HEAD COACH PETE CARROLL
Opening:
Well, that was a really cool football game. It was hard and it was a challenge throughout the game, because we weren't ahead for a long time, to just stay in it and keep banging and keep believing that we could do things right long enough to win a football game. That lesson took us all the way to regulation. A great drive to get down there, get the field goal set up and kick it and we'll make it, and then we got to go flip a coin and do it again. Thanks to Geno winning the toss out there, we had a chance to win the game right there. An incredibly beautiful job, going 10 plays 75 yards to win the football game. It feels like we had a chance to win it twice. So, the lessons that come out of this, the value of a game like this, is so important. OK, we know O.T. These young guys know what O.T. is like. Continuing to believe, continuing to hang in there, and talking the talk that's necessary at the time is so important, because we're going to need it again. It's going to happen again. We're going to be in close games again. But, we're getting ready. We're getting ready for those games. With Russell back there, it don't matter. You have a chance. You have a chance no matter what's going on. He played phenomenal football today. The calls that he had to make, the adjustments that he made, the throws, just the variety of things that we threw today that was available to us and that we went after, it was an array of passes and concepts and principles, and it was really, really exciting to see our guys pull all that together. We ran the football some, against the best rushing defense in the NFL. Of course, we had the big run by Chris, that was huge. Tyler Lockett is ridiculous. He's so good. 13 catches today. A lot of tough things, and the variety of things that he did, the touchdown passes, too. But, just the amazing player that he is, and just continues to be marvelous to watch. So, we're fortunate. We're all fortunate to be watching these guys. These guys are good football players, and they're playing their hearts out for you. I'm really excited about getting it done. It's hard. Bruce is a good coach, man, he's had some success here. I told him that it's about time that we got him. He deserves that. He's done a lot of good stuff here. There's a lot of other things on the other side of it, that you guys will ask questions about, but I want to say this. Our kicker, Jason Myers, he's our kicker. It didn't go right today for him, but it's going to. So, we're counting on him to come back next week and kick the winners and do all the things we need to do. He has a magnificent talent, and today it got hard and didn't work out right. But, we won anyway. Our guys won for him. They all said that in the locker room; they cared about him, they got his back, and it couldn't have been more clear about guys coming together for one of their own. That was a really good game; I loved that one.
*On the catches by DK Metcalf in the fourth quarter and overtime: *
Yes, a great catch down the sideline. I didn't know what happened, I was waiting for the flag. It was a terrific catch. DK played great today. It was his best game he's had. You know when he catches the ball on the crossing route, he's gone. That was really exciting to see that. He's going to be a big factor when we go down the stretch here.
On whether that was what they thought they would get when they traded for Jacob Hollister:
Exactly. Jake had a good game today, Golly. Luke got banged up a little bit, he had to play quite a bit more. He came through. Two big touchdown passes, of course, he gets the game winner. Kind of a walk-off, you know. I'm really proud of him, he's a good ball player, and he's doing a really nice job for us across the board. Obviously, you can see him run and catch. He's also working hard on his blocking, and he's a very good special teams player, too. We hoped he would be able to be a factor like this, and he's coming through.
On the play of the Seattle defense:
We struggled. We struggled quite a bit. We thought we would find more ways to get to the quarterback, and we only got him a couple times. Crucial times. Big plays when we got him. We knew that they would throw and catch the ball. We knew they could do that. They have terrific players, and they really chuck it down the field, and they take their chances. We thought we would make more plays on the ball as well. The running game was nothing for us today. That was not the issue. It was really just covering them or pressuring them, and we didn't get enough of it.
On the opportunities available when Tampa Bay double-covered Tyler Lockett:
They didn't double him maybe as much as you might think. But, they continued to play man-to-man on us. We were hoping that was going to happen on this day, and we took advantage of the concepts that gave us the chance. You saw a lot of crossing routes today, and all the good stuff that happened for us, that we had hoped would work. But, you saw Jake caught the ball, and Russ found some guys to check the ball down to. DK had a big day. That's kind of what we would expect would happen.
*On the plays down the stretch for DK Metcalf: *
He just continues to do things really well. People who doubted that he would be a good football player might wonder is that just lucky or whatever. He's got the presence of mind. He's a real competitor. He's the real deal. We've been around enough young guys, we know what they're like when they come through the process. He's not typical. He's atypical. He's well ahead of the curve, in his smarts and awareness and savvy. You saw it. I'm glad you pointed it out. That's the guy that we have on our team. He's going to have a big year.
On possible patterns of struggle with the defense, including the second half of the Falcons game last week:
Well, the first half was great. But, they were throwing and catching it, in both those games. In this one, and the second half of that game.
On whether he was surprised that Arians did not go for two after Arizona's final TD:
No. I thought that he might, and I was watching to see what was going on. I think his confidence in playing here, he thought he could get it done. He didn't realize that Geno was going to get the flip.
On the attempt to challenge possible offensive pass interference:
There was like 20 seconds before the two minute warning, so I'm out of my challenges, so I just took a shot at it, to see what they would say. That looks like one for the books for them, to say we're not going to turn these things over. So, that will probably be kind of a poster type of play. I didn't think we had a very good chance. But, at the time I didn't care. It didn't matter to me to just go ahead and take a shot, just to see what would happen. We're in the books again on it. There's no doubt what they're doing. They're not going to change these calls unless it is really crazy. And, the officials are calling it along in accordance with that, I think, too. What I think, and this is just totally just one person's opinion on this, I think the officials have adapted already, to the way we're doing it, and they're letting us play more. It's a good thing. I'm not opposed to it. I just think you can kind of sense that, and there's not as many calls as we were kind of growing accustomed to, when there seemed to be a kind of a plethora of pass interference calls.
On whether it's worth it to make the challenge and potentially lose a time out:
We didn't need it.
On the way Russell Wilson and Tyler Lockett are playing together:
I can't even explain or describe it or whatever, other than to just kind of marvel and watch it and have fun watching these guys play the game. They are extraordinary players. And we're so lucky that they have kind of grown up together. The benefit of all that time. The marvelous connection that they have is as good as you can get. It's just a joy to watch them play and practice and work, and just hope we can have another good game next week.
On how confident he was in Russell Wilson when Seattle won the coin toss in overtime:
I'm pretty excited about that, now, I'm pretty excited about that. Russ has done this so many times. You can't have a better guy, almost in the history of ball, doing it. So, we were thrilled, because we think we're going to go down to win. That's why we made such a big deal about Geno winning the toss.
On Rasheem Green's fumble return:
Oh, he should have scored. We have to work on our weave, or something like that. That was a great play. I didn't see the play. I was told that Mychal Kendricks forced the fumble, and that's the start of the great play. A great one hopper, and away we go. What a moment in the stadium. It was awesome. It was so crazy. I think that's why the 12s come to these games, and keep coming back for those kinds of moments and to enjoy them and to have a blast. The stadium was awesome here today. It was so good. Down the stretch and the whole time, they did everything they could possibly do to help us win. It was great.
On the play of Chris Carson:
I was thrilled for his game. And then it was like, come on, Chris. Let's not go here again. On the long run, Chris is supposed to know that they're coming hawkin'. It was a great shot by their guy and all that. The ball went out of bounds, so we escaped that one. But the other one, he just went after the guy. He knows better. When the guy is below you, we don't throw the football and the shoulder into the guy, for exactly what could happen. He's done it in years past. We've talked about this for a couple of years. He just got too jacked up. Kind of like the head coach throwing a [challenge] flag when he shouldn't.
QB RUSSELL WILSON
Q. Did you know at the time of the coin flip that you may have just won the game? With the overtime coin flip?
That was huge. Geno was the man of the night winning that coin toss. We felt great about it and felt like we could find a way to win the game and guys made some clutch plays. DK came up big there at the end there. And then Hollister, man, he just showed up. That was sweet. It was a tough battle all game, back and forth, back and forth. We found a way to win.
Q. I thought tails never fails. That's not true?
What did he go for, heads?
Q. He went heads.
Well I'm glad he went heads there.
Q. You mentioned Jacob Hollister. For a guy who spent part of this year on the practice squad to have two touchdowns including the game winner, how fun is it to celebrate with a guy like that?
We spent a lot of time together over the past several weeks here, just Bible studies and different stuff and just getting to know him off the field, and then on the field, he just works his tail off. So it's been amazing just watching his work ethic. To be honest with you, I think him coming from the Patriots, to be honest, I think he had a championship focus and a championship way of preparing himself and that hasn't wavered at all no matter what his circumstances. And he was great during training camp, he was great all season and then he got his opportunity. Unfortunately, some guys went down and everything else and he stepped up to the challenge and he's been great.
Q. Can take us through that last touchdown to him?
Yeah, without saying too much, basically, he raced across the field. It was pretty sweet just how he leveraged the guy and beat him across the field. And as soon as it opened it up, just bang, touchdown. I think your eyes light up and say, 'There it is'. And he made a great catch and getting into the end zone so that was sweet. And just celebrating at the end it was just so much fun and we lifted him up, it was pretty cool.
Q. The field goal misses that could have won the game, how hard is it to rally everybody from the disappointment?
Obviously it's disappointing when we miss those opportunities, but it wasn't just that. There was so many other opportunities we could have had throughout the game. The thing is is it's not difficult for us to be able to stay neutral, to stay focused on the mission, what is the real situation, what's the truth of it. Okay, we got to hopefully win this coin toss, hopefully get the ball. Sure enough we got that situation, we had to be big on third down and we did. DK makes a great catch. Boom, boom, boom. Next this thing you know we're in the red zone, touchdown, game over. So that's the truth, that's the reality of the situation. You can't go anywhere else because you don't have enough time to. And I think that's been great for us. We have been unwavering in our belief. Unwavering in our language and staying neutral in what we want to be able to do.
Q. What opportunities open up against man coverage for this offense?
Well I think that we have been great all year in different circumstances, different coverages, and really recognizing what the defense is trying to do. And guys have just been getting open making plays, just tremendous catches. Tyler had a tremendous day today, that guy's one of the best receivers in the league. Then you think about DK Metcalf, his big-time catch racing across the field. Nobody's going to catch him when he catches the football like that. And then his big catch down there, too, as well. There's so many -- we want to be versatile getting the ball to different guys. We want to be able to diversify the football and that's what we have been able to do.
Q. What did you make of what DK did today particularly in the fourth quarter and overtime?
He was clutch. He was lights out, told him, hey, be ready, you may help us to win the game. And sure enough he did, and he was just lights out. Just tough catches, great speed, great acceleration, just running away from guys. He's been a star for us all year, so far, and hopefully we get to keep it that way.
Q. The size and speed is obvious with him. But Pete talked about how atypical he is as a rookie in terms of all the other stuff. Just how impressed have you been with the way he prepares and his football knowledge and all that?
He's been playing like a Pro Bowl player. I think about DK is he's been very focused on just preparing. Very focused on, just he sits right next to me in post-practice and take notes. And everybody else is right there, we're all communicating, all the receivers have done a tremendous job. From David Moore to JB to Malik, Tyler. Obviously, Tyler's been in the system for awhile. All those guys have been stepping up, even to the guys on the practice squad, they just have been really in tune with what we're trying to do. And just hopefully week-to-week we keep elevating and keep making plays. And DK in terms of the rookies, he's definitely leading the charge in the sense of his approach to the game. And that's not something that you just get. It's something that you have, it's something that you believe in, it's something that you work at, it's something that you prepare for and he's been tremendous with that.
Q. We have talked about your rapport with Tyler. Has that just kept growing, is it possible to grow any more?
Yeah, I think we can keep growing. There's some things in there we can keep trying to hit and keep making plays. I think Tyler has been special he makes my job easy he's really, really good. He's as good as it gets. So he just keeps showing up, keeps making play after play. There's nothing that that man can't do. So it's been a blessing just being his friend and it's been a blessing just playing with him. And he's just continuing to grow on and off the field, so it's been really cool.
Q. As an offense you guys basically put together three straight game-winning drives potentially back-to-back-to-back there at the end of the game. The boost in confidence, the thrill that that gives you guys, how big is that?
Well, like I said a little bit earlier, I think that we have been able to do it all year. For us to be able to go down the field, let's go win the game, what's the circumstances, what's the situation, let's go do it. I think that confidence, that unwavering belief it's real and just the language that we talk about and things how we say it and how we go about it, it's real. So I think that -- teams know it too, I think teams feel it a little bit, to be honest with you and it's a good thing that we're finding ways to win. There's so much more to do though, we haven't really done anything yet, we got a lot more to do.
Q. Your thoughts on adding Josh Gordon to the mix?
Josh has been a tremendous receiver. I think it's going to be just great having him into the group that we already have, we have so many great receivers already, so we're excited to get him here this week, I'm sure he'll do a great job he'll prepare, he's always supposedly prepared great and everything else, so it's exciting to have him in our group and we're looking forward to that opportunity.
Q. Do you know him at all?
Yeah, I've known Josh for a few years so we've gotten to know each other over the years.
Q. What about this culture would be a fit for him?
Well I think the thing about this culture that's a fit for anyone, to be honest with you, is just that we're all in it together. We're all in it together, we really believe in each other, we really believe in supporting one another. Coach Carroll does a tremendous job just being consistent every day. We have a great team, from the strength coaches to the training room staff to the equipment guys -- Mo Kelly is one of the all-stars of the Seattle Seahawks and, to be honest with you, we have so many amazing people. The guys, just the locker room is so tight knit and just everybody is so close together. So I think that's going to be a great asset for any player, to be honest with you.
Q. Your early thoughts on a Monday night game in San Francisco?
I don't know yet. I'm going to celebrate this with the guys and celebrate that and I think for us just get back to work this week and get ready to roll.
WR DK METCALF
On his last catch of the game:
Russ [Wilson] and coach Schotty [Brian Schottenheimer] saw that they were playing off, so I just ran a double move. Russ put it in the perfect spot. I made a play. Hats off to Schotty for seeing that.
On how his rapport with Wilson has been growing throughout the games:
Yes, sir. He's trusting me. It starts in practice. He's trusting me in practice and it translates to the game.
On how confident he was in Wilson to win the game when they won the coin toss in overtime:
Very confident. I had one of the Bucs DBs tell me that I'm lucky that I have a guy like Russ running the show back there. He's a great leader, especially when the game is on the line. I'm never worried when our offense or defense is out there.
On the team using him in different positions:
I'm just fitting in wherever the team needs me. Whether that's blocking or catching the ball, I'm just fitting in.
On his touchdown catch:
They were trying to double Tyler [Lockett]. We just caught a little crossing route. I beat my man, Russ put it in a perfect spot again. I just scored.
On Lockett making great catches being a shorter wide receiver:
After the Atlanta game, nothing surprises me that he does now. He's a small guy, but he plays like he's 6'4", 6'3" out there. He tried to truck somebody earlier during the game. I'm just happy that I have a mentor like him.
On if it was after the game that the Buccaneers DB told him how lucky he was to be on Wilson's team:
Yeah.
On if he remembers who the Buccaneer's DB was:
Number 26.
On if he feels lucky to work with Wilson:
I'm blessed. I'm blessed to have a quarterback like Russell, blessed just to be in this organization.
On how teams double teaming Lockett affect his game:
We've got to win our one on ones whether it's me, or any other receiver. If they're stacking the box for Chris [Carson] and doubling Ty, we just have to step up and do our jobs and make plays.
On if he's met Josh Gordon yet and what he thinks of him:
I haven't had a chance to meet him yet. He's a big, physical receiver. I'm just happy he's a part of this organization. I'm just trying to learn as much as I can.
On if he was trying to get out of bounds on the last few plays of the game:
We practice two-minute every day at practice. It's just going back to practice for me.
WR TYLER LOCKETT
On how things went for him today:
Things went great for me, man. I felt free when I went out there. Played for God. I wanted to dedicate this game to my great grandma. I lived with her my whole life. I called her, told her that before the game. Got the chance to call her after the game and told her that that one was for you. It was just one of those amazing experiences for me. That's one of the things coach [Bill] Snyder told us every day at Kansas State, dedicate the game to somebody. Dedicate this game to somebody. I kind of got away from that. I wanted to get back into that. Today, I dedicated that to my Mimi.
On what his great grandma's name is:
Lois.
On how it went against the man coverage:
I mean, we had a lot of good plays. We've been preparing ourselves to go against man-to-man. Schotty [Brian Schottenheimer] and Russ [Wilson] did a great job in getting us in positions to be able to win. Obviously, when it's man-to-man, it's one-on-one. You've got to be able to figure out how to win. You've got to know the defense's tendencies. You've got to know the way they play, what it is they're trying to do, what type of leverage that they're playing. The more and more that we figured them out throughout the game, we were able to take advantage of that, especially towards the end of the game. When you're seeing players like David [Moore] come across the field, you're seeing DK [Metcalf], you're seeing a lot of great players when we just went against man-to-man. They didn't change it up too much. We just stuck to our game plan.
On if that was the most man coverage he's seen:
Yeah, I think it was probably the most man coverage we've seen all game. That's the thing, even last week, we experienced a lot of man and they switched it up. The week before that, we experienced a lot of man and they switched it up. I think like the last three weeks, that's what we've been facing. Maybe that's something in our offense that teams feel like they can take advantage of. For us, if we ever get man-to-man, we have to be able to show them that we can beat man-to-man as well. You can't just play zone against us and think that you're going to win. Whatever they do, we have to be able to take advantage of it. I think today, we did a great job of taking advantage of it and showing that we could beat man-to-man coverage.
On if he was surprised they stuck to man-to-man during the final drive of the game:
Not really because sometimes it worked for them. There were times that it did work for them and they were able to get to Russell real fast, especially with their D-line. So, I think that they just trusted that their D-line could be able to get to him as fast as possible, and they could guard us, especially for the underneath stuff. I just think that our offensive line did a tremendous job in being able to protect Russell, and allowing him to find voids, allow him to be able to scramble if needed. The thing is, when it's man to man coverage, once you get past the front 7, there is really nobody back there.
On his confidence in Russell Wilson:
We don't even think about it anymore. When it comes to just being able to do it, you just have to make it happen. We see it every single day. Like I said, we do walk-through. Every single day we go down there, and we score, and we act like we've been there before. The coaches take us through so many different drills, like, we have one time out, we have two time outs, we have three time outs. OK, it's Four Minute offense, we have to keep the ball. What plays are we going to run if we're up. What plays are we going to run if we're down. You have 42-44 seconds left going into this game, one time out. We know that we have to get out of bounds. We know that when we catch the ball, we don't need to get upfield and do all that other stuff. Just get what you can get, go out of bounds. I think it really goes with the intellect of the game. Being able to have a high IQ. I think Russ helps us with that. The coaches help us with that. A lot of the guys, just being able to know football and being able to know that this is what we have to do, and we did a good job of getting it down there.
On the growth of DK Metcalf:
Man, I've seen him grow in every area. The biggest thing is that he understands leverage, he understands who is guarding him. When we need him to make a big time play, he's always there. That's the biggest thing. Everybody just does their job. That's all that you can ask. Nobody worries about who gets the most catches, who gets the most touches, who gets the most yards. It's all about what we can do to help each other win. I think it says a lot about our receiver room, because we love one another. When you love each other, it allows you to go the extra mile for each other. That's what you see with us. We're all happy, we're all excited. We don't care who gets the credit; we don't care who gets the shine. We just want to be able to be great together, because that's what football is about. Not only celebrating when everybody is watching us, but being able to celebrate with one another. It makes being in this business so much easier when you just start having fun.
On Brian Schottenheimer being dialed in today and this year:
I think he's definitely done it. I think every game, we all grow, we all grow together. We all have to understand one another. Understand how we're thinking. He understands the things that we see on the field. He knows that if we ever come to him and tell him that these are things that are going on, he can go back and check with the little Surface Pro, to look and see if people are actually right. At the end of the day, we trust that he's going to make the best play call. We trust that he and Russ are going to put us in the best position possible to be able to win. I think that it showed today. No matter what happens, no matter what the outcome is, we're always going to trust those two people.
On how chemistry is built:
I just think chemistry comes with believing in one another, and just having confidence in each other, and having confidence in yourself. I think the best part about it is, the more that you understand somebody's mindset, the more that you that understand what they're looking for, but also, you dive deeper. Like, one of the things I'm starting to learn now is after the play is over, what are the other routes doing around me. Where will the scramble drills happen.
LB BOBBY WAGNER
On the end of the game and the offense scoring at the end:
Hats off to the offense. They played an amazing game. Russ[ell] [Wilson] played an amazing game. We have to do better. We have to find a way to limit the points and limit the yards. We have the talent, we just need to put it together.
On if he was disappointed in the defense at halftime:
I don't think anybody on this defense expected them to be able to move the ball the way that they did. Especially with the way we didn't finish last week, to come out like that, we have to do better. We will be better.
On if he can put a finger on why the defense under performed today:
I have to look at the tape. From just the feel of it, I think we need to be more disciplined. That's what I would say, more disciplined.
