What The Seahawks Said Following Their 19-16 OT Win Over The Rams

Featuring postgame quotes from the following:Head Coach Pete CarrollWell, we did everything we could to make the season last as long as possible (laughing). We squeezed every drop out of it. It was a really good finish to the season for our guys, to get some wins and get something going here and feel good about it and doing things we had to do to give us -- with what we were faced with. This win is an important win for everybody on our team. We put everything we had into it. We treated this game as the biggest game we could ever play, and if we get a chance, we'll do that one with the next week too. The guys rose to that thought and really everybody battled. The NFL is so hard. How can a team that's struggling have that kind of a close game against us? Because that's just the league. That's how it goes. Teams are really good, and coaches are really good. You've got to give them a lot of credit. They've continued through a lot of hard times this year to play their butt off all the way until the end of that thing. I think Sean does a great job. I mean, I don't think it. I know it. He does a great job. A lot of credit for them hanging. It was a hard year for them. Man, there was a lot of cool things that happened today. Geno hits a number, you know, all-time leading passer in yardage in the history of the franchise. Awesome. What an awesome number. Whatever his percentage of completion has to be as high as anybody has ever had too, I would think. Tyler gets his 1,000 and catches one of the prettiest touchdown passes. Just remember this one forever. That's how he does it. He did it again when we needed it most. It was just a gorgeous throw designed, everything, and then he did it, falls apart at the back line of the end zone for the touchdown. Just teared me up just because he did it again. Then Kenny Walker getting 1,000 yards rushing, those are all markers. What do they mean? Well, they mean a lot. They do mean a lot, when you can get the win and you can talk about it now. Those are markers. Who are they markers for? Offensive linemen. Those guys are so proud that they were able to get that done and take great pride in it. The amount of progress that our guys have made with the two young guys up front and the new center all year long and all of that. We rushed for 197 again or whatever the heck. We got the running game going again like we need to, and you can see how we play. That's how we do it. That's the way we fight to play like that and then be great in the kicking game and to keep those scores down. The explosive plays didn't happen on defense. They did a great job today to keep it down three points in the second half and multiple stops in critical situations and sudden changes and all of that. So there was just so many good things that happened. We rushed the passer well enough today to keep their passing game at a minimum. Love that a bunch of guys got sacks. Just because it's the last game of the season, and Bruce talked to the defense last night. He gets the sack and a half today. Couldn't have made me more proud. I love that guy so much, and it's been an amazing career for him to get to this point and to finish like that. That's just awesome. But all the guys. You know, Darrell got it. Uchenna was involved. Mafe I think got one today too. That's great stuff that we can spread it around like that. What I would think is best kicker in the NFL, for him to set it up like that so we could have that kind of dramatic finish, what guts he has got, you know? He doinked it so we could go and win in OT. He is a great kicker. He is a great player. He is a great competitor. And when we needed it most, he got it done. So Jason Myers came through for us in a big way. I thought Mikey really punted the ball well today, really effectively. An array that of punts that he gave up too, which was great. I mean, I can go on and on because I'm so fired up about these guys and getting this game. Really there's a little party coming up here as soon as you guys let us go, and we're going to go cheer for Detroit. Whoever thought we would be doing that, but we'll be cheering for those Lions up in Green Bay and see if they can get a great win. The odds are really in their favor if you look at it my way. I know they haven't won there in a long time, but think of it. It's got to happen sometime, right? This may be that time. Q. The play Quandre made in overtime, it looks like he is wide open, and then -- PETE CARROLL: And the ball hung forever. He timed it up perfectly to get it on the sidelines over there. He is such a great ball hawk that of course he is going to make that play if you give him a chance. But for him to make it, he is a hero around here. These guys love him. He is a great leader, and they've got nicknames for him and all kinds of stuff, and he is tough as nails. When he speaks, everybody shuts up, and then to come through and make a play like that, it's just beautiful and fitting and really happy for him. Q. What's this feeling like? When you get this dramatic win, and now you are powerless. PETE CARROLL: I'm going for it. I'm going with it. The last thing we want to do is go, oh, what's going to happen now? We're not going to do that. Parties are going to start, and we're going to get going, and the party may end with a great win. Until it isn't, that's kind of how we're going about it. Q. Are you staying together as a team? Everybody is going on their own? PETE CARROLL: No, everyone is going on their own, and then we're going to communicate. Q. Playoffs or not; nine wins out of this team. PETE CARROLL: 9-8. That ain't the way I'm looking at it. I'm glad that we have a winning record and that we gave ourselves a chance here, but that's not where my expectations are. They never are. I'm nowhere near that. I'm frustrated by this season. Where you all thought that we did a lot of cool things and all that, I don't feel like that. I feel like we missed our chance. We had five, six games there could have won easily one way or the other, and we wouldn't be sitting here talking about what's going on in Detroit right now. So, you know, that's my torment. I have to live with that. You don't have to live with that. Q. Assess Geno's day. Obviously he had a couple of -- PETE CARROLL: You know, I thought he got the game in order enough to win a football game for us today. He threw some great passes. The second pick he was getting hammered, and I think he kind of chucked it. The first one was a great play by their guy. Jalen Ramsey made a great play. That's a timing route that guys don't make that interception, you know? He is a great player, and he made a great play. I'm not sure the ball -- if the ball was exactly right. It might have been a little behind him, but still, it was a fantastic play. So forget those two right now, okay? We are going to evaluate him. He ran really well. He did it again. He got all over the field and did stuff when we needed him. Crunch time, took us down the feel again a couple of times, and we just failed in the red zone today. That was really the story of this game. It could have been a three-touchdown game easily, and we just didn't knock them in. Q. 1,000 yards for Ken. That was his third straight 100-yard game. To be able to have him step up after (inaudible) goes down, how big has he been? PETE CARROLL: He is good, man. I'm impressed with him. The plays that he makes and the bursts that he has and the creativity and how tough he is. There's not a tougher run than the one he ran to convert I think it was fourth down. You can't run any harder than that. We have a tough guy. We have a guy that loves to play. He doesn't even flinch. He doesn't even flinch. He is going back out again. He isn't worried about nothing. I love to compete with him, and he is really talented. Play he made on the a catch on the perimeter, beautiful play too. Q. What's Geno Smith's play this season make you feel about quarterback for next season? PETE CARROLL: Say that again, Gregg. Q. What has Geno Smith's play for this season make you feel towards your quarterback position? PETE CARROLL: Well, we have work to do, but our system is really good. The system is really good. What we're asking these guys to do, for him to come in as a first-year starter and five years or whatever it is to execute like he has done all year long. I think 69.8 completion percentage for the season and all the touchdowns and all the plays he has made and the -- I think our quarterback position is great, but we have to -- he is going to be a free agent, so we have work to do. We never got a chance to see Drew, but I've seen a lot of him, and I like what he does too. I think our quarterback situation, if we can get him signed, is a great situation going forward. We know what we got. Q. Have you talked to Bobby Wagner at all? PETE CARROLL: In pregame. I didn't get to see him after. I tried to find him. I couldn't find him out there. I saw him in pregame, and we had some fun kind of punching at each other. I thought he played really good again. He had some terrific plays today. You know, bring out the best in him. Q. Crowd chanting his name. PETE CARROLL: I did hear that. I love that. Like I said, they'll express what they feel, and it will be the right thing, and they did that. I think once they did that, then some people booed. Okay, that's enough, and then let's get back after him. He is on the other team. But I think it was really fitting and apropos and all that. Q. How do you build on the successes of this year for next season overall? PETE CARROLL: We're going to take the culture that we have created on this team with us. I mean, I've been around a bunch of teams, and this is exactly the mentality that we need moving forward to do some great stuff. This is a championship team, and so we'll get opportunities to add to it and all of that, but the heart, togetherness, the willingness to work. We make our own attitude. We create our own attitude. Attitude is everything. Well, we got that. So we just need to get a little more experienced and help ourselves grow, as naturally will happen, and be a better executing team in all situations. You know, we're in a pretty good place right now. Q. They seem to find traction with their run game and their bootleg action in the second early third quarter. PETE CARROLL: Yeah, boots got going a little bit. We covered them really well early, and then some extended plays really came open. We weren't concerned about him running. We didn't worry about that. We wanted to cover him up. When we lost our coverage down field a little bit late, they became effective. You know, they had the one bounce out at short yardage, and they had the two little counter with receiver that were good plays. Other than that, you know, they threw for 140. We would like to hold those big plays out of it, and they would rush for 100, you know. I like the way we played the line of scrimmage. I thought we played really well. There's a few plays that got us, the two perimeter plays, again, and the bounce-out. We've made a lot of improvement, and our guys, they're tuned into what it takes, and we're just going to keep getting better. Q. You guys get down inside the 10 there. Can you walk us through the play-calling and what you were looking for, what they were doing and being held out there? PETE CARROLL: I can't walk you through it other than to say we were going for it. We were going for it. We had some thoughts, and we thought we could run it a little bit. We thought we could hammer it in there. I thought there was a good attitude about that. We didn't quite function as well as we needed to. And I mean, the game could have been an easy game had we walked down there and got that one a couple of times earlier. But I'll just tell you that we weren't -- we did not want to settle to tie the game up. Then we lost yards on the third down play. Then, okay, if it was fourth and inches or one or whatever, we were going. No doubt, we were going. That had been decided. That was the thinking all the way through that. Q. What happened to Tariq Woolen when he went out for a few plays? PETE CARROLL: He turned his ankle a little bit.Wide Receiver Tyler Lockett (On receiving the Steve Largent Award) “Oh yeah, it felt great just being able to have the opportunity to win. I got to win it last year, but this year he (Steve Largent) got to present it to me. It’s pretty cool. It’s just weird to me that we were born in the same town, drafted to the same team, got the same birthday. I mean, it’s kind of weird. We’re probably related in some way. For him to be able to have an award named after him, that says what type of person he is. I even heard that he tried to go out there for governor. He’s all about change, all about inspiration. It’s just pretty cool just to be able to have a chance to meet him; have a chance to hear about him; see some of the phenomenal plays that he made. I mean he did it without gloves. I’m just thankful to have an opportunity to win the award. Thankful for everybody that voted for me, whether it was teammates, or coaches.” (On what Geno Smith showed throughout the season) “Man, Geno just showed us who he’s always been. He’s a gamer. Even when it's all on the line he’s going to go out there still be poised, still going to play. It’s hard, especially when you go out there and things don’t go your way early on. We had picks and stuff like that, but to show the fight and how you respond that’s what you want in a player; that’s what you want in a teammate. Somebody that’s just going to keep on fighting. I think that’s the best part this year about this team is just the resilience. Things haven’t gone our way as a team, as individuals, and we just constantly just kept pushing. Things started to be able to turn around with J Myers (Jason Myers) just being able to kick that field goal. It says a lot to miss the first one and be able to go out there and win the second one. People don’t understand how that can mess you up mentally, but this dude is mentally stable. He understands the assignment. He talks to us about the routine when he got to speak in front of us one day. It just shows. He went out there, hit it. It’s just being able to respond to adversity. I think it says a lot about our team and I’m just excited we were able to win this game.” (On Smith’s future as a free agent) “I mean he better come back. Obviously, I want the best for him, and hopefully we can have that conversation in exit meetings; we’re still alive right now, we still have a chance. But he’s played phenomenal. He’s put himself in a great position. I’m grateful he got his opportunity. He took advantage of it and he’s playing great. He was able to go out there and break some records today. It’s just great for him. He’s a great person; great dude. On that last drive when we went down and we were able to kick a field goal, he reminded us when we were in the huddle ‘Hey, just calm down, it’s just football.’ Sometimes you have to remind yourself it’s literally just football. Sometimes we make it our life and we make it this real extreme thing and reminding ourselves it’s just football says a lot about him.”Quarterback Geno SmithQ. How much focus do you need to have when you throw that pick just to stay back in the game and not get too hyped up and blame yourself on a play like that? GENO SMITH: Man, that's a tough way to start the game. We've done that twice now. Honestly, it's unacceptable in my eyes. Some things that obviously we can correct, but when it happens, you've got to have a short memory. Playing quarterback is a lot like cornerback. A lot of cornerbacks get beat. And if you are a quarterback, you are going to throw an interception at some point if you play enough games. You just have to be able to move past it. Really just look at it and see what happened, why it happened, how it happened, try to fix it, and then just move on because, I mean, there's a lot of game left to play. As you can see, it took all the way to overtime for us to finally pull it out, but when you start like that, you know, it's tough, but you just have to keep playing. Q. Then you got the hit on the sidelines. I couldn't see, but just take us through that, and then you went right back in the game. GENO SMITH: Just got the wind knocked out of me for a second. Was running down the sideline and was moving a little bit and really couldn't avoid Jalen right there. He kind of dipped his shoulder and hit me in the right spot and just got the wind knocked had out of me. Thank God I was able to get up and just continue to play. Q. What was the attitude like? When it went into overtime, you guys (indiscernible) -- GENO SMITH: We knew, man, what was at stake. You know, we don't want the season to end. I feel like everybody in the locker room, I feel like our coaches, everybody in the building, you know, we're just coming together at the right time. We're enjoying one another and going to work and enjoying your teammates, and the locker room is so fun that I don't think guys want the season to end right now. We knew what was at stake. We had to figure out a way to get a win. You know, the defense kept us in the game the entire time. We were struggling a little bit on offense. Obviously started the game bad, but we found a way, and it took everybody. I was just happy to see that happen. Q. Touchdown to Lockett. How much confidence do you have to throw that ball to Tyler the way he has been playing this whole season? GENO SMITH: Tyler and I have done that so many times. You talk about training camp, OTAs, practices. You know, he is one of the better receivers I've ever played with. When he is one-on-one, when he has those opportunities, especially on those deep passes, you know, he is always going to get his toes in. That's one thing we know. He is just a dynamic player with a lot of heart. He is playing hurt. He is toughing it out, and he is giving it everything he has got. He understands what is at stake as well. He is one of those players, man, that I will never forget. Q. Playoffs or no playoffs, you led the team to a winning record. How proud are you of that? GENO SMITH: It's good to be above .500. You know, you want to be above .500. I wish we could have done a lot better earlier so we can get 10-plus wins, but to give ourselves a shot at the playoffs, to be above .500 with a young team who I believe pretty much everybody wrote us off, right, it speaks volumes to our head coach. It starts with our head coach and our GM. It starts with our front office, our ownership. And then you talk about the players in the locker room, the leadership, the type of guys that we have. We have the right amount of guys in the locker room, the right character guys, the right talented -- amount of talent in our locker room. Man, it just speaks volumes to our leadership. We have the right guys, and we just have to keep going. Q. Were you watching when that interception happened, Quandre in overtime, or were you busy getting busy ready for the next drive? GENO SMITH: I feel like I had a direct view. I was sitting down on the bench, and I looked up, and I just see Quandre jumping in the air and catching the ball over his shoulder looking like a wideout. That's something that he has always done, man. I'll go back to our time playing at Texas when we played him. He was one of those players I was watching on film like, man, you have to watch out for No. 6. He has carried that throughout his career. He is a ball hawk. If that ball is in his area, he is going to get it. Quandre is one of the best defensive players I've played with, but also one of the best teammates I've ever had. Q. What's it going to be like for you now these next few hours watching that game? GENO SMITH: I'm going to take my girl on a date actually and try not to watch the game. I'll be hoping for updates. I know people will be texting me, but, you know, I'm preparing as if we're going to play a game next week. And then if not, then, hey, it is what it is. Q. What do you make personally of the regular season that you had? GENO SMITH: I think obviously I've done some things that were really good, and then knowing myself, I'm going to, you know -- whenever the offseason does come, hopefully a long time from now, but I'm going to be super hard on myself with some of the decisions that I made and things that I did that weren't great. So obviously, you know, it's good to lead the team and play 17 games. That was my main goal is to lead these guys and to play 17 games. I knew what I could do on the field, but I know I can be better as well. That's where I'm focusing on right now. Q. You completed one of the best single seasons a quarterback has ever had for the Seattle Seahawks. What does that mean to you? GENO SMITH: Obviously I'm grateful for the opportunity, grateful for my teammates, all the guys that contributed, all the wideouts, the tight ends, running backs, especially the offensive line. Shane Waldron, one of the best OCs in the game, being able to have Coach Carroll and this type of leadership and this type of ownership, it means a lot. It means a lot. That's really where it's at with me. The accolades, the stats and all that, it's just a part of it, but being a part of this team, being able to play with the guys and go out there on the field and battle, you know, every single week is what's more important to me. Q. Geno, you haven't had -- I don't have to tell you. You haven't had a multi-year contract since your rookie deal. At this point do you want to go to free agency at this point? If you had a perfect road map for how it's going to go between now and March, what do you want? GENO SMITH: Shoot, man, I hope March doesn't come. I'm focused on football right now, but, you know, the thing is that it's a business. Football is a business. A lot of people have a lot of decision to make. That's where I'll leave it at. I feel great about where I stand with this organization and my teammates and everybody else, but it's always -- it's always a business first. So I look at it like that. I understand that, and I have to handle my business as well. Q. What does it feel like at halftime? The second quarter didn't go well for you guys, and then you come right out and go down the field with the Tyler touchdown right after that. GENO SMITH: Halftime we just got together and said, hey, man, we know what's at stake. Honestly, probably one of my worst games this year. Regardless of the stats or what was going on, I was in it to win it. I was going out there. I was ready to lay my body on the line, do whatever it took to win. That was the message at half. You know, we have 30 minute to go out there and write the story for the rest of our season, and I know every single guy wants to continue to play, and so we just stayed locked in and keep out with that fight and exactly what we needed at the right time. Q. I know you told us a few weeks ago you felt like you were getting too aggressive at time. Was that first pick a moment like that? It's a game you were obviously hyped for and wanted to go out and win. Was that one of those moments, or was it a good play? How did you view it? GENO SMITH: I view it as that's one of the best cornerbacks in the game, and he showed us why on that first play. It was the exact coverage we wanted. It was the exact look, the exact leverage, and he undercut it and made a tremendous play. That's why he is one of the better ones, he does things like that. But it's always process over results, and so in that process I was doing the right thing. Obviously the interception was not the result we wanted, but the process was in the right mentality. So when you have guys like that on the other side, you just have to be a little more mindful of the throw and where you put it. Q. Did you have any issue with Jalen's hit on you at all? GENO SMITH: No, I thought it was a bang-bang play. I didn't really get a chance to, like, see it. Obviously I'm running, but I thought it was a bang-bang play. He dipped his shoulder, and it happens. That happens almost every week in football. Q. Raining all day, was it a factor throwing a wet ball at all? GENO SMITH: No, no. I felt pretty good out there. We get used to playing in the rain out here. We practiced in it on Friday. Then I just felt good out there no matter the circumstances... rain, wind, snow. I played in a bunch of different elements at West Virginia. It's got me ready for these situations. Thank you, guys.Kicker Jason Myers (On if he knew he was going to get a second chance at a game winning kick with the way the game was going) “I was definitely hoping for it. It’s my job to make them and I didn’t do my job the first time.” (On if he tells the coaches where he wants the ball lined up for a field goal) “I just tell them to put it on the hash. It doesn’t matter which hash, whatever is easier, just put it on a hash.” (On if he prefers to kick from the hash rather than the middle of the field) “Yeah, it’s just easier. Tink (Carson Tinker) and (Michael) Dickson are so good with their operation that it’s easier. When they are set exactly, it’s easier.” (On what it was like to get a second chance to win the game) “I don’t know what the word is, but I’m just thankful for (Quandre) Diggs, Geno (Smith), and everybody on offense and defense for giving me another shot. They had a great drive on the last one in regulation and I should have come through. I’m thankful that we got another chance.”Running Back Deejay Dallas (On why Geno Smith should be the Seahawks quarterback next year) “Geno’s (Smith) resume speaks for itself. I wouldn’t have to do anything, for real, but you see what he’s doing now. He’s leading us to where we want to go.” (On what led the Seahawks to finish the regular season with a winning record) “Effort. Point blank, period, it was effort.”Defensive End Quinton Jefferson (On beating the Rams in overtime) “Nobody’s emotions wavered. If we had to go out there 1,000 times, I think the boys would have gone out there and played their tails off. I think everybody had the mindset of that we are going to do whatever and lay it all on the line to get this W. I was happy to see the boys out there, they kept on fighting. We knew that they were going to give us everything they had, and it was going to be a dogfight, but we came up victorious and it was great to see.” (On waiting to see what will happen in the Packers versus Lions game) “We will see what happens. We can only control what we can control, so we will see what happens.” (On if a Packers win would change how he views this season) “No because I don’t think anybody had us doing anything. We had a young team, guys came out here, and everybody fought their tails off. We had some growing pains, but that’s what happens with young teams. I’m pleased with the fight in these guys. We gave ourselves a chance and that’s all that you can ask for.”Running Back Kenneth Walker III (On coming through with a win in overtime) “Every win is a great feeling. I like to see the team come together and finish that game off. That’s really exciting.” (On being just the second Seahawks rookie to gain 1,000 yards rushing) “It means a lot, that’s a big goal. Like I always say, credit to the O line. We had a stretch where we were struggling throughout the season, but we got it together. To be able to finish like that, I have to give all of the credit to the O line.” (On the stretch where the offense couldn’t punch it in late in regulation, then going 3 and out in overtime) “It can be frustrating at times. Guys don’t flinch. We’ve got a lot of guys that don’t flinch and Geno’s a great leader. Everybody was just together. I felt like if it had broken down and broken apart, it would have been a struggle, but everybody came together and that’s what won us this game.” (On Geno Smith’s long scramble) “That was big time. We needed that. He’s a playmaker, and that’s what he does.” (On what he will do now) “I guess we wait.” (On whether the team will watch the Lions/Packers game together) “I’m not sure how we’re going to do it, but I know a lot of guys will be watching the game. I will be spending time with my dad, he’s here right now, so I will probably take him out somewhere.”Safety Quandre Diggs (On pointing at Bobby Wagner when he intercepted a pass) “I’m just having fun with it. I’m blessed, I am thankful for the opportunity. I keep telling you guys that tomorrow will be 365 days since I broke my leg and dislocated my ankle. I’m thankful for the opportunity and I am thankful to be playing ball. I wouldn’t be able to do it without my teammates, coaches, my family, and everybody that has been with me this past year. It’s super special to me. Like I said, it’s a blessing, I’m having fun with the game, and enjoying the game as much as I can because I’ve had it taken away. I don’t want to feel that anymore.” (On his interception in overtime) “If I was using language, I would probably use some bad language because the dude was wide open. In my mind, I was thinking the worst. Oh man, I felt like I was 25 again, running and jumping in the air. For me, it was just one of those plays where they drew it up perfectly. They had us in a coverage where they wanted us, and I was just able to go out and make a play. That was probably my favorite interception ever because of just the atmosphere and everything that went along with this game and this interception. It was dope, so all I saw was the ball and I was like, ‘I’m going to get it.’ I was able to go and get it and I caught it. I think that’s all that matters, I caught that one. I have been getting some grief and I have been holding myself accountable for dropping the other ones, but I had to get that one.” (On how the defense responded in the second half) “I just think that we understood the task at hand, and we understood that we had to go out there, get stops, get the get ball back to our offense, and give them some momentum. We were able to stop the run and we were able to stop the boots and things like that. Once we got that, we knew that we would win because we would get them to 3rd downs and our big guys and speed guys were going to eat up front. That’s what those guys did, I think we had five sacks today. It was just the rush and coverage playing together. We have put it together over these past few weeks.”Cornerback Coby Bryant (On the game today) “That was the biggest thing for us. The win, but honestly the job is not finished. We are going to leave it in God’s hands and control what we can control.” (On