COACH TOM COUGHLINCOUGHLIN
: Good morning. In the division against a very good Washington Redskins team. A team that's 3-3, coming off a huge win over Minnesota. They've played well the entire year. They've scored a lot of points. They're scoring almost 30 points a game. They're giving up some points, but they're playing the run very well. They're plus-nine with four defensive touchdowns, which says a lot about their team. Brandon Banks, their return man, is a very dangerous guy who can go all the way, and of course, Robert Griffin III has energized their offense. They've done a lot with creativity, he runs the option, but he's just as dangerous when, as he did the other day, for 76 yards, just pulls the ball down in drop-back fashion, and runs and gets outside, and no one can catch him. He's probably the fastest guy on the field. So, they're playing well, they're excited, they're 3-3, we're 4-2. It's in the division; they beat us twice last year. I'll answer some of your questions before you ask them. We're excited, and we're getting ourselves focused today, and hopefully, we'll have a good practice, and start to get ourselves in position where we can again play with all three phases combined and in harmony with one another, which is what we did last week.
READ MORE >>QB ELI MANNINGQ: So, you're going against a team that obviously gave you guys problems last year. When you look at the film, why did they give you so many problems? They seem to be more improved already.
A: They're a good team. They play good defense, they had a good scheme versus us last year, even prior to that. They do some things a little bit different, which have given us some trouble. So, we have to have a good plan for it, and go out there and execute well and. hopefully, stay away from the turnovers and the mistakes and take advantage of the opportunities when they come up.
Q: Your offensive line seemed to play extremely well over the last several games. What's been the biggest difference?
A: I'm not sure. But, I'm not complaining about it. So, they're playing great, we're running the ball well, the pass protection has been good, and the receivers have been getting open. Things are going well, everybody's doing their assignments well, the offense tends to flow a little bit better, I'm not sitting back there, holding the ball very long, and putting the offensive line in a bind. So, it's been a combination of the running backs helping out, chipping on things. So, it's been pretty smooth, and hopefully, we keep it that way.
Q: Is it a concern that you're 0-2 in the division?
A: No. Obviously, you wouldn't want to have that, but the most important thing is your overall record. That's what you can control, and right now, we're in a good spot, we've still got a lot of divisional games and we've still got a lot of football left. Obviously, when you play in the division, those games are very, very important. Hopefully, we can get a win this week.
READ MORE >> DT CHRIS CANTY
Q: How was your first practice back?A: It was good to be out on the field with the guys. I've got a lot of work to do, a lot to catch up on. That's to be expected. A long ways to go before I can help and contribute to this football team, but I'm excited about being on the practice field with my teammates.Q: Are you looking forward to Sunday?
A: Any competitor is always looking forward to an opportunity to compete. So obviously I'm excited about the game on Sunday. I'm excited about this week, the opportunity to prepare to play in a football game. So it's something to look forward to. It's motivation that I haven't had in the past few weeks, so I'm excited about it.
Q: How realistic is Sunday for you?
A: It just depends on the coaches' evaluations of my performance out on the practice field, whether I can help the team or not, whether they decide to make their decision. It's totally in their hands. I feel great. My body feels good. I'm healthy, so we'll have to see about that.
**READ MORE >>** WR VICTOR CRUZ
Q: What do you see in the Redskins?
A: We see a very competitive team; a very hard-fought Redskins team that has lost a few games but won a good amount, too. They play hard and that's something that we have to come in and match that intensity once again. They're a different team; a lot of the things they do are a little different. We're not really used to a lot of the defensive coverages they play and stuff like that. We have to make sure we're on top of our game this week.
Q: Does losing to this team twice last season serve as the motivation for this week?
A: Most definitely, but it's a new year and a new team and we should be motivated to play any division foe. I think that in itself should be motivation for us.
Q: Being 0-2 in the division, does that make this even more important?
A: Most definitely, most definitely. We have to get a quality win in the division this week and I think this week is a game that's a must-win for us, especially in the division, and to continue our positive play throughout the last two weeks.
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