Head Coach Jay Gruden
Opening statement:
"We have no injury updates until Wednesday, so we're not going to be talking about injuries, just so you know. Everybody is day-to-day until Wednesday."
On QB Colt McCoy:
"Wednesday, we'll give you the update on injuries."
On if he has an update on CB DeAngelo Hall:
"No, no. Same. Just what we said, three to four weeks it looks like right now. Best-case scenario, as you try to squeeze an injury update from me. None of the injury reports have changed as of now until Wednesday."
On if Hall has seen the specialist already:
"Yeah."
On if any thought has been given to reconfiguring the offensive line given its injuries:
"Yeah, you know, they've all been schooled. That's a good thing. Since training camp, we've felt good about our offensive line depth and it's going to be tested throughout the season. This week will be no different depending on Shawn [Lauvao], how he does. We have Arie Kouandjio ready to play left guard. We have Spencer Long ready to play left guard. So we have two viable candidates right there that have not dressed in a football game yet but are ready to go."
On G Arie Kouandjio's development:
"It's coming along good. We like him. He's a big, strong, physical guy. Spencer [Long] both, they've done some good things. [Shawn] Lauvao has done an excellent job of holding his position and he's played well. So those guys have had to wait their turn, and now they're going to get a chance at it. I don't know which one it is yet but we'll wait and see. That's what practice is for, this week, but their development has been good."
On CB Bashaud Breeland:
"Like I said after the game, he missed a lot of practice time and training camp with the new system and new terminology and all that stuff. Then he missed all of Week 1. Then he got back and he's playing corner and he's trying to play nickel. We're trying to get him situated in one spot and just get him back in the flow of playing football. But, we know that he's a tough competitor and like all defensive backs in the National Football League, especially young ones, you've got to have a short memory. You've got to remember why you got beat, but you've got to forget about it and move on to the next game. I know Bree is that type of guy, a tough-minded, physical guy and he's going to have a bounce-back performance."
On how he can teach resiliency:"You're right that somebody has to step up and make a play ideally to try to get the momentum back on our side and that was our problem against Miami when we had the penalties. We didn't rebound from them and against the Giants we started out in the hole. We didn't rebound from it, so it's important for us to try to manufacture some kind of momentum – somebody, somewhere and somehow. Whether it's special teams play, whether it's a defensive interception, whether it's a big play by a running back, or a big bomb, something where we can manufacture some momentum and get our guys going. I don't think anybody quit, by any stretch. I just think we just couldn't muster any big plays, momentum-changing type plays and that's something great teams have the ability to do. You see it every Sunday, the teams that are winning right now, they're coming from behind. They're digging themselves out of a hole. We just haven't done that and didn't do that against the Giants."
On if there is a mental of physical edge to having a couple extra days of preparation:"Not really… We gave them [the players] a couple of days off. They're going to get another day off tomorrow. You're get a mandatory [day] off. The big thing for us was to try to get some guys with lingering soreness healthy. And some of our veteran guys who are playing – you know, the [Jason] Hatchers, the Trent Williams and Kory Lichtensteiger – those guys get a couple extra days rest. It's hard on the veteran players playing on Thursday. It's hard. It's hard on their bodies, so it's good to get them a couple days rest and get them home with their families. They comeback rejuvenated and more healthy. So, that's a good thing, but not much of strategic advantage more so than it is a health advantage."
