Press Release: #Redskins vs Jags Post Game Quotes

[TK]

September 3, 2015

FedExField

Head Coach Jay Gruden

On WR Rashad Ross’ performance:

“He is, he really is, he’s doing a great job. Even in practice he makes splash plays every day. We talk about taking advantage of opportunities. He is one of the guys that really has opened our eyes, it’s going to make it very tough come tomorrow. You’ve got to do the math, we’ve got a good group of wideouts we feel really good about. He just made it very interesting.”

On QB Colt McCoy’s performance:

“I thought he was solid. He did some good things, moved around a little bit. We didn’t protect him very good at times but overall I think he managed the game. Did a nice job, put us in a position to win and that’s what Colt does. He’s a consistent quarterback, he doesn’t make many mistakes and he will always keep the game close for you at the end.”

On the growth in Ross’ knowledge from last year to this year:

“His knowledge of the system, for sure. Last year he was kind of moving around a little bit. He was unclear of where to go, how to line up, what routes to run. Just not sure, now he’s got a lot more confidence as far as his mental capacity is concerned. He’s doing a great job. When he knows where he is going he gets there in a hurry. He shows no fear; he caught a couple inside breaking routes. Took some hits, obviously we know he can run outside. I’ve just been very impressed with him.”

On Ross and WR Evan Spencer:

“It is something we have to talk about tomorrow and the next day. We’d like to have our fifth receiver be a special team demon, like somebody who can run down on kicks. We already have a couple punt returners in house with ‘Dre [Andre Roberts] and Jamison [Crowder]. Ross can also do that. He can return kicks and might be our best kick returner too. He is going to make is very interesting. We need the extra receiver, fifth or sixth guy, to be a good special teams player.”

On injury updates:

“[spencer] went through the concussion protocol. He’s still inactive, he needs to see an independent guy. Trey Williams hurt his ankle tonight. He’ll be day-to-day I’m sure. Josh LeRibeus had a mild calf strain.”

On the status of QB Robert Griffin III:

“He is going tomorrow to see a couple people.”

On the status of WR Jamison Crowder:

“We just held him out tonight. He could’ve gone tonight but his hamstring is about 90 percent and we want to make sure he gets to 100.”

On his assessment of LB Jackson Jeffcoat:

“I think he’s done well. He’s more of a defensive end, he’s been playing some outside backer, obviously in base. Then in nickel and sub, he does a great job rushing the quarterback. He’s made his mark. At the absence of [linebacker] Junior Galette, it’s opened a spot for another pass rusher, outside linebacker type. He’s got an excellent chance. We will go back and look at the film and compare him. We’ll get [linebacker] Houston Bates out there. We’ll have to wait and see.”

On his feelings in going through his second preseason:

“It was smooth. I think the whole process – training camp, knowing what to expect, knowing the players a little bit better the second time around, the staff, schedules – it’s been a smooth deal for us all. I think we’ve really done an excellent job getting our players ready to go. Coaches have done a great job. I feel like the players have been prepared and they play hard. They are competing. That’s what I like about our guys – we compete every day at practice and it carries over at the game. The ones, the twos, the threes, and it’s been consistent. If we just continue with that approach of competing every single day, great things are going to happen for this franchise.”

On if Griffin could be cleared tomorrow:

“I don’t know. He’s got the neurologist, the psychologist. He’s got two of them to see tomorrow, he told me tonight. But yes, he could get cleared, obviously.”

Redskins QB Colt McCoy

On how much better this team can be:

“I think it’s very positive right now. I think the guys have worked really hard. We’ve got a good mix of older guys and younger guys. It’ll be interesting to see [the team] after some cuts. I think overall we were prepared to start the season strong. We lost a few guys early like Niles [Paul], Silas [Redd, Jr.] and [Adam] Hayward, guys that really make a difference for us, but we are really going to depend on guys to step up and make plays. But, for the most part I do believe that there’s a little bit different feel in the locker room than there was last year. Guys have really bought in and Joe Barry has done a great job with the defense. Sean [McVay] and Jay [Gruden] have really tailored the offense and I’m really excited about this, to be honest.”

On his performance tonight:

“You know what, I do what I’m asked to do. I felt overall that it was a very positive game. We were going to run the ball no matter what. We played with three receivers and two tight ends the whole game and seriously those guys deserve a whole lot of credit. They worked really hard. They were gassed at the end, but they did a tremendous job. Reggie Bell, Rashad Ross, [Colin] Lockett, those guys just did a great job.”

Redskins QB Kirk Cousins

On his thoughts on the preseason:

“I thought it was a great preseason. You know, I look at it from our time in Richmond Training Camp, all those practices all the way through those preseason games. It was a good five to six weeks of work and I feel good about the foundation we’ve laid heading into the regular season.”

On the whole team being on the same page heading into Week 1:

“Yeah, I feel like everyone is on the same page. I’m excited about the work we’ve built and what we have going forward. It’s just a matter of preparing well and studying the mental side of the game to be ready to go against Miami’s defense.”

On when he started studying Miami’s defense:

“I’m not sure the exact day. It was a couple days ago. You know, I wasn’t planning on spending much time with Jacksonville, so I just wanted to start focusing on Miami while our team started looking at Jacksonville.”

Redskins WR Rashad Ross

On his touchdown catch:

“I just caught the slant and I tried to find my opening then I saw a defender trying to tackle me. I ended up bumping off of him and I ended up spinning into the end zone.”

On his chances to make the 53-man roster:

“I mean I’m [going to] leave that up to the coaches. I just know at the end of the day if I don’t make it or if I do make it, I can keep my head up high because I gave it my all.”

On what he’s doing to set himself apart:

“Just going hard every play. I mean, I’ve been cut probably like four times. I got cut, I got brought back here and I just thought to myself I don’t want to be cut no more. I just going to give it my all.”

On this preseason experience with Redskins compared to the past:

“They brought me back for a reason. I feel in the past I was just a guy. You know, I had to make plays, but they actually give me a chance to get out there and show my ability.”

Redskins RB Mack Brown

On his performance tonight including a touchdown:

“You know, I’m thankful for scoring. I left a lot on the field. I was kind of out of shape, but it’s a feeling I’ve never felt before. I scored my first NFL touchdown.”

On his preseason experience with former Florida teammate Matt Jones:

“When I got the call on July 26, I almost cried. I got my second shot and being with people I played with in college is less stressful. It’s a great experience really to be with these boys every day and I thank the Redskins for bringing me in for preseason. It’s a great organization, a great team.”

Redskins LB Jackson Jeffcoat

On his performance tonight in the team’s final preseason game:

“I feel like I had a nice showing. I was able to get a sack, get a tackle for loss, get in on some plays on special teams and make some stuff happen. Obviously, I feel like there are things I need to improve on. All in all, it was a good night.”

On his sack tonight:

“I got off the ball and saw the guy try to jump me. I came underneath him, got through, felt him pulling me, tried to get him off, got to the quarterback. Tried to make something else happen, but got the sack.”

On the sack dance:

“That was a sack dance I did last year, ‘The Roosevelt.’ Some of the guys wanted me to bring it back, so I did it again.”

Redskins LB Terrance Plummer

On what the entire preseason has been like:

“It’s been fun, man. I’m thankful that the Redskins gave me this opportunity. I think I performed well tonight, as well as the team. We wanted to get the win but I think for us playing the whole game, us new guys, I think we did a really good job.”

On how he thought he performed in the final preseason game:

“I think I did pretty well. Coach said there were some mistakes on defense. I’ve still got to clean up my technique and some other things. But I think I played well, sliding to the football. I think I did pretty well on special teams. Whatever happens, happens. I’m pretty satisfied with the way I played.”

On what he can take away from the preseason:

“I just love this organization. I come out here and fight every day. These vets, they took me under their wing and taught me how to be a professional. Me, being a rookie, I know going forward how to attack this game. That’s the one thing I can take away from this preseason from the veterans and the coaches.”

Redskins CB Bashaud Breeland

On his performance:

“There was a little rust. I had to get a little rust off. But for the most part, I was just happy to get back out there, just get to try back up to the speed of the game.”

On how it feels to be back and healthy:

“I’ve just got to continue to work hard and I’ve got to do whatever I can to help the team.”

On the ups and downs in this particular preseason game:

“I had a good bit of downs tonight – lesson learned – getting back to the speed of the game tonight. On the double move, I took my eyes off the receiver a little bit and jumped the route.”

On how he can improve going forward:

“Just watch the film. Just improve my technique and go about it how I’ve always been going about it. Today, for me, was to see what I can do, coming back since I’ve been out for a little bit. I just wanted to come in and get moving with my teammates again.”

Redskins DE Frank Kearse

On how he thinks he played in tonight’s final preseason game:

“I think I played my best. I put my best foot forward and made a lot of plays. I flew around enough. Obviously, I didn’t play in the last two preseason games but I wanted to make a statement tonight.”

On the statement he made tonight:

“This is the best Frank Kearse you’re going to get every time. That’s what you do in the preseason. You show Coach everything you’ve got and go home and live with it.”

On how his fellow teammates have helped him mature throughout the preseason:

“Playing behind and watching guys like Jason Hatcher, Chris Baker and Ricky Jean Francois, and even checking out Pot Roast [Terrance Knighton] when he’s playing the nose tackle in our nickel defense. It really taught me how they play blocks and what they’re seeing and what they’re looking at. I learned a lot from this defensive line. I learned a lot from this group. I learned a lot from the coaches. I really felt like I was a sponge this offseason just soaking up all this knowledge and wealth.”

Jaguars Head Coach Gus Bradley

On the team’s performance:

“Good game for us. I thought a lot of guys really got a chance to showcase their style, their talents and really stepped up. It was great to see. We’ve got some tough decisions and I know tomorrow is going to be difficult on us as a coaching staff. It’ll give us a chance to evaluate the film, evaluate the players and see how they did with all their body of work. There’s going to be some tough decisions. There are going to be some players who played tonight that are going to join us when the regular season starts. I know that.”

On QB Stephen Morris:

“I thought he did a good job. He’s done a good job at practice with leading his team. I see his leadership skills. He really did a nice job at his post, stayed in the pocket, took a hit on a couple occasions and finished with making a play. I’m just pleased with how he’s progressed.”

On RB Corey Grant:

“I think his speed really showed up. It’s something that we saw on his case and then for him to really showcase it in a game like this with his long legs is really good. He’s really grown. We’ve seen those flashes of speed in practice but to get the opportunity in a game is great for him.”

On if he feels team members who didn’t play tonight will be ready to go for the regular season:

“Yeah, I think it’s always a challenge. I felt like we could really get a head start on some of the things with Carolina. I felt like in practice we could go, you know, our one defense versus our one offense to keep the skills sharp, as well as the conditioning. I thought we could work harder with those guys, the first group, knowing that they weren’t going to play, tax them a little bit more as far as conditioning and getting them ready to play. So, those were the big three factors — and health.”

On WR Neal Sterling:

“You know, he really wanted this opportunity. He hasn’t been able to play and to get an opportunity. You know, the one big catch he caught right in front of the bench, it was good. He’s a big, tall athlete. He’s got a learning curve for him but, overall, he’s got a nice shot.”

On if it felt good to see K Jason Myers convert his final attempt:

“Yeah, it was good. The first one he pushed, I think it was about 56, 58 yards or something like that, and then to get another long one, really in a pressure situation, I think [it was] even more pressure for him because he missed the first one, and the game and he knew all eyes were watching him — and he nailed it. You know, you can only feel it on the sideline. The players were great. His demeanor was awesome, even after that first one. When he went on [the field] for the second one, I was really pleased with how he handled it.”

On if he feels good about what he’s accomplished going into a normal work week:

“Yeah, I do. I know we have some injuries with some of our guys, but overall I think we came out of training camp pretty healthy, especially with the soft tissue injuries, I thought we made really good progress there. It kept us in position to where we could have a lot of guys practice throughout all training camp and because of that I think we made good progress, and now we’ve got to put it together for the first regular season [game].”

On S James Sample:

“Yeah, he did [look tired]. He played a lot though for his first opportunity. All the special teams took every snap with Loston down and he did, he was a little bit gassed but I thought that play at the end of the game was great for him. I know we had him doing a lot of different things. You saw him in the box, playing middle-third, playing man coverage, really trying to cram all three games into one game for him and to get a chance to see [and] evaluate where he’s at. So even though you’re correct, he was gassed, I thought he handled it pretty well.”

On WR Allen Robinson’s progress:

“I think that really the receiving corps, we’ve got some decisions to make there, who the No. 5 guy is, but, yeah, Allen Robinson’s done a nice job. The combination of what you see in preseason games and in practice, what we’ve seen in practice alone with the work he’s done in preseason excites us.”

Jaguars QB Stephen Morris

On his performance:

“It felt good, man. You know, obviously you want to make the right decisions and put the ball in the receiver’s hand and just manage the game well and move the chains as much as you can.”

On how the preseason felt to him:

“I thought it was good growth. I mean, coming of a preseason before where I didn't perform to the best of my abilities, and really just this whole offseason I was just trying to learn how to play football better, learn how to play quarterback better. So it was great man. I thought this whole preseason was a great preseason.”

Jaguars RB Cory Grant

On his performance:

“It was a great feeling. You know, coming to the game, I think I had something to prove and it worked out.”

On how he felt during his first preseason:

“It was tough throughout times, but overall it was a learning experience.”

On being around his teammates:

“It's a good feeling. You know, they’re always helping out and helping me get better.”

Jaguars LB John Lotulelei

On the defense:

“We did pretty well. We came out there and we all knew it [the team’s defensive play] coming in and playing every down and playing off special teams. Overall, I felt like we did pretty well.”

On if anything special helped the team prepare for today:

“No, we just knew this coming in that with the preparation we had already and now we just play ball. We didn’t game plan this game because we knew we were coming in to play fundamental football using our techniques and everything.”

Jaguars CB Rashaad Reynolds

On if the Redskins’ offense presented any unique challenges during the game:

“Nothing different from what we’ve seen on tape. We knew that before the game it was going to be a more basic game given the fact that not a lot of people were playing so, it was a fundamental game for us.”

On if the team ran different defensive schemes during the game:

“No. We ran the stuff we’ve been running all preseason, so it wasn’t anything different.”

[Conn]

I think they almost have to roster Ross after his preseason, if you tell your players you're looking for guys who take advantage of opportunities and earn a spot, you have to establish a precedent and show them you can walk the walk. You have to reward his production, not keep a late round draft pick for his supposed ST's skills we have yet to see just because he was a draft pick. 

 

Its similar to paying Paul, Trent, and Kerrigan---you let your re-signing of those guys do the talking for you. Exemplify what it means to be our vision of a Redskins player and produce, and we'll reward you. Unlike in the old days where we let our own go in favor of someone else's FA's.

[Koolblue13]

Man, there's a few guys like that. Jeffcoat, kearse, Plummer. I don't know what the cuts will be.