The Texans spoke to the media on Wednesday about their upcoming rematch with the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Head coach Gary Kubiak
(on anything new with the team today) "Well, today, (LB) Morlon (Greenwood) didn't practice. As I said the other day, he's day-to-day. He did make some improvement, though. But he's the only guy that's been out."
(on if he'll go with the same plan he had last week if LB Morlon Greenwood is out) "If Morlon is out, it just picks up (LB Xavier) Adibi's reps and what he's doing. And of course, this football team can make you play a lot of nickel, too. So, if he's down, Xavier is going to play a bunch."
(on if it changes things on defense if LB Morlon Greenwood doesn't go) "No, it doesn't change anything. (LB) Chaun (Thompson) should be fine. Chaun practiced today, so we get our five guys back and we lose Morlon back, basically. Last week, we didn't have Thompson, so that doesn't change anything. We'll see where Morlon's at. If anybody makes it back for a game or could surprise us, it could be Morlon."
(on if there is a chance CB Antwaun Molden could get any reps) "Yeah, I think you're going to see him start to get some reps defensively. Whether it's this week, I don't know yet. It's time for guys like him and (S Dominique) Barber to start to get in the mix. Barber has been playing a lot of special teams. He's getting a lot work this week on the back end and Molden has been playing very well on special teams. So, I would say that yes, I would think there comes a point where you see him out there defensively."
(on what CB Antwaun Molden needs to show him to get in the game defensively) "Well, he's very young. He's a small school kid trying to make his way through pro football. He's made progress, but I haven't felt like he's been ready yet to go out there and play on that island and play out there yet. We can also protect him a little with what we do. But it is time for guys like him, (LB Xavier) Adibi, (S Dominique) Barber, young guys that you're really counting for your future, to start getting more and more reps."
(on S Will Demps being inactive) "Well, that's strictly a special teams decision. We're trying to suit up a number of guys and trying to make a decision on which kid plays the most special teams. Not that Will doesn't, but (S Dominique) Barber plays on more of them, so that's strictly the way that decision was made. I know that's tough on Will, but he's been a real pro and he's handled it like a pro."
(on any updates on QB Matt Schuab's health) "You know, I was talking to (head athletic trainer) Kevin (Bastin) about that earlier. He (QB Matt Schaub) has definitely moved forward. The question right now is whether or not we're going to take him on the trip this week or not, whether they feel good about him flying where they don't think there will be any problems, swelling or anything. So I'm hoping he goes with us, but he's obviously made some strides. But I don't think we're really going to know a lot for another week or two."
(on if Indianapolis looks like a different team than earlier in the season) "Yeah, they look a lot different. They were beat up then. They were missing their left tackle (Tony Ugoh). They were missing their safety (Bob Sanders). This safety is the difference in a championship team. He's been that way for them. They're healthy. They're getting their confidence. They've played some very good football teams and have had some big, big wins here in the last few weeks. You look at New England and Pittsburgh. And we're going to their place, so that makes it even more difficult."
(on if this is more like the Colts he's used to seeing the last few years) "Oh, no doubt. You have (QB) Peyton (Manning), who didn't have training camp. Basically, he's through his camp now and he's hitting his stride. So they're a football team that's all back in tact and they've done a good job of hanging in there until they all got healthy and now they've been moving forward very quickly."
(on if he looks to play more younger guys to get a look at them) "Well, I mean, we're going to play the guys that give us the best chance to win. But I think our younger guys have obviously moved up. When you look at our roster, there's really nobody we haven't played. It's not like we have our 53 guys that are not getting an opportunity to play. (DT) Frank Okam has played. (S Dominique) Barber is healthy and back playing. (CB Antwaun) Molden has played a lot, other than the defensive side. Now, (LB Xavier) Adibi is going to be a big part of what we're doing. So our young guys have all pitched in, and our running back standpoint is the same way. So they're all getting an opportunity to show what they can do."
(on if he anticipates DT Frank Okam getting a lot of snaps again) "Well, it really all depends on (DT) Amobi (Okoye) and how much progress Amobi makes. He's really about the same today probably as he was on Saturday. So with that being said, I don't like that. I was expecting him to be a little bit further. So we'll see."
(on if RB Steve Slaton is looking fresher this week) "I think he's fresher and I'm going to find ways this week to freshen him even more. So I'll make sure he's getting his legs back. It's understandable after the amount of reps he's played, especially in Minnesota. But he's upbeat and he's practiced well today."
(on what the key is for QB Sage Rosenfels to bounce back this week) "You just have to keep going out there and keep battling. He had a couple of tough breaks on a couple of tipped balls and as a quarterback, when things start going that way, it seems like they snowball. The only way to stop them is to keep playing and keep going out there and keep throwing it and keep trying to make the plays. As I said last week, he's got to make plays for us to win, and I don't want to get conservative by any means. I want him to go play his position and play it well. If he does that, he'll give us a chance."
(on if he thinks QB Sage Rosenfels was over-thinking it last week) "Well, hopefully not. If I did that, then I don't want to do that. Part of playing quarterback is you're handling the ball every snap. He had a tough decision in the first half that I know he'd like to have back, and then he had a couple balls tipped. That makes it very difficult. So, that's history. You have to move on. You have to have a short memory as a quarterback in the National Football League. He's going into a very tough environment, and our team needs him to play well. He's expecting to play well, and we're expecting him to play well."
(on what the key is for durability with quarterbacks) "I think it's time in an offense. I think that's number one. When you play in a scheme for a great deal of time, you understand where to get it gone to, how to get the ball away. I think it's playing with confidence in your team that you don't have to make every play, that you trust that your football team is going to keep you in games and you don't feel like you have to do much. That's a big part of it. And really just time on the job. We look at (QB) Sage (Rosenfels) and (QB) Matt (Schaub) and we probably all think they've played a ton of snaps, but they really haven't. Sage, for a seven- or eight-year guy, has played very little football until he got to Houston, and Matt's working on about 18 or 19 starts, so (they're) very young in their careers from a playing standpoint."
(on if Colts TE Dallas Clark concerns him with all the linebacker injuries) "Well, he concerns me a lot every week. They can get you in mismatches because they play in two tights. How do you play them? Do you play them in nickel or do you play them in base? So they are just very good at finding the weakness in your defense, and he's a very smart player. He's been a little hobbled and now he's back healthy, so they have all the pieces back in place."
LB Xavier Adibi
(on him getting more reps) "Yeah, but that's just all football. Somebody gets hurt like (LB) Morlon Greenwood did, somebody's just got to step in and it's just my chance to just go out there and showcase what I can do."
(on him not being able to keep his weight up earlier in the season) "I just got sick early in the season and just lost some."
(on if it is an ongoing issue or if it's just now trying to get back what he lost) "It's just trying to get back what I lost now."
(on how he feels) "I feel good. I feel good."
(on how good was it to finally get on the field last week) "It was a great feeling. I had just been out for a while and I had just been itching to get back out there, so it felt good just to go back out there and just play ball."
(on if he feels like he is learning all over again) "Of course I'm still rusty, but I've been studying my playbook. So I've got the plays down. It's just a lot of technique stuff that I've got to get down."
(on going against QB Peyton Manning) "It's going to be exciting for me, somebody that I've been watching ever since I've been in high school. (He's) one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game, so it's going to be exciting to go out there and play against him."
(on how important it is to get reps) "That's the way a football player gets better, just go out there and get reps, get reps, get reps and the more you play, the more experience you're going to get."
(on what he sees on film) "They do a lot of play-action. He (QB Peyton Manning) just really reads the defense and he's pretty much the coach on the field for them, calling the plays at the line. So you've got to just maybe hide your hand at times but just go out there and play football."
(on if the team has prepared him for all of the talking that QB Peyton Manning does at the line of scrimmage) "Yeah. All of the guys have told me about everything, and the coaches. So they're giving me a heads up of what is going to be going on."
