Seahawks 44, Saints 13
SAM DARNOLD: Yeah, obviously a really good result today. You know, I thought first off, special teams, defense, the way they set the tone for this game, you know, and then kind of led to us having really good field position all day.
I feel like we did a really good job executing. Obviously we would like to come away with a few more touchdowns or couple more touchdowns. I thought we obviously settled for some field goals there.
Overall, I feel like that was a whole-team game. Like I said we stayed on top of the field position all day and just really proud of our guys. Proud of our offensive line, running backs, everyone for setting the tone.
Tory Horton, man, coming to work today. It was awesome to see him get that punt return and get a touchdown, doing his thing in the pass game.
Q. The way you started on offense the last two games in scoring, what does that reinforce to the game planning and all the preparation all week?
SAM DARNOLD: Yeah. Yeah, it's huge. Just the preparation, like you said, that we put in throughout the week, that's how you want to start the game. You go through your openers and you go through certain things that you want to do against their defense. You know, sometimes, especially early in the season, you're not necessarily sure exactly what you're going to get from their defense. I feel like our guys did a really good job of executing no matter what the circumstances were, even it was a different look than what we practiced.
I thought just execution was at a high level today.
Q. You mentioned defense and special teams set you guys up with great field position several times. To go 4 for 4 on your first four possessions in the red zone, what does that mean for where the offense it at right now that you guys are finishing at that type of a rate?
SAM DARNOLD: Yeah, it's huge. Obviously got bailed out a little bit on that first drive with the penalty. Like to convert that third down.
Yeah, just got to continue to be really good in practice. I think that's where it starts, is practice, executing and talking about it. If certain things don't necessarily work in practice or we need better timing, continue to work on that and even throw certain routes after practice if we need to.
That's where it starts. It starts with the work we put in throughout the week, and if that continues to translate to on-field success, we're going to be all right this year.
Q. Sounds like Jaxon was sick there for a little while, the last day or so, and didn't look like it today at all.
SAM DARNOLD: No, he didn't.
Q. That second play of the game that you were able to scramble, avoid pressure, and then get to him, just take us through that play.
SAM DARNOLD: Yeah, it was big time. He's such a good football player. When I get in those scramble modes and he's able to kind of detach from his guy and make a play, I know he's always going to be there -- along with all our other guys, but Jax especially. He's really good at playing ball at that point and getting open.
Q. Quite a few plays where you throw accurately moving to your left, which I imagine is not easy. What's the key to throwing accurately across your body like that?
SAM DARNOLD: I think just doing it a lot, getting reps at it in the offseason. You know, understanding kind of momentum. Understanding how fast I'm going and just being able to turn my shoulders. I can be running as fast as I need to be to my left, as long as my shoulders are turned. I understand that going to my left that ball is going to pull a little left as I'm throwing left, so just understanding those details.
At the end of the day just comes down to getting those reps in the offseason, even now.
Q. You mentioned Tory already. To see a rookie do what he's done the last few games, what stands out most about what you've seen from him?
SAM DARNOLD: Yeah, I think just how steady he is. Even having a good game in Pittsburgh, catching that efficiency touchdown, was still eager and hungry this whole last week, wanting more and just asking a ton of great questions.
Like I've talked a ton about Tory, but he's just continuing to grow. I know he's going to continue to get better and want to get better. I think that's the biggest key as a young player, is just having that want to get better and understand the offense even that much more.
Q. Sam, he started getting going in training camp pretty early despite missing the offseason stuff being held out and such. Why do you think he was able to find a footing so quickly and show this side of him as quickly as he did?
SAM DARNOLD: Yeah, first off, he's talented. He's a really talented football player. He does all the little things that you can't really teach really well. He tracks the ball well. He's got great speed. Good hands. He's got length.
So I think at the end of the day like his work ethic is what is going to set him apart in my opinion. That starts with the entire room. I feel like that whole receiver room does a really good job continuing to work and ask questions and do all the right -- the little things to continue to get better.
Q. A lot of talk in the offseason, but how much have you guys all emphasized being better at home, starting fast at home and winning home games?
SAM DARNOLD: Yeah, I think that's obviously a key to win at home. At the end of the day like our goal is just to go out there and execute. The winning is going to take care of itself as long as we go out there and play one play at a time and that's kind of our mindset.
Q. When K9 cut that run back, were you thinking about throwing a block there? Looked like you were gonna.
SAM DARNOLD: Yeah, that was a tough look for sure. I'm not sure exactly how it looked, but I was looking for a block and I was like ah, I don't think I should block, so I'm going bail out of here, and then somehow still ended up on my ass.
But, yeah, it was fun to kind of get out there, and K9, the way he cuts I knew or had a feeling it was going to come back to me. Yeah, got to have a better plan next time I guess.
Q. Is that something he had to make a really business decision on especially considering the state of the game that you guys are at?
SAM DARNOLD: No -- yeah, I don't know. It was just at the end of the day I think I would love to go help my teammate and K9 go get a block for him. At the same time there were a lot of guys on that end of the field, a lot of big guys, a lot of D-linemen, I don't know if I would've won that battle had I chose to go out there and get a block for him.
Q. What problems have you seen from the offensive line in the three weeks?
SAM DARNOLD: Yeah, they're continuing to talk, they're continuing to get to know one another, get to know the calls, get to know how deep they're pass setting certain games, you know, the run game communication on that.
I feel like they're continuing to get to know each other a ton that way, and you can tell. There is still a lot of room to grow, not only in that area, but also as a whole. All the skill players, me, I feel like the last couple throws that I had weren't necessarily as accurate as I would've hoped for.
So just going to continue to learn being get better and grow as an offense.
Q. Quick turnaround to Thursday and Arizona. How do you approach this stage of your career planning for a game on only a couple days' rest differently than if you were, say, getting ready to play on Sunday?
SAM DARNOLD: Yeah, just speeds up the process entirely. You know, tomorrow we're -- I haven't looked at the schedule, but I'm sure we'll be meeting quite a bit and maybe have a walk-through, something like that.
But, yeah, it just speeds up our process. Tomorrow is a Wednesday, a normal Wednesday, then you got Thursday, Friday, and all of a sudden you have the Friday and Saturday is one day on Wednesday. You look and you're playing on Thursday, which is now our Sunday.
So everything is just so condensed, the time. So for us, we got to be ready. We got to have our bodies and mindset right and ready to go by Thursday. We know we'll have a really good game plan by the time Wednesday night comes around.
Q. You have obviously been a starter in this league, but you've been a back up, too. There is a lot of work that goes into that. In a game like this is it good to have Drew get in and get some playing time?
SAM DARNOLD: Yeah, it was awesome. Whenever Drew gets an opportunity to go in there I know he's going to take full advantage of it. I know, like I said, I wasn't a huge fan of my last two passes that I threw in the game. It was like I was joking with the guys, but it was kind of like, you know, if there is any hoopers in here, you go out there and you don't want to miss your last shot ever. Whether it's a layup, you want to get the ball in the bucket, the last shot you take.
For me to end it on two incompletions, that was not my favorite thing in the world, but I know he's going to go in there and do a good job when he gets in there.
Q. Sam stylistically, through three games how close do you feel like you are as a offense to being the kind of offense that you guys wanted to be?
SAM DARNOLD: Yeah, I think we're right there. We're kind of knocking on the door of what we want to be as an offense and executing at the level we want to execute at. We just got to keep taking it one day at a time. Things will fall into place. We have to continue to have that worker's mentality and grow from this one. Watch the tape because there is a lot of stuff to learn from on this tape and be ready to go by Thursday.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports