Running Back LeSean McCoy
On whether he thought he carried the team on his back today:
MCCOY: Not just me. Just like I said before, the guys up front, myself and the guys in the backfield we had to get it done. I feel like last week we didn't have a chance to and I feel like we could have. I made sure this game, not knowing how the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys game went, knowing they won this game really mattered, but it is the same attitude, same mind frame. Just go in there and dominate and that is what the guys did up front.
On whether he was able to focus after the Dallas Cowboys game today:
MCCOY: You prepare so hard through the whole week. The whole preparation was to come in here and dominate, running the ball, throwing the ball, executing, being effective on third downs. It wasn't really just if they won or not. We had a job to do and we came in here and did that and now we focus on Dallas. That is the next step, that is the next team. We have to go through there to fulfill our dreams and goals.
On whether he thinks his first run of 19 yards set the tone for the game:
MCCOY: I think so, yeah. Just knowing the type of game we had to win and just how everything we watch on tape in preparation, we knew we could run the ball. I think we just played our game. We played our game from running the ball, fast tempo, converting on third downs. It has been effective. I think [QB] Nick Foles played excellent. I thought the guys out front played extremely, extremely well, making holes for us, the backs, to kind of pick our own lanes out and we played well. I think Coach Chip Kelly called a good game also.
On whether he thinks there is ever a meaningless game in a regular season:
MCCOY: You know, I don't think so. There are other times where you are kind of clenched in and you want to keep your guys healthy, I understand that. But for the most part, I don't think so, no. This is our job, they pay us to come out here and play ball. The fans they pay their hard earned money to watch us and it's football, it's a tough sport already. I think that guys are competitive and they want to win and as a player I can tell you, we never think about, 'Oh well this game doesn't mean anything.' We want to go out there and dominate. The guy across from me wants to make a play on me so, you are always thinking you have to play your best because it's a job, it's a business.
On what it is that is keeping them from playing this well every week:
MCCOY: Well, I wish it was that easy to just go out there and put a 50 back on the team but things happen. It's how you adjust to it, how you respond. Certain plays we had in this game were we would gash them, kind of the wide runs and they made adjustments and stopped us, and then we hit them with something else. Just being able to respond, because you are going to hit adversity, you're going to, it's just how you respond. I think that has a lot to do with when the plays are called, how you execute with the plays. I wish it was that easy to go out there every week, like I said before and just dominate. The defense, I think the special team defense played a big role today. If they give us that many opportunities, you have to go out there and put some points up.
On what the team learned from the first Dallas game:
MCCOY: I can't even remember that far back. I did not play well, so I can't even remember how that game went. I can tell you that they didn't see the best of the Eagles. They didn't see the best of Nick Foles, LeSean McCoy, they didn't see the best of us but they will this Sunday so it will be a different story.
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On how different the team is since October against the Dallas Cowboys:
MCCOY: Just the confidence level, I mean there's times, even last week, we didn't run the ball. That's cool, but I still thought, 'Aw, there is no way we can lose.' Just the confidence level is out of this world. Every play is going to work, every play is going to be effective. It is always this feeling like, 'Oh, we can't lose.' It's just the confidence, I think the confidence on this team right now and we are all playing together. Every phase of the team, from special teams to offense and defense, we are all playing well. That's what a team needs to have if they want to be successful.
On how it feels to be few yards away from breaking a record:
MCCOY: It means a lot. In this game I think stats and records are meant to be broken. You train hard and this is stuff you dream about, you dream about going to the Super Bowl, winning games, you dream about breaking records, you dream about setting records and rushing titles. All that stuff does play a part for sure, but I think the biggest thing is just winning, we want to win. But to have that, those type of broken records and setting stats and setting records that is pretty cool also.
On whether it means more this year that all of the stats are going through:
MCCOY: It's definitely a difference, you can feel a difference when the team is not doing well but you are doing well. It's like you are going to be mad and have a bad night because you don't win, but on the other side you had an amazing game. You don't get the full effect of really enjoying the type of success you are having because of the bad seasons. Now the stadium is sold out, we have to go to Dallas and get a big win. We are winning games, the feeling is different. The city is going crazy right now, Eagles, wow. It's a difference and you're having success. You are playing well and winning, you can really feel the difference and you can enjoy it.
RB Bryce Brown On getting a number of carries and contributing in the running game:
BROWN: It felt good to get in a groove. I felt good early in the game, and I just knew that if I kept with it, big plays were going to be possible.
On whether the offense feels at times as if it is unstoppable:
BROWN: I just feel like we can only stop ourselves. [Offensive coordinator] Pat [Shurmur] always says that the enemy is us, and that the opponent is the other team. We feel like if we play our game, nobody can beat us.
On whether he believes RB LeSean McCoy will clinch the NFL rushing title next week:
BROWN: Absolutely. He's going to bring it back to the running backs room.
On whether it has been a difficult season for him personally:
BROWN: Not really. As a team, we're doing well and that's my main focus. I'm not concerned with how many carries I get or how many yards, or anything like that. Obviously I want to take advantage of my opportunities when I get in there. Hopefully the way I played today will carry over and I can keep it rolling.
On playing Dallas next week for the NFC East Division Championship:
BROWN: I don't think it gets any better than that. Dallas is a big rival, it's a big game against them, and we have to win to go to the playoffs. Our coaches are going to do a good job of getting us prepared for the game, and we're going to go out and execute.
On how the team approached tonight's game knowing that they could not clinch a playoff berth regardless of the outcome:
BROWN: For us, we always want to come out and play well. A game like that tonight where we executed and did a good job can carry over into next week. We just have to keep it going.
TE Zach Ertz On whether the offense will be reminded about their play in the first Dallas game this week:
ERTZ: That was one game a long time ago. We're not anywhere near where we were at that point of the season. That was kind of our low point as an offense and as a team. We're playing at a very high level right now, and it's going to be a fun game next Sunday.
On when he knew that Foles was primed for a big game tonight:
ERTZ: He was throwing the ball well in that pregame routine that we've been doing every week. He was throwing the ball with a lot of zip, and you kind of knew he was going to be on fire from the get-go.
On the 27-yard pass to him that Foles threw on the run:
ERTZ: He does a heck of a job when he's on the run. I think he's one of the best in the league at that. He kind of just threw it up there and I was able to go make a play.
C Jason Kelce On the team's performance tonight:
KELCE: To go out there and play that well, that's what it's all about. We improved on a lot of the things that we did wrong in the Vikings game, so it was a great win for us.
On facing Dallas for the Division championship:
KELCE: We got an extra playoff game. That's pretty much what it is. The NFC East title is going to be on the line obviously, so it's a big game for both teams. Obviously we have to improve upon the last time we played them, but we feel like we're playing much better football now than we were back then.
On how differently the Eagles are playing now as compared to the first time they faced Dallas:
KELCE: Tremendously [different]. The offense is playing at a much better level than we were in that game or in the New York Giants game. Those two games back-to-back were the two biggest road blocks for us offensively. Defensively, you look at the Minnesota game last week as an outlier because of how well they've been playing recently. We're excited. We know we have a tough test against a good team in Dallas, and hopefully we can take care of business.
On whether the team ever considered resting starters tonight due to the fact that a playoff berth could not be clinched regardless of the outcome:
KELCE: With the way we played against Minnesota, we wanted to improve as much as we could this week. If we would have rested some guys, we probably wouldn't have went out there and put on the performance that we just had. This is great momentum for us, and obviously we improved on a lot of stuff we did wrong against Minnesota. That was the key for this game – just getting better. That's what this whole season has been about – just improving each and every week offensively, defensively, and special teams-wise. This was a great game for us and it gives us good momentum. We're heading to Dallas on a much higher note than if we would have rested guys.
LG Evan Mathis On the decision to play everyone tonight despite not having an opportunity to clinch a playoff berth:
MATHIS: That's what we're built to do. Our process has been a one game season every week. We're not going to change our approach due to external factors. We keep the same methods, we keep the same habits, and we keep this momentum going forward.
On why the team was so successful tonight:
MATHIS: Everybody came out with high energy. Everybody came out focused on winning this game and not looking past tonight to Dallas. We were all on the same page, and there was a lot of good communication. Everybody left it out there.
On what the message was following the victory:
MATHIS: It's Dallas week. The playoffs start now. One week at a time.
On the Eagles looking to win a game against a divisional opponent that defeated them earlier in the season:
MATHIS: It's a welcome challenge. We have some good film from that first game to reference. It's a team that we always have good battles with. We definitely welcome the challenge for the division title.
On the improvement of the team throughout the season:
MATHIS: We've been the type of team - every single one of us players and coaches - that works hard each day. We learn from what we do well, we learn from our mistakes, and we take a lot from those experiences.
