Postgame quotes from the following:
I have a major regret that the 12s weren't here to see that one, as well as all these other games that have been here in this season. It's so regrettable that you haven't been able to enjoy it because you guys would have never gone home tonight. So, just speaking to our fans, I hope you had a ball with it, at home, or where you're doing it. And I hope you guys believe like our guys believe. That was an amazing game tonight, and it was hard, and tough and started so poorly, but at halftime, you saw what happened when we came out, at halftime our guys were clear that we could score a bunch of points and we could stop them and all of a sudden the avalanche just hit. We got the ball away from them a couple of times, we stopped them on 3 and Out, and the offense just rock and rolled. Unfortunately, they did a nice job and they got back ahead and gave our offense a chance to do it. I can't express to the people out there how it feels like when we are going on the field, even though it was 94 yards away and a minute and 25 or whatever it was, and a time out. It didn't matter, you know. Give Russ four downs and he will find a way to make a first down. He's got some drama in him now. The Fourth and 10 was huge, obviously, and coming through on fourth down to win it with DK. So many cool things happened, and again we're not playing the way we want to play on defense the whole game, but we make plays when we have to make them. We make the stops when we have to make the stops. They come up and they rise up. It's a marvelous character that's going on with these guys. We're having a blast, we're just getting started. This season is a million miles long here. Back in the old days in Trojan Land, all you ever wanted to be was to be undefeated at the bye. That still holds true. It's a great feeling. So, we're taking a little break and come back and try to get stronger.
*(On DK Metcalf's mental makeup, to thrive in the moments like he did today…) *
It's been about hard work, commitment to getting right so that he can have the confidence that it takes to make those kinds of plays. He totally believes in himself, and he's building up a reservoir of reasons whey he should and he continues to make things happen. He has a great partner in Russ, who believes in him and trusts him, which also adds; we all need to be supported. DK is getting a lot of support from us, because we know how good he is, too. As he continues to log these experiences and puts them in his back pocket, he gets stronger and stronger and stronger. He's just going to keep getting better. Marvelous playing tonight.
*(On the dialogue during the timeout prior to the final play…) *
I'll tell you, honestly, going through the whole drive, it was just so poised. The players were poised, the coaches were poised, we talked through every single instance that was happening there; measured what we were doing with our time outs. We've just been through this so much that we really have a nice mentality about us, so when it gets all the way down to; we think we score on third down to win the game, and then to make it a little more dramatic, we have to go to fourth down. Schotty called things that he knew Russ knew really well, that he trusted that we've seen a million times, so Russ would be able to exercise the options based on whatever they tried to play in that situation. We called time out to just take another look, and gave Russ a little bit more time to clear his head and make sure he was clear on it, and he throws a freakin' strike to win the football game. Marvelous.
(On what it is about Russell Wilson making 4*th* quarter comebacks…)
Somebody told me that he has 34 fourth quarter comebacks. This was the 34th. There is just so much character that goes into being able to have that much poise, to be that clear, to function like that so beautifully throughout those opportunities. He's just as good as you can get. I don't know how anybody could ever better than what he continues to show us in those situations. He's as good as you can get.
*(On the run defense, giving up a lot of yards, then stopping them on Fourth and 1…) *
Who would have thunk it? We didn't play things as clearly as we need to. They were running plays that we had practiced and all that, but we got blocked. Unfortunately, we weren't able to fit them up right. We're usually really good at that stuff, and then tonight we had some problems, and some issues.
*(On the Seahawks' belief, and whether it comes from having succeeded so many times in these situations…) *
No, that's not what it is. That's just one element of all of the complexities that go into getting to the point where guys know why they trust in themselves and the guys around them, and being able to answer the call in the situations. There's a ton that goes into this. There are so many moving points and so many functioning aspects of it; they need to have a shared clarity of how we're doing it, and how we're getting it done. We went in at halftime, and I reminded them in camp of the day that we stopped practice because we weren't as clean as we needed to be. We talked about it. There's going to be a halftime that's going to come up where we're going to be behind, we won't have done anything in the first half, and we're going to turn the thing right around in time and patiently go through the steps it takes to come back in the game. We've already practiced that, so when that happened today, and we went through it, I'm trying to convince them not to overtry and try to get back in too fast. We have to be patient. Then we went and scored three touchdowns in a minute fifty, so it didn't quite follow the direction of that. But, the mentality that it takes is something that is a discipline that takes a long time to develop. It really helps to have success. You have to build on the successes. Obviously, with 34 comebacks, we have a lot of practice at this stuff. These games are crazy. What was the final score, anyway?
*(On how it helps the defense to know that they can make a stop, and the offense can turn around to drive down the field for a win…) *
That is part of the answer to the last question. A lot goes into this, and they have to feed off of one another and support one another, and that comes from a really deep seated belief that you can get it done. You watched them go down the field on us; why would we think that we could stop them on fourth down? But, we did. We stopped them on third down and fourth down there. The resilience that it takes to come through in situations like that comes from somewhere. It comes from belief that you're going to be able to get it done. And if you don't feel like that, then you relent. That's not what these guys are about. It's really exciting. It's really a fun thing to watch happen. A bunch of young guys putting it together and finding themselves. Like I said, we're just getting started, but it's a great start and we're excited about that, but there is so much to do. This is just this time out.
*(On the play of Benson Mayowa…) *
He continues to make things happen in a special way. He forced two turnovers last week. He hit the quarterback both times on picks. Because it was such a slight effect he had on him, but it was what was necessary. Again tonight, he finds a way. He's doing a great job. He's so happy to be back here with us. It's really fun to see him enjoy it, and then come through and help the cause. He's been a real mainstay so far.
*(On scoring 3 touchdowns in 1:53 in the third quarter…) *
That was thrilling. It's reminiscent of games we've played here in the past. It's just reminiscent of things that we've done, kind of like the avalanche or the surge hits, and that was just what we needed at the time. Sometimes you don't know where it comes from, because we hadn't done much like that. But then all of a sudden, we're cooking. After KJ missed a couple balls last week, to make that catch and do the full spiderman thing that he does; that was remarkable and just so classy a play, and again he had another big night.
*(On his message at halftime…) *
The very first thing that we did was we gathered them all up and set the stage for coming back. We have to have our minds together, and everybody is on the same page, and we're all clear on what we have to do, and all that. There's a patience that needs to be there, otherwise you can overtry and force the issues, and you have to think you got to get it done. You can't score 13 points or 14 points the first drive. It's going to take a while. We didn't do anything on the first drive, but then once it starts happening, I want them to know that it's going to happen so they feel the success building, so that we can build on that. And all of a sudden, here they go, there's this play and that play and things go crazy, and we're ripping up and down the field, and we're stopping them like crazy on defense. That's just how it happens, you know.
*(On the challenges on offense in the first half…) *
We had two big sacks. I don't know this, but I think the three third downs, we had three drives, the three third downs were like third-and-20, or something like that. Well, OK, you're out of luck on those drives. We didn't get a chance. There were eight minutes left in the second quarter when we started our second drive of the game, because of what we were doing on defense, and letting them hold the football. They had 16 plays, or 18 plays, or whatever it was. So, it just didn't fit together, it didn't fit right. I reminded Shotty, don't get impatient in that first half, because you feel like you just have to try to do something, when you haven't been able to, and we just didn't get the chances. The point was to let that go, and leave that outside of us, and just come on back and start over again in the second half. There is plenty of time to score 30 points, or whatever you need to do, and our guys found a way. Somebody made a bunch of catches, and they came through, I can't remember who it was. It might have been DK. What a great night; it was awesome.
*(On why he likes to win games where it comes down to the wire…) *
Because it is so much freakin' fun. But, it's way more than that. One, I like to feel like I felt in that fourth quarter, when I was chilled about the whole thing. So that I can think clearly, operate well, function well for these guys and do whatever I can contribute. That's to expect that those situations can arise so that you're comfortable with the moments. That's part of it. We're making memories. These are memorable situations. So, that's two. Another thing is that the experience that these guys have, it just fortifies why they believe. It just adds on, adds on, adds on to why they should keep hanging and fighting tough and outlasting people that we're playing. Because when you finish, you have to outlast the other guys. That's what our guys understand, and they know it, and they're developing a discipline based on the experience and the confidence that they're getting, because that's all we've been doing for five weeks now. It's just going to make us that much stronger, facing whatever the odds are, the issues are coming down the road. It's just a process of building the mentality of a really successful team. These guys are doing everything. They have all the stores we need right now, and we'll keep building, hopefully.
