Head Coach Pete Carroll
Introduction:
For a guy who probably spent the latter part of his life creating magic around the world, and we had a chance to make a tribute for Paul Allen today. He might have given a little (blowing sound) on that last kick right there, I don't know.
But it was a big night really for Paul and Jody. It was great to see Jody pulling the flag up. And as you guys get to know her, you'll find she's a great fan. She loves this teams and the area in the same fashion that Paul did.
And so it was a big night for the family. And I'm so happy we were able to get a good win and have fun with it and all that.
This has -- been a while since we had this game and got this win over these guys. These guys have been going great. It's a good accomplishment for us. And I liked the way we played the game. We played tough and tried to get after it on both sides of the ball.
And they didn't run it for very much. They had a big reverse. And we ran the ball for, I don't know, 160 something, kind of the way we wanted to. A lot of things we hoped would happen up front kind of did. We didn't pressure them as much as we would like but we threw it at them. Kenny did a great job calling stuff tonight to give us a chance.
But I think, okay, there's general things, it's a terrific win to win late and all that. But there was some stuff really amazing tonight. I thought Russell played one of the best games I've ever seen him play. I've just never seen him, speaking of magic, all of the plays that he came up with his legs, running, for one, but also, not just to get out of trouble, but to find the receivers and make the throws just one after another after another. The extraordinary play to Lock, and honestly I still haven't seen it. I didn't get a chance to see it. Everybody's just raving it's one of the best catches they've ever seen.
But it's also one of the best throws ever made if that's the case. Because there was no room for error.
But I just thought Russ was -- stole the show tonight as he did so much. And on top of what he's done to start the season off in great fashion. So really fired up for him and our team. And our guys are really excited to be able to cheer for him in that way tonight.
Chris played another beautiful football game running the ball. So tough and physical. And made everybody's heart drop on the touchdown catch that Russ hit him in the corner over there, but came through. I thought that was another great performance for him to get us in the mode and style that we want to play in. I felt it tonight, again, which was great.
Lock had a great play. DK's touchdown play was exquisite. You say why don't we just keep doing that. We'd like to, but to have that kind of striking power -- we're very fortunate and it was great for DK.
Also loved the play that David Moore put in the end zone. There was no chance that they were going to tackle him when you get the ball in that kind of space. Beautiful job there.
So a lot of really good stuff. I think we should mention, Jamarco Jones, in this game, hasn't played much football for us. And he's playing guard and there's one of the best players in football across from him and to hang in there play a good football game and survive it was a beautiful performance for him.
It's exactly what you hope happen as a staff, that your guys step up and once they get the call they go in get the job done. Really proud of Jamarco's effort tonight.
Fluke had a hamstring early in the game. Can you imagine how big that hamstring is? I can't even imagine. That might take him months, I don't know, to get back. It's not that bad, but it's still a huge hamstring.
On the other side of the ball, I thought there was a great play, I don't know this one either. I thought Bobby yanked the ball out; I'm not sure if that's what happened. You probably saw it better than I did. It might be J.D. Clowney pulled the ball out. It was a great play. It was exactly how we hoped to have it happen, to take the ball off him like that.
But the play I'm wanting to talk about is Tedric's. What a moment for everybody sitting in the stands to watch it and the buildup and the replay and the challenge, all that stuff at that moment was a spectacular play and moment right there. I was happy to be around it. I got to see that one.
And it was a really good night for us, and we had a great time playing football in front of the fans. The fans were awesome and down the stretch they were doing it and going for it. I wish we would have answered quicker, not giving them that last chance, but it worked out for the win. We'll take that. Take a couple days off get and then get rolling on Monday.
You were moving pretty good down the sideline after the missed kick. How much fun are you having with the team?
I'm not going to say "still got it" because I don't. But, yeah, this is such a good team to be coaching. I'm telling you, it's a fantastic bunch. And the leadership continues to keep these guys in check and keeps guiding them. And the younger players listen and they care what the guys think about what they're doing, and they're able to change and guide us through this.
And so I'm really proud of the mix. I've been telling you this for a long time; it's been really obvious that this is a tremendous chemistry for us, and we're just learning how to put it all together. And I know I'll stop saying that pretty soon here because it will be too far into the season, but I feel like we're still growing together.
We need these experiences. We need big challenges like this and come through and hang forever and you make things happen. It makes you so much stronger and mentally and in a connected way, and it gives us a chance to keep getting better and continue to find ways to do positive good things. So it's a blast. It couldn't be more fun. So I'm thrilled to be coaching them.
What did you like most about Russell tonight?
I can't even remember all those plays. There's so many plays. I'm thinking, Russ, get down! And all of a sudden he pops out and he's still going, and we start over again. And then he finds somebody and makes a 20-yard play. Must have happened five or six times tonight.
The touchdown to Lock, the touchdown to Chris. So many huge plays, the pass to Rashaad up the sidelines. The great throw and catch that Diss gets on his play, the one up the sidelines.
I thought he was spectacular. I don't remember him being that on, that thoroughly in the game in really difficult situations. It wasn't just a classic in the pocket throw the football. He was having to create and do stuff all night long. I thought his play was exquisite, awesome.
On the challenge with Thompson, how definitive was the read you were getting from the staff upstairs? And have you thrown a flag farther than you threw that one?
It went up there for a bit. Wanted to make sure I got all of it. The guys upstairs were going crazy. They first said, no, he caught that ball. And then I got a look at it on the big screen. And I was assured we had a great shot to get it.
I was trying to think why would they not give it to us because it looked so it's amazing the way it happened. We had to ride it out, wait for it. It was a great moment.
He's kind of had a start and stop career so far. What can it do for him, a play like that and the stakes?
I don't know if I agree with you, the start and stop. He's learned how to play football. He's a young kid playing and trying to get it together and play really solid. He's so mindful of all the stuff we do and he's trying to do things right.
He's really bright and sharp and in control of a lot of stuff. And I just think he continues to get better and it takes a while. And he's I think he's doing fine.
On Al Woods' stop on the goal line?
Yeah, I didn't tell the guys in the locker room, what a great tackle. Replayed again to get the two points overturned. That was a fantastic play. Thanks for reminding me.
You're an optimistic guy, but what are you thinking as Greg Zuerlein lines up for that one? Does the whole game kind of flash before you?
I have a thought; they've still got to snap it and they've got to put it down on the ground and kick it and it has to go through. There's a lot of stuff that still has to happen. That's exactly the source of the optimism.
It reminds me the time, I'll never forget it, it was the Minnesota game, it was the clearest moment I ever had in that vein. It was windy and frozen and all the rest too, we had a lot of things going there. That's basically what I'm thinking; I'm just holding a good thought as long as we can.
They do go down to the one, pin them deep, get a short field to get a touchdown. How much can special teams make the difference?
That was a great play by Ugo, too. He just looked so poised, he looks like a playmaker, makes great decisions. That was a fantastic kick of course. But a great finish for Ugo, too.
And to set things up, you saw us, we almost hit him in the backfield and then we were trying to get him in the backfield. We were going for it, and it did set up the short punt and away we go.
Was your decision not to go for it in the fourth down in the first half influenced by what happened against the Saints a couple weeks ago?
I was thinking we were going to win the football game, keep make the decisions you're going to win the football game, go desperate -- I just figured Jay's going to kick it in because he's such a good kicker. Unfortunately it didn't go. They missed their field goal, we missed our field goal. But fortunately it wasn't the end of the game.
On Chris Carson's play tonight?
I loved his night, physical again. Took off where he finished last week. So physical, such a determined player. Isn't it great we didn't give up on him? Wouldn't that be crazy? Sit him down, don't let him play? BS to that. He's a ball player and just thrilled he's been able to answer the call and come back and be the stud that he is and I thought he played great tonight.
Four days later, he had 100 yards last -- physical toll?
Almost 250 yards in a week. And he didn't skip a beat. Came out of the game great. Came out of this game feeling good, too. Just fortunate, fine job, though.
Third down last possession, Wilson winds up with the option pitch to Lock, what was that all about?
Razzle dazzle. Didn't quite work out like we had planned. But we had a play that gave us a chance for us to make something happened if it looked -- everybody jumped on Chris.
And Russ read that properly. And he came out and he was trying to duck up and he just didn't quite get it done. So he had to flip it out there in kind of desperation. When you have players like that, the reason that Tyler's there because he's such a great football player the two of those guys figure that kind of stuff out when everything's breaking loose. That's why we believe in those guys.
Do you feel like you saw something on that Cook's reception to challenge or did you kind of just take a shot hope for the best?
