On why he thinks the offense has been inconsistent: "In this game in the NFL you have your highs and you have your lows. There are only two teams right now that are undefeated. If you ask anybody on the other teams who felt like they should be having a better season or a couple of games where they've felt like they should have won, you see the miscues or mistakes, not being on the same page in certain situations or certain moments in the game. But as far as just kind of each individual game, going game by game, it's something different and I think it's something you go through. You go through that during the season and you just look forward to correcting those, and the good thing about it is that we have eight more games ahead of us to be able to correct those."
On how much of that is a result of being dependent on rookies and young players: "I wouldn't just kind of look at that situation. We have some young guys who are receivers and young guys who are tight ends and running backs, but if you step out on the field you have to be able to execute and that's what practice is for. Then you get out and you fix a mistake here, if it's something that you didn't do in practice, that's something that you do in the game or just something that kind of throws things off. I think there are just some things in games you have to be able to correct and have the answer for."
On how he's been sacked more times in six games this season than he has been in a long time, and whether he feels like he's had enough time and protection to be consistent on the field: "I didn't know it was to that effect. Again, it goes back to just kind of miscues and miscommunications. I think our offensive line has been doing a great job and they are going to continue to do a good job. I think, for all of us, we're going to elevate our game and play well in these next eight weeks. I didn't know it was to that effect but one that we will definitely correct and make sure we move forward."
On whether he's happy with the balance in the offense: "I am happy with the balance."
On whether he's still working on his timing with WR Jeremy Maclin: "We're all a work in progress. If it's with myself and Jeremy, if it's myself and (WR) DeSean (Jackson), myself and (TE Brent) Celek, the running backs with the o-line, whatever it may be, I think that's kind of how it's being approached, I guess. We spend time after practice throwing routes and communicating, and again, like I said, there are going to be highs and lows throughout the year. Sometimes it looks crisp and things are looking great. Some may not look as good as we want to. But again, it's a long season ahead of us. This isn't a sprint, it's a marathon, and we just have to make sure we do the right things as we continue on."
On whether it's tough to rebuild and compete at a high level simultaneously: "There are some tough things about everything that you go through. Just in the last 10 years we're ranked in at least the top three or four as far as organizational winning, with a great winning record. Our winning percentage has been good. At some point you're going to go to younger guys to step into key roles. It's going to happen. You just have to be able to continue on. You look at Indianapolis, they have (WR) Reggie Wayne and then they are throwing some younger guys in the other positions; they have (TE) Dallas Clark. You go to New England, they have their key guys but they are still rotating some other guys in there. It happens at times but you just have to be able to get out on the field and execute when the times comes."
On how he would evaluate the first half of the season:"I would say it's going well. (We're) 5-3. There are things that I would like to have back, throws I would like to have back, checks I would like to have back, but I'm sure everyone will say that. Just trying to protect the ball, get the guys an opportunity to make plays for you, get the ball downfield when the opportunity is there, and just do the right things with the ball."
On whether he feels like Chargers LB Shawne Merriman is the player he has to watch the most this week: "I wouldn't say it's just Shawne Merriman. He had two sacks, I believe, last week, which put his sack total at four. He's coming off an injury and he's kind of getting his legs up under him. I think (LB Shaun) Phillips has been playing well for them, (CB Antonio) Cromartie and (CB Quentin) Jammer. They have a lot of experienced guys, (DE Luis) Castillo. They are missing (DT) Jamal Williams in the middle, but I think right now what they've been doing over the previous three weeks has really jelled well together and they have really elevated their play. I think (defensive coordinator) Ron (Rivera) has put those guys in great positions to do so."
On whether having two new offensive tackles has been more difficult than anticipated: "I wouldn't say more difficult. I think, again, it goes back to you have highs and lows and when you have new guys out there you're going to have games where it's not as crisp. But, I have the confidence in those guys and I've just continued to express that to them and things will work out well."
On the importance of the next two games: "They'll be very big for us. I think just in the maturation of this team, as well as guys understanding each week that you have to be ready to go and this first half of the season is over, put that behind you and now you move forward and try to correct the mistakes that you've made in those first eight weeks and go out and make sure you put yourself at a high level. We've been in this situation before and we've been worse, but at this particular time it's time for us to get out there in San Diego, play our solid football, have fun doing it, and do whatever it takes to win."
On whether he thinks DeSean is getting the ball enough: "He's going to get opportunities. He's going to get more opportunities. I think sometimes the stats are a little bit overwhelming at times, or when people see catches or when people see yards, they don't go through the course of the game of how those happened. We do spread the ball around. That's one thing we've been doing for years and we've been successful with it. I think Celek has had a great year. Maclin is doing well. Our running backs are doing well. He will get more opportunities and we look forward to that happening. I think that what he is seeing now is that some teams look to double and try to take him out of the offense, some teams feel confident that they can just cover him one on one. We just have to make sure that we come up with the right answer for every time they bring the question up to us and get him more involved."
On Phillips' productivity: "They move him around a lot. They have him coming off the edge; they have him moving in the linebacker position. They do a lot of stunts. Plus they do it up front with their front four, their front five. I think what we have to do is we have to recognize that and be able to pick it up. Shaun Phillips is a guy that is from the area but a guy that really plays hard. He's been doing it for years. Again, you have to pay attention to where he is at, where Merriman is at, where a lot of the guys are and just make sure you know what you're doing."
On facing the Chargers pass defense and what he needs to be aware of: "If your shots are there downfield then take them. If they're not, make sure you check it down and give an opportunity to the guys underneath to catch the ball, run and pick up yards for you."
On what he thinks of the team's record in close games: "Nothing, it's an unfortunate situation. I didn't know it was to that effect but there is nothing I can do about the past at this particular point. You can only change the future."
On whether he thinks the team tightens up in close game situations: "No."
On why he thinks the team has a poor record in terms of fourth quarter comebacks: "I think a lot of that is kind of overblown. There is a lot that goes into fourth quarter comebacks. It could be catches, it could be doing the right things running the ball, it could be special teams picking up yards or special teams stopping them from getting good field position, it could be the defense stopping them. It's not just driving down and scoring, because if they get the ball they can do the same. (There) is a lot (that goes) into that."
On whether he is surprised or disappointed that the team has not found a level of consistency: "It happens, it happens in this league. Would you love to avoid it? Yes, but when it does happen you have to be able to realize why it happened and go out and correct it. I think we've had a lot of success, as far as when we come into a game and don't play well, then the next week we play well. That's something that has to happen and you consistently use that same mentality week in and week out. If it happens again then you have that same mentality that you had in the previous weeks."
On having a more difficult second-half schedule: "You look at it one game at a time. Everybody has to put their pads on just like us. Nobody expected us to beat the Giants the way that we did, so it could be a week that somebody comes in where we are playing at an A-game level and they're not. Whoever you are playing on the schedule at that particular time you just focus on."
On whether he thinks the Eagles' second-half schedule will be tougher: "Everybody is the same in this league. You just have to be able to go at that time."
On whether the team's mentality is more desperate when playing in a game after a loss: "I wouldn't say it's desperation. I think it's more anticipation of getting back out on the field and correcting what happened in the previous week. We're not a desperate football team. We are a team that looks to get out and have fun playing football. In this situation, we knew we should have won that game against Dallas. Now we look forward to going out and hopefully playing well against San Diego."
On how the team is able to have the same anticipation coming off wins as well as losses: "You want to keep a streak alive. You want to keep things going and the way that you do that is by thinking positive and going out and doing it."
On how tough the first eight games were for RB Brian Westbrook: "I'm sure it's tough. I'm sure it's tough when you're on the sideline watching and you want to be out there contributing. When you are a major factor in what we do, obviously that's tough for anybody to go through. I'm sure he's looking forward to the opportunity to get back out on the field and we're also looking forward to when he can get back out there with us as well."
