After a Texans' 29-28 win over the Miami Dolphins, members of both teams spoke to the media.
Texans owner Bob McNair
(on the end of the game) "(If Miami had gotten a first down) and just run the clock out and kicked the field goal, we'd never get the ball back. And fortunately, they scored a touchdown and that gave us the ball again, and we had a chance just to make a great run."
(on if these games are starting to wear on him a little bit) "Oh, boy. I tell you, it's hard on an old-timer like me."
(on the gutsy call on fourth down that won the game) "Well, it was totally unexpected, and certainly they did not expect it, either. But it was great to see Matt (Schaub) come back. He looked a little rusty at the beginning of the game and didn't have things going his way, and he stayed in there and battled and came back and brought his team down and won the game. And so you can't ask more of a player than that."
(on the locker room after the game) "They're all excited and feeling good. We've just had a lot of things go against us, and to have everything break our way was really a tremendous relief for everybody."
(on what the win means) "Well, I think just to turn it around at the end, I think it's very, very important to us as a team. I mean, the team knows they're good enough to win. And we said we need to close it out, we need to finish, and today they went out and finished the game in spite of the fact that we had four turnovers, so I think that was remarkable."
(on how important the game-winning drive was in terms of team history) "Well, it certainly was one of the best. And of course, the pass over the middle that Matt (Schaub) threw to Andre (Johnson), Andre just went up and took it away. I mean, the defender was in position to make the interception and Andre just decided he was going to make the play. And that's what Coach (Gary Kubiak) has been saying, that guys have got to step up and make a play when we needed it, and Andre did that and then Kevin (Walter) caught that ball and went out of bounds and stopped the clock down on about the 10-yard line. And then, of course, the last play when Matt took it in, there just couldn't have been a better, more fitting way to end the game than that."
(on how proud he is of the team) "Well, I'm really proud of them because really they've been playing hard and playing well and we should've been winning games and for some reason we weren't able to finish and close it out. It would be easy to give up, and they just haven't done that. They've battled back, and you've got to give your coaches credit for keeping your players on their toes and energized and ready to go out and leave it all out on the field the way they've been doing."
Texans head coach Gary Kubiak
(on the final drive) "We were cooked early because we had that fourth and 10. They were in excellent position. (WR) Andre (Johnson) made the play that really gave us a chance to win, going out and getting that ball. And then we make a good play to (WR) Kevin (Walter), and then I want to say there is 16 seconds left and we had three shots, so every ball had to go in the end zone. On fourth down, I just gambled. I saw them playing quarters and I said we're going to run the draw and if they come get us we'll try to dump it off to somebody. It was just a gut feeling, but great job by the players making plays."
(on what he was thinking immediately following the score and the win) "We're a 1-4 team and we're battling for our lives. We're making a great deal of mistakes as a team, but we're doing some unbelievable things. If we can just figure out a way, from a maturity standpoint, to protect the ball better, do some smarter things in some tougher situations, I think we have a chance to be a dang good football team. One of the things we're doing is we're fighting, and we just have to figure out a way to clean things up."
(on the last series when Miami RB Ronnie Brown scored) "We had timeouts to make them kick the field goal. We could have went timeout, timeout, timeout and had, I don't have a clock in front of me, but somewhere in the neighborhood of 1:30 or 1:25 to go make a field goal. So we would have had time to get a field goal."
(on how he feels for QB Matt Schaub after being booed by the fans in the first quarter) "Well, I'm happy for the whole football team. That's part of being a quarterback. You get your butt booed in the first quarter and you come back and win the game in the fourth. I've been there. I've seen John Elway throw four picks in the first half and throw three touchdowns in the last 10 minutes to win a game. That's part of being a quarterback. The kid made some mistakes. Regardless of who our quarterback is, they have got to do a better job at protecting the ball. His teammates found a way to make him successful."
(on the fourth down catch by WR Andre Johnson) "We felt like we had to move (QB) Matt (Schaub) because they were just teeing off on us, so we ran a little sprint, a throw back. They did a good job defensively. The corner didn't really bite, but Andre broke the route and that gave him a chance at the ball. Just making that play is the difference in winning and losing the football game."
(on how many receivers in the league can make that play) "(WR) Andre (Johnson) right now can make them all. He had, what, 10 (catches) for 178 (yards), and he's just been playing tremendous for this team. I think that ever since he walked out of Tennessee on a disappointing day, I've never seen a player work harder and be more of a pro then he's been. He's on his way to a great year."
(on the play of DE Mario Williams and if CB Eugene Wilson will get a tryout at running back) "Well, first off Mario is special. You're watching something special. You're watching a great player grow up and become confident in what he's doing. He studies the point – I think I probably say that too much to you guys – but he studies football. He loves playing. He's becoming a special, special player. As far as Eugene, he made a tremendous play. He got a good lick in the back. Those are things you talk about as a coach, and you've got a great example now of where it's just better to get on the ground. But the kid is trying to make a play, and we overcame some disastrous stuff and found a way to win."
(on putting an emphasis on trying to protect the ball) "I don't know. I've been all kind of routes. Do I talk about it too much? Do I not talk about it enough? Do we emphasize it too much or not enough? It's something you go through. We've got two quarterbacks to me that can be great, great players if they protect the ball better. We haven't protected the ball, and they know that. We went out there today to be aggressive. We felt like we had to be very aggressive against this team to get them to where we could run the ball on them. I liked our plan, but our plan almost got us in trouble. If (QB) Matt (Schaub) is going to be a 10-, 12-, 13-year starter in this league, he's going to have to learn from these things and he's going to have to understand that he has to protect the ball better. If he can do these things like he did today, the sky is the limit. But he has got to protect the ball."
(on what it says about the offense that they are the only team to score on Miami in the fourth quarter this season) "I'm glancing here. I had no idea that we had a 490-yard offensive day. That's unheard of in the National Football League. That's moving the ball. We've been moving the ball well the last few weeks. The only thing that has been hurting us is ourselves. If we can figure that one out, we have a chance to be one hell of an offensive football team throughout the course of this season. I think we're playing better defensively. We gave up some big plays today, but like I said, we're 1-4, battling football team, and we'll keep battling."
(on what he saw on the first three plays of the final drive that he felt the quarterback draw would work) "I just saw they were playing us in quarters. That quarterback draw is a big shot in the dark because if you catch the wrong stunt inside, it can look real ugly. We call quarters, got them out of the box, and it parted like the Red Sea. You just have to take chances in those situations. We're trying to learn as a team. We're trying to be aggressive in situations and sometimes we're failing, and today we succeeded. But if we're going to become a winning franchise where we all want to be, we've got to learn how to play in those situations, make calls, take chances, make plays, and that's what I'm trying to teach these guys to do."
(on the play of the defense against the Wildcat formation) "I don't think they were in it that much. I'm going to go somewhere around 10 plays, maybe it's more. I thought today, we did good on defense. We were excellent on third down. We gave up a couple of big plays but were excellent on third down."
(on WR Jacoby Jones'spunt return for a touchdown) "It means a lot to the team. The kid just needed to make a play to get all that swagger back he had a year ago. I think you're going to see him move on and excel. It's a tough league, and when you're struggling, the whole team is struggling, and all of a sudden you start doing some of those things, it can turn real quick. Hopefully, this is a step in the right direction."
(on what it meant for WR Jacoby Jones to score on a punt return after the team had been struggling) "I think we're battling as a team, those types of things. It seems like every time we take a step forward, we take two back and everybody senses it, but everybody is still fighting. It looked like today, we were going to have to walk in here again today and talk about mistakes and disappointment, but somehow through our battling we found something good to happen and hopefully we can build off of that. That's tremendous character to do what happened today in that game."
(on what a game like this can do for the team) "Hopefully, it gives these guys some confidence. But like I said, we have to look at the picture. The picture is we're 1-4. We're way behind. We've struggled. We battled as hard as we can battle today and something good happened to us. We're going to keep our chin up and keep working like we've been working and try to work our way back into this thing."
Texans T Duane Brown
(on the outcome of the game) "I feel real good. It wasn't one of my better days. (Dolphins LB Joey) Porter is one of those veterans. It's a rebirth for him this year, and he's really been getting after it. He's a slippery guy. He got past me a few times, but I just knew I to had make something happen toward the end of it to keep us going."
(on the last drive) "I knew we were going to make some stuff happen. Me personally, like I said, it hasn't been my best day but I just had to dig deep and get the job done out there and give (QB) Matt (Schaub) some time back there to make something happen. And he had a heck of a drive."
(on how surprised he was that QB Matt Schaub bounced back after throwing two interceptions) "I wasn't surprised. Matt is very poised. In the midst of everything that was going on, he still tried to keep the offense going, keep everybody energized and into the game and he did a great job. My hat goes off to him. I should have kept him cleaner throughout the game, but he came in here and told me to just keep fighting. And that coming from my quarterback meant a lot to me and it really helped me out toward the end."
(on facing Dolphins LB Joey Porter) "It's a little different. I expected him to be more of a speed rusher, and more he's powerful than I thought he would be. He was pressuring the pocket more and just giving me different looks. It confused me a bit, but like I said, I just knew that last drive I had to do everything I could to make something happen and I did what I could for the team."
Texans TE Owen Daniels
(on if they said anything in the sideline after the Dolphins scored their last touchdown) "Well, we knew what we needed to do. We needed to put a drive together and score a touchdown. We just wanted to keep the ball moving and get first downs. You can't really, in that situation, get too ahead of yourself. You have to get a first down to get things moving a little bit. We dodged some bullets there. We dodged some major bullets. We dodged - it first started with a sack; we had a sack fumble we got away with. We overturned a pick and Andre (Johnson) made an unbelievable catch on fourth down. (WR) Kevin (Walter) made a great catch. We scored on fourth down. Man, we had to fight for that. We earned our money there."
(on if he can believe that happened) "When our defense was out there, sitting on the bench when (CB) Eugene (Wilson) got that pick, right before that (TE) Joel Dressen said, 'Come on, make it easy on us. Have the ball bounce our way.' And there it was and kind of there it went for a second. Luckily for us, there was still a lot of time for us to do something with it, but unbelievable. Two weeks in a row. But we get to smile about it a little more this week."
(on QB Matt Schaub having a rollercoaster game but he hung in there and what that means) "Impressive, impressive. I was getting mad at our fans, honestly. I love our fans, but when we were going out there and they were booing him in the first quarter, that hurt my feelings, I know it was hurting his feelings. I was telling them to hush their mouths a little bit. But he just did an unbelievable job of shutting all that stuff out and going back out there and doing what needed to be done to win the game there for us. He made some great plays for us throughout the game."
(on what he though about the call on QB Matt Schaub's touchdown run) "Perfect call. Perfect call. I mean, really. Spread them out. I don't think they left anybody in the box there. They just had their guys rushing, untouched going. Let's walk it in, and it's that slow. Matt walking is slow; him running is slow (laughs)."
Texans S Will Demps
(on the win) "You don't understand. This locker room, the coaches, we stuck together. The media was always on us, just people – you go home, you go to the grocery store, there was always something about, 'The Texans this, the Texans that,' and they don't understand how hard we work. Every day, we work hard. And we don't want to be 0-4, but we were 0-4 and that's the reality of it. And to kind of come in the way we did today just showed how we finish, and that was the big thing this week was finish and we finished all 60 minutes. Every game we played before, it was that one play that we didn't finish. And that's why we were 0-4, and right now it's a testament to this team. We believe, and when you believe it, things can work and miracles can work, and today was just a perfect example."
(on what the emotions were like after the win) "This game is about emotion and finish. A lot of people rule us out and think, 'Same old Texans team,' but, you know, in this looker room you have heart and determination. Games are going to end like that. It could have went the other way. We could sit here probably talking about 0-5, but you know what, it doesn't matter win or loss but we know we had a big win. We needed this win, and right now it's a new quarter. (Head coach Gary) Kubiak said last night we finished up 0-4 in the first quarter and right now it's a new quarter and right now we're 1-0. But you know what, we still have to have a chip on our shoulder. We're 1-4, that's the reality of it."
Texans WR Andre Johnson
(on the play of QB Matt Schaub) "I think Matt played real well. It was kind of crazy to come out and the fans are booing you and chanting (QB) Sage (Rosenfels) and Sage's name, and things like that. He could have easily went out and played a terrible game. Even when everyone was chanting for Sage, Matt was clapping his hands, telling us we've got them right where we want them, even though we were down. He played a great game."
(on if he believed QB Matt Schaub) "You know what? I kind of looked at him crazy at first. How can you have them right where you want when you're losing? Maybe it was just something he said to catch everybody off guard."
(on the fourth-down catch) "The play before they intercepted the ball, he (Miami S Yeremiah Bell) was playing in between and I'm saying to myself, I went to the sideline, and I wanted to tell Larry (Kirksey), my receivers coach, (was) 'Just let me try to run by the guy and throw the ball up.' But coach (Gary) Kubiak said, 'Let's throw the throw back. What do you think about it?' Tired and all, I was like, 'Hey, you call it and we'll run it.' He ran the play. (QB) Matt (Schaub) just gave me a chance, and I don't know how I made the play."
(on if he took the ball away from the defender) "No. I just stuck my hands up, he put his hands up, and the ball just kind of bobbled around. I don't think he really had possession of the ball. We were both just competing for the ball, and I was able to get it."
(on if he understood at the time how important that play was) "To be honest, I didn't even know what down it was. It was the two-minute drill, and you know you're going to have to throw the ball just about every play and most of us, we were out of gas. We were just trying to make plays if they gave us the chance."
(on if the roof being open had an effect) "It was pretty humid out there. We were sweating pretty bad. Coming out before for warmups, the sun wasn't out very much, just a few rain drops."
(on the fumble) "It was a slant play. I caught the ball, came through a tackle. Normally, after I catch a slant, normally, I put two hands on the ball because I know I'm going to get hit. But that time, I was just saying to myself before the play was even run when (QB) Matt (Schaub) called the play, when I came out of the huddle, I was just like, 'I'm going to try to catch this ball and try to score.' It didn't happen like that. I caught the ball, but the guy hit me and I had the ball right in front of me when he hit me, and it just popped right out of my hands."
(on what has changed for him the last couple of games) "I don't think anything has changed. I just think I'm getting more opportunities. That's pretty much it. In the first half, they weren't really rolling their coverage up to me. The second half, they did more than they did in the first half. I think it's just more of getting opportunities."
(on if this is how he has pictured himself playing in the NFL) "Yeah, any receiver wants to go out all the time, but that doesn't happen. When you come out and have a day like this where they can throw the ball to you 15, 16 times, that's something that you want."
(on fighting through the frustration level today) "I really don't think that guys were really frustrated. We were sitting on the sideline, I think it was me and (WR) Jacoby (Jones), and Jacoby just kept saying - he sounded like a little kid, and he was just like, 'Man, I hate this game.' He just kept saying it over and over, and I kept wondering why he kept saying it. You know, you get in tight games and then you make a play and then something bad happens, and that seems to always happen to us. He just kept saying, 'Man, I hate this game. Man, I hate this game.' I just kept laughing at him. Especially like when my fumble happened and I was hanging my head, and I was pretty upset and I felt like, I was like, 'Man, I might have just gave this game away.' We just kept fighting through it. After that fumble play, coach (Gary) Kubiak and (wide receivers coach) Larry (Kirksey) came to me and said, 'You have to make a play to win this game for us.' And then the fourth down play happened, so I was able to redeem myself."
(on if it was the most satisfying drive he's had as a Texan) "I think that two-minute drive, just looking at this game and that drive, going down to win the game, I think that was a big test for us. I think that was a big test for us. I think that was the first time we've been in a situation like that, and we answered it. This was a big win for us. It's better to be 1-4 than 0-5. This win shows what we can do, and hopefully it can be the start of something special."
(on how often he feels he can beat the secondary) "At times, you do. In the two-minute drill, he almost picked off the ball to seal the game and we kept running deep routes, and I was like, 'Man, just give me the chance.' And, like I said, I was just wanting to make a play to redeem myself on the fumble I had earlier."
Texans DT Travis Johnson
(on what was going trough his mind when QB Matt Schaub ran in the last touchdown) "How sweet it is to get a victory. But at the same time, Miami played a very good game and we just finished. We talk about finishing the drill and we finished it. It feels good to win. It always feels good to win."
(on his range of emotions the last two mintues) "There was never any doubt in our minds that we weren't going to pull it out. Not even when they scored that last touchdown, there was never any doubt that we weren't going to pull it out. I think it was a testimony to the whole team of what we've been through and where we are trying to go."
Texans WR Jacoby Jones
(on making the most of punt return opportunities) "Well, earlier this week, in the meetings, we saw the guy kick a lot of low line drive balls, so we know we had a lot of opportunities this week."
(on who he was pointing to during his punt return for a touchdown) "I was pointing to Momma. As soon as I turned the corner and knew I was going, I said, 'Here I come.' I was going to Mom."
(on what his mom said to him when he jumped into the stands) "My baby."
(on the punt return) "Well, (special teams coordinator) Joe (Marciano) put in a great play call and the guys did a great job blocking. Once I hit that seam, I saw nothing but white jerseys. I knew I had some protection and I just did what I did. God given, I just ran as fast as I could."
(on what the win means to the team) "It feels like a fresh start for us. So, we're hoping we can keep it going and we're 1-4 and we'll keep on fighting."
(on if his punt return ignited the offense) "It might have but every body played a good game. Offense was rolling and defense held and special teams stayed special."
Texans C Chris Myers
(on taking the game down to the last seconds) "That was the word of the week. That was the tone, finish this week. I think we did that. It came down to the end. We get that field goa, and ended up letting them score a couple more points. And offense, we work on two-minute drill every single week. Going into the huddle, we were nothing but confident and (QB) Matt (Schaub) led us all the way down the field."
(on WR Andre Johnson's fourth down catch) "Yeah, that guy had a franchise game today. He's the leader of our offense and he's going to make plays like that. Being on the field after I finished blocking, I looked downfield at that catch. That just gives you extra motivation and extra energy to go down there. You're huffing and puffing. When you see something like that, you want to go down there and pick him up."
(on the draw play to win the game being a gutsy call) "Yeah, it was a gutsy call. The whole drive, they had been spreading everybody out. There was a Mike linebacker right there in the middle and once he left the box, it was wide open. So, I'm sure (QB) Matt's (Schaub) eyes got real big when he saw that Mike linebacker walk out, because mine did. He made one move and then scored."
(on what was going through his head during the last play) "Just get on your guy. Get on your guy and let (QB) Matt (Schaub) run."
Texans CB Dunta Robinson
(on the status of when he can play) "I can play Sunday. I can play next Sunday. I think I'm playing. That's what I think but, you know, we'll see what happens."
(on his thoughts on WR Andre Johnson's catch) "Oh, man. It was crazy, man. You know, just throw him the ball. The man's a beast. We converted two fourth downs in times where we needed to, and we did. It just shows the character of this team, losing a heartbreaker like we did last week and coming back this week and being in the same position and pulling a win out."
(on how important today's win was) "Every game we come into, it's important. It was important to get this win' and it will be important to get next week's win if we can."
Texans LB DeMeco Ryans
(on CB Eugene Wilson's interception and his fumble) "He knew the play we ran. He made a great play' and I think a guy just came in from the back, knocked the ball out. You like to get down in that situation' but when you get the ball in your hand and you see the end zone, you're trying to get there."
(on what it means to get CB Dunta Robinson back next week) "It's going to mean a lot for us. We've been waiting on him to get back, watching him rehab. He's been working hard since he got hurt. He's been working hard to get back, and his presence on the field will help us out a lot."
(on the win) "It's a confidence booster for us. I think everybody's demeanor picks up. We're feeling very confident now that we can get used to winning. You have to get that feeling of getting used to winning in the locker room and just let it carry on week to week."
(on head coach Gary Kubiak breaking down the season into four quarters and going 0-4 in the first quarter and starting out the second quarter 1-0) "Well, that's how we look at a season. You break it down into four quarters, four games in each quarter. We definitely sucked in the first quarter, 0-4. But now, it's good to start off on a good foot in the second quarter. It's just like in a game. You get down early, 14-0 in the first quarter. Now, we just have to bounce back and just finish our season."
(on the difference between being 1-4 and 0-5) "Very unbelievable. It's a very thin line between them, and we got on the right side today."
(on if he sits back and thinks we could have been 3-2 right now) "That's always in the back of your mind. We could definitely be 3-2 because we shot ourselves in the foot so many times."
(on the flea flicker and the screen pass that the Dolphins scored on) "We were ready for the flea flicker. We kind of knew that that was going to be their next wrinkle off that. We talked about that this week. We were in man coverage on that and everybody just had to stay with their man. We kind of lost our man coverage on that one, and they made a big play. On the screen, they did a great job blocking and we just have to find a way to send the ball back inside to the troops so we can come make a tackle."
Texans QB Matt Schaub
(on the final drive) "It was another one of those crazy games that we were in. The defense is out there with a two-point lead and they get a turnover and then turn it back over, and they (the Dolphins) end up going down and scoring a touchdown when we think we can hold them to a field goal, and then we turn around and instead of a field goal, we need a touchdown. It was one of those things where we had been in that position the past few years here before. It's just a matter of playing the game, blocking, throwing, executing. We were able to do that. Guys made plays where we needed them to. That's across the board, whether it be an offensive lineman blocking and holding up on (Miami LB) Joey Porter on the back side, or (WR) Andre (Johnson) making a big catch, (WR) Kevin (Walter) making a big catch, guys making plays."
(on the call for a fourth down quarterback draw) "I loved the play. It's one of those plays you call when the other team is least expecting it, and I think that was a situation where they weren't quite expecting it. We come out in empty (set) and there's a pass option in there in case it's a bad look for the draw, but they gave us a very good look for it and I just let the thing sort out in front with the offensive and defensive line and found a hole just tried to get in the end zone."
(on the fourth down catch by WR Andre Johnson) "I knew he could make it or else I wouldn't have thrown it to him. I know he can make that play. I've seen No. 80 make some tremendous plays over the course of the past few years. That's a play where we were going to him all the way, and it wasn't the best look for the play but it wasn't a dead play at all. I just tried to put it up there where he could go up and make a play on the football, and he was able to do that and made one heck of a catch. That was really the game winner right there, that play on fourth down."
(on at what point on the fourth down play he knew he could make the touchdown) "Well, pretty early in the down, actually. I kind of had a good feeling. We emptied out the formation and they emptied the box out, so they had no linebackers back in there, just their four down linemen, so it was just a matter of me letting the defensive linemen take their rush and our offensive linemen taking them with them and open up the hole, and I had to find a way to get in there. So, pretty early."
(on what it felt like coming off the field knowing they would win) "I was exhausted coming off after that drive. Everyone hit me in the head and everything. It was a great feeling. They were good hits in the head. It was exciting to come off the field knowing that after all the stuff our team had gone through over the course of September and then last week, with that loss, to come back and finish the job. We talked all week this past week to finish, whether it be a play, a drive, the game, finish off the win. We were able to do that as a team today. Across the board, everyone had a hand in the cookie jar, and it was just a great feeling to know that everyone finished the game."
(on the two interceptions to start the game) "It was frustrating to start the game that way because we were moving the football. The first one, I had (WR) Andre (Johnson) running across the middle open and the backside linebacker fell underneath him and made the play. I've got to have my vision to him and see that guy coming. The second one, it was a very boneheaded play on my part. I forgot to send a motion, which would have sent (WR) André (Davis) across the field, and his guy ended up making the interception, so that was squarely on my shoulders."
(on having to refocus to go back out on the field after the interception and fumble) "Not initially, because they were backed up and basically starting their drive all over and I was thinking, 'Hey, our defense is still going to stop them and we'll be in a four-minute drill where we just burn out the clock.' But then once they had a couple plays and got across midfield, I think on that scramble where they hit (RB) Ronnie Brown on the sideline, that's when we had to start talking about our two-minute drill."
(on how he didn't get discouraged early on) "We've been here before. It's not an uncommon place where we were early in the game. It's just battling. The adversity you go through inside a game and inside a season, we've really faced a lot of tough situations here in the first five weeks and we've come back from things before. It's just all of us hanging together and (we) keep battling and continuing to play hard knowing that good things can happen to us."
(on what the carryover is after this game) "Just the winning feeling. The way we were able to finish the game off today and the taste of victory after four weeks of tough losses and then to get in the win column, we just hope we have the snowball effect of that feeling, just to continue to play well because it is a long season. We have to take them one at a time."
(on tuning out the boos) "It's part of this game. It's one of those things you have to go through. Our fans are eager to win and for us to win and we were doing the things that hurt you and cause you to lose early in the ball game, so you just keep playing. It's like in baseball when a pitcher throws back-to-back home runs, he's going to get booed no matter what, so you have to keep throwing the fastball and keep playing."
(on what he saw on the Miami defense that allowed the Texans to be successful) "We caught on to their coverages and saw some ways that we could get guys the football where they could make a play with it after they caught it. It's a credit to them finding those zone coverages and running with it after the catch. That was a big part of what we were able to do today, yards after the catch. It helped us out a lot."
(on the running game) "It was as big part of our plan today. This defense has been very stout against the run this first half of the season. We've been very good with the run here in the last few weeks, so we wanted to still make it a big part of what we wanted to get done because we felt we could get them running and have the cutback lanes with (RB) Ahman (Green) and (RB) Steve (Slaton). And they did a great job just keeping them off balance with our running game."
(on WR Andre Johnson's fourth-down catch and whether it was a possible interception) "It never crossed my mind that that could be an interception. I saw Andre had it pulled in. My first instinct was that it was a catch by Andre and I was thinking, 'What's the next call, what do we want to do, are we going to spike it, what's our next call.'"
(on T Duane Brown) "He kept battling through. He's a young player playing left tackle as a rookie. In the first five weeks, (Tennessee Titans DE Kyle) Vanden Bosch and (Indianapolis Colts DE Dwight) Freeney, he's had some tough challenges. But he keeps his nose to the grindstone. He keeps working. We just want to give him the help. He benefits a lot from having (G) Chester (Pitts) to help him with his call and have an inside presence for him."
(on WR Andre Johnson's presence on the field) "It's a huge asset for a quarterback to have a receiver that you know where he's going to be and he's going to make that play, whether it's the catch or the run after the catch. Andre had some tremendous plays today where he was able to make guys miss and get yards after the catch, and that really helps us in our passing game being able to get explosive plays. Like I said earlier, the fourth-down catch on the throwback, that was the play of the game, not the ending of the drive. That was the one that won it for us because it got us in position where we could continue to drive. It's just beneficial to have a guy like that that just keeps working no matter what. He just kept battling and made a lot of good plays for us to win this game."
(on the pressure on the final drive) "I knew I was going to get hit, but I was just trying to hang in there to the last second when my guys were coming open, and our guys up front held up and did a tremendous job against their four-man rush. And we found holes in the defense where guys were getting open and finishing the plays. After (WR) Andre's (Johnson) catch and (WR) Kevin Walter's catch down the sideline, those set us up for that finish there at the end in the red zone."
(on if he expected the quarterback draw call) "I don't know if I expected it. But when it came in, I said, 'I love this call.' I loved it. It gives us options. We can throw the ball if we don't like the look or I can run it, so it gives us the best of both worlds based on what the defense does."
Texans RB Steve Slaton
(on his thoughts of QB Matt Schaub's performance) "He showed why he's the captain of our team and the leader."
(on thoughts of the last drive) "That I'm part of something bigger than myself - it's something big. We all came together as a team and rose and came out with a victory."
(on thoughts of first win in the pros) "It's very nice. It was a long time coming and hopefully it's a good road for us and we keep going down this win streak."
Texans WR Kevin Walter
(on the game) "It's unbelievable what happened to us. That game could've been closed out and we turned it over when we picked it, and they obviously scored a touchdown. You can't give up. We go out there and execute during the week real well, and we tell ourselves, 'Don't give up,' because we've got the guys who can go out there and make plays, we've got the quarterback who can go out there and help us make plays, and we did that today."
(on his mental preparation when he knows that WR Andre Johnson is going to get most of the catches) "You know, we know 80's (WR Andre Johnson) going to get the ball. He's a phenomenal receiver, as you see today. He balled out and he helped this team win big-time. I know whenever your number's called, whenever you get the opportunity, whether it's one time or two times in the game or 10 times in the game, you've got to be ready because you don't get that many opportunities in this league."
(on QB Matt Schaub bouncing back from two early interceptions) "He did a great job. He's our leader. He's our quarterback. We know he's clutch when it comes down to the fourth quarter and we need points. He made things happen. He stepped up in the pocket and made things happen. We needed him to do that. We got open. The offensive line did a great job blocking. Obviously, we had mistakes – everyone did, receivers (included). It's hard to play a perfect game out there, but we made plays when it counted."
(on getting the victory) "You know, it's huge. We needed a win. This was a must-win, and now we've got I think Detroit next week and we've just got to keep rolling. We've been playing good, good football these past few weeks, it's just the ball hasn't rolled our way. Kube (head coach Gary Kubiak) said, 'If you keep working hard and doing the right things, good things like this are going to happen,' and it did today."
(on his thoughts when he heard that the fourth down play was going to be a draw) "Great call. Great call. Great call. Because they thought we were going to pass it. They brought everyone out, left the middle open, and we did great job. It was perfect."
(on the draw play) "I thought it was a great call, unbelievable call. We spread them out. They thought we were going to throw it, dink and dunk it like we did on the first few plays. It was a great call by (head) coach, and (QB) Matt (Schaub) executed real well."
(on how important it was for QB Matt Schaub to score the winning touchdown) "Oh, it's great. It was really good because obviously, in the first quarter, some of the fans were booing. You know, that's just how fans are sometimes. When things aren't going right, they're going to get on you. But we needed him to do that. He stepped up and made a big, big play."
(on what QB Matt Schaub was saying in the huddle) "'Give me time, give me time. Go out there and make plays. We'll get you the ball. And let's do this, let's win.' We all knew we were going to go out. We were calm. We weren't panicked in the huddle. We knew we could go down there whatever it was, 70, 80 yards and get the job done."
Texans DE Anthony Weaver
(on the belief of the team) "I don't know if anybody ever stops believing. We just needed a few things to go our way, and luckily (WR) Andre (Johnson) made that catch on fourth down and it looks like change is going to come now."
(on thoughts of today's win) "It feels good, like you said. It's one win, and we'll just work hard and try to get the next one next week."
(on thoughts of Wildcat offense) "I don't like it. I feel bad. I don't know who they play next week, but they better prepare for it 'cause they can put some points on the board with it."
Texans DE Mario Williams
(on the win) "It's like a breath of fresh air. The way that the team played today was just phenomenal. Whenever we really needed it, we had people step up and make plays. It wasn't just limited to one guy."
(on the frustration as the game wore on) "It was pretty back and forth. We managed to come out on top. We dealt with the Wildcat pretty well. We came out and executed what we needed to do. It was just staying focused and playing sound football."
(on if the heat was a factor) "No. The heat wasn't a factor. We practice in that every day, sometimes worse than that. For us, it doesn't matter."
(on the game plan) "We came out and executed great. Everything that was happening, we knew was going to happen, except for that touchdown pass. That was the biggest thing that was new. If we had just stayed true to our assignment, we would have been fine. Like you said, it was those two plays, that was pretty much one of those trick plays. Other than that, playing football straight up, we did what we had to do."
(on playing like a winning team despite a losing record) "It's like I said. I made a statement earlier this week. No matter what the record is, we definitely know what's going on. We know that the last few years there were games that we lost that could have definitely gone the other way. We have to find a way to finish it. Today was that day, obviously. It was another nail biter. We still have players step up to make plays to win the game."
(on what a win can do for the team) "It gets the feeling back. We can actually go into the locker room after the game and know that we went out there and played hard and not came close. For us to come into the locker room, everyone was excited. The things they hadn't ever been after the victory, you know, all that goes away. The biggest thing is that we won and everybody is excited."
(on if he said anything to anyone during the week to make sure guys were in the right frame of mind to go play the game) "Oh no, no. I mean, what happened last week is obviously something that you don't see every week. For it to happen to us after all the hard work we've been doing, we all knew we were right there, we were one play away, one step away. It wasn't like we were going to sit here and go away. We still have our minds focused."
(on how the team got the win) "That was even better. For it to come through, for it to be the third game where it happened like that at the very end of the game, and for us to come in and push it out, slug it out, and get it done, that's even better. That shows the teamwork on the offensive side, the defensive side, the special teams side. Everybody played on every team today."
Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano
(on there being too many big plays) "Yeah, too many big plays. We came into the game understanding that that was one of the keys to us being successful today, is that we could not give up the big play. Big, strong receiver, same old, same old, you know. That's something that we knew we had to take care of. We didn't take care of it. Give the credit to Andre Johnson over there because he did a tremendous job. The guy is a hell of a player. I've been watching the same thing for years playing against him, and he did a hell of a job today."
(on his thoughts on the last drive) "Yeah, we just didn't make good plays when the plays mattered. There are several kinds, it just didn't come down to that last drive. The game, you know, as I told the team just a little while ago, we had four chances to win that game before the last drive. Last week, we carried the ball five minutes 55 seconds, whatever the hell it was, but we had some opportunities to have the ball back and just couldn't make the plays. So it comes down to the end like that. We didn't execute."
(on feeling frustration right now) "My team played hard. I mean, they came out here, you know, we knew this was going to be a tough game. Maybe some other people didn't. We knew this was going to be a tough game and we were going to be in a fight. My team came out here and they played hard. I thought they competed hard. We gave ourselves a chance to win the game at the end, so because you don't win the game, are you frustrated? Sure, yeah, you're supposed to be frustrated at the end of that, but we'll be fine. A good pick for us right now is the reason we can be frustrated over something like this is we have what it takes to win, and I think that's good to me."
(on not challenging the play in the fourth quarter) "My observation it was under two minutes. It's not my challenge."
(on the secondary breaking down in the passing game and what he were seeing out there) "I mean, early on we had a couple of miscommunications. Other than that, they just made some good plays and we didn't. At that point, they weren't really mental errors. We just had miscommunication. We had one mental error out there that I do know and it led to a big play."
(on practicing tip drills and coming up with big plays) "Look, the bottom line is our guys understand we've got to make plays and we had some opportunities to make them and we just didn't make them. There wasn't one play in this game."
(on big plays and the flow of the game and thoughts on what he saw out there) "I was seeing that we didn't do a very good job on third down today. I mean, we didn't stay on the field. They had the ball for almost 18 minutes, I think, in the first half of the game, if I'm correct, somewhere around there. So, I mean, we didn't execute on third down. We did a few big plays, scored touchdowns there early on, and I think our defense kind of kept us in the game early on. Then, we let one of the punts get out of there, too, in the first quarter. So, there are a lot of things we can look at here that we are going to be able to look at and see that we need to do this better, we need to do that better, but we knew the keys to the game this week. We clearly understood them. At the end of the day, we clearly didn't execute them properly and still gave ourselves a chance to win, but it's not good enough."
(on keys to winning the game) "Don't give up the big plays was one of the keys, being able to contain No. 80, Andre Johnson, these kind of things, a third down offense. Sure, these are things that we knew were keys to the game going into the game. We just didn't do a good enough job."
(on the offense in general and the final play where the offense sputtering a bit) "Yeah, that happens when you don't convert on third down. I think one of the things, and I'll be curious to see where we were on first downs tonight, but we might have been really short on first downs, which led to longer third downs. You've got to convert on third down. I think they were over 50 percent maybe, and we were at 20 percent. That's not good enough."
(on not getting third downs and receivers not being open) "I don't know. I've got to watch the film."
(on LB Joey Porter) "I thought Joey did a nice job today and at the end of the game he tried to change the game a little bit and that's what big players do. We're going to watch film and I'm sure we're going to see that there are some things that everyone could've did better."
(on special teams coverage units and things that need to change) "Again, I've got to take a look at the film. I really couldn't give you that answer right now. I know that when the ball was caught, we didn't have anybody down the field, in my estimation, maybe within 10 or 15 yards on the returner, and that has to get better."
(on fourth down when Texans QB Matt Schaub went up the middle) "It was a hell of a risk play, and they did a good job. We were trying to do defensively what we had practiced the entire week and not get out of the norm, maybe not blitz, do any of those crazy things that leaves a free receiver. I think for a couple of downs there, we did a nice job. We played good defense. They got us on the play. It's a good call. I give them credit."
(on his feelings on this game being the toughest of the defeats thus far) "It's got to be because we competed, you know. Those things like in Arizona, they're tough, too, but this is tough because we competed. We gave ourselves a chance to win the game. We didn't win the game and they're also tough because you have bags of success. So, we'll be OK because this team is resilient. I've seen that tonight, so they'll keep battling and we'll be OK."
(on WR Greg Camarillo when he hits Texans CB Eugene Wilson from behind) "In my mind, it's a pretty resilient play. I mean there is no play. Greg just makes a hell of a hustle play and does a great job. The ball is turned over. Greg goes down the field, he hits the guy and we're not worried. We get the ball out. We have a lot of people running at the football. You don't get the turnover, and the game's over right there in that situation. So, my hat's off to Greg. He did a good job at a hustle play, and that's what we talk about."
Dolphins FS Yeremiah Bell
(on his thoughts on the game) "We knew it was going to be a battle coming in. We knew it was going to be a tough, hard nosed game. We knew those guys were going to come out and compete and, you know, they just made more plays than we did."
(on the fourth down pass to Texans WR Andre Johnson) "Well, I had dropped. I was under. I had seen the ball coming. I went up to try to knock it down. I thought I had a beat on it but, you know, he made a great play and a great catch. He was kind of fighting for the ball and I was trying to pull his arm down, trying to bat the ball, but he just made a good play."
(on how close every play was today) "It was extremely close. We knew it was going to be a battle all day. We knew those guys were going to come and play and we knew we were going to have to make some plays. At the end, they just made more plays than we did."
(on if he feels he should have had the pass to Texans WR Andre Johnson in the corner) "I felt like I should have knocked it down. He made a great play and a great catch, but that's a play I feel like I should make. I didn't make the play and as a result, it ended up helping them win the game."
(on Texans WR Andre Johnson) "He is a nice-sized receiver, you know, good at route running. He is going to compete for the ball when it is in the air and they are going to find ways to give him the ball. Our job is to go out there and try to limit his touches, and I don't think we did a very good job of that today."
(on whether or not he saw the ball being thrown back to him on the fourth and 10) "Yeah, I seen the ball being thrown back my way. I think, you know, I was running kind of awkwardly backwards, you know. I still think I had a beat on the ball. You know, he made a great play, went up and got it. I thought I got his arm down but when I looked up, he had caught it. So that was that."
