SAINTS QB DREW BREES
On positives from the game:
"Well, you look at the final score, [inaudible] you know we started off the game OK offensively. You know, it felt like the execution was pretty good. We got the big run from [RB] Mark Ingram on the first third down, which is great. To come away with a touchdown and then I think maybe the second possession or third possession, I can't remember exactly, but we got the big play to [WR] Brandin Cooks. I think that tied it up at 14. Unfortunately after that there wasn't too much good to speak of. I think our execution offensively needed to be much, much better but we were not very good on third down. And I can't say that we didn't have our opportunities because we did. You know, we dropped two balls on third down, I missed a guy on third down, it's another miscommunication on third down… and we need to convert those. That's what keeps drives alive and that's what will give us opportunities to gain points and keep our defense off the field, keep them somewhat rested and play complementary football. So we didn't do that well today. We didn't, it's just not our standard. We know we can be much better in a lot of different areas. Hats off to them, they played a very good game but we got beat in all three phases. But I know there's a lot better execution from us that needs to take place in the future."
On any specific changes from the Redskins that made the game more difficult:
"I think we saw everything."
On how to not focus on the losses:
"Well, we're going into a bye week. So let's all get healthy. Let's recharge the battery, spend time with our families, get our bodies right and let's get our mind right to. Come back to make a late-season run because we have to, we have no other choice."
On the decisions to go for it on fourth down:
"Yeah, listen, we were down 30 points so I just waved them off. I said we need to go for it. So yeah, that was on me."
On if he thinks there will be any coaching changes:
"No, I don't think so. I just think we need to get healthy."
On if it puts pressure on the offense to perform well when the defense is struggling:
"No, we've just got to do our job. Offensively we are the same no matter what's going on on the other side of the ball. Whether they are scoring or not, our mindset remains the same. That is our great execution. Flawless execution is our standard. That's what we talk about, that's what we preach, that is what we expect out of ourselves. So when it is not that, it's not good enough."
On why things didn't click in all three phases today:
"Every team you play is really good, you know? You've got your game plan each and every week, and you got to execute it. Sometimes you execute better than others, we just haven't done a good job of it the past two weeks."
On how he leads his teammates to prepare for each and every game:
"First of all, the most important thing is to stick together. These are tough times and we get asked tough questions. Everyone wants to question our team, our talent and whatever else people want to question. Bottom line is we have a great team. Great group of guys, high character guys, with great leadership. Things haven't gone the way we want the past two weeks. Maybe it hasn't gone the way we envision the whole season. We are sitting here at 4-6. We thought that we would be better than that, but this book hasn't been written yet. The first half of the chapters has but not the last half. We have a lot to look forward to after the bye. I think the bye is coming at a very necessary time to get everyone healthy. We have been banged up a while now. I hope and believe we will have a lot of guys back who are integral parts of our success, both offense and defense, but more importantly as a team. Rebuild that mindset that all of the pieces are here, get back full strength and let's make a run at it."
SAINTS WR BRANDIN COOKS
On the team's mindset entering the bye week:
"We go in hungry. We go in with a mindset that this is [the] time we get healthy and get some rest and start thinking about what we have to do to get better individually and as team."
On how they come together as a unit:
"I wouldn't necessarily say come together because we are already there. Nothing separated us, good or bad, it's just a matter of coming down to look ourselves in the eye, figuring out what we have to do better and that is all it's going to be about."
SAINTS RB MARK INGRAM
On key points to take into the bye week:
"We have to do better, get healthy and everybody has to reevaluate ourselves and come out better."
On anything he wants to build on individually:
"I need to get better in all aspects – in executing, being more consistent and doing more to help us."
SAINTS TE BENJAMIN WATSON
On the offense slowing down after they were hot early:
"We didn't score points; we couldn't run the ball and had to punt the ball a couple of times. This [is] one of those games where you had to score points and we just weren't able to."
On not going into the bye week with a win:
"Of course everybody wants to go into a bye with a win. You want to win period, but you really want to go into a bye with a victory that week. Not getting a win that week, you have that bad taste in your mouth for two weeks."
On winning three straight and now losing two:
"It's definitely dispiriting when you lose all the time. It's always dispiriting when you lose. It's unfortunate because we thought we had a chance to win. Any time you lose is dispiriting but definitely when you are going into the bye."
SAINTS S KENNY VACCARO
On the loss:
"It's a tough one especially going into the bye week. You want to have momentum [to] get back to .500. The fashion we lost was a little bit embarrassing. We have to go correct our mistakes."
On the short passes that turned into big gains:
"Screens, man. We gave up a lot of yards on screens and getting people on the ground. We have to tackle better."
On if the outcome was a result of a lack of tackling or the Redskins' execution:
"Those guys get paid too. They did a good job executing the screens. We all as a whole, on those screens, it's a whole team effort. Everyone's got to get to the ball and get the guy on the ground."
SAINTS S JAIRUS BYRD
On the performance of the defense:
"That is kind of self-explanatory."
On the Redskins' offensive execution:
"We didn't make the plays we needed to make."
SAINTS CB KEENAN LEWIS
On if he is injured:
"I'm straight. I'll find out tomorrow."
On what was not working defensively:
"You have to give credit to them. They had a good game plan and they executed. No excuses, they played good."
On why it has been such a tough stretch of games:
"It goes like that sometimes. You win sometimes, you lose. It happens. It's football. It's a game."
