Q: What's the most troubling thing to you about yesterday's game?
A: There's not one thing. We just have to play better football. That's what it comes down to. There's things we need to improve on, things we can look at and see where we can get better from fundamentals, from just doing the right things. That's part of it. You're always going to learn from each game. You have some new guys in some different spots. Everybody can learn from each game.
Q: How surprising is it that you got away from running the ballA: I don't think that's the case. We're always a team that we're going to try to run the ball, we're going to try to do play action. Certain circumstances on a play action we weren't getting down. You're taking sacks, you get bad in down and distance and you can get off your rhythm and routine that you want to be in.
Re: One for 10 on third downA: I think four of those were third and 15-plus. That's not really a third down problem, that's a first and second down problem. We had the big play, we had a drop, then you had two third-and-ones where you have to run it and pound it and get those. We have to get some of those, but we have to be better down and distance. When it is third-and-two and we're running it, we have to run it. It's a little combination of everything.
Q: What's getting you into the third-and-long situations?
A: You take a sack, you're going to be in bad down and distance, especially if you take it on second down. Now you have a third and long and you're playing into the defense's hands at that point. We had an intentional grounding on me one time. Those things back you up and you have second-and-twenty. You can overcome it, but you have to get a big play on second down and third down.
Q: Does it seem like it's been a while since you and the offense have played at the level you want?
A: No. We just have to get better. We can't worry about preseason. This game we did some good things. There's definitely some things we can learn from. Washington played great, they had a great plan. But there were still some good things that we did, that we saw. We adjusted to different things that we had prepared for. Overall, there are things that we have to improve on. That's what we're prepared to do. After any first game there are going to be a lot of improvements. A lot of teams didn't win that first game. We've been through this before. We just have to stick together as a team and keep working.
Q: Were there any warning signs in the preseason?
A: No, not that I know of. I thought we had a good plan and Washington did a good job of mixing up their defenses and showing a lot of different looks. Sometimes we called things hoping for one coverage and didn't quite get it how we wanted it on some. Still got adjustments, completions, and stuff. There are still some good drives, some good plays. It's just not as consistent. It's not as if we had terrible plays and bad decisions and bad football. We just couldn't sustain drives long enough.Re: Interception.
A: Just their blitz and what kind of defense they were playing from the top of the sidelines. Went to the right check and they were in an all-out blitz and the guy just made a good play.
Q: It looked like the corner was on the receiver, but you could go over the top of him. Did you see that?
A: Yeah. I think we could have had a big play. They were in an all-out blitz so I tried to get a little receiver screen and it just didn't [go] that well.
Q: When you look at that play on film, do you think I just shouldn't have thrown it right or I shouldn't have thrown it at all?
A: No, you have to throw it. It's one of those things, usually that guys hands are down. He made a good play. I'm counting on him being down. I'm trying to hit my receiver in the chest. He's coming back to me. It's a timing deal and just a good play to that guy.
Q: Did he hesitate? It looked like the timing was screwed up.
A: Yeah, you can't hesitate. Sometimes you can see the guy's not cutting so I had to throw it a little higher, but then it's a bad throw to the receiver. It's just a good play by him.
