The Texans defeated the Saints 27-14 at Reliant Stadium on Saturday night. Here are the postgame quotes from both teams.
Owner Bob McNair
Head Coach Gary Kubiak
RB Arian Foster
WR Andre Johnson
OLB Brooks Reed
QB Matt Schaub
DE Antonio Smith
RB Ben Tate
DE J.J. Watt
OLB Mario Williams
OWNER ROBERT MCNAIR
(on the play of RB Arian Foster) "Well, all I can say is the Arian's back."
(on the play of RB Ben Tate) "Well, I was really surprised that he played as well as he did because he hasn't practiced that much. You can tell his conditioning isn't what it will be and he has more speed than you saw tonight so I think that's pretty exciting."
(on performance of his team so far) "Well, I think we are playing very well and it shows the level of talent that we've got. We still made a few mistakes here and there but we made the big plays when we needed them. I think that's the big difference."
(on the direction of the defense) "We are headed in the right direction and of course (CB) Johnathan Joseph, getting him back in here will be helpful. We are just going to keep working at it and keep getting better. Hopefully, we will keep having the same results."
(on if a team can be soft if it runs the ball the way the Texans did last year) "I don't think so. I don't think we can run the football the way we did, protect the way we did, play the way we did and be considered that."
HEAD COACH GARY KUBIAK
(on injury update) "We really needed to come out this game clean after last week. I think for the most part we did. Earl (Mitchell) got a little nicked up, Lestar Jean got a little shoulder bruise we've got to look at but other than that I think we're okay. It's nice that both of those backs were able to play and come out okay.
(on RB Ben Tate) "I guess practice is overrated. I was excited, we all are. It's been a rough go for him and he's missed a lot of time. He came and saw me last week and he said 'Coach I'm going to play against New Orleans I just got to get this thing right.' He worked hard at it and he came out and practiced Thursday morning and said he was ready to go and he was. He was ready to go and played extremely well. That's a big step forward in his career because let's remember he hasn't played a lot of football so we if get that out of him behind Arian (Foster) that's going to be a nice thing to have."
(on winning the turnover battle) "Yeah, that's been going on all camp. Our defense has gotten our hands on a lot of balls and I'm proud of the offense to miss a whole offseason and protect the ball like they did. You win turnover battles in this league and you usually win games. T\hose things kind of go hand in hand so great job by the defense.
(on the first team offense) "Yeah, we moved the ball really good; when 23 (Arian Foster) goes back there it definitely helps but both our backs played really well. Matt (Schaub) played well and getting Andre (Johnson) back on the field, you know throughout camp we hadn't had all those guys out there so it's nice just to get out there and get to work. They didn't do a lot defensively so it's good to see us getting some rhythm which we haven't had because of those guys missing so much time."
(on the defense) "I know they gave up a lot of yards but they made some big plays. The first drive of the game they (New Orleans Saints) go right down the field on them. That's what I just told the team the National Football League is a league of big plays and you got to find a way to make them. You can get the ball moved on you defensively but if you step up and make a big play that's what it's all about and that's what they did. Antonio (Smith) made that big play early in the game that kind of flipped the emotions of the game and got everybody going but I know we gave up too many yards and we got a lot of things to fix so we've got a long way to go."
(on concern defending the run) "Yeah, I mean they ran the ball pretty good on us. Like I said, we gave up too many yards just in general, too many big plays. So we're going to have to go back and look at that. I didn't like the way our second offense played. I was disappointed how they played. Just some of the things going on with the group. We should've played better than that. Like I said, there's many things to clean up but it's another move in the right direction and good to get some of these healthy guys back."
(on OLB Brooks Reed) "He's been coming every day, he's coming along every day. Remember now, Brooks is playing a new spot. He's a hand down (defensive) end in college, so it's been a change for him but every day he gets better. He's a worker. He's been playing really well for (special teams coordinator) Joe (Marciano). The quicker he comes along the better football team we're going to be, so. Yeah, it was exciting to see."
(on the progress of the 3-4 defense) "Oh, I'm pleased with the progress. (defensive coordinator) Wade (Phillips) probably can answer that from the standpoint of how he feels all the years he's been with it, but the thing I'm excited about is I think we have more playmakers than we've probably ever had around here. Like I said, we are getting our hands on the football with the emphasis of turnovers and stripping the ball. You can see that showing up on the field. There's a lot of things that have got to get better but I think one of the encouraging things is there are some young guys that look like they're gonna play for us and help us. When you sit there and watch (OLB) Brooks (Reed) make plays and (OLB Jesse) Nading make plays and (CB) Brice McCain's playing well and (CB) Sherrick (McManus). When you see that, you feel like you're going to have the depth to be better throughout the season. Like I said, we've gotta take a hard look at ourselves and just keep moving forward."
(on OLB Mario Williams' play tonight) "You know, it's hard because I don't focus on one guy. I'm watching the group. I gotta go watch the film but Mario's (Williams) had a very good camp. It's a new position for him but he is very eager to learn and listen. I think as long as he keeps working the way he's working I think he's going to be well on his way to a heck of a year. Let me go back and watch the film. I'd hate to say because I didn't really isolate on one guy."
(on ILB Brian Cushing's performance tonight) "He looked active. I had a play count on him of 20 plays. He played 22 so he slid a couple by me. He looked active, and that's Brian (Cushing). He plays physical, runs all over the field, came out of the game good. The biggest this is for Cush and (RB Arian) Foster and (RB Ben) Tate to play and then to know they're okay tonight and we're moving on to next week, that's a big step for those guys because they are coming off injuries. It's a positive."
(on an update on G Kasey Studdard) "Yeah I'm sorry I haven't talked to y'all because (Friday's) practice was closed, but Kasey (Studdard) did have surgery on Friday, yesterday. I talked to him after surgery. He's doing well. Matter fact I think he actually came home this evening. I'll find out when I leave here. Actually Kasey's gonna, it looks like he will not play this year. I don't know. We'll see, but he did have surgery and he's well on his way to recovery."
(on Kareem Jackson's performance tonight) "Well first off I was very impressed by how he kept his cool. We had a couple situations out there on the field. He got in a little altercation with one of their receivers and he put his hands up and kept his cool. That's hard to do so that's a sign of maturity. I think Kareem (Jackson) has gotten better each and every day. I think he's been pushed very hard by Jason (Allen) and he's holding his own. He's gotta hang on to his job and it's making him a better player."
RB ARIAN FOSTER
(on how he feels to be back out on the field) "It felt good to get back out there with my team. The guys were real welcoming. They linemen made me feel real welcome back. The most important thing is we look real smooth as an offense. It was fun. It's a preseason game, but it's a step in the right direction of where we want to go."
(on if he's feeling 100% healthy) "Yeah, I'm good."
(on how he felt in his first game) "I felt good. I felt really good out there. Very welcoming, my offensive line was."
(on his touchdown) "Got us in a good set. It was a good call. I saw daylight, put my foot in the ground and just went over the safety."
(on if he had apprehension taking first hit) "A little bit. You know those first game jitters but they go out the window as soon as you get hit then it's right back to football."
(on how much fun the game was) "Extremely fun. I haven't played since February at the Pro Bowl. It's fun to get out there, bang heads and just have fun with the team you went through training camp with."
(on his reaction to number of carries) "It was only five times. It wasn't that much."
(on feeling like he picked up where he left off) "I feel like I got better. That's a goal as an athlete to get better every time you touch the field and I felt like I got a little better today. We still have a lot of work to do. I still have a lot of work to do."
(on Houston Texans RB Ben Tate's performance) "He did good. He had the worst touchdown dance in the history of football though. Aside from that, he did good though. We're going to keep going and hopefully he can build on this performance."
(on if he teaches dancing lessons) "I don't dance."
(on if he told Ben Tate he had a bad dance) "He knows."
(on what it meant to have things clicking with the starters) "I think we have to understand it is the second preseason game. We still have a lot of work to do as an offense. We saw a lot of vanilla looks from them since it is the preseason. We're just focused on our side of the ball right now and being as efficient as we can as an offense."
(on coming off of Pro Bowl season going in to this year) "I'm still out here trying to prove I can play in this league. I think that's the one thing (head) coach (Gary) Kubiak tells us. He says you have to prove yourself week in and week out and every day in this league and that's what I try to do."
(on the potential of having a better defense) "We have a lot of confidence as a team. We know we're a good team. We know we can play with anybody in the League. We just have to go out and prove it."
(on if he has something to prove) "Yeah. The day you become complacent, you die a little inside."
(on if he has a chip on his shoulder) "Yes and no. I'm not trying to prove anybody wrong. I'm just trying to prove I can play in this League. You have to make sure you stay focused and stay on your craft."
(on how he feels coming off injury) "It was ok, it was just a preseason game. I had only 10, 11 or 15 snaps. I felt good with my performance but it was just a collective effort. Our line did a great job, we were clicking as an offensive unit and I was a small piece in that."
WR ANDRE JOHNSON
(on tonight's game) "We just wanted to come out and start fast. That's something we've been talking about as an offense. Just starting fast and being consistent as a football team. We came out with the plays we had and I think we did a great job."
(on the team being consistent) "That's the biggest thing. When you look back at the season last year we weren't consistent. That's the thing that cost us a lot of games. That's something we're trying to change. We're just trying to get better every week and every team we're on the field and I think we've done a good job of that the last two weeks."
(on the team clicking because of players grasping system) "We're definitely comfortable with the offense. I was just excited to get back out there. I felt like it was my first time playing. I was excited, I was pumped and I was ready to go. I think us being comfortable with the offense makes it easier if we do miss time to still come in and play at a high level."
(on RBs Arian Foster and Ben Tate) "Arian speaks for itself. The guy led the league in rushing last year. I think everybody was excited to see Ben after a bad injury last year. I think he did a great job."
(on Ben Tate's touchdown dance) "We clowned him pretty bad on the sideline. I don't know who's still doing the funky chicken or whatever it's called but I couldn't believe he did that."
OLB BROOKS REED
(on if he felt like he could have done more tonight) "Besides those two plays, I feel like I could've done a lot better. That's what the preseason is for. So far, it's just been a huge learning experience for me. I just hope that I can improve day-by-day."
(on his adjustment from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4 defense) "Yeah, big time. In college, I was 4-3 my whole career there. Switching over here, I had to completely clean the slate and I'm learning a total new defense at a new position and new fundamentals. It's challenging, but it's coming along."
(on what his role will be with the Texans) "I'm not sure right now. I'm still fighting for a position. Right now, they just have the ones going first quarter, first half and then they're rolling the twos in or when Connor's (Barwin) getting a little tired, he'll put me in. Right now, he's just kind of seeing where I'm at."
(on if defensive coordinator Wade Phillips is still not calling many blitzes) "No, he really didn't call that many blitzes today. I felt like it's just guys getting to the quarterback. A lot of guys on this team take that pretty passionately."
(on how the adjustment is going for him) "Adjustment-wise, it's been pretty challenging just adjusting to the speed of the game, standing up instead of having my hand down, learning different techniques, just trying to forget what I did in college and kind of reinventing what I'm doing now."
QB MATT SCHAUB
(on the performances of RB Arian Foster and RB Ben Tate) "It was big for us to have Arian back in the huddle starting off the game we had some great runs. The offensive line did a heck of a job giving him some alleys for him to cut into. He was 'Arian' for us. To see Tate get out there and make some plays in the run game as well as the pass game with some screens. That was really good to see him do that."
(on the performance of the offense) "We had a great plan coming in. We just wanted to string together positive play after positive play and the offensive line did a heck of a job controlling the line of scrimmage. We had guys that made plays in the secondary and it started with our running game. We were able to execute and convert with some passes."
(on "It was huge for us to start fast. After last week's start against the Jets we wanted to really go out and get a couple scores early. We were able to do that and give our defense a chance to play with a lead and they were able to do that as well. It was a building block for us but obviously we have things we can get better on into next week."
DE ANTONIO SMITH
(on the sack fumble) "They were coming with a play action pass. I took a guess, figured they were going to try to play action pass, get a quick score on us. I faked them inside, did an outside move on them and just tried to knock the ball out of Drew's (Brees) hand. I didn't want him to get it off."
(on getting to see the twos make plays) "That shows we've got depth. I like our young guys. They can get to the quarterback. They're getting sacks, just like us."
(on how confident the defense is) "We are building our confidence day by day. That's something I've been harping on, I've been preaching on is building an attitude and belief that this defense can be a top five defense. We got to believe it first and put the work out there on the field."
(on the game tonight "In the beginning we came out pretty good, we came out on fire you know. I like the fact that when (the Saints) got down there we didn't falter. We made a play to get us off the field and the offense turned it on."
(on the sack and fumble in the first quarter) "I basically took a guess. I figured, I thought (Saints QB Drew Brees) was going to do a play action pass and it ended up being a play action pass so when he went to fake me on the run I hit him with the outside. I didn't want Drew to get the pass off so I just went swiping at the ball and luckily it came out."
(on if he feels he disrupted the quarterback tonight) "On a few plays I feel we did but I think we need to be more firm on the run. They were solidifying the run today. I think that we were more concerned with the pass, getting to the quarterback and that's how they were hitting us with some of the big runs. This defense is going to get pass rush. I don't doubt that one bit. I think we gotta play firm more on the run and let the pass happen."
(on if he has fun playing the 3-4 defense) "Oh yeah. I'm always having fun whenever I play the game of football."
RB BEN TATE
(on his performance) "It's a good start but I have to stay humble and keep working."
(on being able to stay healthy for an entire game) "It's a blessing because this game is violent and it can be over with on any play. It's a blessing to finish every game."
(on whether the performance of RB Arian Foster motivated him ) "It's definitely motivation because I am a competitor. I see him doing well and I want to do well too."
(on his feelings during the game) "I was just excited to be honest. It's been over a year since I have been out there on the field so I wasn't really thinking about anything. I was just excited and was just thinking 'keep going, keep going', I didn't want to come out of the game for anything."
DE J.J. WATT
(opening statement) "We came out with a win and that's what you want to do. You want to create a winning atmosphere. Obviously the Saints are a good team. They're a team that's had success in the past, so when we came out here and beat them, that's a good thing for us and we'll see them again in Week 3."
(on how he improved from the first game) "Obviously, I played a little bit more. I think I have a lot of things to work on. I just need to come out here, get the film, take a look at it and get it corrected because I just want to come out and improve every day. I need to be a little bit better against the run game."
(on where he can improve) "I think just working with leverage and using my strength in smart ways. I've been doing a little bit of penetrating up the field and I need to stay at the line a little bit more, work against the block. I just need to be a better overall football player."
(on if the team is having fun on the field making turnovers) "Yeah, obviously anytime you can get a turnover, it's a huge momentum starter for your team. You got Antonio (Smith) with the sack and Brooks (Reed) with a couple sacks and we had a pick. It's good when your defense is fired up and having fun."
OLB MARIO WILLIAMS
(on if he played more instinctively tonight) "It is a lot different, obviously, but it's something that over time, it will become more and more second nature. Tonight I felt like I ran around a little better, but I still got to bend a lot more. I'm so tall. I think that's the biggest thing. I got to concentrate on bending and once I do that, I think I'll be a lot more fluid in what I do."
(on if he feels more comfortable coming out of the 3-4 stance) "Oh yeah, I've been doing this my whole life and with the situation we have right now, it's just something I have to get accustomed to. I just got to work at it."
(on if there's no difference in what stance he's in when in a rush situation) "Yeah, to a certain extent, but the more efficient you are standing up, the better. With that I'm saying, no false steps because I've got a totally different foot that's forward now. My weight needs to be forward. When you're down in a three-point stance, you can roll out of it. That's something I've been doing my whole life. It's just a little adjustment but in time it'll get better."
(on if he felt better tonight) "Yeah, I felt better than the first night, definitely."
POSTGAME QUOTES FROM NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
Head Coach Sean Payton
QB Drew Brees
QB Chase Daniel
S Roman Harper
RB Mark Ingram
WR Robert Meachem
WR Joseph Morgan
P Thomas Morstead
HEAD COACH SEAN PAYTON
(on injuries) "Two guys we'll check out regarding injuries: DT Abrayo Franklin, his right knee and RB Chris Taylor, his right foot. The x-rays came back negative on Taylor and with Abrayo it appears to be his MCL. We'll have a better read on this tomorrow."
(opening statement) "We've got a lot we've got to do. Some valuable lessons will come from this. We struggled defensively in the first half. We get down to the red zone, come up with a turnover and then don't score until later in that quarter. I thought it was sloppy and I think there are a lot of things the coaching staff, myself included, need to get better at. There is no way to sugar coat a loss like that. It's important for all of us to recognize that there isn't too much time left in this training camp. We still have a lot of work ahead of us; still in training camp mode. We've also got a lot of decisions to make as far as our personnel."
(on the defense having any vanilla schemes) "It's preseason so we're playing to get evaluations on players. I credit Houston on playing very well tonight. They did a good job with their execution. They whipped us. We've got a lot of room to make improvement.
(on running back versatility without former Saint, Reggie Bush) "I think from a scheme standpoint we'll still do everything we've done in years past. We're not doing it now, but I don't see us changing at all with the loss of him.
(on how RT Zach Strief played) "His name didn't jump out in any negative plays so that's a good thing. I thought we ran it pretty well in that first series. We'll have a chance to see later on though and we'll give RT Charles Brown some work. When we rotate those two like we do, because of LT Jordan Black's position we'll see him taking some snaps at the next tackle.
(on his thoughts about the 43 yard pass to WR Robert Meachem and general pass play) "We came off a penalty and we were backed up. We looked at it as an opportunity to catch him at a right coverage and get behind him. If not, QB Drew Brees is good at coming underneath with the throw if the down the field throw wasn't there. WR Robert Meachem did a good job of closing the cushion in the corner. Of course the corner stumbled three or four strides into the play and we were able to come up with the big play."
(on his thoughts about the first drive outside the fumble) "It's hard to say outside the fumble. You don't really feel good about anything after there is a fumble. There is a lot we have to grade off of tomorrow and a lot that we have to show our players on Monday. Our job is critical after a game like this, as coaches. We look closely at what we're doing, who's doing it well, who's not, and then what we are asking them to do. I thought we weren't as crisp as we would have hoped so we've got to get back and work on it."
(on if he is surprised at this step back) "In the preseason nothing surprises me. This is a time of the year where often times, teams can kid themselves on whether they are ready to play or not. I'm not saying that is what happened with us tonight, but we're not a finished project yet. We've got a long ways to go."
(on if he is ok with the timing of how things are going offensively) "I'm not ok with anything right now. We've got a lot of work to do and the time is clicking."
QB DREW BREES
(on reaction to first drive) "I thought it was a good first drive, mixing the run and the pass. It was a lot of positive plays only to get down inside their 10 yard line and then have that turnover especially at my hands is unacceptable. That can't happen. Especially on first and goal or second and goal. It turns into that situation where maybe you just take the sack, they got you and just move on to the next play. "
(on whether the offense and defense is good at being vanilla) "Just by the way it felt, it felt like we moved the ball well. We mixed the run and the pass effectively and were able to spread it around and put it in a lot of guy's hands. We ended up getting ourselves into a third and long situation in the second drive and then weren't able to capitalize. Obviously we went down to the third drive where we were able to get a touchdown. We did all our base stuff and we should be good enough with just our base stuff to get the job done. We only come away with seven points in three drives, when really it should have been at least 14 or maybe more, so that part is disappointing."
(on RB Mark Ingram in the end zone) "That's just one of those situations where you're at the one or the half yard line and everyone in the stadium knows you're going to run it and you still have to find a way to get that yard. Our guys did a very good job of punching that in."
(on transition with personnel changes and developing offense) "We got two new offensive lineman, (C) Olin Kruetz and (RT) Zach Strief, although Zach has been a part of our program going on six years now so I wouldn't really call him a new guy in that role. I feel really comfortable with those guys. I feel continuity in very important, especially at that position amongst all those guys communication has to be really good. I feel like they all have that. Are we where we need to be right now? No. We aren't even close. I feel like we're on track but we have a long way to go."
(on if the team is ready for season opener against the Green Bay Packers) "We're only 20 days into camp and I feel like we did a good job of handling the lockout during the offseason well. As far as the work we were able to get in, I feel like we came into camp ahead of where we would have been otherwise. The fact of the matter is we open up our season in Green Bay against the defending Super Bowl champs. We hosted that game last year and now we are going on the road. It will be here before we know it and we'll be ready to play our best football. Tonight is motivation for us to get going."
(on WR Joseph Morgan's performance) "He's a talented guy. You can't teach speed. He's a guy that's progressively gotten better as camp has rolled on. I'm excited for him when he takes advantage of opportunities he's given. We have a lot of young guys we are trying to develop and see if one or more of them has the opportunity to contribute."
(on trouble connecting with Darren Sproles) "It's just live game reps. I'm not worried about (Darren) Sproles at all. I think that he's a very smart player who's really picked up our offense very quickly. He does so many things so well and is such a consistent and versatile player. I'm excited to watch him grow in this offense and to see the role that he plays as the season approaches."
(on induction to Texas High School Football Hall of Fame) "It was a tremendous honor to be inducted into the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame. It's something that I've watched both my grandfather, Ray Akins, and my uncle, Marty Akins be inducted to as well. I was at both of those ceremonies back in 1987 and 1991. Being a part of that and being very young, I always hoped and dreamed that I would be inducted one day too. Our family is the first and only three generation family that's been inducted and that's something we take a lot of pride in."
QB CHASE DANIEL
(on the start to the game) "We had a fast start, which is what you want as a quarterback with an offense when you get out there with the second group, but we didn't make plays down the stretch. We made some mental errors, not executing the plays and trying to do too much I think out there, and we need to focus on protecting the football better."
(on protection from the offensive line) "I got to play better and protect the ball. I think our guys up front did an excellent job. Is there going to be pressure in your face sometimes? Yeah, it's going to happen, but that falls on me."
(on long touchdown pass to Joseph Morgan) "We've been practicing that play for a while and finally put it into the game play. We have a speed burner out there in Morgan and heavy play action; we knew they were playing a lot quarters and that safety bit just enough and I saw him side footed and Morgan wasn't even past him and I'm thinking it's over with. He made a heck of a catch and a heck of a run, I mean that's a big play for us."
(on Joseph Morgan becoming a go-to guy) "He's come on a lot. He's done an excellent job in the return game as well. He's done a good job of picking up the offense, he's a smart player and a smart receiver."
S ROMAN HARPER
(on fighting back) "Whenever a team gets you early and punctures you, we've got to be able to stop the bleeding. We did not stop them like we needed to. We did not force field goals like we needed to. We didn't get in the red zone, and those are the things we've got to get corrected, defensively. And I'm sure we're going to do that. The best thing is that it's still early. Guys are mad and pissed off, and that's a good thing. That means we all care. That means we're ready to go back to work."
RB MARK INGRAM
(on making the transition from college to the NFL) "All the guys are just bigger, faster, and stronger. It is a lot quicker. I just have to come out and make the right decisions."
(on his progression from day one until now) "I'm just trying to get better every day. I'm just trying to help the team get better. I'm just trying to learn the playbook as best as I can and help the team get better."
(on if he feels pressure replacing Reggie Bush) "I don't feel any pressure at all. I have great teammates. It's not really like it is all on my shoulders. We have a great backfield. It's hard for me to feel like I have pressure on myself because I have great teammates around me to where I don't have to have that pressure on myself."
(on playing with a great quarterback in college, as well as a great quarterback in the NFL) "I just went from one great quarterback to another. A guy like (QB) Drew Brees is an established quarterback in this league. I can learn a lot from him."
(on his dad and his emotions on draft night) "It's been my dream to play in the NFL. My dad was with me every step of the way. He raised me to be the man and player I am today. He had everything to do with it."
WR ROBERT MEACHEM
(on what he thought of the team's performance) "It was a poor performance on our part. We got into the red zone and had a big penalty that hurt us. We had a big time fumble on the first drive. That's bad offense for us. We take pride in our offense. We have to go back to the drawing board and learn from our mistakes."
(on how they dominated last week and not this week) "It's good playing against new teams. You get tired of going against your teammates every day. It was good seeing this team because we play them again in week 3."
WR JOSEPH MORGAN
(on what he has tried to accomplish in the past two preseason games) "Right now I'm just trying to win on my route, whether he's throwing it to me or not, that's what I have to do as a receiver is win my route and then when the ball is in the air just focus on catch first and run second."
(on playing a good game as an individual but losing as a team) "Even though I played well there are still little things that I made mistakes on besides the rest of the team. It's just one of those learning things. You can never be too good. You can always get better and that's one of the things we learn today is to keep fighting through and get better."
(on catching the touchdown pass) "It's probably one of our home run plays. Once I stuck it and got up field I saw the safety turn around and start running so I had him beat on the route and it was just about catching the ball after that."
P THOMAS MORSTEAD
(on reliability) "I was told my senior year in college that, by my special teams coach, he said, 'The NFL is not about hitting your A-ball every time. If you swing for the fences every time, you might hit a great ball but you might hit a terrible ball; it's about hitting your B-ball every time and not hurting the team.' You don't have to be spectacular every time, on every punt. You've just got to be consistent, and the coaches have to be able to depend on you."
(on staying hungry after winning the Super Bowl his first year in the NFL) "Everybody has team goals, obviously, but we also have individual goals. I want to be the best, and I don't think I've accomplished that yet, but there's always things to go out and get."
(on motivation) "If you really love it, you don't need outside motivation to work hard and be the best. You've just got to be a competitor."
