Following are comments from both teams after the Texans beat the New England Patriots 34-27 on Sunday in the regular season finale at Reliant Stadium.
Houston coach Gary Kubiak Texans tackle Duane Brown Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson Texans wide receiver Jacoby Jones Texans kicker Kris Brown Texans tackle Eric Winston Texans linebacker Zac Diles Texans cornerback Dunta Robinson Texans defensive end Connor Barwin Texans linebacker DeMeco Ryans Texans quarterback Matt Schaub Texans defensive end Antonio Smith Texans defensive end Mario Williams Coach Gary Kubiak
(on if they won the way they'd planned to) "I don't know about that. That was a great football game. They're (New England) a great team. In a tight football game at the half I thought we had pretty good control, then in the third quarter the way we were moving the ball and then one turnover gets them right back in control of the game. You get down by 14 but we weren't going to be denied today. I'm really proud of our football team and everybody."
(on how WR Jacoby Jones rebounded from the dropped ball that was intercepted) "That's kind of him. He makes some mistakes and he's capable of making big plays and through my years here we must have had this conversation a hundred times—if he ever settles down with consistency, from that standpoint this kid could be a starter and be a heck of a player in this league. So I just like that nothing bothers him. I think that's one of the things that makes him effective because he's able to let things go and come back. We had a lot of guys step up. (WR) André Davis stepped up and made some big plays, (RB Arian) Foster played exceptional, (WR) Andre (Johnson) was just worn slick and continued to play well."
(on DE Mario Williams bouncing back and having a good game) "He seemed to be at his best there at the end when it mattered the most. He caused, really, the interception with his pressure. But that's, kind of like we talked about this week, you get voted to the Pro Bowl, it's about respect, what guys expect from you and he went out and proved people right today, that they did the right thing, that that's where he belongs."
(on if he was surprised that Patriots QB Tom Brady came back in) "I guess a little surprised from the fact that he went out and then he came back in. I'm not surprised at how important the game was to them because—I don't want to say I know this team, it's (Patriots head coach) Bill's (Belichick) team—but I want to say these guys, I guess they're a team to me that's ready to go on a mission in the playoffs from what I've seen in Jacksonville and I think it was important for them to continue to keep that going. But we were able to step up against their best and that's good."
(on the acquisition of S Bernard Pollard) "I think our defense has made tremendous progress all year long. I think we're going to look back on it, obviously I think it's the best defense we've had around here since this franchise has been around and it started with the addition of (LB Brian) Cushing and then picking up a player like Bernard basically off the streets, what he brought to our team, it doesn't happen very often so give (general manager) Rick (Smith) and the scouting department a lot of credit and the job that (defensive backs coach) David (Gibbs) did with him. He's a hungry kid. He got let go in one place, he's hungry to do it right this time and we're fortunate that he's doing it right here."
(on what this win means to the veteran players who have been waiting for a winning season) "All you've got to do is be in the locker room, you can see how important it was to (WR) Andre (Johnson). We had some guys –we really came out of that game last week and we were a worn-slick football team and I did everything I could to freshen them back up for this one and we reached down really deep for the second half and you watch Andre's effort on the field and (DE) Mario's (Williams), (LB) DeMeco (Ryans), those are the guys that have to get this place over the top and they were determined to keep it going in the right direction today."
(on the play of rookies LB Brian Cushing and DE Connor Barwin) "Cushing's been excellent all year long and Connor has been asked to do a lot of things special-teams wise and for (defensive line coach) Bill (Kollar) and he's continued to get better. I think after an offseason he has the chance to be an impact player in this league so we're real fortunate to have him."
(on if he was nervous for K Kris Brown's extra point tries) "I knew they weren't automatic, I knew he was struggling but we had a lot of momentum and you've just got to keep going and fortunately we were able to do that."
(on if RB Arian Foster's last two games make him reevaluate the team's running game) "That evaluation process has to still take place but Arian obviously helped himself a great deal in the last two weeks, the way he has played. You're looking at averaging 6 yards a carry today. He has a great deal of ability and if we can keep him heading in that direction the way he did the last few weeks, he's going to be a good pro. But we've got to look at what makes our team better and where we're missing, where we're not good enough to win a championship and figure out a way to get better. That'll include everybody."
