Head Coach Gary Kubiak
(on injury updates) "We're just kind of nicked up. We came out pretty good, I think. We just had a walkthrough today basically and we had a couple of guys who did not participate. We're on turf. J. Jo (Johnathan Joseph) and Greg Jones, but other than that, everybody participated. We've just got some guys beat up obviously and we've got to turn around Thursday. So we'll try to get there."
(on Denver Broncos Head Coach John Fox being back and if he ever communicated with him about their illnesses) "No, I didn't I never did talk to John. It's good to see him back. I talked to (John) Elway a couple of times about him and knew he was doing pretty good. Just glad to see him back to work. A hell of a coach, good guy."
(on DE Antonio Smith suggesting that the Patriots may have cheated and if there was any indication that they did anything) "No, I have the utmost respect for their organization, their players, their coaches, their head coach. The standard that they've been setting for a long, long time in this league, they did a great job yesterday, been doing it a long time."
(on how difficult the short preparation for the Thursday game is) "It's tough on their bodies more than anything. Coaching wise, it's difficult to get everything done in such a quick amount of time. I think it's good for us. We need to go to play. We need to step back out there and go play again. It's something that you've got to push through, but there is a reward at the end of it, you give everybody a break for a few days. We just need to get back out there and get fighting again."
(on if it helps having played Jacksonville recently) "Yeah, I think that helps probably both teams the fact that we played each other two weeks ago and are familiar with each other. So we go have a light practice today. You already pretty much have an idea what's going on. Got to get everybody to Thursday. Mentally, that's their job to get ready to play. What we're doing physically is my job to get them to Thursday ready to play."
(on if he was encouraged by some things from yesterday's game) "Yeah, obviously, we played much better offensively, much more consistent in how we played. (We) played pretty good up front. Defensively, played a great first half against a heck of an offensive football team. Yeah, there was a lot of positives, but we're battling our tail off to win games. And that's my point. That's not going to change. That's our goal every week. It's disappointing from that standpoint. Like I said, look forward to getting back fighting again Thursday."
(on being back on the field yesterday and how that helped to be able to work more closely with QB Case Keenum) "I enjoyed it. I know that. It's nice to be down there, just emotions and to get the juices flowing again, so to speak. He's been great to work with. For a young guy, he's very tough minded. You coach him hard. The expectations, even though he's young, he's got a lot of expectations for himself and I have a lot for him. I think he did a lot of good things. He continues to make a lot of big plays for us offensively. We're striving for consistency. That's what being a great player in this league is all about, doing it over and over again, and being consistent. That's something he's working through trying to get better, but just got to keep pushing him. Need to get him a W. He's been doing a lot of good things. We need to get a win."
(on how TE Owen Daniels is progressing) "Owen is not yet on the field is the best way I can describe it to you. He's doing good, he's just not yet on the field. Probably have a decision to make. I know he's worked pretty hard today with the trainers. We'll see."
(on if RB Ben Tate's big day yesterday had to do with him finally recovering from his rib injury) "Yeah, I think each week that he gets back, he feels better. So I think he plays a little better and recovers a little better. Today, he's back on the field moving around. So that's good. He played good this week. I thought he would. I thought he would bounce back. Didn't have a lot of good opportunities the week before. Proud of the way he played. Stepped up in pass protection, too. I want to see him finish this season strong and play the way he's capable of playing. He did that yesterday."
(on if the Sunday to Thursday turnaround makes it more dangerous for players) "I don't know. I know it's a tough turnaround for players. It's a quick situation. We did it last year, Sunday to Thanksgiving Day. So it's very tough on them physically, but it is part of what we do. You kind of learn to play on different days. You have these rough night road trips, get home the next day at eight in the morning, and have got to turn around and get ready to play real quick. It's just kind of part of our business. As a coach, I've been through the schedule a few times, so you do the best you can. But yeah, I know it's tough on players. They find a way to work through it. I think also see that there's a reward there coming this weekend where they really can get a big break."
(on if it's better to get back onto the field fast) "I think so. I wish we could play every day right now. We've got to go get this taste out of mouths. It's tough, but they were good today and on top of what they were doing. We want to go play. We want to continue to fight that we were in yesterday and just want to continue to play better."
(on what it says about Jacksonville that they were winless for a while and now have won three of their last four games) "I think he's (Gus Bradley) done a great job. I've watched some film of them. They're playing extremely hard. They had a lot of new faces on their football team. They had a quarterback issues again going through. He's had them playing hard all year long and consistent. And these last few weeks, they've played extremely well."
(on the advantages and disadvantages of playing a team twice in three games) "I don't know. We're division opponents, too. So we know each other pretty darn well. I don't know. The advantage is your players getting something that they're familiar with. I guess that could be a disadvantage, too. I guess I can't answer that. I have no idea. How about that?"
(on how to help improve QB Case Keenum's completion percentage) "Yeah, I think, as a coach, I know myself as a coach, I'm always trying to get guys started in games well and competitions and those type of things. So that's something I work on. But he does have to improve in some of those phases. A lot of that has to do with is he's a very aggressive kid, likes to get the ball down the field. That's great. You can't coach that sometimes. You don't want to lose that, but he's got to learn to check balls down and take this three and four-yard gain sometimes when he has to instead of sitting there and sitting there because he's got so much confidence in what he's doing. I think he's going to get better with that as we move forward. Obviously, we can help him."
(on how much QB Matt Schaub has been working with QB Case Keenum in-game) "He's been great. He's been great with him. I'm not sitting with him on the bench other than when I talk to Case coming off the field. Karl (Dorrell's) with him, but I hear the headset. I hear Matt talking to him about what's going on out on the field and about different things that are happening, situations. Like I heard Matt talking to him, the first time we had third-and-forever, we had that penalty and he took the check down and we ended up kicking the field goal. Really smart play and then we go down there and we're in the same position with third-and-long, and we end up throwing an interception. Just talking through this situation, keeping points on the board, those types of things. I hear Matt doing it all of the time."
(on his message to the team considering the losing streak and the close losses) "I talk about them battling their tail off. I think that's what they've been doing. Just trying to stay as positive as I can. Probably my biggest message to them is all of the things that they're feeling and as difficult as this is for them, it is for this old boy, too. So I'm right there with them. That's my message."
(on the losing streak and losing all of the games so close recently) "Yeah, I don't know that I've ever been through that, one-score games for that going on. And we've had the ball, in a lot of situations; they're just one big play. But just seems like we get into those close games and, when there's a play to be made, we're not making it. The other team is. Whether it's a turnover or whether it's a big play offensively to end the game. The only way you're going to make them is if you keep going back there and find a way to do it."
DE Antonio Smith (audio attached)
(on the controversy he created around the country using spying in a sentence about the Patriots) "It tickles me how much the country loves the Patriots so much that they take everything so seriously. I don't know what to say about it. I guess no media is bad media, thank you for getting me on ESPN for taking Tonestradamus' word and his soothsayer abilities to new heights. I don't know what else to say about it."
(on being surprised the story got as much play as it did) "I was definitely surprised about it. I didn't think anything else about it after we talked here yesterday until I woke up this morning and everybody wanted to kill me on Instagram."
(on if he watched the ESPN coverage and heard what people were saying) "My teammates were actually telling me the ESPN story. I don't really watch ESPN that much. They pretty much got a good laugh out of it. I've been the butt of everybody's jokes today, especially Duane Brown. He's the first one that came to me with it. I had no idea it had took that much effect or got that big."
(on what he did mean when he said it) "OK, let's think of this. Y'all are with me all the time. We laugh and joke every now and then. So you can say things that you may have some type of curiosity about and still be joking about it. At one point I don't ever remember being angry or serious or saying that is the reason why they beat us or anything. What I read on Twitter is that I said that's the reason they beat us."
(on if he never said that he was suspicious of how the Patriots adjusted on offense and if he was being serious or joking when he said it) "I definitely said that. No, I definitely said it, but you have to take it in the matter that I said it in. The matter that I said it in was even if I was curious and Tonestradamous was thinking things, I didn't use it in the aspect of accusing them of beating us with cheating techniques. What I was doing was saying—how did I say it? Let me remember what I said. There was some fishy stuff going on out there."
(on him saying he was highly suspicious of the Patriots abilities to adapt and saying the money word, 'spying') "Oh man, come on. Do we have no sense of humor?"
(on if he was joking when he said the Patriots were spying on the Texans) "I'm always joking. I didn't mean any of it. I was talking to y'all like I would be talking to my boys on the sideline. 'Hey man, how did they know that, man? They must've been spying or something like that.' There are two different ways of saying, 'Hey man, they're spying on us, man. It's a conspiracy going on.' Instead of saying, 'Hey man, how'd they know that we were calling our strength to this certain side off of this certain man. They must be spying on us or something.' There are two different ways of saying it. That's kind of the way I said it."
(on Antonio Smith saying last night he could not go into details because it was 'classified') "Yeah, I said it was G-15 classified. It is gameplan and it's the same thing that I'm saying now. Though it may be something that I was curious about, that kind of didn't seem right, like how all of a sudden is there a change here. It wasn't a serious matter to where I was thinking, 'Ah man, they're spying on us. They're cheating,' things like that where it's to the point where it gets to be a big story about me accusing them of cheating. It's me being me, being funny."
(on him having to realize that using the word 'spying' with the Patriots that it would be a big deal) "You would have to realize that half the stuff I say is spontaneous and witty. I hardly ever think about it."
(on again, him having to realize that using the word 'spying' with the Patriots that it would be a big deal) "When did America become so serious? We have no sense of humor. Yes, I realize now that everybody loves the Patriots and that saying the word 'spying' because they got accused of spying before—I don't know if they got caught or what – (Reporter: 'They got caught'). Oh, well, I'm sorry that I said the word spying because of a prior engagement of them being caught spying before and it tied to me. Now, what I did say it, I said it, yes, but I was like joking and having fun with it. It don't matter to me. Those are the battles between coaches. That's the schemes and different things like that. That's between coaches. My battle is trying to figure out how to beat the guy in front of me. When it comes to the point of me feeling like it's serious enough to say they're cheating and that's how they beat us, no, it' wasn't like that."
**
Head Coach Gary Kubiak
(on injury updates) "We're just kind of nicked up. We came out pretty good, I think. We just had a walkthrough today basically and we had a couple of guys who did not participate. We're on turf. J. Jo (Johnathan Joseph) and Greg Jones, but other than that, everybody participated. We've just got some guys beat up obviously and we've got to turn around Thursday. So we'll try to get there."
(on Denver Broncos Head Coach John Fox being back and if he ever communicated with him about their illnesses) "No, I didn't I never did talk to John. It's good to see him back. I talked to (John) Elway a couple of times about him and knew he was doing pretty good. Just glad to see him back to work. A hell of a coach, good guy."
(on DE Antonio Smith suggesting that the Patriots may have cheated and if there was any indication that they did anything) "No, I have the utmost respect for their organization, their players, their coaches, their head coach. The standard that they've been setting for a long, long time in this league, they did a great job yesterday, been doing it a long time."
(on how difficult the short preparation for the Thursday game is) "It's tough on their bodies more than anything. Coaching wise, it's difficult to get everything done in such a quick amount of time. I think it's good for us. We need to go to play. We need to step back out there and go play again. It's something that you've got to push through, but there is a reward at the end of it, you give everybody a break for a few days. We just need to get back out there and get fighting again."
(on if it helps having played Jacksonville recently) "Yeah, I think that helps probably both teams the fact that we played each other two weeks ago and are familiar with each other. So we go have a light practice today. You already pretty much have an idea what's going on. Got to get everybody to Thursday. Mentally, that's their job to get ready to play. What we're doing physically is my job to get them to Thursday ready to play."
(on if he was encouraged by some things from yesterday's game) "Yeah, obviously, we played much better offensively, much more consistent in how we played. (We) played pretty good up front. Defensively, played a great first half against a heck of an offensive football team. Yeah, there was a lot of positives, but we're battling our tail off to win games. And that's my point. That's not going to change. That's our goal every week. It's disappointing from that standpoint. Like I said, look forward to getting back fighting again Thursday."
