Rivera, Newton Preview Game Against New Orleans Saints
 

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Were you a little bit surprised like many in general about how Drew Brees opened up the season with some struggles against the Redskins?

“He throws for over 300 yards. I don’t know if that’s a struggle.”

His completion percentage was off?

“I think you have to give credit to the opponents too. It is the first game of the year. They geared some things to try and stop him. Even though he didn’t play as well as he typically does, he’s still throwing for over 300 yards and doing things that he does. Still, it’s a matter of a guy making a play here and making a play there. They have a couple of drops that these guys typically make catches on. I think they’re a little rusty. We’ll say they worked themselves into game shape and you’re talking about probably one of the most prolific offenses in the league.”

Will you have Jonathan Stewart back this week?

“Yes, Jonathan practiced today for us, looked good. It’s good to have him back and (he’s) a big part of what we do.”

How frustrating was it to get ten yards rushing with him out?

“Disappointing. We had over 300 yards of total offense. Our quarterback threw for over 300 yards. We just couldn’t get our balance back on the offensive side. Probably the biggest thing is that we didn’t score when we had opportunities. We got down to the red zone twice and we ended up having to punt. We missed a chance to throw a touchdown pass. We missed a chance to run one in. That’s the frustration more than anything else.”

How would you compare Robert Griffin III and your quarterback?

“Two different guys physically. They use their guy a little different than we use ours. I think RGIII’s a competitor. He did a nice job. He made some plays. You have to give them credit for what they did.”

Continue reading