HEAD COACH JOHN HARBAUGH
Opening Statement: "First of all, just our condolences to [former NFL] Commissioner [Paul] Tagliabue's family and to the amazing, amazing leader he was in the National Football League for all those years. As I think back, even as a kid, it was [former NFL commissioner] Pete Rozelle and then Paul Tagliabue – that was the National Football League. So, he's legendary, and the league would not be what it is without Paul Tagliabue, for sure. And then also to Marshawn Kneeland's family. What a tragic thing, but what a good young man he was. And when I think back to [when I attended] Western Michigan, that's where I met my wife – at Western Michigan – Ingrid, who is sitting right there. He and I had that conversation about that and in the draft. And just, what a good, good person he was. And to his family, you raised a good boy there. He was a good young man. [Also,] we had two birthdays, Daniel Faalele; happy birthday, which I neglected to mention in the pre-game celebration, and Dr. [Andrew] Tucker, so happy birthday Dr. Tucker. And then, what a great win. [It was] a win based on faith and guts and faith. So, the passage you're going to get [for] this one is, 'It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them the victory; it was your right hand, your arm and the light of your face, for you love them.' That was the verse for this week, and we leaned on that – at least I did, for sure. I'm just proud of the guys. What questions do you have?"
The defensive performance today; the fourth-down stands that they made and the two interceptions – how would you describe that defense? (Jamison Hensley) "I thought – first of all, [defensive coordinator] Zach [Orr] called a magnificent game. The coaches and Zach put together a fantastic gameplan. That was a really well ... Minnesota is a really good team. Minnesota is very well-coached on both sides of the ball. Their schemes are incredibly challenging on both sides of the ball. As you saw them come out, they had a really good gameplan. They were doing things that were making it challenging for us, in terms of, 'Hey, you want to blitz them? We've got some answers for that. You want to play the pass? We've got some answers in running and passing situations,' and just a lot of different good plays that they had. I think [head] Coach [Kevin] O'Connell – and the whole staff – does a great job. And the same thing on defense and with [defensive coordinator] Coach [Brian] Flores. They make it tough on you. So, [we knew] it was going to be a grinder type of a game, especially in this environment, so I think both sides of the ball did a great job of handling the grind of the schemes and the good players that they have, and also the environment of the sound and all that. So, I'm proud of that. But defensively, with the three turnovers – we had three turnovers total, but [the defense] had the two turnovers – the fourth-down stops, the two-point play stop and even overcoming some crazy stuff. [The Vikings] made a couple of fourth-down plays; we could have been off the field earlier, and our guys didn't crack. [There are] so many times when you see situations where that happens, and the very next play becomes a touchdown, [but] our guys didn't let that happen. They left it out there. [When] you talk about a guy like Kyle Van Noy again, he's in [the locker room], and he's completely exhausted. He left everything out on that field. He's an example, and everybody is in that same place. So, that's the kind of win that it was."
You've had eight turnovers in the last four games, which is a lot more than you had in the first five games. What has been the difference in creating those turnovers? (Brian Wacker) "Sometimes you just get opportunities, so I'm not going to say it's not ... Just sometimes it just kind of goes that way. I don't think we had too many opportunities in the first few games, but I also think you create your opportunities. You create your opportunity by being in the right spots. We could have had a couple more if we were, [if] the ball carried a foot further or something like that. We had 11 quarterback hits. [There has been] a lot of talk about the lack of pressure, but we had 11 quarterback hits and four batted balls. Those were passes defended by the D-line and the pass rushers. That's pretty darn great. So, those guys, I thought, had a phenomenal game. The game kind of turned with the turnovers, the kickoff coverage and the two-minute drive at the end of the half where we had hardly any time to go down there and get that field goal. Lamar [Jackson] leading that drive, that offense with the crowd and everything else going on [with] all the pressure. [And] then to come back out, get the stop, get the turnover, get the score – the touchdown – and then to get the fumble on the kickoff; that turned the game between the second and third quarter right there."
What can you say about S Keondre Jackson creating that fumble, and just the spark he's brought to the special teams unit? (Ryan Mink) "[Keondre Jackson] said he was going to make a name for himself, he told me that, [and] I think he's doing it. He's not [No.] 39 anymore; he's Keondre Jackson. We're proud [of him]. That guy brings it. He got his first forced fumble and first fumble recovery on the same play."