The one up the sidelines? Had his hand in the middle of his chest shoved him away. But in this element we're in about trying to figure those calls out it wasn't obvious enough is why I'm sure that's what they'll say, he shoved him but it wasn't obvious enough to make them overturn the situation. So I was also asking them to look, did he catch it, too, because the ball did come out, which they did. I think under these is the circumstances the rules and guidelines they played it consistently.
Talked to them about both at the same time, just to be clear?
They actually look at the whole play. You have a chance, we were talking about that.
When the dust settles, will you show the Branden Jackson tackle on Woods on the bubble screen, runs to the center of the formation in the red zone as a hustle play, sample play?
We never miss those. We never miss those. Big guys running is one of the great elements of our program that we always herald and can't wait to put that on their form.
How big a play was that, ultimately? Looked like he had room in front of him.
It was one of so many. It was a spectacular play at the time.
When you have a runner like Chris Carson, who seemingly gets stronger as the game goes on, is that mentality or physical conditioning kind of thing?
That's a common trait that's been recognized for great years for runners. The more they run, the better they get. They get out of their head. They become more instinctive as the game goes and they create things that wouldn't happen maybe earlier in the game or otherwise.
I've just been in love with the way Chris runs forever, since we got our eyes first on him way back thinking the big 32 looks really sweet when he's rumbling. He's certainly doing exactly what you're saying.
Hamstring injury for Fluker?
I don't know. I was just making fun of the size of his hamstring because it's about like this.
On the touchdown to Tyler, from your vantage point, did you think Russ was throwing that away?
Come on, that's exactly what he was doing.
As good as he's been for as long as he's been, have you seen him refine his game this year, and was that a conscious thing because seemed like --
It's just part of the process of just growing and maturing. And it just takes a really long time to command this game. Guys can go out, look really good, do stuff but to own the game it takes a long time.
Obviously you've been watching it, we've all been watching it happen, he's been great ever since he got here but he's been the best he's ever been, culmination of all years and experience. Has an unbelievable attitude and now you see him working so well with Shotty and working well, communicating with his coaches and players, too. He made a number of checks tonight in situations and got his first downs that he had to have the guts to go ahead and do that and change the call to fix things and he did. As much freedom as he's ever had because he's the best he's ever been for us. Now we've got to come back and play good this next week.
Q. He was emotional after the game, did you catch that?
No, not particularly. He was always emotional. When I see him after the game, we get the hugs and all that kind of stuff. It was important to him. He knew -- he knew he was significant tonight and he was excited about that.
Q. How did you feel about the secondary play tonight?
I thought we did fine. Stuff got caught underneath us and between us. We didn't get beat down the field other than Shaq. We got a lot done that we wanted to get done. They changed the way they played tonight. First time they played like this completely. And they'll figure out how that's different. But we just didn't get off the field enough times. We had a good night, third downs three for 11 but there were a couple big ones in there.
Q. Are you playing Jamarco Jones a lot at guard during practices?
He's been preparing to do this. No, not a lot because he's playing tackle all the time, too, he's splitting time.
But that's a great illustration of him. He's a guy that coaches have loved from the start. He's really smart. Really responsible. And he really tries to do things right and he just -- that's what he did and he got the job done, fantastic fashion.
Quarterback Russell Wilson
Best game you ever played?
Best game I ever played? I left it all out on the field. Coach and I were just talking about that. It was one of the best, I think.
I think, though, guys were making plays like crazy tonight. Offensive line did a tremendous job against a very, very good defensive line; they gave me time; they gave me opportunities.
We found guys down the field. We made plays. Chris Carson ran the ball unbelievably well. The O line did a great job there. And DK Metcalf on the deep post, that was pure perfection on that. Tyler Lockett, the toe tap, doesn't get any more time and on the money with his footwork there and the play that we had to make.
Today was special. And then we had a few other plays, defense was great. Defense kept battling and we kept believing and believing even until the last little second there.
And on the fourth down, in the red zone, or the play we hit Chris on, you just kind of stepped up and scrambled -- I was about to take off and run. Out of the corner of my eye, out of my peripheral, I see Chris, popped it to him. I didn't notice he bobbed it. I was ready to celebrate already. It was amazing.
It was Seahawks-Rams, NFC West matchup. Last year it came down to the wire, too. The crowd was incredible. Doesn't get any better than that. It was special tonight.
Afterwards, what was kind of the emotion?
Just emotional because tonight was to tribute Paul Allen. I think about what he meant to this world and what he meant to just me personally and my family.
He gave me an opportunity to play here. I always say to you guys, I'm one of 32 men in the world who get to do what I get to do. And I'm grateful for that. I'm grateful for that.
And I was telling the guys in the locker room, because I had the game ball and I wanted to give it to Burt, who is -- Paul Allen's one of his best friends and co-workers and everything else. I called Burt up and I was just telling the guys who didn't know Paul, Paul was a person who believed big.
I was telling the guys you gotta think big, you gotta believe big. That's what we've been saying. He was exactly that, Paul Allen. He was a person who created Microsoft. He was a person who made a difference in the world, cared about the world, cared about others, cared about animals, people, loved music.
And so, I'll never forget when we were going to the Super Bowl the first time, and I think I've told you guys this story before, but I got a knock on my door the next morning after we won the NFC Championship game. And the night before when we won the game, we were on the podium, NFC Championship game, singing Frank Sinatra. We were about to head to New York.
And Paul kind of leans at me, taps me and he said, I didn't know you liked Frank. And I'll never forget that. And I just laughed and said, yeah, I grew up listening to this. I'm an old school guy.
The next morning I got a knock on my door, and I'm like, who is knocking on my door? The car leaves. I got a set of Frank Sinatra CDs, tapes and everything else, the Rat Pack. And that's the kind of person he was.
He was a person of love, a person who cared about others, and it was just emotional. I was telling the guys I think at the end of the game he blew a little wind on that to the right, (blowing sound), just bounced right. That was cool tonight.
If you chat with him later, you gonna say thank you?
In my prayers I'll thank God first, and I'll thank Paul, too. He's up there watching.
What was your favorite throw from tonight?
Favorite throw? I don't know. There's some good ones in there. I think Tyler was one that was pretty cool just to give him a chance. He made a great catch.
But I think my favorite throw was the game-winning one. Play the game to win. You don't play the game to get close. I think that was the one we needed.
You mentioned the offensive line. For Jamarco Jones to come in -- he said he's never played guard before in a game. To come in do that against that defense, how--
I was telling Jamarco on the sideline, I was like, you're ready, you're ready. And he hadn't really played guard so I didn't know if he was ready. But he played great.
You got Aaron Donald on the other side, arguably the best defensive lineman ever to play the game. And he handled things great. I thought he was poised, a big-time player. We love his work ethic.
He's been kind of hopping in guard every once in a while just to give another guy a break or whatever, but he hasn't really played and thought he was amazing tonight.
The O line, from Duane to big Mike, to Britt, to obviously Jamarco and Ifedi, they kept it together, kept focusing on what we were doing and we found a way.
You lead the NFL in touchdown passes for this season. The three guys behind you -- Mahomes, Brissett and Lamar -- are all black quarterbacks. It hasn't really happened before. Through your development in this league and all that's happened to you, does it ever just -- you stop to think how far you've come, how far everyone's come in that regard?
I think that -- I don't think it should be about the color of your skin. I don't think it should be about how tall you are or whatever. I think if you've got it, you got it.
There's been some other great quarterbacks before me. I think about Doug Williams winning the Super Bowl and me being the second African-American to win a Super Bowl has been a blessing. There's so many other great quarterbacks. I think about guys, I think about all the great quarterbacks that have played before me.
So, and like I said, I think more than anything else, I think it's cool that other people get their opportunities to play. Like I said, it shouldn't matter what you look like. If you can play, you can play.
There's a lot of great quarterbacks in this league, doesn't matter, white, black, anything else. It's about playing great and it's about leading a group of people. It's about helping others. It's about trying to put your best foot forward every time.
So the journey for me, I think personally, I'm just beginning, just at the start of it all.
Where were you on the field goal try at the end, and what was going through your head?
I was praying, first of all. I was on the sideline. I was waving my towel before when they got close to the field goal range I know how good Zuerlein is. I saw him kick a ball my third or second year at St. Louis. It was 62 yards or something. I'm, like, he can kick it from anywhere.
And I was waving my flag. I'm like -- I'm going to sit down start praying here. Sure enough the ball was snapped, kicked. I slowly got up, I believe, and he missed it. And I don't know who I -- I started shaking, I don't even know I blanked out I started shaking somebody like, Let's go. So, yeah, I don't even really remember to be honest with you.
Crazy how in sports a game like this emotions throughout the game are up and down, but you're a foot away from what was an amazing victory with huge celebration which would have been an insanely difficult defeat that you gotta swallow through the weekend and move forward. Is that kind of wild to you as a competitor?
That's what makes it fun. I think the key is staying neutral, keeping your mindset neutral. Not being too high not being too low. When you're playing great teams and you're a great team, too, there's going to be some great plays out there that they're going to make and we're going to make some, it's going to go back and forth. You can't get too high, too low. I think that's what we did that tonight. I thought the defense stayed composed. The crowd was amazing. Offensively we kept believing. We had no doubt we were going to get it done. Sure enough we did.
What did you think of Tedric's interception?
When he came into the National Football League his senior year led the NCAA in interceptions. I've seen him make plays in practice, just crazy catches, things he's done. He's got amazing hands. That was an incredible catch. So that's one of those things you remember for the rest of your life, rest of the season, those types of things.
Doing it a while now at this level. You don't always get mentioned among the elite guys. Does that bother you at all? Duane said he feels like people are starting to recognize, but how do you process that?
I just try to be consistent. Bobby and I always have a saying, don't get bored, consistency. That's my thing. Stay consistent. Stay the course. Let wins speak for themselves. I think it's about winning. That's why I come to play the game. It's not about me, it's about winning, about other guys, about us and about whatever we can do. So I'm blessed to have great teammates and great coaches and great fans, too. So we get to do this thing together.
They make me better. They made some great plays tonight. They make it easy on me.
Some of the throws, Russell, that seem so improbable, the confidence for you to make them, is it because you've done it in practice? Never seems like you're reckless with the balls, but some of the throws seem risky.
Yeah, I don't know. When you've thrown a football your whole life growing up -- I used to throw my dad's San Diego Chargers ball -- my mom's in here -- used to throw my dad's San Diego Chargers ball, touchdown against the 49ers, have target practice in the house. So anyways I think that you practice your whole life for this. God made me for it.
So, like I said, all offseason we've been working. We've been working, working, working. All season. And you get your reps before practice, after practice. You try things with guys, see what guys are capable of. We have a lot of guys that are very capable. They make it easy on me and just give guys chances.
To see it hit like that in a game, in that setting to come through get a touchdown on kind of these seemingly miraculous kind of plays --
I think about Steph Curry -- when you think about Steph Curry how he shoots a basketball that's how I want to throw a football. Put it on the money. Make some crazy throws, make some crazy plays. I love watching sports. He's one of my favorite guys to watch just how he shoots a basketball. You don't get there by not working at it, by not believing it.
And so you've got to love the game. Gotta love the process of it all. That's what makes it happen.
T DUANE BROWN
On the impact of the fans:
They had a huge effect. I shout out the 12s every chance I get because they are very, very important to our success. Teams that come here, they don't want to deal with that noise. The kind of game it was, it was a very exciting game. They really stepped up big. The fourth quarter. Third downs, the start of the game, that fourth quarter, it was deafening. It was deafening. They got a false start, they got a delay of game. Those were key plays for us. You back them up a little bit, back them out of field goal range a little bit more, and cause him to miss it. I'm so appreciative of them. They showed up big tonight.
On whether he ever sees what Russell Wilson is doing behind him:
He's been playing MVP level all season, man. He's been doing this his whole career. I know a lot has been said about his performance thus far this season, but he's been doing this every year. He's just amazing, man, he's just amazing. We want to keep him a little bit cleaner than we did tonight. He took some hits that I don't like to see him taking. He's a generational talent. He's a Hall of Fame player, man, and I'm just glad he's on my team.
On the blocking of Aaron Donald:
He made some big plays early on. He's a phenomenal player. I have all the respect in the world for him as a player. You know he's going to make plays every now and then. You just can't let him completely wreck the game, and I think we did a pretty good job of containing him. I have to take my hat off to Jamarco Jones, he's been playing tackle all season. He stepped in and played right guard at the drop of a hat. He didn't blink twice against the best interior lineman in football and played big. I take my hat off to him, and I appreciate him. I appreciate all of my guys up front.
RB CHRIS CARSON
On his effort and ability to dig deep for tough yards and first downs:
The Rams have a great defense. Aaron Donald up front leading them, and the defensive backs back there. We knew it was going to be tough sledding in the beginning, but we stuck with it, and in the fourth quarter we knew it was going to open up.
On what needed to change to slow down Aaron Donald:
We just needed to stick to what we do best. We didn't need to overthink anything. We know that he's a great player, so we just needed to keep our hands inside and stick to our fundamentals.
On how important it was to keep the ball in their control and keep the Rams offense off the field:
We knew it was important. They have a great offense, you've got one of the best running backs in the league, and you've got good receivers on the inside. So, we knew that we weren't going to keep the ball and put up points as well, because we knew that their team was going to put up points.
On juggling his touchdown catch before he secured it:
I couldn't see. The lights in the stands were just so bright that I couldn't see the ball coming my way. But, I was glad that I hauled it in for a touchdown.
DE JADEVEON CLOWNEY
On what the past five weeks have been like for him:
It's been a whirlwind. I'm very, very happy and blessed to be with this team.
On why he's happy to be with this team:
It's just something about this team. They never hit the panic button. They come to work and prepare like pros ever since I've been here. They've taught me so much about this game in a short amount of time. This coaching staff that I haven't had, I'm not saying that they were a bad coaching staff before, but there's stuff that I hadn't learned.
On what he's learned with the Seahawks that he hadn't learned already:
How to stay in the game and how to stay around and stick around and do extra for your body even when they say that you can leave. This team sticks around. They [arrive] early and they leave late. That's how they approach the days during the week. We've never hit the panic button in the game, we just stick together. We know the way we practice is the way we're going to play live.
TE WILL DISSLY
On how he felt out on the field:
That was a fun win. A good team win. Took every single one of us, including the fans. Just happy to come out of that one with a win. On to the next one.
On the connection between him and Russell Wilson to be able to make plays:
That's just Russ being Russ. He's an active quarterback. Schotty's [Brian Schottenheimer] calling plays. He's doing his thing. I'm just trying to be part of the offense and do my job. Go out there and execute for those guys.
On if making catches on tough plays is planned or if it just works out that way:
I don't know. Russ played baseball. We're just playing ball. I don't know. Whatever it takes to win, we'll do it.
On how tough the Rams defense was today:
They're a good crew. They present a lot of challenges and an experienced secondary and a front that really gets after it. I'm excited to see them one more time, but definitely thankful to get a win tonight.
On the ceremony before the game inducting Paul Allen into the Ring of Honor:
What Paul Allen did not only for this organization, but the city of Seattle. He's a really special individual. We miss him dearly. The fans showed out for him. We got the win for him. It was an amazing night.
On putting this game into perspective:
That was just a ton of fun. That's football right there. That's what you're going to live for. Barn burners, that last second field goal. One guy is praying he makes it. One guy is praying he doesn't. I'm thankful to be on the winning end of that one.
CB SHAQUILL GRIFFIN
On the pass interference challenge:
They have to push off to try to beat Shaq now days, but it's all good. Anybody would have a reaction after having a huge interception like that. I felt like that was the only right reaction that we took upon ourselves. We celebrated. We thought the offense was going to control the game after that, but things happen. That's football. We were ready to go back out there, and support our team.
On his reaction to the missed field goal:
When he missed the field goal, I just lost it. I actually started crying. I had nothing left. I was just laying there, and they thought something was wrong with me. Before the game, they say whatever you do, just leave it all out there. You shouldn't leave nothing left. I felt like we did that. It was amazing.
On being happy for Tedric Thompson:
It was a long time coming. Each game I tell him that I'll ride with you, I got your back, no matter what. I'm just so proud of that guy, because he's been looking forward to that, and he finally got it. It was a blessing, and there will be so many more to come. He's on top of his game right now. I'm loving it. He's going to make the best for the team, so I'm happy for him.
On whether he realized it was an interception once he saw it, or on the replay:
Once I saw it. I had total faith that he caught that. It was an awesome play. To this day, I don't know how he did it, but it was awesome and I was glad it was him.
On whether it was nice to beat the Rams:
I guess so. I just wonder how they feel on their way going home. It was a long time coming and I'm glad we made that happen. We made that happen, and now it's three days off. It was pretty perfect.
On what he will do on his 3 days off:
I think I'm going to get me a pedicure, get a massage. I'm going to kick my feet up, I don't have to do too much. We have a long season coming up, so I'm just going to take care of my body.
WR TYLER LOCKETT
On his touchdown catch:
That was a great play by Russ. Things didn't work out with the way that we wanted to with the play being ran. Russell kept the play alive. Any time the DBs are facing you and his back is turned to Russ, Russ is going to throw it and he's going to give us a chance to make a play. The best thing about that throw was that if I didn't get it, nobody was going to get it. Just the fact that he trusted me enough to be able to give me a chance and I was able to secure the catch and get my feet in, that was a big-time play. Put us up 7-6 and I'm just thankful and blessed that God put me in that position.
On the point where he realized the ball was coming for him:
When he threw it. When he threw it, I knew he was throwing it to me. I didn't really see Luke [Willson] until I watched the clip. When he threw it, I knew he was giving me a chance. I knew that I had a chance to be able to catch it and it wasn't an out of bounds type of throw. The only reason why I knew was because he did certain things like that in practice. When I asked him, he would be like oh, I was throwing it away. Or, I wasn't. In this game, you just have got to make a chance. Make a play. Even if I didn't get my feet in, next time, that would've been able to put them in a position to give me a chance.
On his next favorite throw by Russell tonight:
I'm not going to lie, mine was probably [Will Dissly] Diss's just because the way he caught it, he kind of leaned back. I'm like, bro, you kind of look like your old out there the way you lean back. He leaned back and he made a great catch. The linebacker tried to poke it out and he secured the catch. That was big time for us. It allowed us to go down there. I think it allowed us to score as well. That's the thing. Russ is going to make plays and he's going to put us in positions to be successful. We just have to do our job. We just have to secure the catch no matter how hard the catch is. When you make catches like that, he trusts us more to be able to throw harder type of balls.
On what was supposed to happen when Russell pitched it backwards to him:
I mean, that's kind of the play. It wasn't drawn up like that, of course. We were just handing it off, handing it off. They started trying to close in on it. When he took it out, it was kind of like two on two. I'll take that any day and he'll take that any day. The biggest thing was, I just told myself, just hold onto the ball and catch the ball. If he pitches it, just catch it. There's no telling what's going to happen. I know a lot of people were probably scared out there. Probably talking about why would they do that? At the same time, if it were to work, they would say, that was an amazing play. For us, it ended up working out in our favor. If we would've lost, people would have looked at that play, but we won. So, we just scratch out that play.
S BRADLEY MCDOUGALD
On holding the Rams on back-to-back drives to end the game:
We held them. We held them. We're willing to fight for four quarters and we've got the right guys in this locker room. Guys are selfless. They don't care who makes the play, we just want the play made. At the end of the day, we're willing to do whatever it takes. We can go down to the wire with the best team and we're willing to do it again. We've got a long road ahead of us, we've got some tough competitors. We've just got to keep showing up, keep doing this and make this a statement.
On how they were feeling when the Rams were in field goal range at the end of the game:
It was tough, it was tough. But we knew that the one thing that Pete [Carroll] has installed in us is to finish and to never quit. Always compete and always keep going to the last second. If you give us a blade of grass, we're going to go. That's why we play the game. There was no point in quitting once they got in field goal range, we just knew that we needed to make a play. We had to do something. We either had to get a turnover and we knew that we weren't going to make the field goal easy. The thing about it was, if you look close during their field goals throughout the game, there were a couple that were close and I give credit to our us getting pressure and knocking over linemen the whole game. We were getting guys back there all game so it was tough for them to kick it.
On Tedric Thompson's interception:
That's big for him and his career. That play right there is is going to get his confidence [up]. Especially the timing, going down and sealing the game. Those guys were driving and we had to make a play.
WR DK METCALF
On his touchdown catch and if his eyes got big when the pass was thrown:
They got really big when I saw the safety bite down on Tyler[Lockett]. But, I'm just happy Russ [Wilson] threw me the ball, and just happy we got this team win.
On the level of trust he has with Russell Wilson:
It's up there. I try to work hard, try not to be a regular rookie, I just try to be a veteran at everything that I do. I think that speaks volumes to him.
On the offense not being able to close the game out and what happens when offensive drives stall:
Trust in your defense. We go against them every day at practice, so we know they can do. They've shown it time and time again.
On what he thought of Russell Wilson's touchdown pass to Tyler Lockett:
Great. Just seeing how long they've been playing with each other and how much trust he has in him.
WR DAVID MOORE
On how Tyler Lockett kept his toes in bounds on his touchdown catch :
Tyler's a great player, man. He goes out there, he works hard, he does his stuff every day, day in, day out, and it shows on the field.
On the adjustment they made in the second quarter:
It's a lot of stuff that we have with Tyler. Russ, he likes to go on the move. A lot of stuff is designed to try to wear the defense out. That's one thing that Russ does well.
On the impact of the crowd:
The crowd had a huge impact on the game, giving them false starts, and making them use time outs, with their loudness. We thank them for that every game, and we love them. We appreciate that.
On the impact of the Delay of Game penalty:
Nobody wants to get pushed back, especially in a big moment, and in a big time in the game like that. The fact that that happened, and slowed down their momentum really helped out a lot.
On whether he knew right away that Tedric Thompson had caught his interception:
No. Usually we say that DBs can't catch. The fact that Tedric did that really changed my mind on a lot of things. I really thanked Tedric, he really focused on that a lot. It was a big play.
On Lockett's touchdown:
Toe tap. That's one thing that he's good at. Him being a little guy and doing stuff like that, it's really impressive. That stuff is crazy.
On Lockett making the toe tap catch despite not being very tall:
It's usually what you see, but seeing Tyler do it. It's amazing.
RB RASHAAD PENNY
On he and Carson being like a one-two punch:
I missed two weeks, and that kind of hurt me. I'm just trying to get back into the feeling and the groove. It feels that way. He's a bruiser, and I'm just a speed guy. We just try to make plays to help the team win.
On Carson's runs where he reversed field, did Penny teach him some of his tricks:
I did. He kind of looked like me out there. He looked good. Coming off a short week, and preparing. That's just who he is. He's a great guy at heart. He loves the game.
On how he felt tonight, coming back from the injury:
I'm doing great. I have to get my confidence back. I have to get the rhythm and the speed. In a short week, we just practice speed and all that. I have to get the timing down, but I felt amazing. I'm glad to be back, and next week I will get it back rolling.
On getting more reps and getting into a rhythm:
I think that's what most running backs have. When you have that many opportunities, you make the most out of them. I plan to roll like Ingram and Kamara did. I just stay patient and wait, and that's what happens with some of the great ones. They stay patient and wait, and that's the type of role I'm in, and I'm accepting it. But, I'm also trying to make plays to help the team win. I just have to get the confidence back and the mojo and the speed, and everything will be fine.
FS TEDRIC THOMPSON
On if he knew that he caught the ball on his game winning interception all along:
Yeah, that's why I got up like that, I knew I caught it.
On how that play transpired and what he saw from his perspective:
I just saw the ball in the air and I tried to catch it. I don't know the route, or any of that, I just saw the ball, I tried to dive for it, and thank God I caught it.
On what was going through his mind after the play:
We got a turnover. I think that's the biggest thing for our defense. We try to get the ball, try to get turnovers and get the ball to Russ [Wilson] so he can do his magic. So, I was just happy, that's it. We were able to get the ball back to Russ.
On how rough it was to get a stop on the last drive of the game:
That's just the nature of the game, every series is rough. Especially coming down to the last couple of plays. But, one thing I can say is, the last series before we went out there, I just happened to look up and see Bobby's [Wagner] face. Bobby's face was so calm, like he had been there before. I can't really explain his face, but me looking at Bobby's face for some reason calmed the whole defense down. So, shout out to Wags.
LB K.J. WRIGHT
On why he was focused on a missed tackle he had when he had a great game:
I need to stop being so hard on myself. It was a great game. But it was fun out there, we were out there flying around and it came down to the wire but we got it done. I shed some tears today and it felt good. I'm glad we won.
On the level of confidence for the defense when they know they need a stop at the end of the game:
Everybody was on the same page. Even on the drive before when we got the interception, we were just finishing and finding a way to win games like we did tonight when they missed the field goal.
On what was going through the defenses mind when the Rams were getting chunk plays on the last drive:
We mixed it up and we were lined up in man [coverage] and we were aggressive. That's how we like it. We don't want to sit back and give them stuff. We want to run up to them and if they execute well, then that's part of football.
On how often they tried to bait the Rams offense:
We had a lot of three and outs, a lot of three and outs where we just stuffed them and a lot of times, they were just throwing it right down our throats and making it look easy. They're a good football team and we're going to see them again later in the season.
On how the defensive fumble recovery in the first half changed the game:
It was a big momentum shift. We always preach to get the ball out and a lot of the defense practices getting the ball out every day. I tried to pick it up but [Jadeveon] Clowney took it out of my hands. But it's all good, he can have it.
On why the tight ends gave them trouble today:
They're good, they're good. They use them out even on screens and down the field. We know that they're good football players and next time we need to shut those guys down.
