Press Release: #Redskins Postgame Notes & Quotes

[TK]

 

REDSKINS HEAD COACH JAY GRUDEN

On injuries:

"Injuries of note, Jordan Reed had a knee and left ankle. Came back into the game and then the last play down there at the end we’re checking him out for a concussion. [Ryan] Kerrigan had a hip pointer he came back into the game. [Pierre] Garçon had a knee sprain, came out and came back into the game. [Trent] Murphy had a hip contusion, came out and came back into the game. "

On the team’s resiliency:

“No question, we gave up a lead, had a lot of adversity in that game. That’s something that we’ve been trying to talk about is overcoming it. We can’t control the penalties. We can’t control what happens in the football game. We can control our effort and how long we can sustain our effort. It was a group of men playing together for 60 minutes and overcoming a lot of adversity. Some guys making big-time plays in big-time situations. I’m proud of each and every one of those guys, man. They fought their tails off until the end.”

On the team’s defensive pressure was better this week:

“It was for a little while. I think we had a little spurt there, third and early fourth, where we weren’t getting enough pressure. We needed to be more consistent. Obviously you want pressure on every play but they did a nice job with the play-actions and the runs to keep us off balance a little bit. When it came time to rush, Murphy got a nice sack and then obviously Kerrigan got a sack. We missed a few sacks that Kerrigan usually gets. Overall I felt good about the pass rush.”

On WR Jamison Crowder:

"We’ve seen that all camp. He had the injury there at the end of camp. He’s starting to emerge himself into a quality slot receiver for us and outside. The injury set him back just a little bit. Once we felt like he was 100 percent, we felt like he’s deserving of being where he is, and that’s on the field. He’s a tough guy. He handles the running game, smart, obviously makes big catches. The game’s not too big for him, you can see that.”

On the personal foul penalties:

“That’s just the way they called them… They thought Trenton [Robinson] led with his head on a couple of them. It’s a tough situation. For a safety, corner, anyone tackling a ball carrier, it’s tough because you’re trying to lower your pads to get down and tackle them. If the receiver lowers his head, there’s a possibility for a call there. It’s unfortunate, but it’s a bang-bang play. Hopefully we’ll get it fixed and hopefully Trenton get fined or anything like that. I thought they looked good on the sidelines, there’s really not a lot he could have done different. We just keep preaching our pad level, our hat placement on tackling and fundamentals and hopefully that won’t happen again.”

On WR Pierre Garçon:

“That’s what he is. He’s one of the greatest competitors on this football team. People feed off of that. Those are some tough catches that he made today. He probably didn’t have the type of numbers that he wants after a game, because he’s such a great competitor. But when the ball’s in the air, he’s going to go get it. I’m happy for Pierre, happy for Kirk [Cousins], I’m happy for the whole offense, making that last drive, overcoming what we overcame. We’ve got to do a better job in the second half though. Our third quarter offense, defense, leaves a little to be desired. We’ve got a lot of work to do coming out of halftime. Overall, good game.”

On QB Kirk Cousins’ growth:

“You can see that his decision making is pretty good. To have that high completion percentage, touchdown, no interceptions, he had that one sack – which really was not a sack because he gained half a yard, it shouldn’t have been a sack, we’ll argue that one – but he’s managing the football game. He’s putting us in a position to win in the fourth quarter, and we finally did that. We’re keeping it close. Having the ability to win in the fourth quarter, making a key drive at the end to win it, it’s great to see our quarterback and our entire team do that because we’re going to have other games that are going to be close like this. We’ll be down in the third or fourth quarter, we’re going to have to come back and it’s great to have this experience to know we can do it.”

On the Eagles’ long passes:

“That was a great play. Some great throws by [sam] Bradford. They have some great weapons on offense. Riley Cooper made a great catch. I think that it was Jordan Mathews that made one. [Nelson] Agholor made a great one down the middle of the field. We’ve got to do a better job with our safeties, obviously, possibly. That’s pro football, man. We’re going to play Julio Jones next week. We might give up a big play or two, but it’s how we rebound, how we bounce back. We’re going to try to coach our butts off to make sure it doesn’t happen again, but when they do happen we’ve got to be ready to bounce back and make something else happen.”

On decision-making:

"Each play, like I’ve said many times, is its own entity. Sometimes there is going to be tight coverage. They were playing Cover 1 with a linebacker reading the quarterback’s eyes and we have an in-breaking route, he’s got to put it on the receiver. The linebacker is going to come and hit him. That’s bang-bang type football and that’s going to happen. Every quarterback that has ever played this game makes bang-bang type throws. The big thing is putting them in a position where our receiver can get it, protect himself, and get down. I think Kirk [Cousins] did an excellent job of that. He wasn’t perfect, by any stretch, but we are going to coach him the same after a win as after a loss. He’s going to get better. I’m happy with the throws he made, the decisions he made today."

On what they have to do to finish drives in the first half:

"The first drive, we had third-and-goal at the two, we tried we expected an all-out type pressure. We had a run that we liked in that situation and they defended it well. I think one of our linemen fell down or got tripped up. We had another nice drive and we got six points – then we got a touchdown, but we do need to do a better job in the red zone. Maybe that’s pulling back the reins, or maybe that’s letting Kirk take some shots in the end zone a little bit more. Red zone defenses in the NFL, they’re not easy to score on. It’s not like we can just walk down there and score, man. There’s Cover Zeros, there’s drop eights, they’re playing tight man covers, they’re playing zone. They did an excellent job stopping our running game there for the most part, so credit to the defense.”

On his decision to punt on the second-to-last drive:

"I thought it was a chance to get them backed-up and get the ball back. We were only down by four and I didn’t want to take a chance with the long field goal and let them get the ball midfield and then back us up. I was playing field position there. I know they had a couple of linemen that were out, so I thought we could get the stop and get the ball right back with good field position, as opposed to possibly missing the field goal, and then getting backed up and going 90 yards for the win instead.”

On his confidence in the younger players:

"We have to ask our young guys to step up. We’ve got eight or nine guys on IR right now, and another four starters not playing because of injuries. These young guys have emerged as starters and they have had to grow up fast. We’ve coached them to get themselves prepared. I think mentally they are prepared, but when you go out there on Sunday afternoon – you’re playing a division rival like the Eagles - sometimes the game gets a little bit too much for these young guys. To see [Jamison] Crowder, to see [Trent] Murphy, to see Preston [smith], to see these young guys – Brandon Scherff – it’s awesome to see them. Spencer Long came in there to compete – get a victory. Then we can get some quality film to coach off of, learn off of, and advance their growth process because of this.”

On his thoughts on the run game and the rotation at running back:

"I think that’s the way it’s got to be. I think the days in football – there are a select few teams probably – but the days of football where you have one guy getting 42 carries a game, are numbered. This 16-game season is a grind. We need two, three backs to carry the load. We have some specialty plays for Chris Thompson, obviously, Matt [Jones] and Alfred [Morris] are both capable runners. The intent is to play the hot hand and keep them fresh for 16 games. I like all three backs, and I think they all bring something to our football team in a positive way.”

On the touchdown:

"The last play was simple. We lined up in empty and Pierre [Garçon] was in the slot. We had Chris Thompson on a little fade, so if we got a linebacker out there, we had a chance with Chris Thompson on the linebacker. He’s really working a little left to right on his radio dial, working to make sure the corner takes the fade on the outside at least. Then Pierre is our No. 1 guy – a quick out route – cover-zero. Then we had a route combination on the front side, so we could just obviously progress. But I believe they brought cover zero. I don’t know if they blitzed everybody or not, I can’t remember. But, it’s a bang-bang throw again, just like we were talking about. Sometimes you have got to let your receivers pay their bills too. Pierre did that and made a great play. You’ve got to have trust in your receivers and give it a go.”

On if there were any surprises for him on the last drive:

"I just think competing. I think the big play of the drive – obviously there were off-setting penalties – but we had a chance for a holding call and a big loss for a sack and he ended up scrambling up there and we obviously got the off-setting penalties, but that was a big play. And then converting the next third down-and-seven, I believe it was. There were so many plays on that drive. Keeping the running game alive I thought was important. Alfred had some of his best hits on that drive. I think the patience and sticking to our game plan and not throwing it every down was pretty solid. So, hats off to all of them.”

 

 

 

REDSKINS QB KIRK COUSINS

On how the Redskins overcame adversity today:

"Coach Gruden challenged us last night to be resilient and as we know all these games come down it seems to the last couple of minutes and you’re going to have setbacks along the way and we certainly had our fair share. But we kept challenging each other to respond and be resilient and I think it’s a combination of things. I know that that final drive I wasn’t capable of doing that when I came into the league as a rookie. It takes time, it takes failures, it takes learning from experiences and a combination of, I guess it would be three-plus seasons worth of work got me to a point where I was able to make the necessary plays on that drive. So, you know, it’s a process and I’m just going to keep working and keep learning from these experiences and keep getting better."

On if he had any words in the huddle before that last drive:

“We try to focus on the process not the results, so it’s very important for us to take it one play at a time, stay in the moment, stay present. Don’t try to think about going 90 yards, don’t try to think about how we’ve got to get a touchdown. Just take it one play at a time. ‘What have we got on first down?’ Then from there, progress. So, stay in the moment and I think that’s what helps us to handle a task.”

On the contributions from RB Alfred Morris and WR Pierre Garçon on that drive:

“It took a lot of pressure of the passing game when we were able to have a run-pass mix to start the drive with more of a run emphasis. I felt like we got out of being backed up by running the football and that was a huge benefit. I think the very first play of the drive was a big gain on the right side. So, to have those run-pass, have that balance, goes a long ways and it makes a big difference.”

On how important Garçon was during the game:

“Yeah, Pierre has always been very consistent. He runs precise routes. He runs through the football. He’s fearless, he makes the tough catch. He’s a true professional and he showed that today throughout the game but certainly on those catches at the end. He’s the kind of guy you want to be in the huddle and out on the field and in those moments with.”

On tight-window throws:

“I think in the NFL you’re going to have tight windows. When teams play man coverage, that’s the way it is. So you will get those kind of coverages throughout the game. That’s why it requires so much precision from myself, from the receivers, the depth of the route, the way they’re cutting out of the route. We have to be on the same page and that’s why you can’t just show up and play. It takes time; you have to build an understanding of where he is going to be. If I throw in anticipation, where is he going and what depth is he taking the route to. All those things take time to develop between a quarterback and receiver. Today we were certainly on the same page enough to be able to get the win.”

On having several inexperienced receivers play:

"I thought everyone did a really good job. It really felt like a total team win, much like our other victory this year. It feels like it takes offense, defense and special teams. Whoever is on the field, it takes all 11. We got a lot of contributions from a lot of different players today and it’s going to take that down the stretch here. You’re going to have injuries. You’re going to need depth and it was encouraging to see how many guys were stepping up today."

