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1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
Final |
| Packers |
3 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
| Eagles |
0 |
7 |
17 |
7 |
31 |
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PACKERS-EAGLES POST-GAME QUOTES
Packers Head Coach Mike McCarthy
On the injury suffered by quarterback Brett Favre: "We don't have a diagnosis yet, but it was his head and a stinger. We'll know more, but I think he's going to be fine."
On how the Eagles were able to turn the momentum in the second half with big plays: "That's part of football. I really felt the second half came down to big plays. We get the turnovers, but they scored off of their turnovers. They made the big plays on offense. We had a chance to make big plays and we did not. Big plays equal points, and I thought that was a key factor in the way the game got away from us in the second half."
On whether he is concerned with the secondary giving up big plays: "Am I worried about it? We just have to keep working and we have work to do. I thought that our defense played pretty well in the first half so there's evidence that we can do and do it right. We'll continue to work to do it that way for sixty minutes."
On whether he plans to personnel changes in the secondary: "We'll evaluate everybody tomorrow. That's part of our process in going into the film. There will be no decisions made tonight."
On how the Packer defense was able keep the Philadelphia offense in check in the first half: "I just thought we adhered to our game plan. I thought our defense was physical and I thought they did a good job of swarming to the ball particularly against the run. They're a big-play offense and we made the big plays inside of the red zone early. That's what we needed to do in the second half and did not. For the most part, I thought the offense we were working on establishing the run. I thought we were running the ball physically. I thought the pass protection was good early, but once you get behind like that you're playing uphill and that's a game you don't want to play."
On the play of running back Vernand Morency: "He's a different type back than Ahman [Green}. That's part of why we traded for him. He's a good change of pace back. Once again I thought he had an opportunity tonight to touch the ball 30 plus times and I thought he competed and battled."
On whether Favre is less of a gambling quarterback in his offensive system than in the past: "As far as his gambling-ability, it's really based on him running the completion-oriented offense. I think it illustrates the way we play. We've been playing hot-sided protection and three and five-step drops, so I guess that makes him less of a gambler. But I wasn't here before, so I can't really comment on his past."
On Favre's reaction to being injured: "He just shook it off. He said he got hit in the head and he had a stinger. I don't think it's serious, but we'll know more when we get back inside."
On whether Favre got looser with the ball after the Packers fell behind in the game: "I thought he had the one poor decision - the interception late down the middle of the field. Late down the middle...you guys have heard me say it before. But I thought for the most part, he did a good job. We had a bunch of run-pass checks at the line, and he gave our receivers opportunities to make plays. I thought from a game-management standpoint, he managed the game pretty well and was trying to spread the ball around."
On whether the problems in the secondary can be corrected: "Like anything, if you've seen it done right, you have something to hold on to. I've seen this secondary, and I've seen every phase of our football team do it correctly. The problem is that we're not doing it correctly for sixty minutes. That's what I want. If I didn't think they could do it correctly, there would be a change. I've seen it with my own eyes, I've seen it in training camp, and I've seen it in pieces of the game. We didn't do it for sixty minutes, and we're just not there right now."
On the Packers' three-guard rotation on the offensive line: "We started with Tony [Moll] and Daryn [Colledge], and then we started rolling Jason [Spitz] in there at right guard. I think that's very healthy because all three of them are on a pretty even plane in regard to where they're at in their experience. We'll just keep working with that combination. All signs look like they went out there and competed, and I think they got better today."
On fullback William Henderson not traveling with the team to Philadelphia:
"William was able to stay home. He flew in today due to personal matter. He was with his newborn baby."
Packers LB Nick Barnett:
On his disappointment of the Packers play in the second half:
"It was definitely disappointing that we did not finish in the game. We had to go out and not make any mistakes and we just did not make the plays. We made some mistakes and just seem to give them the game."
On the Packers getting beat on big plays:
"We will have to watch the films and once again we have to go out and make the plays. We have to play with good technique and play better mentally. The momentum seemed to change after the Eagles scored twice. The Eagles went deep twice and they made plays and we have to be the ones that make plays. We cannot allow that. We played sound in the first half and needed to do the same in the second half."
On the play of Eagles QB McNabb:
"We need to make the plays because McNabb is the kind of player that makes plays. He will run out of the pocket and you have to be able to stop him. I will have to watch film but you hate when a team is third and 10 and makes the plays. We were able to hold them again but then we would have a mental breakdown."
On their play when they play in Philadelphia:
"I do not know what it is about this place. When we come to Philly we just have to play. Unfortunately we were not able to come in here the last couple of years and play as well. We did last year keep the game pretty close. We have just been not making enough plays here and not getting enough turnovers. We need to play better mentally."
Packers LB A.J. Hawk:
On what happened in the second half:
"Things were going well for us but then the momentum seemed to swing in their favor.It got out hand pretty quickly and I know that we will get things figured out. Regardless of how you loss it is tough but we just need to get things fixed. It is not rocket science and we have a good team and we will figure it out."
On the changes the Eagles made in the second half:
"The Eagles were able to make the plays and you have to give them credit. The Eagles are a good team and you have to give it to them and that is why they are the top of their division. They are a good veteran team and they can make the plays. We just did not play as well as we needed to."
On his frustration of the big plays in the second half:
"Sometimes this is just how it goes and this is what can make this game tough. Once the Eagles got the momentum it was tough to get it back. They made the good plays and we were not able to when we needed to. That is what it came down to."
Packers LDE Aaron Kampman:
On the play of the defense in the second half:
"It is a frustrating game and I am sick of coming to this place. We came in at halftime and we were ready to go. I do not know what happened and we have to find a way to correct it. We were prepared and we came into the game swinging. We need to continue to have takeaways and we did it in the first half and we have to be able to do it in the second half."
On the two turnovers in the first half:
"It was huge that we were able to get two turnovers in the red zone and that is a huge momentum booster when that happens. We were able to do this in the first half but we did not make the plays in the second half. We just have some things we have to work on.
On the play of the defense after they came out of the locker room at half:
"It may sound corny but they simply made the plays and we did not. On the defensive side of the ball we have up some big explosive chunks of yardage out there. We have to find a way to get that fixed and when we blitz more than four guys were are leaving the guys on the back end out to dry. If we do not get there we are leaving them out in an island."
Packers CB Ahmad Carroll:
On his play in the game:
"There were four big plays and some of them were on me. I helped to give away the momentum to the Eagles. I take this loss and put it on my shoulders because I (bleeped) excuse me. I told the secondary that I messed up I have to play better when we go in next week and play St. Louis. I know what I am accountable for and I know what I did wrong."
On if the secondary did not communicate well:
"It is not on the secondary out there tonight. I gave up the big plays and when you look at the film there is nothing to see out there-I made the mistakes. I gave up the big explosive plays and did not do what I needed to do. I gave up one of the touchdowns and it seemed to change the momentum."
On if it was technique or something else:
"I am going to just watch film and get back on the field on Wednesday and correct my mistakes and move on and be ready for St. Louis. You can put the finger on me tonight because we executed until the third quarter. Four plays cost us the game and I did not make the plays."
Packers WR Donald Driver:
On his feelings after losing the game:
"This one hurt. Just like the other ones. We left a lot of plays out there, especially on that key catch. If I catch that one, we at least get a field goal or a touchdown out of that and I basically gave that drive away."
On how much of the blame is to be put on the passing game:
"No, I guess I put the blame on myself. If I catch that one then the game changes. We had the momentum going our way and I let that one slip. It was me trying to catch with my body. I never catch with my body. I guess that's a lesson I have to learn, don't catch with your body."
On whether he thought they were still in the game going into the third quarter:
"We felt like we were still in the game. We were leading at half time. We thought we had the momentum going our way. But when you don't make those catches it shifts and at that time we missed a field goal and the momentum shifted their way."
On whether there were options left open due to the injuries in the Eagles secondary:
"Yeah. We felt like we could have taken them but we didn't make the plays we had to make and we left a lot out there. It's something that makes us all have to look at ourselves, especially me, myself - I just have to look at myself and say I didn't play well"
On whether he felt the momentum change after the missed field goal in the third quarter:
"Yeah, it just seemed like it went down hill after that. We just didn't make the plays down the field that we needed to make and that's what hurts more than anything"
On whether he thought that he had the touchdown in the back of the end zone:
"I thought I was in, but from upstairs they said I would have been out so I don't know"
Packers K Dave Rayner:
On whether he was kicking the ball well tonight:
"Yeah, field goal wise. Kick off wise I didn't think I hit the ball great. Field goal wise I had no problems. There was no wind, holds were great, snaps were great. It felt good the whole night."
On whether he proved himself in the game:
"Yeah, I obviously have a long way to go but nobody said I had kicked any long field goals in games. Monday Night Football? Pretty big game! Hit a pretty big field goal! I hoped to quiet some people down a little bit but we'll see."
Packers RB Vernand Morency:
On whether he was preparing to be the starter:
"Everyday when we go to practice I prepare as if I were the starter. If [Packers RB] Ahman [Green] was gone or not I felt comfortable and ready to go."
On what caused the fumble near the end zone:
"I was just trying to get back. I saw a hole and I tried to get there to soon and I closed the pocket."
On what QB Brett Favre had to say to him after the fumble:
"Just make sure you have two hands on the ball and those kinds of things."
