Head Coach Pete Carroll
Opening:
"So you want a nice easy win and just can feel it from the beginning of the game, you know with the guac and the chips and just kind of kick back. It ain't happening. It ain't happening. They took us all the way until there was nothing left and it was a beautiful job of hanging. What I really liked about this game was the way it started and then the surge that happened in the middle of it, when our guys won eight straight drives without letting them get anything going on defense. Our [Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator] Kenny [Norton Jr.] did a fantastic job tonight with our guys. We had to adjust from right off the start and the guys took to it. We did some different things than the plan called for, and we wound up sacking them five times tonight and getting after the quarterback like we had hoped to. Maybe this is the start that we've been looking for with our pass rush. It was a really good rush tonight. I thought [Seattle Seahawks DE] Jadeveon Clowney was fantastic tonight. Just when he was close he was causing problems and he scored again. So, I really loved what the defense did during this night and it's important to us, really important to us the way we played. It's a great running football team. We held them to, I don't know 70 or 80 yards, whatever the heck it was, that's a big night by guys up front, by the linebackers and when we needed it most. It was really a big night. So, there's a lot of really cool things about this game that are kind of the subtle stuff. The obvious is hanging with [Seattle Seahawks K] Jason Myers. What a great, thrilling night for him to come through and make his kicks, and make his winning kick and all that, and kick the ball deep on that long. A lot goes into that and I think it was, for those that follow us really closely, not for the maybe the outside media, but it's a great illustration of his teammates supporting him throughout. In the locker room immediately last week they were supporting him so that he would be ready to do this what we needed tonight, and come through. And, there ain't nothing better than coming through like that in the clutch. So, we're thrilled by the night that he had. That's a really good team and they played good football in lots of ways, and that's why they've been unbeaten until now. It's a good step forward for us. I would tell you that we need these games. We need to play in these tough situations. We need to play teams like this on the road all the way down to the nub, and all that it takes to get that done. It makes us better. We get to go on a break right now. We're going to max out this break. These guys deserve it. They've been going like crazy. They haven't taken a step other than forward since we've come together and hopefully we'll come out of this thing being in pretty good shape. I'm really disappointed, [Seattle Seahawks WR] Tyler Lockett got a really bad lower leg bruise, contusion, that caused some issues that we're working on, and I can't tell you much more about it than that right now. But, he's out of here right now to get looked at. It'll be okay but it's a pretty severe situation for right now, for a game night. Other than that we made it through. A couple guys, [Seattle Seahawks TE] Luke Willson had a hamstring, yes he had a hamstring. So, other than that we made it out okay."
What makes Lockett's injury bad?
"Well, I think there's a lot of swelling. The contusion caused a lot of swelling right away and they've got stuff. There's concerns about that. So, we just got to take care of him and we're ahead of it, so we should be in good shape but sorry to see him. You could tell without having [Seattle Seahawks C] Joey [Hunt] out there we looked different and we need him back."
Does it seem like something that would last beyond the Bye?
"I don't know that. I don't know that. I wouldn't think so but I don't know that. It didn't sound like it. They've got to check it all out. What do I know?"
Will he stay behind tonight?
"Possibly. That's what we're considering right now, yes."
With as much pressure as Jadeveon was getting, did it feel like a game like this for him was--?
"I think it's a breakout game. I just thought he was so impressive all night long. I don't know how they locked up. They were tackling him. He was just penetrating so fast and so furiously, but what a fantastic game. Yeah, we would have liked to see him a little earlier, but if we got going now and this is where we kick into high gear, then that's a really good defense and we looked pretty good tonight too. I'm really proud of our guys for matching up their entire list and all that stuff and obviously, they stepped up in a great way."
You touched on your defense earlier, but to go from the second half of the Atlanta game, then last week's game with the numbers to what you guys did with that for the first two drives, how encouraging is that?
"Yeah, really encouraging. I'm really fired up about it and again, we give these guys a lot of credit. This is a fine running football team. They're averaging over 170 yards a game, and I don't know what they got, but it wasn't half that. That's a really good step forward and we need it. We need to keep engaging, and improving and there's a lot of ways, we ain't done nothing yet. We got a long ways to go and all that, but this is as good a test that the league could offer us on the road and all that. The crowd was great. Hats off to the Nor Cal crowd, they were good tonight and our guys hung in there and handled it really well."
What about the response after Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson throws that interception as it looks like you're driving towards a winning touchdown there?
"I felt like we won the game like three times. Just, okay this wasn't it, okay that wasn't it, no this was the win. It was an excellent job of our guys stopping him. That drive right there, that was incredible that we got the ball right back, fantastic three-and-out."
You kind of looked like you were pulling guys off the field and made sure they got together and you huddled everybody together before that drive right after the pick. What did you say to everybody?
"Oh, it was some of the greatest late game adjustments of all time. No, we have a procedure in those situations, in sudden change situations being turnovers, we want to get together and we want to make sure everybody's on the same page before we take the field. That's always been something that we've done, you just happened to notice it tonight."
(Inaudible)
"[Seattle Seahawks WR] Josh [Gordon] had two fine catches. It was the low ball catch on the third down that was incredible. That was a really good catch. You know, he didn't get to do as much as he was hoping for, but he'll be able to help us. He's a great kid. [Seattle Seahawks SS] Quandre [Diggs] did excellent. He had a great hit on a toss that went to their sidelines, fantastic pick, it was great to see him out there. He really has played a lot of football, you can tell. He's savvy, that helps us. I thought that he and [Seattle Seahawks SS Bradley McDougald] B-Mac did a really nice job tonight back there."
What pointed the decision of playing him at that spot and taking Seattle Seahawks FS Marquise Blair out of the lineup?
"Well, that's why we traded for him. We thought that he might be able to give us something with more experience than we had back there. It has felt like, just we're letting some things get away from us, just because we're just so inexperienced. I thought [Seattle Seahawks general manager] John [Schnieder] did a great job to locate that one and get him into it, and he did exactly what we hoped he would do tonight. He covered some really nice hits and he's a good ball player. That doesn't mean Quise isn't going to be playing too. We love him. He's done great. He had to play when guys were banged up and he'll get back in there. He played in a down situation tonight."
Kicking can be such a mental game. For Jason to respond the way he did, what does that tell you about him?
"Yeah, man I'm so fired up for him. We've got a long season. We've got so many kicks in so many games. We're going to be like this all year and he's going to have to keep making those kicks for us, and he will. Fortunately, it didn't lose a game for us and here we go, we win a game with him. I hope you can see why it's so important to support your people, and to stay with them, and hang with them and all that. It's just, to hang him out there, and leave him out there, and ostracize him and whatever, I don't even know how to think that way. We love him on through it and he came through and had a big night and shoot, they're carrying him around in the locker room in there."
What went into the decision to give Seattle Seahawks LB Shaquem Griffin some routes on defense?
"Just want to see him. We've been practicing him the last couple weeks and getting him some chances. He's so fast and he looks like he's going to cause some problems. He got tackled about four times and engulfed in some stuff, he'll cause some problems. It was great to get him on the field and we'll get a look at it and we'll just try and see if we can fit him in and develop a role for him. That's really what we're searching for, a role for him to help us."
On the kick before regulation, the fourth down, was it really a thought to go for it or was that just sort of trying to set it up there?
"You're never going to know. Only Pete Cooney knows the answer to that question right there and he won't, I'm telling you, he won't give it up. I promise you."
Your response as the 49ers prepared to kick that final winning field goal and they missed, what were you thinking as they were preparing for that?
"Well, new kid. You know, it's a lot to ask him to do. We gave him a couple extra seconds to think about it and see if he could knock it home, and didn't happen. We've seen those kicks before and we're not phased seeing a guy miss a little right there. We kind of like that."
They're first two drives they did go out and score--?
"Well, the first drive was all penalties. There was five penalties in the drive I think, or something like that, it was crazy. It was four? Yeah, it seemed like six. You couldn't have made it easier for them. We stopped them a couple times in there. I think we stopped them twice in the drive. So, we just had to settle down, maybe we were a little too jacked up or something, I don't know. I need to look at the penalties and see what happened, but the cool thing is to see your guys settle down and play good ball after that and not get your head down and we didn't do it. That's not even anywhere in their vernacular around here. They are tough and got back and played well."
When Seattle Seahawks CB Shaquill Griffin made down the sidelines on the defense--?
"Oh boy, that was a big one there. That was a big one. What was that, like third-and-eight or something like that? And they went up, and he's got a little bit of space on him and he came out of nowhere and knocked the ball down. Thanks for reminding me about that. That was a great play."
What did you make of Russ's pick?
"Oh, he just missed it. He just barely missed it. He had a great thought. He was laying the ball over for the game winner and it just didn't quite go like he wanted it to. We already talked about it. He saw the touchdown pass there and it was a really nice play by their guy. Good job there."
How is Seattle Seahawks TE Jacob Hollister only tight end really in the last three quarters?
"Yeah, yeah, Jake's done a beautiful job for us. Gosh, he's played good football. We're so lucky to have him. Luke's hamstring, I don't know what to tell you, it's a couple weeks before we play again. We'll see but [Seattle Seahawks P Michael] Dickson was just dying to get out there too. So, we'll see how it all works out."
Looking back, can you say how important this was from where you could have been, had you not won?
"Huh? You want me to go back and tell you what it would have felt like if we lost? I ain't doing that. We won. I ain't talking like that. Ask me another way. I'm not answering that question like that. Geeze, how miserable could we have been?"
How important was this victory for you in setting you up for the next--?
"Okay, okay, I like that. There you go. Yeah, this is a significant opportunity. This was a fantastic opportunity, because they're such a good team and they've had so much success, and they happen to be in the division too. We'll figure that out later, but it's an incredible opportunity and we got out of here and got a win, and that's a big deal. Now, next week, next time we come back is just as important as this game, they're all just as important, but you guys don't see it like that, but that's really how we think. I do recognize it's Monday night, and San Francisco is rolling and coming home and all that kind of stuff. It was a really, really, really fun night. I hope you guys enjoyed it."
Sorry to bring this up, but Seattle Seahawks G/T Germain Ifedi and that play, I mean when you obviously--?
"Oh, what was he thinking? He thinks he's going to score. What was he thinking? I think he was doing this thing, the Heisman and all that, I don't know what he was, that was terrible. We did a terrible job taking care of the football tonight, a miserable job. I don't even recognize us when the ball is flopping around like that. We got a lot of work to do. We won't win if we keep doing this. We have to take care of the football better than that. It was a miserable night there, but one of the great plays of the night was Joey Hunt's fumble recovery. You guys don't make a big deal about that. Joey laid out, slid into it, cut it up just the way he's supposed to. It was a huge play for us, because we come back and score after that. I think it was, we wound up second and 11 and we still overcame it, so a big play."
How has Jadeveon gotten better as the season has gone on. He had 10 pressures Monday, the second most by a player--?
"Tonight he did? He had 10? Okay, so I have a little power over evaluation then. Yeah, I thought he played good tonight. No kidding! Really, that's a huge night."
How has he progressed?
"He's been active since we started. I think he understand where to take advantage of the scheme more-so now, about where we send him and we move him a lot and do a lot of things with him to try to get him in the spaces. He knows better how to use that to make the most of it. He's an exciting football player. He can do so much stuff and sometimes, he does the wrong, he takes the wrong trace, because he just hasn't been with us enough, but he is maximizing more-so and that's why I would like to think he had a big night tonight."
Was it the sack fumble that San Francisco 49ers DL DeForest Buckner returned for a touchdown and then later, when Russ escaped and scrambled they called him in the grasp there, are there some things you're going to send to the league?
"There always is but it's Russ, you know? You got to let him make the magic that he makes. I don't know. I know we try to protect him. That's the reason for that play, but that's how it goes. I don't know."
The play Seattle Seahawks T Duane Brown made after the interception to push him out of bounds--?
"Yeah, and he was rolling. He was like a freaking runaway water buffalo going after a guy. It was awesome. Is there water buffalo that isn't a runaway water buffalo?"
Opening comments:
"To start off, that was the craziest game I've ever been a part of. Talk about a Monday Night Football game, that felt like an NFC Championship game right there. It was just back and forth, back and forth, with two great teams going after it. Getting the ball in overtime, we go down and move the ball really well. I think I have [Seattle Seahawks TE] Jacob Hollister for a touchdown and they make a great play. Two inches higher and we have a touchdown. Game over. Then our defense goes out there and stops them. They miss the field goal and we get the ball back and find a way to win. We get in there and get the big first down. [Seattle Seahawks K] Jason Myers comes up big with the game-winning field goal. Headsets off and this is it. Game is over no matter what. Tie, win or whatever it may be. I think the great thing about this game for our football team was just the resilience. We've had it all year. We've been, I think, the toughest team just in terms of resilience all year, in my opinion. Just how we stay encouraged, how we stay focused, how we keep having the faith and believe something great is going to happen. Our defense played great throughout the night in a tough environment and a tough game. We made plays when we needed to. We knew it would come down to the wire. I said earlier in the week it would come down to the wire. I didn't think it would come to overtime with no more time on the clock kind of wire, but that's just a true amazing moment."
Was it wilder than the 2015 NFC Championship game against the Packers?
"That was a wild one too. We've had some wild ones here. I would say it was wild throughout the game. Sixty minutes of football plus another 10. Seventy minutes of football just back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. It was a physical game, as tough as it gets. We found a way to win."
When you had to punt with 1:48 or something left, did you think you'd get the ball back?
"We believed we'd get the ball back just because our defense was playing great. We had a few opportunities there on defense that almost ended the game as well. Our defense was playing so great, and sure enough we just kept talking about it and there was about 1:20 or so left on the clock. We got the ball back and went down the field and scored."
What about what Hollister has done the last two weeks?
"Hollister has been great. The plays he's been making have been so much fun to watch and be a part of. He had an overtime touchdown catch last week. He had two touchdowns last week. He had one this week, obviously a big touchdown that we needed on the scramble. I scrambled around just trying to find some time and space. I just kept moving and he scampered to the back of the endzone. We hit him and he had a great catch. [Seattle Seahawks WR] Malik's [Turner] play that he had on third down was cool. We had some plays in there that were just awesome plays by guys. Hollister was definitely doing his thing."
Seahawks WR Josh Gordon came up big on a couple of third down plays.
"Josh Gordon has been a great addition to our team. We have a lot of great receivers and a lot of guys who can catch the football and make plays. He made some huge, huge catches today on third downs. He had the one slant to the right and I think another on the left. Just some of the plays he was making with confidence on big third downs to continue drives. He was great. He had a great week. It's great to have him on our football team."
What about Seattle Seahawks DE Jadeveon Clowney?
"Clowney was playing lights out today. That's why we got him. He's been a force throughout his whole career. He was talking it up on the sidelines and focused. We were all together. He was one of the main leaders in that too as well. It's great to have him. The plays he was making were incredible."
What's the challenge going against a great defense. What's the approach and the mindset when you know the challenge is so great?
"Well, we knew they had a great defense. They've been great all year. They've been one of the top defenses in the league. We knew it was going to be a battle. We knew that we had some great plays and great players too. On offense we've been playing great and their defense has been playing great. We knew it was going to be a lot of heads banging back and forth. We just kept talking about staying with it. We have to give a lot of credit to them too. They played great throughout the game. We did too. There are no words to explain how crazy it was. We found a way on offense and the defense did a tremendous job of making so many great stands and stops as well."
Did this feel like one of those 2013-era games between the Seahawks and 49ers?
"Yeah I think so. It definitely felt like the old days of the Seahawks and 49ers going back and forth. It's the 2019 version and there were a lot of great players on that field tonight. I know a lot of people probably had to stay up to watch it, but it was worth watching."
How good is it for the league to see the 49ers have a resurgence like this? To see that the rivalry is back, how good is that for the league?
