On how much of a challenge it is to have so many new players coming in midseason due to injuries: "That's been kind of the main thing this year, but I think that we have a good core (group) of guys that are leaders and want to win, and we have a defensive coordinator in Coach (Sean) McDermott that has done a great job of moving guys in and out at the right speed and tuning up the gameplan to counter that. I think that we have done pretty well with that so far."
On whether he thinks it is keeping them from being the defense that he envisioned when they first showed up to training camp: "Obviously when you're losing your starting guys, that only hurts, but I'm proud of the way we're doing it. We're not firing on all cylinders because we lost a lot of guys that are important to our schemes and our team, but the guys that have stepped in have done a great job so far. We can always do better but we're happy."
On how much he knows about DT Antonio Dixon: "I know we're lucky to have him because when we brought him in, I don't really watch a lot of the d-linemen, but I asked a couple of guys on the d-line what they thought of him when they brought him in and they say he's tremendous against the run. The first time we played the Redskins, part of the reason we did so well against the run was because of him. He's a run-stopper and does a great job there. We're glad to have him on the team. He's been nothing but a help for us."
On whether he talks to Dixon much: "I've talked to him a little bit. He's a funny guy. He's a happy guy. He's one of those guys that just likes to come in and help us win, so we always bring in the right kind of guys around here."
On how much they miss LB Akeem Jordan in the scheme: "Akeem, he's a play-maker, he's one of the best, most underrated linebackers in the league and it hurt not having him, but (LB) Tracy White stepped in and also we moved (LB) Will (Witherspoon) to WILL linebacker and he's done a great job there. That's how we do it. If somebody goes down the next guy has to step up."
On having seven defensive players on the team right now that didn't start the season with the Eagles and how no one seems to be whining about it: "If you're whining you're looking at it the wrong way. You have to look at it as an opportunity, especially if you are the guy stepping in, you have to look at is an opportunity to show what you can do and help the team get better. Nobody wants to be the guy that steps in and is the reason why we're not playing well. I think that's been a big help. Also, everyone else is rallying around, our coaches, our players who are injured or on the team, and making ourselves better."
On whether the defense has had to scale things back because of injuries: "I think that's a better question for Sean, but I think we still do a lot of complicated things in our scheme. I think what's helped it is communication, staying later at practice, watching film together, and doing those things. We're not as able to do some of the things that we did early in the year but we've changed it up in a way to where it's still very effective."
On the injuries that Washington has faced so far this year and what he expects out of them on Sunday: "They have had a lot of injuries but when you look at them on film you don't see that. They are playing hard and they are excited. Watching (RB Rock) Cartwright, he's been playing well. He breaks a lot of tackles and he's hungry. This is a hungry team, so we're not going to overlook them. We're going to be ready for that."
On what kind of impact CB Sheldon Brown playing through his injury had on the team: "I think it helped, not only Sheldon, but (T) Jason Peters and (FB) Leonard Weaver, (DT) Mike (Patterson), we had a lot of guys play through injuries. And when you see that as a player that's the kind of stuff that it's all about, especially this time of the year because injuries can decimate you. But, for guys that can fight through that that makes us all work even harder."
On what kind of player CB Dimitri Patterson is: "When he came in last year at the end of the season I was like, 'Man, this guy can play.' I don't know what teams do when they release guys but we always seem to get guys that can come in and play. Even (CB) Ramzee (Robinson), he's done a great job. (Patterson) can cover. He has speed. He is aggressive on the run. He can do whatever we need him to do, so I think he's doing a great job with that."
On whether facing the Redskins can be dangerous if the Eagles aren't ready this week: "They beat us twice last year, like (head coach Andy Reid) was saying, we were going up when they beat us the second time. They're not worried about anything that happened last week. They are going to look forward to trying to beat us, but we can't look past them and we can't have the mindset that they aren't going to be ready to play because they are. We are definitely excited for this game, and I want a W this week so we're going to be ready."
On whether the Redskins are playing a little less conservatively than the Bears since they have nothing to lose: "You can see that when they beat Denver when they had that fake field goal for a touchdown. I think both teams are equally dangerous. The Redskins, they can do anything at any time. Sometimes when you have injuries it makes you better as a team because you can't really key in on one person or take away one thing, so I think they are just as dangerous as they've always been."
On how difficult it is for a player to come in midseason and learn this defense and produce on the field: "I think it can be (difficult) but we always take the extra time, we communicate in the secondary, I try to help out the new guys as much as I can with any tips or whatever. With Sheldon, Sheldon is a great leader in that sense and he knows the defense and he helps out with the guys. I don't see it as being a problem so far."
On how QB Donovan McNabb has changed since Mikell first got to Philadelphia: "I think he has matured. When I came in – I think he gets a lot of blame but as a quarterback that kind of comes with the territory and he's always handled it pretty well. I think now, the way he just goes about and does his business and doesn't worry about anything else and just goes out there and produces week after week, so I think he's done great with that."