LB Kevin Bentley
(on QB Peyton Manning) "It's just definitely a challenge. He's probably one of the best to ever play the game at that position. Definitely a Hall of Famer. He does a lot studying. He knows how to break down defenses and he knows how to get his offense in the right play."
(on QB Peyton Manning's chatter at the line and how people say 80 percent of it is bogus) "I don't really think 80 percent of it is bogus, to be honest. It's like baseball. Some of it's obviously false because he doesn't want you to understand what he's saying, but I think most of it's real. When he's on the road, he's using a lot of hand signals because he's telling those guys what to do and they can't hear him. When he's at home, it's a lot of verbiage because they can hear him."
(on how confusing QB Peyton Manning can be) "I think people actually let him confuse them. He's not very confusing. It's not really confusing if you know what he's going to do. You know he's going to do all of the hand movements and all of the chatter. You've just got to be able to sit through all of that and be ready to play when he's ready to play."
(on if he is saying that you can't let QB Peyton Manning get in your head) "Exactly. I think people focus on that so much – 'We've got to disguise and we've got to do this to kind of confuse him.' You're not going to confuse him. He's studied more tape than anybody, probably even the coaches. You're not going to confuse him. So let's just line up and do what we do."
(on if they play their game, if that's good enough to beat Indianapolis) "Yeah. I think we did that last time we played them. We didn't try to disguise and get all out of whack. We lined up and sat still until he was ready to go and for the most part, we hit him in the mouth. We just didn't get a chance to finish the game."
LT Duane Brown
(on playing against Colts DE Dwight Freeney again) "Yeah, this will probably be the toughest game of the season, considering the environment and his pass rushing ability, for me."
(on what his teammates have told him about playing against Colts S Bob Sanders) "Oh, I've known about him. He's a hard-nosed player. He goes 100 miles per hour every play. He's all over the field. You have to account for him wherever he lines up. That's all I know about him."
(on hearing about how tough the Colts were to play and then through most of the last game feeling that it wasn't that tough) "I knew we were a talented offense and we were able to move the ball on them throughout the game. We just have to find a way to put points up on them. They've found ways to create turnovers, and they did that against us the first time. Also, this will be a different game for us being that we're playing at Indianapolis. That makes them a whole different team, especially on the defensive side of the ball playing with your home crowd and that noise that they create. It makes them a lot better."
(on if playing so well against them for three quarters gives him confidence) "Oh, yeah. I know that we can compete with anybody. We've shown that. We've come in week in and week out and moved the ball. It's just all about finishing drives and taking care of the ball."
(on if the turnover problem is talked about a lot or if it's just assumed) "That's assumed. We've really made a big emphasis on that. We do that every week and we know that that's been crucial throughout the season and we've been hurting ourselves with turnovers a lot. So they constantly make that a point of emphasis for us to take care of the ball."
DE Earl Cochran
(on going against a quarterback that doesn't get sacked much this week) "That's a challenge. We're going to see how much have we really learned and how far we've really come as a defensive front."
(on if QB Peyton Manning doesn't get sacked because of pass protection or his way of getting rid of the ball quickly) "It's a combination of both. They do a lot of things up front to try to confuse you. They don't do a lot of the traditional pass sets, and all of their pass plays are a counter off of the run. So if you come off of the ball, it might look like a run, and pretty much, he gets rid of the ball pretty fast as well."
(on if the defense can use the first game as a blueprint to this game) "You really can't use a gameplan twice. That's why most of the time, they say you can't beat a team twice. When you go out and you play a team and you give a team a look, you can't come out with that same look because they're gameplanning off of that look they you gave them. So we're just going to come at them with the best that we have."
(on if the first game gives them confidence that they can stop Indianapolis) "Yeah, it gives you confidence, but we're not that same team that we were when we played them the first time and they're not the same team, either. They've gotten better. We've gotten better in areas, too, as far as rushing the passer."
(on what they did last time that worked) "I looked at the film yesterday. We just got after them. We stayed in the quarterback's face. Their running game wasn't what they wanted it to be. So pretty much, we just stayed in the quarterback's face. We got a guy in his face. We didn't get a lot of sacks but in the quarterbacks face, pressure and hits on them. That kind of held them."
TE Owen Daniels
(on if it's disappointing that they haven't taken advantage of the AFC South being different this year) "Yeah, it's a little different not having them (Indianapolis) at the top and having teams chase another team. But they've been playing really well of late and got a huge win at Pittsburgh, which is a really tough place to play. It's tough for us. We expected a lot more of ourselves up until this point. We feel like we're the type of team that really should be in the mix right now, and we're not. We need to work our way into it by playing better."
(on if he feels like the AFC South is as strong as it has been in the past) "I think it's as strong as it's been. We've got, I think, the best team in the league in our division right now, and I think it's just a little more even all around the AFC in general. But (it's) just as strong as it's been in the past, for sure."
(on if the first game against Indy means anything this time around) "I think we did some really good things against them the last time. It obviously showed us that we can go toe-to-toe with them and really outplay them. It's going to be different, though, at their place. They play a little more confidently, and I think their defense is a little better when they play at home. So it's going to be another challenge, but we have confidence in what we did against them last time and how we've been moving the ball."
(on how much S Bob Sanders changes the defense) "He completely changes it. They do different things when he's in there, and he's all over the place. He's a game-changing guy for them, a big-play guy. We expect him to be flying around like he always does."
(on if it matters that this team has only beaten Indianapolis once and never at their place) "Of course it matters. We'd like to go out and win every week, but when you play a team that you've only beaten one time and have never won away from home against them, you'd like to stop that trend as soon as possible. So hopefully we can do that this week, and I think we're ready to do that if we can go out and eliminate some major mistakes we've made."
(on if only beating Indianapolis once is a black cloud that hangs over the franchise) "I honestly don't think about it too much unless you guys bring it up, and then I can address it. There's more stuff to think about than (that) we've never beaten them away from home and we've only beaten them once. There are other mistakes that have come from previous weeks that we need to correct and be focused on and that kind of thing."
(on how bad the team needs to win this game) "Yeah, we're just trying to focus on ourselves and do everything that we possibly can do to get a win. I think it's just obvious, major mistakes: turning the ball over, giving the other team opportunities to have more possession and just putting ourselves in bad situations and not taking advantage of opportunities when we could go up in a game or tie the game (and) take a lead, and that's what has killed us. Offensively, we've put up good yardage, but in a very important category, we're last in the league, and that's been the story throughout the season."
RB Ahman Green
(on moving on past last game) "Yeah, just like we've been saying all season long, when you lose the turnover battle, it's pretty hard to win in the NFL. That's basically what happened. So that happened on Sunday. It's Wednesday now. So now, we're just getting ready for the Colts."
(on if the way they played against the Colts for most of the game earlier this season gives them confidence) "Yeah, regardless of how long we had the lead or whatever, we didn't have the lead for the whole game. But we know, even last year, we played them hard. We play them twice a year, so we kind of know them and they know us. So that's the one thing we have, going into their place."
(on how important it is to get the running game going) "Just as important as any other game this season. We know what their defense does, their speed, and they're fast to the ball. With that, we just have to attack them like we did last game – play that way, pretty much, and keep mistakes to a minimum."
(on if the formula they used last game is what will work in this game) "Just whatever works. We know they pretty much have made up for the mistakes they were making in that game and prior to us because, I believe, they were below .500. But they're above that now, so they have definitely corrected the things. But we still know them, and they know us. We just have to go in with our gameplan and not worry about what they do."
(on if he finds that a lot of younger guys come to him for advice) "Yeah, I've been doing that for years now. I'm used to it. I tell young guys, especially at my position, running back, 'Ask me any question you need to know, something that might help you pick up this offense or just see a play a little differently. Just ask me.' I don't mind them asking, because I'm going to help my teammate get better, basically."
(on if he sees them coming to him more as their playing time picks up) "I really can't tell. They come to me a lot, a lot during the week. Not too much on gameday because everybody is focusing, which I kind of want it that way, too, because I want them to not be thinking too much, just be reacting to whatever comes at them. But during the week, during the practice time, they're asking me a ton of questions. And I love it, because most of the time, I can answer their questions for them."
(on if the series history between the Texans and the Colts matters) "To be honest, I really didn't know until you mention stuff like that. So, to me, it doesn't matter. We have to go out there and play a game just like if they were here. We have to play a game. They're going to play hard. We're going to play hard. It's a divisional game. That's pretty much the gist of it."
WR Andre Johnson
(on if it is a psychological thing after a while to lose so many times to Indianapolis) "That really doesn't matter. You can only control what is ahead of you. I don't think that has an effect on us when we play against them."
(on if it weighs on his mind that they have struggled against Indianapolis) "No. Not on my mind."
(on if it wears on him to have almost zero success against Indianapolis) "Since I've been here, we've only beaten them once. You do know that, but I don't think that that wears on you as far as going into the game like this week. I'm not worried about what happened in the past. I only can control what can happen on Sunday."
(on how S Bob Sanders changes the defense) "Bob's a great player. He didn't play the first time we played against them. We always say, 'How can one person have that much effect on a defense?' but he's a guy that's all over the field. He's a great player, so he makes a lot of plays."
(on how S Bob Sanders changes what the Texans do against them) "Well, they put him in the box a lot. He's a big run-stopper. He's effective in the passing game, too. We just have to go out and do like we did the first time we played against them, pick our spots and just not turn the ball over."
(on the story being not turning the ball over) "I've said it before. You all are saying it. We know the problem, and that's just a problem we've got to get fixed if we want to win games."
(on what he thinks the deal is with turnovers) "I think it's something that happens but at the same time, when you're playing, it's not like you're running with the ball saying, 'Oh, I'm going to turn the ball over.' It's just something that happens. I think it's just something that we just have to become more aware of while we're playing. Other than that, that's pretty much all you can do about it."
(on the AFC South being different this year) "Like I said, it's a little different. Normally, in the AFC, you had to win at least 10 games and then you win 10 games and you still don't get in. So it's definitely different this year. This is not the norm for the AFC."
(on if it is disappointing to know that the couple of close losses could have put them where Indianapolis is right now) "Yeah, it is. We had a lot of confidence coming into this season. No one thought we would be in this position at this point in time. We're here. All we can do is just go out and try to win as many games as we can in the second half of the season. We can't dwell on what's happened the past few games, the games we let get away. You can't worry about that now. That's all gone. That's behind us. We just have to keep moving forward."
RB Ryan Moats
(on if he sees himself playing for next year) "You can't worry about next year. You take it one play at a time and one game at a time. That will fix itself in the future if that's the situation."
(on if he finds himself leaning on veterans like RB Ahman Green) "Oh, yeah. He is a guru of this offense. He amazes me a lot when I watch him run, just the patience and just knowing what to do in different situations. He is a good instrument of learning for any running back, and I'm not even a rookie. This is my fourth year in the league. I would advise any back that has a back like him in his situation, I would tell them to learn as much as they can from a guy like him."
G Chester Pitts
(on if the team is running out of ideas to stop turnovers from happening) "The truth is, you stick with the plan and continue to work. That's all you can do about it. It's just taking a look at what you did wrong and do your best not to do it again."
(on if the solution is not more complicated) "We try to keep it simple. If you try to get too over the top or too complex in anything, it kind of backfires on you. So the thing is, we've just got to keep plugging away and just keep working, being smart on the field. That's really what it's going to take, taking better care of the ball."
(on it not getting any easier going to Indianapolis) "The thing is, it's the NFL. You never really have easy games. You're never going to have a week off unless it's your bye week. We all know that. That loss, it was a tough one, but it's behind us. It's time to move on. This is the first day of preparing for the next game, and that's what we're focusing on."
(on if you can build on the first game versus the Colts) "Yeah, the gameplan will be the same. Everybody knows in this league if you run the ball well and throw when you have to and have big plays when you throw, that's the motto. That's the key to winning against any team. But especially with them, controlling the clock and keeping (QB) Peyton Manning off of the field, every time they've lost in the last couple of years has been that formula. That's what we're going to do our best to do."
(on S Bob Sanders not playing last time) "Yeah, too bad he's going to be here this one. We surely didn't cry about him not being able to play. Especially, to be his stature, he's just not a big guy, but he plays so big. Every play is a 100 miles an hour. He's definitely not one of those guys that hides or tries to protect everybody. He's gung-ho about it. He's a 100 miles an hour, every play."
(on if S Bob Sanders raises the confidence level of his defense) "Obviously, he's a leader on their defense, one of the best players. You have to believe that the team rallies around him when he's out there. That's why they play better with him. Plus, he's a pretty dog-gone good player as well."
(on if the team has to stay more loyal to the run game) "For offensive linemen, that's what we always want. We'll do anything for that. The coaches are going to call it the best way they see fit. If we're throwing the ball well and we're moving the ball up and down the field, there's probably a good chance we're going to keep on passing. As long as the game is close and as long as the balance presents itself, we'll absolutely stick with the run and run the ball as much as we can."
(on how he explains the AFC South with the change in balance right now) "Tennessee's kind of running away with this thing. They've played exceptionally well. What are they, 9-0 or 10-0, 9-0. I think Indianapolis is 5-4 and Jacksonville's 4-5 and we're 3-6. So it's kind of a one-team race right now and us three, we're all kind of battling for the next spot. The thing is, it's funny the way the league works. Everyone talks about the parity in the NFL. It's obvious it's true. But for us, all we can do is worry about ourselves and just try to go out and find ways to get W's. This week is such a big game because it's a division opponent. We've never won up there. But we haven't played well on the road lately, so there's a lot of things we can correct with this game, and our job is go out there and find a way to do it."
(on if it is disappointing that there is an opportunity to be at the top of the AFC South this year but the Texans are still in the same spot) "Well, the thing is, it's kind of like you said—you mentioned all of the opportunities that we've had thus far in our division this year and we know it, and the thing is that the opportunities have presented themselves to us, but we just haven't capitalized the way we really would have liked to. I wouldn't say it's part of the business, but we know that. Obviously, it's tough on you, but all we can do is go out there and go back to work and try to find ways to get wins. In this business, wins fix things in a hurry. No matter what's going on or what problems you may have, wins fix things in a hurry. That's really what we have to find a way to do."
(on how he can help QB Sage Rosenfels at this point) "Sage will be fine. He's a tough, strong-willed guy. He had a rough one. You move on and get ready for the next one. I promise you he'll bounce back. He'll play extremely well this weekend. I have the utmost confidence in that. I'm not worried about it at all. Sage will be fine. He is fine."
(on if the AFC South is as strong as it has been in the past) "You know what, I guess if you looked at just wins and losses, maybe not quite as strong as it was maybe last year. There sure aren't any bums in it. There aren't any easy ones; that's for certain. It's a tough division. It's always gone through Indy, and obviously, Tennessee has kind of taken that over and kind of stomped their foot on the ground about it. They've played very well this year. You can't take that away from them."
QB Sage Rosenfels
(on if he takes anything from the first game) "Absolutely. We have to take the things we did well in the first game, which we did a lot of good things for the majority of that game, and try to do some of those same things again. They are playing with a lot of confidence right now, as they should be. (S) Bob Sanders is back playing with them, which he wasn't in the first game. Their defense is getting better as the season progresses, and we're going to have our work cut out for us this week."
(on how he would describe Colts S Bob Sanders' position) "Well, you know, he's so physical. He can play in the box as an extra sort of almost a linebacker, but he's also fast enough to cover in the secondary and wreak havoc with the receivers. So he definitely brings that sort of (Ravens LB) Ray Lewis, (Ravens S) Ed Reed intimidating factor to a defense and he's a phenomenal player. He's just so fast to get to the ball. He has great, great speed."
(on if Colts S Bob Sanders changes the game plan) "Well, little things here and there. I mean, you have to be aware of him, obviously. With their defense, what they do is they don't allow almost any big plays. They really make you earn it. You really have to execute 100 percent on every play and stay on track for first downs because you do not want to be in third-and-10s or third-and-nines. You want to be in third-and-twos or -threes or get first downs on first or second down."
(on if he is thinking that he wants to make up for the last game against the Colts) "No, I try to put that game behind me. It's a totally different mindset. I'm going into this game trying to do everything I can to win this game. We've got some new stuff in the game plan that we didn't play last game, and I have to work on that. Every time you play a team, it's a whole different beast the next time you play them. They're not the same team. We're not the same team. You have to take each play separately. You can't read something the same that you read in the last game. You can't take that same read and just assume that it's going to be there this week. You really have to read everything out. But that experience from the last game does obviously help a little bit in this game."
(on if he has talked to any of the guys about bouncing back) "Well, you know, the NFL season is 16 games. You really have to take each game one at a time no matter how good you are or whatever your record is. You have to take each game one at a time and do the best every week. You have to give it all you have every week and hopefully, at the end of the 60 minutes, you come out on top. And at the end of the season, you count up how many of those 16 games you won and how many you lost and that's all you can do. You can't look ahead. You can't look back. All you can worry about is this week, and we're working as best we can to get ready for this game."
(on how much it helps his confidence to still have his teammates and coaches behind him) "Well, I think I've played pretty good football here for the last three years. I haven't been perfect. I've made too many mistakes at different times, but I think having some experience with me playing pretty good football, in my opinion, for the most part for the last three years, gives those guys confidence that I can play better this week."
(on how important it is to establish the running game) "Well, there's no secret that the teams that have beaten these guys have done a pretty good job of running the ball. Running the ball is a couple of things. It keeps your offense on the field and obviously moving the ball but also keeps (Colts QB) Peyton (Manning) off the field. That's as important as anything, because he can't score many points when he's on the sideline. So we all know that's really important. The Ravens are number one in the NFL in total defense and number one against the run. We knew that was going to be tough. I think that we would have liked to have run it more, but we didn't and that's because of their defense. And the week before that, they (the Minnesota Vikings) had a really good run defense, too. Every week, we'd like to run the football, but if we're only getting one yard a carry, we're not going to keep running our head against the wall, either."
(on if he beats himself up) "No, I try not to beat myself up ever. I think it's sort of an insane thing to do."
(on if he gets over a game like last week) "Well, I try to take certain things out of that game. We all know I made a couple of mistakes in that game. We were with them there until the end of the third quarter and they got up 14 and I threw a pick and then the game was basically over at that point. It got out of hand obviously, but I don't look at (it like) we lost that game 41-13. That ended up being the score, but we played a really hot football team right now with a great defense. We moved the ball on them. We did a lot of good things but we didn't win the game. Whether we lost it by a field goal or by 28 points, it really doesn't matter. You'd like to lose by less than rather than more, but at the end of the day, nobody really cares at the end of the season. They just want to know how many games you won."
(on if he moves on well after a bad game) "You have to. I mean, I can't be out there in Indianapolis this week in front of 65 or 70,000 people and you can't hear anything, going, 'Man, I wish I would have played better last week.' I'm just saying that you have to move on. There's 16 of them. You have to take each one and no matter how well or how bad you played the last game, you have to be as prepared as possible for the next one. That's what I've learned from the good quarterbacks that I've been around in this league."
(on his teammates saying that they don't see much of a difference between he and QB Matt Schaub) "Yeah, I think so. Everybody has seen both of us play winning football around here, so they know they have it in them. When you see a guy play winning football, it gives other guys confidence. I have confidence in all the other guys on this team because I've seen all of us playing winning football. I've seen us all play a great game for 60 minutes against good football teams and against this team two years ago here. So we've all seen it, so I think this team still has confidence that we're going to win some more games this year."
(on who is better-looking between he and QB Matt Schaub) "Well, I mean, I'm sure I'm better looking by default because I'm not that good-looking, but Matt's really ugly (laughs)."
