Head Coach DeMeco Ryans
On the challenges associated with going against Cowboys DE Micah Parsons
"Going against Dallas' defense, Micah's an exceptional player. He plays with a relentless motor. He moves all over the place. He aligns on the edge, in the A gap, he's all over the place. And he's all over the field. He's an impact player for them, so we have to have high awareness for where he is at all times and try to do a great job of stopping him."
On how having WR Nico Collins back at practice helps the team
"Getting Nico back is always very great for all of us. Nico's been one of our best players when he was healthy, so it's great to have him back, great to have his presence and the energy that he brings and also the playmaking ability that he brings. Happy to have him back and really proud of him for the work he's put in to get himself back."
On if there is an advantage for him to play at AT&T Stadium because of how often he played there as a player
"No advantage for playing there. We're just looking for a really cool atmosphere. I think it's one of the coolest stadiums to play in. It'll be a lot of our guys' first time going there and playing. But we expect to see some good support from our fans there as well. So, guys will embrace the environment there. It's all about playing well in that place. If our guys go out and execute well, it'll be a really cool place to play."
On what is cool about playing at AT&T Stadium
"It's just one of the – it's just with that stadium, how large the stadium is, the screen in the middle. It's just a lot of cool features, updated, newer stadium that you don't see everywhere."
On if there is something special about playing against an NFL team from the same state
"Nothing special for us. We're just hungry and excited about getting a win. I know it's exciting and it means a lot to our fans, but for us, it means a lot because it's the next one."
On how he has seen the team respond in practice and meetings this week after Sunday's loss
"Our guys are professionals. You come back and you put your cleats on, your helmet on, you go back to work. So, our guys' mindset has been, 'Hey, let's get back to work and let's get back to playing our style of football.'"
On what he has noticed about Cowboys QB Cooper Rush
"Cooper has been there a while and he understands how to operate the offense very efficiently. When it comes to everything, every operation that goes with the offense, the checks, getting them in the proper plays, Cooper does a great job of managing all of the pre-snap operations and he does a great job of getting the ball out, finding his playmakers, making really good decisions with the football. So, we still have to be on all of our details. Cooper has a great record. When he's started, he's won a lot of games. So, we're going in with the mindset of it being about the Texans and about us executing the right way."
On what this next game means to the team after back-to-back losses
"This game is important because, like I said, it is the next one. And we have a bad taste in our mouth and we're ready to get back to work. So, it's important for us to just fix us and play clean football."
On the issues Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb presents to the defense
"CeeDee, man, so explosive. Starting with just him in the slot, his ability to just run after catch is just – he's an exceptional player. He can align everywhere on the field. He aligns outside. He can take the shot outside, the go balls, but he also gets inside. They move him around a lot. The coaching staff does a really nice job of just putting him in a lot of different spots where you have to have great eyes for where he is at all times because he is their top playmaker. And he's proven, even when eyes are on him, he can still make plays. So, it's a big task for us stopping CeeDee. But it's going to take everybody. It's not going to be about one person stopping him. It's going to take everybody on the defense."
On what having loud Texans fans at AT&T Stadium would mean to the team for a game like this
"That would mean everything to us. If we can get our fans' support there and we can cause some havoc for them when they're on offense. If our fans show up like that, that would be outstanding. I know our guys would be very appreciative of that. We've seen that a couple of times in our stadium where the opposing team, their fans, have shown up and shown out and been loud. So, for us to do that on the road, we would really appreciate that from our fans."
On what the depth he thinks CBs Ka'dar Hollman and Jeff Okudah can provide with CB Kamari Lassiter in concussion protocol
"Kamari is in the protocol. Hoping he turns a corner, here, real soon and get him back. But we have guys who have played ball, that have experience and they'll step up and do what we ask them to do."
On how the changes made to the offensive line will be more cohesive on Sunday with it being the second time the line will play together
"With the offensive line, with the lineup that we have, they're going out again for the second time. We all hope that everything continues to improve and get cleaner. I thought the guys did a really nice job of communicating and protecting [QB] C.J. [Stroud] this past game and it was a well improved and we're just looking for continued improvement. And the run game is where I challenge our guys to pick it up and we'll see how we accept that challenge Monday night."
On if he talks to the team about the rough patches they go through and how they can get over them
"We speak about where we are, for me, I always speak the truth in our team meetings and let the guys know exactly where we are. And yeah, we're going through a tough patch right now. But, as I told our team, we need that. We need to toughen up. We need to be mentally tougher. We need to figure out ways to finish games and the only way to learn sometimes is through failure. And that strengthens you, that grows that stamina that you need and it creates that resolve that you need to see like, 'Man, where I need to pick it up.' It's not all the way there because if it was, we would've finished those games. So, it teaches you where you're lacking and it shows where we have to pick it up and finish. So, I'm thankful for this moment and I'm thankful for our guys to learn from this moment. I always talk about, whether it's win or loss, it's always a learning moment. It's always a teachable moment and I feel like our guys have learned a lot and now it's time for us to exhibit the growth that we've shown and what we've learned throughout these tough times."
On how they are able to block out the outside noise on decision making and play calling
"When it comes to the outside noise on decision making and play calling, all those things, that's the NFL. That's – we'll always get that. I don't listen to it. I don't have time to spend on everybody's opinion on how we're running our team and what we're calling and what we're doing. As an NFL coach, you make decisions and you stick by the decisions that you make. And everybody, of course, being in the NFL, being an NFL head coach, probably one of the only jobs where everybody critiques you on Monday. That's the only job, besides the NFL head coach and the president, you probably get critiqued on every decision that you make because everybody else has all the answers after the fact, but nobody has answers in the heat of the battle, in the heat of the moment. We can all hit rewind as many times, we can slow it down as much as we want to. But that's why I'm here to make the decisions and that's how it'll be."
On what he would like to see QB C.J. Stroud do better next game
"I'd like to see C.J. just go out and cut it loose. A lot – it's been probably said about the miscues of what C.J. is doing, but C.J. has done a lot of great things for our team throughout this entire year. Full, complete trust in C.J.. Let him go out and rip it, cut it loose, play fast, play fun. Man, C.J. is why we are where we are right now. We're sitting in a really good spot because of him and he's an exceptional talent. I love working with C.J.. I love his mindset and I'm looking for him to come out and attack this game."
QB C.J. Stroud
On how much Head Coach DeMeco Ryans saying he wants him to have fun and play loose and fast resonates with him
"For me, I try not to only make plays but try to take care of the football and do the right thing to win the game and sometimes it goes your way and sometimes it don't. So that means a lot. I am not only a game manager, but I can also be a game changer. Sometimes it goes your way and sometimes it doesn't. For me, I am going to keep the swag and kind of like what I told you all last year, Steph Curry can go 0 for whatever, but he is going to keep shooting. That's me, I am going to keep shooting. I trust in myself and trust in the talent God gave me. One of the biggest things too is that my teammates trust me. Me and [TE] Dalton [Schultz] talked the other day, and he has the utmost respect in me, and I have the utmost respect in him. I needed to hear that. The team rides behind me and they still want me to be at the helm and love me through the thick and then thin. It feels good to still have the backs of my teammates and I still go out there on Sundays and do what I need to do to win the game."
On how he approached and prepared for this week
"I would say I treat every week the same. It is football, this is the NFL, other people are good too. Take three bad plays away and I played pretty good. You are either the hero or the zero. I have lived this out before. God was preparing me then for moments like this and now I am prepared. It is all about how you respond. I am very excited for this week. Great opportunity, time and time again. Ready to roll with me teammates and have fun. It is all about how you respond."
On having WR Nico Collins back at practice this week
"It is huge. I am very excited to have my guy back. I am just happy for him to be back with the team, be a part of the locker room again. They are in solitude, when players are injured, they are on their own. So I am glad he is just able to be around the guys again and be able to do the sport that he loves to play."
On if he has spoken to Dallas Cowboys LB Micah Parsons about this match up
"No, not yet. I haven't talked to him, I will probably talk to him pregame. But I am super happy for him, he is back playing. I was praying for him. He reached out to me a couple of weeks back. He will be one of my great friends for a long time. This will hopefully, be one of many matchups. I wish him the best and I always wish him the best.
On if there is more fuel to the fire facing another Texas team
"Yeah, maybe, I don't know. That is for other people to decide. I think he can say this too, but for me it is all about executing and taking it one play at a time. Not listening or worry about him or just the noise on the outside. It is about our team versus his team. We want to be the leaders of our teams that leads us to victory. That is what I plan to do."
On the friendship he has with Dallas Cowboys LB Micah Parsons and the trip to Japan together during the offseason
"To me, he is definitely a brother of mine and it reminds me of my relationship with my brothers growing up. Always messing with each other, always trying to one up one another. I have that relationship with my friends back home too. I had my buddy there, he had his friend who came from home. We all just had a brotherhood when we left. All that stuff is fun, but we will both be locked in and ready to win on Monday and ready to do our jobs to get a victory."
On what WR Nico Collins brings to the huddle
"He brings a seriousness, an intent, a discipline, a mindset that we ask for from everybody. I believe he has that personality where he wants the hard coverage guy, he wants the hard routes to run, he wants to make the hard plays. When he gets the ball, he is dangerous. He is able to turn good into great. He runs guys over, he does all these things. [Head Coach] DeMeco [Ryans] definitely loves that. He is the guy built for it, body wise. He turns the whole team up, from the defense, to me, to [WR] Tank [Dell], he gets everybody juiced up to play hard and I definitely feel like we have been missing that. It is great to have him back."
On his conversation with TE Dalton Schultz was a reassurance conversation
"No, I wouldn't say it was reassurance. For me, I always know who I am. If I throw a hundred picks in a game, I am going to keep swinging and keep shooting. That expectation that I have, and people have on me is just like that Lebron [James] commercial. If you didn't have it, then that's a problem. I love the expectations that I have. From this point, I think I have been answering those things with the cards I have been dealt. I don't complain, I show up to work every day and I have fun. This is something that the Lord has blessed me with, and I delight in it. I think that conversation was just like it says in Proverbs 27:17, 'Iron sharpens iron', just another man sharpening another. We were just sharpening one another, so I helped him and he helped me. That is what DeMeco appreciates, it is what our culture is, just leaning on one another and being together through the thick and thin of things."
On if it is nice to have a lot of veterans in the locker room to lean on
"For sure. I have been able to lean on a lot of guys. We brought guys in. [LB] Devin White is someone I have leaned on. [S Jalen] Pitre being another young guy, but he is a leader to me. [LB] Azeez [Al-Shaair], there are a ton of guys, especially on the offense too. There are a lot of guys that help the young guys out. For me, it is still my second year. I am still fresh to a lot of things and haven't played in a lot of stadiums. Today I asked [RB] Joe [Mixon] how it is to play in Dallas. There are still questions I have to ask and I am not too good or too bad or too big headed to ask these questions and I have brothers right there to help me when I do."
On thoughts on what needed to be different last game and the changes moving forward
"Honestly, you can say three plays, but when you watch the film, it is like fifteen. The perspective I have after a game is just move on. There is no point in harping back but at the same time learn from your mistakes and I was able to do that with my coaches and my teammates. I feel like when I play freely and I play with a mindset that it doesn't matter what happens and that is how I played in college. They used to tell me to swing as hard as you can and maybe I haven't been doing that lately and babying throws here to take care of the whole grand scheme of things. Yeah, that is my responsibility, but also swing as hard as I can. That is what I plan to do. I don't even know why I even thought like that but that is my perspective now, swing and knock something out. I feel like I have that capability through the talent I have and have also put it on film time and time again. I just have to go back and be myself more. Just believe in myself and swing as hard as I can."
On thoughts on Dallas Cowboys defense and the challenges they present
"You can tell they have been dinged up a little bit. [Cowboys LB] Micah [Parsons] was a big part of that. His presence was felt against the Eagles last week and you look at [Cowboys CB] Trevon Diggs making plays. I think [CB] Caelen [Carson] has been doing a great job holding up. [Cowboys S Malik] Hooker has been great, of course '#6' [Cowboys S Donovan Wilson] as well, '#2' [Cowboys CB Jourdan Lewis] has been playing pretty good too. Their DB's are really good and upfront, with Micah back, they are a great team. We have to be able to be on our A game, just like every week. They present some challenges and we got to be ready for it. I think '#13' [Cowboys LB DeMarvion Overshown] is a really good player too. A young rookie who is making a lot of plays."
On thoughts on Cowboys LB Micah Parsons performance on film
"He is relentless. He is what I see in [DE] Will [Anderson Jr.] and what I see in those guys on the sideline, and I am like, 'Man, I am glad I am not on the other team'. He is that guy where you got to do something for the dude. He is definitely talented, and I think he has a motor where I think he won't stop and he is like that in everything he does. Eating food, to playing basketball, to video games, he has a motor. I love it. It is something that a lot of great people that I have been around from artists to players, to different sports, anything that I have been around that has been great that is how they are in everything. They don't want to lose and that is motivating to me to be better. Any little thing that I do, if that is tying my shoe, playing basketball, I am doing it for the Lord and I am doing it to win.
On what does WR Nico Collins do for the rest of the receiving room
"I think it helps Tank, it helps 'Metch' [WR John Metchie]. I think everyone saw what 'Metch' can do this week. I think [WR] Robert [Woods] will definitely help those guys. He is that leader that we need in that room and I think Tank has been more of a vocal guy as well. Robert has stepped up in that manner as well. They all lead off of him, Nico is that type of player. It will be exciting to have him back."
