San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and several others spoke with reporters after Saturday night's 13-3 Week 18 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Here is what they said.
Transcripts provided by the San Francisco 49ers Communications staff.
49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan
Opening comments:
"Injuries from the game. [LB] Dee Winters had an ankle, didn't return. [LB] Tatum Bethune, groin, didn't return. [QB] Brock Purdy had a stinger there at the end, he would've returned. [LB] Luke Gifford had a quad and returned. Go ahead."
Any of those seem like they could linger into next week?
"Possibly with Tatum and Dee. I'm not sure about Luke. They said Purdy would've gone back in. He checked out alright. But that's what we've got now."
What did you think of Seattle's defense, especially the pressure they put on Brock?
"I mean, it was what we expected just with their defense. We expected to do better than we did, but we knew it was a good defense. We knew that in Week 1, we knew it from watching tape all week. We knew it would be a challenge and they got us in a number of moments, had a couple opportunities I thought that we missed. And you can't miss those versus a team like that."
You never want to put it on one play, but do you imagine if you are able to recover that fumble, it might have been a very different game?
"Yeah, I think there were a bunch of plays though. A chance to recover that fumble could be different, chance to stop them on third-and-17 on that run could be different. You know, the turnover at the end inside the five, their third-and-two, our fourth-and-two, a number of plays that could make it different."
The offense is struggling more than we've seen in a long time. Obviously, the defense is really good. What did you see from the execution?
"I mean, I think having 40 plays, couldn't get the run game going. I think we only had 12 runs. I think we converted one third down in the first half. That was a series, I think the only series that we got the score on. But, you convert two third downs in a game, they control the clock for 40 minutes, just kind of the opposite of what happened last game. I thought we did better on our third downs we played them in Week 1, we had the ball for 40 minutes. We averaged about three yards a carry in that game, but we stayed on the field so we were able to get 36 runs. Today the run average was similar, but we only got 12 of them. They controlled the ball, kept it from us. And when we had to get something going, we didn't stay on the field on third."
You talked a lot about wanting to stay here and not go back on the road, and now you know that you have to. What's the feeling and what have you said to the team?
"Oh, we're ready for it. I mean, yeah, it would've been nice to have a home game here or both home games and get a Bye. But, it is what it is. I mean, this team's been through a lot this year. Now we've got to do it the hard way and we'll embrace the shit out doing it the hard way and look forward to it."
Do you try to get the guys to be upbeat after this one or do you understand any kind of disappointment they might feel? What was the mood of that locker room?
"Oh, disappointed. Those guys, regardless of how well we did, our guys really fought out there. Our guys were exhausted after the game, like we are after every game. I told them to enjoy tomorrow. We don't know whether we're going to play Saturday, Sunday or Monday. We don't know who we're going to play until after the afternoon game. But, when they come in here Monday, come in ready to go wherever we've got to go and hopefully we can earn a chance to see that team again."
How close or not close were T Trent Williams and WR Ricky Pearsall to playing?
"They were pushing it. It would've been too risky to play them though. They pushed it all the way up to the end, but it wouldn't have been the smartest decision by us to let them."
If this was on Sunday would they have had a better chance to go?
"Oh, yeah. Much better chance."
Do you think Seattle might be the best team in the NFC other than yourself?
"I don't know. I mean, anytime you've got a good defense, a very good defense, a good offense, I mean, they've been showing that they're one of the best teams in this league all year. That didn't feel much different than the team we played in Week 1. I thought the game was a little bit similar in terms of the battle on both sides, just to get in the end zone. But, they've earned the number one seed. They played like that throughout the whole year and we're going to have to earn the chance to get to play them again."
Was there any specific area, defensively, where you have trouble coping more than anything else?
"No. I mean, it's similar to what they do each week. You know, they've got a good pass rush, they're tough to run the ball against and they're tough to get explosives against."
Fourth-and-two, play action. Was that look something over the middle there? I didn't really see anybody who he could have directly thrown it to.
"Yeah, we would've hit [TE George] Kittle."
Was that on Purdy?
"No, he was extremely open. You know, they had one guy had a cover two, a go-route and Kittle. But, we got beat inside on that and weren't able to hang in there for it. I think it was [Seattle Seahawks LB Demarcus] Lawrence who showed up right when the quarterback got to the top of his drop."
How would you assess Brock's performance?
"I'll see when I watch the tape, but I thought Brock battled out there. The one drive, we got something going on where we turned it over there inside the five. But, he made some big plays on that drive. I thought he battled throughout the game. I know he was under duress, which we had a feeling that would be the case going into the game. But, none of us played good enough to win, but not disappointed at all in Brock. I thought he battled like he always does and did some good things."
They missed a couple short field goals, but 13 points. I mean, how did you think your defense played?
"I mean, we need to tackle better. We need to play better than that. I was proud that they kept battling and was able to hold them to 13 points. That's what gave us a chance there at the end. But, we need to play better all around."
When you guys have so many missed tackles, are there reasons for it other than guys over-pursuing or what Seattle's doing?
"No, there are not reasons for it. Just got to be better."
49ers QB Brock Purdy
Obviously, this was a tough one. What did you feel out there up against that Seahawks defense? What did you feel like could have gone better?
"Obviously, they're a good defense, good front, did a good job with making us go through reads and checking the ball down. For me, I just wish I could have been a little bit more efficient and they're going to make you work for the yards and make you have to convert on third down. And I just feel like third downs were definitely an area that I have to be better, our offense as a whole. I feel like that's the part where if you have to win these kind of games, you have to be good on third down. So, they did a good job."
How do you feel about having that number one seed and a Bye right in front of you and couldn't close it out? How do you feel about this team and your chances on the road?
"Obviously that was our goal, but we can't dwell on it. We have a pretty quick turnaround here and we got to go win next week. Our team has been through so much adversity, guys going down, next guy up. People have counted us out and that's fine and they can say what they want, but for us to go on the road and find a way to win, we've done it before and that's going to be our goal. So, we got to take it one day at a time, get better from this film, heal up and go find a way."
What happened on the hit you took there at the end. How do you feel right now?
"I feel good. I got hit and the left shoulder sort of lit up, so I feel good right now. We'll see how I feel tomorrow."
Was it a stinger?
"Yeah, I think so."
You guys have been on such a role offensively, 40-something points a game and converting third downs and in the red zone. Is there an element of surprise that someone could do this to you?
"For us, we always feel like there's plays left out there we could have converted. We had an op we just didn't due to X, Y, and Z. So, I'm not going to sit here and go, 'man, how the heck did that happen?' They played good defense and we didn't execute. And when all these other games where we've pulled away and had good points and stats and all that stuff, it's because we execute on the gritty third downs. We stay on the field and then we go score touchdowns after that. So obviously that's something that we needed to do tonight. We didn't, and then the scoreboard shows it."
On the fourth and two, the play action, did you see TE George Kittle? Was there any chance to be able to get that ball to him with the pressure in your face?
"It was one of those things where I felt pressure, but at the end of the day, I need to find a way to set my feet and get it to him and take a hit if I need to. I was concerned with just having my feet set and then I saw George and from where I was at, I didn't really have a clear picture to be honest, but we got back to the sideline, it was like, 'dang, he was there.' So, it's one of those plays that sucks, but you got to learn from it."
RB Christian McCaffrey, not surprisingly, was pretty hard on himself about the interception obviously a play he has to make. Did you talk to him, say anything to him or did you just leave him alone after something like that?
"I mean, it's a tough play. The ball got tipped at the line, so it came out weird and he's trying to adjust. He beat his guy in man, and then all of a sudden, the ball's just like coming in weird and just didn't go our way. The other guy was right there to catch it, it was right in his lap. So, obviously Christian's hard on himself with that. I'm hard on myself because it's like, 'dude, don't get the ball tipped at the line of scrimmage.' So, it's just one of those things that sucks, but Christian's a baller. He's going to live to play the next play and he's a Hall of Fame running back. So, dude should walk out with his head up."
49ers DL Alfred Collins
What was the message after the game from coach and some of the veterans?
"Take the medicine we got because we have more football to play. We take it on the chin, learn from it and get back to work next week."
What initial emotions do you have after being on this run to get the number one seed?
"It's unfortunate because we really wanted the number one seed, but we fell short. But there's another road we have to take and have to be the best version of ourselves."
How are you and the guys feeling about the challenge of going on the road for the playoffs?
"We're excited and ready to get back to work Monday. We're not going to let this linger. It sucks, we didn't want anything like this, but this team is resilient and we have to get back to work."
Can you take it as a positive from the night that you kept them out of the end zone?
"We've been playing well and thrashing everybody, but we still fell short. We can do more defensively; they scored 13 points. If they don't score, they don't win and that's on us."
49ers TE George Kittle
Colton McKivitz joked that you guys try to make it as hard as on yourselves as possible. Is that something that you can adopt and kind of embrace as you go on the road?
"Well, look, we lost at home to a division rival for the division and the one seed. That sucks. That is what it is. Yes, I'm disappointed about it. It's horrible. Good news is I get to play football next week. Whether it's Saturday, Sunday, Monday, whenever it is, I get to play football again. It's going to be on the road in a hostile environment. Would I much rather be on a bye and get to play at Levi's Stadium? Yeah. But that's just not our reality. So, I fully expect our team to come in, attack it, and we have a whole new season ahead of us. It is what it is. So we've just got to get to work. We have a week. Hopefully, we get [T] Trent [Williams] back, that's super helpful. He's a really good football player. And maybe [WR] Ricky [Pearsall]. It's horrible. I hate that. I hate losing. I hate losing to the Seahawks. But hey, we get to play football next week, and whoever it is or whatever happens, go Cardinals."
Is there anything at all about their defense that surprised you? You played them once early in this season, and you watched film of them all week. Was there anything that jumped out at you at what they were doing that was different or better?
"No, they pressured randomly. They brought a lot of pressures, which is what they do. They drop really deep, they force you to chuck the ball down, and they routed the ball really well. That's their defense. That's what their head coach has made their defense do. When you've got a really good D-line, and they can all win one-on-one battles from time to time, and then you bring pressure with it. They also got a smart secondary. So no, nothing surprising, just I wish we would've taken advantage of some of the situations, and we didn't. That's football."
To lean on your offense and then have to go up against a high-powered defense like you went up against tonight, and then have the type offensive performance that you've had, does that at all shake the confidence of the offense?
"It doesn't shake my confidence at all. I was expecting [QB] Brock [Purdy] to go out there and have five touchdowns. Yes, they're a very good defense. They showed that they were a good defense today. They kept us from scoring any points, so kudos to them. I'm still incredibly confident in our offense. Anytime that thirteen's in the backfield with the ball in his hands, and I've got 23 back there, I've got a ton of confidence in this offense. It just didn't go our way tonight. We didn't make the plays when we needed to make them. That's football. All you need is one really good drive, and we didn't really have that one good drive tonight."
49ers DB Deommodore Lenoir
What are the initial emotions on coming up short as far as winning the division and getting the bye?
"To lose a tough game like that, you know, it hurts. But we've got to lick our wounds and get ready for the playoffs next week."
You guys had a 3rd and 17. What happened there?
"I really didn't see the film, but 3rd and 17, we've got to get off the field to get our offense the ball back, so they can drive down and score. Those types of plays can't happen."
When you see LB Dee Winters and LB Tatum Bethune go down, what's the mindset of the defense?
"Just to amp up and keep fighting. The next guy up. I want to say [LB] Garret [Wallow] came in and did everything he could."
RB Christian McCaffrey
Obviously, you've won six in a row and to lose one is not easy. But what is the mood in the locker room?
"Obviously we wanted that one, but, onward. We're in the playoffs and we don't have time to sulk over it. I think there's a lot to learn from that tape and we have to get better and come ready to go for the playoffs."
From your viewpoint, why was it so hard to get rolling tonight offensively?
"I have to check the tape. Yeah, we have to be better though."
On the interception, the ball was definitely tipped. Did you have to adjust to it? What kind of difficulty did that add to that one?
"It's a play that I have to make. I absolutely have to make that play. I expect nothing less but to make that play and it's completely on me."
You obviously played them in the beginning of the season. You watched film all week. Was there anything they did that was surprising or did they just beat you to the ball and have a better night?
"Yeah, they were the better team today. I think we'll have to check the tape and correct the mistakes and go from there."
Seahawks Head Coach Mike Macdonald
Opening comments:
"Man, I'm obviously just incredibly proud of our team. All the things that we've been working at since we walked in the door, especially this year, are coming to life. I'm just incredibly proud of them. They played incredibly hard. They played together. They played complimentary football. Each phase picked the other up. It was a great game, so I'm really proud of our guys. Injury-wise, on everybody that got out of the game, I think [Seattle Seahawks S] Josh [Jones] was able to return, and we're optimistic about [Seattle Seahawks S] Coby [Bryant] and [Seattle Seahawks S] Charles [Cross] coming back. Having an extra week is going to be really great for those guys. I just told our team that we've gotten to this point because of our approach every day. Everybody wants to tag all this meaning to games, but our guys just worry about our process and attack what's right in front of us every play. I believe that that's why we're sitting right here. We're going to keep that same mentality over the next two weeks."
