Seahawks - 51, Lions - 29
COACH CARROLL: That was a really complete ball game across the board. Guys played really great. Really excited the way we came out. We made a big deal about these last two games and this one in particular because this is the one we had.
And I told the guys in the locker room, the way that they approached it, focus-wise, the juice that they brought in pregame in the locker room, it was really fun to watch. And then to go play like that and be that far out at halftime, it was a really nice accomplishment. Nice days work.
There's a million things to talk about in the game. You guys ask the questions. But I think you have to talk about the offensive line. You can see how the offensive line has worked with Rashaad here in the last month, and it's really -- they played really well. And they blocked stuff to give them a chance to get going. And Rashaad ran like crazy again.
Someone asked me during the week, what does Rashaad Penny have to do to, whatever. He's just got to go play again. That's all we have to do is get him back out there again. He looked great again today.
It's a big boost. You can see the rhythm it gives our offense, the balance that gives our offense to be able to be that explosive and he looked great again.
Russ had four touchdowns today. DK had three touchdowns, DK looked great. I don't know if I mentioned it but DK had a great week of preparation. And the one day he could really work full speed had a great day. Looked like a great player on the practice field.
And it was interesting that he looked so good again today, and carried it across and really proud of him. It's been a hard year in terms of preparation. And it really showed up today. And it was a lot of other guys as well.
To get the football like we did, the defense to get three takeaways, that's a beautiful thing. It was awesome. Great day for D.J. Reed. Had two great picks.
And Ugo, really in the right place at the right time, makes the play. I don't know what happened to the football on the way to the touchdown. But it still was great to get three turnovers.
And the offense didn't turn the ball over. Nine or ten times this year we've thrown a goose egg on offense. I don't know if we've done better than that. That showed up and was really helpful in getting the win today.
Also, I thought Jason Myers had a great day today. J-My had a great game today. Hit everything, six PATs, three good field goals and kicked the heck out of the football out of the end zone all day long. Perfect day for him. Great to see that happen.
Q. How is Bobby?
COACH CARROLL: Bobby strained his knee. Has an MRI coming up this afternoon, this evening. So we'll see. It wasn't initially, didn't look obviously really bad. But we don't know that. We've got to wait and see.
Q. Was he close at all to coming back in the game?
COACH CARROLL: He was going to come back in the game. You saw him go back in. Then took him back out to take him inside just to make sure. Just felt it was better to not go and make sure we know what's going on instead of just going back on the field.
Q. He ran back on the field for what would have been the next play. Did you pull him off?
COACH CARROLL: He couldn't go back in on that play because the timeout was caused by him. So he had to wait a play. Then we waited a play. That was enough time to cooler heads prevailed and we figured it out. I'm glad we took care of him.
Q. I know you'll probably have to watch film to answer it, but how did you feel the way Cody Barton played, stepping in?
COACH CARROLL: I have to see the film. I can't tell you, but he handled everything well. He was calling the whole line of scrimmage and huddle calls, all of that. Proud that he had -- I think he had six or seven tackles as well. Brucy had a bunch. But it was great he had a chance to play, jump in there and fill in for Bobby.
Q. Russell was playing with a glove on his throwing hand. What went into that?
COACH CARROLL: Did it during the week and liked it, so stayed with it.
Q. You alluded to this at the beginning, but for your team, just the way they came out and played, last week you got eliminated from the playoffs. You haven't been in this position a lot. What did it tell about your guys the way they responded?
COACH CARROLL: I'm really thrilled. Thrilled to see them respond like that. But mostly because they had so much fun today. They really had a great time today. They were really jacked about it. They were going to go out get it. We talked about we have two games, playoff games, like our NFC Championship game, and trying to get to the Super Bowl in Arizona kind of thing.
We had some fun with it, used our imagination. I don't know how serious they took it, but I was scrambling. But we had fun with it and they really met the challenge of the day. And played like we should have played. Played really good today.
Q. Is that the best Russell looked to you since he's been back?
COACH CARROLL: I don't know that. I thought he did well. He did great. He had good opportunities. A lot of rhythm stuff in this game, a lot of tempo stuff he handled well, and was able to change some things and fix some things really well. He's had a lot of good games this year.
Q. You said all along how important you felt the need for balance is for your offense. How have the last four games and (indiscernible) --
COACH CARROLL: I don't really need to show you guys, but that's what it looks like, and that's what we were working towards. And when you play like that, you can play great football. And we've done it for a lot of years.
And when we're really at our very best we're at our most balanced. And that's maybe hard to get excited about or whatever, which I don't care whether you do or not, but that's a great way to play this game. It suits everything.
Look at all the play passes we got to run today and how that all fit together and made hard on the opponent. It's great ball. Shane had a great day today and called it beautifully.
Q. Variety of plays and disguises today was the best you've had. What went into this week?
COACH CARROLL: We had 71 plays today. We had another 25 plays than we've been getting. Seriously, we had so many more opportunities. These plays were in the plan all along. But when you're scrambling to stay on the field, you don't get to flowing the way you'd like to. The flow, you earn the opportunity to have that flow and opportunity by making first downs. Where are we on third down, seven for 12 or something like that? That's how it works.
So I did think -- it did show up, though. You saw the little changeup on the goal line, the nice little around at the end of the game. There was a number of really cool plays today. Homer had one on a kind of a counter, (indiscernible) counter, a lot of cool things.
But those are things we haven't (indiscernible). We always have them. We just needed more opportunities. That's what controlling the ball and getting first downs does for you. It's been really frustrating that you haven't been able to see it because it's there. And we're capable of being like this.
And also I think one of the things, let's give credit, Rashaad Penny has been a big factor. He's looked great, just looked great in running the football. I'm so fired up for him and for us. And, man, he's leaving no doubt. He's explosive. He only weighs 236 pounds. The program says something else -- 236.
He's a load to tackle. He's running through tackles, bouncing off guys. And then he uses his burst and the quick feet. The touchdown run, I mean, there's about three different carries in this game that were exquisite. So just fired up for us.
Q. I don't know how much you can evaluate line play, but Phil Haynes filling in?
COACH CARROLL: I didn't say that and I should have mentioned that, that Phil got his chance today and did a really good job. He's a physical, tough kid. And he's really one of our guys in the system. Knows what he's doing. And showed that today. And that's a really good illustration of him hanging with it, staying with it and taking advantage of it.
Q. It seems like the couple chances he's had to play, he's done pretty well and (indiscernible)?
COACH CARROLL: That's right. He's a big man. Plays tough and strong, just like we like them. And he's almost a spitting image of what Gabe has, size-wise and the power and strength that they have. Pretty good.
Q. Did he know when you guys took a knee that one more score there would have been a (indiscernible)?
COACH CARROLL: It would have been one of those deals?
Q. Yes.
COACH CARROLL: No, I didn't know that. If I had known that we still would have taken a knee.
Q. You talked quite a bit about the impact that Adrian has had on Rashaad. Are you surprised that a guy could have that big an impact? He was only practicing for, what was it, one week?
COACH CARROLL: I thought it was startling. It was so obvious. It was so obvious. And Adrian was on the sideline today, all jacked up, having fun, cheerleading, and all that.
I was really -- I've never seen him like that. Let me give a little bit of credit. When Marshawn came back the first week, he had a big impact. They were totally different guys as they re-enter, different stories and all that.
But Marshawn had a big impact, too. And sometimes those special players they can affect guys in ways that -- that's why the teams they play on are always successful, because they help the people around them play better. And you gotta give him credit to Adrian for what he's stood for and what he's -- being the eyes of the younger players from all the years past. Lucky we got a chance to visit with him.
Q. What do you think he's doing that's rubbing off on other players like Rashaad -- with Adrian?
COACH CARROLL: First thing, they're kind of in awe of him. And then the way he worked. That's what it was. Every step he took was full speed, flying around. And he looked great. And we said, holy cow. And the next play, and the next play. And only had a couple, three days of practice with him. And he made that impression that quickly. It was that obvious.
No mistaking what happened. He influenced a ton of people. Myself included. I felt the same thing. This is what it's like being around a great player. And it just kind of jumped out at you.
Q. What happened to Will Dissly?
COACH CARROLL: He banged his heel. He's got a heel bruise or something. Not sure what it is.
Q. (Indiscernible) tackle?
COACH CARROLL: That was good too. Didn't need that to happen. But he had a huge day today. J-Mar (phonetic) was, shoot, man, he was on it.
Q. What happened to (indiscernible)?
COACH CARROLL: He got bruised up a little bit. The running back, he turned -- the running back turned, ran back into the back of his head. Got smacked. I thought -- looked pretty tough. He hung in there pretty good. And had to take a knee. Came off there with a big smile on his face. He didn't want me to give him any gaff about it. So tough guy.
Q. It's just one day but how much does this reaffirm the blueprints here, especially offensively?
COACH CARROLL: You be the judges of that. I don't need to reaffirm it. You guys reaffirm it.
Q. I'm asking you, is it --
COACH CARROLL: This is what we're supposed to look like. This is the way we're supposed to play. We're supposed to get the football off the opponent. And we're supposed to run the football and own the line of scrimmage so we can do all the things that our offense is structured to do and play off our special teams.
And special teams came through in a big way again. Good return from D.J. and Freddie had a good return got called back. Just a lot of positive stuff across the board.
Q. You had to play musical chairs at the cornerback position for a good portion of the season, especially the last couple of weeks. How pleased have you been seeing Michael Jackson come in and get two pass breakups today? It just seems that every guy (indiscernible).
COACH CARROLL: I want to give credit to John, going back -- when you realize we started landing guys, started getting corners in here, he was concerned about it. And Bless Austin didn't get a chance to play today but he was one of the guys -- we brought in a lot of new faces to try to give us some depth at that position. And we needed everybody. We needed everybody today.
Johnny Reid had to come out and I think he got hit in the head a little bit. And for Michael to jump up, Mike found out he was going, like, yesterday afternoon. Didn't even know until we got the report on Sidney.
All those guys we've been through this year, it's been a challenge. And, but I'm saying that John had the foresight to realize that we're going to need some extra guys. And he was right.
Q. How's DeeJay Dallas?
COACH CARROLL: He got a thigh bruise. Hit on that kickoff return.
Q. Didn't he test positive?
COACH CARROLL: Yes. He was the lone unvaccinated guy on the club, unfortunately.
Q. Did it seem like Bobby's knee would keep him out of the finale next week?
COACH CARROLL: I don't know that. We've got to get through tonight. I didn't see it, but I understand that he got in the splits and it was really kind of, I'm sure, a most threatening feeling position. And he was unsure what happened and what took place there. And he sorted it out, came running off, like the stud that he is and ran back in. I'm really glad we took care of him, kept him out.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports