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Top 10 Quotes: Washington Vs. Cardinals, Week 2

Defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio talks to Chase Young during a practice at the Inova Sports Performance Center on Sept. 17, 2020. (Elijah Walter Griffin Sr./Washington Football Team)
Defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio talks to Chase Young during a practice at the Inova Sports Performance Center on Sept. 17, 2020. (Elijah Walter Griffin Sr./Washington Football Team)

With the team's practice prep for the Arizona Cardinals complete, here's a list of the best quotes of the week, as compiled by WashingtonFootball.com, presented by GEICO:

10. Head coach Ron Rivera on the offense's potential:

"Don't count out the possibility of our offense catching fire and learning and understanding and growing into who we can become. I just think, again, it's with hard work and these guys understanding what we're asking of them and trusting the process. We have a chance to develop."

9. Running backs coach Randy Jordan on the running back group:

"They're young, they're energetic, they want to know the 'why.' As a coach, it's been fun to coach those guys. They're always trying to get the game plan early, which is in my book a good thing. They've been really good. The only thing I've told them, and I tell them this a lot: 'Be humble and hardworking. You're only as good as your last touch or your last play.' They've kept that in perspective and they continue to work really hard."

8. Quarterback Dwayne Haskins Jr. on creating energy without fans:

"The biggest thing is knowing that every play counts and having the same energy like it is a game despite a lack of fans or presence in the stadium, but to know that we worked multiple weeks in the offseason to get here and enjoying the moment, being home and it's our home stadium and having fun. Football's about fun. It's a game. It's about motivating and leading the guys."

7. Defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio on coaching in a game for the first time since 2017:

"It felt great. The only thing really that was different was not having fans there. I missed that. I missed the fans. I really like to take it all in. I like to experience it all. Part of the joy of doing what I do is to have that experience on game days where the fans are fired up. Either on the road they're against you or at home they're for you. Just feeling the emotion of the fans, I missed that. I really did. I hope we get back to having fans soon. I really did miss them, so all you fans out there, we missed you. We share the highs and the lows with the fans, so I missed that interaction."

6. Head coach Ron Rivera on the defense's performance against the Eagles:

"The biggest thing that we have to continue to do is we've got to do our jobs and continue to work at getting better. We're not even close to where we should be or where we can be or where we're headed. But I do like our guys. I think we've got a group of guys that understand what it's going to take. What I did like, too, is their poise. You're down 17-0, you could've easily said: 'Let's get out our own and we'll go on from here and we'll get ready for next week.' But, no, they didn't. They fought back. They stayed focus, they did their jobs, they went after their opponent and made something happen. Kudos to the guys for doing that."

5. Head coach Ron Rivera on Ryan Kerrigan:

"He's a true pro. The way he works at his game, the way he works at his craft, studies his craft, prepares and the way he takes care of his body. ...When you ask people to describe what that guy is, I promise you they all probably say he's a true pro. He understands what it takes to prepare each week, to play physically and mentally. Because he does that, he has success. Secondly, he's also a guy that understands his role. He's a proud player. He wants to play. But, he also understands that when I get an opportunity, I have to make the most of it."

4. Defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio on rookie Chase Young’s mentality:

"That's a young man that has his head on right. He's got designs on playing great football. He's very serious about his approach. He's not paying attention to any of that noise out there. He's focused on getting ready for the Cardinals, understanding the matchup, who he's going against, how he needs to attack that guy, where he needs to be within the structure of our defense and things. His focus is where it should be, and it has been from day one and I love that about him."

3. Head coach Ron Rivera on what he wants to see from Dwayne Haskins Jr. in Arizona:

"I'd like to see him start fast and be consistent from that point more so than anything else. He's done such a good job with everything that we've put in. He's done such a good job with the things I've asked of him, the intrinsic things that really aren't measured in terms of leadership, controlling certain situations, that type of stuff. That's what I like to see."

2. Dwayne Haskins Jr. on his speech to the team at halftime of the Eagles' game:

"Coach Rivera was just busy and we were kind of just: 'Alright it's time to play the second half.' I just grabbed the team up and got everybody going and sad, 'This is what we're going to do and I'm going to lead you for the rest of the game.'... I felt like it was on my shoulders to let these guys know that they have something to believe in and we're going to make these plays in order for us to win and we did. It felt great to know those guys went out there and went to war for me."

1. Running backs coach Randy Jordan on deciding which backs will be active on game day:

"I think the biggest thing is as we continue to go through the season, we'll need all of them. This isn't a sprint; this is a marathon. You have to look at who helps you on special teams, who gives you the ability to have a rotational back that can do multiple things if somebody goes down at receiver. There are multiple things that go in it. I think the biggest thing is trying to put our best three out there that gives us an opportunity to win. That's what we're going to try to do every week."

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