The Texans practiced Friday morning at the Methodist Training Center. After, head coach Gary Kubiak and newly acquired defensive back Jason Allen spoke with the media. The following are the transcripts of their respective interviews.
Texans head coach Gary KubiakTexans CB Jason Allen
Texans head coach Gary Kubiak(on his newly acquired CB Jason Allen) "He's played a lot of football this year and been productive. Obviously, we need some help back there. We need somebody to get in position to help us out. We picked him up and we are lucky to get him. It's a quick turnaround for us. We'll spend some time with him today and tomorrow and then we'll see if he will be available for us on Sunday, but we just feel fortunate enough to get him."
(on his goal for CB Jason Allen) "I just think number one, we just need to figure out how they did things. How they called things compared to what we've done. He's obviously got some ability. I think he has a few picks this year and how quick can we catch him up to what we are doing. That shouldn't be hard playing in that position you should be able to catch him up pretty quick. Hopefully we could do that."
(on if he's looking for CB Jason Allen to come in and be a backup or a special teams player) "No, we think this guy could play. We are going to play all of our guys. We are going to rotate them a little bit. Obviously, we've got to get better back there from the standpoint to what we've been up to this point. If he gives us a chance to get better and we see that, we've got to give him a chance to help us get better. We see him being a part of what we are doing, and hopefully sooner than later."
(on if WR Andre Johnson will be available for Sunday) "He practiced today, but we were light today. There's nothing different. He's going to go. He's nicked, but he's going for this team and the further we go without him redoing it (reinjuring the ankle), the better off we are going to be. So we just keep our fingers crossed, but he'll line up and give us what he's got."
(on the status of TE Owen Daniels) "No, he will not go. He did not do anything today so we'll get started over next week."
(on how tough is it not to have TE Owen Daniels available for the second straight week) "It's been tough. I'm not worried about us. I'm worried about him, to be honest with you. It's been a tough process in everything that he's been through from the rehab and then his hamstring problems now. He's a great kid that worked his tail off and it's a hard road back, but we'll do right by him and he's doing everything he can to get back on the field for us."
(on if TEs Joel Dreessen and James Casey will be the primary targets at the tight end position this week) "Just like last week and they'll both play well."
(on TEs Joel Dreessen's and James Casey's play last week) "We've got a lot of confidence in them. They had between the two of them nine catches for over 100 yards. Those guys made some plays. Joel has always been confident in what he's done, but you see James' confidence grow this week at practice knowing that he's going to play and I'm going to give him an opportunity."
(on if he expects CB Jason Allen to become a starter once he learns the system) "I'm expecting him to help us is what we are hoping. That he can come in here and help us."
(on the status of TE Anthony Hill) "He practiced this week for the first time. He did all the scout team work. So he had a good week. He's got a 21-day period that he works and we got to make a decision on what we do. It's been so far so good this week."
(on if he's worried about TE Owen Daniels being down mentally) "Yeah, from that standpoint. We need him on this football team. We need him out here helping us. He's a leader on this team, but he's been through so much. Coming back from that knee injury that he had and to make it back as quick as he did and then all of sudden starting to develop some other problems. We got to get Owen back to 100%. He can't be coming out here 80-85% and just keep beating himself up. From that standpoint, I'm worried about him getting totally healthy before we put him back on this field."
(on if he is looking at CB Jason Allan to contribute at safety) "He has played safety too. We just see a guy that played a lot of football and played it this year. He played last week. We get him, and we've got to get better back there and hopefully he'll give us a chance to get better."
(on the possibility of elevating S Torri Williams from the practice squad) "That could possibly happen, too. That's a concern, too."
(on if he is worried that the injuries to TE Owen Daniels will continue to be a problem the rest of the year) "No, I really don't. I just think that the way he pushes himself, it was like we never gave him a chance. Now he's hamstring has started to bother him. He kept working through it. We gave him a few days off. It's time to stop and get him well and that's what we are trying to do right now."
(on whether the backup quarterback position is still the same) "Yes, nothing's changed. (QB) Matt's (Schaub) ready to go."
(on whether QB Matt Schaub's sore ribs have hindered him) "He made every throw he's ever made out here."
CB Jason Allen(on how it feels to be a Texan) "It feels great. It's a change for me, and change is a good thing. I'm blessed to have the opportunity to come here to this organization and give them what talents that I have."
(on how hard it was for him to be put on waivers at Miami) "It was tough. Any time you get in a certain way and do it for five years straight, it could be kind of tough. It's a change and I look forward coming in here and playing at a high level."
(on what does he hope to bring to the team) "A little leadership; the things I've learned from veteran guys that helped me out along the way. This is my fifth year and these guys have a young secondary. Hopefully, I can bring some leadership and give these guys some techniques and wisdom and different things that helped me out along the way. Not just in the secondary, but in the defense as a whole. You got guys like (DE) Mario (Williams), (LB) DeMeco (Ryans) and other guys who bring a lot to the team in the locker room and on the field. I just look forward to coming out and playing and going 110% on each and every play."
(on what has he been told about his role on the team) "At this moment, I think I'll be a corner. Coming out of Tennessee, playing both corner and safety and the last year and half I've been just playing strictly corner. I think my role here right now at this moment will be corner."
(on how he grew as an athlete at Miami) "It definitely wasn't always a perfect situation, I was three years in and I had three different head coaches and a few different defensive coordinators. It was kind of rough on me learning different terminologies and different techniques that different coaches wanted. At times it was difficult, but when a little adversity comes that's what makes you a better player."
(on if different coaching changes earlier in his career stunted his development) "I don't want to use that as an excuse because I'm not the type of person that uses excuses, but it is what it is. We are here today in Houston and I'm looking forward to going forward from there."
(on if he has something to prove at this point) "Each and every day I step on the practice field or the game field, I feel like I have something to prove. I feel like once you feel like you have nothing to prove, it's time to hang up the cleats. Each and every day, that's something else I want to bring to the practice field and the game field, having something to prove and having the mentality that I want to be the best."
(on if he could empathize with the struggles CB Kareem Jackson is going through this season) "I was talking to Kareem; me and Kareem have the same agent and I was talking to him on the field. I actually talked to him before he got drafted. He's kind of thrown into the fire. In a sense, that's a good thing because the mistakes that he's making early on in his career, you learn from experience and that's the best teacher that you have. He's definitely going to learn from those things and I told him that the different things veterans tough me, I'm definitely going to share that with him as well as different situations that will make him a better player."
(on if the adversity can dent a player's confidence) "You can't play corner if you have low confidence. You've got to have a short-term memory, as they say. If you get beat, oh well, play the next play. It's hard to say just that one play if going to cost you the game. It's going to be other things. You can get beat, but then pick off two or three interceptions. That's the type of mentality that you got to have. Forget that play and go on to the next one."
(on what were his emotions when he heard that he was picked up by the Texans) "Houston was one of the teams I wanted to come to, actually. I know the situation here with the young secondary. It's a team that is on the rise and knowing what I felt that I could bring to the table, I was definitely telling my agent that Houston would be one of the teams that would pick me off waivers or claim me."
(on how much playing special teams could help him here) "I feel like with any team, the more you do, the more value you bring to the team the better off for you. I feel like that I could bring a lot of value being able to play corner, safety and play special teams as well."
