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Every week All-Pro Reels will bring you day by day coverage of the Washington Football Team through the eyes, ears and lenses of our content creators.
ASHBURN, VA -- October 14, 2020
On taking a dive that lead to injury against the Rams:
“It was third-and-one, we ran a naked, the end played up the field and he played it well. I got up in the air and jumped underneath him and made a couple guys miss. I thought I had a chance at the first down, I tried to stick my nose in there and obviously got hit by a better player who’s more used to hitting like that than I am. I think, for me, I was just trying to get a spark and stick my nose in there and get a first down. I just thought we needed it right there. But, talking to [offensive coordinator] Scott [Turner] and everyone, I’ve just got to protect myself a little bit more.”
On how the offense felt against the Rams:
“It felt good. I think the first drive, three-and-out, I thought we had a chance at a first down and the DB made a nice play. The second drive we got down there and we were rolling. We had a really good drive. I think we’ve been really good in the red zone this year; we’re continuing to do that. I think I only got like four series and then the next couple series we got some first downs and then I got hit on that play. It felt good. It felt nice to be out there and playing and be in there with the guys and just fighting with everybody. It felt good.”
On if he will play Sunday:
”That’s the plan right now. I’m working through it.”
On positive plays against the Rams:
“I think we executed well while I was in there. I think there were a couple third downs that were good. I think the third down early to [WR] Terry [McLaurin] on the second series, I think that was a good thing. It was our first-first down, I think it got us a spark. You see in our offensive after getting that first down, everybody settles in and really starts to play better. I think that play kind of set us up. We were executing pretty well to start. It got super rainy, it got tough. The conditions were tough out there and their offense was playing really well, too, so we were down there early. I don’t think there was anything specifically. I was pretty happy with how we executed to start.”
On how the offense can make more big plays:
“I think it’s a combination of things. I don’t think there’s one thing you can point out and say: ‘This is the reason why.’ I think it’s a combination of things, and I think it’s things we’re looking at. We need more big plays if we want to be successful. I think really good offenses around the league that are successful, they have those chunk plays. But, they also take what’s there for them. I think there’s a happy medium. I know it’s been an emphasis every week. We’ve just got to start hitting those.”
On if he wanted to return to the game after his injury:
“Yeah, of course I wanted to. Of course I wanted to get back in the game. I want to be out there fighting with the guys. I think [Head Coach Ron Rivera] just felt like I wasn’t in my best condition to play, I wasn’t in my best condition to help the guys win, I guess. He felt like I was just a little too dinged up to go back in, but of course I wanted to go in there with the guys.”
On the three upcoming NFC East games:
“Yeah, I think that’s kind of our mindset right now is that we struggled, we’re 1-4 and it’s never where you want to be, but at the end of the day if you kind of just sit back and look at everything we’re still in a good spot thankfully. I think, like you said, we have three games against divisional opponents coming up, this one being the most important right now. I think you said it best. If we can take it game-by-game and do our jobs and come out with some wins, I think it can turn out great for the rest of the season.”
On his scrambling ability:
“I think it comes naturally to me. I think it’s a part of my game, and it’s a part of my game I’ve tried to implement as much as I can over the last couple of years. I mean, yeah, obviously I should’ve gone down on that third-down play, but I did it a decent amount last year. I didn’t miss a snap last year at all in all the games I started. So, I think it’s an important part of the game at the quarterback position. I think in this day and age, defenses are getting better DBs are getting better and they’re playing a lot of man coverage. You’ve got to be able to get out of there and run a little bit. I think that’s part of the game that a lot of young QBs have, and it’s part of mine, too.”
On if he compares Washington’s offense to his in Carolina:
“No. I think you look at your roster wherever you’re at. I think you build the offense around the guys that you have, and I don’t think that’s my job to do. It’s not my job to build the offense and understand, it’s my job to take the plays they give me and execute them. Obviously, Christian McCaffrey one of the best players in the league last year, we were going to build our offense around and a lot of players were built around him. But, we have [RB] J.D. [McKissic] and [RB] Peyton [Barber] and [RB Antonio Gibson], so we’re going to get the ball to them, too, but we also have a lot of other players that are different personality and offensively-wise that are different than they were in Carolina. So, it’s nothing I have to do differently. It’s just executing the offense of what’s given to us.”
On playing with rust after a long break from game action:
“I wouldn’t say it’s rust, I think you just kind of get that feeling that you’re ready to get hit once again. It’s kind of like the reason I ran it on that first naked. I got tackled on the line of scrimmage. I think it was the second series. But, I just needed to get hit again. It’s been too long. It’s been like eight, nine months. You’re untouchable in practice and need to get back in the game. So, I wouldn’t say rust-wise as far as the execution standpoint or playing standpoint, but I just wanted to get my body back in the game and get hit a little bit. It’s fun.”
On how he can improve the team:
“It just means a lot to me, man. I think that’s why you see me do that on third-and-1 and stick my nose in there and try to go get it because it really does mean that much to me. I’m always going to compete no matter where we’re at, what the standings are, what the score is. This is all I play the game for is competing. It’s every day in practice, it’s every day in walk throughs, it’s whatever. It’s all about competing. Yeah, we’re working through a lot right now. There’s a lot of things we have to change. There’s a lot of things we need to get better at. But, I think if you have that mindset collectively around the building from everybody—as long as you’re going to compete, as long as you’re going to give it everything you’ve got, the people that do that are going to stick around. You’re going to find the people that do that consistently and the people that do that great and you’re going to build that culture that Coach Rivera is so good at doing. You’ve seen him do that time and time again in Carolina. He’s doing that here now. I think that’s one thing I’ve learned since being in the league and being around him is you make an impression on a lot of people every day when you’re around the building. For me, I just love football like that so much that I want to compete every day I’m in here. I know at the end of the day, you’re either going to win or lose but I’m going to give it my all when I’m out there.”
On if he improved his situational awareness Sunday:
“I think it was for sure short, but I think I could feel it when I was in there. I could feel the comfortability in situations, understanding the processing when you’re in situations just knowing and when you’re getting the call, knowing why it’s getting called faster. It’s just a lot of those little things that just start to click and happen faster. Yes, I could for sure feel that Sunday.”
On the support from his coaches and teammates:
“That was obviously awesome coming in the offseason. We obviously had a new coaching staff in Carolina when I actually signed there the offseason, then I got traded here and just talking to Scott and Coach Rivera—it was cool to hear from them and cool for them to trade for me. But, I think at the end of the day you earn that trust every single day you’re in the building. That trust isn’t just given, you earn it. It’s kind of a ‘What have you done for me lately?’ type of league. You earn that every day you step in the door, and that was my mindset coming in. I talked about this last week, too. With the guys around the locker room, I just try to make as many relationships as I can and be with the guys and learn about them and really dive deeper to get to know them because I feel like when you’re on the field on Sundays and you have those relationships with those people, it’s just different. They fight harder for you. You fight harder for them. You understand them better, you understand what makes them tick and you can get the most out of everybody around you. For me, I’m just trying to earn everyone’s respect from the day I stepped in here.”