Quarterback Sage Rosenfels will return to the starting lineup for an injured Matt Schaub.
Quarterback Sage Rosenfels talked to the media Monday about returning to the starting lineup on Sunday agains the Baltimore Ravens.
QB Sage Rosenfels
(on facing the Baltimore Ravens) "We have our hands full this week. This is a Baltimore team that always has a great defense and they are as good as they've ever been. Their offense has really come along and they are very, very well coached on special teams. Their head coach used to be a special teams coach. This is going to be as tough a game as we've had all year."
(on how much it helps to have played last Sunday before starting this week) "If I play, it helps obviously to be out there and play and get more comfortable. You watch even like Matt Cassell around the league, and he's played better and better as the season has gone on. The more you play, the more comfortable you get."
(on how much it helps to have all week to prepare to start) "It gets you the reps in practice. That's where it helps the most. People probably don't realize that it's not very easy to go out there and run an entire offense and you've gotten none of those reps throughout the week. And we do a lot of formation and a lot of things like that, and it's very difficult to go out there and try to run an entire game plan that you've just seen somebody else do and you've just seen on a chalk board. But to actually go out there and get those reps in practice, helps you to actually prepare mentally and physically for the game."
{QUOTE}(on the conflict of emotions of getting to start because a teammate is hurt) "I just want to win football games. So however that occurs, I just want to go out there and help this team win. Yeah, I would love for Matt not to be hurt. He's a good teammate. He's a really good quarterback. I think the team like having him out there, but I think the team also has confidence in me when I play. So, I've just got to go out there and play great football. Hopefully, we'll all play really well and get a win."
(on what he has learned so far this season) "I think the biggest thing is that I've got to go out there and I've got to play as close to a perfect game as possible. This defense isn't going to give many easy ones, or any easy ones. So, I've got to go out there and basically play perfect football. I can't turn the ball over. I've got to hit guys when they are open. When nothing is open, I've got to throw it away and move on because mistakes have been killing us and against this team they will definitely be magnified being that this defense is definitely one of the best in the league."
(on what it means to get another chance to start) "I love to play. That's why I play the game. That why everyone plays the game – to go out there and play and play to win. I'm trying to make the most of every opportunity that I get."
(on what his teammates have said to him) "I haven't really talked to guys too much today. It's pretty business like in our meetings, and guys were obviously upset about the loss. It was a tough loss. It's definitely a game we could have won, but we've got to move one. Just after that, (we) watched some film and were just getting ready for the next game."
(on any thoughts from watching the film from yesterdays game) "Well, our thoughts are when we're not shooting ourselves in the foot, we're as good as any offense in this league. I don't think the Texans' organization could say that in the past, but starting with last year and definitely this year, this offense with how we move the ball we feel is as good as any offense in the league. So, that's very encouraging. We know where our issues are. We know the mistakes we make and how they cost us, and that's why I say Matt or I or whoever plays quarterback for this team has to go out there and play clean, good, solid football and not make any mistakes."
(on if he has the weapons on offense all around to get things done compared to last season) "Well, (RB) Steve Slaton's really helped us out and (WR) Andre Johnson was pretty unhealthy last year and he's pretty healthy this year. Other receivers have more experience and we've got a few more weapons and (WR) David Anderson's given us a little lift and (TE) Owen Daniel's is having a great season. So, we've got a lot of weapons and we're further along advance on our offense this year than we were last year, and I think just having more and more experience and guys getting more and more comfortable with the offense. And I think it shows the way we move the ball up and down the field. We've got to just keep hanging onto the ball and score touchdowns when we get into the red zone."
(on how critical the next couple of games are for the team) "I think every game we have the rest of the season are playoff-type teams. I think Oakland is the only team that is struggling really right now, everyone else is really in the hunt. So, if we want to be in the hunt and have a chance of getting to the playoffs, we have to beat all those teams. A lot of those teams are in the AFC also and then that helps our chances. That's encouraging, but we have to win them. We've sort of lost the close games this year and we have to win those close games. The difference between a 6-10 season and a 10-6 season is very, very small. We have to win those close games."
(on if he has talked to QB Matt Schaub today and what his demeanor is) "Sure. I think he's just frustrated. He was having a good year and to get hurt is frustrating. Anytime a player has an injury, it's frustrating."
(on the best play sometimes being to throw the ball away and protect the ball) "I think it's that you're mentality is hard because when you're a back up quarterback, you to try to overcome the stigma of a backup quarterback you want to go in there and make things happen. You want to make plays and make great plays. I've been able to do that a lot of times, in the preseason and when I've played. The hardest part is to, when you don't have plays there, is to have the mental toughness and the mental mindset to just throw the ball in the dirt and to move on. I did that some in this last game and really my mindset was to if it's not there, just throw the ball away. I did that I think three or four times. One play, which I don't really regret the throw, I regret not making a good throw. That's really the only mistake I made in the game. I think if I make a throw two or three yards further we have a touchdown and it's a tie football game."
(on if he wanted to prove he can compete) "Sure, every time you go on the field is a chance to prove that. But our resume as football players, is what we do on the field. Obviously, every time I go out there that it's a chance for me to prove the naysayers wrong and prove to myself that I can play in this league, which I feel like I can."
(on if he feels like he has a lot of naysayers) "Well, I've been a backup for eight years. So, if there are 32 teams times eight years, that's 256 times that teams have said, 'This guys not our starter.' So, yeah I think there's some out there."
(on what teams look for in a starting quarterback) "It comes down to winning. Winning is the most important thing. But, it comes down to a lot of things. Teams look for different things in a starting quarterback. They are looking for a guy who can make all the throws and more importantly, probably, make all the right decisions. So, making probably the best decisions is the best thing I can do to help this team and to help my career."
