DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR WADE PHILLIPS
K RANDY BULLOCK
WR DEANDRE HOPKINS
WR ANDRE JOHNSON
CB JOHNATHAN JOSEPH
QB CASE KEENUM
ILB JOE MAYS
FS ED REED
WR DEVIER POSEY
OLB BROOKS REED
FS ED REED
ILB DARRYL SHARPTON
DE ANTONIO SMITH
G WADE SMITH
RB BEN TATE
DE J.J. WATT
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR WADE PHILLIPS (Transcribed by Tiffani Walker)
(on the health of head coach Gary Kubiak) "First, Coach Kubiak, I mean everybody saw it at halftime. He went down. The doctors and our medical staff took care of him here and then he went to a local hospital. All of his vital signs are good. He did not have a heart attack, but they are still checking on everything with him. So that's the situation with him."
(on the game) "As far as the game, I thought we played our hearts out again. I was certainly disappointed defensively. We had a two-touchdown lead, and we're in zone defense and gave up a long play that put them back in the ballgame. We made all the big plays the first half; they made the big plays the second half. I thought our young quarterback (Case Keenum), if you just look at the stats, the guy played outstanding. I thought he played really well for us. Their quarterback (Andrew Luck) hit 18 out of 40, but he hit the big plays at the right time. They made the plays and we didn't at the right times. (K) Randy (Bullock) struggled field goal kicking-wise and that ended up hurting us at the end of the ballgame."
(on the atmosphere in the locker room after the game) "There was a lot of unknown. Everything was unknown as to what was going on and what happened to Kub. Rick Dennison obviously called the plays from the press box. We had to adjust as far as the head coach not being there. But, it was a shock to everybody."
(on how difficult this was when he had to take over after Kubiak) "The ballgame came down to them playing well, especially at crunch time, and we didn't. We had some calls go against us that hurt us, certainly. Penalty-wise, we had some penalties that hurt us. The last penalty on the punt, we could have been a lot closer. We still had an opportunity at the end of the ballgame. So, penalties hurt us again and they didn't have many penalties and we did. I though that was a factor also. Andre's (Johnson) catch on the sideline, that being overruled, and I'm sure that's what it was, but we had a chance with the ball and ended up punting and they got it on the 50.
(on if he was already in the locker room when he heard that Coach Kubiak went down) "No, I was travelling in and I saw him on the ground and I kept asking what happened. That's kind of what happened with everybody, what happened? What's happening? And, we finally got words that they took him to the hospital. We were unsure of everything, certainly."
(on if it was more of what the Colts did in the second half or if they were more conservative) "I look at the second half, and we had our opportunities. We got down there a couple times and didn't score. And they got down there and scored and they got a big play. We stopped them several times when they had really good field position, but when the game was on the line we didn't play well enough."
(on all the games he's coached as a head coach and how he tried to adjust) "I wasn't involved in the offense at all. That wasn't my job. I was the interim head coach, I wasn't the head coach."
(on if his role changed) "No, it didn't change. As far as kicking field goals and things like that, I made those decisions and unfortunately, we missed them. Even the punt at the end of the ballgame. It's fourth-and-11, I thought we'd have a chance to get the ball back if we played good defense, and we did, we got the ball back. Like I said, we had a big penalty there and it really set us back 15 more yards after the return. We just don't seem to make the plays at the right time. We played so good in the first half, we could see what we feel like we can do. But, we still have to finish it off."
(on if the mistakes in the second half was due to the players concern for Coach Kubiak) "You can't blame it on that. They have a good football team, obviously. They're already 5-2, they have a good strong football team. The guy (Andrew Luck) has brought the team back a phenomenal amount of times in a short career so far. They were never panicked, even though they were behind 24-12, when it looked like things were out, with nine minutes left. Like I said, there is no reason for us to give up a 60-yard play at that point in the game when they have to score two touchdowns. I'll take a lot of that."
(on the pass rush in the second half) "We got pretty good rush on him in the second half. Like I said, he only hit 18 out of 40 passes. That's way below his average. I thought we gave up a big play we shouldn't have given up."
(on the touchdown pass to Colts WR T.Y. Hilton) "We were in zone. There is no reason for us to get beat deep. That's really the bottom line."
(on key takeways from the game) "The effort of our team was tremendous. Our young quarterback (Case Keenum) obviously made some great throws. Hit a lot higher percentage than their quarterback (Andrew Luck) did. Had a lot higher quarterback rating than their quarterback did. Two touchdown passes right on the money. It's a shame it was wasted."
(on being through highs and lows in his career and the last 10 days and what he's been through) "Like I told the players, when we signed up, we didn't sign up just to say 'OK, if everything is going good.' We signed up for the whole season, to play and to work and to coach as hard as we can coach. And that's what we're going to do with this team. If anybody wants to give up, can, but we're not going to."
(on if he will see Coach Gary Kubiak tonight) "When we get word as to what is going on we'll take care of appropriate things."
KICKER RANDY BULLOCK (Transcribed by Adrian Jones)
(on whether his issue missing field goals is mechanical or mental) "I would have to go back and watch film. Honestly, tonight was a rough night for me. I had a really good week of practice and didn't see any of this coming. It is very upsetting and very frustrating."
