Chicago Bears 35, Jacksonville Jaguars 16
Q. Cole, you were the first player since 2005 apart from the Eagles to score a touchdown and then the extra point, snapped the ball. What was weirder, being long snapping or open for the first touchdown?
COLE KMET: Yeah, definitely not a position I envisioned playing in the NFL, ever. But you know, you've got to do what you've got to do and there's only so many guys you can dress on game day, and only so many guys that you can have on the roster.
You have to have somebody that can be the emergency and I'm that guy, reluctantly, at times. I get my two or three snaps in on Thursday, and we go to Sunday and you know, it's all my biggest worry going into the game.
Hopefully Scott is doing all right everything and heals up okay, but yeah, just glad I could go out there and just provide something for the team in that regard.
Q. How did you wind up with that?
COLE KMET: Someone found out that I did it in high school. These guys know everything about you. They found out I did it in high school. My uncle did it. I remember my dad, just me and my brother would be messing around doing it in the backyard all the time and it was kind of like the more-you-can-do thing. Thinking, like, if you ever needed to make a team, if you're a guy that's the 54 or 55 guy, and they are deciding between two guys, that you know, having that ability, they are going to keep you on the roster for those type of things.
Obviously I'm not really in that position right now, but that was kind of the mindset of learning how to do it, I wanted to play in the NFL one day, and that was kind of the thing behind it and paid off today, I guess. So was glad that I could just help out where I could.
Q. The play designs, that was something in Shane's book. What did you see the with fake double screen?
COLE KMET: Great play concept. He had run it in Seattle before. They presented a good defense for us to run that. We had run a bunch of screens where we're flying the guy behind and pulling those backers out. So just kind of blocked my guy on the line for a second there and Caleb gave a good fake and then just right up the chute and was able to break a tackle and get into the end zone.
Q. How different is the nervousness you might feel of being the long snapper versus butterflies or anxiety before the game as a tight end?
COLE KMET: I think for me, I don't really get, like, nervous anymore to go out and play. I think the first couple games of the season, because you're a little unfamiliar from taking the big break and you finally go back, I have a little bit of nervousness. But once you get rolling in the season, it feels like game day is every other day. I don't have that type of nervousness anymore but because I'm just doing all those reps all the time.
So I just know what to expect. I know what I can do out there. But I mean, like I said, long snapper, I take two snaps a week, really. So it's not like I have a ton of time on task on that like I do at tight end. But at the end of the day, like that's kind of what this league is a little bit. You kind of just have to plug-and-play some guys. Guys are playing out of position here and there, and it just happened to be me today.
Q. Was the emotion getting through it, did you feel relieved?
COLE KMET: Yeah, I think I was tired enough on each of those where I'm not thinking about it in a sense. Like you're so tired on the field that, okay, I'm going to shoot this ball between my legs real quick and get this over with.
So yeah, I think that's kind of the feel -- I think going into the night of the game, I do run my head through all the scenarios and plays, and then I just think, gosh, I hope Skyles or Scott don't get hurt today.
Q. You had really good perspective on the Bears as a guy that grew up in Chicago. How excited do you think people hoverboard about what Caleb has done the last few games?
COLE KMET: People can be excited as they want to be. I think what I can say about Caleb, he's taken steps every game. I think that's been evident, and you know, I'm sure he'll tell you he'll probably want that one throw back that he had to D.J.
Besides that, I thought he did some really amazing stuff. I thought the scramble he had to me was just an unbelievable play and just how he can create and do those type of things. If they are going to play man on us like they did a few times and things might be covered or muddy downfield, he's able to escape the pocket and get 20 or 30 yards on some of those runs.
He's just super dynamic. He's a pass-first guy, but he has the ability to run, as well, and I think he did a pretty good job of taking care of himself when he does become a runner, as well.
Q. Watching the play, what was your perspective when Scott got hurt?
COLE KMET: I didn't know he got -- HT came up to me and said, "Hey, Scott's hurt."
I'm like, "Tyler Scott's hurt?" Like, what? And he's, like, telling me. And I'm like, "Okay, why does that's affect me?"
He's like, "You need to get snaps in."
And I'm like, "Oh, sh-t, I've got to go snap right now." (Laughter) That's kind of you how that went down and immediately started firing snaps between my legs and thankful didn't have to do any punt scenarios. I'm pretty sure we had that fourth and four scenario before Keenan caught that ball. And I was like, this is usually a punt-and-pin situation, but I'm sure Coach is like, let's try and get the first down here and that's what happened.
Q. When do you decide -- try to get around him or go through him --
COLE KMET: Yeah, I think for like my skill set, it's always like trying to run things over and that's kind of how I look at it and trying to get half a man. I remember like Jimmy Graham kind of taught me about that. In anything that we do, whether it's blocking or you're in pass pro or running routes, you always want to work on half a man, and that's the same thing when you get the ball in your hands. You take a half a man on them, he's half his body weight, and now I've got my full weight and my full speed going at him.
So I was able to shut him. I'll probably get docked for reaching the ball out there for the end zone, but there was no way I was getting a sniff fine, either, so that worked out well.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports