Post Game Press Conference – Seahawks QB Geno Smith
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SEAHAWKS QUARTERBACK GENO SMITH
POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE
September 15, 2024
Q: How does it feel to just pull this one out the way you did? You’ve gotten used to this, these late-game drives and stuff like that?
GS: Yeah, it’s just great to get a win, any win that you can get, especially early in the season. They’re going to be critical as we move on forward to the season, but hats off to the Patriots. I thought they played a really good game. I thought they fought all the way through. Our guys, we lasted longer. I felt like our defense, they played a really good game. I thought Julian made a big-time field goal block right there to give us a shot. Then I felt like Grubb called a great game. I thought the offensive line did a great job at battling all game, and the receivers, they were outstanding today. Really made it easy for me and allowed me to go out there and do my job.
Q: Did you want to go for it on fourth and one at the end of regulation there?
GS: I mean, no. I thought we got the first down, but we didn’t. So the right thing to do there was to kick the field goal and go to overtime and give ourselves some extra minutes to go and get the win.
Q: Did Grubb have a perfect play call lined up for that 36 to Zach based on what they were giving?
GS: That was a great call. They went cover-zero early in the game. That was the big touchdown to DK, and it kind of scared them out of it. They didn’t call it for the rest of the game. We knew they would get back to it. That’s what they want to do in those critical situations. Grubb was on it. Made the right call. We’re just happy that happened and allowed us to get in field goal range and J-My kicked it in.
Q: What was working so well with JSN today?
GS: I thought the game plan was great and we had a good week of practice as well. I thought that guys were locked in and dialed in throughout practice. Really felt like we were going to have a good game. Then as we went out there on the field, man, guys were just balling. JSN is a great player. We have to get the ball in his hands as many chances as we can. I thought he did a great job throughout the game and just making those clutch catches and finding windows when it was zone, beating man when it was man, and I thought he did a great job today.
Q: Has it felt like this was coming from him just based on how good he looks in the offseason?
GS: Yeah, obviously the first game didn’t get a bunch of — we know who he is. We know who Jaxon is. We know the type of player he is, the caliber of receiver he is. It’s just about opportunities for him. He’s making the most of those. So just really proud of all the work he’s put in, and it’s really showing and paid off today.
Q: What is it about Tyler Lockett? He has one target for 60 minutes and came on the line and you can trust him to go to him? What is it about him?
GS: Is he clutch. Tyler is Tyler. He’s done that his entire career. He’s a guy who is so selfless. To go the entire game and really not get many targets, it wasn’t based on, like, a lack of trying to. It was just reading the coverages and getting the ball to whoever is open, but to be a selfless guy the way that he is and to continue to stay focused throughout the game, I thought, man, I only can say great things about Tyler. He’s just an outstanding human being. A lot of receivers will start calling for the ball at times when they don’t feel like they’re getting it, but I can just see how mentally dialed in he was throughout the game and knowing that his time was going to come. As soon as we needed a big play, right, we’re going to find 16, and he always comes through.
Q: You’re making a name for yourself with these comebacks, last year and today. What’s your mindset in those situations? Do you enjoy those?
GS: My mindset, put the ball in 7 hands. That’s my mindset. I always dreamed about these moments growing up. It’s a dream come true just to be here. Whenever I’m in this situation and the game is on the line, I’m so happy and just excited for those opportunities. I look forward to them actually. I know it’s going to happen more and more times throughout the season. The best quarterbacks always find ways to win. I want to be regarded in that light, so I just want to continue to be there for my team, do what’s right, make the plays when they come.
Q: What was your reaction when Julian caught that catch?
GS: Oh, man, I knew we had him. I knew we had him. Even if he didn’t block the kick, I felt like we were going to go down and score. When he blocked the kick, I felt like it turned the momentum. You could see they put their heads down a little bit. Their defense was, like, oh, man, we have to stop these guys. That’s when we put our foot on the pedal and just started going after them and made some big plays.
Q: Backyard ball there the last throw to Lockett?
GS: Yeah, watching it, man, if you sprint right, usually you don’t cut and reverse field. In dire times you got to make a play, and I felt like that was the situation where we needed it. I’m just happy it worked out the way that it did.
Q: Geno, last year was a run game and this week was a catch game. Last week was Lockett, and this week is JSN and DK.
GS: Super versatile. We have so many great players, even guys some that weren’t on the field that can make some plays. I believe in the work. I believe in us just playing together and finding ways to win. It’s going to be a different guy each time. We have a bunch of selfless guys. I think that’s what matters the most. Guys who believe in one another. We want to see the next guy shine. I want to see the run game lead us just as much as I want to go out there and throw a bunch of touchdowns. However we can get a win, whatever we got to do, I’m just reading the defense and trying to make the right plays.
Q: The sequence at the end of the first half, you guys get to the line of scrimmage really quickly. It looked like with how much time was left there was zero margin for error. What can you say about that whole operation?
GS: I can’t really recall.
Q: At the end of the first half when you guys get the field goal and you had clock the ball?
GS: We worked that situation all throughout the week. That was a get-down-and-spike-it situation. We had no time-outs. So we had to get as many yards as we can, receivers have to get down and hand the ball off to the center, and then we have to get down to the line of scrimmage and spike it as fast as possible. Got that done. I think it was maybe under 19 seconds or something like that. Spiked it with five seconds, so that was like perfect execution in that situation.
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