what this kind of win means) “It just shows the fight that we have and we all bought in together. No one ever ducked their head or pouted or anything. We all came together and got the job done.” (On how proud he is of the team) “Extremely proud. With me being a young guy, I just try to do my role and execute as best as I can and I’m extremely proud of these guys.”Cornerback Michael Jackson (On how the defense was able to get pressure on Baker (Mayfield) today) “D-line was just eating. Everybody was doing their job. Coverage and the rush was working together.” (On how he feels about the team getting nine wins this season) “It’s good. It’s a process and it just shows that we never quit regardless of the circumstances. We handle our business and control what we can control.”Tackle Charles Cross (On what this win was like) “It was a great win. Great team win. The defense did a great job. We came out and went 1-0 and now we wait and we’ll see what happens. Hopefully the best happens.” (On the running game today) “Offense did a great job putting everybody in position to be successful. Ken (Walker III) did a great job hitting the hole and executing the run. Overall it was great team execution.” (On ‘Wildcat’ formation with DeeJay Dallas) “It was just something new we pulled out the bag, but we were practicing that for a while now.”Linebacker Bruce Irvin (On what he said to the team last night) “Just making sure that they appreciate each other. Even though knowing that this group will probably be different next year. I just wanted to let them know that the biggest thing you can get out of this game, after money, is relationships. That’s the biggest thing when you’re done, that’s the biggest thing that I missed while I wasn’t playing was the relationship, the locker room, the talking mess around the building. Just letting those guys know, this group will never be the same, so just go out there and leave it out there for one another. Just cherish this moment.” (On getting a sack and a half today) “Just going out there and just leaving it out there, man. I don’t know what my future holds. I didn’t say that I was going to retire two years in a row. I’m here with y’all. I don’t know what my future holds. I’m not looking to that. I’m just trying to live in the moment. I’m happy to be back for a third time. Happy to go out with a win. Happy to get a couple of sacks in Century Link [sic] field. I’m blessed man. Came out healthy, we won. I can’t ask for nothing else.” (On the changes he has seen in Darrell Taylor over the last several games) “I’ve seen a Darrell Taylor that y’all was expecting at the beginning of training camp. The guy, he’s special. He’s been displaying that this last month. When he ain’t talking loud, and listening, he actually can play some ball. Him and Boye, man. Boye has made tremendous strides since I’ve been here. Tremendous strides. I texted Boye last week and I said I just want you to know from when I got here to now is just night and day. From the knowledge of the game, your physicality. You see how he got off the ball today and ran around the tackle and got the sack. Those guys are two special guys, man, and I’m just happy that I got a chance to come in and work with those guys and leave my impression on them, and hopefully it will last them for a lifetime.” (On what his experience with the Seahawks this year has meant to him) “It’s been great. I really didn’t expect to play this much, to be honest with you. It is what it is. Pete has a way of getting you in here, and he looks at you with those blue eyes, and it feels like he’s looking through your soul. You’ll be like, no, I’m not doing that, but as soon as Pete lays those blue eyes on you, you kind of melt. You’re like, Oh, yes sir, yes sir. Man, I’m just grateful for the opportunity to be out here and play. I’m 35-years-old. 35-years-old and still playing a kid’s game. I’ve got three kids at home, a wife, businesses, I’ve got a whole life. I’m still going out here and suiting up with 20 and 21-year-olds. Going out there and having a hell of a time doing it. It’s been a great ride. I’m not saying; I don’t know. But, it’s been a great ride. If this was the last one, it was great to come back here and finish it where I started it.”Center Austin Blythe (On the defense keeping the team in the game when the offense wasn't clicking at times) "The defense did their job. They kept giving us opportunities and obviously, we would've liked to put up a little bit more points, but at the end of the day, we won the game." (On Quandre Diggs getting the interception in overtime) "I knew we were going to win. We were in good field position. Shane (Waldron) had some great play calls down the stretch there, and we executed on offense." (On Geno Smith's season after being a backup quarterback for seven years) "I think it's a testament to who Geno (Smith) is. You don't stay in the league as long as he has without the ability, the hard work and determination, and to see him be rewarded for all that has been fun."Linebacker Cody Barton (On the emotions at the end of the game) "I thought