(on being back on the field yesterday and how that helped to be able to work more closely with QB Case Keenum) "I enjoyed it. I know that. It's nice to be down there, just emotions and to get the juices flowing again, so to speak. He's been great to work with. For a young guy, he's very tough minded. You coach him hard. The expectations, even though he's young, he's got a lot of expectations for himself and I have a lot for him. I think he did a lot of good things. He continues to make a lot of big plays for us offensively. We're striving for consistency. That's what being a great player in this league is all about, doing it over and over again, and being consistent. That's something he's working through trying to get better, but just got to keep pushing him. Need to get him a W. He's been doing a lot of good things. We need to get a win."
(on how TE Owen Daniels is progressing) "Owen is not yet on the field is the best way I can describe it to you. He's doing good, he's just not yet on the field. Probably have a decision to make. I know he's worked pretty hard today with the trainers. We'll see."
(on if RB Ben Tate's big day yesterday had to do with him finally recovering from his rib injury) "Yeah, I think each week that he gets back, he feels better. So I think he plays a little better and recovers a little better. Today, he's back on the field moving around. So that's good. He played good this week. I thought he would. I thought he would bounce back. Didn't have a lot of good opportunities the week before. Proud of the way he played. Stepped up in pass protection, too. I want to see him finish this season strong and play the way he's capable of playing. He did that yesterday."
(on if the Sunday to Thursday turnaround makes it more dangerous for players) "I don't know. I know it's a tough turnaround for players. It's a quick situation. We did it last year, Sunday to Thanksgiving Day. So it's very tough on them physically, but it is part of what we do. You kind of learn to play on different days. You have these rough night road trips, get home the next day at eight in the morning, and have got to turn around and get ready to play real quick. It's just kind of part of our business. As a coach, I've been through the schedule a few times, so you do the best you can. But yeah, I know it's tough on players. They find a way to work through it. I think also see that there's a reward there coming this weekend where they really can get a big break."
(on if it's better to get back onto the field fast) "I think so. I wish we could play every day right now. We've got to go get this taste out of mouths. It's tough, but they were good today and on top of what they were doing. We want to go play. We want to continue to fight that we were in yesterday and just want to continue to play better."
(on what it says about Jacksonville that they were winless for a while and now have won three of their last four games) "I think he's (Gus Bradley) done a great job. I've watched some film of them. They're playing extremely hard. They had a lot of new faces on their football team. They had a quarterback issues again going through. He's had them playing hard all year long and consistent. And these last few weeks, they've played extremely well."
(on the advantages and disadvantages of playing a team twice in three games) "I don't know. We're division opponents, too. So we know each other pretty darn well. I don't know. The advantage is your players getting something that they're familiar with. I guess that could be a disadvantage, too. I guess I can't answer that. I have no idea. How about that?"
(on how to help improve QB Case Keenum's completion percentage) "Yeah, I think, as a coach, I know myself as a coach, I'm always trying to get guys started in games well and competitions and those type of things. So that's something I work on. But he does have to improve in some of those phases. A lot of that has to do with is he's a very aggressive kid, likes to get the ball down the field. That's great. You can't coach that sometimes. You don't want to lose that, but he's got to learn to check balls down and take this three and four-yard gain sometimes when he has to instead of sitting there and sitting there because he's got so much confidence in what he's doing. I think he's going to get better with that as we move forward. Obviously, we can help him."
(on how much QB Matt Schaub has been working with QB Case Keenum in-game) "He's been great. He's been great with him. I'm not sitting with him on the bench other than when I talk to Case coming off the field. Karl (Dorrell's) with him, but I hear the headset. I hear Matt talking to him about what's going on out on the field and about different things that are happening, situations. Like I heard Matt talking to him, the first time we had third-and-forever, we had that penalty and he took the check down and we ended up kicking the field goal. Really smart play and then we go down there and we're in the same position with third-and-long, and we end up throwing an interception. Just talking through this situation, keeping points on the board, those types of things. I hear Matt doing it all of the time."
(on his message to the team considering the losing streak and the close losses) "I talk about them battling their tail off. I think that's what they've been doing. Just trying to stay as positive as I can. Probably my biggest message to them is all of the things that they're feeling and as difficult as this is for them, it is for this old boy, too. So I'm right there with them. That's my message."
(on the losing streak and losing all of the games so close recently) "Yeah, I don't know that I've ever been through that, one-score games for that going on. And we've had the ball, in a lot of situations; they're just one big play. But just seems like we get into those close games and, when there's a play to be made, we're not making it. The other team is. Whether it's a turnover or whether it's a big play offensively to end the game. The only way you're going to make them is if you keep going back there and find a way to do it."
DE Antonio Smith (audio attached)**
(on the controversy he created around the country using spying in a sentence about the Patriots) "It tickles me how much the country loves the Patriots so much that they take everything so seriously. I don't know what to say about it. I guess no media is bad media, thank you for getting me on ESPN for taking Tonestradamus' word and his soothsayer abilities to new heights. I don't know what else to say about it."
(on being surprised the story got as much play as it did) "I was definitely surprised about it. I didn't think anything else about it after we talked here yesterday until I woke up this morning and everybody wanted to kill me on Instagram."
(on if he watched the ESPN coverage and heard what people were saying) "My teammates were actually telling me the ESPN story. I don't really watch ESPN that much. They pretty much got a good laugh out of it. I've been the butt of everybody's jokes today, especially Duane Brown. He's the first one that came to me with it. I had no idea it had took that much effect or got that big."
(on what he did mean when he said it) "OK, let's think of this. Y'all are with me all the time. We laugh and joke every now and then. So you can say things that you may have some type of curiosity about and still be joking about it. At one point I don't ever remember being angry or serious or saying that is the reason why they beat us or anything. What I read on Twitter is that I said that's the reason they beat us."
(on if he never said that he was suspicious of how the Patriots adjusted on offense and if he was being serious or joking when he said it) "I definitely said that. No, I definitely said it, but you have to take it in the matter that I said it in. The matter that I said it in was even if I was curious and Tonestradamous was thinking things, I didn't use it in the aspect of accusing them of beating us with cheating techniques. What I was doing was saying—how did I say it? Let me remember what I said. There was some fishy stuff going on out there."
(on him saying he was highly suspicious of the Patriots abilities to adapt and saying the money word, 'spying') "Oh man, come on. Do we have no sense of humor?"
(on if he was joking when he said the Patriots were spying on the Texans) "I'm always joking. I didn't mean any of it. I was talking to y'all like I would be talking to my boys on the sideline. 'Hey man, how did they know that, man? They must've been spying or something like that.' There are two different ways of saying, 'Hey man, they're spying on us, man. It's a conspiracy going on.' Instead of saying, 'Hey man, how'd they know that we were calling our strength to this certain side off of this certain man. They must be spying on us or something.' There are two different ways of saying it. That's kind of the way I said it."
(on Antonio Smith saying last night he could not go into details because it was 'classified') "Yeah, I said it was G-15 classified. It is gameplan and it's the same thing that I'm saying now. Though it may be something that I was curious about, that kind of didn't seem right, like how all of a sudden is there a change here. It wasn't a serious matter to where I was thinking, 'Ah man, they're spying on us. They're cheating,' things like that where it's to the point where it gets to be a big story about me accusing them of cheating. It's me being me, being funny."
(on him having to realize that using the word 'spying' with the Patriots that it would be a big deal) "You would have to realize that half the stuff I say is spontaneous and witty. I hardly ever think about it."
(on again, him having to realize that using the word 'spying' with the Patriots that it would be a big deal) "When did America become so serious? We have no sense of humor. Yes, I realize now that everybody loves the Patriots and that saying the word 'spying' because they got accused of spying before—I don't know if they got caught or what – (Reporter: 'They got caught'). Oh, well, I'm sorry that I said the word spying because of a prior engagement of them being caught spying before and it tied to me. Now, what I did say it, I said it, yes, but I was like joking and having fun with it. It don't matter to me. Those are the battles between coaches. That's the schemes and different things like that. That's between coaches. My battle is trying to figure out how to beat the guy in front of me. When it comes to the point of me feeling like it's serious enough to say they're cheating and that's how they beat us, no, it' wasn't like that."
