**
Q: Is that like déjà vu from last year?**A: I guess so, a little bit. In reference to having the same type of coverage, same type of throw, same type of catch and run. I guess it's a little bit like déjà vu. Yeah, why not?
Q: Did it feel like you and Eli were on the same page? You had the slant early in the first half, a little behind you. Did it feel like you guys were reading each other as you typically do, and if so, what happened to get you guys on the same page?A: I feel like we were reading each other well. I felt like prior to that slant pattern that he missed me on, we were completing the football, we were doing some good things, myself with a couple other receivers as well. Martellus had some crucial catches as well. I think we were on the same page, it's just certain times he was a little short or a little far on a pass or two, but we clicked at the right time and we read the coverage the same way. It was a good feeling.
Q: Do you get to the line of scrimmage and see that this is going to work, or do you not know until the ball is in your hands?A: I don't know until I'm about mid-route. I think it was a matter of seeing it before the snap and having an idea of what it is and then as soon as the ball is snapped and I'm about five or six steps into the route, it really declares itself, and then that's where I make my read.
Q: Is there ever a time on the clock where you're worried?A: With our offense and with Eli at the helm, we're never really too worried. We know that no matter what situation we're in, no matter how many points we need or a field goal, we have the confidence that we can do it. We can get ourselves in the right position to kick a field goal. We can get ourselves in the right position for a touchdown. We just have a lot of confidence in each other and in Eli and I think it shows on the field.
Q: Exactly what did you read that caused you to break?A: As I was going vertical, I just saw that the safeties were wide and they were outside of the numbers, and I saw the middle of the field wide open, so I just took it. I just kept going vertical and Eli saw it the same way.
Q: Were you surprised that they were trying to play you to the outside since you guys still had three timeouts?A: A little bit, but in this game, nothing can surprise you. You've just got to read what you see in front of you and react.
Q: Do you like being in that position – the guy targeted in the clutch moment?A: Most definitely. I think all of our receivers pride ourselves on that, but me personally, I love being in a position like that. I love being in that position. I feel like whenever I get the ball in my hands, I want to do some good things and some great things with it, so anytime we get in that position I want to be the one to make the big catch or to make the winning touchdown.
Q: When you hear the play called, do you feel like he's coming to you?A: You never know. In this offense, no matter what the coverage is, Eli can go to whoever's open, so once I heard the play and lined up, I kind of saw pre-snap what the coverage was going to be, so I had a little bit of an idea, but I just had to execute the route and react to what I saw in front of me.
Q: On previous touchdowns like that, you said you'd peek up and take a look at the big screen to see if anyone was chasing you. Did you do that this time?A: I definitely did. As soon as I caught it I peeked up there. That's kind of why I veered to the right a little bit; I saw the inside guy trying to dive at my leg, so I veered to the right and it didn't look like they were too close, so it was a good feeling.
Q: It seems like when you and Eli aren't getting into your flow early, it's usually the quarterback or the offensive coordinator who will say, "Hey, this is what you need to do." How much are you telling him throughout the game what he needs to do to get you the ball to get that touchdown, and opposite?A: Not much. As an offense, we do a good job of looking at the cards and looking at the defense that we're getting, and being able to react off that. In this offense, there's so many different ways to get open through different coverages, so we understood that, and we understood that you just have to keep plugging away and keep understanding what you're seeing out there. Keep making the right reads, and it went down to the very end and it finally started clicking.
Q: You're 0-2 in the division and trailing late in the game. Talk a little bit about the emotions and how big this win was.A: It was pretty emotional for us on the sideline. There was definitely some hooting and hollering going on, understanding that we needed this victory, and as an offense, we needed this bad. We went out there and we proved it. We proved us getting the football and driving down the field. It was definitely an emotional game for us, but we came out victorious.
Q: How much does a healthy Hakeem and a healthy Martellus affect your game today?A: It's huge for us. Anytime those guys are healthy, it's definitely great. Especially Hakeem, a guy who's been battling some injuries the last couple weeks, it was good to see him out there and he was catching the football well. Martellus hasn't been having his type of grabs the past couple weeks, but he knew his time would come and when we need him, he definitely comes to play so today was one of those days and he really performed for us. They both did.
Q: A lot of people are talking about RG3, but do you marvel at Eli and his ability to perform like that at the end and hit the big play?A: Most definitely. I've said it before. Eli never wavers, he's never distraught out there; he's never panicking. He's always calm. He understands what he has in front of him and he's going to go out there and read each defense differently and make the right reads and make the right throws. He threw a couple interceptions but he kept plugging away and we were with him 100% and it showed down to the wire.
[
