Head Coach Pete Carroll
First off, we heard about James White and the horrible thing that happened to his parents tonight. We want to make sure that we recognize that; the players don't all know yet, but they will. That was such a horrible situation. You hate to hear that kind of news. It was a terrible deal. I hope that he is handling it OK.
This was a really amazing game. For the fans out there, we missed you so much. I can't tell you. We are so used to this extraordinary following and crowd and energy and juice and all that. I don't know if you saw our guys, but our guys were trying to fill in for you. I just wish so much that you had been there for the last play of the game. I just think it would have been so crazy for all the fans. I hope you went nuts in doing what we were talking about doing, and enjoyed the heck out of it. Against a really, really difficult defense to deal with. They have historically been really a problem. Russ had a terrific night again, and the pass protection was excellent for us all night long, handling all of the stunts and the pressures and the different things that they do, the variety of things they do. So, a really big night for us to handle those kinds of problems. Russ threw five touchdown passes tonight. You can just see that he is really in command of what we're doing, and his receivers came through beautifully. There were so many big plays and great catches. DK's bomb. The one to David Moore. The great catch that David Moore made on a third down play, where he took the ball off the top of the grass. So many guys. Tyler had a good game. We got Chris again in the end zone, on a big play, on a great throw and catch and route and all of that. The throwing game was really alive. It might not surprise you to hear me say that we rushed for 150 yards tonight, and that kind of balance is just so good for us. It makes our team the way we are. So, Chris (Carson) and Carlos (Hyde) and Homer, they all ran their tails off. So, a really cool night of football. I will get to the guys that got banged up in a second. Defensively, that first touchdown that happened, that turnover for the touchdown, it just kind of loomed significant throughout the night. It just kind of kept them in the game, and we had a chance to kind of separate, but we gave them 7 points. I love the way we bounced back from that and responded. We were clear about responding and the guys did it and executed really well, and Russ led a great drive right after that. That 7 points seemed to hang over us all night long. So, it made it a really tight game. You saw some great players. I thought that Julian Edelman was just spectacular tonight. What a great football player he is. Of course, he is getting the ball thrown to him, too. Cam did a beautiful job of that. We need to give them a ton of credit.
For our guys to hang on all the way to the end and have to go down to two seconds and no time left on the clock, the whole thing, last play of the game. It's an extraordinary moment for football players and for a team. You either come through or you don't. There is so much intensity in that moment. The guys on the field will never forget it; that was just a moment. From what I understand, I didn't get to see it clearly, L.J. had a great play there, and got clean in the backfield and got to the QB, on a play that they had been real successful on. Other guys got up in there as well. I don't know exactly what happened, but I do know that everybody was fired up about L.J.'s play. It's good to see him contribute in that way. Quinton Dunbar had a nice pick tonight; almost had two. You saw the significant difference when we didn't have Q-Diggs back there; we got in trouble on the back end a couple times tonight and gave them some easy stuff that we should never happened. Unfortunately, he had to sit out the game because of the hit, that was I'm sure the right thing to do, but the league and all that. But it was unfortunate, and it made a difference. I was really disappointed in Marquise Blair getting banged up. I don't know how serious it is. He will be getting tested and MRIs and stuff like that to check out his knee. He's been such a cool part of this team already in this early part of the season and such a significant part. The side of that is that Ugo Amadi came in the game to play his spot and did a really good job. He had 8 tackles and a tackle for loss and had a really good game for us, and had a couple good pressures and all that. We're going to really ask him to step up. Lano Hill had to jump in and play, too. He did a good, solid job for us. I have to see what mistakes were made in the back. Also, I thought special teams were spectacular tonight. Nick Bellore had two big tackles. Cody Barton had the hit of the night. A fantastic hit. Our coverage was great. Mike punted the ball great. We hung them deep a couple times. Just controlled the field really well. Again, J Myers did his thing. So, really happy with the kicking game, and really happy with the energy and the juice they provided the stadium and for our guys.
The last thing I am going to say is that we really miss the fans. We can't wait to get you back sometime down the road.