(on what he was thinking when they were down 27-13 in the third quarter) "I just told (offensive coordinator) Kyle (Shanahan) I wanted to go up tempo. I'm assuming we're going to need three possessions to win so we went to our three-wide package and with (WR) David (Anderson) being out, guys were really getting worn out so we played all our receivers, including (WR) Glenn (Martinez), just trying to get possession. But I think the key was after we scored, the defense came right back with a big stop, the punt return by (WR) Jacoby (Jones), another big turnover. So defensively they did their part and offensively we were able to make some big plays."
(on staying in the game even though they had two drives that resulted in no points) "That can really get you down as a team, when you move the ball like we did in the third quarter and you get nothing and move it again and get nothing. But we just tried to keep them upbeat and that's kind of what we've done all year—we've been down and we've come back and got ourselves in position to win, we've been up and let somebody back in the game and we find a way to win; that's what I've always said, if you want to be a winner in the league you've got to be able to win all kinds of ways and I think we're kind of figuring out how to do that."
(on QB Matt Schaub) "He's been exceptional. He got sacked one time and, you know, he's been special all year long. I don't know if he'll end up leading the league but that's one heck of a milestone for a player. After the interception he's upset but there's no doubt he planned on going right back. I'm just very proud of his leadership and what he's done with this football team, especially on the offensive side of the ball."
(on the offensive line helping the running game) "They really did. If we don't run the ball there at the end, they might have gotten after me and (offensive coordinator) Kyle (Shanahan), that's how good they felt about running the ball. And that's what you've got to do, when you get momentum in games, you've got to start to win physically in the game and that's what we did there at the end, especially in that last drive."
(on if C Antoine Caldwell played in the game) "I think he played a little bit. We started (C) Chris (White), we've been going back and forth with those two, trying to have one of them step up and that's kind of been our theme all year long, offensively. We've lost players, we've played a lot of guys. If you were doing it right you got some more and if you weren't we gave somebody else a chance. Through all this adversity I think we'll be stronger and better."
(on if this was the offensive line's best game) "It was the best couple of weeks we've had. They did get—one of the breaks they got, they played against the same scheme a little bit in back to back weeks with the 3-4 even though (Patriots head coach) Bill (Belichick) did play a lot of four-man front. But with two young players that have been starting for what, 12, 13 weeks with (TE James) Casey and the other guard, they continue to get better and obviously they've been at their best the last few weeks."
(on how he feels after the win) "I'm happy for everybody in the organization. It's a lot of hard work to win in this league and to get a franchise to have the chance week in and week out and I think we're pretty darn close to that. I'm just happy for (owner) Bob (McNair), his family, happy for (WR) Andre (Johnson), (CB) Dunta (Robinson), I'm going to miss somebody if I start this, so just all these people that have been here fighting the fight, for you guys in this city. I want to see this place win and it would be nice to get on Kirby today and feel like this football team's got a winner for the first time."
(on if he's happy for himself) "I'm happy for those players. But yes, I'm happy. I'm very happy."
(on how much he'll watch other scores as they come in) "I can say this: I've never rooted for the Raiders and against the Broncos in my life. But I'm looking forward to it. I'll go find me a place to do that."
*Houston Texans T Duane Brown *
(on the franchise's first winning season) "It means a lot. To have a winning season for this organization means a lot. This is my second year, and that's all I have heard about since I've been here. To do it against the Patriots, to get that final win against them, that makes it even sweeter."
(on what it will be like to watch the games in the afternoon hoping for things to go their way) "I've never been a bigger fan in my life of the sport and of different teams. I'm just going to sit back and hope for the best."
**Houston Texans WR Andre Johnson
**
(on being part of a winning team for the first time since college) "It was great. After they failed to convert on fourth down, I just started yelling. It was like a sigh of relief. This is something that I have been working for since I've been here. You just try to put yourself in position to get into the playoffs and hopefully, everything will work out for us."
(on what his emotions were in the fourth quarter) "Well you have to play a full 60 minutes in a game. You never know what can happen. Getting that turnover, that was big. We were able to go down and score points. Early in the game, we had two times in the red zone where we had an interception returned for a touchdown and a missed field goal. Those are things you don't want to have happen. Those are things that guys don't go out and do on purpose, but it's just part of the game. We were determined to play a full 60 minutes."
(on how it feels to be only the second player to lead the league in receiving in consecutive seasons other than Jerry Rice) "It's a great accomplishment. Like I say, I really don't know who has done what as far as stats and everything like that. So when you guys tell me about it, that's pretty much when I find out about it. To be mentioned with Jerry Rice, the great receiver to ever play the game, is a tremendous honor. For me to be mentioned with him, it's a tremendous honor for me."
(on getting contributions on offense from everybody) "We knew in order to beat them, to beat the Patriots, we were going to have to have contributions from everybody because when they line up, they give you some crazy looks on defense. We knew that if were able to protect (QB) Matt (Schaub), we could find some holes in the defense. It worked out for us today. We got the win and that's all that matters."
(on WR Jacoby Jones making big plays after dropping a crucial pass earlier in the game) "I talk to Jacoby a lot. That time, when that play happened, I didn't go talk to him or say anything to him. I've told him a lot and I really wanted to see how he would bounce back from it. I think that he did. He bounced back from it. In past times, I'll go over there and say, 'Hey, you need to come back and make a play for us to win the game.' I didn't want to put any pressure on him just because a bad play happened. All the other guys were going up to him. I just decided I wasn't going to say nothing to him. I'm going to let him just play and see how he responds to it. The way he responded, he did very well."
Houston Texans WR Jacoby Jones
(on the emotions of the game) "That's the most emotional game I've ever played in my life. I've never played in a game with that much meaning before. It brings the dog out of you, and we kept fighting."
(on the tipped pass that was intercepted and returned for a touchdown) "I took my eyes off of it, lost my concentration, and missed it. I got to the sidelines and my teammates had my back, and I turned around and stepped up."
(on his fourth quarter touchdown reception) "It was a tough situation, I had to step up and forget about the pass I dropped, and next time I had a shot, I was going to make a play."
(on possibly being the number two receiver next season ) "That's a long way from now, right now we're hoping two teams lose so that we can sneak into the playoffs."
(on his suspension earlier this season ) "It's about maturing and growing up. The guys stayed on me and told me I had to grow up."
(on the winning season) "It means a lot to the organization, to the fans, and to us. It feels good to go 9-7 instead of 8-8 again."
(on his excitement) "I threw up about eight times on the sideline, I was nervous. That was a wild game for me."
Houston Texans K Kris Brown
(on his emotions after the game) "It's bittersweet. I'm so excited for the organization and (owner) Mr. (Bob) McNair, (head) Coach (Gary) Kubiak, all the guys in the locker room. But at the same time, I'm pretty disappointed with the way I played today."
(on the negative reaction from the crowd ) "I deserved it. When you go out and miss an extra point in a game of this magnitude, I don't blame them. They have a right to express their opinion. It's pretty pathetic to be honest with you. For someone to go out and miss an extra point in a game, there's no excuse for it."
(on his struggles this season ) "Right now I'm just trying to get from week-to-week. Hopefully, we'll be playing next week, but once the season is over with, I'll sit down and try to figure out what is going on."
(on his season) "I'm not even going to talk about how my season has gone so far. We still have a chance of playing next week, so I'm going to wait till once I've had time to sit back and think about it a little bit and reflect a little bit. I'm not going to do that until our season is officially over."
Houston Texans OT Eric Winston
(on how big this winning season is) "Especially for a guy like (WR) Andre (Johnson), who's been here swinging for years and years, and this is my fourth season. I was lucky enough to come in with (head coach Gary) Kubiak, and we said we were going to do everything we can to make this a winner, and to become consistent winners, it wasn't just a one year off, one year on thing, and we consistently built. It's been about as painfully slow as it can get sometimes but it's been constant progress. Whether or not we make it in tonight, it matters, but at the same time in the grand scheme of things you can see where we're going, and it's pretty exciting to be a part of."
(on the team's progression) "This organization has done a great job the last four years of getting better in the off season. We haven't made big splashes per se, but you saw what (DE) Antonio Smith has brought. When he's gotten comfortable in Houston, he's played lights-out on defensive line, probably the best defensive line player we've got right now. He's created more havoc, and that might not show up on the stat sheet, but he's created more things for more people. You can't say enough about a guy like that. (LB) Brian Cushing coming in, we've gotten better every off season. I wish we could start next season tomorrow. I'm ready to go, and I know these guys are. I don't think there are going to be a lot of teams, if we can figure out a way to get into the playoffs, that are going to want to play us."
(on all of the rushing plays on the last drive) "As an offensive lineman, that's what you want. Game on the line, four minutes to go, we're going to live and die with how we can run it. And to stick it behind us, and not even have a doubt really, not even to come close. Game on the line, pushing them like that, it was the greatest feeling in the world. And that's what you want as an offensive lineman, like I said earlier, I'm really proud to be a part of it"
(on turning the ball over at the goal line after an incomplete pass) "On that third and one, and fourth and one down on the goal line where we didn't get in, we were pretty upset about that. And I understand why we're mixing it up, you've got (WR) Andre Johnson out there, I'd probably throw it up to him once or twice too, but we always want to tuck it behind us, we always want to be who they rely on, and I'm just glad that everyone has stepped up and done everything they can to make this work and we've figured it out."
Houston Texans LB Zac Diles
(on savoring the moment) "It was exciting seeing that many people in the stands, and I looked up and everybody was in their seats, there were no empty seats in the stadium. That was real big, I haven't seen that since I've been here. I soaked it up afterwards, it was a good feeling."
(on overcoming the criticism) "It feels good, a lot of people wrote us off. The only thing that matters are the guys in this locker room, and the coaches in this locker room. We stuck together as a team, and came out every Sunday and competed and that's the biggest thing, to get some wins out of it."
(on watching the Raiders and Ravens games) "My brother is in town, so we'll probably go home and watch it to see how it all unfolds. I'm rooting for Oakland, and watching it right now, so hopefully they can pull through."
Houston Texans CB Dunta Robinson
(on how emotional the win was) "It's a very emotional moment. I gave (LB) DeMeco (Ryans) a big hug, he's been around a little while, I gave (WR) Andre (Johnson) a big hug, he's been around for a long time. We're winners, we're not right at .500, we're over .500 so it's a great day. I can say that I was part of the first winning season for the Houston Texans, and not a lot of people can say that. There won't be any after (us), and there's definitely not any before. We're apart of something special, and it's going to go down in history."
(on having to watch the other teams play) "It's crazy, but this is the hole we've put ourselves in. 1-5 in our division, that's tough. It's a hole we put ourselves in, it's going to be tough watching these football games the rest of the day, but anything can happen and we understand that. We're a team that's driven by faith, and maybe it's time for something special to happen for us, we'll see how it turns out."
(on covering Patriots WR Randy Moss) "That's been the story of my season. Every week I've been on the best receiver, it's been a challenge that I'm accustomed to dealing with, and I love going against the best receiver week in and week out. Moss is a great receiver. This is a guy that has a particular play named after him. When you play backyard football and you go up over somebody you say you got Moss'd. I understood the challenge that he was going to bring, I knew he was a deep threat, and I knew he was going to come out and play as hard as he could, and that's what he did. It was a great challenge. I love going against the best every week."
(on evaluating the season) "I'm still waiting for the day to play out. You never know what can happen man, I know there is a game later tonight, I think at eight o'clock, so it's going to be a long evening for us, but whatever happens it's been great, it's been a lot of fun. I've been a part of the first winning season in this franchise's history, and that's something I can definitely pat myself on the back about."
Houston Texans DE Connor Barwin
(on Patriots QB Tom Brady getting in his face) "I liked it, I was happy he did, I didn't think he was going to. I said something to him after he was trying to get a cheap call. It was kind of fun out there."
(on what he said to Patriots QB Tom Brady after he was calling for a cheap call) "I said, 'Stop whining about the call, it was a clean hit," he gets those all the time, and he started going to the ref, and I said, 'Why are you even going to complain about that?' Because he knew it was a clean hit."
Houston Texans LB DeMeco Ryans
(on the play of the defense throughout the game) "We knew we needed to step up on defense. They're a great offense and they always seem to find ways to make plays in the crunch time. I was just pleading with our defense to just dig deeper, dig deeper and get off the field, because we were having trouble on third downs. Guys finally made plays that got us off the field which was the difference."
(on the additions of DE Antonio Smith, LB Brian Cushing and SS Bernard Pollard helping this defense) "That's why our defense played the way it played, because of the addition of those three guys. Pollard, Cushing and Antonio, all three of those guys are great football players. They play the game the way it should be played: relentless. They just love the game of football and that's what you want to have on defense—guys that just go out and get after it and are animals out on the field. I love the additions we made. That's why our defense has been so successful this year."
(on what was going through their mind when they were down 14 points in the fourth quarter) "When they scored on us, there was a lot of time left on the clock in the fourth quarter. We realized that we still had enough time to go and make plays to win this game. I was just telling the guys on defense that we needed to step our level of play up. Their defense stepped up and made a play and we needed to counter that and find some way to get our offense the ball back. Like I said, I just asked all the guys to dig deep and give me everything you've got, because this is our season right here. If we wanted to be a team that was still in the playoff hunt and have a winning season, this is the time. If not now, when? That's what I was telling the guys. So the time for us was then."
(on what went through his mind when CB Brice McCain broke up the pass on fourth down) "That we did it. It was a great play by McCain. We're winners and that's an important thing to us and this organization, having our first winning season. For (head) Coach Kube (Gary Kubiak), having his first season, it meant a lot to us. We were just elated. When McCain broke the pass up and we knew we won the game, it was an awesome feeling."
(on the locker room after the game compared to seasons past) "This is the best it's ever been in the locker room. I've never seen our locker room like it was after this game. Everyone was excited. The coaches and everyone was into it and that's how it should be. We have to keep it going. We've got to make sure our locker room stays like that after games."
*Houston Texans QB Matt Schaub *
(on what was going through his mind when they went down 27-13) "When we get the ball back, we've got to go score. We've just got to keep working. We're playing a good team, and we had some opportunities in the third quarter. We hurt ourselves. We had the turnover that resulted in a touchdown down there, we missed some opportunities in the red zone, but we've just got to keep working and just keep fighting and we were able to execute some plays and make some plays and convert."
(on how kept going back to WR Jacoby Jones after the interception) "Absolutely. I told him, with the way the game was going and the way that coverages were working to (WR) Andre (Johnson) and everything that we were going to need some guys to make some plays and that I was going to come right back to him. Because he is a dynamic receiver and a guy that can make plays for us, I told him, 'I'm going to come right back to you and just make the plays,' and he did that. And I told him near the end of the game, before we had the kneel down, I told him that he did a heck of a job coming back mentally and getting past it."
(on what it means to him after being criticized for not staying healthy to have been healthy for all 16 games and to possibly lead the league in passing yards) "It means a lot. Obviously, I couldn't be standing here playing all 16 games if I didn't have some help, and I had some guys that really fought all year and played hard up front and really gave me the time and protection to stand back there and make plays. But it means a lot to fight through a whole season and be there for my guys and be out there and come back after a disappointing first 12 games and get back to 9-7 and win our last four."
(on what it meant to have RB Arian Foster run the ball well in the last two games) "It was huge. You could see that we were able to make some plays in our play-action game. He ran hard. But he only goes so far as far as the six guys with the tight end included up front block for him, (FB) Vonta (Leach) leading the way. That's a stout group upfront much like Miami was, but we were able to open up some holes, and he fought for every single yard."
