Offensive Coordinator Bobby Slowik
On the challenges they will face with the Chiefs defense
"It starts with [Chiefs DT] Chris Jones. He is a really unbelievable football player. When we were playing him and we were out there he obviously presents a lot of problems. He presents a lot of problem to a lot of defenses. He makes you do adjustments to the run game and the pass game. They have a lot of schematic things to counter how you feel that you may have to handle Chris Jones. That is really where it all starts and beyond that they are a really well coached defense. They don't make mistakes, they play extremely clean football. They got physical linebackers, they have scrapper DB's that can all make plays. At this point in the year, every defense that is left is really good and they exemplify that."
On what got the offense clicking last game if it is something they can replicate this week
"I really actually think you kind of hit on it. That throw by C.J. [Stroud] was big. The message on offense has been that we need a spark. We have been doing a lot of efficient and good things, really until that play we were doing good things. We put the ball on the ground which didn't help and had three turnover at the end of the day but outside of getting in our own way at times we were actually getting it fairly efficiently when we were executing especially with the quick passing game. Everything was rolling yet. A lot of times you just need that energy boost. You need something to just galvanize it and just get everybody together. I think that play did exactly that, and would it have worked if we didn't fumble the snap? I have no idea, but I sure am glad he did. Everyone's demeanor after something like that completely changed. The confidence they played with and the swagger that they started playing with after that happened was huge for us."
On if it important to practice in weather like today to prepare for Kansas City
"I think it is always helpful. The closer you can get to weather to what it is going to be like on gameday, the better it is going to be for you. Obviously, when we were out there, we got a little bit of rain and it made the field a little slick for us. Truthfully, when you go play in cold weather that field starts to freeze, and it gets a little slick. It is good training for us and thankfully we got a little bit of cold wave coming through right now which is helping us acclimate a little bit. I think at the end of the day we are prepared to go play whenever we need to play and at the end of the day, always it is going to be about us and what we do."
On if the spark in an offense affects him at all as a play caller at all
"I haven't really reflected on that if I am being honest with you as far as if it changed what I did. My reaction right now would be that it does not. You are always trying to call plays that you think are going to work, that are going to take advantage of what they are doing. That doesn't really change much. It changed in that specific situation because we were really close to a two-minute type drive, my mindset is how aggressive we want to be trying to go score. As opposed to milking the clock a little bit, not letting them have a lot of time on the clock. I would say overall no. The thing that affects you the most is when both phases are both working together then that can change your mindset. That can get you in a place where you feel very confident that whichever way you go you are going to find a way to get yards, stay on schedule. When you stay on schedule that is when you have opportunities to take shots if they are available."
On RB Joe Mixon ability as a receiver and if there is more opportunity to incorporate that
"I think he is a really good receiver. We worked it a lot in camp, I am sure all you guys saw that. We did a good amount of it in camp. We did some of it early in the year. I think as the year has gone, we have probably gotten away from that a little bit. We wanted to make sure he was fresh for some of his carries but without a question that is something that is on my mind. How do we make use of a guy who we think is an excellent player?"
On the preparation this week with crowd noise and offensive communication
"It always helps going to Arrowhead and guys see what it is like and feel the environment. My gut tells me when we go there during the playoffs it is going to be a different animal. That is something we have talked about a lot. That is something that we have seen a lot. We have dug into some old film and some old T.V. copies just to see what it is like in the playoffs at Arrowhead and if it is that much different. We have talked about it a lot and that is going to be a huge challenge for us, we just have to make sure that we own that things that we can control and our operation in the huddle, operation at the line of scrimmage is something we have to own."
On the balance of QB C.J. Stroud through progressions and taking off when it is there and his ability to run
"It is massive, we embrace that without question. Especially when he does it the way he did it in the game. We use the verbiage command the pocket and he has ownership of the pocket. He feels very confident, he knows where he is going, and you threaten second level defenders with your movement. A lot of times you roll out and you go backwards and retreat in an edge that doesn't threaten defenders but eliminates half the field for you. He has made some incredible plays still throwing it back the other way, but it is harder to be consistent that way. When you can escape up and out, that is a game changer for a quarterback and how that affects the defense. For him to do that in the game we had here really opened the entire defense and the entire pass game for us. That is something we embrace. We talk about when and when not, but if he makes a productive play, we are all on the sideline dabbing him up."
On how different the plays have to be the second time facing a team in the same season
"You have to balance it out. I see the comparison you made but the Baltimroe situation was a little different because there was so much football in between when we played them. There was a whole lot of things in between that year, including our own development as an offense. That was a little bit of a different animal. This one, we haven't played this close. There is a little bit of a chess match, you can say. There are things you know you are going to want to do and going to want to take advantage of and you feel that you are good at them. More than likely they know you are good at them so they will have some change ups also to take those things away. Then it comes down to balance. How do we as an offense do our job to get together and keep them off balance. If they start overplaying something do we have the offset to counter that so we can keep them shuffling their papers."
On WR Nico Collins qualities that make him a go to target and what others need to continue to keep pressure off of him
"I was really proud of our entire receiver group in that last game. That game really exemplified perseverance and character on offense. I think Nico [Collins] leads that. He is just an incredibly humble human, incredibly talented human and he gets the most our of his talent. He does not let any of it go to waste. He works incredibly hard and dedicates all the time he can, helps other when he can. It is evident a lot of guys are trying to take him away within our concepts and he is still finding ways to get open. He is still finding ways to make plays. I was equally proud of our other receivers and what they were doing around him. C.J. had options on where he could go with the ball. It wasn't just a one man show, and it wasn't just Dalton [Schultz], we did feel really good about where we got as an entire unit and what he can do."
On the offensive line combination
"I think it is a continuous work in progress. We will see how Shaq [Mason] looks, we will see how Juice [Scruggs] looks, and we will see what looks like the best combination out of the five to have out there. That really is going to be an ongoing process through the rest of the week up until the game."
On the challenges of TE Cade Stover not being available
"It is going to be a group effort. It hurts losing Cade [Stover]. I think Cade was playing his best football for us and in that game, he was playing extremely physical and involved in the pass game. He was a big part of why in that four-minute drive that we were able to hold onto the ball as long as we did. I think we all hurt for Cade and to make up for something like that the guys are going to have to step up to take on part of that roll. We are going to have to be able to use some other guys in similar areas and use some scheme to help change some of that up and we will have to be creative in some ways."
Defensive Coordinator Matt Burke
On the things he tries to stress to the defense when preparing for QB Patrick Mahomes
"Yeah, I feel like maybe we talked about the first time we played him that – I would say in conjunction with that, I think their receivers are some of the best because of the style and them playing with him. I think they're some of the best at uncovering just end zone – obviously, [Chiefs TE Travis] Kelce is special at it. So, I think just having awareness of trying to stay connected when we're in zones, even. Obviously, we're in man coverage and those things, you're matched up. But even when you're in zones, they're not just going to run to you just because a route on the paper says he's supposed to run a seven cut or run this. They're going to find ways to sit down and uncover in those zones. So, just awareness of, obviously, kind of the clock when the plays are extended and then just how those receivers are going to try to work open in zones and scramble drills, mechanics, and those sorts of things. So, I think that's going to be a big part of that."
On what it is like seeing Special Teams Coordinator Frank Ross' excitement and relationship with the defense and what the players get out of their roles on special teams
"Yeah, he's got special energy, man, special energy. And it's cool, I always try to, obviously, when we're about to take the field – we're punting or something, so I always try to get down there where we're about to be and I'm always watching [P] Tommy [Townsend] and a lot of our guys that are covering those kicks and stuff and Frank's got more youthfulness than me. So, he can jump higher and all that stuff. But, yeah, it's just fun. I think our sideline's got good energy in general and he's obviously a big part of it. So, it's just a cool interaction. I think, all those guys, I think, appreciate – the 'starters' appreciate the work that those guys are doing on special teams too. So, everyone kind of watches those plays and we're usually talking trash to our gunners, or whatnot, guys that are covering those things. So, yeah, it's pretty cool."
On how he feels the defense has grown throughout the season with the multitude of offensive schemes they have faced and how it will prepare them for this matchup
"I feel like, I think, actually, [Head Coach DeMeco Ryans] Mec mentioned this, I feel like we're battle tested. We've seen a lot. We've been in a lot of different types of games, close games and good backs, good quarterbacks, all those things, receivers, everything. So, you hope as you go through the season, that's part of the accumulation of reps and you're banking those things that whatever comes and whatever gets thrown our way, this game's going to be different. It's going to be different than the last time we played them. It's going to be probably different than any game we've played this year. You just – you can't chase the game. So, hopefully that history we've had with our players and coaching staff and just sort of helps you kind of get through whatever's thrown our way because something new is going to pop up this game, for sure."
On what perfect football weather is to him
"Man, I don't know, all of them. The ones we win. That's perfect. I grew up in the northeast, so I'm used to it. My last college game was in a snowstorm, so that's just kind of what I grew up. But I'm a fall guy. You give me some nice brisk fall with the leaves turning and stuff, that's my move."
On what the defensive line did well to physically get after the Chargers and how much the return of DT Folorunso Fatukasi and DE Denico Autry has helped them rotate their waves in attacks
"Sure, you probably answered your own question, appreciate it. No, I mean, they're special players, they're good. We obviously brought a lot of those guys in to play for these moments and that's why they're here, for playoff games. And we've got a lot of good rushers and I think just – I think one other thing is there's a lot of unique rushers and unique styles and I've said this before, getting Autry back healthy and just he's a unique inside rusher. Foley is a special player, especially in the run game. He's stout, he uses his hands. You saw that first third-and-1 stop down the red zone where he really knocked that guy back. So, just kind of getting that group really cooking. I mean, you just try to stay out of their way. And again, sort of like all the other positions we talk about, just try to put them in the spots to make those plays and to really maximize their talents and they, as a unit, that was a really good game for all of them for sure."
On the bond he has seen between the defensive line and Defensive Line Coach Rod Wright
"Yeah man, Coach Rod's done an awesome job and [Assistant Defensive Line Coach] Nate [Ollie]. I have a history with Nate from past jobs. But I would say you might want to do a follow up with [Offensive Line Coach Chris Strausser] Strauss at some point because the O-line, D-line meeting rooms are right next door to each other and it's like every time the D-line meeting starts, it's like a hype fest. I mean, it's like the music, it's loud, they're talking trash, they've got clips up. It's hard, I know I've talked about this, it's the – D-line, they have more meeting times separate because a lot of times the backend is getting together and doing stuff, so they have more meeting time together and they have more individual time together because we're doing group installs, we're doing pass stuff. So, it's hard sometimes to coach and to keep the energy level up and to keep the interest up, especially where we are, a front that's sort of like, there are our techniques and we kind of do the same things. We want to be really good at what we do. So, to coach for those two guys, to coach that style and to keep the energy as high as it is and as it's been all year, it's Week-whatever we're going on. And literally this morning's meeting, I walked down the hallway I'm like, 'Good Lord, man.' It's wild in there. So, I feel like it starts with the energy and keeping those guys engaged and keeping it fresh week in and week out. Those guys have done a really good job and Rod's really led that room to a good spot."
On the impact he feels LB Azeez Al-Shaair's leadership has had on the team and how he will help the team against the Chiefs after not having him in Week 16
"Yeah, obviously, highly respected player, person in the locker room. So, I know going way back to training camp and talking about offense and defense and those guys crossing over, so to hear offensive guys talk about what Azeez has been and his messaging has been and man, it was like just, there was one little subtle thing in the game of we had a frontend and they tried to check a play and he slid the front out and then they actually tried to check it back and he slid it back. So, little things like that, that I don't think a lot of people notice in terms of on the field stuff. That, to me, was the biggest impact. For him to be able to really take the game plan to the field and to be able to play that chess match and really try to get guys lined up, he did a phenomenal job of really orchestrating a lot of stuff out there. So, it's really cool having him back going for sure."
