After a Texans' 28-21 win over the Detroit Lions, members of both teams spoke to the media.
Houston Texans owner Bob McNair
(on games going down to the wire) "Well, I would just as soon it not be as exciting. I'd like to finish the way we started. But we did a lot of good things today, and I feel real good about the way the team's coming around."
(on having a chance to win three games in a row next week) "Well, we have that opportunity. We have to win next week, and no reason why we shouldn't. I think our players are learning how to finish. And Detroit's just like all these teams. They have a lot of good players and they can make big plays, and you just have to fight right up to the very end. But I thought Matt (Schaub) did an extremely good job today. He had the fumble at the end of the second quarter, and I know he was disappointed over that. We came out kind of flat in the second half and had to struggle to work our way to really get back in the game, and the guys did it and that's what counts. So it was a good win."
(on how impressed he was with the first half) "Well, that shows when we go out there and execute and play cleanly what this team is capable of doing. It was very impressive."
(on telling the team all the games are must-wins) "Well, they are must wins. We've got to stay in this thing, and right now we've got four losses and we don't want that number going up. We just have to take it one at a time, and if we play the way we're capable of playing, it's what I've said here in the last few weeks, we're capable of beating anybody. And we just have to go out there and execute."
{QUOTE}(on WR Andre Johnson) "Well, they couldn't stop Andre, and Matt (Schaub) did a good job of getting the ball to him. And I think Steve Slaton and Ahman Green ran the ball and ran it hard, and we had a lot going for us. Owen Daniels had a great, great day and Kevin Walter came up with a couple of key catches, and our special teams, I think André Davis downed three (punts inside the five-yard line). That was phenomenal, and of course Matt Turk did a great job. I think there were zero returns on his kicks. I don't know when I've seen that."
(on the open roof not being a big deal) "No, no. Everybody loved it. I think the weather was great, and if this weather continues like this, it's great. I love to play outdoors."
Houston Texans head coach Gary Kubiak
(on his overall impression of today's game) "I thought we were explosive coming out of the game. We talked about starting fast last night, and we definitely did that. I thought we were rolling on both sides of the ball. It just seemed like that turnover right before the half, almost like it puts back in everybody's mind - you know, here it comes again, and we kind of played that way the rest of the way. We knew this team would play well. We jumped on them, but they've been fighting for their lives. They've got some dang good young players. The quarterback (Dan Orlovsky) settled down and played good today. You know, I'm happy in the win, but good golly, there's just so many things that we've got to improve upon and figure out a way to do it."
(on if he's as happy as he could be, or should be, based on the two halves today) "I'm a little relieved, I guess. You've got to enjoy winning in this league. It's hard to win. Sometimes you play good enough and you don't win, and then today we definitely didn't play good enough throughout the second half, but we found a way to win. You have to be able to do that. That's part of this league. We had some crazy things happen. Like, Andre's, you know, I take responsibility. We've got to understand situations better. We can't jump off sides in some situations. Protecting the ball. It all comes back to coaching, you know, and that's me. I've got to find a way to get those four or five plays out of this football team. And if I can, and I will, OK. This team is capable of beating anybody. It's a maturing process, and we've just got to keep finding a way to get that done."
(on if he's amazed at the play of WR Andre Johnson week after week) "He's got a ton of confidence right now. He made a couple of great catches. He caught a slant off the shoe tops. He caught a deep read route right off the turf. He's had a ton of confidence right now. We've expanded his role a little bit because he is so confident right now. We're moving him around a lot. We have to because people will game plan him if we leave him in one spot. He's a special player and he's on his way to a special season right now."
(on if CB DeMarcus Faggins had single coverage on WR Calvin Johnson) "We were in quarter-quarter-half, so he should be back there in the deep quarter of the field. It's inexcusable. But that's not his fault, that's our fault as coaches. It's our fault as coaches to not get the player to not do his job in that situation. We'll get him right and we've got to clean that up."
(on T Ephraim Salaam playing more today) "We went into the game playing (T) Ephraim (Salaam) every third series. We kind of looked at (T) Duane's (Brown) progress, you know we saw him, and a little bit like we've seen (DT) Amobi (Okoye), when we looked at 60 plays, or 65 plays, and we saw 20 that weren't good enough to win, so what we did is try to cut back and give Ephraim – Ephraim needs the work anyway – and I think it did help. We'll have to go back and look, but the plan is for Ephraim to play about every third series."
(on what he told the team in the locker room after the game) "Really, just what I'm saying here. I tell them to enjoy winning because like I said, because in this league it's tough. And if you catch yourself being, not enjoying when you win a game, you're doing the wrong thing. So they need to enjoy winning. But they also know. They know that we should have finished that game in a lot better fashion, but yet they did find a way to finish it. They understand that there are some good things going on if we can continue to mature. And if we mature we're going to win our share of games, I promise you that."
