News

On how tough it is as a coach to have uncertainty with your future: "As a competitor, you want to never deal with losing. You try to move on, learn from (last) week. You just take it week-by-week and game-by-game. Right now, we’re just looking forward to the Giants."

On why he believes there wasn’t a noticeable difference in the play of the defense following the midseason change in defensive coordinators: "You can’t go into that early on. I don’t know if it would have been noticeable to begin with. We were playing pretty good at that time and to make tweaks and changes in one week or two weeks or even three would be kind of difficult. But we have to coach the game; we have to play the game. Not much is going to change regardless. We just have to play better as a defense."

On whether one player has stood out in terms of improvement since the beginning of his time as defensive coordinator: "I thought (DE) Brandon Graham’s been coming along well. He’s been getting better every week and, lately, he’s been playing like a full-time starter and the pick that he deserved to be a couple years ago."

On what he has seen from LB DeMeco Ryans: "I think DeMeco’s just a good football player. He’s steady, he’s solid, he’s sound. He does a lot of intangible things that don’t show up in the stat sheet, as far as lining guys up and taking blocks on and getting in gaps. He’s been solid. He’s been everything we expected of him."

On whether Ryans has shown he can be an every-down linebacker: "He has been an every-down linebacker. I think his injuries had a lot to do with some of that stuff. With him now being healthy, he’s been able to show what kind of football player he is."

On what he believes he has gained from coming to Philadelphia this season: "You gain experience regardless of where you go. I’ve learned a ton of football from (head coach Andy) Reid. I’ve learned a ton about treating people, about management. I’ve learned a ton from my players. I’ve learned different personalities. I’ve learned different schemes. I’ve learned different parts of the game, as far as people and how to use them and different pieces.

"I’ve learned a lot from (former defensive line coach Jim Washburn), (defensive line coach Tommy) Brasher, as well as (linebackers coach Mike) Caldwell and (secondary/safeties coach Michael) Zordich. Just going against (offensive coordinator Marty) Mornhinweg every day at practice, you learn a lot. So, you kind of file things away and you take things that are good and I’ve learned a lot of good things from these people."

On his impressions of CB Curtis Marsh and his thoughts on him as a potential starter: "I think Curtis started out the year fine. He had a good camp and I think going into the year, some of the mental things may have caught up with him a little bit and just piecing it all together as a football player. Physically and mentally, he has all the tools. He just has to put it together."

On whether he wishes he had started LB Mychal Kendricks on the weakside earlier in the season: "No, I think he was playing well at the SAM side earlier. But as the season goes and people start game planning you, then you have to adjust accordingly."

On what he sees for CB Brandon Boykin’s future: "I think Boykin has a bright future. I believe he can play outside. It’s tough for the shorter corners nowadays with the receivers being so big. Nickel, he’s been doing a great job at. He’s just got two guys outside that he’s learned from and I think once he works on his fundamentals and his footwork, which he knows we get on him about every day, I think he’ll be fine."

On his overall impression of the upside of the defensive side of the ball: "It’s a young team and you can only get experience by playing and a lot of those guys have played this year and they have to continue to play more. But they have a great upside."

On the decision to have DT Derek Landri fill in for DT Fletcher Cox instead of DT Cedric Thornton: "Landri’s played on the right. Thornton’s played on the left. Although they’re the same position, they’re very different. One’s a one-technique, one’s a three. Landri’s been at that spot for a while and he’s been solid and sound. Thornton will play, but his special side is the left side and Landri’s is the right."

On how he would evaluate DT Fletcher Cox’s rookie season: "I think it’s been steady. It hasn’t been superstar status, so to speak, but I thought he’s gotten better every week and he’s learned different things on the d-line that he hadn’t had to do in college and I thought that set him back like it would set back any rookie. But I thought before he got the concussion, the past two or three weeks he was coming into his own."

On how he thought Cox handled the pressure of being a first-round pick along with several tragedies in his family this season: "Outwardly, I think he did a good job. It’s tough when people start passing away in your family. You just graduated from college and you start losing people one by one. To finish up the year being as far away from home as he has, I thought he did a good job."

On whether Boykin’s size is a concern on the outside matching up against bigger receivers: "Again, that’s by game plan. You don’t want him out there against the 6-5 and 6-6 guys all the time, especially in the red zone. But there are a lot of guys playing out there like that and he does have the ability to do that."

On how much DE Vinny Curry has shown him since he started playing: "I think Vinny just (needs to keep) working on fundamentals and technique and not just getting off the ball and just going after the quarterback. Just reading assignments and reading keys and playing assignment football and then applying that with what he already has and I think he’ll be okay."

On whether it was frustrating being unable to slow the Redskins offense in the middle of the field: "I thought we did okay for the most part. That’s their game plan. (Washington QB Robert Griffin III) throws over the middle of the field no matter who he faces every week. The caveat is they can run the ball as well, so when they play-action you and run the ball outside and then give it to the running back so many times, you have to try to gamble and take away one or the other. We saw what was coming. We knew what was coming for the most part. I thought we didn’t give up the big one like we did the first time (that) we played them, just busted coverage. But they’re a tough team. They’re a tough team."

On whether he is surprised that so many rookie quarterbacks have been successful this season: "No, I haven’t really seen too many of them live. I’ve seen the highlights of them, but a lot of them (were) coming out (and) a lot of teams needed quarterbacks. They’re playing well."