Seahawks - 51, Lions - 29
Q. That went well. Is that exactly how the offense is supposed to be -- (indiscernible) spread pass?
RUSSELL WILSON: I think we executed in every way. I've been telling you guys for a little bit here, that's kind of the game we want to play, a complete game from first down, second quarter, third quarter to fourth. Everybody touched the ball. We were able to facilitate to different guys.
Our playmakers like DK, Tyler, they sere exceptional today. Gerald made exceptional catches. We converted on third down. Rashaad Penny ran the ball, lights out. Offensive line was tremendous all night.
They did some really good pressure looks we picked up in a great way. Ethan did a really good job up there up front and making sure me and him are on the same page and the guys blocked it up well. We got the ball in the end zone a bunch. Able to score quite often. The one thing I wish we had finished the last five minutes better.
That's me being extra picky, trying to find how can we be even better than that. But I think we're always searching for the next best step. And I think we definitely took that today. That was huge for us.
Q. The second possession after the three and out, you converted on a couple of third downs to go down get the touchdowns. How big was getting the third downs and staying on the field?
RUSSELL WILSON: We converted. Gerald showed up on that one, where he ran the end breaking route. We looked to the right, those guys kind of weren't open over there a second; they covered it pretty well. Came back, here comes Gerald, first down, got the ball on the edge couple of times. Next thing, got the ball in the end zone.
Shane called a great game, did a great job of dialing it up and getting the stuff we needed to get to. And I thought, too, in key situations they changed their coverages a ton. They were changing it up from the cover one to three to six, to six-man, just cover 2. Mixing it up every different situation, and then they went 0.
DK did a great job on that zero look. And I was able to, right before I got hit place it, just place it up to him. It was right where we needed it to be. It was beautiful. Couldn't have done that any better.
Q. How did Freddie Swain get so wide open on that one?
RUSSELL WILSON: That was a dialed up play we saw earlier in the week we possibly could hit. He does such a great job in the run game but he also does such a great job reading the routes and understanding where he needs to be and the placement of where he needs to be. Kind of looked right gave eyes away and came back to him and he was wide open. That was a beautiful play by him.
Q. This was the first game you guys played in a long time with no playoff implications. There could have been potential for a letdown. What does it say about the team the way you guys came out this week?
RUSSELL WILSON: I told you earlier in the week I think that the standard of excellence that's what we're searching for every day. And the thought process of players and the character of guys that we've had, we knew we weren't going to be able to just give up and give in. That's not going to be allowed. Just that's not in our nature.
Obviously this season hasn't been what we wanted it to be. And I think it's been challenging so many different ways. But I think to be able to answer the call and to be able to come back at home, our last home game here, and to be able to play at such a high level was exciting for the fans.
And our fans are the best fans in the world. Just to be able to do that for them, I think that was really special. And I thought -- guys want to play great. Guys want to do all the things they want to do and dream of and everything else. We're working at it every day.
I thought this week of practice was, we've had some really great weeks, but I thought with everything going on, I think it was one of our best weeks we could possibly have. And that definitely showed up in so many different ways.
Q. The crowd pumped up walked off the field they were chanting your name. Early in the week you said you hope this isn't your last game here. Never know how things are going to work out. Walking off the field this game, what was going through your head maybe?
RUSSELL WILSON: I was thinking about joy, I was thinking about our fans and what a special moment just to be able to win this game here at home for our fans and for them to feel that energy again.
I felt like throughout the whole game the crowd saw that energy and got to feel us and vice versa. And that was really special tonight. So anytime you see those kids, too, you always want to -- they're screaming your name or whatever, to give them a towel or sign their jersey, those kind of special moments like that are always amazing.
And obviously I love the city. It's been such a special journey. And obviously to be able to win tonight was a great game.
Q. You wore a glove on your right hand today. What was the impact of that?
RUSSELL WILSON: It was raining pretty hard today. I was, like, okay, I've been practicing with -- I've practiced with it before, never really done it in a game or whatever. But I don't think I needed it, but the first or second quarter it was raining pretty hard consistently. Pregame it was, too.
I practiced in pregame with it. Practiced without it. Kind of mixed it up, just whatever I'm going to do I'm going to go with it the whole game. That's kind of how I was thinking about it.
Q. When the run game was humming the way it was today and the way it has the last three, four games, do you feel a difference in how the pass rush is on play-action plays? Or does that vary by game?
RUSSELL WILSON: It varies by game. Depends on the players they have their mentality, in terms of are they just trying to rush up the field every time or not. When you have that established running game able to run the ball so physical like that, it wears those guys down on the other side.
And I think that from our play-action game and all the things we were able to do we were really able to do everything because I think we were able to execute. We executed in every way today.
I don't think there's -- maybe one or two plays we could have done a little bit better. But then those one or two could have been touchdowns maybe.
Just I think that we played a great football game. And that's what we needed today. And that's what we wanted to feel and that's what we've been talking about.
Like I said, I think Shane did a great job. Our O line did a tremendous job in every way, from run game to pass game. And then when you see DK score three times that's always a good thing for us. When you see Tyler get in the end zone, when you see Rashaad get in there, too, that was really awesome.
Q. (Indiscernible) you volunteered you might not be back for next year. You knew that was going to cause national speculation. Why did you choose to do that?
RUSSELL WILSON: I didn't choose to do that. I wasn't trying to cause anything. But I think the question was about Bobby and whatever. And we were talking about --
Q. The day before.
RUSSELL WILSON: I think somebody mentioned Bobby and everything we were talking about that. I'm not going to get into that. Listen, I think for me my mission today was to be able to win today. Just win the journey. And so you can have any thoughts you want. But I'm grateful.
You can't get me out of -- in a bad mood. I'm full of joy. I'm full of gratefulness. I'm full of just being blessed, man. So I'm not going to waiver off of that. I'm just grateful what we've been able to do today. It was really special.
I thought the guys played great. To feel good and to be out there again for our fans and what we were able to do today, it was really special. So to see the Hawks win again it's a good thing.
Q. What does it do for the offense when you get 71 plays?
RUSSELL WILSON: It was huge. To be able to get that many plays to be able to be out there execute the way we wanted to, that was huge. Third downs were great. I thought that us running the ball was really efficient too as well. Throwing the ball, we were able to throw everything we wanted to do. Guys were making tremendous catches, tremendous plays.
I thought one of the coolest plays was Tyler slipping down. They tried to disguise their coverage and Tyler did a great job running on the left side for the big gain. That was sweet.
We had some special moments. And I think we caught our groove today. So hopefully, we've got one game left. We go to travel down to Arizona. We always know that's a battle.
They've been doing a great job all year and we've been battling too. We're looking forward to that challenge and journey to be able to play down there and get to work again.
Q. What do you make of this surge that Rashaad has had over the past four weeks?
RUSSELL WILSON: I think what you make of it his talent level has been remarkable. I think unfortunately he's gone through so many tough times and so many tough injuries. I think that's just been hard on him.
And I think to sum it up when you're healthy when you're able to be out there and to overcome some of the stuff he's gone through and just continue to have those guys encourage him and us encourage him in the locker room and him to go after it every day at practice, I mean what a testimony. What a testimony to just continue to have perseverance. He's had tremendous perseverance. I think that's been amazing.
I think also, too, I think when Adrian Peterson walks in the building you get to see Hall of Fame running back run the football at practice and all that. It shows you this is what it looks like. In every way. Every day they call him AD for a reason, All Day. I noticed that. I told you guys that story when I was at the Pro Bowl. It was a walk-through practice and he was running full speed.
That's inspiring stuff. So I think, first of all, it's a testament to his work ethic, his encouragement. I think our training room and everything everybody's done to get him there. And the guys and the energy around him. I think the third part is being around great players like that. It always helps. Those three things have been evident.
Q. 2.7 million raised for cancer treatment research. What do you know of (inaudible) over the years, what does that mean to you?
RUSSELL WILSON: I think when I came here in Seattle, 2012, and I never forget getting here. And it was something that meant a lot to me knowing that my dad passed away, knowing that my dad always told me it's the hash mark in between of significance that you can leave on a place. You always want to leave a place better, you always want to go to a place and make it better. You want to always encourage people and make people believe, this and that.
