Q: What was the biggest difference between the first and second half as far as stopping the ball?
A: The biggest difference was our front seven. Early in the first half, we were getting out of our gaps and flowing too fast to the ball and they were cutting back on us and hitting holes. We kind of slowed down in the second half, and shutting their holes up better.
Q: Is it a must-win every week from here on out?
A: Most definitely, with the way teams are playing across the league. It's pretty important that we keep winning because there are some teams up there who are doing pretty good right now. It's simple, take every week and hopefully everything works out.
Q: At this point, do you pay attention to the standings?
A: I didn't look at the standings but we pretty much kind of know. It's kind of one of those things where you just might not pay attention to it, but you know. For most of us, we go home and we might have watched the Sunday night game last night and saw the scores pop up. I mean guys know, I'm not going to say that we don't notice it, but it's not like guys to go home and go on the internet, scrambling to see who won and who didn't.
Q: With leadership on the team having been a topic of discussion, was it good to see Tuck and Osi step up yesterday? Have you always been confident in the leadership of this team?
A: Yeah, we've always had those leaders. It doesn't stop with just Justin and Osi, there are a lot of guys who are great leaders on this team, not just the defense, who show that either by expressing it in words or just how they play. Some guys don't talk much but they lead by example.
Q: When key players step up and speak out, does that have a profound effect or do we make too much of that?
A: It has an effect. It lets you know where they're coming from in a sense. When those guys speak, they speak from the heart. It's not something to be taken lightly, and that's with any of us. When one of your fellow peers steps up and tells you what he sees from us that we're not doing or what we could be doing better, guys take heed of that.
Q: What was the feeling like when you found out that Philadelphia had lost?
A: It was pretty good. That was one that we were hoping for. Our mindset was to put ourselves back in the same position when we play them again. Whoever wins that game is going to be tops in the NFC East.
Q: What have the sacks done for the defense psychologically?
A: It does a lot. That stuff is a great uplift for us in general. It means we don't have to bring more than four guys. Those guys who are getting in there and putting pressure on him, guys have their heads held high the back here.
Q: Does it concern you that the defense needs these rousing speeches to become motivated?
A: No. I think something like that is needed, and it's always need for a leader to voice his opinion and say how he feels.
Q: Can this speech carry you on a little bit longer, too, like Armstead did earlier in the season when you guys went on to win five in a row?
A: We hope so. We hope that we don't need a speech to get us going. Hopefully things will be going and we keep things on the right track and not need someone to step up and say something just to get us going.