On recognizing the defense:

"It’s a big part of it all recognition of what they’re bringing and how they’re covering us. It’s not an ability thing. I could throw the ball the same when I came in as a rookie. It’s the knowledge. It’s the understanding. It’s the mental side of the game. It’s the chemistry with your teammates. It’s the experience in the offense. Those are the intangibles that take time to develop. Today we were able to put a lot of things together to come out with a win."

On how much better this team can get:

"’How much better can this team get?’ Well, if we keep working and stay together we have high expectations. It’s a process. We’ll just keep going one day at a time, one week at a time, one game at a time and focus on the next challenge and we’ll see where we are come the end."

On what it means to be 2-2 as opposed to 1-3:

"It certainly gives us a great position now in the division and going forward feeling like we have everything we want there in front of us. Quarter of the way through the season 2-2, so the first quarter is over, moving into the second quarter. We’ll just keep working, keep battling and try to win football games anyway we can."

On the touchdown pass to Garçon:

"The Eagles brought an all-out blitz, played cover-zero. You have to have a tight throw in a tight window and a precise route and the ball’s got to come out because somebody is unblocked who’s blitzing. It requires a great catch in traffic in a tight spot. That’s why execution is so important because it’s not easy. When you’re in the red zone, it’s very tight windows. They know that and we know that. That’s why it was such a big- time catch and finish by Pierre.”

On being in his second year in Gruden’s system:

"I think the system has allowed quarterbacks to be successful, but I know from where I sit, it’s taken time. It’s taken time for me to learn, for me to fail, for me to make a mistake in practice or in a game and say ‘OK, if I choose to do that, this is the result.’ Last week, I felt like I missed a touchdown pass because I didn’t adjust the protection. This week, I did adjust the protection and we got the touchdown. There are things like that, that happen that again aren’t ability. It’s experience. It’s going out there and learning from failure. The key is to not let these mistakes repeat themselves too much. Today it was encouraging and I felt like we took a step forward by making that play at the end."

On if that process is why he didn’t have a turnover today:

"I don’t know. Turnovers are going to happen. I mean, you’re going to throw the football. Plays today I could have thrown in a tight window and the ball could have bounced up and gotten picked. I’m not going to, again, worry about results. I’m going to be process-focused. Is my read right? Are my feet right? Am I throwing the ball with accuracy? Am I making good decisions? If I’m doing that and the ball gets picked, the ball gets picked. As far as what I can control, am I doing those things? There are probably some passes today that I’ll look back and say, ‘Boy, I got away with one there and didn’t get picked.’ If we get worried about results and, ‘Oh, I didn’t throw any interceptions and now I’m good,’ I’m going to get exposed pretty quickly. I focus on the process and where I can be better each and every game. If I do that I think I’ll be all right.”

 

 

 

 

REDSKINS WR PIERRE GARÇON

On his game-winning touchdown catch:

“Our coach called a great play. We practiced it a lot in practice. Our [Wide] Receivers Coach Ike [Hilliard] always tells us to make those tough catches. I’m glad it all came through at the end of the game when we needed it most.”

On QB Kirk Cousins:

“You know, Kirk is definitely growing. As you get comfortable, you grow naturally. He’s seeing the same coverage we saw. That’s why we had a lot of completions on that last drive — the most important drive of the game. Kirk is definitely growing as a quarterback and as a player.”

On the importance of this win:

“It’s definitely a big motivation to keep going, keep pushing to next week. We’re happy. We came through at the end and come from behind and make the plays that we need to go 2-2 is definitely a better look to be 2-2 instead of 1-3, especially in the division, too.”

On if he hurt his knee on the late hit out of bounds:

“No. It wasn’t on the late hit out of bounds. It’s just something, that’s football, that’s just been going on for a while. It just decided to get worse, you know, after I went deep. It’s just part of the game.”

On if he chose to reenter the game:

“Yeah. I definitely want to go out there and give it everything I’ve got. Try to make sure that I try to leave it all on the field. I’m glad it didn’t give out on me right before the end of the game.”

On the development of the young wide receivers like Jamison Crowder and Rashad Ross:

“Oh, yeah, definitely happy to see those guys make plays. Definitely give them some confidence up there out there on the field and definitely happy to see that they’re helping our team grow and being a weapon on our team.”

On if he sees defenders before catches:

“Sometimes you see them, sometimes you don’t. One of them I had to double catch. I’m glad I caught it and stuck with it but some of them you see them, some of them you don’t, you just have to — once you catch the ball, you just have to squeeze on it and just keep trying to fall forward.”

On how much the final 90-yard drive was good play calls as opposed to good audibles:

“It’s a little bit of both. You know, we have a good system. We practice two-minute drives. We practice definitely trying to get the ball into the end zone at the end of the week. We’re happy that not one person is targeted on those drives, it’s everybody that gets involved so the defense can’t key into one person. But we’re definitely happy that everybody got involved and definitely moved the ball downfield and finally finished drives to score a touchdown.”

On if the last drive was a lot of audibles:

“It all depends. Sometimes, we check it and sometimes we don’t. It all depends on what the defense shows. That last drive was not an audible. It was just a play that [Offensive Coordinator] Sean McVay called. You know, we say he knew that coverage was going to come, and he said, ‘It delivered.’”

On if he told Cousins specifically to give him the ball:

“No, definitely don’t tell him give me the ball. Just telling him, you know, we’re good, we’re fine. I didn’t tell him that. We were just listening to the play and where to line up and see the coverage and trying to be successful on the play.”

