The Texans lost to the Raiders in Week 5 at Reliant Stadium and after, coaches and players from both sides answered questions from the media. The following is a transcript of their respective interviews.
HEAD COACH GARY KUBIAK CB JASON ALLEN OLB CONNOR BARWIN T DUANE BROWN NT SHAUN CODY ILB BRIAN CUSHING TE OWEN DANIELS TE JOEL DREESSEN RB ARIAN FOSTER CB JOHNATHAN JOSEPH C CHRIS MYERS OLB BROOKS REED ILB DEMECO RYANS QB MATT SCHAUB DE ANTONIO SMITH FB LAWRENCE VICKERS WR KEVIN WALTER DE J.J. WATT
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HEAD COACH GARY KUBIAK
(On the last play and if Matt Schaub had a chance to run it in) "I don't know. From my vantage point on the sidelines he had a crease to move. Looked like there was a DB in the end zone between him and the goal-line. I can't tell from the sidelines. I have to go back and look at the film."
(on if LB Mario Williams tore his pectoral muscle and other injuries) "Well he and (FB James) Casey both have a pec problem. We'll evaluate it here this evening and find out. (CB Brice) McCain got dinged a little bit. (G Mike) Brisiel got an ankle and quarterback (Matt Schaub) got his knee banged. So we'll have to evaluate those guys."
(on the pectoral injury and possible surgery) "I'm not a doctor, so I don't know. I hate answer that right now in the state of mind I'm in. So let's see what happens. I'll get back with you when I find out."
(on his current state of mind) "Just trying to overcome mistakes all the time: snap problems, penalties, tipped balls. Just seemed like it was one thing after another all day long. The bottom line offensively, in my opinion, without looking at the film, they controlled the line of scrimmage and we didn't run the ball a lick. We had 25 carries for 2.8. We're not gonna play good football if that is the case. You have to give them credit. They controlled the line of scrimmage. We made some big plays throwing it which ultimately gave us a chance. But, you're in a game like that you have to do something at the line of scrimmage and we weren't able to do that."
(on if the Raiders defense do anything he didn't expect) "They pressured us a lot. They brought a lot of blitzes which we had some chances to make some plays. You have to get the ball in people's hands and have them go make plays. We had a lot of balls tipped in some blitz situations which we have to take a look at why. We have to give them some credit, but you also got to be able to avoid and get the ball in the right spots so you can beat blitz. That's part of what you've got to try to do. So, other than that, no, they did bring a lot of pressure."
(on QB Matt Schaub and if he was hurt) "Other than just being beat up in a normal football game I think he's ok. There towards the end we'll find out here after the game as far as his knee. When people come after you like that you have to turn some little ones into some big ones and we weren't able to do that."
(on FB Lawrence Vickers being in due to FB James Casey being out) "No, I actually put him in there earlier in the game too. I didn't like the way we were running the ball. I didn't like the way we were handling the line of scrimmage. I didn't like the way we were handling fullback. I tried to give Vickers a few plays in the third quarter to see if we could spark something and start running the ball a little better. Ultimately, he didn't play a lot, but he played a little bit."
(on overcoming mistakes and the Raiders also making mistakes) "To be in the position we were in with nine seconds left, eight seconds left. Really to me you got two shots to win the game right there with nine seconds. If you don't have a play you throw it away there and take your last shot with two seconds, three or one second, whatever it is. But, we had a chance to pull off a great comeback, overcoming a lot of problems and a lot of adversity on a day where you didn't play your best football in a lot of phases and still find a way to win. But we didn't do it and they made the play at the end."
(on LB Brooks Reed) "I think initially I got to say that he looked pretty impressive. Looked like he had some good rushes off the edge. He went from playing 10, 12 plays, to all of a sudden he probably played 50 in the game. It's gonna be time for him to step up now, but that's what he's here for. He's been doing some good stuff."
(on how he rates QB Matt Schaub's overall play) "Let me go look at the film when you lose nothing is good enough. I didn't coach good enough and he didn't play good enough. I grade guys on film when I watch the film tomorrow. I'm not gonna grade it right here in front of you guys. So we'll see how he played."
(on LB Mario Williams going out and the effect on the defense) "We're missing a great player, but I thought defensively we kept standing up to the challenges and giving us a chance. We gave up the touchdown there when the quarterback moved. But for the most part the fake punt put them in a bad situation and they held up. To me they were holding up until we could hopefully take control of the game and take the lead. We weren't able to do that."
(on the special teams play today) "It wasn't good. We got a punt blocked, had some penalties, and we get beat on the fake punt, which is something (Special Teams Coordinator) Joe (Marciano), we worked on that situation all week and we don't handle that situation like we should. As coaches we have to see why we didn't handle it. You put your players in a position to make those plays and we worked on that and we didn't do it. We have to figure out what we need to do better to make sure we make that play."
(on how he feels after the game today and the chance to be in first place in the AFC South) "Just disappointed in how we played. I don't get caught up in all that stuff right now. I tell the players all the time 'in this league, if you play good you'll win and everybody is good.' We knew this team coming in here was going to play well and we didn't match that play. Ultimately, we didn't play as clean as they played and they get out of here with a 'W.' It's very disappointing and we have to make some corrections and move on."
(on the passing of Raiders owner Al Davis and its effect on the Raiders play today) "I think there are emotions every day in this league. There are stories in every game and what is going on. I think ultimately the team that plays the best wins the game. And we didn't do that today."
(on the passing of Raiders owner Al Davis) "I got a chance to meet him a couple times. Obviously I have competed against him many times. He's just been a big credit to the National Football League and many, many years of service at all levels. The league lost a good man. And my condolences and stuff go to his family and their organization. I know it's tough."
