SEATTLE SEAHAWKS HEAD COACH MIKE MACDONALD

Postgame press conference
Sunday, September 15, 2024

MM: Man, what a heck of a football game. We knew the game was going to come down to the fourth quarter. Didn't expect to come down to fifth quarter, but whatever it takes. Just proud of the fight, the resiliency, just the confidence, the support, the togetherness of our football team. That's a really good football team we just played. Tough. Obviously they ran the ball really well. They stopped the run, but our guys came through in the end? Then just proud of our guys. When we need to do make a play seems like on all three phases, the guys made plays without inventing techniques or whatever. Just kind of played through the scheme, played through the fundamentals, and we closed it out in the end. So just a great, great football game. Excited to get back home.

Q: Geno got it done. What did he show you today?

MM: I thought Geno played a dynamite game. I thought he was decisive. The ball was out fast. I thought we had a great plan. Yeah, we had a couple of drops, but we'll clean those up. I mean, I'm not sure what the numbers are, but they're probably pretty dang good.

Q: He had a bunch of game-winning drives last season, and the game-tying drive today. What does that say?

MM: Sounds like that is who he is. Let the tape speaks for himself. I'm glad he's on our side.

Q: Julian's blocked field goal, was that a designed play or something he was able to figure out there?

MM: No, they don't just invent -- that was the play. That's the field goal rush at that time without getting into the strategy involved, but he made a heck of a play. Just heck of a play, but it's something you practice all the time, and finally when you have the opportunity, it goes and executes it. That was big-time. That was part of the --

Q: Julian dropped one last week and this week caught one over his head. How big that was?

MM: He played a dynamite game. He did a great job. We had confidence in him. He has had such a great offseason, but we had a big return in the first half. Caught the ball there. I don't know who got blocked into him, but he's going to have to make those plays moving forward, but he's the man for the job.

Q: With all that happened, how dependable in clutch is Tyler Lockett?

MM: He looked good today, Greg.

Q: Tyler Lockett, he gets one or two targets for 60 minutes and the game is on the line.

MM: That's him. I mean, you knew it coming in. You knew his reputation. Learning who he is as a person, who we absolutely love, but there's something special about him where he comes alive in those clutch moments, man.

Again, we love him, but just a great job by Tyler.

Q: What did you see on that third down stop in overtime?

MM: I felt the rush. I didn't know who it was at that time. I think Derick Hall had a really good rush. They did some good things on offense in the first half on third down, so we had to make a couple of adjustments. They were hitting the tight ends, so we had to adjust a little bit of our rush plan. This is what happened O what happens. It's the NFL. Teams are going to have good plans. You're going to have to understand how they're attacking you and then kind of move and shake from there. The guys did a great job of kind of going to the next things and playing some of the plays that they are running against us. I thought our rush started to come alive in the second half. Would have been great to get them on the ground more, but Jacoby, he's a really good player too. He understands -- I told you he was elusive, and he got rid of the ball in some of those critical situations.

Q: Why do you feel like you couldn't get much going in the ground game?

MM: On our end, I don't know. We would have to look at the tape and see what's happening on some of the blocks. If it's want there and you're able to throw the ball, whatever it takes to win the game, so I thought we did that. We'll go back to the tape and figure it out. They have a really good front and do a good job in the run game. Numbers back it up.

Q: Was it tough before you kicked the field goal to tie it up when you had the fourth and one there about maybe going for it as you sent the offense out there?

MM: The one where we took the delay?

Q: Yeah.

MM: Yeah, we wanted to take a peek and see if there was an opportunity to go for it. Weren't confident enough in the situation at that point, so we felt like take the five and still a pretty good manageable field goal to go tie it up.

Q: Was getting Jaxon involved par for the running game to replace the run game almost?

MM: Yeah, yeah, that's a good point.

Q: In the second half, were you surprised how well they were able to pick up some big runs in the running game?

MM: I wouldn't say surprised. I was disappointed. I mean, look, we can't be giving up 108 yards rushing. There's plenty on tape. We had pictures on the first half, losing some leverages and not playing some runs the right way. We got our work to do on that front. We have a good team coming to town that can run the ball, so we're going to have to be better moving forward in the run game. A lot of work to be done on that front. Guys know that.

But in the last two drives it felt like we saw some of the plays they had gone to over in the game and the guys knocked them out. That's what you are going to have to do to win. If you just keep banging your head against the wall, then it's going to be tough sledding out there.

Q: You told us that you really wanted Geno to be the voice of poise, I think was your wording, in chaotic-adverse situations. You've had a few of those so far. How have you seen him handle those?

MM: He's been the guy that he's been since we got here in February. There's some points where we communicate one way or another. He's right there in lock-step. This is a great example, this game. Hey, when the offense needs to pick the definite up, they did it. When defense could help the offense by getting a critical stop because we weren't able to get the ball out of negative territory, we got the stop. I have to play complementary football, and you need your leaders to show up in those critical moments and he did that.

I thought defensively the guys did that as well.

Q: How did you feel about the rookies Byron Murphy and Tyrice Knight and Christian Haynes in this game?

MM: Christian, I know he got in there the third series. I don't know how much more he played after that, so we'll see. We ended up getting with A.B. the majority of the game. It's good to get Christian in there, a guy we have a lot of confidence in. In order to develop guys, you need to get reps. So sometimes if it doesn't go your way, that's okay. He's a guy that has been working really hard and deserves an opportunity to go earn his reps. Expect that to keep going. Byron, not sure. I felt our run game at times was really good. At times I felt we weren't so good, so I'm going to have to get back to you on the tape. Tyrice Knight is a rookie and getting his first time in there. I'm not sure how many plays he made. There's a couple of that are on the top of my head that we want to play a little bit better, but again, a guy we have a lot of confidence in. He has a ton of reps under his belt, so I thought this was a solid start for him. I'm sure he'll go back and watch the tape. Easy fixes. The game will start to slow down for him as he gets more experience out there in the regular season.

Q: How thin did it get at linebacker with the injuries, guys going in and out?

MM: I felt like the only issue was -- not that it was an issue, but the only true backup we went to was Tyrice with Bake not being able to finish the game.

Q: Is he okay, do you know?

MM: Yeah, I think he's going to be all right.

Q: How about Boye?

MM: Boye, same thing. He has like a knee contusion. I think he got banged in the knee. I think -- was it the last -- might have been the last drive before overtime or the overtime drive. Last drive before overtime. We'll see with all that stuff. We'll see how it shakes out.

Q: What do you think about how Jaxon played overall, career highs for him?

MM: I didn't realize it was career highs. That's pretty awesome. He's a great player. He's got incredible hands. All the underneath stuff. I think he is an underrated deep threat. There's a play, I think it was in overtime, where he held on to that ball. The guy had a pretty good hand on the ball in transition to be able to secure that ball in a critical moment. That's the one that stuck out with me, so he's a guy that we're going to be relying on moving forward. Yeah, he's a great player.

Q: Do you think the field goal at the end of the first half, that that looked efficient?

MM: I'm glad you brought that up. That's a lot of teamwork going into that drive, getting the stop on defense, coming back. Offense kind of understand, saving your time-outs operationally so you can use all of them and you can use the whole field.

Then the field goal operation is a point of emphasis this week, so I'm eager to watch the tape and see how we blocked them on field goal. The operation was great. J-My had a great ball. Probably a game-changing type series.

Q: Is there any thought on using the first time-out after that first stop that you get on defense?

MM: In those situations you kind of ask yourself, hey, which side would I want to be on? I felt like it was the right move to kind of make them go conservative and then whatever time remaining we could kind of do our thing on defense -- or on offense.

Q: DK had a couple drops but was a key part of the rest of the game, especially the tying drive. Can you talk about how he showed leadership?

MM: It's a great point. He started the game off with us on the D pass when they were in zero and kind of got us off and running on offense. I know he had a couple of drops, but coming back and making some critical plays. One where he leaped over the guy, that was incredible. Then having a couple of big-time catches in the fourth quarter and overtime. I'm not sure what his numbers were, but it felt like he had a great game.

QUARTERBACK GENO SMITH

Postgame press conference
Sunday, September 15, 2024

Q: How does it feel to just pull this one out the way you did? You've gotten used to this, these late-game drives and stuff like that?

GS: Yeah, it's just great to get a win, any win that you can get, especially early in the season. They're going to be critical as we move on forward to the season, but hats off to the Patriots. I thought they played a really good game. I thought they fought all the way through. Our guys, we lasted longer. I felt like our defense, they played a really good game. I thought Julian made a big-time field goal block right there to give us a shot. Then I felt like Grubb called a great game. I thought the offensive line did a great job at battling all game, and the receivers, they were outstanding today. Really made it easy for me and allowed me to go out there and do my job.

Q: Did you want to go for it on fourth and one at the end of regulation there?

GS: I mean, no. I thought we got the first down, but we didn't. So the right thing to do there was to kick the field goal and go to overtime and give ourselves some extra minutes to go and get the win.

Q: Did Grubb have a perfect play call lined up for that 36 to Zach based on what they were giving?

GS: That was a great call. They went cover-zero early in the game. That was the big touchdown to DK, and it kind of scared them out of it. They didn't call it for the rest of the game. We knew they would get back to it. That's what they want to do in those critical situations. Grubb was on it. Made the right call. We're just happy that happened and allowed us to get in field goal range and J-My kicked it in.

Q: What was working so well with JSN today?

GS: I thought the game plan was great and we had a good week of practice as well. I thought that guys were locked in and dialed in throughout practice. Really felt like we were going to have a good game. Then as we went out there on the field, man, guys were just balling. JSN is a great player. We have to get the ball in his hands as many chances as we can. I thought he did a great job throughout the game and just making those clutch catches and finding windows when it was zone, beating man when it was man, and I thought he did a great job today.

Q: Has it felt like this was coming from him just based on how good he looks in the offseason?

GS: Yeah, obviously the first game didn't get a bunch of -- we know who he is. We know who Jaxon is. We know the type of player he is, the caliber of receiver he is. It's just about opportunities for him. He's making the most of those. So just really proud of all the work he's put in, and it's really showing and paid off today.

Q: What is it about Tyler Lockett? He has one target for 60 minutes and came on the line and you can trust him to go to him? What is it about him?

GS: Is he clutch. Tyler is Tyler. He's done that his entire career. He's a guy who is so selfless. To go the entire game and really not get many targets, it wasn't based on, like, a lack of trying to. It was just reading the coverages and getting the ball to whoever is open, but to be a selfless guy the way that he is and to continue to stay focused throughout the game, I thought, man, I only can say great things about Tyler. He's just an outstanding human being. A lot of receivers will start calling for the ball at times when they don't feel like they're getting it, but I can just see how mentally dialed in he was throughout the game and knowing that his time was going to come. As soon as we needed a big play, right, we're going to find 16, and he always comes through.

Q: You're making a name for yourself with these comebacks, last year and today. What's your mindset in those situations? Do you enjoy those?

GS: My mindset, put the ball in 7 hands. That's my mindset. I always dreamed about these moments growing up. It's a dream come true just to be here. Whenever I'm in this situation and the game is on the line, I'm so happy and just excited for those opportunities. I look forward to them actually. I know it's going to happen more and more times throughout the season. The best quarterbacks always find ways to win. I want to be regarded in that light, so I just want to continue to be there for my team, do what's right, make the plays when they come.

Q: What was your reaction when Julian caught that catch?

GS: Oh, man, I knew we had him. I knew we had him. Even if he didn't block the kick, I felt like we were going to go down and score. When he blocked the kick, I felt like it turned the momentum. You could see they put their heads down a little bit. Their defense was, like, oh, man, we have to stop these guys. That's when we put our foot on the pedal and just started going after them and made some big plays.

Q: Backyard ball there the last throw to Lockett?

GS: Yeah, watching it, man, if you sprint right, usually you don't cut and reverse field. In dire times you got to make a play, and I felt like that was the situation where we needed it. I'm just happy it worked out the way that it did.

Q: Geno, last year was a run game and this week was a catch game. Last week was Lockett, and this week is JSN and DK.

GS: Super versatile. We have so many great players, even guys some that weren't on the field that can make some plays. I believe in the work. I believe in us just playing together and finding ways to win. It's going to be a different guy each time. We have a bunch of selfless guys. I think that's what matters the most. Guys who believe in one another. We want to see the next guy shine. I want to see the run game lead us just as much as I want to go out there and throw a bunch of touchdowns. However we can get a win, whatever we got to do, I'm just reading the defense and trying to make the right plays.

Q: The sequence at the end of the first half, you guys get to the line of scrimmage really quickly. It looked like with how much time was left there was zero margin for error. What can you say about that whole operation?

GS: I can't really recall.

Q: At the end of the first half when you guys get the field goal and you had clock the ball?

GS: We worked that situation all throughout the week. That was a get-down-and-spike-it situation. We had no time-outs. So we had to get as many yards as we can, receivers have to get down and hand the ball off to the center, and then we have to get down to the line of scrimmage and spike it as fast as possible. Got that done. I think it was maybe under 19 seconds or something like that. Spiked it with five seconds, so that was like perfect execution in that situation.

DK Metcalf, WR

(On his touchdown and celebration)

"Here's what I was doing. You know the picture of George Washington crossing the Delaware River? That's what I was trying to do. It was terrible. I was trying to take the guy's musket. Some things you just listen to and hold on to for the rest of your life. From sixth grade history class, that was one of them. It felt good, but it just felt good to win. For the past two weeks we've really shown just how close of a team we are, battling adversity. We're only going to get stronger and only going to play better throughout the season."

(On Geno Smith)

"He put the team on his back. We were down and needed a big field goal or a touchdown to win and he delivered. You can't ask too much more from a guy who sacrifices his body and the amount of time he studies at the facility. It just comes to life on Sundays whenever we play, the amount of work he does during the week."

(On the play calling)

"Whatever we need to do, whether it's run the ball or pass the ball during that specific game we can do it. Plus our defense, the way they're playing, if they continue to do this and continue to give us as many opportunities as we can to score we are going to make them right nine times out of ten."

(On Jaxon Smith-Njigba)

"He was unbelievable. Every time they seemed to throw him the ball he was catching it. He's also a hard worker. A special player, a special young player that's about to take over the league."

(On how Geno Smith handles himself during chaotic moments)

"He's been pretty much the same in my opinion but like I spoke earlier it was basically the team. Defense, offense, special teams, everybody coming together. Even in adverse times we all lean on each other and nobody ever points a finger. It's always onto the next play and what can we do better."

Julian Love, FS

(On the blocked field goal)

"Obviously they had a great drive, we did a bad job defensively and we got to stop them. It was fourth down, they went for the field goal. I don't usually go to the block side, but something in me just told Jenks [Rayshawn Jenkins] to let me get this one. So literally we just switched sides for one play. I just shot the gap, skinny-ed up, got my hands up and got the block."

(On the Patriot tight ends)

"We were playing them kind of loose, not as aggressive on the inside. We should have known 7 [Jacoby Brissett] was getting his quick game rhythm going. So there were a lot of quick throws inside to tight ends. Tight end screen accounted for a lot of yards. So two big plays by the tight ends, we've got to clean that up and we will."

(On how it felt when the ball hit his hand on the blocked kick)

"You kind of black out, it will hurt I'm sure, I jammed a couple fingers. But you just try to sell out and that moment you're just defending points. So you sell out and feel it later."

(On the sack on the prior play)

"It was like a nine yard sack, what was the field goal like 50 yards, 48 yards. In those cases I know Joey Slye pretty well and it's going to be a lower trajectory. There's a higher chance of a block when you move him out. So everything, especially that drive, they hit a few big ones. Just being resilient just turned the tides for us."

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR

(On if he knew he would be getting the ball so much)

"I guess it unfolded like that. But I knew also but you never know. At this point."

(On his first 100-yard game)

"It means a lot. I'm very thankful, all glory to God. Every time I step on the field, I'm just thankful to be there with my guys, to be a Seahawk. Shout out to my family. A lot of people were texting me today, I don't know what it was, telling me I was going to have a big day."

Jake Bobo, WR

(On playing back home)

"It was good. It's always good to get a win anywhere, but to get it here with some family in the stands, it was fun."

(On what it's like coming to play the Patriots after watching them growing up)

"A little bit in awe. Being that guy sitting up in the top of the stadium watching these guys forever, but as soon as the ball is kicked off, it's all focus. It was cool to be able to play these guys. Seeing that logo on the side of the helmet was really cool but just happy to come in here and get a win."

(On the play of the offense as a whole and especially DK Metcalf and Jaxon Smith-Njigba)

"Yeah, DK is special and so is Jaxon. Just being in a room with these guys and in an offense with these guys is awesome. It's fun for me. Geno [Smith] played great and defense got a stop in overtime so everyone came to play today. Obviously, just happy to come back here and get a win."

Jason Myers, K

(On the game)

"Coming across the east coast is never easy for anybody, but grinding it out and getting the W in the NFL is hard. Being able to come out with it and it is great for our team building up wins as we go."

