Steelers 23, Packers 19
Q. What did you see on that final play from 16?
JORDAN LOVE: Yeah, you know, last play of the game, trying to take a shot to the end zone, dialed up a play that we work all the time in practice, pretty much just trying to get a shot right there in line to Christian, and the DB was able to jump in front of the route and make a pick.
Q. The play before that, the 4th down, you checked it down to AJ. We've seen earlier this season times when you've gone downfield in that situation. What went through your thought process of taking what was there and living for the next play?
JORDAN LOVE: Yeah, well, the play we had, they did a good job kind of covering the outside, not letting us get out of bounds where we were trying to, and really it's 4th and 2, I'm just trying to get the 1st down right there and get it clocked to ensure another play there, take a shot at the end zone. Yeah, that was really the thinking right there.
Q. Obviously the offense in general was a lot better as far as start to finish today than some other games, but not to be rude, but are you getting sick of losing games with these final possessions?
JORDAN LOVE: Yeah, it's very frustrating. Like I said, we've been put in this situation a lot of times. We have not found a way to win it.
So yeah, it is frustrating, but we've just got to find a way, dig deeper. But it comes down to so many different plays in the game throughout the course of the game that we can execute better and take advantage of some of those situations, and I don't even think we'll put ourselves in this position at the end of the game.
We've got to definitely find a way.
Q. What did you see on that first interception to Christian Watson? Where were you trying to put the ball?
JORDAN LOVE: Yeah, we ran a double move on the outside. We ran an out earlier and they jumped it a little bit, so running the double move, I thought I was able to get Christian over the top, and I was trying to put the ball over the top where he could get it, and the DB was able to make a good play, get a hand on it, tip it up.
Q. Did you feel like you left that throw a little short? Is there anything you could have done differently?
JORDAN LOVE: I haven't seen it yet on film, but it might have been short. With him to be able to get a hand on it, it was a terrific play by him, but you could look at it and say I wish I would have put it a little bit more out there where only Christian could get it and make a play on it.
Look, kudos to him. He made a great play.
Q. That first play of the final drive there, in that situation what's going through your mind, and were you able to even see him make that catch?
JORDAN LOVE: Yeah, you know, starting the two-minute drive off, we've got a minute left, we know we need some chunk plays right there. I worked through my progression, and I was trying to throw the ball more downfield, and I got hit on it. The ball drifted left. I don't know if the safety was able to see where the ball was on. But J-Reed made a great play right there tracking the ball, making a catch and obviously getting out of bounds right there, so that was a huge start to the drive.
Q. Did you see it?
JORDAN LOVE: I was on the ground watching it. I could see him catch it. But like I said, it was a great play by him.
Q. What's your feeling walking away from this? The offense looked a lot better than it has, but you have three chances at the end, only three points out of them. What's your overall feeling?
JORDAN LOVE: Yeah, I mean, I think offensively we started faster, which we haven't done in some of the previous games, so that was a positive.
But yeah, like you said, there's definitely a lot of plays that we left out there, some drives where I think we left points out there, and in the second half we've got to find a way to score a touchdown right there.
But I think we did some really good things, and I think there's obviously a lot more things to clean up, but I definitely like the direction we're heading as an offense.
Q. What do you think the difference is -- you've watched all these years with Aaron and winning those games down the stretch. What's the difference do you think between where you guys are now and winning those games?
JORDAN LOVE: Yeah, it just comes down to execution like I've said plenty of times and making plays at the end there. We've got to find a way to make those plays to win it, which we're not doing right now.
Q. What's the balance between the optimism of okay, we started fast, we've got to score points, versus frustration? What's that balance between the optimism of we did a lot of good things well but then that frustration of being so close at the end?
JORDAN LOVE: Yeah, we lost the game, so it's frustrating. Obviously there's things that we did good, things we did bad, but the main point is we didn't win. That's what we're trying to do. So we did not accomplish that goal.
But I think going forward, there's definitely a lot of growth and a lot of positive things that we can build upon, but at the end of the day we didn't win.
Q. Just from being out there, when you say there's positive growth, what did you see today that made you feel that way? Where do you think as an offense you guys made strides?
JORDAN LOVE: Yeah, I think pass pro was awesome today. They have two really good edge rushers right there, and I think we did a really good job against them. I think receivers seeing coverage, recognizing coverage and getting in the right spot, they did a really good job of that, and then obviously making some plays out there, and I think our run game has been good.
I think just making those positive plays early on, putting some points up early is the growth, but obviously finishing the game is where we need to get to.
Q. Did they blitz any less than you had expected, and what did you think of how you handled Watt today?
JORDAN LOVE: Yeah, I think we expected kind of some of the pressures they were doing. I think it picked up more at the end right there. I think we had a good plan for T.J., and I think our tackles did a good job. I think Zach Tom did a really good job against him, kind of limited him to making some of those big plays he does.
Q. You guys had so much momentum going in the third quarter with the offense. What do you feel led to just bogging down in the red zone, having to kick instead of getting those in?
JORDAN LOVE: You know, it just comes down to making plays, like I've said. I think the defense, they stepped up. They did a good job stopping us, not getting us in there. But I think it just comes down to making plays.
I wish looking back maybe I would have scrambled a little bit more at the end in some of those situations and tried to just extend plays a little bit more. But yeah, I think they had a pretty good plan in the red zone and they've been a pretty good team in the red zone.
But I don't know.
Q. They scored 17 points their first three possessions, kind of just came out and set a tone and put you guys behind early. What was the mindset of trying to claw out of that, especially there's been some rough first halves, and having that in recent memory, what was the mindset of having to claw out --
JORDAN LOVE: The mindset for us, we were sitting on the sideline, we see them scoring, the mindset is trying to go match that, try and go do the same thing they did, put up the points, and kind of keep it going. Be there for our defense when they need us.
I think we started off the game hot. Obviously didn't get a touchdown right away after that, but defense stepped up, started holding them, and we were able to get another touchdown later.
But I think really it just comes down to second half and not being able to get those touchdowns we needed like we did in the first half.
DraftScripts by ASAP Sports
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports