Head coach Ron Rivera and members of the Washington Football Team addressed the media after their 17-15 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. Here's a look at some of their top quotes.
Ron Rivera
-- On Taylor Heinicke facing adversity:
"Well, that's a little bit about who he is, you know, he will try and force the ball every now and then. But when he settles in and gives himself a chance to make plays, he does. We were very fortunate on that drive. You know, he made a couple of good plays, good decisions, and got away with a bad one. We were fortunate enough that the ball was dropped. But, again, with him in his moment, his element, he gives you a chance and that's all we can ask."
-- On Brian Johnson's 48-yard field goal to win the game:
"No it is not where we want to start, but Brian did a nice job. He was good in all his operations as far as their two points were concerned. We got quality yards and put him in a good position where it was pretty much right down his alley. He hit that very well."
-- On limiting the Raiders' offense:
"I thought one thing is that we really mixed our coverages up and tried to disguise them and awful a lot. Credit to them to though because they were taking advantage of some things that we were doing and they were moving the ball systematically down the field. Fortunately enough for us that we would make a stop and either force the punt right around midfield or they had to kick field goals and that is one thing that helps you."
Taylor Heinicke
-- On if his experiences make him more resilient:
"Yeah, I think that's kind of something I've had, you know, all the way growing up. Whether it's high school or college it's something I feel like I've had to have just being a shorter guy. You're not the fastest, you're not the strongest. You have to have something else to you, and that something else for me is to just keep fighting until the very end. You just never know what's going to happen. And you could see it in all those guys they just kept fighting."
-- On his confidence going forward:
"Yeah it's huge. Again, we beat Tampa, we beat Carolina who had a good defense. And it was Cam's [Newton] homecoming. We beat Seattle on Monday night. So, you know, the confidence keeps building, keeps building. We practice hard all week, and we just feel good where our team's at right now. Hopefully we just keep the ball rolling."
-- On if the Raiders win feels different:
"Yeah it's huge. Again, we beat Tampa, we beat Carolina who had a good defense. And it was Cam's [Newton] homecoming. We beat Seattle on Monday night. So, you know, the confidence keeps building, keeps building. We practice hard all week, and we just feel good where our team's at right now. Hopefully we just keep the ball rolling."
Matt Ioannidis
-- On the key to slowing down the Raiders' offense:
"I think the offense did a really good job with the time of possession, which kept us off the field a lot of the time. I just feel like we played solid defense across the board with everyone just doing their 1/11 on the defense.
-- On fixing things at the bye week:
"I don't think we were ever out. I mean, obviously it looked grim on the schedule, but ultimately I think everyone in that building believes in everyone in that building. And coming out of the bye week, we did recoup, and I we're in the midst of forming an identity. It's not formed yet, but I think that's what we're leaning towards."
Brian Johnson
-- On what he was thinking during his field goal:
"On the sidelines is when I start to zone out the crowd. That's when I start to hone it in. And once I'm out there, I only tell myself, 'Know your target line.' Because from 48 [yards], I shouldn't come up short. So if it gets on the target line, you should be good. So, I just narrow it down to two things: take care of the noise on the sideline and then get the target line on the field."
-- On the mood since coming to Washington:
"For not being around it, I felt it. I felt it once I walked in. It's an awesome locker room to be in. They're probably still learning my name, but it's awesome to be here."
Antonio Gibson
-- On his workload over the past two weeks:
"Just physical running. The body gets tired, but I'm back in the treatment room tomorrow, next off day I'm in there as well. Just preparing for that next game, but it's just a workload. They trust me to do that, and I'm going to keep doing it."
-- On how he likes that the team is putting trust in him:
"You gotta love it, especially as an athlete. You want the ball in your hands, and that's what they're doing. I'm fine with that. I just gotta keep making plays, working and trusting that line, trusting the team and keep pounding."
Adam Humphries
-- On Taylor Heinicke in late game situations:
"He's a competitor, and I don't think that changes just late in the fourth quarter, but I think when we know what we got to do to get the job done, the competitive nature in him comes out and we rally behind him. It's really cool to see."
-- On what it's like to have an impact in a win:
"It's awesome. We've got playmakers all across the board, tight end, running back, receiver, and just being able to have a role, play a part in a big win like this is awesome. It'll be a great flight home, for sure."
