BEARS HEAD COACH MATT NAGY
(Opening statement) “I’m going to state the obvious, that third quarter for us being able to come out and get 21 to 0 in the third and have 11 first downs, our defense to no first downs and eight total yards in the third that was obviously the turning point in the game. For Roquan Smith to have the two interceptions. For our offense to being able to make plays when we had to and rebound back from those two possessions in the red zone. Special teams keeping that field position. DeAndre Carter coming back and making that tough play next time. KaRay doing his thing. Again, in these type of games, I am just proud of our players for just understanding where we sat going into today’s game and what is sitting ahead of us. We talked about it all week long. Our guys responded, they listened, they are coachable and we loved that as a coach.”
(On how better he feels going into Green Bay than he did earlier this year) “As where we are as a team now, it’s definitely different. Green Bay is a hell of a football team and there is a reason why they are sitting as the No. 1 seed. For us, we have to worry about us. We have to understand what happened in that game. We are guaranteed one more game if nothing else. If we do well in that one game, we will have an opportunity for one more. We can’t worry about that. We need to worry about us.”
(On what he was arguing for on the DeAndre Carter play) “When that goes on, you are always going to protect your guys. He’s a warrior and he made that catch and run. It was vicious hit. Nothing against the kid that hit him, but when you are down there in that game you’re going to want to make sure that your guys are protected. At the initial time, there wasn’t a flag, then ended up being one coming. Those referees had a hard job. There was one right before that, that wasn’t really that bad in my opinion, but again they called it and it was a good call by them. It that situation, I just want to make sure he was ok, Number 1, and then Number 2, they get the call right which they did and I credit them for that. The refs did a great job.”
(On if he felt like the offense was in a rhythm in the third quarter when they went for it on fourth down) “In that situation, it’s a longer whether you are going to punt or whether you are going to go for it on the field goal. There were so many things that go into it. I think it also shows confidence in your players in making plays at crucial times and our guys did that. That’s important. You’re going to have guys that understand that you are going to put the ball in their hands. That was definitely a turning point in my opinion to be able to do that and that is real credit to the players.”
(On what jump-started the third quarter today) “I will be completely honest with everybody on this call; I really have no idea. We’ve studied it; we’ve looked at it and it’s crazy the amount of struggle we have had in the third quarter. So, I don’t know and I don’t know when I will know. To play well today, in the third quarter, part of it is going to be when the season ends, you’ll look back at it and say how many possessions did you get the ball to start the third quarter verses a team that gets the ball to start the third, you have less possessions. Also, are you getting three-and-outs on defense to give you more possessions? Then are you being productive on offense? Today we did all of that. We were able to be productive on offense, we scored touchdowns and our defense got stops and got the ball back. You put all that together and it jump starts you and it happened in the third quarter.”
(On what excites him about his team going into Week 17) “You win three in a row, and you feel good about scoring points. Our offense is scoring points right now and putting up touchdowns. We even had a couple right in the red zone that you look back and realize we could have maybe had a little more. But I thought for the most part, they did a good job of scoring touchdowns. You start winning. You get out of that losing streak that we had. We had a message for the last three weeks about where we are going and what we are doing together, and they had completely done it. This credit goes to the players and the coaches. They had responded and have put us in a situation where it could have gone in a lot different directions and it hasn’t. Now we control things. As we told you last week, we weren’t going to stop or overlook this team. They are a good football team, and they play hard. I know their record and all that, but they play hard. Now we have to re-shift to a big division opponent in Green Bay.”
(On his conversation to Mitchell Trubisky at halftime and what stood out about his third quarter) “Next play mentality. That’s it. That is literally what we talked about. Forget it, next play. Are you upset or angry about it? Yeah. We all are, but you know what, we learn from it and move on. Don’t even think about it. We are going in at halftime to figure out what the hell we are going to do on offense. We are going to score points and keep this mojo going and that is exactly what he did. He is helping us out offensively and there is a lot of confidence collectively.”
(On the performance of Allen Robinson II today) “It was big. You have a game like this. He ends up making plays on crucial third downs. For him to have 10 catches here against his former team, it’s pretty cool. But you get to a point where you realize a player like him that makes these plays and does this while helping our team out. The confidence keeps growing with these guys and he is a big part of the success.”
(On the thinking of the Cole Kmet run) “You’re in a position where you have the ball at the 1-yard line and that play really looked good all week in practice. Everybody there probably knew that was coming and we all felt it. They jumped offsides, I think, and they ended up giving a different look, credit to them. If there is a play where we all look back and you get the ball at the 1-yard line, you come away with three points, that is one you look back at. But our guys rebounded, they came back from that.”
(On being better at the opening drive of the game) “Number 1, the players, no matter what plays are called, who is calling them or when they are called and all of that, in all season long, it’s always going to come down to being able to execute. I think right now our players, you look back to the beginning of the year, you look back to the last couple of games, they’re really feeling good and executing every play that is called. We always get to together as a staff and we talk through, that is kind of the part I was trying to get at; we talk though, ‘ok schematically what stuff do we like as coaches?’ We’ll get together at the end of the week after we see how plays look. We didn’t do that as much on the front end of the season. Now we’re doing it more. It feels right, it feels good and the players have to execute it.”
(On Trubisky’s execution and making the simple plays) “He’s very comfortable schematically in what we’re doing. And schematically, when you are able to run the football. Schematically when you start growing off what you have done in years past with some other adjustments; whether it’s stuff from the (shot) gun, run and pass. There is a combination of stuff. The time he has grown in this offense, the high’s and low’s he had, and the communication he now gives us, we work through that throughout the week to where we condense it and get the game plan to where he feels really good. Now, what happens is, schematically with the stuff we are doing which is obviously different than what we have been doing. He feels comfortable, we feel comfortable with it. We have great weeks of practice and keep the defenses kind of on their heels. If they decided to shut something down on one part of the offense, then we have to have a counter with something else. I thought that is what a little what we got into today because they did a good job in the start of the game in the first half of shutting down some of our under-center runs. Credit our coaches for making some adjustments because we got to some different things that worked. ”
BEARS QUARTERBACK MITCHELL TRUBISKY
(On the fourth-and-5 conversion to Allen Robinson and how that play represents the strides the offense has made this year) “Yeah, I think we’ve just put more of an emphasis on situational football, and I think it all starts with communication in the huddle – me letting guys know what the down and distance is. It’s fourth-and-5… we’ve got to have this one, we have to have it. Obviously, everyone knows that, but I think me saying that gets everyone locked in; everyone’s listening to the play, we go out there, we’re believing in the call. And then we just go out there and execute it. They gave us a good look, brought a little pressure. I just faded to the left and A-Rob (Allen Robinson) beat the guy up on a nice little slant route and it worked out for us. But it starts with all 11 guys playing as one, and it starts with communication and doing a great job getting in and out of the huddle.”
(On how he processed his ‘next play mentality’ that Coach Nagy referenced following his interception in the second quarter) “Yeah, it was frustrating because I knew right away I made a bad decision trying to do too much extending the play. (I should have) probably just thrown that one away or tucked it and run upfield to get some yards. So I was frustrated by it. I frustrated myself just making a decision like that, but I just talked to Coach Flip (Quarterbacks Coach John DeFilippo) on the sidelines. He got me right. I was able to lock back in, make some adjustments at halftime so we could have a big third quarter. But that’s exactly what it was: next play mentality. I just settled down a little bit, not trying to force things, and it just allowed us to execute and have a big third quarter.”
(On what was said at halftime and what allowed the Bears offense to be so effective in the third quarter) “Yeah, we kind of just said, ‘Let’s just go out and be us.’ We weren’t finishing the way we wanted to finish. We weren’t executing on all cylinders like we can, so let’s 11 as one, let’s go out there and be us, and let’s have some fun in the third quarter, in the second half. There wasn’t really too much said. Everyone knew what they had to do, but we just went out and did it, and it made for a fun third quarter. A lot of it started up front, just the O-line creating holes for the running backs and giving me time to make decisions and get the ball to our playmakers. And then, on top of that, our defense was lights out in the third quarter with some three-and-outs, getting the ball back for us and giving them absolutely nothing on offense for the third quarter. So the defense stopping and getting us the ball back, and then we were just rolling a little bit in the third quarter. It was just everyone being locked in and playing the way we know we’re capable of.”
(On if he feels that today was a continuation of the progress the Bears offense has been making) “Second half, yes. I thought we could have been a little bit better in the second quarter, just with our communication, being faster in and out of the huddle and getting substitutions in the game a little bit better. I thought we cleaned it up in the second half. I think it was just some self-inflicted stuff in the second quarter, but we made those adjustments at halftime, came out and was playing fast in the third and fourth quarters. Good teams make adjustments, and they know when to self-correct and when to get on each other and just communicate, and we were able to make those adjustments. I think we did make some progress, especially in the third quarter, just putting the game away and coming away with a win as a team.”
(On his interception and later his second touchdown to Jimmy Graham) “Yeah, on the interception, I saw A-Rob (Allen Robinson) put his hand up and the DB fell down. I was trying to get it up to him and I figured it was just going to be a jump ball, and I was kind of getting hit as I was throwing so it didn’t come out the way I wanted it. It fluttered in the air a little too long and I believe the linebacker came over and made a good play on it. I knew it was a 50-50 ball, everything’s happening within split-milliseconds, and it turned out to be a bad decision. But the DB fell down and I was trying to get A-Rob a chance to make a big play, but I’ve just got to continue to stay within this offense and stay within myself, just to make better decisions for this offense. On the second touchdown, we had a little double-move on with Jimmy and we had man coverage. He ran a great route. The safety that was covering him fell down and I just put it in a spot where only he (Jimmy Graham) could catch it. He stayed on his feet – well, he fell at the end – but he made a great grab. That was a big play for us.”
(On the feeling as a quarterback to have the confidence each week to operate at the level of 30-plus points for the last four weeks, something the Bears have not done in 65 years) “I think it does give us confidence, and I think it all starts with the expectations; just having the high expectations for ourselves in this offense, that this is what we’re capable of and nothing less is going to be acceptable. So I think if we just have that mentality and are locked in at practice and are just demanding of each other while also having each other’s backs throughout the process, we can continue to keep growing and progressing. Who knows what we can do within this offense, but we’ve got to be proud of the work but also know that the expectations are higher and higher for us each week when we keep getting better.”
(On how important it is to come out quickly against Green Bay next week) “It’s going to be huge. We know what’s at stake this weekend. We’re going to enjoy the win tonight and then start preparations tomorrow. But it just sets up for a special opportunity to finish our season strong against a rival like this. It’s a must-win game, just like these last couple games have been, and we definitely want to play our best ball and finish strong. So we’ve got to keep getting better, go back to work this week, have a great week of practice and go out there to give ourselves a great chance on Sunday.”
(On what the Bears’ thriving offense has meant to him in a crazy season for him personally) “It’s been good. I just feel lucky and blessed to be able to play, to be back in this offense, to be out there with my guys playing. It’s been a crazy season. I’m just fortunate to be out there, to be able to play and to be able to help this team win. I just love our mindset, where we’re at right now, how we keep getting better, how we’ve battled through adversity – not only myself, but we’ve battled adversity as a team. We just continue to come closer together and that’s how you create special memories, just getting through the tough times and enjoying the great times together. We’ve got a great opportunity this week to continue to finish strong and get better and that’s what I’m looking forward to and it’s special.”
(On if he watched the 49ers’ win last night, and if so, what was the Bears’ mood like as a team) “I didn’t watch it. I didn’t watch it, I was just checking the score, because I know when I watch games, it won’t work out the way I want them to. I was checking the score, I was getting updates from other people, I was trying not to pay attention, but a great game by the 49ers. I gotta shout out my guy (49ers quarterback) C.J. Beathard. We trained together coming off the Combine. He played really well. I’m happy for C.J. and them, and they really helped us out.”
BEARS RUNNING BACK DAVID MONTGOMERY
(On what the team was feeling during the first drive out of halftime) “We were just in go-mode. We just got to go, attack, put our foot on the gas and up our game. We kind of came out slow, in the first half we played real slow and it hasn’t been how we’ve playing for the last couple of weeks. We went to the locker room and we focused on the accountability standpoint of it all, holding each other accountable. When you said we came out in the second half we started attacking and that’s what we did.”
(On how he would describe the opportunity in Week 17 to win and make the playoffs) “It’s an opportunity that I wouldn’t want to do with anybody else than the guys that we’re getting ready to do it with. I’m excited for the opportunity. I know they’re going to come out and they’re going to play, give us their all and we’re going to do the same thing. I trust my guys, I trust my brothers to the left and the right of me, in the front and the back. We’re going to take this week as serious as we ever took it, and we’re going to prepare and do what we got to do so we can handle business.”
(On what the message has been that they’ve been playing under the last few weeks) “Honestly, trust and being able to take it one day, one practice, one game at a time. We’re relying on each other. When it gets tough, when it gets hard, usually just got to focus on the guys next to you, focus on that play. At the end of that day, if you give 110 percent and whoever goes out there and wants it more will have it. That’s just what it’s been, so we’ve just been fighting for each other through the good, the bad and the indifferent.”
(On almost having another 100-yard game and what it’s been like being in a rhythm carrying the ball) “The guys up front are doing a hell of a job. They’ve been doing a hell of a job for a long time now, and I appreciate those guys. Me being able to get in a rhythm is not up to me, it’s up to those guys up front and they always do that for me. I was able to get into a rhythm from the help of those guys and the wide receivers blocking, the tight ends doing what the tight ends do, Mitch [Trubisky]… him being him. Just being able to get into a rhythm is big so we can help the pass game out for sure.”
(On how much of a confidence boost it is to go out in attack mode) “It’s a trust factor at that point. It’s a confidence factor, but it’s the trust at that point. We’ve all got to have the same mentality, we’ve all got to be on the same accord so when one person says, ‘Let’s attack, let’s attack, let’s do that,’ then that’s what we all do. Like I said, we just fall in line with trusting each other, having each other’s back, being accountable for each other and just fighting until the end of it.”
BEARS WIDE RECEIVER ALLEN ROBINSON
(On the mindset of the team ahead of Week 17) “We haven’t even thought that far yet. We know what kind of team we’re playing against next week, and we know what type of team is coming into Soldier Field. So for us, we want to enjoy it for the next couple of days and then we’re going to be locked in strong for next week. Like I said before, this team knows what’s on the line, and we know what’s at stake. Everybody’s been locked in, everybody’s going to continue to be locked in, and I’m looking forward to it.”
(On what allowed the Bears to be so successful in the third quarter) “Nothing too much. We felt we left some plays out there in the first half. I think we had three or four possessions in the first half, so I felt we moved the ball well, we punted once, I believe. So it wasn’t anything different. We just wanted to stick to our game, execute on third downs down the field, get the run game going a little bit. We were happy to do those things in the third quarter.”
(On how confident is the team going into next week with a chance to make the playoffs) “Very confident. Like I said before, it all comes down to executing. Players got to make the plays, and we’ve got to execute. I think if we continue to put ourselves in good position – that’s first down, second down, third down, everything like that – we’ll be fine. I thought we got into the red zone a decent amount, but we’ve got to capitalize and try to get 100 percent on touchdowns, but for the most part we moved the ball, we played good football, stayed ahead of the chains, converted on third down a decent amount. I thought we played well today. We’ve just got to keep doing that. The name of the game for us right now is execution.”
(On what did returning to Jacksonville mean to him) “Coming down here means a lot. Obviously this was where I was drafted. Still a lot of people in the organization that I have relationships with over the years as far as strength coaches, trainers and things like that. For myself, I still thought I could’ve played better. I had a decent game, but I still thought I could’ve played better. It was fun coming down here and getting the win. Seeing all the Bears fans that we had in the stadium and things like that – it was exciting.”
(On if he can feel next week already) “Most definitely. Like I said before, since day one I said the biggest thing you want in this league is playing meaningful games in November into January. That’s where we find ourselves right now, so it’s going to be exciting, especially against Green Bay, a divisional opponent. I think everybody’s looking forward to it.”
(On the biggest thing Mitch Trubisky is doing now that he wasn’t doing before) “It’s tough to pinpoint as far as for him, but again I think the biggest thing is the communication that we’ve had across the board, from coaches to players and players to players, I think that’s the biggest thing. We’re going out to practice and we’re talking through plays like if we get this look, if we get that look, this is how this is going to be run – so we’re all starting to be on the same page now and I think you see that and everything’s starting to click. We’re becoming more effective. The main thing I said before is continue to communicate, continue to execute, and I think we’ll continue to play well.”
BEARS TIGHT END JIMMY GRAHAM
(On what sparked the third-quarter explosion) “I think we were super focused on scoring right out of the half. We talked about it, we put emphasis on having a great drive to start the half to get that momentum in our way, and we ended up doing it. It’s an attribute to [Mitchell] Trubisky and to our O-Line, to our tight ends and receivers for really buying and believing in each other. I think that’s what really sparked it, and then the defense got after it and it was a fun second half, that’s for sure.”
(On what it says about the entire team to get the game turned around after halftime) “I think everybody knows some of our lulls early, especially in the third. You’ve got to give credit where credit’s due. This coaching staff has done everything they can to get us in the right place, the right mindset to kind of make up for those things and those stumbles that we’ve had before. Coming out of the half, that’s a big one. Coming out of the half, starting the game off, we’ve got to give it to our head coach, our O-Line coach, my tight end coach. Everybody just bought in. Everybody believes in each other. We know if we do defer to begin the game that we’ve got to come out in the second half ready, no matter what happens in the first half.”
(On how he would assess Mitchell Trubisky’s play) “I think he’s grown a lot. He’s been through a lot, and it shows his character, it shows his character as a man, his strength as far as between his ears. That’s not easy, what he went through early – even with the shoulder – I don’t think that’s talked a lot about, his bravery, what he’s played through and for his team to put us in this position one game away, it’s special. I think it goes and shows who he is as a man, who he is as a player, and it’s special to see his growth. Just in the time I’ve been here through this year, it’s pretty special, it really is.”
(On what does it mean to be one win away from the playoffs to the team and to him) “It’s a big deal. We’ve been in the playoffs for three weeks now, I think that’s been our mentality is a playoff mentality. Each one of these games has been a playoff game for us. This one’s no different. I’m not going to dwell on myself in any selfish way. We needed this one, simple as that. It’s a playoff game, just like the last three were. We’re excited to be in this position to be going up against such a rival, obviously, and it’s all here for us. I love these moments. I’ve been built for these moments, so I’m excited.”
(On what it means to have eight touchdowns this season at age 34) “Especially not having an offseason, that was a big concern of mine. Coming to a new offense, a new team, not having the ability to have those moments with your quarterbacks, and to learn the offense over Zoom – I had a big concern about that, honestly. For it to be my first year here and to have that trust by our coaching staff and by the quarterbacks. It’s special, it’s nice and to be able to make those plays and make those moments. I just do it for them. I’m just trying to win games and continue to play in January because I believe that’s where I belong – in January. I’m excited to be in this position right now, and I’m blessed to have been a part of this and to have been a part of such a good story, especially after that tough stretch we had.”
(On if he thinks Aaron Rodgers would still play if the Packers lock up the no. 1 seed tonight) “I don’t know. That’s not on me to speculate. I know Aaron’s a competitor, he competes on all levels and obviously being a conference game, it’s always going to mean something to him. They’re going to put their best leg forward, but if they clinch, who knows? We’ll see, but I know the kind of competitor he is and I know he’s going to want to be out there. I know a lot of those guys are going to want to be out there because I was on the other side. I understand the mentality, I understand what they’re – kind of the rivalry between the Bears and the Packers – it’s the most historic, so I would count on him playing, honestly.”
| BEARS SAFETY TASHAUN GIPSON SR. (On thoughts after the Arizona Cardinals game final last night) “Yeah, I watched towards the end once we got off the plane, I was able to tune in. And obviously, I had to go on Amazon Prime because it wasn’t on national TV and it was crazy watching that game unfold. A lot of ups and downs, with the kicker missing a couple of those field goals, but I’m not sure what that was about though. It just was a surreal moment, man, and it was just excitement at the same time. So, it was just crazy to watch that …Once it was over, that moment kind of settled in. That man, this is real, this is really real. So, I think everybody was tuned in, man and after the game, I went to bed with a smile on my face last night.” (On the mood in the locker now knowing that their journey to the Playoffs is in their hands) “I mean, the mood is what you would expect it to be. It’s just a bunch of guys who have been through a lot of adversity this year, going from a six-game winning streak, from starting 5-1 to a six-game losing streak, to being able to position ourselves to be where we [are] now. I think that you can understand that the mood right now, is we’re at an all-time high. It’s good energy, man, and that’s all we can ask for. Obviously, we know the job isn’t done and I don’t think that [anybody] is looking too far ahead. But I mean, to be able to position ourselves right now to what we can control our own destiny, where we don’t need to tune in and be worried about what’s happening with the next team. There’s no better feeling right now, than controlling what you can control, doing your job, and if all else fails, you’d be able to reap the rewards. I think that’s the mood right now.” (On the impact of Roquan Smith’s two interceptions) “I mean, those were huge when you think about it. I think that those were something that you look at and you say, those were momentum changes. And I think that Roquan is—he’s just been doing what he’s been doing all year and I don’t think that he gets enough credit, but those were huge. Momentum, it’s kind of one of those things where you kind of put the nail in the coffin, man. And once those two interceptions turned into big points and we just began to feed off of that. Offensively, we were able to turn into points, I believe they scored 10 points off of them; a field goal which is a huge because it was 10-10 and then the other one, they were able to capitalize and score 7 points. And they were able to kind of further the gap and kind of get the game out of control and we were able to just feed off of that.” (On what the sideline thought of the hit on the punt returner) “Yeah, I think that because of the series prior, I think Sherrick McManis was hit with a penalty and the next one Sherrick came back better. That hit was crazy. I think that it was one of the more vicious ones I’ve seen, and I’ve been in the league a long time, seen a lot of hits. I think he might’ve hurt himself man, prayers out to him. But the game of football is a physical game, but that hit was pretty crazy man. So, seeing it live and with something like that you’ve just got to wish well for both guys involved. But at the end of the day, I know our guy is well and we hope the guy over there is well, man. But it was a pretty crazy hit, it was a bang-bang play, physical play, man, that old school football is what people say. So, we were able to capitalize on that as well, but that’s what we want to take out of the game, keep everybody safe, keep our heads up and be able to walk away on your own two feet. Again, I hope he’s well, I’m not sure what happened with the other man and I know our guy is well.” (On whether WR Allen Robinson’s game today means more to him, having played for Jacksonville before) “Yes to the question. For me, I think it’s business as usual for A-Rob and I just go back to when I signed with Jacksonville, he was a young guy, he’s just been staying an even guy, his emotions don’t get too crazy, that’s what you’ve got to respect about a guy like that. So, I think that whether we are playing Jacksonville or Green Bay, I think that—I don’t think that it was as personal probably for A-Rob as people probably would assume, man. And we’ve had talks, like I said, we were there together for a minute. But I think that—is it a little sweet? Absolutely. I think that any time you can go in and have that type of performance against an old team who let you walk, those things are personal. So, for him, I think it was major for him. But again, he’s just a guy that’s business as usual. It doesn’t matter the situation or the team, man, he’s going to go out and do what he needs to do. And he’s been doing it all year.” (On the plan for stopping the Green Bay Packers, slowing down Packers WR Davante Adams and getting pressure on Packers QB Aaron Rodgers) “You know, right now just coming down off of this, man. Obviously, I think the coaching staff have the game plan, they’re going to go to the drawing board Monday and Tuesday and figure out the game plan. But I mean, it’s no easy feat dealing with those guys. I mean, those are top tier guys, one or two at their positions respectfully. So, obviously, right now we’re going to enjoy this win for just a little bit, and we understand the challenges that lie ahead. So, there’s no easy way to stop those guys, so it’s going to be a collective effort, man. Rushing coverage is going to definitely have to come together and obviously, if you want to do this, if you want to get into the dance, we know that next week is the most important week of all season. That’s playoff football for us, but for playoff football. With that being said, man, I think the offense and defense this time around have to be a little bit more prepared and God-willing, we’ll be able to get this victory and we’ll be dancing soon. Once everybody is in, there’s no telling what will happen.” (On how it feels to potentially get a rematch against the New Orleans Saints, if all goes well) “You know, man, that’s so far ahead that right now, I just want to get in there. But you know, given the opportunity, obviously, we’ll like it, but we’re talking to week ahead, man. So, how about we get in there and you ask me those questions. But right now, we’re focused on making sure we do what we need to do to be able to get into that dance, because everybody knows, once you’re in there, records don’t matter. It’s good-on-good, man, you’re going to give people the best shots and that’s just how the game works.” |
BEARS LINEBACKER ROQUAN SMITH
(On what went into his two-interception performance today) “It was just some routine drops. The last one I got lucky. The first one it looked like he was trying to get a chunk before the first half, and I was in the right place at the right time.”
(On the importance of getting an interception right before halftime and if he was injured on the play) “That’s what it’s all about – having each other’s back. I feel like he made a throw that I’m sure he’d like to have back, and I was just in the right place at the right time. Not banged up, I didn’t miss any plays so I don’t consider it banged up if you don’t miss any plays.”
(On what was said at halftime that inspired the third-quarter performance) “To be perfectly honest, I’m not sure what the conversation was at halftime. I was getting myself situated, but we just came out and played some good ball in the third quarter. That was the main thing – coming out and playing for each other.”
(On what type of boost did the defense receive after the first Bears’ touchdown in the third quarter) “That was huge. After kicking the field goal prior to halftime and then having those guys come out in the second half and start the second half that way, that was huge. We feed off of that, so seeing those guys do what they do, it was great and it was good overall for the team. I’m really excited for those guys.”
(On what he saw when he got his first interception) “Seeing the back go out to the flat so I knew – I actually haven’t seen the play yet, but I figured from study and practice reps this week I knew the receiver was probably going to run a dig route, a deep-in route from that side, so I was at the right place at the right time, couldn’t really be through it actually, but it happened and I took advantage of it.
(On his reaction to the Cardinals losing last night and the feeling now that they just need a win to get in) “Yeah, it’s just about controlling the destiny. When I saw that last night, of course I was happy, but at the end of the day we were still more focused on controlling what we could control. That’s just our input, output each and every week, so it was just about that and doing our jobs. Good things happened to the whole team. Just excited for the team, but we have one more. Enjoy this win, but we have one more to do what we really want to do.”
