Defensive end Mario Williams takes down running back Marion Barber III.
Coach Gary Kubiak addressed the media Saturday, discussing what the team must improve on after a 23-22 loss to the Cowboys.
Head coach Gary Kubiak
(on if WR Harry Williams had his surgery) "No. We have his family with him there in the Dallas area, and he is scheduled for surgery tomorrow. He's in good spirits and after his surgery tomorrow, we'll have our doctors address the surgery."
(on if anything has changed since last night regarding WR Harry Williams) "No. Nothings changed. (Texans Vice President, Communications) Tony (Wyllie) has a statement from the doctors."
(on what he liked and what he did not like about last night's game versus Dallas) "Let me start with the offense. First off, offensively the big bright spots were the play of Chris Taylor and (Steve) Slaton. (They) got put in a situation against a dang good football team where they basically were the starters in the game, even though Chris started the game. They both rose to the occasion. They played well in protection, which is something we had been concerned about, and Dallas came after us a lot. We did not give up a sack, and they ran the ball extremely well and both of them got better as the game went on. So, that's the thing that we're feeling best about today on the offensive side of the ball. Our receivers continue to play well. (WB) Matt (Schaub) got off to a slow start as we all know, but his play and the way he played after the slow start was the thing that got us back in the football game and gave us a chance. The thing that we did not do well, I was disappointed with how we protected the quarterback. We did not give up a sack, but a lot of that credit has to go to some of the backs, and the way that our quarterbacks found a way to get rid of the football. We can protect a lot better. We can play a lot better inside, and so those were the things that I was disappointed with offensively. I was also impressed at how we ran the ball as a group. Once again, we stayed committed to it, and as the game went on I thought we got better at doing it.
{QUOTE}Defensively, when I look at the defensive it's hard to find a lot of positives, to be honest with you. They moved the ball on us very well. The thing that we did extremely well was get turnovers. It just goes to show in this league if you don't turn it over and you do get some turnovers, you've got a chance to win every game. The way they moved the ball on us, the turnovers kept us in the football game and gave us a chance to win. So, that's the biggest positive. The things that continue to be very positive are Mario (Williams) continues to play extremely well. We've got to continue to find him some help up front. N.D. Kalu continues to be the best finisher in the pass rush mode for us. It's what he does. Zac Diles is becoming a fine player. I think doing some really good things. (DeMarcus) Faggins really played well. Petey (DeMarcusFaggins) came in and probably played as well as anybody on the back end. They moved the ball too well on us. We've got to do a lot better job. We did come after them some with our linebackers, and we were ineffective with that. There are plenty of things we've got to get corrected. We have to get some other guys some opportunities. As I've told you all, we've been moving some people around. I think DelJuan (Robinson) deserves some opportunities with the first group. I think Jessie Nading deserves some opportunities to rush the passer more. So, we'll get those guys more involved this week."
(on if anything that happened last night will change his philosophy about the last game) "No. No it won't. If you're asking me do I think, 'OK, now we have to go back and play our defense for a half?' No, I don't feel that way. I believe in the process. I think they got a bunch of reps last night. It was nice and warm. So, the work that they got, for me, prepared them for opening game. We have so many decisions to make that if we don't go out there and battle to answer these questions here over the course of the next four quarters on Thursday night, then I think we're taking a shot in the dark. We've got to see how some of these guys will separate themselves in some of these battles we've got going on. We've got to see out on the football field how they take care of themselves. So, it won't change what we do. We do have a lot of young guys that are considered starters around here that are going to play, but there will be a group of guys that won't play much if at all."
(on if RB Ahman Green or RB Chris Brown will play) "Well, I don't think Ahman (Green) is ready to play yet. I'm hoping that he works this week and hoping he gets on the practice field kind of like Andre (Johnson) has done and goes back to work. Chris Brown right now, I think, would be very iffy still coming off the injection, still as sore today. So, we'll see day to day with him, but I would think it doesn't look very good for those two."
(on if anyone stood out on special teams this week) "Yeah. You go back this week and take a look. I think the (Dominique) Barber kid did some good things. Brandon Harrison really played well on special teams. He's becoming a much better player. He did some good things for us. Joel Dreessen continues to do some good things. I thought Jacoby (Jones) bounced back and was better this week. He needs to continue to protect the ball but stepped up and did some good things. Kris (Brown) continues to kick the ball well. Our return teams were much better than they had been throughout the preseason. There was some improvement there. A couple of young receivers came in. LeRon McCoy and the (Mark) Simmons kid came in and did some really good things effort wise late in the game covering kicks. "
(on if he considered kicking the extra point instead of going for two at the end of the game) "No. We had talked about it before. I told (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks) Kyle (Shanahan) if we scored, we'll go for two. We had a few snaps out there, and we felt good about our two point play. The way they were playing us in the red zone, so we felt good about it. We had a chance to make that play, and we still had a chance to get the ball back there in the end. That's a tough call. That third down call with the game on the line, but they made it so we were unable to get the ball back."
(on if the video showed that the Cowboys were off sides on the two-point conversion play) "It sure looks like it, but if they don't throw that flag their not off sides. That's the way it goes."
(on the status of G Chester Pitts) "He's day-to-day. He came off the ankle in New Orleans. We tried to push him last week, and it wasn't responding as well as we would have liked. Naturally, he didn't play last night so he's gotten a lot of rest. So, we'll come out tomorrow. Tomorrow will be more of a conditioning type of practice for us, and well find out where he's at. I'd like to see Chester play this week. I think he needs to play. So, we'll push him to play. But at the same time, we'll have to evaluate where's he's at each day with his ankle."
