MTK
11-28-2004, 09:43 PM
Gibbs Post-Game: Redskins-Steelers
November 28, 2004
Opening Statement:
"From our standpoint, they're a heck of a football team. They're very tough to make yards on against their defense. They're terrific on defense, particularly if you have to throw the football to move it. Our football team, I told them I was proud of them. I was proud to be with them. They fight each and every week, against two tough opponents two weeks in a row on the road. Our guys competed and fought their guts out. But we weren't able to get it today. Hopefully somewhere in there, there'll be a reward. That's what's in my thoughts."
On Clinton Portis having six carries:
"No particular design for that. We were trying to move the ball as best we could. We wound up throwing it quite a bit."
On keeping Portis calm on the sidelines despite the lack of carries:
"What we're trying to do is play as best we can each and every week. We want to get the most out of what we have. We wound up throwing it quite a bit today. I know with Clinton, the number one thing we have there is a heck of a running back. We felt like throwing it was our best way to get downfield. He wound up not getting many carries. I'm sure he'll probably be upset about it. I expect him to be. He's very competitive."
On the running back used in pass formations in the game:
"Yes, Ladell was in there on quite a bit of the passing formations."
On the Steelers' punt returns by Antwaan Randle El:
"I think the guy is phenomenal. We knew coming in we had to put a lot of effort into stopping him. It wasn't something we didn't expect. The guy's terrific. We had him on film and we tried to sell our guys on [how good Randle El is]. We just weren't good enough to get him down."
On the punt return coverage units:
"We'll take a look at it and see what we think as far as our personnel. We've been covering punts well and I've felt like our punting game has been excellent. I think we just went up against someone who's real good today."
On the offense's showing:
"We went up against a very good defense. Secondly, we did hurt ourselves by dropping some balls and lack of execution. So I think it's a little bit of us and a little bit of them."
On Patrick Ramsey's performance:
"I was on the sidelines and I haven't had the chance to study the film yet. When you study the film, you get a good look at what he had to work with, what was there, pass protection and everything else. My general feeling was, he competed and is a tough guy--which is what he's showing. I think it was kind of all of us today."
On the fourth-and-inches call down 13-7 and the decision to punt:
"I think we went for it once on the goal line. There I felt like we did not want to give them good field position. That was my responsibility and in that situation I felt like we needed to punt the ball."
On the 12-men-on-the-field penalty:
"That should not have happened to us. We have a lot of packages on defense and we got caught in one there."
On a media report that he would reevaluate whether he was going to return to the sidelines next season due to his health:
"My health is superb. No, it's not something I think about. I made a commitment to come back. I feel bad for Dan [Snyder], our fans and our players, and we're all fighting our guts out trying to get something going. So I don't know where that [rumor] came from."
On whether he believes the offense is improving:
"I think today it is hard to evaluate. I think that is one of the best defenses I have been up against. You have to earn every inch against them. I think it is hard to say today."
On the Redskins' defense being effective against Steelers' rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger:
"I think we have a good defense and we're a good pass-rushing team. He's a tough player and the fact that he's a rookie, we didn't even talk about that. He's very accomplished. He's had nine wins in a row here. I don't think people are looking at him as a rookie. We didn't."
On what it says about his team that they have kept it close until the fourth quarter against two of the best teams in football the last two weeks:
"I think you can say we were very competitive and we fought hard. The games were close into the fourth quarter. So you look at it and say our football team continued to fight against tough odds. That's the way I look at it. That's what I would take from it. I'm proud of our guys and the way they fight. They fight hard."
On throwing downfield in the game:
"I think coming into the game, many times the reads take you where the coverage is. If they come after you, they're more aggressive. They came after us and we tried to go downfield. You're going to take your shots down there, but lots of times, the defense dictates where you go with the ball."
November 28, 2004
Opening Statement:
"From our standpoint, they're a heck of a football team. They're very tough to make yards on against their defense. They're terrific on defense, particularly if you have to throw the football to move it. Our football team, I told them I was proud of them. I was proud to be with them. They fight each and every week, against two tough opponents two weeks in a row on the road. Our guys competed and fought their guts out. But we weren't able to get it today. Hopefully somewhere in there, there'll be a reward. That's what's in my thoughts."
On Clinton Portis having six carries:
"No particular design for that. We were trying to move the ball as best we could. We wound up throwing it quite a bit."
On keeping Portis calm on the sidelines despite the lack of carries:
"What we're trying to do is play as best we can each and every week. We want to get the most out of what we have. We wound up throwing it quite a bit today. I know with Clinton, the number one thing we have there is a heck of a running back. We felt like throwing it was our best way to get downfield. He wound up not getting many carries. I'm sure he'll probably be upset about it. I expect him to be. He's very competitive."
On the running back used in pass formations in the game:
"Yes, Ladell was in there on quite a bit of the passing formations."
On the Steelers' punt returns by Antwaan Randle El:
"I think the guy is phenomenal. We knew coming in we had to put a lot of effort into stopping him. It wasn't something we didn't expect. The guy's terrific. We had him on film and we tried to sell our guys on [how good Randle El is]. We just weren't good enough to get him down."
On the punt return coverage units:
"We'll take a look at it and see what we think as far as our personnel. We've been covering punts well and I've felt like our punting game has been excellent. I think we just went up against someone who's real good today."
On the offense's showing:
"We went up against a very good defense. Secondly, we did hurt ourselves by dropping some balls and lack of execution. So I think it's a little bit of us and a little bit of them."
On Patrick Ramsey's performance:
"I was on the sidelines and I haven't had the chance to study the film yet. When you study the film, you get a good look at what he had to work with, what was there, pass protection and everything else. My general feeling was, he competed and is a tough guy--which is what he's showing. I think it was kind of all of us today."
On the fourth-and-inches call down 13-7 and the decision to punt:
"I think we went for it once on the goal line. There I felt like we did not want to give them good field position. That was my responsibility and in that situation I felt like we needed to punt the ball."
On the 12-men-on-the-field penalty:
"That should not have happened to us. We have a lot of packages on defense and we got caught in one there."
On a media report that he would reevaluate whether he was going to return to the sidelines next season due to his health:
"My health is superb. No, it's not something I think about. I made a commitment to come back. I feel bad for Dan [Snyder], our fans and our players, and we're all fighting our guts out trying to get something going. So I don't know where that [rumor] came from."
On whether he believes the offense is improving:
"I think today it is hard to evaluate. I think that is one of the best defenses I have been up against. You have to earn every inch against them. I think it is hard to say today."
On the Redskins' defense being effective against Steelers' rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger:
"I think we have a good defense and we're a good pass-rushing team. He's a tough player and the fact that he's a rookie, we didn't even talk about that. He's very accomplished. He's had nine wins in a row here. I don't think people are looking at him as a rookie. We didn't."
On what it says about his team that they have kept it close until the fourth quarter against two of the best teams in football the last two weeks:
"I think you can say we were very competitive and we fought hard. The games were close into the fourth quarter. So you look at it and say our football team continued to fight against tough odds. That's the way I look at it. That's what I would take from it. I'm proud of our guys and the way they fight. They fight hard."
On throwing downfield in the game:
"I think coming into the game, many times the reads take you where the coverage is. If they come after you, they're more aggressive. They came after us and we tried to go downfield. You're going to take your shots down there, but lots of times, the defense dictates where you go with the ball."