Eagles Head Coach Andy Reid
Opening Statement:
"I want to give a tribute to the players and the coaches. They did a nice job with putting the game together. The fourth down play at the end of the half carried over a little momentum in our favor into the second half. My hat is off to Mike Smith. He has done a nice job with the injuries he has. Right now, at this time of the year, it's tough when you lose a number of players in key positions like he has. All in all, I'm proud of our guys. I'm proud of Michael for going in and doing the things he did and being able to maintain composure with all the emotions."
Q: What is the update on Jason Peters?
A: "We've got to look at it. He went to cut somebody and he fell and hit his shoulder and his head. He bugged me the whole game to go back in. I don't think it was too bad."
Q: Can you talk about special teams and the tone that you set with the punt return that forced the fumble?
A: "The turnovers ended up being points, and we were fortunate to have that. Our special teams played very well. We had a nice game plan and I thought the guys executed well. It was good all the way around."
Q: How do you feel about the play of the defensive backs?A: "They did a good job. They were swarming around the ball and they played physical. We had some young aggressive mistakes in there that we have to take care of, but I would rather have aggressive than non-aggressive. We just need to take care of the penalties. All in all I was pleased. It was nice to see Sheldon Brown get the score. He has been so close on a couple of these the last couple weeks so for him to take it and go, it was a beautiful thing."
Q: How committed was the team to making this a special day and a special experience?
A: "I think everybody felt it. I think everybody rallied around Mike [Vick] and he was one of the captains. I know Arthur Blank welcomed him back. My hat is off to him for that. That's a tribute to him and his organization. Our fans were incredible. I can't believe they show up like they do and in the numbers that they do. The fans in general, calling Michael's name out, I give my hat off to them for giving him a second chance."
Q: Did the cheering sway your decision as to when to put Michael Vick in?
A: "It didn't sway me, no, not too much. It didn't hurt."
Q: What did you tell Mike about how to handle emotions?
A: "I told him just to play the game. If you have the opportunity, then take advantage of it. That is easy to say from my seat, but I'm sure he had a little extra juice going. "
Q: You gave Leonard Weaver the ball a few times in the first half. Can you talk about his performance?
A: "Well, he is running hard and seeing things well. He gets to the hole and gets through the hole. I think it's a nice combination between him and LeSean McCoy. Luckily, it gives us a chance to see the things out of him that we have been seeing lately. We have three guys we feel can go in and play."
Q: Did you expect to get that much out of Leonard Weaver?
A: "Well, I mentioned before that when we brought him here, one of the things we thought he did very well was run the football. We knew what we were getting. We are just rotating a lot of guys in there, so he didn't have quite as many carries as we should have given him."
Q: How do you feel about Donovan McNabb's passing game?
A: "I thought he did a nice job. Jeremy Maclin had a good day. Jason Avant and Reggie Brown did as well. Then our little guy got in, he looks like he is twelve years old, but he played his heart out. Everybody did alright. Our receivers really stepped it up."
MLB Jeremiah Trottter
Q: You shut the Falcons down today.
A: "Yeah, we were able to have some success today. (Chris) Redman is a good quarterback, but today was our day."
Q: You're the leader of the Eagle defense. We're you surprised by such an overwhelming win?
A: "Everything fell into place. I'm just happy for Michael (Vick). Somebody said before about the Dome, 'This is my house.' Today this was Mike's house. It almost brought tears to my eyes to see him score a couple of touchdowns today. He's a big part of this team, and it was fitting his first scores came here."
CB Sheldon Brown
Q: What happened on the interception?
A: "I was in the right place at the right time. I read the coverage and the QB didn't see me. It changed the momentum. I was just happy to be in position to make the pick."
QB Donovan McNabb
Q: Thoughts on three straight wins?
"Our confidence is at a level now where we are satisfied with how we are playing but we have to continue to improve each week. Offense, defense and special teams, we all came together this week. We will look at the film and make the changes we need to make for next week. There was a lot of positive things that occurred today."
Q: Playing without DeSean Jackson?
"It's an opportunity for other guys to step in and make big plays for us. Jason Avant and Reggie Brown did a great job stepping up and making plays today. Jeremy Maclin continues to improve. When you are just hitting guys and making big plays you never know who will step up."
Q: Michael Vick's performance?
"I was very happy for him. He handled the entire situation well. I think everyone was looking for him to come in and do miraculous things, but the most important thing we need to focus on is that he is moving forward. It takes time. Just an opportunity for a second chance trumps everything else. What a better situation than to come back here to an organization that continues to support him and the fans who obviously showed their appreciation for the things he has been able to do."
Q: Your reaction to crowd chanting Vick's name?
"I wanted him to play. Everyone wants to get back on their feet. Back in Atlanta he made some big plays in front of the home crowd and they cheered for him."
Q: How hard has Vick been working so far?
"He has done a great job coming in early and working out, watching film and asking questions. During practice he is working on different things. You can't ask for anything more. He takes pride in his work. He learns from what Kevin Kolb and I do on the field. We all know he is a great talent and I think all of us can do something to enhance our game and he has definitely been putting in the work."
Q: Same feeling as years past? 8-4 with three straight.
"Absolutely. It's something that has been happening to us for years now. You go through the first part of the year trying to get things like your timing down. This is the time that people remember. You never remember September and October. You remember November, December and January. You want to hit the playoffs rolling if you have that opportunity. We know what is at stake and we have to play like it is the last game."
QB Michael Vick
Q: What did you think when the fans were chanting your name?
"It was great. It sent chills down my spine and it made me know that people here still appreciate what I have done and what I will be able to do moving forward. It was awesome though to be able to come out and make some plays and get into the flow of the football game.
"I will never forget this game. I will never forget coming back to the city of Atlanta. "Arriving yesterday I will never forget seeing the landmarks of the city that I lived in for six years. I will never forget shedding a tear on the bus ride over here thinking about all my experiences here in the past. It was a different feel and situation and this time, I was the opposition."
Q: When you were playing well today did you think you could have done it earlier in the season?
"I believe things happen at the right time and for a reason. You look back at some of the games we have played and there just wasn't an opportunity for me to get out there and be as effective as we want me to be. Timing is everything. Ironically, Coach Andy Reid told me earlier in the week that I was going to score two touchdowns and two came at a great time. Who cares about what happened in the past. I was able to be productive when the team needed me."
Q: What have you taken from this whole experience?
"It doesn't matter about what I feel. I know what I'm going through on the inside. I want this to be an inspiring story for the kids. I want them to know that things happen and you have to preserve and overcome adversity. I want kids to know that if you keep that support and have faith in yourself, things will eventually work out for you."
Q: What was the pregame atmosphere like?"It was great to come out pregame and get to see everyone and check out the Dome. It looks a bit different than when I was here. It looks a lot better. It looks like a football environment. I got to spend some time with a lot of the people that I spent a majority of my professional life with. Those are moments that you can't take back and I have been waiting for a long time."
MORE FALCONS-EAGLES GAME COVERAGE:
GAMEDAY LIVE:Complete Falcons-Eagles coverage from AF.com * GAME CENTER:Stats and more from the game in NFL.com * GAME RECAP:Offense stumbles in one-sided loss to Eagles * GAME NOTES:Notes on the game kept in the Georgia Dome press box * FIRST TAKE:Exclusive player and coach interviews with Dave Archer * MULTIMEDIA:Additional player interviews and highlights from AF.com * THE BEAT BLOG:John Manasso's thoughts on the Eagles game * J. MIKE'S MISSIVES:Thoughts on the game from the AF.com managing editor * TRANSCRIPTS:Falcons players talk about the game | Eagles * INACTIVES:Inactive players and listed starting lineups for the game * IMAGES:Photos from Sunday's Eagles-Falcons game at the Dome * FORUMS:Talk about the game with other fans on FalconsLIFE
