Davis, second week in a row you all had to lead that game winning drive. What was going through your mind this time?
Yeah, I think it was just a great team win. Obviously, was able to make a couple big time plays, huge conversion to keep the drive alive to Nico (Collins) there near mid field and really just starting pounding the rock and getting good field position at the end of it. Like I said before, it took all three phases to win that game today. I mean, it's exciting, it's fun to go out there and get another win.
Does your connection with him (Nico Collins) and that familiarity, I think I've asked you this before, but when you all know that you need a play, how good is it to have him be able to make that play for you?
I mean, it's incredible having him on your team. Extremely reliable, Nico's (Collins) going to make a big play if there needs to be one to be made. So, when I looked out and saw that they ended up running Cover 2 over there, clouded his side, we had the perfect route called for it and he was able to kind of find the honey hole behind the corner, outside the safety and I was able to deliver him a ball. But it came down to also, offensive line and backs and protection doing their job, blocking extremely well throughout game and that's just one play, out of many that we did today to go out there and execute in chase of our goal.
What are you thinking in that moment as you're releasing that ball and as Nico (Collins) is coming down with two feet. What are you thinking?
I was just trying to watch to see if he was able to get his feet in bounds. I knew I put enough on it to get it over top of the corner and I mean Nico, great field awareness, knew where the sideline was. He was able to catch it clean and get his feet in and it was a big time play by him.
After you win a game like you win (last) week, do you like genuinely feel more confident when you go up and you have a similar situation again the following week?
I mean, I don't think it's any different than — I'm kind of treating the whole game like I've always been confident. I know what I'm capable of and I mean that just, it's the situation in the game that you have to deal with. I mean, understanding football and what needs to be done when you're tied up late in the fourth quarter, you know you need to go down and get points. So, when we had third-and-long on that drive, we need to converge because otherwise we're giving them the ball back with 40, 50 seconds left, they can go down and kick a field goal. So, I was trying to do my best to keep the ball on our side and in our hands and we were able to go down and make plays.
But having done it last week, does it give you a little bit more swagger when you go against…?
I don't think so. I think I've always played with that confidence. Like I said, I don't think the moment, really, is ever too big. I've always kind of been able to settle in and be calm and focus on what my job is. And when you have guys around you who are making plays and you can lean on them and trust, in the huddle, it makes it a lot easier.
How clutch was it for Matt Wright to come through like he did today, especially only being with the team for two weeks?
Yeah, big time. I mean that's what kickers do though. They're clutch moments, set them up, and he was able to come through for the team and it's exciting, it's great for him. Yeah, it's exciting. He's doing his job, and everyone gets to celebrate.
But Davis, what is your process in remaining calm throughout the game, even late in game?
I don't know if there's too much of a process. I think, a lot of it is my natural demeanor. I've never been very emotional as a person. Never kind of got too upset if something bad happens. I've always had the mindset and mentality of 'next play.' You hear it a lot in the football terms, like next play mentality. And DeMeco (Ryans) talks about it a lot, but that's kind of just how I've always been on the field and off the field. Can't really control the uncontrollables, you just got to focus on what's next and what you can do to change the outcome of the game in the best way possible.
Do you like the high-pressure moments?
Yeah, they're fun. I think kind of everything kinda slows down. The field, the space opens up and then you can settle in there and you know exactly what your process is, you know exactly what the play that's being called is and you can kind of — especially late in the game, like I've seen the defense the whole entire game at this point, so I know most of their calls, the disguises that they've already showed, and you can kind of start using the stuff in your mind to anticipate and play even faster.
The last two weeks, in the second half, the defense has gotten you the ball back and given you more opportunities and more opportunities. When they played that way and especially with these last two weeks with — the season was basically on the line with the record being the way that it is, you all have now back to .500. But when they're constantly going out there getting the ball for you, how much confidence does that give you?
I mean it's a lot of confidence. When you have a defense playing like the way they do on the other side of the ball, I mean you feel free as an offense to go out there and make plays. Obviously, we got to start a little faster, find ways to score touchdowns in the red zone. We've been talking about that for weeks now, but I mean when you have a defense you can lean on and you know you're going to get the ball back and they're going to hold the other team to very little points, you're really confident as an offense.
With such a short turnaround, how long will you be able to enjoy this before you have to start preparing for Buffalo?
It's quick, it's really just today. Watch the film on the plane, get good rest, recover and then we're starting tomorrow on the Bills.
