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Press Release: #Redskins Post Game Quotes & Notes


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stripe%20break_zpsf8ersldy.gifREDSKINS HEAD COACH JAY GRUDEN

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Opening statement:

"Derek Carrier has an Achilles sprain. He’ll be day-to-day, could not return though. [Quinton] Dunbar index finger, open dislocation, he’s going to see a hand specialist and we will see where he is. Chris Thompson – AC joint sprain, he came back in. Chris Baker had an elbow extension… He came back in and played – he’ll be all right."

 

On if he was able to learn about his team today:

“Yeah, you do. I’ve already had a good idea about this team, how far they’ve progressed and how hard they work every day. So I’ve had a good idea, it’s just a matter of showing everybody else how far they’ve come. Today I think was another example of coming out fast, great intensity and then weathering a storm by a great New York Giants football team and quarterback.”

 

On why the team has had more success at home than on the road:

“Well, every game’s different. We have different obstacles every game. We just haven’t handled the road ones very well, obviously with the turnovers and the miscues. Today we had no turnovers and you can see how much of an impact that has in a football game. Can’t put our hand on it but eventually we’re going to have to go on the road and win a meaningful game this year. But we’re worried about Dallas now.”

 

On RB Alfred Morris getting a significant number of carries:

“Yeah, I think Alfred felt good, was running the ball pretty well so we stuck with him. He had some good hits. So like I said before the season started, I have faith in Alfred and Matt [Jones] – and Chris [Thompson] for that matter. [Running Backs Coach] Randy [Jordan] is handling the substitution pattern and I really don’t care who is in there, I like them both. Alfred, when you feel like someone is rolling pretty well and protecting the football, then Alfred was the guy.”

 

On the point of emphasis when talking to the team this week:

"The point of emphasis was rebounding from the Carolina defeat and playing the New York Giants – they beat us three times in a row. That was the main point of emphasis. We had to challenge our guys to rebound from that loss against Carolina, but to also play a division rival, at our place, who beat us the last three times. Whatever happens after that, standings, tied for first, I don’t care about that. When we play hard, we play focused, protect the football, we can be a tough team to beat.”

 

On QB Kirk Cousins’ performance:

“After a loss I said nobody gets a passing grade. After a win, everybody does. I think he played well. The last third down completion to Jordan Reed, patience in the pocket, was his best play of the day. Made some amazing plays all day today, made some good decisions, made some ones that I’m sure he’ll wish he had back, but overall he managed the game extremely well. I’m happy about the performance.”

 

On the team’s strong second quarter:

“They were pretty good. DeSean [Jackson] had a big hit on a nice play-action pass. Our defense was flying all over the place, which I love to see that because I know, come late in the season, that’s the meal ticket right there. Playing good defense, rushing the passer, covering the receivers and flying around to the football, that’s what I was most impressed with. I’m happy as heck the way they played. We gave up a couple of late touchdowns. Great throw by Eli [Manning] on the corner route on fourth-and-15, and then a great catch by Odell [beckham, Jr.] on the third-down bomb in the corner. Overall, I think our defense was outstanding. The pass rush, the DBs, the coverage, [Quinton] Dunbar got a pick, [Will] Blackmon got a pick. It was good to see them fly around.”

 

On the three interceptions:

“They were big. They were momentum, and it just justifies when you play with great effort, great things are going to happen. We had pressure on their quarterback, we had a great hit by Kyshoen Jarrett – ball pops up and Blackmon gets an interception. Dunbar has great coverage in the red zone. Perry Riley had an excellent interception. I just like the way I just felt the great energy on the sidelines. Home crowd had a lot to do with it. The success had a lot to do with it. I think the challenge of where we are, the division opponent – the New York Giants – had a lot to do with it. The key and the trick for us is going to be to maintain this type of effort and momentum come Monday night.”

 

On continuing to improve moving forward:

“We had a couple unfortunate holding calls early, the offensive P.I. [pass interference] – which I’ll have to check out the film on. Those things we need to clean up. Early in the game we had a chance, we had great field position, two interceptions back-to-back and we got nothing. We had the two holding calls, which were unfortunate. There are some things definitely we can still clean up. We had a third down-and-five, ran a four-yard route, which obviously we can’t do. We had a fumbled hand-off on fourth-and-one, which was a huge play. There are a lot of fundamental issues we can clean up, and will clean up moving forward. Overall, I’m happy with the game.”

 

On CB Quinton Dunbar’s performance:

"Yeah, no question, he’s playing well. He’s a big, long kid. He’s got some talent. It’s just a matter of him going out and playing. You just never know until you throw a guy out there. That’s the fun part of coaching sometimes. You get to see how they do – some guys sink and some guys swim. Obviously, he’s swimming pretty well right now, but he hurt his finger and we will have to get him evaluated. He’s a guy that is going to continue to develop and hopefully get better and better."

 

On the importance of TE Jordan Reed to the offense:

"He’s very important. When you play two safeties – like the last third down is a great example – when you play man coverage underneath and two safeties over the top, your linebackers and your backs are the ones that have got to win. Jordan has proven that he can do that. He’s a huge weapon for us. Kirk [Cousins] is very comfortable with him. He’s obviously a big part of our offense.”

 

On how the Giants defense changed after seeing the deep threat:

"Not much. I think they were just a little bit more aware. When we had a lead and we were in some different personnel groupings, we had a lot more plays drawn up, but when [Derek] Carrier got hurt that personnel grouping went down the tube. Which hurt us a little bit, but overall I think they played good solid defense. They were a very aggressive defense with their safeties, but we were able to get one shot behind them.”

 

On the pass rush and taking advantage of the Giants’ banged up offensive line:

"Yeah, the pass rush is coming. I like the fact that it was somebody different. Ryan [Kerrigan] had a big game obviously. I saw a lot of guys back there. I don’t know how many sacks we had, but I like the fact that I felt Eli felt the pressure, had to get rid of the ball a lot quicker than he wanted to, on a lot of occasions. Overall, we are just going to keep working – keep grinding on our pass rush with the young guys – Trent [Murphy], Preston [smith], Ricky Jean [Francois], and [Jason] Hatcher, those guys have to keep coming and obviously Ryan is our bell cow.”

 

On overcoming injuries and the importance of GM Scot McCloughan filling holes:

"Yeah, that’s important. I can’t say enough about the coaching staff getting these guys ready to play, too. Scot has done an excellent job, [Director of Pro Personnel] Alex Santos, all those guys up there in the personnel department. But when they get down to us on the field, it’s up to the coaches to get them ready to play. That’s easier said than done, but they’ve done a great job – [Defensive Backs Coach] Perry Fewell on the secondary, unbelievable job and everybody for that matter. It’s just a matter of keep grinding on these players, keep developing these young players. When the opportunity presents itself for these young players, they have to take advantage of it, and they did today – a lot of them.”

 

On sitting tied for first place in the NFC East:

"We are 5-6 right now, really. We’re just trying to move forward and trying to develop these players. And get it to where we want it to get. But to be 5-6 after 11 games, in a position we are in, where we control our own destiny, basically, to have that opportunity is great, instead of hoping everybody else loses. We are just going to keep grinding one game at a time and everybody made a big deal about this being a make-or-break game, it just continues every week. When you are this late in the season, in the position we’re in, you just have to take this one game at a time, there’s no question about it. Dallas is coming, so let’s just keep focused on them.”

 

On the team’s resiliency and what it means to show it:

"It means a lot. We just have to keep showing these guys that their work is going to pay off. To be able to bounce back from Carolina is a great thing to see, but it’s going to also be important for us to bounce back from a game like this – an emotional game, an important game, a game that we had to win – so how we bounce back from this victory is going to be equally as important as how we bounced back from Carolina. I’m impressed with the team and the way they are working. I have a lot of respect for these players. I’m happy for them. We also understand that there is no time to take a deep breath, we just keep grinding.”

 
 
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REDSKINS QB KIRK COUSINS

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On the 63-yard touchdown pass to WR DeSean Jackson:

"We did a little hurry-up. DeSean won his matchup and got behind the safety. I was able to lead him across the field. I had a great pocket. He made the catch. He made the play. It was his ability to get behind the defense with his speed and then track the football in the air that’s so special."


On if he felt like there was more space after the play to Jackson:

“I don’t know if that one play dictated their coverages the rest of the game in that sense but it certainly makes you have to be aware of where DeSean is and what he’s doing on each snap.”


On if this was a ‘You like that!’ kind of game for him:

“I liked it. You’ve got to like that right, if you’re a Redskins fan. Guys liked it on the team. Coaches liked it. I like it, so yes.”


On the drive at the end of the game:

“I think the approach was we need to trim the clock, and we need to move the football and get a few first downs. Four-minute offense is an important part of football. It’s something you prepare for all throughout the offseason. Fortunately we found ways to make enough plays to stay out there and run the clock down, but it’s a tough job when you have to do that. I’m just pleased in the way we handled that situation.”


On the fourth-and-one fumble and if they gave him a kicking ball:

“No, I actually told them two plays before we ran an inside play to Alfred [Morris] and the ball slipped out of my hand on that one too and Alfred had to double clutch it in order to get it or else we would have had a fumble there. The ball was coming up and I think it was wet from just the grass and where I was getting it with my left hand it was the wet spot. My thumb was slipping and it happened on that play. I told the ref whatever we can do to keep it as dry as possible, but I understand it’s part of just playing on a wet ground. Then, two plays later I believe it was, on the fourth down the same exact thing happened. I got the ball and the part where my thumb was it was very wet and it slipped right out of my hand. I went to the ref and just explained but he said there’s nothing he can do once it’s on the ground so it’s just unfortunate.”


On TE Jordan Reed:

“He’s an elite tight end. He’s the real deal as a receiver. As long as he’s here we’ll feature him and try and get him the football because he’s so talented and can be a tough matchup for teams. When you have to have someone cover Pierre [Garçon], DeSean and [Jamison] Crowder you start to, sometimes, run out of guys to cover someone as talented as Jordan. It becomes a good matchup for us and he’s a key, key player on our team.”


On what changed offensively to go on a 17-0 run:

"It is just about executing. We can’t beat ourselves. We can’t have penalties. We can’t turn the ball over. We can’t do things that make it hard to have points and move the football. We have to do our part in executing and when we do that, typically good things happen. Today, I think, when we did execute we were able to move the ball and score points."


On playing meaningful football games in December:

“It is great to be in December and play in and for something. We have a big one coming up. The nature of winning is that it just creates bigger games up ahead. We’re excited about what we did today, but there is a long ways to go and a lot of football left to be played and we will be the first ones to tell you that.”


On if the game felt different:

“Yeah, I am going to stay with what other guys have been [saying], I am going to be reluctant to say that it is so much bigger than any other game – if we had beaten Miami or Atlanta, this game would have had a different weight on it, if you will – potentially if we put ourselves in a better position. Every game matters at a high level. They all count one win or one loss. From where we are right now, this was very, very important and I am glad we came out on top.”

 

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REDSKINS LB RYAN KERRIGAN

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On what was different in this game against New York:

“Just executed well. Just played hard, played physical. Coach [Jay Gruden] had a message for us at the beginning of the week, ‘This is a team that’s kind of taken it to us the past number of times we played them. This is big for us.’ It felt a little personal because they’ve kicked our tail the past couple of times we’ve played them. This was a great feeling to get this win against them.”


