On getting a win against the Philadelphia Eagles:
"It gives a real lift to everybody. Playing as hard and as long as we did for the whole game and then coming out with a win, everybody can take a breath. It's still not satisfying from the standpoint of the overall picture of having that spell in there where we lost so many. My spirits were lifted because our players didn't give up on the season. Personally, it was a big game for me to see our team and know the resiliency and toughness that they showed during the game."
On some of the older athletes on the team:
"I just think these guys have shown their toughness. They've been extremely tough and very willing (all season). I've had faith all year long that their bodies are going to work on Sunday and they have. [Pete Kendall] has really maintained himself well. We started a plan during training camp for Pete Kendall and he stayed with that plan."
On running back Clinton Portis's performance against the Eagles:
"He ran hard the whole game. We had a plan for him and we did not play him the whole game. Ladell Betts picked up a big chunk of the work load that Clinton would have had. He read some seams very well and ran hard."
On the offense against the Philadelphia Eagles:
"I think we were patient in the run game. They (the Philadelphia Eagles) have a very good run defense. Our group as a whole, our runners and our blockers, proved to be very patient. Clinton did find some seams and got yardage from a very stingy team. Although we didn't complete a pass over 17 yards, we were still moving the ball in chunks. We got ourselves into trouble when we got a sack or got backed up because of a penalty, and we had a difficult time overcoming those things. As a whole, I think our offense performed well. Our defense set us up for a very short field to get our only touchdown, but I was excited about putting the ball across the goal line no matter how we got it."
On the defense:
"One of the things that has impressed me most of all is our ability to stop the run. We have faced some very good run teams. (Defensive coordinator) Greg (Blache) has them taking responsibility for their own gap and not getting pushed back, maintaining the point of attack and then rallying to the ball. We have forced teams to try to throw the ball to win football games. I really feel like that has been the key to our success. Yesterday our secondary came alive. We played against a pretty good quarterback in Donovan McNabb and he threw a couple great throws and we were able to disrupt things and bat the ball down. And then the heroic play at the end where Fred Smoot stopped him (Reggie Brown) and really set him up for the shot that LaRon (Landry) had. Fred Smoot right there on the goal line making that tackle and spinning him around was a superior play. Overall those are the kinds of things that we've seen from our defense all year long and that's pretty impressive."
