The Seattle Seahawks evened their season record to 2-2 with a costly 20-17 win over the Arizona Cardinals Sunday afternoon in Glendale. Sebastian Janikowski booted a 52-yard field as time expired to give the visitors the win. The Seahawks lost All-Pro Safety Earl Thomas ( leg fracture) and rookie Will Dislily ( patella) to season-ending injuries.
Here are sights and sounds from the game.
Quarterback Russell Wilson
On his thoughts on Seahawks FS Earl Thomas:
“Obviously, Earl getting injured and going out, he’s one of the greatest players ever to play the game. One of the greatest players ever to play the game and he always will be and he’ll come back stronger. I definitely believe that and in him. He’s a competitor. There’s nobody that competes better than him. Thinking about Earl, here’s a little story about Earl. I’ve been fortunate to play with him for seven years now.
One of my favorite things about Earl is every time I go out for walk-thru, right before we go out to the field, he’s putting a headband on, getting his wristbands ready, towel ready. He’s getting in the zone like it’s the championship game every time. There’s only so many guys in the world that get to do that and do that that way. I think that Earl is a guy that’s going to be one of the greatest of all time. I just think that it’s an unfortunate situation.
But, we’re going to love him and he’s going to come back at some point and be better. He’s going to work his tail off, I know that and just believe in him and love his family too. Our kids hang out together. We get to see each other all the time, his family and stuff like that. He’s a brother in that way, so it’s definitely disappointing.”
On whether he thinks he’ll ever play on the same field as Thomas again:
“I hope so. I hope I get to play with Earl again. He’s just fun to play with. He’s a competitor, like I said. How he practices makes everybody else practice better. Just love who he is as a person.”
On this being the second year in a row that the Seahawks have had to rally after a major injury at Arizona:
“Sometimes I think we, as players, as fans, as people who just love sports, or just watch the game occasionally, I think that sometimes forget that this is our livelihood. This is something that we wake up, ever since–I remember when I was four years old throwing the football with my Dad. He had a San Diego Chargers football. He caught it against the 49ers. Those are the things that you dream about.
The thing about this game is that you hope to play it forever, but it is never forever and you never know when injuries are going to happen or when just the game is over or whatever it may be. I do believe for Earl, it’s not over though. I do believe that he’ll come back stronger than ever, but that’s the unfortunate part about this game, but it’s part of the process I guess. I think that in terms of your question specifically, I think that the thing that we did really, really well tonight was that we rallied together.
We played pretty well early on and got off a little bit and kept battling back and forth. It’s always a tough game against Arizona. It’s always a challenge for sure and it’s always been that way, but we were able to stay the course. To be able to move the ball down the field the last drive of the game with not much time left, do our process the right way and execute at a high, high level and sure enough, give one of the best kickers ever to play the game a chance again. We believe in him and he did a great job of making the field goal.”
On Thomas’ spirits after he spoke with him in the locker room:
“That’s personal stuff. That’s why the locker room’s the locker room. But, I think that he’ll be just fine. He’ll be encouraged for sure.”
On the team’s mindset the final drive:
“For us, any time there’s time on the clock, we believe there’s a chance. We’ve done it so many times before. There’s never a doubt. We got the ball back and we just moved right down the field and made our plays. Guys made great plays and we just stayed on it. The offensive line did a tremendous job of blocking things up and giving me enough time to make some throws. We did some great runs and mixed it up a little bit there. We practice it so often and so many times and we’ve done it so many times successfully that we believe that every time we’re going to do it, it’s going to be the next best moment. We believe that. Just to knock in the game winning field goal with (Sebastian) Janikowski there, it gives you a view to believe in.
It’s a long journey. You continue to believe and those moments are great moments. To be a great team, we have a lot more to do, but to be a great team, you have to have moments like that. You have to be able to fight through adversity and moments and be able to overcome, some way, somehow and we were able to do that tonight.”
On whether he agrees with Head Coach Pete Carroll that the injuries the Seahawks suffered played into the team’s emotions after the game:
“I would say maybe partially. I think that to lose a guy like (Will) Dissly. A guy who has just made so many great plays as a rookie. He could be a Rookie of the Year-type player and just has done so many special things. He’s worked so hard and has come in at the highest level professionally and done a tremendous job coming from the University of Washington right to us in Seattle.
He’s just done so many great things. Whenever you lose a guy like Earl who has been such a critical part of the journey over the past seven years, he’s meant so much. I think that’s why we love each other so much because we know what it’s about. We get to go to work every day. Imagine waking up with your family every day. That’s what we do and just being around each other. So, that’s how we view each other. To be able to win the game, obviously Janikowski, like I said one of the best kickers of all time, had a little bit of trouble early, but there was no doubt that he was going to be able to win the game. It’s in his blood and he’s done it so many times and you can’t doubt in those moments.”
On how much it helps him that the Seahawks have run the ball physically the last couple weeks:
“We were able to run the ball really well. I think that today, we were able to get in the endzone. Mike Davis stepped up in a huge, huge way. He was the star of the game, I think, just making so many plays. He’s an explosive player. He works the right way. He’s a professional, he comes in ready.
Just always learning, always ready to make plays. He’s done that so many times. That was huge for us. I thought (Rashaad) Penny made some good runs too when he got a chance to. That was great to see. You’ve got to give a tribute to the offensive line. They were blocking their tails off and they were physical as can be. Just to see those guys do what they can do best was pretty cool.”
On whether his run block was the best run block of the day:
“I’ll do whatever it takes. At the end of the day, it’s all about winning.”
On how much fun it was to block during that run play:
“I’ve made a couple blocks in my time. Any time a guy gets into the end zone on something like that, it’s always great.”
On the team’s lack of third down conversions:
“We had a couple third-and-long’s we almost got, but we had three to four third downs that we were just short of getting them. They did a good job, but we got a lot of first downs. We made our plays when we needed to. Like I said, this game’s always a battle. NFC West game is always a challenge, but we have no doubt in what we’re doing and how to do it.”
On being 2-2 in the season’s first month before next week’s game against the Los Angeles Rams:
“At the end of the day, we’re 2-2 like you said. I think that we wish we could be 4-0, but there’s no hopeful wishing here. I think you have to be able to stay the course. Just stay the course. Play one game at a time. Every game is a championship-style game and believing in that. We’re going to celebrate this win in the sense that we came on the road, a great environment, loud.
A lot of Seahawks fans being here it’s always great to play here. It’s obviously such an amazing, amazing stadium. So to be in here and get a huge win. Then we’re going to move on to next week. I believe we’re playing at home next week, so going back home and obviously another great opportunity to face another great football team in the Rams. We have a lot of respect for them and what they’re doing and everything else. We’re going to prepare at the highest level and be ready to roll.”
On how great it was to see WR Doug Baldwin playing:
“It was great seeing Doug. He’s a superstar out there. He made some great plays tonight. He’s going to make more and more. Just his knowledge of the game and what he’s doing is spectacular. As good as it gets. He’s a great competitor and just one of the best receivers in the game. So, it’s always good to have him on the field.”
Linebacker Bobby Wagner
On the team’s history at this stadium:
“A lot of crazy games, a lot of crazy injuries, but we’re happy to pull this one out. We’re happy (Sebastian Janikowski) made the field goal. I thought it was going to be like that 6-6 game and have a crazy overtime. He nailed it. That’s why he’s a really good kicker.”
On S Earl Thomas’ injury and if he thinks they will play together again:
“It’s just an unfortunate part of the business. If he doesn’t come back, he’s not a team guy, and if he does come back, he gets hurt and they say he shouldn’t have come back. It’s a crazy business that we’re in, and it’s unfortunate he got hurt. We’re praying for him. Hopefully it’s not that bad. The last couple of these times (at this stadium) haven’t been good injury-wise. I hope it’s not his last game. Knowing him, he’s going to persevere, and he’s going to come back, and I hope we can bring him back. As far as our time together, it’s been amazing. He was one of the first people to hit me up when I got drafted. He showed me some love. I think our vision was to try to be like Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. We had a lot of great years together. I think he’s one of the best safeties to ever play the game. I don’t think you’re going to ever find another player like him. I’ve said that enough. His speed, his intelligence, the way he plays the game, you’ll never see it again.”