Did your gameplan tonight exceed your expectations?
"Our coaches put together a great plan, but our players made it come to life, they really did. We had some bad calls in some moments and the other team had some good plays, but our guys did it. They played incredibly well. They were determined to win the game, and are just such a resilient bunch."
Could you feel the difference having Seattle Seahawks S Nick Emmanwori more available in this game as opposed to the first time you faced the San Francisco 49ers this season?
"We played the first game a lot with [Seattle Seahawks CB Devon Witherspoon] at nickelback, and he did a great job. We didn't lose that game because we didn't stop the run. I'm really proud of Nick. I mean, he had a great game. He had a bunch of tackles and he earned this. He's a great player and it's obviously great to have him. He definitely helps our defense for sure."
I know your last drive didn't end the way you wanted with the missed fumble. What are your thoughts on that?
"Yeah, I messed that up. I should have taken a timeout. I was thinking about other things at the moment. That said, the guys did incredible. I mean, that was what, 15 plays over several minutes? [Seattle Seahawks QB] Sam [Darnold] did a great job extending plays today, and that really helped us win the game. The third-and-long run conversions were incredible. I think [Seattle Seahawks WR Jake] Bobo had a great block on one of them, and [Seattle Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III] had a great run. Those were big-time plays for us."
The interception by Seattle Seahawks LB Drake Thomas was obviously huge. What did you think about that?
"Look, we're going to defend a blade of grass. The 49ers popped a few plays on that drive, but our guys stayed with it. [Seahawks Defensive Coordinator Aden Durde] AD was telling me in the headset to stay calm and keep playing. It was a team effort, and [Seattle Seahawks LB] Boye [Mafe] had an assist on that play. I think it was one of those moments where the ball finds energy. Drake has been playing great football for us, and he deserves a massive shout-out. [San Francisco 49ers RB Christian] McCaffrey is obviously a great back, so to make a play like that was big."
You've had three straight games with 163-plus rushing yards. Are you happy about the way that is trending?
"Yeah, it's great. Honestly, it's easy to feel good about it right now. That said, some of the counters they had gave us trouble, and I think we need to do a better job countering their counters, and we will. We've done a great job throughout the season making second-half adjustments. It was great to start the game the way we did with the run game. Now we want to shoot for a four-quarter run game."
Do you feel like the run game would have been capable of this type of performance earlier in the year?
"Absolutely. I think it's just that gradual attack. We know who we are and what our core competencies are, and we just keep attacking it. The offensive coaches hear from me every once in a while, and they've been great, solving problems and keeping the attack going."
You talked a lot about games presenting themselves. With that first drive on your decisions inside the 10, did you know it was the type of game that you didn't plan on giving up many points?
"It was an aggressive model, and normally it's par for the course to be ready to go for it in that situation. Obviously, the result wasn't great, but their average starting field position was really high too. The value of field goals was kind of lower in this game, and we felt like having a bad starting position was actually helpful for us."
You guys laid out incremental goals throughout the year, what's it like accomplishing them?
"That's it. We're just one game at a time. Keep stacking them. This is what we've been saying for a while now: if we want to go where we want to go, and we're a young team with an idiot head coach in his second year trying to figure it out, that's our mentality. We're just going to keep attacking day by day, one thing at a time, and worry about that. Let everybody else come up with all the stories and stuff. I'll try to give you some good info, but we're not really worried about all that stuff."
Have you been able to give it any thought about being able to possibly host two playoff games at home?
"I'm glad you brought that up. Of all the things we've been thinking about over the last 30 minutes or so, that's definitely a point of pride that we can have at least one home playoff game in front of the 12s. They've been dynamite this year. They've been absolutely incredible. We're really excited to be able to stay home."
Can you allow yourself to take some pride in all that you've accomplished in your first two years here in Seattle?
"I'm really proud of our team. You can hear them in there—they love each other, man. It's so much fun to go to work every day and to coach this team. It's an absolute honor to coach these guys. I just talked to AD on the plane. I was like, 'I don't want this to end.' Ultimately, the season's going to end at some point, but I just want to keep going. I want to do whatever this is. Every day has been a massive blessing, and I love these guys."
How'd you feel about the way that your pass rush was married with your secondary guys in the back end today?
