Los Angeles Rams vs. Seattle Seahawks – Post Game Quotes – September 18, 2016
| September 18, 2016 06:12PM |
Los Angeles Rams vs. Seattle Seahawks – Post Game Quotes – September 18, 2016
Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher
(Opening remarks)
“That was a great win for us for all of those obvious reasons. Our first game back here the fans were incredible. It made this a tough place to play starting day one, which was really impressive. We had many opportunities and there’s going to be a lot of things we have to correct, and we had some mistakes. But when it’s said and done, we take the win. That’s an outstanding football team. They’re always in it until the end. You never know. You can’t relax with (Seattle Q
Russell (Wilson). We gave away the big play there at the end, which we shouldn’t have, but we got the play back with (LB Alec Ogletree) Tree’s strip. It’s nice coming away with a win after a short week on the road, and now we got to get back on the road again. I was proud of (Q Case (Keenum). He bounced back after last week. You know, there are some realities to where we are right now. We’re 1-1 in the Division and we haven’t scored a touchdown yet. We need to score some touchdowns, so we’ll keep working on that.”
(On how much the lack of touchdowns is concerning him)
“Anybody that knows this game would be concerned about not scoring touchdowns, now come on. I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but we need to score some touchdowns. But I’ll take this win, winning and then some. So if we take anything away from this week, that’s what we got to do. We got to keep working on it someway somehow, whether it’s special teams or defense, but I’ll take a touchdown next week. That would be cool.”
(On how important the fans were to that last Seahawks drive)
“They were great, it was great the whole game! They were just outstanding. It has an impact, it really does. Most teams benefit from it, and Seattle especially, but it’s nice to have that on our side now so that we can take advantage of our pass rush and all those things associated with the noise.”
(On the “slugfest” between the two teams on the field that know each other so well)
“That’s what it was. It became evident early that this was going to be a field position game, so we managed as best we could. Holding them at the three points down there was huge for us, and they’re saying the same thing about us, but goal-to-goal on the three you couldn’t get in, but that’s a trait to both the defenses. I would suggest, instead of being critical of the offenses, you’ve got to be very, very congratulatory as far as the defenses are concerned because both of them are playing well.”
(On the Rams 3-1 “dominance” over the Seahawks throughout past four seasons)
“I wouldn’t call it ‘domination.’ I would just call it what it is. You know, we match-up well against them and strange things happen in these games, too. I mean we beat them a couple of years ago without scoring a touchdown. Well we had a special teams touchdown, but we beat them with field goals. Just figure out a way to beat them.”
(On LB Alec Ogletree’s performance)
“I mean he’s had two back-to-back outstanding weeks on defense right now. To make that play, that’s what he does and he’s shown it before. Someone needed to make a play and he got near the ball and he made the play.”
(On how proud he is of his defense today)
“Yeah, I mean it’s a week-to-week thing. Last week we were disappointed in the first half and the points allowed, and this week you’ve got to give them credit. They played hard the whole game. Got off the field, it was tough, they were harassing (Seattle Q Russell (Wilson), and I thought we did a good job, with exception of the first drive where we had field position changed. We gave up about 20 yards rushing in two or three plays, but I thought we handled their run game pretty well, too.”
(On QB Case Keenum’s performance)
“Well he bounced back. He had a good week, came back and made plays. That’s a tough defense to attack and throw against. You know, we had some drops nonetheless, but he put the ball where it needed to be put. The last play to (WR) Kenny (Britt) was a great throw – great anticipation, great throw.”
(On the history of today’s game experience)
“Oh yeah, it was incredible! I got bits and pieces of it all week – I mean since we’ve come here – but all week. I thought the production and everything associated with the game was incredible. The anthem, I didn’t get to enjoy the concert like you guys did, but there was some good stuff going on today.”
(On the decision to keep the door open for Seattle by punting it to the 10-yard line instead of attempting a 55-yard field goal)
“Well, no. It became a field position game. I’d rather them start their drive at the 10-12-yard line, than not make the kick. It has nothing to do with the confidence in the kicker, it just makes sense as far as managing the game.”
(On how he can get RB Todd Gurley going more)
“We just have to get him some more touches. He ran well when he had the ball. Again, it’s the same thing we’ve been talking about if we convert more third downs we get more opportunities. He’ll be fine. He’ll just be fresh at the end of the season.”
(On WR Kenny Britt’s success on big plays)
“I remember the big plays, but I also remember the third-down drop, so being more consistent. That’s what we need to do as a group, as a receiving group. But he made the big plays and the throws were there. And the throws were timing throws, and he’s showing some run-after-catch, which we expect out of him.”
Rams QB Case Keenum
(On bouncing back from last week’s loss against San Francisco)
“It feels good, It feels really good to bounce back. I think anytime you encounter some adversity, we knew what we needed to fix something— just like I told you guys last week. We looked at the film and fixed it and I think we were better today. Obviously, I like touchdowns, but I love winning. So either way, I think the defense played incredible today. You know they’re (the Seahawks) got a great quarterback (Russell Wilson) and great offense and they are a really good team. I think that our defense did an incredible job with putting us in a position to win. We’ve managed to put enough points on the board to do it. It wasn’t pretty, but it doesn’t matter how, it matters how many, the end.”
(On the situation to get more touchdowns)
“I want touchdowns and we got down there. I think we had a penalty, maybe a negative run, just negative plays in the red zone. It is not good. When we get down there, yards are precious in the red zone, just executing. We had a chance on that third down to (WR) Kenny (Britt). I underthrew him. I think we had a good play on and just missed. Some of those other ones and just converting third downs and staying positive in the red zone. We got down close to field-goal range a couple of times, obviously helped with the field position battle, but if you’re going to be successful in this league, there are a lot of really good offenses, you have to score points.”
(On building on this win and using this momentum to go forward)
“I think we keep doing what we are doing. I think we’ve got to forget about this one. We’ve got a 24-hour rule. Enjoy it tonight, and for me, I always use that long shower you are talking about. I wash everything off. The showers here are extremely hot and I took a nice long shower and I’m going to get ready for this coming week. That’s my motto. Same thing as last week, forget about it and move on because it’s a long season and every week there is another opponent that is really, really good. Every week, there is an opponent that is really, really good. There’s no time, honestly, to breathe or let your guard down— you have to keep pushing on in this league.”
(On how he over thought last week and the difference he saw today)
“I think it was better. There’s obviously, plays I want back, but my guys made a lot of good plays for me down the field. Offensive line did a great job— I don’t think I was touched in the first half. You‘ve got to give those guys some credit for being ready to play. I think just trusting it, just trusting the offense and the play, trusting my guys, trusting my protection. I think we did a good job of that this weekend. I think we can continue to get better on that as we move forward.”
(On his chemistry with WR Kenny Britt)
“I knew all week Kenny was going to play real well. He was hungry this week. I mean, Kenny Britt came to work and I knew that he was going to have a special game. He had some really big catches there. Even battling through the drop on the third down, which I immediately told him that, ‘I’m coming to you again.’ I love throwing him the ball. I think all of those guys have done a great a good job and we are going to continue to grow and create chemistry.”
(On the drive at the 50-yard line and the fan atmosphere)
“It was good. I thought the crowd was good, it was loud. There were still one or two times where we were on offensive where this [gestures a keep it down motion] does not mean chug your beer and yell louder or start the wave, it means maybe watch and hopefully cheer after a touchdown. No, but I loved it. The fans— it was awesome. That was really, really cool. I made sure right before I went out in the tunnel, and as I’m running out, just to look around and just to savor that moment and remember. I am going to write that stuff down because I want to remember that forever, It was cool. It was really cool. It may not have been the prettiest game but it was a lot of fun.”
(On the throwback uniforms and the crowd atmosphere)
“I love the throwbacks, I really do. Everybody in the locker rooms loves the throwbacks. Something about that blue and yellow that go together and it was cool. It was cool to see— you kept looking up at the scoreboard and there would be somebody else at the game, that you knew and were there and a part of it. I think a lot of people will remember this day. I’ll look back one day to think about how cool it is, but I think it was good to get a win.”
(On how key it is to get RB Todd Gurley the ball more and generate more points)
“Todd is going to get going, it’s Todd. I think just continue to operate how we are. I think the passing game and running game are going to compliment each other. I think we are doing a good job of marrying some of those plays. I’m excited to see him continue to go because I know he’s hungry. I thought he played well today. We’re going to rely on him a lot moving forward.”
(On WR Tavon Austin finding space and getting the ball more to make plays)
“I think there was… the one down the field I overthrew, but one little slant that I’m pretty sure he might still be running if I don’t overthrow that one, too. He’s a guy that’s explosive and you want the ball in his hands at any point. Anytime we can find him a little bit of space, he doesn’t need much, he can get going. (Head) Coach (Jeff Fischer) is doing a good job of preparing us and I think they’ll do a good job of getting the ball in his hands.”
(On if WR Tavon Austin’s ability to create space is dependent on the success of other offensive players such as WR Kenny Britt and RB Todd Gurley)
“I think he does a good job of making space for himself. He is extremely talented and fast and I love throwing to fast guys. I think all parts of offenses need each other to help... if one area is faltering, another area needs to help pick it up.”
(On if getting WR Todd Gurley going and made him more confident in the play-action)
“You can say whatever about the run game with Todd (Gurley), but he’s respected. People respect him running the football. So anytime you stick the ball out there and have him fake, and he does a great job of that stuff and with protections, you can say he’s the reason that a lot of those passes down field are working.”
Rams RB Todd Gurley
(On what it was like playing in that environment)
“It was good, it felt great.”
(On what it’s like to bounce back after last week’s performance)
“It felt good just to be able to put up some points. Obviously, we can do a lot better. But, we’ll look at the film tomorrow, and get back to work.”
(On if the crowd fueled his performance)
“Yeah, that helped us out. But, we can’t depend on the crowd. We have got to go get our own energy. The crowd was definitely in it, and did a good job.”
(On what way he felt the team improved this week)
“We put some points on the board, just here to scare.”
(On what the offense needs to do to score)
“I don’t know. We’ll find out tomorrow.”
(On if he was frustrated by his personal performance)
“It’s whatever. It’s football, you’re not going to have a great game every game.”
(On his thoughts regarding rushing the ball to set up the Rams’ play-action passing scheme)
“I don’t know. I’m not an (Offensive Coordinator) OC. I can’t really tell you. Just go out there and run the plays coach gives us.”
(On if there were any changes in preparation leading up to this game)
“I don’t think anything last week had anything to do with it. Like I said, we’re going to run our offense. We just need to go out there and execute, and put some points on the board. It’s a simple game. We’ve been doing this our whole lives. Play football, win the one-on-ones, and make plays.”
(On if he felt any extra motivation leading into the game)
“No. I’m ready to play every week. I treat every game like the same.”
(On his thoughts regarding QB Case Keenum’s performance)
“He did a great job. Obviously, we didn’t have any turnovers, so that was definitely a plus. We don’t turn the ball over, your chances are you’re probably going to win.”
(On if he feels defenses are focusing more on stopping him)
“It’s the same as last year. Got to go out there and, like I said, execute and win.”
(On his thought getting the first win under his belt)
“It felt good. First home game in this city. About to go on the road for a couple weeks.”
(On the reception of the fans in the Coliseum)
“It was great. They had high energy all game. They did a great job.”
(On the amount of field goals in comparison to the lack of touchdowns)
“We got the win. We got to go out there and score some touchdowns. But hey, it’s better than what we did last week; better improvement.”
Rams TE Lance Kendricks
(On if it bothered him that the didn’t score a touchdown)
“It does, but we know we left some things out there on the field that we can learn from. Going forward, I think we just have to learn from it, and just continue to practice hard and just focus on the details. That’s what got us this win.”
(On what effect the crowd had on the team’s performance)
“It was really important. Having that energy behind us, it helped immensely. When we go three-and-out, hearing them yell when our defense makes a sack, or something, that gives us energy, and that helps us out.”
(On if the crowd noise was more than what he expected it to be)
“It was. We got a sneak peak in the preseason, but today I think it was a little louder. It was hot; everyone was just kind of ready to go. It’s always a fourth-quarter game when we play them. I think today, we just grinded it out like we normally do against them.”
(On the difference between last week, and this week in terms of offense)
“It’s a little bit of everything. It’s game plan, but we know Seattle. We’ve been good, lately, against them, so we know them. They’re really good at what they do, but they’re very simple in what they do. We just got to be able to execute against what they do, and they do it well. It comes down to us making plays.”
(On what this win does for the team)
“It helps our confidence. We know we’re going in the right direction. After last week, outside of this locker room, everybody was kind of panicking. But, we know what we have in this locker room, and we know we have the talent. It’s just a matter of putting it all together, and I think we did that this week, and I think we continue to do that moving forward.”
Rams LB Alec Ogletree
(Opening remarks)
“Really proud of the guys in the locker room, proud of our fans. It was an amazing feeling to be out there today – it was a historical moment, glad to be a part of it.”
(On how he felt about the home opener)
“I think we did a really nice job of coming home and winning. Like I said, it was an amazing, historical moment. To be here, I’m definitely glad that we were able to come out with a win.”
(On what happened on his fumble recovery)
“It kind of happened all so fast. We were playing like some type of man-coverage – I was kind of just roaming the field. I dropped like 30 yards deep, which I don’t even think I was supposed to do. I just saw him (Seahawks QB Russell Wilson) check it down, I just ran it down. (LB/S) Mark (Barron) did a good job of containing and making him come back to me and we were able to get the ball out and give our offense back the ball to get in victory formation.”
(On what goes through his mind when he sees the ball lying on the field)
“Get on the ball. Get on the ball as fast as possible and hold on tight because everybody is going to come diving on the pile and try to get the ball away from me. That was my mindset.”
Rams DE Robert Quinn
(On if this win meant more because it was the first game back in Los Angeles)
“Every game is important, of course we’d love – the first home opener in L.A., of course that makes it a little more special. But every game, we look at it as important. Because we want to have a great season, we’ll put it that way and give ourselves a chance. To beat a tough opponent like this, no matter where it’s at, no matter how they’re feeling, no matter how we’re feeling, we have to figure out a way to win. Guys definitely did that today and that’s all we can ask for.”
(On what was going through his mind when the Seahawks got the ball back with less than 2:00 minutes)
“We have to bow-up as a defense. Because, if they score a touchdown, we can basically lose the game. We definitely just had to bow-up as a defense, keep them out of the end zone and, of course, they made that huge play on first-or-second down. So we really had to rise up. Like I said, guys did a great job. I don’t know who forced that fumble, but I’m happy we got it out and got the ball back for the offense. The guys just rose up, never panicked, stayed level-headed and were able to come out with the victory that ended on a turnover.”
(On how the defensed regained its energy after losing in Week 1)
“Last week, we were definitely disappointed with our play. But at the end of the day, we had to put it behind us because the game was over. We had a tough division opponent with the Seahawks and we just focused on that. Like I said, we knew we had to play better and we used how bad we played the first game for a little motivation. We realized we need more from everybody and I think everyone stood up today and made a play when needed.”
Seahawks Head Coach Pete Carroll
(Opening remarks)
“We’re really disappointed to come down here and play in this opportunity to start the season and had a chance to get to 2-0, and when you come out and play like that and not give us a real shot to get ahead, it was tough – tough day. And those guys did a nice job – they hold onto the ball well, they played a good, solid football game and that’s all it took, today for them. If we had our own way, I don’t know how we had the pass interference penalties today on offense, but we did, and they were really disruptive in the game – it was definitely a tight game. I thought our defense played really well, again and held them down for the most part, but they didn’t make some plays, enough to get field goals and you’ve got to hand it to them. On the other side of the ball, I never could have thought that we would go the first couple of weeks and not score one touchdown. I’m just surprised at that and we’re better than that. And we’re going to go back to work. It’s early in the year and we have a lot of stuff that we can get better at and improve and we’re going to do that.”
(On if he was especially mad about WR Tyler Lockett’s offensive pass interference penalty in the fourth quarter and what he saw on the play)
“I just thought the official was in a difficult position to call what he called, but I’m going to (contest) calls all the time. That was just one of them.”
(On the special teams unit’s struggles)
“I’ve felt like that both games. Look at the starts – again, it was twenty-two, last week, I don’t know what it was, this week, but I don’t think that it was a whole lot better. We’ve not been able to shift field position in our favor, and when we’re not getting turnovers, we can’t change what is happening. So we had to overcome it and we weren’t able to do that, today.”
(On what the team needs to improve on)
“Third downs have to go up, again. We’ve got to get our third downs going on offense and keep converting them. We have to not have offensive pass interference penalties. Those were crushers, today and it was unfortunate in those drives, so we have to do better there and figure that out, but it’s really coming down to converting. I would like to see us run the ball. We ran the ball a little bit in the third quarter and got going a little bit, but not like we had thought we could, early on. The numbers look really skewed because of that crazy play we got knocked way back, but we’re much better than that and we need to show that.”
(On the Rams’ defensive line’s performance)
“There’s no question – these guys are fantastic. We’ve faced two great defensive lines and I think our guys have learned a lot. I think they protected well today, for the most part, and gave us a chance. I thought we protected better than we have in past games against these guys, so we’re going in the right direction but we’ve got a lot of work to do.”
(On whether or not nostalgia from being back in Los Angeles has affected him)
“Absolutely not. That had no factor in any of this and no issue. Not for me or for anybody else around here. That has nothing to do with it.”
(On how the game was officiated)
“I thought that this was going to be hard. I thought that this was going to be a hard one, and it was. We need to overcome some stuff that happened and we’ve just got to get better than that.”
(On RB Thomas Rawls’ injury)
“He got kicked in the lower leg. He’s got a contusion, but the X-rays were fine, so he’s just going to be sore and he’s got to come back from that.”
(On the challenge to get the running game going)
“It just took us a lot to figure it out – what we needed to do and the way they were playing us, how they were attacking the line of scrimmage. They were really good. We needed to make sure that we figured that out and it just took us a while, and not soon enough. We weren’t able to stay with it long enough to really develop it in the second half.”
(On how the heat and the noise affected his team)
“It was a warm day. The noise was not a factor.”
(On how QB Russell Wilson played and whether or not his injury limited him)
“You could see he was a little bit limited, but I thought he did great under the circumstances and he was able to get out a few times and avoid some pressure, and I thought it was a really good effort by him. There were not too many throws that he was off on. He did a nice job with the deep ball, today and he kept the ball moving and got the ball out of his hands, like we had anticipated and wanted him to do, so I thought that he played solid.”
(On WR Tyler Lockett’s injury and ability to return to the game)
“He had a little bit of a sprained knee and he just came back. He was close to being hurt and he came back. He did an obviously great job to give us a chance to jump out on the last drive, it just didn’t turn out right.”
(On if he would rather have had RB Christine Michael go down instead of fight for more yards, resulting in a fumble on the Seahawks’ last offensive play)
“No. He’s competing. He’s playing ball.”
(On T J’Marcus Webb’s performance)
“I need to see the film. I can’t tell you. I thought he did alright. I don’t know. I’ve got to wait and see.”
(On management of QB Russell Wilson’s injury)
“He’s going to be involved with rehab throughout this week. I already told him about that. He knows exactly what he needs to do. He did an incredible job this week, dedicating his entire week to getting right, which he did. He was able to play. He feels okay now, so we’re way ahead of where we were last week at this time.”
(On DE Frank Clark’s performance, thus far)
“Frank’s doing great. Just like we had talked about, we hoped that we could keep moving him around and putting him in different positions, and he’s taking advantage of it. He’s doing a fine job.”
(On DE Cassius Marsh’s face mask penalty in the fourth quarter)
“I thought his hand was just on (the opposing player’s) helmet. I didn’t think he controlled anything on it. That was hard to tell. That was a huge call. I hope that (the official) had a really good look at it, because he had a better look than we did.”
(On his level of surprise that his offense has only scored fifteen points in two games)
“I’m real surprised about that. We never have anticipated that would happen starting off the season. I thought we would be ahead of that.”
(On if he knew why the Rams were able to hit a few explosive plays on offense)
“I do. I know exactly what happened. There was three of them of note. They did a nice job throwing and catching, today, and they made some nice plays. The little wheel route by the tight end was the big play that put them down there. Our defense did a fantastic job to not allow touchdowns and hold up with all of their opportunities. They’re a really tough group and they did a terrific job to keep them out of the end zone.”
(On the Rams’ home atmosphere being different in Los Angeles than in St. Louis)
“Honestly, the dome (in St. Louis) was really, really hard, and this is a different arena. It’s a different venue.”
(On if he knows why the Rams have been so successful against his team the last couple of years)
“No, they did a nice job, again. I have to give them credit. If I did, it wouldn’t have happened.”
(On his defense not getting turnovers)
“I don’t know if the play at the end of the half (was or was not) a turnover. I don’t know how that one went down, but a couple of minus turnover (differentials) in the first two games is not the way we play. It’s not our style, at all. It’s hard to overcome that, and that’s why the score is so close. We’re not in the plus-category to change that, so we have to do a better job, and that’s really that which is still left out there, defensively. We can’t be playing football better than we are.”
(On if the west coast teams in the NFC West is good for the league)
“I hope it is. I think it’s really good for our division to keep it here, and it makes sense, and I think it’s logical. So, hopefully we do a good job of it and show that this is a really tough division that we have and it’s hard for people to play here, and all that kind of stuff. We all like it.”
(On FS Earl Thomas’ injury status)
“He’s not on the injury list but he did get banged a little bit. It was real tough for him to get back out there today, I thought.”
(On if there were any other injuries from today’s game)
“No.”
(On if QB Russell Wilson’s injury limited play calling)
“No. Not enough to even make it an issue.”
(On if he thinks that his offensive line is behind their expected development)
“No. I don’t think that it’s the offensive line. I just think we have to do better. We have to come out and just be more complete. We’ve got to convert on third down like we want to, like we did in the second half of the season, last year. We’re a little behind schedule, there. I’m surprised at that, because we worked really hard at it and we’re going to show that we’re good at that. I think that’s been the difference in both of these games, really.”
Seahawks QB Russell Wilson
(On how he feels health-wise with his injury)
“I feel good. You know, obviously not good enough though because we didn’t win. That’s probably the only thing. We were able to battle offense and defense. Defense did a great job. Obviously, two great defenses. We did good on offense in the sense of making a few plays here and there when we needed to, but we didn’t make enough, and ultimately our goal every time we step on the field is to score one more point than them. Hopefully a lot more, but our goal is to score at least one more point than them, and we were close there at the end, put a lot of pressure on there at the end, but unfortunately we lost to a very very good football team, the Rams, always plays tough. We have tons of respect for who they are.”
(On if he felt limited in any way physically)
“No. I was trying to just trust my reads and make the plays and make the throws and move on to the next play and keep balance in there. I had a few runs in there, their defense flies around, so I had a few runs in there, got down on a few. So like I’ve said, I have to give credit to the Seahawks training staff and all the things they did, and also my guy Drew, just got me ready. I wasn’t supposed to be playing for a couple weeks probably, they thought maybe, but ultimately we had the mindset that we were gonna get on my feet and move around and make it happen, find a way. And I think ultimately, it’s what you set your mind to, especially when you’re trying to get back you know, every time I get an opportunity I want to step on the field with these guys. It’s a great group of guys, best teammates you could ask for. Guys that will fight for you, and I’ll fight for them, and we’ll fight together. Unfortunately we didn’t get a win tonight, but we look forward to the next opportunity to play. We look forward to preparing, we have to get better across the board, and once we do it’s going to be a tough sight to see.”
(On if he made any adjustments on the way he handled certain plays due to his injury)
“No, not at all, I was ready to roll. I told you guys I was going to be ready to roll, I was going to be ready to roll. I had a few runs in there, but like I always tell you guys, I’m not trying to run the ball, I’m just trying to throw the ball at the right timing. You scramble plays, you look forward to see what you can get. They’re a swarming defense, they get to the ball really well, and just got down like I normally do. It was one of those games where I felt really confident. Unfortunately we didn’t come up with a win. We had to find a way to make a few more plays here and there, and that’s really what it comes down to. We had a few shots down the field and made some great plays. We had a couple penalties that kind of hurt us a little bit, but we just stayed a course, and keep trusting, one possession at a time and one play at a time. We had a chance there at the end. I always tell you guys, we are always just looking for the opportunity to win the game.”
(On if his ability to run from pass rushers was any different from how it normally is)
“I think it wasn’t that difficult. I was able to find ways to extend the play on a few plays here and there. Like I said, they’re a swarming at defense, they made a lot of great plays. We were able to continue to put some pressure on them, unfortunately we didn’t –we needed to make one or two more plays, and that’s really what it comes down to.”
(On what he thinks the biggest challenge that faces his offense is)
“I don’t know if it’s a challenge. Like I always say to you guys, you know, just two more third downs, ‘Give me one more first down’ you know, ‘Let’s find a way to get one more first down, just one touchdown.’ You just take one play at a time. We’re not far off by any means, we’re not far off at all. We got a great group of guys. The guys battled today. We only had three receivers there for a while, so we had to battle. We wanted to go up tempo at some point, maybe, but with three receivers it’s kind of tough, so we have to figure out we have to play a whole game inside and outside, so we got to figure out how we are going to play this out. I have all the confidence in the world what we’re doing—all the confidence in the world. I think we’re playing decisive. I think the first week we had a chance to convert some third-downs and we didn’t unfortunately. This week, we were kind of playing backed-up a little bit. We made a couple plays. I thought the line did a really good job. We were saying things, we were calling things out up front-- I was protected up front for the most part. I had to throw some balls away and all that, but that’s part of the game. Just because they may not have been there, or they may have been getting close there, so just throwing it away and move on, and just hopefully, that we can maybe win the game at the end, just in case. Sure enough, we had a chance, and (Rams R Todd (Gurley) nixed that big time catch, and we moved the ball down the field, and then we had an unfortunate situation, and that happens. I told (C Christine Michael, and (R Thomas Rawls I have all the confidence in the world in those guys. They’ve been working so hard. We got the right guys man, so we’re just one or two plays away. One two plays in each drive, one two plays in the game away from winning, Like I said, I always have all the confidence in the world in what we’re doing.”
(On how he felt when he brought the ball down and had to run)
“No. I felt good. Just being smart. Like I said they are coming from all directions over there, so I just got down a few times. I had one run, it was third-and-13 or something like that; I almost got the first, but, had to get down there because they were about to come and hit me. So, just trying to play smart football. I felt really good out there. Like I said, it’s a credit to the training staff and crew, and all those guys staying with me every day, and—I just love playing the game. We were very very close to winning it, and unfortunately we didn’t. “
(On the game being close)
“Yeah. I think that we are way better than we were last year in the beginning. I think we played two very good defenses for sure, obviously to start off. The Miami Dolphins defensive line is as good as it gets. The Rams; same thing. They are an active group, they do tons of stuff—It’s one of the hardest defenses we will face all year, cause of so much stuff that they do. And we were prepared for it, we were really prepared in the sense of citing things out, making sure we were reading coverage’s right, making sure we were running the right routes and all of that kind of stuff. Unfortunately we just came a little bit short. We had to find ways to convert third-downs. I think penalties, obviously, will always kind of put us behind the eight ball a little bit, and keep us kind of when you are playing a really good defense like that, when it’s third-and-long situations, it’s tough. But we still believe, we still believe that we can still find a way.”
(On what he has to do to take care of his ankle moving forward)
“Same thing. This week it’s the same type of treatment for me. I feel strong. I feel way better than I did last week at this time when I was standing on the stage with you guys, that’s for sure. But, just staying rigorous in the treatment. Staying rigorous in the thought process, the mindset. Your mind controls a lot of things, and so, I’m not going to be the one that’s going to be in a corner crying and sorrowing over a little bummed ankle. I’ll make sure I’m ready to go.”
(On how long the recovery process of his ankle will take)
“We accelerated the rehab process so fast, probably accelerated two weeks. By the time, you know, how fast we’ve done it. Hopefully by this weekend I will feel amazing. I feel pretty strong right now already. Just keep icing it, keep praying, and keep working.”
(On if the loud noise in the Coliseum was disruptive)
“It wasn’t that bad, honestly. Good crowd, great crowd. A lot of people. Cool to obviously play here in the first time for the LA Rams. It’s exciting for them, and exciting for the National Football League, just in general. I thought it was a great crowd, great enthusiasm. Obviously we would have liked it if we would have won. But in terms of the noise, it wasn’t really a factor I don’t think. We’ve played in some big stadiums, in front of a lot of people in big moments, so nothing really gets to us. We just got to stay the course, and keep believing. We have the right guys, the right coaching staff, and the right people, got the best fans in the world. So we’re looking forward to the next opportunity and let’s go 1-0 next week hopefully.”
(On first-and-goal at the five)
“That’s a lot of plays there. I’m going to have to look at the film. I’m trying to remember that exact play. I honestly don’t remember. They covered it up pretty well, we made a couple plays, well –honestly I have to look up the film and study it, sorry.”
Seahawks TE Jimmy Graham
(On your satisfaction thus far this season in Seattle)
“Satisfied? No. I’m trying to win. I’m trying to get in the end zone and I’m trying to play better and better. We better figure some things out here and put some points on the board.”
(On the cause of the offensive struggles)
“I’m not really sure. We’ll look at the film and take a look at it and figure it out. We’ve got to do better than three points. That’s not good.”
(On how he feels physically after the first two games)
“I feel fine. I feel the same. I feel like a beast. I’ll play more and more and I’ll get more and more opportunities. I just want to be there for my guys and be there for my team.”
(On frustration with the offense)
“We know we’re better than this. We need to put it together and figure it out. We’ve got too many playmakers on this side of the ball and we’ve got to put it together.”
(On why those missed plays happen in the game)
“I’m not sure. We’ll check out the film, obviously, on this one. It’s kind of crazy right after the game.”
Seahawks RB Christine Michael – Post-Game – September 18, 2016
(On playing the Rams today)
“Like I mentioned, with the Rams, those guys are a physical team, a young team. It’s always a battle with those guys. And it’s just that, shout out to those guys, they played a tremendous game. We’ve just got to come back and get better.”
(On feeling out the defense on the long drive in the first half)
“Like I mentioned, it’s always a fight with those guys. We’ve just got to play Seahawks ball. It’s never about the opposing team. We’ve just got to play better football.”
(On QB Russell Wilson calming down the huddle prior to the final drive)
“He was just calming us down and letting us know we’ve still got 50 seconds left – just to stay poised, and stay ready to go and go win the game.”
(On the fumble on the final drive)
“It was just a great play by those guys. They played a tremendous game today. I’ve just got to do better holding onto the ball in those situations and just come back and get better.”
(On what Head Coach Pete Carroll said to you after the game)
“Nothing, man, don’t hold my head down. They’ll come right back to me next week man, just go back and get better.”
Seahawks CB Richard Sherman
(On his punt return game)
“It was fine. I practice every week just like how he (Seahawks WR Tyler Lockett) practices. People are just more surprised that I’m back there. I think we expected more tricks and gadgets from the Rams, so we didn’t get a chance to return. A lot of them were backed up situations, where they’re ‘pooch kicking,’ and we’re kind of just playing it safe. I was fine. I feel like I did fine.”
(On if there are positives to take away from today)
“It’s more positives if anything. Few errors here and there. A few mishaps, but overall we played great defense. We stood up in chances we needed to stand up. That last drive we got off the field three times – it’s a penalty here, some unfortunate calls, and we can’t control that. “
(On turnovers coming when momentum swings)
“He’s (QB Case Keenum) not taking any risks. Turnovers usually come when you get ahead a little bit and they’ve got to take bigger risks. He had everything in front of him. He didn’t take any real risks down the field. If he did, he threw it out of bounds. You’ve just got to take what you can get.”
Seahawks DE Michael Bennett
(On why the matchups with the Rams seem to have similar results)
“Well, the Rams play good defense. I mean, we play good defense. They do a lot of good things. It’s the team that we’re familiar with what’s going on. We’re familiar with what they do. It’s a tough game. It’s a conference game. Conference games are the toughest of them all.”
(On the defense’s big stops)
“It’s the same thing: consistency. I think we’ve got a good group of guys that are growing together and learning how to play well together. We did a lot of good things. We stopped the run. We stopped the pass. We had a lot of great plays behind the line of scrimmage.”
(On if he’s encouraged with the pass rush)
“I’m encouraged every week. We’ve been a great pass-rushing team. You guys look at sacks and say that’s the best pass-rushing team. But if you look at who’s been the No. 1at defense for the last four years – rushing and passing – that’s the No. 1 team. It doesn’t matter if a guy gets sacks. The teams that have some sacks are No. 25 in the run. You’ve got this made up idea that sacks are the most important part of a defense. The most important part of defense is to not give up points or to give up yards and to be in the playoffs. That is a great defense.”
Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher
(Opening remarks)
“That was a great win for us for all of those obvious reasons. Our first game back here the fans were incredible. It made this a tough place to play starting day one, which was really impressive. We had many opportunities and there’s going to be a lot of things we have to correct, and we had some mistakes. But when it’s said and done, we take the win. That’s an outstanding football team. They’re always in it until the end. You never know. You can’t relax with (Seattle Q
Russell (Wilson). We gave away the big play there at the end, which we shouldn’t have, but we got the play back with (LB Alec Ogletree) Tree’s strip. It’s nice coming away with a win after a short week on the road, and now we got to get back on the road again. I was proud of (Q Case (Keenum). He bounced back after last week. You know, there are some realities to where we are right now. We’re 1-1 in the Division and we haven’t scored a touchdown yet. We need to score some touchdowns, so we’ll keep working on that.”(On how much the lack of touchdowns is concerning him)
“Anybody that knows this game would be concerned about not scoring touchdowns, now come on. I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but we need to score some touchdowns. But I’ll take this win, winning and then some. So if we take anything away from this week, that’s what we got to do. We got to keep working on it someway somehow, whether it’s special teams or defense, but I’ll take a touchdown next week. That would be cool.”
(On how important the fans were to that last Seahawks drive)
“They were great, it was great the whole game! They were just outstanding. It has an impact, it really does. Most teams benefit from it, and Seattle especially, but it’s nice to have that on our side now so that we can take advantage of our pass rush and all those things associated with the noise.”
(On the “slugfest” between the two teams on the field that know each other so well)
“That’s what it was. It became evident early that this was going to be a field position game, so we managed as best we could. Holding them at the three points down there was huge for us, and they’re saying the same thing about us, but goal-to-goal on the three you couldn’t get in, but that’s a trait to both the defenses. I would suggest, instead of being critical of the offenses, you’ve got to be very, very congratulatory as far as the defenses are concerned because both of them are playing well.”
(On the Rams 3-1 “dominance” over the Seahawks throughout past four seasons)
“I wouldn’t call it ‘domination.’ I would just call it what it is. You know, we match-up well against them and strange things happen in these games, too. I mean we beat them a couple of years ago without scoring a touchdown. Well we had a special teams touchdown, but we beat them with field goals. Just figure out a way to beat them.”
(On LB Alec Ogletree’s performance)
“I mean he’s had two back-to-back outstanding weeks on defense right now. To make that play, that’s what he does and he’s shown it before. Someone needed to make a play and he got near the ball and he made the play.”
(On how proud he is of his defense today)
“Yeah, I mean it’s a week-to-week thing. Last week we were disappointed in the first half and the points allowed, and this week you’ve got to give them credit. They played hard the whole game. Got off the field, it was tough, they were harassing (Seattle Q
Russell (Wilson), and I thought we did a good job, with exception of the first drive where we had field position changed. We gave up about 20 yards rushing in two or three plays, but I thought we handled their run game pretty well, too.”(On QB Case Keenum’s performance)
“Well he bounced back. He had a good week, came back and made plays. That’s a tough defense to attack and throw against. You know, we had some drops nonetheless, but he put the ball where it needed to be put. The last play to (WR) Kenny (Britt) was a great throw – great anticipation, great throw.”
(On the history of today’s game experience)
“Oh yeah, it was incredible! I got bits and pieces of it all week – I mean since we’ve come here – but all week. I thought the production and everything associated with the game was incredible. The anthem, I didn’t get to enjoy the concert like you guys did, but there was some good stuff going on today.”
(On the decision to keep the door open for Seattle by punting it to the 10-yard line instead of attempting a 55-yard field goal)
“Well, no. It became a field position game. I’d rather them start their drive at the 10-12-yard line, than not make the kick. It has nothing to do with the confidence in the kicker, it just makes sense as far as managing the game.”
(On how he can get RB Todd Gurley going more)
“We just have to get him some more touches. He ran well when he had the ball. Again, it’s the same thing we’ve been talking about if we convert more third downs we get more opportunities. He’ll be fine. He’ll just be fresh at the end of the season.”
(On WR Kenny Britt’s success on big plays)
“I remember the big plays, but I also remember the third-down drop, so being more consistent. That’s what we need to do as a group, as a receiving group. But he made the big plays and the throws were there. And the throws were timing throws, and he’s showing some run-after-catch, which we expect out of him.”
Rams QB Case Keenum
(On bouncing back from last week’s loss against San Francisco)
“It feels good, It feels really good to bounce back. I think anytime you encounter some adversity, we knew what we needed to fix something— just like I told you guys last week. We looked at the film and fixed it and I think we were better today. Obviously, I like touchdowns, but I love winning. So either way, I think the defense played incredible today. You know they’re (the Seahawks) got a great quarterback (Russell Wilson) and great offense and they are a really good team. I think that our defense did an incredible job with putting us in a position to win. We’ve managed to put enough points on the board to do it. It wasn’t pretty, but it doesn’t matter how, it matters how many, the end.”
(On the situation to get more touchdowns)
“I want touchdowns and we got down there. I think we had a penalty, maybe a negative run, just negative plays in the red zone. It is not good. When we get down there, yards are precious in the red zone, just executing. We had a chance on that third down to (WR) Kenny (Britt). I underthrew him. I think we had a good play on and just missed. Some of those other ones and just converting third downs and staying positive in the red zone. We got down close to field-goal range a couple of times, obviously helped with the field position battle, but if you’re going to be successful in this league, there are a lot of really good offenses, you have to score points.”
(On building on this win and using this momentum to go forward)
“I think we keep doing what we are doing. I think we’ve got to forget about this one. We’ve got a 24-hour rule. Enjoy it tonight, and for me, I always use that long shower you are talking about. I wash everything off. The showers here are extremely hot and I took a nice long shower and I’m going to get ready for this coming week. That’s my motto. Same thing as last week, forget about it and move on because it’s a long season and every week there is another opponent that is really, really good. Every week, there is an opponent that is really, really good. There’s no time, honestly, to breathe or let your guard down— you have to keep pushing on in this league.”
(On how he over thought last week and the difference he saw today)
“I think it was better. There’s obviously, plays I want back, but my guys made a lot of good plays for me down the field. Offensive line did a great job— I don’t think I was touched in the first half. You‘ve got to give those guys some credit for being ready to play. I think just trusting it, just trusting the offense and the play, trusting my guys, trusting my protection. I think we did a good job of that this weekend. I think we can continue to get better on that as we move forward.”
(On his chemistry with WR Kenny Britt)
“I knew all week Kenny was going to play real well. He was hungry this week. I mean, Kenny Britt came to work and I knew that he was going to have a special game. He had some really big catches there. Even battling through the drop on the third down, which I immediately told him that, ‘I’m coming to you again.’ I love throwing him the ball. I think all of those guys have done a great a good job and we are going to continue to grow and create chemistry.”
(On the drive at the 50-yard line and the fan atmosphere)
“It was good. I thought the crowd was good, it was loud. There were still one or two times where we were on offensive where this [gestures a keep it down motion] does not mean chug your beer and yell louder or start the wave, it means maybe watch and hopefully cheer after a touchdown. No, but I loved it. The fans— it was awesome. That was really, really cool. I made sure right before I went out in the tunnel, and as I’m running out, just to look around and just to savor that moment and remember. I am going to write that stuff down because I want to remember that forever, It was cool. It was really cool. It may not have been the prettiest game but it was a lot of fun.”
(On the throwback uniforms and the crowd atmosphere)
“I love the throwbacks, I really do. Everybody in the locker rooms loves the throwbacks. Something about that blue and yellow that go together and it was cool. It was cool to see— you kept looking up at the scoreboard and there would be somebody else at the game, that you knew and were there and a part of it. I think a lot of people will remember this day. I’ll look back one day to think about how cool it is, but I think it was good to get a win.”
(On how key it is to get RB Todd Gurley the ball more and generate more points)
“Todd is going to get going, it’s Todd. I think just continue to operate how we are. I think the passing game and running game are going to compliment each other. I think we are doing a good job of marrying some of those plays. I’m excited to see him continue to go because I know he’s hungry. I thought he played well today. We’re going to rely on him a lot moving forward.”
(On WR Tavon Austin finding space and getting the ball more to make plays)
“I think there was… the one down the field I overthrew, but one little slant that I’m pretty sure he might still be running if I don’t overthrow that one, too. He’s a guy that’s explosive and you want the ball in his hands at any point. Anytime we can find him a little bit of space, he doesn’t need much, he can get going. (Head) Coach (Jeff Fischer) is doing a good job of preparing us and I think they’ll do a good job of getting the ball in his hands.”
(On if WR Tavon Austin’s ability to create space is dependent on the success of other offensive players such as WR Kenny Britt and RB Todd Gurley)
“I think he does a good job of making space for himself. He is extremely talented and fast and I love throwing to fast guys. I think all parts of offenses need each other to help... if one area is faltering, another area needs to help pick it up.”
(On if getting WR Todd Gurley going and made him more confident in the play-action)
“You can say whatever about the run game with Todd (Gurley), but he’s respected. People respect him running the football. So anytime you stick the ball out there and have him fake, and he does a great job of that stuff and with protections, you can say he’s the reason that a lot of those passes down field are working.”
Rams RB Todd Gurley
(On what it was like playing in that environment)
“It was good, it felt great.”
(On what it’s like to bounce back after last week’s performance)
“It felt good just to be able to put up some points. Obviously, we can do a lot better. But, we’ll look at the film tomorrow, and get back to work.”
(On if the crowd fueled his performance)
“Yeah, that helped us out. But, we can’t depend on the crowd. We have got to go get our own energy. The crowd was definitely in it, and did a good job.”
(On what way he felt the team improved this week)
“We put some points on the board, just here to scare.”
(On what the offense needs to do to score)
“I don’t know. We’ll find out tomorrow.”
(On if he was frustrated by his personal performance)
“It’s whatever. It’s football, you’re not going to have a great game every game.”
(On his thoughts regarding rushing the ball to set up the Rams’ play-action passing scheme)
“I don’t know. I’m not an (Offensive Coordinator) OC. I can’t really tell you. Just go out there and run the plays coach gives us.”
(On if there were any changes in preparation leading up to this game)
“I don’t think anything last week had anything to do with it. Like I said, we’re going to run our offense. We just need to go out there and execute, and put some points on the board. It’s a simple game. We’ve been doing this our whole lives. Play football, win the one-on-ones, and make plays.”
(On if he felt any extra motivation leading into the game)
“No. I’m ready to play every week. I treat every game like the same.”
(On his thoughts regarding QB Case Keenum’s performance)
“He did a great job. Obviously, we didn’t have any turnovers, so that was definitely a plus. We don’t turn the ball over, your chances are you’re probably going to win.”
(On if he feels defenses are focusing more on stopping him)
“It’s the same as last year. Got to go out there and, like I said, execute and win.”
(On his thought getting the first win under his belt)
“It felt good. First home game in this city. About to go on the road for a couple weeks.”
(On the reception of the fans in the Coliseum)
“It was great. They had high energy all game. They did a great job.”
(On the amount of field goals in comparison to the lack of touchdowns)
“We got the win. We got to go out there and score some touchdowns. But hey, it’s better than what we did last week; better improvement.”
Rams TE Lance Kendricks
(On if it bothered him that the didn’t score a touchdown)
“It does, but we know we left some things out there on the field that we can learn from. Going forward, I think we just have to learn from it, and just continue to practice hard and just focus on the details. That’s what got us this win.”
(On what effect the crowd had on the team’s performance)
“It was really important. Having that energy behind us, it helped immensely. When we go three-and-out, hearing them yell when our defense makes a sack, or something, that gives us energy, and that helps us out.”
(On if the crowd noise was more than what he expected it to be)
“It was. We got a sneak peak in the preseason, but today I think it was a little louder. It was hot; everyone was just kind of ready to go. It’s always a fourth-quarter game when we play them. I think today, we just grinded it out like we normally do against them.”
(On the difference between last week, and this week in terms of offense)
“It’s a little bit of everything. It’s game plan, but we know Seattle. We’ve been good, lately, against them, so we know them. They’re really good at what they do, but they’re very simple in what they do. We just got to be able to execute against what they do, and they do it well. It comes down to us making plays.”
(On what this win does for the team)
“It helps our confidence. We know we’re going in the right direction. After last week, outside of this locker room, everybody was kind of panicking. But, we know what we have in this locker room, and we know we have the talent. It’s just a matter of putting it all together, and I think we did that this week, and I think we continue to do that moving forward.”
Rams LB Alec Ogletree
(Opening remarks)
“Really proud of the guys in the locker room, proud of our fans. It was an amazing feeling to be out there today – it was a historical moment, glad to be a part of it.”
(On how he felt about the home opener)
“I think we did a really nice job of coming home and winning. Like I said, it was an amazing, historical moment. To be here, I’m definitely glad that we were able to come out with a win.”
(On what happened on his fumble recovery)
“It kind of happened all so fast. We were playing like some type of man-coverage – I was kind of just roaming the field. I dropped like 30 yards deep, which I don’t even think I was supposed to do. I just saw him (Seahawks QB Russell Wilson) check it down, I just ran it down. (LB/S) Mark (Barron) did a good job of containing and making him come back to me and we were able to get the ball out and give our offense back the ball to get in victory formation.”
(On what goes through his mind when he sees the ball lying on the field)
“Get on the ball. Get on the ball as fast as possible and hold on tight because everybody is going to come diving on the pile and try to get the ball away from me. That was my mindset.”
Rams DE Robert Quinn
(On if this win meant more because it was the first game back in Los Angeles)
“Every game is important, of course we’d love – the first home opener in L.A., of course that makes it a little more special. But every game, we look at it as important. Because we want to have a great season, we’ll put it that way and give ourselves a chance. To beat a tough opponent like this, no matter where it’s at, no matter how they’re feeling, no matter how we’re feeling, we have to figure out a way to win. Guys definitely did that today and that’s all we can ask for.”
(On what was going through his mind when the Seahawks got the ball back with less than 2:00 minutes)
“We have to bow-up as a defense. Because, if they score a touchdown, we can basically lose the game. We definitely just had to bow-up as a defense, keep them out of the end zone and, of course, they made that huge play on first-or-second down. So we really had to rise up. Like I said, guys did a great job. I don’t know who forced that fumble, but I’m happy we got it out and got the ball back for the offense. The guys just rose up, never panicked, stayed level-headed and were able to come out with the victory that ended on a turnover.”
(On how the defensed regained its energy after losing in Week 1)
“Last week, we were definitely disappointed with our play. But at the end of the day, we had to put it behind us because the game was over. We had a tough division opponent with the Seahawks and we just focused on that. Like I said, we knew we had to play better and we used how bad we played the first game for a little motivation. We realized we need more from everybody and I think everyone stood up today and made a play when needed.”
Seahawks Head Coach Pete Carroll
(Opening remarks)
“We’re really disappointed to come down here and play in this opportunity to start the season and had a chance to get to 2-0, and when you come out and play like that and not give us a real shot to get ahead, it was tough – tough day. And those guys did a nice job – they hold onto the ball well, they played a good, solid football game and that’s all it took, today for them. If we had our own way, I don’t know how we had the pass interference penalties today on offense, but we did, and they were really disruptive in the game – it was definitely a tight game. I thought our defense played really well, again and held them down for the most part, but they didn’t make some plays, enough to get field goals and you’ve got to hand it to them. On the other side of the ball, I never could have thought that we would go the first couple of weeks and not score one touchdown. I’m just surprised at that and we’re better than that. And we’re going to go back to work. It’s early in the year and we have a lot of stuff that we can get better at and improve and we’re going to do that.”
(On if he was especially mad about WR Tyler Lockett’s offensive pass interference penalty in the fourth quarter and what he saw on the play)
“I just thought the official was in a difficult position to call what he called, but I’m going to (contest) calls all the time. That was just one of them.”
(On the special teams unit’s struggles)
“I’ve felt like that both games. Look at the starts – again, it was twenty-two, last week, I don’t know what it was, this week, but I don’t think that it was a whole lot better. We’ve not been able to shift field position in our favor, and when we’re not getting turnovers, we can’t change what is happening. So we had to overcome it and we weren’t able to do that, today.”
(On what the team needs to improve on)
“Third downs have to go up, again. We’ve got to get our third downs going on offense and keep converting them. We have to not have offensive pass interference penalties. Those were crushers, today and it was unfortunate in those drives, so we have to do better there and figure that out, but it’s really coming down to converting. I would like to see us run the ball. We ran the ball a little bit in the third quarter and got going a little bit, but not like we had thought we could, early on. The numbers look really skewed because of that crazy play we got knocked way back, but we’re much better than that and we need to show that.”
(On the Rams’ defensive line’s performance)
“There’s no question – these guys are fantastic. We’ve faced two great defensive lines and I think our guys have learned a lot. I think they protected well today, for the most part, and gave us a chance. I thought we protected better than we have in past games against these guys, so we’re going in the right direction but we’ve got a lot of work to do.”
(On whether or not nostalgia from being back in Los Angeles has affected him)
“Absolutely not. That had no factor in any of this and no issue. Not for me or for anybody else around here. That has nothing to do with it.”
(On how the game was officiated)
“I thought that this was going to be hard. I thought that this was going to be a hard one, and it was. We need to overcome some stuff that happened and we’ve just got to get better than that.”
(On RB Thomas Rawls’ injury)
“He got kicked in the lower leg. He’s got a contusion, but the X-rays were fine, so he’s just going to be sore and he’s got to come back from that.”
(On the challenge to get the running game going)
“It just took us a lot to figure it out – what we needed to do and the way they were playing us, how they were attacking the line of scrimmage. They were really good. We needed to make sure that we figured that out and it just took us a while, and not soon enough. We weren’t able to stay with it long enough to really develop it in the second half.”
(On how the heat and the noise affected his team)
“It was a warm day. The noise was not a factor.”
(On how QB Russell Wilson played and whether or not his injury limited him)
“You could see he was a little bit limited, but I thought he did great under the circumstances and he was able to get out a few times and avoid some pressure, and I thought it was a really good effort by him. There were not too many throws that he was off on. He did a nice job with the deep ball, today and he kept the ball moving and got the ball out of his hands, like we had anticipated and wanted him to do, so I thought that he played solid.”
(On WR Tyler Lockett’s injury and ability to return to the game)
“He had a little bit of a sprained knee and he just came back. He was close to being hurt and he came back. He did an obviously great job to give us a chance to jump out on the last drive, it just didn’t turn out right.”
(On if he would rather have had RB Christine Michael go down instead of fight for more yards, resulting in a fumble on the Seahawks’ last offensive play)
“No. He’s competing. He’s playing ball.”
(On T J’Marcus Webb’s performance)
“I need to see the film. I can’t tell you. I thought he did alright. I don’t know. I’ve got to wait and see.”
(On management of QB Russell Wilson’s injury)
“He’s going to be involved with rehab throughout this week. I already told him about that. He knows exactly what he needs to do. He did an incredible job this week, dedicating his entire week to getting right, which he did. He was able to play. He feels okay now, so we’re way ahead of where we were last week at this time.”
(On DE Frank Clark’s performance, thus far)
“Frank’s doing great. Just like we had talked about, we hoped that we could keep moving him around and putting him in different positions, and he’s taking advantage of it. He’s doing a fine job.”
(On DE Cassius Marsh’s face mask penalty in the fourth quarter)
“I thought his hand was just on (the opposing player’s) helmet. I didn’t think he controlled anything on it. That was hard to tell. That was a huge call. I hope that (the official) had a really good look at it, because he had a better look than we did.”
(On his level of surprise that his offense has only scored fifteen points in two games)
“I’m real surprised about that. We never have anticipated that would happen starting off the season. I thought we would be ahead of that.”
(On if he knew why the Rams were able to hit a few explosive plays on offense)
“I do. I know exactly what happened. There was three of them of note. They did a nice job throwing and catching, today, and they made some nice plays. The little wheel route by the tight end was the big play that put them down there. Our defense did a fantastic job to not allow touchdowns and hold up with all of their opportunities. They’re a really tough group and they did a terrific job to keep them out of the end zone.”
(On the Rams’ home atmosphere being different in Los Angeles than in St. Louis)
“Honestly, the dome (in St. Louis) was really, really hard, and this is a different arena. It’s a different venue.”
(On if he knows why the Rams have been so successful against his team the last couple of years)
“No, they did a nice job, again. I have to give them credit. If I did, it wouldn’t have happened.”
(On his defense not getting turnovers)
“I don’t know if the play at the end of the half (was or was not) a turnover. I don’t know how that one went down, but a couple of minus turnover (differentials) in the first two games is not the way we play. It’s not our style, at all. It’s hard to overcome that, and that’s why the score is so close. We’re not in the plus-category to change that, so we have to do a better job, and that’s really that which is still left out there, defensively. We can’t be playing football better than we are.”
(On if the west coast teams in the NFC West is good for the league)
“I hope it is. I think it’s really good for our division to keep it here, and it makes sense, and I think it’s logical. So, hopefully we do a good job of it and show that this is a really tough division that we have and it’s hard for people to play here, and all that kind of stuff. We all like it.”
(On FS Earl Thomas’ injury status)
“He’s not on the injury list but he did get banged a little bit. It was real tough for him to get back out there today, I thought.”
(On if there were any other injuries from today’s game)
“No.”
(On if QB Russell Wilson’s injury limited play calling)
“No. Not enough to even make it an issue.”
(On if he thinks that his offensive line is behind their expected development)
“No. I don’t think that it’s the offensive line. I just think we have to do better. We have to come out and just be more complete. We’ve got to convert on third down like we want to, like we did in the second half of the season, last year. We’re a little behind schedule, there. I’m surprised at that, because we worked really hard at it and we’re going to show that we’re good at that. I think that’s been the difference in both of these games, really.”
Seahawks QB Russell Wilson
(On how he feels health-wise with his injury)
“I feel good. You know, obviously not good enough though because we didn’t win. That’s probably the only thing. We were able to battle offense and defense. Defense did a great job. Obviously, two great defenses. We did good on offense in the sense of making a few plays here and there when we needed to, but we didn’t make enough, and ultimately our goal every time we step on the field is to score one more point than them. Hopefully a lot more, but our goal is to score at least one more point than them, and we were close there at the end, put a lot of pressure on there at the end, but unfortunately we lost to a very very good football team, the Rams, always plays tough. We have tons of respect for who they are.”
(On if he felt limited in any way physically)
“No. I was trying to just trust my reads and make the plays and make the throws and move on to the next play and keep balance in there. I had a few runs in there, their defense flies around, so I had a few runs in there, got down on a few. So like I’ve said, I have to give credit to the Seahawks training staff and all the things they did, and also my guy Drew, just got me ready. I wasn’t supposed to be playing for a couple weeks probably, they thought maybe, but ultimately we had the mindset that we were gonna get on my feet and move around and make it happen, find a way. And I think ultimately, it’s what you set your mind to, especially when you’re trying to get back you know, every time I get an opportunity I want to step on the field with these guys. It’s a great group of guys, best teammates you could ask for. Guys that will fight for you, and I’ll fight for them, and we’ll fight together. Unfortunately we didn’t get a win tonight, but we look forward to the next opportunity to play. We look forward to preparing, we have to get better across the board, and once we do it’s going to be a tough sight to see.”
(On if he made any adjustments on the way he handled certain plays due to his injury)
“No, not at all, I was ready to roll. I told you guys I was going to be ready to roll, I was going to be ready to roll. I had a few runs in there, but like I always tell you guys, I’m not trying to run the ball, I’m just trying to throw the ball at the right timing. You scramble plays, you look forward to see what you can get. They’re a swarming defense, they get to the ball really well, and just got down like I normally do. It was one of those games where I felt really confident. Unfortunately we didn’t come up with a win. We had to find a way to make a few more plays here and there, and that’s really what it comes down to. We had a few shots down the field and made some great plays. We had a couple penalties that kind of hurt us a little bit, but we just stayed a course, and keep trusting, one possession at a time and one play at a time. We had a chance there at the end. I always tell you guys, we are always just looking for the opportunity to win the game.”
(On if his ability to run from pass rushers was any different from how it normally is)
“I think it wasn’t that difficult. I was able to find ways to extend the play on a few plays here and there. Like I said, they’re a swarming at defense, they made a lot of great plays. We were able to continue to put some pressure on them, unfortunately we didn’t –we needed to make one or two more plays, and that’s really what it comes down to.”