(On the last-minute field goals)

"I was just sticking to my routine and that is my goal on every kick, whether it is the end of the game or the game winner, just trying to stay the same. Same heart rate and same thoughts and just do what I do."

Jarran Reed, NT

(On what he told the defense at the end of the game)

"I told everyone to stay poised and calm down. I said the game is on us and we need a big three and out and get the offense the ball back. If we get them the ball back, I know our offense would go down there and score."

(On how the team played today)

"We only played 50/50, we have to go back and watch the film and every play won't be perfect and we will see it on film. We need to go back and watch and get better at our mishaps and mental errors."

Leonard Williams, DE

(On the difficulty of tackling Jacoby Brissett)

"He surprised me, actually it is my first time playing against him. We kind of saw him on film and know his height and weight and things like that, but feeling it in person and seeing on film is a different thing. We were joking on the sidelines that he feels like Big Ben [Roethlisberger] and was trying to take down Big Ben out there. At halftime we talked to the defensive line and all the guys rushing the quarterback that if you are going to get your arms on him and just don't stop your feet, keep running your feet, and treat him like a running back."

(On Byron Murphy's first sack)

"I am super excited for him, you know he is a low leverage guy. I didn't quite see the sack, because I wasn't on the play but he told me on the sidelines he pretty much just bull rushed the guy, and fell inside and the quarterback stepped up right into him. A lot of credit to our edge guys as well making that quarterback step up into the pocket for the inside defensive lineman."

(On the Patriots' run game)

"I think we definitely have to watch film, but this is something that we knew they were going to do. We knew they were going to attack us there, you know we obviously should have been better, better prepared for it knowing this is what they were going to do but overall I felt we fought a long, fighting game and we came out victorious."

(On what they have to work on in the new defense)

"I think one advantage is that we have is so many guys that can play multiple positions. We are all learning the new defense, sometimes when guys are moving positions, sometimes I have to run up there and play nose, I have to play end, and we are subbing guys on and off the field. I think we need to tighten up a little bit with who is subbing on, who is coming off, and where exactly are going to be, and which position. It's going to help us all in learning all positions so we can help each other out and communicate."

(On Geno Smith at quarterback)

"I have the utmost confidence in him. When he has the ball in his hands every time our offense takes the field, I am just happy they have the ball in his hands. It is super exciting for me to see this in him as well, I got drafted to the Jets my rookie year and Geno was there and a whole bunch of stuff happened and I ended up coming out here last year. He has matured so much since I have last seen him. He is such a leader and really takes control of the offense and leads the team in great way."

Rayshawn Jenkins, SS

(On shutting down the Patriots wide receivers)

"You've got to understand, we have real chemistry on the back end and we have two of the best cornerbacks in the league. Then you have safeties that complement their game as well. One of the best tandems in the league. It's not surprising to us, we know what we can do. Our mind set was let's try and drop back and have them beat us in the pass game. It worked in my opinion. 2-0."

(On the Seahawk pass rush)

"You've got to give it up for those guys. We felt those guys in coverage. It is like we always say, 'rush and coverage always works together'. Hats off to those guys, a big day for them."

Jerome Baker, LB

(On the play of the defense)

"Give credit to our d-line. They went after the ball. They rushed the quarterback really well. We tried to contain them. We have some great players on the back end. They just stayed at it. We just have to stop the run and get back on the same page."

(On being 2-0)

"This is definitely a great start. Especially a tough one like this. Next week we've got to keep it going. I'm going to fall asleep (on the plane) especially after going to overtime."

Anthony Bradford, G

(On Geno Smith and the offense)

"Geno is going to be Geno, every time. He is locked in and gets us going every drive. He's a pro quarterback. That's why they pay him to do what he does. We came out first drive and didn't get to do what we wanted to do, but we came out for the second drive and answered quickly. That's what Geno does and that's the connection he, DK [Metcalf] and the other wide receivers have."

(On the mindset with Kenneth Walker III out)

"There's nobody else like K-9 [Kenneth Walker III] but the other backs behind him are just as good as him. Our mindset was the same, go out there and pound the rock to be honest. Get off the line, get our hands on them and let our running backs do what they do."

(On being 2-0)

"2-0, there isn't a better feeling. We finished today. We played five quarters. We did whatever we had to do. Any 'W' is a good 'W'."