(on the "just win baby" saying and its significance) "There is no doubt. In this league every week you show up on Sunday and you find a way to get a win, whether its 6-3 or 31-30. It's a great league, there are great players and if you ever take anything for granted you're in trouble. And if you don't play good you're probably not going to win in this league. Today we didn't play good and we were playing a team that is playing pretty darn good. And we got our butts kicked."
(on the play of WR Jacoby Jones and WR David Anderson) "Let me go look at it. We were really playing with three wide receivers. (WR) Bryant (Johnson) suited up in case of an emergency, but we were playing with three wide receivers. Then I went to a bunch of two tight ends cause I think (TE) Joel (Dreessen) and OD (TE Owen Daniels) continued to make a lot of plays, plus they were trying to handle some pressure and stuff. I don't know. When you don't win, nobody played good enough. This guy didn't coach good enough. It's not about one guy it's about the team."
CORNERBACK JASON ALLEN(on how the team plans on responding) "It was a tough ballgame. We'll have to watch the film tomorrow and look at what we did wrong, what we can improve on, and get better."
(on the effect of not having OLB Mario Williams) "I felt like the pass rush was still there. The pass rush and the coverage always work together. I think the pass rush was still there. We had a few sacks and guys were getting to the quarterback. I saw the quarterback down on the ground a few times so the guys up front did a good job."
(on how hard the loss is) "Any loss is hard to take. No loss is harder to take than others; to me, a loss is a loss whether you're home or away it's a tough loss regardless."
(on why the Raiders were successful offensively after the first quarter) "We probably had too soft of coverage at times. Different personnel came in, and we were expecting the deep ball. It was a track meet out there today. We had two speedsters out there. I think that is what it was, but we'll have to watch the film and see."
OUTSIDE LINEBACKER CONNOR BARWIN
(on how he felt after stopping the Raiders final drive) "I thought we were going to win. I thought the offense was going to make a couple plays and we were going to win the game. Obviously, you have to be positive at that point. We came one play short."
(on the performance of the defense at the end of the 1st half) "They just got something going there during that one drive that we gave up. We should've been able to get off and stop them a couple times but we didn't. We'll have to go back and see what it was but they kind of picked up the tempo and got us during the on drive."
(on the injury to linebacker Mario Williams) "I don't know. You guys will probably know before I know."
TACKLE DUANE BROWN
(on the loss) "The defense did a great job keeping us in it. We just couldn't close it out. We never felt like we let the game get away from us. It went down to the wire."
(on how the offensive line dealt with the variety of blitzes) "We really didn't do a very good job of communicating. That's something that we're pretty good at and have done well at throughout the season. Also, just finishing blocks—there were times when just two more yards could have sprung open some big runs. We just didn't quite get it done"
(on the number of pass deflections at the line of scrimmage) "They have some pretty big guys in there (defensive line). They did a great job of getting the rush—just getting a hand up. We just needed to keep putting pressure on them. It's hard to recognize it because they see the ball thrown before we do. You just have to try to keep pressure on them and keep their hands down as much as possible."
(on why the Raiders were so successful stopping the Texans offensively) "They did a great job. I can't take anything away from them. They played for 60 minutes and never gave up. We stayed in it and I think, on our side, we just didn't communicate. We just were not as physical as we could have been. I think we had opportunities to swing things in our favor, but we just couldn't quite get it done."
NOSE TACKLE SHAUN CODY
(on how big the loss was) "It's definitely a loss. You can't hide the fact that it's a loss. It happens and the good teams find a way to get by those losses."
(on whether he saw what happened to Texans Linebacker Mario Williams) "No, I saw him come off and he kind of winced a little bit. It didn't look too bad so we'll see what happens."
(on what the difference was in the 2nd half) "I think that one series when they moved the ball running the ball. They drove it down a little bit and took it to us. They ran the ball that series and I think that was a big shift. They scored some points there, and then we gave up a cheap touchdown which we can't give up."
(on how tough it was playing without linebacker Mario Williams)"It was tough. We don't think about it during the game obviously. You feel it without him being out there making some plays for us but you have to keep going and see how (Texans linebacker) Brooks (Reed) does."
LINEBACKER BRIAN CUSHING
(on how the game went) "It was just tough all game. Just seemed like they were able to hang around and win the game at the end. I thought we'd be able to come back and we just weren't able to do it. It was a tough game. Definitely one of those that is going to be tough to swallow."
(on letting one get away) "No question. Like I said, it was a hard fought game. We have to go back, I think all of us have to go back and look at the film and see what we could have done better. Speaking defensively, I think we could have maybe gotten a turnover, a big hit, sack, forced fumble, something. We needed to do something to spark the team, spark the game. We weren't able to do it."
(on the disbelief on how the game turned out) "This is the NFL. Every week is going to be a dog fight, whoever you're playing. The great teams find a way to win, and we weren't able to do it today. We can't hang our heads. We're going to play a great team next week at their place. It will definitely be a test, but definitely a way to bounce back."
(on OLB Mario Williams leaving the game) "You're never going to be able to replace a guy like Mario. But at the same time it's the 'next guy up' attitude. There are 11 guys out there and we lost a great player, and I don't know how long for, but we need to step up. When one guy goes down, it's the same with (WR) Andre (Johnson), the offense kind of needs to step up. And when one guy goes down, like Mario, the defense needs to step up. Injuries are a part of the game. We just have to find a way to respond."
(on if he was pleased with how he played) "I was, but at the same time there is always room for improvement. I definitely could have made more plays, and like I said, we needed to make a big one to change momentum and things and we weren't able to do it."
TIGHT END OWEN DANIELS
(on his thoughts when TE Joel Dreessen caught pass at Oakland 5 yard line) "It was a heck of play by Joel. We were fighting tooth and nail to the end there and I thought we had a chance to get it done but they made the chance and we didn't. You got to earn everything and we didn't."
(on the offense not clicking like other games) "Yeah, it stinks. Obviously, we have to take a look at the film. We didn't run the ball that well and they controlled the line of scrimmage and we pride ourselves on doing that. I think just looking at it right now that might have been an issue for us. It was tough we fought our butts off and I know we had a lot of yards but controlling that line of scrimmage is big and being able to get points consistently throughout the game is crucial, we didn't do that."
(on the questions about WR Andre Johnson's absence affecting the offense) "I think we made plays, I think we made plays on the field today. Guys are stepping up and doing things. I don't think that was a big problem for us. I think it was controlling the line of scrimmage and being able to run the ball. I think they ran the ball better than we did. We have to take a look at that and fix it."
(on the team having to figure out how to move the ball without WR Andre Johnson) "I don't think it should've been an issue today honestly. It shouldn't be an issue any week. Dre makes great plays on the field and he creates matchup problems all the time. We need to be able to control the line of scrimmage when he's not in there; run blocking like the offensive line and tight ends that's our job to fix."
(on the Oakland Raiders defense) "Yeah, they're good. They've always been a tough defense. We've played them about every year that I've been here and that's always been one of their strengths and that hasn't changed. Big guys, big strong guys all over the field, but that's still not an excuse."
(on if everything that could've went bad did for the Texans) "Yeah, some of those things I didn't see out there. We need to be able to focus and execute every part of the game; every point and time in the game, first snaps to the last snaps. It doesn't matter how pressure packed the situation is, how much we need the yard or whatever it is; we need to focus and execute. They did it better than us today."
(on why the run game was ineffective) "Obviously it was not being able to control the line of scrimmage. I can't tell you specifically what the issues were, but that was being told to us. It's hard to run the ball when we don't get any push and have that control up front. It's something we pride ourselves on doing and we just didn't get it done."
(on if he felt the team hurt itself) "We hurt ourselves in a lot different ways—turn the ball over, not being able to convert, and penalties. It's hard to win with stuff like that no matter how many yards you get or how well your defense plays. It's tough when you hurt yourself in crucial situations. It's hard to win that way."
(on the lack of offensive production in the third quarter) "I don't know. I don't really remember the third quarter in terms of exactly what went on. When you can't run the ball as well as you want to, it's hard. The passing game doesn't work as well. It just goes back to controlling that line of scrimmage. There are a lot of people responsible for that. The offensive line, tight ends, fullbacks—it's on all of us."
(on critics who call the Texans "soft") "I mean it's a loss and it hurts right now because we had an opportunity to get our fourth win in five games and we didn't do it. You've got to earn every win in this league. It doesn't matter who you're playing or where you're playing, you've got to earn it. We'll look at it, fix it, and bounce back."
(on his thoughts about the last play) "I thought we had a good chance to get it done. It was a good chance to win the ball game. (TE) Joel (Dreessen) made a great play to give us an opportunity and we just didn't convert. We didn't make the play and they did."
TIGHT END JOEL DREESSEN
(on what he saw on the last play) "I don't know. I know that I have the route that I'm running against man coverage which is what we wanted. I think I beat my guy but (Texans quarterback) Matt (Schaub) was already scrambling away."
(on how they felt in the huddle before the last play) "That's what you want. That's what the NFL is all about. We watched Buffalo do it to the Raiders all week watching film. We thought we had them. That's situational football. (If) Matt (Schaub) runs it in or finds someone we're celebrating and everyone is hugging and smiling in here. Instead we are all (ticked) off because we let the Raiders come in here and get one from us."
(on his last catch on the final drive) "They were way back covering deep and Matt (Schaub) just gave me a chance and I came back to the ball. Wish I could have broken a tackle and made five more yards."
RUNNING BACK ARIAN FOSTER
(on what the Raiders took away at the line of scrimmage) "They just did a good job. They were staying in the box. They were doing a good job of staying disciplined in their gaps. You have to give all the credit to them."
(on how frustrating this loss is after last week's win against Pittsburgh) "It's frustrating; really frustrating. We feel like we need to take the next step for this organization, but you know, that's the NFL: you win some and you lose some and you have to bring it every week. This game here is a testament to it. They were playing with a heavy heart. Hats off to them, but we should have gotten it done. We had every opportunity to get it done, there are no excuses. We have to line up next week and play ball."
(on the team's swagger from last week) "When you have eight guys in the box, nine guys in the box sometimes, it's hard to impose your will on them. They did a good job of staying disciplined and that's football. Those guys on the other side of the ball get paid to play and make plays, too, so, its just part of the game."
(on if he agrees with DE Antonio Smith saying the team self-destructed some today) "I'm not going to say all that, but, we should have won, if that's what he meant by that. There was no doubt about it. We had ample opportunity to win, but it's not the end of the world. It's a loss, a big loss, but we still have to strap it up and play. We still have like 12 or 13 games left. It's a long season and we just have to stay the course.
(on the credence that people say the Texans take one step forward, and one back) "I don't listen to people. They know it all, so let them know it all."
(on his health and if he came out ok) "Yes, I'm alright"
(on if this is the most frustrating loss for him since he's been a Texan) "Every loss is frustrating. I don't take them any lighter. I'm an emotional person. I got choked up at the end of this one just like every time I've taken a loss. So, there is no more frustrating loss."
(on the last five seconds in the game) "We were on the five-yard line, four-yard line and I'm thinking we're going to score. But, like I said, that is the National Football League; those guys get paid to make plays and they made a play. We just have to make sure we try to make more plays than them."
(on FB Lawrence Vickers taking the blame for the loss) "One player doesn't win or lose a game. It takes a collective effort. We have all the confidence e in the world in him and he's going to bounce back and he's going to play well for us."
CORNERBACK JOHNATHAN JOSEPH(on if the Oakland Raiders adjusted in the second half) "You know that's football everyone makes an adjustment you just have to deal with it and you make adjustments on the run and they made some plays, that happens. At the end of the day we didn't make the plays to win the game but that's how football is and that's how football is week in and week out it won't change."
(on the defense's play and holding the Oakland Raiders to field goals) "Yeah, for us it wasn't good enough we still lost the game. We can say we played good but for us that's not good enough."
(on if the defense was giving too much space to wide receivers) "I looked at the scoreboard and they passed 180 yards. You can dink and dunk like that and it's hard to win like that, but they pulled it out like that today. So, for us we have to keep doing what we're doing and go back to the drawing board and look at the mistakes we made."
(on the feeling the defense has when the defense is getting stops but the Oakland Raiders are still putting points up) "We knew that coming in, what (Oakland Raiders K Sebastian) Janikowski can do with the football. For us as a defense we just have to go out and do our job and keep them out of field goal range and keep points off the board, however that is. It's not an excuse if he can kick it for 80 yards, bow up and don't let him kick it, that's our job."
(on if the defense was surprised when the Oakland Raiders passed on second down with little time left) "Nah, why wouldn't' you want to ice it away where they don't have a chance at all? That's good by them taking a chance. We stacked the box trying to stop the run and they're just trying to make a play."
CENTER CHRIS MYERS(on what happened on the botched snap during the final drive) "I don't know. I'll have to go back and look at the film. Whether it was me snapping it too fast or too high, I don't know."
(on why the offensive line didn't perform as well as last week) "We didn't come out and establish the line of scrimmage. You have to give them credit. They are a tough bunch inside and outside as well. They came to play today and we didn't get the job done."
(on whether he can remember a time when so many passes were batted down at the line of scrimmage) "No, I'll have to go back and look at the film. Whether it was us getting too much push upfront or them just getting their hands up."
OUTSIDE LINEBACKER BROOKS REED
(on how he felt today) "It felt good. Obviously, I had a lot of playing time when Mario (Williams) went down early but I was ready to play and just like you said you're preparing to play special teams one play and all of a sudden someone goes down and you've got to step up to the plate."
(on his biggest challenge moving forward) "Just getting better, trying to fill his (Mario Williams) shoes, which you know is a big task. Getting to the quarterback and it's something that's going to have to improve everyday. "
(on how he thought he played) "I thought I played pretty well. I don't think I had any critical mistakes but I wish I could've made more plays."
(on how the loss feels) "Yeah, definitely hard to take, tough loss."
(on if the defense was surprised felt gassed in the second half) "I mean when they started driving, we weren't really that gassed. We got them out on third down a lot. We felt pretty good during the fourth quarter."
(on if he has noticed that the offense and defense aren't clicking at the same times) "Yeah, I've noticed it in the two losses but that's no excuse. If our offense is slacking a little bit, the defense has to pick it up and if the defense is slacking, the offense has to pick it up. They work hand-in-hand and we've got to have a better outcome."
INSIDE LINEBACKER DEMECO RYANS
(on the end of the game) "They made plays to finish the game and win the game. We had opportunities to make plays and we didn't."
(on the defense's play stopping the run of the Oakland Raiders) "I think we did a good job early of stopping the run. There in the second half, we let a few runs get out on us that we shouldn't have but I think we did a fairly good job of stopping the run game."
(on if this game was disheartening) "It's a tough one to swallow because I feel like it's one we should've had but at the end of the day it comes down to making plays to close out the game and we didn't make them."
QUARTERBACK MATT SCHAUB(on the last drive of the game) "We went out there. We got decent field position. We wanted to make some things happen. We had no timeouts. We went down with the ball once or twice. We made some plays, gave some guys some chances. Then we got down there to spike the ball with I think it was seven seconds left and then we just didn't make the play to win the game."
(on if he thought the Texans should've been able to get off two plays at the end) "Well you want to execute the play that you have called. We had a good play. We had options all over the field. It's tough to say with seven seconds. If one's not there, then you got to throw it directly away to try to get that second play, so you want to make the most of the play that you have called."
(on what he saw on the last play) "I had some guys on the front side working. It was all tight and there was no one getting separation, so I stepped up in the pocket and scrambled out to the left and their safety, 33 (Tyvon Branch), was coming down at me and I had to make a decision with Jacoby (Jones) on 24 (Michael Huff) and just try to put it up where hopefully my guy could make a play. Unfortunately, it didn't work out for us."
(on if he was limited in his mobility on the last play) "No, adrenaline's going in the heat of the battle. My mobility wasn't limited at that time, but I'm not necessarily a guy that's going to make a whole lot of guys miss in the open field."
(on not having a lot of time to make a decision on the last play) "Yeah, I have a safety coming down. I'm six yards away. He's on the goal line. He's coming at me. I've got to make a decision to give my guy a chance to make a play."
(on what his first option was on the last play) "First option is on the strong side. I got Kevin (Walter) and Joel Dreessen working for me. Then they had a lot of bodies in there and there wasn't anything clean, so just stepping up and trying to make a play off schedule."
