Head Coach Brian Daboll

Q: Where are you at health-wise this week?

BRIAN DABOLL: So, a few people won't practice this today. (Inside linebacker) Micah (McFadden) still won't practice. (Center John Michael Schmitz Jr.) JMS still won't. (Tackle) Evan Neal and (defensive tackle Armon) Watts.

Q: What's Evan (Neal) dealing with?

BRIAN DABOLL: He has a rib and a hip.

Q: Did (Armon) Watts tear his knee?

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, he ended up having surgery.

Q: How much of what you do is determined on what the Eagles are going to do, or does it have no bearing? As far as who they're playing, what they're playing, things like that?

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, no, we'll just prepare like we normally do, in meetings and practice and get ready to play our game.

Q: You prepare for certain players and things like that, so what happens if you hear later today that they're not playing?

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, I mean, that's a little bit like last week, (Colts quarterback Anthony) Richardson and then (Colts quarterback Joe) Flacco. That's the nature of the NFL.

Q: How much different has (Eagles running back) Saquon (Barkley) made their team this year when you look at them?

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, I'd say they've got a good football team, and Saquon's a good football player. Got a lot of wins, productive, good team.

Q: Has he changed the way that they've done stuff? Do you see a more run-heavy approach from that team?

BRIAN DABOLL: I mean he's got 2,000 (rushing) yards, so yeah.

Q: You mentioned on Monday how you and (Senior Vice President and General Manager) Joe (Schoen) communicate a lot and work together. When you guys came in, you guys were in lockstep. How has that relationship evolved three years into it?

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, it's a good working relationship, good communication, talk every day about a variety of things, roster, personnel, everything.

Q: Do you think that's a strength that you guys have, that you do have that type of relationship in your roles?

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, I mean we have a good working relationship.

Q: (Team president) John (Mara) mentioned at the league meetings at one point about that when he evaluates you guys, he evaluates you separately. How do you sort of view that?

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, you'd have to ask John.

Q: Do you think you guys can be evaluated separately or is it just…

BRIAN DABOLL: I'm just focused on Eagles, guys. Getting ready to play. Do as good a job as we can.

Q: A lot of guys in your locker room and I was kind of talking to them about this season. One thing they mentioned is that maybe it was underestimated how much Saquon (Barkley) meant to your locker room. What do you think when you hear that?

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, I'm just focused on the guys that are here. Again, I've said this many times before, I've got a lot of appreciation and respect for Saquon (Barkley). We're going to work as hard as we can this week to prepare for the Eagles.

Q: Do you think you had enough veteran leadership there? Especially on the offensive side I'm talking about.

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, we're just getting ready to play the Eagles here and do the best job we can.

Q: You've lost a lot of guys who have been a leader. (tackle) Andrew (Thomas) was a leader, (defensive tackle) Dexter (Lawrence II) was a leader, (inside linebacker Bobby) Okereke a leader. These guys are not on the field anymore. Who do you see that maybe is taking some of that slack from some of the guys who aren't here? Daniel (Jones) was a leader, he's not here.

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, again, you don't have to be a 10-year veteran to be a leader. Our rookies, (running back Tyrone) Tracy (Jr.) and (wide receiver) Malik (Nabers), who've done a great job of answering the bell and doing the things that they need to do each week. (Running back) Devin Singletary, (outside linebacker Brian) Burns, (guard Greg Van Roten) GVR, (kicker) Graham Gano, (long snapper) Casey Kreiter. Enough guys that are doing a good job of handling their rooms in terms of the leadership in their room, and then collectively as a unit.

Q: The first five guys you mentioned there, guys that are here, this is their first year here. How much do you think that affects it? They don't have the equity built up here. Do you think that matters to guys in the locker room?

BRIAN DABOLL: I think I mentioned five guys after that had a lot of years' experience, like Casey, Burns, (Devin Singletary) Motor. Some of them are new, I understand that.

Q: I'm talking about new here, not in the league. I know Burns didn't play his first year here with the team, they didn't know the guys here more than one year.

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, it's the National Football League. Things happen every year, changes are made. The guys that we have here are doing a good job.

Q: You obviously had a relationship with (Devin) Singletary before he got here. He was signed almost hours after Saquon (Barkley) left. He was the starting running back. How do you assess what he's done? He got hurt, but he's played most of the season. Obviously, (Tyrone) Tracy started instead of him. Has he been a disappointment? The numbers are obviously not there with Singletary.

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, he's done everything we asked him to do. Good teammate, hard worker, good leader.

Q: One of the big moves you made in the offseason was you taking on play calling and (Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator) Mike's (Kafka) role shifted. How do you feel like that's worked out?

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, we've won three games, so not good enough.