"They're a tremendous offense, probably top whatever in the league and have been doing it for a long time. They have great players, they have great coaches, and the numbers back it up. Our guys played great complimentary football today. They really did. I can't say enough, but I can't wait to watch the tape. There's a lot of assists going on in there, guys rushing unselfishly to free somebody else up or to let somebody else have a two-way go so they can cover for them. How we played in the back end, it felt like we were ahead of plays. These guys did a great job. I'm looking forward to watching it. I won't watch it on the plane, but I'll watch it tomorrow."
Do you like what you've seen out of the run games over the last few weeks?
"Like I said earlier, I love how we started the game. It felt like we really set the tone, but I'd like us to finish. I felt like we kind of started the game the right way and finished the right way. We need to find some more answers. I thought they did a good job of finding some counters to slow us down a little bit. It'll be interesting to watch it and come up with some solutions to that."
How big is that to just have the ball security you guys did in a game like this?
"Our guys did a great job. It goes back to, like, 'Hey, what do you say about the takeaways?' Nail the process. We talked about it. Let's just be us when it comes to finishing plays. Anybody that had the ball, I thought did a great job."
Did you have a cigar, Mike?
"No, I'm an amateur when it comes to that kind of stuff."
Seahawks QB Sam Darnold
Opening comments:
"That was an incredible game, and kind of a weird game. As an offense, we didn't execute the way that we wanted to in the red zone and at the end of drives. But our defense, they step up time after time. Our special teams played lights out. It was an incredible win. I'm so proud of the guys in that locker room. We're going to celebrate this one but we know that we have a lot of work to do, and we're going to get right to work on that this upcoming week."
You've been on the opposite end of a Week 18 where everything is at stake, and unfortunately, it didn't go your way. Can you talk about the emotions that come with this kind of win?
"It's a great team win, like I said. We have a resilient group no matter what happens. I feel like I missed a couple throws. I feel like I had Charbs [RB Zach Charbonnet] open on that first drive in the end zone. I feel like I could have just put the ball on him and let him score. Then, I felt like I underthrew Jacks [WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba] on that third-down play in the second quarter. There's opportunities that you're going to have that you're going to want back after every single game, but just the fact that, as an offense, we were able to move on. That last drive was incredible. Our offensive line and the way we were able to run the ball on that last drive was awesome. Like I said, I'm just proud of the guys in the locker room."
The one to JSN, are you talking about the one in the endzone?
"Yes, the third down in the second quarter, going into their tunnel. I thought I could have put the ball out there a little bit more, or maybe thrown it earlier."
You guys had 180 rushing yards tonight after 160-plus in each of the previous three games. What your run game has done these last three games, how big is that?
"It's just the offensive line, the tight ends, receivers, everyone on our offense is working. We're continuing to communicate with each other throughout the week on what runs we like. We're communicating on different looks that the defense can present to us. I think the communication and cohesiveness of that group upfront is continuing to get better and better."
You mentioned the defense already, to hold that 49ers offense to three points and 173 total yards is impressive. What would you say about what your defense has been all year and also today?
"I witnessed it firsthand in OTAs and in training camp. Going against our defense is tough. They have a lot of different looks and they present some problems, whether it's upfront or from the linebacker position. S Nick Emmanwori doing his thing wherever he's going to be on our defense, and then the back end obviously, doing what they do. They're such a good group. Very talented, but I think more than talent alone, they're very smart football players and smart people. They're just very cohesive in what they do defensively."
You've watched the running game explode, and the defense has pretty much shut down every team. What can you say about the growth from the beginning of the season to where you guys are now?
"Yes, that's us. We're going to continue to try to get better and no matter what the results are. Whether it's a win, whether it's a loss, we're always going to look in the mirror. That's what's great about the guys in the locker room. We have a lot of unselfish guys that are going to see what they can do better for the team, and that's it."
Sam, you switched teams to come here. You're 14-3 in your first season, what can you say about the last seven or eight months for you?
"Yeah, I mean I'm taking it one day at a time. It's been a whirlwind, just the NFL season, just preparing one week at a time. That's the best part about it. You celebrate a win like this and then tomorrow you might celebrate a little bit too because you have a Bye. But we're right back to seeing what we can do better and how we can get better for the next game. That's the beautiful thing about the NFL and what we do."
What does it mean to get those playoff games at home?
"It's huge to be able to play in front of the 12s. It's unlike any other stadium that I've ever played in in terms of how loud it can be and how tough it could be for another offense to operate. So we're really looking forward to playing at home for the playoffs."
