Seahawks 24, Panthers 30
STEVE WILKS: Like to start out by saying condolences so the Silas family. Heard right before the game that legendary coach and NBA player, Charlotte Hornets former coach Paul Silas passed away.
My time in Charlotte, seeing him, being around him, great coach. Even a better person. Coach Clifford had an opportunity to meet his son, Steven, who's coaching down in Houston. Again, condolences to the family.
In regards to the game, we talked about doing something that we haven't done all year, which is coming on the road in a playoff environment and winning a football game.
Couldn't be more proud of the men in that locker room than I am in the way that we finished that game today. Everything we do starts up front on both sides of the ball, and we ran the ball tonight for 224 yards.
We finished the game when we needed to for us trying to pound the ball in the fourth quarter. Very impressive from the standpoint the protecting the football and then taking it away on the defensive side of the ball.
And when you look at time of possession, 39 minutes, which is critical. Really trying to keep Geno and those guys off the field with that high-powered offense and those receivers.
So with that, I'll take your questions.
Q. Coach, the level of emotion in your voice, what are you feeling?
STEVE WILKS: You know, it's thrilling, again, just for the men in that locker room, for how hard they work, how dedicated they have been. We found ourselves to be able to work through it. Always talk about don't allow it to get in the way, whatever it may be.
It started with the coaching change. You know, I can go on and on with the different things, with players leaving, you know, coaches leaving, whatever. You know, those men in that locker room found a way to refocus and get it done.
Q. Coach, talk about starting and finishing strong. This has been a pretty good played game.
STEVE WILKS: Well, it was something that we talked about and we felt like we had to do it on the road. Wanted to be aggressive, as we did. Went for it on fourth down. Didn't get it. Great stance by them.
But we never wavered. Another it. Keep persevering; found a way to win the football game. We talked about it at halftime. You know, good football teams, which I feel we are, all right, I told them that, I said, but great ones learn how to finish. Let's go be great.
Q. Is this a statement win?
STEVE WILKS: It's hard to win in the National Football League, regardless. To be able to get this one on the road means a lot, yes.
Q. Playing with a playoff mentality, how do you think the guys responded? Is this the kind of win now, two in a row, kind of get it rolling?
STEVE WILKS: Well, I hope this is something that we can build momentum off of. You know, particularly, again, you know you're good, but when you come into a situation -- because that's a playoff team that we played today. Good football team.
So to be able to get a win like this on the road, hostile environment, 12th man, I think is definitely a momentum builder for us. We definitely got to continue to build off this.
You know, we got to go home and protect the bank.
Q. Following up on that, if this is a statement win, what kind of statement was made today on the field?
STEVE WILKS: Well, I think just really the mentality of really finishing up front and running the football. I think in the fourth quarter, as a defensive coach -- again, nothing more demoralizing than having a ball run on you in the fourth quarter and not being able to stop it.
Our offensive line, again, running backs, those guys did a tremendous job.
Q. D'Onta on that drive, that long drive that ended up in a touchdown. Is was mostly Chuba and Raheem.
STEVE WILKS: It was a mere fact of him not being available. As you saw, Chuba did a tremendous job. As coaches we felt like we were going right now with Chuba in a particular rhythm, but nothing was wrong with D'Onta.
Q. Talk about where the emotion is coming from.
STEVE WILKS: Again, as I expressed, I'm so thrilled and happy for those guys in the locker room. The coaches do a tremendous job in game planning and putting these guys in position, but all the credit goes to those players on how they go out there and perform and finish.
With everything we've gone through, they've gone through with the different coaching changes, you know, getting rid of players, organization trying to tank it, you know, all those different things, and to see how those guys responded and came out and played today, it is pretty thrilling emotionally, yes.
Q. What did you say to the folks who said, oh, maybe this organization is tanking after you guys made some of those the trades?
STEVE WILKS: I think it was quite obvious in my approach, in our approach as a team, in how we went out and performed and played. So I don't think you got to really be verbal about it. Just go out and continue to work hard.
Q. Before those last two drives, your first and goal on the three, and Ben calls four straight passes, which seemed to kind of go against the identity. Can you take us though that sequence?
STEVE WILKS: We felt like maybe we could get something on them, particularly -- well, you know, they were crowding the line of scrimmage, and they did it late in the game as well, but I wasn't going to take a chance and throw the ball then.
Hindsight I felt like we were making the right decision. If you go back and look at that one, Sam could have run ball in. He tried to force to force it in there late, and I told him to just go ahead and win with his legs.
Q. On that very next drive, the (indiscernible) comes out with Sam. Had you all saved that for though moment?
STEVE WILKS: We had shown some it of. It is all based off the look. We probably had the look earlier and then Sam didn't take it. Came back and did some good things with the ball late. We probably had one when -- probably should have handed the ball off and probably would've been a touchdown.
Q. When you have the interim head coach tag, a lot of people talk about the players, the staff. How have you made this coaching staff and this team yours?
STEVE WILKS: As I stated at the beginning, you know, I don't know what's going to happen, but for 13 weeks I said I was going to do it my way with players, coaches, and the mentality and the culture that I wanted to create.
So our mindset doesn't change. It's all about winning today. Going to take it one at a time, and next up is Pittsburgh. We will figure out what happens at the end. Right now, we're just worrying about the Steelers.
Q. The other week you kind of challenges some of the (indiscernible.) Having Jaycee Horn make that play early, how important was that to the momentum early to try to make a statement?
STEVE WILKS: Well, any time you can take the ball over -- take the ball away early is crucial. You know, you talk about a momentum changer, particularly in a hostile environment here being on the road, so it was critical for us.
Just Jaycee as a whole, man, he was excited all week about this matchup and this challenge. I think we know exactly what happened today.
Q. After that turnover on (indiscernible) looks like maybe the Seahawks had some momentum. You get the sack from Shaq and Brian Burns. To have your two leaders on defense make that play and get the ball back, how big was that?
STEVE WILKS: It's critical. We talked about it on the sideline, let's go finish the job up front, challenging those guys to get after the quarterback. We eventually got him late in the game. I think we had three sacks and I think two of them came late in the game.
Again, how we build and what we do starts up front on both sides of the ball.
Q. When you were talking about the things you guys have overcome a couple minutes ago, you mentioned organizational tanking. Can you expand on that?
STEVE WILKS: Joe, I'm not going to expand on it. I just talked about it in regards because that was some of the things that were said outside the building. I just want people to know, particularly our fans to understand how committed we are to really trying to win and stay in this divisional race.
Q. What did you think of the Marshall through-the-legs grab? Not something you probably teach.
STEVE WILKS: Great effort by him. They made the call and said it wasn't a catch, so we just got to be able to live with it.
Q. Flight home now. What's that going to be like?
STEVE WILKS: Well, I'm sure the players are going to enjoy themselves. As coaches we know we're going to grade the tape. It's a long flight, and then we'll start talking about Pittsburgh on the way back.
Q. How do you celebrate wins? Do you celebrate wins?
STEVE WILKS: 24 hours. That's it. You know, when I was young a coach told me at young age, he said, you enjoy the season when the season is over.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports