It is exciting to win at home and win in the division. They are never easy. Every game that we have with them seems to be right down to the wire. Obviously, we have a lot of work to do, but we are very happy to win. I thought that Mario Manningham made a very nice play. I thought that I was a little disappointed in the two for two turnover deal. But Osi (Umenyiora) came back and came back strong. Made a big play in the game, obvoiously with the run. The disappointing things obviously were how quickly they scored at the end. The fact that we had the ball most of the first half, they had it all of what seemed like the third quarter. It kind of swayed back and forth like that. The drive at the end for us using up the clock ended up being big. The penalities, you have trouble now. Penalities lose games, that's all there is to it. We have to eliminate that, we have to eliminate the obvious turnovers. A divisional game, a tough, hard fought game. There's no question the Redskins are a good football team. We are very happy to win.
Q. How frustrating was the fake field goal?
A. Very frustrating, obviously. You have to give them some credit for it, at that point in the game, going for that, because obviously if we stop them, there is nothing to be gained. They got momentum out of it with the score. We talked about that at the half with the players, the fact that they had some gas in their tank after that play and rightfully so. So we gave them life and that was obviously a huge factor in the game. Our defense came out after a turnover and did a nice job of shutting them down, keeping them out of the end zone, and then to have that happen. We were in an all-out block and we are one of the better teams in the league with that -- we had three blocks last year -- so you have to give them some credit.
Q. Can you talk about Hakeem's (Nicks) injury?
A. I really don't know what it is. I do know it is a foot, don't know how serious it is, he will have all the tests, etc. He couldn't go back in.
Q. You mentioned Manningham. What did you think you got out of all your receivers?
A. We got a big play out of him and we did have opportunities, we really did. I really don't know what our percentage will be, but I am thinking it will be pretty good. We did spread the ball around. Kevin Boss had a nice play. Steve Smith had a really, really nice play to get us out of the hole there on the long drive when we occupied over six minutes there in the fourth quarter. The ball was spread around, the guys seemed to come through against a good secondary. We will take a look at the tape and see. This will be a great teaching tool for us, because obviously, all three phases played lengthy, long football. Made mistakes, did some good things, it will be a nice way for us to teach tomorrow.
Q. Coach, you talked about improving your efficiency in the red zone after last year?
A. We are still talking about, obviously, we are still talking about it. One of the things I figured one of you would ask right away, the fourth and one. With our offensive line and our back and our fullback, you've got to go for that, in my opinion. That would have been a huge factor in the game and I thought it was worth the risk. They did a good job. I will take a look at this tape. They got up underneath us on a lot of our runs, particularly the runs to the perimeter. We had a few decent plays that had substantial gains with the running game. But the consistency certainly wasn't what we were looking for.
Q. What are you reminded of what you missed with Osi out last season and what is Osi (Umenyiora) capable of when he plays like he did this afternoon?
A. Well, no doubt, we are well aware of that. We are just getting started with our rotation and I am looking forward to seeing how the pitch count went, so to speak. Both with the tackle position and the end position. It is kind of the way the game went. We didn't have a lot of rush for us for a while and then all of a sudden we got some pressure and Osi got around the edge a lot of times. They did step up and get the ball off, but you saw his quickness off the ball. What a big play he made, knocking the ball out, picking it up and getting into the end zone.
Q. It looked like things could have turned there with the Eli interception. Are you happy your defense was able to respond there?
A. Well that is another thing about the sudden change aspect of it and the power of the will. Our guys weren't feeling sorry for themselves. They didn't hang their heads, they went out there and did a great job of stopping any kind of momentum that Washington could have taken out of that particular drive. You always lament when something like that happens but we have had balls in that area of the field that have come out of there. I feel badly that the ball got tipped. They did a nice job of being real close to whatever tipped balls there were and that is a good lesson for us as well. But yes, to answer your question, that could have been a huge factor in the game right there.
Q. Eli (Manning) seems very comfortable with Mario (Manningham). How big of a leap has Mario made since last year?
A. He has been very steady in terms of the progress that he has made. There have been some little, slight setbacks in training camp, but he comes right back. You saw the ability that he has to maneuver his feet as he really stepped in and out of the tackle, stepped in and out of the sideline and then was able to accelerate to top speed to get it in the endzone.
Q. What kind of explanation did you get on Eli's fumble?
A. I better be careful what I say. There were some real questionable things. I want to look at the tape and then I'll discuss it with Mike Pereira (NFL Dir. of Officiating).
Q. Danny Ware?
A. I don't know. He did dislocate the elbow. It did go right back in, evidently. Doctor Warren put it right back in.
Q. How good was it to see you guys go up 17-0 in the first half?
A. Yes, it was, no doubt about it. I am real happy to win the game. That was a good point there, 17-0. I only wish it would have stayed there and I think, for us to be able to be the kind of offensive team that we need to be, we have to have the balance. For a while there in the second half, we didn't. The runs weren't very successful and fortunately, the passes were. As I said, there is a lot to learn from this game and we will look forward to that.
Q. Is Nicks a mid-foot sprain?
A. I don't know what it is. They talked about it on the top of the foot and talked about it in the arch. I don't know, I can't tell you what it is until I see the medical people.
Q. What about Eli's ability to spread the football around and how important of a component is that to your success?
A. I think it will be vital. It also shows that he has confidence in any number of people. I was glad to see Kevin Boss with that ball, he was probably one step away from taking that ball into the end zone. Steve Smith made a couple of great catches. Domenik (Hixon), it is just a shame because he laid out for that ball down the sideline and just couldn't quite bring it in. Nicks had a couple of plays. We were able to spread it around; the backs got involved. It is a good thing. He saw the secondary and he really did an excellent job, especially in the first when we had more continuity and more plays. Getting us in and out of plays, he actually checked to the ghost screen that was a touchdown with Mario.
Q. What do you think about more in this game, you had flashes of being good and bad?
A. I think it is that we won the game. Everybody is aware of the fact that we have a long way to go to be the kind of team we want to be. But there are some positives things that we can build on. I think everybody should notice the game Bruce Johnson played for us today. I was very proud of that young man.