On how the personalities of Marcus Washington (LB, #53), Rocky McIntosh (LB, #52) and London Fletcher (LB, #59) have meshed:
"Obviously personalities are one thing but production is more important. You can be the funniest or the happiest guy in the world but if you don't produce you're not in this game very long. Those are three very productive guys. They're three guys that have, in a quick amount of time, have meshed together. You see them hanging around together. You see them watching films together. You see them talking in between plays and series in practices together. Hopefully we get a good continuity out of that group, because we needed more production out of that group in the linebacker position and we're getting that to date right now. It is very productive right now. The key to that is staying healthy, because they play so hard, we have to keep them healthy."
On the Redskins being number one right now in third down efficiency:
"I really don't even look at that stuff. Seriously, I don't look at that stuff early in the year right now. It is week, by week, by week stats. They really don't mean anything. The points on the board, the fact that we're playing pretty good in the red zone, those kinds of things are more important. As far as where we rank, and all that kind of stuff, really I don't care about that."
On what he stressed during the offseason:
"We want to be able to get off the field on the third down because that's how you negate extra plays against your team. You negate extra scoring opportunities against your team. You have to be real efficient with third down percentage, especially in two games, we've had one take away, but we've been dominant on third downs. When you're as good as we've been on third down the last two weeks, that sometimes is a symbolic as take aways. You'd like to be able to exchange the field position a little bit better. We have our hands full this week. They're [the Giants] doing a really good job on third down. Kevin (Gilbride, Offensive Coordinator) has always done a very good job on third down and in those situations. They understand how to move the chains. They haven't punted very much in two weeks. The Giants have only punted five times in two weeks. They haven't had any problems moving the football. We're playing the best offensive group so far this year that we've played. There will be some other groups on down the road that are even doing better than some of these guys right now. To date, we have our hands full this week."
On if the Giants are becoming more of a passing team than a running team:
"Right now, the score dictates that. They're playing catch up. It sometimes skews the numbers, but you still get yourself and your team in a position to win games and that's what they've been doing. They haven't had any trouble scoring points."
On the Redskins red zone defense:
"The guys understand what we want done. They've done a very good job, in a pride and a responsibility. You have to play team defense down there. You can't play individual defense down there. There has been a lot made of the play that LaRon (Landry, S, #30) made on Monday night, but it was a team play. There was a lot that went on on that particular play to force the ball to go to that particular spot and he was able to come up big when a few plays earlier than that he didn't come up big. They made a play on him to get down there and to continue to drive on in that fashion. Team defense in the red zone is critical, team defense any time, but especially in the red zone."
On former Giant Tiki Barber:
"I will tell you this, I'm glad he retired. He's a premier back. He's been a premier back for an awful long time. He's driven us nuts. You can play so soundly, just like last week against Westbrook (Brian, Philadelphia RB, #36) you can't over-coach against athletic talent at times. We missed tackles against Westbrook because he's so talented. We missed tackles against Tiki because he's so talented. They've done an admirable job replacing him, but it's still not the same."
On Rocky McIntosh (LB, #52):
"He's done very well. He needs to keep on going. I said this after the ball game, both Rocky and LaRon (Landry, S, #30) make me smile and cry in the same game. They do some stupid things in the game, but they have an ability where they can burst and drive and make some big plays too. It's going to be a learning curve for both of them, but I like what I see to date. They've done a very good job. They fit in very well."
On the impact London Fletcher (LB, #59) has made:
"It's been very big, in respect that he's been a glue that's held us together. He's the quarterback. He allows me the luxury of not having to over-coach. There's so many things that he and I can talk off to the side and don't even include the rest of the guys and it's his idea now, it doesn't have to be my idea. I don't play, he has to play and it has to be his idea. People listen to him because he always has the right answer. When he doesn't have the right answer he goes around behind the scenes and researches. He's not afraid to say I don't know, he just researches it so well, that when it comes up in the middle of a stressful ball game he has the right answer for those guys out there on the field. He's been marvelous in that respect and he's been very productive too."
On big hits:
"If you're not physical in this game, you're a punching bag. We want them to be a punching bag, not us to be a punching bag. We have to hit like that. I have minimal effect on what Mom and Dad gave them in the gene pool, but playing hard and hitting hard, and doing that kind of stuff. I can choose who plays and who doesn't play and as long as I'm here, we're going to play that way all the time. If I have choices on replacing people that don't want to play that way, I'll replace them. I don't care how much money they make, it doesn't make any difference."
On if teams are trying to avoid Sean Taylor (S, #21):
"I think he's done a very good job of negating some of the big plays down the field. I thought last week we were going to be challenged down the field and I think this week again we're going to be challenged down the field. I think Eli (Manning, Giants QB, #4) has made tremendous progress. I think Chris Palmer (Giants Quarterbacks Coach) and Kevin Gilbride (Giants Offensive Coordinator) have done a great job on mentoring him and maturing him the right way in this off-season. I think we're going to get our shots and hopefully Sean Taylor can have the same type of impact that he's had to date. So far, so good."
On Demetric Evans (DL, #92):
"Demetric can do an awful lot of things. He's a lot stronger than people give him credit for, as far as just a body strength standpoint. The fact that he can play in the run game at defensive end and then move in and play in the run game at a defensive tackle and that he has enough foot quickness to play on the wedge and do some things on special teams. That's the kind of guy you're looking at and those are the kind of guys that Joe Gibbs (Head Coach) likes, and I think that's why Joe made a commitment to keep him around here."
