**
Head Coach Gary Kubiak**
QB Matt Schaub
G/T David Quessenberry
Head Coach Gary Kubiak
(on how the team looked today) "We weren't very good offensively. Not really ready to practice. Sat some guys and didn't respond very good. I thought we practiced pretty good defensively, but just pushing through, trying to get ready to play another preseason game. Gave some older guys their day off and we need to respond better than we did today."
(on if there were any injuries today) "(G) Ben Jones is sick. He made it all the way through practice until the end. They took him in. Had a couple guys with heat, but other than that, we're fine."
(on if there is anything new with OLB Trevardo Williams) "No, Trevardo had a cyst drained; I think I told you guys that yesterday, off the bottom of his foot. We were hoping he could practice this morning. He came out, went through warm ups with the trainers and they said no. He'll be day-to-day."
(on how OLB Sam Montgomery has looked since he's been back at practice) "He's behind. It's just he missed a lot of time, but he's going hard, he's a strong kid. He's got some pass rush ability. We want to see him really play a lot of special teams this week. This is a big week for him. He's going to play a lot of football. You can't help the fact that he missed all those practices, but we've got to make up some ground."
(on draft picks having a lot of health issues and if that's frustrating) "Yeah, it is. It's been frustrating with (T Brennan) Williams ever since he's gotten here. (OLB) Sam (Montgomery's) had some struggles. (WR Alan) Bonner, nothing you can do about a hamstring. Who's the other one? There's one more, (NT Chris) Jones. That's tough because you've got to look at those guys all you can. That's part of football, so we'll get them healthy and get them back out here."
(on NT Chris Jones' injury) "It's a day-to-day deal. He's not going to play this week. I can tell you that for sure. We put him in a boot, so we'll re-evaluate him as we get to the end of the week."
(on what G Ben Jones' situation is) "He's just sick. Practiced sick for his team. Not many guys would have been out here the way he was feeling, but he found a way to get through it. Just hit the wall at the end."
(on CB Kareem Jackson coming on more in practice the past few days) "I think he's had a great camp. Kareem's such a pro now. He's lost weight. He's really thinned up. J. Jo's (CB Johnathan Joseph) has taught him so much, not just about playing, but about being a pro. Just really really proud of Kareem and how far he's come. He's hitting that point in his career, it's really time to go big time and he's done that the last couple of years with us, and now he's right in the meat of his career. So expecting big things from him."
(on how WR Lestar Jean has looked) "He's doing good. Consistency catching the ball. That's something that showed up the other night. He's worked. He's having a good camp. It's a very competitive situation and should get (WR DeVier) Posey back here pretty quick, so it's going to get even more competitive."
(on if QB Matt Schaub showed the effects of having a couple of days off) "I don't know. He went to practice. You hit some, we miss some. Looked like the same Matt to me."
(on why he was disappointed in the offense today) "Oh, I just thought it was tempo, just being ready to go. A little tired, week three."
(on practicing well yesterday and not today and if that's just a part of training camp) "You're right. That's why we're out here. That's why you go to camp. If it was all perfect, we wouldn't come out here. So got to get better this afternoon."
(on WR DeVier Posey and if he's turned a corner in his rehab) "Yes, he's worked with the trainers. Running a lot of routes the last two days. Worked extremely hard. Looks like we're very close to pulling off PUP after this game and hopefully he's back out here working next week. So we'll see."
(on how big of a deal it is to get WR DeVier Posey back) "It's huge. The thought process in the offseason was it probably wasn't going to happen this early, but it sure looks like it's got a chance. That would be a huge boost to our team."
(on WR DeVier Posey's work ethic in trying to come back) "He has not missed a day. He's been down there every morning throughout the offseason. He came to me about a month-and-a-half after his surgery, he said, 'Don't count me out, I'll make it to opening day.' He's holding up his end of the bargain. He's done a great job."
(on the decision to remove WR DeVier Posey form the PUP) "Obviously, you've got tough decisions coming in here in a couple of weeks with the PUP situation or putting him on the active roster. Let's just say he's putting a lot of pressure on us to activate him if he continues this process he's been through."
(on if there's anything new on RB Arian Foster) "No, nothing new. Same stuff."
(on what he likes about having a local team in University of Houston attending practice) "It's pretty cool. I know (Head) Coach Tony (Levine). He does a great job. I know some coaches on the staff. I'm sure it's good for their kids to come out here and watch us work, and I know it helps our guys too. We're at the end of camp, we've got one more day really considered training camp and they're worn out. So anybody that can come out here and try to juice them up a little bit, it helps. I appreciate them coming out."
(on if he invited the University of Houston Head Coach Tony Levine out to practice) "We invite them out all of the time. I know Rice has come out here before. Probably just a good break for his team too, just to get out here."
(on taking WR DeVier Posey off of PUP after this game) "The thought process is if he continues the rest of this week the way he has the last couple of days, that's an option come Monday."
(on if the situation with RB Arian Foster not being able to practice frustrates him) "It doesn't frustrate me. I always think from the players' perspective. I want everybody out here. My concerns are for players and me knowing what they've got to do to get to be their best. Arian's a worker. He's at his best when he's working and on this field, and taking all of those reps. That's my opinion. That's the way he's made his career. He came up the hard way. The more time we miss, yeah, there's some concern on my part, but I think we've kind of settled down a target date and, if things go right this week, I know I said this maybe last week, we're hoping that we've got plenty of time and he's back out here real quick."
(on if RB Arian Foster has to play in the preseason) "I don't know if guys have to play in the preseason, but they have to work. They have to get to practice. They have to get their reps. Today was practice number 25 if I'm correct? That's a lot of football, a lot of reps practiced and players need them to get ready."
(on the update about QBs T.J. Yates and Case Keenum) "Well, like I said, my plan is to play Case second this week. That's what I said yesterday, I'm going to play him second and T.J. will play third. They will come out of this preseason with equal reps. We'll see what happens. That's a great competition."
(on how many series QB Matt Schaub will play this weekend) "I don't know. I haven't made a decision yet. Obviously, they're going to play a good amount."
(on how much he attributes missed tackles in the first preseason game to the new Collective Bargaining Agreement) "No, we can tackle if we want to. So it's not the CBA's fault. I'm not going to take guys to the ground out here. We missed a few, but we made some good ones too."
(on big plays in the Minnesota game coming against zone coverage) "They came against what we call zone pressure, so we're still in forms of man coverage in almost everything we do. No, we just missed some. (S) D.J. Swearinger's a good tackler. He was overaggressive, missed one, made a big play. But that's why you're in camp. Hopefully, it gets better every week as we work toward opening day."
(on how the team is preparing for noise coming from the new video boards and his message to fans about what they need to do for the home field advantage) "I want them to be as loud as they possibly can be. That's why you play at home. As far as us a team, we always practice in noise. I don't just do it when we play on the road. Y'all can see we did it today. I do it for concentration purposes as much as anything, but we welcome all the noise we can get. I understand it's awesome. I'll be honest with you, I haven't seen it. I'm a little busy, but I've got to walk in there Saturday night, so I'll get a chance to see it."
QB Matt Schaub
(on getting back with the team after a couple days away) "Oh, it's great to get back out here. This is a comfort zone out here on the football field. Get out here with the guys, continue to progress and work through training camp to get ready for our second game this weekend. It's good to be back out here."
(on personal and team goals for Saturday) "Just like we had last week, come out, start fast, make some first downs, move the football, get points out of our drives and our series. Just being crisp, being sharp with our personnel changes, our pre-snap procedure, and taking care of the football. Just all those things that are the key to winning."
(on if he is concerned about the injuries on the offensive line) "No, I'm not concerned. We have a long way until week one and I know those guys, they will be ready to go. No, I'm not worried about it."
(on how his approach changes with the addition of WR DeAndre Hopkins) "You know, it's just more weapons. It's nice to have that many tools at your disposal. It doesn't change how I prepare, how I view the game, or go into it. Just knowing that we have many guys that can make plays for us. The more they make plays, the more confident they're going to be in what they can do out there. They're not going to be thinking as much, especially the young players, but it's good for everyone to have that much talent across the board."
(on pushing the tempo during practice) "You know, that's our team. That's how we like to operate. You saw last year we started to do a lot of stuff at the line of scrimmage and a lot of up-tempo stuff trying to keep the defense tired and off balance. That's how we like to operate, fast with tempo and rhythm. Guys are really learning that, especially the young guys that come in here. When Dre (WR Andre Johnson) and (TE) Owen (Daniels) don't practice, some of those young guys got to pick up the pace and the tempo because that's how we like to operate in these games especially early in the season when it's hot and we can tire people out."
(on if he likes to play an up-tempo style) "Absolutely. If you look at those games when we were operating fast, whether it was a two-minute situation or just at the line of scrimmage working an up-tempo style, I feel like our offense was really clicking. You can get in a rhythm. You can get guys the football and let them make plays. Then those five-yard completions or three-yard runs turn into bigger plays."
(on comparing former FB James Casey to FB Greg Jones) "I think the physicality of the position. The fullbacks we have, nothing against James, James did a heck of a job transitioning to being a blocking fullback, but James could really create a lot of mismatches in the passing game. Where the guys we have now, they're going to catch the football, but more in traditional fullback type of routes. Those guys bring tenacity to that position and an aggressiveness. They're going to be downhill and clear the way for our backs."
(on Head Coach Gary Kubiak telling him to be more youthful and what he did when it comes to that this past offseason) "I don't know. I don't know if there's something in the water here in Houston or what. Not having to rehab like last year with my foot injury played into it. I could get back in the gym, get back working out sooner, doing stuff, getting out here on the field, doing positional stuff, and just getting back into football shape in the offseason. Just working hard through it."
(on how much he expects to play on Saturday) "I just go until he tells me to come out. I just go into it I'm going to play the game until he says I'm done. That's how we're going to approach it. We're going to get ready as if it's a regular season game and when Kub (Head Coach Gary Kubiak) says I'm done, I'll be done."
(on the backup quarterback battle) "Yeah, those guys are working extremely hard. As a group, we push each other. We challenge each other and stay competitive within our room and those guys are no different. They're working extremely hard, taking advantage of opportunities, and just grasping our entire offense. (QB) T.J. (Yates) going into year three, that's when you really notice guys really get command of everything that everyone's doing in the huddle. (QB) Case (Keenum) has really worked hard to catch up and be at that point after one year."
(on what he tells the other quarterbacks) "We need everyone on this team all hands on deck because we all help each other prepare for Sunday's. They're a support system for me when I'm out there, so we're going to get it done together."
(on the golf cart that came close to hitting him) "Yeah, good thing I have pretty nimble feet. That's the youthfulness from the off-seasons coming through (joking). I was able to side step it."
(on how important it is to have everyone contributing ) "Yeah, I mean, when you go through camp and when you go through a season, there's so many ups and downs and trials and tribulations that you need those guys to understand what you go through as a quarterback you know, from a starting perspective because they were there at one point in their career. We all help each other. We are an extra set of eyes. We all try to watch the film in the same respect, see the field, and give each other tips. Just what guys are doing, what coverage's are going on and just helping each other out because we're all in this for one thing and that's to win."
(on what he wants to accomplish on Saturday with the offense) "Yeah, after last week, just a few plays especially for the one's. We just want to continue where we left off, we want to get down there and move the football, score sevens. Whenever were out there we want to convert every third down. It won't be perfect but we want to strive for that perfection. Completing all balls and executing our blocking schemes, no penalties, no mistakes with the ball and let's go down and score points each drive."
(on how Head Coach Gary Kubiak wasn't pleased with the pace of practice today) "I mean, obviously I wasn't here the last two days so I don't know how those days went, but, coming out here, we got to start fast. We don't spend a lot of time getting loose, and doing a lot of individual stuff. We have to get loose quick and be ready to go right from the start of practice and it took a little while for guys to get going this morning. It's on us as leaders and veterans to show them the way and step up and pick up that pace and let them know how things are going to get done."
(on DE J.J. Watt's potential of being a tight end) "Yeah, he's been ongoing around here. I mean, he's a big target. I wouldn't mind throwing it up and just letting him jump up and catch the ball. He can be a mismatch for us, but we will progress to that I think. We will see how it goes, but he's definitely lobbying hard. I would definitely be all for it. It would just add to his legacy."
(on DE J.J. Watt bringing up being a tight end when Matt Schaub was gone) "Yeah, I saw some highlights of him on the Jugs' machine. We might need to turn the speed up. He looked a little shaky over there."
(on who passed away in his family) "Yeah, my grandfather passed away last week on my mom's side. So it's a tough deal for our family, but we're doing fine."
(on what his grandfather meant to him) "My grandfather was one of my biggest fans. He was always there, always supportive. The first one I would talk to when I got home from games growing up or in high school and college. He would always be there to support. He was a special man."
T David Quessenberry
(on playing first game in San Diego where he has family) "Yeah, I got a lot of family coming to that game. It's exciting to be able to go back home to San Diego to play your first NFL game. It's something that I'm looking forward to and have been looking forward to for a long time."
(on his progress through training camp) "I think I'm light-years ahead of where I was. Basically, I've played a couple different positions and that's helped me understand these concepts of the offense. Now, I'm pretty much locked into guard and I feel real comfortable out there. I feel good, especially when I get to work next to guys like (LT) Duane (Brown) and (C) Chris (Myers). They help me out and they're about as good as it gets in this league."
(on being inspired by working with the first string offense) "Yeah, absolutely, I think this offensive line is so talented. When a guy steps down, like when (G) Wade (Smith) went out and (G) Ben (Jones) stepped up. Ben can do it and, when Ben goes down, I can step-up. We just have so many talented guys on this offensive line that can play all over the place that it really helps us out."
(on proving himself during Saturday's preseason game) "Yeah, absolutely. Basically, the game is a football game. To me, it doesn't matter preseason, regular season, or playoffs. I'm going out there, I'm going to win, I'm going to do my best to help this team win, and that's what it's about for me every day."
(on his opportunity as a rookie) "You know, I think the coaching staff here, they really give great opportunities to all the rookies and me especially being a versatile offensive lineman. There's been some shifting around the front and being able to fit in some roles has really helped me out."
(on going against NT Earl Mitchell, DE J.J. Watt, and DE Antonio Smith as a rookie) "Oh yeah, I mean, I think we probably have the most talented defensive line in the league and practicing against those guys just makes you that much better. You get to play against Pro Bowlers and the Defensive Player of Year. As a rookie coming in getting to play against that, that really sets the tone for the rest of your career."
Afternoon Practice
Head Coach Gary Kubiak
(on the responsibilities of G/T David Quessenberry right now) "Yeah, big opportunity for him. Obviously, battling with (G) Ben (Jones) with (G) Wade (Smith) missing his time. A lot of things going on there and then bringing (T) Nate (Menkin) back, and yet we're still young with (G) Brandon (Brooks). A lot of things going on inside and competition over the next few weeks will be very important."
(on if there are any updates as far as health) "No, nothing's changed. (OLB) Trevardo (Williams) will check in tomorrow. Obviously, (G) Wade (Smith) will be missing until I tell you otherwise. Other than that, people making progress. (WR DeVier) Posey making progress and I rested some guys this morning."
(on what DE Antonio Smith does for the team leadership-wise) "He's really come a long way since he first came to us. He's an effort player. Loves to play. Brings a lot of energy to our football team. Loves to have fun. You guys know that, y'all have been around him. Man, I'll tell you he's turned into something special. He's done a really good job for us."
(on if people don't really appreciate what DE Antonio Smith does) "Well, I think around the league they do. I think the people that put on the film realize what type of player he is and obviously getting (DE) J.J. (Watt), they've fed off each other, which has really helped Antonio. We're real proud of him and how far he's come as a player ever since we got him from Arizona. He's done a great job for us."
(on if the team will game plan for Miami this week) "We game plan a little bit in the preseason, more so next week like we're preparing for a regular season game. Yeah, you're trying to test them a little bit mentally. How much you go do of that remains to be seen because you're still going to play a lot of young players. We need to look at a lot of guys."
(on if he's decided how he's going to handle the quarterbacks after QB Matt Schaub) "No, I just know (QB) Case Keenum will go next, but (QB) T.J. (Yates) will play too. That'll be the order. Depending on how much Matt plays, they'll split the rest of the game."
(on having QB Case Keenum play with the second unit) "Yeah, well, he played with the two's a lot last week too, so don't read too much into that. Our second offensive line played probably two-and-a-half quarters of the game last week, so Case kind of played with both groups. We'll just change it up this week."
(on the rotation at running back behind RB Ben Tate and if it will change) "You know what, it could this week. We haven't talked about it, but I would just say that 39 (RB Deji Karim) is really practicing well, so we want to see him more this week and obviously want to continue to see DJ (RB Dennis Johnson), (RB) Cierre (Wood) and then (RB Ray) Graham comes in and does a good job. I think one of the things about this week, we want to see Deji a little bit more. We want to take a look at him."