You mentioned the key in that late third-quarter drive that ended well into the fourth quarter where you got the run game going, and you had a lot of third-down conversions. How big was that in sort of taking control of the game? (Jeff Zrebiec) "That was really big. And I thought [offensive coordinator] Todd [Monken] really called that drive so well, because he kept the personnel groups moving, [and] he kept the running pass calls moving. Lamar [Jackson] had a lot to do with that. Lamar wanted to spread them out and run some 'RPOs' [run-pass options] there, and Lamar did a great job of executing those RPOs in that situation. I think we really had [the Vikings defense] off balance throughout that whole drive and then just executing with all the crowd noise. It's a lot easier ... It's easy to forget when it goes well, but that is really tough. It's a loud place, as you guys know."
You've now won in every opponent's home in the NFL; 31 different teams where you've won in their stadium. Is there a sense of pride as an organization now? This is a tough league to win on the road. To win everywhere on the road; not many coaches have that full set. (Gerry Sandusky) "Thanks [for saying that], I did not realize that. That's cool. That's cool. At the end of the game, I was pretty choked up inside. I didn't shed a tear; I wouldn't let that happen." (Laughter) "But, just what these guys – just how hard they fought and how much they believed [in themselves] and how much courage they showed. You know what, we're just 4-5; we're still under .500. That's where we're at. We recognize that, and we know we're going to have a big fight – a big, tough, knockdown, drag-out fight in Cleveland next week. We know what that is. We understand what that always is. So, just to get to .500, that's what we're going to be fighting for."
Did you guys do anything different to kind of throttle Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson and WR Jordan Addison? Neither of them had huge games. (Jonas Shaffer) "We decided not to overdo the double coverage and leaning the coverage too much. We ran a robber coverage to [Justin Jefferson], so the cornerback could play a little outside leverage, and the safety was sitting on the inside breaks. I thought that was very effective. That's really ... We rolled the quarters to them a couple of times, but that's really still covering the guys. I think the credit goes to the players. I thought our guys did a great job of just covering. And they covered ... I don't know, some of those passing interference calls, I'm not too sure about, but I thought our guys covered really well and really with discipline [throughout] the whole game. And it's tough against those guys. And we were in single-high [coverage], playing a lot of man-type coverages. So, they did a great job. All the corners did a great job, and the safeties showed up a couple times, too."
We saw CB Marlon Humphrey went out towards the end of the game, is he OK? (Jeff Zrebiec) "Yes, [Marlon Humphrey] just has a finger thing that happened in practice, so he was dealing with that. You probably noticed it all wrapped up there, and he still caught the interception."
Do you think the finger injury affected CB Marlon Humphrey's tackling? It seemed like a couple of times he was reluctant to... (Jeff Zrebiec) "I [don't know], but [Marlon Humphrey] made some [tackles], too. He probably wanted to protect it a little bit, but I didn't see him not make a tackle. I thought he made one on their sideline over there on a screen or something, a check-down maybe, [where] he came up and made a big tackle just short of the first down."
Today marked 100 career starts for QB Lamar Jackson, it doesn't seem like it's been that long. (Jonas Shaffer) "No, I can't even believe it. I can't even believe it. 'Life is short run to the ball.' Lamar [Jackson] does; Lamar epitomizes that. I just couldn't say enough about Lamar Jackson. If you want to talk about his career and his legacy, I think he's 15-1 against NFC teams. Is that what it is, in their stadium?"
(Reporter: 14-1) "14-1, OK. Do we have another NFC game on the road this year? We'll try to get 15-1, so we can make that come true, too, right? But 14-1 against NFC teams on the road is pretty incredible. He's writing a story, and he's just – in his mind – he's just beginning. He's just in the early chapters, I'm sure."
There's a lot of talk about how loud it is here at U.S. Bank Stadium, and I think you may have had one pre-snap penalty and no turnovers. How meaningful is that to the coaching staff that have been harping on that kind of stuff in this environment? (Jeff Zrebiec) "I think that's what won the game for us; I really do. I think the poise under pressure, handling the noise, like you said, one pre-snap penalty, no turnovers in this environment, and it's the two-fold noise. It's the noise of the crowd, which is incredible, and it's also the noise of the defense and the noise they create with all their schemes and the way they play. They're a very physical, tough defense [that is] well-coached. So, those two things, I have to give our offense all the credit for that."