On how bad he wanted the ball:

“I’m just happy I got it. You always want to catch the game-winning touchdown. You’ve got to do your part on the team. It’s about the team not about who catches it. I’m just happy we all got in the end zone. Shoot, at the end of the game, we all started celebrating in the end zone.”

On the frustration of not finishing early drives:

“It’s always frustrating not finishing a drive. You know, we’ve had that problem for a long time here and we’re happy it finally came through when we needed it the most but we’re always still working on finishing drives going into the red zone – touchdowns instead of field goals. We definitely need to continue to work on that and definitely want to get better at that for sure.”

On what it means for the young wide receivers to step up and get the chance to play:

“Yes, it’s definitely nice to see the young guys get a lot of playing, good experience for them right now because we’re definitely going to need them later on in this long year so it definitely is good to see them get some catches, get some touches and get some actual game experience so it’s not a surprise when we need them in the most crucial points.”

On the game-winning touchdown:

“On that last play, it was just a route. I didn’t see exactly where I was at, just knew who was in front of me and I had to beat him. I looked back and I saw the ball coming, reached out for it, caught it and then, I felt hits from all over. I didn’t know how many hits, but I looked down and I was glad I was on the other side of the white line instead of, you know, a yard short. And, shoot, after that, I still didn’t know I scored. It was just, everybody was excited, everybody was hitting me on my head, then, I was like, ‘Forget it,’ let’s just start jumping and celebrating with the rest of the offensive line.”

 

 

 

 

REDSKINS LB TRENT MURPHY

On his sack:

"We knew they were going to be passing the ball. So, that's like a D-lineman's dream… You pin your ears back and just go."

On the mindset of the defense in the fourth quarter:

"The mindset is to stay together and keep chopping wood, really. We knew there was still time left… still plenty of time. We keep getting stops, stay together, offense is going to take care of business and we'll be where we want to be."

On the final defensive play and the fumble recovery:

"Fortunately the coaches had the foresight to prepare for that all week in practice. You know, last play of the game, they don't have enough arm to throw a Hail Mary. They got to do some Hook and Ladder. Saw the wall being built up to my side. I knew the ball was coming back, so, just stayed home."

On their first division win:

"That's huge. That gets us right where we want to be in the division. We’ve just got to focus on the next game – next game and then we'll be where we want to be at the end of the season."

 

 

 

 

REDSKINS S DASHON GOLDSON

 

On their first divisional win:

"It means a good deal. We always want to win divisional games. They came in our house, and it was a good win for us at home on top of that.”

 

On the secondary playing well when it mattered most:

"We can face adversity. That’s a good football team. They capitalized on something they saw. We had some guys that were toughing it out today. Cully [CB Chris Culliver] toughed it out for us today. We didn’t think we were going to have him this game, but he came in and did what he had to do.”

 

On how the front seven playing well helps the secondary:

"That’s big. We like it. Our front seven does an awesome job against the run and the pass. Today they showed up a lot on both sides, the pass and the run. That just shows what we can do. When we play good football in the secondary and the front line, we can come out with Ws like we did today.”

 

On what they can take away from the past four weeks that they can use against Atlanta:

"A lot. Our defense is playing good football. We’re flying around. Our offense did a good job of moving the ball today. They kept us off the field for the most part today. As long as we’re playing good football, we can compete with anybody.”

 

 

 

 

REDSKINS RB ALFRED MORRIS

On the mindset in the final drive:

“We stayed together. We fought back as a team. We were down, but not out. Defense did a great job getting us the ball back. After we got the ball we were able to get some runs, get some passes and we were able to work our way down the field.”

On maintaining confidence even through adversity:

“Sticking together definitely helps with confidence, knowing that we got each other’s back. We went out there, didn’t do so good, the defense was like, ‘Hey, we got it.’ They got us the ball back… Then like I said, we were able to drive it downfield. Just sticking together you are able to cover up a lot of errors while sticking together and not falling apart. So, I think we did a great job of that. We played like the Redskins today. Last week, we didn’t play like ourselves, but this week we did. That’s the team that we are that you saw out there today. We’ve just got to continue to find a way to show up every week, stick together and play hard.”

On being a rhythm runner:

“It’s in my DNA. I’ve been doing that for forever. I can’t explain it, it just happens. You know it’s the more I do the better I get. Like you said, it was very tough out there today. The Eagles’ defense did a great job. They always do when scheming against us and trying to stop the run and make us one dimensional, putting it in the air. But we nickeled and dimed a little bit here and there. We kept chipping away and then I was finally able to find some creases and get a couple decent runs which was when they really mattered, in the last drive.”

 

 

 

 

REDSKINS LB PRESTON SMITH

On his sack:

"It was a great rush by the inside guys. They forced the quarterback. It was great coverage by the DBs the guys to keep them from having an open target. We pushed the quarterback out of the pocket then I came back around and got the sack. It was a great feeling. Everybody was firing on all cylinders on the defense.”

On the additional sacks by his teammates:

“It’s great to see everybody eating up front. Our defensive line, everybody is getting sacks. It’s a great feeling. We just unloaded on sacks today – it felt like everybody was getting one.”

On the win:

“It feels great. It’s great to know that we’re working our way back up the division. We started off a little rocky in the division against the Giants. We’re starting to step up and turn everything around.”

 

 

 

 

REDSKINS WR JAMISON CROWDER

On his expanded role:

“I feel great, man. I knew it was going to be a big game for me. It’s a big moment for me, getting all this playing time and experience. I just did what I could throughout the week to be as prepared as possible. I just wanted to go out there and play and just do my thing.”