On why the defense has not created more turnovers:
"Little bit of everything. We're not getting enough pressure when the quarterback is throwing the ball. If we're not going to get pressure, we have got to get some hands in the throwing lanes, tip some balls. We're playing hard on defense. We're stopping the run fairly well. They're doing a lot of good things but we've just got to figure out ways to get the ball out, get them into some third-and-long and then bring some pressure. Have our four-man rushes get home a little bit more consistently. [Ryan] Kerrigan, [Trent] Murphy or Kerrigan, Preston Smith, [Jason] Hatcher, those guys, we have got to do a bit better job with the pass rush, but we've got to give them a chance to rush also. Get them in third down-and-long and get a lead. The Giants did an excellent job of keeping the lead, staying in third-and-shorts where we didn't really have a lot of opportunities to rush. With that being said, if they are going to throw quick game and get the ball out of their hands quick then we've got to tackle, we've got to strip the football, somehow somewhere. It happens every Sunday so we've got to do a better job of doing that. "
On what he has seen from Eagles QB Sam Bradford and the Eagles' offense:
"Well, he's a good passer. Number one, he's a big strong quarterback with very good arm strength. We're focusing on us right now in practice, trying to improve what we need to improve on for games – our personnel, our tempo, what we do. Then come Wednesday, we'll have a plan ready for them when they get back. I know the Philadelphia Eagles. I know they play a great tempo. They have good athletes all across the board on offense and on defense. They're playing very good tight coverage. The one thing about the Eagles last year that we really have to be aware of is they scored a ton of touchdowns on defense and special teams. They really do a great job of changing the momentum in those two phases based on sack-fumbles, interceptions for touchdowns, blocked punts for touchdowns, Darren Sproles returned a punt again yesterday for a touchdown. Those are issues that we have to deal with. Those are issues that we haven't been very good dealing with. So that's something we really have to focus on, avoiding the big catastrophic play."
On his message to young players on special teams:
"We've just got to keep playing. Coach [Ben] Kotwica's grinding on them. We're trying to find the best people in the best spots, trying to get the best available 11 guys on those units. When those guys are out there on the units, they've just got to take each play individually and… play hard, not take any plays off because those will cost you. We had a punt blocked obviously and we've had our share of issues. Against these guys, if you take a play off, they'll block a punt, they'll return a punt for a touchdown, that's the way they are. They returned a kickoff against us for a touchdown at Philly last year. Excellent special teams over there. It's something we just have to continue to preach – find the right people, number one – and then coach them up properly."
On if he was happy with RB Chris Thompson, especially in the passing game:
"I was, you know, in the receiving game and blocking. He gave up the one sack – he got beat by the linebacker up the gut – but for the most part, he protected very well and caught the ball extremely well. We were in a come-from-behind mode. He's our best receiving halfback, there's no question, so in those situations, he'll be in there the most, and he took advantage of it and did a nice job."
On what the coaches can do to help mitigate turnovers:
"We're trying to fix them. You know, we do drills out here ball-security-wise for the running backs, receivers and quarterbacks, all-the time. And as far as decisions for the quarterbacks, they're going to throw some interceptions throughout the course of the season, there's no doubt. You see great quarterbacks doing it every week also. It's just a matter of not forcing balls and making good decisions with them. If a defensive back makes a good break and picks one off, that's fine. You know, that's going to happen, but if we throw them across our body to a blind spot and it gets tipped up and intercepted, that's on us as coaches and on the player. So we just try to teach good-sound decision making, but you also don't want to have the quarterback play scared either. He's got to let balls fly. Kirk [Cousins] has done a nice job. He's only been sacked a few times this year. He's thrown with good anticipation and precision. We don't want to take away from that, but when plays break down, not making a play worse is very, very important. Those decisions will have to be on him."
On his reaction to the Washington Nationals' dugout incident yesterday:
"I didn't really see it. I was told about it today. I've been watching Philly a little bit. Scuffles happen. Emotions happen in football games, baseball games, sporting events, high-intensity games, high-intensity players, guys who are passionate about winning. Those things will happen. You've just got to try to fix it, make sure it never happens again. You never want to see your own team doing that, but sometimes it happens when you have highly competitive-type players."
On if QB Kirk Cousins' pass to TE Jordan Reed last week was an example of a "timid" throw:
"I wouldn't say 'timid.' I just think he was so open that he just tried to guide the ball instead of throwing it. He has plenty arm to throw it over there. He just tried to aim it – you know what I mean? – and not overthrow him. Sometimes when a quarterback sees a receiver that open, they try to guide it instead of throwing it in there. I think he just guided it and didn't get enough out there. Jordan's deceiving. Once he gets going, he's a lot faster than he looks, so he was gauging his speed and just underthrew it."
