On being back:
"Felt good, felt really good. Obviously, the last five weeks have been tough just rehabbing, just trying to get healthy again, it was tough. Early on I think there was a lot of excitement and the feeling of maybe shaking the rust off a little bit. I love the game. I love being out there with my teammates. I think starting practice this week and getting through it, I was hoping this would be the week. This was kind of the week I had in my mind from the moment I got hurt. I think the doctors, and everybody was saying after bye week, but I was trying to fast track that as much as possible. Understanding that there's a healing process that needs to take place but trying to push this as much as we can. A lot of it was just the ability to get a grip on the ball, being able to throw the ball accurately, and being myself. Being able to throw without thinking about it constantly. So as soon as I was able to grip it and rip it, I wanted to play. I wanted to be out there with my teammates."
On what was going through his mind when looking at stats during the game:
"Well, I thought we were better on third down. It felt like we sustained a lot of really long drives and I felt like during the game that was a big emphasis knowing the explosiveness of their team on the other side. We wanted to possess the ball as long as possible, to keep it out of their hands, out of Kyler Murray's hands and take care of the football to try and generate points. The first half was a little disappointing, just in the fact that I felt like we had put together four really good drives by going down into their redzone but only leaving with six points, well ten points. I think second half we felt like that's where we do a lot of our best work from the standpoint of our halftime adjustments and our ability to execute, wear a team down, and begin to score touchdown, which is what we were able to do in the second half. Defense played great throughout the game. They managed a lot of their playmakers and were able to create fourth down stops and I thought special teams did a great job as well."
On moment when he knew he was good to play:
"So I've been on a throwing schedule the last couple of weeks. Starting off with a really light ball, Nerf ball even, and kind of progressing my way to the same size, same weight of an NFL ball. I felt like the progression was indicating that this would be the week. Last week, really Saturday, I told them (the team) that next week would be the week. I was going to throw on Monday again and was going to be ready to go at practice on Wednesday. That was the process. That was the plan. We just stuck to the plan and it all worked out the way we predicted."
On if after a particular throw he knew he was going to be good:
"No, I felt like I'd say that really took place in practice. Thursday practice is when I felt like 'alright, I'm able to make the all the throws I would make."
On anticipating soreness:
"I think it's going to be ok. I think just the level of healing, I haven't been reckless with this (gestures towards hand). I meet with someone today and I've been in touch with the doctor and he was able to look at an MRI and see the healing. Everything kind of had to pass certain parameters in order for this to happen. We, the team, as in Sean Payton, doctor, therapist, everybody felt I was good to go."
On what he was wearing on his hand:
"There's a hard, plastic splint on the outside of my thumb. And that's evolved, we've worked with it to develop a comfortable level. As a quarterback you don't like having a hard, plastic splint on your thumb throwing a ball. I'd rather not have to have it."
On the interception:
"Bad decision. Should not have thrown that ball. Got a little greedy. Mike (Michael) Thomas was underneath, so I threw it to him and live to play another day."
On Latavius Murray:
"He did a great job. I can't say enough things about him. He's a pro. He's a ball player. Really great as a workhorse throwing him the football, but a very good back out of the backfield. I don't know how many catches he ended up with, but it felt like a lot, and felt like he was a great outlet. He was getting us a lot of positive yards, positive plays, and getting us out of third and manageable situations by being able to dump it off to him. The touchdown catch was a great allaround play by him to get open and turn what was normally a seven-yard game into a 17-yard touchdown. He came up to me on the sideline after and said, 'Believe it or not, as many years as I've played, that was my first touchdown catch."
On Teddy Bridgewater chants and performance:
"He's obviously a very calm, poised guy so I don't think you're ever going to get an over-the-top emotion from Teddy. I think that's why he's so calm, cool, and collected. I can't say enough great things about Teddy and his leadership over the last five weeks. He basically stepped into the role that I would normally have, as far as addressing the team and addressing skill players and different things throughout the week. He was the starting quarterback and he took on that role. Not just as the guy throwing the ball, handing off the ball, but the guy being in charge of the huddle and being a leader. He did a great job with it. I think the offense responded; the team responded. I can't say enough good things about him and I love the fact that our fan base has embraced him the way that they have. He's a tremendous teammate and obviously he was a big part of our success over the last few weeks. Listen, I hope I'm able to stay healthy for the rest of the go, but knowing that you have a guy like that who the guys love so much and the guys trust, and is as capable as he is, that's a great thing to have."
On if they hand stayed clean all game:
"Yea, I got hit a few times so that was good. I think that's one thing you can't really simulate. I can do a lot of things in practice but I'm really going to say, someone run into my hand real quick so I can see. You kind of wait and see how that goes."
On offensive line:
"Yea, Ramczyk, Armstead, those guys have done a phenomenal job all year long. A tackle gets put on an island. When you talk about the O-line you really have to talk about them as a unit. They are a unit. They have to work together, it's communication, it's all those things and it's my communication with them as well throughout the week, gameday. At the end of the day, once it's all sorted out, it's the one-on-one matchups. It's the one-on-one battles and they pretty much know who that's going to be each week. Here we go, mano y mano. Those guys have done a phenomenal job and stepping up to whatever challenges are before them. They're just warriors. Warriors. Love them."
On being 7-1 despite injuries:
"I think it means that we've, number one, got a lot of great players, great guys, great teammates. Guys that love coming to work, and we know how to have fun. We had lights and smoke and everything else in the locker room after the game, having a great time, and turning it (the locker room) into Studio 54 or something. We know how to have fun, but the level of work matches the level of fun. We work hard to be in this position, and I think we understand that at times we're going to face adversity, at times guys are going to need to step up and play, but we're all in this together. None more so evident than what's happened the last six weeks. All kinds of guys stepping up and playing lights out, playing together. Being able to come together as a team builds confidence because you feel like no matter what situation we get in this team has a chance. When you believe that and you trust that, it gives you a lot of confidence."
