Postgame quotes from the following:
Opening Statement
"Difficult loss here today. Obviously a lot went on during the course of the game. Our guys battled as they always do. Special teams, offense and defense I'll think in big picture, I'll look at as I do the overall game. Their big plays resulted in more points than ours. Turnover ratio, we had a lot of production, but we've got to do a better job in that area. I thought that our guys did a lot defensively getting off the field, but the ability to keep the quarterback in the pocket and keep him there at times was a challenge. So, obviously we had a chance to go down there an tie it and win at the end, but we just didn't get that part done."
(On his thoughts on the last sequence where they had the position to tie it and what didn't connect offensively)
"We were playing in pure zone coverage and really just trying to get it done with the pass rush. Obviously in the beginning of the route we were able to get down there cleanly. Protection wise, Dak had to move his feet on a couple of plays there, and I thought he made a tremendous play staying on his feet on the last play to get the bounce run into the endzone. Execution, particularly playing long field that's tough, we had three timeouts and we'll be better next time for it."
(On Russell Wilson and the issues he has getting out of the pocket and did he design to do a bunch rush and keep him in from behind a little bit for most of the game)
"That was part of it. Part of it was self-scout. I felt it was something we could do more of. I thought for the most part we did a great job keeping him in the pocket. I thought the challenge for second reaction rush was a bit challenging the way the play was expanded and the way they were able to hold on to us and extend those plays even when we did a great job keeping him in the pocket. I thought it was a good plan."
(On the turnover at the end of the first half and to start the third quarter and what Dak did at the dynamic of the game at that point)
"Going into the half you are looking for a score coming in and a score coming off is always a huge momentum. Opportunities as a football team, that's part of the equation and why we defer in a coin toss, so to me everybody is on for something and we will always start and stop with the capability to take care of the football and take it away and we haven't gotten that done in the last two weeks. We need to change that quickly or we are going to be in these battles each week. It's difficult to overcome turnovers. I would say the one for the half the route was undercut and the one to start the half it looked like we had protection to stay there."
(On his thoughts on what they did defensively on when they scored on the final possession when they were at third and three)
"They did a good job on the fourth down, they extended the play, that was good execution on their part and they hit the backside on the post and that was a big play for the touchdown and I thought we did a poor job on the three point play on the quarterback keep. They made more keys plays than we did. I think when you look at the numbers, I haven't seen them yet, we had a lot of production, but the key plays to the game, you've got to give those guys credit."
(On cleaning up plays, specifically the ones around Tyler Lockett wide open. How do they clean that up?)
"We'll get on the plane watch tape, we'll correct it and when we get back tomorrow morning that Monday phase where we get the players to the weight room and obviously sit down and correct every play as coaches and players."
(On if they took advantage of the safeties or were the guys not covering long enough outside)
"Anytime you play your people get on a post run wide open. That's what Monday's are for. We'll take a hard look at it."
(On special teams and his assessments on their performance today)
"A three play period makes it hard to say it was a good day. The fact that it was a big play in the game, obviously gave them momentum. We came out to strong and obviously a nine point swing right there. We've got to do a better job. I think like anything in the game of football you need a return on investment on what you emphasize. We've spent a tremendous amount of time handling the football and we need to do a much better job in that area."
(On how the offensive line did throughout the game despite the injuries and guys plays in different spots and guys coming in)
"I think we're hanging in there. I think the fact you have three different lineups in the course of the game, you see the production we are able to have on offense, but by no means are we a clean football team right now. We need to execute better. We have a number of injuries and we're working through that. Our rhythm and timing is not quite where we want it to be, and we'll continue to work on getting that done."
(On the sequence of plays to end the game)
"Didn't get a couple opportunities to put the ball in the end zone. To give you the analysis right off the bat…we have to go look at it and got to go see the whole 22 [players] on film. We just didn't give ourselves an opportunity to take some shots at the end zone. I had a little chance on the last drive, but I just tried to give my guys a shot. We came up short."
(On if the ball slipped out of his hands on the final heave into the end zone)
"It wasn't as nice of a spiral as I wanted it to be. I'm pretty sure it slipped a little bit, and I didn't have my feet under me. Wish I could've bought a couple more seconds, but once again, I have to go back and check on film. Maybe I could have set my feet up, who knows right now. I have to go look at the film."
