The Texans and Colts spoke to the media after the Colts' 20-17 victory at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday. Following is a transcript of coach and player interviews from both sides.
Texans owner Bob McNair Head coach Gary Kubiak K Kris Brown LB Brian Cushing WR Andre Johnson RB Ryan Moats SS Bernard Pollard CB Dunta Robinson QB Matt Schaub WR Kevin Walter DE Mario Williams FS Eugene Wilson T Eric Winston
Texans owner Bob McNair(on how he feels about the Texans headed into the bye) "I feel good about them. I think they're a tough team. I think they play hard. We've got to get some of these errors out of our system. We're making it a little more difficult for ourselves, and in spite of that, we're giving ourselves a chance to win. I think we'll have a strong second half."
(on if it hurts that the Texans came so close against the Colts) "Oh, absolutely. I just feel for our players. They work so hard along with our coaches. To be so close, I really thought we'd go down and make the field goal and in overtime we were going to win the game. But we didn't do it and Indianapolis played a little better than we did, and as Coach (Kubiak) said, 'That's why they're 8-0.'"
(on the game) "When you consider the number of errors and penalties that we had, to be in the position to win the game like that or certainly tie it up or go into overtime, I think that's pretty remarkable and speaks to the toughness of the team.
Head coach Gary Kubiak
(opening comments) "Well, it was a great football game. I am proud of our team's effort, they played hard. Obviously, we had a chance at the end to still be out there playing. Defense got us in the game. Offensively, we were very sloppy in the first quarter. We did not play with the poise we've been playing football with, but our defense kept us in there. Back in the second half, football team-wise I do not think we had some very good defensive sessions. We did have that one turnover there in the fourth quarter, and they went down to score. We had our chances. We had two chances to win the game there at the end. The quarterback gets hit, and we miss that field goal. I am proud of our team effort, it just hurts very bad right now."
(on the offensive play in the first half) "We were just a little out of sync, I guess. The first play of the game, we should make that play. We make it in practice every day. Second play of the game, we have a missed assignment. That's uncommon for us. We sit there and go through those first 15 plays over and over and over again. We shouldn't make those mistakes. We put our defense out there, I think, three times in a row. To put them out there that many times, in this stadium, we were lucky that we were only down 10-0. So like I said, I didn't like the way we started. We settled down and played pretty well for three quarters. Big turnover there on the two-yard-line. Turnovers ultimately hurt us at the end of the day, I think we ended up minus one in turnovers. Turnovers and penalties get you beat. We had way too many penalties."
(on the fumble challenge) "Yeah, actually we didn't even know until the play had been stopped because and it got to the two-minute warning that there even was an issue. Someone in the press box said, 'I think they are looking at the ball right.' We thought that Ryan (Moats) was out of bounds. But the way it was explained to me was that, the ball did come out. Nobody argued that. We felt like the players were out of bounds that were touching the ball. and what they said was that Ryan was on top of whoever that player was. They said he was on top of that player and so technically he was not out of bounds. He's still in the field of play. So that's the way it was explained to me."
(on what the offense did better in the second half) "Made some third downs, just started the running ball a little bit. We didn't run the ball well today, but we kept running it. Got our third downs a little more manageable, made a couple of big third downs. That was it. Like I said, I think we were three-and-out the first three drives. That's hard enough in this league, but when you're doing it against Peyton Manning, that's three possessions. So we were lucky to even survive that and be where we were at the end.
(on battling back from an early deficit) "Yeah, our team never flinched. Our defense had a lot of confidence in what they were doing, and I thought they were exceptional in the game. Our football team believes they can win every week. And like I said, to start the way we did coming in at halftime down 13-3, to me we had very good control of the football game there in the fourth quarter. They get the big turnover and then we miss the field goal at the end. So we had our chances to win. Our players played hard enough and good enough to give ourselves a chance to win, but bottom line we didn't get it done."
(on the penalties) "We had way too many penalties. You go back and look at them, but obviously we had three of those (neutral zone infractions), we had a couple of special teams penalties once again, which has been hurting us all year long. We had a couple of holding calls. We did overcome a few of those, if I'm correct. But any time you have 13 penalties for 100 yards on the road, you're just kind of adding to your problems of playing on the road."
(on the play of the defense) "I thought defensively, we played very good. We'll go back and look. I think we've got a chance, like I said, to be a dang good defensive football team. We've been playing very well. Did we play as good as we can play? I don't know; we'll go back and look at it. But we played pretty darn good. When you hold this team to 20 points, you've got to feel like your team has you have an excellent chance to win. They did that, and we just didn't get it done on the other side."
