Week 2 - Day After Press Conference

[Jake]

Reminder, Redskins.com is carrying the live audio feed for the "day after" press conference at 5:00 P.M.

[Jake]

Here's the transcript:

Joe Gibbs Press Conference, Sept. 20

September 20, 2004

On the defensive performance against the New York Giants on Sunday:
"I felt like we wasted some of the best efforts we have had around here. I think our defense, Marcus Washington, Cornelius Griffin, and Antonio Pierce, it's hard to picture anybody playing any better than that. I felt like we had some other guys, Ryan Clark and Sean Taylor, step up. Really defensively, particularly in the second half, our guys really got after them and played great.

On the offensive performance on Sunday:
"Offensively we played hard. But mentally you can't play like that and you can't make those kind of mistakes. We are so inconsistent over there that we make a real good play and we will come right back and throw the ball some place where we just can't throw it. We fumbled the ball and turned it over. The longest drive against us for a touchdown was 37 yards. We have to understand that somehow we have to play so much smarter than that. We have to be willing to punt the ball and take what is there. Really, we have to work extremely hard in practice because we are getting the ball out away from us and turning the ball over."

On the special teams:
"On special teams we had some guys really step it up, too. We stepped up a little on kick off coverage. In this game we had some guys say 'Hey, I am not coming out, tape it up.' Our guys kept swinging. That is the thing about our football team, we played hard all the way into the fourth quarter. We were a couple of times two or three feet away from getting away on a play that could have made a difference in the game. I would say in general we were real inconsistent on offense, turned the ball over, and did not play smart. We had some heroic efforts in there and guys tried their hearts out."

On whether Mark Brunell will be able to play next Monday:
"I think it'll be common sense. We'll see how he feels. We'll probably have a better feel on Thursday on what he can be able to do for us."

On how much of a difference he makes in games:
"I'm kind of fed up with that [topic]. Me coming back here, I am starting over. Coaches in this league have been here for 12 years doing great things. I haven't been. So, for my part I am going to work as hard as I can and do the best I can and try and get a good football team together. But, to think that a coach can make a huge difference, players make the difference. Making great plays makes a difference. I have to tell you I think everybody is more realistic than that and they are going to go off how we play. In this game we showed that if we don't play smart we are not going to win football games. There are lessons in all of that. My part is a small part of it. I think most people know that."

On if it was a positive to still have a chance to win after so many turnovers:
"I think it is a real positive that our guys kept fighting that hard. To make those kinds of mistakes and still have a chance to win I think was great. It was a real plus for us. I think our guys are laying it on the line."

On quarterback Patrick Ramsey:
"He made some plays. At times we dropped things and other things that could have made him look even better, and could have brought us back in there. I think it remains to be seen how well he is going to play in this offense. We have to see how everything goes with Mark [Brunell], but if you had to guess right now [Patrick] is going to be playing a lot this Monday. I think Patrick has everything. He just has to continue to work. I don't think you will find anybody tougher or with a better arm, and I think he is smart. We have to get all of us to play better together, including Patrick."

On what Ramsey has made the biggest strides in:
"That touchdown pass to Patrick Ramsey, that took real touch to get it over the top to Clinton. There was a small in there. He hit that pass down the field that was a real big gain for us. But if we could have just been smarter with the ball, we would have had a real good chance to win the game. I think Patrick was a part of making those plays that would have got us there."

On Ray Brown:
"Ray Brown is super-smart. He's a big man and he's played a ton in this league. He played good in there. I'm glad we got him."

On whether Kenyatta Jones will play:
"I don't know. We'll kind of leave it up to Joe Bugel."

On the Dallas Cowboys game:
"This week is going to be something probably. Monday Night...Dallas Cowboys...I don't think you have to say much more than that."

http://www.redskins.com/news/newsDetail.jsp?id=3584

[Deadskins]

I wish they had asked him about Gardner's drops.

[JansenFan]

Steve Czaban asked him on the radio and he basically said that Gardner will probably get the start, the McCants will probably still be inactive and that the whole offense stunk and not just Gardner.