(on what he said to the offensive guys when they went behind by 14 points) "I said, 'Let's go get a touchdown,' and we went down and got it. You know, there's not much to say at that point. You can say it, you can 'rah rah' and you can say all you want, but you've just got to go out there and do it. And we were moving the ball all day. We were moving the ball, getting first downs, but once we got down inside the 25, we were hurting ourselves. It was just about converting and executing the plays. You can only say so much."
(on if up-tempo means that they do everything faster) "You try to. You get in and out of the huddle quicker, you try and get the play in quick so you can get out of the huddle, get up and identify, maybe quick count and beat the other team to the punch when they're trying to identify your formations. We do a lot formationally and with motions to kind of keep the defense guessing and having to make calls. It's easy stuff for us but it's tough on them, so we try to just get in and out of the huddle and keep the pace. You get in a rhythm as an offense, and we're an offense that really, when we get in rhythm, we can really go and we can put up some yards and points, and we did that in the fourth quarter. But it's just really getting in and out of the huddle and getting to the line and running the play."
(on what the Patriots were doing to WR Andre Johnson) "Just like everyone else does, they rolled a safety. If they were going to play one high, they were going to put the safety shaded to his side to just give the corner some help and then single up everywhere else. They were just going to help out the corner with the safety. But you know, there's only so many things you can do to a receiver, but that's what we see all the time."
(on if not making the Pro Bowl makes him play with a chip on his shoulder) "I think yeah, it does. You want to prove yourself every week in this league, and that's what you play for. You play for respect and you play for that and you play to win. And obviously, we're 9-7. In our eyes, we want to be better than that. We lost some games earlier in the year that we should win, and we know that, but we fought back the last four weeks. We're making ourselves known down here in Houston and getting that respect, I feel, across the league as a team because we're improving and we're getting better."
(on what he proved about himself this year) "That I can stay healthy for 16 games. But when we're all healthy as a group, me in particular leading the offense, the good things are happening. We can make a lot of plays. We can put some points up. We can put some yards up. We have a lot of weapons and we can do some real good things here as a team."
(on if the Patriots' defensive scheme was what they expected) "They were doing a lot of stuff that we expected and what they had shown on film. They weren't doing much differently. They're a team that's been doing it for a number of years and they're one of the best in the business, so they weren't really going to change a lot coming down here to play us. We faced a real good group and we were able to execute and win in the end."
(on what it means to get the win) "Well, it means a ton to win the game. It gets us to 9-7, the first winning team in franchise history. It keeps us in the hunt. We'll sit back, see what happens, we might be able to get in the playoffs, but any time you can win in this league, it's so hard that it's very rewarding. Beating a team at the end of the year like the New England Patriots, it's huge for us going into hopefully the playoffs, but if not, moving forward."
*Houston Texans DE Antonio Smith *
(on the resolve shown in the comeback) "I think that was like the tale of our season. Starting from the beginning we would fall behind and close games we would fall short, but today we found a way."
(on if they believed they could come back) "Yeah we did. We have faced every adversity you could face throughout this year and now we know how to handle anything that comes our way."
(on how he is going to watch the games) "I'm not going to. I'll be too nervous."
*Houston Texans DE Mario Williams *
(on what it felt like to win this game) "It's very satisfying. It's the first time we've ever had a winning season so clearly that meant a lot to us."
(on waiting for the results of other games to know the team's fate) "We will have to hope for things to go our way. I wish we would have taken care of business before like we should have, but we definitely want to be in the playoffs and hopefully things will go our way."
(on being able to get to Patriots QB Tom Brady) "It was great for us to get to him. If you let him sit back there and have time he's going to pick you apart, so for us to be able to put pressure on him and hit him a little bit was big for us."
New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick
Patriots tight end Chris Baker
Patriots quarterback Brian Hoyer
Patriots running back Sammy Morris
Patriots linebacker Adalius Thomas
Patriots tight end Ben Watson
*Coach Bill Belichick *
(on the loss) "Right now we put this game behind us and on Tuesday we come in and get ready for whoever we play next. We worked all year to be in this position, to be in the playoffs and we're looking forward to getting started on Tuesday."