(on his confidence in K Kris Brown with the 56-yard field goal at the end of the first half) "Oh, yeah. Kris has been kicking the ball very, very well. And that's a big, big kick. I told him after the game we believe in him, keep kicking it. We're counting on him, but it's tough. That's a tough job for a kicker, and unfortunately it didn't go through."
(on any injuries) "(Antwaun) Molden's our only guy. I think we have a quad issue."
(on what he takes away from this game) "I don't know if I can answer that right now. I might answer that better tomorrow. I'm just disappointed for those guys in there. Boy, they laid it on the line for each other. They're facing a bye week this week. They need it. We've been nine long weeks. I feel bad for them. They deserved a carrot at the end of the day. They played hard enough to get it done, but we didn't get it done, so we'll just come back battling for our last seven and keep working."
(on what "it is" with the Colts) "That's why they are a champion. That's why they are 8-0. They can play in 35-34 games, they can play in what was it last week, 18-14. They win however they have to win. When the game is on the line, they tend to make plays, and give them credit, they made them again today."
(on if there's anything they can do in the bye week to prevent slow starts on offense) "Well, I'm trying to go back to last week when were in Buffalo. We went right down the field last week as far as moving the ball. Today, we didn't move the ball. but you're right; the turnovers. They've been a problem for us all year long, not just the first quarter. So obviously, it's something we address every week. This week, to me, we've got to get this game looked at tomorrow. We've got some things to do Tuesday. To me, we need to get a good workout Tuesday. I need to get some of these guys fresh. We've been nicked up and pushing through. I've got to get these guys fresh and ready for those last seven games."
(on what he told the team in the locker room) "I told them I was proud of how hard they played. I know they left it all on the line. There was no doubt about that. I feel for them. They came in and played well enough and hard enough and well enough in a lot, a lot of areas to have a chance for that to happen, but it didn't happen. But we're made of the right stuff. We'll come back battling."
K Kris Brown(on the final kick) "I missed the kick. I went out there, went through my routine. I felt the ball come off my foot really well. The ball just moved a little left."
(on how tough missing that last kick was) "It's my job. I take a lot of pride in coming through for this team, especially in those situations. To have that happen with the way our guys played, for me is very disappointing."
LB Brian Cushing
(on the loss in general) "This would have been a huge upper if we had won this game. We didn't, but … we're going to still have the same work ethic, the same attitude."
(on controlling the Colts' big-play offense but losing) "(Peyton Manning) just finds a way to win. He dinks and dunks and finds the spots. You have to get more turnovers, find the ways to get the ball. You just have to limit it and find ways to get the ball. Sometimes 20 points isn't enough; you have to hold him to 17 or 14 or whatever you can."
WR Andre Johnson(on the emotions right now after coming so close) "I don't even know what to say. I'm speechless. We went out there and we played hard, and once again, we came up short."
(on why it took until midway into the second period for the offense to get on track) "I think going against this team, you can't be one dimensional. In the first half, we were just trying to win the ball game and throw the ball. You have to rush the ball on this team. Once we started getting the running game going, it opened up everything. The biggest thing for us is just getting in a rhythm, and we didn't get in a rhythm in the first half."
RB Ryan Moats
(on his fumble near the goal line) "That was just a freaky play. …I didn't have control of my body at the time. I had to get in there and try to make up for it later in the game. … I thought I was out of bounds, but they reviewed it and I guess they thought otherwise. It's just something you have to play through."
SS Bernard Pollard
(on the loss in general) "It hurts to fight so hard and put it all on the line. Now, we go into the bye and we need to get things figured out. It didn't go our way today, but we just have to continue to grind it out."
(on whether the loss spoiled one of his best days as a pro, including playing in his home state) "It's not an individual game. I'm a big believer in that. Yes, it is home, and there was a lot of family and everything else here. But, as I said, this is not an individual sport. We have to keep grinding, keep everybody's spirits up and just keep going."
(on the Colts' no-huddle offense) "Man, we knew they were going to do the no-huddle, but they were high-intensity. I'm not going to lie, it kind of caught us off guard. But we regrouped and did everything we could to get off the field, and I think we did a good job today."
CB Dunta Robinson
(on the loss in general) "It's a tough one. It's a hard pill to swallow. The thing about it is we get to play them in a couple of weeks and can redeem ourselves. This is definitely a game we would have liked to have won."