Q. The last drive, Minnesota made it a little tough for you at times in the game, 94 yards, two minutes left, what is going through your head?
RUSSELL WILSON: I feel like Sue Bird in the clutch, you know (laughter). Man, I felt like because our defense made that unbelievable stop on fourth-and-one, they just picked me up in that situation. We kept believing. I was cheering them on, everybody.
Sure enough, fourth-and-one we get a huge, amazing stop by the defense. Sure enough, here we go. Let's go win the game.
We kept battling, kept battling. DK makes a great play on fourth-and-10. Keep dialing down the field. We had a couple chances at the end zone early on there. We could have scored on those.
Came down to a clutch moment. I don't know, 15 seconds left. I just saw DK run across the field, tried to zoom it into there to him. Tight window. He made an unbelievable catch, unbelievable play. Offensive line blocked extremely well in that position. It was a special time, special moment for us right there.
Q. For you to be 0-7 on third down through the game, then two big fourth-down conversions on the last drive, how did you come up with those two plays?
RUSSELL WILSON: The first half, the reality is we didn't have the ball. We had the ball a few times. We were in third and some long situations. They stopped a screen, stopped a couple plays early on. We had a sack, which was on me. We were trying to get the ball down the field. We almost had Tyler potentially on one play.
They had possession of the ball for a long time in the first half so we didn't get discouraged. The score was 13-0. That is what I kept telling the guys. Stayed neutral.
Got the ball back in the second half. We were lights out in the three possessions in a row. It was just really special how we stayed the course. Guys kept believing. Dissly got back involved. Good to see Dis back. DK made a great catch. Chris Carson has a sweet run for the touchdown, kind of bulldozes over everybody. Next thing you know, it's a new game. That fast, within a minute and 50 seconds probably, who knows.
That was a testament to the defense getting turnovers, making plays, causing havoc on on their offense. It was really special that we were able to just keep believing. That's what I always told you guys, to have no doubt, just keep believing, something great's going to happen.
Q. Can you take us through both the fourth down throws.
RUSSELL WILSON: Fourth down, fourth and 10, clutch situation. We got to make a play. Kind of looking across the board at everybody. Obviously DK was down the field. Just tried to give him a chance to put his hands on it. Sure enough he makes an unbelievable catch. I don't think I even got to see it. I was on the ground maybe. I don't know. I know everybody was celebrating on our sideline.
On the last one, end of the game, just kind of scanned the whole field, looked left, looked right, came back to DK. Boom, there he was. Tried to zip it in there to him just before the guy kind of got to me, the defensive lineman, No. 95 I think.
Just a great play by him. I don't even know how to explain it. Just unbelievable.
Q. Take us through the conversation you and Schotty had during the timeout prior to the play. What did you discuss about your options? Did you have DK as the hot read?
RUSSELL WILSON: Yeah, we just talked about trying to give us a great play where guys were moving around, trying to make a play. Obviously it's fourth down, so we got to find somebody. If we had to throw it up, throw it up kind of thing.
DK did a great job of running away from his guy, closing off the window. All those reps that we've practiced in the offseason, in the summer, all the time just together one-on-one, it really showed up tonight for sure in that special moment.
Q. Did those plays to DK feel like Mexico, back in San Diego?
RUSSELL WILSON: It was special just the plays that he was able to make. That's why he's such a star. I think we had so many other guys that made great plays tonight, too. We have a really great team.
Q. For Will Dissly, what did it mean to see him get back into the end zone?
RUSSELL WILSON: Will is one of my best friends. I love Will to death. He's amazing, just who he is as a person. We're super tight. That tight end room is really amazing. I think it's the best tight end room in football.
Dissly, the tough battles he's gone through, he's kept his faith in God, kept his faith in just the moment. He's worked so hard. We kind of got to throw together in California together this offseason when he was ready to go. Just spend that quality time together.
He's a special guy, I mean, special teammate. Obviously he had such an unbelievable year the first two years. For him to step up in that clutch moment, it's tight, guys right on his back, makes a great catch. It's good to see Dissly back.
Q. You talked about trust and belief this summer. The trust and belief during practice, how that carries over to the game, how important is that?
RUSSELL WILSON: I think we practice this stuff all the time. We practice moments. We've been in it. Bobby and I kept saying when we were down 13-0, started coming back, I told Bobby we were going to score a touchdown here. Next thing you toe, 13-7. Then they get a turnover. Next thing you know it's 14-13.
Bobby and I, when we go do the field goal, when Jason makes the field goal, we were coming back off the sideline, we've been here before. Bobby and I kept talking, we've been here before. Calm and neutral in the moment. Our mind is not too high, not too low. We're neutral, talking about we've been here before, we've been here before, we know what's going to happen. Sure enough, it worked in our favor.
Q. What are the challenges of playing in a game that's as wet as that one is? Anything you have to adjust in terms of what you do?
RUSSELL WILSON: It was pouring down pretty good out there. The Seattle rain hit us tonight. We were able to make a lot of great plays. We practice outside a bunch, just did a lot of things preparation-wise. I thought we were good in erring that we did. It didn't affect us really in how we played.
I would just say in the first half we didn't start the way we wanted to. It's more situational football, third-and-longs, unfortunate, they had the ball. Other than that, the second half, I thought we played Seahawks football like we have been all year.
Q. In the last few years, how have you noticed the team internalizing the confidence that you have in those situations? Because you have done it so many times, there was a sense the defense would get the ball back to the offense and you'd win the game. Have you noticed in the last few years that confidence has gone across the team?
RUSSELL WILSON: I think that team unity, that team confidence, that team belief, that team keeping your neutral mind, not being too high, like I always say to you guys, is very real. We stayed neutral along the way.
In the midst of the great moments, we were celebrating when we were on a hot streak there in those three drives. Okay, it's going to be a test, a battle, a great game. We just stayed the course.
I think it's been so evident over the past few years of just how collectively we are together as a team. Everybody is sticking together. Everybody is believing in one another. Everybody is helping one another. It doesn't matter who makes the play. It's us. It's about us and doing it together. It's so cool when I see guys like Dissly make a great play, Ryan Neal step in the past few games, be unbelievable in his approach, his plays that he's made.
It's a really cool feeling just to know that everybody cares, everybody is dedicated to the process, everybody loves the game. Everybody remains neutral and everybody just believes in what we can do.
(On what it was like on the final game-winning drive)
"It was like we were one team out there. We've been in that situation all last year. With the quarterback we have, there's no doubt in our minds that we're not going to go down here and score. Any time we're in a that moment it's easy for us to just go out there and play our football because we know we've got a quarterback that can make anything possible, anything can happen. He can deliver when the game is on the line."
(On when his bond with Russell Wilson became strong enough to be trusted in critical moments of the game)
"When I first got here, the way he brought me under his wing. It's just a blessing to be around this organization with players, with teammates like Russ [Wilson]. Bobby [Wagner] did the same thing, Duane [Brown] did the same thing, Tyler [Lockett], D-Mo [David Moore]. I can go on and on with the people who have taken me under their wing and pulled me to the side. They're friends, they're not teammates. It makes it easier to go out there and lay my life on the line and lay my body on the line for these boys every play."
(On what was going through his mind on his first fourth down conversion)
"I just saw it hanging in there air and my only thought was to go get the ball, don't let it come down when I hit the ground. Russ keeps harping on 'there's going to be a game changer, when the ball is in the air it's always mine'. That was my thought process the entire drive."
(On if he views himself as one of the best receivers in the NFL)
"It's a blessing to be in a category like that or for that question to even pop up. In my mind I feel like I'm getting to that point. There are still people in this league that I look up to like Deandre Hopkins, Julio Jones, Mike Thomas, Odell Beckham Jr. They're still great players in this league. Just to be up there with them, I know my work ethic and how I am as a player. I believe I'm in that realm, but I've still got a lot of work to do."
(On where he was and what he was doing when the final play of the drive was being discussed)
"I was talking to coach Nate [Carroll] and coach Sanjay. They were wiping my arms off because I was a little dirty. I really wasn't in the play call, they were just trying to tell me to stay poised and stay calm, and whatever play was called- just run it like I am getting the ball. Russ called the last play and the rest is history. We came out on top."
(On what happened in practice and how it impacted the team at halftime)
"We were a little undisciplined at times, a little sloppy with our technique, and how we were getting in and out of the huddle. Coach just brought us up and said, 'we've got to stay poised and stay focused'. It just so happened that on Sunday we weren't clicking on all cylinders in the first half. Coach brought us up and said, 'the first half is done. It's only 13 points.' We came out firing. The defense got a stop, we scored three touchdowns in about three minutes. That shows what kind of team we have. That we can basically take over a game when we want to."
(On how much he wants the ball in clutch moments to try and make a play for his team)
"I know God has blessed me to be in so many positions, and just the type of person I am. The great ones don't shy away from big opportunities. Great players make great plays in big time moments, you always hear that. I want to be considered one of the greatest. In order to do that, I've got to have a lot of weight on my shoulders in the big time moments. I want the ball to come to me because if I make the play, I know I can stay poised. But if I don't make the play I know I can figure out what I did wrong and I can make the next one."
(On how working with his father helped his mental fortitude to make plays in big moments)
"My pops always taught me to be a dog and to not let anything stop me, no matter what it is. Whether it's in the weight room or on the field. I'm always going to be a dog on the field whether it's blocking or running routes and not letting anybody stop me. My dad always told me to 'be your own person because there's only one you.' From anyone I heard of or anybody that I have been around, they always told me how big, strong, and intimidating I look, so why not just act like it? He created a monster."
(On if Russell Wilson called the game winning play)
"I don't know if it was him or Schotty [Brian Schottenheimer]. I meant to say Russ told us the play."
(On how much the workouts in Mexico and in extreme heat contributed to his performance tonight)
"It shows the connection that we have. My entire thought process while we were on the sideline, I just wanted to tell Russ, 'let's just go back to San Diego, let's just go back to Mexico. Let's do what we know how to do, and how to win.' That was my thought process and what was going through my mind and it looks like all of the hard work paid
(On if he practiced on the jugs machine during the week after catching an interception tonight and missing some interceptions against Miami…)
I did not hit the jugs machine. I hit the tennis balls with Coach Norton. We did it Wednesday and Thursday. He was like, when it comes, squeeze it. It's funny, we actually do one hand, we catch the tennis ball with one hand. All the credit goes to Coach Norton. It was just a phenomenal play, big time. We needed that as a team. To get two turnovers was big, we needed every play that we got. That was real fun today.
(On what stood out about Russell Wilson's fourth quarter comeback tonight compared to the others he's had)
I said this earlier, I believe this is one of the top three or four most impressive things I've seen this team do. And I knew that once we made that fourth down stop, I was like, we're about to win. You guys should see the confidence that we have on the sideline. Everyone was just so positive and optimistic and we knew, even when it was fourth and 10, it was like, we're going to find a way. We just have to believe as a team, if we have Russell at quarterback, anything is possible. His hall of fame career, he just keeps adding to it. I love him as a teammate, I love him as a man and it's just special that he keeps doing that.
(On if they're stressed during one-score games…)
No, it's fun, it's fun. My family always tells me that you guys are always stressing me out, but to have games like that, that's what you live for. Every team can be in a position to come up with a win but we know how to win. You saw Cody [Barton] made that tremendous fourth-down stop. That was super big for us. We just all played really good team ball. We have to keep it going. 5-0 is beautiful, but we have a long ways to go.
(On how they keep confidence high during big defensive stops when they have their struggles throughout the game…)
Throughout the game, whether you're playing good or whether you're playing bad, it's all about the next play. It's all about having confidence. It's all about executing the next play. We're going to correct those things that happened throughout the game. We know that teams are going to try and come out and do exactly what Minnesota did against us. We have to use those as learning moments. When it comes down to whatever play is up, that has to be our best play of the game. We were all confident. I believe it came off of a timeout on the fourth down play and we knew that they were going to run the ball. Give the offense back to [Russell Wilson] and we'll correct stuff on Monday.
(On where DK Metcalf ranks as one of the best wide receivers he's seen…)
He's one of the best. I think he's up there with one of the best in the league. Up there with the Julio [Jones], Michael Thomas. He's definitely in the conversation. He's just getting started, it's year two. Him and [Russell Wilson's] chemistry is amazing. You can see all the offseason work that they put in is coming to life. I'm so happy for him. I know that when the games on the line, I can trust [DK]. We just have to keep doing it and it's a beautiful thing to see.
(On what it means to him to be back with the Seahawks and to get the strip sack…)
It's amazing to be back here. I feel like my heart never left. Just to get back here and to have everyone welcome me back with open arms and to see that nothing has changed, Coach Carroll is still the same guy, Mr. John Schneider did a great job with assembling this team. You have great leaders that have been here for a long time that are established: [Tyler Lockett], K.J. [Wright], Bobby Wagner. For those guys to welcome me in with open arms, I just want to go out there and prove to them that they didn't make the wrong decision. I owe them for bringing me back and giving me the opportunity. To see it all finally come to fruition and make those plays, it was simply amazing.
(On his fumble and the big plays the defense made to keep them in the game…)
To be honest with you, we were pass rushing and the center gave me his hands. I believe I clubbed, arm over and he was riding my shoulder and coach has been harping about throwing that forearm and playing with good technique. For us this week, we've been making plays but I know we've been focusing a lot on cleaning up our technique and being ball hawks. It's not just about making a play, but trying to make a great play. To go in there and get that sack, I can't credit my defense enough just as far as [Jarran] Reed and what he was running, Benson [Mayowa], [Shaquem Griffin], K.J. [Wright], all of us rushed tonight as a unit. We went out there and put our stamp on it. We just wanted to show people that we can do this. We're finally starting to gel. We've been gelling, but now starting to actually show up on film. It's a good thing.
(On what his touchdown signified for him after his injury last season…)
My mind is right here in the moment with this team. It's a brotherhood, it's a family. I was just trying to play for them. For me personally, it was really big. It solidified a comeback. I'm grateful for all the hard work, not just of myself but the trainers, the physical therapists, my family, my friends keeping me up. This one was special. We capped it off with a big comeback win.
(On having faith in Russell Wilson with the game on the line…)
We practice it. We're put in those situations all the time by Coach Pete. When we get in those moments, there's no flinch, we go out there and execute. One thing [Russell Wilson] always says is believe. That's all you can do.
(On the two fourth down conversions on the final drive and seeing D.K. Metcalf come up with the ball both times…)
The whole time, there was no doubt. We had the weapons to go down there and it makes it really hard on the defense to cover all of our guys. You saw [David Moore] get open there a couple of times and D.K. showed up when he did. When we got down to the goal line, it's kind of pick your poison. They're going to try and double someone, but that means someone is going to have a one-on-one and get open. I'm just grateful to come down with the ball and come up with a win.
(On why they're able to execute in the most tense moments year after year…)
I have to give a shout out to the 12's. They were with us tonight. I felt like I heard them from the stands, from their homes and their living rooms. They were cheering and we could hear them. It starts there and it starts at the top with Coach Pete and just the organization that he's created. And obviously with [Russell Wilson] doing his deal. We play for each other. It's a special thing in the NFL to find that on a team and we care a lot about each other, we care about the relationships and it means a lot. When the fourth quarter comes on the line, we're going to show up for each other.
The best photos from Week 5's Seahawks-Vikings game at CenturyLink Field, fueled by Nesquik.
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) celebrates after throwing the game winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter during an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, October 11, 2020 in Seattle, Washington. (Ric Tapia/NFL)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) celebrates after a touchdown during an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, October 11, 2020 in Seattle, Washington. (Ric Tapia/NFL)