On if games like this build resilience:
Definitely. It builds a lot of resilience, a lot of character. At the end of the day, games like this are hard to win. Games in the NFL are hard to win. To be in a position, 7-2, that's amazing. But, it's only amazing if we learn from it. It's important for guys like myself, K.J. [Wright], all the other guys, to make sure the message is not missed.
On what changed in the pass rush after the first half:
Blitzing. Guys, when they got their named called, coming down a little more aggressive. Just trying to make them feel us.
On being isolated on his sack:
I feel really good [about that one]. It's been crazy, every time they think I'm coming, they slide towards me so they messed their protection up. I was able to figure out where they were sliding at so I was able to get in there and mess it up.
RB CHRIS CARSON
On how much pride he takes in his ability to pass protect:
Chad is always talking about being a complete back. You can't just run the ball, you've got to be able to run the ball, you've got to be able to catch the ball, and pick up the blitz. We know it's important so that they won't have to take me out on third down or whatever, so I take great pride in that.
On if he had any 'here we go again' thoughts when he fumbled the ball:
I just move on to the next play.
On if he felt like they would win if they won the coin toss:
Of course, we trust our offense. We feel like we have every weapon that we need. We knew that getting the ball first would be key and would be big. We ended up scoring, so it was good.
On how much of a confidence boost it is to have Russell Wilson leading the team down the stretch:
It was big. I think he's the best quarterback in the game so, whenever you have him out there on the field anything can happen.
On how he managed to dominate ground yards against the tough Bucs' run defense:
The offensive line did a great job, all of the credit goes to the line. Us running backs, we put our foot in the ground and try to gain as much as we can. A lot of times we had to get what we could get, and that's what we tried to do.
C JOEY HUNT
On what it's like as an offensive lineman to see Chris Carson have a long run:
It's big time. We were ready to run the rock, we said we were going to come out and run the rock and we were pumped after that and we were excited to run it after that. I felt like that kind of got our run game going and it was great.
On how pivotal it was to have a good run game against their tough run defense:
We knew coming in that they were a talented front and they stopped the run. They're the number one rush defense in the league. We knew that it was going to be a challenge and I felt like everyone came ready to play. Chris [Carson] is a bad man. It was exciting and I'm glad that we were able to run the ball and do what we emphasize which is run the ball every week.
On putting together essentially two game winning drives, one in the fourth quarter and one in overtime:
Even when we scored with four minutes left, we scored a touchdown to go up, hopefully we were going to end the game. Next time, I guarantee that our defense is going to stop them. It's great to be able to do that, to be able to go down, score, tie it up and have another chance to go down and win it again. To still be able to stay resilient and stay locked in, stay with each other and drive down and win the game.
On what the feeling is like to have Russell Wilson out there in the fourth quarter and overtime:
It's another drive for us. It's like every other drive. It's something that we practice every day at work. We practice it literally every day in different situations. All we say is that we've been here before. It's something that we emphasize so it's just like any other drive. And having [Russell] back there, it's great to have him back there when you need to go score and win.
LB MYCHAL KENDRICKS
On defending Mike Evans:
He's a great receiver. He's really strong at the point of attack on the top of his routes. But, I've got to give all the credit to all of the guys, it was a group effort.
On what they had to do to hang in there in the first half:
We just had to do what we had to do. We had to stay in there, we knew we were getting the ball back at half. We knew that the offense was going to have another opportunity to score so, we just knew we had to hold them as much as we could. They scored too many points on us though. But, still we came out with the win.
SS BRADLEY MCDOUGALD
On what he sees going on with the defense:
It was hit or miss today. We've got work to do, it's obvious we've still got work to do. We left some plays on the table today. We had players not making some plays, and a couple schematic situations that they beat us out on. That came from showing the same looks over and over but, we were stopping them and there was no reason to change it. Coaches and players together, we all know we're in this together and we've just got to get better.
On what needs to change with San Francisco coming up next:
We need to get tighter on our run and we need to eliminate yards after catch. That troubles us a lot, guys catch the ball and then get another 15 yards. It's already an explosive pass and then you give them explosive yards after the catch. Those two things are what kills anybody. Most importantly, when you have a team against the wall, and you're in a position to take life out of them or end the game, we need to start stepping up and doing that.
LB K.J. WRIGHT
On if Tyler Lockett is one of the best wide receivers in the NFL:
One hundred percent, one hundred percent. He's up there with the top dogs. I guess those top dogs have a certain look. They're big and all this stuff. But Lockett is dangerous. He's one of the most dangerous guys on the football field. I think he's feared around the league.
On what needs to change for the defense going forward after giving up a lot of yards the past few games:
I think we need to get off the field on third downs and I think we need to trust each other more, especially in the run game. [We're giving up] a lot of yards, a lot of long drives. We have to get on the drawing board and figure it out.
On if the defense needs to work on discipline:
I think that's definitely one of the areas. We need to be more disciplined and trust one another. Especially with this team, we're a one gap defense so we just need to find a way to do that, trust the man next to you so they don't get 100 yards rushing.
On if they're happy to get the win but they also see the problems on defense:
The feelings are definitely mixed. These past few weeks have been winning, but you're not winning the way that you want to. But we'll definitely always take the win over a loss and we need to keep going back to the drawing board. We'll figure it out one day. I'm a believer in this team and everybody on this squad.
On if there's a particular area that the defense is struggling in:
It's across the board. It's all them guys just not dominated and doing what they need to do. It's nothing that you can point a finger at. It's everybody.
On if it's schemes that they're struggling with:
The scheme is great. The scheme is fine. But it's like you'll see that we'll run a certain coverage and the guy that's supposed to be there is not there. So if you just fit up the scheme, the scheme will execute itself.
TE JACOB HOLLISTER
On if he knew that Russell Wilson was going to target him on the game winning touchdown:
I feel like on every route, you have to expect to win and expect to get the ball. That route was no different, I knew I had to win on it and Russ threw a perfect ball to me.
On if Russell Wilson was looking his way most of the game:
He was. Especially in man-to-man games, they were playing a lot of man [coverage]. You know you have to expect it every play.
On the last touchdown:
They were in man [coverage], pretty much like how they were all day. I had the guy about eight yards off of me and I had a route where I knew I had to beat him across his face so I tried to set him up and run at him and just freeze him for a second and then sprint and use my speed to get away from him. [Russell Wilson] just put a perfect ball on me that I could turn upfield and score.
On if he felt like he was in right away:
I don't know, honestly. When they paused it, I was like, man I hope I got in.
On what's going through his mind when we scored the game winning touchdown:
It's just a blessing. God's been so good in my life and I prayed to Him. I was like, God I want a big game today, not just for me, but for my whole team.
On when he thought his number would be called after Will Dissly went down a couple weeks ago:
It's really just [about] always staying prepared. When I was not active a few weeks ago, I was really preparing the same way that I am now. You just always have to stay prepared so that's what I was doing. Once my number was called, I knew that I had to be ready to go. That's the thing about this team, you have so many guys that are really close and you want them to be able to count on you. I was glad that I was able to provide some of that today. I still had a lot of mistakes, but I'm glad that I got that last one.
On his first touchdown:
Yeah that was awesome. That was a play where I come down and I loop out into the flat and [Russell Wilson] put the ball on me and I reached out, which I shouldn't have with the ball. I'll get in trouble for that but I scored on that which is cool.
On how satisfying this game was for him:
It's awesome. Like I was saying, it's such a blessing to be in this position. I love being on this team, being around these guys, being around this organization. It's just been awesome and it's all been a blessing. I'm back on the West Coast because I'm from Oregon originally. My sister was up for this game and I had some friends who were up for this game and it's awesome.
On Russell Wilson trusting all of his receivers:
For sure. You have to earn trust in practice and especially in the games, you want to show consistently that you're going to get open and catch the ball and make yards and be dependable so that's what I'm trying to do.
DE RASHEEM GREEN
On how close he thought he was to scoring a touchdown on his fumble recovery:
I felt like I was like this close because the ball was there, I picked it up and I was just focused on running and all I can see is the goal line getting closer and closer. All of a sudden, I feel my ankles getting sweeped. I was like this close to getting my first touchdown.
On how they were able to pick up the pass rush in the second half:
The team felt like we just weren't doing good enough. The team just came together. We focused on what we practice and just went back to what we do in practice. I felt like in the first half, we got away from that a little bit.
On what he's learned from Jadeveon Clowney and how they need to work together to get to the quarterback:
I think the main thing that I've learned from Clowney is just playing free. The main thing is playing free. You see how he plays, he plays free. If that makes sense, he's just out there being him.
