San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, quarterbacks Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance, and others spoke with reporters after Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks. Here is everything they had to say.
Transcript provided by the San Francisco 49ers Communications staff.
Head Coach Kyle Shanahan
Opening comments:
"Injuries: [K] Robbie Gould had the groin before the game. [QB Jimmy] Garoppolo had a calf, didn't return. [C] Alex Mack had a hand. He ended up being alright and returned. [T] Trent Williams with the shoulder injury. He never returned. [DL] Arden Key had a stinger. He came back in though, cleared the [concussion] protocol. Go ahead."
At what point did you find out about Robbie and did you just consider just not even using a place kicker in this game?
"We found that out literally right before we came out in pregame warmups. He had done it at the last second, someone ran in and told me. So yeah, we found out right before so we had [P] Mitch [Wishnowsky] do some warmups when we were out there together with extra points and it was something I considered. We were talking about throughout the whole game, just the percentages of going for it there on fourth-and-eight or kicking that longer field goal and we went with the field goal there."
Same thing with the extra point? The two-point conversion from the seven or the PAT from the 38?
"Once it was fourth-and-goal from the seven [yard line]. I was going to go for two until we false started and that's why we kicked the extra point after that."
When did Jimmy get hurt?
"He got hurt sometime in the first half. He said he got stepped on, not sure which play, but he played for a while with it. He didn't think it was that bad at the time and then about a minute before halftime ended, trying to get it going and he just couldn't push off it. So right then at the end of halftime, we realized he couldn't go.
As you understand, it's a bruise or a contusion rather than a strain?
"We don't know yet. That's what we have to check up on here after this game."
When QB Trey Lance goes in there, obviously the offense changes, but how much of your offense could you use there?
"We have packages in for him, but the gameplan wasn't built for him. And you do the openers and all the second half adjustments, but we didn't really realize that Jimmy wasn't going to come out until like the last minute. So, we had to kind of make some moves on the fly and do some stuff that he was comfortable with, and I thought we got better as we went."
What's your assessment of Trey Lance's first extended regular season action?
"Some good, some bad. He got thrown in not expecting to get in and I thought he ran the ball well, he hit some passes, obviously missed some passes. Was in a tough situation there when we were down two scores. Did a good job moving the chains a couple of times with his legs, but it looked like a typical first game."
Obviously, the number two quarterback doesn't practice much, at least with the ones for sure. Is that basically though what you've seen in practice what we saw there today?
"No, some parts of it. Trey's done a good job. I feel like he's getting better each week, but that's why he was the number two quarterback going into that game."
What was your level of concern with Trent Williams? He looked like he was in a lot of pain and emotional coming out of that game.
"I'm concerned for Trent to leave with a shoulder injury and not return. I hope it's it's all right, but that's all I know about it."
Your defense was so dominant for most of the first half, what adjustments did the Seahawks make or what did you guys not do as well the rest of the game?
"Having that turnover on special teams definitely hurt them. I think that's what it was there in the second half. Coming out there early, they got a big play, I think on their first drive. But I thought the defense was strong. They kept them off the scoreboard in the first half and they gave up some scores in the second, but watching just how they were I know they made two big third downs that we got them off the field on. But they converted with calling the offsides on us and then that P.I [pass interference]. So those are two really big plays that were hard to overcome."
What was your level of disappointment just going into the half at 7-7 based on the way that had gone?
"I was disappointed. I think it was like 220 yards to 80, so when it's like that you definitely want to have more points to show for it. And I think we missed a field goal on one, and then we had an interception on one drive and then we stalled out on I think our final three drives. But when you're moving the ball like that, you definitely want to have more points than 7."
How frustrating are those third down penalties?
"Extremely frustrating. You fight really hard to get to there and guys are competing and I didn't get a chance to see whether he was offsides or not. The guy's [official] right there, so I don't know how you can mess that up, so I'm sure he was. The P.I. was real frustrating though."
What was your thought process on that trick play with RB Jacques Patrick?
Just how their middle third safety was getting down the field every time we tossed the ball and it worked like we wanted it to. But [Seattle Seahawks S] Jamal Adams sniffed it out from underneath and just chased him and caught up to it. I was hoping to get a call on that one."
Do you think it should have been a call on that one down the field?
"That's up to those guys, but that's what it looked like on the scoreboard, it's what it looked like live and looked very similar to their third down that they called on [CB] Dre [Kirkpatrick]."
If Jimmy cannot play Sunday, what does this week look like? Is it an urgency to try to get Trey ready? What do you do this week?
"We'll find out about Jimmy probably later tonight, or at least I will. Maybe tomorrow morning. But yeah, it'll be to study Arizona and put in the best gameplan possible for him."
Was there any concern about Kittle's status? He kind of got bent back real awkward on that one play, is he okay?
"I know he made it through the game, which is encouraging. But he's done that before and it's been something that's been worse later, so I know he was banged up going into that game. I'm not sure what happened exactly on that play. It didn't hold him out, so he was able to come back in, but we'll see when they clear up in there."
Just a clarification, did you know going into the locker room that Trey was going to be the quarterback coming out of the locker room?
"No, I didn't."
Was it at halftime, that Jimmy said he was having trouble?
"Yeah, really towards the end of halftime."
What do you do at the point with Trey? Is it quarterbacks coach Rich Scangarello and Trey just getting together real quick?
"I mean, halftime is so short anyways, but we didn't get to spend much of it doing that anyways because Jimmy was getting evaluated and we weren't expecting it and then it happened. And obviously it had to, because if Jimmy can't go in, it's because he can't. He never takes himself out and then you're just on the way out, you're just trying to talk about it and scratch some of the stuff you were doing at halftime and try to put it all together and give them as much of a heads up as you can."
We've seen rookies around the league, quarterbacks have just struggled a lot this season, some high-picked guys. What did Trey show you? Although you say it wasn't perfect. What did he show you just from how he handled the situation?
"He went in there unexpected and he competed. Trey's a football player. You guys can see that at times throughout that game. Regardless of what's happening, he's always got a chance to make a play and that's why I think he did. It was good for him to take us down on that scoring drive there at the end. But it takes some time to play in this league as you guys have seen throughout. It's about knowing where to get rid of the ball, when to try to make those plays, when to check it down, have other guys do it for you, when to hang in the pocket, when to escape the pocket, and he got a lot of real NFL game experience with that today. Hopefully he'll get better from it."
You had to call at least one timeout I think with the play clock going down with him in there and then another time you had to call him over, was that just a communication issue, him not hearing something?
"No, the headsets were messed up all day. I don't know why, but it happens about once a year, but it happened today. There was a number of times it wasn't working."
You said Wednesday, it was nice that you didn't have to throw Trey in, you had Jimmy. That was kind of an ideal situation. Right now, obviously, injuries happen, but is he ready for the challenge you think? Can he lead this team if he needs to for a couple of games?
"Yeah, he's got to. If that's the case, it's next man up, whether it's at his position or another position. We've been playing with rookie running back since the second play of the first game. And we've got a rookie quarterback right now and hopefully Jimmy's better and not as bad as we think, but Trey is here for a reason. You want to give him the time. You want him to be fully ready, but you don't always have that luxury. That's what we'll find out in the next couple of days."
It seemed like there was communication issues between Lance and the rest of the players on the offense, does that trickle down from the headset issues?
"That stuff happens a lot, sometimes it's a little bit harder for a guy in his first time in there to fix it real fast. But yeah, there was a combination of all of it."
You guys have dropped two straight games at home to teams, that I figure are in the NFC playoff picture. As far as expectations as far as heading into the season, where do you think your team is at right now?
"We're 2-2 and I don't think much past that. I know we got a good team [Arizona] coming. We're going there next week. I think they won. So, I know we are going against an undefeated team playing at a high-level and we're going to have to study this game hard tomorrow. Heal our guys up but Wednesday's practice and I'm not thinking about anything else, but trying to go against Cardinals."
With the way your defense was playing early, how uncomfortable are you when you're going against Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson, given what he's done in his career and what he's done against this franchise?
"Always. Usually, no matter how it goes, we've played good verse them and we've played bad verse them and it always seems to come down within a score at the end. So, you're always expecting that. That's why, when you do feel like you have them on the ropes, you want to get more than what we got there in the first half. But that's why Russell's a pretty good player and he's been having a lot of success for a long time."
Are you going to have kicker tryouts this week?
"I would think so. I don't know. I haven't asked about Robbie since right before the game, so but I would assume so."
You had a long talk with Robbie before the game on the sidelines there. Was it, 'can you make a short one?'
"It's all that stuff. You're really finding out right before the game, so you're just trying to solve percentage games. Do you want to go for two instead of extra points? Can you kick an extra point? What do you think about Mitch? What's his chances from an extra point area? Do we feel better about a 30-yarder, or do we feel better about going for it on fourth-and-10? I ask everybody too. You get the analytics of all that stuff. So, you can go with percentages and everything, but that's something you got to feel out. And I almost went for two on the first one, I got to watch the extra point and it didn't look pretty, but he made it. So, I was going to kind of stick with it then. Then watched the field goal that looked alright, but it didn't go in. So, then I was going to go for two the next time. So just basing it off of watching how he is and how he's going and trying to play the percentages on what gives you the best chance to score."
Has Mitch practiced that in practice?
"Yeah, they do on the side, but Mitch is also our holder. So, that's something that Juice [FB Kyle Juszczyk] always has to be ready for too, in case something happens. But that's something that they're always working on the side, but nothing that you're doing in team periods or anything."
49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo
When did you get hurt?
"Happened in the first series. I don't know. I don't know exactly what happened. Tweaked the calf. It hurt initially. I thought I'd keep trying, keep trying to go and just kept getting worse and worse, traveling down to the Achilles a little bit, but we'll get more information tomorrow with MRI and everything. Hoping for the best right now."
What side was it?
"Right side."
Head coach Kyle Shanahan said it got stepped on. Is that what you think happened?
"I'm not, it felt like that. Yeah. I don't know if that is actually what happened or not, but yeah, I just felt something go in the calf. And like I said, we'll see them see more tomorrow."
Kyle said when you say that you can't go, that's a big deal. How hard was it for you to tell them that?
"Yeah, it sucked. I mean, just in between series, I could feel it tightening up in everything. Thought I could get it out. I tried to for the first half, but it's just tough, man. I don't know. I've been in the situation too many times and it's getting real old. So it's just one of those things, but a part of the business though."
Do you think it might be a torn Achilles? Is it that serious?
"I don't think, no. No, no, no. I don't. Yeah, really hope not. It feels like just the calf right now, but I'm hopeful it'll just be a couple of weeks or something like that."
MRI, is that what's going to happen tomorrow?
"Yeah, tomorrow we'll get that MRI and have more info."
You said that it kind of traveled down to the Achilles. Is that the point at which you said this is not worth the potential for a more serious injury?
"Yeah. I mean, it was everything. A combination of it. It definitely didn't help when it started to traveled down. But I don't know. Sorry that I don't have all the answers for you guys right now, but tomorrow after the MRI, hopefully it'll answer some questions, give us a guideline of how long it will be. And we'll go from there."
It was kind of a quick turnaround. I saw you talk to QB Trey Lance real quick. What were your words for him?
"Just bring confidence to the guys. He was going in there, just bring confidence to the huddle, get those guys going. We were still in it. It was a good game. Credit Seattle, they played a good game, but we were battling with them in the first half there. And just a frustrating game."
I don't know if you saw the halftime stats, but to a pretty much dominated the game statistically and then go in without an advantage. Was that frustrating?
"Yeah, it was tough. You could feel it, we were moving the ball well. Got backed up a couple of times and got out of it. That was just, we couldn't finish it though. It was one of those days, first drive was good, but other than that, we should, I mean, we had opportunities to take advantage and go up by a couple of scores and we didn't do it."
You said you've been in this situation too many times. Is it difficult mentally not to go down the road of the worst case scenario?
"I'm pretty positive person, so I'm trying to stay positive with it. Know we'll take it in stride. Tomorrow should answer a lot of the questions. And it was just tough. Put a lot into this and hate to have this happen, but hopefully it's just a small hiccup in the road for now."
Had you felt anything on that right leg before going into this, obviously you had the ankle--?
"Oh no, it's nothing like that. I felt good pregame and everything like that. Yeah, it's just one of those things."
Was it effecting your velocity as the half went on. Could you feel it in the throws themselves?
"Yeah, that was part of it. I was using all upper body. Couldn't step into the throws. My calf is kind of where I get all my power from. So it definitely affected some of that stuff, but it just kind of is what it is. I guess."
You had something on your leg after that time. Was it just a compression type thing?
"Yeah, just trying to keep it warm. Keep the blood flowing. I was out there in case of an emergency, but yeah, that didn't happen. So I just want to stay loose in case something did happen. All right. Thanks guys."
49ers QB Trey Lance
When QB Jimmy Garoppolo was dealing with a calf injury, did you know during the first half that was happening?
"Yeah, I mean, we saw him but like I said, Jimmy battled through a lot last week. So I have a ton of confidence in him and hope he can be back as soon as possible because he does a lot for me personally on and off the field and as a team. But yeah, he battled through it the whole first half and at halftime, obviously with the muscle thing like that, like he said, I mean, I'm not going to speak for him and how he's feeling, but it's really tough when you sit down or get still. The muscle gets tighter and tighter."
Head coach Kyle Shanahan said that he found out late at halftime. When were you told, like you're going to be the guy? Late halftime or early halftime?
"Yeah. I mean, halftime, it goes pretty quick. Or at least it seems to in the locker room. So I don't know exactly at what point, but yeah, it was during halftime when we were in the locker room."
What goes through your mind in that moment?
"Same thing that I've been ready for and I stay prepared for whenever my name is called. I try to be as ready as possible, prepare that way during the week to be as ready as I possibly can. So I felt obviously confidence in myself and my teammates and how well our defense had been playing and how well our offensive had been moving the ball. I felt really good about the situation that we were going into."
Kyle said there were issues with the headsets as well, did that hurt or hinder your communication?
"I'm not going to make that an excuse at all. It was different and a little frustrating for sure for him and for me. But yeah, it was a thing that, just part of the game, part of stuff we got to deal with."
Your first pass to TE George Kittle was low. Your second to WR Deebo Samuel was high. I mean, obviously you kind of shoved in there. Were you able to settle down a little? Was some of that nerves or adrenaline or excitement?
"I don't want to say nerves or adrenaline or anything like that because I've been in games before and I'm thankful for that and I was prepared for the situation, I felt. So for me, they're easy throws, like maybe thinking too much on the one to George and the one to Deebo was probably a throw away more than anything, trying to save Deebo. But, getting to check downs throughout the game, throughout that second half that I was in would have been definitely beneficial for me and for our offense. But yeah, going to continue to get better and go back and watch the tape tonight and excited for this week."
Did your confidence grow as the half went on?
"I was, like I said, I was very confident going into the situation. The way our team is, how talented our team is, our coaching staff, I felt prepared for the situation and our coaching staff had done a great job of helping me stay prepared for that situation. So I wouldn't say that I got any more or less confident throughout the game."
Do you feel like your play improved as the half went on?
"Like I said, I think there were plays, good and bad throughout the half. Missed some big ones, missed some easy ones, missed some check downs. Just definitely a few plays that I want back. But like I said, going to go back and watch it tonight and I think I'll learn a lot from that"
How many snaps, how many first team snaps have you been getting during the week?
"I don't have a number for you honestly. But I stay ready mentally, physically, whether it's walkthrough, practice, virtual reality, whatever it is. I try to do the most during the week to keep myself prepared."
There's packages in the offense designed for you specifically, how much of what you ran today was the packages that were put in for you versus just kind of the general offense?
"I mean, the general offense is football. So there's not really a way to just run what's in my package, I guess, as far as throughout a whole game, at least for the most part. So, I prepare like I'm going to run the offense how it's supposed to be ran in the game plan going in that week."
You had Deebo come up to you and talk to you after your first series. How nice was it to know you've got the support of other players on the team?
"Yeah. I mean, like I said, nothing but confidence in the guys in the locker room, our coaching staff and myself. So for me, just have to give those guys the ball and get those guys in a position to be successful. And it's awesome. Like you said, those guys coming up to me and giving me confidence in me, hopefully me doing the same to them. I want to be a leader in this locker room and I know that's something that's earned for sure. So we're going to continue to get better. And like I said, learn as much as I can from this game."
How much do you feel like you're actually learning, just getting an extended reps not in preseason?
"A ton. Yeah. It's been a ton and even just mentally. Like I said, the week leading up to the game is just as important, if not more important, than the few reps that I have gotten in games prior. Just for me being able to just stay locked in mentally, our coaching staff helping me out with things like that, it's been awesome and I feel really confident."
Are you ready to just dive right into Arizona since that might be a first start for you?
"Yeah, I'm definitely excited. I'm excited to learn, like I said, learn as much as I can from this one. And then in turn the page after these 24 hours and get started on Arizona."
49ers DL Nick Bosa
It seemed like you guys got off to a faster start this game. What adjustments did you guys make?
"I think we just came out with a better mentality. I don't think it was too different."
Was it disappointing or hard to not get demoralizing when you get all these three-and-outs and it's still just 7-0? How do you try to stay motivated at that point?
"Yeah, I feel like we always start fast against Seattle and it was 7-0. So obviously, we knew it wasn't close to being over. We knew it was going to be a four-quarter game so, even with the fast start, we were pretty locked in the whole way."
How do think the defense played in the second half? Obviously, you guys started out dominant. From halftime on to that last drive, how do you sort of assess the way you played?
"I think we played pretty well. I think we came with the right mentality and we were running into the ball, trying to get turnovers and we were close to a few of them, but sometimes it's luck with turnovers and we can't seem to get them right now, but we just have to keep going."
After a loss like that and what you had last week and then you lose QB Jimmy Garoppolo and T Trent William's hurt, what's the locker room mood like after a game like this one?
"It's not good whenever you lose, but I think we have a good team and the right mentality and I think we'll be ready to go for next week."
49ers DL Dee Ford
You had a couple of sacks there, is that about as good as you've felt on the field in a while?
"I don't know if I'm going to ever feel how I want to feel. I felt good enough to get some work done, so we just keep stacking from here."
Once you get a sack, you're back. Did it feel like you were getting back in the swing of things?
"Yeah, I've felt fine since Week One. There's just a little rust to a knockoff, but we'll keep stacking from there."
How frustrating was the offsides penalty?
"It's a critical time, so you never want to be that guy to cost your team. That was a very important time of the game, so I just have to be better moving forward. I wasn't sure if I even saw where I was on that particular play, but you can't cut it close. You can't put the game in the ref's hands at that time of the game, so I have to be better moving forward."
You guys ended two consecutive drives with sacks. Did they make adjustments to account for that pass rush?
"Yeah. I think [Seattle Seahawks QB] Russell [Wilson] came out a little bit more decisive getting the ball out of his hands. They had a couple chip protections to just buy some time. But I think really in a nutshell, on defense we just have to be better on first and second down to allow more opportunities on third and long. That's our MO. We want to be great on first and second down. Anytime you can sneak four or five yards to go, you can allow the quarterback to get the ball out of his hands a little quicker. You don't have to hold it. I think it's just more so that we have to be better in those opportunities."
49ers TE George Kittle
You got bent back there awkwardly early in the game with your knee, but you bounced back and played.
"Yeah. It's football. You take weird hits. That's what you prepare for in the offseason so your body can take all those weird hits and you can get right back up."
What were you thinking when you found out that QB Trey Lance was going to be playing the second half? Was it a surprise?
"No, I know [QB] Jimmy [Garoppolo] was hurting. We don't know obviously what's going on, but I played with Trey throughout OTAs and training camp. I was excited to see him get a shot and see what he could do and I thought he did pretty well for stepping into the situation that we were in."
You knew that Jimmy was hurt early. Could you tell from his play or was he telling you about it?
"I'm just focused a lot on me trying to do my best out there. And I know Jimmy, he holds himself accountable to play at a high-level. And so, I'm just trying to corral the young guys and guys that just need a little bit of fire you underneath them. Jimmy never needs that, so I just expect Jimmy to always be out there."
Did you say anything to Trey Lance in the huddle just to calm him down after that first series?
"Just play your game. He's a good quarterback. So, he's going to figure it out. I'm not really worried about that. Like I said, he makes plays all the time in practice and stuff. He looks great. So when he was out there, he got his feet underneath him and I thought he started playing at a higher level and we're going to need that the next week."
49ers WR Deebo Samuel
When did you know that San Francisco 49ers QB Trey Lance would start the second half?
"At halftime in the locker room."
What was the big change with Trey coming in?
"There really wasn't a big change. We just had to adjust and go off the things that Trey is really good at. That is what we did."
What did you say to try to help him calm his nerves?
"I kind of know what it feels like to be thrown out there. That is kind of what happened to me when I was a rookie but you just have to go out there. Like I told him, I said 'you have to go out there and get that first drive out of the way. Go out there and be yourself, you know that we have your back' and that is what happened as you can see, he made a couple plays for us and gave us a chance to come back in the game."
What was your reaction when you realized how open you were on that touchdown?
"I really didn't realize how open I was until I saw the ball coming at me live."
On that second touchdown, did you guys think you had a chance to win?
"That was our goal to go out there and execute an onside kick and it didn't work and we fell short."
How long did it take Trey Lance to calm down and get into the swing of things?
"I would say after the first drive. After being out there the first drive he calmed down and as you can see he is pretty good and mobile on his feet. As the play breaks down he is able to be a little mobile and move the ball for us."
LB Fred Warner
You guys got off to a fast start today. Anything in particular that you focused on to begin with?
"Yeah, I felt like we did. We came out strong. Our emphasis was just execution. We wanted to make sure we came out and it started the way we did. I was proud of the way we started. We just needed to keep that same level as the game went on."
Did they make any specific adjustment after the first quarter, because in the first four or five minutes, they didn't do anything?
"Yeah, it seemed like it. I'll have to watch it but it seemed like they just tried to spread us out a little more. We needed to be better in the run game and that starts with me. I think they just started converting on third down and we were getting off on third down early in the game."
What was your guys' reaction to seeing QB Trey Lance came out in the second half? I understand that all happened kind of fast.
"Yeah, I didn't really know what had happened with [QB] Jimmy [Garoppolo], but we have a 'next man up' mentality. With any situation, we knew as a defense that we need to make sure we continue competing at a high level. Forever in football it always comes down to the turnover battle. We didn't get the ball out on defense and they got it back twice. It will always start and end there."
I know it's a long season, but you're two and two and just lost to a division rival at home. You got another divisional next on the road. How urgent do things get right now?
"It is always urgent after a loss. It's not that there wasn't urgency after last week's loss. That one stung a lot because of the manner that we lost. It is always going to sting, though, especially in the division. We're going to be mad about it after losing like that. So, there is always a sense of urgency, and it's even at a heightened level I'd say. For myself, and I speak for the rest of the team, we are all going to look at ourselves and see how we can get better. It starts as soon as I leave this spot right here. I got to try and find ways to get the ball out and try and create more takeaways and I know that will lead to a higher percentage for us to win games."
Seahawks HC Pete Carroll
Opening comments:
"This was a really good game for us today. We were really challenged and we started so poorly, both sides of the ball, and then it took us some time to get going, and what happened today was really important for us. We just talked about how we were going to keep hanging no matter what happened, we were going to keep hanging, keep hanging, and it didn't matter what the game felt like, it looked like, and we needed every bit of it before it was over. And so, the span in the middle of the game when the offense went four out of five drives and the defense went eight straight drives without giving them a point, that's where we gained control for us and turned around and fortunately, we were able to take advantage of that. So, it's always fun to come down here too and play, we're not in San Francisco, but they still call it San Francisco, so it's always fun to get that done too."
What changed for you guys on defense? I mean, there's a lot of talk all week about trying to get some things fixed. What'd you see different?
"We played really complimentary ball with rush and coverage, and that's why we were 2-for-14 on third down. That's a huge stat for us, a huge stat and a huge turnaround, and one that was really the story of the game. And we've seen last week, it's the story in the opposite direction, but this was the story of the game, and guys came through. We had breakups, we had rushes, we had sacks, we had all, everything that it took to get that done, the balls knocked down. That's the factor in the game. Now, I don't want to discount this, because I thought [Seattle Seahawks QB] Russ [Russell Wilson] was spectacular today. I thought in this attempt it was so hard early and he just stayed the course, stayed with it and really kind of recaptured a chance at this game when you wouldn't think there was any way, it just didn't look like it was going to happen. And he did a marvelous job at the line of scrimmage in this game, again on the road with the crowd going crazy and all that. We've benefited from stuff that he was able to do, and then there was just a couple of plays that were just crazy. The scramble for the touchdown was great. The other spin scramble, I mean, that's just as good as you can get from Russ and from [Seattle Seahawks WR] Freddie [Swain] to come through and make the catch down there. I also thought that [Seattle Seahawks RB] Alex Collins really gave us a spark today. He looked really good. His touchdown run was a special run. It's a beautiful run. You can see it, it was good, we got together, on the scoreboard. He had a really good day, in compliment with [Seattle Seahawks RB] Chris [Carson], and we were able to run the ball enough so that we can play off it and take advantage. [Seattle Seahawks WR] DK [Metcalf] and [Seattle Seahawks WR] Tyler [Lockett] both had four or five catches or whatever it was, and it came through in important times and so anyway, I just, I'm so proud of these guys the way they hung in there and came back, and put the game back in order and then stayed in one thing. They did a beautiful job."
There was the spinout, but what about the throw, the swing for the touchdown?
"That was perfect. It was a perfect throw in the corner and Freddie converted it into a great play. But I think he spun out, and one of them in there was [San Francisco 49ers DL Nick] Bosa and makes it whatever, it was crazy, and just the way we love to see Russ play and do his thing."
There's been a lot of talk this week about how he's never lost three in a row, and he still hasn't, what does that say about him?
"He's never lost three in a row. It was in the back of somebody's mind as well."
What were your impressions of San Francisco 49ers QB Trey Lance? I mean, he had to come in for San Francisco 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo and obviously, rookie guy, what were your impressions of him?
"He was really resourceful. He did a good job running. It was tough. It would be, we hit pretty good on a couple of those runs and he bounced back. He's a good physical football player and you know, I'm sure that they wanted to get him to do all of the things that he does. He made a huge touchdown pass, we made a big mistake, but still he took advantage of it and so, I thought he did well. He was hard to deal with."
It seemed like the offensive line, those first five drives, just couldn't get anything going, run, pass, blocking, what changed?
"It's really the same plays that we called later on in the game and we were able to execute better, and I think as the game got going our guys got a better feel, and Russ got a better feel for what he needed to do. That's what I'm telling him. And he won't tell you what he's doing, I'll turn the mic off. He had really good control as the game got going, and he was able to make calls that helped us, and so he put us in the best positions at times, and the guys really came through and took advantage of that. That's all part of the system and it was really well orchestrated when we really needed it."
What led you to go more dime, and how Seattle Seahawks SS Ryan Neal fit in and what'd he do for you?
"Well yeah, thanks for bringing it up, Ryan seemed to have a great game today. That was something, looking at the tight end and how good he was, we just thought that the matchup might work out for us, and it help us a little bit. He had a beautiful game. I don't know how many wins, but I thought he had some breakups on third downs. It was huge for the game."
What's he brought you? He's kind of been on the fringes of the lineup and the roster, and yet he still makes plays.
"I think Ryan is really one of the classic guys in the years that we've been here, that comes out of kind of nowhere. He was kicked around a little bit. We got him from Atlanta. He was a corner at the time I think when we were looking at the film and then, we brought him in here and he kind of hung in there and was able to play a little safety from his background as a corner and then back and forth. He was very much like [Seattle Seahawks Defensive Assistant/DBs] DeShawn Shead and kind of played a role like that, but the reason I'm liking talking about him is because of him. He's a great competitor. He's a great practice player. He's a great inspiration to these guys. They love everything about the guy, because he's so tough and cares so much. It's so important to him. He gives you everything he's got. And then he did a really good job for us a year ago in filling in for [Seattle Seahawks SS] Jamal [Adams], and this is his best chance today and sure enough he came through again. To me, he's like [former Seattle Seahawks WR] Doug [Baldwin] and [former Seattle Seahawks WR] Jermaine [Kearse] and those guys that kind of came out of, and even [former Seattle Seahawks WR Richard] Sherman, came out of nowhere. As a fifth-round pick, those guys were, kind of seem to be overlooked but they just had the chip on their shoulder and he is right in there. Guys like that are, that's the hardest role that this program has always been. So, I'm thrilled to have a chance to talk about it, thanks."
What'd you think of Seattle Seahawks CB Sidney Jones IV and the corners?
"We made one huge error, obviously and it was just simple. A really bad mistake, but other than that, I thought they played pretty good and they were, we were around the ball a lot today, but I thought they hung in there pretty well."