"I don't really know how to answer that. What I know is about our consistency and how important it is for us to stay with our focus and stay one game at a time. We've been consistent for several years now. We want to keep that going. We need to keep trying to find a way to win. It's about us and how we continue to move forward. We have a lot of season left. We're looking forward to it. We're looking forward to our journey. We've been through this journey. We've had a lot of fourth quarter wins and a lot of overtimes and a lot of things we've been through. We're built for it. We're built to find ways to win these type of games."
After a game like that, are you more mentally and physically exhausted or wired trying to replay it in your head?
"Seventy minutes of that type of physical game are pretty exhausting physically and emotionally. You leave everything on the field. When you're playing championship football with championship opportunities in games like this, you have to leave everything on the field. No matter how good it goes or how tough it gets, just stay in neutral and believe that great things are going to happen. When you leave the field you should leave empty. We left empty tonight, but we found a way to win."
How do you feel you can get better in the last part of the season?
"I think just stay the course. We had that one turnover today. Things are going to happen, but we just kept believing. We're trying to be precise. Every time we step on the field we try to be great and find ways to win. My job is to win. My job is to do whatever it takes to win. That's the only thing I really care about. It's been a joy for us to execute week in and week out. I thought we had a great game plan. We executed. We knew it was going to be a battle. For the rest of the season, it's just about the next game. We get to have a Bye Week. We've been going for 10 weeks straight and really 14 because of the preseason. We get to have a little Bye Week and refresh our minds, body and soul. Then we can go back and go for the push. We can't do any of that without focusing on the next game. For me, it's just staying the course and keep getting the balls to the right guys at the right time. We have a lot of playmakers, that's for sure."
How different was trying to win the game in overtime without [Seattle Seahawks WR] Tyler Lockett out there?
"That was tough not having my guy Tyler out there. Obviously, Tyler has been arguably one of the best receivers in the NFL if not the best. Anytime he's on the field it is a good thing, but I think Malik did a good job stepping up. He made some huge plays and huge catches. He did some good things out there. The great thing is we have such a plethora of receivers that can do great things and have confidence. There was no worry or fear."
What did you think going after [49ers CB] Richard Sherman in some key moments?
"Sherman I have a lot of respect for. He's such a great player. At the end of the day you have to go for it. He's been playing lights out all year. He's such a tremendous player. There are not too many times you want to go after that guy. I've been around him a lot and he's made a lot of key plays in his career. He's a Hall of Fame player, that's for sure."
Linebacker Bobby Wagner
What worked for you guys out there tonight?
"We just wanted to come out and attack. We know that they were going to establish the run. It's an important aspect of their offense. The main thing was just try to be physical, try to get in the backfield, try to make them one dimensional by putting the ball in the quarterback's hands and make him beat us."
It was an amazing effort by Seahawks DE Jadeveon Clowney and the guys up front. We saw what we've been hoping to see all year?
"Yes they did an amazing job. They came to life. I don't know how many sacks we had, but we had a lot. Especially that huge sack and forced fumble. We picked it up and we scored. We need play like that especially in this atmosphere. It was a defensive battle but we reminded everyone we know how to play defense."
I know that his game could have ended in a lot of different ways. Would you have wanted it to end with any less drama?
"No we love drama. The fans love drama. I was just hoping that we didn't tie. I feel good and this was a great win."
Tackle Duane Brown
When the San Francisco 49ers go three-and-out in only 14 seconds, what are you thinking?
"How much time did we have? 1:30? We're going to win. We practice these situations every day. Like I said, [Seattle Seahawks QB] Russell Wilson is the best quarterback in the league. When you have him under center, I don't care how much time is on the clock. We feel like we've got a chance. Also, a shout out to [Seattle Seahawks K] Jason Myers for stepping up big time. We felt like we were going to win. We felt like that throughout the game, no matter what adversity we had to overcome. We always felt like we were in control. Guys stepped up and made big time plays at the right moments and we got the win."
Were you surprised to get that other chance when you guys punted after the two-minute warning?
"I wasn't surprised. You'd like to close it out at certain times. We weren't able to, but we always felt like we had a chance. When they [San Francisco 49ers] got down there in field goal position, we kept telling each other that he [San Francisco 49ers K Chase McLaughlin] was going to miss it. Sure enough, we got another opportunity. We're always optimistic here, that's just the make-up of our team."
Running Back Chris Carson
What does it mean to get a win against a team that you are looking up at in the standings?
"Anytime you win it's a big win, especially in the conference. It's a great win against a great team."
It was a real physical game with a lot of emotion as well. Do you feel like this rivalry was renewed again tonight?
"Oh for sure. There was a lot of trash talking from both sides but it was a good, hard fought, competitive game"
At the end you guys get the ball with one more chance to win. Was there any doubt you would go down the field and get a score?
"Not at all. We thought about last week. The situation was the same last week. QB Russell Wilson stayed calm and collected in the huddle. After that there was no doubt in our minds that we were going to win the game."
As much as guys have been talked about and how your defense wasn't as good as it could be, do you make a statement tonight by getting a win like this?
"Absolutely, our defense stuck to their assignments, played lights out and kept us in the game. All the credit goes to our defense. They made big plays when we needed them and we got that victory."
Defensive End Jadeveon Clowney
What was the vibe like when you felt like you won or lost that game probably 10 times?
"I never thought we were going to lose. I always tell the guys to just keep playing and [Seattle Seahawks QB] Russ [Wilson] is going to make something happen."
What did you think the pressure did to 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo?
"It helped. When you get pressure on any quarterback in the NFL, it's going to help your team win. We have to just keep playing up front and keep doing that throughout the season. It's a long season. We have to keep feeding off each other up front and keep getting pressure on the quarterback. That's going to help us win games throughout the rest of the season. We have a tough schedule ahead of us."
For you personally how big was this game?
"I have to watch the tape. I was just trying to do whatever I can to try to get to this quarterback."
Did you feel like you dominated?
"I could've done more. At the end of the day, I felt like I left some plays out there. I think I played a good game, but it could've been better. I could've made some more plays for my team and try to force more turnovers. At the end of the day we got five sacks, and we got the win."
Did the attention that their defensive line has received inspire you guys?
"For sure. It's a competition. If you're not competing, you need to retire. Point blank. Period. It's all about competing at the end of the day. I don't want to be outperformed by anybody, any week. In my head I always make it a competition. It's either going to be against them or it's going to be against the other guys up front. We're going to compete to the quarterback. That's my whole thing for this team is to keep competing. It doesn't matter what happens or what the scoreboard looks like. That's what we did today."
Are games like that more fun or stressful?
"It's fun. It was a great game. Did you hear that crowd out there? It's the best atmosphere I've been a part of. It was crazy. We had one last weekend in Seattle. It was another crazy game that went down to the last couple of plays of the game. Those types of games you look forward to. You don't forget games like that."
Safety Quandre Diggs
You've watched this team and you've practiced with this team for the last couple of weeks, but being on the field in a game like this, how do you describe this team?
"Resilient. Since I've been here, all of our games have been close. Tonight, we came out on top and we've been really resilient. You can tell these guys have the utmost confidence in themselves. I just want to bring that also. I'm proud and excited to be here. There was no better feeling than getting this done tonight and going into the Bye Week with a lot of momentum."
How much were you just saving up to make some of those hits and that interception?
"It took me awhile to make my debut, so I just tried to give everything I've got out there tonight. I just want to earn the respect of these guys in the locker room and the coaches. For me, it's a blessing."
Walk me through the interception. What happened?
"I don't know. I was just covering my guy. I was happy to make a play. It was crazy in my debut to come out, get an interception and set up my team to score a touchdown. It's a blessing, all of it."
How much was Seattle Seahawks DE Jadeveon Clowney and the rest of those front guys affecting San Francisco 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo?
"Those guys up front were eating all night. That's what we expect them to do each and every week. Those guys showed up for Monday Night Football and put on a show. We couldn't do it without those guys. Also our outside linebackers stopping the run, that's big and that's huge. Like I said, we've got the momentum going into the Bye Week."