(on how frustrating it is knowing they had the game pretty much won) "Very frustrating. I mean, this is a game we feel like we definitely should have won. It's especially hard for our defense at the end of the game to go down and let those guys score. You know, that hurts. There was a couple of plays in there that we should have made. We didn't make them, and they took advantage of them."
(on the sting from the game) "I mean, it stings a lot. I mean, we knew it was going to be a heavyweight fight and we knew that they were going to come at us with everything they had and we knew that we really had to play today. At the end of the day, you have to give hats off to them. They made more plays than we did and as a result, they won the game."
Dolphins RB Ronnie Brown
(on if he felt that he scored too early at the end of the game) "No. We've got to score right there. That is a time where we need to get six."
(on his thoughts after he scored his touchdown with 1:45 left) "When I scored, I was like, 'There is still a lot of time on the clock and this game is not over.' A lot of their games have come down to the wire this season. They made plays."
(on there being any discussion in the huddle to run out the clock before he scored) "Obviously, we made a play on the interception to get the ball back. We gave ourselves a chance then. Then, we were like, 'We have to take advantage of this opportunity.' We really wanted to score and not kick a field goal. Unfortunately, we scored kind of early and gave them an opportunity and they made the best of it."
(on the game plan going into this game being to eliminate big plays) "When you go into a game with a plan to eliminate big plays, you know they're going to happen every now and then and from our standpoint, we're going to have them and we want to stop them from getting them. Andre Johnson made a heck of a catch a couple of times. The main thing is that we got off to a good start and not let the foot off the pedal. We just have to play every play until the clock gets to zero."
Dolphins WR Greg Camarillo
(on the play where they kept the game alive by forcing the fumble) "I mean, the corner made a hell of a play. He tipped the ball, intercepted it and then, I've been on teams that lost the game because the corner didn't go down, the corner wants to run and go score and they're not ball carriers. The offensive (player) is taught if a DB or a defensive guy is carrying the ball try to get it out. I saw that his eyes weren't on me. I figured I'd go try to knock it out, and it popped loose and I think (Dolphins G Justin) Smiley did a heck of a job of following the play and picking it up."
(on his response to the offense sputtering today) "Yeah, I mean, we had a tough time getting going. When plays needed to be made, we stepped up and made plays. We've got a lot of confidence in this offense. We just need to get things going earlier. Hopefully, we'll come out next week and do that."
Dolphins RB Patrick Cobbs
(on running the Wildcat offense this game) "We had a plan all week. If they ran a certain defense, we would make the call. The first play, they gave it to us, so we came back with the same thing and threw it."
(on scoring a touchdown on the screen pass) "It's been a while since I took one to the house. I've never done it in the NFL. I took one in the preseason like 67 yards, but I never took one in the NFL 80 yards. My longest ever was 82 in college. There were a lot of good blocks. I did not have to do much but run straight."
(on what was going through his mind after RB Ronnie Brown scored late in the game) "There were a ton of things running through my mind. I'm thinking, 'We're up now,' but then I'm thinking that there is a lot of time left. I had faith in the defense, and I'm still going to ride with the defense."
Dolphins LB Channing Crowder
(on the quarterback sneak) "Well, the only way to stop the draw on empty is to gain the front, gain and twisting up in the front because eventually everybody is going to spread out of there. So, we tried to gain. I'll say it was a hell of a call. I'm not going lie. (Texans head coach Gary) Kubiak or whoever calls over there, it was a hell of a call. We were in the right defense to pick it against, and it was just a great call. Like I said, Kubiak gets paid too, probably more than me. They did a great job today, and they finished the game. We played well for about 58 minutes. Defensively, we did enough in 58 minutes to win, and in the last 1:41, I guess we didn't pick it up. So, offense did their job, and we didn't. That's why it's a team game."
Dolphins S Renaldo Hill
(on if they were expecting QB Matt Schaub to throw to the end zone on the fourth down play) "Oh, yeah. Definitely. That was a gutsy call by them, and they had the confidence that they would execute. If we stop them, I don't think they would have the opportunity to run another play. So, yeah, they get everybody lined up, so that's it. That was just a gutsy call, a really gutsy call."
Dolphins QB Chad Pennington
(on if there were too many third downs) "Too many third and longs. They have a good pass rushing team and when you get stuck in third and long they play really deep and make you throw underneath. And when you have that pass rush coming at you, you can rush forward and still get decent catches. That's something we've got to do a better job of on first and second down. It seems to me like that a lot of those third and longs were backed up deep in their own territory on around our 20 and around our 30. And the last thing you want to do is make a critical error on your side of the 50. It's a tough situation to be in and we'd like to convert a couple of those but, more importantly, we'd like not to be in those."
(on if third and long has been the consistent problem all season) "Well, if you look across the league, third and long is not a favorable down for an offense. If you look across the league, I would say on the average, maybe, teams convert between 20 percent to 30 percent. They get one every three or four, maybe. As the yardage increases on fourth down, the advantage goes to the defense considerably. We understand that and we have to do a better job."
(on if it was tough to keep momentum as an offense) "Yeah, that can present problems, but I thought our guys did a good job. When they scored and went up 20-14, they had a good drive and got the lead back. When they scored 23-21, they had a good drive and (Texans WR) Andre (Johnson) came around and makes the play of the game. They gave us the ball back on the interception, so we were very fortunate there. It was one of those games. If you look at the games the Texans have played, they are like that, especially the last two, and they have been hostile in games and it has come down to the end. It came down to overtime in Jacksonville, it came down to the end of the Indianapolis and it came down to the end today."
(on his reaction to the Texans' last drive from the sideline) "Well, we just became cheerleaders at that point. We just tried to cheer our defense on. I thought (Texans WR) Andre Johnson made one of the most unbelievable catches I've ever seen on fourth down. That was clutch. Two defenders right there, good defense, and he made the play and it was unbelievable. You've got to tip your hat off to them, too. They didn't quit and they have every opportunity to let this game slide by and they kept fighting, too."
(on the Wildcat play) "Once we ran our first Wildcat play and we saw how they were defending us, it was time for that play. I was just trying not to miss him. I wasn't going to miss him."
(on emotions at the end of the game) "It was a rollercoaster of emotions, it really was. Y, ou go from the highest of highs in scoring and going up and once (LB) Joey (Porter) and those guys are playing unbelievable and stripping the ball and they make the play on fourth down and 10 yards. Then we make a play and they make another play and it was just up and down. , That last series was just like the game, and it hurts. I mean, it hurts. It's one of those games in sports where you just really don't have any answers. Everyone played certainly hard, and at the end of the day, you realize sometimes it just doesn't go your way."
(on head coach Tony Sparano teaching resilience this season) "I think we'll see. It's gut-check time for us. Coming in on Monday and looking at the film and really study and see what we need to do to fix our mistakes and come out Wednesday and have a really good practice. If you don't watch, you can really let stuff like this linger and you really want to nip it in the bud. Use the 12-hour rule and move on. We'll definitely do that. We've got enough veterans who understand that and who have been in these situations before."
(on the key to getting wideouts) "Well, our first- and second-down production, that's key. When you spread the ball out on first and second down and you are running the ball effectively, everyone gets the energy and everyone gets momentum and it's just a good offensive feeling. We've done that in spurts and we've just got to continue to hone that and get that."
(on what changed their offensive production) "We just talked about doing something on first and second down and we stayed in third and long. That's extremely difficult versus a team like this. They've got extremely good pass rushers. They twist, and the pocket is never the same. It changes all the time, so we just felt like we needed to come out and do a better job on first and second down and get ahead of the sticks instead of staying behind the sticks."
Dolphins LB Joey Porter
(on how tough this was considering they felt like they had an opportunity to win the game) "It's tough. I thought we won the game actually, but they kept getting calls. So, you know how that goes."
(on if he felt like he had stripped the ball on the Texans' last drive) "Yeah, that's why they didn't replay it on the Jumbotron. I'm looking for an apology or something on Tuesday or Wednesday on NFL Network, but it will be too late by then. The game's over. That point in time, I know for sure that I had both his arms when the ball came out. I mean, it wasn't by accident."
(on how you respond to this as a team) "Like we always do. We've got to go back and bounce back, go back and do all of the things that we've been doing during the week. It's tough. You don't want to lose games like that that you have won. We really feel like that game was ours. We did all types of little things to let them back into the game, but at the end of the day, when it was forced for us to go out there and make plays on that last drive, I feel like we did that. I came up with a sack, so it was second-and-18 and then they get the ball, first down. Then I come back again, sack. I swear, I just knew he fumbled the ball, so I went and got it. Then they take that away. For the interception, they take that away. I'm like, 'Man, this is crazy that the same referee staff from all of this other stuff that's been happening was out there.'"
(on if this loss stings a little more) "Way more. Way more. Feel like they took it away from you. It's not about the sting, I thought we had the game won. The ball bounced their way, and that's how it happened."
(on if he thought they would review the fumble up top) "I don't understand why you wouldn't. I don't really understand why you wouldn't review that play. You reviewed the interception. Why wouldn't you review that play? That play was just as big or more so. The first time early in the game when I hit his arm (QB Matt Schaub), I knew he threw it, but that one, he never even got his arm up. They didn't replay it, so I feel I got him. I didn't see it, but I really feel like the game was over then."
(on how disappointing it was to give up some big plays) "We gave up some big plays, but at the same time, we came back and made plays. For every big play we gave up, somebody came back and answered and made a big play. So, that goes here and there. We still had plays to win the game. I feel like we had a really good opportunity to win the game. That's a defense's dream to have the game put on your shoulders. We just get the big touchdown. They've got to march the whole field with 50 some seconds. First play, we get a sack. So, everything is looking good for us. It's second-and-18. That catch that (WR) Andre Johnson made over the two people, that's just a hell of a play he made. He's not supposed to catch that on fourth-and-10. He makes a great play. You've got to give them credit. They did make some plays when they had to, but I feel like we made some plays too that really didn't go our way at the end of the game."
(on what was his mindset after RB Ronnie Brown scored that touchdown at the end) "That we were going to win the game, the mindset that I always have. Put the defense on with 50 some seconds and go win the game."
Dolphins LB Matt Roth
(on how hard it is to believe they lost that football game) "Yeah it was tough. We were up there a couple times and thought we could stop them. They just got points; they got more points and ran off time."
(on the fourth down catch by Texans WR Andre Johnson) "He just made a great catch, you know. We are out there competing and he just made a great catch. Give credit to them."
(on his thoughts about whether they scored too soon and left too much time on the clock when RB Ronnie Brown made the touchdown late in the fourth quarter) "No, I just thought we'd go out there and stop them and get a W but you know you have to give it to them, they made a bunch of plays and played hard; we competed, they just came up with the win.
(on Texans QB Matt Schaub's fourth down draw for the touchdown at the end of the game and if they talked about that as a possibility in the huddle) "I mean, they threw the ball, kept throwing the ball. Their formation said pass all the way. He just found a seam and hit it."
(when asked how bad this one stinks) "It hurts. It hurts because we had a bunch of chances to win it, but, like I said we competed real hard out there so we have nothing to be ashamed of, we just go home and work on this week coming up."
Dolphins G Justin Smiley
(on if he feels like they were successful on offense) "No because you didn't win. That's how you gauge success. In this football game, close doesn't count. It's not one of those games where getting there close, there's no moral victories. We didn't score enough points to win—bottom line. The last couple of weeks, you weren't talking about this, but like I said the whole week, this is a good football team. They've lost some heartbreakers. They were hungry and it was a good football game. Like I said, you tip your hats to those guys because they played excellent. They gave us a good game. At the end, they made some plays and they won the football game."
(on how frustrating it was in the end with nothing called) "Well, the last couple of weeks, it seems like the ball was rolling our way like we got some calls. That's the way football is—sometimes it's going to roll your way and sometimes it's not. You have to make plays. You have to give those guys the credit because they played an excellent game. They scored when they needed to and when it counted. They won the football game. So, we tip our hat to them."
Dolphins RB Ricky Williams
(on the play with RB Patrick Cobbs in the Wildcat options) "It's a thing that we've had in there, but we were just waiting for a team to give it to us. They gave it to us. We jumped right on it."
(on RB Patrick Cobbs) "When you see a guy like Pat (RB Patrick Cobbs) who does everything that coach asks him to and does it extremely well, you root for him to get an opportunity. He's always looked good in practice. It's nice to see him carry it over to a game and make something crazy."
(on if he if was happy to see the Texas Longhorns win yesterday) "It's a big win. It's a big win for us."
(on how this game stings to lose at the last minute) "It stings for more reasons than that. I think we're on the brink of becoming really a good team. Getting over that hump and we had it and, we could taste it and just let it slip away. So, it does sting."
(on the offense struggling early) "Yeah, we didn't do a very good job on third downs early. I don't know what it was, but we just couldn't convert. We couldn't keep our defense off of the field, and I think it caught up to us in the end."
