Head Coach Ben McAdoo
Q: You sound a little under the weather?
A: No, it's coaching, a lot of communication.
Q: How do you think your team has done this week?
A: I think we had a good practice yesterday, it was physical, a lot of emotion and playing fast. It was good to see.
Q: Has it been a challenge for you at all in that regard?
A: As far as?
Q: Keeping them going.
A: No, not at all. Yesterday was a spirited practice, it was physical, it was fast. Today was a good mental day for us. We'll have a chance to clean it up, get some speed.
Q: Why did you want to go with pads or shells yesterday?
A: It was a long week, a chance to get healthy, chance to spend some time away from the game a little bit early in the week. So it was good to get out there and get the pads on and crack them a little bit.
Q: Did you ask Jonathan Casillas to speak to the team before practice yesterday?
A: A couple of guys came to me and wanted to address the team before practice yesterday. We have some good leaders, high-character locker room. It was encouraging.
Q: What do you think came from it?
A: A good, spirited, physical practice.
Q: Have you gotten what you thought you were going to get with Sterling Shepard this year?
A: He's been highly productive for us. We haven't played as well as we like to as an offense. We've been inconsistent in spots, but I think he stepped it up. He's going to continue to get better. He's a work in progress like a lot of young players. It'll be encouraging to see him grow here over the next phase of the season.
Q: What do you look to get out of this week 17 game?
A: A win. It's another opportunity to go out there and get better as a football team and to get a win in the division.
Q: Did you look at all at the scenarios as to who you're going to play next Sunday?
A: We had a couple of people upstairs start to explain it to me. Looks like it's pretty complicated, so I tuned them out after the first couple of words and just focusing on Washington.
Q: You clinch the Packers a playoff berth if you win on Sunday, is that on your mind?
A: No, we have to go take care of our business.
Q: You said a couple of times this week that you have 53 guys on the roster and 46 active on game day...do you think the league should look toward having expanded game day rosters the last week of the season?
A: I haven't thought about it. We'll take as many players as we can get. The rules are what they are, we'll dress 46 and we'll go play to win the game.
Q: Do you think that would change the strategy, the playing time strategy, going into the final week if you had more guys?
A: I don't know, that's a hypothetical. We'll cross that bridge if we ever get to it.
Q: How did Janoris Jenkins do this week? What have you seen from him?
A: Good. He moved around well yesterday, had a good mental day today and tomorrow's going to be a big day for a lot of the guys as it is this time of the year for a lot of players to get out there, get that launch speed going before we jump on the train.
Q: Is there any pain with him that he's been dealing with?
A: I think he's still sore, yes.
Q: Could you see him being a game time decision again?
A: Certainly, may come down to that, yes.
Q: Will you work him out before the game again?
A: Possibly, we haven't decided that yet. We'll talk about that in the game management meeting tomorrow morning.
Q: What about Berhe, what's the situation with Nat? He's been inactive for quite a while.
A: The feedback I'm getting is that Nat is still in the protocol.
Q: B.J. Goodson still in the protocol?
A: Goodson is still in the protocol, yes.
Q: Why keep Nat on the active roster at this point. Are you hopeful that he can get back this year?
A: Yeah, there's a chance. We're keeping him on the active roster and if he gets cleared and is ready to go and is capable, we'll use him.
Q: Has he still had symptoms?
A: He's in the protocol, that's all I have.
Q: Do you think we're out of our minds for asking about resting players going into this game?
A: Yeah, I mean we're going down to play a division rival, on the grass, in the elements and they're going to come out and try to kick our behinds. We need to go down there and we need to play good, sound, hard-nosed football.
Q: You do understand it in a way, I mean you were in Green Bay and probably went through the whole conversation at that time?
A: We need to go down and play good football, that's what we need to do. WR Sterling Shepard
Q: Did anything surprise you coming into the NFL?
A: When I first came in, going through rookie minicamp, it was kind of the same thing as college. Then, going to camp with the regular guys, it picked up a lot. You get used to it over that time. Whenever you hit the games, you've been used to it. It's football, something I've been doing my whole life.
Q: What is something you want to improve on moving forward?
A: Just cleaning up my routes. Taking my time. I feel like sometimes I rush some of my routes that I don't need to rush. That's just knowing the timing of the quarterback and just things that I've been learning throughout the season. I have more of a feel of it for next year, but I'm trying to correct it before we get in the playoffs as well.
Q: Would you like to make more plays downfield?
A: Yes. I mean I told coach McAdoo that I want a deep post, but he tells me I'm a more over-the-middle guy and stuff. I have to make stuff happen though after the catch. I guess I could get better at that as well.
Q: What was it like coming in and having Odell and Victor embrace you so much from day one?
A: It's been a blessing, just having those guys take me in like a brother. They taught me a lot not only on the field but off the field as well.
Q: Odell set a pretty high number bar for you.
A: He did. It was pretty high. You have to set the bar high. If you don't set them high, there is no reason in setting them at all. I'm a little short but I tried my best.
Q: How does it feel to get right in the playoffs in your first year?
A: It's a blessing. I was talking to Eli about it the other day. He was just telling me that he thought it was a given. Then, he went a few years dry without making the playoffs. People go nine, 10 years playing in the league and don't make it at all. For it to be my first year making it, it's a blessing. We just have to seize it, take it all in and execute.
Q: You being a rookie, is it almost laughable when we ask if you should play or not play because you don't know any other way?
A: I understand it. I see it as another game, a division game, so why not us play. I guess you could say I really don't understand it in that way. I'm just ready to go. I'm ready to play this week and correct some stuff on offense. Going into the playoffs, it'll help us.
Q: Would it be harder to focus this week if you knew who you were playing in the playoffs?
A: I feel like this team has done a great job in taking it a week at a time. That contributes to a lot of our success. It's just taking it a week at a time and looking at that team. I think nothing will change. It is the playoffs, so it is a little more amplified, but I feel like we would still be focused on the Redskins and then whoever we were playing next, regardless of if we knew or not. We would be ready.