Why did you decide to go with Sidney in this game?
"I just thought it was time. I think you asked four straight weeks, or three straight weeks, so I was like okay, but it does take time to gain access to the guy. You've got to know that he knows what's going on across the board, and I mean look what happened. We made a big error today. So, we try to avoid that by buying time. We grabbed him so that he would play. We wanted to see what he could do and took a shot at it. I liked the thought of using him back on the other side where he played well last year. There'll be a lot more that you guys will write about this stuff over time. It's a work in progress and it takes time to get this stuff right, and hopefully it's not too late."
Your first score before the first half ended, you thought you guys were able to see the momentum at that point and carry it over into the second half?
"It totally felt like that, yeah, because we had been playing well on defense. It really did feel like that. It's kind of like, we just needed something in order to hang our hat on. And then, so we got the ball back again with 30 something seconds left. I was thinking about, should we go here? But, it felt good to be in that we'd come back that far I didn't want to give them any of the momentum, because we could feel it internally. So, we were hoping and our guys came through."
What happened to Seattle Seahawks T Cedric Ogbuehi?
"I don't have anything about Cedric."
No? Just wanted to see Seattle Seahawks T Jake Curhan play towards the end of the game, cramps?
"I don't have anything on that. Oh, you mean because Jake went in? No, we just, Cedric hasn't played in a month. So, to get him on the field, we had planned that in the rotation. We were going to play [Seattle Seahawks T] Jamarco [Jones] today, and then Jamarco came up sick again and couldn't go. And so, that's where Cedric got the nod and so Jake could play."
What's going on with Jamar? That's two straight. Is it the same thing?
"We don't know what's going on because he was sick right at the end of the week last week. Not COVID sick, but just kind of something that was making like sick to his stomach. So he was ill and it kicked in again yesterday, today."
So coverage teams were flying down field? It was just the fumbled kickoff, FB/LB Nick Bellore's hit.
"One of the things we've talked about in the locker room with the team was the kickoff team and how they set the tempo. These guys are really good. They're really good at it. And they'd been vicious on their hits last, I mean, every, almost every game we've been able to do that. And it's really kind of a tempo setter for us. Nick Bellore, [Seattle Seahawks LB] Cody [Barton] is a large part of that. They're just really, really intent on being right in what they're doing, I think is [Seattle Seahawks assistant special teams coach] Tracy Smith is doing a great job."
How does RB Alex Collins look different now compared to when you first saw him?
"When Alex came in the league, he thought he needed to be bigger. You know, when he was like 19 or 20 or something like that. It just didn't suit him. He's got great feet and a great quickness and that's how he made all those yards in college. And he thought, you know, normally only you figured he just didn't look as good. And so when he came back to us, the first time he came back, I'm wondering again, a bunch of yards, he just looked better niftier. The kind of player that our guys had seen in college, but sometimes because we can't ever, you don't want to think, I guess, NFL, I don't know that he thought that, but he did that. And so that's, what's different. He's way trimmer and more fit."
How did DK and Tyler make it through the game?
"They did. They made it through. And both those guys seem to, there were some question marks and I'm really proud of those guys. Never doubted for a second. Never gave us any inclination that they wouldn't go and those guys continue to do great stuff."
Could you tell that having a more serious vibe relative during the week made a difference today?
"Yeah. I think it was a bit of a wakeup call and you can push it and go in with expectations so darn high and all of that for the whole time we've been together. And I think we've had to face it and everybody had to just dig in a little bit more, do a little bit righter and make sure that we don't make errors. And we're really, really good. We just try to get a little bit better. We've been close. So this is just one step, but we got a ways to go. We've got a ways to continue to get better. And you guys have asked like, well last year when it turned around what happened? All that kind of stuff. It just, sometimes you just kind of get the right mentality. Everything's got to fit together. I don't know if this is the pain story of the season. I would wish it would be, but it made a difference. I thought if it gets really put together, [Seattle Seahawks T] Duane [Brown], Russ. Those guys really did not let it continue."
It seemed like Seattle Seahawks FS Quandre Diggs was kind of cleaning up a lot of stuff on the back end, just finishing plays.
"That was a great play for us. And we've been waiting for that. He's been hanging hanging back there looking and finally got one."
How's Seattle Seahawks LB Carlos Dunlap?
"He got his toe jammed."
So did Seattle Seahawks TE Gerald Everett not test negative at all during the weekend?
"As far as I know, I didn't hear today. Yesterday, I was checking every time. So we'll see what happens. You've got to test negative two days in a row. We all should be curious about if this is a good test case to see how the vaccines work and see if he can get a good response here in 10 days."
Is he still feeling okay?
"As far as I know, I haven't talked to him. Today is different, but I don't think he's going to be worse."
We know that you guys test an extra day. Does the NFL mandate you test on Monday or Wednesday?
"I'm not sure if they make us test on Monday or if we pick a day. I'll say it again, the fact that we tested on Wednesday, saved us. It saved us. He would've been on this trip and would've played in this game. And all of that exposure would have taken place if we didn't test on Wednesday. So I'm thrilled that we understand that and we made the step to do it. The one case we've had in 18 months or whatever, we got saved because of testing."
How did Tre respond to the, going to the bench, Seattle Seahawks CB Tre Flowers?
"He's competing. He didn't want to be there. He wanted to fight his way back up and then told him he's got a chance to do that."
Seahawks QB Russell Wilson
One-hundred wins Russ. How's that sound to you?
"That's why I play the game. To win. Just to be in great company with some amazing players in the history of this game. [Former NFL QB] Peyton Manning, I remember going to his passing academy when I was young, ye high. Some other guys that have gotten a hundred wins, that's pretty special. So for me, I've always said for myself personally that every day I want to treat as a new day, like I don't even know anything. I think back to all the great players that I have been fortunate to play with, these guys and this team and obviously [Seattle Seahawks Head] Coach [Pete] Carol and [Seattle Seahawks General Manager] John Schneider for believing in me. [Seattle Seahawks former owner] Paul Allen, thanks for taking a chance on me and just the Allen family as a whole. I back to my dad when he used to wake me up in the morning. Before I didn't really want to wake up that early, he used to try to wake me up at 5:15-5:30 in the morning and he'd knock on my door and say, 'Son, you want to be great?' Every day. 'Son, you want to be great?' Knock on my door. I'm starting to answer the call and I try to be up earlier than him. I think back to my mom and my dad who both demonstrated so much faith and they believed in my brother and my sister and I so much that they always encouraged rather than discouraged. I'm excited about the next hundred. There's more championships, there's more things we want to do, there's more of this season that we have to do. I'm just fortunate. To any young kid out there too, I think about the hard work. Hard work pays off. You have to put the work in. There's no mistake in hard work and a guy like Trevor Moawad, even though he's not here anymore, he would say the best is ahead. So that's what I believe the best is ahead."
You guys had negative seven yards the first five drives before you could get anything going. Were there any significant adaptations that were made at that point where it's just, one or two big plays and suddenly—
"I think you guys jinxed us man. I think you guys were saying that we could start good early and finish late. So we just flipped it around on you guys. I think that obviously they're a good football team. They've got great pass rushers, they've got great things they do. They had a great scheme. We just struggled early. Our defense was playing great the whole game. They played great early and they were able to hang in there. We got some key plays and then [Seattle Seahawks FS Quandre] Diggs getting the pick and doing some different things that guys were just making great plays and we stayed together. There was no doubt. We really believed throughout the whole game that we could win it. We just stayed the course, just stay the course, stay the course. We kept our language right. We kept that championship language on the sidelines with everybody and just making sure that the huddle was tight and everything else. The next thing you know, we picked up the tempo a little bit. We got a groove going and just started moving the ball extremely well. We had the touchdown to [Seattle Seahawks WR] D.K. [Metcalf] right before the half started. Then the next thing you know, we came out the second half and we had those three consecutive drives where we scored touchdowns I believe it was. We really caught that groove and found a way to make some plays."
Where do you rank the spin-out touchdown pass in all you've done?
"I don't know, we've had some good plays in my career. That was definitely a good one though. We had [San Francisco 49ers CB] Dontae [Johnson] rushing off the edge there and whenever you see [San Francisco 49ers DL Nick] Bosa right there next to you too and both of them are right there, uh oh *laughs*. So it was one of those moments. But it was definitely one of the top 10, I think, it was a good one."
When did you know you had the corner on your touchdown run?
"I kind of read through all the progressions, things weren't really there right away. I just kind of slid step left and [Seattle Seahawks LT] Duane [Brown] did a good job of moving his guy in and there's kind of a way to get outside. I kept my eyes down field and saw [Seattle Seahawks TE] Tyler [Mabry] trying to race across, which I'm always looking to throw it, but that's how you know it's take-off and go dive for the end zone. And I was able to get in there."
Having never lost three in a row, is that any kind of motivation for you Russ?
"I don't think about losing. I'm not thinking about losing three in a row, thinking about losing one, thinking about losing two, I just don't think about it. It's not in my repertoire. It's not in my thought process. I don't think about it. I just think about winning. I think the biggest thing is just winning, the winning process every week, every day. I think that's why I've been able to be so successful in the midst of adversity. I said earlier this week, I love adversity. It's the truth. I don't mind it. I look forward to it rather than run away from it and I think our football team does too. We still got a lot ahead. We had to win this game today and that's what we came here to do in a tough environment. Levi's Stadium is always one of the toughest place to play, especially because it's a NFC West team and the crowd's good and all that too. It was hot out there today too. So we were able to really do what we needed to do best and we were able to find a way to win."
Duane said that you always stay even-keeled when you're on the sideline and he gets more emotional, so after that three and out, what were you saying to the guys to try to change the momentum and score right before halftime?
"Just the number one thing is I always stay neutral, I'm not trying to get too high, I'm not trying to get too low. It's something I really believe in. I think the second thing is that language is everything. Language controls a lot of how we think about things and emotions and all that. So I think having a neutral mindset, but also having neutral language and speaking the truth. The truth is okay, we've had some three and outs. The truth is it's just 7-0. It's the score. So let's go answer, let's go find a way. Stay together no matter what it takes and we're going to get it done. There is no other option, we're going to get it done and that's what we were able to do.
How big was it that it was only 7-0 because the defense was getting stops?
"Yeah. The defense was doing tremendous. You got to give them credit. They were all over the field. Guys were smoking guys and hitting people. And you saw [Seattle Seahawks SS] Jamal [Adams] on that big hit near the end of the game. You saw Diggs make an interception, I thought [Seattle Seahawks SS] Ryan Neal played terrific, I thought [Seattle Seahawks DE Darrell] D Taylor got after the quarterback a few times. There was just a lot of guys making a lot of plays and that was a beautiful thing. And we're all in this thing together. Were all fighting for the same thing and that's to win and that's to perform at the highest-level and do it together. And it's such a special team, we have a special, special team, special group of guys, I wouldn't want it to be any other way."
Did going on tempo a little bit more help you guys, do you think?
"Yeah, I think tempo really helped us. We obviously got in a groove there, that drive we scored a touchdown right before half. We kind of picked up the tempo and made some calls and checks and things and different things. And then we were able to get into the end zone. [Offensive coordinator] Shane [Waldron] called a great play for the touchdown pass. D.K. Metcalf did a great job winning to get inside and dive into the end zone. And then the rest of the game really, that's what we did full time for the most part. Trying to be at the line of scrimmage and really try and challenge the defense because we have some good stuff and we know what to get to and how to get to it and that was really great. It really picked up our momentum, just kept the tempo on them and put a lot of pressure on the defense."
Have you guys had more like modes or styles of tempo now than you had in the past?
