On the defense's performance today
"It's the best feeling when you have a great defense. Just over and over, they kind of got us out of a jam and continued to do that throughout the game. The one that really sticks out is they get the ball down one, and we get two sacks and get them out of field goal range. That'll change the game in a hurry, and it changes the environment, gets guys back into the game. It was just awesome to see different players making big plays."
On finding rhythm in the run game
"It was great. Those two backs at the end, they did a great job, [RB] J.K. [Dobbins] and [RB] RJ [Harvey]. Explosive running. RJ had one, and then J.K. kind of just carried the ball there at the end a couple of times, got an explosive run on the touchdown. Great run. [He] broke some tackles and then just ate away the clock at the end of the game. [I] thought it was really good. Everybody in the stadium knew we were running it there at the end, and we just did a good job of getting a hat on a hat, and making some guys miss, and moving the ball and taking some clock."
On if the offense was out of sync in the first half
"I don't necessarily know if we were. I'll have to go back and look. I know we didn't get points, but I don't necessarily say it was out of sync. The first drive we go down the field, and then that penalty got us back behind the chains. [We] had to settle for a field goal. The first drive goes down like that and gets points, I don't think that's out of sync."
On going for it on fourth-and-8 in the fourth quarter
"I felt like we had a good play. We were going to max protect it. We knew they were going to be in [cover] zero. We kind of had that play for a situation like zero. They just brought the house. They brought everybody, and it's hard. You don't have enough guys to block them. You hopefully have enough time to buy some time. Probably just a few inches higher, [WR] Marvin [Mims Jr.] goes out there and catches it. 'Court' (WR Courtland Sutton) was probably open as well. When I go back and look at it, he probably ran a good route and was open. It's just tough for them to cover crossers like that in a zero situation. Sometimes you hit them; sometimes you don't. That one, [Head] Coach [Sean Payton] was aggressive. Next time we'll hit it."
On the turnovers today and what conversations he had on the sideline afterwards
"You don't ever want to throw interceptions, but when you do, as tough as it is you just have to move on and respond with positive plays after that. Both times I thought I had decent vision, just was a 50-50 that didn't go our way. [I] probably shouldn't have thrown both of them. You live and you learn. Sometimes you can be a little too aggressive, and I was too aggressive. I just ultimately have to be smarter than that and take care of the football. Especially with our defense, as well as they're going to play this year, I can't put them in bad spots."
On if he is tougher on himself now after a bad play than as a rookie
"I think I'm tougher on myself now because you know better. I've had some experience, and I've had what not to do. Every year of my career I've thrown a pick probably. As much as I'm going to try in the future, I'm probably going to throw one every year. Just have to limit them, and hopefully I'll stay at two for a while."
On taking care of the ball and what happened on his fumble today
"I took two hands off the ball, and that's the cardinal sin as a quarterback when you take two hands off the ball in the pocket. That's a good player [Titans DT Jeffery Simmons] who's going to be taught and going to have knowledge to just rip the ball. [It] just happened quick, and I just should've had two hands on the ball in the pocket. [I] just can work on it, get back to the technical basics and just don't do it in the future."
On the sequence before the end of the first half
"It was great situational football—complementary football. We thought we were going to have the full two minutes there to go down. They stopped us. We have to punt, get backed up. Our defense, I think it was two incompletions, a sack and a timeout. So we got the ball back with a timeout left and with great field position. 'Marv' (WR Marvin Mims Jr.) had a good return. That's exactly how you want to draw it up. If you have to give them the ball back with just under a minute, and we got the ball back it was just a few plays. A few plays and then [WR] Courtland [Sutton] with the big touchdown grab. Just an easy play, two-high, four [verticals]. He made a good move on the corner and got inside and just made a great catch. Once I saw him go up in the air for it, I knew he was going to come down with it. That's good confidence. That's what you want to see. I thought our receivers did a really good job today. They were in and off the field, did what they were supposed to do, were in the right spots, won in man. That's what you want to see. Especially we have a few younger guys, but guys that have played a lot of ball. It's good to see them with the confidence, and the capability of executing two-minute drives and converting some third downs that I thought were really important. We were solid third-down wise today. [We] have a lot to learn from, a lot to grow from which is good. It's the first game of the season. You're going to have some hiccups, but it starts with me. I have to do a much better job, play better. I feel like I'm always going to say that, and then they'll follow. They'll continue to play well. Then our defense is going to do that all year, so I'm excited."
