Lions players discuss win over Vikings

Below is a look at what various Detroit Lions players had to say after Sunday's win over the Minnesota Vikings. (Quotes provided by the Lions.)

LIONS QB MATTHEW STAFFORD
On if today was different than any other close games he's been a part of: "Emotional rollercoasters, it feels like. We did everything we could to hurt ourselves in the first half in all three phases. They jumped out to a nice lead there. GQ (Glover Quin) made a huge play for us and kind of swung a little momentum back for us right before the half. (Darius) Slay had a nice pick as well, but sometimes it's not going to be pretty. We've lost pretty ones, it's nice to win an ugly one. It's a part of being a good football team, is finding ways to win when you don't play your best in any of the phases. But we rallied together in the second half and made enough plays to win."

On RB Joique Bell's performance today and what he has done over the last month: "He's been great. He had a 40-yard reception taken away too by a penalty early in the first half. He could've had a really big game. He was plugging it up in between the tackles, making big runs for us, catching the ball out of the backfield for us, doing all sorts of stuff. We've asked him to do quite a bit and he's shouldered the load."

On if he can taste the playoffs: "For me, honestly, I'm excited to go look at this tape because I know we can get a lot better. We didn't play our best game in any phase. I know on offense we have a lot of things that we can clean up and knowing that coming off of a win is nice. For me, my number one focus right now is going in tomorrow, cleaning myself up and finding where I can get better and getting ready for the Chicago Bears."

On when he found out that Green Bay had lost: "I guess they made the announcement during pregame or the first quarter, I don't know. It doesn't mean too much to me, I'm just trying to take care of our own business."

On if he was sick at all today: "I felt fine today. I was a little sluggish during the week in practice. I didn't miss any snaps though. It was something I fought that was easy."

On the team's slow start today: "Penalties, I missed a throw there early to Jeremy (Ross) that could've maybe sprung us. It was going to be a chunk play. Penalties, mistakes, drops, missed throws, whatever it was we did it all. That's a testament to our team and our toughness mentally, to not fold it. That's a good football team. I know their record is whatever it is, but that's a good football team we played. They've got a lot of talent on both sides of the ball and to be able to come back and make plays really in all three phases, blocking that kick turns out to be huge and the defense making some big plays, shutting them out in the second half, and then on offense, making enough to win the game."

LIONS C DOMINIC RAIOLA
On pulling out the win: "You know, I'm not in the business of making apologies. That was a good team. They've played a lot of good teams, a lot of teams tight lately. They beat a good Carolina team, they played Green Bay tough up there. I'm not going to make any apologies. A win's a win and we'll take it."

On why the offense struggled: "I don't know. I really don't know. We did and that was that. I mean, they're a good defense. They've got good players and although they were missing some guys but still, nonetheless, they're a good defense."

On being 7-1 at home this season: "It means a lot. I've always said, these fans deserve the world for everything that they've been through. Not only in this building with this team but life in general being here in Detroit. Just some little positivity in everybody's world ain't going to hurt."

On if there's some synergy going on between the offensive line and RB Joique Bell: "Yeah, we're just trying to get Joique up on the linebackers, up on the second level, really getting some movement on level one. We got something good going right now."

LIONS RB JOIQUE BELL
On what it means to be 7-1 at Ford Field: "Definitely a huge accomplishment. Our defense played great tonight. We knew coming into this game what was at stake. We knew that it's only been done two or three other times and we just wanted to solidify ourselves as a team who can go the distance. In order to do that you have to win games, regardless of how you win them. Not by any means did we play our best football today. We left a lot out there on the field, but good teams find ways to win and we were able to today."

On what it took to get the run game going today: "Just tough, physical football. We wanted to establish our run game early and often. Joe (Lombardi) did a great job of sticking with the run. We had a couple explosive runs in there and we were able to go out there and capitalize on it. We knew we had to be physical coming out to this game. We knew what happened last game and it's hard to win against a team twice. To beat a team twice is hard, especially a team who's in your division who is coming after you. We went out there and we got the job done."

On what having a dominant defense does for the offense: "It's great, man. When you can go out there and you're not playing your best football and you can always depend on your defense to go out there and hold up and give you a chance to go out there and get started and not get too far behind, we have a defense like that. The sky's the limit, and we just have to do our part."

