Offensive Coordinator Bobby Slowik
On if the balanced production was what he was hoping for in Dallas
"I hope for whatever wins. We look at balance as keeping the defense off balance. There is times where that winds up being fairly close run blitz, there is times where that winds up being a lot of passes. We have gone into games, I think we had a few games this year where we ran the ball less than 15 times, if that is our mindset going into it. That really is, for us, our mindset every game and then beyond that it is really a function of, how do we stay on schedule? We have talked about it a lot. We have had more third-and-longs more than anyone else in the NFL and if we start going backwards in the NFL life gets really hard. When we stay on schedule and we are ahead of the sticks, we play good football. We were able to do that last week."
On how big of a challenge is the offensive interior line have in front of them with the opposing interior defensive line
"They are really good. Their front five is probably for us, in totality, the best we have faced this year. Obviously, [S Jeffery] Simmons is a heck of a player. He shows up all over the place, he does everything, rushes inside, rushes outside. They have him drop sometimes and he is still a factor even when he is dropping. You always have to be aware of where Simmons is. [Titans NT T'Vondre] Sweat has been doing a really good job for him, he jumps off the tape on the inside. He is a really, really big strong man, hard to move, makes a lot of plays in the backfield. Their edges are solid. [LB Harold] Landry is, obviously, a really good rusher, good in the run game. [CB Johnathan] Joseph is still a really solid interior player. They got people at every position. That is a really big challenge for us to be aware of in both phases and the starting point in everything we talk about as far as game planning this week."
On what the difference was in this game that led to less negative plays
"It is never just one thing, it is a lot of things. I would say what jumped out the most is that we played clean football, we didn't have many penalties, we didn't have many mental mistakes, and the few we did as far as mental mistakes goes, particularly in the pass game and [QB] C.J. [Stroud] saved a down. He made an incompletion, the worst that the play could be, which is what you want your quarterback to do. Outside of those, we played really clean football, and we were convicted in what we were doing. We were aggressive, we were decisive, which is what we preach, and what we want all the way across the board. I think it showed."
On what the current offensive line formation has been able to do for this team and how they have progressed
"Any group of five that you have upfront always is different. Guys have different strengths in different areas that you play to in both phases. I would say [C/G] Juice [Scruggs] having a lot of football under his belt, in particular, at center and then moving out to guard really has enabled him to have a ton of command and awareness in what is going on. He was running the show not too long ago and now he is just as aware of all the different looks and things that could happen. Now he is at a position that doesn't necessarily need to make the calls, so he is just able to take in more which has been really cool to see. There has been a process going from guard to center, it is different still. Some of the ways he has to approach the run game and the pass game, and the sets is a little different. He has done a really good job growing from the first week there to the second week there. We will just work to continue that, and 'JP' [C/G Jarrett Patterson] has just absolutely owed all of the control. Everything you could as for as far as a center goes, he has knocked it out of the park. He has been great at communication, he has been great on the sidelines, he has been great talking to the other guys out on the field. Then he has really grown as far as his play style. Last year, we always thought he was solid in protection. We were growing into the run game and that has not been an issue for him whatsoever so far this year which is a testament to him and the work he has put in."
On if WR Nico Collins was on a snap count last game
"We didn't really go into the game with any sort of snap count but, obviously, anytime you get a player like that back you are taking notes of, how do we want to use him, how do we want to make sure we are being smart and if this game becomes a critical game at the end, we want him on the field so how do we make sure we are getting the best version of [WR] Nico [Collins] when that happens?"
On if his playing time will increase in the next two weeks
"Really, the same thing. We are always going to approach it as we are going to try to be smart. The more often you can get a really good player on the field one hundred percent and not winded and being able to roll, we are going to do that as often as we can."
On thoughts on what WR John Metchie III has been able to add to this offense
"He has been fun to watch. He has gone out and he has just competed, he has shut off everything else outside of football and playing fast and playing physical and playing aggressive. We have seen it in practice for multiple weeks before he really starts showing up a lot in the games and when we needed them, he is there. He makes plays and usually what happens in the NFL is that when you start doing that, you get more opportunities, you get more snaps, the ball finds you more. It has been fun to watch. It has been run to watch him operate and it has been really fun to just see the energy that he infused the whole offense with."
On the reason for the first big offensive play call and how important that even though it was called back they were able to get in the endzone
"That was a fun beginning of the game. We talked a lot about, everyone references Week 18 last year against Indianapolis when we threw deep to [WR] Nico [Collins] and he caught it and he scored. With him coming back, we really want to make sure we got him involved early, got him going, feeling back in the game action. Sometimes when you haven't played football in a while you don't really feel like you are back in the game until you get that first hit. We were trying to get him untouched to the endzone or get the first hit out of the way pretty fast. We liked what we saw on film, structurally going into it so we felt pretty good about the play. We were just a hair too deep at tackle. We needed to be a little flat which 'LT' [T Laremy Tunsil] knew right away. The cool part of it was right after it. You could see everyone getting in the huddle get together and kind of talk. You could tell from the demeanor that they all kind of made the decision of, 'let's go score again'. That is really what you need. As you go through an NFL year, you are going to have obstacles, you are going to have issues, you are going to have highs and lows and being able to fight through that stuff and still go play good football and still go execute, operate and wind up with points is huge."
On how if felt calling a game without a ball cap on
"I had a change. I just tried something different, type of deal. I was there and just thought I would do something different."
On when he made the decision
"It is not like I put a lot of thought into this. I was in the locker room ready to head out to the game and just went with no hat and thought we will see. I can't believe anyone even noticed. My wife didn't even notice so I didn't think it was a big deal."
On the ability for RB Joe Mixon to bounce back after negative plays
"I think it is more so for him, it is not really a snap back for him. I would say sometimes that happens as an offense you have to feel like you snapped back but his mindset has shown just by the fact that he is a captain for us now. How he approaches every single down, every single practice, every single drill, he does not change. He practices at a championship level, he plays at a championship level. That is just his mindset. To him, if he gets the ball and he is losing any yards at all, he wants it again because he is mad. He is very upset. If he gets four yards there are times, he wants it again because he is still upset. He just has the mindset of anything I have to do to help us go win a game, I am going to do that and I know that I am capable of doing it really well. Which is fun to be around, but I never feel like he is in a mode of he has to get back on track. That really never enters his mind."
Defensive Coordinator Matt Burke
On if he taught DE Danielle Hunter his moves
"I did not. He's a good player. He's a pretty unique rusher. I feel like we talked about it. He is very cerebral and intentional with how he approaches rushing and practicing it and his moves and setting things up. And so, I think this is sort of starting to show. And I do feel like the kind of – He'll always say to me, 'Man, let me cook. Let me cook.' And I think the more he kind of grows into the game and – early in that game, we were probably kind of – probably chopping it up too much, doing a little too much gaming and trying to get things going especially, the ball was coming out quick and we kind of, second half, pulled back and kind of just tried to isolate him and let him get some of those ops to kind of do what he does. So, that is definitely not things that we normally teach, but when you have a special player, you let him go do special things."
On DE Danielle Hunter telling the coaches he was going to go get the quarterback at halftime during the Cowboys game
"He says that every week."
On what it has been like getting DE Will Anderson Jr. back at practice
"Obviously, great player for us. Everyone knows when he's on the field. The energy is noticeably – even at practice, when he's out there and doing his things and stuff. So, hopefully that keeps trending to having some fun on Sunday."
On what his second year with S Jalen Pitre has looked like
"He's such a special kid. He really is. I love being around him every day and then talking to him and seeing how he operates. He is all ball. It's so important to him. He's so passionate about it. So, that's just a pleasure. And then to see him grow in the system and just kind of grow in the role that we've tried to provide for him and make those plays that he does. I've said this, he just makes it easy on us, to be honest with you, because we can do so much with him and some of the tricks or the things you would get caught playing nickel, to a certain thing to 12 or in certain roles. Or there's teams that try to get, say, the nickel position into the run fit, but that doesn't bother us. Just all those things, to see him grow in that role and be able to expand what we do with him and how we utilize him. But, to me, it just starts with his energy and his passion and how much he cares about the game and cares about the team. And it's fun to be around every day, for sure."
On what his second year with CB Derek Stingley Jr. has looked like and how Stingley does loud things quietly
"Quiet is obviously the starting point with Sting. I think all these guys, man, I would say this, it's any of us that you're in the second year in a system and the techniques that we've been asking you to use, it's just you're getting those reps, he's getting more comfortable, he's understanding – I would say Sting's understanding of where he fits in the scheme is kind of getting bigger in the sense of sometimes those corners, especially like, 'Hey Sting, go cover that guy. You're over there and do that.' And him starting to understand where everyone else is in the defense and how that affects what he can do and when he can sit on a route, or play this certain way, those type of things. You just see the growth from all of these guys that are in the second year. And really just building those reps and now, the language, we can refer back to plays that are similar –, 'Hey Sting, remember last year when this happened? We want you to do it this way,' or, 'Hey, they're going to try to do it the same way here that happened in last year's game,' or whatever it is. So, all that common language and the growth of the techniques and the reps and all those things, I feel like it's starting to show for all those guys."
On if S Jalen Pitre's role is unique to his skillset
"Somewhat. I just, again, I feel like all – I've said this, all our job is to take whoever we have available and put them in the best spots and I'm not sure everyone can do what Pitre does. So, if Pitre's shoelace broke for a play, maybe we'd play something differently, or – but then we'd have to figure out what that person's strengths are or how do we want to approach this thing. So, I do think he's got a pretty unique skillset and he's a unique player for us and that helps us play the way we play."
On what goes into a defensive tackle's mental preparation and how DT Tim Settle uses the preparation and his intelligence at his position
"Tim Settle, yeah, I don't know if you guys have spent a lot of time with him – I feel like his personality belies his intelligence sometimes. You have an impression of him and he's not, he's – and you don't think of D-tackles that often, but just his awareness of the blocks he's getting and the protections. And I mean, we do a lot, especially I feel like we talked last week about people trying to take [DE] Danielle [Hunter] away in the protections and stuff and so you have to have an understanding of, 'Hey, if they're sliding this way, we have to do this,' or, 'We have to counter this,' or, 'Why we're calling this pressure because we're trying to attack this front, or put you in this position.' And I would say he's probably one of our better guys at understanding all those little nuances of what we're trying to get done in the game plan. And sometimes, you don't want those guys to – sometimes you don't want your D-tackles to think too much. But Tim's just shown a really good job of being able to grasp sort of big-picture stuff. Which sort of then can translate into you doing more with him just putting him in those spots because he knows why you're doing it. 'Hey, we're going to overload you here because of this. We're anticipating this block, now you rush this way and it'll be successful.' And so, I think, some guys you can't necessarily talk to like that. But Tim has just shown an ability to really grasp some of those big-picture understanding. So, to me, that's showing in his success and his production in the system because he's taking some of the big-picture stuff and understanding sort of playing more anticipatory defense for him."
On if there is a pleasant surprise when they watch the tape of DT Tim Settle and other players and they end up being better than they thought they would be
"Sure, that happens. I would say, with Tim, that was part of our evaluation process. Again, when we evaluate for this front, we don't – not everyone plays the style that we play, so when you're watching tape of free agents or college players, you're trying to sort of project that and piece through and say, 'OK, is this guy capable of playing in our system and what does that look like?' And so, I think he was a guy that the organization identified early to say, 'Hey, man, he's got some skills that translate if we ask him to do it.' I would say [DT] Mario [Edward]'s a very similar that we look at guys and say, 'Hey, I think this translates to what we do,' and that there's maybe putting them in the system, maybe boost some of the success and lets him play a little bit more freely or play up to his talent level or skill level. So, I think that's part of our process when we evaluate those guys, for sure."
On if the strip sack and forced fumble that led to a defensive touchdown by DE Derek Barnett against the Cowboys is the style of play they want
"Barnett, yeah, I mean, I would say it started, our foundation of our defense is disrupting the quarterback. And obviously, it started with Derek getting a great get off, like really jumped out and really cut the edge. It was a great rush, man. He really sharped the edge and so then I would say part number two is attacking the ball and getting the ball out. So, did they count those as two forced fumbles? I don't know how that happens. They don't? Just one? Man, alright, well, anyways. So, I mean to attack the ball, for him to get the sack strip and again, going back to the same question about Pitre, just the way he plays and he's always flying around and trying to be violent and physical. And then just smack that ball out. And then, again, part of the way we preach our front is running to the ball and getting 11 hats to the ball and chasing and playing at full tilt. So then, Derek, to get up off the ground, off a sack strip, and to keep going to follow the ball and for it to pop out the second time and get on it. So, we'd like a little bit more ball security as he's getting into the end zone there with the one hand. But yeah, I would say that encapsulates a lot of how we like to play."
On if they teach S Jalen Pitre's ability to make big tackles as a smaller safety or if it is innate for him
"There's a little bit of – I would say that's just him to some extent. I mean, he's got – some guys have that ability to uncoil, the little six-inch punch that he's got. You said he's small, I didn't say he's small. But for a DB, he's got ability to sort of snap his hips and that's sort of where a lot of that strike comes from. He can really uncoil, has an explosiveness to him. But I would say, again, it goes back to his mindset and just he's – there's not a lot of guys that are willing to put your face on people like he is. And so, he embraces that opportunity."
Special Teams Coordinator Frank Ross
Good to be home and excited for the ability for us to stack as we get towards the crescendo of the season where you want to be, so want our unit to grow weekly. Just where are we, taking self-inventory. Good net coverage, Tommy [Townsend]'s punting the ball, gunners are covering it and forcing fair catches. Got to get back to making sure that every time we step on we're executing with precision. You know fielding the ball, we talked about that last week and how [Brandon] Aubrey hits his kickoffs. Now same thing, if you get beat on something then you're going to see that for three weeks in a row coming up. Any little mistake that we have to clean up, we have to make sure that we do that ourselves and focus on ourselves here coming into this divisional game. Got to stop a few unique gunners depending on who plays for Tennessee. Kid from Youngstown State, which is cool for a Penguin to get out there and he's playing gunner for them, [Bryce] Oliver. Justin Hardee Sr., he's been up there on the roster for them. Tre Avery. Personal protector – number 44 Mike [Brown] has done a great job of becoming a third gunner. The way they pressure over the wings on their punt team with long linebackers in their front seven of players provides a unique problem for us. We've got to capitalize on a moment in this game that comes our way and we've got to be ready to answer the bell. Excited for a divisional game.
On what they key was to being able to stop the Cowboys fake punt
"The tape going into it. They had it up vs. Philly and you see it. You see Bryan Anger get a signal from the personal protector and you see Anger lift his hat and then it gets logged up and he quickly punts the ball. It was so minute, and we caught it and that carried over. Our look dictated that same fake to be called for them and it felt into our lap. That doesn't matter though. It's the players, everyone was prepared, and it executed and looked good, but how does that work. Whether you're executing a fake or stopping something. A key single block like your course. The same thing. For Jon [Metchie] to pop off the ball, show good rush demeanor and then execute the hit was everything. Huge moment, it's essentially a turnover and takeaway for us and leads us into the 36-yard line going in. We'll take that all day. Exciting moment."
On what specifically got him so excited about the play
"The special teams is the game within the game and you prepare for all of these unique circumstances and then they never come up. We've called 22 fakes over the last however many and then first down, or you call a return and you're like 'this is the return,' and they bang it out of the back of the end zone for a touchback. All of these things that you prepare for and the things that the fans don't see and then finally one comes your way and it's perfect and it's just like flushing a perfect hit and you know it's going 500 over deep center and you're like man it's a bat flip moment. Exciting and I think we all live for those big moments. Honestly stopping a fake on a special teams play is just as big as a punt return for a touchdown. It is a monster play and couldn't be happier in that moment for the Texans and Metchie and take it over going in the other direction."
On if that play shows him that his players are paying attention to the details and watching film
"Yeah and I say this all the time. Players game and they're the ones that are out there doing it. There are also things that they do on their own that outplays the coaching and that's when you know you got a good darn special teams unit. You've got guys that say, 'hey Frank, here is what they're doing.' Then the next time they make a slight tweak of an adjustment then that's when you know you're really growing and that's what I meant with the opening statement like 'hey, this is the time and we've really got to find a way to take another step forward. That was a rare occurrence, and we capitalized on it, but we need to do that with everything. Taking those notes and taking that from the walk through. We gave a similar look in the walk through on a Thursday and it executes on Monday night. When the rubber hits the pavement on your preparation to your execution, it's exciting."
On walking the line of being aggressive, but not too aggressive and drawing a penalty
"Never at the detriment of the football team, that does not matter. It's a violent and physical game. I want all of our players playing clean. If somebody else decides to walk on your side of the 40-yard line into your kickoff huddle then hopefully you stand up for yourself and your teammates in the right way. No dirty players. I don't want to coach dirty players, but aggressive is a great word and we want to be physical."
On if he relishes the fact that Tennessee is more likely to return things
"Everyone has their own metrics and ways that they want to play things. They have a really good returner. The Tulane kid {Jha'Quan] Jackson and he's got great vision. Overall, his skillset is very fine tuned and honed in, especially for a rookie. It hasn't necessarily resulted in explosive returns for them, but they've gone up against some really good coverages, but they return the ball regularly and that's part of their formula as it seems. Doesn't mean that's how it will be on Sunday, so we're preparing for everything, but they do prepare to do that quite often. Same for us, depending on the types of kicks and punts that they're giving us. Every week is different. We play against Minnesota where they rush every play and not as much of a built for return team. Our calls will be tailored to who our matchup is and what we think we're getting and then react and respond to it as the game is going on."
On having the hometown feel with the Texans fans at AT&T Stadium this past week
"Man, that was sweet. That's how it needs to be every place that we go. It's happened on occasion and we're not going to shy away from that when you walk in here and you see the opposing colors in our stands. Winning cures all and the more you win, the more you're going to get that. Let's keep doing that.