WR RASHOD BATEMAN
On how it felt to come back to his college state of Minnesota and win: "It felt good for sure. This place definitely means a lot to me, so it's definitely cool to come back and get win for sure."
On the offensive performance: "I think we picked it up as we continued to play. Lamar [Jackson] and Derrick [Henry], those are our two leaders. Those guys go out there and play hard. [Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry] and offensive line did a good job winning the ball today. We played off each other well. Hopefully, we continue that."
On if he liked what he saw in regard to the offense moving the ball: "Yes, there's a lot that we could work on and be better at, but I definitely liked that we put up points. There were a couple of drives I wish we had back, but I think we're starting to find our groove. We just have to keep finding a way to clear out the gray area and make it more black and white all around for the guys. That just comes with practice and repetitions, so it's definitely on the way."
On his thoughts about not committing any turnovers in the game: "No turnovers. [That] is something we've been preaching. [Minnesota Gophers head football coach] Coach [P.J.] Fleck – that's something he preaches a lot, so coming here and having that same standard for the ball. The ball is the program, so we have to protect it at all costs. We know that if we don't have turnovers, we can win the game, and I think we showed that today."
On if he has heard from his former collegiate coach Minnesota Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck: "Yes, we keep in contact. That's my guy. P.J. [Fleck] is like a dad to me and still is. I know I can call him anytime. My family here is always here, and I usually come back a lot, but I haven't been back in a couple of years. But I'll be back soon. I love this place, for sure."
On if he still talks to former University of Minnesota teammate and New York Jets WR Tyler Johnson and if they ever reminisce about the Outback Bowl win on New Year's Day against Auburn in Tampa Bay: "Yes, I think we all reminisce about that whole year [2019] in general. That was a good year. That year changed my life. That's the year that got me drafted here. It was a good [year] for Gopher's football here. We broke a lot of records, made a lot of history and made Gopher football fun again. That whole year was special, for sure."
On what it's like to be a receiver for QB Lamar Jackson: "I would just say be ready for everything. You never know what Lamar [Jackson] is going to do, so you have to be able to be prepared as a receiver, whether that's blocking, route running, moving around or whatever that may look like. He's a unique quarterback, and it's cool to play with him. It opens up a lot for us in ways that other teams don't have, so I definitely respect that a lot about Lamar."
On what it means to get the team's third win in a row: "It feels good."
S KYLE HAMILTON
On how he would describe the defense's performance: "I think we're starting to hit our stride. It's not a surprise to us. I think we're playing to our potential now, and that has to be sustained. We're happy we got the win, but we're not ecstatic about what our record still is. We still have stuff to do, and [we have] people to prove wrong, people to prove right, so this is a good building block going forward in the season."
On how forcing turnovers has contributed to the momentum and confidence of the team: "That's huge, especially [with] our special teams. Shout out to our special teams, [and] everybody on the kickoff. Jordan Stout punted well today. Keondre Jackson has been great for us since he's been active, and [he is] a big ball of energy [and] is just out there making plays for us. Then, also with Malaki [Starks] and Marlon [Humphrey], getting those turnovers are huge. They're not only taking away points for them but putting our offense in a better position rather than punting and downing the ball inside the 5 [-yard line]. Now, we have the ball in plus territory, whatever it may be, and it was dope to see everybody getting involved."
On the mentality of focusing on the work that still needs to be done driving this team: "That's just who we are to the core. We could be undefeated and still feel like we have stuff to do. Not trying to bring up the past, but I think partially what got us to 1-5 was the fact that we came into the season maybe thinking – and I'm not speaking for everybody but – 'We're the Baltimore Ravens. We're going to do this. We're going to do that. Teams are just going to lay down and let us win games,' and that's not how it is in this league. So, we got punched in the mouth early in the season, but now, I think we're responding well. We'll just have that scar tissue going forward when we just start stacking wins."
On if he thinks that defense and special teams needed to win a game where they dominated on the field: "It provides confidence for both sides of the ball, but I was literally just joking about it; There's been maybe a handful of games where both sides [of the ball] played well since I've been here. It's very complementary it seems like, but that's just how this league is. You never know what you're going to get on a day-to-day basis. You have a plan, but you need to have plan B, plan C, all the way down to Z, and everybody needs to be comfortable with what we have going on, and when you step on that field, just go make plays."
On what he attributes to holding Vikings WR Justin Jefferson to 37 yards and 12 targets: "Good corner play, good scheme by 'Z.O.' [defensive coordinator Zach Orr and] everybody involved. It's just a nameless, faceless opponent kind of thing. [Justin Jefferson] is, obviously, one of the best in the league and has a bunch of records and deservedly so. He gets all the recognition. He's a great receiver. [He's] probably a future Hall of Famer kind of guy, and he's 'him' as the kids like to say. But when you line up across from whoever it may be, you have to think you're going to win your one-on-one. I think that's what everybody on that field, whether you're a corner, a safety, a defensive tackle or a linebacker – and I'm sure the offense feels the same way – but this game comes down to winning your one on ones. So, I think we won more one on ones than they did today, and that's why we won."
On if it is fair to say that the defense has its 'swagger' back: "Yes. No, actually, no. We still have work to do and stuff to be done, but we have to work on our celebrations if we're going to say that we got our swagger back. Some of our celebrations are bad, but at least we have stuff to celebrate now."
On if he could explain the 'gasser' celebration after a defensive play made by ILB Roquan Smith: "This was in Saturday walkthroughs. We were like, 'We need to come up with a celebration.' So, it was actually my idea, so I take the fault, but I just watched [the movie] Coach Carter or something. I was saying whoever made the play, so, in that case Roquan [Smith] – and it didn't even count, and now we're in the end zone running suicides, and now we're tired getting back to the huddle – but whoever made the play is kind of walking across the goal line like this [demonstrates the celebration] and just making the other guys run 'gassers,' whatever it may be, like a basketball team, but it didn't even matter. I'm glad that one just got thrown out though. We will figure something else out."
On if he could speak to S Malaki Starks' progression during his rookie season: "God forbid a rookie takes more than seven games in the NFL to get adjusted. [Malaki Starks] is progressing just fine, and it's no surprise to us. You saw that in the offseason. He's 21 years old, but he acts like a 31 year old, like he's been in it for 10 years. He's back there making calls. He's back there encouraging guys in the locker room, all this stuff, and you can see why he was so high on the Ravens' [draft] board and I'm sure a lot of other teams boards and why people at UGA [University of Georgia] speak so highly of him. That's just the guy he is [and] the player he is. He's just been showing you the past few weeks, and I told him after the game that he's only going to build on that. I can see it in him that he's going to get so much better, and he's going to be a problem."
RB DERRICK HENRY
On winning their third-consecutive game in a tough environment: "I'm very proud of everybody on all three phases. This is a tough place to play in [against a] good team, and [it was] third win in a row. We just have to keep stacking [wins]."
On the key to getting the running game going in the second half: "I think we just keep believing, just keep on executing, and then eventually, we'll get what we want, and I feel like everybody did a great job for that to happen."
On if the defense forcing turnovers has a positive impact on the offense: "Yes, it's a momentum creator on both sides, for the whole team. The defense is doing a great job of getting us the ball back, creating turnovers, which they preach every day, and they practice throughout the week so it happens in the game. I'm excited for the defense, and [we have to] make sure to keep it going."
On building trust with the defense as they've improved over the last three games: "I just think that's the pride that they have. They want to be a dominant defense, wreak havoc, cause turnovers and make a lot of tackles, and they've been doing a great job of being consistent, so we appreciate them, and we just have to keep believing in one another and keep this thing going."
On taking pride in limiting pre-snap penalties in a loud environment: "We understand there's a level of focus [needed]. We knew it was going to be loud. It's a great environment, it's a dome, and they have great fans and a great atmosphere, so we just had to focus, hone in and focus on what we need to do as a team."
On seeing head coach John Harbaugh's emotion after the win: "That's just the passion [head coach John Harbaugh has]. This season, we've been through some things, but we just keep our focus on persevering through it all, and we're all we have."
S KEONDRE JACKSON
On his performance on special teams today: "The opportunity to play football, that's all I need. [When] you get a chance to get out there on [special] teams ... A lot of people look at the two phases, but in the NFL, all three phases matter, so to go out there and play with my brothers, that's big time."
On what he was thinking on his special teams fumble recovery: "For me, it was just really [about] getting down field, staying in my lane [and] trusting my brothers on the inside. [Myles Price] just bounced to me, and then I [went] in for the tackle and just hit the ball. We knew he was loose with the ball the whole week, so I was just trying to get my hand on that. That was a big time. At the bottom of the pile, it was crazy down there, but I'm just sitting down there holding the ball. I knew I had it. I knew I was going to come up with it."
On the celebration on the sideline and giving the offense the ball back: "It means everything. You're in a stadium where they say [it's] one of the loudest stadiums in the NFL. They're all yelling the 'Skol' chant, so to just quiet [that] and let our offense go out there and set up a score, that's big time. It feels great."
QB LAMAR JACKSON
On the defensive performance today: "They played great, played the Raven standard of football. I feel like we should have had helped them out a little bit more, but they got it done. [We have] room for improvement."
On how much confidence the defensive performance gives him: "[It gives] a lot of confidence, but I'd have even more if we were putting points on the board like we should. Hats off to our defense, because they played a wonderful game."
On the key to only having one pre-snap penalty and not turning the ball over in this environment: "Just practicing hard. Trying to get better in practice – it starts in practice and it translates to the field on Sundays and Mondays or whenever we play. But yes, I'm going to get on [Andrew] Vorhees about that." (laughter)
On the importance of today's win: "Shout out to the Viking [in] all phases, because they played a wonderful game, as well, but it's good. It is good to see from our offense for us as well. Like you said, [we were] going against a great opponent, and our defense [was] playing the way they did against a talented and elite offense, but there's always room for improvement."
On if this team has turned a corner yet: "Yes, but there's still a lot of ball left. We have to stay locked in. We can't be complacent or [anything] like that. We have to stay locked in."
On the conversations when the team went into the two-minute warning in a third-and-4 and if he had any input on that final drive: "I didn't say anything. I was just pretty much talking to the offense really. I didn't communicate with [head] Coach [John Harbaugh]. I was just locked in trying to get the first down, if anything."
On if he was holding his breath on his pass that got deflected in the fourth quarter: "No, I didn't hold my breath. I was just going to get it. I was going to attack the ball myself. I wasn't letting him catch it. I wasn't trying to let that happen, but I just slapped the ball down."
On how important this ground-out, close game win was: "[It was] extremely important, especially [because] in our division, we play these types of games a lot. Hopefully we're not in these types of games, but we have to get used to it [and] get accustomed to it."
On how the mood has changed since winning three games in a row: "Everyone's happy when they win, but I feel like our mood hasn't changed. We're still locked in. We still feel like we're 1-5, because we're still behind in our division. So, we, like I said, we can't get complacent, and [we need to] stay locked in."
On if the messaging from head coach John Harbaugh changed at all over the good times and the bad of if it's stayed consistent: "It's pretty consistent I believe."
On if it means anything to him that it was his 100th career NFL start: "No, I didn't even know anything about it, but it's cool to get a win on the 100th start. It's pretty dope."
OLB DRE'MONT JONES
On his first game as a Raven: "I haven't won in a while. It was good to do it with a team like this. I thought I played solid. Obviously, I can get better, but I feel like I'm going to do more each and every week."
On how much pride a defense takes in takeaways: "As a defensive player [and] as a whole, taking pride in turnovers is a huge thing. It was amazing to see us get three. It was like, 'Wow, this Ravens defense is legit.' So, I'm happy to be a part of it."
On how proud he is that the defense has held the last three teams to 20 points or less: "I'm very proud. Even though it's my first game and my very first game we let them score under 20 [points], that's huge, and that's hard to do in NFL. To be able to do that is monumental for this club, and hopefully, we continue that."
On his reaction to the defense holding strong on the last drive: "My reaction is, 'Hell yes. We won this game.' Like I said, I haven't won in a while, and to come here [and get] my very first win, it was special. A big shout out to those boys and [head] coach [John] Harbaugh and [defensive coordinator] Coach [Zach] Orr. They were doing their thing, calling plays up and doing the right stuff, and we won because of them."
On if he get a senses for just where this team has been and where it could be going to: "Yes, I'm getting a sense of where it could be going. I just have to keep doing my part. It's been a lot for me, too, so I have to keep finding ways to add value to the defense. They're already so great, so I just want to make sure I'm doing my part."
On if his playing weight has changed from 281 pounds based on the different schemes: "Yes, I'm not that weight." (laughter) "I'm probably 15 pounds less than that, but I'm doing my thing, I'm still pretty powerful, so I fluctuate between inside and outside. I think I can handle it."
On what the fourth-down stops say about the defense: "You have a bunch of hunters on his defense. I got a taste of it at practice, and then I got the real thing here on Sunday. It was crazy. Like I said, there are a lot of good players on this defense. My job is to go out there and try to add value as best as I can and help elevate those guys, because they are already [very] talented."