Wide Receiver Josh Gordon
[Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson] said this week that you make it easy on a quarterback because of the way that you play the game. What is your relationship with him, now that you get to play with him in a game?
"I mean, we make eye contact a lot. Some plays I think we know that we would like to do this, but maybe it's time to play conservative or work with the clock and be a team player. We know we're going to have opportunities coming up down the road. This game, we had a few and we backed out of them. You might see me going in and out of the game a lot. I think going forward, we're going to be able to build that continuity, that relationship, that rhythm, and get into doing what we love to do, and that's make plays."
How comfortable did you feel?
"It's been a while since I played. It's been a couple of weeks since I've even practiced. Getting my legs back underneath me, getting back into that environment, it's not too long. Fortunately enough, I've had enough experience playing in big games, like New England, Philly, and Cleveland, and now here. The atmosphere, the environment, is very familiar. You're just doing it with new people. New teams, new terminology, that stuff I think is the harder part."
Have you ever been a part of a game that loud?
"Maybe once, maybe the Kansas City game last year. This was a tremendous game. This was huge. The environment, the energy that the team has every day, it's definitely different. I love it."
Tight End Jacob Hollister
Last week you had several touchdowns. This week you had one, a one-yard pass. How did [Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson] make that work and how did you know to make that play, a one-handed grab?
"Yeah, it was really just like a backyard play. Originally it was called an "All-Day," so I was just sitting there waiting for the ball. I saw Russell's eyes and once he tossed it over the top, I knew I had to go and get it. It was just like a backyard play."
How much more responsibility did you feel to step in when [Seattle Seahawks TE Luke Wilson] got hurt?
"Yeah, you've always got to step in. That's kind of football at the end of the day. You've got to step in. Luke's a warrior, but hamstrings not something you can plan on, so he had to sit out there for the rest of the game."
This is not a team that typically turns the ball over. You lost the turnover battle today, but still won the game. What was it the offense had to kind of get over?
"You've just got to get over that right away and put it behind you. Obviously, there is stuff you can correct at the end of the day, but it's nothing that you can keep thinking about at the end of the game."
Six offensive plays in the first quarter. What changed? What did you guys figure out as far as openings in that San Francisco defense?
"You've always got to make adjustments. We kind of figured out what they were planning after the first quarter, a lot of man up on third down. So we made some adjustments, and it worked out for us."
Defensive End Quinton Jefferson
You guys have struggled a little against the run throughout the season seems like you guys held up really well against the run tonight?
"The biggest thing was everyone just being disciplined and being where they are supposed to be. You don't have to be Superman. You just have to do your job. I feel like everyone did that tonight.
Did you sense a breakout game for Seattle Seahawks DE Jadeveon Clowney tonight?
"He's been playing great all season. I feel like what he did tonight is what he's been doing all year. The difference is tonight is Monday night. I'm positive we're going to continue to see him play this well the rest of the season."
What was it that helped you stop the San Francisco 49ers?
"We just had to play vertical against their offense. And when they went to pass we didn't play sideways from sideline to sideline. That was our biggest thing. We just played down hill and played vertical. Everybody came out tonight and did their job at a high level."
Kicker Jason Myers
This game could've ended in any number of ways, but to kick the game-winner, particularly after last week, how much did you want this scenario?
"All week, I was trying to get my routine back and work on a couple of things I wanted to work on. But I know how sports are and it always comes back around. When a game like that happened last week, I knew it was going to happen again, so I was preparing to get into that situation again."
What did you regain your confidence in after all of that practice this week?
"I just stick to my routine. That's who I am. I'm very routine-oriented, maybe too much sometimes, but that's something I have trust in and it puts me back to my even-keel."
As Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson is making that final drive, what are you visualizing and how are you setting up for that game-winner?
"With Russ doing his magic, I knew he could get us into some sort of a position for a field goal. I didn't know what it was, but I was prepared when [Seattle Seahawks special teams coordinator Brian Schneider] Schneids looked down and said 'three,' I was ready to go."
