Q. Zack, Dion was just saying that after the fumble, you talked to him on the sideline and said, next time I get the ball, I'm going to make a difference. Do you remember that conversation? What kind of -- what was in your mind that made you say that kind of thing to him on the sideline?
ZACK MOSS: I had a long weekend. I buried my aunt yesterday morning. Then coming out here 24 hours later and have a fumble in a big game we definitely needed, I had to get my mental right and kind of switch over. So I was able to do that just from that conversation and just knowing that I had to pick it up for this team.
Q. What went into that? You obviously weren't able to attend. How were you able to deal with that?
ZACK MOSS: I actually did attend yesterday morning. Just obviously pretty sure everyone understands being at a funeral and all the stuff that goes around it, even in the weeks before and all that. I just wanted to come out here and just play the game.
Had a rough start to it, but just being able to go out there and finish right away, Coach is allowing me to go out and do that is big.
Q. Sorry for your loss.
ZACK MOSS: Appreciate it.
Q. Greg, for yourself, first two career sacks to get them here in your hometown, what is that feeling like?
GREGORY ROUSSEAU: It was a blessing. It was a lot of fun out there. Really even though I might get the sack, really just a testament to the secondary, linebackers, D-line, all of us getting there. It was really like a group effort. Some people might get the numbers, but really it's all 11 of us.
Q. The pass rush as a whole, I think you guys had six sacks today. It seemed like it was really rolling right from the very start, first play of the game.
GREGORY ROUSSEAU: Just going out there and executing everything that Coach McDermott, Coach Frazier, Coach E, what they tell us to do, get off, active hands, hands and hips, just the whole nine yards.
Q. At some level, though, to be able to come back here and perform like that, that has to be special for you on a personal level.
GREGORY ROUSSEAU: Yeah, it was pretty cool. Playing all my home games at this stadium in college. I had a lot of great memories here. I had my whole family here. It was just a blessing to be able to come back and play in my hometown and have a solid game.
Q. Zack, when you put one on the ground like that, a lot of coaches would just say, sit the rest of it out. What's it say to the coaching staff that they went back to you, and how much did you think to yourself, I've got to pay them back for that?
ZACK MOSS: For one, I need to pay myself back first and this team. I mean, something like that happened similar last year in my rookie year in San Francisco on a Monday night game, we had a fumble on the exchange deep in the red zone coming out, and I got benched that game. So that was a big learning curve.
For Coach McDermott to continue to say he trusts me every time I come and seen him was big for me. So I just knew I definitely needed to come back out and just do what I need to do.
Q. Zack, what was the emotional ride for you out there? I can imagine it's got to be as high and as low as it gets all things considered. To be able to finish it the way you did and literally finish at the goal line, how good did that feel?
ZACK MOSS: It's life. You know what I mean? I think, if I had to put it in one word, it's life. I mean, going from having ups and having downs in this 24 hours.
So I'm just thankful for being able to play this game because a lot of other things in life that's way more important, but I get a chance to come out here and play this game.
So super happy and super blessed just to be able to play like I said and have the game that I did have with the rebound.
Q. Zack, both of those touchdown runs were not to be classified as easy. Those were pretty physical runs. What was going through your mind on each of those?
ZACK MOSS: Just make them count. We know as running backs, if you don't make them count down there, the chance of getting another one is very slim. So there's a chance it might go in the air. I just wanted to make sure when I did get it, I made sure that I had crossed that white line so we couldn't throw it in the air and I didn't have to block anyone.
Q. Defense had two sacks on the first three plays. Was there a sense pretty early on like you guys were going to eat today?
GREGORY ROUSSEAU: Yeah, I'd say there was. Just really all about just going out there and playing hungry. Obviously, we lost last week. We didn't have our best game. We knew we had to come out and start fast. That's what we did.
Q. Greg, how do you describe that momentum when the pass rush really gets rolling? It definitely feels like it's one after another?
GREGORY ROUSSEAU: It means everything. Momentum in football is a huge, huge part of the game, and then when your unit is coming up big, you just feed off each other. A.J. makes a play. Jerry makes a play. It gets you more excited. Now you want to go and get one. It's really like a snowball effect.
Q. Both Sean and Josh were talking about even when the team was up 14-0, the offense still needed to get in a rhythm. What's it like when the points are there but you feel like there's so many adjustments that need to be made?
ZACK MOSS: We got off to a fast start, and we got stalled really quick. There was a lot of things going on, and you don't want that to happen in the offense. I mean, we know who we got as guys on our team, we know how everyone is going to play and how they're going to respond.
So it was kind of just continue like, if it didn't happen this time, it's going to happen next time. If it didn't happen this time, it's going to happen next time. All the guys on the offense are leaders and things like that, just kept preaching that on the sidelines, and everyone followed suit. We were able to do that, finally getting back in the end zone and scoring a few more times.
Q. Two weeks in a row, this defense has given this team a chance. They've only allowed one touchdown, and today obviously no points. What can you say overall about the job that side of the ball is doing right now?
ZACK MOSS: They're doing a great job. Obviously, we have one of the better defenses in the league, so as an offense, we make sure we do our job to allow those guys to go out there and play more free.
When they're playing the way they're playing, 0-0, and we put up 14 points, it allows them to go out there and have more leverage and make plays for themself and stuff like that. As an offense, we try to feed them as they feed us.
Also in the special teams, that's what we preached all week definitely coming out of the week 1 game.
Q. Mentally any differences from Game 1 to Game 2 of your career? Any less jittery or things like that?
GREGORY ROUSSEAU: I'd say it's about the same. I would say it's really cool playing here and having more people come to the game, so that was cool, but it wasn't too different.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports