Seahawks, 20 - Rams, 9
Q. Just what's it mean to you to be NFC West Champs and knowing you got that job done today?
RUSSELL WILSON: It's such a huge blessing. Obviously this year has been a challenging year. You know, obviously to get to be here in this place and to be NFC West Champs, all the hard work, all the things we've had to do, I think about the rookies even not having a normal year of, you know, spring ball, summertime, and having to do everything on Zoom, having to be great at that and having to be great at adjusting, and I think we've been great at adjusting throughout the whole year.
Honestly this year has been a challenging year. This year has been a challenging year in so many different ways. I'll never forget when I was at the Pro Bowl and we lost Kobe and Gigi. That was a heavy day. Heavy on our hearts. Such a hard day. Hard couple weeks, and more.
And you know, then I think about everything else that's happened with COVID and all the things going on racially in America. Think about George, Breonna, Ahmad, all the different scenarios of what we've had to face as a team, as men, what we've had to talk about.
You know, guys are also struggling with their families and not being able to see their families, some people knowing people that have gotten sick and this and that with COVID. You know, it's been a challenging year.
I think that the reason why I wore this jersey tonight, too, I think about Kobe. You know, big championship matchup, everything that's going on in 2020, to honor him, you know, have that Mamba Mentality and just the reality of what this 2020 year has been like, he's one of the first things that come to mind and just what he represented, how he inspired people.
Think about a person like Chadwick Boseman and how he inspired people. People didn't know that he was struggling with he was going through.
There is just so many circumstances that have been running through my mind all year, and I think to be able to get to here tonight and for us to play for the NFC West Championships at the end the December here, December 27th, it feels like it's been a long year.
I think to be able to go and to win this game, to have that Mamba Mentality in the fourth quarter, in the last drive, and convert our third downs to make a huge, huge play with Hollister there at the end, and that be the knock-out punch, the knock-out shot, game-winning shot.
Then you think about how our defense played and how they've continued to grow throughout the weeks and how we're all kind of coming together all at one time. It's been a special year, and a lot of special guys in that locker room. I'm just grateful for the men that we have. I'm thankful for the sacrifices that we have been able to give in terms of just everybody helping each other and working through all the issues that have gone on, like I said, with COVID, with all the racial tension, with everything that's gone on, not seeing people's families.
Just us bonding. Although we haven't had our fans here at all, we know that we can feel everybody. It's been a special time in the midst of everything. The reality for me is that I thank God for having us here, for giving me the opportunity. It's all for him and his glory.
The reality I think for us is we can't be satisfied with where we are. We want to go somewhere, and we don't want to just go there, we want to win it. Hopefully we can get that done.
Q. Hey, Russ, you guys in the first half went 1 for 5 on third down. Had some trouble really sustaining drives. Then the second half go 7 for 12. Was what biggest difference maker for you guys being able to convert on those opportunities, and how much did David Moore's catch really ignite this offense?
RUSSELL WILSON: I think we had some key third down opportunities early on. We almost got them and this and that. Made a couple plays here and there. They're a great team. That's why they've been so good all year and they've had a great defense and this and that, but we knew it was going to be a battle throughout the game, and then we started converting.
I think David Moore's play was critical. To be able to get outside the pocket there, extend the play, give him a chance and make a big time catch, there is no fear in that throw. You just believe in it and you shoot it and you let it ride.
He made a great catch and tried to give him -- put where he could get it. He can catch, man. He's really special. So any time there is a contested football he's going to catch it, and he did a great job there.
So that really gave us the momentum. We kept going, and the next thing you know we scored. The defense kept playing great throughout the game. We kept playing and knew it was going to be a battle. We ran the ball well when we needed to. We threw it and converted on third downs int eh second half. DK came up big on several, several drives.
Tyler Lockett came up huge on several plays, as well. He's so special, him and Tyler, DK and Tyler, and they just converted the third downs.
And then Greg had a good catch I think earlier in the first half or -- I believe it was the first half, end of the first half. He had that catch across where we needed that kind of big third down conversion.
So just every guy kind of -- Carlos coming up on the same play, the same drive, I believe, with David Moore's catch where he kind of scooted and I kind of scrambled and I flicked it back inside. He got the first down, and then next thing you know we score.
Everybody was making plays and our offensive line was doing a tremendous job of blocking those guys up. They're a tremendous defensive line obviously. To be able to block those guys and give me enough time to make the throws and do that and move around, and also be able to run it the way that we did, especially in the second half, and throw it, it was a really key game.
We knew it was going to be a battle down to the wire. That's what these NFC West Championship games are always like. Every since I got here in 2012 it's been a tough challenge, and we believe we're always going to win them and that's our mentality.
Q. What was it like for you on the sideline watching that third quarter defensive stand when they had four shots and didn't make it? How big a deal was that for you?
RUSSELL WILSON: Yeah, I think that was huge for us to be able to have a huge stop. I think we were up 13 to 6 at that time I believe it was. Jamal makes a tremendous play, and he's been playing lights out all year, running the guy down. Next thing you know, it was four consecutive plays in a row. To be able to top them like that and our defense to play that well -- to be honest with you, go back to earlier in the year. They had some of those key stops.
We weren't playing as great across the board in terms of that whole -- early in the season, but we always had these key symptoms. Now how great our defense has been playing it's so great to watch. It's one of those things when you get down there you know they're going to make a great player.
Sure enough, those guys made several great plays, and I think we got the ball out on that one -- I think somebody knocked it out and we challenged, but I think we got the ball.
So it was just tremendous. That was a huge momentum getter. We were all fired up and shouting on the sidelines and all ecstatic on offense and defense. So it was a big play and a big drive. We came up big there.
Q. Where will this season and winning a division -- I know you're not done yet -- getting to this point, where does it rank with accomplishments with everything like you said going on besides football?
RUSSELL WILSON: You know, there is a little asterisk next to this one, Greg, and I think it's a good question. Like I said earlier, this year has been super, super challenging not just for our players, but also for our families, our loved ones, our friends, people who want to come in and see us. They're struggling with whatever is going on financially, you know, circumstances, health-wise, so many different scenarios within our locker room.
These are grown men who have loved ones and families. We all have different circumstances. The reality is for us to be a family and for us to be able get to this point and play the way that we've played, for us to be able to overcome challenges, every obstacle we feel like we keep overcoming and keep challenging, and we look forward to the challenges despite everything that's going on and we stick together.
I think that -- I go back to the summertime when we kind of finally got here. It was training camp, and we really wanted to talk about how we were going to deal with everything going on in the community, everything going on racially, also with COVID and our families and loved ones.
We knew we were going to have to mold and really be together, and it really is credit to a lot of guys. I think about guys like Bobby and K.J. and Jamal and Duane, a guy like Penny Hart. He spoke up in such a powerful, powerful way. So many other guys, we all came together.
And so I think for us this has been a year with an asterisk next to it. As I mentioned, I'll never forget the day when we were about to do the -- you know, everybody call it up at the Pro Bowl, and we lost somebody that we all admired and watched for years and got to witness doing so many amazing things.
Just so for us, we feel like it's been challenging, but it's been worth it. It's taken a lot of sacrifice, but there is still more to do. That's where our focus is. What can we do next? How far can we take this thing?
Q. Since we didn't get a chance to be the locker room in the post game, can you tell us what that celebration was like?
RUSSELL WILSON: Oh, man, the locker room was amazing. Everybody was so ecstatic. Everybody was having a blast. Just everybody is fired up, and I think that it's been, like I said, a special year for us to get here, play a great team like we did today and to get that win, and I think everybody is really fired up about it.
We still got another game coming and we got to get ready for it. We got to be great in this next game coming up, because the 49ers know how to play and they're a good football team. We got to bring our A game. We can worry about later letter.
But to celebrate tonight is an exciting thing. So many guys never won a NFC West Championships, never been to the playoffs maybe even. Some guys this is their first year even, so whatever it may be, so it's definitely a special time, and for us to really enjoy it is a blessing for sure.
Like I said, there is more to do.
Q. And Kobe, you were talking about it as though it were personal with you. Did you have a relationship with Kobe?
RUSSELL WILSON: Yeah, you know for me, I think one, I've always admired his game and his clutchness. He seemed like he always wanted to have the ball in his hands and he never feared the shot. He was always an overcomer.
So Kobe has a quote, I don't know it exactly, but he talks about overcoming the struggles, the challenges, and it's really just a set up for him to keep overcoming it, and I think that's always something that's been inspiring to me. He was a winner. He worked at it every day.
So for me, in my personal relationship, I was able to get to know him a little bit from different occasions and this and that, and he was one of the most respectful people and one of the most genuine people you could ever meet. He always looked you in the eye. He always had this patience to him it seemed like when I was around him.