"Yeah. We have tons of different tempos. So, obviously we have our two-minute in the mix, but there's different ways that we can get. We can go rapid fire, lightning fast and we can also mix it up, without saying too much, I try to just control the game. And I told Shane, 'Let's go for it.' I want to be a part of controlling the game with you and let's go get them because we can. And so that's what we did and Shane and I are so connected in such a good way. He loves and that's why he's here. That's why he's so special at what he does. And it was just a really good flow and mesh of what we we're trying to do. And we were able to get to everything that we wanted to."
Did you say you wanted to go to tempo before the first touchdown drive?
"Yeah, right before that drive to just change it up. Let's not huddle anymore and do all stuff, let's move and we're able to do that and kind of get rolling there and put the pressure on them until we kind of felt that momentum change and shift."
You really can't get tempo, unless you get first downs, but [Seattle Seahawks RB] Alex Collins goes 28 yards down the sideline for that catch, how did of a play was that?
"That was a huge play. AC, Alex Collins did a tremendous job. He had a sweet touchdown run too. He's just sweet feet back there, man. He's just able to make people miss and do something special things. He has the right attitude every day and we have a great group of running backs that can make a lot of plays. And [Seattle Seahawks RB] Chris Carson getting that huge first down third-and-one, there's some things that we were able to do in that drive. And then obviously, shortly after, we ended up getting us to AC's, run, touchdown. He does a great job of kind scanning, just guys doing a great job blocking. I think the second half was a really great second half and we were able to do everything we wanted too."
D.K. and [WR] Tyler [Lockett] had some injuries this week and kind of fought through those. Obviously, it was important to have those guys out there, but just what was that like with those guys fighting through that stuff?
"You have champions in D.K. and Tyler. They're winners, they're able to be tremendous pros, to battle through some injuries and things that happened. It's just football and those guys, they leave everything on the line every day. Those guys are so smart and so talented, obviously. And they're just great playmakers and they made some huge plays this game. And I was excited. It's just such an honor and just a blessing just to be able to play with some amazing guys that are so dedicated to the game. And [Seattle Seahawks WR] Freddie Swain is another guy that's dedicated to the game. There's so many, but just thinking about that wide receiver crew. [ Seattle Seahawks WR] Penny Hart and just guys who step up and step in. It's fun. It's really cool.
Thursday night game, do you watch the film of it on the flight home and then you're done with it? Are do you move right on to L.A.?
"Yeah. I'll watch this now. Probably twice on the way home. And then start watching L.A. right away too on the plane if I have enough time, I know it's a shorter flight. It's the shortest flight that I think we have all year so. Which is a good thing, I guess, but yeah, I'll start watching L.A. tonight and then first thing tomorrow morning."
Do you have to resist the urge of staying neutral in a situation like early in this game, do you have to resist the urge to not do that? Or is it just second nature by this point? Is it tempting to talk in a different way than you normally do or get frustrated?
"Yeah. I just, I just believe in, the thought process. I don't blink. Yeah. It's supposed to be challenging, it's supposed to be hard. I like it when it's tough. It's okay. That's what champions do, they answer and respond. They're able to find ways. I think that's part of a season, it's part of the journey. We've been through too much, seen too much, played too much, gone through a lot of amazing wins and some tough losses. And so, I've seen it all, I think. So I think the reality is, that it's nothing that I haven't seen, nothing I haven't experienced. So, as long as we can control us, internally and mentally so. Play with great, great emotion. I'm not saying don't play great emotion. I get fired up when we make a play, but it's not being emotional. I think that's the great balance you got to have."
Seahawks SS Jamal Adams
Your thoughts on how well the defense played today?
"Yes. We obviously just got our swagger and our confidence back. That was kind of stated on the interview I had before the game, that things would change as far as our swagger, confidence, believing in one another and we came out and we proved that."
How did you lose your swagger and confidence?
"I don't think we lost our swagger our confidence. I think that when you drop two games, obviously guys' heads are down. Guys might feel as if it is their fault or what not but at the end of the day we are in this together. It is a team sport and we came out and competed hard."
What did Seahawks DB Ryan Neal bring you guys in those dime packages?
"A lot of energy. We know what Ryan is going to do. We see it all the time in practice. He is a phenomenal player and I am just excited to get out there on the field with him when he does play that well."
What did you think of Seahawks S Quandre Diggs' pick?
"It was a good pick."
Seahawks T Duane Brown
What changed for you guys in the second quarter and thereafter?
"Just get in a rhythm. In the first couple of drives we ran the ball a little bit, we didn't get quite as much as we wanted. I don't know why. They had a good rush in the first couple of drives. We gave up some sacks and hits. Then things just opened up our rhythm. We started to see what they were trying to do. We had the runs going, the play actions going and it just got them on their heels. We got our tempo stuff going and we were going fast. We're trying to get lined up in different alignments. I think that's when we're at our best, when we are able to go fast tempo and keep them on their heels. The defense did a great job. A lot of the win today came from defense. They continue to give us opportunities, turnovers with a short field to work with. If we can keep having games like that, man, just as an offense, you feel like you've got to get together at some point. When the defense is playing lights out like that, you got to compliment them."
Is it difficult at all on the sidelines keeping everybody on the same page during that time when things were not looking good?
"I think everybody did a great job. Early on communication was off. We had to get that under control. But guys were always in it. We never really got out of the ballgame, so no one ever got too discouraged. Like I said earlier the defense did a great job, it was a seven point game for a while, then we tied it up and went into halftime. So everyone was pretty locked in. We are very passionate about the game in general. This was a must win game for us. It was a great win for us."
Why did it feel like a must win?
"We don't lose three games in a row here. Once you get into division play the magnitude of those games and everything that goes into that. Coming on the road in this kind of environment with a real good team over there. We knew the challenges that waited for us. We were all in tune to that throughout the game. We don't take it for granted."
How much of the offense's ability to stay cool when things were not going well?
I'm a very passionate person. My