That's why I went to the hospitals. My mom was a nurse, was an ER nurse and did so many different things. So for me, I've seen my dad pass away in a hospital room when the line went flat. So for me I understand what it's like to lose family members, to lose loved ones and all that.
So, I don't mean to get too emotional, but I just think when you get to go into a hospital room, now having three kids, for me and Ciara, to be able to try to make a difference for people every day and just try to inspire. I always say sports and music are the two most entertaining things in the world.
To be able to live life with C and to be able to give back and give a little glimpse of hope, it's what life's really all about. And I believe that God's given me so much ability but also so much opportunity to serve.
And I just thank God every day I get to serve and to give back and to help. And that's what's been probably the coolest part of the journey is just to be able to make a difference for people and to see kids walk in with cancer and then to be able to help raise funds or to be able to encourage them, give them a word of why not you or whatever it may be, give them that glimpse of hope.
And I think that to see guys like Milton Wright walk out of a hospital room when they only had 12 to 18 hours left to live and to know that because of T cell therapy and what our foundation was able to do with Why Not You Foundation so many different things to encourage them, why not you, you can overcome them.
I told him the story about my dad. And he said why not me. He gets up and goes, walks down the hallway, gets T cell therapy and no more cancer. That's why I believe. That's why I believe. That's why I do it, because somebody else is going to be affected by it.
And I think that for me and Ciara, we've seen that happen over and over and over again, the success rate of it all. We've seen kids walk out of the hospital room with no more cancer and no more problems. And we've also lost some too. But the belief and the hope that someone else is going to be encouraged, that just maybe if there's a small chance maybe they get to walk out of that hospital room, it's worth every second, every minute and every hour, every day to wake up with that kind of encouragement and love.
And I think that what we're supposed to do when much is given much is required for us to love and supposed to serve. And so I'm grateful that I get to do it. I'm grateful I get to do it with Ciara every time and so many other amazing people in our foundation, Why Not You Foundation, and I'm grateful for our school, Why Not You Academy.
We went to the school the other day, I think it was three weeks ago -- the weeks collide nowadays -- and just to be able to give to those kids and to know that they're dreaming and it's happening for them and they're reaching for the stars. Just like me and Ciara used to.
And it's a special thing. So I think that's what -- to go win games, do all this amazing stuff, do some cool things in your lifetime, your sports career, that's awesome. That's what I dream about every day and wake up for every day. But the other part of it that makes it even better is that God chose me to do that and gave me opportunity to encourage and so many others and hopefully I can encourage somebody else.
So you can't say enough about the teachers at Why Not You Academy and all the schools around us who teach our young, kids teach them to overcome with all the things going on with COVID and much and more. And you think about the nurses and doctors at Seattle Children's Hospital right down the road.
They're the true heroes. These kids are true heroes. So I'm just grateful that our foundation, Why Not You Foundation, is able to make a difference like this with $2.7 million today and just to be -- it takes a community. It takes a village, it takes amazing people. It takes people that want to dream with you. So why not, why not you, why not us? So that's been cool.
Q. How deep are those connections off the field connections -- how big a factor are those off-the-field connections here in Seattle to where you envision your career ending and going?
RUSSELL WILSON: I think that for me I take every day one day at a time. My favorite scripture is seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.
Verse 34 says don't worry about tomorrow because tomorrow has enough worry in itself. That's how I've always been. I think for me, obviously this city has been everything for me. It's been a special place. And it's always going to be forever a special place for me.
So I've told you guys my goals and my visions, my thoughts and everything else. And so I hope that it all gets to collide together and get to do it together and hopefully we can do everything that I've ever dreamed of and we've ever dreamed of together. So that will be the goal.
Q. I know you didn't want to talk about the future too much, but with your no trade, you do affect whether you'll be here next year or not. Do you expect to be a Seahawk in 2022?
RUSSELL WILSON: Like I said earlier, I hope so. I hope that's the case. I take one day at a time. Today is really about our team today. And that's what I'm going to focus on today. But it was special today. But that's my hope.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports