Defensive end Mario Williams goes for the quarterback during a team drill Monday.
Texans general manager Rick Smith (on some extra defensive backs coming in) "Well, we are looking right now and trying to figure out a workout. We will bring some guys in over the next couple of days. It is not a situation where we're panicked like before we felt going into the draft and training camp day. We have an opportunity to let Brandon Harrison get a few more reps and Von Hutchins is capable; so we are going to let those guys have an opportunity, and we will continue to look and see who is available and go from there."
(on if Sean Williams is coming in) "Yeah, we have a workout; we don't have a complete list of guys we have scheduled to come in at this point, so I'm not going to say who is coming in."
(on his overall impression of Saturday night) "Well, I was pleased with the effort. I was pleased with a lot of errors and, you know, we obviously want to win the football game, so it was disappointing. To come up with that option, when you look at your club as a whole, I think we showed some progress in a number of areas and I'm excited about that and we will continue to work hard; see if we can keep getting better."
(on filling the spots of safety Glenn Earl and cornerback Jason Horton) "We're in the process right now of finalizing a work out. We've got a number of guys. Obviously at this point, there are not many recognizable available options out there. We're looking at the guys that are on the street at this point, and we're going to go ahead and finalize a workout and probably bring guys in tomorrow."
(on whether he will confirm any names that are coming in to work out for the cornerback and safety positions at this point in time) "Not yet, because we don't have any confirmed yet. We'll meet with the pro guys and sit down, and again, the list of players are very limited so it's not going to be a stellar work out or stellar options at either position."
(on how many guys are being brought in) "It just depends on how many guys we can evaluate and say it's going to be a viable work out. It may be three or four guys, it may be six guys, but I don't think we're going to find six players that could really legitimately come in and help our team. What I'm trying to do is I don't just want to bring in guys to work out. If a guy comes in then we think he's got a chance to really compete for one of these opportunities. That's what we're trying to do: find some of those legitimate opportunities out there."
(on how concerned he is with the running game and defensive pass rush) "I'm not concerned. I think we're going to be fine in both areas. I think if you go back and look at the game, you'll see a couple of plays where one guy executes a little bit better technique in the run, and we've got a 15-20 yard gain, so I'm not concerned about that at all, I think we'll be fine."
(on how Saturday's game against Chicago went) "We're pleased with where we are right now. Obviously we wanted to win the football game, and since we didn't do that, there's some disappointment there, but I think we showed a number of areas where we are improved as a team, and we've got a number of areas where we've got to keep working."
(on the injury to Earl) "Any time you lose a starter, it's a significant deal. We've said all along that we feel good about the depth on this football team. We certainly feel good about Jason (Simmons) and what he's capable of doing and Von (Hutchins) showing that he's taken to his position, and we'll get a chance to see Brandon Harrison a little bit more and see what he's capable of."
(on how quickly the Texans will work out other players to fill the spots of Horton and Earl) "We'll work some guys out tomorrow. We're going to go back over here as a group and sit down and talk about who those guys are. As you know, there are not a lot of players out there on the street at this point right now, so we'll figure out a group of guys to bring in, and if we feel like they're legitimate options we'll bring them in and work them out tomorrow."
Texans head coach Gary Kubiak (on the safety position going forward with the loss of Earl) "We came out of the game with Jason Simmons playing extremely well. He deserves an opportunity to step up and play that spot right now, so that's where we're going to operate. Right now of course everybody moves up a notch and will get a lot more playing time, but Jason (Simmons) deserves to go out there on that football field as a starter, which he did today, and we'll work that way this week."
(on whom the Texans will bring in to work out to fill the void spots left by Earl and Horton going on injured reserve) "Talk to Rick (Smith) because we're still in the process right now, but there should be a few guys in here by tomorrow morning for some workouts."
(on whether the Texans are talking to safety Shaun Williams about signing with the Texans) "You'll have to ask Rick (Smith) about that."
(on Texans defensive back Jason Simmons) "Jason is a pro. He's a small guy; he's played corner and safety. He came out as a corner out of college. He's very smart, played extremely well the other night. He was very impressive in his time. He's a guy that deserves a chance to go out there and play, and it's a big opportunity for him. You could tell just looking at him in the meeting today. He sees that opportunity to step up and be a starter again so we'll see how it goes."
(on how forward he is looking to seeing Texans quarterback Jared Zabransky in the game Saturday) "That's a sight of his last one, that's a big one, but we've got to get a good look at him this week. How much he plays whether it's a quarter or more, I don't know yet, we'll see, but he'll definitely play."
(on Texans defensive back Von Hutchins) "Von did some good stuff. Of course he had the pick the other night. His reps are going to pick up. We're going to end up playing the best two when it's all said and done, but as far as right now starter wise, it will be C.C. (Brown) and Jason Simmons."
(on Texans safety Brandon Harrison) "He's a little ways back right now. He did some good things in the game. He's behind with our defense just repetition wise, and missing all the OTAs, but he did some good things for Joe (Marciano). He will get more reps on the field; we'll see how it goes."
(on how it was to have both Texans wide receiver Keenan McCardell and fullback Jameel Cook back on the field) "Keenan did a little more than Jameel from what I saw, but I think Keenan is well on his way to being healthy and being ready to go this week. Jameel worked a little bit and I'll have to go back and check the film but I know his reps were very limited."
(on Texans linebacker Trent Bray) "He got a ton of reps. He played probably more than any player we had on the defensive side of the ball. He did some good things for Joe (Marciano) on special teams. He's an undersized linebacker that's going to have to make it in this league as a special teams player, and that's what he did especially well the other night."
Texans tight end Jeb Putzier (on the game Saturday) "Well, I think our group, we have worked hard, and we are practicing better together, and we played really well. We just didn't finish, and that's the next step."
(on how much more comfortable he feels about getting his weight back down and focusing on receiving) "It feels great, it feels so much better. It is just something that we had to adjust to, just had to make myself better to help this team. We adjusted a lot at the end of last year and things started getting better. I know I feel much more comfortable in everything I'm doing."
(on what it was like to get back in the end zone) "I thought Sage Rosenfels might run it and I was about to go tackle him, I was going be pretty mad if he didn't throw it and I ran all that way."
Texans safety Jason Simmons (on what his strengths are) "Maybe some veteran leadership, you know, communication.
(on if he likes the way the defense is coming around) "Most definitely. The thing is, we are starting to mesh. We are starting to get an identity. That first year is kinda tough, you don't know, you know, the coach has to fill you out. Now we are getting an identity. We are a physical football team. That's what we stand for and that's what we understand. That's what we are going to do everyday."
(on how excited he was about this opportunity) "I mean, I always come out here just enthusiastic because the Lord gave me this chance to come out here and play and just be out here anyways. But, I am happy about the opportunity. I think they have trust in me that we won't slack off. It's a hurt losing Glenn Earl because he was a good leader on this team. But I have to go out there and I have to step up."
(on what it means to him that they come back to him when they are in need) "It feels good. Its'one of those things where you know that they have confidence in you and I hope that I show that they should have the confidence in me."
Texans defensive end Mario Williams (on if he thinks he played as well as he kid Saturday) "Well, you know, going into the game, having a limited amount of snaps and things like that, there were some adjustments I was going to make but unfortunately I didn't get a chance to. Basically, I feel like I have to make adjustments earlier. I think I played 15 plays, but as a defensive lineman, especially as a pass rusher, you have to kind of set guys up and I feel like maybe I should have taken advantage of that earlier."
(on Defensive Line Coach Jethro Franklin saying he played well but he didn't have any numbers) "Yeah, that's what I'm saying, I should have taken advantage, there were some things that opened up that I should have taken that I didn't take. Why? Well, it was just so early I didn't want to jump the gun, but then there was a limited amount of snaps and I should have just went ahead and taken advantage of it because I wasn't in there that long."
(on if there is a lot of pressure on him this year to perform) "I don't know. You tell me. Not me, I mean, I guess everybody else is saying that but I don't feel any more pressure."
(on a lot being expected from the defensive line) "Yeah, I mean, a lot of is expected from the defense, especially the d-line because of that. But as we take it it's just going to have to be, from the very beginning of the season, we have to set the tone from there and see what we do."
(on what kind of tone defensive line Coach Jethro (Franklin) has set for them) "It's a lot of enthusiasm in hat room. In that room, on the field, he's always after it 100 percent every play. Our motor is running, believe me."
(on if he has ever had a coach yell at him that much) "No, he's always yelling. He's always got something to say. So, this is my first time."
(on how he takes the criticism) "Well, it's part of the job. I mean, he's a coach. He's supposed to be on the players keeping us motivated and keeping us going. And that's how we take it. We don't take it personally. It's coaching."
(on if he feels he needs the yelling and the coaching) "Well, I have to say we are looking for someone to step up. Whether it's me or whether it's a rookie or a 15 year vet, we have to have that identity. Like I said, if it's me, it's me. If it's not, it's not. You know, I'm a pretty quite person and there's nothing wrong with leading by example but at the same time, your coach he does keep you running hard."
(on if he is mad at the guy across the line from him when he is on the field) "I mean, the game itself has its own intensity. It's not like you go out there and it's personally saying that I hate this guy or I hate his mom or something. It's just the intensity that's in the game."