On being able to finish catches in traffic:

“I mean, just focus, man. Just focus looking the ball in and catching and tucking the ball as much as possible. You know and try not to take too many hits.”

On if he wants to sustain this production for the rest of the season:

“Yes, most definitely. I’m just going to continue to learn, get that experience and make sure I prepare throughout the week. I have the utmost confidence in my game, so I just want to take it day-by-day and make sure I’m ready for each Sunday.”

 

 

 

 

REDSKINS RB CHRIS THOMPSON

On his breakout game against the Eagles’ run defense:

“All week they [the coaches] were telling me they were going to give me chances. You know and with the opportunities I got, I wanted to make the best of them. They showed us some gaps on a few runs here and I was able to make some big plays early on and give us the lead. Coming into the second half I wanted to continue to do so and just maximize my opportunity.”

On receiving opportunities this week:

“I love it. The more reps and the more work I get on the field, I stay warmed up and feel comfortable. Now I’m on all the special teams. They’re keeping me on the field and putting me in positions to be successful. I almost had two punt blocks so far, but I’m just a little bit short. But, as long as we just keep going and the coaches keep giving me opportunities I’m going to do everything I can to win.”

 

 

 

 

REDSKINS G SPENCER LONG

On replacing G Shawn Lauvao in the starting lineup:

“I think I played all right, but I’ve got a lot of stuff to work on and things I can think of in this game that I can do better. I’ve got to be better for our offensive line and be consistent.”

On challenges the Eagles’ defensive line presented:

“We knew they were going to bring it every play. They’re a tough physical bunch, but we just kept grinding.”

On what part of his mentality has changed going from a backup to a starter:

“Nothing. Like I said before, being a backup, you’ve got to prep like you’re going to play.’ That way when it does happens, you’re ready to go.”

 

 

 

REDSKINS DE CHRIS BAKER

 

On his performance:

"We won the game, so that’s great. It’s always amazing to go out there and perform well and get sacks. That’s what [defensive] linemen work for – tackles for loss and sacks. I was able to get two sacks today; it was my first time ever getting two sacks in a game. So it felt great."

On his sack dance:

"I hit the Milly Rock. I had to hit them with the Milly Rock. [singing] ‘I Milly Rock on any block.’ It’s called the Milly Rock."

On the Redskins’ run defense:

"That’s our pride and joy as a defensive line, knowing that nobody can run the ball on us. We take a lot of pride in that each week, and we’ve been out there stopping the run each and every week. We’re just trying to deter people from even thinking about trying to run the ball on us. If they want to try it, they will fail."

On what he’s looking for heading into Atlanta next week:

"We just want to win the game. That’s all. We’ll win the game and go from there. Atlanta is rolling right now, so we’re going to face a tough team that’s on a four-game winning streak. We have to go out there and play winning football for four quarters and keep responding. They’re going to make some big plays, but we have to be able to line back up on the next play and make a bigger play for our defense or offense."

 

 

 

 

 

 

EAGLES HEAD COACH CHIP KELLY

On the defense being on the field for significantly more plays than the offense:

"We didn’t sustain anything in the first half offensively — and that’s what we talk about all the time. In the second half we protected [quarterback] Sam [bradford] better and gave him an opportunity to feel the football and you saw what he could do and we could do that. We didn’t do a good job in the first half of protecting Sam so we couldn’t convert third downs in the first half. "

On why the team’s running game did not work:

"I think we missed a few blocks inside, so we got some penetration — we kind of got that straightened out. I thought we ended up moving the ball halfway decent in the second half, but in the first half we didn’t handle their movements very well upfront. It was still a game. It was a six-man box. It wasn’t an overloaded box or anything like that, we just didn’t handle their defensive line in the first half.  "

On why he did not call any timeouts on the final defensive drive:

"Obviously I think if we call timeouts we’re just saving clock for them to score. We [were] ahead in that situation. We felt like [referencing Defensive Coordinator Bill Davis] we were in a good look and we were on the headset [saying] if you need it we can use it — but he didn’t feel like he needed it. "

On if he got the sense that the defense was tired at the end of the game:

“No, I didn’t get that sense.”

On kicker Caleb Sturgis’ misses:

“I would have to ask him technically, but he missed them. It was a clean look, it was a clean snap and clean hold from where I saw on the sideline. I haven’t seen the film yet.”

On how Sturgis kicked after being recently acquired by the team:

“He was fine in practice. I said that the other day, there’s a difference between a practice and a game. You can’t simulate anything in practice that’s going to give you this environment. That’s what I said the other day, that it’s going to be a big unknown because he hasn’t had the opportunity to kick for us in a game.”

On protecting the ball in the second half:

“We thought we had it early, but we just weren’t protecting it well, so when we had an opportunity to protect it, then we had the opportunity to get it. We had one to Nelson [Agholor] early, then we had one to Coop [Riley Cooper] and we had one to Miles [Austin]. So we felt like we had a shot at it, but we just had to protect it better and we ended up protecting it better in the second half than in the first half.”

On what made this the week to take shots down the field:

"The coverage and the way they played us."

On why they called the reverse:

"We thought we had a good look. The exchange wasn't there. We had the corner. Trying to get Nelson [Agholor] going."

On why this team is having a hard time finishing games:

"We are not executing. They play with great effort, but I don't think we are executing. It's the execution part and that's what I told them after the game. From an effort standpoint, I think they played hard. They gave it everything they got but we got to execute. We had a couple of key drops in the fourth quarter. We get those drops, changes the game. We had two key drops when we were trying to drive down the field. You catch those two balls and you give yourself the chance to win the game. You have to execute."