(on controlling the Colts' big plays) "We just did what we were coached to do… and that is not to try to do too much. We wanted to play a solid football game, and that's what we did on the defensive side of the ball. Unfortunately, we didn't make the plays that we had to, to win this football game."
(on the AFC South race) "We just have to keep fighting. This team has nothing but fighters on it. We won't go in the tank, especially when we think it's a football game we could have won. We'll correct our mistakes, and hopefully the outcome next time will be much different."
QB Matt Schaub
(on how he feels postgame) "It is frustrating. It is disappointing to know that we were right there and were not able to get it done. It was a missed opportunity. It is frustrating."
(on the difference between the first half and the second half) "Turnovers. Against a team like this, they will make you pay if you turn the ball over."
(on this being a painful loss) "It's very painful. Against a good opponent, on the road, it hurts you deep when you come so close and do not pull off a win."
(on the last interception) "Yes, my arm got hit as I was releasing."
(on his thoughts about going in to overtime) "Well, yes. In those situations you think positively. I thought we would absolutely go in to overtime."
WR Kevin Walter
(on feeling the game turning into the Texans favor) "It definitely felt like it was turning. The defense played well all game. They played extremely well. They helped us stay in the game. They helped us get the ball back. (Bernard) Pollard did a great job. The whole defense did."
(on the offense getting going in the second half) "In the first half, we were 0-for-6, I think, on third down. In the second half, we stayed on the field. We made plays that ate up the clock. That's what we wanted to do, but we still have to do a better job."
DE Mario Williams
(on people saying the Texans are the real deal now) "We need to start winning games we definitely should have won, we just didn't. It came right down to the end and we didn't get it done."
(on how painful this loss is) "It's very painful. Is it going to discourage us from doing what we need to do and continue on? No, it's not."
(on giving up only nine yards to the Colts' offense in the third quarter) "It's huge. That is Peyton Manning out there. He's running the show. For us to come out of the locker room and capitalize like we did, putting us in a position to win, that's big for us."
FS Eugene Wilson
(on how the defense played today) "The defense came out with an aggressive approach today. We really felt like we could contend with them. It was a good game. Obviously, Peyton (Manning) is going to make plays. They made plays, we made plays, but we came up short today."
(on how painful this loss is) "It's very painful. It feels like we are finally there. It was another close game. We still have another shot at them, and we will be looking forward to that in a couple weeks. We are going to go to the game film, check out what we did wrong and correct the mistakes. "
(on what to take away from this game) "We can take positives out of it. There were a lot of positives out there. At the same time, we still did some things that we probably shouldn't have, and we are just trying to clean up those mistakes the next time."
T Eric Winston
(on the loss in general) "We were close, but we have to find a way to get it done. There are a lot of teams that are close in this league. We have to find a way to get over the hump. We have seven more games to do it. We have three more division games coming up, and I think that will tell the tale for us. If we can win those three division games, it's going to put us in a good spot going down the stretch."
(on whether the Texans can take anything from the close loss) "I think guys stepped up. But as a team, there's not a lot to take away. Getting close, that's what it is."
(on the offense's bad start and head coach Gary Kubiak's instructions on the sideline) "(He was saying) just to calm down. We were kind of in disarray. We had some penalties to start the game. We just had to settle down and play. We liked our game plan going in, we liked what we were going to do. We just had to get down and execute."
Indianapolis Colts
Head coach Jim Caldwell
(opening statement) "We did the things we planned to do, which was go uptempo. It was almost like our two minute operations to take over the game. And that was obviously by design. We wanted to press the issue and be as expressive as we possibly could."
(on the reviewed play) "We'd established position in bounds and then recovered the ball. We initially thought that he was out of bounds with the ball as he possessed it, but it actually came loose prior to going out of bounds. We saw it upstairs first and talked through it. I guess where he touched the ball down, where he touched it was on the goal line. That's why they indicated the touchback. "
(on the defense) "I think when you look at our defense that we did play well. I think we got three three-and-outs at the beginning of the game. We started out like a ball of fire. We had a little bit of a lapse but then they came back and did well at the end."
(on Joseph Addai's big run and the running game) "I think we were pretty efficient. There were times when we needed to run it, particularly on that drive that you mentioned. We ran the ball pretty well. Joseph had some pretty nice runs. He almost caught that draw at the end of the game. That would have been a huge difference."
(on Dallas Clark's 14 catches) "That's kind of how it happens sometimes. I think Dallas had an excellent day, was one away from the NFL record (for catches by a tight end), I guess. Dallas has had big days for us. He's been playing well all year. He had some big catches against tough coverage."
RB Joseph Addai
(on taking what the defense gives them) "Catching the ball, running the ball, whatever they want us to do that's how we're going to do it. We have to give credit to the Texans defense. They played hard. They played real hard. I think the good thing about this is we can go back watch the film and kind of see the mistakes we made and move forward."
(on matching up with the Texans) "I think every game we have to go about it like it's the Super Bowl, regardless of who you're playing. I think the Texans are getting better. Next time around, I think we have to buckle down and bring our A-game and play them because they really played hard. They did what they did and we have to get them the second time around."
(on the offensive struggles) "Tom Moore, he always says throughout the season (that) we'll have storms meaning bad times. I think the great teams know how to get through that. Obviously, we had our chance to get through that today. We'll go and watch the film Wednesday and look at what we can fix and move forward from there."
DB Antoine Bethea
(on Houston's fumble at the goal line towards the end of the first half) "He broke out, and I was just making a play. When it happened, I told the ref, 'Look man, that might have been a fumble.' He said, "No, he landed on you and you were out of bounds.' I didn't want to argue or nothing. I saw Coach Caldwell talking to him and they showed a replay, and I knew it was a fumble. It was a smart play by Jerraud (Powers), getting both feet back in bounds and getting the ball. That was a heads-up play by Jerraud."
(on LB Clint Session's interception) "That was a big play. It was a five-man pressure. G (LB-Gary Brackett) was able to get to the quarterback, hit the ball, and Clint got a big play for us."
(on the defense making big plays in the fourth quarter) "It's football. That's how it is. Sometimes, the offense has to back us up. Sometimes, we have to back the offense up. It's a team game. Regardless of what happens, when we're on the field, we have to go out there, play 110 percent and try to make plays."
(on the young guys in the defensive backfield stepping up because of injuries to the veterans) "They've done great. You can't ask anything more of them. Jerraud (Powers) had two big plays today, an interception and a fumble recovery. (Jacob) Lacey plays well. Tim (Jennings) plays well. (Melvin) Bullitt always plays well. Regardless of the injuries and whatever everybody else is saying about the secondary and the young guys, we're one group. We're going to come out and fight, like we did today."
DB Melvin Bullitt
(on getting key turnovers) "That was key. That just shows how smart some of our young players are like Jerraud Powers just to know to jump back inbounds, grab the ball, get in the end zone and get out of bounds, (which) was just a heck of a play. Then you have Clint Session getting a turnover at the end, which definitely built some momentum for us on defense. At the end of the game, special teams did a good job with field goal blocking."
(on the Texans' missed field goal at the end) "We knew we had a chance at it. We almost had two blocks earlier in the game. I almost had one (and) Jacob Lacey almost had one. On that last one, we just said we wanted to apply a lot of pressure and kind of get in his (K Kris Brown) head. If he sees a lot of pressure coming, he feels like he has to get it off quick. All I saw was the crowd erupt. I didn't see the ball go left or right. I saw everybody cheering, so I knew we won."
TE Dallas Clark
(on his performance) "It was kind of one of those things that you try and take advantage of things that are given us. Even with getting those catches early, they still didn't adjust, they didn't change what they were doing so we were going to try and keep attacking it. It would have been a lot better if they would have turned into touchdowns instead of field goals in the first half. Those are things we need to continue working on."
(on the quick offensive pace to start the game) "I wouldn't say fun. When you run, I guess I heard, sixty plays in the first half, you are going to feel that Wednesday and Thursday. It's fun for a series. It was kind of a game time decision trying to play some up-tempo and mix it up a little bit on them. It helped. I think we were wearing them down, but we were getting pretty tired as well. But, we were able to keep pressing and keep them guessing. I think it helped us. It was a good kind of a weapon for us and I think it definitely helped us get some tempo going."
(on where the offense needs to improve) "I think its just everywhere. I think its execution. We had some run plays, we had some passes, we called the timeout where we were kind of mixed up on assignments. Just everything. When you come out and put points on the first couple drives and kind of hit that lull. We did last week against San Francisco. We just can't keep doing that. Our defense is playing tough, getting us great field position, we have to take advantage of that. I think that is kind of the disappointment. We had the ball on the 40 (yard line) probably two times and just weren't able to get points and that is on us. Those are things we need to improve on."
