Damn, cut the guy some slack, he's trying to accentuate the positive coming off the bye after a tough loss that they feel they could have won.
McC and his staff, and evidently most of his players, haven't given up, aren't ready to move onto the the draft and 2021.
This season has been mostly a disaster with the addition of a rat in the root cellar the coaching staff had to deal with after the D leader asked them to dumb down the D.
McC and his staff don't know it's over, they still think they have a chance to turn this season. And that begins with the players believing that as well. Hence the "pep in their step" comment meaning their heads are in the right place to go to MIN and try and get back in the fight to be the yeast to rising in the least East with no beast.