(On play of DK Metcalf, going against Stephon Gilmore…) I thought it was a really fun matchup to watch. They were battling right from the get-go, almost duking it out right off the bat. They were so hyped to go at one another. DK played a great game; made some great plays. The touchdown pass that he and Russ hooked up on, it was maybe as perfect as the one they hit last week. A fantastic play and a great night. I thought DK really competed.
(On the decision to pass on the final third and one…) We had other routes on that, that got covered, coming underneath. Russ, he knows the concept so well, he knew he had a one on one with No-E (Tyler Lockett) and that just shows you the confidence he has in throwing it, but we kind of got jammed up in the things that we wanted, to just make the first down. That was his third choice. You guys can ask Russ about how he saw it, but that's how I saw the play.
(On the pass rush, particularly down the stretch…) We struggled. They did a nice job against us. They're historically a really good pass-pro team. Both teams were good pass pro teams the first two games. We have to be creative, we have to work more stuff to help those guys out. They're trying like crazy. We'll see. Let me get to the film and evaluate it.
(On the injury to Bruce Irvin…) He has a sprained knee. That's the word, that's what I was told. He was walking around and in the locker room afterward. So, we'll see what happens there.
(On the penalty on Quandre Diggs…) Everybody saw the play, and they went all the way to New York, and they made their decision. I'm sure they made the right decision. He knows that he has to keep his head out of those hits. He was so jacked about the setup that he didn't quite get it to the side like he needs to, and make a shoulder hit out of it. He's such a steadying force, and he's so good on the back end and so good on the deep ball. We got out of whack a few times. We have to clean that up. The fortunate thing is that he will be back, and he will play with us next week, and away we go.
(On the injury to Marquise Blair…) It's a knee injury, and I don't know how serious it is. I know you're trying to ask a regular question there. Yeah, he has a knee injury and he's going to get an MRI, and we'll find out what it is. I'm sick about it. This guy is just getting started, just getting going with us. It's a real shame. It's probably fairly serious, because they had to help him off the field and all that stuff.
(On the physical battle between DK Metcalf and Stephon Gilmore…) It was an illustration of two real frickin' warriors that wanted to go at it. It's a cool part of the game inside the game that matched up like that. They both knew all week long. We didn't know until the game started, but we figured it would happen. They were so hyped up they started pushing and shoving right off the bat. We talked our way through that. We didn't want DK to lose the chance to play the game we wanted him to play and getting out of whack. He did a great job; he didn't back off for a second. He played really good football. I don't know how many balls he caught, about 4 or 5 or something like that. The big play was the touchdown. It was just a cool battle to watch. Two really terrific football players going at it.
(On where the team would be without Jamal Adams…) I don't know. We don't have to even consider that. He's doing a good job. He needs to clean things up. There is a lot of football out here that he is working on to get right. He's an incredible football player. He has 20-something tackles the first two weeks and two sacks. He got another sack, too. He's a fantastic player and we love him. He's such an ignitor for the energy of this team, and our guys really feed off him and all that. He's a complete competitor, from every aspect of it as far as I can tell in two weeks. I'm really thrilled that he's with us.
(On Duane Brown being able to return to the game…) He got rolled up on and I'm not sure if it was his ankle, or what it was, but he got rolled up for a bit in an unfortunate situation. I know that it pissed him off that it happened, but he got back there and finished the game and did well.
(On whether he anticipated that New England would put the ball in Newtons hands on the last play….) We took a shot at that play, yeah. It had been real successful for them earlier. So, we got after it and the guys did a fantastic job of adjusting right there, on the fly. We got it done. It was an amazing play, an amazing moment. I would love to go back there and do it all over again if we could.
(On whether they did anything different to prepare his receivers on New England's physicality…) We did. We played man-for-man the whole time and really called on the matchups to be physical, and use the style and the way that they play with, and the things about their play. We really did. We made a concerted effort to try to get them ready for the mentality of it and our guys answered the call. They did great.
Quarterback Russell Wilson
Q. How big was it for you guys as an offense to bounce right back after the early interception to go down and get that touchdown and kind of get going?
RUSSELL WILSON: Well, it was just one moment in time. We kept moving. We kept playing. We knew we had a great game plan. I think Coach Schotty did an amazing job of calling plays. The ball was spread around which we've always said we wanted to be able to do. So many guys making plays. Tyler had a great game. DK had a great an unbelievable game. That's a great corner in Gilmore. DK just keeps showing up. And then you have guys like Freddie Swain getting his first touchdown, David Moore making an unbelievable catch, and then Chris Carson.
So it was a special game because we kept battling. We knew it was going to come possibly down to the wire just because of the style of game and just all of the different things that we were going to have to face and there was a lot of great moments in there. So it's a very important, I've always said this to you guys, it's very important to be able to win games like this, to constantly win games even though it may be tight, even though it's close. It's the NFL and it's never going to be easy, so I'm proud of what we were able to do.
Q. What can you say about DK going up against Gilmore and then ultimately getting the upper hand against the reigning defensive Player of the Year?
RUSSELL WILSON: I thought DK was unbelievable. He came into the week very focused. He is such, we spent so much time together in the off-season, just quality time, the hours upon hours, isolated in a way, just spending time together and it's showing up for him and it's showing up for us as a team. So the great thing is that we got so many guys that can make plays like you saw tonight. So I think DK's work ethic, I think DK's professionalism, his focus, all the way from the Zoom meetings to us preparing one-on-one together, all the way to just who he is as a person, high character, just obviously as to his talent, as well, and it all comes together as one.
Q. Obviously DK has made this kind of laughable, but there's usually a learning curve at the receiver position and yet Freddie Swain, you just mentioned him a second ago, he's come in last week, recovered a fumble on special teams, made his first catch, and then gets his first touchdown today. What have you seen from him? It just doesn't seem like the stage is too bright for this kid as a sixth-round pick and he's been to come and be an instant contributor for you team?
RUSSELL WILSON: That's a great question. The first thing that popped up, popped up in my brain was, when you were talking about that question, was I thought about the off season. As soon as we drafted him, I mean, all the time that we spent on the Zoom calls. I spent an hour before and an hour after. He was in every single one of them dialed in and taking notes. We were on group message with the rookies and he was helping lead that conversation with DeeJay Dallas and other guys. And I think that who he is, how he played in college, he's transferred it to the game. Football is just football. He knows it. He understands it. He processes it. He does a great job. He takes it very serious on offense and defense -- offense and special teams, I should say. And then I think more importantly too is that he's got great guys in the room with him. You got guys like DK, Tyler, David Moore, and just great group of men in that room and I think that he's molding unbelievably well. He's made some special plays for us in the past two games.
Q. So one of the things David Moore told us after the game that he finds so great about you is how you always believe. No matter what, you're the one picking players up. When you start the game, though, with a pick six, how do you mentally get back in gear, put that behind you, to the point where you can also encourage the rest of your receivers?
RUSSELL WILSON: I think that's a great question. I think obviously that one play wasn't what we wanted, but there's a lot of game left. I go straight to neutral. I've always talked about it, but being neutral, not being too high, not being too low, understand that neutrality is going to allow me to be successful, allow me to be successful more times than not. I'm such a big believer in it and I think it's helped my career, my life, everything else from the greatest moments to the toughest moments and just being, to remain neutral allows me to just focus on the next play, the next moment, you know, and just being in it, you know. And I think that's been a key component of it and that's -- well, I've started a business and everything else around it. I really believe in it. And Trevor Moawad and I have spent so much time around this concept, that thought process for the past, I don't know, 10, 11 years. And I think, ultimately, too, I think belief comes from experience as well. It comes from having tough times in life. At times when you don't have much or whatever it may be and to realize that this is a game. When you're dad's on his death bed, there's an understanding that, you know what? This is a gift, and why would I not believe? Why would I think any other way? So I think that's a big component of just who I am. I think just God gave me that belief every time. And so I think for me, just continuing to try to speak life into guys, speak life into the situation, continue to talk about it. And I'm just grateful I get to do it with these, with this group of men.
Q. We heard you on the Dan Patrick Show yesterday. It's quite a way to make your point, on Sunday Night Football?
RUSSELL WILSON: No, I think that Dan asked me great question about what do I think. I think that, you know, I don't come to play this game to be second place. I think that if I'm not thinking that way, I'm crazy to, because if you want to be great you have to believe in who you are and what you have and all the things that you do. I put tons of work in this game and I want to be the best in the world, but I can't do it alone. It's all the guys that we have around me and just they have done a great job of making plays and it's really special group of men that we have on offense and defense and just I'm grateful to be able to play with such amazing guys. Like I said earlier, I think it's all part of the process and there's so many great guys. So many great quarterbacks. I mentioned obviously guys like Patrick Mahomes, I mentioned guys like Lamar and guys like Drew and guys like Tom, that I have a lot of respect for. But if I'm not believing in taking the shot, you know what I mean, then you're never going to hit it, you know what I mean? So I think that's always got to be your mindset.
Q. You talked about how you feel like you're the best you've ever been in your career at this point. I think you said something about 70 percent of your potential or whatever. Just right now, nine touchdowns through two games, just really stellar efficient play, do you just feel like you're in a zone right now? Just take me through how, just your zone. Do you feel like you're in another gear right now to start the season?
RUSSELL WILSON: Yeah, I think that, definitely in the zone. Locked in. Focused. Dialed in. My teammates are too. It's a great group of men, like I said. I've been ready to play since the last time we had our last game in Green Bay. I've just been, every day it's, my mindset, just my performance team and everything else, just everything that we put into it is just getting ready and trying to be great. I think that I have an obsession with this thought process of always trying to find more. There's always -- be on this constant quest for knowledge, be on this understanding that I want to continue to push myself in just the fundamentals, the simple things of the game all the way to the fun parts of throwing the ball in certain spots and all that stuff too. But I have a love and passion for this game. Hours and hours and hours and hours of film, hours of time and just focus in the off-season and everything else, it all adds up. Nothing happens by accident, you got to put the work in and I think that it's just the start, I haven't done anything yet, so it's just a start we got a long ways to go and we're just focused on the next opportunity.
Q. I think that's the most touchdowns in a two game stretch for you. What's working, maybe perhaps more than in the past?
RUSSELL WILSON: I think guys are just making tremendous plays. I think that Coach Schotty is doing an unbelievable job of calling plays, we're mixing the ball up in terms of who is catching it, who is touching it, in terms of the running game and everything else. I think the guys up front are doing a great job, man, they're giving me time to make throws and allowing me to try to make some of these throws and stuff like that. So I just think that it all comes down to the kind of guys you have in the room, on the field and everything else. Like I said, I think Coach Schotty's doing a great very good job of calling the plays and the QB room is great with Geno and Danny and Austin Davis and we spend a lot of time together. Guys like Dave Canales, we spend a lot of time together just working on it and just spend a lot of time trying to be great. So like I said, I think that it's just a start, and we want to continue to have a hot hand, we want to continue to deliver the ball to the right guy at the right time.
Q. We saw DK get physical and kind of mix it up with Stephon Gilmore tonight, have you seen that kind of nastiness from him before?
RUSSELL WILSON: Yeah, for sure. I think that since the moment DK got here he's always been passionate about the game always been tough as nails, always been focused on being the aggressor and owning his space as a player. Also I think also in the passing game he wants the opportunity, he wants to be great, he wants to be the best in the world at what he does. I think that we got some of the top receivers in the game with Tyler and DK and honestly they need more respect in terms of just what they have been able to do consistently and over and over again. DK's been unbelievable in what's been able to do as a rookie coming in last year and then obviously what he's been able do this year so far. And then guys like Tyler Lockett for the past I don't know however him years we have played together, it feels like forever, but he's been unstoppable. So just like I said though, to be honest with you, obviously they're super talented, but it's the men they are, it's who they are and it's the work that they put in. It's the attention to detail and it's their faith in it all. So it's been a pretty cool process to have such great receivers that I get to be around.
Q. What's it like to, what's the feeling like when you put a ball up there for DK Metcalf in full stride against one of the great defenders in our game and it falls perfectly where you want it and he goes on and scores and then do you it again in a little corner of the end zone by the pylon, to a guy who was a 7th round pick. How hard have you worked to make throws like that and what's the feeling when it actually just converts?
RUSSELL WILSON: I think that's a great question. People talk about 10,000 hours to be great, I feel like I spent 30,000 hours, I mean, just on those type of plays. And you spend so much time in the off-season and just, like I said, the obsession with doing it over and over and over and over again and just working at it and working at it and perfecting it. If it's not perfect let's do it again. Let's get that rep again, let's do this right, let's do this. And those guys have completely bought into the thought process of it all, they have completely bought into the work ethic of it all, they are who they are in terms of men as I said earlier. And I think ultimately God's given me a gift and just I want to continue to use it and just give guys a chance to make a play and they keep making plays and it's a lot of fun. I always think back to baseball, people always ask me what's a greater feeling hitting a home run or throwing a touchdown. I've thrown a lot more touchdowns in my professional career than home runs, but both feelings are amazing and I think -- I just love winning. I really, I love winning. I love the process of winning, I love the process of the week, I love that more than the end result even. So that's where I think it all comes from.
Q. Last possession you guys were third and one, you went deep to Lockett, overthrew him. Take us through that play. Pete said that there were a couple of options you had on that that went away and the Pats took the defense away. Can you explain how that play went?
RUSSELL WILSON: We almost had it, it was so close. We have hit that many a time before in the past. So we just barely missed that one. That would have been a pretty special play too, Tyler made so many plays all day and so I tried to give him a chance. So they went cover zero, we almost had it and that was basically it. They made a good play and so we took our chance and we almost had it.
Q. With the incredible touchdown passes that you had and then the game ending on the one-yard line, what was missed with no fans in the stands tonight?
RUSSELL WILSON: Not having any fans is tough here, just you miss the fun of it all, you miss -- this game is meant to be played in front of thousands and thousands of people, it's so special. But at the same time no matter where you play you got to love it just as much and the feelings and the emotions and everything else just it all comes out of you just playing the game. So I think that today with Sunday Night Football we're so used to having so many people out there and fans going crazy and everything else. And we obviously miss our 12s and how much they mean to us -- they always travel so well too -- obviously at home games they're always the best in the world. So just praying for healing, praying for a way to see our fans again, just because that's the fun part of this game too as well. And I know it's fun for entertainment and everything else, but just praying for the world to get better and make that happen fast. But I think it's just been, it was a great game today, like you said. I think as we talked about, just earlier, that last play, our defense making that stop was an unbelievable stop in a key moment. We needed that, that's championship caliber football when you have to make a stop and sure enough we did.
WR DAVID MOORE
(On his touchdown reception) "I knew for a fact that I had to keep my feet close together, and when hit the pylon I knew it had to be a touchdown. It had to be. When I got up, I just pointed at it and sure enough."
(On what it's like catching accurate passes from Russell Wilson). "It's just good to see him out there doing his thing. He wants to go out there and they want to let him cook, and he's doing what he's doing. We've got plans for everybody that we play. The fact that we can go out there and execute as a team, as a whole, that's all we can ask for."
(On how deep the wide receiver corps is and how dangerous they can be) "I guess you're just going to have to figure out how deep we are. We know for a fact that we have everybody we need, and we all love to go out there and play as a team and play for each other. That's what we're going to keep doing."
(On if there was any uncertainty that he would still be on the team after roster cuts) "Heck no. I looked at it as, "It was meant for me to be here, everything happens for a reason." To be back here having fun like this, who would want to miss out on any of this? I know dang well I wouldn't. The fact that I'm here, I'm blessed I'm happy, and just trying to keep it rolling."
(On if it ever comes as a surprise when Russell Wilson has such big games against some of the best defenses) "We know it can happen, we just had to go out there and do it and the fact that he's able to do it and now and we're able to execute, it's just lovely thing to see. The fact that everybody touched the ball, we keep talking about that. We talked about that in the 3rd quarter. Everybody was super happy. I just sat there in shock that everybody got a touchdown, all of the receivers. It was cool, it was awesome to see and hopefully we can keep it going."
(On DK Metcalf's performance against Stephon Gilmore) "What I've seen from DK [Metcalf] is what I see from DK every day. He's one of the most hard-working guys I know. One of the most physical, and probably one of the best receivers I've ever seen face to face. Hey man, when he's in game mode, it's kind of hard to stop him. The fact that Gilmore was going to have to guard him, the whole week we just knew that it was going to be a tough game for Gilmore. DK got rolling and it was hard for him to be stopped. You're not going to stop a guy like that when he gets rolling. I see that every day and I just love to see it, keep going out there with him, and having fun."
(On what makes Russell Wilson the best quarterback in the NFL) "His pass, his deep ball, his passion for the game. He tells everybody, 'Believe. Believe," all the time. He can go out there and maybe make a mistake somewhere but no matter what, he's always going to believe. When you have a quarterback like that, that will pick everybody up no matter the situation is in the game, that makes him great. He goes out there and gives his all on the field, that's why we love him."
(On what it's like catching a deep ball from Russell Wilson and how it special it is) "His deep ball is great because he gives everybody a chance. He puts to where usually you can get it, and you can get it only. All you really have to do is put your hands out and make a play. He's going to let you go out there and do that. It's up to you to deliver the rest of it. The fact that he can do that and put that mug at a spot where it's going to be hard for the DB to get a touch or anything of it, that's great. That's what you want. When you run down the field and you just see that deep ball in the air. Our coaches told us to breathe this whole week. To just 'breathe, breathe, breathe. It's going to come; it's going to come. Just be ready when it comes.' That ball, it can be dangerous when it's in the air like that. But as long as you breathe and just concentrate, you'll be alright."
(On why it took so long to 'let Russ cook') "I don't know man, that's above my pay rate. I can't really answer that question. He's doing it now, that's all we can ask for. We can be happy with that."
(On what it's like watching him cook) "It's like Thanksgiving. You're going to go get that good meal. Watching your grandma, or your auntie, or somebody cook. It's kind of like that."
DE L.J. COLLIER
(On struggling with injuries last season to making big plays at the end of a close game) "It helped my confidence a lot. It boosted me forward and gave me the jump I needed. I feel like it's only up from here really. It shows a little bit of my offseason work, how hard I worked in the offseason. From getting up early, killing myself every day. It just shows how hard I really worked this offseason."
(On what happened on the game winning stop against Cam Newton and the Patriots' offense) "They were running the same thing all game. Bobby [Wagner] came to us before that and said they were going to run the same play. We were going to slant on it and go with it, and I really just followed my captain (Wagner), went with him and you see we came up with a big-time play. Credit goes to coach (Ken) Norton, Bobby, and the rest of the defense."
S Jamal Adams
(On the game winning stop at the goal line) "That was crazy man, a lot of emotions. I'll tell you what, I'm so proud of L.J. (Collier). I just met him, but I have heard so much about him due to my boy back home (Daniel Wise) who is really good friends with him. Obviously, he went to TCU, but I'm so proud of him because he has worked his tail off just to get to this moment, to have his moment. I thought we finished strong. As a defense we like to be in those moments, but we don't like to be in those moments. It's just so fun and so exciting to get that win and pull it off like that."
(On what he learned about his team and the defense after the way handled facing adversity) "After the first play, Russ (Wilson) throws it to G.O. (Greg Olsen), G.O. gets a little tip and didn't catch it and it goes over his head for a pick-6. You talk about poise, you talk about calmness, you talk about swagger, the energy was still there. Everybody came to the sideline and was like 'don't sweat, don't panic.' That's what it's about. It's just the fight and the 'want to.' We're going to fight until the end. I'm my biggest critic, I came out there and gave up some plays that I shouldn't have, but that's ok. I'm still learning, and I'm ok with that. No one is perfect. We didn't play our best ball as a team, but we came out victorious and that's what matters most. We can always fix all the other things tomorrow, or Tuesday. The most important thing in this league is getting a win, and that's so hard to do. I'm forever grateful for it."