On what he thinks about LB Azeez Al-Shaair potentially becoming a defensive coordinator in the future
"Sure, you guys ask him that. I don't know, he can probably do better things than coach. I always tell people, 'Don't coach.' But no, yeah, he's got a great mind for the game and for defense and like I said – he's been in big games before, he's been in the system, he's been with [Head Coach] DeMeco [Ryans] before, so all those things add up to that sort of shared history like we talked about what we've built through the season. I think his understanding is at a higher level. You're not taking football 101. He's in advanced classes, a little bit, in terms of what he's seeing out there and how he can kind of orchestrate. So, if he wants to do that, I'm sure he'll probably have a good role."
On how the defensive backs handle the ball and produce takeaways
"Yeah, I mean, I know we've talked – [CB Derek Stingley Jr.] Sting's pretty unique with the ball in his hands and catching. He's got great ball skills. And obviously, [S] Calen [Bullock] and that room and [CB] Kamari [Lassiter]'s pick was – I mean, he snatched that. We talk about having aggressive hands and going to get the ball and then pulling it away and pulling it down those things and they've – they're all the mindset of, 'We're going to attack the ball.' We try to say there's no such thing as a 50/50 ball.' Everyone's, 'Oh, it's a 50/50 ball –' like man, that's our ball when it's in the air. So, I think it's a skillset for sure and it's a mindset. I think those guys like man, when the ball's thrown to them, they want to go, that's their ball. They want to go make it. And so, I think you see that in the attacking the ball and the strength of hands. Sting's got that patented – I don't even know how he does that. That little thing over the shoulder hook thing that he's got. That's his move. But those guys have strong hands and they're really aggressive when the ball's coming to them and I think the mindset of, 'Man, that ball's coming to me, I'm going to make a play on it.' So, I think that's the starting point."
Special Teams Coordinator Frank Ross
Couldn't be more excited for the Divisional Round. What an opportunity for Houston Texans special teams. It's not every time – I've made this analogy to Ka'imi [Fairbairn] before, when we were playing the New England Patriots and he had missed a kick from I think the 39-yard line left hash. We marched out there the next possession, or a possession or two later and got a field goal opportunity from the 40 on the left hash and he made it. Just your opportunity to redo and I thought that was unique. In my mind of just what can we learn from the experience we had before going against the best team in the AFC when the stakes are at their highest. Couldn't be more excited about taking some good energy from last week's win and taking it over to Kansas City and seeing what we can do. These guys are coached by Dave Toub, who we talked about a few weeks back and dynamic return game, so it's going to start with us defending whoever they put back there, whether that's Nikko Remigio, or if Mecole Hardman ends up returning kicks and punts for them. Talk about legitimate speed and defending Hardman sideline to sideline and really cupping the football as a leverage point. We've got to play fast and we've got to use our speed, and make sure our guys know 'hey, that it doesn't matter about the turf or the track, or whatever it is. Hair one fire and we need to make sure that they feel our speed. Find a way to impact this game and excited for the opportunity.
On if special teams become even more magnified in the playoffs if you make a splash play
"Absolutely. Look at the percentages of any time there is a takeaway in a football game from the special teams phase. Why is because most of the time these teams are very efficient offensively and defensively, and that hidden yardage means more against better teams. You're talking about field position, well if you're able to take a return to their half of the 50 for example. It's hard to get down there on offense against a good defense and vice versa, so everything is magnified. Where I come from, the bigger the moment, your world focus gets smaller and that's how you stay – where's my first step and where is my hand placement jamming this gunner. That to me is how you play in those magnified games."
On if he has looked at the reactions fan have had to the video of him running down the sideline
"I was right on to the Chiefs right away, but I definitely had a few text messages sharing that. What I want to take from that is, all fun. Big, goofy guy with the big nose running down the sideline, but I want everyone to understand that I can't explain how happy I was for D'Angelo Ross. Cut, brought back, P-squad, elevated like the amount of pouring into that is just special and it culminates in moment like that. The other half of it is no one has mentioned Denico Autry. We have been working our tails off to try and knock down a kick. Have been missing him in there and he finally gets in there to do it and what a bigger moment. Just steal the momentum right back. Just happy for those guys."
On how often they practice the play where D'Angelo Ross ran the ball back for a 2-point conversion
"Yeah, rule of thumb is this. We were benefactors of them in that instance. If the block stays behind the line of scrimmage, then it's a bingo call of the time because if it's a field goal, they can pick it up. If we knock down a kick then their kicker can pick it up and advance it for a first down and they keep driving. The mentality is to just put one thing in the players head of just as soon as that thing is knocked down and behind the line of scrimmage, let's go. Not so they say 'oh, we want to tackle the guy with the ball.' If everyone is scurrying for it then only good things will happen. That way you nullify a first down from ever happening and in this case, obviously a conversion attempt that I heard was the first time that it ever happened in the history of the NFL playoffs like that's sweet. Good for D'lo to have that in his stable forever, but that's a mindset for us where we need to get on the ball and when we are blocking it, we need to make sure that we attack it that way they don't advance it for a two-point score or first down. Same on a punt. We knocked down a punt for the first time and that sucker rolled 35 yards. That was wild. The right play and if anyone would like to question, the right play is to get everyone away from the ball – why. Because you all go back and watch the Cincinnati vs. Dallas football game. There is a block at Dallas and it rolls off of one of the teammates and it's a first down going the other way. Only bad things can happen and you live to fight another day on a big play, so happy our guys took that from the classroom and situational football messaging to the game when it happens."
On taking pride in working with players who are using special teams to give themselves a chance to show what they can do
"It's fitting personality for me and I take pride in that. I hope everyone in the room understands that and I believe they do. You answered the question yourself. It's so special to coach players that have mental freaking toughness. You can't just say I'm mentally tough. You have to have since your experiences form little league football and all the way up. That just never quit mentality from guys like D'Angelo. He's not playing at the biggest school in the country coming out. He's small and whatever other tags may have been labeled to him, but just to keep fighting in that mindset. That's the Texans special teams way and yeah very proud of him [D'Angelo Ross]."
On what players are trying to when they fake jab to pick up a punt return
"There is a couple of things. The reason why is if I'm on the punt team and the ball is rolling and I touch it, that is free for the return team to pick it up and run and it doesn't matter if they fumble or not. They have to possess it and down it. That's why there is a downed ruling. Maybe there is some of that going on and trying to play some gamesmanship there. I don't want to put anyone in a situation where they're at risk for your own team to fumble. I think the smart play is to just get away. Playing that game usually results in bad things only."
On how the temperature and winds can affect the specialist
"We've already had those discussions and we're preparing the mindset. How are we going to approach our kicks during the week. Maybe it's nice here and you're kicking inside or whatever it may be. It's with the mindset of whatever we're expecting and then we're going to adjust on gameday. The best ones have to adjust, so if kick to kick taking a blade of grass and feeling the winds is going to be different in the first quarter versus the fourth quarter then. It's a great question and we have to be on point, knowing how we're going to play that kick and how we're going to line it up, same with the punt. We've used Tommy as a resource for that and we're going to be at our best on Saturday."
On his thoughts on the Texas Head Coach talking to his kicker before a big kick and how he approaches checking in with Ka'imi versus just leaving him alone
"Never met that coach and don't want to speak to his process. Just to speak to mine is Saturday is not earned in that moment. It happens today, it happened yesterday and OTA's and all the way through. We have our process. I'm not the type to interrupt gameday process that we've spoke about since eight months ago with Ka'imi. We have had learning experiences and I've drawn on that this week, so it's funny you ask the question. Take you back to Kansas City when we missed the PAT after a long delay in the football game in real time and he's sitting out there on the white just waiting for the field goal unit to go on and envisioning his rep and we talked about okay there is some time here. Go back to the sideline and get one more kick into the net. Let's reset and get back into our normal flow as best we can and that happened in this game vs. the Chargers. I believe it was the interception ruled incomplete, brought back, reviewed and then a foul adjusted to it. I said 'hey, it's going to be second down and we need to go back into the net.' There is a point where him and I have a great working relationship of just him staying in his process. Each coach has their own, so can't speak to the college coach that you're speaking of, but for us these are pros. They know their process better than anybody and I'm there to support them in it and we have a really good workflow on how we want to handle those on gameday. Really fair question and trying not to interrupt what we already have in place for our guys."
