Head Coach Jay Gruden
On wide receiver DeSean Jackson:
"DeSean got cleated today in a walkthrough and twisted his ankle just a hair. We'll see how he does at rehab or treatment and all that. We'll find out."
On if there is a possibility Jackson and wide receiver Pierre Garçon will not play tomorrow:
"There's a possibility [for Jackson]. Pierre – definitely not playing. DeSean, it's a possibility, yes."
On defensive end Jason Hatcher:
"Jason Hatcher is the same. He's progressing very well. I think it'll be sooner than later, but the target date in my mind would be the third preseason game, but I think hopefully he'll get out there and start doing some individual work with the trainers. He's been doing a lot of work. He's very close to returning."
On if the joint practices contributed to injuries for Jackson and Garçon:
"DeSean just got hurt today. Pierre just tweaked a hamstring yesterday… [Having joint practices] was a great thing. Actually Pierre hurt his hamstring before the Patriots got here. Hatcher was already hurt obviously before they got here, and DeSean just had a fluke thing today in a walkthrough, which we have walkthroughs all the time – the guy stepped on his foot, so it was a fluke. Everybody else, it was a great experience, I think, for everybody."
On if he would like to host joint practices again next year:
"A lot of teams are doing it right now. But, I wouldn't mind doing it again. It just depends on the situation. Obviously, I would like to keep it here. I don't really want to travel, but if we have to, we have to. But, we'll look at it again, Bruce [Allen] and I and the coaching staff, and see how it fits logistically and moving forward. But I thought it was a great experience. It exposed some things that we really have to work on as a staff and it exposed some things we have to work on as players. Overall, we competed very well. I'm excited the way we came off the ball and competed in all the drills, but moving forward we know that we have a long way to go, but we're not [as] far as we think."
On if safety Phillip Thomas and safety Ryan Clark will not play against New England tomorrow:
"Both will be out. Yes."
On if he has established a system for replay reviews:
"Yes. We have our coaches already set up for the booth and they'll help me out and I'm sure Bruce [Allen] will be up there also, helping out with the replay, so we've got it all situated."
On if his plans for the first preseason game are changed by having practiced against the Patriots this week:
"Not really, we're just trying to find guys that can play and trying to put them in a situation where they can line up and play football and succeed. The biggest thing is when the lights cut on, how do you perform when the pressure is on? People are watching. It's a going to be a great atmosphere, I'm sure. My biggest thing is I want to make sure we keep order on the sideline, we look like we know what we're doing, and it's not a big chaotic situation on the sideline. Sometimes you have 90 guys on the sideline and you're looking for people all over the place, guys have got their helmets off, pads off and they've got to go in the game. We got to make sure we have some order and we look like we know what we're doing. So, the big thing is to find out the guys that can play and give them an opportunity and see how they do."
On what improvements the coaching staff needs to make:
"Well, just overall, some of our communication, especially in the up-tempo stuff. We hadn't really done a lot of up-tempo stuff with our situation. We did a couple two-minute situations, a couple up-tempo stuff. But the up-tempo with Keenan Robinson calling defenses for the first time, Coach [Jim] Haslett, Raheem [Morris], everybody communicating to the defense was a little off-kilter. On the sideline it will be a little easier, people will have their headsets on and it will be easier to communicate, but there are some things we can work on and we will work on and we'll get it done."
* *
On where Defensive Coordinator Jim Haslett will be during games this season:
"He will be on the sideline."
On his impression of Bill Belichick and the Patriots after this week:
"It hasn't changed. I have a lot of respect for the organization. Obviously, Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, they've won a lot of games and they run a tight ship and are very well organized and very well disciplined in what they do. It was a great test for us but I think we did some good things also against them. It was a great experience I think for both teams and I know talking to some of their players and some of their coaches they really enjoyed it. They got a lot out of it as, did we."
On nose tackle Barry Cofield:
"He has got to be the man in the middle. He is a tough guy. He has got to work on his pass rush obviously but he is a tough guy and we need him. He is a good run stopper but he has also got enough juice to rush the passer. He is one of those few defensive linemen that has the ability to do both. We've got to make sure we keep watching him, making sure he is in shape, making sure he is keeping his pads down and playing at a top level because he has got a chance to be a really good one for us."
On the performances of linebacker Keenan Robinson and Perry Riley, Jr. this week:
"They did good, they did good. I am sure there is about five or six, maybe 10 plays, that they wish they had back. I am sure that is the case with everybody that participated out here, coaches included, that we wish we had back. You watch the film and say, 'Dang, I wish I would have done that. We should have done this.' I think those guys are doing a great job, Keenan especially, as far as controlling the defense. He has got a ways to go but I think he's got the smarts to handle it, which is very, very important. He's got the poise, obviously he has got the athletic ability. Now, like I said before, it is all a matter of putting it together on game day and finishing tackles."
* *
On the No. 1 thing he got out of practice:
"I just think seeing another team's style of attack, how another team approaches our defense and attacks them. Sometimes we have a different approach, but to see another team attack our defense and go after our coverages and our fronts within the running game and passing game was great for our defense. Same thing for our offense. Instead of going against our defense every day, seeing another style of defense, more of a man-to-man, tight man-to-man, some mixture in coverages, a couple different blitzes – it was great for us. It's great for Robert [Griffin III], it's great for the receivers and it was great for the coaches."
On his plans for the starters tomorrow:
"I'm planning to start them, obviously, and then see how we do. Probably about 8-10 plays, tops, maybe the quarter depending on my satisfaction."
On his first game as an NFL head coach:
"I'm going to be excited, obviously, running out for the first time. My No. 1 objective is to make sure to keep order on the sideline, make sure everybody is poised. Make sure everybody is well organized, everybody gets in that needs to get in. Butterflies will be there before the game, but once the game starts, man, it's business, and the biggest thing is get our guys out there and let them perform and try to find our best 53 moving forward"
* *
On center Kory Lichtensteiger:
"Kory has done a great job. I think he's one of the pleasant surprises in camp. I was a little concerned myself moving a guard over to center but he's a natural center. He's got great movement. He gets up to the next level effortlessly. He's made all the calls. We've had a few adjustments we've had to make this week, but overall he's got a great knowledge of the blocking schemes that we have so we can communicate it with all the linemen – the blitz protections, the protections – and he's done a good job. His weight is where it needs to be. He anchored very well against one of the best nose guards in football this week and that was a great test for him, so I feel good where we are at center."
* *
On if the planning between the Redskins and Patriots ends heading into the preseason game: "It ends with the end of practice. We're going to play our guys. He's going to play our guys. I don't think we're going to see a lot of crazy things. It's all about playing football, letting these guys play. We're not going to try to trick them and do any kind of crazy Wildcat, Pistol, any of this crazy stuff. We want to line up, see if our guys can come off the ball and block for the running backs, see if our running backs can run, break tackles, fall forward, make people miss, see if our receivers can get off the jam and run some routes, see if our quarterbacks can stand in there and throw it. Defensively, we've got to line up and smash them and get off blocks and pursue the football and find out who can cover and run and tackle. That's what it's all about in the preseason, and then we've got to make our decisions accordingly moving forward for the Houston Texans."