(on the inability to run the ball effectively) "Well, against a team like that, you got to keep balanced and keep them honest. You want to run the football and that's our plan. We're a running football team and mixing in play action and down the field game. We didn't win the line of scrimmage battle today and it caused us to play catch up and throw the ball."
(on how difficult it was with FB James Casey out) "Well James gives us a lot of versatility in what we do as far as our pass game, creating mismatches and everything. It didn't really limit us. Lawrence (Vickers) stepped up and got in there and played a little bit. Then we used our tight ends a lot."
(on if he's more accurate down the field compared to short routes) "Well, I want to be accurate wherever I'm throwing it based on the coverage and the routes that we have. Against a team like that, it's pretty difficult to hit your 80 percent completions, 75 percent completions with all their man coverages and all their passing off zone coverages that they run and they mix in along with their cover zeros. They blitzed us a bunch today and we didn't have answers."
(on if he got excited that he might be able to get the ball to WR Jacoby Jones on the last play) "In the heat of the battle, you don't really have time to get excited for much. You just try to make a play. It didn't turn out for us the way we wanted it."
(on if he's ever had any other games where seven balls have been tipped at the line of scrimmage) "No, the interesting thing is probably about four or five of them, we had guys that were pretty wide open to make some plays. They're a big defensive front. They go across the board at 6-5, 6-6, maybe even taller, so they can bat some things down."
(on the problems with the snap) "We were going and I was in the gun and it was one that I just missed. It's on me. I tried to get on it and be able to throw it away, but there was a guy barreling down on me, so I just tried to cover it up and live to throw another ball."
(on how it feels to lose the game) "It hurts. It's very disappointing the way we played. We came in focused and ready to go I thought. Guys battled from start to finish, but playing at home against a good football team, give them credit, they're a good football team and they made the plays to win the game. But we have to be better across the board in what we're doing in our execution."
(on why the Texans weren't successful running the football) "I'm going to have to watch the film to answer that one. I don't know what in particular it was, why we weren't as successful running the football as we've been in the past, as teams have shown against them. I'll have to evaluate that and digest it so we can move on and be better next week."
(on if they made an effort to get RB Arian Foster involved in the passing game) "Yeah, we got relegated to throw the ball and he's a pretty good weapon in the open field in the pass game and creating some mismatches and what he can do after the catch making people miss. So we wanted to get him the football in space and let him go make a play."
(on the touchdown pass to TE Joel Dreessen) "We got a movement play, a keeper, and he just slipped out the back side, a little misdirection and we were able to get him open down the back side of the field."
(on how he feels physically) "I feel alright. I took some hits today, but that's football and we just got to bounce back and go play another tough team this week."
(on when he was shaking his hand in the game) "No, I think it might've been me just saying, 'Hey, give me the call again' because sometimes after we run a play, especially in the two-minute drill, the crowd gets excited and when they're trying to get the play into me quick, it's hard to hear it, so it's kind of like, 'Hey, give me it again' type thing."
(on the coach's challenge of the incomplete pass by TE Joel Dreessen) "Well right there, we think he caught it, but I think the big thing is there wasn't any evidence to overturn the call on the field. That's the coach's decision. We all thought he caught it. In the heat of the battle, you got to make the call and you got to go with it."
DEFENSIVE END ANTONIO SMITH(on the injury to Texans linebacker Mario Williams ) "When Mario goes out of the game, I am very concerned. Mario isn't the type of person to just go out of a game. I'm going to give him a call as soon as I leave here and see what's going on."
(on whether he knows the extent of the injury to Mario Williams) "He said he felt like something popped but I don't know. The only thing that concerned me what that he didn't come back. I think that he will be alright."
(on whether the injury to Mario Williams will hurt the team) "We have to pick it up. Mario is who he is but somebody is going to have to come and pick up the slack. That's just the bottom line. We don't have time to dwell on whether there is a drop off or not. We are just going to have to focus on everybody picking up the slack for Mario if he is gone."
FULLBACK LAWRENCE VICKERS
(on his dropped reception) "It was a play called for the fullback to be open in the flats and coach gave me my opportunity and I let my teammates down. It hurts, but I deserve to feel like this right now. The game was in my hands and I didn't do what I was supposed to do. The hard part is coming back from it. I will. I'm going to—I'm determined to. It's just tough right now."
(on if he's had to deal with this feeling before) "No, never had to deal with it too many times in my career. Usually I'm on the other side of this, but only the strong survive. This is a situation to where either I'm going to be strong, well, there's not an either; I'm going to be strong about it. It's just getting through today I guess."
(on if he took his eyes off the ball) "No, I didn't take my eyes off of it. I had it and when I had it in my hands I just turned and I just felt it going down and I just like, wow, I don't know. I was ready. I saw the ball. I saw what defense they were in. It looked like they were in man and I knew I was going to be open. I knew it and I had the play. It was in my hands and it was like somebody was just like 'nah'."
(on if he knew he had a shot to get into the end zone) "I didn't know what I had. All I knew is that I was going to get there one way or another."
(on the support he's getting from the team) "Everybody is telling to keep my head up and don't worry about it and go ahead and make the next play. I know I have to keep my head up but I let 50 or 60 people down plus another 70,000 in the stands and Lord knows who else was watching. All that was on me and I did that, I'm just not in a good place right now."
WIDE RECEIVER KEVIN WALTER(on his thoughts about the final play) "We just didn't execute on the last play. It's either you execute it or not and we didn't get it done as a group."
(on how he felt about the game) "Very disappointed. We just didn't make enough plays to win today. There's always a winner and always a loser. It's very disappointing to have the Raiders come in here and beat us. They're a good football team but we're a better football team. We just didn't get it done today. It all comes down to executing."
