Bills 9, Steelers 3
Q. How would you assess your first game out there?
RUSSELL WILSON: Well, we always want to win. That's our mission every time. Obviously we didn't get to do it tonight. It was good to be in the black and gold, just to have the honor to wear the jersey, and to be out there with our teammates, it's a blessing for sure.
Just to be in this stadium again and playing, putting my cleats on and getting ready to go. But we always want to be able to step on the field between the white lines and find a way to win, and we didn't get to do that tonight.
Q. I know it's limited opportunities and it's just the preseason, but would you like to see the first team offense score more points because I don't think you have in two games?
RUSSELL WILSON: Yeah, I think for us today, we just stayed on schedule. I think the biggest thing is staying on schedule. I think we had too many 3rd and longs in the first two drives in particular, and we did some good things on offense, but at the same time, we've just got to give ourselves the best chance possible to be successful, and that's 3rd and shorts and 3rd and mediums, and we converted one of those later in the first or second quarter, whatever it was, and Van did a good job sitting over the middle.
I think the best thing we can do is put our heads down and keep getting to work.
Q. It may not have been the result that you're looking for, but for you in the first half were there things you did like and positives?
RUSSELL WILSON: Yeah, I thought I was trying to play in rhythm, trying to get the ball out when we could, and also just trying to hang in there on the 3rd down like I mentioned before to Van. Those plays he did a good job. GP did a really good job on his choice route. We thought he was in on that go ball. That was a sweet catch.
I thought he double toe tapped that one.
I think the best thing that we can do -- the best part about -- this will be my 13th year, and every preseason is different. There's highs, there's lows, you have great practices, which we've had a lot of those, guys have been working their tails off every day. We had a great practice on Thursday, whenever it was. So there's a lot of good that goes unseen sometimes, and there's some things that we also have to fix and get right.
That's the diligence that we have to have. We have a sense of urgency, every week, every day you step into the building, every day you step into the white lines, and that's what we're going to do.
Q. Do you think the biggest thing getting in the way right now is just chemistry? You have a lot of rookie contracts on offense. Do you think that's the biggest impediment right now?
RUSSELL WILSON: No, I think the best thing we can do is just stay on schedule. I think that's the biggest thing. That's football, no matter if you have all vets or all rookies. I think the reality is you've got to stay on schedule in this game, and that's the biggest thing. You don't want to be in 3rd and longs for a good amount of the game. We've just got to do that better, and I think we'll give ourselves a better chance.
Q. It feels like you guys are making really good progress right now; would you agree with that assessment?
RUSSELL WILSON: I do. The practices, the things that we do, the extra work, the amount of time guys are spending, I'm really excited about this football team. I really am. You can't blink an eye. They all matter. They all matter. They always matter. Every game matters. Every time the ball is kicked off it matters. But you also have to understand to process, to understand what we're doing really, really well, and then continue to do those things, and then the things we're not doing so well, let's fix them. Then you give yourselves the best chance, but you can't run from fixing the little details.
We're closer than we know, I think, to be honest with you. I think that -- I really love the work ethic of the guys that we have. You mentioned Pat Freiermuth, just the detail that he puts into it. GP, obviously such a special player, Calvin, Van has really risen to the occasion. Love Scotty Miller. Obviously our backs are physical as can be.
I think of our offensive line, we're young but talented, and I think that's a great thing to have. Guys have a want to, and we have that, and then obviously we have a great defense.
I think the best thing that we can do is look at the film, study it. I'm just grateful, every time I get to play this game, there's so much gratitude and joy for me, and just to put this jersey on for the first time -- I put it on last week, but this time it's playing real football. It's a good feeling. I'm excited about our football team.
Q. You talked about putting on that jersey. I noticed that all the stars on the team had shoulder pads off, helmets off. You remained in helmet, in shoulder pads during time-outs, you're out there, high fiving, giving encouragement to the team. Is that the character, that leadership that you bring that kind of goes unnoticed?
RUSSELL WILSON: I think the guys that we have have so much passion for the game. We're all talking about the plays and everybody is in tune. This team, we have so many great leaders. I'm just old school. I'm just an old school guy that -- I like hearing the play, I like processing, I like visualizing every play as if I'm in there, whether if it's a preseason one, two or three. Every moment you get to see something new and get to see what the defense is doing. That's really that part of it.
Then I remember when I was a young rookie and I remember running off the field, and guys would high five you. You have guys like Leon Washington who was a mentor of mine, so many guys that would just -- Mike Robb and just different players that I looked up to when I was a young kid and just playing, and those matter, those things.
I remember Bobby Wagner and I always walking out to the field every time, to the kickoff time or kickoff return.
So I think for me, it's what I believe in. I believe in the fact that we're all in this together, we're all learning together, and the only way we do it, to win the trophy, is to do it all together. That's the best part about this game. It takes all 53, and it takes all the coaches, everybody, the energy on the sideline, takes all of it. I think we do a really good job of that. It's cool to be a part of here.
Q. You mentioned every preseason is different, but what is the level of concern that those details aren't manifesting over in the game situation?
RUSSELL WILSON: If our practices weren't as good as they have been, you'd be a little bit more heightened and concerned. I think we get to go against a great defense every day. Obviously we played the Bills on Thursday. We did a good job against them the other day. They played well tonight. They made some plays and everything else. But I think the sense of urgency is always high. If we scored three, four touchdowns, the sense of urgency still should be high. I think that's where you can't be tricked and fooled on a moment. You have to be able to understand it's a long process and it's a process that you've got to enjoy. It's going to be hard, and that part of it, just to win -- it's ugly sometimes. It's tough. It's challenging. It's worth it, though. We're going to do the work.
It's early, and we've just got to keep our heads down and keep learning, study the film as much as we possibly can, and that's what we're going to do. We're going to get better. This week we're going to have a great week of practice.
Q. Coach said this is a real quarterback competition. What do you hope to show the final weeks of the preseason to solidify yourself as the starter?
RUSSELL WILSON: I think always consistency. I think this game, especially this position in particular -- and Justin has done such a great job. He's such a great player. As I've told you guys, it's a guy that I've always tried to be there for, lift up and everything else. I think the best thing that -- I can do personally, thinking about myself, is just stay consistent in approach.
I had a little bump in the road with a calf, but the best part is I was out there tonight and playing and playing the game I love most. That's a good feeling. I know what I can do when I'm 100 percent. I'm getting close. But just to be out there tonight was really cool.
I felt like -- I told you guys before, I felt like I was really myself last year again. That's a good feeling. I feel that. I know who I am. I know what's inside of me. I know what we can do as a team, and it takes all of us. It's not just all on my shoulders or anything else. It's all of us together, and we're going to do that. That's the exciting part.
I'm not focused on the outside part of it. I'm just focused on the internal; what can I do every day to help somebody else, help another teammate, try to be the best that I can possibly be, try to bring the joy that God has given me every day I wake up in the morning and get to play this position and to be a Pittsburgh Steeler is a gift. The rest will control itself.
Q. How did your calf feel throughout the game, and were there any concerns? Did you limit yourself in running or scrambling that you would have done because of the calf?
RUSSELL WILSON: No, I felt great out there, honestly. I felt strong. I wasn't thinking about it. Anytime you have an injury, sometimes if you're worried about it, in the back of your mind you're thinking about it. Didn't feel that at all. Really for the past week or so I felt really good, this past week, and everything else. To play out there tonight, get back out there in the black and gold was really cool. Yeah, that's how I felt tonight.
Q. How has the catching been with you and Zach Frazier?
RUSSELL WILSON: What's been awesome about Zach, he's played a lot of football, Zach has. He's played so many games. He started at the highest level in college. He's tough.
I think he's such a hard worker, and that's rare to find as a rookie, guys that have such professionalism and have an elite level of focus. He has elite level of focus. He's done a great job tonight. He made a lot of great calls and just communication between me and him tonight.
Obviously with big Nate out, he's got to step up. I think Ryan is a really smart center, as well. So that room is a really good room.
I think the best thing that he can do is just keep learning every day. You know there's going to be highs and lows, there's going to be bumps in the road. He went against a really good front tonight. They do a good job. I thought he handled it well. I thought he was composed. He didn't blink.
Anytime you're playing with a rookie center, you're playing with younger players, it's the eye contact in the huddle that you see and what does that feel like. Does a guy blink or not. Is he fearful. He's got none of that. He has no fear. I'm really excited where he's going to go. Take one day at a time, and we'll be better.
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FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports