On what he said to the team before the tying drive: "I can't do that. That wouldn't go well in the paper. You know, I think really when you reflect on what happened in the third quarter it was mainly miscues, mistakes and just making sure we were all on the same page. I thought our receivers did a great job of just trying to create separation and if it was just one half second or whatever it may be, just making sure the offensive line was on the same page and at times I thought there were plays that we should have made that either maybe I could have brought the ball in a little bit more or we dropped the ball. But you know what, it's not really how you start, it's how you finish. And I thought this team really came together and was able to pull it out the way it was supposed to be done and the guys stepped up and made big plays for us."
On whether he feels the need to speak up in the huddle with so many rookies and younger players on the team: "Well I'm kind of the lone wolf a little bit and when you have rookies, you have young guys as well as first-year guys, you have to do that. And it's my job to do that and I take pride it in. But the thing about it is guys really stepped up to the challenge. You got (FB) Leonard Weaver picking up big yards for us, (RB LeSean) McCoy, he just continues to progress each week, gaining more confidence and things. And (WR Jeremy) Maclin with great catches down towards the end and you can't forget about the (WR) Jason Avant's and the (WR) Reggie Brown's and the roles that they play, and the (TE) Brent Celek's, but it's just a total team effort today and guys really took on the challenge of trying to make that big play to help us win."
On whether he used foul language to fire up his team before the tying drive: "No, I wouldn't do that. We don't do that in football. It's just, you got to try to get your point across. And there's nothing that's soft-spoken on the sideline. You say what you have to say and everybody understands and you move on."
On his different demeanor after the San Diego game last week: "When you have a talented team like we have, every now and then you have to bring that nasty attitude out and if it's a spark by me by what I say, or just maybe my play or even just me being there, that's what I look forward to doing. And when you look across the board, yes, they are young. But I think they played enough games where they understand how to prepare and what to expect. When (WR) DeSean (Jackson) went down, I thought Reggie Brown did a great job of stepping in and doing a wonderful job blocking. He didn't get many opportunities to catch the ball, but he never complained and he just tried to do what he had to do to win the game. Jason Avant stepped up and made great plays for us in the second half, Maclin with a great catch down the sideline and the list goes on. But you know what, every week it's going to be somebody different. You just got to make sure they're prepared and ready."
On his pass to Jeremy Maclin down the sideline of 3rd and 5: "The one thing that I tried to express to guys, just try to display during the season was: I'm going to give you an opportunity to make a play. Now, you have to make that play and if you can't, knock it down and give us another opportunity to come back. I read the single high safety and one-on-one. He did an excellent job of getting off press coverage and for me, it was just making sure to get back for five and get the ball in position where he could compete and I thought he did a great job with late hands and not showing that the ball was coming in his direction, catching and securing the ball and getting the first down."
On LeSean McCoy's run off the shovel pass: "I didn't think he was down at all. That was just a great single effort of taking the hit, putting his hand down and still staying low and being able to get enough power to go forward into the end zone. Like I said, he just continues to impress and he progresses every week. I'm sure he'll tell you himself that he's not where he wants to be and it's going to take time. He's going to, at some point, hit a wall where it's still going to be a learning experience for him. During the game, he may miss a hole or try to do too much and then you got to kind of get in his ear and he'll be right back to where he needs to be."
On going to Avant twice during the tying drive: "Jason is a big-time player. He's a big-time player and on the first down, it was one-on-one with him and 20 (CB Justin Tryon), and again it's putting the ball in a position where they can compete for it. He had his hands on it, tried to bring it down and the guy knocked it out of his hands. Then what I tried to do was just go right back to him because that's what the defense showed and he secured a catch, got big yards for us and what that did was that got things going. You always need that now and again that goes back to giving them an opportunity to make a play. They make a play and then everybody else is looking for their opportunity."
On going up to Jason Avant first right after the game and the bond that they share: "Well Jason and I, like I said, we've been here for a while and our communication is a little bit different. I just commend him on a great effort today. I mean a guy that gets two or three straight catches and gets flipped on his back. He's laying there and he wants to stay in the game. He goes out for a play and he comes right back. That's just showing great effort and the guys trust him in certain situations and I do as well."
On his concern for WR DeSean Jackson's concussion: "Well, you're concerned for every player or individual who goes through a concussion, having migraines, whatever it may be. I'm not a doctor, I don't know much about it. All I know is that it takes time. Just kind of when you feel like you're all right, sometimes you're not and you just want to make sure that he's doing the right thing, you support what the doctors tell him and see what happens."
On how difficult it would be if Jackson could not play next week: "Again, the other guys would have to step up. We have some guys that can make plays for us and you just want to give them opportunities to do that. Obviously, he's a big-time talent and a guy that has just kind of came into his own this year. We just want to spread it around and give guys opportunities to make plays for us."
On having two back-to-back 4th quarter comebacks: "It provides confidence, but we knew that we could do it, it was just kinda getting it done. For us to do it in back-to-back weeks, you want to stay away from that situation and make sure you secure the win earlier. But, I mean, when you play two teams like the (Chicago) Bears and Washington, you know it's going to be a dog fight. These guys are working hard as well with the opportunity and the guy stepping up and making big plays and the run game and pass game, you just want to make sure you're secured down there. Again, was great single efforts by a lot of different guys. They are the ones that deserve the credit for it."
On what he learned from developing WR DeSean Jackson last year and how it has affected how he has worked with WR Jeremy Maclin this year: "Well they are very similar in so many ways. They are two confident individuals. Two individuals that you want to find ways to get the ball in their hands. I think, for DeSean—the way we handled DeSean, trying to work him in slowly but all the sudden he had to get into the starting role early because of injury—I think that really helped us in so many ways in trying to prepare for Maclin. The way Maclin was kind of brought in, obviously the same way as DeSean—through injury—he really just kind of took on the challenge and just rolled with it. The way that I tried to express to those guys is that take every practice and every film room very seriously because you'll be prepared going out into the game and you'll have an opportunity to do what you kind of are capable of doing. They are very great athletes. They are guys with great hands and they do a great job after the catch and it showed today by what Maclin was able to do."
On if he was shocked by the opening on-side kick: "Very surprised. Knew about it a little bit. We won the toss, you thought we would take the ball. Maybe it's just a miscue, I don't know, but we were able to overcome it. Don't know how many times we'll be able to do that. But we won, that's the most important thing."
On how and why his trust with WR Jason Avant has developed over the years: "Maybe it's because he's from Chicago. I think when you have 'it', so to speak--and not everybody has 'it', and we have a group of guys who have 'it'--you want to kind of build that chemistry with them. We built that chemistry with DeSean, working and building that chemistry Maclin, built the chemistry with TE Brent Celek. I've been working with Jason Avant over the years now. When you have a guy like that, he's a guy you have to have on your team because he's a vocal leader and he's a leader by example. And he makes big plays for us. I think that teams know, come second and median or third and long, or third and short, you gotta find out where 81 is."
On his definition of 'it': "Having a knack for big play ability. When the ball is in his hands, it could be an explosive play. And an individual who, no matter where he is lined up, you have to focus on because if he gets the ball in his hands, he can either make you miss, he can run through a tackle, and he can turn a ten yard reception into a about 20, 25, 30."
