News

Head Coach Gary Kubiak
(on what the win against Detroit meant to him) “Yeah, it’s two in a row. I think the biggest thing I’m trying to digest this morning, probably, is the amount of issues we’ve got going on, injuries and those type of things and just how important it was that we got out of their with the win. Because obviously, we’re late in the season, where every win is huge and we’ve got some issues going on physically, so we’ve got to keep stepping to the plate and finding a way to win our games. It was a game just like Jacksonville, it was a big character check. We just kept hanging in there and obviously we got some big breaks but I think you make your breaks when you work and we’ve been working really hard this year. It is a huge win. We’ve got some damage this morning, no doubt about that, but it is a huge win.”

(on the Texans’ injuries) “It is MRI Friday for us. I can’t really tell you a whole lot other than (OLB) Brooks Reed has a groin (injury), which we’re obviously concerned about. These guys are all getting MRIs as we speak. The big three that we’re worried about are Brooks, (RT Derek) Newton and (ILB Bradie) James. Newton’s got a knee. James has a hamstring. I probably will have no information for you guys until we come back on Monday. (TE) Garrett Graham has a left shoulder. There is some concern there. (ILB Tim) Dobbins and (CB Johnathan Joseph) J-Joe obviously did not suit up. I think they’re still touch-and-go going into next week. (NT) Shaun Cody, positive there he will be back in full force and he’s ready to go. That was a decision to give him 10 more days of rest. I think (WR DeVier) Posey is very close to coming back. Actually, I thought (RB) Ben (Tate) would no doubt be back on the field Monday. He had two good days of work last week but he complained of soreness again yesterday, so I don’t know. We’ll see where he’s at when we come back Monday and go from there. But our big concerns right now are Brooks, Newton and James.”

(on in there are any concerns with K Shayne Graham) “Yeah, there are some concerns. The concerns have been the kickoffs. The good news yesterday, there were some excellent kickoffs, too. He’s just inconsistent hitting the ball and it’s something we’ve been working on. It is a concern because field position is so huge in the game. He has kicked pretty well for us. We expect him to make that kick at the end of the game. I know it’s a 50-yarder but that’s our business, that’s what he’s here to do. We have confidence in him. He’s kicked in a lot of big games. He’s made a lot of big kicks. The situation with our kickoffs is something we’re concerned about but we have a lot of other issues with our team right now. So it’s hard to go solve that with some of the other things we’ve got going on.”

(on Houston’s pass defense against Detroit) “Well, first off, they’re (the Detroit Lions) very good. I think they’re number two in offense going into the game. So they’re going to put up some yardage on you. They’re going to spread the field, a lot of three-wides, four-wides. I think we knew going into the game we were going to give up some plays. The biggest thing, we didn’t want to give up a lot of big plays and hopefully you’re keeping their points down by playing good red-zone defense. We have not played to our standard the last two weeks, defensively. I think there are some issues we’re dealing with. We’ve been dealing with the front a little bit, not able to give some of those guys breaks with (NT) Shaun (Cody) out, like we’d like to. So I think we can get better there. Obviously, if we lined up today, we’re missing three of our four starting linebackers. I mean, that’s a concern. Then, when you’re top corner sits down. There are some things there to say, ‘Okay, we can be better if we can get healthy here.’ But still, we’ve got to look at it and say, ‘That’s not us.’ We’ve got to improve. We’re giving up too many plays but yet, we step up and make some big plays that are the difference in winning and losing.”

(on the job CB Kareem Jackson did against Detroit WR Calvin Johnson after halftime) “Yeah, he really did. I think (WR) Calvin (Johnson) was over 100 at halftime, if I’m right. (CB) Kareem (Jackson) did an excellent job. (CB) Alan (Ball) got put in a very tough situation as a player. Your first start as a Texan, go out there and deal with that guy. I thought we calmed down a little bit in the second half. Kareem has answered the bell all year long. There were a lot of guys making plays. (SS Glover Quin) made some big plays inside. The guy (Detroit QB Matthew Stafford) still threw a 50 percent clip. If you’re going to throw the ball 60 times, I think he was 31-of-61, or something like that. You’ve still got to feel good about that. So were making some plays but obviously not making enough.”

(on the sideline discussion between Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Line Bill Kollar and DE J.J. Watt) “I didn’t know anything about that actually. This morning, I couldn’t sleep, and I flip on ESPN and I see these two arguing on the sidelines. But they argue every day, so that’s nothing new. (DE) J.J. (Watt) was incredible in the game. I don’t have his stat line here, but it was just off the charts. He tends to make the huge plays in the biggest situations in the game. If there is a better defensive player out there right now as far as the year that he’s having for his team, it’s got to be off the charts because this guy has been exceptional.”

(on the exceptional play of WR Andre Johnson) “Boy, I tell you, it’s really special to watch. After what he had went through and watching early in the year, there was some concern early in the year. I think there was some concern on his part and my part. We were trying to work through some things, limit the reps, do all the right things to get him back. Then all of a sudden, we come out of New York and since then, it’s just been ‘Game on.’ He’s been exceptional. He’s been exceptional in practice. All of his confidence is back. (WR) Andre (Johnson) is a worker. Andre plays well when he’s working well during the week. That’s just the way he is. It’s fun to watch right now. He’s exceptional. I couldn’t get it to him enough yesterday. I know that.”

(on QB Matt Schaub winning 14 of his last 15 starts and the job he’s doing leading the team) “He’s exceptional. He handles a great deal of offense. Volume-wise, we’re really up there right now in what we’re doing and he’s the one getting it handled. He’s protecting the ball for the most part. He had that one play late in the game where we make a mistake with the ball. Right now, (QB) Matt (Schaub) is one of those that as an offensive coach, there is nothing better than being able to trust a quarterback for 60 minutes in a game. Not feeling like you have to do this or do that. I can do what I want to do; he’s going to make good decisions. He’s going to keep the team in the right spot. He’s been exceptional.”

(on the remaining five games and what they’ve set themselves up for) “We’ve got ourselves in really good position. We have some challenges. First off, we’re going to take a break this weekend and then we’re going to sit down Monday and see where we’re at once we through with all of these evaluations of these injured guys. We have to decide which direction we go in some defensive situations. We’re going to have to play good road football. Of our five, I think three are on the road. Is that right? We knew we were going to have to play good road football on the backend. Every win right now is huge because every time you reach a new number now, it can mean the difference in the long haul. We understand that, but right now we have to kind of regroup our team and see where we go physically and get ready to go to Tennessee.”

(on if he has ever been involved with an emotional span of games like the last few days) “No, I tell you what, I’m amazed at the players and the way they held up. During that short period of time, to play that much football and in that competitive environment and the way we had to win the last week together, and even if you throw Chicago in there, it’s been very taxing on the team. I just said that I think the biggest thing is after what we’ve been through physically, winning was so important. To come out of there with a win yesterday because of where we’re at and some of the issues we have, it was exceptional. It was a great effort.”

(on if he is exhausted after coaching two overtime games in a four-day span) “Me? Yeah, but you’re not as tired when you win. I’ll get rested. I’m going to enjoy the weekend with my family like everybody else and watch everybody else beat up on each other a little bit.”

(on wanting his players to relax over the weekend and come back fresh on Monday) “Actually, we’ve got way too many guys in here today. That’s the unfortunate thing. I wish they were all gone for a few days, but we’ve got a lot of guys that have to come in here physically and work their way back. We’ve got a bunch of evaluations going on today that I’ll know more about probably later this evening. I wish I could get them all out of here, but we’ve got some guys that need to stay here and get well.”

(on DE J.J. Watt continuing to excel despite other teams focusing on him) “That makes it more special. He’s just a great player. If you watch what he’s doing, somebody made a comment, something I was hearing – I don’t know if it was Marc (Vandermeer, the Texas play-by-play voice) or if it was you or somebody. The thing that’s amazing is usually guys are great pass rushers or a guy is a big run-stuffer inside or they have a specialty, but here’s a guy playing a five-technique, basically, in a 3-4 defense, and this guy is exceptional rushing the passer, he’s got to play the run as well as anybody that I’ve been around. And then the fact that he’s almost like having a great quarterback – when the game is on the line, he’s going to play his best. His sacks yesterday late to push them back out of field goal range, he’s just special, and he has been. He’s been that way all along.”

(on the play of LT Duane Brown) “I think whatever that Pro Bowl level is, he’s playing at it, and I think he’s done it for a couple years, but I think players make guys do it over and over again. He got a little respect last year; I would expect a lot more this year. We’ve thrown the ball 103 times the last two weeks, and that’s not something we really want to do, but our quarterback has gone down four times in those two games we’ve played, and that’s exceptional. It starts with Duane. He gets the best pass rusher all the time. He got (Detroit DE Kyle) Vanden Bosch all day long, and of course they moved (Detroit DT Ndamukong) Suh out there. That front four they have is exceptional. Duane is playing at a big-time level and has been for a while for us.”

(on ILB Darryl Sharpton playing so many snaps over the last two games after returning from injury) “Yeah, that concerns us, but that’s where we’re at. To not play football for the length of time that he’s been out and then to come back and have to play that much, I’m a little concerned. This break will do him a lot of good. Obviously, coming off the turf is tough, but we believe in Sharp. He’s a good player, and it’s just been a matter of him staying healthy for us, and right now it’s huge because depending on where (ILB) Bradie (James) is at, now we’ve got to get (ILB Tim) Dobbins back on the field, (ILB) Barrett (Ruud) came in and played some snaps for us yesterday. Does (OLB Jesse) Nading have to? We are in a mode of survival right there at that position until we get some guys healthy.”

(on who would fill in for OLB Brooks Reed if he has to miss time) “Well, first off, obviously (OLB) Whitney (Mercilus) goes out there. That’s what he’s here for. But (OLB Bryan) Braman can do some good things for us out there. We’ll still have some form of a rotation, but as I said before, it’s kind of like watching (rookie WR) Keshawn (Martin) start to make plays for this team and grow up. You’re not a rookie no more. Whitney’s kind of been the same way, and then obviously we’re going to have to call on him to be huge right now, so that’s what he’s here for. That’s why we drafted him.”