Skins.com:Post-Game Quotes, Redskins-Saints

[TK]

http://www.redskins.com/story.asp?ContentID=12323

Post-Game Quotes, Redskins-Saints

11/30/2003

HEAD COACH STEVE SPURRIER

On tonight’s loss to the Saints:

“It didn’t work out for us. We had some chances. [We] had the lead there for awhile, [but we] couldn’t hold it. A lot of guys played pretty hard, played with a lot of effort, but we didn’t get it done tonight.”

On the play of Tim Hasselbeck (QB, #8):

“He played pretty well. You’ve got to realize that this was really his first start ever, his second game of any extended playing time. He hung in there pretty well, made some nice plays, and unfortunately lost the ball once, but he hung in there. Tim is a fine young man and I think he played pretty well. He has the potential to be a good, solid player. I really believe that. He made some beautiful plays tonight.”

On the play of the Trung Canidate (RB, #30) and the running backs:

“Trung did have one long run there that really helped and had over 100 yards rushing. Obviously when you look back at all of those incompletions, we should have been running the ball, but you’ve got to believe in your receivers and your quarterback. The pass protection was very good tonight. Brandon Winey (OT, #68) did a good job over there at left tackle, as well as the other offensive linemen. But we didn’t connect as well as we needed to tonight.”

On Ladell Betts:

"I didn’t realize Ladell [betts] (RB, #46) only had a couple of carries. I thought he was going to be more involved tonight, but that’s just the way it worked out.”

On the frustrations of having a losing season and how to overcome it:

“This is new for a lot of us, trying to win the close ones. We’ve not done very well at it, the last three weeks especially. We’ve just got to keep pushing. We need to win one next week against the Giants if we can. If we possibly can, we need to get over the hump. We’re just in a bad habit right now. If something bad is happening to us in the game, we’re not making anything good happen to overcome it.”

On the overall view of the team:

“At times we look pretty good; at times we don’t look very good, whether it's offense or defense. We made a big play on special teams tonight. That was the first big play of the year there. Unfortunately, it didn’t help us win the game.”

On the goals for the remainder of the season:

“We’re still going to try to win. If it comes down to playing some players to help win the game, then certainly we’ll play a few more than maybe normal right now. We’re going to still try to establish as good of a record as we can in the next four [games].”

On the mood of the team heading into December:

“I’m trying to be like all the guys on the team and all of the coaches. We approach the 16 game season to play them all the best that we can. We’re not very happy tonight and tomorrow and the next day, but then about Wednesday, we need to try to get prepared to beat the team that we’re playing and that’s the Giants.”

On whether he has ever had a period time that was more frustrating than this time:

“No, not quite, with these close games. Of our eight losses, six of them have been within seven points. But all of our wins have been within seven points also. So that’s just sort of where we are right now: a play or two away.”

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR HUE JACKSON

On whether the performance of Trung Canidate (RB, #30) is a statement about his future:

“I don’t know if it’s a statement. I think he’s finally getting healthy. He’s over the ankle injury. He’s been getting better every week. I think [all of the running backs] ran hard. I thought he ran the ball better than he had all year.”

On the performance of Tim Hasselbeck (QB, #8):

“I thought he handled our offense well. He executed, for the most part. I’m sure there are a few throws he would like to have back, but, for the most part, he did what he’s supposed to do—go out there, stay within the system and try to play well.”

JON JANSEN (RT, #76)

On whether he has ever been in a situation where his team has lost as often as the Redskins have this season:

“As a professional my whole life I’ve never been in this situation before. We’re going to have to figure out how to deal with it. I’m never going to be happy about it, but it’s what we’re forced to live with from now until next year. The best we can do is 8-8, and that’s not going to get us in the playoffs.”

On the play of Trung Canidate (RB, #30):

“I’m impressed with the way he ran. He came out and played hard. He did what we asked him to do. I thought we played well, but we didn’t win.”

JEREMIAH TROTTER (LB, #54)

On whether it is difficult not to get down on himself after another loss:

“It’s tough, but you go out and give your best and fight every week and let the winning and losing take care of itself. All we can do is keep fighting. We’re going to get over that hump. When? I don’t know. When we do, we’re going to be a good team.”

On what is left to play for the last four games of the season:

“You play for your teammates. You play for the fans. We have great fans. You play for yourself, your family. You have a lot to play for. We’re very fortunate to be doing what we’re doing. When we watch film we need to see all 11 guys, whoever is on the field, going all out every play.”