On how he saw Bruce Arians trying to disrupt their defense throughout the game:
I think the main thing was them just doing the same play and they just open a guy or a guy wasn't in his gap or wasn't doing his job. I think we needed to just focus on being us and staying in our gap and doing our job.
TE LUKE WILLSON
On the performance from Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf:
I was happy for both of those guys. They made some tremendous plays. We're really building right now as a whole group. We've got guys - even my guy [Jacob] Hollister - making plays. It's something special, we got to keep pushing into this.
On how happy he was for Jacob Hollister scoring his first touchdown:
Thrilled man, thrilled. I was on the sideline, I got the play call late, and I thought to myself, 'He's got a shot here.' He did exactly what he needed to do there; nice catch, and fell in. He's had a pretty crazy journey to this point. I'm just really happy for him.
CB SHAQUILL GRIFFIN
On how tough it was to cover the Buccaneer's receivers:
It was tough. I feel like going back and forth, those are the type of games you look forward to. You find a real good team and a real good duo that you sit there and battle with them the whole game, it's awesome. That's something that I needed going into this year. Some teams kind of pull away from me and I need that battle. That's the stuff I look forward to. I'm just glad I was able to hold my own and be able to make the plays I need to make. It was big time for us. I have the utmost respect for those guys. I said that going into this game. The type of guys they have. I always have respect for them. They earned that today.
On why some of the man coverages worked better than the zone coverages:
We tried to change some things up. After a while, we kind of figured out we're doing better putting hands on those guys. I felt way more comfortable going into man-to-man and win the one-on-one battles. Towards the end of the game, we figured that out. We played more man and I'm glad we did. At the end of the day, playing football, you have to be able to change things up and adjust and we did that today.
On his strengths this year playing man and deflecting passes:
I feel more comfortable within myself, being able to win those plays and know that I can be better than the guy that's next to me or in front of me and just win the one-on-one battles. That's one thing I've been preaching on going into this offseason. I just wanted to be the guy that can count on myself to make those plays. Sitting there, game on the line and I have 13 in front of me, the whole thing I had to do I loved. Put the game on me. Put the game on me. That's some of the things I said going against a guy like that when we're trying to win the game. Knowing they got 13, I loved that they let me have him and nobody else. You have to win those types of runs.
LT DUANE BROWN
On what it means to their confidence to be able to score in crunch time as an offense:
It's a big boost. We're very confident in our ability as an offense, we have so many top tier players and great players. We have veterans, rookies, young guys, we have a great mixture of great players that are playing at a high level. We know that when we play consistent and we play penalty-free, it's going to be hard to beat us.
On if it was surprising how much they blitzed on the last drive of regulation:
No, it wasn't surprising. I don't know if they were expecting a run at all. They were able to get some pressure there from some of their blitz packages. They got some sacks so, they were looking to get that again. They went one on one. They put their cornerbacks in man to man situations and our receivers made plays, our quarterback got the ball to them and that's what happens. When guys blitz, you have to make them pay.
On how much confidence is gained in close games by having Russell Wilson as their QB:
All the confidence in the world. He's the MVP this year, and I think he's been showing it all year and he continued to do it today. We have to keep him cleaner, so he can operate. But, our guys upfront battled. They have a really good defensive front over there. I'm glad he's under center, I'm glad I'm on the team with him. He's a phenomenal talent, a great leader, and just consistent. I talk about it the same way every week; he threw five touchdowns, I can't say too much more than that.
DE JADEVEON CLOWNEY
On what it's like to watch Russell Wilson in a game like this:
I love it. I love watching him. Big fan. Happy he's on my team and I'm on his team.
On his thoughts coming into the locker room after the first half:
I told the other guys, I'm glad we got the win, but we have a lot of room we can improve on as a defensive unit all around. It's good to be 7-2 where we're sitting at, but we know and as everybody in this locker room knows, we've got to improve and get better.
On if he can put a finger on what they need to do better:
No. That's not my job. My job is to play. I don't put fingers on anything. I let the coaches do that. They coach, I play. I just know that it isn't up to our standards here and what we talk about. That's all I do know.
On if the win serves as a catalyst to motivate the team:
Yeah, it's a great win. Like I said, you don't look past anyone in this league. Every team has a chance to win on any given Sunday in this league. We're all pros, we're all professionals. We've just got to stop letting people move the ball on us on defense and we'll be a better team.
