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00:00 >> Playing December, defense got a turnover, the offense cashed in,
00:04 kept the ball most of the first half, defense the rest, and they played good football.
00:09 >> Can I speak to Yaya Diaby just becoming a force for
00:12 you as a pass rusher on the outside?
00:14 >> Settling in, he's settling in, he's feeling comfortable.
00:17 We kind of let him go a little bit, and he's had the tools that he had in college,
00:21 and he's making his own.
00:22 >> Another player that had a huge game was Antoine Whitfield Jr.
00:25 Do you have an update on him?
00:27 >> He's fine, he could have went back in and just held him up, it's worth it.
00:31 >> So the staff determined that he didn't have a good game?
00:34 >> He didn't have one.
00:35 >> I'm trying to interest you for you and Devin White.
00:39 Let's talk about his performance today and how it all came together this week.
00:43 Was there any extra motivation for him?
00:46 >> I can't speak for him, but it wasn't for me.
00:49 Me and Devin are very close, we talk about everything.
00:51 His practice is normal, he looks ready to go, he's fresh in practice,
00:55 he was running around.
00:56 He made the play of the game that he made in practice.
00:58 >> How good is Whitfield in these past two weeks for you?
01:02 >> He's been outstanding, he's been outstanding in December,
01:05 that's what you want from your quarterback in December.
01:07 Everybody knows each other's play is right about now, but
01:10 when we're trying to make a push and your quarterback is playing great,
01:12 it gives you a chance.
01:14 >> You guys haven't had two interceptions in a game since September.
01:17 What did that do to get the takeaways early to create some separation?
01:20 >> It's huge, it's a great quarterback, it's huge for
01:22 us to get the takeaways early, keeps them off the field,
01:25 it gives us some momentum, especially going into the half, and
01:28 it worked out for us.
01:29 >> How gratifying is it as a coach when you have a team that struggled earlier on
01:33 this season, and the last few weeks, they're just rapidly ascending?
01:38 I mean, you go out there and you see the defense tonight,
01:39 I mean, they are firing on all cylinders in addition to what the offense
01:43 had going this past week.
01:45 >> We're piecing it together, we're piecing it together,
01:47 everybody's playing for each other, everybody's locked in.
01:50 And we're trying to get in, we're calling, we're scrapping,
01:52 we're doing everything we can.
01:53 Those guys have great attitudes, the leaders have been great for us,
01:57 given us some tough times coming out on the other side, and we know it's not over.
02:00 >> When you look back, Todd,
02:01 you look back at the end of the Atlanta game, the comeback on the road.
02:05 Did you have any sense that, hey,
02:07 maybe a win like this could trigger this kind of a turnaround for this team?
02:11 >> I don't think I had a sense at that time, we needed to win every game.
02:15 Like I said, we had to start our playoffs, and we started it around that time.
02:19 And we've been going ever since, and we're gonna keep riding, and
02:22 finding different ways to win.
02:24 And finally coming together as a group is great, but again,
02:27 you gotta do it every week, and they understand that.
02:29 >> Todd, you haven't had many chances to be up 30-0 in the third quarter.
02:34 Is there a point where you think about pulling starters from a game like this
02:36 late?
02:37 >> No, we got a lot of young guys, need a lot of experience.
02:40 I think last year we played Atlanta, we pulled the stars in the last game.
02:43 We lost our motor gym going into the playoffs.
02:46 We got things to work on to get better, and we're gonna play.
02:48 >> I think it's fair to say that you've become a little bit more aggressive with
02:52 your fourth down calls and had some great successes.
02:55 Is it a philosophical change, or
02:57 what could you say about maybe more fourth down chances?
03:02 >> Kind of helps when you're up 30-0.
03:04 >> [LAUGH] >> I have to think about it as much.
03:07 I'm sure if the game is 7-6, you gotta think about your calls a little bit more,
03:11 but it kind of frees you up a little bit.
03:13 >> Do you have an update on the injury status of Shaq Barrett or Carlton Davis?
03:16 >> I know Shaq has a groin, I don't have anything on Carlton yet.
03:19 I don't know how bad Shaq is at this time.
03:22 >> Todd, you talked about kind of losing mojo with the Falcons game in the end of
03:25 last year.
03:25 If you win against the Saints, you'd clinch the NFC South next weekend.
03:30 Would you be more likely to play your starters in week 18,
03:33 knowing how it went last time?
03:34 >> We'll see.
03:35 Our young guys are our starters.
03:36 It's not like we have young guys on the bench to put in and get experience.
03:39 They've all been playing since the beginning of the season, so we'll discuss
03:43 it then.
03:44 I don't wanna put the cart before the horse,
03:45 cuz we got a heck of a game to play this Sunday.
03:47 >> Coach, will you describe this Christmas dinner,
03:52 how special is it for you before this W?
03:56 >> For me, the win is everything.
03:58 Obviously, it's all about me.
04:00 Two of my boys, out of three are home, so I got everybody at the house right now, so
04:04 it'll be a good Christmas.
04:06 >> Everything gonna taste a little better.
04:07 >> I won't have to eat cookies tonight.
04:10 >> [LAUGH] >> Okay, thank you.
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