(on if he felt they should have won) "I think so. We have to go out there and earn it. They're not going to give it to us. This is a tough league and it doesn't matter who you're playing against. We have got to go out there and do our thing. We didn't do it for four quarters."
(on if he the team couldn't get into a rhythm offensively) "I don't know. I think it goes back to executing the plays. I'm not sure. We had some negative plays, didn't convert on third down, and that hurts us. I think we had some third down and longs. That hurts us. It comes down to beating the defense or them beating us. We did a good job at some points, but we have got to do it for four quarters."
(on how he felt right before the final play) "I felt great. We were on the five yard line with seven seconds left. (TE) Joel (Dreessen) made a great play. (QB) Matt (Schaub) threw it up and he made a great play. We were sitting there with no time-outs left and a chance to win. One play, and if we execute we win. We don't, we lose."
(on the effect of this loss) "It's disappointing. We go out there to win and we didn't get it done today. We have to go out there tomorrow, correct the mistakes, and come back."
(on if he thought they could run two plays with seven seconds left) "I thought one play. It would be nice to get two, but you can't count on getting two. We just didn't execute."
(on if he thought QB Matt Schaub was hurt after that play) "(QB) Matt (Schaub) is a competitor. He's not going to leave the game at the end like that. He's going to be out there even if he is hobbling around. He's going to be out there to make plays and help us make plays."
(on if he is worried about the team recovering from this loss) "I don't worry. We are all frustrated here. It's very frustrating. Someone is going to win and someone is going to lose. We just have to go back tomorrow, correct the mistakes, and come back next week."
DEFENSIVE END J.J. WATT(on how disappointing the loss was) "It's tough. Everybody battled hard all game and when it came down to the end we didn't get it done."
(on the 2nd half performance of the defense) "We didn't get it done at the end of the game. They came out with more points than we did and that's not going to win."
(on whether the defense in the 2nd half was tired) "No, not necessarily we had reserves come in. We had guys give us a break. I think we were playing well. We were playing strong. We just didn't finish it out."
(on how effective the defense was against the run) "Our goal all day was to try and stop the run. For the most part we did that but obviously you have to do it the entire game. We didn't stop them at a couple crucial times and I think that hurt us a little bit."
HEAD COACH HUE JACKSON QB JASON CAMPBELL RB ROCK CARTWRIGHT DT LAMARR HOUSTON S MICHAEL HUFF DT TOMMY KELLY
DT RICHARD SEYMOUR
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HEAD COACH HUE JACKSON(opening remarks) "Obviously I have so many thank yous before I get into the game, but first of all, my thoughts, my prayers, what I feel goes out to Carol Davis, Mark Davis, first and foremost Coach's family and then to the Raider organization for the opportunity they've given me to lead these men. I know Coach right now is probably saying, 'Hue, God dang it, what's going on?' He'd be getting after me right now about the way we played, but he'd be happy because we won the game. I've got to thank my players. One thing I think is becoming evident is our players believe that if you just keep playing and you keep working at it, that eventually good things are going to happen. I'm very happy for the young men. Obviously the other day was a tough day but I could see the gleam in their eyes. They weren't going to stop fighting. We truly honestly believe that Coach was with us here today. I believe that whole-heartedly. It was a tough night for me but I have people I can lean on; [Chief Executive] Amy Trask, Mark Davis, Eddie Anderson are people who are my confidants that I can always talk to and trust with any and everything and they've been there for me and all they'd say is 'Just win baby.' That's what we did today. There were so many emotions I felt before the game and I told the team that I didn't want to talk too much, I just thought we needed to play. The game was kind of up-and-down, the defense fought their tails off, we couldn't find a way to make a play in the first half, and we just kept at it. You just keep at it and you keep searching. One thing Coach always taught me, he said, 'Hue, don't believe in plays, believe in players and eventually your players will make plays for you,' and that's what I did. I could just hear him saying that to me the whole time, 'Believe in your players, not the plays.' We gave it to (RB) Darren McFadden and Darren started to make a few plays here and there, he's the best player on our team offensively, and things started to change. Again, we have some work to do. We understand that. To be 3-2 and to be heading home for three big games at The O, with our fans with an opportunity to keep getting better, there's nothing like it. Today is a great day for the Raiders all across the world. It was a sad day yesterday, but I want everybody to know that I know without a shadow of a doubt that Coach is somewhere up there rejoicing because the football team did what he always said to do, commitment to excellence, pride and poise and just win."
(on medial injuries) "Now the medical report, obviously (S) Matt Giordano had a concussion, he didn't finish. (C) Samson Satele, I'm sure you had seen him come out and go back in, that's just the nature of our players, he had some ribs, but he wasn't going to miss this for anything. (LB) Rolando McClain had an ankle, one time we had to bring him out, obviously, you guys had to see him hobble off the field, but he went back in and kept playing. I'm very proud of this group of men and I'm looking forward to coaching this team and taking us where we need to go."
(on his emotions) "I was thinking about Al. I can't tell you the conversations I've had with him on so many topics: football, getting these guys to play, his vision for this football team. I know what this team means to him. I know what this coaching staff and this organization means to him. I finally had an opportunity to let it out. Obviously winning was a chance to get it out. I thought had it all out the other day, obviously I didn't. I know he's looking down on this team and he's with us every step of the way."
(on team rallying, 'win one for Al') "What I'm going to say is this: Al was never like that. Al was about winning, period. It's not so much, 'win one for Al.' It's win because we expect to win. We're Raiders. That's just the way we are. This is a new beginning for this football team. We truly believe and we expect to win and we don't care if they're ugly, we don't care if they're pretty, we don't care. Our number one purpose when we play is to win and that's what we're all about. Obviously we all had Coach tied to our hearts today. These men work very hard every day. They give me a lot. The reward for all this is winning. There's nothing else. Nothing less and nothing more."
(on K Sebastian Janikowski's three 50 field goals) "That's his [Al Davis'] guy. There's no question; this is his football team. Trust me when I tell you, this is Coach Davis' football team and I'm just getting the opportunity to run it and to lead it… I have listened to him on so many different occasions about our players and what our players need to do and what they can and what they can't do. That's going to be my guiding light as I continue to go through this season. I know what these guys can do and I know how he sees these guys and that's how we are going to approach it."
(on what the Raiders' new beginning looks like) "It looks like this. There is many times in the past that a team like this, in this stadium, stops fighting. You guys all know that. We're not going to stop fighting. I don't care what the situation is. What we're about is winning and that's what I mean by our new beginning. We've let a couple games slip through our fingers this year and what I've been talking to these young men about all week is finishing. They've heard me say it before and now they are beginning to understand what that really means. It's about making plays when your team needs you the most. Our players rose up and made those plays and we were victorious because of it."
(on his reaction to Texans QB Matt Schaub's last drive of the game that got them inside the 5 yard line) "What was it like? It felt like my heart was about to stop. But it goes back to the same thing, you have to just keep believing and have faith. Today was a game of faith and you have to keep plugging away. It was tough but that's what pro football is; no one said it was easy, it's hard. It's a hard sport and a hard business that I chose, but if you just keep playing, things will happen and eventually they did. I trust that my players will rise up and make the plays when we need them."
(on what the Texans defense was able to do to shut down RB Darren McFadden and the Raiders' running game) "They did a good job. Obviously that's been their focus all week and I'll be the first to tell you that I have to do a better job. They got us slowed down, probably more so than any other team has in a long time. I give them a lot of credit but at the end of the day. Darren (McFadden) made some fantastic runs in the second half that gave us a chance to go finish this game."
(on difference between Texans defense under Wade Philips as opposed to last year) "They are just very relentless. They play hard and have good players but they've always had good players. I think if you go up and down the line, there's a whole bunch of first and second round draft picks on that defense so yes, they are a good defensive football team. But I think we are a good offensive football team too. We're clicking and doing what we are supposed to do and there is not a team that I truly don't believe we can play with. When our focus is right, I believe we can play well."
(on fake punt that changed course of the game) "Every week we go into a game with some things and I keep them in my pocket so we got the opportunity and I called it. Sure enough, they did a great job and down it goes and it ends up being a huge play in the game. That's what we do. We're always looking for opportunities to make plays."
(on if he has talked with Mark Davis about how football operations will proceed following Al Davis' death) "No, I haven't talked with him and I'm not really concerned about that. I'm more concerned with today and what we were doing. I'm sure we'll all get together and make the right decisions but that's not of any worry right now. Right now, we're Raiders and this team is still run by Coach Davis and his family and that's the way it's going to be."
(on dropping to his knees at the end of the game) "A moment when a whole lot of emotion came over me. There are a lot of things that have gone on. This team and the way this team fights, Coach and what he means to me. The opportunities he has given to me to lead this organization and these men. How do you not get emotional about a man you truly love and respect? He gave me an amazing opportunity to be all I can be with these men. And to win a game on the road? I know nobody picked us to win this game. Nobody thought we could win this game and we did. We are victorious and we are 3-2. Regardless of how ugly it was at times, I guarantee the other team wishes they had this victory. But we got it and it's ours."
(on what Al Davis means to him) "Trust me when I tell you, next to my dad, and I have may great friends, there is no other man that has made a significant impact on my life in so many different forms than Coach Davis for this reason, he pushes me to be great. Even today, even though he isn't here. My phone calls with him on Fridays and Saturdays and during the week, you can't imagine the information that has been imparted on me from him, on how to be the best. That is all he was ever interested in was winning. The man bleeds silver and black. He is what the Raiders are all about. And trust me, as a head coach and I am sure all the other head coaches would tell you that is all he talked about. That is all he wanted, is for us to be the best at what we do. He likes to win pretty, but he also just likes to win. That is why it was 'just win baby.' When I step on that airplane, I know his lessons will still be in my mind because I will still hear him every step of the way."
(on the run defense and how he answered the challenge) "Cause I answered the challenge. They decided to step up, just like I told you we would. We played against a good back and good running team. I think our guys stepped up and made some plays. I am truly impressed with those men. What we have to do is get this penalty thing squared away, because we haven't yet. But it is what it is. I am pissed about it and the players know I am pissed about it, but I am also happy because we won. So we will keep working at it. We are not going to stop working at it but we will get better at it."
(on how different the Texans were without Andre Johnson on the field) "I don't have to tell you. The guy threw for how many yards? Andre Johnson, I love him to death, he is a good player. I know him. I recruited him. He is tremendous, but I can't tell you how different they are. I just know the Raiders won and we are 3-2."
(As a first year coach what type of advice did Al give him coming into the season) "Don't flinch. Don't ever flinch. It's never going to always go your way. Keep pushing. Keep driving. Don't ever accept no and demand that the players do it right."
(On being advised by many to not take the job and how he would respond to them) "I have never ever thought of not taking the job. I thank them for every advice they gave me, but nobody else sat in that room with me and Al (Davis), except me and Al. The conversations we had about the Raiders, the tradition, the pride, the history of the place and all the other good men that have come before me that have worked for him. Nobody could tell me not to take this opportunity. I have learned from one of the greatest ever in the sport. He has instilled in me a fire and passion for winning and that is all I want to do is win."