On the defense being banged up today:

"I mean, obviously when you lose players it has an effect on you; but we don't make excuses."

On what “hole” this loss puts the team in:

"I'm not concerned by that. We’ve just got to go win a football game. I'm not worried about any holes or anything."

On playing better in the second half:

"Like I said, it's about executing. We didn't do that in the first and we did that, at times, in the second half compared to what we did in the first half, especially on offense."

On what made him think the jet sweep would work with Darren Sproles:

"Just the front we were playing."

On if the mistakes are correctable:

"Yeah, I think it is very correctable. That's the difference between being a good player and a great player. Can you do it on a consistent basis, and we are not doing that."

On how QB Sam Bradford looks to him:

"At times I thought he looked good."

On if the lack of execution comes from players not playing together:

"We are not going to make excuses. No."

On the process this team is going through:

"We’ve got to make plays. We can't delay it. We’ve got to make plays."

On what makes him think the team will be able to execute:

"Because I think they play hard. They do what we ask them to do. We’ve just got to get this straightened out."

On if T Jason Peters and LB Mychal Kendricks reaggravated their injuries:

"I don't know. I just know they are out. If they were up or down, they just couldn't go. I do know that.”

EAGLES QB SAM BRADFORD

 

On the tale of two halves:

"I wish I knew how to explain it because then we would get it fixed. It seems to be the story of these first couple games. It’s almost like we are two completely different offenses, and once we get it going we are pretty good but for some reason there are times we just struggle to get it going."

 

On what happened to his ankle:

“It was just a slight sprain and they just taped it to give it some support.”

 

On if there was any doubt in his mind that he would come back in:

“No.”

 

On if it was the same ankle that was bothering him a few weeks ago:

“Yeah.”

 

On how the team gets on the same page:

“Just come back to work, keep grinding and keep putting in the time. I think the good thing is it is close. A couple of the games we have had the opportunity to win but we just haven’t finished but it isn’t like we are lightyears away from getting things where we need to be. I think it’s just small details here and there and everybody needs to get on the same page.”

 

On describing the mood of the locker room:

“I think everyone is a little frustrated right now. This is obviously not what we wanted or expected to be after Week 4, but just knowing this group of guys for the short period of time that I do, I don’t think anyone is going to quit or anyone’s head is down. I think everyone had a great week of practice, everyone’s energy level was great and I think we will be back at work Tuesday with the same attitude. We know we are close and we know we can get on a roll but it’s a matter of cleaning up the same details so they don’t come back to bite us.”

 

On what made him look downfield more today than in first couple of games:

“You guys act like we don’t want to throw the ball downfield, but I think we saw something we could take advantage [of] this week and we called a couple of plays trying to get those posts this week.”

 

On how the deep passing game changed the offense:

"Obviously any time you can get big plays like that they’re kind of game changers, momentum changers. I think the one to [WR] Riley Cooper in the third quarter kind of got us going. It brought some energy to that sideline."

 

On having the lead and going three-and-out late in fourth quarter:

“[it was] very disappointing. Obviously we felt like at that time we had all the momentum. We felt like we could go down and score and put the game away. [We] just didn’t do it.”

 

On his level of play at this point in the season:  

“I think there has been some good, I think there has been some bad. Obviously I think I’m starting to get more comfortable out there, but [there are] still too many mistakes; too many things that need to be cleaned up.”

 

On if the team is feeling pressure because of offensive expectations:

“I don’t think so. I think at this point, when you’re 1-3, I think those expectations are gone. Obviously I think there were a lot of expectations early. I think that as a group we put a lot of pressure on [ourselves] to score every time we touch the football, but I think we just have to take a big breath, relax and just go have fun.”

 

On the third down pass to RB Darren Sproles in fourth quarter:   

“I just missed it a little behind him. That’s one I’d like to have back.”

 

On if the team has figured out why they have only been playing one good half each game:

“Obviously not because we did it again today. Like I said earlier, if we knew what the answer was we’d get it fixed. Somehow we do have to find out what the answer is and it’d be great to play four quarters because I think that we could really do some damage if we played for four quarters.”

 

On playing with injuries on the offensive line:

“I’ve got confidence in all those guys. Someone goes down, it is next man up. I really didn’t think about it much today.”

 

On the reason offense is not on the same page:

“I think there’s just some small details here and there that have showed up in the past couple weeks that we’ve left opportunities on the field. I think it’s just getting dialed in and making sure we’re all seeing things the same way.”

 

On what changed for him in the second half:

“It’s not like we had any huge change in the game plan at halftime. I think it’s just what they presented in the second half.”

 

On the team’s emotional change after halftime:

“I think we were all a little disappointed in the first half but we knew it was still a two-possession game. With our ability to score, we didn’t think it was that big of a hole and we came out and got on a roll in the second half and took the lead.”

 

On gaining confidence from clicking on downfield throws:

“Yeah, absolutely. I think I said earlier, that pass to [WR] Riley Cooper seemed to get us going. It seemed to bring some energy to our sideline.”

 

EAGLES WR NELSON AGHOLOR

 

On what he does in practice that hasn’t translated into games:

"We’re doing a great job in practice and in games. It’s just sometimes you fall short. You try to do something and it doesn’t always go your way."

 

On his fumble during the game:

“Mishandled by me. I have to look the ball in no matter what. I have to look the ball in no matter what happens.”