WR Kevin Walter
(on how the team bounces back) "We've just got to correct our mistakes, which we're going to, which we are this week. We've got a great game plan. We had a good practice today and we've just got to move forward and not look back. We know what type of environment it's going to be. It's going to be loud. We've got to obviously not turn the ball over and go out there and make plays, which we're capable of doing."
(on if gives them encouragement that they played the Colts so well the last time) "No doubt about it. We know we can go out there and put points up on these guys. We know we can go out there and do what we want to do on offense and defense and as a whole team. We feel comfortable going out there. We've just got to eliminate some turnovers and make plays like we've been doing all year and we'll be good."
(on the Colts playing a lot better now) "They are. They're playing well. They got (S) Bob Sanders back. Obviously, that's going to help their defense. They rally around him. He stops the run. So we've got to obviously have a head on him. We've just got to play our game and not look back. You can't keep your head down knowing we should have won last (time) or we should have played better last week. We've just got to keep on going and make plays."
(on where the confidence is in this team) "Confidence? We've got character on this team. We've got guys that aren't going to give up. We've got guys that are going to fight to the finish. You don't see anybody give up on the field on Sunday. We've got guys who are going to fight. We're going to continue to do that this week."
(on what they have to do to cut out the turnovers) "We've just got to obviously play our game. He (RB Ahman Green) hit it on the button. Ahman said we can't turn the ball over, and I think that's the main thing. But we also have to go out there and play mistake-free and cut the penalties out."
(on if the turnovers are a focus thing) "It's a focus thing. We've just got to be better in some of our decisions. We've got to obviously focus on when you get the ball in your hands, you've got to hold on to it. That's the most important thing on the field. It doesn't matter if you get the extra yard or two. You've got to hold on to that ball. That's the most important thing right now is eliminating turnovers and obviously, red zone I think we can do a better job when we get down there and put points on the board. We moved the ball really well last week. We just didn't show for it on the scoreboard."
(on what S Bob Sanders means to the team and how he impact the receiver's job) "Definitely. It's important for me because I've got to go out there and dig him out and create lanes for Ahman and (RB) Steve (Slaton) and those guys running the ball. He's a big part of their defense. They're a different defense when he's in. He's physical. He's in the right spot. He's a tackling machine, and we've got to account for him."
T Eric Winston
(on if it is disappointing that the team hasn't taken an advantage of the AFC South) "Yeah, you definitely probably couldn't draw it up a little bit better of an opportunity for us. We're not out of it yet. We've got a lot to go. We're still, what, two games, one game, two games back from being in second place. So it's still tight down here at the bottom except for Tennessee. I think the big worry for us is we've just got to go get one. We've got to start with one and just go get one at Indianapolis, then start again next week."
(on how the Colts are different from when they played them the first game) "Not much. It's just like they're playing with a little more confidence on defense. Always having a Pro Bowler (S Bob Sanders) helps. But I think all of them, they're just all playing a little more confidently. It seems like they know what they're all supposed to be doing and flying to the football. They're running well. They're not doing a lot of things different. I think they're just doing them a little bit better."
(on if that means that you can't look at the film and then say "this is how it's going to be") "No, I wouldn't say that. These division games always come down to who out-executes who. It really does. You're not going to see a lot of surprises from us. You're not going to see a lot of surprises from them. (QB) Peyton's (Manning) still going to try to hit (TE) Dallas Clark down the middle on seam routes. We're still going to try to run the ball and control the clock. They're going to still try to do the things that they do with (RB) Joseph Addai and (RB) Dominic Rhodes. So it's not going to be a lot of surprises. I think it just comes down to who plays better in each phase."
(on what is going to turn this team around and if chemistry comes with winning) "I wish I knew the answer, I really do. I think if someone knew the answer, someone probably would have spoken up by now. As far as the chemistry thing goes, it could go either way, but you definitely have to build chemistry to build a consistent winning franchise, not one that unravels if one bad thing goes wrong. So we've just got to keep plugging away, keep doing our thing. The big thing is just getting back to the way we were playing earlier a couple of weeks ago and just getting back to playing with a lot of confidence."
