Any update on Joe Alt?
No, I don't have an update.
Just how tough is it to see him go down again? Obviously getting him back last week against Minnesota. How tough was that for you guys?
Yeah, feel that. Feel for him, feel bad for him.
How do you think the line played without Joe today?
Dug deep, found a way. I mean, just a gritty, great win. When it comes to— probably highlight, from talking about finding a way, how many ways did we find a way to win that game? Starting with the goal line stop, and taking the ball from our own half-yard line and driving it all the way down for a touchdown. And along the way, I mean, great drive-starter, hitting Oronde (Gadsden) on the corner route, play-action from our own end zone. And a big pick-up by Keenan (Allen) on the third-and-five from the 20. Incredible back-shoulder catch by Quentin (Johnston). And after he had the incredible touchdown catch. And two tremendous, tremendous throws. Just found a way. And the next time we had the drive at the end of the game by the offense. Also Tre' Harris. A big play -- Jaret Patterson had some big key runs. It was a gritty, tough win. And I love our fourth quarter personality. Things weren't going -- we made some mistakes early, but our guys never flinched, never buckled, and found a way to win the game.
The line's been decimated since training camp, it seems like every time someone comes back, someone else gets injured. Have you ever been in a situation like this where you're down -- particularly at the tackle position, you guys have gone through so many players. Have you been in a position like this before and how do you navigate that?
Just dig deep. Keep digging deep. And guys step up and that's what you do. Sometimes you could say get—the team finds itself in a situation where it's got its back against the wall.
I mean, that's when you find out who you really are. Felt that's what our guys did today. Dug deep, gritty win, found a way to win.
Justin was the leading rusher today. Almost 70 yards against the Vikings. Do you look at that as a guy doing what he needs to do, it's all good? Or is it a concern if a guy's running that much?
First thing that pops in my head is, Justin Herbert, by now there's no other ways, I think, that he could impress, you know? But then every time I think that, then he finds a way to -- it's like another rung on the ladder of esteem.
He's that guy. He's that competitor. He's that kind of player that it's reserved for the great ones that find a way and they'll do it whatever the situation presents. But I mean, some of those runs, I mean, the physical nature of those runs, looked like Larry Csonka at times. What a player. What a player. Superstar.
The score was more lopsided than the final score or at least in our opinion. How big was that goal-line stand, to be able to switch, march down the field 99.5 yards?
That was huge. The defense rolled — great credit to all of our players. Elijah Molden made a heck of a play, just stepping in, stepping up, digging deep, making the play when it has to be made. Yeah, that was huge. And then kept seven points off the board. That ended up being the difference in the score of the game. So how big was that? Huge. And what the offense did with the ball, 99 yards, 99.5. The chances of that are low, win-percentage-wise, I think. And they did it. So, keep building, keep stacking and onward.
Any update on Bobby?
No, I think that they reported it a groin. He had some ankle, too. There's ankle involved.
What's impressed you over the last couple of week, the way you're able to get after the quarterback?
We got pressure — they had a few sacks. They had sacks. We got sacks. That was big. Odafe Oweh, that was great. Tuli (Tuipulotu), Khalil (Mack), Daiyan (Henley), with a huge sack. And then just really, really started making plays when they were there. And our defense really dug deep and got the stops when we needed it, especially on the goal line.
Is Odafe Oweh, as advertised; four sacks in four games? Is that what you were looking for in that guy?
Yeah. That was something — he's given us a big boost in that area. Glad we got him. Fantastic. Odafe Oweh. The more sacks he gets, the better I learn his name. I'm learning his name like I know my own name.