On if it felt like the team would have a good, high-intensity game:

“It kind of did. After those first couple of drives where we got some nice stops, got turnovers, two picks in the first quarter, that was definitely a confidence builder and kind of set the tone for the day. The fans were great today. They were extremely loud on the interceptions. To be that loud in the first quarter, it sounded like it was in the fourth quarter of a big situation. So they really helped out today.”


On how he feels after getting two sacks:

“Yeah, it felt good to get a couple today. Just got to keep working, just keep getting better. I was just happy the way we got pressure all day.”


On the injuries to New York’s offensive line:

“It was definitely a point of emphasis. We knew we were going to face some guys that were backups and that weren’t their original crew. We knew us upfront, we had to be the difference-makers in the game and I think, for the most part, we were. We were able to move around on the line a lot, get through a lot of stunts and guys played well.”


On if being able to move between the right and left side has helped him:

"Yes, I think it's good to be able to have that flexibility. Especially it’s good in the defense because it gives us a little more flexibility on how we make calls."


On the resiliency of the team and its desire to start a winning streak:

"If you're not hungry for the Cowboys coming in after a big win like today, we have a problem. This is a big game for us. We haven't been able to string together a couple wins in a row but we have to now. We're playing December football now and it’s good to have these December games be meaningful so this is going to be an exciting time."


On if he touched Giants QB Eli Manning on the second sack:

"Yes, I did. I made sure of it. I kind of got tackled by old No. 73 [RT Marshall Newhouse] and I made sure I reached my arm out and got a little piece of him. That was definitely a point of emphasis."


On if there is a correlation between having fun on the field and fundamental play:

"Well, I mean, I think when we're making plays like we were, it is fun. It is fun when we're making plays like that. Especially when you start the game out with two interceptions, you know, get two turnovers in the first quarter, that kind of sets the tone for the day that we're on for the day and going to play four quarters of good defense."



stripe%20break_zpsf8ersldy.gifREDSKINS CB QUINTON DUNBARstripe%20break_zpsf8ersldy.gif

On the defense’s success:

“We had preached all week to just compete. We knew we were going to play a lot of man. We just wanted to go out there and compete and make some plays. That’s all.”


On his first career interception:

“I mean, all week I watched film. I know down there he was just running a slant or fade. He gave me a good release off of the ball and ran a slant and I just immediately undercut it.”


On his transition from wide receiver to cornerback:

“I mean, it’s amazing, man. It’s just all a dream. Like I’ve said, I grew up wanting to play in the NFL. Who knew I’d be playing in the NFL playing DB? I mean, I played receiver all of my life. It’s just truly a blessing, man. I just thank God.”


On the defense forcing turnovers:

“It just shows that the hard work is paying off. Man, I can honestly say, them guys — Perry Riley [Jr.] and [Will] Blackmon — they showed me the way, man. They prepare the right way. It’s finally starting to pay off so I’m happy for those guys.”


On how much credit he wants to give to Defensive Backs Coach Perry Fewell:

“Coach Perry is amazing. I mean, every week, he prepares us the right way, shows us what we’re going to get, so it helps us out a lot.”


stripe%20break_zpsf8ersldy.gifREDSKINS CB WILL BLACKMON

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On the team’s performance:

“It was huge, man. I thought we played hard the whole game. You know, there were some situational things that I need to be smarter on. I just think as a whole team — offense, defense, special teams, all of the above — I just think we came out with the right mindset, came out second half and that was the one thing, can we continue in the second half? I think in all three phases we did a pretty good job.”


On the early interceptions and hits setting the tone:

“Yeah, I think it really set the tone because we were already low on numbers. Guys were hurt and what have you, so it was important for everyone to step up. I believe this week everyone had the right mindset in terms of their preparation and what we had to do. At the end of the day, we had our tendencies and what they were going to do but I think we literally just played tough and just cancelled out the X’s and O’s and just played tough.”


On CB Quinton Dunbar and his transition from wide receiver to cornerback:

“At the end of the day, an athlete is an athlete. You know, he’s a really incredible athlete and he does a great job receiving coaching and he wants to get better. You know, he picks my brain a lot to help him out his stuff and all the veterans try to help him out because, at practice, he goes after Kirk [Cousins]. He got his opportunity and that was one heck of a play he made. A red-zone interception is huge.”


On his interception:

“The interception was, ‘Oh, Eli threw the ball. Oh, I’m going to get it. Damn, it slipped through my hands. Oh man, No. 17 [Dwayne Harris] caught it. Oh, it’s in the air again. Oh, I picked it off.’ That’s what happened. There you go.”


stripe%20break_zpsf8ersldy.gifREDSKINS WR DESEAN JACKSONstripe%20break_zpsf8ersldy.gif

On his 63-yard touchdown reception:

“It was a speed break out the huddle. We said we were going to hurry up and hike the ball. We kind of caught the defense off-guard. And on how it felt, it felt great. You know, anytime I’m able to make big plays like that for my team, spark the energy up and points on the board that’s what I’m here to do. When my number is called, I’m ready to play.”


On the dynamic he brings to the offense:

“You know, it’s been hard because at the beginning of the season I suffered a tough injury and I just did my best to fight and get back and be a factor for my team. Anytime you’re missing time in the NFL that’s hard to make up. But I’m doing the best I can week-by-week to improve and be where I need to be, so Kirk [Cousins] comes out to throw the ball, he’s ready to hit me.”


stripe%20break_zpsf8ersldy.gifREDSKINS WR JAMISON CROWDER

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On his touchdown reception that ruled down at the one-yard line:

“Yeah, it messed me up that they took the touchdown away, but it was one of those plays that we schemed up this week in practice. It was pretty much an out and back in. That was the route. I was pretty able to get out and come back in to gain leverage and Kirk threw a really good ball with my body down low. But I wish I would’ve had my knee up. I was able to put the ball on the one-yard line and set it up for the next play – Kirk scoring on the touchdown.”


On making plays in special teams:

“You know, when I’m out there, I just want to make plays and do what I can to help out the team. I try to set us up in a good position for the offense, so the team can be successful. That’s all I want to do.”


On the mindset of the offense after this game:

“We feel confident. You know, we had D-Jax [DeSean Jackson] with the big play today, but we still have more football games left. This was a big win for us, but we’ve got to finish out the season strong. Throughout this season we’ve been inconsistent and just up-and-down. Now we just want to make sure we stay up high and keep going.”


stripe%20break_zpsf8ersldy.gifREDSKINS LB PRESTON SMITHstripe%20break_zpsf8ersldy.gif

On playing on the opposite side of LB Ryan Kerrigan:

“I know with Ryan being a dominant guy, a lot of protection and a lot of chippers will be thrown to his side. There will be a lot of one-on-one opportunities for me to show what I have, to show my edge, to try and give me a chance to win one-on-one opportunities and play as hard as I can to try to get me some sacks.”


On how they limited the Giants’ rushing attack:

“We just locked in. We went out there and played as hard as we could. In order to stop the run, we just played sound football, stayed in our gaps and dominated our man. We just stayed out there and dominated our man and played the best we could.”


On his reaction to CB Quinton Dunbar’s interception:

“Man, I was so excited for Quinton. I don’t know if I might have been just as excited as he was or more excited. To see a guy like that work so hard and finally get an opportunity to go out there and play and then, you know, in a game like this to get a lot of playing time, a lot of respect out for him. He went out there and got an interception when we needed it to keep them from scoring and putting points on the board. It was a successful drive for us. It ended in the best way possible.”


stripe%20break_zpsf8ersldy.gifREDSKINS NT TERRANCE KNIGHTONstripe%20break_zpsf8ersldy.gif

On making the New York Giants’ offense one-dimensional:

“Honestly, I just felt like me being the nose tackle and the team that wants to come in here and run the ball, it being the end of November and teams making runs to the playoffs, I just put it on myself to say, ‘You know what? You’re not going to run the ball today. Today’s not the day.’ They were a little banged up, up front. There was no way I felt that their front could block our front and move us off the line of scrimmage.”


On the defense’s performance:

“Well, we play complementary football. We stopped them from running. Eli [Manning] made a few turnovers. Our offense got points off the turnovers and that was the key. Not only are we getting turnovers, our offense is driving and scoring and putting points on the board. It forced them to become one-dimensional.”


On what he has seen from the front seven:

“We’re just playing hard and letting the chips fall where they fall. As long as we put a great effort out there and we play hard and we do what we’re supposed to do and everybody’s accountable, the scoreboard will handle itself.”


On what he sees in the offense while he is on the sidelines:

“They’re just gelling. They’re just gelling. You know what I mean? Kirk [Cousins] is being more and more of a leader each week. He’s becoming more vocal. That’s what we need. Each week, we’ll get better and we’ll try to improve.”


stripe%20break_zpsf8ersldy.gifREDSKINS S KYSHOEN JARRETT

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On the mindset the team had going into today’s game:

“We had the mindset that, I mean, we were just not going to beat ourselves and, you know, handle our responsibilities individually. That helps the whole defense collectively. We just went out there and everybody just focused on their responsibility and that was it. We just played ball, and when we do, that was the result.”


On forcing Giants QB Eli Manning to throw three interceptions:

“I mean, it’s huge. I mean, we’re out there trying to make plays to help the offense score points. It’s a huge — a huge — momentum swing for the whole team. Especially for the DB room, it continues to build our confidence, not that the confidence wasn’t there, but you know, that swagger just continues to get higher and higher. I mean, it’s good that all our DBs and whoever we put in there can go out there and go get the ball.”


On forcing the Giants’ offense to become one-dimensional:

“That was great. If you make any team one-dimensional, get them out of their element… Every team wants to establish the run game but if you get somebody out of their element, you know, you can kind of do things you want defensively. It was great to make them one-dimensional. Then, at the same time, we were able to get turnovers from Eli so that was huge as well.”


stripe%20break_zpsf8ersldy.gifREDSKINS CB DASHAUN PHILLIPSstripe%20break_zpsf8ersldy.gif

On his first game after moving up from the practice squad at the end of the week:

“It was fun. It’s a blessing to do this. I’ve got older dudes that instilled in my head that I was ready for it. I was nervous until I had the older dudes come talk to me and they calmed me down. You know, at the end of the day, it’s a blessing. I’m glad I was able to go out there and just be able to perform.”


On how he was able to be successful as a gunner on special teams:

“I studied. Every situation that I was put in, I was ready for it. The coaches got me ready for every position. Even though I was activated on Friday after practice, I was still prepared. They had Dwayne Harris, one of the best in the league, but I was prepared and I knew what moves he was going to take. As a gunner, if you’re not prepared… Like I said, the coaches and the team — the players on the team — built my confidence up to where the stuff that I studied, I stuck to my game plan. I just had fun with it. It was just a blessing.”

 

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REDSKINS T TRENT WILLIAMSstripe%20break_zpsf8ersldy.gif

On facing Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul:

“Like I said during the week, to me he looks like the same Jason Pierre-Paul and even a little more athletic. He trimmed down. His pop off of the ball was better than last year. Obviously he’s playing with a club on his hand, but I don’t think he lets that stop him. You know, he’s been making plays all throughout the film. I knew I had to prepare for this matchup. We’ve had so many battles against each other, so I knew it was going to be a dogfight and he played a good game.”


On the athleticism along the offensive line:

“I feel as though we’re one of the hardest working groups in the NFL. I don’t think there’s a group out there that works as hard as we do and it shows. Late in games, our conditioning allows us to wear people down because then we can play our brand of football.”


On the mindset of the team as it prepares for the Dallas Cowboys:

“You know, it’s go time. The Cowboys are going to give us their best shot and that’s a great team with or without Tony Romo. They have pieces, so you know it’s going to be another dogfight. We’ve just got to prepare for it.”

 

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REDSKINS T MORGAN MOSESstripe%20break_zpsf8ersldy.gif

On preparing for the Giants’ defense:

“You know, it started on Tuesday when we came in and installed the plan. We just had a hell of a practice this week. We came out and executed. We knew it was going to be a battle. We knew what was at stake. We felt like it was going to start in the trenches. I think we played a hell of a game.”


On being able to keep the pocket clean for QB Kirk Cousins:

“The one thing we came into this week knowing was that they were healthy and had all of their pass rushers back. It was very important for us to get Kirk that time. We studied their blitzes and they had a hell of a pressure package. We studied it throughout the week and we were able to execute this Sunday.”

 

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REDSKINS RB ALFRED MORRISstripe%20break_zpsf8ersldy.gif

On his feelings going into the game:

“I felt good. I was kind of iffy coming off of the rib injury, so I didn’t know how I was going to feel. But I was able to get out there and find some holes. The offensive line did a great job today in opening up holes. So it was good, but I feel like I left yards out there on the field. It happens though.”


On the mindset of the team:

“We feel great. We’re on cloud nine right now. We can’t stop here. We’ve got to keep climbing because we have another division game coming up against the Cowboys. So we just need to build off this.”


On if this is the type of balanced offense they would like each week:

“Definitely. We just have to continue to do that. When our ground game gets going it opens up everything else. I mean, we’ve had better days on the ground, but today was a good day on the ground that helped our team win. So I’m just thankfully that we found that balance.”


On what they tried to exploit against the Giants’ defense:

“Just their over-aggressiveness. We were able to get into our running lanes and once the run game gets going it opens up the passing game. They were biting on play-actions and we were dumping the ball to the receivers. It was just a good overall game.”  

 

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Game Notes: Washington Redskins vs. New York Giants

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  • The Washington Redskins defeated the New York Giants, 20-14, in front of an announced crowd of 77,367 people at FedExField on Sunday.

  • With five regular season games remaining, the Redskins have already surpassed their win total from a season ago (four).

  • The Redskins extended their home winning streak to five games for the first time since 2004-05 seasons (Week 17 in 2004, Weeks 1-9 in 2005). The five-game regular season home winning streak is the team’s first in a single season since winning their first six home games in Weeks 1-11 in the team’s most recent Super Bowl title season in 1991.

  • The Redskins improved to 5-1 at home this season, solidifying a 5-1 record through the first six home games of a season for the first time since 1992.

  • The Redskins improved to 2-1 in NFC East play this season and have won against consecutive NFC East opponents (Week 4 vs. Philadelphia, Week 12 vs. New York) for the first time since 2012.

  • The Redskins held a 17-0 halftime lead, marking the third time this season the Redskins had held an opponent scoreless in the first half (Week 2 vs. St. Louis and Week 4 vs. Philadelphia). The last time the Redskins held opponents scoreless in the first halves of three games in a single season was during the team’s 1991 Super Bowl-winning campaign.

  • The Redskins recorded three takeaways, their sixth multi-takeaway game this season.  

  • All three takeaways came on interceptions of Giants quarterback Eli Manning. Prior to Sunday, Manning had been intercepted only six times through 10 games this season.

  • The Redskins registered their first three-interception game since Oct. 27, 2013 at Denver.

  • Quarterback Kirk Cousins completed 20-of-29 passes for 302 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions for a passer rating of 114.4.

  • During the Redskins’ current five-game home winning streak, Cousins has completed 127-of-167 passes (76.0 percent) for 1,436 yards with 10 touchdowns and zero interceptions for a passer rating of 121.2.

  • Cousins extended his career-high number of 300-yard passing games this season to four, becoming the first Redskins quarterback with four 300-yard passing performances in a season since Brad Johnson in 1999.

  • Including 300-yard performances at home vs. Tampa Bay in Week 7 and vs. New Orleans in Week 10, Cousins became the first Redskins quarterback since at least 1960 to record 300-yard passing performances in three consecutive home games.

  • In the second quarter, Cousins connected with wide receiver DeSean Jackson for a 63-yard touchdown pass.

  • Cousins’ extended his career-best streak of games with a touchdown pass this season to 11 games. He is the first Redskins quarterback to open a season with a touchdown pass in 11 consecutive games since Pro Football Hall of Famer Sonny Jurgensen in 1967.

  • The passing touchdown was Cousins’ 16th of the season and the 34th of his career.

  • With the touchdown, Cousins tied Patrick Ramsey (34) for 14th on the team’s list for career passing touchdowns.

  • The receiving touchdown was the second of the season for Jackson and 40th of his career. Jackson became the 28th active player to reach 40 career touchdown receptions.

  • With the touchdown, Jackson (23) moved past Joey Galloway (22) into sole possession of fifth-most total touchdowns of 50 yards or more since the 1970 merger.

  • The touchdown was Jackson’s 19th career total touchdown of 60 yards or more, tied with Lance Alworth for fourth-most all-time. He now trails only Jerry Rice (23), Devin Hester (20) and Bobby Mitchell (20) in total touchdowns of 60 yards or more all-time.

  • Jackson now has 32 career receptions of 50 yards or more, the most by any NFL receiver since he entered the league in 2008.

  • Jackson has now recorded a touchdown of 50 yards or more in consecutive games for the first time since Weeks 5-6 last season.