On how disappointing it was to not get a touchdown with first and goal:
"It is definitely disappointing. You want to leave here with a touchdown. You want to leave here with something to move on with. And we didn't get in so it's definitely frustrating. We're going to go back to Green Bay and get things right."
On whether he thinks he can be productive in the Packers offense if he is a long term starter:
"Definitely. Like I said, I am going to go out, prepare like I'm the starter and just hold it down until Ahman comes back."
On what good comes out of the game:
"I guess just film. Film - where you can go back and correct the mistakes. I guess that's it."
On whether there were some positive moments in the game:
"All that goes to waste when you go into the locker room with a loss. So like I said the only positive thing is when you have film and you can go in and correct your mistakes."
On whether he felt the defense playing him tighter as the game went on:
"It's not really about them, it's about us. We just need to go out there and compete like we always do. And whatever coach calls we just have to go out and execute."
Packers LG Daryn Colledge:
On whether the running game was doing well:
"Yeah, we feel like it's a work in progress. We always feel like we're only a couple steps away. I think we did better tonight and hopefully we'll do better next week."
On how disappointing it is to not get a touchdown after first and goal form the one:
"We were definitely disappointed. It's a shot in the arm, especially for the offensive line. We'll see what happens on film, see where the leaks are, and make the corrections so it doesn't happen again."
On having to play from behind:
"We put ourselves in bad situations. When you have to throw the ball every down they can drop a lot of guys into coverage and make sure you can't do well. That's our fault, we did it to ourselves. We shot ourselves in the foot. We'll make the correction and we'll do better next week."
On whether head coach Mike McCarthy sees the improvement in their run game:
"Yeah, we feel like we did a lot of good things in the first half. But we put ourselves in a really bad situation in the second half and forced ourselves to play from behind and that's going to take you out of what you want to do. We did what we wanted to do in the first half. We just have to make that work for four quarters."
On whether there was frustration caused by not being able to get into the end zone:
"Yeah, there's always frustration. Especially on offense when you feel like you should be scoring touchdowns and you're kicking field goals. If we convert two of those into touchdowns it would have been a whole different game out there and the crowd would be out of it. We did it to ourselves. We had to play from behind and we had a coupled of things working, but we just didn't work the whole 60 minutes."
On what happened in the third quarter:
"Some stuff fell apart. We allowed them to get emotional again and get the crowd back into it and made ourselves play from behind. And that's not a good way to be successful."
On why the Packers couldn't get touchdowns in the red zone:
"We'll have to watch it on film. I know I made a mistake or two out there and I'm sure a couple other guys did too. Don't take anything from the Eagles, they're a great team. They did a lot of good stuff, but we think we shot ourselves in the foot tonight and we did this to ourselves."
***
Eagles Head Coach Andy Reid
Injuries:
"Lito [Sheppard], [Brian] Westbrook and [Roderick] Hood did not play. We tried Lito and Westbrook out before the game and they just couldn't do it. During the game [Donte] Stallworth tweaked his hamstring again. [Matt] McCoy got a stinger. He was able to go in and came back out at the end. Reggie Brown has a sprain of his AC joint in his shoulder."
Opening remarks:
"We started out very slow. I don't think we came out of the gates like we had in the past but the sign of a good football team is that you can buckle down and change the wrongs to rights. We did a better job in the second half. It surely wasn't flawless football but there were some good things we did in the second half. Obviously, we'll have to play better this coming week against the Dallas Cowboys. I was proud of our secondary, the corners in particular. We're a little beat up there a little bit and guys stepped in and competed against a great quarterback, a quarterback who's very hot and started off hot this game. They buckled down and competed like crazy. For out defense to hold them out of the end zone, my hat's off to them."
On the sequence of plays at the end of the first half:
"That was terrible. We did okay up to a point. We ran a fake field goal and that's my responsibility. We weren't able to see the safety back there in the safety position. I blew that one. That's my fault."
On what changed offensively in the second half:
"We were a little bit sluggish the first half. We started doing a no huddle at the end of the second half, excuse me, at the end of the first half. I thought that gave us a little boost. Greg Lewis had a heck of a game. He came in and just ran some very pretty routes in there."
On Donovan McNabb's ability to run for first downs:
"Those were big. He ran for a couple of first downs. They played a little bit of two man against us with two safeties deep and man coverage underneath. With that the quarterback has an opportunity, he's got the freedom to run there. He did that and did a good job."
On the injury to Reggie Brown:
"I don't. We'll see how he is after he sleeps on it. He's going to be sore but, we'll see."
On the injury to Dont� Stallworth:
"Well, he made it through the majority of the game. Right at the end there it tweaked on him. Again, we'll see how it is."
On whether the sluggish start was because of Brian Westbrook not being available:
"I don't think first of all that should be the reason and second of all I'm not sure that was the reason. Things weren't clicking, we dropped a couple of balls, and had a couple of fumbles. The good part about it was we started catching the football and Buck had some nice carries down the stretch there."
On Donovan McNabb's first touchdown:
"It was a called draw."
On whether Donovan McNabb's running took the steam out of the Packer defense:
"Well, I'm not going to say it broke their back but that's hard when your quarterback, he's done that before against them a couple of years back. When you think you have the team backed up there a little bit then they do a nice job with the coverage and the quarterback takes off and runs and picks up a first down. That's tough on the defense."
Commenting of the defensive performance between the 20 yard-lines:
"I thought it was too much the first half. I didn't like the way it went the first half but the second half they buckled down and got a little bit more pressure on Brett [Favre]. The first half we didn't get much pressure on him. The second half we did."
On Brian Westbrook's status:
"We'll see how it goes. Will he be ready for this week? He had that swelling in there and it never really came out. It settled down a little last night but not enough to where we could put him out there."
On Donovan McNabb taking control in the second half:
"I probably sensed it more going in at half-time. He got after the guys a little bit."
On what Donovan McNabb said at half-time:
"Pick your head up and let's go. Let's kick it into gear and he was talking to himself and to the guys which is what good leaders do. He stepped up and said, "Hey, we're going to make this thing happen in the second half."
On Donovan McNabb's ability to take advantage of the defense:
"A little bit of that was dictated by the secondary. When you play two-man, you're going to give the quarterback an opportunity to run. We recognize that and he was able to take off and get some yardage."
On whether L.J. Smith was the primary target on the second touchdown:
"Well there was but they did a pretty good job of covering it. He had the swing routes. You saw the in the flats and up the sidelines. They covered that, so he made a good decision there."
On if the team did anything to protect the cornerbacks:
"No, we really didn't. We just ran our defense and [Joselio] Hanson did a good job, what he was asked to do there. You guys know how I feel about Brett [Favre]. He's one of the best quarterbacks ever to play the game. Those receivers they have are good receivers. My hat's off to those corners for the job they did."
On if there was a concern about the secondary situation:
"Hopefully, we start getting some of these guys back. When we do that we should be okay."
On what he will tell the team about the media coverage this week:
"I'm hoping you'll tell all of the media to stay away."
On what was causing the swelling in Brian Westbrook's knee:
"Well, it may be a couple of things. I'm not going to get into all of those things. There's an irritation in there. It probably stems from the bone bruise that he had."
Eagles QB Donovan McNabb
On rushing for two touchdowns:
"I looked up on some of the highlights and I saw Peyton Manning score, so I had to outdo him."
On the turnovers in the red zone:
"We left a lot of points out there on the field. Anytime you get in the red zone, that's not us to turn the ball over or not come out with points. To sustain a great drive and get down there and end it off that was is just not us. To get down there before the half, I tried to get the ball away and just wasn't able to. I just protected the ball and was hoping we were in good field position to get a field goal or something. You just try to find a way to eliminate the sacks or eliminate the turnovers to come out with points. We left a lot of points out there on the field today."
On the difference between the first and second half of the game:
"There were opportunities at the start of the second half that we just didn't capitalize on. If it was a throw, or whatever it may be, I put all the pressure on my shoulders because I have to make some better throws. There were opportunities to do other things. I think the good thing about it is that we were able to get the first downs to get a drive to put ourselves in position in the second half. But, like I said, we left too many points on the field. We all just have to be critical of ourselves and watch the film and come out next week."
On connecting with WR Greg Lewis:
"Knowing that they were going to play a lot of man coverage, the mindset was 'touchdown to check down.' I guess that's an old clich� that coaches use, but in this situation that's what we had to go by. Greg Lewis came in and was able to get a little separation on the first touchdown. On the second touchdown, he came across the field when they were in man coverage and they just lost him. I just tried to put it in position where he can catch and pick up yards. He did a great job of making a move and getting in the end zone. Plays like that from guys like Greg and Hank [Baskett], to come in and make plays when they're rotating in is big for us. Reggie [Brown] and Dont� [Stallworth] are going to make plays, but it's important that the guys that rotate in be able to play a major part in that as well."
On the last time a QB draw play was called for him:
"There were opportunities last year. I just wasn't able to move as fast. I was pretty much hurt the whole year and wasn't able to move as fast. But, we've been calling it a little bit. Today we called it knowing that they were going to be playing a little man coverage and no one was going to guard me. It was a great call. I just tried to get in the end zone. There were opportunities again in the pass game. We just tried to pick up yards and we were able to get first downs."
When asked whether his two rushing touchdowns were a result of his offseason workout:
"(Jokingly) that's exactly why I did come aerobics, a little pilates, and some other things. I was representing the men. That's exactly why I was prepared today."
On what he said to the team during halftime:
"I said some things that got us fired up."
On Greg Lewis:
"Greg has always been a guy who you can get the ball to and he can make a play for us. You know that Greg is going to do that for you. But Greg has taken on the leadership role because he is pretty much the oldest guy at that position, he and Dont� . He has that experience. Knowing where to sit in zones, when it's man, and where I'm going to place the ball for him. He did an excellent job of getting separation on that go ball. I just tried to put it up there so he could compete for it. It looked good from the outside, but he did a great job. It was all Greg Lewis. It was good to see that he had a great game today."
On whether the team would struggle against Dallas if they played the way they did in the first half:
"I'm not taking anything away from Green Bay. They did a good job of covering. But we all know Dallas has a tough defense. They're going to play a lot of man. They feel confident in their corners. So it's going to be a challenge for us. I think the most important thing for us is to focus on the mistakes we made in this game and try to come out next week eliminate that."
On the feeling he had at halftime:
"We left a lot of points on the field. Mistakes just killed us. On the offensive side, the opportunities were there for us to score touchdowns, not just field goals, but touchdowns. I felt that we as a unit weren't all on the same page. If it was offense, defense, or special teams, we all needed to pick it up, including myself. In order for anyone to say what's on their mind, they have to be able to establish the fact that they're not playing as well as they want to as well. I did that and tried to uplift the spirits of everybody to come out in the second half and make a change."
On RB Brian Westbrook not playing in tonight's game:
"I thought he was going to play. I saw him at the hotel yesterday. He didn't say anything about it. I had treatment today and I thought he was going to play. I didn't find out until I came in and got dressed to go out and warm up that he wasn't going to be able to play. I talked to him a little bit and told him I'd take care of it and everything would be fine. Just get back healthy for next week."
On whether the absence of Brian Westbrook had any effect on the first half:
"I don't think it had any effect on the first or second half. But anytime you lose a weapon, it's not a bonus for our team. I'm sure it's a bonus for them. But, guys just have to step up and take on the challenge of doing something extra. That's something we prepared ourselves for throughout the offseason at minicamp and training camp, to be ready for that and to step up for the challenge. In this game, the guys that people least expected to make plays made big plays for us today. That's what - in a total team effort - you're supposed to do. Guys that are rotating in may have 10, 15, 20 plays a game, but there are about two or three plays that they made in that game to sustain drives or come out with points. Greg Lewis and Hank Baskett did that. Ryan Moats came in and did a great job for us. It was important for guys in the offense to step up today."
On his thoughts of the upcoming Dallas game:
"It's a division game. We need it. We look forward to the challenge. Anything else, I personally don't care."
Eagles FS Brian Dawkins
On the team stepping up in the 2nd half and feeding off one another:
"Offensively we shot ourselves in the foot as the old saying goes, as far as the fumbles go. They were moving the ball excellently. Defensively, we just had to get off the field. We let them get a couple drives on us and [we] gave up those field goals in the second half we just talked at half time, and Jim [Johnson] made a couple corrections we talked about what we needed to do in the second half and we went out and did it."
On CB Joselio Hanson:
"The thing about Hans is, what he did today is what he does in practice all the time. Makes plays on the ball, breaks balls up, intercepts the ball and the thing that I talk to him about is to just relax. Just go out there and play your game, and that's what he did. When he plays his game, when he relaxes without thinking about where he has to be, or if I mess up what's going to happen? That positive vibe he gives us what we need from him and his making those plays tonight."
Are you surprised about CB Joselio Hanson not getting called for a flag tonight?
"Yep, yep, I was very happy the ref kept his hands in his pocket."
On CB Joselio Hanson's play:
"I'm telling you, that's what we see all the time in practice from him. Even in camp...the reason why he made this team is because of his playmaking abilities, making plays on the ball and you saw that even in preseason. So once we got him comfortable and let him know that we believed in him, he's going to continue to do what he did tonight."
How much did you see QB Donovan McNabb start to take over the game?
"Well that's what people have been talking about with him. When is he going to run the ball? When the opportunity presents itself, he knows what to do, and he did it tonight. On that long drive they [Philadelphia offense] had in the 3rd quarter, those two 3rd downs, he did what Donovan does. Surveyed the field, nobody's open, big hole in front of him...I'm going to take it. For a guy that goes against him, if I'm a defensive player and we have coverage that good and a quarterback scrambles for the first time, that's demoralizing. You are fatigued as it is and then he scrambles for a touchdown, not a touchdown...a first down and gives them a fresh set of downs, and then a long drive at that, but that's what we expect from Donovan and he knows that."
What did QB Donovan McNabb say and what was his attitude at Halftime?
"Well he basically said what I said earlier. We shot ourselves in the foot offensively. We know what we can do as far as moving the ball and spreading the ball around. He just basically said what they [Philadelphia offense] were going to do the second half and what they [Philadelphia offense] were going to do is what he said."
How do the veterans keep the younger guys focused in this short week which will become a media circus with Dallas coming up?
"Well we just have to let those guys follow our lead on how we do things. The media so-called circus is nothing that we haven't seen before, because I guess we have gone to a couple playoff runs and Super Bowl, so you know there are a lot of media around those events also, so it's nothing that a lot of us have not faced before. So we know what to expect and those young guys just follow the lead."
What are your initial thoughts about playing Dallas and WR Terrell Owens?
"It's going to be a big game for us...NFC East; we're 0-1 right now and we don't want to fall in the hole. We are trying to take care of the house, and you know people in Philadelphia do not like Dallas. They never have and they never will. So that being said, it's going to be an exciting game, but as far as the T.O. thing, once the first series is over with, a couple of hits been given, it's going to be a football game and we are going to play football."
How much does this upcoming game decide the season for the Philadelphia Eagles, since you have yet to win a Divisional game?
"I don't know if it is going to define the whole season if we win or lose this game? But it is a very important game for us because like I said you don't want to dig yourself too big of a hole to try to climb out of and then we lost the game against the [New York] Giants that we all know we should have won. As a team that did not win a game last year in the NFC East, you want to get back on the winning side of things in your division."
How do you feel the secondary will perform against the Dallas offense?
"Well hopefully we will get some of the guys back, I don't know about all of them, but hopefully we will at least get CB Lito Shepard back. That in itself will give us an excellent chance of doing what we do and that's blitzing, and having Jim [Johnson] call whatever he wants to call at anytime. As far as TE Jason Witten, he's one of the best tight ends in the game right now, and he's had a couple of good games against us, and that at some point might be my responsibility and I'm looking forward to it."
Eagles LB Jeremiah Trotter
On why things turned around for the defense in the second half:
"We started making plays on the ball. We got two big turnovers and the offense was able to punch it in."
On why it took the team a little while to get into the game:
"It didn't take us a while to get into it. They were just making some plays. [QB] Brett Favre came out and got rid of the ball quickly. When you do that, you are going to be successful, but I just told the team at the half, that if we continued to play hard, sooner or later he's going to throw us one and in the second half, he did."
On what he said to the team at the half:
"There was not much talk, but we felt that they gave us their best shot in the first half and they were only up a couple of points. So, we were confident that if we came out in the second half and played our style of football, we would win the game."
On whether he noticed that DT LeJuan Ramsey ran the wrong way after his interception:
"Yeah, I have to get on him for that."
On the pressure the defensive line was able to get on QB Brett Favre:
"Like I said before, when you are getting the ball out that quickly - he knew coming into the game that we were leading the league in sacks - he got a young O-line, so he was trying to get rid of the ball quick. That is how he plays. He does not like to hold onto the rock. We were making plays on the ball, especially in the second half and when you continue to do that, you get big turnovers."
On how the team will keep focused with all the media attention surrounding the return of Cowboys WR Terrell Owens:
"Listen, if you can't stay focused for the Dallas Cowboys, you are not going to get focused. As soon as this game was over, we were in the locker room talking about Dallas coming to town. We are excited and ready to play right now."
On what QB Donovan McNabb said to the team at the half:
"He didn't say anything. I don't think that anything needed to be said. We knew we needed to come out and start playing the way we play, not getting stupid penalties and turning the ball over. We knew we needed to create some turnovers on defense."
On whether this was a statement game for McNabb, going into a game against Terrell Owens:
"This was a big statement. We knew that going in. When you are a quarterback, you are automatically a leader. Donovan is not only the leader; he is the playmaker on the field. He's the guy that touches the ball every time. He makes it happen on offense. He has been playing well all season. That does not surprise us."
On how he thinks the secondary played tonight:
"I thought they did a great job. Guys came in and stepped up. Obviously, [FS] Brian Dawkins and [SS] Michael Lewis came up with some big hits and when you are running around hitting people like that, I think those receivers were a little reluctant about catching every pass. The young corners did a very good job today."
On how the team will handle the arrival of Terrell Owens:
"To us it's another game. Obviously, it's big, because we are playing the Cowboys, but we are not playing Terrell Owens. We are excited, every time you play the Cowboys; you are going to get fired up. It's going to be a big game, a lot of hype surrounding it, but I don't think a lot of guys will be watching TV this week. It's a short week, so we will have our noses in the playbooks and getting ready to play."