(on Jameel Cook's status with the team) "Jameel (Cook), I will visit with him sometime today. With Jameel, I'm still trying to evaluate Jameel as a football player and what he's done here and camp and where we are headed as a football team. The other issues, we will continue to work with him on those and sort those out as we continue to gather information. My main concern right now is dealing with him as a football player and making a decision on him as a football player on this team."
(on what happened with the way the safeties played last night) "I think we didn't tackle very well. That was as a defense, I wouldn't just say just the safeties. I think we can tackle better. We had a few communications problems back there. C.C. (Brown) has become a much better player this year through the preseason. I don't think it was Will's (Demps) best outing this preseason, but he has been consistent. Nick (Ferguson) continues to be consistent. What we've got to do this week is take those two young kids in Glenn (Earl) and Nick (Ferguson) and they are going to have to play a great deal of this football game, because normally you go into the season with four safeties. We are a big candidate right now to maybe go with five. Either way you look it, there's a difficult decision to make there. We'll try to let them sort it out on the field."
(on if he is disappointed that FB Jameel Cook was driving around with an expired registration sticker) "Guys make mistakes and we have to deal with them when they happen."
(on if he is concerned about the pass rush) "I think it's easy for me to say we have to get it fixed. There is always going to be issues. We are going to stand up here every week and nothing is ever going to perfect. Do we need to get better at rushing the passer? Yes. I like to think of it as pressuring the passer. We didn't give up any sacks last night either. So Dallas didn't have any, but they did make us get rid of that ball very quickly a lot with some of the things that they did. That's a thing that concerns me. I think that he (Cowboys QB Tony Romo) was able to hold the ball too long. Various times there were some routes that were completed that aren't fair to the secondary. Those routes belong to the defensive line and the people rushing the passer. We can't give them that kind of time. There are some good things going on. Mario (Williams) has been exceptional, as I told you. N.D. (Kalu) has done some good things. I think what we are searching for is compliments to those players. We are taking a look at a lot of guys. We aren't going to panic and start zero blitzing people to try to make the quarterback get rid of the ball because if we start to do that then I don't think we are going to be a very good defensive football team. We are trying to stay committed to what we are doing through the preseason, trying to find out the guys who can do it and help us. Naturally, if you have to, you have to find ways to bring more than they got. We just have to continue to push and continue to evaluate those players. It's a difference maker. And those guys (Cowboys offensive line) are good up front, let's not forget that. Those guys up front are darn good. But any quarterback who's able to hold the ball that long is going to find a place to go with it, and that guys a Pro Bowl player so he's not going to make any mistakes."
(on what he sees when he is watching DE Mario Williams) "I think it would be easy for him (Williams) to get frustrated. He was doubled, tripled sometimes last night and still found ways to be the guy that got there. He's making some great plays in the run game; he had the strip on the fumble. There's a lot of attention paid to him, and the thing that I like about him is I don't see him getting frustrated at all - 'I understand this, understand that they are going to be chipping, understand they are going to be doubling me but I'm going to keep playing and I'm going to find a way to make a play.' I think that will eventually be the key to his career - why he'll become such a great player - because he doesn't get frustrated with schemes that are basically put in to take care of him."
(on CB Jacques Reeves and T Duane Brown) "Jacques (Reeves), you know, the ball is finding him a bunch right now. I could sit here and say the same thing I said the other night. He was in position again last night for a couple of plays, he was right there. He doesn't quite get the ball out. It's something that we are concentrating on him with. I like his effort. I like how he plays. I think he's going to be a fine player for us but right now it seems like a lot of other things are coming his way. He's just not making the play on the ball. I think at the same time, whenever you do make a play or two on the ball, and you're a corner, the confidence, all those things, the switch can flip and go the other way. We have a lot of confidence in him. We are going to keep pushing him, I like the way he goes about his business. I think he's going to play good football for us. As far as Duane Brown, his process has been exceptional. He just continues to get better. He went against a great player last night. Early in the game, I think the size of that guy and the speed, that type of scheme, the 3-4, had him a little off whack. I've said this a couple of times when he's played early in games, but as the game went on, he adjusts to the speed of the game, he adjusts to the player he's playing against. He gets better throughout the game and we really like his progress to this point."
(on when they will make the roster moves) "We've got until Tuesday to get down to the 75 limit, by Tuesday. I don't know. It could be one tomorrow, one Monday. It could be all Tuesday. We'll see. We have a lot of work to do tonight and tomorrow and some decisions to make. We have to be final from that standpoint by Tuesday."
(on if anyone played well in the pass protection) "Yeah I thought both of our tackles played well. I thought (tackle) Eric (Winston) had his best outing. Eric Winston had his best outing. I think (center) Chris Meyers continues to be consistent. There's some good things going on in there but we didn't protect as well as we've been protecting."
(on how G Kasey Studdard played) "Up and down. Up and down. He's (Studdard) a high effort guy that I always talk to you about. He makes some plays that are above and beyond the call of duty, then gets confused and makes some plays that you can't get away with in this league. It's inconsistency, but there were a lot of reps for him to learn from. His effort will never be questioned. Settling down and being consistent is the key to him becoming a starter."
(on if he is happy with what he saw from WR Andre Johnson) "Yeah, I felt fine about it. I know he was frustrated. He wanted the ball. He wanted to make some plays. It feels like he hasn't been out there much. We actually tried to get it to him early in the game, get him to touch it, but they took him away. But I felt good and I felt like a quarter and a half was enough, especially on that turf. I know he's ready to go; we'll work him real hard this week. He's a competitor and he was wanting the ball, wanting to make some plays."