  • The 63-yard touchdown pass from Cousins to Jackson was the entirety of a one-play, 63-yard scoring drive. It was the Redskins’ first one-play touchdown drive since Cousins and Jackson connected for an 81-yard touchdown in Week 3 at Philadelphia last season.

  • Cousins’ recorded his third rushing touchdown of the season and his career on a one-yard plunge in the second quarter. It was his first rushing touchdown since Week 7 vs. Tampa Bay.

  • With 12 completions in the first half, Cousins became the 14th quarterback to record 500 career completions with the Redskins.

  • With a 10-yard reception in the second quarter, wide receiver Pierre Garçon recorded his 273rd all-time reception as a member of the Redskins, moving him past Hugh Taylor (272) into the Top 10 in career receptions in team history.

  • Tight end Jordan Reed established new career highs for receptions (55) and receiving yards (541) in a single season after compiling team highs in receptions (eight) and receiving yards (98) on Sunday.

  • With a second quarter sack of Manning, linebacker Ryan Kerrigan moved into a tie for third place in sacks in franchise history since the NFL made sacks an official statistic in 1982 (43.5, Monte Coleman). He later moved into sole possession of third place with a third-quarter sack of Manning.

  • Kerrigan now has two games this season with 2.0 or more sacks (Week 5 at Atlanta). He has eight career games with 2.0 or more sacks, tied for fourth-most by a member of the Redskins since 1982.

  • Linebacker Perry Riley, Jr. recorded his career-high second interception of the season, picking off Manning on New York’s opening drive.

  • Riley’s interception marked the second time this season the Redskins have recorded an interception on an opponent’s opening drive (Trenton Robinson, Week 5 at Atlanta).

  • On the Giants’ second possession, cornerback Will Blackmon intercepted Manning, recording his first interception as a member of the Redskins. It marked the second interception of his career.

  • The Redskins recorded two first-quarter interceptions for the first time since Dec. 30, 2012 vs. Dallas. That game also marked the last time the Redskins had recorded interceptions on their opponent’s first two possessions in a game (Richard Crawford and Josh Wilson).

  • The Redskins recorded takeaways on an opponent’s first two possessions for the first time since Nov. 30, 2014 at Indianapolis (Ryan Kerrigan fumble recovery and Ryan Clark interception).

  • Rookie cornerback Quinton Dunbar recorded his first career interception, picking off Manning in the end zone in the third quarter. Dunbar transitioned to cornerback in training camp after signing with the team as a college free agent receiver out of Florida.

  • Dunbar registered a career-high three passes defensed.

  • Cornerback Bashaud Breeland tied his career high with four passes defensed, marking the second time this season and the third time in his career Breeland has notched four passes defensed in a single game.

  • Running back Alfred Morris recorded 78 rushing yards on 23 carries. With the effort, Morris (1,011) moved past Earnest Byner (990) for sixth-most rushing attempts in team history.

  • In the second half, Morris surpassed 1,000 career rushing attempts, becoming only the sixth player to record 1,000 carries with the Redskins (John Riggins, Clinton Portis, Larry Brown, Stephen Davis and Terry Allen).

  • Running back Matt Jones recorded a 45-yard reception in the second quarter. Including a 78-yard touchdown reception in Week 10, Jones is the first Redskins running back since at least 1994 to record a reception of 45 yards or more in multiple games in a single season.

  • With the long gains by Jackson and Jones, the Redskins posted multiple receptions of 45 yards or more in a single game for the first time since Week 17 vs. Dallas last season.

  • Defensive lineman Chris Baker increased his career-high sack total this season to five with a sack of Manning in the fourth quarter.

  • The Redskins opened the game’s scoring with a 42-yard field goal by Dustin Hopkins in the second quarter, marking the seventh time in 11 games this season the Redskins have scored first. The Redskins are now 4-3 this season when scoring first.

  • Punter Tress Way recorded a 60-yard punt in the third quarter, his longest since a 63-yarder in Week 4 vs. Philadelphia.

  • Way had three punts downed inside the 20 and has now had three punts downed inside the 20 in consecutive games for the first time since Weeks 12-13 last season.

  • Wide receiver Jamison Crowder recorded a career-long 16-yard punt return in the third quarter.

  • The Redskins allowed a 300-yard passer for the first time this season. They entered Week 12 as one of only two NFL teams to have not allowed a 300-yard passer this year.

  • The Redskins possessed the ball for 36:00 of gameplay, the team’s longest time of possession since Week 4 vs. Philadelphia (41:08). Washington has held the ball for 36 minutes or more in four games this season.

  • The Redskins won a replay challenge in the first quarter, improving the Redskins to 3-of-4 on challenges this season.

  • The win marked the Redskins’ 597th all-time victory, including postseason play.

  • The victory was the Redskins’ 66th all-time win against the Giants, including postseason play. The team’s 66 all-time wins against the Giants are the third-most against any opponent in franchise history.

  • The Redskins snapped a five-game losing streak against the Giants and earned their first victory against the Giants since Dec. 3, 2012.

The game was the 168th overall meeting between the Redskins and Giants. The Giants are the Redskins’ most-played opponent.

 

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GIANTS HEAD COACH TOM COUGHLIN

 

Opening statement:  

"Too little, too late, you know? We didn’t play well in the first half at all. We come in here plus-13, they’re minus-five, so what do we do? We give them two quick turnovers and field position. Our defense did a nice job of keeping the ball out of the end zone right away in the game, but that was the story of the game. We didn’t run the ball well. They ran the ball early on and late. I don’t know what their yardage was – that of course set up their play-action, they did a nice job with that. When they did decide to go quickly, they caught us the one time I thought on the deep ball over the middle to [WR] DeSean Jackson. But, you know… I just didn’t think we played well, or we ‘slept-walked,’ whatever the word is… We just didn’t function very well early on. And then finally we did. I commend our guys for battling and hanging in there and staying with it. You stop and think about getting a touchdown when we threw the interception in the end zone there it might have been a difference maker in the game. But, the outstanding fourth down play, the play by [WR] Odell Beckham Jr., those were certainly outstanding, outstanding plays. I give credit to our offensive linemen, who were in a difficult position today obviously with some guys missing, but they battled. Whereas we got beat sometimes, other times we rose up and gave the quarterback time, even to throw the ball down the field, which was what happened with the fourth down play. So, our record is 5-6, Washington’s record is 5-6. We came in here knowing full well what the circumstances were. We didn’t have a lot going on early in the game, but had we had a little more time in this one, it might have been a different story.  "

 

On if he expected the team to ‘sleep walk’ today:

"No… That’s always your first question – ‘What did I see?’ I didn’t, no. I thought we would play well. I knew we had some issues, there’s no doubt, but we’d overcome some things before, next guy up, blah blah blah… But we just started in such a poor fashion that we didn’t give anybody any reason to think that we were going to be able to turn the thing around. So it took a while, but as I said, I gave the players credit for the way they came back in the fourth quarter. You know, you’re in it to win, obviously, and we didn’t, but we certainly did make a run at the end. "

 

On the third quarter interception intended for WR Rueben Randle:

"Just from where I saw, I didn’t even look up, it just looked like Reuben was open coming in across from right to left, the ball was a little bit behind him and the defensive back made a nice play."

 

On how he would assess QB Eli Manning’s overall play today:

"Well, we’ve got to look at the film. I’m sure he will come in and say he wishes he’d played better, I certainly do. I think, you know, it’s a team game – and the first two interceptions, who are you going to give them to? Tipped ball in both cases, [WR] Dwayne Harris really got drilled, but it was a ball that we should’ve caught, and the first interception… Then there was a ball at midfield – who knows then what’s going to happen? I thought he really hung in there when people were in his face a lot today, but he kept battling, that was important."

 

On the third down conversion by Redskins TE Jordan Reed late in the game:

"Well, that was the play. Third down and what was it, five or six? And it’s a play where they’re going to have to punt the ball back to us. We will have some time on the clock and they make a first down. We didn’t make that play when we needed to make that play and sometimes it comes down to that."

 

On what happened on Redskins WR DeSean Jackson’s touchdown:

“What happened? They threw it up in the air a mile and he ran, got behind the safety and they made a nice play.”

 

On if CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie being out with an injury contributed to Jackson’s touchdown:

“Yeah, but it was a post ball so he would’ve got safety help anyway and the safety didn’t help.”

 

On if he hoped for a big second-half boost from the run game:

“No, but we did know that we needed to do something. Obviously we tried the screen and we got the holding penalty but still it ended up being offset but… you need something. You need some way to keep from simply just picking it up and throwing it. At least I do. I think that, and we had a number of three steps that we would count as being run-type plays in terms of how much you can gain, but you need to be able to run the ball.”

 

On rotating safeties:

It’s the way it’s been going. Craig Dahl has been playing a lot.”

 

On fighting to stay relevant:

“We've got five games to go and if we can get winning… Again, it is up to us. We can be but we certainly have to put ourselves in that position. Obviously this is one you can look at and say ‘shoulda, coulda, woulda’ all day long.”

 

On G Geoff Schwartz’s injury:

“Yeah, it was a shame – poor kid. He moved over. We thought we were better with him at left and [G] John Jerry at right. They made a move on a running play; you can see the guy falling into his leg.”

 

On if that was same leg Schwartz had surgery on last year:

“Yes”

 
 

GIANTS QB ELI MANNING


On throwing three interceptions:

"That happens sometimes. I thought our defense did a good job getting us stops and they really didn’t hurt us from a point standpoint. I think they got a field goal off of one of them and didn’t get any other points. I don’t think it made a huge impact in the game and we just didn’t get enough going."


On the points being ‘too little, too late’:

"We need to start making plays. In the first half we just didn’t win the one-on-one matchups and we weren’t completing the ball. They were playing a good bit of man coverage and we took a number of shots down field thinking that would hit some of those, but we didn’t hit any. They kept us in some third-and-longs because of it and when we got into a rhythm by getting some passes we just couldn’t complete on third down."


On how the offensive line played with three new offensive linemen:

"I thought the offensive line played tough. It’s a good defensive front with Washington; that is one of their strengths. We had some guys filling in. Guys were stepping up, competing and gave us a shot there to get back in the game but I don’t think that was the problem from the offense. I don’t think we completed enough passes or got into a good rhythm."


On the interception in the end zone:

"That was on me, just a bad throw. If I made a good read, got into the throw, found an open receiver, but I have to put that in front of him and we would have had a touchdown right there. Just a poor throw on my part."


On if he thought WR Odell Beckham Jr. was going to come down with the ball in the end zone:

"Yes, it would have been another great play. We threw a number of flies [fly routes] but we didn’t hit many of them. We needed one there and he would have made a great play for us."


On the outlook for the rest of the season:

"We’ve still got a lot of football left and we’re still in control of things, somewhat. It’s going to come down to how we finish, and we have to play better football. We’ve got an opportunity this week coming up with the Jets and it’s going to come down to how we handle it. We have to win some football games.”


On if he thought he could take advantage of some of the injury issues in the Washington secondary:

"Yeah, I thought we would be able to when they were playing man [coverage], win those matchups. We just didn’t take advantage of it and didn’t win on it. They did a good job. You have to give them credit. They had a good game plan. They played well; they played hard, and we didn’t execute well enough against them."


On potential miscommunications early:

"I don’t think there was any miscommunication. I thought guys were doing the right things, but they just didn’t execute the plays quite well enough."


