Bears 13, Vikings 10
Q. What does it mean to you to overcome some fumbles and lead your team on the game-winning drive?
A. Yeah, first off, can't fumble. Need better ball security on that. It's crazy because Roschon I think he fumbled a play or two before I fumbled on the first one, so I said to him, ball security is the most important thing right now, and two plays later I fumble, then the second one was like a back breaker but the guys never wavered, so the guys in the locker room, appreciate them for sticking beside me and believing in me, and defense did a great job by getting us the ball back for that last drive, and offense did a great job executing those plays. Felt great, and really just felt good of fighting through the adversity, ups and downs of the game. Guys never got too high or too low, and we fought and finished in the end, so it was good.
Q. (Indiscernible).
A. Yeah, that's the play we run all the time in practice. We've been running that play since I can remember. But yeah, the deep defenders get a bunch of depth with I think it was Tyler or Mooney or somebody, but deep threw into deep corner, and really the only player that was in the middle right there was 44 Metellus, and he had no idea where DJ was. Of course our O-line did a great job protecting, great play call by Luke, and like I said before, that's just a play that goes back all the way to training camp. Guys executed at a perfect level. We've hit it in practice multiple times on our defense and in the two-minute situation, so just going back to those banked reps and everybody succeeding when we needed to.
Q. (Indiscernible).
A. I'm just locked in. There's no feeling. It's just straight tunnel vision locked into that.
Q. (Indiscernible).
A. Relief. Relief. We came in at halftime, and we were up, defense was playing a great game, offense kind of got off to a slower start than we wanted to, but nothing that mattered in the first half. It mattered to us starting in the second half, so that was our message was just finish, finish, finish, because there's been too many times this season where we've been up, we didn't do a good job of finishing, so again, just going back, proud of everyone for fighting through the end, no matter what had happened, and finishing the game out. Ultimately got the dub, so yeah.
Q. The way you finished, what does this mean for (indiscernible).
A. Of course. As a team, we haven't let our record define who we are. We know who we are as a team. We know what we're capable of. It's really just going out there and doing it, going out there and executing and finishing the way we know how, the way we did tonight, and really just cleaning up the mistakes because if you clean up my two fumbles we're probably not even in that situation. Just, again, props to all the guys, coaches, teammates, and sticking their head down and finishing.
Q. (Indiscernible).
A. Yeah, I mean, it seemed like this is what you've got to do. They want to mug a bunch of guys up at the line of scrimmage and want to have two DBs out for three receivers. You've got to outplay them to do that sometimes to get them out of that stuff. That was kind of the plan going into it.
But I think the receivers did a great job on the outside perimeter blocking and letting those bubs turn into 8-, 12-yard gains, and those are big plays for us. That was a big emphasis early in the week was just to get the ball out and let those guys work on the outside and get the ball out quick. They'll either have everybody at the line of scrimmage, blitz everybody, or they'll drop out into coverage.
Guys handled it well, and just that was the main emphasis.
Q. What did you see early on that you were --
A. Yeah, he did a great job, one, protecting. He's a great pass blocker. He's a hard worker. But every time I'm throwing up in practice, he's there. We kind of have chemistry. I think there was a play early in the game where it was broken down, he did a good job finding an open zone and getting the 1st down. I think that might have been 3rd down. But great job by him. He's getting better each and every week. Proud of the way he works. His work ethic is unmatched. You just see him working every day, grinding it out, and just getting others around him better, too. It's just really awesome to see him growing and getting better each and every week.
Q. (On the field goal at the end of the game.)
A. Yeah, I mean, I think it's kind of what our whole team goes through. It's like, we're going to have adversity throughout the game. We're going to have the ups and downs, but the past is the past, and we can't dwell on that. We've got to focus on the present moment and keep going. He bounced back from the missed field goal. I was surprised that he missed it, to be honest, because he's been hot lately. But he came back, hit the long field goal, and of course the game winner. That sealed the deal. Bounced back great, didn't let that miss faze him, and just kept digging.
Q. (Indiscernible).
A. I mean, it just feels good to get a win. Anytime you can get a win in this league, it feels good. It's hard to win. I think as a team, it just feels good no matter who we're playing, just feels good to win.
Q. (Indiscernible).
A. Just keep going. I think we had a few communication struggles early in the game with the O-line and stuff like that, but just keep chipping away. We knew our defense was playing great. They've been playing great these past two weeks, and we knew the defense had our back. They just kept telling us, we've got to charge back, and just keep chipping away and putting points on the board.
Like I said, if I don't fumble, we kick a field goal, make it 12-3, we're probably not even in that situation in the first place the way they were playing. Yeah, defense played a hell of a game tonight and definitely had our back for sure.
Q. (Indiscernible).
A. Yeah, they brought it all out, and Cole, I think he chipped the widest, and just had to check down. They probably thought he was staying in and blocking and probably lost him. But yeah, he did a great job. O-line did a great job giving me enough time with being outnumbered by one, and I was able to just drift and get the ball out. Of course Cole made a great catch and run, got the 1st down, so I think that was a great play in the game for sure.
Q. Where are you in terms of where you want to be and what you want to do the rest of the season?
A. I mean, I'm just taking it day by day. Where am I? I'm right here, I guess. I don't know how to answer that question. But I'm just taking it day by day, just trying to get better each and every day, learn from our mistakes, and really just be the best I can be for this team. We're just going to take one day at a time, one game at a time, and focus like that. Yeah, don't really have any term goals, and just going to focus on the task that's next, and that's Detroit after the bye week. Like I said, just taking it day by day and just focusing on the day that we have.
Q. (Indiscernible).
A. Yeah, I really just wanted to prove to my teammates that I had their back. The way the defense was playing all game, I had to come back and at least give us a chance at the end. I mean, it felt great just with those two fumbles, adversity is hitting. After the second one I was sick to my stomach, I'm not going to lie to you.
Yeah, defense, three-and-out, got us the ball back, and at the end of the day when you do have that opportunity at the end of the game, everything before that, like I said before, is out the window. That's what you have. I forgot what the score was. All I know was that we needed a field goal, and those two fumbles that I had, it was over with. Had the present moment, and like I said, guys did a great job executing at the end of the game when we needed to execute. Got better from last week, learned from last week, and finished the game how we wanted to finish it.
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FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports