Pittsburgh Steelers - 20, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 18
Q. What's going through your mind when you enter the game knowing how close it was and the circumstances?
MITCH TRUBISKY: I was ready to go. And in those situations you just got to be ready when your number's called. I just wanted to come in and help the team win any way I could.
So just tried to come in, do my role and lead the guys. Everyone stuck together. And they had my back when I came in as well.
So it was fun to see. We all kind of rallied around. We just got to continue to pick each other up and stick together. So it was a hard fought win, definitely a big-time team win and we just got to continue to improve.
Q. The comeback to Pickens for the first down, the bootleg and then making it up as you go along to Claypool, the read option. I think a lot of us were expecting to see that stuff out of you pretty regular when the season started. Why did it all of a sudden come together today?
MITCH TRUBISKY: I don't know. Better late than never I guess. We had it when we needed to today. A lot of credit goes to the O-line. I think on those third and longs they were giving me a bunch of time to see the field. Couple I used my legs. Just some big-time catches by Chase over the middle. Pickens on that other third and long, the comeback to the sideline. So really just the support and play-making ability from my teammates, the O-line giving me time. And I was able to just come in there and make the plays that we needed to get out with a win.
Q. Were you more willing to pull the trigger or take chances or take shots?
MITCH TRUBISKY: Yeah, I guess so. It just felt good today. I was ready to go. I was just playing within the play and trying to make plays and go out and win the game.
Q. Did you notice a change in your mentality or did you enter that game with a change in your mentality as opposed to when you were starting at the beginning of the season?
MITCH TRUBISKY: I try to carry the same mentality when I go into the game. Just play each play as its own play. Try to do my job. I liked our aggressive mindset in the second half and especially when I came in.
So I just wanted to continue to carry that. I know we needed to score in order to stay out in front and win that game. It was nice to stay on the field and finish that two minute and get those victory kneels in.
So we convert third downs when we needed to. But I just came in with aggressive mindset, all my teammates had my back, we just kind of rallied together and pulled it out as a team.
Q. The free play to Heyward. Was that initially supposed to go to him or did you see something different after you realized it was a penalty?
MITCH TRUBISKY: I knew we had 12 guys on the field so it was a free play. The O-line did a great job. They knew it was a free play as well. But just continuing to block and give me time. And they really weren't set and he was free down the seam so he made a heads up play, just turned and getting ready for the ball and made a big play for the team.
Q. When you were here you were understandably frustrated, upset, disappointed. How long did it take you to kind of wash that off or get past that? Your teammates said you came in the next day in a good mindset. Did it take you awhile to get to that place?
MITCH TRUBISKY: 24 hours. You give yourself the 24-hour rule. Win or lose if something bad happens in the game you just got to get back. And what is most important to me is just being part of this team. The fact that I was voted captain. So I knew like 24 hours you got to shake it off, you got to come in, be a leader and just continue to rally the guys.
So we had a tough couple weeks and we got to continue working and hopefully build off this. But hopefully everybody sees just what coach told us last night, it's going to take everybody on this team. We got to continue to pull together. We got some guys out. We need to get them back.
But a lot of guys stepped up today, not just myself, and we pulled together and played like a team and that's why we won.
Q. When you threw the ball up the left to Claypool, it looked like you had eyes on him. Were you waiting for a certain amount of separation? What caused you then to finally pull the trigger?
MITCH TRUBISKY: I was looking to see which direction he was going to go. I knew he was going to get free from that backer. I didn't know if he was going to break across the middle of the field or come back towards me and just get the first down. He decided to take it up. I tried to put it over the shoulder. It kind of went a little more back shoulder because I was rolling to my left. He made a phenomenal grab and to get two feet in and keep us on the field was a huge play for us. So it was an incredible grab for him.
Q. To have that type of performance, to show your teammates, show the league what you can do, what does that mean? Kind of give us an idea.
MITCH TRUBISKY: It feels good. It feels good to win just as a team. To show my teammates what I'm capable of. But I think the best part is just seeing their joy and excitement after a hard-fought victory like that.
We've had some up-and-downs the last couple weeks, but to have that feeling that's what you chase every single week and hopefully it just continues to pull us together.
Q. Was that as rewarding a performance considering the circumstances and everything for you?
MITCH TRUBISKY: It's always rewarding when you win. Always.
Q. You coming in. Kenny goes out. How much personally -- I mean kind of like backyard football, you finally get back in the game. You don't know when you're going to go back in. You've got to feel something extra.
MITCH TRUBISKY: It feels good. When you kind of get thrown in there you might be thinking a little less, just going out there playing free. But I knew what I had to do for my team. I studied this week as if I was a starter and you just prepare that way.
I was helping Kenny on the sidelines in the first half. Just constantly communications trying to help these guys. And then when your number gets called you go out and do a different job. So I wanted to continue to be aggressive, play free. And everyone just kind of rallied together. So it was fun. That's back yard football, if you will, but it was fun. We made plays when we had to.
Q. Was this a season-altering win for you guys?
MITCH TRUBISKY: It's just a win. It's just a win. So we got 24 hours again. We'll enjoy it and get back to work tomorrow. Try to get another one next week. So that's the mindset. But we definitely needed one today for sure. Always need a win.
Q. Have you spoken with Kenny since coming back in?
MITCH TRUBISKY: Yeah, I congratulated him on the win in the locker room. And we're just going to take it day by day. We got to get him back. We got to get a lot of guys to get back. Just got to rally together and see if these guys are all right.
Q. It's been a tough start to the season for Chase. Speak to the game that he had.
MITCH TRUBISKY: To step up like that, especially on those third downs, that's what it's all about. That's like football and that's like life. You're going to have ups and downs and you're going to have weeks where it's not really going your way. But you got to stick with it and just continue to buy into the process.
And to have those big catches and to have a moment like this and get a win after the game, it kind of makes it all worth it. But it just goes to show you, you just continue to put your head down and work and good things will happen and continue to put the team first.
Q. Did Brady say anything to you after the game?
MITCH TRUBISKY: Good game. Yeah.
Q. Before Chase's touchdown the receivers hadn't caught a touchdown pass yet. Now that he has one does that open the flood gates or maybe get the receivers more involved to get more of those scores?
MITCH TRUBISKY: Definitely it should. I know they want touchdowns. We want touchdowns too. Hopefully it just shows us what we're capable of, we can continue to do more of it. But the big thing is just continuing to practice hard. Make sure we're going hard in practice, getting down the details and making sure it translates to the game.
We ran that play in practice a bunch. I didn't get a rep at it, but I knew where he was going to be on the spot and he did exactly his job. And that's how you make plays. So just being on the same page with the guys and we just got to continue to pull together and make plays like that. And hopefully it does open the flood gates for the receivers. We got a talented group and we got to get them in the end zone and continue to get better.
Q. The third down sideline catch to Chase is that a case of you putting the ball where only he can get it?
MITCH TRUBISKY: He made a phenomenal catch. I thought I threw it to where only he could get it, but we wanted to complete the ball in bounds and stay on the field. We were just kind of backyard football. Scrambling around. He stuck with me. I was trying to see where he was going. And he somehow got two feet in. So it was incredible and I'm happy for him.
Q. Was there a change in mindset than the first three and a half games for you personally, in terms of the throws you were willing to make, the plays you were willing to take chances on, that you might not have earlier in the year?
MITCH TRUBISKY: I feel like I had the same mindset. I was trying to go in there and be aggressive. I wanted win the game. We just made the plays today. Made the throws. O-line did a great job. Receivers made plays.
But every time I am in there I like to think I'm being aggressive, doing my job for the team, making smart decisions and going after a win.
Q. You seemed to be more relaxed though today. I watched you. Is it just that you came and it was like devil may care? And I think that was throughout the whole team. Was that part of it too? You were just more relaxed and confident?
MITCH TRUBISKY: I felt relaxed. I like to think I'm usually relaxed, even when I start. But maybe I was. Maybe I was more relaxed. Try to do whatever I did in the second half, continue to carry that going forward. You try to duplicate that. But I think it's just 11 guys playing as one. I went in there, really tried to play free. We tried to stay aggressive. If I looked relaxed, I felt relaxed. It felt good. So we got to, I would love to duplicate what we did.
Q. You mentioned you were still studying the game plan like the starter and you said you didn't get those live reps lately because you were scout team or whatever. But how difficult was it to stay engaged these past couple weeks?
MITCH TRUBISKY: It's tough but it's huge. I've been in this position before. And you just know as a professional you got to always stay prepared. You never know when your number's going to get called. And that's something coached talk about that last night. Like it's going to take everybody. So you never know when it's going to be your opportunity to make a big play. A lot of guys stepped up today. I prepared like every other single week. And that's why it's so important to stay locked in visually. Watching Kenny get the reps. Talking to the receivers how they're running the routes during practice so that when it happens in the game it can be a seamless transition like that. So we made the plays today and I'm happy for this team.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports