Injuries:
"[CB]
Sheldon Brown went into the game with a slight MCL sprain and it is a little
bit sore today. He should be fine in a couple of days. [DE] Jevon Kearse also
has an MCL sprain. It's very similar to Sheldon's and we will see how he does
in the next couple of days. [WR] Darnerien McCants has an AC sprain in his
shoulder. We will see how he does in the next couple of days. These are really
all day-to-day, but Darnerien's might be a little longer than the other two.
[RT] Jon Runyan has a knee and quad contusion. He's pretty sore. Again, it's
the same knee that he had the contusion on before; it just keeps swelling up
with blood. We will see how he does in the next couple of days. [RB] Reno Mahe
had a calf contusion. That is why he didn't return punts in the second half. [QB]
Mike McMahon feels like he did last week at this time. He's sore, but he
should be fine once we get into practice here."
Opening
remarks:
"It
was a good effort by the players. I didn't question that part. I questioned
the penalties, some of the execution and my ability to put these guys in the
right position to make some plays from the offensive side. We have to get that
straight this week. We have a big challenge with the Washington Redskins
coming in. It's something to look forward to; it's an NFC East opponent coming
into Lincoln Financial Field. There were some players that I thought did some
nice jobs. [RB] Bruce Perry, I thought did some good things on kickoff
returns. I thought [P] Sean Landeta did a nice job with punting the football;
he's done that the past couple of weeks. I thought McCants did a couple of
nice things in the pass game. [WR] Reggie [Brown] did a couple of nice things
in the pass game. Sheldon Brown had a nice interception. It's just not as
consistent as it needs to be. There are too many lapses in there and we have
to get those things straightened out for next week."
On
whether he likes that this game coming up is important for the Redskins
playoff hopes:
"I
think it adds a little excitement to it, yeah. It means something to the
Redskins. We understand that and we understand that they will be fired up
coming in here. I think our guys will be fired up too."
On
what he attributes the amount of penalties to:
"I
have said this before and I will say it again, some of them are due to a lack
of concentration, the offsides penalties, the illegal procedure penalties,
those are because of a lack of concentration. The other penalties are high
effort penalties. They are playing hard and aggressive, in some of those
cases, too aggressive. I would rather have it that way than because of a lack
of concentration. The lack of concentration ones drive me crazy. Those are
putting us in the 2nd-and-15s and 3rd-and-18s. Those are
bad positions and you can't do that in the NFL."
On
whether the penalties are coming from the young guys or veterans:
"There
is a mixture. Most of the concentration ones have been the younger guys, but
there have been some veterans thrown in there too."
On
how he will fix that problem:
"You
keep harping on them."
On
whether he saw a strong effort from the defensive unit on Saturday:
"I
thought the guys played hard. I don't think they executed the best. We were in
position to make some plays we normally make and we didn't make them. Again, I
wouldn't say there was a lack of effort."
On
whether he allows himself some time every week to prepare for next season:
"I am
trying to stay away from that and get into each week's game. I have asked the
players to do that and I am also doing that."
On
why he chooses to stick with Mike McMahon at QB:
"It's
a decision I made. I think his mobility has been a big factor in the last 6
games. I also think that everybody around him, me
included, needs to pick up our games. We have to make sure we are running our
routes the right way and catching the football. You cannot go into a game and
then have 6 or 7 drops like we did on Saturday. We have to protect a little
better. I have to make sure I'm getting him and the receivers in situations
that he can do things. It's pointed at McMahon, but it's not all him."
On
how much weight he gives to evaluations of players in the last few games of
the season:
"I
was asked that question and my answer was yes. I feel that way every week. You
are doing your job and the next guy is behind pushing. Our numbers have been
behind the guys playing right now. These are young players that are having an
opportunity to play. With young players, you are going to have your eye on
them, watching them to see how they do and whether they are improving. It's
probably not what they are going to be in a year or two, but you can see if
they are willing to battle and work through some of the coaching points that
are given to them. Are they improving each week? Are they making the same
mistakes over and over? Those types of things."
On
why there was no success running the ball on Saturday:
"It
was a couple of things. They were putting a lot of guys up in that box and
they were tempting us to throw the football a little bit. When we were given
the opportunity to run, we weren't necessarily covering everybody up and
getting our part done up front."
On
whether he gets feedback from players about who will or will not be here next
year:
"I
understand the question and I am not using this as an excuse by any means, but
there are a few guys in that training room that have been pretty good players
here. So, I think part of the thing the player look at is that you are going
to get 16-18 guys back out of that training room that have a chance to maybe
help the football team be better. Then, I think another part of them is saying
that there will be that normal change that happens every year. Normally, a few
guys end up leaving here in the offseason, which every team in the NFL does. I
think that will take place and then you will have the influx of new guys and I
think the players understand how that works."
"Billy
did some good things and he had a couple of things he could have done better
with. There were a couple of catches that he would like to have had. He also
made a couple of catches that were taken back by the penalties that we were
talking about."
On
whether he is more concerned with the defense than the offense because the
defense is healthy compared to the offense:
"I am
concerned with both of them right now. The guys on both sides can play better
and that is why I look very hard at what I am asking them to do. [Defensive
coordinator] Jim [Johnson] does the same thing on the defensive side. We will
do some self evaluation after the season and make sure we are putting guys in
the right position to make plays and then we will look at the players."
On
whether he is concerned that concentration is down for the players that are
used to having success at this time of year:
"Normally,
when you get on a roll, like we have been on in the past, I would say that
concentration level is at an extreme. It needs to be better and the obvious
things are the penalties. You have to focus in on those things, on the
technique, concentrate on the snap count, and make sure you are not lined up
in the neutral zone and those types of things."
On
whether he is disappointed in the defense this year because they have not had
the injuries that the offense had:
"I
don't get into the whole offensive/defensive thing. I look at it as a team and
we have to do a better job as a team. That starts with me."
On
whether he felt that CB Rod Hood had a good game and whether he thinks that he
has three starting CBs:
"I
think Rod did some good things and I think he's done some good things. There
are plays with him that he would like to have back too. He's competing like
crazy and doing a nice job. We have always felt that way with Rod that if he
had to get in, he could go in and start a football game for us and we can be
very effective with him in there.