On the impact of turnovers in the game:

"I thought our defense did a good job on the two interceptions early of turning around and getting stops or blocking the field goal. It didn’t hurt us. It didn’t put us down or behind. No reason we couldn’t continue going and throw those off to weird plays or football bounces, [that’s] the way it goes sometimes, and we just continued with our offense."


On the interception targeting wide receiver Rueben Randle in the end zone:

"I saw it pretty clean. I was looking out to the right to [RB] Shane [Vereen] on my first read. I stepped up and saw him [Randle] running clean and just had to put it on him [Randle]."


On playing the New York Jets next week:

"Yeah, in football, you have to get ready for the next game. Obviously it will be a big one versus the Jets, but they’re all big at this point. It doesn’t matter who we’re playing. They’re big because of the circumstances of the game and what they mean in our playoff hunt."


On [WR] Hakeem Nicks getting a reception:

"It was good to have him back a little bit. He has to keep learning, get another week, and get all the signals and everything down so that he can play fast. I thought he had a good week last week and it will be good to see if he can help us out."


GIANTS WR ODELL BECKHAM JR.


On his touchdown catch:

"It really doesn't matter, man. You get 60 minutes to play and we didn't execute. We didn't do a good job, we came out flat. Too many mistakes, too many everything. Sometimes you have to tip your hat off to the other team. They came out here fired up, came out to play and they did exactly that."


On how he explains coming out flat:

"There is no explanation, no good explanation for that. We have to do better. You can't do that to your teammates. It was a case of being a little too late in this game."


On what influence his stepfather has had on him:

"He's been a great influence, a guy who has been in my life since I was very young, a father figure in my life. My dad couldn't be around and he has taught me many things. Just being able to grow up with a guy like that, it's special. He won a gold medal, he's been an athlete. That's the type of commitment it takes to do this. I couldn't have asked for a better substitute than that."


On what types of things his stepfather has helped him with:

"Just things in life in general – overcoming obstacles, overcoming injury, overcoming adversity. Obviously he helped me with that, my running form, making sure your legs are moving properly or you are running with the right mechanics, all those kinds of things. He is a very good man."


On the game:

"It's not good. We came out flat and they came out fired up. We came in knowing everything was on the table and we didn't put our best foot forward. The good thing about it is we have five more games to correct it. It's unfortunate but you can't hold your head on it. We will go in and see what we did wrong, which is a lot of things and just come out and correct them."


On being productive even though he was marked by the defense:

"You just try to keep going. Keep scratching, clawing, fighting for crumbs. Sometimes things pop. They did a great job of knowing the assignments and trying to take away certain things. They did a good job today."


On his touchdown:

"It really doesn't matter, we didn't win today. [Eli Manning] threw the ball out there and I laid out for it. I tried to catch it and it is what it is. We lost the game. It's not really something that is important right now."


On where the team’s fight was today:

"I don't know. We need to come out with more fight."


On what can he do to make this team better:

"It's a team thing. We win as a team and we lose as a team. In all honesty, I'm going to come into work tomorrow, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and for the rest of the week and this year and give it my all. Each and every single day. Thing is, no time to slack off or to do anything like that, it's actually time to take it to another notch. We will be back on track."


On what caused the slow start today:

"Turnovers. They did a great job of creating turnovers and creating havoc. We have come out firing on all cylinders and beat teams. This is the NFL, you never overlook anybody. They came out at home, knowing what was on the line and went and got it."


On if the bye worked against the team:

"I don't think you can say that. If we had won the game, I don't think you can say the bye worked against us, it worked in our favor. It was a case of it is what it was. We didn't come out and execute and they did."


On what would have happened if they had one more defense stop:

"I feel like it's been so many games where the offense has had it late in the game and didn't do the best of job at finishing the game. Today we were hoping we would have a chance to correct some things we didn't do right this season. We just didn't get the opportunity. Sometimes the other team is going to execute better than you are. They came out and gave it their all today."


On if it was frustrating to be down at halftime:

"No more frustrating than any other time when you are losing. I hate losing, period. Can't go in down 17-0. You can't come back from that. You can't make the errors like we made and expect the outcome to be any different than what it was. We have to do better as a Giant's organization.”


On if that is the definition of a 5-6 team:

"Yeah, that's the difference. We are 5-6 for a reason. You can go back on the season and look back at multiple games, ‘coulda, woulda, shoulda,’ it just doesn't do any good. 5-6 and you keep going from here. Adversity builds character and we will see what will happen now."


On if he is looking forward to a game where he can celebrate one of those receptions:

"Absolutely. It's no fun losing, period. You get a chance to make a play in the end zone, I just want to give it my all every single time. It's never fun coming up on a L."


GIANTS S LANDON COLLINS


On the game:

"We just didn’t finish. That's about it."


On being tied for the division lead:

“We have to just keep playing, finish out these games and win. That's how I feel about it, we have to win. We have the D [defense], we’ve got the offense. I’ve got the defense.”



GIANTS CB PRINCE AMUKAMARA


On how the game played out today:

“It looked like that first half wasn't us. It looked like we had a bye week, a bye week hangover, but the second half, that was more of us. We’re just a team that fought and we just didn't finish the job today.”


On what changed between the first half and the second half:

“I don't know, maybe we just woke up, but there wasn’t any magic. We just had to decide that it was time to go out and change; have a better second half than we had the first half.”


On where he sees the team ending the season:

“I definitely see us winning the division still and going to the playoffs. That goal is still achievable and we just have to win the games we’re supposed to from here on out.


GIANTS LB DEVON KENNARD


On his thoughts about facing the Redskins today:

“I mean, obviously not well, we lost.”


On what he thought changed from the first half to second half:

“I think we’re just a resilient team and we came back and, you know, fought to win the game.”


On if he sees the team winning the division:

“I mean, absolutely, that's obviously our intention.”

 

 

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