Q: I'm saying specifically with Mike, you promoted him, took the play calling away. How do you think he's handled that change with him?

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, Mike's been a great teammate, good coach, good friend. Does a good job for us.

Q: Do you want him back next year?

BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, he does a good job for us, so we're focused on the Eagles here, guys.

Q: With a guy like (guard) Jake Kubas, he played left, played right last week. What have you seen in him? Because he's coming from a lower level.

BRIAN DABOLL: Very, very tough, physically and mentally. He's got things that we look for in our offensive linemen. He's done a great job of sitting in that room with guys like (Greg Van Roten) GVR around him, (guard Jon) Runyan (Jr.) when he was there, (Andrew Thomas) AT, even (John Michael Schmitz Jr.) JMS to an extent, (tackle Jermaine) Eluemunor. They've done a nice job with him. He listens, very smart. It's not too big for him, even though it's a lower level. He's a good young player to work with. He's done a nice job.

Q: When you guys signed (wide receiver) Ihmir (Smith-Marsette), I'm just curious, what did you see in him, and did you expect him to have that touchdown like he had last week?

BRIAN DABOLL: Well, he's a pretty good returner. He's done a nice job. He had the one against the Saints that got called back. It was a punt return. Obviously, he had this one. He made some other good ones in Dallas. He's done a nice job of handling the ball. Good teammate. He's got a great personality about him. Happy we have him.

Quarterback Drew Lock

Q: How are you feeling going into the last week of the season?

DREW LOCK: Good, healthy. Spirits high after last week. I'm feeling good. I'm excited to go out and get the opportunity to play another one.

Q: How do you repeat what you did last week?

DREW LOCK: Execution. It starts with this week of practice. Really focused practice last week, great work. Trying to duplicate that this week. Energy, intensity, focus. It's hard to duplicate games, but give ourselves the best position to go out and score points. One way or another, it's got to start this week in practice.

Q: The Eagles are going to rest some people this week. Does that affect your approach at all?

DREW LOCK: No, it can't. It's the NFL. A lot of guys are starters. Backups are still really good players. Whether it's a mix of them, it doesn't matter. Those are great players, best in the world. You've got to treat them as such.

Q: What's the feeling in here after finally getting a win?

DREW LOCK: It's good. When you win, enjoy it Sunday, enjoy it Monday. Come in and get your work done Tuesday. If you do any, watch film, that kind of stuff. Wash it down the drain once you put the first of the Eagles on. Move on and start preparing to try to feel the same way the next Sunday.

Q: I know it's putting the horse ahead of the cart, but obviously you're a free agent after this year. Do you need to put together two good games just to improve your marketability?

DREW LOCK: I would say you want to put together great games every single time you play. You need to put together 17 of them just to stay relevant and keep playing football. Try to extend your career as long as you can. The only way you can do that is by putting good things on tape. Every chance you get, go out there and make it the best representation of yourself. That's the plan every week.

Q: When (wide receiver) Ihmir (Smith-Marsette) got that kick return touchdown, what did that do for you guys coming down the second half?

DREW LOCK: If you can get points on the board and run 12 seconds off, that's some pretty good scoring right there. It feels great getting able to get another touchdown without even having to take a snap. We appreciate him. We appreciate those guys. Special teams is a big part of winning games. I think there's probably some crazy stat about when you score on special teams, your win percentage goes up to X amount. We got to live through that with him being able to score this weekend.

Q: You've seen (guard) Jake (Kubas) on the left side and Jake on the right side. How has he been?

DREW LOCK: He's been great. He's one of my favorite guys. He's been great. Willing to do whatever you ask him to do. Been a great rookie in that room. Just top-notch. One of my favorite guys I've been around in the o-line room.

Q: Why? Is he funny?

DREW LOCK: He's funny. He's not a big talker, but when he gets talking, hilarious. He's a class act. He's a really great – he's a stereotypical o-lineman. He's awesome. Love those guys. Love being around them.

Q: And he came from a minor program as opposed to one of those big-time ones.

DREW LOCK: Correct. So, you always want to see those guys do well. I was around (Broncos offensive lineman) Quinn Meinerz in Denver who came from a really small program as well and just recently got paid. I thought the same thing about him. Just strong, athletic, ox, and just loves ball. I think Kubas is the same way.

Wide Receiver Malik Nabers

Q: You've had some time to think about this record that you and (running back Tyrone) Tracy (Jr.) got. Does that add one more notch to this season for the two of you?

MALIK NABERS: Yeah, it just shows how we're finishing off strong. Showing how much preparation and work that we put in through the offseason to come in here and make a difference to this team.

Q: Looking forward now, do you think that it can kind of carry over a little bit more into not just this Sunday, but what you guys want to build here going forward?

MALIK NABERS: It's to show that we're not quitting. We still got one more game left. So, we're going to try to go out there and finish strong and hopefully get our bodies back right and carry on for the next year.

Q: How much has (wide receiver) Darius (Slayton) helped you just get acclimated as being a guy who's been around the league for a bit with your position?

MALIK NABERS: I always asked Slay (Darius Slayton), when I first got here and I started first seeing him move around, some things that he would do. Whether it's his releases that were so quick or just how he get in and out of his breaks. I'd ask him about coverages too. He's the vet guy in our room. So, when we are playing a new opponent he always has the tape on DBs (defensive backs), instructing us what things to use to beat the DB and stuff like that. So, it's always good to have him. He's been a really good mentor of mine, asking him a lot of questions throughout the year.

Q: You had the big YAC (yards after catch) plays on Sunday. Did you feel more explosive on Sunday? Why did that come together for you where maybe it hadn't been for a couple of weeks?

MALIK NABERS: I wouldn't say that. I don't know. I just felt good. Defensive guys were taking bad angles to the football. So, I was able to make a lot of good plays. I had the ball in my hands pretty early to where I could see the defenders and where they were coming from. So, I could make my adjustments way quicker. But that was really all. I just felt more loose and felt explosive when I got out there.

Q: When you watch that film, was it kind of like seeing an old friend? There hasn't been a lot of that.

MALIK NABERS: Right. I mean guys have been doing a great – that's why they play in the league – they've been doing a great job at their job. Tackling. Rallying to the football. But I took some time out to look at my old film, had a talk with my old coach, stuff like that. I actually looked back before that game. I was looking at my YAC (yards after catch) in college and I was like, 'What was I missing?' And it was like, I wasn't really scared. I was just out there when I got the ball, I was just running. But now, the guys are trying to hit out here. But I play free. I play with no regrets. So, I went out there and just was myself. It showed.

Q: It seemed like you got a lot of good blocks, too, down the field. I think (tackle) Evan (Neal) had a great one on your first touchdown.

MALIK NABERS: Ev (Evan Neal) did a great job of cleaning up. (Wide receiver) Wan'Dale (Robinson) had a pretty good block when I got down the field. Just having those extra guys out there that actually want to see me succeed and finish for their brothers, it was good to have those guys out there with me.

Q: Does getting this win make you guys more hungry to maybe get one more to end the season in Philly?

MALIK NABERS: We're going to try our best every game that we go out there. We expect to win every game. So, we're going to go out there expecting to win every game. We're going to carry that win over and try to get another one.

Q: It doesn't make you guys more hungry? It's just another day, another goal to get a win?

MALIK NABERS: Every game that we play, we're always hungry. No game are you more hungry for this game. Every game you're going in with the same mentality, to win the game. Never expect to lose, always win the game.

Q: Looking back, this is your first pro season. Comparing to a college season, was this harder or what you expected? Or was it more difficult as your thinking how you would prepare for your second pro season?

MALIK NABERS: I wouldn't compare it at all. But, like I said before, there's older guys in this league. They got families to feed. So, they're playing their hearts out. But I wouldn't say it was any harder or any easier. I had a lot of great mentors on my back, on my side and in my ear, pushing me to be who they know I can be. I expected everything that I did this year. I expected more. But the things that I've done so far, I'm not surprised that I did it.

Q: It's obviously a longer season and you've dealt with various bumps and bruises. What have you learned from that about going forward? Maybe routine stuff or maintenance stuff that you'll take forward?

MALIK NABERS: Like you said, it's been a long season. But anytime I can go get a cold plunge, go into a hyperbaric chamber, red light therapy, having my own massage team at home or just getting extra work when I'm outside the building. I'm doing stuff to prevent stuff from happening. So, just having that routine. I started getting that routine in the middle of the season. My body felt great. But if I can continue to do that in the beginning of the season who knows how my body is going to feel. I might get through the season a little bit easier, without the nicks and bruises. Having that plan down now, leading into next year, will probably be better.

Q: How did you get turned on to that? What made you start doing some of that stuff?

MALIK NABERS: It was during the combine prep, like rookie minicamp. I was asking Slay (Darius Slayton) and (outside linebacker) Brian (Burns) about what they do. (Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver) Ja'Marr (Chase) gave me a few tips also. So, it was a lot of guys that I had in my corner to just help me through along the way.

Q: Did (quarterback) Drew (Lock) just put the ball in the right spots for the big plays on Sunday?

MALIK NABERS: I feel like Drew (Lock) just delivered the ball well, on time and stayed in the pocket well. The offensive line gave him a tremendous amount of time for him to deliver the ball. So, I wasn't surprised that he delivered the ball how he did. He just went out there, saw his guys get open and just delivered the football.