I've obviously gotten to know his family and stuff like that even more, so that family means a lot to us. Definitely miss Kobes, you miss Gigi, but they're smiling down from heaven on all of us. That's what we know.
Q. Last year you guys come down, have a chance to win the division, it comes down a half hard shy on the throw to Hollister. This year you guys connect on a touchdown that puts it away. Just the contrast of the two and being able to seal this one away for you guys.
RUSSELL WILSON: Yeah, you know, I think about last year's game, how crazy. That was an amazing matchup. We had a chance to win the division right there. One inch yard line, just missed getting in there on that play.
Hollister, he's been so efficient and so effective and keeps making plays. His ability to score, and I think, to be honest, Freddy Swain did a great job too on that play. He really did a great job of setting it up so Hollister could get open.
You know, it's all of that together to be able to get to this point. Once again, last year was last year. But to win this year with that asterisk next to everything that's gone on, it's been exciting. It's really exciting to win it. But like I said, we got to remain neutral and stay focused on when we got to do and where we want to go. There is a lot more ahead of us.
Q. Seemed like Jamal Adams makes a game-changing play just every Sunday. Today he saved a touchdown chasing down Henderson. What do you think about the impact he's had?
RUSSELL WILSON: Jamal, I mean, I think we got the two best safeties in the game in Jamal and Diggs. Those two guys, they play lights out every week. They work their tails off. They're focused. They're smart as could be and detailed. They love the game. They love their teammates. They're passionate.
These guys can play. Jamal makes a play every week. Diggs does, too. Those two guys are spectacular back there. To see Jamal run down a guy -- I mean, the guy can fly -- to run at that guy down like Jamal did, Jamal can run like crazy.
That shows his heart, his love for the game, his teammates. That's why we love him. It's been a blessing to have him on our team. I've become really close to him, and we are thankful to God that God has given us to the opportunity to be able to do it together, but also as team and also just to be able to do what we love. It's definitely a blessing.
Q. First off, thank you for sharing what you did about Kobe. Sorry for your loss with that. Talking to Jamal this week, he made it sound like -- he said that he knew you guys were going to beat the Rams because of the way that they prepared and the way that you guys worked for this game. Did you notice a difference in practice at all this week, or is that how it is every week?
RUSSELL WILSON: I think we always have great practices, always put on a show at practice. I do think that -- you know, I think for us is we're really maturing, really growing. We're growing into a championship team.
We've always practiced like that way. We've always kind of played way. And listen, it's a NFL. There is always challenging along the way. We know that. Every game has its own history and whatever like I told you guys before. The reality of who we are as a team -- I think the guys who, for example -- I'll take a guy like DK, a guy who was a rookie last year coming into his second year. His maturation, he was a pro in his first year. He's been playing all pro level and also all pro preparation.
I think about a guy like Diggs, comes here, he set the tone when he got here and just watching him play every day, how he works, his attention to detail.
Jamal. Coming from the Jets to here. He brought that passion, energy, something, a little added sense.
Watching Bobby and K.J., Those guys tag team together. It's fascinating. A guys like Brooks gets to watch those two guys who are unbelievable talents and what they've been able to do for the game.
I think about a guy like Duane Brown and how he's helped Ethan and how Ethan has helped D-Lew, and how Cedric had to step up when Shell went down, how good Shell was playing.
I mean, think about this team as a whole. Guys like Freddy Swain get to see guys like DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and David Moore and their work ethic. Our running backs and who they are. A guy like Penny coming back. They come back they know a guy like Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde are going to give everything they have.
I think about a person like Geno, how he's helped me, his work ethic, his passion, our friendship, our bond, it's been special.
To be honest with you, this year, to get as far as we've gotten and to win the NFC West Championship, we wouldn't be able to do it without our training staff and our equipment staff. Everybody has put in the hard work.
I think the PR staff over here -- yeah, yeah, you guys, these two up here -- but to be able to get to this point, it's a real blessing. I think about the strength staff and how they've had to change so much and how we can only have a certain amount of guys in the room and we've all got to be spaced out and do this and that.
Man, you've got to love winning. Got to love the process of winning more than the end result. These guys in the locker room, they love the process more than the end result. When we get to celebrate at the end of the games, that's when you know it's worth it. So I'm grateful. I'm grateful for the guys we have.
Thank you, guys. Mamba, we out.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports