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ES COVERAGE (sort of): Gibbs' Next Day Presser (09/24/07 - Gibbs/Portis quotes)
Gibbs' Next Day Presser
09/24/07
Welcome to today's virtual coverage of the Joe Gibbs next day presser. I am sitting about 15 miles from the s***-hole stadium located in Irvin Texas. After yesterday, this is the last place I want to be.
I am nowhere near Ashburn, but decided that we probably want to talk about this one today. For the record I am predicting coach-speak from hell. I have a feeling however that he will not get off too easy after that second half last night.
I can't ask anything, but can maybe get someone there to help out.
Well that was informative....not.
It's too bad the audio broke on the one day I was not there. Usually one of the writers does a transcript and sends it out to everyone. I will post if and when I get that. I also expect we can watch later on Redskins.com.
What is interesting to me is how jaded we feel today. After all, it was only one loss. However, I think I speak for many of us when I say it was the manner in which they lost. Had this been a barn-burner and we lost at the last second 35-28 I don't think we would be so cinical. But to blow the lead and look so god-awful in the second half...
It was shades of 2006 all over. Four years into this deal, I think we fans are collectively losing patience. That being said if they come out and kick Detroit's ass all over the field we will love them again.
It is the nature of the obsession.
Stand by for whatever transcripts or quotes I get.
Injury Update (Courtesy of Ryan O'Halloran)
Griffin: Right knee, small meniscus tear. Don’t do anything to it. Had MRI. Also hurt ankle during game, which is fine.
McIntosh: MRI on shoulder. Some weakness in there. Aggravation problem. Pinched nerve. He will practice but no contact.
Moss: Mild strain of left groin.
Smoot: Hamstring.
Daniels: Hit in helmet in back. Foot in good shape.
Cartwright: Toe
Marcus: Came through well. Working on less bulky brace
Montgomery: Sprained thumb
Landry: Hand laceration
Sellers: Bruised calf
September 24, 2007
Redskins Park
Head Coach Joe Gibbs
On how the defense played against the Giants:
“The defense played extremely hard. We had three takeaways for the game. We held the run to a 3.2 yard average. In the second half we did not play as well, particularly on third downs. Our red zone wasn’t very good. We had two defensive penalties and gave up four explosive plays. Our defense has been doing a great job of keeping people in check and not giving up touchdowns.”
On how they played on special teams against New York:
“Special teams probably had one of our best efforts that we have had here. We had great kick off returns. Our punter (Derrick Frost #4), I don’t think there has ever been a punter that averaged 40 yards or better net in the NFL. Right now we are a little over 40. Derrick has done a great job for us. We went down the field and missed our first field goal, but he (Shaun Suisham, K #6) bounced right back and hit a 47-yarder. In our goals for special teams we hit ever single one of them but one. We had one tough play there for us and it started the second half. We had a kick off return that came out to the 37, which really hurt us. The Giants made some key plays and got down the field and scored. Then offensively we had four drives where we couldn’t get anything going. We wound up wasting some great efforts on special teams. We felt like our guys played extremely well there. You hate for all the good plays to go by the way side when you lose a game like this.”
On how they played against the Giants offensively:
“On offense it was definitely two different halves for the game. In the first half we had 178 yards. We capitalized on two turnovers and had 17 points. I felt like our first half effort and the way we started the game was excellent. Then in the second half is where we had a lot of problems. We ended up with a 3.0 rushing average. Normally for us we get in trouble when that happens. That is something for us that is a cornerstone of what we do. Our third downs were at 31%. We missed two of our third and one calls. We had some things that we really felt we were going to be able to hit a big play with. As it turns out they had two good plays on their part and two bad plays on our part that gave us a real problem there. We had four penalties on offense.”
On the game overall:
“Overall it is extremely disappointing. We had two games, I talked to the players for quite a while, that were extremely hard fought. One in overtime and the other one came down to the last play of the game. This one came down to the last play of the game. I would say probably the rest of the year is what is going to happen to us. We are going to play games that come down to us making a play or not making a play, probably in the fourth quarter. For me from a coaching standpoint I am definitely with the players. I always look at it as there was something else I could have done, some other way I could have organized practice during the week or something else I could have said that would have made a difference. Whenever we lose a football game a large share of the responsibility goes to me. For our football team we are all together on it. Special teams probably played above our other two sections of the football team. Overall it was a real tough lose. I hate it for our players and for our fans. We wound up 2-1 going into the break. The most important thing for us is to get a good break, get some time off, get healed up some and to find some way to come back and try and get to 3-1. It is a huge task and is not going to be easy for us.”
On why Ladell Betts (RB, #46) was in the game at the end instead of Clinton Portis (RB, #26):
“Normally with our two running backs, as we have talked about here before, we think they are interchangeable. We don’t think there is any play in our offense that we would worry about one player or the other handling. Both of those guys are 1,000 yard rushing backs. They have proved it in the league. The way we handle that is Earnest (Byner, Running Back Coach) works with the running backs. They come in and out quite often. In that drive it started with Clinton Portis in the game. There was a play in there where Earnest in that particular play, we felt like it was to our advantage to have Ladell in there. It happened to be a play that Clinton had already run earlier in the game. We substituted there and he stayed in for the rest of the drive. I would say on the goal line on those two running plays it definitely was not the runner.”
On why they decided to spike the ball at the one yard line:
“The package that we were in was three wide receivers and it was a two minute operation. When you go down to that point of the field what happened for us, we had a great play and hit the pass and go to the two. There are a number of things you can do. You are in nickel people. That means you have three wide receivers. You could try and quarterback sneak. If you miss the quarterback sneak and you don’t get the yards then you would be spiking it on second down. The other thing you could do is run a 40 Gap. The risk there is if you don’t get it you have to spike it on second down. The other thing you could do is throw it. If you throw it you are calling an audible and you are doing it in a two minute package but you are calling an audible on the two yard line with three wide personnel in there. Could you do it? Yes you could do it. We thought the better thing for us to do is spike the ball on first, get in the package that we wanted to get in on the two yard line and then have a chance with three plays to get into the end zone.”
On the two minute offense:
“Jason (Campbell, QB #17) did a great job in that two minute drive getting us down there and Ladell (Betts, RB #46) made great plays. I was really pleased to see Jason handle it that well. We talked about it before about last year one of the best things we did was the two minute (drill). Certainly Jason in this one did a great job of getting us down the field.”
September 24, 2007
Redskins Park
Clinton Portis (RB, #26)
On his plans for the week off:
“I’m going to get healthy, get some rest. I’m going to try to catch my little cousin play some high school football down in Mississippi on Friday, but nothing major.”
On if he was banged up on the last series of the game against New York:
“I was fine. They gave Ladell (Betts, RB, #46) an opportunity and as a team we didn’t get in.”
On if the question, “Why wasn’t the best player on the team on the field” is fair:
“I take that as a compliment, but I think Sean Taylor (S, #21) is the team’s best player. Some people think it is Santana Moss (WR, #89) and some might think it is London Fletcher (LB, #59), or someone else. You know what happens. If (Betts, RB, #46) had scored that touchdown, it wouldn’t be a problem. But we didn’t score, so now it’s ‘Well, why wasn’t Clinton in?’ Who is to say I would have scored?”
On if he was surprised by the lack of running game:
“Things happen. I’m surprised we had four three-and-outs in the second half. For us, as an offensive team, with the offensive power that we have, to not be able to convert third and short, and not be able to convert on the goal line. You couldn’t have told me, with the way we have been playing, that we wouldn’t be able to convert third and one. All season we were perfect, until yesterday. To get on the goal line, and to have an opportunity, we really messed up a lot of opportunities yesterday.”
On if the decision to depend on Ladell Betts (RB, #46) or himself at the end of the game was fair considering how little the running game was used up until that point of the game:
“I think that for myself, Ladell, and Rock (Cartwright, RB, #31), we are just buying into it. When they put us in, they know we don’t take five plays to warm up. We know we are going to be in staggering. You never know when your number is going to be called. When it’s called you just have to go out and execute. We had a play where Ladell came in and had a big run, a 10-yard pick up, and that was his first play of the game. You know the expectations are always high and you want to go out and succeed.”
On his thoughts while watching the last series of the game:
“I was thinking Ladell (Betts, RB, #46) was going to get that yard. I really felt like he was. There wasn’t an argument going on over on the sidelines like ‘Why am I not in’. They called the play, Ladell was in the game, and I’m sitting over there like, ‘Please save this game for us.’ It gave us the opportunity to stay undefeated but it didn’t happen.”
On the Giants defense on the last play:
“Anything is possible. They didn’t do anything that was spectacular that we didn’t know they were going to do. We didn’t come out and do anything they weren’t expecting us to do. Once you get out there in between the lines, people know plays all the time. You have to go out there and stop it. If we had to do it all over again, who knows what would have happened. But those two plays, they stopped us.”
On if the team feels a loss of momentum:
“I don’t think so. You want to go undefeated all season long. Everyone wants that. Once it doesn’t happen, you have to figure out what’s the next step. You have to figure out a way to continue to win. Now we are 2-1. We lost one game. Is that the end of our season? That’s not going to make or break our season. But at the same time, what we need to do now is stop the bleeding. This week we have the opportunity to have a bye. The following week we play Detroit, who has been playing great ball. We have to go out and find a way to beat Detroit and if we do that we will be feeling good about ourselves again. We just feel bad because we let a game slip away. Up 17-3, you can’t tell me our defense hasn’t given up one touchdown in six games including preseason, will come out and give up 21 points in the second half. I wont believe that and I still don’t believe that happened yesterday. As a team we have to find a way to bounce back and find a way to beat Detroit.”
On his overall evaluation of the team’s offense in the last two minutes of games so far this season:
“From what you see in desperation plays, I think we play great when it comes down two minutes. As far as our timing, we might be off with timing and blowing some opportunities. But as far as executing plays, when you put that ball up, receivers are going up to get it, knowing they are going to get hit when they come down with the ball. Then, keeping the ball alive and once we get down, I think it’s our timing. We are catching penalties or blowing opportunities.”
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Originally Posted by Jimbo