(On the interception and fumble in the second and third quarters)
"On the interception, the ball was just a little behind Cooper. It was a great play by Seattle and the guy came up with the ball. I can't do that. It results in them getting a touchdown right before half, and then we come out of halftime and it's pretty much a strip sack as I'm trying to throw. The ball comes out, and it's another turnover that results in a touchdown. Simple as that, that's how you lose games. Me, personally, and everybody, we have to be better at protecting the ball."
(On if he could go back and throw it away on the game-sealing interception)
"Right there, guys were in the end zone. Honestly, I didn't think the guy was going to necessarily get an interception, but I was just going to throw it up and give ourselves a chance to make a catch. If it goes incomplete, we'll have another chance. I'm not going to be upset with the decision I made there."
(On how much he relishes the opportunity to answer Russell Wilson at the end of the game)
"I always want the ball in my hands. I'm never going to shy away from the moment with the ball in my hands and having a chance to win the game. I want to make those throws, and I want to have those opportunities. We just have to be better, starting with myself, of converting those and making more of these one-score games wins for us. I know we will. We'll just go back this week, have some tough practices, get back on to the details and we'll change this thing around. We have a long way to go, and we're just 1-2."
(On if the early miscues put the Cowboys in a hole)
"Continuously, looking at it the last three weeks, we're only stopping ourselves. We have to get out of our own way, be cleaner with the ball, play smarter football and find a way to start faster. Our coaches and these players are going to go back and figure out a way to get this thing right and clean it up."
(On his thoughts about the offensive line after shuffling the lineup due to injuries)
"Those guys are working their ass off and that's all you can ask for. They're getting in there and fighting and competing. Some young guys – moving Zack out to tackle – probably haven't done that since college. Those guys are going to do whatever it takes, and they're fighting. I'm right there fighting with them. Credit those guys, win or loss, I'm thankful to have them up front, and I know they're going to battle for me."
(On if he thought the offensive line settled down after making the change)
"Those guys are fighting. Like I said, young guys are moving around, and you got Joe going from center to guard. You have a new center coming in. Those guys are doing their best. They're coming in, they're fighting and giving their all. That's all I can ask from them. I have to help them out by getting the ball out of my hands faster and getting out of the pocket. I always tell them, 'we work hand-in-hand.' They help me and I help them. I'm proud of those guys and I love the way they fight."
(On Michael Gallup's big plays throughout the night)
"He's a guy that wants the ball. He's a big play guy who's going to make big plays, whether it's clutch situations or early in the game. He's always wanting it. Any chance I can get those one-on-ones I'm gonna go to him. He's shown it these first three weeks, and we'll continue to do it if you're giving us the opportunity. He's a hell of a player. And Ced [Cedrick Wilson] came up huge tonight. Just sparing the guys a couple of times, and he ends up getting a couple of touchdown plays. It was a tough loss, but you have to look at all the good with a lot of guys coming in and fighting and giving it their all. Like I said, it's three games into the season. We'll get this thing right and be proud of what we can do."
(On adjustments in the second half that allowed the offense to get going a little better)
"We knew that their main goal was to stop the run, so, I mean, just second half we got in the locker room and just knew we had to throw them out of it. So we came out slinging it."
(On screen passes being a big part of the game plan and what the Cowboys saw to led them to want to try that, and what Seattle was doing to limit them so much)
"Well, you know, they are a team that presses a lot, so screens is normally a good option. But they were good at sniffing out the screens and making plays on them. One, probably the one we had the most room on, I dropped that one, so I got to focus up and get better. Better play and finish that, but, yeah."
(On how hard it was with offensive line changes throughout the ballgame, and how difficult it was to get through that)
"It's tough. It's tough. You know, we haven't had the best luck with the O Line this year, you know, a lot of guys hurt. But, I mean, those guys, those guys did a great job. Just everything that has been thrown at them, they still, they went out there and played well. I think Zack had moved to Right Tackle, Joe ended up moving to Right Guard. Tyler, the rookie Tyler, came in to play Center. I think they did a good job just battling those injuries. Those hurt."
(On his role in pass protection, the pride he takes in it and what goes into as well as he did in that role)
"I mean, it's everything. Pass pro is everything. You can't play in this league without being able to protect the quarterback. So I mean obviously, yeah, I take, take a lot of pride in that. And then a day when you are having a tough, tough day game going, I gotta still be able to, still be able to do my part on this team."
(On the drop he mentioned on the screen pass, how he processed that and not let it affect him as the game goes along)
"I mean, it is a little difficult. But I'm a pro, it's my job to go out there and get my job done no matter the circumstances. So I just gotta, you know, stay locked in, stay focused in and not finish that play."
(On how difficult it is for an offense to start at its own one yard line, and could he walk through the play that led to the safety)
"Yeah, so, it was a wide zone play. I was planning on cutting it back. The safety ended up blitzing so I had to kind of keep it front side. I think I just lost my footing. Yeah, I just gotta be better on that play."
(On considering what happened last week with the onside kick, how surprised he was to see the special teams issues today, with the two missed PATs and the muffed kickoff in the third quarter)
"I mean, it's tough. We are going to go out there and compete. We are going to pick each other up. We are going to support each other. I think everyone came out and played their hearts out. Everyone competed. All we can do is get back in the lab, get back, watch film and get better. That's all we can do is get better and figure out a way to win a game next week."
(On whether he is surprised Dallas and Washington are tied for first with one win, and how the division has two wins combined)
"All we can control is what we do from this point on. Like I said, just gotta go, go figure out how to win a game net week. I mean, yeah."
On the frustration of the loss
"A loss is always frustrating. [I've] been in the league long enough to know that most games are going to come down to that last two-minute drive, whether it's offensively or defensively. And you've just got to be a great two-minute team so you can go and pull it out."
On if the pain from the diving catch impacted his game
"It didn't affect me throughout the game, no. I just landed on the ball."
On the team's stable of receiving weapons
"I mean, listen. The more guys we can have in there balling, the less- not pressure it takes off of everybody else, but the less the defense can just scheme for. You wanted to keep them… they have to worry about so much more. And when you're a player out there on the field, the more you have to worry about, the less plays they're able to make because you don't exactly know what's coming."
On if slow starts are becoming a problem or if it's too early to say
"I mean we went down there and kicked the field goal on the first drive, so I don't know… I mean I guess a faster start would be scoring a touchdown."
On not wanting to get into a trend of getting down early and having to come back
"Of course not, but that's just part of the game. Somebody has to be up and somebody has to be down. No matter what situation you find yourself in, you want to be the team that finishes on top."
On the upcoming schedule with three-straight home games
"A lot of football left to be played. Obviously when you're at home you want to kind of protect that home turf. Win all of those at home, so that's what we plan on doing."
(On the big catch he made down the sideline late in the game)
"It's kind of seeming like that's the big play we needed at the time, so I mean just a straight line ball, nothing to it. Dak knew that he was coming to me before the play, so I got to make him right."
(On how frustrating it is to be in these games two weeks in a row, particularly this one where you can't make the plays at the end)
"You know, it's not even really just the last plays of the game. I mean, we had the plays we would love to have back early on. Obviously got a lot of flags called on us this game. But, I mean, we worked hard today. It's not on anybody. It's a group."
(On the problem early in the game, in which they have had a number of self-inflicted wounds that put them in an early hole)
"For the most part, I would just say, everybody was excited and ready to go. But, you know, not everybody at the same time is, you know, always locked in on every single little detail. So, I think, you know, everybody gets rowdy, things happen, everybody is flying around, but we just gotta be better coming out of the gate."
(On getting down there late and having a chance to tie it, and what did he see offensively that led to them not being able to move the ball)
"Honestly, any play we try out there should be able to work. Its just, we didn't play, you know, super great on that series. That's all that was. Nothing to it."
(On how frustrating it is to have so much talent and not be able to get the win)
"I mean, obviously it is going to be frustrating. But, I mean, we just gotta make those little plays, you know, early on in the game that we are not getting count. We just have to make them count, and we are going to go back to work this week, and, you know. Go back home and get a dub."
(On the first kickoff)
"Just ready to run, [brief inaudible background noise]… kept in all the way."
