pocket on keepers. I felt like we completed a lot of passes and did a lot of great things. We spread the ball around to a lot of different receivers and running backs. I felt good about what we did as an offense.”
On what he could have done to change the slow start:
“There may have been a couple of things. More than anything, I think we were a little lethargic. We didn’t have that energy. We didn’t have a good tempo going. It was sort of like we were waiting for the game to come to us rather than going to take it. I do feel like the long touchdown pass got us some juice and on a couple of other touchdown drives we had much better rhythm and we played with a much better tempo. The defense was on their heels. That got us going. We were a little too passive, too lethargic early on. Maybe as a quarterback I learned a lesson from that to bring more energy to the start and be a little more vocal and intense from the beginning.”
On if these games are opportunities to build his career:
“I view every opportunity I get as a chance to sell myself to these coaches here in D.C., to 31 other coaches, 31 other teams. That doesn’t just mean a regular season game. That’s a preseason game, that’s practice reps, but every opportunity I get I want to make the most of it and be fully prepared for those moments when they come. I felt good about what we were able to do this past Sunday. As opportunities present themselves down the road, I need to be ready and be able to show what I can do because I’m not going to have two or three years worth of games to show. I’m going to have a game here, a game there, a preseason half here or there. I’m hoping that will be good enough to show what I can do.”
On if rookie quarterbacks are more prepared than in the past:
“I think it’s partly the college game, to some degree, catching up schematically to the pro game in the sense that you are putting more on a college quarterback than maybe they were 30 years ago. I can’t really comment because I wasn’t alive. In addition, you look at the training for the draft, the Senior Bowl, the combine, the sun-up to sun-down training that we were doing. Robert was in Arizona, I was in Florida working with former NFL quarterbacks. There’s just a lot more that goes into the entire preparation. You can go back to high school recruiting and how much that has picked up in the last 15 years. I think it’s the whole process that is a little more intense. As a result, you develop a little bit faster. Time will tell. It’s still early. Obviously, you want to have the Troy Aikman, John Elway career rather than just beat them in the rookie year thing.”
On his new haircut:
“I have to apologize to my family and friends back home. I think I’m embarrassing them. I try to represent them well. My haircut’s not doing it [laughter]. I said on Monday when I saw the press conference, 'I think I need a haircut.’…The lady who cut my hair wasn’t speaking English all that clearly. There was a communication breakdown. She basically gave me a mohawk. I had my glasses on. She took them off to cut my hair so I couldn’t stop her because I couldn’t see. She wheels me back around, I look at the mirror and I realized I had a mohawk. So I tell her, 'Just shave it off. I don’t know what to tell you.’ She buzzed it off and I have to live with this for the next couple of weeks until it grows back. I do want to apologize to my family and friends back home because I try to represent them well, but this haircut isn’t doing it [laughter]. The tough thing was that I didn’t realize until that moment when she shaved it that I do have a receding hairline. That was tough to take. My dad is more-or-less completely bald and I was hoping I wasn’t going to get his genes, but it clearly looks like I did. I have to deal with that for the rest of my life.”
Quarterback Robert Griffin III
On the difference in practice for him this week vs. last week:
“I was able to go through a full practice, so that was good. I feel good. It was exciting to get back out there and practice with everybody – get ready for the game.”
On how his knee feels this week:
“I’m ready to play whenever they want me to play – whether it’s this week, next week, a couple weeks. Whatever they say goes, so I’ll be ready.”
On how much say he will have in playing Sunday:
“I think I just have to prove it to them on the field. When I’m out here running around doing all the plays and getting the reps, that’s when they’ll see. It’s just up to them to decide.”
On if he expects to play Sunday:
“I always expect to play.”
On if he went full-speed in practice:
“Yeah. I mean, we had live reps, so I went full-speed with the live reps.”
On what the doctors are saying about his knee:
“They’re going to keep playing it by sight – come out, watch me and figure out what they think the best progression is from here.”
On if it was frustrating not being able to play Sunday:
“It is frustrating. Like I said, players play. I told them in the locker room when they told me [I wouldn’t play] that night I would be upset, but once we step on the field, I was all for this team and all for Kirk [Cousins]. That’s the way you have to approach it. You don’t take those things to the field and try to become a cancer or a distraction to the team. You support the team.”
On if his knee feels weak or unstable:
“It didn’t feel weak or unstable, so that’s good. Today was very encouraging for me and for the doctors – for everybody. I feel really good.”
On if the improvement in his knee has been gradual:
“I think it’s just been a gradual improvement throughout the days. It just takes rest and time. I’ve got all my strength and everything. It’s just a matter of time.”
On comparing this season’s rookie quarterback class to others:
“It’s a hard question to answer. I get it a bunch. I think we’re a group of unique guys as far as quarterbacks go, but it could be the 7-on-7 and just the general development of the college game putting up so many points, throwing the ball around so much. All those things can be factors. I think every class has its own share of exceptional talent and I think everyone is seeing that.”
On Jim Kelly’s statement that this season’s rookie quarterback class needs more time to prove itself before being called 'great’:
“I like Jim Kelly. I’ve met him and we’ve talked. I understand what he’s saying. I’m not going to go there. He’s not an old-timer – yet. He still feels like he can play. The thing is that people have to realize we have to put together a string of years and all of us continue to be successful, then they can compare us to those greats. Right now, we are maybe not rookies anymore because we’ve played enough games and we’re all in the playoff chase. In their eyes, we’re still rookies and young guys.”
On how it feels for the team to be able to control its own destiny for a playoff berth:
“It’s awesome. We came back from the bye with one mission and that’s the mission that we’re still on. We control our own destiny and we did what we were supposed to do – we won. That’s what we have to continue to do. Guys can’t get happy now. We still have one game and then another game after that.”
On how the Redskins’ offense changed without him:
“I think it was just plays out of different formations. We still went with our bread-and-butter plays and they still worked. It was good to see that. It was good to see it from the sideline and watching all week – just to see it from a different perspective. It was the same plays, just out of different formations.”
On if he learned anything from watching on the sidelines:
“You can be unhappy about something, but you still have to learn. That’s what I did. I was upset, but I never let that show on the field. just watched and was able to see it from a different perspective. I told Coach [Shanahan] that I don’t like taking a week off, but you can learn a lot just from sitting around and watching one week.”
On throwing the ball away to stay safe instead of running out of bounds or sliding:
“I think the day I think about throwing the ball away at the beginning of a play, I should stop playing. It’s just something that happens. I’ve thrown the ball away this year, but it’s not something you take into a game plan. 'Alright. I’m going to go 1-2 and throw it out of bounds.’ I just think that’s a faulty approach to the game, but I get where everyone is coming from. I continue to protect myself. This latest injury could have happened to anybody. I was getting down. It is what it is and I have to move on from that.”
On if any of his older teammates have talked about how special this season is:
“They really haven’t. I don’t think anyone is really trying to take a big picture look at it right now. We can do that after the season when we’re all happy. I think right now everyone is just focused on one game at a time. That’s the attitude you have to have. No one is in the locker room jumping around excited that we’re on a win streak and we’re controlling our own destiny. Everyone is still focused on what we have to do and everybody is still feeling sore from the game. That’s a good thing.”
On his rhythm at practice today:
“That was fine. It was good. [Wide receiver] Pierre [Garçon] told me that my arm was live today. When you don’t get to throw at those guys for a week, you definitely come back a little bit more juiced up, ready to go. My accuracy was still there. I felt like I was on time with everything and Coach was impressed with that, too.”
On his jersey selling more than any other player in the last six years:
“It’s a tribute to the fans. Hard work pays off. This NFL experience thus far has been really great. I hope it can continue to be that way. Thank you to the fans.”
On Kirk Cousins’ performance Sunday:
“I thought he played great – everyone did. Like we said – Kyle threw out a stat to us – rookie quarterbacks in their first game throwing over 300 yards aren’t very many, but we have two. That speaks volumes to the players on this team, to the coaches – the way they coach – and to myself and Kirk.”
On why he and Cousins were so prepared for their first NFL starts:
“Like I said, it speaks volumes about the coaches and everybody and the players. Kyle said it helps when you have ballers out there – guys who aren’t afraid to make a mistake, who can’t wait to go succeed. That’s what we have. That’s really encouraging.”
On the offensive line’s effect on the offense:
“They play as unit. That’s the great thing about it. They run-block well. They’re doing the things we’re asking them to do extremely well. Of course, everyone is going to talk about how they’re undersized and maybe there’s no big-name guys, but to us they play extremely well as a unit. They communicate well and they protect me. That’s all you can ask for.”
On what he learned about Mike Shanahan after the adversity of last week:
“There’s no adversity as far as them deciding – the doctors calling me not playing. There’s no adversity there. There’s no strained relationship at all. What they’re going to tell me is they did the best thing for me, but as a player I’m not going to say sitting out a game is the best thing for me. That’s just not how you operate or how you think. It’s nothing new. just know they’re going to try to protect me and protect me from myself at all times.”
On building momentum with five wins in a row:
“When you’re building on your momentum, those are past games. We’ll take those games and carry them into the next one as far as the momentum goes, but we’re not thinking about those games or thinking about our win streak when we're going into the game. Each game is its own game, but you can certainly carry momentum throughout a season or throughout a span of games.”
On what the difference has been in the team during the win streak:
“I just think it’s the team’s mindset. Coming back from the bye, there is no 'Hey, we lost this one. We’ll get it the next game.’ We knew every game counted the most and every game was like a playoff game or a do-or-die game. We made it that way in our minds. Everyone came out and prepared that way. It paid off. A lot of teams can have that same mindset and it not work for them, but this year it’s working for us and God has a plan for us.”
On what the bye week meant to him:
“Like I said, went and cleared my head and just had that moment of – what we said at Baylor a lot – don’t freak out, don’t jump ship, don’t think that it’s the end of the world. Yeah, you might be 3-6, but you still have the pieces to go out and be successful. We just needed our guys to step up, and on this win streak, everybody has stepped up big.”
On the differences in the Eagles’ defensive line with a new coach:
“There’s a difference. The Wide 9 techniques that they’re known for aren’t showing up as much. They still run them, but they changed that a little bit. Aside from that, they’re still playing hard. They’re still playing physical. We have to go out and make sure we’re more physical than they are.”
On if he ever 'freaked out’ at Baylor:
“Did I ever freak out? No, I did not freak out.”
On if he likes Cousins’ haircut:
“I’m sorry, guys. That’s bad. It’s bad.”
Philadelphia Eagles Head Coach Andy Reid
On quarterback Nick Foles’ growth since he last faced the Redskins:
“He’s made progress. He’s more comfortable in the scheme. I think the game has probably slowed down a bit for him since the first game. He’s done some good things.”