It sounds like you'll have T Charles Cross back for the divisional round game, but what can you say about the job that G/T Josh Jones did the last three games filling in for him?
"Yeah, Josh has been incredible. He has stepped up in many ways this season. Coming in mid-game, he did a really good job in that first Rams game coming in when someone went down. And he's a guy that again shows just how unselfish all of our guys are in that locker room. He just wants to do whatever it takes to win, whether that's starting at left tackle or whether that's being a swing tackle that can go in there in goal line and short yardage stuff. He's been incredible all season."
What happened on the fumble to RB Zach Charbonnet? How big was it that Zach got that and then you hit RB Kenneth Walker III and he runs to about the 50 yard line there?
"It's huge for us obviously to recover that fumble. I think maybe I have to look at the tape. I don't know exactly what happened. Obviously, someone clipped my foot, but I have to watch the tape. I think in that situation again, I would probably try to just tuck the ball and take the loss and not try to hand it off."
You are atop this division that has three teams with 12 or more wins. How do you feel about the way that you guys have been prepared for the challenges that are coming your way through the postseason because of that company?
"Yeah, there's a ton of great teams in this division in the NFC and we're looking forward to whatever challenge we face. Like I always say, we're very resilient, but we're just going to continue to take it one week at a time, one day at a time, and go from there."
You told us last week that you learned a lot from Week 18 last year. How did that experience help you out?
"Yeah, I think just taking what the defense gives me. If I'm in play action and get my eyes down the field, and I'm not exactly seeing it the way I want to, I am just able to get to a check down or maybe scramble or just throw the ball away. Especially on first and second down, I think that was the biggest difference."
Seahawks S Nick Emmanwori
What was your game plan?
"Yeah, we had a good, simple game plan. There wasn't too much to it. We have to go out there and just ball and do what we do, show up when we need to show up and handle business."
How do you feel about the way your offense played?
"Those boys can ball. The O-line was busting their ass out there. They made plays all night. The Niners couldn't stop the run game, so if they can't stop it, you have to keep running the ball."
Are you looking forward to getting S Coby Bryant back in the lineup?
"I'm ready to get my dog Coby back."
Seahawks LB Ernest Jones IV
Did you think that you were inbounds and might have scored on that one play?
"Yes. I just kept running to make sure. I didn't know, honestly. But just wanted to start off, just super proud of my guys. Super proud to be a Seahawk and the way that we fought out here. I want to give all the glory to God for this season. I just wanted to give him all the glory and it's just awesome to see what he's doing on this team and in Seattle."
Throughout this season, when we've asked you about your individual accomplishments, the numbers, you've talked about winning and team goals. In light of that, to be the number one seed and NFC West champs, just how does this feel for you?
"Yes. That was my goal. That was a goal that we talked about since our first meeting. So it's a blessing, it's an honor. One down, a couple more to get."
All those times you've gone off against this Seahawk defense in practice. Does it kind of feel nice to watch them do their thing to an audience?
"Oh, it's awesome. I love it. There's no other defense I would want to go out there and play. I know the intensity that they bring, I know how they look across the field, and it is something you don't want to play. So I'm super proud of them."
How do you end up with almost 1800 yards, I think it's 1793. How do you look at that now that it's over?
"I just want to give all the glory to God. I took it one day at a time process over results. It was about the process. It was about the Tuesdays, Wednesdays, getting ready for the next week. It was about the little things. We preach process over results and when I look back, I'll think about the process."
Seahawks LB Drake Thomas
You've been playing a long time in the NFL. What does it mean to you to have a moment like this?
"It means so much. I think one of the only guys on the team that really knows the journey I've been on is [Seattle Seahawks S] Julian [Love] and we both embraced each other after the game and just talked about our path. I've just been so thankful to be here and so thankful for the season and just the way everything's been playing out. It is just really incredible to be having this type of season towards the end of my career."
Did you imagine you could hold this team to three points? Is that total beyond the expectation?
"I don't think so. I don't have any doubt in any part of this team. On all three levels, honestly. We keep finding ways to win. Sometimes it's our offense finding a way. Sometimes it's special teams. I think our defense has been playing lights out all season. They have a great offense, but I think we did a good job today."
How do you feel about the complimentary football you guys are playing?
"I think every team preaches it, especially in the beginning of the season, that you want to be good in all three phases of football. Now being on a team that has that, I can really see the impact it has in games. There are times where one side of the ball is lacking in certain areas and we're just not getting the job done. When that happens we can always count on another side of the ball to pick it up. This team is just special."
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