Eagles SS Michael Lewis:
On his interception:
"It was a bit of a broken play. [Packers QB] Brett Favre was spinning around and he saw the tight end deep. We were in man-2 and I saw the tight end as well, and I knew he was going to try to get it in there and I just broke in front of him."
On keeping the Packers out of the end zone:
"That was crucial, man. We pride ourselves once we get in the red zone to keep them out of the end zone and just give up three points. There were just some huge stands down there."
Eagles DT LaJuan Ramsey:
On the fact that he looked like he didn't know where he was going after his interception:
"(Jokingly) I wasn't trying to run to the opposite end zone. I was trying to make a big play."
On the fact that he had penetration on his interception play:
"Yeah, I did. I was just going for the ball and the ball fell right into my hands."
On when his last interception was:
"(Jokingly) A couple of minutes ago. [That was] my first ever."
On what happened when he saw the ball tipped in front of him:
"I was just trying to rush the passer and my teammate, [DE] Jerome McDougle, tipped the ball up and I just hustled to it and made a play."
Eagles Defensive coordinator Jim Johnson:
On whether it was nice to see the job get done without CB Lito Sheppard and CB Rod Hood:
"It was nice for those guys' confidence levels. [CB Joselio] Hanson, he got a chance to show he could play in the NFL. [CB] Dexter [Wynn] did quite a good job. We helped them quite a bit, too. But, overall I was pleased."
Eagles CB Sheldon Brown:
On how the young guys in the secondary played tonight:
"Like I've always said, when the scouting department make decisions on the roster, the guys that make the team are on the team for a reason. When we gave up big plays, it's not physical; it's all mental. There's no excuse for not being mentally sound, but when you don't get all the reps in practice, things happen. Obviously, we were all mentally sound tonight and we didn't give up the big plays."
On what the message was for the second half when they were trailing at half time:
"Pick it up. We have a motto as a team, we all have to stick together and we're all in this thing together at the end of the day."
On whether he is the one leading the young guys in the secondary right now:
"Both guys know what they're doing. They get all the reps in practice. If they have any questions, we go over it the night before the game. If you don't know when you get in this stadium, you're not going to know. So, the best thing for you to do is understand your job before you get on that football field, especially at home. The crowd is great."
On the fact that he moved to the left side sometimes tonight:
"Tonight I was following [Packers WR Donald] Driver."
Eagles DT Mike Patterson:
On whether it seemed like LaJuan Ramsey knew where he was going after his interception:
"(Jokingly) At first, it didn't. But, he knew. He was starting to make that turn to go back up field."
On whether Ramsey ran one guy over on the return:
"Yeah, he did. He's got some good speed, and he was just trying to get around. He knew what he was doing though."
On whether it was good to hold the lead this week:
"The offense came back out and did a great job. They were scoring touchdowns and helping us out, giving us motivation. Everything just worked out. We were out there getting some pressure and some stops, and it just worked out in our hands."
Eagles TE L.J Smith:
On how the team was feeling at halftime being in a close game:
"It was a little different, but we knew that we were just killing ourselves. It was obvious. Turnovers, penalties, we just weren't focused on offense. I tell people all the time, really, we can only stop ourselves. And we did that in the first half. Then we came back out, got refocused, got some big plays, got the run game going and after we got the run game going a little bit everything kind of fell in place."
***
Packers Injury Updates:
WR Robert Ferguson left the game in the 2nd quarter with a rib injury. After returning to the game, Ferguson then suffered a foot injury in the fourth quarter. He will not return.
(2nd quarter) WR Donald Driver had the wind knocked out of him. He will return.
(2nd quarter) TE Donald Lee left the game with a knee injury. His return is questionable.
***
Packers Game Notes
-Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila sacked Donovan McNabb on third down to end the Eagles initial possession. The sack pushed "KGB" past the 60-sack plateau, making him just the second in franchise history to reach the landmark. Gbaja-Biamila (60 1/2) now trails Hall of Famer and franchise leader Reggie White (68 1/2) by just eight sacks.
-Donovan McNabb became the 32nd quarterback Gbaja-Biamila has sacked in his seven NFL seasons.
-Nick Barnett notched his sixth career fumble recovery, pouncing on a Correll Buckhalter fumble to halt an ominous Eagles drive inside the Packers' 5-yard line. The Green Bay linebacker now has personally handled 12 takeaways, including his six career interceptions.
-Charles Woodson now has 16 career forced fumbles, including his strip tonight of Correll Buckhalter, also inside the Packers' 5.
-Dave Rayner's 54-yard field goal in the 2nd quarter ties a Packers record. Two Packers have connected from that distance: Ryan Longwell in 2001 and Chris Jacke in 1994.
***
The Packers won the coin toss and elected to receive.
Weather at kickoff: 64 degrees, partly cloudy.
***
The following Packers players are inactive for tonight's game:
7 Ingle Martin (3rd QB)
26 Charlie Peprah
27 Will Blackmon
30 Ahman Green
64 Tony Palmer
82 Ruvell Martin
93 Johnny Jolly
97 Kenderick Allen
99 Corey Williams starts at LDT for 77 Cullen Jenkins.
73 Daryn Colledge starts at LG for 72 Jason Spitz.
34 Vernand Morency starts at RB for 30 Ahman Green.
40 Brandon Miree starts at FB for 33 William Henderson.
***
The following Eagles players are inactive for tonight's game:
14 A.J. Feeley (3rd QB)
26 Lito Sheppard
29 Roderick Hood
36 Brian Westbrook
62 Max Jean-Gilles
68 Pat McCoy
74 Winston Justice
91 Sam Rayburn
28 Correll Buckhalter starts at RB for 36 Brian Westbrook.
22 Joselio Hanson starts at RCB for 26 Lito Sheppard. |
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Shopko Kickoff Kid promotion
Packer fans 12 and under can win the opportunity of a lifetime: Packers Honorary Kickoff Kid! One lucky fan will be selected for each 2006 home game to run onto the field after the Packers first kickoff to retrieve the tee. Each winner will receive the opportunity to be on the field during pre-game warm-ups, four (4) game tickets for the winner and his/her family, and a Packers Goodie Bag. Visit participating Shopko stores for your chance to win! |
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Crunch Time Catch
The Crunch Time Catch presented by Copps and Pick 'n Save gives two contestants the chance to show their skills catching punts. Both contestants will attempt to catch a thirty yard punt. If they succeed they move on to a sixty yard punt for the chance to win Packer prizes. |
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Nicolet Water Boy/Girl Sweepstakes
Win a chance to be the Official Water Boy/Girl of the Green Bay Packers. Children between the ages of 8 and 14 may enter by sending in an official entry form available at participating retailers. |
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Verizon Jr. Captain
For every home game one lucky Packers fan between the ages of 7 and 14 is selected to be the Verizon Jr. Captain of the game and join the team captains on the field during the coin toss. Sign up at participating Verizon Wireless locations. verizonwireless.com |
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Badger Mutual Family of the Game
Seventh-graders in the state of Wisconsin are eligible to enter an essay contest to see their family named the Badger Mutual Insurance Family of the Game. Winners will receive four game tickets, pre-game VIP on-field passes, recognition on the video board during the game and much more. To enter, Wisconsin seventh-graders should write an essay of 500 words or less that tells "Why Education Is Important to Me." Print out a registration form on packers.com. |
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Kohl's Fan of the Game
Four randomly selected fans will be selected at every Packer home game to win Kohl's Gift Cards. |
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Coldwell Banker "Take it to the House"
Two lucky couples will have a chance to win a house courtesy of Coldwell Banker during halftime at every home game. The winning couple will receive either an Ariens snow blower or an Ariens lawnmower. Visit one of Coldwell Banker's Open Houses to sign up! |
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Kraft Best Seats in the House Sweepstakes
Watch the game from the "Best Seats in the House". Winners and a guest will watch the game from recliners in the stands. The area will also include a color TV and a fully catered picnic lunch. Entry forms available at participating retailers. |
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MasterCard Fan Photographer
All Associated Bank customers who make a signature-based transaction will automatically be entered into the sweepstakes. You and a guest will receive passes to be on the field for the Packers warm-up to take pictures that will be posted on Packers.com. |
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Miller Lite End Zone
Watch for Miller promotions throughout the season for a chance to be part of this exciting section. |
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Packers Dress Your Pet Contest
If your favorite pet likes to show his/her Packers spirit, send us a picture and see if he/she becomes a Packers Dress Your Pet winner.
Your pet could win the chance to debut their Packers pride on the Packers in-stadium TundraVision video board in addition to Packers.com, along with a Packers pet food bowl, pet leash and pet collar! |
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Packers Ultimate Playhouse
The Green Bay Packers have partnered with Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, MasterFoods and Ashley Furniture to raffle off a 10'x10' playhouse which includes a couch, flat screen TV, Packers recliner and Packers memorabilia. Raffle tickets, priced at $1, will be available all season long at the house in the Atrium on game days and in the Packers Pro Shop on non-game days. A winner will be selected Feb. 16, 2007. Proceeds from the raffle will benefit Habitat for Humanity projects in northeastern Wisconsin. |
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