Head Coach Pete Carroll
This was a terrific win for us. Go back on the road again and do it and played really good football across the board. I'm really fired up about that. And I'm so happy with the guys and the way we have approached these games mentally. And it's the challenge of flying across the country and playing in the morning, we're there. We understand how to do it and I'm really fired up about that. That's such a good accomplishment and these guys know how to get it done.
So I like this team that we just played. They can do all kinds of stuff, they're a well-balanced football team, and we held them down. I think it's really worth noting how the defense played today. I thought they played great all day long. Obviously, we took the ball away from them a ton of times, five times I think today, we had four sacks. The pressure was there again like last week. We all wondered are we going to have pressure this week? And we didn't have J.D. [Clowney] out there playing. Just thrilled for the guys up front that kept the heat coming and made it a hard day for their quarterback.
So the other side of it is on the offensive side. The fact that we ran for 175 today is a big deal to us. We run the football like that and make the big plays, but Rashaad Penny really had a big day today. It was great to see him come through and make some big plays and big runs and looked so darn fast on his touchdown run. It's great for the big guys up front, too, to get that done.
But the thing I think that is really cool about this day is in the history, this is the way I understand it, in the history of the NFL, 100-year history, no starting quarterback or starting MIKE linebacker has ever had eight straight winning seasons. And why that's something that's so important to us to acknowledge is just that the marvelous consistency that Russell has brought us and, really, Bobby too. He's been there the whole time, too. And it's just incredibly special to be able to accomplish that. I mean, it ain't ever been done before. So thrilled about that and I'm thrilled for people to know the kind of player that Russ is in particular and the consistency and the class that he's always brought to the organization. Bobby, as well. And we're thrilled to be able to be part of that and thrilled to be able to have had a chance to coach through that too. So really it's a really exciting in that regard. So I don't know what it means in the big world of anything. We haven't done nothing yet. We got a long ways to go. It's a great stretch run coming up here, it's all out there for us, we just got to keep going one day at a time and give ourselves a chance to play. We're coming back on Monday night. That will be really fun to get revved up for that one and this trip was really worked out great. I'm really fired up about it.
Q. With each win you gain control of the playoff picture, is it about setting your own destiny now especially this late in the season?
Yeah, that's what everybody wants. It's all you hope for is you're in control of it. We're in control of it. We can do whatever we want to do with this season. And the point is that you go right back to one day at a time. And if we can keep marching that way, these guys got the right mentality, they know how to get this done and so we have a chance to have a really good day on Monday when we get back. And then we'll work our way to Monday night and have some fun with that opportunity too.
Q. How did Penny kind of handle the last few weeks of maybe not playing as much?
Frustrated, but he has practiced marvelously. The last three weeks have been his best three weeks of practice. We really wanted him to play today and get him in there and see what would happen because he's looked so good in practice. So I thought Chad Morton did a really nice job of rotating him and looking for his opportunity with the intent of getting a shot out there. He came through beautifully. It was really sweet game for him.
Q. Did you change your game plan at all with the weather starting off with the rain and such?
No, but the wind was a factor. It was a factor on both sides for both teams, I thought. Particularly early on. The ball was getting blown around. And just playing catch, you can see and let me say this, too, I think that was a fantastic job by Mike Dickson today, to kick the ball like he did, put him inside the 20 five times, inside the 5, I don't know, two or three times with just marvelous kicking. But it did affect that part of the game, too, and it was in our mind that because the 30, a kick from the 35-yard line be good enough in this kind of wind where you can count on it because it was swirling around.
Q. You guys have missed some opportunities too. It could have been a different game. Metcalf catches the deep ball --
Yeah, we really did. We know that. Yeah, no, I'm not saying that you had to tell me. The point is that we know this could have been different. And with this kind of defensive performance, it could have been a really big day. But we felt probably a little bit, too, that not being able to get the ball thrown and caught like we liked. Russ missed one that a million times, again, he ain't going to miss that ball in the corner. So we didn't take advantage of all the opportunities, for sure.
Q. But even with that, though, when you think about all the close games that you have had this season, is there something about your team that's able to get through whatever the circumstances are?
I think so. Yeah, I would like to think so. It comes from the leadership and these guys out there on the field and the preparation and the mentality that we have. We don't care what kind of game it is and if it's a close game we're fine about that. If it goes all the way down to the nub, we don't care. It doesn't bother us a bit. But going down 3-0 right off the bat didn't phase anybody. We were fine about it the whole way through. And so I do think, I do think we understand what it takes to win in those situations and now we just got to keep proving it.
Q. Do you expect Jadeveon to play next week and what can you, I guess, clarify --
I would think, I -- I'm optimistically, I think so. Yeah. He had some stuff that he had to go through here and it just set him back a little bit because of the treatments, they were going to set him back a couple days. And it could have and it did. So he should likely be coming out of that and we're hopefully he'll be better off by the week next week.
Q. Ziggy, playing the way he did in this game especially without Clowney --
Yeah, I was really fired up that he was contributing like that. It was really important. I mean, there's a lot of you guys that follow us really closely. You would have wondered, how are we going to have a pass rush without J.D. after what he did last week? And we did. We did. So we have taken a new step forward and we're getting better. And this is really, really important for this stretch run, that the defense can start playing like this. The last two weeks have been really good days for our defense and that's really important. It ain't how you start. We got a chance to finish with a really good performance from these guys and it's going to be necessary.
Q. What did you see in the difference in the defense? Last week, we saw Jadeveon was kind of the star but this week, what did you see?
We were just active, and a lot of different guys were active. I thought Grif did a nice job. Q. Jeff did a nice job too. Unfortunately, J-Reed sprained his ankle a little bit, but until then he did a nice job. So I think it's, I just thought it was just a contribution from different guys. We pressured them a number of times. Mixing the rushes and stuff continues to help us. And you can just, it's just different. We're just better than we have been and we have taken a big jump forward.
Q. The fumbles today, is that something that you harp on in practice?
Yeah, heck yeah. Heck, yeah, forever. We have never not emphasized it. But as we always say, they come in bunches and today was a beautiful day of getting that football. Yeah, it's the most important thing that we do in our game. In our style of play it's the center of our philosophy. So to have a day like that and throw five, that's huge.
Q. You mentioned the road wins, 6-0 on the road. What about this particular group has allowed you --
What about this --
Q. 6-0 on the road. What about this particular group of players allows that to happen?
They have embraced the challenges of it. It's, they welcome that we're going to a hard place to play and it's the circumstances and all that. They know our routine really well and they're taking advantage of it so they're very clear in what it takes. I'm so fired up about Bobby and KJ and Russ and Duane Brown, the way they lead our guys to get prepared mentally so that we can play like we're capable. Regardless of the situation, that's an enormous strength of a team. If you can have that, we got to hold on to it. We ain't done yet, got a lot of work to do.
Q. Akeem played a lot. It seems like he's your nickel back maybe?
He did play the nickel position today and we liked him for the matchups.
Q. Not just the pass rush, but the fact that it's just the four getting home often, how much is that really keying your defense?
It is. It's such a big deal. It's such a difference. And we just turned the corner the last two weeks. I couldn't tell you that last week because it just happened once. But to come back and see our guys penetrate like that and really be scrapping, we were close a lot. And I think we had recorded nine hurries or something on the QB. That's a big day. That's, I don't know. I can't tell you what turned the corner. I would have said J.D.'s contribution last week was really the trigger, but he's sitting over here with me. And so the whole group has gotten better and we have improved and it's a really, really exciting emergence that we need to hopefully capitalize on.
Q. What clicked for Ziggy today? It seemed like he had his best game.
He had a really good week. I think he also knew that with J.D. not out there we needed him to come through. And I just think that he just was available for it. He's the strongest he's been, he's the heaviest he's been right now, he's been working really hard alongside and beyond what the other guys are doing to make sure that he's getting better as the season comes down to the stretch here. And I'm really proud of him for understanding that you can keep getting better during the season and he has and maybe that's why we see him as active today. I don't know.
Q. Shaquem seemed pretty active. Is that a role you think will keep growing?
Yeah, yeah, really excited about it, can't wait to see the film, all the stuff he was trying. He's a total different dimension than what we have had, he's a very unique player and we're trying to figure out how to best incorporate that as we're trying to pick things up. Really we should note that he is, he did contribute both last week and this week, so he's been part of it too and he makes us a lot faster out there chasing around.
Q. You said Rashaad was sort of frustrated. Did you have to talk to him at all?
We talk all the time. Yeah. Just trying to keep him encouraged, and just like anybody -- we expect our guys to be frustrated. We expect them to want to -- they all want to play, they all deserve to play, it's just sometimes it just doesn't happen and it's how you deal with it. What he did is he got better, he's trimmer, he's faster. Look how fast he looked today. He looked like he was shot out of a canon. And that's because of the hard work, he got a little bit of fresh legs benefit and he took full advantage of it.
Q. How much of an X factor has Quandre Diggs been? It feels like things have clicked.
He's doing stuff. He's doing stuff. Really excited about him. We don't know who got the forced fumble, we'll have to go to the videotape and then -- maybe you guys know better than we do -- but there's some guys fighting over it, so we'll see. But, and he was involved and I think Grif was involved too, is that right?
Q. Yeah.
They gave it to Grif? Well Q's going to be really upset about that. So just write it, just write it.
Q. How much is he helping McDougald, do you think?
I think as a good player that's got experience and good wherewithal and all that and helps other players, he's doing it. The confidence that comes from knowing that he knows the game and knows what's going on, the subtle conversations that they're having sitting on the bench together and talking about the series and all of that, it's invaluable stuff. So it's just, it's the factor that really good players bring. They help guys around them play better. And I think that's part of it. I'm not saying that Bradley isn't helping him, too, because Bradley's an experienced guy that we love in the program, but to have those two guys out there, they're really balling and making adjustments and talking through things. And we're going to keep getting better. We made a few mistakes today that we can eliminate easily and we got a chance to keep improving.
Q. How did the wind affect things today?
It was a factor, in my mind. Just throwing the ball and playing catch, it was, the ball was moving. So, particularly on the longer throws the ball's moving all over the place. And let me just say, the catch and the throw that Russell got with Malik was, it was just exquisite. It was an exquisite throw and catch and the timing and the execution of that, the double pass thing was just perfect, such a tough catch and Malik made it look easy. That was a great play. So that was an example of, that ball gets away from you, you saw DK had a couple balls that he might have been able to get that just, it's getting knocked around, so it just moves and you got to hope you can get it done.
QB Russell Wilson
On his wife, Ciara, and where she is:
"Yes, Ciara is hosting the AMAs tonight. She didn't get to come tonight but she was watching the whole game she said, and I just talked to her on FaceTime. She is hosting The AMAs and then she is performing her new song, Melanin. So that will be fun to watch. We'll be in the air though, unfortunately."
On how the offense played:
"I thought we played a great game in the sense that we were able to move the ball extremely well against a really tough defense, one of the top defenses we've played this year. All the players, all their schemes and all the different things they do. The reality is that we really should have had 21 points in the first half. We felt like we missed a couple layups that we normally hit, but we aren't stressed about that. We know that we can do those things. I think across the board, just to be able to stay within the game and stay focused in a tough environment, really tough environment. It was cold, it was windy, all those things, and to stay composed and to hit a big one in a clutch game, we don't fear anything, don't fear any situations. That's really where we are and who we are."
On the throw to WR Malik Turner and if he had to adjust:
"Yeah, a little bit. So we tossed it and [RB] Chris [Carson] threw a great throw back, caught it there. Malik really did a great job because he's really running to get an open route, really. He's trying to get an open spot. He did a great job because all week we kind of crossed in the guy's face. [Eagles S Rodney] McLeod did a great job staying outside of him and forcing him up the field. It was kind of those two defenders right there and I just tried to throw it through the wind on a line to him and he made a great catch in the back of the end zone. I mean it was just beautiful. Beautiful orchestration of what we wanted to do."
On the touchdown that he missed to TE Jacob Hollister:
"You know, sometimes you miss a layup. You go in the layup line and you miss a layup. That was like that. I can't even explain it. But what I do know is 99 out of 100 we are going to hit those."
On how tough the conditions were:
"I didn't think it was a crazy factor. I think we made some plays down the field. I thought [WR] David Moore's play was great. I thought we made a lot of great plays despite the weather and everything else. We played through it. I think it was just a tough game in general because of the wind."
On the play of Seattle's defense:
"The great thing for us, in terms of what we were able to do, was that our defense was playing unbelievable today. That was just amazing the way they were getting so many turnovers and making so many plays. I think they had five defensive [takeaways] and that was just amazing. We can be sharper on offense, but the great thing was that we had our plays and we had our opportunities. We made a few of them, and we missed a couple of them too. We'll make those, we know that."
On the 58-yard touchdown run by RB Rashaad Penny:
"It was amazing. It was a double count kind of thing and he just did a great job. The offensive line did a tremendous job of setting it up. He ran through the line and once he got past the linebackers, I was like, 'Uh-oh, he could go to the house.' He's so fast and so physical. He made a nice move and then he gets all the way down the field and makes a nice little stiff-arm backwards to chuck the guy off of him or whatever he did, and it's a touchdown. He played great today, and I'm not sure what he rushed for. He had a tremendous day, and to have two great running backs is always a good thing."
On having two running backs in Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny:
"Chris Carson has done a great job for us over the past couple of years of running the football. [Rashaad] Penny is such a talented guy, we have all the confidence in the world in both of them. I know both of them want to be in there, and I think maybe we should put both of them in there at times just to mix it up a little bit. Both of them are just great players and to be honest, to be a great running team you have to have two great running backs. I think back to 2012 and 2013 when we had Marshawn [Lynch] and we also had Robert Turbin. Those two guys were really forces in the backfield and both of those guys could play. I think now we have two guys like that again, and it's a great thing to have. You can alternate them, they can catch, they can run, they can pass protect, they can do all of the above."
On the fumbled handoff that led to a turnover:
"I think we just have to study the film and see what happened. We had a naked on and then we changed the play to a run. I just think I have to do a better job of making sure we're really clear on what we're trying to do there. I'll put it on me for sure."
On why the team has been able to go 6-0 in road games:
"I think we have unwavering belief. We believe in each other, we believe in our system, and we believe in what we're doing. To get all of these wins has been a great thing. To be 9-2, and to be where we are, to be fighting for first place in our division and in the NFC, it's a great place to be. The great thing is that we're playing great football. But the greater thing is that we can play even better. That's the scary part for the NFL and a great thing for us. We're ready to roll, and we're ready to keep getting better. That's one of the things that we've always done since I've gotten here in 2012 and really under Coach [Pete] Carroll. It's been an awesome experience as we just continue to grow and continue to get better as a team. We continue to make plays and we continue to find a way. We continue to rise to the occasion. We were able to rise to the occasion today in a tough environment coming all the way out East, and to be 6-0 and right where we want to be, it's a great thing."
On whether he knew the Eagles had interest in him entering the 2012 NFL Draft:
"I was at [the University of] Wisconsin at the time, and I remember going to the combine, and [Philadelphia] was one of the teams that I met with for sure. I just had a great experience talking to the Eagles and Doug Pederson was there with Andy Reid. I remember at my pro day, Doug [Pederson] actually came to Wisconsin and worked me out. We had a blast just talking ball and playing football. He's a great coach and I really admire who he is. I got to know Andy Reid as well, and both of those guys obviously are great offensive minds. I will never forget that the Eagles, to be honest with you, really wanted to draft me, and it really kind of came down to the wire. But I'm blessed to be a Seahawk, that's for sure. I do know being from the East Coast, one of the things I was thinking was maybe [Philadelphia] will take me. But I wouldn't change anything in the world. To be here in my eighth season, it's been a blessing. We've gotten a lot of wins, and we've been able to do a lot of cool things. I have a great coach in Coach [Pete] Carroll and a great organization and great teammates. It's been a blast."