On how different the Redskins look on film:
“They’re playing confident football. Schematically, they’re doing basically the same stuff, but they’re confident in what they’re doing.”
On if he has ever seen a rookie quarterback have as big of an impact on the NFL as Robert Griffin III:
“He’s sure done a nice job. The league is lucky to have him. I think he’s a good person and a good football player. That’s good for everybody.”
On how his approach changes this week not knowing if Griffin III or Kirk Cousins will start on Sunday:
“You prepare for both of them. The pass game is very similar. The run game is a little bit different, but you’ve got to prepare for both.”
On this season’s rookie quarterback class compared to other years:
“Listen, when it’s all said it’s done, I think this will be – if not the best – one of the best. I would tell you that because colleges are throwing the football more is why you’re seeing it. These guys are good players, don’t get me wrong there. They’re coming in more experienced than what you’ve seen in the past. They’re throwing the ball all over the place. These kids understand how to read the field and coverages and have a good feel for it.”
On the importance of consistency on the offensive line:
“It does help. You want those five guys dancing the same dance. It takes some repetition and experience. You get games under your belt… The more healthy they are, normally the better the offense goes.”
On the general health of his team in Week 16:
“We’re getting healthier. [Running back] LeSean [McCoy] is back. [Quarterback] Michael [Vick] is back. We lost [tight end] Clay Harbor to injured reserve. [Fullback Stanley] Havili is a little bit banged up, but other than that we’re pretty good. We got [safety Kurt] Coleman back, so those are all good players.”
On running back Bryce Brown:
“He’s a good player. He’s got to hang on to the football. That’s a given. He runs hard and he sees things well. He’s a smart kid – diligent, responsible. He doesn’t want to fumble, but he has to take care of that ball and make sure he keeps it high and tight. He’s learning all those things. [He] hasn’t played a lot of football the last few years, so it’s good to get him in and get him experience. Normally, you wouldn’t put up with the fumbles, but he needs to get carries and get adjusted to the game.”
On what advice he would give to Head Coach Mike Shanahan about keeping a running quarterback healthy:
“I don’t need to give Mike anything there. He’s a Hall of Fame football coach. There’s nothing I’m going to tell him that he doesn’t already know. RGIII will be fine. He’s young and he’s learning the game just like the other young quarterbacks are. He’ll be fine with all that stuff. Michael [Vick] has had a lot of good years and the important thing is that he finished up the season healthy. He feels great right now, so that’s a good thing.”
On how difficult this year has been for him:
“None of us want to lose football games. That’s for sure. The family situation – that’s separate – you don’t want that to happen either. I’m surrounded by a bunch of good people and that’s made it better – or as good as it could be.”
On what kind of atmosphere he is expecting from Eagles fans this Sunday:
“They’ve been good. My media asked me the same thing. I don’t know what to expect. I’m so focused on the Redskins that I really haven’t gone there with that. I know the fans have been great. As far as my situation goes with family and that, they’ve been phenomenal, but they want to win football games just like we all do. I understand that part, too.”
On how long it feels like he has had to prepare for linebacker London Fletcher:
“It seems like he’s about 50 years old. It’s like he’s been around forever. He’s a heck of a player. He loves playing the game. That’s the part you enjoy about him. [He] makes a lot of tackles. He’s always going to bring his A-game. No matter what the record is, he’s going to bring his A-game and play hard and all that. You have to give him credit.”
On what Fletcher does well:
“He’s instinctive and he’s quick. He’s never going to give you a big target to hit. I’m not saying that because of time. I’m saying that because of the leverage that he plays with – and his quickness. He knows how to play the game.”
Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback Nick Foles
On the last few weeks as a starting quarterback:
“It’s been pretty action-packed. [I’ve] learned a lot. I think action-packed sort of sums it up.”
On the biggest obstacle he had to overcome:
“I think just being consistent every week and progressing and getting better. Defenses are going to get more and more film on you so they’re going to throw different things at you. Just staying consistent and really trusting the reads, trusting the offense. If you make a mistake, just moving forward. It’s football, it’s not going change too much – just like the way you’re mindset is. I think the big thing is just staying confident and staying true to our reads and true to their abilities.”
On how it feels to be grouped with such a successful rookie quarterback class:
“It’s been neat seeing all the quarterbacks across the country that are rookies doing well. I was fortunate enough to be with everyone throughout the whole draft process and sort of get to know all the guys, so it’s pretty cool. To be a rookie and be playing is a great opportunity to just go out there and play football again. [There’s] not much else to say except it’s a great feeling to go out there and play again and play the game we love.”
On quarterback Kirk Cousins:
“I know Kirk really well. I was with him at Michigan State for a year. We kept in touch throughout the years and I watched him at Michigan State. He had a great career there. I was thrilled to see him get a start and see him go in the game before that and do well and go in last game and do really well. It’s exciting to see a guy of his stature – a solid person off the field and a great player – it was exciting to see him succeed. I feel like he’ll have a great career.”
On running back LeSean McCoy returning this week:
“It helps a lot. It gives us more depth at running back with him and Bryce [Brown] and Dion [Lewis]. They’ve done a great job, but just to have him back… He’s such a playmaker. He’s made so many amazing plays throughout his career and he’s still so young. Just to get him out there, get more depth, more explosion is going to help us a lot.”