(on how much easier it is to take momentum into the next three or four weeks if the team had played all four quarters) "Well, yeah, definitely, it's a lot easier. But I'll tell you one thing, it sure as hell keeps us on our toes. You go out there and you're dominating an opponent like that, then you make a couple mistakes putting the ball on the ground, don't play your coverage technique correct or you do something like that, and all of a sudden anybody in this league will beat your butt. And if they don't know that by now, it reassured that today. You never relax in this business. It's hard to win. Games are very close. Everybody can play."
(on the play of QB Matt Schaub right now) "I think he's definitely getting better. You guys know me. I've been here three years now. I'm hard on quarterbacks. I want this kid to be great. You know, I don't want him to be average. I want him to be a great player. And he's 26 of 31 today, and that's special. I'm ripping his tail for the one ball on the ground, but I'm trying to make him into a great, great player, and I hope he respects that. I think he does. He's the one that has to lift this football team, so unfortunately or fortunately I'm going to stay after him."
(on what he discussed in his individual talks with QB Matt Schaub today when he was turning the ball over) "Sometimes he tries to do too much. The play we had, not a good call on my part, it's a man route and they played zone, so we don't have a good play, just throw that thing out of the back of the endzone, let's live the play again. He's trying to do something a little bit extra and he gets the ball stripped, you know. Sometimes you can't do too much. It's hard coaching, to be honest with you, from a standpoint, you can coach a player out of trying to make plays sometimes and I don't want to do that. I'm just trying to coach him through the situation. It was second and eight and he should have thrown the ball away."
(on the moments he feels QB Matt Schaub can be really good) "He was 16 of 18 I think on his first 18 throws. He was on fire. It was unbelievable. To his credit, you know, when he does make those mistakes, it doesn't bother him. He just keeps battling. I probably bother him more than anything when I get after his butt, you know, but that's part of the process. If you want to be good in this business you've got to keep battling. You can't ever be satisfied. And we're not. We're going to keep battling."
(on if winning the second game in a row is a momentum builder) "It is. And you know what, guys, we had a week of practice last week like I have never seen. I thought we were going to play great today, I really did. When I watched the first quarter and a half, I said, 'That's the team that practiced.' We were exceptional. The other part shows up, too. It is nice. We've been through a hard month. We're in the second quarter of the season. We've got two wins here back-to-back. We should gain some momentum off of that, but we have to continue to improve."
(on TE Owen Daniels getting his first touchdown of the season) "He's played well, had a lot of catches, just hasn't gotten into the endzone. Actually, we made a couple of things for him today and got him in there. He's turned into a fine player. I really like the way he is playing off the line of scrimmage. The fact that he and (TE) Joel Dreessen have held up, two tight ends have held up for this team for almost five weeks, that's unheard of. So we've been very fortunate there."
(on QB Matt Schaub's reaction to his getting after him) "He gets after me, too. That's what I like about him. Like I said, it doesn't bother him. He's been coached hard before. That's what I know about him and his background. He knows where I'm trying to get him to go. I've seen some guys get there, and this kid's got a chance to get there so I'm going to continue to coach him."
(on the opportunity to win three games in a row for the first time ever next week against Cincinnati) "I watched a little bit of the game. I think it was a 14-10 game or something, or 17-10. It was a close game until the beginning of the fourth quarter, midway through. So first off, we know they can come in here and throw the ball all over the place. I don't know what their quarterback situation is, but they've been playing people very tough, and in this league it's hard. It's like this team we played today. They haven't won a game, but they're scaring the heck out of a lot of people - Minnesota last week and then in every position today. You don't look at records in this league. You're going to have to play well to beat somebody."
(on what WR Andre Johnson means to this team) "He's a special kid. I said this, I think last week, when we left Tennessee he had a couple plays that he didn't make that he normally makes there, and our team was struggling. My message to him was you have to make those plays for this team. That's how much they count on you. Now is that asking a lot of a kid? You bet it is. But he is the heart and soul of this place. He's one of the few guys that's been here from the start. He's a special player in the NFL and when he makes plays and plays at that level of play, then he raises everybody else. Just like (QB) Matt (Schaub) I expect a great deal out of him, and believe me, we're getting it."
(on the return of CB Dunta Robinson) "It was good to have him out there. I think he ended up playing more reps than I wanted him to play, but the situation called for it from a standpoint of them trying to come back there at the end of the game. He said he was fine, so we'll see how he comes out of the game. He brought some energy to the football team and definitely to the stadium. In my opinion, he's a tough young man, and hopefully we come out of this week clean and we take another step forward."
Houston Texans K Kris Brown
(on getting a winning streak going for this team) "I think this league is all about streaks and most streaks can go either way. Obviously, we started the season not how we wanted to. But I think once you kind of start clicking and find a rhythm as a team, I think you could turn around very quickly. So we haven't lost faith in what we're doing. It's just a matter of us putting our nose to the grind stone and doing our weekly preparation and coming out on Sunday making plays and getting ready."
Houston Texans TE Owen Daniels
(on getting in the endzone for the first time today, and his thoughts on the game) "Feels good to get in there and help the team out by scoring some points. Those were two well-designed plays that we executed pretty well and kind of made it look easy. I thought we played really well in the first half and then we just played safer in the second half. I think that kind of hurt us a little bit. Overall, pretty good."
(on the play of QB Matt Schaub) "I've always had tons of confidence in Matt. He struggled a little bit at the beginning of the year, but we all did, we did that as a team in general. I think that obviously the quarterback tends to be under the microscope a little more and gets more of the blame there, but he's been playing well. He's come back when he's made mistakes. He's doing a really good job for us."
(on if he's amused at how hard head coach Gary Kubiak is on QB Matt Schaub at times) "Amused? I think when coaches are hard on players they do that for a reason. They know that they can be a really good player, an excellent player in the league. I don't think a coach like head coach (Gary) Kubiak would be as hard on (QB) Matt (Schaub) if he didn't want him to be super successful in this league and be one of the top quarterbacks. I don't think Matt minds it and he's trying to be the best he can be."
(on what the offense showed in the first half and what the team is capable of doing) "I think we were pretty balanced in that first half. We ran the ball excellent. Everyone was doing a solid job at the line of scrimmage. We were passing the ball. (WR) Andre (Johnson) was making some plays. I got my hands on a few balls and just spreading the ball around. We would have liked that to have continued in that second half, but I think that gives us confidence for what we can do the rest of the season."
(on how much the team worries about the second half and what the team is able to correct from today's second half) "We'll take a look at it. I just think we weren't, maybe we weren't as aggressive, maybe we weren't as on point with some things in terms of being on our blocks. We ran the ball out more in the second half and we were just trying to make less mistakes and less risky plays. I think we take a look at those first three or four drives. We were the only ones to stop ourselves there."
Houston Texans WR André Davis
(on the game) "When we are able to get a lead like that, we really have to learn how to put it away and not become content with where we're at but really just put our foot down and be able to finish a game."
(on if the club record for first downs in a game means anything to him) "The win is what means something to us. We know we have a pretty good offense and we know that when everything is rolling good and we don't have any turnovers that it's going to be really hard to stop us. So we're just going to continue to build on this and build to next week."
(on the possibility of winning three in a row next week) "It would mean a lot. We put ourselves in a hole and now we're trying to dig out. We're scratching and crawling and doing everything we have to to make sure we get some wins. As long as we continue to stay healthy and we continue to keep our hands on the ball, then I think we'll be alright."
(on Detroit being winless, but it not being an easy win) "No, it wasn't easy at all. We were right where they were at last week before we got our first win. So we knew that it wasn't lack of effort that they were 0-4. It was just a matter of things didn't go their way and like us. There were mistakes that were made that didn't allow them to win games. So, hopefully, now that we are kind of out of that hole we're just going to try and build on these winning ways right now."
Houston Texans LB Zac Diles
(on him playing one of his better games) "Yeah, I feel that way. I still left a couple plays out there on the table, but as far as play I think I did pretty well."
(on what the Lions did offensively that got them back in the game in the second half) "I think they just made a play with that long run. They got us on that one. But other than that, they were pretty much doing the same thing we were doing the same thing. But, like I said, they got us on a couple plays actually, that long pass also. Other than that, they really didn't switch much up. They were able to connect on some plays where we were not sound."
(on if he is feeling the effects of confidence after two wins in a row) "That's big. Two in a row. We have another home game next week. That's going to be big if we can get that one next week too. So, we just have to keep it rolling, just take it week-to-week, a week at a time. But, like I said, it's real big. It's real big momentum for us with these back-to-back wins."
(on what he feels needs to be corrected before next week's game) "Just being assigned and sound. That's about it. Like I said, when they gash us on those plays it was just assignment and technique stuff when they got us. So as long as we play our game and fit our gaps and do our assignments, we should be straight. We shouldn't really have too much to fix, but nevertheless there is going to be some fixing going on."
Houston Texans CB DeMarcus Faggins
(on the status of play in the second half) "We didn't come out making plays like we did in the first half. We just got to shake it and just continue to make plays. We're all excited for each other and when we're excited for each other we make plays and it's contagious."
(on being disappointed that the defense made no turnovers) "Very disappointed, very disappointed. Coming into this game, we thought we were going to be able to get at least three, three turnovers, but we still won the game. We still played a great defensive game."
Houston Texans WR Andre Johnson
(on the first half of the game and scoring those three touchdowns on those first three drives) "We were determined to come out. The whole week we were saying we wanted to come out and play our best football. We did that for a half today. We didn't do that at the second half. The first half I think we came out and played real well. We played like a real good football team the first half."
(on what happened the second half and what was different) "Just making mistakes, you know, the penalties. We talked about not having turnovers. We did have one turnover today. All in all we got the win and that's all that matters."
(on other teams having different defenses and trying to stop him) "When we looked at their defense on tape it kind of reminded us of Indy's defense. You know they had holes in their defense, but you just had to find the spots in their defense because they were very disciplined on their drops and things like that. So we were able to find some spots in defensive tackle."
(on how much it helps when RB Steve Slaton has that 37-yard run to start the game and TE Owen Daniels is able to get in the end zone) "There are a lot of guys that can make plays, so when they make plays it helps. You really just don't have to worry about one guy, and Owen is showing that he is one of the top tight ends in the league. Every week, he is going out there doing a lot of great things."
(on the rhythm and timing between him and QB Matt Schaub) "If someone has a nine-catch game, 10-catch game, or 11-catch game - so do you think there is some type of rhythm there? You know, I still don't think it's like the type of connection we had when Matt first got here and then I got injured. That season, at the beginning of the season, it was just like - I think it's night and day compared to now because after every play me and Matt would come to the side lines and we would say the exact same things to each other. He could tell me why he didn't throw me the ball and things like that. We were on the same page, and this year I missed most of training camp and I didn't play until like the third preseason game, so I wouldn't say that it's where it was before."
(on feeling if he is a better player than in the past and what he's doing better this year) "I think I've become more patient as a player. I think you know just from looking at the tapes from my previous seasons. You know, sitting down and talking to (wide receivers coach) Larry (Kirksey) and (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach) Kyle (Shanahan), they just told me that I need to become more patient as a football player and play smart because Larry always tells me you have the tools, but you need to become a smarter defensive player. That's something I try to do. I just try to see everything on the field and when I'm running routes I try to pick my spots, just every opportunity I given I just try to make plays on them."
(on playing the best he's played in his career the last 3 games or so) "I been given a lot of opportunities you know in these last three games and I've just made the best of them. I wouldn't say a 100 percent or anything like that while I'm out there. I just go out there playing and having fun. I can say that the first three games there was a lot of frustration and things like that. You know I told myself right before the Indy game I was like, 'No matter what happens, I'm going to put everything behind me and I'm just going to start going back out there having fun and whenever I get an opportunity just make a play on it.' That has been my attitude since then, and you know it's working out well for me."
(on what they mean by patience) "You know, a lot of times when you have plays sometimes you think you're wide open and you break your route off short and it gives the DB the angle to recover. Even if you look at the film from Pittsburgh, the first three games, I wasn't patient at all. It was times I was running around thinking I was open and I would break my route off early. It gives the DB a chance to recover, so I can't receive the ball. You know that's something I've been, ever since me and (wide receivers coach) Larry (Kirksey) talked about it; that's something I just try to do."
(on Texans QB Matt Schaub and how he's playing now and worked through his struggles) "I think Matt has handled everything well. You know from being moved to just everything, being nicked up and he is still coming out playing. That's what you want from a quarterback. He's playing good right now for us. As long as he keeps giving us balls, we're going to try to make plays with it."
(on being laid back with all his accomplishments and his thoughts on Terrell Owens, Randy Moss & Chad Johnson doing a lot of talking and dancing) "You know that's just people's personality. To be honest, like when I go home right now I'm going to turn on ESPN to see who has done a crazy dance. So I, you know, Chad is a good friend of mine. I see TO sometimes during off season when he is down in Miami and those guys you know you ask them about it, but they are just having fun. If you were ever to sit around Chad Johnson just on a regular basis, he is going to have you laughing all the time because he is going to do something crazy. I don't think that they do it to start any commotion or anything. I think they're just out there having fun because it's just their personality."
(on him and Chad Johnson being friends) "Well Chad is from Miami. I didn't know Chad coming up through high school. I met him actually during his rookie year in the NFL. I was still in college, but you know guys from Miami we just have that connection. When you're around a bunch of guys, eventually you meet up and Chad's funny. Like I say when you're around him, you are going to laugh because he is going to say something crazy or do something crazy. I heard a story about one time, I wasn't in Miami, but one of the guys said the little kids were messing with him and you know the kids were on bikes at the park and Chad told the kids, 'You meet me at Footlocker and I'll buy all of you all a pair of shoes.' So the kids go to Footlocker and meet him at there, and he buys all of the kids shoes. He's a character. He's fun. Kids talk trash to him because they know he talks trash, so he's going to talk trash back to the kids. You have to be there to see it. He's a good friend and he's a great player."
(on complaining and whether that would help and get him more balls) "I always heard that, and you are not the first person that's told me that, but I've never been a person that complains. I just, whatever is given to me I just deal with it and try to make the best of it. I don't think I'll ever be that way. If I wasn't able to touch a ball for the rest of the season, I'm not going to go to Kub's (head coach Gary Kubiak) office and complain to him or nothing. If the ball comes my way, it comes; if it don't it don't."
(on complaining to the media) "I don't need that attention. I am not a guy who likes to be around a lot of commotion.
Houston Texans G Chester Pitts
(on how it feels to get another win after the 0-4 start) "It's nice to get a W. In this league, however they come, we'll take them. We'll take from this game that we got up early on a team that we really could have put away and we didn't. So that's where we're really looking from this one, but we'll take it however they come."
(on letting the Lions ease back into the game) "Well, you know what? It's that killer instinct, just find a way to put your foot on someone's throat, that's what we have to work on it. We didn't do that. We ended up finishing and won that game and that's all that matters, but we know that we shouldn't have let that game be so close."
(on the first half) "We came out the gate. We came out of the gate playing the way we can play, the way we are capable of playing. The thing is, we have to focus on the things that we didn't do right and the other stuff will take care of itself. We'll be able to compete and play very well against people."
(on the team record for first downs in a game) "That's great. It's just another record. We won the game, that's all that matters. And again, I just go back to, we could have closed out this game a lot earlier than we did. That's what we have to find a way to do."
(on if the Texans were doing anything differently in the second half offensively) "Well, they were in a defense that was much more difficult to run against. Of course, when you're winning the game, you play safer. You don't put yourself in situations where something really bad could happen. But it was really more of just not executing the way we were in the first half. We weren't as clean as we should have been in the pocket. We weren't as flush in the run game as we should have been. All those little cracks and creases, they got in and made plays."
Houston Texans CB Dunta Robinson
(on this being his first time out there and what it was like for him today) "I mean it was an emotional time for me. I wondered all week what was going to happen when I walked out on the field for the first time. My dad told me I better not cry on TV, so I made sure of that. I mean I felt good though. Once I got out on the field and the ball snapped, everything else went out the window it was time to play football then. My knee did a lot better than I thought it would. It even felt better today than it had all week in practice. I was surprised and coaches kept checking on me, seeing how I felt, seeing if I wanted to go back. I felt fine and I wanted to go out there and help my team get a win."
(on how long he planned his player introduction) "I really didn't plan it. I walked in the locker room and they were like once we do the defense you're going to be the last person to come out, so me I'm thinking well I'm just going to go out with my helmet on and wave at the crowd and (Texans DT) Travis being the wild man that he is, he took my helmet. I went out there and all the guys were in the back choreographing their dances stuff and I was like 'Man, I don't have a dance, what am I going to do?' So I walked out, and it was so exciting to hear my name again emotions took over and I just started jumping around like a clown. But it was fun. "
(on the speed of the game compared to the speed of practice) "My body felt fine, but one thing was I was rusty. It's been a long time. I went out and I felt like I was in my first game as a rookie again. I was forgetting calls. I was so excited about being out on the field. I forgot a couple of calls and I had to ask the safety, 'Hey, what am I supposed to do on this?' I've done it all week in practice, but that was just the excitement of the game and the emotion of the game taking over. It was rare. I knew that I was a little rusty. I knew that I missed some tackles and did some things that I normally don't do. It's been almost a year since I've been out on the football field, but I am my own worst critic. I took some of those plays hard, but I bounced back and went out there and played football in the end."
(on there being any soreness in his knee after the game) "None at all. I don't know if it's just an adrenalin rush or if it's just not going to be sore, but it's not sore at all. It feels fine.
(on Texans QB Matt Schaub and what he brought to the team) "As a quarterback, he's brought aggressiveness and a demeanor that we haven't seen the first couple of years around. He had a couple of bad games, but now you see him come out of that and he is playing a lot better. I think it all started last week, but one thing, we all have confidence in Matt. I remember the player he was before I got hurt last year. He was night and day from what I had seen up until that point, so I think things are getting better for him. I think he's playing a lot better and I think his confidence it getting better. One thing as a quarterback, there is going to be a lot of ups and downs and that's with any player in this league and Matt's fighting through it and showing what kind of guy he is and what kind of player he is."
Houston Texans LB DeMeco Ryans
(on letting the Lions off the hook a little today) "Yeah. I'm kind of disappointed that we didn't finish the way that we felt like we should have done. We had them down at halftime and I think we should have come out and dominated a lot better than we did in the second half."
(on why he thinks they have been unable to close out teams) "I think we just have to be more focused when we're coming out at halftime and everybody having that confidence that we can go out and set a team down. It's everybody having that mentality when we step back on the field that we play the same way that we did the first half, turn up the intensity. We have to do a much better job at that and I'll definitely address that this week."
(on this win coming with some concern because of the previous answer) "I'm not concerned about it, but like I said, it needs to be addressed. We know we can play a lot better than what we're playing. Of course, we're very excited about getting a W. It's very hard to win in the NFL so when you get a W, you're very excited about it."
(on if they have any momentum now that they have won two games in a row) "Yeah, I think we are. We're getting on a little roll. We have two games under our belt and with that comes confidence."
(on what it would mean to get three wins in a row) "We're feeling good right now, feeling good right now with two wins in a row and just excited that we have the chance to go get number three in a row. With winning, it builds confidence for our team and we just hope to continue that rolling. So we'll come in next week and prepare for Cincinnati. It's all about getting that W."
Houston Texans QB Matt Schaub
(on what it means for head coach Gary Kubiak to be hard on the quarterback) "I think he might be a little harder on me than I am on him. You know what, because he played the position, and he played at this level, and was so successful, he's been around enough good teams and coached enough good teams and good quarterbacks, he knows what level you have to play to win and to lead your team and be successful. There are no plays off. There's no easy downs in this game. Whenever you make a mistake, he's going to be hard on us and let me know that I made a mistake, even though I might already know it, he's still going to let me know. He's honest, and he'll tell you when you do good, too. He's just going to be honest with you good or bad, and you've got to like that out of your coach."
(on what head coach Gary Kubiak said to him after the fumble) "That can't happen. That's stuff that we have to clean up. We're moving the football. We're moving the football. We're fixing to go up before the half. I forget what it was at the time, 20, 28 to three, or something like that, we're fixing to just be really positive coming into the locker room, but that lead just stands at 21 to three. That's kind of demoralizing because we know that we should have been swarmed right there. That's just a mistake on my part."
(on what he says to head coach Gary Kubiak after the fumble) "You know, it's not going to happen again. Keep playing football. We can't go in the tank on it. We're still up 21 to three going into the halftime. We've still got 30 minutes of football left. You say, 'Coach, we're good. We're going to be fine. Let's just go play.'"
(on his not seeming thrilled even though his numbers say he played a great game) "As a team, we expect to finish games off and win and to play at a high level offensively. We expect to move the football and score points. I think we left some points on the field today. We could have scored some more points. A win is a win, and we'll take them any way we can get them because it's hard to win in this league no matter who you're playing. That's a good football team we just played with a solid defense and we were able to move the ball running and were able to find open receivers."
(on how he has mentally handled throwing interceptions) "It hangs with you because the way this league goes you have seven days until you can play again and go out and prove yourself and redeem what you did the week before. You can't let it linger too long because you have to move on to that next week and have that short term memory and that commitment to your guys and then you just go out there and cut loose in practice on Wednesday. So it's something that stays around for about 24 hours and then you move on to the next one and you forget about it. It's just like with any game and a series. You make a mistake, you put it behind you and you move on."
(on if he's pleased with how he's playing overall) "I was pleased with the way I played today. You know, there were some plays in there, but that's as good as every week. You know you try and search for that perfect game but it's very hard to come by no matter who you are or what position you're playing. I was pleased with my performance today and the way our team performed."
(on having a bunch of offensive weapons to go to) "We do, and they show up every week for us. We run the ball well. The guys up front are playing their tails off, all five of them. (RB) Ahman (Green) is running well. (RB) Steve (Slaton) is running well. You know, our tight ends, Owen (Daniels) is catching the ball making some big plays. (WR) Andre (Johnson) had another big day. (WR) Kevin Walter, he's our workhorse. He catches balls. Whenever he gets the opportunity he's in there blocking and doing what he can do to help us win. So across the board everyone is making plays."
(on what WR Andre Johnson means to him as a quarterback and what he means to the team) "Well he gives us a huge spark as a team because we know that if we can get the ball in his hands so many times he's going to make some big plays for us and make people miss and be able to turn a five yard completion into a 15, 20 yard gain. As a quarterback, having that guy over there that we get one-on-one coverage, no matter what the route is, I can go his way and he is going to secure the catch and then do something with it after the catch. Teams want to try to take him away, we've got weapons on the other side of the field that can win for us."
(on if he was trying to make too much happen on the fumble and if that gave Detroit some hope) "I think that gave them a little bit of hope because going into the half we could be up 28 to three as opposed to 21 to three, and that's a totally different ball game right there because they're coming out of the locker room, they get the ball first and they're down 28 to three in a half of football as opposed to 21 to three. I don't know if I was trying to make too much out of it. I probably should have just made the decision to run sooner, you know, and I side stepped to the left in the pocket, kind of looked for a receiver coming underneath for me from the other side, and I should have just taken off at that point before looking for him and I probably would have been out of harms way at that point."
(on how many adjustments Detroit made in the second half to change the tone of the game) "They didn't make too many adjustments. They started to bring a little more pressure early in the game. In the first set we were trying to get the ball out quick expecting pressure so we were getting rid of the ball before any of that could get to us. Then I think they just continued with that. Once we got in the fourth quarter and they knew we were going to run the ball up they started to stack the line of scrimmage because I think everyone in the stadium knew we were going to run it."
Houston Texans RB Steve Slaton
(on if the team is finally coming together like they thought it would before the season) "Definitely. I think the first half was definitely a point where we were rolling on all cylinders. If we keep going like that it's going to be a problem for a lot of teams."
(on his play, especially pass protection) "I'm just trying to contribute as much as I can. I know the guys do a great job for me when I'm running, so when it's my turn to block I have to do a great job for them."
(on how the team was with CB Dunta Robinson coming back) "Very supportive. We were happy to have him (CB Dunta Robinson) out there. He's definitely another element to this team."
Houston Texans WR Kevin Walter
(on if the 21-0 lead slowed down the Texans) " No I don't think so. We came in here, we knew that we needed to continue to execute. We didn't execute sometimes in the second half and you know what, that hurt. But I think we could have done better on offense in the second half. We did well in the first half, but we have to continue to grow on what we did in the first half."
(on if the end of the game was déjà vu from past weeks) "No we try not to think like that, we knew we wanted to finish the ball obviously on offense. We didn't want them (Detroit Lions) to finish it in their hands. We wanted to keep our defense off the field and obviously we did a good job of that."
Houston Texans DE Anthony Weaver
(on the status of today's game) "It's kind of like basketball, every team is going to make a run. No team is this league is going to roll over and play dead and those guys had a lot of fight."
(on the Texans' defense in the second half) "They found some plays that were working for them and they just keep going for the ball and we're suppose to go out there and make a play. We got lucky our offense went out there and carried us. We weren't on the field that much, but we go do what we go to do for the rest of the week."
Houston Texans LT Eric Winston
(on the win) "I wish we would have played a little better in the second half. I think we have a lot of stuff to work on. We just have to keep moving forward though. This isn't good enough. We're just going to keep playing better and better but we got the win, so that's all that matters."
(on the play of the offense in the first half) "I kind of hold us up to that standard. So, I'm not impressed by it, I kind of expect it. I think we all expect it. I thought we played well, I thought we executed real well. In the second half, I thought we did some good things but we're just making too many mistakes and getting off of our rhythm."
(on what mistakes they were making in the second half) "I'm just going to start with me. I can't make any mistakes. I'm not going to speak for anybody else, but I can't make mistakes out there. I made some mistakes in the second half not getting on the right guys and leaving guys unblocked. So that's on me and I have to fix that."
(on if it was the Lions doing something different in the second half that stopped their offense) "I think they definitely brought some more pressure. They definitely took some more chances and gambled a little bit more on some rundowns. But we were still there. We could have popped some more runs and gained some bigger yards and added some points and we didn't do it."
Detroit Lions Head Coach Rod Marinelli
(on FS Dwight Smith injury) "I don't have a status on Dwight. No update has been given to me."
(on the Texans running game) "They started with a running game and kept it going through the first half. They did a good job and the quarterback was hitting his marks. They did a very good job of running the ball."
(on the tempo of the Lions game) "I thought that we had a good tempo going throughout the game. That's all I can tell you. We didn't have a very good running game."
(on challenge at the two yard line) "I challenged where the ball was. I thought from where I saw and where I was that the quarterback's knee was down and that the ball should be there. I was making a call from where I was and what I saw."
(progression of the Lions team this week) "I feel that there were some things that were a lot better this week than in other weeks. I will have to go back and look at the tapes, but overall I feel that the progression of this team this week was a good one."
(on if Brett Favre helped Lions prepare for Green Bay) "No comment."
(on if he had been aware of the comments about Brett Favre) "I was aware of the report this morning. I have no comment on it."
Detroit Lions RB Rudi Johnson
(on if the slow starts are mental or schematic or attitude) "We've just got to go do it. It's just a matter of coming out from the opening whistle first play and just make it happen on all sides of the ball."
Detroit Lions DT Langston Moore
(on the breakdowns early that they don't have in the second half) "Conversely, that's the game. Everybody work and practices to not have breakdowns. But, I'm sure if you look at their tape or offensively, defensively, special teams, it's the same thing. I would say there's probably more focus because of the situation we're in right now that it's obvious that you say, 'hey, it's such and such guy or such and such guy or such and such guy here and it's evident.' But, just like I just said to you, the biggest thing I can tell you is that we try to pride ourselves in finishing and playing hard. Mistakes happen, and guys just try to play through them."
Detroit Lions QB Dan Orlovsky
(on his thoughts on the game) "We lost, and we just didn't do enough to win again. Slow, slow start and in the second half, it's like (we're) a different football team. It's just another loss for us right now."
(on how the slow starts continue to happen) "I don't know. It's a weird dynamic, but we just have to break it down as players. I don't know what it is, but it needs to change because when we play, we're pretty good. When you don't play, when no one plays in this league, you're not going to be successful."
(on how you get the ball to WR Calvin Johnson more) "Throw to him."
(on if it is the play calling that is not getting the ball to WR Calvin Johnson more) "It's just a combination of things. Teams are obviously doing some good things against him, but I've got to try to get him the ball more."
(on if it's lack of preparation or lack of talent that keeps the Lions coming out slowly) "I have no idea. I don't know what it is, but it's something we need to look at. It's obvious. We come out slow, but for some reason we turned it on, and we're a completely different football team: offensively, defensively, and special teams. So, find that happy medium right there and live in that area."
(on why he called the timeout on third and 14) "Clock was running low."
(on if the Lions didn't get the play to him in time) "No, I think it's just how things sometimes go in the game. I saw the clock low, and I knew it was a pretty pivotal point in the game, so I wanted to try to just get the timeout and get us in a situation where we have a little more opportunity to be successful."
(on if it is a conscious thing when you go into halftime and WR Calvin Johnson only had a couple of touches) "We're always conscious to try to get him the football. He's one of the best guys in the NFL."
(on if it is discussed at halftime to get WR Calvin Johnson the football more) "Not necessarily. We knew we wanted to take advantage of some looks; that touchdown was one of them. It's much bigger than CJ (WR Calvin Johnson). It's the team. We're trying to do things to help us win, but I need to do a better job of getting him (WR Calvin Johnson) the ball."
(on if there were more times that he wanted to go to WR Calvin Johnson but protection or coverage dictated that he had to go somewhere else) "I would have no idea. It's something that I would have to watch film on."
(on when they fell behind early was it hard to block out that it was happening again) "I think we've been very much groomed, and I think that's one of the opportunities we were able to come back was play one play at a time. We don't want to be in that situation. I don't know why it happened or why it has happened a couple of times this year. We need to find out why and change it, but we kept preaching to the offense, 'one play at a time, one play at a time, we're not going to be able to get it all back.' We were able to do that a little bit."
(on if he is getting more comfortable with a little more experience) "I feel comfortable. I feel comfortable. There's no lack of comfort. It's just seeing them. When you play in this league for eight to 10 years and you've started for five to six years, you've seen everything. It's just getting accustomed to seeing a lot of different things."
(on if he wants to take more shots downfield in the first quarter) "I think anyone wants to take shots. I place (WR) Calvin (Johnson) up there with the elite guys in the NFL, rightfully so. (Offensive coordinator) Coach (Jim) Colleto knows what he's doing. He's making those play calls to put us in the best situations possible. We took shots to him (WR Calvin Johnson). We were able to hit two, and that's that, but there's other plays out there that should be made also. It's not the lack of shots we're taking."
(on when they are down early why not take more shots downfield) "Last thing you want to do is put yourself in a hole. If you don't hit that shot then you're in second and long or third and long."
(on if not taking shots is letting the other team dictate the things instead of being aggressive) "No, I don't think that. I think our coach (Rod Marinelli) has his idea of how we want to play, and we're going to play that way and that's that."
Detroit Lions C Dominic Raiola
(on going 0-16 for the season) "I mean whatever. We have to go back home. We are already counting on someone being there. We don't know who it is going to be yet. Fan wise, I don't know who is going to be there. To be honest, they don't want to see a 0-6 team now."
(on if the coaching level is up to that of the talent on the team) "I think so. On our first three drives, we had three three and outs. That kind of hurt of us. We looked so sloppy. There were little things here and there that had nothing to do with the coaches."