C TYLER LINDERBAUM
On how loud it was to play at U.S. Bank Stadium: "It was definitely a loud environment. I give their fans a lot of credit. It's definitely up there in the top half of the league of environment [rankings]. It's a fun place to play, but that's what you like about this league, because usually, some fanbases don't have it like they do. It was special, and that's what makes this game fun coming to environments like this. It makes it more fun when you finish with a win."
On how much preparation the offense had to do for Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores' scheme and what challenges it provided before the snap: "It certainly provides a lot of different challenges just with alignments and movements, and that's [Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores'] style of play. It's a tough defense to go against. They have a lot of good players over there, but our mindset [was] just keep chipping away, keep chipping away. Our defense helped us out a lot. When we had to finish drives, we tried to. It didn't always go our way, but keep the foot on the gas and just keep moving forward."
On if he noticed head coach John Harbaugh get choked up at the end of the game when talking to the team: "We've been through a lot this year. It's a lot of adversity [and] a lot of people doubting us. We're still not where we need to be. We have a big hole we're trying to dig ourselves out of, but we have a lot of belief in this locker room, belief in the coaching staff [and] belief in the players that we can turn this ship around."
On if he is trying to match TE Charlie Kolar's mustache: "I think [Charlie Kolar] is trying to match mine. I just don't have the genetics like him. It's a work in progress."
On if there was anything said in the huddle about staying the course after kicking field goals in the red zone: "Obviously, if you get in the red zone, you have to finish and finish with touchdowns. I love our special teams unit, but we don't want to see them out there on the field too much. We just have to find ways to keep pushing the ball forward and to get that ball in the end zone. We'll find ways, and we certainly have the players to do it, the coaching staff to do it, and I'm just happy we got a win today, but [it's] certainly an area that we can improve on."
S MALAKI STARKS
On what it means to record two interceptions in two weeks: "I think the guys that I'm playing with make it super easy. [We have] a lot of experienced guys. It's a gift from God, really. Just the work that we all put in, and just to see it pay off, it's special."
On how forcing turnovers boosts the defense's confidence: "I think [when] you play defense, you [need to] take the ball away, so just to be able to do that [is important]. Then, takeaways come in bunches, so for guys to be able to come in and play the defense that we want to play, I mean, it's huge."
On if he can speak on his interception from the game: "I was really on the other hash, and I was focusing on that side, and then I kind of just saw [J.J. McCarthy] look [to the] opposite [direction]. Then once his shoulder turned, I knew the ball was going to Justin [Jefferson], but he just threw it kind of late. I got there in time and just high-pointed it and came down with it."
On how big the takeaways have been for the defense: "Turnovers equal momentum. So, anytime you can get a turnover [on] defense or special teams, it's huge. So, just for us to go out there and do that as a team and play complementary football is huge."
On what he saw during CB Marlon Humphrey's interception and how he felt seeing him get one: "I thought we were in the wrong call, and I thought that [Marlon Humphrey] thought that he had a middle-field safety, and he didn't. But, he's also playing with one hand. So, I saw it and then I saw it happen, and I was like, 'Please don't drop it. Please don't drop it.' And then he caught it, and he just kind of stood there for – I don't know – it felt like forever. I was just excited. When I got my pick, he was the first one down there, and I was standing on the sideline. I was just happy for him."
On his reaction to S Keondre Jackson's forced fumble: "We're like brothers. [Keondre Jackson] is so elite at what he does. He's going to be playing in the league for a very long time. He's a special player. And just for him to go down there and make those plays, and just to see where he works. [With Keondre being a] UDFA, it's not about how you get there, it's about how you stay there, and what he does is so special and the amount of work that he puts into it and how much he cares, it's awesome."
On what he thinks has allowed him to play well the past two games: "I think I'm just really trusting myself, my preparation and the guys around me. I'm just trusting them to do their job, which is allowing me to play fast and just be myself. So, [it's] really just the connection with the team, and just the amount of work that we put in."
On what the defense did to slow down Vikings WRs Justin Jefferson and WR Jordan Addison: "I think that's probably the best wide receiver group in the league. We're all on the same page. When you're playing defense, you're all on one page. You're doing your job, and that's all that matters. So, just for us to continue to stay on the same page, continue to keep working and we [will] get where we want to go."
On if there were any adjustments on defense to keep everyone on the same page: "I think it's just communicating. Really, when it comes down to the connection, it's super easy to talk to somebody you have a connection with. So, just to be able to talk and be on the same page – it sounds simple – but it's really hard and just for us to execute that and do that, it's huge."
On what being patient and waiting for his time to come has taught him: "I give all glory to God. I wouldn't be here without Him and my teammates, they make it so easy for me just to watch the guys and how they work and the things they do. You look at the pass rush on the play, we all work together. So, it's very special, and I don't take it for granted."
OLB KYLE VAN NOY
On Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy's scrambling ability: "You saw that at the end of the game. [J.J. McCarthy] was scrambling a little bit more [and] just trying to do whatever it takes to win, and you have to respect that. He didn't have his best game, but he just kept battling, and you have to give them kudos [for] that. It was a hard-fought game, and we thought that. We still have to get to work. We're not happy with everything that we did offensively and defensively. On special teams, it's hard to [play] much better than what they did. They did a heck of a job getting the ball out and flipping the field position. [Jordan] Stout has been playing at a high level, but honestly, I'm just grateful to get out with a win, a complementary-football win. We've been playing complementary football the last couple of weeks, and when we play that way, good things happen."
On the six takeaways over the last two games and what they are most proud of as a defensive unit: "I don't want to say that, because we're 4-5, and we still have a lot of work to do. [We have] a lot of games left, but we're enjoying the process of getting better. I don't think we're taking what we're doing lightly. It's taken hard work, execution and a lot of team effort. [I'm] just grateful for the men we were, the trades that happened and the [next]-man-up [mentality we've had]. [We will] keep digging ourselves out of the valley. This is just another mountain [against] the Vikings. We have the Cleveland Browns coming up. They play us tough, especially [when they are] at home, so we're going to have another battle."
On how big turnovers are for this defense: "Anybody that gets turnovers, it helps their defense. If you look at the top defenses in the league over the course of this season, turnovers have been huge for them, and that's something that we've been harping on. We have to continue to harp on it and continue to capitalize [on it], too. We're not satisfied with just getting one or two [turnovers in a game]. We need to get multiple. We need to get as many turnovers as we can get, and today was a great example of that. I am just excited to get out with a [win against] a team on the ropes. That's a good football team. [They are] well-coached on both sides of the football. On special teams, No. 4 [Myles Price] has had a helluva year so far, and to get him to fumble a couple times, it was a team display that you like to see moving forward, and we hope we continue to propel that up another mountain."
CB NATE WIGGINS
On how it felt to see his fellow teammates get interceptions: "It felt great. They are catching [up to] me, so I have to get some more, but it feels good. It feels good. Just 'Chido' [Chidobe Awuzie] just coming out there on fourth down, getting the stop [and] seeing 'Marlo' [Marlon Humphrey] out there, it feels great. Just the confidence and everything [is] going good with us. We feel good."
On who he was asking to defend from the Minnesota Vikings ahead of the game: "Everybody knows who I asked for ahead of the game. I feel like coaches feel like I didn't need to travel this week, and I feel like I did, but it showed anybody can cover [Justin Jefferson], and everybody can cover. All the DBs can cover."
On what it meant to see CB Marlon Humphrey grab an interception: "It means everything. We play DB, so they get paid, too. They are going to catch the ball. Just seeing [Marlon Humphrey] come back and have the next play mentality and just getting the pick, it changed the game."
On how hype he is for S Keondre Jackson signing to the 53-man roster and his performance: "Yes, that's my dog. We were just talking about it last night, just about [Keondre Jackson] getting turnovers. He said he doesn't feel the same. He didn't feel the same, because he hasn't gotten a turnover yet. I told him it's going to come, and it came today. So yes, I'm happy for him."
On how forcing turnovers has elevated the team's confidence: "Turnovers are everything. That's what we play for is just getting the ball. If we don't get the ball, we don't win. So, we have to get the ball. Every game that we have gotten the ball, we've won, so that's just the challenge to every game now."
On the keys to defending Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson: "I know 30 of the passes are going to go to [Justin Jefferson], so I knew I was going to get my shot, so I had to step up and do what I had to do."
On how big the pass deflections were for the defense in the game: "It was big. This week, we had four [turnovers]. Every week we go into the game telling the defensive line that we have to get a pass defensed, so it was great for us."