(on New England Patriots WR Wes Welker's injury) "I don't have an update on him."
(on the substitution pattern between Patriots QB's Tom Brady and Brian Hoyer during the game) "We really didn't have anything set. We just went out and played."
(on next week's playoff game) "Whoever we play we'll try to get ready for. We'll find out who they are tonight and we'll start getting ready for whoever that is."
(on the Texans performance) "They played a good game."
(on Texans WR Andre Johnson) "He's a good player. I've said that all week."
Tight end Chris Baker
(on the injury to Patriots WR Wes Welker) "Obviously you never want to see that, but that's part of the game. Hopefully he would be alright."
(on how the focus of the upcoming playoffs affected the Patriots play today) "Well we are looking forward for the playoffs right now. We just wanted to go and play well today, but right now we are just looking forward to the playoffs."
(on the play of Patriots rookie WR Julian Edelman) "He did a good job. He's has been getting better each week. He's not a rookie now. He's played enough games and he's ready to go. He has played pretty good.
(on Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick decision to play rookie QB Brian Hoyer late in the game) "We didn't know what was going on. We just came out and played. If coach wanted to put somebody in that's what he does. So that's how we go about it."
Quarterback Brian Hoyer
(on how it felt to play in the NFL) "It's good anytime you get a chance to get in and play some real live action. Obviously, whenever you go out there you want to win. So I'm disappointed we didn't get that last drive in the end zone. It's just quality reps against a good team, a great team the Texans are. They're fighting for their playoff lives and we just try to go out there and battle. No matter what situation you go in, you want to win. It's a disappointing filling right now."
(on the status of WR Wes Welker) "I don't know anything about it."
(on if he was aware of how much playing time he would get prior to the game) "No, I think just to be ready for the opportunity that was going to be given and I wasn't for sure when it was going to be. That's my job — week in, week out — just to be ready to go at anytime. I didn't really know. To go in there and take advantage of the opportunities given."
(on if he was surprised to be in the game during the final drive) "That's the situation you want to be in. To go out there and try to take your team down there and score. I just do what I am told. That's my job, to be ready at a moment's notice. They told me that I was going in so I got loose. You hit a few passes and you don't convert it's disappointing."
(on how disappointed he is about the outcome) "It's disappointing because anytime you go out there you want to compete and win. My last opportunity was an opportunity to tie the game for our team so I wanted to go out there and perform well. I think the big thing is that we have the playoffs coming up. So we can just move on and start getting focus on next week and see who we are going to play."
Running back Sammy Morris
(on today's loss) "Yes it's frustrating. The good thing is that we have another game coming up that has a little more weight to it."
(on the injury to Patriots WR Wes Welker) "For a player like Wes, it's always tough to see guys like that get hurt."
(on the play of Patriots rookie WR Julian Edelman) "Help played tough today. He's a tough kid. He came in and did well."
(on going to the playoffs this season) "It's part of our goal. We weren't able to win today, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel as far as having another shot to play."
Linebacker Adalius Thomas
(on a starter playing full speed late in the regular season after clinching a playoff spot) "I don't think you play no other way. I think you should be smart about everything and take an educated risk and try to get out of there healthy as you can."
(on today's loss) "None of this really matter anymore, it's done and it's over with. We've moved on already. That's how simple that is. The record doesn't mean anything anymore. We are going to the playoffs and that's all you can really ask for. The record is clean 0-0. Win or go home."
*Tight end Benjamin Watson *
(on the loss of Patriots WR Wes Welker) "He means a lot to this offense. He makes a lot of plays for us, but it's a part of football. It happens on every team. We've had guys go down and come back its part of the deal."
(on today's loss) "We wanted to win the game. That was our goal. If we are going to play, we might as well win. So we are not happy with the loss today. It's a new season now. The Texans played a great game and they played us very well. It's time for us to move on."
(on the loss of Patriots WR Wes Welker) "Its football, guys go down all the time. It happens on our team and other teams and it sucks. But it's part of the game. When you are in a team, when a guy goes down then another one have to step up and fill in the trenches."