 

EAGLES RB DeMARCO MURRAY

 

On the team being 1-3 and if the team can be any better:

"I think we have to be better. I mean, it is what it is. We’re 1-3 and, you know, a lot to correct. We’ll watch the film and we’ll go from there."

 

On C Jason Kelce being very critical of the offensive line and how much blame he puts on inconsistences there:

“I think it's a total group effort. I think it starts from us as players, no matter who’s in there, no matter what plays they may call; it’s up to us to get the plays. I think every guy has to look in the mirror and take accountability for their actions. I’m the first to do it at all times and you know, Kelce’s a great player. He’s the leader of that group and you know, guys are banged up and when your number is called you have to step up to the plate and do your best.”

 

On if he thinks he is touching the ball enough:

“Do I think I’m touching the ball enough? No, I’m not. I don't think I am, but you know that's how the plays are being called. You know, I love this offense, I love playing with these guys and that's how it is.”

 

EAGLES S MALCOLM JENKINS

 

On the last drive of the game:

“It was just a long drive. They did a good job of just taking what we gave them, kind of dinking and dunking it down the field. They had a couple of crucial third down conversions, a couple [of] penalties that extended the drive; it was just a tough position to be in defensively. Basically, you just have to find a way to get a stop.”

 

On if they were fatigued during the last drive:

“Oh no, I think the time of possession directly affects what we do on third down. I didn't think we were that good on third down today. I know we had a lot of conversions and a couple of penalties that extended the drive. We have to win on third down to get ourselves off of the field. That's something we didn't do too well today.”

 

EAGLES LB CONNOR BARWIN

 

On the amount of rushing attempts on the last drive:

“They had some time on the clock. I have to go back. I honestly don't know what the answer is now. That last drive, as a defensive player, we have to get up the field and they have to score. We got put into a situation and you have to make the play to win the game.”

 

On the impact of injuries:

“The only one I can think of is [DT] Bennie Logan was out there a lot more in some nickel. Bennie and Beau [Allen]. I know Bennie had a heck of a game. I don't know what kind of impact it had but Bennie played great. Those are the only two people I noticed out there. As far as I can tell they played well.”

 

On the third down conversion rate:

“Yeah, we've been really good on third down. Now you just have to make those plays. We didn't make enough of them to win the game.”

 

 

 

Game Notes: Washington Redskins vs. Philadelphia Eagles

• The Washington Redskins evened their 2015 record at 2-2 with a 23-20 come-from-behind victory against the Philadelphia Eagles in front of an announced crowd of 74,767 people at FedExField on Sunday.

• The fourth quarter comeback was the Redskins’ first since coming back to defeat the Tennessee Titans, 19-17, in Week 7 last season.

• The victory marked the Redskins’ 83rd all-time win against the Eagles, their most against any opponent. Washington now leads the combined regular season and postseason series, 83-73-5.

• The Redskins have now earned consecutive victories against the Eagles for the first time since 2012.

• Washington has now won consecutive home games against the Eagles for the first time since winning three straight home contests against Philadelphia across the 1997-99 seasons. The Redskins are now 43-35-3 at home all-time against the Eagles.

• Quarterback Kirk Cousins recorded a career-high 31 completions on 46 attempts for 290 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. His 31 completions were the most by a Redskins quarterback in a single game against Philadelphia in the 161-game history of the Redskins-Eagles rivalry.

• Cousins engineered a 15-play, 90-yard drive in 5:39 to complete his first fourth-quarter come-from-behind victory as a starter. It marked the second time in his career he contributed to a come-from-behind victory in the fourth quarter, joining his contributions as a reserve vs. Baltimore on Dec. 9, 2012.

• Cousins (4,035) became the 17th quarterback in team history to throw for 4,000 yards with the Redskins.

• Cousins recorded his first career rushing touchdown on a one-yard run in the second quarter. It marked the second time Cousins had recorded points as a rusher in his career, as he previously rushed for a two-point conversion vs. Baltimore in 2012.

• Cousins’ rushing touchdown was the first rushing touchdown surrendered by the Eagles this season.

• Cousins connected with wide receiver Pierre Garçon for a four-yard touchdown to win the game.

• The touchdown reception was the 30th of Garçon’s career, becoming the 40th active player to reach 30 career receiving touchdowns.

• Garçon finished the game with a season-high seven receptions for 55 yards and the touchdown.

• Running back Chris Thompson recorded career highs in rushing attempts (six) and rushing yards (53).

• Thompson recorded a career-long 42-yard run on third-and-19 in the first quarter.

• Thompson’s run marked the team’s first conversion on third-and-10+ this season.

• Thompson’s run was the Redskins’ third rush of 30 or more yards this season, featuring one each by three different players (Thompson, Matt Jones and Alfred Morris). The Redskins had one run of 30 or more yards during the 2014 season.

• Kicker Dustin Hopkins converted a career-high three field goals on three attempts and was 2-for-2 on PATs. Hopkins is now 6-for-6 on field goal attempts and 6-for-6 on PATs since making his NFL debut in Week 2.

• Hopkins opened the scoring on a 20-yard field goal on the team’s opening drive and added a 38-yard field goal on the team’s second possession.

• The Redskins’ first three scoring drives lasted 13, 10 and 10 plays, respectively. Washington’s nine-play scoring drive in the third quarter snapped a streak of eight consecutive scoring drives of 10 plays or more. Per the Elias Sports Bureau, the most recent NFL team to have eight consecutive scoring drives last 10 plays or more was the 2007 Indianapolis Colts (a streak of nine such drives).

• The Redskins recorded five sacks, the team’s most since its Week 8 win at Dallas last season (five).

• The Redskins logged three first-half sacks, marking the first time the team had done so since their last game against Philadelphia (Week 16 of the 2014 season).

• Defensive end Chris Baker recorded his first career multi-sack game to give him a career-high 2.5 sacks this season.

• Linebacker Ryan Kerrigan pushed his career sack total to 39.5 with a sack in the fourth quarter. He is now a half-sack shy of becoming the sixth player to record 40 sacks with the Redskins.

• Linebacker Preston Smith registered his second sack of the season in the second quarter. Linebacker Trent Murphy added his first sack of the season in the fourth quarter.

• Linebacker Keenan Robinson notched his second career fumble recovery in the second quarter. It was Robinson’s first recovery of the season.

• Wide receiver Jamison Crowder posted career highs in receptions (seven) and receiving yards (65). Crowder became the first Redskins rookie to lead the team in receiving yards in a game since tight end Jordan Reed in Week 8 of the 2013 season.

• Tight end Jordan Reed caught five passes for 37 yards and now has 24 receptions for 278 yards this season. His 24 receptions through four games are the most by a Redskins tight end through four weeks in franchise history, surpassing Chris Cooley’s 22 in Weeks 1-4 of the 2009 season.

• Punter Tress Way recorded a season-long 63-yard punt in the second quarter. It was his longest punt since registering a career-long 77-yarder in Week 4 last season.

• Wide receiver Rashad Ross recorded a career-long 43-yard reception in the third quarter, the team’s longest play from scrimmage this season. On the same drive, wide receiver Jamison Crowder recorded a career-long 22-yard reception.

• The Redskins rushed for 127 yards on 32 carries. The Redskins have now eclipsed 125 rushing yards three times in a four-game span for the first time since Weeks 10-13 of the 2013 season.

• Including holding the St. Louis Rams to zero first-half points in Week 2, the Redskins have now held opponents scoreless in the first half of consecutive home games for the first time since Weeks 11 (vs. Lions) and Week 13 (vs. Giants) of the 1997 season, a span of 141 regular season home games.

• The win was the Redskins’ 594th all-time victory, including postseason play.

• The Redskins improved their home record this season to 2-1 and evened their divisional record in 2015 at 1-1.

• The game featured the league’s top-ranked (Redskins, 34:43 per game) and bottom-ranked (Eagles, 24:06 per game) teams in terms of time of possession entering Sunday, an average difference of 10:37 per game.

• The Redskins recorded a 41:08-18:52 advantage in time of possession. The Redskins’ 41:08 time of possession is the longest by the team in a game in records available dating back to 1991, surpassing the 41:04 recorded in an overtime contest vs. the New York Giants on Nov. 23, 1997.

• The Redskins have recorded at least 37 minutes of possession in three of four games this season.

• The Redskins gained 25 first downs, their most since posting 27 first downs at Philadelphia in Week 3 last season.

• Cornerbacks Quinton Dunbar and Deshazor Everett made their NFL debuts.

• Guard Spencer Long recorded his first career start.

• Eagles kicker Caleb Sturgis missed an extra point following a Philadelphia touchdown pass in the third quarter. It was the first extra point missed by a Redskins opponent since Week 14 last season (St. Louis’ Greg Zuerlein).

• The Redskins and Eagles met for the 161st time, including postseason play. The Eagles are the Redskins’ second-most-played opponent.

• The Redskins played their third home game in the first four weeks of the season. The last time the Redskins had three home games in the first four weeks of a season came in the midst of a 3-1 stretch to start the 2003 season.

 

[Conn]

Love the answers from Gruden and Cousins here. Really everyone, but especially those two give you a window into the team's mindset

[Mr. Sinister]

Didn't like the "We can't control the penalties " part of the first paragraph (unless he was just referring to the questionable ones). If he truly believes that, then its no surprise the team is as undisciplined as it is.

[Conn]

Didn't like the "We can't control the penalties " part of the first paragraph (unless he was just referring to the questionable ones). If he truly believes that, then its no surprise the team is as undisciplined as it is.

Yeah that ones gonna get **** on. I think he meant the personal foul ones on Robinson though, because he specifically talked about those at one point.

[gortiz]

 

 

 

REDSKINS LB TRENT MURPHY

 

On the final defensive play and the fumble recovery:

"Fortunately the coaches had the foresight to prepare for that all week in practice. You know, last play of the game, they don't have enough arm to throw a Hail Mary. They got to do some Hook and Ladder. Saw the wall being built up to my side. I knew the ball was coming back, so, just stayed home."

 

 

 

impressive on part of our coaches or par for the course? 

[redskinss]

When he said that penalties aren't something they can control i truly hope that was either a slip of the tongue or a not so subtle jab at the refs otherwise we could be in for a long year.

I guess i should have read the whole thread before i replied because obviously im not the only one who caught that

[Wildbunny]

When he said that penalties aren't something they can control i truly hope that was either a slip of the tongue or a not so subtle jab at the refs otherwise we could be in for a long year.

I guess i should have read the whole thread before i replied because obviously im not the only one who caught that

 

It have more to do to the fact that he's not the one throwing the flags out there, and that refs call plays differently from one staff to another. They can coach it to some extend, and I hoe they do it, they just can't control if they will call it or not.

Seriously, the two PF on Robinson, how do you want to control that? You can't control a ref's mistake.