On Thomas’ gesture toward the Seahawks’ sideline:
“I haven’t seen it. This is my first time hearing it. I don’t have a reaction. When guys get hurt, crazy things happen, and there’s a lot of emotion that happens. There are a lot of things that go through somebody’s mind, somebody’s heart. Just like you said, you asked me, ‘Is this his last game?’ That’s a lot of thoughts that go through a person’s head, so it’s a lot of emotions. It’s right for a guy to have whatever emotions he has.
They may not be right, it might not be the emotions, but it’s good to have emotions, whatever it is. I’m pretty sure after he comes back that he’ll acknowledge that maybe it was wrong. Even if he doesn’t, we play a very crazy game. It’s up and down and very emotional. You never know what type of attitude a person is going to have. Just let him be. Let him have his emotions. Trying to say ‘His emotions are wrong’ is wrong. A lot of people are not in that situation, and they don’t know how it feels to have that same injury.”
On how this win will help this young team develop:
“It’s really good, especially for the young guys. Guys like myself, Russell (Wilson), Doug (Baldwin), we’ve been through this. We’ve had games where we’ve come back from down 21 to win the game.
We’re kind of experienced from the standpoint of believing and knowing that we’re able to pull these games off. It’s good for the young guys to get in this situation and realize that it’s not over until the clock strikes zero. We just need to keep fighting and keep working, and that’s what we did today.”
On if this was a must-win game:
“No. We just came out, performed, played our game. We don’t think like that. We don’t ever get desperate. We don’t ever do that. I’ve been here for a while. We started 1-4 before, and I think we went to the Super Bowl that year. I’m not concerned. It’s a good road win. We needed this win, and we’re going to celebrate.”
On RB Mike Davis’ performance:
“I think it’s great. Mike Davis is a guy that we’ve watched a lot. We’ve seen Chris Carson a lot, but Mike Davis is a guy that even when he got his chance last year, he came out and he balled. Unfortunately, I think he got a little bit of injuries and things of that nature, but we kind of knew and we expected that from Mike. We expected him to come out and run the ball like he did. He tried to make people miss all of the time. I’m happy for him to get his opportunity. I think that’s all he needs, his opportunity. I think he’s a very good back, and he makes a lot of guys miss when he gets the ball, which is why I think he should in the rotation more.”
Strong Safety Bradley McDougald
On FS Earl Thomas getting injured:
“Oh man, it’s very difficult. Like I just said, it was a very emotional moment. We personally know the time that these players put into this, Earl included. And to see his season get ended short like that, it’s just a heart breaker because I know how bad they wanted it. So I think it’s our job to go out there and finish the job that they started.”
On FS Tedric Thompson:
“He’s ready. That’s it. He’s ready, had Earl not come back when he did, Tedric Thompson was ready to start the season. We were ready and confident going into the season with Tedric, and now it’s his time. He has a couple days to get back in the playbook, get back comfortable but we expect big plays from him, no fall off. I mean, I know it’s going to be a slight difference playing against an all pro, potential Hall of Famer in the big middle, but Tedric Thompson is definitely the man we believe in and he’ll be ready next week.”
On shutting down Arizona’s offense:
“That’s holding up, we try to go out there and do that every week. This is a defense first team and part of our defense philosophy is stopping the run. It’s all about the run, whether you are on offense or defense you want to stop the run or get your run game going, we did a good job stopping it.”
Wide Receiver Doug Baldwin
On what he thinks happened to FS Earl Thomas:
“I don’t know, I honestly didn’t see the play, but just telling by the facial expression it was pretty painful.”
On how the injury affected the attitude on the sidelines:
“It puts everything in perspective. In that moment, it is kind of hard to articulate what goes through your mind or what emotions you feel. It is tough to see that happen to anybody, but especially a guy like Earl who is arguably a Hall of Fame caliber player. At the end of the day, we just had to get the win for him.”
On how Thomas has handled his contract situation:
“This is why. I know surface level thinking tells you that he’s making a lot of money. And yeah, he is making a lot of money, but relative to this game, relative to what this world entails. He is a Hall of Fame caliber player. He is the best safety in the league. Just like any other profession, you want to be paid accordingly. Especially when you have such a high risk of getting injured, of having a severe injury like what happened today. That is why he had to do what he had to do. It is heartbreaking for me because he goes out there and gives his all every day. He gave it all to his team once again and unfortunately it didn’t work out this time.”
On if he saw the middle finger that he flashed to the Seahawks sideline as he was being carted off:
“I didn’t.”
On his response when he hears that Thomas flipped the Seahawks sideline off:
“I mean I feel it. You have a guy that goes out there and gives his all. He literally puts his body on the line every day and he wants to be paid accordingly. To me, it is just common sense. I know that they have a business they have to run, I understand that part of it, but how can you get mad at him? He’s got a business that he has to run too with his body and his future. It is the same thing.”
On how he would feel if this was Thomas’ last game as a Seahawk:
“It doesn’t matter. I love Earl as a brother. We have been through a lot together and not going to change. Nothing is going to change that whether he is on this team or whether we are on opposite sides of the world, it doesn’t matter. If he calls me I am picking up the phone and I know he is going to pick up the phone if I call him because we are family now. It doesn’t matter. Regardless of the situation, it is never going to change.”
On where this game ranks in the games he has played in Arizona:
“Honestly, I don’t know. I am just thankful we got the win. It was big time for where we are in the season. We needed this. We will enjoy it, but we have a lot of work to do.”
Left Tackle Duane Brown
On the team’s formations in the running game:
“We had a little bit of everything. We had zone, power schemes, pulling around the edge or me pulling off to the corner. You’ve got to throw those different looks out there. The coaches did a good job of having different variations to throw the defense off.”
On the play of the running back group:
“It’s awesome. They really run behind our pads. They’re looking for contact sometimes, and defense don’t like that. Mike (Davis) and Chris (Carson) are two different backs. Chris is downhill and trying to run over guys. Mike is very shifty. It’s a great one-two. When we get Chris back, having that one-two is going to be very effective for us.”
On the improvements made by the offensive line:
“Everybody has been doing pretty good. Last week was our first time with (J.R.) Sweezy at left guard. It was D.J.’s (Fluker) first game out there. This week, to see their improvement and the chemistry being built, guys having their second game with the full five, it’s been pretty good. We’re going to need it. Next week we have a big challenge coming up. That team is probably playing the best football in the league right now, so we’re looking forward to it.”
On having the second straight week with a 100-yard rusher:
“It’s a great feeling. That’s what we’re all about, trying to get the run game going. To have two different backs go for 100 yards, it says a lot about our offense, and it says a lot about the commitment from our O-line. Straining, finishing plays, finishing blocks, receivers blocking downfield, Russell (Wilson) throwing blocks downfield, everybody’s involved. It’s a great feeling to get that kind of yardage and come out with a win.”
On the adjustments made after TE Will Dissly left with an injury:
“First of all, we’re keeping Will in our prayers. He’s having a heck of a rookie year, and it sucks for him. I hate it for him. I know he’ll bounce back stronger. We had some extra offensive linemen coming in, George Fant coming in at tight end. We had some different looks, spreading the defense out, continue to run the ball with four wideout sets. Things like that. Everyone just committed to it. Having a strong running game makes us a very dangerous offense.”
On how a win like this can help out a young team:
“It just shows our resiliency. We had plenty of times where we could’ve taken the game over, but things happened and it didn’t go our way. It was a tight game. We take our hat off to them; they’re a tough football team. It just shows our resiliency. To be able to get this kind of a win on the road, our first divisional game, (Sebastian Janikowski) kicking to win the game, it just gives us a lot of momentum going into next week.”
On the running game’s ability to get more yards per rush this week:
“Last week, the defense gave us opportunities to keep coming out and sticking with the run game, even when it wasn’t pretty. This week, we broke open some bigger runs. We were able to get bigger yardage consistently. That means a lot to us. That definitely makes the defense tired, makes them frustrated, and you could see that happening. We’re just trying to keep that going.”
On how much the running game’s success is because of the running backs, and how much is because of the offensive line:
“I think it’s a combination of the two. Sometimes the holes were there, where (Mike Davis) didn’t even have to make any guys miss until eight or 10 yards downfield. Sometimes, he made a little bit of something out of nothing, and broke open for six to eight yards. Mike is very shifty, and they’re a great one-two punch. Chris (Carson) runs behind his pads and makes guys pay. Mike is more of a shiftier back, and I like both of their running styles a lock.”
On the team’s failure on third down:
“It was a lack of communication, trying to get on the same page. It was nothing we hadn’t seen all week, so we just have to continue to communicate, and all get on the same page. Other than that, it’s just pitching and catching, making plays. We’ll get it corrected. Definitely something we have to look into this week.”
Defensive End Frank Clark
On FS Earl Thomas’ injury:
“Frustration. You have to understand, when a guy works hard and he’s trying to prove himself to be the greatest to play the game every day. There are guys that are taking days off. We can all take a day off. We all have our off day on those Tuesdays. You guys follow him on Instagram. You guys follow him on Twitter. You see him working out. You see him working as if he didn’t just play a game the day before. It just shows the type of guy he is. It shows how much he puts into this game and how much he cares about us teammates. It just sucks. Like I said, I’ve played with him for four years. There’s no other player that I’ve seen put so much time and effort into his craft like I’ve seen Earl.”
On having a lot of misfortune at State Farm Stadium:
“Yes. At the end of the day, you’re going to have misfortunes. Our goal isn’t to win every game. It’s 2018, that’s not going to happen in this league. At the end of the day, our goal is to win our games at home and be ready to go on the road at the end of the day. We just have to trust in each other. There’s no slacking. There’s no cut off because Earl’s gone. The next guy, he’s been preparing since camp. We’re confident that the next guy, whoever steps up, is going to be ready to step into that role and do the best he can.”
Running Back Mike Davis
On his TD celebration:
“I just feel like I have been slept on ever since I came into the NFL. It is just a reminder that I will wake them up one day.”
On if the celebration is new:
“I have been doing it. It is just motivation for me to keep going.”
On if he sensed a big day was coming after having success on his first two carries:
“Oh yeah. I felt like I was going to go off right away. The guys up front, I can’t express it enough how much they were blocking today. It was great.”
On how confident he is in the team’s run game:
“It just lets you know how good our offensive line is up front. No matter who you throw in – me, (Rashaad) Penny or Chris Carson – we are going to come in ready to go.”
Kicker Sebastian Janikowski
On the ups and downs from today’s game:
“It is all mental. I know physically I can kick the ball. The first half, it was rough.”
On if he knew a game like this could come down to a field goal:
“Coming off the field after I missed that last one. Obviously, we had a lot of time on the clock and our offense did a great job putting me in position.”
On the mentality kickers must have to succeed:
“It is always the next kick. You turn the next page and try and forget about the first one. It was rough today.”
On how many times he has had a game where he has missed two field goals, but came back to make the game-winner:
“My rookie year, I think against Tennessee. That was a long time ago.”
On if his confidence was shaken at all after missing:
“No, my confidence is always there. I know that I have prepared myself during practice. I know what I can do, so it is all mental.”
On if he was able to put the misses out of his mind when lining up for the game-winning kick:
“It is just another kick. You don’t think about it as the game went on. Guys played their hearts out. The offense and defense played pretty well.”
On if he was anticipating the opportunity to kick the game-winner during the Seahawks last drive:
“You always want to beat a team by touchdowns. You don’t want to kick field goals. Guys stuck with it and we did the job.”
