RB Rashad Jennings
January 5, 2017
Q: Paul Perkins says he's never carried the ball in really cold weather. What would you tell him about how to handle that situation?
A: He's going to be in the right frame of mind. You've just got to protect it. The football is a little bit harder when it's cold outside, it could get moist just simply because of the weather and the dew but he'll be fine.
Q: How important was it to get the running game going the way you did on Sunday?
A: It was major for us because we needed that momentum-builder to head into the playoffs. That was a playoff atmosphere playing against the Redskins because it was a must-win for them. We understood where we were at and every organization I've been part of, they won, stop the run, run the football. Be able to do those things and play hard-nosed defense, you can find your way to a championship. We've got to carry that over.
Q: Coach doesn't like to use the word “playoffs.” He keeps saying this is the 17th game. For guys who've never been to the playoffs, how hard is it to separate that word from game number 17?
A: I ain't separating nothing! This is the playoffs, it's what it is, and the playoffs happen to be the 17th game! He's focused on how he's preparing, how he's delivering messages to the team, how he wants us to deliver it and we don't expect him to change at all. Guys are going to be excited, this is why we do it. As far as the preparation, that's not going to change. From Monday, Tuesday, today, tomorrow, the whole preparation is the exact same as it was week 1 versus Dallas. That's why he's looking at it as the 17th game.
Q: Have you relayed to guys on the team what a rare opportunity it this because you're in a unique position where this is your first time in the playoffs?
A: Oh yeah, absolutely.
Q: How do you go about doing that?
A: Letting them know that this is my eighth year in the league and this is my first time making the playoffs and letting them know, some of the guys that I've known, throughout their career that have never made it to the playoffs. They've played 10 years and some guys never made it to the playoffs. So own this and take advantage of this. Don't let it slip. Extra hour here, extra hour there, studying, doing what you need to do so we can do it at a high level. Put ourselves in the position to go for the 18th.
