Seahawks 30, 49ers 23
RUSSELL WILSON: How you guys doing? Feels good to win.
Q. Was this a relief or excitement?
RUSSELL WILSON: You know, I wouldn't say relief. Just we had a great week of practice this week. We were all dialed in. We stayed zoned in on what the task was. Nobody blinked.
You know, that's why I think we were able to win this game. This game was definitely a crazy one. Felt like a crazy NFC West battle going back and forth between two great teams.
We remained neutral along the way, didn't get too high, too low, and we were able to execute when we needed to. Had some key third down conversions and obviously scoring in the red zone was huge for us.
That was really great to see, Eskridge score a touchdown, his first touchdown, to see Tyler Lockett make that great he catch in the back corner was a really special play. DK had some great catches, too.
Adrian Peterson, I mean, come on. Think about this: I was fortunate to believe able to hand off the ball to Adrian Peterson where he ties I think Jim Brown. What a remarkable, remarkable experience for me personally.
I've been with some amazing players, and to be able to hand off the ball to Adrian Peterson and let him score there was pretty special. I've always admired his work ethic and everything else.
So I thought the line did a great job battling against a really good defensive line. We kept going there, kept battling, guys made some tremendous displays. How about Homer's touchdown? The defense was lights out making plays, just seeing the turnovers they were able to get.
Just that was key, and I think the fans were amazing tonight too as well. That really helped as well, especially on the last little stretch of the game.
Q. You mentioned third down. I think you were 0-4 to start and then it was like 5-7 on those touchdown drives. What changed for you guys as an offense?
RUSSELL WILSON: We had some almost-plays in the first half, just barely just short or whatever it may be, and then we had a couple long distances in the first half, third and long.
So those are going to happen where you're not usually going to convert those. When you're able to have good first and second down plays, stay in manageable situations, we were able to convert on those third downs, we got hot in the second half, made a lot of those, and then in the red zone we were lights out when we needed to be. That's what it's got to be.
Q. The pass to only the third and 14, what did you see there on this play?
RUSSELL WILSON: Well, we wanted to back it up. That's why we look took the delay of game. We wanted to back it up so we could get a little further on the go ball.
No, but, yeah, DK did a tremendous job of just slide stepping and got inside the guy, and normally I can throw on of those moonballs down the field, but I was able to put the ball more on the line, line drive throw so he could fit it in there to him. He makes a great catch. He almost got in the end zone, and then we end up scoring on that drive.
Q. Russ, say anything to Gerald Everett? It was a rough day for him with basically three turnovers on him with the two fumbles and the dropped touchdown and all that. How did you manage that with him, and how rough was it to see that from him today?
RUSSELL WILSON: Well, the one thing I told Gerald is I always will believe in him. He's a tremendous football player and he's been great for us this season. I went over to him, just talked to him, you know, you're going to help us throughout this game and the rest of the season. Just keep your head clear.
I have no doubt what Gerald Everett is going to do, how he's going to respond. He's a competitive warrior guy out there. He is a tremendous football player. You guys have seen what he's been able to do for us all season.
The one guy you don't have to worry about is Gerald Everett what he's going to bring back to the table and how he's going to play.
Q. You guys had a couple of those late games, the opponent's driving, defense needs to stop. Obviously the defense is up there doing their thing. What's it like for you the on the sideline watching that play out?
RUSSELL WILSON: Yeah, I always believe. That's the first thing. Always takes great belief, and I think our whole sideline believed in the defense and being able to come up with a huge stop.
Just seeing a guy like Bobby Wagner out there, you always know something is going to happen, and just because of d feelings. Then Carlos Dunlap made some huge plays there just to knock the ball down. That's why he's here. He's been one of the best in the world at it for a long time.
I thought so our defense just kept battling, and the fans were great. So for me, I just stay focused on getting ready just in case they score. For me, I remain neutral, focused on when I may have to do if the game -- if we get the ball back because they score or something like that that's my mentality. What I do know is our defense is hopefully going to come up with a huge stop, and they did it once again.
Q. What was the effect of the team meeting last night, everyone explaining their whys?
RUSSELL WILSON: Yeah, I thought it was really cool last night. Tyler was able to talk to our whole team about our why, why do we play. Guys went around the room and were able to talk about their whys. It was really touching, really special just to hear from guys about why they play the game, where does it come from, what's the depths of it all and some really amazing stuff.
For me personally, I them No. 1 why for me has been God has given me a talent and it's to glorify him. That's No. 1 reason why I get to do this and why I love doing it, playing for Him.
The second part of it obviously my family. I think about obviously Ciara, my kids, but also my brother, my sister, my mom. What amazing woman she is and how she's been able to be such a rock in my life. She's always texting me early in the mornings, late at nights just giving me some amazing advice and Scripture and filling my spirit.
So my mom has always been amazing at doing that, and that's always been a key part of it.
Then I think about the early mornings with my dad. Why I do it. I think that when I think about my dad, I know that he wishes he would be here. Like I always tell you guys, he has the best seat in the house.
When I think about that, I think about my family, my closest people in my life, you know, I do it for them. At the same time, I'm a self-motivator. Every day I wake up, you know, I'm trying to be great. That's in anything I do. You have to wake up with that mentality. In the midst of storms, like I said to you guys earlier in the week, consider it pure joy going through trials and tribulations because the testing of my faith builds perseverance. I think that the midst of storms, just keep my head clear.
And I think the final part is, that last part of why is I been fortunate to come play in this game. I'm 5'11", right at 5'11". To be able to play this game and to be able to do it and to know that a lot of other great quarterbacks and players have more opportunity because (audio glitch), and also because of just me going after it every day.
I think that's something that I want to give hope to every boy, every girl in the world that why not you? And so I think that's mas you guys saw in the cleats today. I saw the why not you, Why Not You Academy. That's part of it for me every day, just trying to be an inspiration for somebody else that says, Hey, you can't do this, you can't do that, you're not any good anymore, you're not this, you're not that. I think if you keep the right perspective and you always believe, why not? Why not you?
I'm just grateful God has given me an opportunity to do it.
Q. How much more dialed in did you feel this week?
RUSSELL WILSON: I felt dialed in the weeks before. I think you're just getting back into the groove of it all. I never missed a game in any sport, so you get back to the field and we played some really good football teams, too, so there are some challenges there, but obviously I think that I just stayed the course.
Mentally I was so locked in, physically, everything, so it's fun. Like I told you guys earlier in the week, what I really wanted to focus on this week was just joy. Just joy. Just bringing joy to the facility, joy in the midst of everybody talking stuff about us.
We get to play this amazing game called football that we are gifted to be able to play it. So for me, I just wanted to bring joy. That's who I am. That's my mentality, what I love to do.
And I'm competitive as can be, but also I love trying to bring joy and peace, and at the same time I love winning, the process of it all. So what I did this week was just stay focused on the process. Nothing else. Like I told you guys earlier in this the week, I had a great former head coach tell me, NFL coach tell me, You're going to be a Hall of Famer, have Hall of Fame demeanor.
He said to me, Have a Hall of Fame demeanor. Have a Hall of Fame week, have a Hall of Fame day, Hall of Fame breakfast. That's got to be your mentality every day.
And so that was -- I mean, I'm always thinking about it, but that was really clear for me what I needed to be like all day, all week, and all the noise, I'm just going to stay focused on what I need to do.
I know what kind of player I am. I know what kind of throws I can make. I know what we can do, and I'm just going to keep swinging.
Q. Who was the coach?
RUSSELL WILSON: I'm going to keep that tight. Somebody close to me.
Q. What's a Hall of Fame breakfast?
RUSSELL WILSON: Man, well, you know, I didn't have any eggs, just bacon, sausage, acai bowl, little shake. But I think it's more so the mentality. I know what you mean.
Q. You mentioned Dee and his first touchdown. Knowing the struggle that he went through to start the year, what does it mean?
RUSSELL WILSON: Yeah, it so cool to see Dee Eskridge get in the end zone. He has worked just so hard to get back, and I know any time your injured it's tough and he went through some severe stuff.
I really relate to Dee Eskridge because my sister had gone through some stuff with concussions. You know, when we got to talk, he asked me for advice earlier on when he was struggling getting back. I said, I think you need to go with the best guy in the world. That's where my sister went. I had a very straightforward conversation with him. Hey, need to get the treatment that's going to take care of you. There is a guy named should down in Florida, Dr. Manushya. [Phonetic]. He's the best in the world at it. He fixed my sister, and I'm not going to lie. Everybody told my sister she would never play again. Multiple doctors and people.
He's amazing. So he so went down there the first time only for a few days, but it's really a five-day process, so I said, Hey, go back there again. He did, and the training staff here was great and supportive and everything else.
So for him to get cleared and to -- he's such a hard worker and that was cool. Everybody was celebrating that tonight. I felt really happy for him. I know he's going to continue to work his butt off. He gets there early every morning. I get to work with him every morning early, around 6:15, 6:30 during the season. He wants to be great, so that's just the start. Got a lot more to do. It's just a start.
Q. You got some practice reps with him, but haven't got any game reps with him. Now seems like you're starting to look for him a lot more out there. Where do you feel like the chemistry is with him?
RUSSELL WILSON: I think my chemistry with Dee Eskridge is great. I think he understands the game. He's working really hard at it. He asks great questions. He is tremendously talented as you guys saw. He's hard to tackle, too. Made some really key plays tonight, so I felt really pumped up for him tonight.
Q. You've always gotten results on the field throughout your career. What's it been like for you this stretch where the results haven't been coming for you as easily and working through that?
RUSSELL WILSON: I think it's a long journey. Career is a long journey. I think every great hitter doesn't go up and have the best hitting performance every time. You got to watch out if they don't.
So I think that's kind of my -- always been my mentality, approach of sports, and just going for it. I don't every blink in the process. So I had some amazing -- I have some amazing teammates, too. Guys were super supportive this week just giving me some good energy as well, and vice versa. Let's just go for it. Let's just have fun while we do it, and we were able to do that tonight.
Q. I think it's been about a month since you been back. How much better, different, if at all, does your finger feel now compared to then?
RUSSELL WILSON: Yeah, every day I get better. Every day it's been a cool journey. This past Friday was the first day they were hoping that I could practice. I practiced four weeks before that, so I feel great. I feel great. Tonight was a huge night for us.
Made some great plays. Ball came out of my hand great. Every throw felt confident. Glad I was able to play because also I'm going to battle, and also challenge me in a great way, so -- mentally and physically. I got better today and I get better every day.
So it was a good night.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports