Q: How good does it feel to play a lot of defensive end?
A: It is always going to be there because that is what I have been doing for the last 10 or 15 years going all the way back to grade school. Whatever circumstance that we are in team-wise and who we are playing against will dictate the different positions I will play. It is always comfortable and it is always good especially when you get a sack and can contribute to the game like that.
Q: How is the run defense?
A: You can't take that one run out and I wish we could but in terms of the rest of the game, I think we were pretty sound in terms of responsibility and everybody knowing where they were supposed to be. That was the only issue coming into the game. It wasn't that people couldn't make plays, it was that some responsibilities were mixed up coming in. Once we got that taken care of with sideline adjusting, we were good from there on. Obviously, we have to stop the big plays and that will be the thing that we focus on during the bye week.
Q: Did the wrist bands help?
A: I didn't have one on so you have to ask the guys that wore them. I am not sure how much they helped or didn't help.
Q: What does it take to win this division?
A: It is a combination of things. There are always going to be a few close games so you have to be able to take advantage of those games that you are in, especially if they are early in the season because you never know how close it is going to be down in the end. The other thing is just staying healthy. There is always a battle and you are playing in a tough division that wants to run the ball and pound on the defense until something happens. That is tough so if you can stay healthy and take advantage of the close games that you are in, you have a good shot in this division.
Q: What does it mean to the defense to see the offense running the ball?
A: We always had faith in our offense and we knew that they can get it done. Just seeing them be successful, no matter how they do it because I could care less how they do it running or throwing. As long as they are successful and they are taking time off the clock. It is good to see them smiling and laughing on the sidelines and coming off the field consecutive times with big smiles and after having success. That is a good thing to see as a defensive player and obviously I feel like we should run the ball but however it gets done, I have no arguments.
Q: How do you look at the upcoming schedule?
A: We just take it one day at a time because whenever you start looking too far ahead, that's when you let one slide away that you should have had and you should have won. For us, it is a non-issue and for me it is a non-issue because we have had a lot of injuries and we know how to play when people are out. To get people back would be a huge plus for us but it is not about looking deep into the schedule and trying to map it out. It is about looking into this next game and getting a win.
Q: How disappointing is it to give up the big plays on defense?
A: It is always disappointing. It is not necessarily a big surprise because those things are going to happen but it is our job to minimize them. That is what we focused on a lot last week. Going out there and giving one up early is a bad situation to be in, it was tough and disappointing but the fact that we fought and we got it corrected and we were able to come out with a win is the biggest positive you can take out of this week. We put ourselves in a bad situation but we came back and we fought and we rose up.
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Q: What does a win like that do for the team?
A: It is very valuable. I think every team is different and every season is different but you have to understand the situation. Having come off a tough loss and looking into a bye week, especially for us who have had a lot of young guys who had to step up, it was big for us to put that kind of game together because now they have seen it. They have been in the fire and have seen things go bad and come back and end for the good. For the veterans of the team, I don't think they needed it. I think they have seen a lot of guys do good in tough games and have come back and make plays to help our team win in the past. For younger guys, it was very important.
Q: Did you watch any of the games yesterday?
A: Yes, I watched some of the Cowboys game versus the Patriots in and out.
Q: Do you have an assessment on the NFC East?
A: It is a long season. There are a lot of games that have yet to be played. I am not concerned about it. For us, if we take every game and try to get a win, we should be in a good position in the end. That doesn't just come; it is about making sure we do what we do. As far as the rest of the division, until that team is lined up against us on Sunday, I could care less.