(on improving the red zone offense) "I think it is a little of both. A little of good defenses that we have faced in the last few weeks and execution. I think it is as simple as that. I don't think we need to change anything or make up new plays. I think we just need to execute the calls that are made. It is a great credit to the defense that we faced. We have faced some good red zone defenses and that is the reason they are good. They are keeping teams out of the end zone and that is something we will continue to improve on and got to get better."
OT Ryan Diem(on the offense starting the game with a quick pace) "We came into this with the idea that we were going to run a two-minute style offense and try to use the up-tempo to wear them out a little bit. I think it worked. We moved the ball pretty effectively, but fell short of getting in the red zone a few times and had to settle for field goals."
(on Houston) "They're certainly a much improved team over the past couple of years. They've gotten a lot better. They have a pretty solid D-line. As we saw today, their offense can move the ball pretty effectively."
(on what the win means in the division race) "It's one of those deals where we have a couple of tough games coming up and then we're going to see Houston again. We have a pretty good run here where we have to hunker down and play well and continue to widen that margin, otherwise, they're going to be right on our heels in a couple of weeks, very easily."
(on if the offense is frustrated) "I wouldn't say anything is off. I just think we're a little disappointed about not scoring touchdowns as much. We're getting our chances. We're in the red zone and then we're stalling out and having to settle for field goals. It's disappointing, but we're still coming away with points. We just have to continue to work on getting those seven points instead of three."
(on comparing this year's offense to year's past) "Every year is different and every game is different. We started this game off with this fast tempo thing trying to slow them down. I think (senior offensive coordinator) Tom Moore says it best, 'Each game has its own personality.' This one was very unique in that we had 60 plays in the first half and three in the third quarter. You just have to take the opportunity to get seven points when you can."
(on if the offense lost its rhythm) "I wouldn't say we lost our rhythm. I think we just didn't get the job done at certain points in the game. I don't know if we were out of sync or what. We'll have to go back to the tape and find out."
(on Houston's missed FG as time expired) "After he had made the long one earlier in the game, I thought this one was going to be a chip shot for him. He missed it, and we were pretty excited. I thought for sure we were going into overtime. The guy is a pretty good kicker. He went wide left, and we win."
(on RB Joseph Addai's touchdown run) "Great run by Joe. I thought up front, we had a pretty good chance with that play with the look they gave us. He made a few guys miss and maybe dragged one in with him. A great effort by Joe today."
(on if there is a risk in throwing it too much) "I don't think so. I think the way Peyton (Manning) operates he is going to take what's there, whatever the defense is giving us. There may be sometime down the road here where we run the ball 30, 40 times. I don't know if that is ever going to happen. He is good at what he does. We like to put the ball in his hands and let him do his thing."
DE Dwight Freeney
(on what the sack streak means to him) "It's not like I'm sitting there like, 'Oh, I've got to get one.' Every game, my mentality is I have to get three or four every game. Yes, I got one and definitely it's a collective thing. Some of them are coverage sacks, some is everybody playing together and I happen to be in the right spot. I think it's a team thing no matter what individual streaks happen. When it's a team effort, that's why it happens."
(on having a blitzing scheme) "It's a little bit of a change which has helped us out all year and that really shows the experience of (Larry) Coyer. Him knowing some blocking schemes, knowing when we need to bring pressure and executing as a defense."
(on what the win means) "The big picture is just one more step closer to what we want our first goal. Our first goal is to win the division and we're one step closer to that. We've got to win a few more. It's close. We're heading in the right direction."
(on battling with a division opponent) "It was real tough. They battle. They know us. We know them. We don't ever expect to just go out there and say 'Ah, we're playing Houston,' no matter what their record is. It didn't matter if they were coming in here 0-7, 0-8, it doesn't matter. When you're playing a division opponent especially in our division, it's going to be a tough one."
QB Peyton Manning
(on the fast-paced offense) "We certainly have that in our package. It is almost a kind of two minute type of offense. We really did move the ball, but we just didn't finish it well. We got thirteen points out of it. Obviously would have liked to have finished a couple of those drives with a touchdown."
(on the win and positioning in the AFC South) "Huge win. Great effort. Great job kind of hanging in there. Obviously everything wasn't perfect, but great job of just kind of fighting and came up with the big win. Houston played well and they have an excellent team. Fortunate to win and certainly always want to win those divisional games, especially the ones at home. We'll definitely take it."
(on throwing so much in the first half) "We have had some games, I guess, based on what the defense was doing where we did come out and just threw it every single time. Seems like Green Bay a couple years back, we threw it a bunch. It was working pretty good. Just had some third downs. Third and actually reasonable that we just didn't convert, which we have been good on, but haven't been as good on those situations the last two weeks. That is an area we definitely want to improve on and be able to stay on the field on third downs."
(on the rhythm of the offense) "It is kind of game to game. Obviously we would like to score more than twenty points. We would like to not kick field goals. Those are obviously our goals. Did a good job of moving the ball. Houston leads the league in three and outs. Thirty-six three and outs coming into today, so we really wanted to kind of answer that challenge. I think we only had one which was a big one because it was our only possession of the third quarter. You didn't really see that coming. We did a pretty good job moving the ball at times, but would like to be a little better on third down and be able to stay on the field and obviously be able to finish drives. That is what you are always looking for; to score enough to win, but we obviously had to have some help from our defense. Obviously we want to our part better and score more points."
(on the running game) "I thought Joe (Addai) popped some runs, a couple big ones on that last drive for the touchdown. Great run by him on the goal line for the touchdown, with some big runs to get down there. I thought Joe did a great job as a receiver and running the ball when we called his number."
LB Clint Session
(on beating a division rival) "We got it done. You have to give Houston a lot of credit. They fought. They know us. We know them. Like I said early in the week, it was going to be a tough game no matter what the records were. They came out, brought it and gave it their best."
(on the win giving the Colts a big lead in the AFC South) "That's what we've been stressing from the beginning, putting ourselves in the best position. We put ourselves in a good position by winning all our (division) games early, now we have to come back for the second round of them. It' gives us a little breather. We're already ahead."
(on the defense playing shorthanded) "As you can see, we played pretty good on defense. We had a couple of guys banged up, but with the system we have guys that can fill in, if not the same talent level, they're right under it. Everybody is filling in very well on this defense, and we need to keep it going."
(on LB Philip Wheeler) "Philip did real well. I congratulated him a few times out on the field. He had a pretty good game. He was focused on his assignments, and he did it the right way."
(on Houston's missed FG as time expired) "I don't even remember if I watched it. It's a great, great feeling to watch that field goal miss. I feel sorry for that kicker, but, hey, we won."
(on his interception in the fourth quarter) "It was a pretty good interception just because it was a game decision interception. On my part, I probably should have scored instead of going down, but that's the thing I have to learn. That was my first one of the year. It put us in good position to win."
(on why backups on the Colts are able to come in and play well right away) "We plug away. We plug guys in practice, whether they are second string or not. . We'll get some of those veterans out of there and starters out of there, and get some of the young guys a chance to play. That's been helping us out all year. They are always an ankle sprain away, so they're ready."
WR Reggie Wayne
(on the offense having a lot of plays in the first half, but not a lot of points) "This is the NFL, it's not going to be easy, whether we have 40-some passes or 20, they're all going to be tough. We had some opportunities. Houston is good. They're pretty familiar with our offense. They're rolling right now. They're defense has been playing at a high level all year. They did their job. We just have to do better in the red zone and score touchdowns instead of field goals."
(on the offense having a rhythm early, but seeming to lose it) "It's football. They're on scholarship, too. It's not going to be easy every time. We had a little flow going. They figured it out and they adjusted. Instead of scoring field goals, we should have scored touchdowns. Like I said, their defense has been balling all year. We just have to figure out how to score touchdowns instead of field goals in the red zone."
(on what it says about the offense being able to score a touchdown when it needs too) "The first drive we had in the third quarter we had an opportunity. We had good field position. They had a personal foul that gave us good field position. We didn't capitalize on it. On the sideline we knew it was going to be one of those games where we probably had only one more possession, if that. So, we just buckled down. You take your hats off to Houston. They're a good team, but at the same time, we had so many mental mistakes that we stopped drives. We made it an interesting game. It was hyped up all week about what kind of game it was going to be. I guess we gave everybody what they were looking for."
(on if he was trying to throw the ball away on his interception) "I actually was. I was trying to throw that away. Next time, I'll aim for the blonde in the front row. I was trying to throw it away and just threw a bad ball. That's another mistake on my end."
(on passing Raymond Berry for second all-time on franchise's career receptions list) "That's huge...it's definitely an honor. He's still the truth. He started it all. I'm just glad to even be mentioned with his name."
