Minnesota Vikings 27, Seattle Seahawks 24
SAM DARNOLD: Yeah obviously a really good win. You know, I feel like that second half it was kind of up and down the way that we were kind of stalled on a couple drives, a couple three and outs I think but our defense, man, I feel like our defense played really well today per usual. Our special teams, Reichard was able to do his thing today and drill some big field goals for us, Ryan right doing his thing punting the ball. A total team effort today and a ton of credit those guys on the other side of the ball. I feel like defensively they have some really good scheme and paired with obviously really good players. So just very proud of the guys in the locker room for the way that they handled everything throughout the game, the ups and the downs and just another resilient win for us.
Q. Your last four starts, you've had three go-ahead touchdowns in the fourth quarter. How have you been able to do that?
SAM DARNOLD: I think first off it's a total group effort. I think just the way that we've been able to keep our heads down throughout the game and just do our job every single play. That's really been the key for us and we are just going to continue to do that.
Q. Can you take us through the last touchdown pass and your teammates reaction to it?
SAM DARNOLD: I think first and foremost, Jeff is doing a great job of feeling that zone, and feeling the crowd, to get a little bit of width to get way from the safety and I felt like I needed to give him a shot put it on his back hip and let him do the rest. My teammates being pumped up, wouldn't expect anything less. I was just telling them, we have to get a stop here, it's not over and sure enough we did that. Super proud of Jackson, the way that he was able to play today and step in when we needed him the most.
Q. What happened with the headsets?
SAM DARNOLD: Just didn't get the call for whatever reason. Just called a play and did my best to make it work.
Q. What's the process like of getting a call into n to everybody with 12, 13 seconds?
SAM DARNOLD: Yeah, obviously time-outs are crucial. So wasn't going to burn a timeout there. Was able to just get a call in to the guys, something we are familiar with and was able to play the play and obviously felt a little bit of room on the left side and was able to scramble out for a solid game.
Q. You guys are potentially No. 1 seed in the next two games. What does that mean to this group to be in a position to do that?
SAM DARNOLD: Nothing's changed for us. It's just that 1-0 mentality that we always talk about. We have to grow a little bit from some of the things in the second half, like I said, kind of stalled a little bit and be able to figure out what happened there and for me I feel like I can be better with better ball placement on some of the throws, not only in the second half but first half as well. We have to continue to grow, get better and have good weeks of practice and continue to do our thing and if we do that, put our heads down, go to work, we'll be good.
Q. What is this team capable of?
SAM DARNOLD: We know exactly the kind of team we have and exactly the kind of guys we have in that locker room. It's just for us to be able to continue to go 1-0.
Q. You were reminding teammates that it wasn't over, did you have celebrate? Did you have time?
SAM DARNOLD: I think in between catching my breath and trying to get my feet back under me, I was more worried about that and just truly getting ready to maybe go back out there if they were going to kick a field goal, and I was just -- you've always got to keep your mind ready. We had a minute left. If they drove it 40, 45 yards or whatever and kicked a field goal, we were going to have to go out there potentially go to over time. It's never over in this league and that's the mindset.
Q. The first touchdown pass to Justin, did you think it was open?
SAM DARNOLD: I say it all the time. I feel like any time he scores a touchdown against man coverage, I come in here and I say any time he's one-on-one I'm going to try to give him a shot and that's what I did and that's pretty much it.
Q. Difficult throw.
SAM DARNOLD: Yeah, it's something we practice all the time. Obviously it's a difficult throw to the field, all that stuff but something we practice a lot.
Q. The poise you displayed in the final drive, where does that come from?
SAM DARNOLD: A lot of practice and getting a ton of reps against a defense that can get to a lot of their calls, a lot of pressures in two-minute situations and being able to find that poise in training camp in OTAs whenever we get that two-minute drill going, it starts there and just being really good with my feet and eyes and trusting my progressions and if I need to scramble, make a play, get up and out of the pocket, I'll be able to do that.
Q. The Packers are coming to town, an interesting week with the holidays, how do you guys make sure that you're focused on them and how much does it help that you guys are familiar with a W them?
SAM DARNOLD: Yeah, obviously it's been awhile since we played them so we've got to continue to do our film study and do our due diligence that way. There's that communication major. But it's super important to be able to just put our heads down and keep working. I think that's the biggest thing, and yeah, obviously they are a really good team. Another division opponent. So we've got our hands full with them but I think these next couple days, getting the guys coming off a Monday night game and getting everyone healthy, feeling good and coming to work on Wednesday.
Q. Was this a different kinds of victory?
SAM DARNOLD: Obviously coming into this hostile environment, it's always a good feeling to get a win here. But again, it's a tough opponent obviously in Seattle, so to be able to come in here and get a win was huge.
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