On the importance of having a balanced offensive attack late in the season:
"I think we want to have that great balance. We want to be able to throw it, play action, run it – do everything that we want to do, even have a couple of deceptive [plays] once in a while. We have a plethora of things that we can do, and that's challenging for the defense. We have a lot of great receivers, tight ends, and running backs. I think we do a great job in the scramble situations too, which makes it tough on defenses as well. We want to keep going and we want to be able to run the football, because running the ball controls a lot and it helps set everything else up. We also have such great playmakers on the outside on the flank that can really make plays. You saw Malik [Turner] catching his first touchdown today. He's made two big plays in the past two games which have been so exciting. He's just worked so hard. Obviously Tyler Lockett catching that deep post to really seal the game was another huge play. He battled through being a little dinged up these past two weeks. What a fighter. We have so many great players, and obviously [Rashaad Penny being able to run it and take it to the house was huge."
RB Rashaad Penny
On the Seahawks defense setting up the offense with a short field on their fourth quarter scoring drive:
"The defense has been playing well the last few weeks and this game is all about opportunities. We got a turnover [to begin the fourth quarter] and we just had to execute. We had a lot of turnovers today from the defense. We're kind of bummed that we didn't execute but, yeah, it was big. The offensive line played a huge role and, from there-on, the running backs coaches were telling [the Seahawks running backs] to outrun the guys in the opposite jerseys."
On how big of a test it has been this year sharing the workload in the backfield:
"It's been a big test, but it's [about] me just staying poised, staying who I am and patiently waiting my turn. [I'm] just trying to prove that I can play. But we have a great running back in front of me in [Seahawks RB] Chris [Carson], he shows it week-in and week-out - all last season and this season. So, yeah, it gets kind of hard for me. But, then again, I just stay the guy I am, stay poised and wait for my turn and opportunity and just make the most out of it."
On the messages head coach Pete Carroll relays to him:
"He just says to stay the guy [that] I am; to stay relaxed and stay comfortable. You know your time will come, just patiently wait. [Seahawks RB] Chris [Carson] said the same thing, so it's like I'm getting mentored the whole time and it's a learning curve for me to be the back that they want me to be."
On whether he thought today's game would be an opportunity to prove himself:
"I have a feeling like that every week. You really don't know what can happen, it just happened this week. [I'm] just grateful for the opportunity, especially with what happened in the 49ers game with the fumble. I'm thankful that the coaches gave me another opportunity to go out and show what I can do."
On the Seahawks' mental toughness throughout the season:
"We just have great leaders in [Seahawks LB] Bobby [Wagner] and [QB Russell Wilson]. They do an amazing job just preaching poise in the noise - that's going on the road playing against everybody who's against us. That's us sticking to our gameplan and executing. It's shown, because we're undefeated [on the road], and we're happy with that."
On his fourth-quarter, 58-yard touchdown run:
"It's kind of a feeling thing when you know somebody is getting close. It's just like wrapping the ball up when you're running in the hole. No, I didn't see [Eagles CB Ronald Darby] until the last minute. I always check left-right making sure nobody comes so they won't strip the ball out. It just so happened he was there, and I think he gave me a boost into the end zone."
On whether he lost weight coming into this season:
"Yeah, I've just been doing things [differently] than what I did last year. I know last year, as the season was progressing, I was gaining weight. This year, they told me to be more of professional and practice harder than I've ever practiced in the past, like last year. I just take everything as 'game-like' now – whether I'm at practice or walkthroughs – I'm more keyed in. It's all about opportunities and that's what happened today."
On whether he hired a nutritionist this past offseason:
"Yeah, I did. I'm doing way better than what I've done in the past. I've stopped eating McDonald's - that was hard for me. But then I just started getting more serious about football. Having great body weight and great body shape takes you a long way as a running back. I'm learning that from Chris [Carson] – just trying to be in his shoes. I mean, I can't be that big, but it happens."
On what else is excluded from his diet besides McDonald's:
"Everything. Everything that's bad."
On what weight he's playing at right now:
"I'm playing at 230 right now. I know last year I was pretty heavy. My goal is to get to 225 and if I can prove that by doing that in-season that means that off-season I can do that as well. I didn't take the off-season in my rookie season too seriously like I'm doing now. "
On what weight he played at last year:
"I was probably a little heavier at like 238. That's not a good weight."
On whether he feels that he's faster, especially when he gets in the open field:
"Most definitely. I felt an extra burst. I was pretty pleased with myself when I came back to the sideline. I was kind of wooing myself as well at how fast I felt. All the guys tell me to use my speed. When I get in the open field, they say to use it, so I did today."
On how he got connected to the nutritionist:
"It was just something that I was serious about. All the guys on the team have a type of nutritionist making meals and all that. I just connected with some of the guys on the team and that's where I met her from."
On his supportive relationship with RB Chris Carson:
"I think that's the most important thing. Most people think that as competitors we're supposed to hate each other. I actually love that dude and he can probably say the same thing about me. It's just all about playing off each other. It's tough for me because he has the hot hand and he's doing everything great and I'm just sitting back, but I'm also learning. I think it would suck for me because I'm a first-round pick and everybody is expecting all these big things and I'm still young and I'm still fresh. I've got a lot of carries I can handle for whenever the time is needed. I think that's the most important thing. Me and Chris have a great relationship, just like all the other running backs. I think the running backs coach [Chad Morton] does an amazing job of just putting us all together."
On when he started working with the nutritionist:
"In the spring when I came back to Seattle."
On what his favorite thing on the menu is:
"I'm a big broccoli guy. I love green stuff now."
On what the worst food he's had to give up is:
"Maybe my mom's burgers. And then my mom's lasagna. Every time I go back home she just chops up grilled chicken and gives me salad. Everybody else eats Little Caesar's."
On whether he thought he would ever utter the words 'I'm a broccoli guy':
"Probably not because I never thought I would get that big."
T Duane Brown
On what it feels like to potentially be in first place after today:
"Absolutely. We're always grateful for the win, but we know we have a better brand of football that we can play on offense. Our defense played lights out and I have to salute them. And I have to take my hat off to the Philly defense, as they have some great players over there. We just know that we can play a little bit better. But guys made big plays. I'm proud of my guys. We fought and this is a tough environment to play in. This is a good defense. But we fought, we battled; however we have some things that we need to clean up. But 9-2 is definitely good and we're very proud of that."
On how it felt to see RB Rashaad Penny do what he did today:
"It was great. We have a lot of love for Penny. We know that he's a homerun hitter and he showed it. We were waiting. We were getting some runs, you know maybe four [yards] here or five [yards] there. We knew eventually we could break a big one and it happened. That was a big momentum shift for us."
On what worked having the 1-2 punch of both RB Rashaad Penny and RB Chris Carson:
"It was great. Our message is always to try to be physical, to try and run the ball, and in order to do that effectively, try to rotate those guys so you get fresh legs in there. They're playing behind their pads, and were able to do that. I didn't know that we had a 170-plus yards. It was just one of those weird games, but we're very proud of that. We hang our hat on being able to run the ball effectively and that's great. Those guys ran hard and guys blocked up front, so we're always proud of that."
On his thoughts about the execution of the run play before the long touchdown run:
"Yeah that was a big play to keep the drive going. We were backed up a little bit and they called a play for me to pull out for the corner. It's one of our better plays and we got the first down. I'm always happy to do that so I'm glad we called it up."
On why the offense can't seem to fix their continuing issues:
"It's hard and no one is trying to create penalties, but it's just one of those things and you have to lock in. Again, this is a very tough environment to play in and it's loud out there and that can create some confusion on the cadence and things like that. They have a great defense and they may draw some penalties. So it's not necessarily something that we look to do; however its things that happen. But we just have to overcome it. Guys made plays when we needed to and that's the main thing. It's something that we're going to have to address again. We get back to the drawing board tomorrow,
but again, I'm proud of my guys, we fought hard, we got the win, and it's always better to learn from your mistakes after a win."
WR Malik Turner
On his first career touchdown:
"It was a long developing play. It started up front with the protection with Duane [LT Duane Brown], Fluke [G D.J. Fluker], [G Mike] Iupati, those guys. Then the ball got back to Russ [QB Russell Wilson], I made my move, and then he put up a great ball between two defenders to only where I could get it in the back of the end zone. It was not exactly how we drew it up but just playing football, playing fast and playing with a great QB. It is just one of those plays that we practice a lot. We have a lot of familiarity with what can happen with it. Just being patient, finding the void out on the field and making the play."
On how much the wind was a factor in today's game:
"Earlier on it was a little factor, but as the game progressed, it was not too bad. We got our run game going with [RB Rashaad] Penny and [RB Chris] Carson, so it was not too bad."
On being undefeated on the road this season:
"It means a lot to the team compared to last year. This year, we are really tight. We have some great leaders in Bobby [LB Bobby Wagner], Russ and K.J [LB K.J. Wright] and they really bring us together before games and you really cannot take us apart."
LB Mychal Kendricks
On the defense affecting Eagles QB Carson Wentz's passing game today:
"I think we did a great job as a defense breaking down passes that were on target. I think we did a good job recognizing the routes. Like I said, we did a good job executing."
On the defensive line and the defensive backs working together today:
"That had a great impact on the game. We had a lot of turnovers. We had a lot of quarterback pressure. And the [defensive backs], you know those two go hand-in-hand together. You know that. Everyone knows that. That's how the [defensive line] eats, [defensive backs] eat. If the [defensive backs] eat, it's because the [defensive line] is up there doing their thing. So those two entities have done a great job."
On whether playing in Philadelphia was a game he had looked forward to:
"Yeah I mean, I still own a house here. The two years that I haven't been here, Philly has grown a lot. There's a Target right by my house. So pulling in and seeing that, I'm like, 'Man, this is crazy.' But as far as the game, it's just another game. You know what I mean? You don't want to get too caught up in the emotions."
On what it's like being undefeated on the road this season:
"We're road warriors. That's what we have to do. The odds are against us, but it seems like this team plays really well."
LB Bobby Wagner
On the team's potential moving forward:
"I think we have a lot of potential. I think on the defensive side we're starting to see what we're capable of [and] the offensive side has been doing amazing all year. When all those things come together, I think we can really do some amazing things. We just keep getting better every week and that's the goal. You want to be the team that's hot at the right time when it matters."
On the defense's progression as a whole:
"Across the board, everyone is locking in on the little things. The little things are what's helping us win these games – especially the game we had today – we were locking in on the little things and taking care of our job and really taking pride and making sure there would be no points on the board."
On the defense's performance despite DE Jadeveon Clowney being inactive:
"As soon as we found out [Clowney] wasn't going to play, guys stepped up and were ready to make plays and that's what they did. The pass rush was amazing, the back end was amazing. I felt like [Seahawks LBs] K.J. [Wright] and Mychal [Kendricks] were making tackles all day. It was fun."
SS Bradley McDougald
On his interception:
"Well it was a simple man-to-man scheme. I think it was [Eagles TE Dallas] Goedert who came off the ball. I actually thought it was run. I took a step forward and then I got a pass read, just a bump and run. I was able to slip in. The ball seemed to be underthrown a little bit because the ball was floating and that's why I dove for it. I noticed it was floating towards the ground so I had to make a diving catch. It was pretty typical man-to-man. I just slipped under the tight end and made a play."
On whether there was a moment where he read the run:
"I was already up just because they gave us a heavy personnel. I think they came out in a three tight end set, so it was already a heavier look. They just switched it up that time and threw a pass out of it and I was able to catch it."
On the defense working together and it all coming together for them:
"That's the NFL season for you. Some teams are going to incline when it comes to November and December. Some teams are going to decline. Some teams are going to stay the same. We're going up right now. We're coming together. This is one of the tightest groups I've ever been a part of. Off the field we all have each other's backs. We want to see each other succeed. There's no egos in this room. There's no superstar in this room. Everyone is out here playing for each other. That's when it becomes special. I feel like if we keep this momentum we're going to be one of the best defenses going forward."