MATT BOWEN (S, #41)

On whether the defense takes the field in the fourth quarter confident that it can stop the opponent:

“We always think that. It’s called pride. You have pride in yourself. We think we can stop them. We haven’t. I don’t know what else to say. We haven’t stopped them. That’s why we’ve lost these last three ball games in the fourth quarter. If we want to be a better team these last four games, we have to stop people in the fourth quarter, and we haven’t done that yet.”

On whether he has ever been in a situation where his team has lost as often as the Redskins have this season:

“If you’re going to play in this league, there are going to be years like that when you just struggle sometimes. Right now we’re in a funk. We’re struggling in the fourth quarter.”

On what step the Redskins will take after today’s loss:

“We need to come back next week and play the Giants with some pride, which I know these guys will. These guys are professional athletes. They’re going to play hard. We’re going to come back, play hard and see if we can get a win.”

TIM HASSELBECK (QB, #8)

On protecting the football, and his fumble in the third quarter:

“I think that’s one of the things I need to get better at. When you’re out of the game and then you come back in, for the ball security thing, there’s nothing you can really do to prepare yourself other than just cover the ball up as best you can. Fortunately, our defense really came back and held them to a field goal attempt—which they missed. The defense bailed me out on that one. That’s something I have to get better at as I play—protecting the football.”

On the pass protection in today’s game:

“The guys up front are doing a good job. Brandon Winey (OT, #68) stepped in today and did a really good job. We’ve done some things where we’re able to get the ball out quicker. As long as everybody is on the same page, hopefully we can connect on those plays.”

On the lack of audibles in today’s game:

“I think I maybe changed plays twice. Looking at it now in terms of changing the play, in the Miami game there were plays I wish I got out of. Tonight, I don’t think there were plays I wish I got out of or changed, I just wished I would have been more accurate with the ball.”

CHAMP BAILEY (CB #24)

On the team’s effort today:

“It felt like we did fight hard, but like I said last week we keep finding a way to lose.”

On the performance of the defense:

“You can’t expect to hit a guy one time, you have to hit him again, hit him again. We keep hitting people and then we just lay back and let them tear our faces up. That’s just the reality of what’s going on around here, we aren’t punching people, getting combination punches, and they are just killing us.”

On his thoughts on the significance of the team’s loss Sunday:

“Every loss is frustrating. I am more frustrated with the loss we just had more than any loss I have had in my whole life, my whole football career.”

CHAD MORTON (RB/KR, #20)

On the team’s fourth quarter performance:

“It’s like we always find a way to lose a game, and especially by a few points which really hurts and just not playing four quarters, just not playing a complete game.”

On the mentality of the team:

“Guys are still out there fighting, giving it their all, so it's not like guys are quitting or backing down.”

On his first kickoff return of the season:

“I am so proud of those guys that were blocking. They did a great a job and we finally got one. We have been taking a lot of heat from the [media] and we deserve it, because we really haven’t done anything.”

On the significance of his kickoff return for a touchdown:

“That’s what I was brought here to do and that was to score touchdowns and not just be average on returns. I felt really good to get one and it’s a load off of my shoulders and I am sure the other guys too.”

On the team’s winning and now losing games:

“We talk about that all the time how we have had a tremendous start and all of a sudden we have been losing game after game and it’s ridiculous. We don’t know what to do. We wait until the last quarter to give up the lead or another team makes a play and that’s the ball game.”

ROCK CARTWRIGHT (FB #40)

On the team’s ability to not finish games:

“I don’t think we are able to finish. We have to go for the jugular and right now we aren’t doing that, and that’s something we need to work on.”

TRUNG CANIDATE (HB #30)

On the performance of the offense today:

“You got to look for those things and ultimately you have to look at the film and see what we have to do to get better to finish down the stretch. We controlled the whole game and it’s terrible we weren’t able to finish it out.”

On if the team can learn how to win close games:

“Winning breeds confidence, it breeds learning to finish down the stretch.”

On his first 100-yard rushing game of the year:

“I praise the offensive line. Ultimately the offensive line did a [great] job.”

[WallyG3]

If it comes down to playing some players to help win the game, then certainly we’ll play a few more than maybe normal right now.

translation: Grab some pine Bruce!