(on his thoughts approaching the final field goal attempt) "It is the same as everything else. You forget everything that happened before and you try to mentally prepare for the next one."
(on teammates comments toward him) "I had a lot of guys come by and tell me to keep my head up. They have confidence in me. It was a bad outing, but I can put it behind me and move forward."
(on how last field goal attempt fell as he kicked it) "It felt well. It wasn't on target but it had plenty of leg on it. What can you do?"
(on if game is more frustrating after finding a rhythm in previous games) "Absolutely. I made 11 out of my last 12 kicks. So to miss as many as I did tonight was very frustrating."
(on current team struggles) "Obviously we have been struggling, and my struggles didn't help tonight. We need a good game to get us back on track."
(on mood of team in second half without Coach Kubiak) "Everybody was a little bit concerned about him. But we were trying to go out there and win a game for Coach Kubiak."
TIGHT END GARETT GRAHAM (Transcribed by Nida Chaudhry)
(on when he found out about Head Coach Gary Kubiak and what he knew) "We knew right before we broke out that he wasn't going to continue and was going to get checked out. We were told he was stable and they just wanted to check him out completely."
(on how Coach Kubiak being in the hospital affects him) "You know, obviously, I feel real bad for him, but I want to go out and play and compete and win for him. Unfortunately we weren't able to get that done today."
(on what changed in the second half offensively) "We just stalled out in some drives. I'm not sure what it was, but we just needed to get more first downs and keep the ball moving."
(on confidence going away throughout the game) "It's nothing I can put my finger on. We just didn't continue to move the ball."
(on how difficult and devastating the loss was) "Especially having a first half like that. To come into the second half and not produce; it's tough for the team."
(on what it felt like to end a game like this) "I mean, the second to last time we had the ball we need to keep the chains moving. It was a tough third down. It was a tough play to make. We just weren't able to make it. There's not really much more I can say."
(on seeing differences in their secondary during the second half) "I was a little more man second half. On me, personally, I was able to get open a few more times."
(on difference in play calling with Coach Kubiak gone during the second half) "We got a bunch of plays in. Rick (Dennison), you know, does a great job doing his thing. I didn't notice a difference in the play calling."
(on confusion in the locker room during the second half) "We were just really confused during the second half with what happened to Kub (Gary Kubiak). You know, as a team, we were focused and ready to go out. The only confusion was coming from what happened."
(on whether not it was hard to play or to not think about Coach Kubiak during the second half) "It is, but we want to go out there and we want to play and win for Kub and play for him. Unfortunately we weren't able to get the win today."
(on QB Case Keenum's first home start) "He did a good job. He's firing. He threw some dimes out there. He's continuing to get better obviously and I'm sure we will."
(on fire spreading through offense with QB Case Keenum's performance) "He's in that huddle, he's screaming, he's getting pumped up, he's walking around the sideline getting everybody together, so he does a good job of that."
WIDE RECEIVER DEANDRE HOPKINS (Transcribed by Cali Roper)
(on what the feeling was when the team was told about Head Coach Gary Kubiak at halftime) "It wasn't a good feeling. If it was anybody, a head coach, an assistant coach, or a trainer passing out, you are concerned about them."
(on the second half of game being hard to focus on due to the halftime incident) "You have to get it out of your head. It's the NFL. You have to keep on going, ups and downs. We have had a lot of players on this team deal with stuff not going their way, so they kept us going."
(on confidence with QB Case Keenum for the future) "Case is a good player. You see him making plays out there for yourself. I don't have to speak on that."
(on how stressful of a job it can be for coaches) "I honestly can't imagine how that is. I am not in that position. Maybe twenty years from now when I am coaching I might be able to know how that feels, but, right now, I am a player."
(on how much he likes playing with a QB Case Keenum and his talent) "I like winning. No matter how that is. I like winning."
(on watching WR Andre Johnson and QB Case Keenum working together) "We all have great chemistry with Case. He makes good reads and he does things well outside the pocket."
(on describing today's loss) "Any loss is devastating."
WIDE RECEIVER ANDRE JOHNSON (Transcribed by T.D. Durham)
(on what the team felt when they heard Head Coach Gary Kubiak went down) "I didn't see what happened with Gary (Kubiak). I had already come inside to get an IV. I left the field early. I don't know exactly what happened. I just heard from what they told us that he's doing OK and they were getting him checked out at the hospital. I didn't get to see exactly what happened to him."
(on if it was difficult to go out and play knowing that the team's head coach was in bad shape) "It's definitely something you think about. It's on your mind when you're out there playing, but you try to focus on the game and just go out and do your job. You try not to – you have to try to block it out. But at the same time, it's something you still think about."
(on if the team was affected on offense with Head Coach Gary Kubiak out the second half) "I don't know. It probably could have. It was our first time really having it where he wasn't there. As far as getting the plays in and stuff like that, so it was definitely different. Sometimes it seemed like it took the plays a little bit longer to come in and stuff like that, but that's no excuse. We didn't make enough plays to win, and we had opportunities to."
(on the difference between the first half and second half for the Texans offensively) "I think we just came out aggressive. We took shots and we were able to hit them. And in the second half, I just think that the plays that we had, we just didn't make them. And that let them get back in the game."
(on if he thought the offense was too conservative in the second half) "I think we probably ran the ball a little bit more than we did in the first half. But like I said, we still had opportunities to make plays, but we just didn't make them."
(on if he talked to K Randy Bullock after the game) "No, I didn't get a chance to talk to him. I know he's probably feeling like crap, but the only thing you can do is just, when you get your opportunities to try to do the best you can with them. He's a good kid. He can kick the ball very well, has a strong leg. It's something, hopefully this is something he can learn from, not get down on himself and just get better at what he's doing."
(on how he views the team right now, 2-6, at the half way point) "It ain't good. I don't know what to say about it. I don't think anybody thought we would be in this position, but we are, so I don't know. I don't really know what to say about it."
(on if it is especially difficult to have a rough season after being around for many poor seasons in Houston) "For me it is. I thought all of those days were over. I've been here since pretty much day one. To be in the position we're in right now is just not a good feeling. It's just not a good feeling at all. It's frustrating. Hopefully we get it fixed."
CORNERBACK JOHNATHAN JOSEPH (Transcribed by Shelby Wells)
(on things that happened during the game) "Pass interference, a couple of third downs. You take three or four plays form every ball down, it kind of shows the outcome of the game, so I think if you take a couple of those back, especially the touchdown at the end of the game, which kind of led to the downward spiral of couple of different things that took place in this game."
(on if he's worried about the team) "No, not at all. Today showed what type of team we are. We will come out with the same intensity, the same attitude, each and every game. We've just got to go out at the end of the game, make the crucial plays and finish the game."
(on if he's said anything K Randy Bullock) "I can't really say anything to him. I'm sure he's got enough people saying stuff to him as much as it is. He's got a veteran leader over there and his own special teams rolling with Shane Lechler whose played plenty of years. So I'm sure Shane is telling him the right things and keeping his head up."
(on if finishing a game is more physical or mental) "It's a combination of both because sometimes at this point in the season, most guys are pretty much in shape so I wouldn't say its physically because everybody is pretty much still playing and not really getting tired. I'd say it's mental. A couple of things that you tend to forget when you're a little tired that slips your mind at the end of the game when your focus is not as sharp sometimes but I'll probably say some mental things."
(on the mood in the locker room at halftime) "Everybody was just kind of on the edge because anytime you have a situation like that, you just seen John Fox have a heart attack or whatever the situation was with him, so that was the first thing that came into my head. Once we got word back that he was okay, everyone was able to settle a little bit and go out and focus on football."
QUARTERBACK CASE KEENUM (Transcribed by Stephanie Weaver & Cali Roper)
(on what the locker room was like during halftime) "It was really weird. Someone came in and started yelling for a trainer. They said that he (Gary Kubiak) had passed out, and we were all very worried. When we went back out, they told us that he was alright, that he was stable. They didn't know what was going on yet. Obviously we were all upset about that but trying to stay focused at the same time."
(on the difference in offensive play between the first and second half) "I thought we had some good drives. We obviously got the field goal there (in the second half). We missed on a few third downs in the second half. Even on the one that we kicked the field goal, and I missed (DeVier) Posey there in the end zone. Garrett (Graham) was coming on the shallow. Third and three, I probably should have hit him instead of trying to go for the big play. I think they made adjustments, and they obviously had a good plan there in the second half. We just didn't put enough points on the board."
(on his connection with WR Andre Johnson in the first half) "We were able to hit some double moves in our bootleg play action rollout game. Obviously they did a great job of stopping that in the second half with their ends playing pretty wide. We weren't able to do that as much. Andre did a heck of a job on both of those plays, making a move, and then just making a play downfield for me."
(on targeting TE Garrett Graham) "He did a great job of finding some holes in the zone and started playing a little zone coverage. He did a great job of that. It's a matter of adjusting to their adjustments and continuing to attack. We weren't going to be reserved. We wanted to go out and play to win, and not play to not lose if that makes sense."
(on ever being in situation like today's half time situation with Head Coach Gary Kubiak) "I never have. It was definitely different. Once we knew he was okay, we were alright with focusing and getting the job done. Everybody was focused on what we needed to do. Obviously, now we have to see where we go from here, but there is no telling."
(on coming back to Houston in front of fans) "I remember standing in the tunnel there, about to get announced, and thinking this is pretty cool. It is hard to believe that I am there. That was very special to me, and very special to play in Houston again in front of our crowd. They were great tonight. We had an incredible crowd. It was disappointing for us to not get a win. We don't play this game for consolation prizes. Everybody in that locker room is in there to win the game, and it's very frustrating that we didn't."
(on some of the positives taken away from the game) "It's hard to say right now. I think we would have to watch the film and see. We are fighting, everybody, down to the last man. We are going to come. We are going to take it a week at a time. We are going to work on going 1-0 this week. That's my mindset. I forget what happened. I try to have amnesia with everything and move on. Learn from your mistakes, keep trying to do well, and move on."
LINEBACKER JOE MAYS (Transcribed by Ellie Pardee)
(on what the difference was in the second half) "I can't, I have no clue. I thought the first half we played pretty good football. Second half, I thought we came out with a little bit of a spark, especially on defense, but as the game went on, we just weren't able to get off the field. They made more plays than we did, so that's why we are sitting on the losing end of this one."
(on almost being able to get to Luck the entire game) "He's just a very good quarterback. We definitely give them their credit, hats off to them, we give them that credit, especially to (Andrew) Luck because he made some very good throws out there and they were able to complete them, but at the same time, we definitely wanted to make more plays out there so we can get a win. Now, it's back to the drawing board for us. Get back, watch the film, see some things that we could have done better, some things that we did good at and try to move forward."
WIDE RECEIVER DEVIER POSEY (Transcribed by Stephanie Weaver)
(on how difficult today's loss was) "Of course it was difficult. You go in and have a great week of practice. Everyone is flying around. Everybody is flying around in the first half. Something like that happens at the end of the game, and it is just tough. We just have to come in and watch the film. Then we've got Arizona. We've got to go out to Phoenix and get a win."
(on how the play of QB Case Keenum gave confidence to the team) "The guy is special. He makes plays with his feet. He is smart, savvy, sharp. He's a great leader. He is fiery. You can win with a guy like that. He's learning. He is learning how hard it is to win in this league and how close the margin of error is. We're just trying to make sure we can come in and evaluate and make sure we make those plays that we lost on those inches and feet."
(on coming back to Houston in front of fans) "I wouldn't say it was empty. We still had our fire. We still had our grit. I don't really know how much it affected us because I'm not upstairs. I'm not a play caller myself. I just run to a spot and try to catch a ball. I really won't know how much it affected us until I watch the film. It's just a tough situation. Like I said, he is our leader, undeniable leader. I just can't wait to see him up in front of us back at our team meeting."
OUTSIDE LINEBACKER BROOKS REED (Transcribed by T.D. Durham)
(on the team hearing about Head Coach Gary Kubiak going down) "It was on our mind at halftime. We found out he was OK before the second half started."
(on how difficult it was to re-gain focus after hearing about Head Coach Gary Kubiak's going down) "As soon as we heard that he was OK, it made it a little bit easier. But with him going to the hospital, we wanted to win it for him. And again, we came up a little short, so it's really disappointing."
(on if the team feels snake bitten when it comes to closing out games) "Yeah. That's kind of been the theme and it's got to stop. We just gave up a couple of big plays and that was the difference."
(on how he felt personally when Head Coach Gary Kubiak went down) "Very worried. I've never heard of anything like that ever happening and I didn't see it. I was really surprised. But I'm very happy he's doing good right now."
FREE SAFETY ED REED (Transcribed by Matt Bodiford)
(on how the team dealt with coach Gary Kubiak) "I thought we dealt with it well. Not knowing what was going on, obviously praying for Coach making sure he's well. We heard that he was stable. I thought we dealt with it well. We just got to finish. We got to learn how to finish games. We have a team, we're stepping on their throat, got to come up with the plays, and not make the bonehead plays that are costing us the game."
(on what happened defensive in the second half) "I think it was a combination of what they did, and what we didn't do. They made some adjustments, and made some plays. They made the plays they needed to make to win the game. When it was time for us to get off the football field, we didn't get off the football field. It just kind of trickled like it's been the last few games. We're fighting, fighting and fighting and penalties or a turnover happens that makes it trickle down. We never seem to make adjustments or come up out of that."
(on what it was like for you when you heard about Gary Kubiak) "I just prayed for coach. Pray that everything was alright. I was waiting to hear something during the game or after. I figured they were going to tell us after the game that he was ok, and that's what they did."
(on how worried you are about the team) "No I wouldn't say worried. I'm telling guys we're going through this time, this fire this turmoil this adversity for a reason. You're asking for great things you're asking for something that's only achieved by few. To be going through this season there's a reason you go through something like this. You got to make the corrections, you have to grow from them. If as a team we don't grown from this the future is not bright. I think as a team we're going through it, because we're fighting. We're coming out we're fighting, we're practicing hard. Guys are giving extra effort, but it's just not bouncing our way. What do you do when you're going through adversity? Do you stay down, or are you going to get up? That's the character of a man. Are you going to stay down, or are you going to get up? We still have a lot of football left. We still have eight more games to go. A lot of division games coming up, and we play the Colts again. They played a hard fought game, and they fought their tail off to get the win."
(on Colts QB Andrew Luck keeping his poise in the second half) "Yeah, he was a little shaky in the first half, but he came out and calmed himself down. He made the throws he had to make, and his guys made the catches they had to make."
INSIDE LINEBACKER DARRYL SHARPTON (Transcribed by Adrian Jones)
(on Head Coach Gary Kubiak being taken to the hospital) "Obviously, he is the leader of this team. Everybody loves Coach. He is a great coach. Our thoughts and feelings go out to him and his family and I pray for a speedy recovery."
(on the effect of Head Coach Gary Kubiak not being present with the team) "I would be lying if I said I wasn't thinking about Coach. But I feel like we still played with maximum effort and we tried to execute the best we could and follow the game plan accordingly."
(on the team's defensive play in the second half) "We didn't as good in the second half as we did in the first half. I would have to watch the film, but obviously we need to have the same effort and execution in the second half as we did in the first half. It is just unfortunate it happened that way."
(on if the game outcome takes a backseat when a coach is sent to the hospital) "It is hard to say. I don't know how it affected (the team). I really don't know."
(on what Indianapolis did differently in the second half) "I don't know if they were doing much differently. They had some big plays that we have to stop. Like I said, we have to watch the film, but we have to do a better job of shutting them down in the second half."
(on giving Indianapolis extra chances in the red zone) "It is very frustrating with some of the penalties that we had, namely the one I had. It is very frustrating. We had all the momentum and swagger, but the ball didn't bounce our way."
(on his personal foul penalty) "It was something where I probably should have let up a little sooner. I didn't try to have a personal foul. It is unfortunate."
DEFENSIVE END ANTONIO SMITH (Transcribed by T.D. Durham)
(on hearing about Head Coach Gary Kubiak going down) "This is a family-oriented team and I saw it when it happened. So it kind of affected me right off the bat. I was running and trying to find somebody and get him some help. But I know he would want us to finish the game and to fight, so that's what the mood was in the locker room. We came in, they told us he was all right, told us everything that was going on and then we got each other together and we got to finish this game out."
(on what he saw when Head Coach Gary Kubiak went down) "I just saw him kind of go down to his knee. He went down to his knee and couldn't get back up. He was having trouble breathing. That's all I saw."
(on recognizing that Head Coach Gary Kubiak's injury was serious) "It looked serious because he couldn't get back up and then everybody was surrounding him."
(on what changed in the second half) "I don't know what changed, but I know this is something that normally happens, and I made it a point to say something about it before we went out after half time. I don't know what it is, but all I can do it speak my opinion and it may be right or wrong, but sometimes when we're up coming out at half time, we have to find that 'Eye of the Tiger' to finish teams. And not get in any way, shape or form content as a team. Sometimes, I think that that happens when we started having negative plays. There were a couple of bad calls out there and they just kept coming and kept coming and bad things happen. It kind of gets your morale down. We have to find a way to fight through that adversity. That's something that keeps nipping us in the bud."
GUARD WADE SMITH (Transcribed by Matt Bodiford)
(on being close to getting the win) "We've figured out some ways to lose some games this year. They don't feel any better. This is tough, you play the game and you feel like you're better than them. You're showing that you're better than them, then you do things that allow them to get back in the game, and it's frustrating. I don't have any words, besides the fact that it's really frustrating."
(on trying to play a game not knowing the status of Head Coach Gary Kubiak) "We were told before we went out there that he was stable. He was OK, but they were taking him to the doctor for precautionary reasons. That isn't an excuse for what we did out there in the second half. We came out there, and we lost the game instead of winning."
(on the difference in the second half) "We didn't capitalize on the plays we had to make. We moved the ball, we had some unfortunate situations where we thought we had first downs but they weren't. We got in field goal position but we didn't convert. You're going against a really good quarterback, and a really good offense. You don't get points in the second half. A field goal in the second half isn't good enough against a team like that."
RUNNING BACK BEN TATE (Transcribed by T.D. Durham)
(on the team making plays in the second half) "We have to make the plays down the stretch. We had a good first half. Have to make those plays down the stretch."
(on playing with his injured ribs) "It was tough. I was in a lot of pain. I was trying to do the best I could. I gave it my all. I was fighting for the team. I left it all on the field."
(on finding out about Head Coach Gary Kubiak going down at halftime) "Of course, it's shocking. You don't think anything like that would happen to him. He's a guy who is mostly in good shape, he's in good health. I mean, it was tough, but we still had a game to go out and play. You can't really sit down and just dwell on that. The best thing that would've made him feel good is if we would've won this game."
(on the range of emotions in this game) "Yeah, like I said, once that happened, we had to put that behind us. You can't sit there and dwell on that and think about that when you have a whole other half to play. It's simple, we just have to make plays at the end of the game and we didn't make them."
(on QB Case Keenum's play) "I wish I could say I was impressed, but I'm not because I've seen him do it. I've seen him do it in practice. I've seen him do it in camp. So that's just Case to me. I think if you weren't around then, you're impressed by him, but I always have said he's a baller and he's a natural leader."
DEFENSIVE END JJ WATT (Transcribed by Matt Bodiford)
(on what happened to Head Coach Gary Kubiak) "Our thoughts are with Coach. We don't know too much, and obviously we're hoping he's OK. Sounds like he might be OK, but we really don't know enough to say anything. I hope he's all right."
(on the outcome of the game taking a backseat in that situation) "It's very frustrating. Anytime something like this happens, it's an extremely difficult situation. Your thoughts are with your coach. You want to go out there and win the football game. Tough deal."
(on if you can pinpoint what happened in the second half) "I can't right now. I'd have to watch the film and see what happened. No, I can't pinpoint it right now."
(on watching the team not close games) "It's very frustrating. This is a tough league and you have to play extremely well at all times for an entire game. Tonight we didn't do that. A lot of times this year, we haven't put together plays to win football games. It's very frustrating. You have to play well in every single phase of the game. When you don't do that, you're not going to win. The NFL is a very tough league, a lot of great football teams. Right now, we're not playing well enough to win."
(on if the season has gotten out of hand) "I don't like losing, man. We're losing and that sure isn't fun. Obviously, our thoughts are with our Head Coach right now. That's a completely different situation, a completely independent situation. That's a real life situation right there. Obviously, very frustrating."
(on how stunned you are the team is 2-6) "Not where you expected to be, not where you hoped you'd be and sure as heck not where you need to be. I mean I've run out of things to say. It's frustrating, extremely, extremely frustrating. Like every single week all I can do is come in Monday watch the film, figure what we need to fix, how we need to fix it, try to win football games and try to have a little fun."
(on the energy QB Case Keenum brought) "We were having some fun. The first half was a lot of fun. We were rolling. We just didn't carry it over. We didn't finish the game. We didn't finish it out. Yeah, that first half, that was some fun. The crowd was having fun, we were having fun, we just didn't carry it over."
POSTGAME QUOTES FROM INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
HEAD COACH CHUCK PAGANO
S ANTOINE BETHEA
TE COBY FLEENER
LB JERRELL FREEMAN
WR T.Y. HILTON
QB ANDREW LUCK
LB ROBERT MATHIS
RB TRENT RICHARDSON
K ADAM VINATIERI
HEAD COACH CHUCK PAGANO (Transcribed by Roman Petrowski)
(on injuries from today's game) "Injury-wise we came out pretty good. DHB (Darrius Heyward-Bey), we pulled out in the third quarter. Took him in to be evaluated for a possible concussion. He does not. He does not have a concussion, so he was cleared that way. We didn't put him back in the game and he'll continue to be evaluated once we get home."
(on Texans' head coach Gary Kubiak) "Just to echo what Andrew (Luck) was just saying, first and foremost, all our thoughts and prayers are with Coach Kubiak and his family. We were notified at halftime that there could be a delay, and something had happened to one of their staff. Didn't know who exactly it was and then we found out. But again our thoughts and prayers are with Coach and the rest of this team, and we just pray for and obviously hope that it's nothing serious and that he gets back to health and as soon as possible gets back to his team.
(on the game) "Credit Houston. They've got a bunch of playmakers, they've got a tough squad and they're well coached. It was a tale of obviously two halves. Again, it was a great team win and one thing if we don't know by now; this team never quits. Very resilient. Down 18 at half I believe it was 21-3 and did absolutely nothing in the first half. Especially right at the; you know a lot of teams would have just shut it down. You know you give up that touchdown right before half and go down 21-3 and those types of things. Our guys, we stick to the process. 60 minutes, all you've got one play at a time. We said we were going to come out and just play one snap at a time and a lot of guys stepped up and made huge plays. Our quarterback and wide receivers and T.Y. (Hilton) and our defense got off the field when they had to. It's great to get out of here with a victory. It's a huge, huge win for our team and our organization."
(on abandoning the run and putting the ball in QB Andrew Luck's hands) "Again being down what we were we didn't want to totally abandon the run game but we felt like the offensive guys did a great job Pep (Hamilton) did a great job changing the tempo a little bit. Did a little bit more up tempo and give our guys a chance to make some plays. They've got a great front. They put a tremendous amount of pressure on Andrew. Once again, I don't know if there's a tougher QB in the league and one that can make the plays under the duress that he was under and extend plays. So credit him. Credit our players on the offensive line for manning up and stiffening their spine and bowing their necks and finding enough to get out of here with a win."
(on if he did anything to win the matchups up front in the second half) "It's a matter of us getting back to playing Colts football. We didn't do anything that resembled Colts football in the first 30 minutes. We had opportunities but we shot ourselves in the foot. You know get a blocked field goal and a blocked punt and all those types of things. It's amazing when that stuff happens and you can still find a way to win the game it's very, very lucky. We've got some things to clean up."
(on the job the receiving corps did without Reggie Wayne) "They did a great job. We talked about it and that it would have to be by committee. We know we have players here. They just haven't had the same amount of opportunities as the other guys. T.Y. (Hilton) is T.Y. T.Y. can make plays. Big time players make big time plays in big time games and he came through for us. The quarterback put him on him and he finished the plays. All those guys. Griff (Whalen) made some crucial; big third down catch there on the last drive I believe if I remember right. They all contributed. They all did a great job."
(on his emotions watching the first half) "If I would have had a sharp object in my pocket I might have used it. I didn't so again you just keep pressing. You just keep fighting. You stick to the process. We've been there before. Again, it was for a long time there in the first half it seemed like it was 35-0 and I looked up and it was still 14-3. And then we give up the one right before on the two minute drive unfortunately. But, to be down 18 again this team has no quit in it. Still felt like if we go out and play Colts football in the second half and execute and start doing; everybody just do their job we can get out of here with a victory."
(on if his confidence in QB Andrew Luck goes off the charts when he wins this way) "We've never lost it. We've always had it and it keeps building for him and the players around him. The guy just continues to keep showing up late in games. What I told him is there's no reason we have to put ourselves in these holes. We can come out and start fast and play better and play better for 60 minutes and we've done that and we need to do that moving forward."
(on when they found out it was Coach Kubiak who was down) "Once that we came back out for the second half and we got on the sidelines, our trainers got with us and they had talked with their people and they let us know. That's when we found out."
(on if the trainers had said what had happened) "No. They just said that something happened and they had to take him out of there on a stretcher and by ambulance to a nearby hospital. That's all we know."
SAFETY ANTOINE BETHEA (Transcribed by Lance Jaramillo)
(on their come from behind win) "It's football. Anything happens, sometimes. That's why you have halftime and we were able to come in here and make corrections. Yeah, (Houston Texans WR Andre Johnson) was able to make some plays in the first half, but, you know, good player, hats off to them, they made some plays. Second half though, we came out and made plays and were able to get off the field."
(on being counted out against The Texans) "It's huge, but, at the end of the day, nobody believes in us except for the guys in this locker room. Regardless of what the media or whatever the outsiders say about this team, we know what we have on this team and naysayers will continue to doubt. But you know we believe in this room and the 53 guys we have here and we're going to continue to play well."
(on seeing Indianapolis Colts WR Reggie Wayne) "It's huge. He's our leader. Whether he's playing or not, he's our leader. He sent me a text saying 'Look man, I'm going to be at the game.' That was a refreshing text. I was happy to see him here on the sidelines and that was one for 87."
(on Indianapolis Colts WR T.Y. Hilton) "T.Y. is a playmaker. Get the ball to T.Y. Every time he gets the ball, he makes plays. With (Indianapolis Colts WR Reggie Wayne) down, we need somebody to step up and 13 is doing that."
(on taking another step toward towards winning the division) "We've still got some football to play and we're going to take it one game at a time."
TIGHT END COBY FLEENER (Transcribed by Trevor Caswell)
(on the change in mentality after halftime) "The first half we don't want to remember for quite a while. Hopefully we can learn from it and never do it again."
(on being 6-2 and how big of a win tonight was) "It was huge. They are the reigning champs, so we need to take it from them. Tonight was the first step in doing so."
LINEBACKER JERRELL FREEMAN (Transcribed by Lance Jaramillo)
(on their come from behind win) "We're a resilient team. We just go out and play for 60 minutes. It's definitely a rivalry type game. They definitely have what we want. They owned the South last year, so you know we want it. Regardless of what the score is, we're going to keep playing and keep fighting until it's over."
(on having the confidence to win) "Get the ball to (Indianapolis Colts QB Andrew Luck) and let him work his magic. If we give him the ball enough, he's going to make things happen and you see what he did. He's got some weapons over there, so we just have to do our part on defense, try to get off the field on third downs and not let them get driving."
(on halftime adjustments) "I don't know if it was rust or what, but they kind of outplayed us at the beginning. We just had to settle down, buckle down and play our game. Play Colts football."
(on their goal of winning the division) "Right, our first goal is to gain the division, get on top of that. Then, step-by-step, playoffs and Super Bowl. Those are our goals and we're definitely on our way."
WIDE RECEIVER T.Y. HILTON (Transcribed by ReShun Gilmore)
(on making big plays in big moments) "I think we all stepped up. We lost 87 (Reggie Wayne) and we knew it was going to be a team victory and make plays. We had to do what we do best, make plays and that's what we did tonight."
(on if he considers himself a big play guy) "They called on me and I was able to do that for my team."
(on the difference from the first half to the second half) "They're going to make plays. We knew that coming in that they were going to make plays and we were going to get their best punch. We took their best punch in the first half and we responded coming out throwing our punches in the second half."
(on what he saw defensively to allow him to be effective) "In the first half, we were kind of figuring them out and see what they were doing, but we came out in the second half and played Colts football. The first half we played shaky and in the second half, we picked it up and played like we know how to play."
QUARTERBACK ANDREW LUCK (Transcribed by Nida Chaudhry & Ellie Pardee)
(on what changed in the second half) "Tale of two halves. I think, one, they were beating our butts fair and square. It was them who was doing it do us. We made some mistakes, but they're the number one defense from our perspective. They're the number one defense in the league. They're a number one football team. I think we managed to convert some third downs, put some drives together. T.Y. Hilton did one heck of a job. Everybody did one heck of a job. I don't think we freaked out and got out of our system. I think we just settled down a bit and played ball."
(on WR T.Y. Hilton's impact) "Spectacular and tough. It's hard when things aren't going your way early, for the whole offense and the defense. He showed a lot of grit, we showed a lot of grit and realized it's a long football game. 60 minutes, four quarters. Chuck has us prepared to play four quarters everyday no matter how we start, how the middle goes. It's always a four-quarter ball game. He showed a lot of grit, a lot of toughness, and his skills are unbelievable. He's such a great team player."
(on the comeback during this game) "They were beating our butts. We were getting our tail kicked every which way possible, so a lot of credit to our guys for sticking it through and going. It will be a lot to learn from the film and we know we'll have to see them again and it'll be a tough one when that happens, but there will be a lot to learn."
(on not getting frustrated with first half performance) "I think there was some frustration; there definitely was. I don't think anybody was not frustrated. I think cooler heads prevailed. We managed to stick it through coming into halftime; we regrouped. Coach did a great job of giving us a great plan for the second half. Defense had some timely, timely plays, Special teams with some big plays, so it was a good turn around."
(on in-game adjustments without WR Reggie Wayne) "You do have to make adjustments when you don't have a player of Reggie's caliber out there, but I thought DHB (Darrius Heyward-Bey), T.Y., obviously, and LaVon (Brazill), and David Reed did a heck of a job filling up that wide-out role. (Coby) Fleener did a heck of a job; running backs did a heck of a job. We missed him, of course we missed him; it's Reg. Our story is going to involve him not playing this year, so I think our guys did a great job stepping up."
(on seeing Reggie Wayne on the sidelines) "He's such a huge leader, he's such a huge presence and not only in the locker room, or on the field, just around the team. Such a team guy. So to have him there, you know another cool head, sort of steady guy, even though he's not playing, just to see him and he can talk to the wide-outs and talk to the guys. It was a good lift to have him here."
(on a heavy passing game in the second half being his call or the coaches' call) "That was a pep call."
(on having to win this game with the pass with Wayne being injured) "I don't think so, I don't want to over blow it. (Wayne's) not there but it's football. You know, guys get hurt and you've got to get through it. We'll never make an excuse 'oh, you know, because he wasn't here we couldn't do this.' Whether it's Vick Ballard or Donald Thomas or Dwayne (Allen), you know, it's always next man up. I don't want to over blow it, and again that's not disrespect to Reggie. His quality of play and what he does obviously, but you can't look at it from that perspective."
(on the division rivalry with the Texans) "It's tough no matter what their record is. They are still the division champs and we want to get where they are and bring it back to Indy. So we know it's always going to be raucous and rowdy and a 60 minute fight, and again they have a great football team, so I'm glad to get a win. I lost a playoff game in high school here my junior year so I've never won in this stadium, so I'm glad to finally do that."
"Our condolences and thoughts to Coach Kubiak. Hopefully he's going to be alright. He's a great football man and a great person. I think it was a great win but all our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family and hope he gets healthy."
LINEBACKER ROBERT MATHIS (Transcribed by Trevor Caswell)
(on QB Case Keenum's performance) "Man, he had his coming out party tonight. He is definitely on the radar now. He played a heck of a ballgame and we had our hands full with this kid."
(on the team's ability to win close games) "We just don't know any better. We fight and scratch If you do that, you will normally get a win."
(on the difference between the present team and the previous two Super Bowl teams) "We are just playing ball and trying to get into the position to make the Super Bowl. Until then, you have to just keep playing. This is a big step towards that goal. We have not quite secured the division crown yet, but it helps a whole lot to beat the champions. They came out and threw the kitchen sink at us, but we were able to withstand it and come out with a big win."
RUNNING BACK TRENT RICHARDSON (Transcribed by ReShun Gilmore)
(on the game) "It was just a hard day at work. The whole week, I felt like coming into the game, we were going to do good. I know it was a rough start in the beginning, but we came out in the second half and we just dominated."
(on the running game opening up the passing options and doing it without WR Reggie Wayne) "It opened up a lot of stuff. Everybody kept saying that we couldn't do it without Reggie, but the whole time we played with him. Reggie played with us the whole time. He was with us in spirit. He was with us on the sideline, so we didn't lose a step at all."
(on how special this Colts team is) "I can just tell you like this, I'm happy to be a Colt. I'm glad to be a Colt. This team has a lot of good leaders and a lot of good characters. The sky is the limit for this team and we have great quarterback. We have a great leader on offense and defense. We just put it all in one starting with special teams, too."
KICKER ADAM VINATIERI (Transcribed by ReShun Gilmore)
(on QB Andrew Luck and the Colt's resiliency) "Well, you know, he did it all last year too. Just fun to watch him work, you know? No matter how the game starts off, the ups and downs, the way that it goes, as long as he has the ball at the end of the game you always have a chance. It's fun to watch to watch T.Y. (Hilton) and the guys do their job as well. It was a hard fought win and thank goodness we found a way to pull it out."
(on the injuries and what Coach Pagano said coming into a divisional game) "The most obvious thing was that it's a divisional game. It helps add the distance between us and them by doing that. They obviously thought it was a pretty important game as well. They came out and played their butts off. They played we'll and hard. He said that it's the most important one because it's the next one. We have to get the win. It's a divisional game. They're the defending divisional champs and we have to find a way to knock them off their pedestal if we can. Fortunately, we played well to do that tonight."
(on how this Colt team reminds him of his old championship teams) "I look at it more like last year in a sense that, we won more games in the last minute. In New England, there were games like too, but when you have the talent and the heart that these guys have its amazing. I mean, talent only goes so far but the heart that these guys have, the "no quit" attitude and winning at all cost is contagious. As long as there is a tick on the clock, we can get it done. It's fun to watch these guys work because there is never any give up. We just keep going at it and winning games."