(On the offense's confidence)
"I mean we [are] definitely confident in ourselves. Being able to fight back no matter what the situation is, even with the mistakes that we make early in the game the past two games. We've still been right in it so if we can just get the mistakes out of the way, we'll be rolling."
(On how deflating the loss is)
"I mean, it's never a good feeling losing, but we're not down on ourselves because we know what we have. Really, we beat ourselves a lot of the times but we've got to capitalize on the mistakes and things like that."
(On his injury and knowing if he could return to the game)
"Yeah, just a little knick knack. Had to get some stuff to just tape it up real quick and get back out there and help the guys."
(On if he knew he may switch to guard ahead of time)
"Yeah, we had a couple ideas just in case something goes wrong, so it wasn't really a surprise. You know I played guard and center, so…"
(On if Tyler Biadasz took over making calls for the offensive line)
"Yeah, Tyler came over and took over and did a heck of a job. It's tough coming in playing in Seattle as a rookie, but he did a heck of a job."
(On the team's mindset following the loss)
"I think it's important to understand we win as a team and we lose as a team, and it takes everybody. We know we've got a team on our hands, and we've just got to come out here and put it all together. We know what we can do when we put it all together and just keep moving forward. We have a lot of football to play."
(On how tough it is to come back and not get over the hump)
"I think obviously it would be better in the beginning and middle of the game, so we don't get in those situations at the end because realistically, the stats… if you get down and you don't do the right things early in the game, more times than not you're not going to win them."
(On the problems with running the ball)
"We'll have to watch the tape. We knew coming in they were a big line movement team and doing different stuff like that. So it's something we're going to have to look at, and obviously we didn't do a good enough job and we'll have to pick it up."
(On the biggest difference switching to right tackle)
"Well the coach did a nice job kind of putting us in the right scenario coming into this ('the past few weeks'? Inaudible), getting me some reps at tackle and getting Joe [Looney] some reps at guard. So it wasn't like I was blindsided. I knew that was going to be a possibility. It's a little different out there, but I've got to be ready to play that and do whatever we need to win."
(On if he had an idea he'd play this week)
"I mean I always stay ready. We have a good rotation during the week, so I'm always ready. I'm always just in the game plan, in the scheme and everything. So I'm always ready on the sideline and I was giving the guys feedback when I'm not on the field, you know, what's happening on the field and how they're playing it and all that stuff. So I was ready, and definitely ready for the game."
(On if it's easier to get thrown in by surprise instead of preparing to play)
"Yeah, I mean it's [inaudible, sounds like 'hard-set piece in me']. I haven't gone a full week of knowing. You just don't think and you rely on the tools that you set throughout the whole week and throughout training camp, and the foundation that you built. Then you go out and play and then you learn from it. There's definitely a game where we definitely got better as the game got on. When I was out there we were just as amped I think as we were when I wasn't, and that's the main thing. There is no- you sub in and you're just as good if not better. So I was fresh too coming in, too. So I knew I wanted to bring out the energy as much as I could and obviously score."
(On if he feels good about the offense's confidence despite the loss)
"Oh yeah, definitely. My confidence, definitely… in practice, I'm with these guys all the time. So is it new to me when I'm out there on the field? Statistically, yes. But we have a great rhythm and I think we have a good correlation of… when who's in and who's not in, we play well together."
Regarding his first touchdown
"Yeah, I mean it was a play where we had three slants and he went through all his progressions and Dak threw me the ball and I just ran as fast as I could."
Regarding his second touchdown
"Yeah, I mean it was a little deeper of a route, but good throw by Dak and, like I said, did what I did to get to the endzone, and hopefully next time it'll be a win."
Did it feel like throwing and catching in Dak's backyard?
"Yeah, I mean those reps definitely come into play, it's more like second nature. But ya, it feels good to get out there and help the team move forward."
On the loss: "Well we obviously wanted to take away Russell's ability to run, scramble against us and make plays. We just tried to limit his play making ability. I think we did a pretty good job of that. But we've obviously got to do things better."
On trying to get to Wilson: "I think it's important that you don't let him frustrate you and discourage your rush. He does a good job keeping plays active. It was something that we prepared for and something we knew going in. It's just that we've got to make more plays next time."
On his defensive successes: "I feel like I try to bring my A game every time I go out and play. I work well with the other guys and we work well with each other. Rushing is a team effort, especially with this quarterback. If it wasn't for the other guys playing their roles and doing things, it would have been much tougher for me to make some plays out there."
On Wilson and the 2pt conversion: "He's a talent quarterback. Obviously, you would prefer not to have him in that type of situation. But it is what it is. He just made a play and we didn't down there."
On the learning curve of the new defense: "I feel like I said this earlier in the week in regards to the scheme and our defense and where we're at, I feel as is if we can keep improving each week. That's the main goal. I think if we are going backward and not getting better, then we obviously can talk about a lot of different things. But right now, with where we're at, I do feel that we're getting better and growing each week…Honestly, I feel like every week we've had a different obstacle. We had a starting linebacker go out the first week…There's always been something that was new for us. So, us coming together and getting a rhythm as a collective, I'm excited to see what happens next game."
On the challenges of facing three different offenses: "I want to give who we're playing their props too. They are talented teams. This is the National Football League. We're dealing with a lot of guys who have been together a lot longer than we have and that's that. But at the end of the day, we all have a job to do and we need to do out job better. It's pretty simple."
On slow starts and getting a rhythm: "I think we need to do a better job of starting games. That's just something that comes with time, experience and us knowing each other and growing together. That's how I feel about that."
On his thinking during the play to force a touchback: "Just not giving up on the play. Always finish until the referee has his hands up and you hear that whistle blow. It was a hustle play. He beat me. But not giving up, that was probably my main focus."
On defensive breakdowns: "It was really on us, honestly…just miscommunication. There are things we've got to correct in practice and things like that. We're going to get it right. It's just communication. That's it. That's literally it."
On his development and comfort level to this point: "I feel like I've improved. I'm just trying to improve every game. I just want to keep focusing, locking in and roll with the punches honestly. But just being out there, the more reps I get and the more I'm out there, this game is becoming slower and everything is becoming a bit easier as far as game speed and things like that. Just focusing and slowing the game down, I feel like that helps me out a lot."
On "second reaction plays": "Playing against a guy like Russ, he likes to scramble and he can extend plays. You've just got to stay with your piece. In your area if a guy comes in your vicinity, you've got to grab him, lock on to him and run wherever he goes. That's hard to do. But that's something you have to do when you're playing a scrambling quarterback, a guy like Russ, a great quarterback who can make all the throws. You've just got to be on your Ps and Qs when he starts running around."
On giving up 38 points: "It happened on the defense. Just like I said before, it was miscommunication. Most of the plays that we gave them were because of us. We've got to fix that. If we fix that, the score may be different. So, it's communication. I have all the faith in all of us and it will take all of us. We're going to get it done."
On communication: "It's something that we've got to keep working on…Gelling with your guys and communicating. I feel like we got the jitters out in those three games. I feel like going forward, the details are going to get cleaned up"
On the mindset of the team
"We just left too many opportunities out there. We didn't start fast in the first half. We came out slow and they put up too many points, and it was just too big of a deficit to come back. In the second half we played a lot better but that last drive we could've got some stops to kill it. We played a little bit better and yeah, we could have."
On the challenges Russell Wilson presents
"He's not a scrambler but he scrambles to pass, and that's tough on us when receivers… we've got to [clash ?] as DB's and as linebackers, faster… sometimes guys are going to get open. Once he goes to clash [?] that's backyard football, and they got 53 yards of field… field wide, and however much long to just get open. That's hard."
Did you know all week that you were going to play or was it a game-time decision?
"Yeah, I felt pretty good coming up to the week on Friday when I worked out with the trainers and the coaches had me practice. They thought I was good enough to play this week."
Regarding how hard it is to face Russell Wilson
"I mean, there's a lot of quarterbacks in the league that move around a lot and if you let them get outside the pocket they become a force, they're pretty good at it. So, hats off to Russ and them, they won the game. But we'll see them again."
"Frustrating, but a learning experience. We know what we must do and, for real – it's time. It's time that we do what we know we need to do. There's no win here, finishing week three. New team coming together, developing our chemistry, our culture. When we're rolling we're rolling. The key is to start fast and to finish strong, and that's something that we've yet to do. So that's what our focus is going to be, we're going to learn from this loss."