LIONS WR GOLDEN TATE
On the Detroit Lions Radio Network, 97.1 FM The Ticket

On this Vikings game being different than the previous meeting: "Absolutely. Those guys have been playing well lately. They came out and kind of controlled the game for a lot of it. We just found a way. We stayed with it. The defense saved our tails again, big stops by them and we found a way."

On S Glover Quin's interception: "Yeah, I mean, that's definitely where it started. He's been one of those guys that's been making plays for us all year, so glad to have him on our side."

On if the Vikings were sitting on screen plays designed for him: "Yeah, particularly (Andrew) Sendejo. He just did a good job at coming downhill hard. I couldn't get a read on him, I couldn't stop his feet. He was just coming down so hard I couldn't really do too much, but they did a good job."

On if it feels good to be 7-1 at home: "Absolutely, that's what it needs to be. We've got to dominate at home year in and year out."

LIONS S JAMES IHEDIGBO
On a win being a win: "Oh, of course. I mean, you play a divisional game, they don't come easy. You expect it to be a dog fight. Minnesota came ready to play as well as we did. We fought and got a win."

On being 7-1 at home this year: "I mean, that's part of our goal. To set out to win our home games and win our divisional games. We're on a good pace to do that. We have a big one coming up next week of course. We're going to be happy about this one, correct the things we made mistakes at and go back to work on Wednesday."

On making another comeback win: "It doesn't matter however you get them. Our mindset is we're going to fight. If we're up in the game, we're going to fight and if we have to come back, I think that's sharpening our character as a team and showing our resilience and the ability to fight through adversity. We had some early on in the game and a great play by Glover (Quin), which is expected, and then (Darius) Slay making a heck of a play to spark us. We kind of didn't look back from that point."

On how proud he is of the defense: "Very, it doesn't matter where we are on the field, our D-line, linebackers, safeties, corners, we make plays and it showed. It's been our character all year long that it doesn't matter where we are, we have to play ball and we've shown that."

LIONS DE JASON JONES
On his blocked field goal: "Early in the game, I had an opportunity to get back there on the first field goal. I think they missed the first one and I got back there pretty easily. Just talking to my special teams coach, if I got the opportunity again, he just told me to attack it, attack it harder. It came at the perfect time. It stopped them from getting 17 points and that helped us out."

On his recent performances on the field: "I just keep working hard. We have a lot of great players on the D-line, so sometimes you have to fight for the sacks and fight for the tackles. But that's what I'm paid for, that's what I'm here for, to make plays. Fortunately, they came at the right time in the game."

On what tonight's win means to the team: "I think as a whole team, special teams, offense, defense, we started really slow. But this game right here is just, it's a division game, it keeps us ahead of the Packers now since we got the good news that they lost. Right now, we have another division game coming up away and Chicago is going to be just as tough as the Vikings were today. We have to be ready."

On being a part of the Lions as a native Michigander: "It feels great. The Lions have been through a lot of seasons where they haven't been doing too good. I experienced it when I was younger, but just to be a part of this right now and what we can bring to this city, it's so important right now. Our fans, they want it, we want it and we're going to go back to work Wednesday and get ready for these Bears."

On what happened on the blocked field goal: "I just got penetration on them. Early in the game, I did the same thing, but I didn't quite get to the ball. This time, I did the exact same thing and I got it. So, it was a big play."

On what he was thinking during the Vikings' final field goal attempt: "Shoot, man. I think last year we played the Ravens last year and he (Justin Tucker) kicked it straight through. So, anything is possible in this game and he (Blair Walsh) missed it, so."

LIONS CB DARIUS SLAY
On the defense pulling through in tonight's game: "We're just a great defense, making plays, just trying to change the game. We're just trying to make plays out there. That's basically it."

On the slow start on defense: "We started off fast, but we didn't continue it. But as a group we knew we could just finish it strong."

On his interception: "I just played him. Just played the ball, trusted my technique and made a play on the ball."

On if he had any doubt the interception would stand: "Oh no, I knew I caught that. No doubt, I got hands. The best hands."

On if S Glover Quin made an adjustment that allowed for the interception: "No, he's just telling us we're the best defense. Let's go out here and make plays. He's just trying to stay confident, stay bent on the team and on the D and let's just go out there and compete."