Q: The Redskins seem to be in a bad situation with the 2-5 record and the owner making public statements. What are your thoughts on this?
A: "The players stick together. They know that the guys on the field have to go out and make plays and still play football and perform. You're trying to win every game that you play despite what's going on with management, with the fans and things like that. So you have to be ready for any team no matter what situation they're in."
Q: When it is a tough year and it isn't't going your way, is it good to go out and play and get a win?
A: "Yeah it's still your job. You've still got to love playing football despite what's going on like I said earlier. So you get out on the field and want to make plays, want to still have fun and kind of get away from what's going on with the grind during the week and go out and try to get a win."
Q: What can you guys build on from last week?
A: "Well I think you really saw a test of our character. Knowing that we can fight in all three phases until the end and just keeping that and building that and knowing that anybody we play, we've got a great chance of winning."
Q: What do you think about going up against former teammate DeAngelo Hall and the tough Redskins defense?
A: "Their defense is playing very well. They're ranked very high in each category on the defensive side of the ball. It's going to be a good challenge for us. You know DeAngelo is going to come in excited to comeback to an Atlanta crowd and try to have a good show. I think he's talking about trying to do punt returns so it's going to be fun."
Q: I think that you and Matt hooked up and beat him last year in Oakland right?
A: "Yeah that was last year so I'm sure that he's going to think about that a little bit and try not to let that happen again. But we're still going to try to make plays out there."
Q: Was there any chatter after that one?
A: "No he hasn't said anything about it. That's a little odd for him not to say something about something."
Wide Receiver Roddy White
Q: What's it going to be like going against former teammate DeAngelo Hall?
A: "I mean, I welcome all challenges. We used to have battles at practice every time that we went out there. He brings out everything that I have when I go out there on that field. If I'm matched up against him I will go out there and compete and try to make plays."
Q: How much does he talk during in those situations?
A: "I don't really pay attention to it. I'm kind of just focused on what I've got to do. He does a lot of talking on the field, but that's just his character and how he is. That's the type of guy he is. He's going to be out there talking and I will probably say some things back to him. So we'll probably go back and forth."
Q: It's easier to here him talk when he's on your team.
A: "Yeah it's a lot easier. Especially when we're on the same sideline and he's out there doing his thing covering people. Now he's on the opposite sidelines so I've got to kind of go after him now."
Q: Is it tough to comeback and refill the tank after the Monday night loss?
A: "I felt like we played hard. I didn't think that we played well, but I thought that we played hard and we gave it all we had. We've just got to bounce back and find a way to get a win. That's just the attitude in the locker room. Everybody knows that we've got to go back to work and we've got to get a winning streak going and we've got to start it on Sunday."
Q: There's no such thing as a trap game in the NFL, but this is a team on paper that most would say you guys should handle easily, but it is the NFL I guess.
A: "Yeah it's the NFL and we watch those guys on tape and they've got good players out there. They've got Pro Bowl players on their defense and people that make a lot of plays out there. So, this isn't really a trap game for us because we're expecting to get there best effort. They're coming off a bye week. Their players are healthy and things like that. So, we know they're going to play hard so we're going to come out there and be ready to play."
Cornerback Tye Hill
Q: How was it to get in there and get some action; I know it helps you feel more a part of the team when you get in there and get to play?A: "It was a good experience for me to be back out there playing. It's been a while. So I was happy to get in there and make a few tackles and make a few plays and just get back in the flow of playing in the game. So it was good for me."
Q: What was it like going into a game facing an offense like the Saints?
A: "They definitely came at me and they came at me quick and that was definitely a good offense to go against coming back. I felt like I see what I need to work on. I've did some things good and I did some things bad and there are some things I need to work on. That was a good measurement going into this week."
Q: Are you healthy going into this week?
A: "Yeah I'm healthy."
Q: What do you think about the Redskins offense?
A: "Well this offense isn't going to make Jason Campbell beat you with his arm. They want him to really control the game. They're going to take their shots, so we've got to do a good job with their receivers. We can't give up any (explosive plays). Really try to manage the game well. Tackle Clinton Portis, because he's still a good back, Pro Bowl caliber back. You know they've got some weapons. They've really got some weapons out there that can really expose you if you let them."
Q: A lot of fight out there against New Orleans. Do you think that will carry over being that you guys are upset that you didn't win the game?
A: "Most definitely. One thing about this team that I realized once I got here was there is a lot of fight in this team. I think they played real hard on Monday night and I think that will carry over."
Q: No disrespect to anywhere you played, but can the atmosphere make a difference on the field on Sundays?
A: "Most definitely. I think that being home and going through what we went through the last two weeks and I think we're eager to get back on the field. We're eager to get back in that left-hand column and get a win. So I think that this defense feels like we have a lot to prove and I think that we've been doing pretty good so far, but it's time that I feel like we want to put everything together and help this team win."
Running Back Michael Turner
Q: Last week ended in a loss, but there were plenty of positives to take away from that game.
A: "Oh yeah. It was a good sign. It is just the beginning and hopefully we can keep it going. We had some nice holes out there and the line did a great job blocking. Hopefully that's just the beginning of things turning around for us."
Q: What did you think about the way the offensive line performed in New Orleans?
A: "Like I said before they were doing a great job out there Monday. You know those guys are coming together and coming along great. We cleaned some things up. We had to look at ourselves for a minute, but now we got things rolling."
Q: What do you think about the Redskins defense?
A: "We've got another tough challenge for us. Washington has been playing good defense, that's what has been keeping them in ball games. I know they want to come back off a bye and bounce back and try to get a win out here."
Q: What did you do differently against the Saints?
A: "I just noticed some things that I was doing and I just had to be more aggressive with it. Like I said, the line made some bigger holes. Not that they weren't doing that before, we just had to clean some things up and we had the right attitude out there Monday."
Q: Coach said that you were watching film of yourself from last season before Monday's game. What did you notice?A: "Just some things that I have been late on timing wise. I just had to get the schemes right and we added some new run plays too, so that helped a lot to. I just had to take a look at myself and get back to the things that I used to do."
Tight End Tony Gonzalez
Q: How good is this Redskins defense? They're 2-5 but I think that the defense is the strength of this team.
A: "Definitely, without a question. It's going to be a tough challenge for us. Hopefully we are up to it; I'm sure we will be. It's going to be good. It's going to be hard-fought."
Q: Can you kind of give us a scouting report on the defense and what they like to do?
A: "Well they're pretty solid. Obviously they've got some pretty good players. (Albert) Haynesworth is in the middle there, playing really well. London Fletcher, he's there and he's been around a long time. He makes every tackle and is always in around the ball. They've got some pretty good corners, obviously DeAngelo Hall is out there, coming back home. You know he is going to be geeked and ready to roll. But, they play pretty solid defense. It's not really like it was last week where they're blitzing all the time. They will blitz every once and a while, but they're solid and basically say 'if you think that you can score on us come with it' and teams are having a little trouble."
Q: How do you feel about where you guys are after Monday night?
A: "I feel real good about the direction that we're going. Obviously you don't want to lose two games in a row like that, but they were against some pretty good football teams and I felt like we were capable of winning both those games. Obviously I am a probably a little biased but I really do believe that we could've had it, especially on Monday night. It's one of those things that you take and you look at it and you say that you can build off this and get confidence from it and take it one game at a time. It's a home game finally and we've got to win these games at home. We especially don't want to go down three in a row, that's definitely what we don't want to do."
Q: Until Vilma tipped that ball that led to the interception, did you think it was there?
A: "I thought that I would have to go down and get it, but I've made that catch a couple of times already this year. I always feel like if it's in my area I should be able to catch it."
Q: Is there such a thing as a trap game in the NFL and if so would you consider this one?A: "Yeah there is, because sometimes guys will look at the other team's record and maybe relax a little bit, but I don't anticipate that happening to us. Our coaching staff is too good to let us go out there and relax. If they beat us it's because they played better than us. It's not going to be something where we slipped up and beat ourselves. So it's important that we don't take any team lightly because any given Sunday an opposing NFL team can beat you. It's important that we go out there and play like we always have."
Quarterback Matt Ryan
Q: Is it tougher to bounce back from a game like Monday nights?
A: "Well it's a short week there's no doubt about that, but with that said I think we've done a really good job of putting that game behind us and starting to prepare on Washington. A good defense, they've got a lot of talent and some physical players upfront, some good guys in the secondary. So the best thing for us to do is just to get out there, start practicing and start working on the next opponent."
Q: What are your observations of the film you've seen of yourself?A: "You have to be more judicious with the football. Make better decisions and that's something that I'm working on. You don't want to lose that sense of aggressiveness. You want to go out there, you want to take some chances and you want to make some plays, but I know that I've got to play better and we've got to play better as a team."
Q: Are you concerned about the interceptions?A: "No. Those things are going to happen and you're going to make some mistakes. You're going to have some plays that you wish you had back, but you have to continue to have the mindset that you have to go out there and make plays and stay confident with your abilities. I've played this game for a long time and I know that there's going to be some ups and downs, but you've got to ride it out and keep playing and do everything you can during the week to prepare. If you do those things you've got to let the chips fall where they may on Sunday."
Q: You weren't a teammate of DeAngelo Hall, but what kind of cornerback is he?
A: "DeAngelo is a great player. We faced him last year in Oakland and we're certainly aware of what he's capable of doing. He's got three interceptions on the year. He's a talented player, very athletic. I've been very impressed with him on film. He's doing a great job in Washington and we're going to have to be aware of where he is at on Sunday."
Q: What stands out to you when you look at the Redskins pass defense? Is it the rush, is it the coverage, or is it both?
A: "I think it's a combination of both. Their defense is very good. They get good rush. They've got some physical guys in the interior on the d-line with Albert Haynesworth and on the end they've got Carter who has six and a half sacks. They've been getting very good push from their front four and they're playing really good coverage. They've got some guys that can cover in the secondary. Linebackers who are veterans who are experienced in dropping into coverage and reading pass patterns. A very good defense all in all."
Q: Are you glad to be home?
A: "Always glad to be home. I love to play at the Dome. I feel like we've got a great advantage with our fans and everything they've done this year. So it's always good to be home."
Q: Do you do anything different when you have a couple of games that aren't really up to your standards?
A: "The vibe in the locker room is always different after a loss then it is after a win, but from my end it's always about staying the course. Continuing to do the same things week in and week out, trusting in your preparation, and I feel like that preparation has worked for me and I'm not going to change."
Q: Is there such thing as a trap game in the NFL?
A: "No. It's not like college. The NFL is so different than college. You don't have any trap games. I think that week in and week out everybody is so talented and games are so close. Even though records sometimes might be different games are always close, it feels like in the NFL, whether it be a touchdown or 10 points. I think this is a good football team coming in here, a really good defense, we know that and we're going to have out work cut out for us."
