Eagles Head Coach Chip Kelly

Q. What got your offensive line rolling today?**

CHIP KELLY: You know, I thought that was the key; we talked about being able to establish the run and then things can build off of that. But I credit those guys up front, I think they had a good week of preparation and they did a really nice job today.

Q. Everybody was a little worried about the two guys that were hurt all week, T Lane Johnson and T Jason Peters.
CHIP KELLY: Well, they both practiced Thursday, so when you've got Thursday, Friday, Saturday -- so we had three days with them.

Q. I mean they didn't show any signs of being hurt at all today. I mean they looked pretty good.
CHIP KELLY: Yeah. Well, I think, again, because we got a chance to get them full on Thursday, we felt like we would be good with them. And again, getting some continuity with the same five guys, I think, really helped us.

Q. You talked before about being able to run when the defense knows you're going to run the ball. I know a lot of your plays in the game came with Sam under center. What was the effect difference?
CHIP KELLY: Well, we can throw from that, I mean that's not just because he's --

Q. You didn't really do that--
CHIP KELLY: I know that, but we can. So it's not like I don't -- I mean, they didn't put 17 guys in the box because of it. But, I think, again, I give credit to our offensive line. I think they did a really nice job and opened up some things for our guys. And letting our running backs get started, I think with all three of those guys, if you can let them get started, they can be productive. It started up front. Those guys, again, had a great week of practice, accepted the challenge of going against a real tough defense that gives you a lot of multiple looks, and I thought they handled it really well.

Q. There's a stark difference between being 2-3 in the conference versus being 1-4 without a win in the conference, without a win in the division. Did you bring that up at all this week?
CHIP KELLY: No. We had to win a football game. It didn't matter if we were playing an AFC opponent or an NFC opponent. There's not more weight. I think at the end of the year, obviously, there is. But in our mindset as a team, we had to come out and we had to play on all three phases and win a football game, and that's what we were trying to do.

Q. To that point, you guys turned it over on downs twice, turned it over in the red zone twice early in the game. Did you feel fortunate, or at least tribute to the defense that that didn't really bite you early?
CHIP KELLY: No. I just felt like our offense had confidence, that we could move the football on them. We were open on the first one, [QB] Sam [Bradford] just kind of threw it on the line. If he just puts it up a little bit, and he'll tell you the same thing. And then really, just going for it on fourth down was just-- you know, I think one of them was going to be a 57, maybe a little bit out of [K] Caleb's [Sturgis] range. And then the other one was on the edge of 53, 54 with a little bit of slight wind.

We knew going in, he actually hit two 54-yarders in pregame, but we were just right on that cusp. It just kind of caught us that way. So, I felt like I leave our offense on the field because I do have confidence in our defense. I think our defense has played well.

Q. Why not punt there?
CHIP KELLY: Because I have confidence in our defense. The risk/reward is if I put our defense out in the field in that situation, that I have confidence that they're going to get a stop. And that's the way I feel about our defense and how they're playing right now.

Q. DE Fletcher Cox has been dominating for a while, but the numbers started coming. Are you guys doing anything different to free him up, or is he just --
CHIP KELLY: No. You know, sometimes, and Billy [Defensive coordinator Bill Davis] says it, sometimes it comes in bunches. But Fletcher has played really, really well for us in the three years I've been here. You know, it's just sometimes it seems that some of those things, sacks and things like that, come in bunches. But he is playing really well for us right now, and we're really -- I mean, he played a heck of a game today.

Q. It looked like he really turned the game around with the three sacks and his two forced fumbles; really turned the game in your favor.
CHIP KELLY: Yeah. Again, he played really well today. And a lot of our guys on the defensive side of the ball played really well today, but Fletch had a heck of a game.

Q. It seemed like in your first three possessions, you passed the ball for first down in each of those possessions. Did that kind of help loosen up the running game as well?
CHIP KELLY: I don't know if it -- it was just kind of some of the looks. Some of it, [QB] Sam's [Bradford] got an option whether to hand it off or give it. So, it just depends on how they deploy their defense.

Q. The Saints have been having a lot of success throwing the football to their backs in a horizontal passing game. Could you talk about the job you did today defensively there?
CHIP KELLY: Yeah, I mean, we knew going in that part of their deal was getting the ball to [RB C.J.] Spiller and [RB Khiry] Robinson and [RB Mark] Ingram coming out of the backfield; they're three really talented guys. And Sean [Saints Head Coach Sean Payton] does such a good job of getting the ball spread around to different guys.

But it was a big emphasis this week for us, more than any team we've played so far, to really contain the running backs in the passing game.

Q. How do you think QB Sam Bradford responded after throwing the two interceptions?
CHIP KELLY: I thought he did a good job. I think he--that stuff's going to happen, but a lot of it is your response after it. We're all going to make mistakes, and when you make them, do you continue to dwell upon them? Or do you learn from it? If he gets put in that situation, do you put the ball in the right spot? So, I thought he did a nice job, I thought he bounced back after those.

Q. You ran 79 total plays and that was a concern of yours before. What stood out today to allow that to happen?
CHIP KELLY: We ran the ball better. You know, when we run the ball better and we're balanced, then we have an opportunity to stay on the field, and that's what we did. We ran the ball better, and then we converted on third downs so we could stay on the field.

Q. Who was called for unsportsmanlike conduct before the--
CHIP KELLY: On the sideline?

Q. Yeah.
CHIP KELLY: I was.

Q. Can you explain why that was?
CHIP KELLY: Yeah. I got a penalty.

Q. What did you say?
CHIP KELLY: Something that you're not allowed to do because you get a penalty for. [Laughs]

Q. Did you use more straight-ahead blocking schemes as opposed to --
CHIP KELLY: No. I mean, we did the same things we've done in the other three games that we lost, it's just we executed. That's what I said last week, we weren't executing. This week, we executed. But we didn't change up what we were doing from a schematics standpoint.

Q. What did WR Josh Huff show you today?
CHIP KELLY: Josh had -- you know, the one thing, and I told Josh before, he had a really good week of training. You know, he had been missed, he missed the Jets game; didn't practice full towards the end of the week, in terms of-- he was out there every day, but it wasn't like he was full speed killing everything. And then he started to have a good week of training. And obviously we believe a good week of training, you sink to your level of training, and your level of training allows you to play well on Sunday. He had a good week of training and that allowed him to play well. I thought he did a really nice job for us today.

Q. Did you have WR Nelson Agholor available to you when he came back, or did you just decide to hold off on him?
CHIP KELLY: I don't know that, I'll have to ask Bob [Wide receivers coach Bob Bicknell]. I just know he's rolling them at that point in time, so I know he was out for a little bit. Then, I don't know if they kept him out or if Bob kept him out.

Q. LB Marcus Smith played quite a bit; it seemed like he was active. I mean, he's the one who hit Saints QB Drew Brees on the interception; is that right? What did you think of his play?
CHIP KELLY: I'd have to watch the film on that specifically. I know Marcus did play. We had planned on getting him in there. It was good to get him back out on the field, but I couldn't tell you exactly. I don't remember that play right now. 

Q. The tight ends, they had a big role in the offense.

 CHIP KELLY: Just on how the coverage, how people are going to cover you and what they're going to do when they deploy their tight ends. The one thing with Sam is Sam will take what the defense gives him. So we felt like we could exploit that matchup if they were going to play us that way.

Q. It won't appear on the stats sheet, but they kept punting away from RB Darren Sproles. And sometimes they were bad kicks, so what did that do for the defense?
CHIP KELLY: I mean, it shows up on the stat sheet because the starting field position is where it shows up. So, that's part of Darren's ability is that, the same thing, when we had Darren in in the pass game, they were doubling him. So some of the things that-- we knew if they were going to double him, that's going to free somebody up, and I think Sam was pretty sharp at that. If they're going to double Darren, then let's get off of him and let's go to another receiver, making that our first read. I think he did a really good job of that.

Q. You used like nine different guys. That's pretty good, you got everybody involved.
CHIP KELLY: Well, I just think you have to take what the defense gives you. Everybody's good in this league, so you just can't say we're going to force it to 'this' individual. If we can get to somebody in a matchup, hopefully, because we have some skill players, how do you matchup with all five of them?
And then for the quarterback, it's his responsibility to kind of process it and say, 'Alright, hey, they're playing man. Now the matchup is here'. And the next time they play dime, they were moving those guys around a lot so sometimes it was a matchup here; the next time the matchup's on another guy. So, that's what we were kind of looking and trying to take advantage of.

Q. WR Josh Huff opened the game with the 40-yard kickoff return. He really seemed to get some energy from that. Did you sense that that helped give him a little jolt of confidence?
CHIP KELLY: It's like deja vu. Did you just hear the last question about Huff? [Laughs]

Q. No, I didn't.
CHIP KELLY: That's okay. Hey, Josh had a great week of training. He didn't play against the Jets because, obviously, he had a hamstring and then didn't practice full. By that, I mean he practiced full, but he didn't really go full the week before in terms of getting ready for the Redskins game and he knew that, but he had a really good week of training. We talk about you sink to your level of training, and I think how he performed today is kind of what his week was like. So hopefully, for Josh, he can build upon it. But he's not going to run into the end zone with one hand on the football again. We have talked about that.

Q. There were several incidents where flags were thrown and then picked up. Does that do anything to the flow of the game, anything like that at all? Does it get you upset?
CHIP KELLY: I mean, it is what it is. I mean, if they discuss it and they don't think it's a penalty, then it's not a penalty.

Q. Did Bradford play better as the game progressed? He had two early interceptions and then it seemed like he was maybe a little bit, I don't know, more aggressive, more accurate. Or were those just aberrations?
CHIP KELLY: The interceptions?

Q. Yes.
CHIP KELLY: I hope so. As we move forward, I do.

Q. No. I mean, did he play well before the interceptions?
CHIP KELLY: Yeah, I thought Sam played a good game. But like all of us, you make mistakes. I called not a real good play on a screen play, you know, and then we didn't get much yardage and we got knocked back not in the red zone. I think everybody does that. But I think if you can continue to lay more good plays out there instead of bad plays, that's what we're trying to do.

Eagles Defensive Coordinator Bill Davis

On sacking Saints QB Drew Brees five times in the victory:

"They also come in bunches. You had Drew Brees hold the ball and instead of throwing interceptions, he took some of those sacks and ate it. That's part of it, and we don't have a whole lot of control."

On whether the coverage contributed to the high number of sacks:

"They're always attached to each other. The guys did a great job tonight in the coverage. Those sacks occurred because he was holding the ball because the coverage was what it was. Interceptions are tied to pass rush and sacks are tied to coverage."

On whether DE Fletcher Cox is building a reputation as an elite player:

"I hope the outside world recognizes the talent that he has. He's a Pro-Bowl-caliber player. I've been around a long time, and that's what they look like. They play the run and they cause disruptions in the passing game. Sack numbers come and go, but he has the skill set."

On the message that was delivered to the team this week:

"The message was to stay the course. Even though the wins haven't come, we've been working the right way and doing it the right way. We knew that it was going to take everything we had because [New Orleans] is a team that is very talented with their backs against the wall also. It was about staying the course and continuing to believe in each other and the system and it worked out for us."

On whether the team's back was against the wall:

"When you have one win and three losses, you feel like your back is against the wall no matter when it happens during the year. You kind of get in a little bit of a bunker mentality when it's happening like that."

On what it is that makes Cox an elite defensive player:

"I think his versatility. When he first got here, he wasn't real familiar with the two-gap system, but he's now taken the two-gap and really mastered that. You can also put him on an edge, so he's really got a rounded skill set and it keeps growing."

On the coverage contributing to the five sacks that were recorded:

"They're always attached to each other. The interceptions are attached to pressure on the quarterback, and vice versa. So sacks happen when either there's a good disguise in the coverage and it confuses the quarterback temporarily, or the coverage is tight and he doesn't want to throw it in there."

On the defense surrendering some 'X' plays in the win:

"It's a shame because after one month, we finally moved into the top five in the NFL in terms of not giving up 'X' plays, so we were excited about that, but it came back and stung us. I played a little bit more man tonight than I usually do, and sometimes in a man coverage, if one man stumbles or falls, the 'X' plays can sneak up on those. But overall, the win was great. We'll fix the 'X' plays and keep working on it, but it was fun to win a game."

On the defense being on the field for less time today:

"We're wired for that type of football and we believe we're a no-huddle defense, but tonight the biggest thing is that we didn't let long drives happen to us. We were in control of how long the drives were. We had some three-play, four-play, and five-play drives, and that helps us. In the previous games,we've had a 23-play drive and a 17-play drive. By us getting ourselves off the field early, it helped us along with the offensive success."

Eagles Quarterback Sam Bradford

On what he thinks the key to getting the roll out and play-action passes working was:

"I think it was just something that we kind of saw during the week and some of the coverage they were playing. They were playing some single-high zones and we just felt like the way we were running the football, coming back to some of those roll outs and nakeds, it was a good look for us today."

On the protection he had today:

"Man, those guys were unbelievable today. Not only in the pass game but in the run game. I thought our guys up front were phenomenal. I think I went to the ground maybe one time today. When those guys play like that, it makes my job a lot easier."

On whether he was surprised that the offensive line was as effective as they were all game long, given the injuries at the position:

"No. I have all the confidence in the world in those guys. I think we had a great week of preparation. We were prepared to see some different and difficult looks today. I thought everyone was on the same page. But I thought those guys up front, they just did a great job. You could really tell that they were just wearing them down, with the way we were able to start running the football at the end of the game. Those guys dominated the line of scrimmage today."

On what happened on the two interceptions in the red zone:

"The first one to [WR Riley] Cooper, I just missed the throw -- it was behind him. I can't miss that one – you know behind him, I just have to put it back to the pylon and let him go get it. And then the second one, I think the kid made a good play." 

On how the short passes early on were able to give him confidence in the beginning of the game:

"Yeah, I think that was huge. I think one of the biggest things for us today, one of the reasons we were able to have success, was we were efficient on first and second down. We had a lot of positive plays on first down that got us into second and medium, second and short. And when we can put ourselves in that situation, the playbook really opens up and we can keep the defense off balance. They know that it's not always going to be a pass. If it's second and long, we can still run the ball. So I thought our efficiency on first and second down was key today."

On having 519 total yards on offense:

"Yeah. I think after what we were able to do in the preseason, I think everyone had kind of been waiting for this. It's obviously a great feeling to go out there and be able to do that today. And now it's just something that we have to build on. Obviously, it's not going to be like this every week. But to know that when we're clicking and we're rolling that we can go out and do that, it's just going to give us confidence now to go out there and do it more often." 

On the different personnel looks today, including more two-tight end sets:

"I think it was kind of to exploit some of the looks that they were giving us. We felt like when we were in 12 [personnel] or two tight ends that early in the game they were playing primarily a lot of man. We liked our matchups out there, so that's why we kept going to that. And then obviously at the end of the game, when we kept 12 on the field, we were just pounding the rock out at them with those guys."

On his response to the two interceptions:

"Yeah, I mean you just keep going. Obviously, you don't like to throw interceptions but when you do, you just have to forget about it and move on. I thought our guys did a great job at just continuing to battle. It would be easy to fold up and say, 'Oh man, Sam's throwing interceptions, we're done, we can't do anything.' But that's really not how it went today at all. We just kept going, kept moving forward. I'm just really proud of the way we came out and finished in the second half today." 

On what he was thinking at halftime:

"At halftime, we had moved the ball, I think we had 300 yards of offense at halftime. I don't think they had stopped us once. I was stopping us throwing interceptions in the red zone. So we knew it was still out there, we knew we were still able to move the football on them. That really wasn't a problem, so I think at halftime we were still confident. And then to come out, I think we scored first drive out of halftime; that was big." 

On whether he was surprised with the calls to go for it twice on 4th and long:

"It gives you a lot of confidence knowing Coach [Kelly] has the confidence in us to go out there.  We have to do a better job converting. I know we missed the first one, I don't remember what happened – oh we missed them both? Great, okay, good (Joking)."

On whether he was surprised that those plays were called:

"I think in that part of the field I think you are always ready to go for it on 4th down, especially with Coach Kelly."

On what went into getting WR Josh Huff more involved today:

"Yeah, obviously I think we got everyone involved today.  I think we spread the ball around. We talked about it a little bit last week, but I feel like when we are able to get everyone involved and spread the ball around, both inside and outside, it makes it a lot tougher for defenses to really zone in on one or two guys. And I thought Josh did a great job today."

On whether he can exhale after the win following criticism over the first month:

"Obviously, the win is nice. I think the big thing for us and this team is just to build on this. By no means are we where we want to be as a team. But I think today was a step in the right direction. And if we can continue to build on this, hopefully in 3, 4, 5, 6 weeks we will be in a better position than we are now."

 On whether his answer to the previous question relates back to Chip's talking points after the game:

"Oh really? No, actually. Great minds think alike (Joking)."

Eagles Tight End Zach Ertz

On the success of the offense in the win:

"It feels great. We played a complete game on offense. Obviously, we had some miscues in the red zone in the first half, but nobody really got down. We played with a big chip on our shoulder. We were 1-3 and we needed this win, so to go out there and execute the way we did was very rewarding."

On whether it has taken time for QB Sam Bradford to build rapport with the Eagle receivers in the passing game:

"The whole offense kind of had to build that rapport. We weren't successful early in the downs in prior games, and this game we were able to have big plays on first downs. We were very efficient in the game overall, and I thought it was a very good win."

On the importance of the offense having success early in games:

"Early in the game we have to get first downs so that we can wear down opponents. I'm not saying that we wore them down, but I thought we played extremely well early in the game and I think that sets the tempo for the entire game."

On why it has taken five games for the Eagle offense to have a performance like it did today:

"I don't know honestly. I know that this week we were playing with a huge chip on our shoulder because we were very upset in the prior week losing to the Redskins the way that we did. It just took some time and hopefully we'll be able to build on this."

On whether he was confident that he would have success in the passing game based on the offensive game plan:

"I like to think that I can get open regardless of who is on me, but we knew going into the game that our two tight end package was going to be on the field a little more than it had been in the prior weeks. I thought [TE] Brent [Celek] and I did a pretty good job. We'll go watch the film and learn from it, but hopefully it stays in the game plan."

On whether being involved in the passing game early helps him get into a rhythm:

"Definitely. If you get anybody going early, you're able to feed off that energy and know that you've been successful and able to make plays. I think that goes for any position."

Eagles Center Jason Kelce

On whether he was surprised that Eagles Head Coach Chip Kelly elected to go for two fourth-down plays early in the game:

"I'm not surprised. We've been looking to get something going on offense, and I think that was Chip's way of emphasizing that we've got to get moving. I think he was being aggressive and showing confidence in us that we could get something going."

On the improved play of the offensive line in the win:

"We put in a lot of work on the offensive line. We haven't played up to the standard that we've held here the last few years obviously through the start. We've worked very hard in practice and we've worked very hard in the film room. I think everybody has obviously been ashamed of the way that we've been playing. The fact is that we have the quarterbacks, we have the running backs, and we have the skill players to go out there and win games on offense. As long as the offensive line gives them the opportunity to make plays, we're going to make plays. Today we facilitated that opportunity, and that's really all we can do."

On why the offensive line was able to have more success today:
"I think that the whole process and mindset going into today was just to make sure you do your job and the guy that you're supposed to play does not make the play. As long as you do that, we felt that we were going to go out there and have success. I think everybody did the small details of football, the surfacing of the blocks, the double-teams. I think that if we do that, from here on out, we should have some success and hopefully we can get some momentum going." 

Eagles Wide Receiver Josh Huff

On contributing to the victory today:

"It definitely felt good, especially since we got the win. But it's over right now and we have to go back and analyze the film and get ready for next week."

On him personally being more involved in the offense today:

"I just prepare like I'm going to get my number called. Today, my number was called and I was able to make the most of my opportunities."

On his flip following his touchdown reception:

"I haven't done that since high school. I thought it would be fun."

On whether today's performance will help build his confidence:

"My confidence was already high, but again I just have to keep preparing until my number is called again and try to help us win games."

On whether today's performance was exactly what the offense needed:

"I would say so. We were able to get the ball going on the ground and in the air. We had a balanced attack, we were able to get our running backs involved and we spread the ball around. It was fun."

On whether he sensed the offense was poised for a performance like today:

"This is something that we've been working hard for all offseason. You're going to have your ups and downs in this league, but you just have to learn to bounce back from both losses and wins. We have a goal set, and we're ready to continue working toward that."

On whether a big kickoff return sometimes gets him in his zone as a receiver:

"I'm always in my zone whenever I get a kickoff return that is able to spark the offense and spark the team. My guys did an excellent job up front of moving the pile and getting me going."

 On whether QB Sam Bradford will look his way more often if he continues to make plays:

"I can't control that, but I know that Sam trusts and believes in all of his receivers. Right before the game, he brought the whole offense together and told us to play like the way he knows we can play because he has confidence in us."

On his 41-yard touchdown reception:

"[TE Zach] Ertz was able to make a nice block on two defenders. [QB] Sam [Bradford] was able to see me, and I was able to just turn up."

On the team needing the win today:

"I feel like we need every win on the season, but the ball doesn't bounce our way all the time. You have to continue to move forward. It feels good to be the reason why we were able to get off to a great start, but that's over and done with, and I just have to keep moving forward and build from this."

On whether his goal is to have a game like today's every week:"That's been my goal ever since the season started. I've prepared every week like I was going to have my number called."

Eagles Running Back DeMarco Murray

On whether this was the game he had been waiting for offensively after a team total of 519 yards:

"Yeah, I definitely feel that we gelled and we played well together. Obviously, there were a couple of turnovers and things we didn't execute as best as we should have. But, I think for the most part, the offensive line played extremely well. [RB] Ryan [Mathews], [WR Josh] Huff, [WR] Jordan [Matthews], as well as [QB] Sam [Bradford] played well so I think we have a team that can grow from this, watch the film, and correct the things we didn't do so well."

On if he saw something this week on the Saints film that made him think he would have success running the ball today:

"Obviously they're a good front. [Saints DE] Cameron Jordan is an all-pro, he's a heck of a player. [Saints defensive coordinator] Rob Ryan has been known for a great defense. I was in Dallas with him so I reflected and was able to see some of the things he did in Dallas. But they're a great defense, and I think our offensive line played really well today and we have to give credit to those guys."

On what it was like on the sideline after the interception in the end zone following a down the field movement:

"I think it was positive. I think this was a game that guys weren't too down. The guys were saying, 'Let's just bounce back and start from scratch.' I think whenever you have a negative play or a turnover you have to not be too down on yourself and come on the sideline, talk to the coaches, look at the film, and just get it corrected."

On if he was still able to get into a flow during the second half following a lot of touches by both Mathews and himself:

"Yeah, I was able to get into a little rhythm and Ryan did a good job. [RB Darren] Sproles came in there and did a good job as well. Like I said, the offensive line played extremely well today and I think all of us were in a rhythm."

On whether he thinks it goes to show that a lot of plays and a lot of touches from multiple players keep everyone happy:

"Yeah, I think we are successful in third downs so that was good for us to continue to keep the drives moving forward. It was awesome. The play calling and getting different guys involved in different formations was good on [Eagles Head Coach] Chip's [Kelly] part."

On whether running from under center played a part in today's win:

"Yeah, whenever you can get under center and run the ball I think is great and it helps out the offensive line to hide some of our runs. But we ran it well from the gun as well so I think we were just on today." 

On how a game with a lot of high points can help a team's confidence:

"It was a big win and we needed it. But, it's just one game so we have to reflect on it, we have to watch film and learn from the things we didn't do so well. But, it's just one game so we have to continue to move forward and learn from the negative things that we did and grow from the positives that we had today. But, it was a great win, a great team win. The defense played tremendous again.

On his thoughts at halftime after a 10-7 lead and over 300 yards on offense:

"I think it was just the self-inflicted wounds with the two turnovers in the red zone. You can't do that and you can't give [Saints QB Drew Brees] any more chances. I think the defense definitely played a great game. He's one of the best quarterbacks, but like I said, it was more our players and not being able to get on the same page that shot us in the foot. But we were able to bounce back, the defense was able to make some key stops for us."

On whether he thought of the significance of avoiding a 1-4 record:

"No, you never think about past this game or before this game. Just to reflect what you have to do individually or collectively better, but I don't think anyone was stressing. Obviously guys were upset that we were 1-3 but you have to keep going. You have to keep grinding and come in every day with your hard hat on ready to work to try and be the best you can be."

On what it means for the offense to have 10 different players catch a pass:

"There are a lot of playmakers on offense. Obviously [QB] Sam [Bradford] did a great job looking at his reads and dumping it to the guy that was open. I think a lot of guys made yards after catching and that helped us tremendously. [WR Josh] Huff, [WR] Jordan [Matthews], and [WR Riley] Cooper. Hats off to Sam for finding an open guy."

On whether it takes the coaches to watch all the new parts to figure out how to fit it all together:

"Yeah, there are a lot of new parts to this offense, a lot of guys who haven't run this offense in the past, and a lot of guys who are new and are starters now. I think everyone is continuing to get a feel for each other. But I think gradually you have to be confident, you have to continue to work hard and do the little things right. I think that will roll over, it's a big thing for us and I think it makes us play well. 

Eagles Safety Malcolm Jenkins

On the team's win:

"It's a week-to-week thing and we still have things to improve. We beat a good team that was in a similar situation to us. We did a good job of executing today. Everybody was clicking. Now we just have to figure out how to do it again on Monday night and continue to do it week in and week out. That starts with practice, so we look forward to getting back at it this week. We didn't talk about this game being a must win, but I think everyone understood the situation we were going into. Both teams were desperate for a win. This is a huge win for us because you don't want to start out 1-4. We have a mature group in here so everyone knows the situation. We have to win. Now we have to find a way to put wins together."

On playing his former team:

"For me personally, I looked at this game the way I would look at any other game. My goal is to always earn the respect of my opponent, so that's really how I went out there."

On DE Fletcher Cox's performance:

"You can just watch him play and see what he means to our team. He had a huge day. A lot of time he probably doesn't get all of the glory he deserves along with our whole defensive line. Rarely do I have to make tackles deep in the secondary, which is why you see me and [Eagles S] Walter Thurmond get a lot of tackles for losses, because there's nowhere for the runner to go. The ball carrier is always going east and west which is easier for us to clean up. The defensive line is a huge part of our defense."

On Eagles LB Jordan Hicks:

"You didn't expect him to have that much significant success so early, but due to some injuries he got forced into the fire and has done an awesome job. He's further along mentally than a lot of other rookies and he understands the defense in totality. He can adjust, he can make calls, and he has the respect of all of the guys out there. He has a knack for being around the ball. It's been great and calming for us to have him go out there and play with the demeanor that he does."

Eagles Defensive End Fletcher Cox

On his three sack performance:

"I'm going to give the credit to the back end today. All three of those sacks were coverage sacks. When the quarterback holds the football, it gives the rush time to get there."

On the defense forcing key turnovers:

"It was real big to have four turnovers. A couple of them put our offense in position to score, and they did what they were supposed to do and put the ball in the end zone."

On whether he expected it would be difficult to generate a pass rush due to the quick release of Saints QB Drew Brees:

"I knew it was a going to be a grind playing a Hall-of-Fame Quarterback. Drew Brees was getting ball out early, and a couple of times he held the ball, we got great coverage on the back end, and we were able to get after the quarterback."

On whether he was surprised that Brees held the ball longer than he usually does at certain times in the game:

"I was pretty surprised on a couple of them in the way that he was holding the ball. You see tape and the ball is going real quick. We just stayed in his face like we talked about and got after it."

On the last time he had three sacks in one game:

"Probably never. Not even in college, high school, never. It's the first time I've ever had three sacks in one game."

On how important it was for the team to win in the fashion that it did today:

"It's real good. But most importantly, we won the football game. That's the most important thing about it, to get this team back on a good roll."

On the importance of today's victory:

"We needed it bad. We knew what we had to do as an organization and just as players. We knew what we needed to do in terms of coming out and dominating and winning this game."

On his ability to force fumbles with strip sacks:

"We preach it all the time. No quarterback likes people around their arms. That's the goal. Instead of just going for the big hit, go after the football." 

Eagles Defensive Tackle Bennie Logan

On the team's performance today:

"We just know we have to go out there and take care of business. It's about executing the calls and making sure we don't give up any big plays. We just went out there and played football and executed in every phase of the game."

On the Eagles' five sacks:

"We were expecting a lot of quick passes, but when [Saints QB Drew Brees] held onto the ball we knew we had to contain and not let him get outside the pocket. The thing we focused on this week was collapsing the pocket and just getting in his throwing lanes. I think we did a good job of that."

On teammate and fellow DT Fletcher Cox:

"It didn't surprise me at all. Fletch can have games like that every time he is on the field. The guy works hard and trains hard. I love see him have all of that success because he's a dominant player. I think he doesn't get as much recognition as he should, but the guy is a force to be reckoned with. Every time he's on the field other teams have to make sure they account for him. As you saw today, the way he trains and prepares makes him that dominant guy. We push each other. When he has a game like that it just makes us all want to up our games. Everyone was feeding off of his energy and good play."

On the Eagles' secondary:

"Anytime you get sacks like that you have to give credit to the secondary. They stay deep while also handling the underneath routes. In a game like that you have to give credit to them. They did a great job playing their responsibilities which allowed us to rush as well as we did."

On Eagles head coach Chip Kelly's confidence in the defense:

"He believes in us. The defense was having a good game. That's the thing a defense looks for, to have a head coach believe in us that much. If he wants to go for it anytime on fourth down, not only in this game but in any game this season, we have his back. Anytime a coach has that much belief in you, it's a great thing."

Eagles Linebacker Connor Barwin

On the Eagles' response after a 1-3 start:

"I think we had a great week of preparation and practice. We played football the way we're capable of playing. We played well in all three phases of the game and didn't really hurt ourselves at all. It showed on the scoreboard. It was great to see the defense play well for four quarters as well as the offense and special teams. When you do that you're going to give yourself a chance to win. The name of the game is points and turnovers. Obviously we were good in both areas today."

On the performance from Fletcher Cox:

"It was an unbelievable game by him. To knock the ball out twice and get three sacks that's huge. I'm very happy for him. We knew that kind of day was going to happen eventually. He was outstanding. He'll get recognized. I'm not worried about that anymore. I don't need to campaign for him anymore."

On the significance of the win:

"It's just one win. We need to come out and have a great week of preparation for the Giants on Monday night. If you go rest on this game and then go lay another egg next week, then this week's win was meaningless. We need to be happy with the way we played, look at what we did wrong, and try to improve next week. We try to find a way to win against whoever we're playing. We need to get wins and play better football. We believe in the system. We know we've played well at certain times. We just need to put it all together, and today you saw what happens when we put it all together."

Eagles Kicker Caleb Sturgis

On the inconsistency of his kickoffs:

"One of the sides was just a little bit tougher than the other to get it to go. On a few, I put our coverage team in some bad situations a few times, but they did a good job of getting the runner down. But I have to be better next week."

On whether he feels like he turned the corner with today's performance:

"I think I had a good week of preparation and I was ready for this game. I missed that extra point and a few of the kickoffs I'd like to get back, but I think I'm hitting the ball pretty well."