QUARTERBACK JASON CAMPBELL(on winning for Al Davis) "It means a lot. Al Davis means a lot to us personally. He's always checking on you and your family and making sure that everything is okay and that goes a long way because that's something he doesn't have to do. He did and I think everyone of our guys respect that. We knew it was going to be a tough game. We were fighting against our emotions to hold them back but at the same time try and go out and win a game for him."
(on his emotion during the game) "It was different. Starting the game out, things weren't going our way. Everybody kept saying 'keep fighting, keep fighting' and that's exactly what we did. In the end of the game, game happens like that. The Buffalo game we lost but this game we found a way to win. Hats off to the guys."
(on head coach Hue Jackson and Willie Brown crying after the game) "Those are the two guys that I know that are around him the most out of anyone in that complex at that facility. Willie Brown and Coach Jackson they were around him every day. They talk to him every day. So not to hear that phone call or hear Mr. Davis's voice, it hurts. You're so used to talking to him. It's not easy. Coach [Jackson] said he was hiding his emotions before the game but after the game he just kind of let it out."
(on the Raiders slow start) "A lot of it has to go to their credit. You got 90 [Mario Williams] coming from the end and 94 [Antonio Smith] coming up the middle. Brian Cushing is another great player. Wade Phillips is doing an outstanding job with those guys on that side of the ball and they came to play today. They're one of the better fronts we've seen this year and you take your hat off to them. We're not just going to march up and down the field like we've been doing normally and there comes a game where it's going to be hard. This was one of them."
(on getting pressured in the pocket) "They're front seven were coming off the ball and making plays. It's a game that we can always go back on film and be glad that we can win a game like this, where you can always go back and correct your mistakes."
RUNNING BACK ROCK CARTWRIGHT
(on the fake punt call) "We called the play earlier but they gave us a different look so we checked out of it. They gave us the look we wanted the second time and Mike Mitchell told me to trust him, he'll get the guy on the edge and he did that. It was a big play for us because we were able to get three points out of it."
(on playing an emotional game) "It's going to be emotional for the rest of the season. Mr. Davis meant so much to this organization and to the NFL. He was this organization. So we owe him so much. He touched everybody's lives that are in this locker room right now. We're going to miss him, so this season is dedicated to Mr. Davis."
(on last Texans play of the game) "That's just a great defensive play. Guys stepped up and kept their eyes on their read. They didn't try and do anybody else's job and that's what this team is about. This is Raiders football."
DEFENSIVE TACKLE LAMARR HOUSTON
(On adjustments made to third-down plays in second half) "They were moving the ball. They are a methodical offense, and that's how they play. So we just had to buckle down and play disciplined defense. Read our keys and play the run. Eventually we made the stop and put them in bad situations, and we came out with the 'W'. Once we got the run stopped, we knew we could handle them."
(On whether it was an emotional win) "Rest in peace to Al Davis. That's a tough loss for the NFL and that's a tough loss for the Raiders organization. It's a tough loss for us players, too. He's a legend and he'll always be a legend. He left behind a great legacy with a great organization and that's tough. So this team is playing football the way it's supposed to play football. It's not just about Al passing away, though. It's about what we're trying to do there."
(On his personal relationship with Al Davis) "I met Al a couple times and I thank him for picking me up and not letting me pass by."
SAFETY MICHAEL HUFF
(On his last-second interception) "Luckily, he's not that fast, but he was getting run down, so I just stayed in coverage. He just threw it, and I had to catch it. Those are the hardest ones to catch, the ones that come right to you, but luckily I caught it."
(On what this win means for Oakland) "We needed this one just to prove all the doubters wrong. I think we finally stopped the run, and it got us the win."
DEFENSIVE TACKLE TOMMY KELLY
(on beating the Texans) "I've been waiting on this game since last year. Last year they came out to Oakland and ran for 200 yards and I probably played my worst game that season. This game was marked off on my calendar the whole year."
(on what Mr. Davis meant to him) "He meant a lot. I'm undrafted so I had to come in the league the hard way. That man believed in me and gave me an opportunity. So I just want to make the man happy. To make sure it looked like he made a good choice in believing in me. I'm just trying to uphold my end of the bargain."
DEFENSIVE TACKLE RICHARD SEYMOUR(on limiting the Texans' rushing attack) "We had to play better run defense. We knew it was going to be up to us in the front seven but stopping the run is a team effort. It's a mindset as a defense. We felt like if we could get them in passing situations then we had an opportunity to make them block us one on one and we feel up front, no one can block us one on one. Our goal is to get teams in that position but you have to be able to stop the run first."
(on the locker room of the team on gameday) "I feel like we grew up as a team today. We took a step forward as a team, we continued to fight and last year we probably would have lost this game. I think it's good to see it right before your eyes. Young guys were making plays. It's a total team effort. It wasn't pretty but you continue to battle and some games are going to be like that. We're fortunate to come out with a good win against a good football team. "
(on a changed game plan against Houston without WR Andre Johnson) "Maybe for the secondary but not up front. I wasn't mad he didn't play though."
(on former owner Al Davis making a play to trade for Seymour) "It was a good play. I'm happy to be here. My teammates accepted me. The fans and coaching staff have been great. I feel like this is going to be the best season of my career."
(on what Al Davis meant to him) "To me he was a role model and someone I looked up to and admired. He used the word 'maverick,' he was a big figure. He meant a lot in terms of the game. He would talk about my days at Georgia and you think 'you remember those plays and you remember who played beside me?' He was a ton of knowledge. He's like that grandfather who was always around and you wanted to hear stories. He always had a story. He's going to be sorely missed."