(On what he thinks the biggest challenge that faces his offense is)
“I don’t know if it’s a challenge. Like I always say to you guys, you know, just two more third downs, ‘Give me one more first down’ you know, ‘Let’s find a way to get one more first down, just one touchdown.’ You just take one play at a time. We’re not far off by any means, we’re not far off at all. We got a great group of guys. The guys battled today. We only had three receivers there for a while, so we had to battle. We wanted to go up tempo at some point, maybe, but with three receivers it’s kind of tough, so we have to figure out we have to play a whole game inside and outside, so we got to figure out how we are going to play this out. I have all the confidence in the world what we’re doing—all the confidence in the world. I think we’re playing decisive. I think the first week we had a chance to convert some third-downs and we didn’t unfortunately. This week, we were kind of playing backed-up a little bit. We made a couple plays. I thought the line did a really good job. We were saying things, we were calling things out up front-- I was protected up front for the most part. I had to throw some balls away and all that, but that’s part of the game. Just because they may not have been there, or they may have been getting close there, so just throwing it away and move on, and just hopefully, that we can maybe win the game at the end, just in case. Sure enough, we had a chance, and (Rams R
Todd (Gurley) nixed that big time catch, and we moved the ball down the field, and then we had an unfortunate situation, and that happens. I told (C Christine Michael, and (R Thomas Rawls I have all the confidence in the world in those guys. They’ve been working so hard. We got the right guys man, so we’re just one or two plays away. One two plays in each drive, one two plays in the game away from winning, Like I said, I always have all the confidence in the world in what we’re doing.”(On how he felt when he brought the ball down and had to run)
“No. I felt good. Just being smart. Like I said they are coming from all directions over there, so I just got down a few times. I had one run, it was third-and-13 or something like that; I almost got the first, but, had to get down there because they were about to come and hit me. So, just trying to play smart football. I felt really good out there. Like I said, it’s a credit to the training staff and crew, and all those guys staying with me every day, and—I just love playing the game. We were very very close to winning it, and unfortunately we didn’t. “
(On the game being close)
“Yeah. I think that we are way better than we were last year in the beginning. I think we played two very good defenses for sure, obviously to start off. The Miami Dolphins defensive line is as good as it gets. The Rams; same thing. They are an active group, they do tons of stuff—It’s one of the hardest defenses we will face all year, cause of so much stuff that they do. And we were prepared for it, we were really prepared in the sense of citing things out, making sure we were reading coverage’s right, making sure we were running the right routes and all of that kind of stuff. Unfortunately we just came a little bit short. We had to find ways to convert third-downs. I think penalties, obviously, will always kind of put us behind the eight ball a little bit, and keep us kind of when you are playing a really good defense like that, when it’s third-and-long situations, it’s tough. But we still believe, we still believe that we can still find a way.”
(On what he has to do to take care of his ankle moving forward)
“Same thing. This week it’s the same type of treatment for me. I feel strong. I feel way better than I did last week at this time when I was standing on the stage with you guys, that’s for sure. But, just staying rigorous in the treatment. Staying rigorous in the thought process, the mindset. Your mind controls a lot of things, and so, I’m not going to be the one that’s going to be in a corner crying and sorrowing over a little bummed ankle. I’ll make sure I’m ready to go.”
(On how long the recovery process of his ankle will take)
“We accelerated the rehab process so fast, probably accelerated two weeks. By the time, you know, how fast we’ve done it. Hopefully by this weekend I will feel amazing. I feel pretty strong right now already. Just keep icing it, keep praying, and keep working.”
(On if the loud noise in the Coliseum was disruptive)
“It wasn’t that bad, honestly. Good crowd, great crowd. A lot of people. Cool to obviously play here in the first time for the LA Rams. It’s exciting for them, and exciting for the National Football League, just in general. I thought it was a great crowd, great enthusiasm. Obviously we would have liked it if we would have won. But in terms of the noise, it wasn’t really a factor I don’t think. We’ve played in some big stadiums, in front of a lot of people in big moments, so nothing really gets to us. We just got to stay the course, and keep believing. We have the right guys, the right coaching staff, and the right people, got the best fans in the world. So we’re looking forward to the next opportunity and let’s go 1-0 next week hopefully.”
(On first-and-goal at the five)
“That’s a lot of plays there. I’m going to have to look at the film. I’m trying to remember that exact play. I honestly don’t remember. They covered it up pretty well, we made a couple plays, well –honestly I have to look up the film and study it, sorry.”
Seahawks TE Jimmy Graham
(On your satisfaction thus far this season in Seattle)
“Satisfied? No. I’m trying to win. I’m trying to get in the end zone and I’m trying to play better and better. We better figure some things out here and put some points on the board.”
(On the cause of the offensive struggles)
“I’m not really sure. We’ll look at the film and take a look at it and figure it out. We’ve got to do better than three points. That’s not good.”
(On how he feels physically after the first two games)
“I feel fine. I feel the same. I feel like a beast. I’ll play more and more and I’ll get more and more opportunities. I just want to be there for my guys and be there for my team.”
(On frustration with the offense)
“We know we’re better than this. We need to put it together and figure it out. We’ve got too many playmakers on this side of the ball and we’ve got to put it together.”
(On why those missed plays happen in the game)
“I’m not sure. We’ll check out the film, obviously, on this one. It’s kind of crazy right after the game.”
Seahawks RB Christine Michael – Post-Game – September 18, 2016
(On playing the Rams today)
“Like I mentioned, with the Rams, those guys are a physical team, a young team. It’s always a battle with those guys. And it’s just that, shout out to those guys, they played a tremendous game. We’ve just got to come back and get better.”
(On feeling out the defense on the long drive in the first half)
“Like I mentioned, it’s always a fight with those guys. We’ve just got to play Seahawks ball. It’s never about the opposing team. We’ve just got to play better football.”
(On QB Russell Wilson calming down the huddle prior to the final drive)
“He was just calming us down and letting us know we’ve still got 50 seconds left – just to stay poised, and stay ready to go and go win the game.”
(On the fumble on the final drive)
“It was just a great play by those guys. They played a tremendous game today. I’ve just got to do better holding onto the ball in those situations and just come back and get better.”
(On what Head Coach Pete Carroll said to you after the game)
“Nothing, man, don’t hold my head down. They’ll come right back to me next week man, just go back and get better.”
Seahawks CB Richard Sherman
(On his punt return game)
“It was fine. I practice every week just like how he (Seahawks WR Tyler Lockett) practices. People are just more surprised that I’m back there. I think we expected more tricks and gadgets from the Rams, so we didn’t get a chance to return. A lot of them were backed up situations, where they’re ‘pooch kicking,’ and we’re kind of just playing it safe. I was fine. I feel like I did fine.”
(On if there are positives to take away from today)
“It’s more positives if anything. Few errors here and there. A few mishaps, but overall we played great defense. We stood up in chances we needed to stand up. That last drive we got off the field three times – it’s a penalty here, some unfortunate calls, and we can’t control that. “
(On turnovers coming when momentum swings)
“He’s (QB Case Keenum) not taking any risks. Turnovers usually come when you get ahead a little bit and they’ve got to take bigger risks. He had everything in front of him. He didn’t take any real risks down the field. If he did, he threw it out of bounds. You’ve just got to take what you can get.”
Seahawks DE Michael Bennett
(On why the matchups with the Rams seem to have similar results)
“Well, the Rams play good defense. I mean, we play good defense. They do a lot of good things. It’s the team that we’re familiar with what’s going on. We’re familiar with what they do. It’s a tough game. It’s a conference game. Conference games are the toughest of them all.”
(On the defense’s big stops)
“It’s the same thing: consistency. I think we’ve got a good group of guys that are growing together and learning how to play well together. We did a lot of good things. We stopped the run. We stopped the pass. We had a lot of great plays behind the line of scrimmage.”
(On if he’s encouraged with the pass rush)
“I’m encouraged every week. We’ve been a great pass-rushing team. You guys look at sacks and say that’s the best pass-rushing team. But if you look at who’s been the No. 1at defense for the last four years – rushing and passing – that’s the No. 1 team. It doesn’t matter if a guy gets sacks. The teams that have some sacks are No. 25 in the run. You’ve got this made up idea that sacks are the most important part of a defense. The most important part of defense is to not give up points or to give up yards and to be in the playoffs. That is a great defense.”
| Subject | Author | Views | Posted |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Blue and Gold | 600 | September 18, 2016 06:12PM |
