Joe Gibbs Year Quotations

Last year we saw rookies play extremely well at quarterback, and they beat us; Pittsburgh beat us soundly.

So far this year at least, we have been turning the ball over and we have not been getting turnovers. That formula will kill you.

From Mark's standpoint, when he was playing last year we weren't as good certainly as we are now, ... I think we're better now. And hopefully that will prove out to be the case.

I don't think you rule anything out when you go into a draft, especially if you think there's someone there who you think you can go get. Would you be willing to trade or make a move? I don't think we're afraid to do that--last year we did it. And I wouldn't rule something like that out.

I think he feels more pressure the second year to get better, ... We definitely don't want to repeat last year. No one does here.

I think it's a confidence thing, hopefully, ... and I think the guys believe. They know what you're capable off. Certainly, I think our play has stepped up as we've kind of gone here. Hopefully, it carries over. Last year was so hard for us. We couldn't get a big play like we've had in these games. We just couldn't get a big one when we had to have it.

We had a miserable first year (6-10 in 2004), and that's real hard on you. So you go in the second year knowing you've got to make something happen. Being able to get 10 wins, that helps a lot. It gives the whole organization confidence. If we hadn't gotten into the playoffs, it would've been a real downer. Getting in the playoffs was somewhat of a turning point for us.

You hate to see him go through something like this, ... and we have to go through it, so it's a tough deal. But I think we've just got to deal with it. His injury this time, they said if last year was a 10, this year is a 2. It's not nearly as bad.

The thing about Ray is, he's not going to panic. He's been around forever. He was able to play tackle for us last year and now he's come in to play guard. He's a pretty unusual person. He's been given a great body, but with Ray, it's also about character.

That's my responsibility. Obviously we wanted to be much more productive than what we were in the playoffs. We always each year try and look real hard at everything, and that'll be one of the things we look real hard at is, offensively, how can we do a better job.

You never know what's going to happen, but our goal is to keep everything together. We have a lot to do trying to get ready for next year and continuing to add to our team and continuing to build something. I know we have the right kind of character and right kind of players to build around.

I'm just happy for him that he is playing well, ... A lot of times up here you go through tough things. At any one time in the NFL, you're going to have a number of players on a team who are going through tough situations. A lot of times the way they handle it is a measure of someone's character. I think that was Mark's situation last year and Patrick's situation now. The way you go through the tough times leads you to improvement and great performance in the future. It's a test of character when you go through that.

In the first part of the year when he was healthy, I think that's about as good as I've seen anybody run -- very forceful, very aggressive. I think that's a real problem for us because in the first go-round, I don't think he was healthy.

In order to have a great rivalry, ... you've got to have two teams that are beating each other, and it's been one-sided. So I don't know. I can't speak for the rivalry part of it, but certainly we haven't been doing our part is the best way of putting it. And I think they're a much improved football team over last year from what I've seen on film. I think they've got a new system there on defense, and they're obviously very, very well-coached, and I have great respect there for Coach Parcells.

(The Giants) completely dominated us the first go-around. We have a lot at stake and I know the Giants do, too. I think it's a big deal that you play the 15th game of the year and it's for something important. ... I get uptight because you worry about having to play the Giants. I don't like doing that, but we got a lot riding on it and I know New York does too.

Everybody at this point of the year is missing some starters. They took the Giants to overtime (on Dec. 11, and lost 26-23) and that's all you have to say.

If he didn't have the calf situation, he would have practiced, ... He played extremely well. . . . The game was very physical and he got some hits. Quarterback-wise, the odds that we can go through the year like that and keep the guy healthy. . . . I hope we can keep him healthy.