on that missed kick, I thought he was going to drain it. Obviously, he hit the crossbar, and we had to regroup and say, 'We have to go back out there again in overtime, let's regroup, and get ready to go.' There wasn't ever a time that I felt like we were going to lose that game. You can feel the energy on the sideline to where everyone was calm and collected. J-Myers (Jason) gets in the same scenario and he crushes it." (On if he is pleased with the season if the season were to end today) "Yeah. Obviously, we want to go to the playoffs, so we'll see what happens tonight. It's funny you know looking back, it's crazy that we are already at the end of the season about to go into the playoffs, but you look back and think about how much you've learned, how much you've grown, and anyone can say that for themselves and as a team. I've got a good feeling in my stomach. This isn't the end." (On having a lot of talent on this team) "Yeah, there's a lot of talent in this room. A lot of really good ballplayers and from here, we're going up. I don't want to say let's assume that this is the end. You never know what can happen. I've got a good feeling in my stomach right now. I'm about to be a big Detroit fan tonight."Defensive End Shelby Harris (On the emotions he felt at the end of the game) "We had to go handle business again. A thing about this league, you never know sometimes when it is going to be over, so you have to be ready at all times. Shout out to J-Myers (Jason) for making it in overtime when it mattered and now we're 9-8. It's my first winning season ever in the NFL. I've been in the league for nine years. This is my first winning season, so no matter what, this team has been fighting. This team had a lot to fight for, and we played for each other. One thing you can say about the Seahawks is that they play hard." (On if having nine wins on the season surprised him) "No, because at the end the day, for me getting here, I was the new guy here, but once you got to learn and talk to everyone, you realize everyone has fight, and everyone has the drive. Honestly with nine wins, we should've had more. That shows you the type of talent we have on this roster." (On having to wait on the outcome of the Lions versus Packers game) "The crazy part is, I'm from Milwaukee. I grew up a Green Bay Packers fan, and I checked my phone and one of my homegirls texted me saying, 'How does it feel that you have to root against the Packers?' At the end of the day, we put ourselves in this position, so we've got to live by it and not die by it. We'll be glued to the T.V. watching, but we know our fate is not in our hands."Linebacker Darrell Taylor (On Bruce Irvin's presence during the season) “His presence has been great for us. Just having a guy that has been through it all with injuries, winning a Super Bowl, all of the stuff he has been through and brings to the table. He just gives us so much knowledge and so much wisdom, and we love having him in the room.” (On having the defense going out on the field again after the failed first possession in overtime) “I feel like it was exciting. We only worry about what our offense does. It was exciting for us to get back out there and try to get another sack, another pick, or get another stop on defense. It was fun doing it with my teammates and as the offense cheers us on to get them back on the field, it's fun. You can't explain it. It's just a feeling that you won't feel unless you are a part of it. I think we've put it off exactly how we were supposed to do it today.” (On the big surge from the defense closing out the season) “I think it was just all of our guys working together, communicating when we are coming off the field, what we have seen from the tackles and guards, where they are going to set the protection to and everything like that. I feel like these last few weeks, we have been hitting on all three cylinders. Everybody up front has been rushing really hard. We've been stopping the run, so they go hand-in-hand. You have to earn the right to rush the passer and that's what we have been doing.”Safety Teez Tabor (On the emotions of today’s game) “That’s life in the NFL. One minute you’re down, one minute you’re up. It’s never over until the fat lady sings.” (On the team taking care of what was in their control) “That’s just how we do it. We always want to take care of what we can take care of. Coach always says to ‘Take control of what you can control, we control what we control’. Now, we just have to let it play out.”Tackle Abraham Lucas (On keeping playoff hopes alive) “It took longer than 60 minutes but we got it done and that’s what matters. It wasn’t always pretty, it wasn’t always clean but we got the W.” (On what was happened with the run game) “We still had a great day running the ball. The timing was inconsistent, but that happens. The biggest thing for us was to be more consistent with it.”

What The Seahawks Said Following Their 19-16 OT Win Over The Rams

Interviews, transcripts, and press conferences from Week 18 at Lumen Field.

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