Head Coach Bruce Arians
(Opening Statement)"I thought we executed extremely well, played until the final whistle and made a big play at the end. We wanted this type of game and we needed to be in one of these types of games, win it, and kind of exorcise that 'can we win it at the end' type thing. I was very, very pleased with our football team."
(on how big of a play it was on the punt return fumble)"Oh, it was huge. Big turnover. … We ended the half extremely well and then started the third quarter, I thought, lights out. One of the best we've had in a couple of years of coming out and playing really well in the first eight minutes of the third quarter."
(on if the Cardinals could have won this game without running back Chris Johnson)"I don't know. We've got him, so I don't hypothetically look at that [stuff], you know? We won it with him, so it depends on who was running the ball. We've got good runners, so no, he ain't the team. If that was the question, is he the team? [Hell], no."
QB Carson Palmer
(on whether he's relieved that Arizona won this game vs. a 1-5 team)"Any game that you're supposed to win is scary. You look at the records, you look at the seasons on paper, it looks like you should win that game. It's Monday night. It's a veteran team. It's a team that's won a lot of games. It's a playoff team. It's a physical AFC North team. It's one of those games that can feel like a set-[hyphen]up game. You know they're going to come out and play hard like they did, but it's very good to get out of there with a win."
(on how much Chris Johnson adds to the offense)
"A ton. I think he had 10 carries for a 10-yard average? He's still got it, I'll tell you that. That defense notices it. Every defense that we line up against knows when he's in the backfield and when he's not. Just a great player. For a while, he was one of the most dominant players in the NFL and he can still dominate a game like he did today."
(on how big it was to not have any turnovers)"Huge. That's been the tale in the two losses, the turnovers. We were able to get two and when you're plus-2 against that team, odds are that you're going to come out with a win."
RB Chris Johnson
(on what he saw on the touchdown run)
"It was a situation when I came through I kind of felt that it was a cutback run, then I felt a guy coming up on me and as soon as I look up I see somebody hitting me. I just kept my balance, and once I got out I saw [receiver] John Brown down the field giving me a block that let me get to the end zone."
(on which big run was his favorite)
"The touchdown. I am known for my speed and there I showed some power."
(on if he has ever had a play like the run where he kept going after looking like he was tackled)
"Never. I have seen it happen a few times."
(on what goes through his mind when a run like that happens)
"Basically, you just have to keep playing until the whistle. That is something (Bruce) Arians teaches us, we always have to play to the whistle and have to finish. That is something you learn coming up from little league. Keep playing until the whistle blows."
CB Patrick Peterson
(on finishing the game)
"I think this was the first game that we actually finished in the 2015 season. We were accustomed to doing things like that last year and the two games didn't really work out our way and we finally got one to roll our way. That is definitely a feel good win, especially to do it on Monday Night Football."
(on being aggressive in the defensive game plan)
"That's our M.O. We are a very aggressive defense. Defensive Coordinator [James Bettcher] gives the secondary an opportunity to play a lot of man to man man-to-man and that is what we thrive off of." [quote]
(on his match up with Steve Smith Sr.)
"I thought I played pretty good. Teams know I am a man to man man-to-man cornerback. They know I am going to be man to man man-to-man almost 90 percent of the game, so what they like to do is run a lot of rub routes. Guys coming in blocking me to help them get open. For the most part, I think he had three catches for 41 yards, so I did my job."
S Tony Jefferson
(on bouncing back after giving up a completion earlier in the drive)"That jump ball at the end, I was kind of looking back the whole time. I wanted that pick, but I didn't try to force it and it ended up coming to me at the end."
(on the emotion he displayed after the interception)"He [Crockett Gillmore] caught that ball on me the first time he threw that ball up there so I knew I needed to make a play. I just thank god for allowing me to be in a position to make it and we won."
S Tyrann Mathieu
(on his sack of Joe Flacco)"Man it was fun. I have been begging for that all year and it was great I had the opportunity to get to that passer today."
DB Justin Bethel
(on his strip fumble on the punt team)
"It was a routine punt, get down there and beat your guy 1-on-1 one-on-one and 100 % percent supposed to win. Brittan (Golden) [Golden] got down there first, kind of made him stop his feet, I went and dove for him. We had great net coverage on the punt team, so I got up and went for him, saw him trying to cut back and I jumped for the tackle, reached in, felt the ball coming out and just turned the ball out."