On the difference in the Redskins defense since Week 11:
“I think they have their own type of defense and choose the same defense that we played against them when we played the first time. They have more film on me, so they’re going to probably bring more different things throughout the game, but just being able to play for a couple weeks you get more of a feel for the game and more comfortable and that helps a lot.”
On what Cousins was like the year they were together at Michigan State:
“Kirk was always a really hard worker in the film room, in the classroom – very diligent, very disciplined, a great teammate and great leader. He’s always asking questions and always very interested in everything. When you see that from another quarterback, you know that guy with that work ethic is going to be successful.”
Redskins Park
Executive Vice President/Head Coach Mike Shanahan
On the status of quarterback Robert Griffin III:
“What the doctors will do is evaluate him tomorrow. Hopefully there is no setback, no swelling with the knee. He will be evaluated through the week. When the doctors tell me the ligament is ready to go, I will announce when he is ready to go.”
On if he feels better about Griffin III’s chances to play on Sunday than he did last week:
“The doctors are going to look at him. When they feel like the ligament is strong and they feel like there is no setback, I think what he did today…he had a full practice. I think they will be able to look at him tomorrow and watch him practice tomorrow. Hopefully there is no swelling but you just don’t know. So, they will look at it tomorrow and hopefully they will tell us it is full-go. I’m not sure when they are going to make that decision.”
On if Griffin III is moving better than he was last week:
“Last week he was moving pretty good too. But he did look good today and was pretty close to full speed.”
On if Griffin III took as many reps as he did before his injury:
“Yes, he took all the reps today…most of the reps. Well, we never talk about reps anyhow, right?”
On if Stephen Bowen’s injury is a concern:
“No, he’s got an upper part of the bicep. He can play with that. [It is] pretty painful right now. But people have played with that. Now if it was the lower part of the bicep, he would be out; he would have surgery. But the upper part of the bicep he could play with and hopefully he would be able to do that.”
On if Bowen’s injury happened earlier in the game:
“Yes, it happened earlier in the game.”
On if the injury sustained by center Will Montgomery was minor:
“No, he is a pretty tough kid.”
On Montgomery’s injury:
“MCL, just like we talked about it before.”
On if he presumes Montgomery will be healthy enough to play on Sunday:
“Yes. He had full practice today. Hopefully there is no setback. It is a second-degree MCL [injury]. He gets some blood flow to that area and it is quite painful but he practiced today so hopefully he can keep on going.”
On why he never kept wide receiver Santana Moss, safety Reed Doughty, defensive end Kedric Golston and linebackers Lorenzo Alexander and London Fletcher when he inherited the roster:
“They are great football players. They are great people and that is how you build a football team. What you try to do, at least what I try to do over the first couple of years, see how people practiced, how they played, how important football was to them, especially in the second half the season like we talked about before. Guys that give you everything should be on this football team and that is what those guys are. The guys that are still here from the first two years are guys that you want in your foxhole. They give you everything they’ve got and that is what you try to do when you build a football team is get the best players.”
On his confidence level in tackle Tyler Polumbus’ ability to play on Sunday:
“I’m hoping there is no setback. He is feeling very good right now. So you have protocol that you go through and it is a day-by-day evaluation. But he did walkthrough today. He feels good. He’s had no setbacks since the game so that is a good sign.”
On if Polumbus’ concussion protocol was accelerated at all:
“He didn’t practice. He just walked through. So he wasn’t going to practice. But [it is] typical. Nobody else had any side effects. He hasn’t had any side effects but he probably couldn’t go full speed until Friday.”
On the contingency plan if Polumbus can’t play:
“We have a couple different directions we could go. Obviously we have [Tom] Compton, we have [Maurice] Hurt, but we aren’t going to get into detail there for obvious reasons.”
On the NFL suspending offensive lineman Jordan Black:
“To be honest with you, I learned a lot from just reading about you guys…all the detail of it. I knew a lot of that, but when players take up for a guy like they did, players do it when they know. And for whatever reason, I can’t talk about it in detail because it is a part of the guidelines of the NFL, but I think our players said it all.”
On momentum carrying over from game-to-game:
“Anytime you have your backs against the wall, you know each game is very important. You have to concentrate on that game and you can’t worry about other games. You just have to make sure that everybody gives their best shot and you find a way to win and that is what we have been doing. If you do win, you feel more confident. I think in the second half of the season, I think our receivers as a group have played at one of the best levels in the National Football League. I think after the bye [week], that segment in itself has been a difference on offense. We have had a lot of guys play very consistently on offense but that area has just picked up and taken it to a new level. One of the reasons why you see some of the stats is because of the way they have played. You’re hoping in different areas on your football team you could continue to do that for the next coming weeks.”
On Montgomery:
“No. 1, Will has done a great job. He is a warrior. He is a fighter. Like you mentioned, he makes all the calls on the offensive line. He coordinates the group, gets everybody on the right person but you have to have other people ready. Kory [Lichtensteiger] is ready. [Chris] Chester is ready. [Josh] LeRibeus is ready. We have a number of people that could go into that position because you practice it every day. But hopefully there is no setback because we need him and he has done a great job for us all year. But during the game, he went down and Lichtensteiger came in and did a great job. Maurice Hurt moved over and he has some playing experience and we have even [Adam] Gettis…we have Gettis, we have Compton. So we are much deeper than we were a year ago at the offensive line position.”
On if the continuity of the offensive line makes play calling easier:
“You have guys that have been together for a couple of years. That is a big time. Polumbus, obviously, not a couple of years but is very familiar with the terminology of the system. He is a very sharp guy and a quick learner. And mostly the guys we have brought in are on top of their game as well. So they are able to do a lot of things if somebody does go down and hopefully not miss a beat.”
On what was needed for the wide receivers to play better:
“They had to play. They didn’t have anybody here a year ago. [Leonard] Hankerson wasn’t here because he played one game. Aldrick Robinson was on our practice squad. Except for Santana [Moss], nobody else was a part of our organization. Pierre Garçon obviously got hurt after the first quarter of the New Orleans game. He’s been a difference maker out there. Josh Morgan had the ankle [injury] coming in. I think he separated himself over the last number of weeks. He is a big-time football player. They are playing with a lot more confidence, both in the running game and passing game, and that sometimes gives you the edge to kind of get over the hump a little bit.”
On the Eagles’ defensive line:
“It’s basically the same defense. They are not running as much Wide 9 except in passing situations. But I think everybody anticipated that coming. But they are a very, very talented football team and they put a lot of pressure on the quarterback.”
On if he laughs at the extremes regarding the direction of the team when it had a record of 3-6:
“No, I never laugh at that because we’ve got to prove that we can win. We’ve got to prove we’re going in the right direction. I understand the perception that until you can get something done, it’s not done. But as I said to our football team before this year started, I said, 'Hey, you guys are so much better than you think you are. You’re going to find out during the season how good you are because we’ve got not only some good football players but we’ve got some great character.’ I said, 'Talk is cheap. Just keep on working, keep on fighting and sooner or later, it will happen.’ I’ve been doing this too long. You see quality guys and you see guys working and usually it pays off.”
On feeling a sense of accomplishment for this season:
“First of all, there’s only one team that’s happy at the end of the year. Your expectations have to be very, very high and you have to believe in yourself. You understand that there’s only one team that’s happy. Hopefully, we’ve got our football team thinking that type of mindset. If you think that way, then you have a chance to accomplish your goal.”
On the chance of playing for an NFC East championship in Week 17:
“As I told our football team today, you always want to be able to control your own destiny in December. If you can do that, every game that you play you will remember for the rest of your life.”
On Griffin III saying he was unhappy about not playing against the Browns but respected the team’s decision:
“I love it, to be honest with you. I love guys that want to play, especially when they play when they could be injured. I know he was hurting, but there’s a difference between being hurt and being injured. When the doctors feel that it’s in his best interest not to play, then you go with the doctors. But his mindset that he was just hurt gives you an idea of what type of competitor he is. He doesn’t want to let his teammates down. He’s got guys out there that he knows are hurting quite a bit. Very few players at this time of year are completely healthy and when they see their quarterback wanting to go out there and risk maybe a possible career to help their football team win, players know he’s made of the right stuff.”
On linebacker Vic So’oto:
“It was good to have him in. To be honest, I’ll look at him here for the next couple of hours once I look at practice. But you’re always evaluating players, hopefully getting the best group you can and there’ll be a process where we’ll evaluate him on a day-to-day basis. We probably won’t be able to see a lot but we feel like he’s a guy that can help us in the future.”
On facing the Eagles defense with an injured offensive line:
“It’s a big test because they’re very, very talented and they play extremely hard. In the National Football League, each week is a big test and you’ve got to go out there and compete, play physical, just like we did last week against Cleveland. I think Cleveland played as hard as any football team we’ve played all year. You could tell it was a playoff game for them – winning four in a row, coming back home wanting to show everybody. It took us a while to get going but thankfully, we did. We played at a higher level in the second half and that’s what you’ve got to do this time of year – play your best football.”
Quarterback Kirk Cousins
On this week’s preparation relative to last week:
“I said it last week when it looked like there would be a stronger chance that I’d play that more would be similar than different in the sense that I’m still preparing and focusing on my opportunity to play like I did in past weeks. I guess that’s not changing this week. Certainly, Robert [Griffin III] is healing. As more time passes getting away from his injury, he’ll be able to recover. He’s getting stronger every day, but I’m still approaching it like I may still have an opportunity to play and I need to do my job day-to-day to be ready to go.”
On the game against the Browns:
“I’ll start with what I didn’t like. I didn’t like the slow start. I believe it was four series of three-and-out. Fortunately, our defense bailed us out. Sometime you can only go four series in an entire first half. Fortunately, our defense did a job where we were still able to get our fifth series in the first quarter. It gave us a chance to get back in the game. You’re not going to get that luxury every week. Aside from the slow start, I think we did a lot of good things. Scoring 38 points is a lot of points in the NFL. We ran the ball well. We did a great job getting out of the pocket on keepers. I felt like we completed a lot of passes and did a lot of great things. We spread the ball around to a lot of different receivers and running backs. I felt good about what we did as an offense.”
On what he could have done to change the slow start:
“There may have been a couple of things. More than anything, I think we were a little lethargic. We didn’t have that energy. We didn’t have a good tempo going. It was sort of like we were waiting for the game to come to us rather than going to take it. I do feel like the long touchdown pass got us some juice and on a couple of other touchdown drives we had much better rhythm and we played with a much better tempo. The defense was on their heels. That got us going. We were a little too passive, too lethargic early on. Maybe as a quarterback I learned a lesson from that to bring more energy to the start and be a little more vocal and intense from the beginning.”
On if these games are opportunities to build his career:
“I view every opportunity I get as a chance to sell myself to these coaches here in D.C., to 31 other coaches, 31 other teams. That doesn’t just mean a regular season game. That’s a preseason game, that’s practice reps, but every opportunity I get I want to make the most of it and be fully prepared for those moments when they come. I felt good about what we were able to do this past Sunday. As opportunities present themselves down the road, I need to be ready and be able to show what I can do because I’m not going to have two or three years worth of games to show. I’m going to have a game here, a game there, a preseason half here or there. I’m hoping that will be good enough to show what I can do.”
On if rookie quarterbacks are more prepared than in the past:
“I think it’s partly the college game, to some degree, catching up schematically to the pro game in the sense that you are putting more on a college quarterback than maybe they were 30 years ago. I can’t really comment because I wasn’t alive. In addition, you look at the training for the draft, the Senior Bowl, the combine, the sun-up to sun-down training that we were doing. Robert was in Arizona, I was in Florida working with former NFL quarterbacks. There’s just a lot more that goes into the entire preparation. You can go back to high school recruiting and how much that has picked up in the last 15 years. I think it’s the whole process that is a little more intense. As a result, you develop a little bit faster. Time will tell. It’s still early. Obviously, you want to have the Troy Aikman, John Elway career rather than just beat them in the rookie year thing.”
On his new haircut:
“I have to apologize to my family and friends back home. I think I’m embarrassing them. I try to represent them well. My haircut’s not doing it [laughter]. I said on Monday when I saw the press conference, 'I think I need a haircut.’…The lady who cut my hair wasn’t speaking English all that clearly. There was a communication breakdown. She basically gave me a mohawk. I had my glasses on. She took them off to cut my hair so I couldn’t stop her because I couldn’t see. She wheels me back around, I look at the mirror and I realized I had a mohawk. So I tell her, 'Just shave it off. I don’t know what to tell you.’ She buzzed it off and I have to live with this for the next couple of weeks until it grows back. I do want to apologize to my family and friends back home because I try to represent them well, but this haircut isn’t doing it [laughter]. The tough thing was that I didn’t realize until that moment when she shaved it that I do have a receding hairline. That was tough to take. My dad is more-or-less completely bald and I was hoping I wasn’t going to get his genes, but it clearly looks like I did. I have to deal with that for the rest of my life.”
Quarterback Robert Griffin III
On the difference in practice for him this week vs. last week:
“I was able to go through a full practice, so that was good. I feel good. It was exciting to get back out there and practice with everybody – get ready for the game.”
On how his knee feels this week:
“I’m ready to play whenever they want me to play – whether it’s this week, next week, a couple weeks. Whatever they say goes, so I’ll be ready.”
On how much say he will have in playing Sunday:
“I think I just have to prove it to them on the field. When I’m out here running around doing all the plays and getting the reps, that’s when they’ll see. It’s just up to them to decide.”
On if he expects to play Sunday:
“I always expect to play.”
On if he went full-speed in practice:
“Yeah. I mean, we had live reps, so I went full-speed with the live reps.”
On what the doctors are saying about his knee:
“They’re going to keep playing it by sight – come out, watch me and figure out what they think the best progression is from here.”
On if it was frustrating not being able to play Sunday:
“It is frustrating. Like I said, players play. I told them in the locker room when they told me [I wouldn’t play] that night I would be upset, but once we step on the field, I was all for this team and all for Kirk [Cousins]. That’s the way you have to approach it. You don’t take those things to the field and try to become a cancer or a distraction to the team. You support the team.”
On if his knee feels weak or unstable:
“It didn’t feel weak or unstable, so that’s good. Today was very encouraging for me and for the doctors – for everybody. I feel really good.”
On if the improvement in his knee has been gradual:
“I think it’s just been a gradual improvement throughout the days. It just takes rest and time. I’ve got all my strength and everything. It’s just a matter of time.”
On comparing this season’s rookie quarterback class to others:
“It’s a hard question to answer. I get it a bunch. I think we’re a group of unique guys as far as quarterbacks go, but it could be the 7-on-7 and just the general development of the college game putting up so many points, throwing the ball around so much. All those things can be factors. I think every class has its own share of exceptional talent and I think everyone is seeing that.”
On Jim Kelly’s statement that this season’s rookie quarterback class needs more time to prove itself before being called 'great’:
“I like Jim Kelly. I’ve met him and we’ve talked. I understand what he’s saying. I’m not going to go there. He’s not an old-timer – yet. He still feels like he can play. The thing is that people have to realize we have to put together a string of years and all of us continue to be successful, then they can compare us to those greats. Right now, we are maybe not rookies anymore because we’ve played enough games and we’re all in the playoff chase. In their eyes, we’re still rookies and young guys.”
On how it feels for the team to be able to control its own destiny for a playoff berth:
“It’s awesome. We came back from the bye with one mission and that’s the mission that we’re still on. We control our own destiny and we did what we were supposed to do – we won. That’s what we have to continue to do. Guys can’t get happy now. We still have one game and then another game after that.”
On how the Redskins’ offense changed without him:
“I think it was just plays out of different formations. We still went with our bread-and-butter plays and they still worked. It was good to see that. It was good to see it from the sideline and watching all week – just to see it from a different perspective. It was the same plays, just out of different formations.”
On if he learned anything from watching on the sidelines:
“You can be unhappy about something, but you still have to learn. That’s what I did. I was upset, but I never let that show on the field. just watched and was able to see it from a different perspective. I told Coach [Shanahan] that I don’t like taking a week off, but you can learn a lot just from sitting around and watching one week.”
On throwing the ball away to stay safe instead of running out of bounds or sliding:
“I think the day I think about throwing the ball away at the beginning of a play, I should stop playing. It’s just something that happens. I’ve thrown the ball away this year, but it’s not something you take into a game plan. 'Alright. I’m going to go 1-2 and throw it out of bounds.’ I just think that’s a faulty approach to the game, but I get where everyone is coming from. I continue to protect myself. This latest injury could have happened to anybody. I was getting down. It is what it is and I have to move on from that.”
On if any of his older teammates have talked about how special this season is:
“They really haven’t. I don’t think anyone is really trying to take a big picture look at it right now. We can do that after the season when we’re all happy. I think right now everyone is just focused on one game at a time. That’s the attitude you have to have. No one is in the locker room jumping around excited that we’re on a win streak and we’re controlling our own destiny. Everyone is still focused on what we have to do and everybody is still feeling sore from the game. That’s a good thing.”
On his rhythm at practice today:
“That was fine. It was good. [Wide receiver] Pierre [Garçon] told me that my arm was live today. When you don’t get to throw at those guys for a week, you definitely come back a little bit more juiced up, ready to go. My accuracy was still there. I felt like I was on time with everything and Coach was impressed with that, too.”
On his jersey selling more than any other player in the last six years:
“It’s a tribute to the fans. Hard work pays off. This NFL experience thus far has been really great. I hope it can continue to be that way. Thank you to the fans.”
On Kirk Cousins’ performance Sunday:
“I thought he played great – everyone did. Like we said – Kyle threw out a stat to us – rookie quarterbacks in their first game throwing over 300 yards aren’t very many, but we have two. That speaks volumes to the players on this team, to the coaches – the way they coach – and to myself and Kirk.”
On why he and Cousins were so prepared for their first NFL starts:
“Like I said, it speaks volumes about the coaches and everybody and the players. Kyle said it helps when you have ballers out there – guys who aren’t afraid to make a mistake, who can’t wait to go succeed. That’s what we have. That’s really encouraging.”
On the offensive line’s effect on the offense:
“They play as unit. That’s the great thing about it. They run-block well. They’re doing the things we’re asking them to do extremely well. Of course, everyone is going to talk about how they’re undersized and maybe there’s no big-name guys, but to us they play extremely well as a unit. They communicate well and they protect me. That’s all you can ask for.”
On what he learned about Mike Shanahan after the adversity of last week:
“There’s no adversity as far as them deciding – the doctors calling me not playing. There’s no adversity there. There’s no strained relationship at all. What they’re going to tell me is they did the best thing for me, but as a player I’m not going to say sitting out a game is the best thing for me. That’s just not how you operate or how you think. It’s nothing new. just know they’re going to try to protect me and protect me from myself at all times.”
On building momentum with five wins in a row:
“When you’re building on your momentum, those are past games. We’ll take those games and carry them into the next one as far as the momentum goes, but we’re not thinking about those games or thinking about our win streak when we're going into the game. Each game is its own game, but you can certainly carry momentum throughout a season or throughout a span of games.”
On what the difference has been in the team during the win streak:
“I just think it’s the team’s mindset. Coming back from the bye, there is no 'Hey, we lost this one. We’ll get it the next game.’ We knew every game counted the most and every game was like a playoff game or a do-or-die game. We made it that way in our minds. Everyone came out and prepared that way. It paid off. A lot of teams can have that same mindset and it not work for them, but this year it’s working for us and God has a plan for us.”
On what the bye week meant to him:
“Like I said, went and cleared my head and just had that moment of – what we said at Baylor a lot – don’t freak out, don’t jump ship, don’t think that it’s the end of the world. Yeah, you might be 3-6, but you still have the pieces to go out and be successful. We just needed our guys to step up, and on this win streak, everybody has stepped up big.”
On the differences in the Eagles’ defensive line with a new coach:
“There’s a difference. The Wide 9 techniques that they’re known for aren’t showing up as much. They still run them, but they changed that a little bit. Aside from that, they’re still playing hard. They’re still playing physical. We have to go out and make sure we’re more physical than they are.”
On if he ever 'freaked out’ at Baylor:
“Did I ever freak out? No, I did not freak out.”
On if he likes Cousins’ haircut:
“I’m sorry, guys. That’s bad. It’s bad.”
Philadelphia Eagles Head Coach Andy Reid
On quarterback Nick Foles’ growth since he last faced the Redskins:
“He’s made progress. He’s more comfortable in the scheme. I think the game has probably slowed down a bit for him since the first game. He’s done some good things.”
On how different the Redskins look on film:
“They’re playing confident football. Schematically, they’re doing basically the same stuff, but they’re confident in what they’re doing.”
On if he has ever seen a rookie quarterback have as big of an impact on the NFL as Robert Griffin III:
“He’s sure done a nice job. The league is lucky to have him. I think he’s a good person and a good football player. That’s good for everybody.”
On how his approach changes this week not knowing if Griffin III or Kirk Cousins will start on Sunday:
“You prepare for both of them. The pass game is very similar. The run game is a little bit different, but you’ve got to prepare for both.”
On this season’s rookie quarterback class compared to other years:
“Listen, when it’s all said it’s done, I think this will be – if not the best – one of the best. I would tell you that because colleges are throwing the football more is why you’re seeing it. These guys are good players, don’t get me wrong there. They’re coming in more experienced than what you’ve seen in the past. They’re throwing the ball all over the place. These kids understand how to read the field and coverages and have a good feel for it.”
On the importance of consistency on the offensive line:
“It does help. You want those five guys dancing the same dance. It takes some repetition and experience. You get games under your belt… The more healthy they are, normally the better the offense goes.”
On the general health of his team in Week 16:
“We’re getting healthier. [Running back] LeSean [McCoy] is back. [Quarterback] Michael [Vick] is back. We lost [tight end] Clay Harbor to injured reserve. [Fullback Stanley] Havili is a little bit banged up, but other than that we’re pretty good. We got [safety Kurt] Coleman back, so those are all good players.”
On running back Bryce Brown:
“He’s a good player. He’s got to hang on to the football. That’s a given. He runs hard and he sees things well. He’s a smart kid – diligent, responsible. He doesn’t want to fumble, but he has to take care of that ball and make sure he keeps it high and tight. He’s learning all those things. [He] hasn’t played a lot of football the last few years, so it’s good to get him in and get him experience. Normally, you wouldn’t put up with the fumbles, but he needs to get carries and get adjusted to the game.”
On what advice he would give to Head Coach Mike Shanahan about keeping a running quarterback healthy:
“I don’t need to give Mike anything there. He’s a Hall of Fame football coach. There’s nothing I’m going to tell him that he doesn’t already know. RGIII will be fine. He’s young and he’s learning the game just like the other young quarterbacks are. He’ll be fine with all that stuff. Michael [Vick] has had a lot of good years and the important thing is that he finished up the season healthy. He feels great right now, so that’s a good thing.”
On how difficult this year has been for him:
“None of us want to lose football games. That’s for sure. The family situation – that’s separate – you don’t want that to happen either. I’m surrounded by a bunch of good people and that’s made it better – or as good as it could be.”
On what kind of atmosphere he is expecting from Eagles fans this Sunday:
“They’ve been good. My media asked me the same thing. I don’t know what to expect. I’m so focused on the Redskins that I really haven’t gone there with that. I know the fans have been great. As far as my situation goes with family and that, they’ve been phenomenal, but they want to win football games just like we all do. I understand that part, too.”
On how long it feels like he has had to prepare for linebacker London Fletcher:
“It seems like he’s about 50 years old. It’s like he’s been around forever. He’s a heck of a player. He loves playing the game. That’s the part you enjoy about him. [He] makes a lot of tackles. He’s always going to bring his A-game. No matter what the record is, he’s going to bring his A-game and play hard and all that. You have to give him credit.”
On what Fletcher does well:
“He’s instinctive and he’s quick. He’s never going to give you a big target to hit. I’m not saying that because of time. I’m saying that because of the leverage that he plays with – and his quickness. He knows how to play the game.”
Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback Nick Foles
On the last few weeks as a starting quarterback:
“It’s been pretty action-packed. [I’ve] learned a lot. I think action-packed sort of sums it up.”
On the biggest obstacle he had to overcome:
“I think just being consistent every week and progressing and getting better. Defenses are going to get more and more film on you so they’re going to throw different things at you. Just staying consistent and really trusting the reads, trusting the offense. If you make a mistake, just moving forward. It’s football, it’s not going change too much – just like the way you’re mindset is. I think the big thing is just staying confident and staying true to our reads and true to their abilities.”
On how it feels to be grouped with such a successful rookie quarterback class:
“It’s been neat seeing all the quarterbacks across the country that are rookies doing well. I was fortunate enough to be with everyone throughout the whole draft process and sort of get to know all the guys, so it’s pretty cool. To be a rookie and be playing is a great opportunity to just go out there and play football again. [There’s] not much else to say except it’s a great feeling to go out there and play again and play the game we love.”
On quarterback Kirk Cousins:
“I know Kirk really well. I was with him at Michigan State for a year. We kept in touch throughout the years and I watched him at Michigan State. He had a great career there. I was thrilled to see him get a start and see him go in the game before that and do well and go in last game and do really well. It’s exciting to see a guy of his stature – a solid person off the field and a great player – it was exciting to see him succeed. I feel like he’ll have a great career.”
On running back LeSean McCoy returning this week:
“It helps a lot. It gives us more depth at running back with him and Bryce [Brown] and Dion [Lewis]. They’ve done a great job, but just to have him back… He’s such a playmaker. He’s made so many amazing plays throughout his career and he’s still so young. Just to get him out there, get more depth, more explosion is going to help us a lot.”
On the difference in the Redskins defense since Week 11:
“I think they have their own type of defense and choose the same defense that we played against them when we played the first time. They have more film on me, so they’re going to probably bring more different things throughout the game, but just being able to play for a couple weeks you get more of a feel for the game and more comfortable and that helps a lot.”
On what Cousins was like the year they were together at Michigan State:
“Kirk was always a really hard worker in the film room, in the classroom – very diligent, very disciplined, a great teammate and great leader. He’s always asking questions and always very interested in everything. When you see that from another quarterback, you know that guy with that work ethic is going to be successful.”
