NICK BELLORE: Oh, probably since the day I got here but probably terrified as the coaches were to give it to me, getting the ball, was just looking for a warm place to lay down out there. Thought I got a little bit further than I did but I guess not.
I stretched it at the end in my limited -- I learned, basically, playing running back from just watching the other guys. I really have no idea what I'm doing. I'm just like, okay, I just have to stretch the ball forward and hopefully I'll get a good spot or whatever.
Q. Ken learn that spin move from you?
NICK BELLORE: No. I could like tell him he should do that but I couldn't, like, reenact it for him but yeah.
Q. What happens if you draw that?
NICK BELLORE: IR for sure. They probably end up naming the field after me or something. I think would I definitely tear both my hamstrings I would say.
Q. What kind of boost has -- given you in the return game?
NICK BELLORE: Yeah, it's been awesome, especially the one this past week where it was a short kick. I conceivably could have caught it but I made a judgment that it was better for everybody involved if I didn't so I went up and tried to block for him. But you know, it's been amazing, and you know, D.J. did a great job doing it. He kind of is like a Swiss Army knife for us and does everything and now he's blocking for God win, which is kind of like a testament to what kind of teammate D.J. is I think.
But God win has come in and I think every week is a return pass of 30, basically and there's been some that are blocked up well and others, it's like in, Kansas City, he hit one, I had no idea where he was even running the ball and next thing I know he's I think past the 50. That's always exciting and I think it adds another element to our special teams. It's been great to have him.
Q. When Jason had the miss off -- as a special teams, how confident that if he got that shot he was going to come true?
NICK BELLORE: I think we all knew that. It just prolongs the game a little bit to get us more snaps out there. Did he us a favor and we get a little bit more experience. He's the kind of kicker that it's like, that stuff can happen. I don't envy that job at all. But you know, we are always unwavering in his ability to make the big kicks when he needs to.
Q. What was it like watching a Sunday night game?
NICK BELLORE: Pretty crazy. I haven't watched a game that intently. Usually I'm watching Blues Clues or something with my son, so I was actually watching it, caring what happened. You know, it was pretty wild to watch and just the whole sequence of events, winning the way we did and then going right home and watching the game, it was crazy, and I haven't really had a situation like that, ever, playing football. So it was fun. Obviously it's great how it all turned out but it was quite stressful for a while there.
Q. Do you still know anybody much with the Lions?
NICK BELLORE: Mostly like the support staff. Some coaches. Some equipment guys, athletic trainers and that. I kind of let them be. I'm sure Diggs did like a FaceTime call with the team before they went out (Laughter) but I left them to their own devices.
No, I was excited. They have a great team and they played us super hard and you know, I don't think a lot of teams around the league would want to play those guys. You know, they came through for us and we obviously appreciate it.
Q. This week will be a first for a lot of the guys on the team, especially the rookies. What do you reinforce about Saturday's matchup and what playoff football is?
NICK BELLORE: Yeah, since I've only been a part of it since I've got to Seattle, so it to being me, I don't know, nine, ten years to get to the playoffs. I think the guys have to really appreciate how it's hard to make the playoffs and you know we have been obviously very good at making it here, and almost you become spoiled and accustomed to it, which I think is obviously a good thing.
But I think it starts with Coach Carroll and what he takes about. At the end of the day, you know, it's another game. We treat all the games kind of like championship games because you see over the course of the regular season things that went our way and the other way how it kind of all -- they all add up at the end of the year and it came right down to the wire on Sunday.
I think now we get an opportunity. Everyone is 0-0. So we can go out there and we get to play a familiar opponent which is always fun to play a divisional rival like that.
Q. Shelby Harris was in a similar spot as you were in; what do you remember about the first time making the playoffs and then going so long without?
NICK BELLORE: It's kind of crazy, you get almost used to, nine years for me, it was January you're home and watching it. It's one of those things, I know feels this way, just so privileged to be able to play -- continue to be playing. Especially with the season has kind of been all over the place for us and I think finally to have it all come together the way we needed it to, and I just think we feel very honored to be able to get in and like I said, it all starts over and we are all blank slates, so I think it's fun.
Q. Used the phrase more about proving yourselves right than proving other people right. Internally, you guys always thought you could be here, didn't you?
NICK BELLORE: Yeah, it's one of those things, too, you start every season and people have opinions one way or the other how the team is going to be and even as a player, you obviously want to be great and do all these things. You don't really know how things emerge and there's all sorts of different storylines i the off-season that are usually stuff outside of the building. Once you get in here, it's business as usual and it has been ever since I've been here, no matter what the narrative is for anything. Ultimately we know what we have to do. We know the guys that we have. I think that was unwavering and you have young guy the emerge and young guys that we have, rookies that have played great this year and stuff you don't always expect to happen, I think it's cool because you never know how the season is going to go before happened, even playing preseason games, and it's kind of a mystery until you actually get out there and play, and it's been fun to watch.
Q. You played the 49ers obviously for a couple years early in your career. Is there anything unique or different about this rivalry or the way the fan base is that you sense?
NICK BELLORE: Yeah, it's always, when I was in San Francisco, you could always tell how tense it was between the two teams. You know, it's always a great game with us, and I think it's exciting to play a familiar opponent just because they know us, we know them, so it adds a little, especially playing them three times in a year is usual. I think we're all excited about it. We are used to playing in that stadium. They are used to playing up here. We've played against each other a lot. So I think it adds like an extra wrinkle to a game versus playing some opponent across the country that you haven't maybe played as much.
Q. What's that turf like if it gets soggy this week?
NICK BELLORE: I'm too slow to really, I don't really like, it doesn't bother me. So guys will complain, if it's raining out, it slows them down or whatever, so I kind of stay level with that, which is good.
But you know, I don't know, I Jay mi and the specialists worry about the weather. At the end of the day we have to go out and play in it. I think it will be fun no matter what. I kind of casually will be like, oh, it's going to run or not so I can prepare to catch a ball in the rain that's not going to get thrown to me but I like to -- no, it will be fun and if it's a monsoon we'll deal with it.
Q. Do you envision D.J. throwing a goal ball or a wildcat --
NICK BELLORE: I was actually politicking to be the wildcat quarterback, but we'll see after my carry last week how they feel about that.
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