*Visit HoustonTexans.com on Monday to watch Texans coach Gary Kubiak's weekly press conference live at 3:30 p.m. CT.
Postgame quotes from the Texans' dramatic 31-24 loss to the Jaguars at EverBank Field in Jacksonville:
Houston Texans head coach Gary KubiakTexans QB Matt SchaubTexans WR Andre JohnsonTexans WR Kevin Walter TexansTE Joel DreessenTexansCB Glover QuinTexansDE Mario Williams
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Jack Del RioJaguars QB David GarrardJaguars WR Mike ThomasJaguars RB Maurice Jones-DrewJaguars TE Marcedes LewisJaguars TE Zach MillerJaguars G/C Uche NwaneriJaguars S Sean ConsidineJaguars CB Derek CoxJaguars PK Josh Scobee
Houston Texans head coach Gary Kubiak(on the initial thoughts about the game) "It is just sad. We had a chance to win the game. We had a perfect screen set up and we fell down. We got the play to give ourselves the chance to kick a field goal then we jump offsides - which is just inexcusable. I'm just disappointed."
(on what Glover Quin should have done on the play) "He had one or two options – either knock it down or catch it. If you are under no distress or anything then just catch the ball. He did what we coached him to do. I couldn't see it from where I was, but it obviously got tipped up to one of their players.
(on him knocking it down) "He did knock it down and you are coached to knock the ball down in a stressful situation. I couldn't tell, but it looked like it just came up to him. If that happens then you are better off catching the ball."
(on how many times he has seen that before) "Not a whole lot. I can't remember the second one right now."
(on the Joel Dreessen's fumble) "We thought maybe he might not have caught the ball, I don't know. It was inside of two minutes and that is up to the officials to get the replay from upstairs. I thought the pass they completed on first down to the tight end in the flats that his foot was out of bounds, but it's up to the officials to get the buzz from upstairs. I don't know, I will have to go back and look at it. "
(on what he told his team afterwards) "I told them we dug ourselves a big hole. We got ourselves out of it, but during one of the most opportunistic periods of the game, we didn't handle ourselves the right way to finish the game. We will go back and then play another good football team on the road next week. "
Texans QB Matt Schaub(initial thoughts on losing on a Hail Mary) "It's tough, disappointing, as frustrated as it can get. To work that hard and then come down, which it always does, this game always comes down to one, two, three plays in a game. When it came down to crunch time they made the plays and we didn't and that's a tough one to take."
(on his emotions right after the game) "It's tough to work that hard to get back in the game when we had dug ourselves a hole in the first half and have a chance to win it and for it to slip through our fingers like that. It's a tough one to take but gosh, we got to move. We got another game next coming up this week on the road and we got to get ready to go."
(on the difference between the first and second half) "Opportunities. We took the first series of the game then we took it down and settled for three, which we were disappointed, we wanted to get seven in that situation. Then we had two other possessions in the first half that we had penalties. It made it tough where we were backed up in our own end, we weren't able to dig it out of there and they controlled the football. So it was about our opportunities, then just getting drives going, getting first downs and then going onto the next play."
(on the change in tempo in the second half) "That is something we try to do, regardless of the situation. We like to be a rhythm, up-tempo type of offense that can get in and out of the huddle, get the play called, get to the line and go. Keep the defense on their heels and not let them just sit in and get a normal rhythm of the game. That is when I think we function as an offense the best."
Texans WR Andre Johnson(on losing to the Hail Mary caught by Mike Thomas) "Well, it is a crazy play. When you sit here and look at it, I don't think any of their guys jumped up to try to catch the ball. It is kind of like you think about it you are snake bitten because you don't really see that happen too often. They made the play and we didn't."
(On making second half adjustments) "We came out and did what we do best. We got in a rhythm. When we get in a rhythm we go out and move the ball well. That is what we did. We got in a rhythm, guys were playing and that is pretty much what we did. Whenever we get in a good flow as an offense we are able to go up and down the field."
(on what is going through his mind after a devastating loss to the Jaguars) "It is bothering, it doesn't feel good. You just sit there and shake your head and take that deep breath. I really don't know what to say, things just haven't been going our way and the only way to bounce back from it is to go out and play the game."
Texans WR Kevin Walter(reflecting on the loss) "It's tough to lose any way. I thought we played well as a team in the second half and did all the things we needed to do to put ourselves in a position to win that game in the second half. It's tough to lose like that for sure.
(on adjustments in passing game in the second half) "They played us pretty much the same every time we play them. It's a matter of going out and executing the plays and we did that better in the second half. They play the coverages with the same guys like Rashean (Mathis) and Derek (Cox). It's just a matter of us executing."
Texans TE Joel Dreessen(on fumble after catch, recovered by Jacksonville to set up game-winning Jaguars' drive) "As far as I know, I thought I had it tucked away good but I was going downfield and thought I was squeezing the hell out of it. I usually have two hands on it from the second I catch it. I think the defender came up from behind to knock it loose. This hurts bad right now. I had a penalty and a turnover in the two-minute drill and that's the reason our team lost."
Texans CB Glover Quin(on David Garrard's Hail Mary pass into end zone on game's final play) "They had three receivers on one side and in that situation, I'm the jumper. He (Garrard) threw it. I saw the ball and jumped up to knock the ball down. When I beat the ball down, it fell right into the Jaguar player's arms. I wasn't thinking about catching it. I was just thinking about knocking it down, getting to overtime and going to win the game. Obviously, it was real. This really happened and we lost the game."
Texans DE Mario Williams(on Hail Mary play resulting in Jaguars touchdown) "It came down to last play. The crazy play happened and it didn't go our way. He (Quin) did what he was coached to do on that play. Hedid everything he was supposed to do. If we make the plays earlier, we wouldn't be in that situation. Everybody looks at that last play, but that's not what it is. We have to figure out what to do to not put ourselves in that situation. It's a loss. The season is not over or anything like that. We just have to fix it.
(on giving up big plays on defense) "That last play was big and there was another big touchdown pass. We gave up big plays in the past and have to fix that. As far as their running game goes, we were gapping it pretty well but Maurice (Jones-Drew) was getting those extra yards after contact. We have to get him down at first."
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio"Hail Mary, full of grace, Lord is with thee. There were some Hail Mars being said and that was a great Hail Mary play at the end. What a thrilling end to a hard-fought divisional game here at home; the second one like that, dramatic fashion, closing out with a huge victory. The crowd was into it all day, they were great and Veteran Appreciation Day, we all took a moment to pause and let the veterans know how much we do appreciate them and being able to cap it off with just a great play at the end, very exciting, very exhilarating finish. Very happy for the guys. I thought we did some things extremely well today. In the first half I thought we were really solid on defense, and did things like we've been talking about, feel like it's been coming, getting closer. We came in at halftime and talked about the need to stay after these guys, keep the pedal down because they've got the ability to come back and they've done that several times this year on people. We just allowed some plays to go over the top or through that just simply things we did better in the first half and will do better going forward. There were mistakes and they capitalized on them and got themselves back in it so the team stayed with it and finished. Two things I asked from our guys today was let's play with passion, we're going to have a sold out house, a great crowd, let's play with passion. Let's let them feel our passion. And let's play with poise. And I thought we did that, right to the very end. With Sean (Considine) coming up with thebig turnover, we were battling, scratching, not allowing them to go down the field. We dug in there defensively and held them off. And offensively we were aggressive there at the end. We had our time outs and we had a chance to do what we did there; get ourselves in position to throw one into the end zone and throw it into the end zone and see if you can make a play. It was an awesome finish. No real injuries brought to my attention on the day. The one things Mike Sims-Walker was a little banged early in the game, one of his first catches early in the game he got banged around a little bit, but he fought through it and stayed out there all day. Nobody else that I can recall was brought to my attention. So all in all, pretty solid."
(on if he's ever been involved in such a dramatic game) "Indy a few weeks back was pretty doggone dramatic. They happen in sports, that's what makes sports so great. It's all right there on the line and dramatic moments, big huge pendulum swing one way or the other. It sort of feels good when you make the play and you go home with a big smile."
(on what he was thinking when the final pass was thrown) "Well, I first thought there might be a flag because there was one defender kind of draped on Mike Thomas. Mike was strong enough to run through it but there was a guy basically draped on him early in that down before the ball was actually batted down. I was just looking to see would we be able to step up and get it off, yes, and then I'm saying is it going to get far enough, yes, and now darn it looks like they're in good position and I saw them go up to bat it. But when they batted it, they didn't bat it down, they didn't have Mike screened off and Mike was opportunistic, made a great play. A lot of things have to go right, that's not a high percentage play. But you do work on them, we work on them every week. It was great to see that happen for us."
(on the name of the play) "You don't like Hail Mary? You're not Catholic I take it?"
(on Mike Thomas coming into the league already acting like a veteran) "The question was put to me on my TV Show by Brian Sexton, asked me about Mike Thomas and whether or not we were having to build his confidence. And I said, 'heck, he walked in from day one full of confidence. We've had to kind of slow down there young man, let's learn the game, the way it's supposed to be played, those sort of things.' But he's really matured; he's making great plays for us, impact plays. There was a big third down in that ball game that I can recall, it was third and maybe 14, and he spins it tight and David (Garrard) puts it on the money and it was a huge conversion. He's made some of those kinds of plays for us all year."
(on how important this win is) "Houston and Jacksonville both came into this game saying it's a must-have game and in reality, it's not one that accomplishes anything more than it's a win right now. It's what you've got to have. You've got to start putting wins together. We're in the second half of the season, we're midway through November and the teams that are going to be in a hunt at the end. Have got to start stringing wins together, we got a win today. That was huge for us."
(on his aggressive game-calling decisions and decision to try field goal on first play of 4th quarter) "I just really thought, I always trust my gut on that. I contemplated it but I really thought we had to take the lead right there. (Josh) Scobee has been automatic all year, I know he missed a couple today, but he's a very good kicker and I just felt like we had to go ahead and take the lead right there. I thought it was sound to go take the lead right there. And then later in the game, about seven minutes left, and we're 4th-and-one on our own side of the field, I did go for it. It's not that I won't, it's just that I felt at that time, my gut said, 'hey the right thing to do here is take this field goal right here and take the lead.'"
(on the loss of Aaron Kampman) "We missed him today. We didn't knock the quarterback down near enough. We'll push on with the guys we have. I think Terrance (Knighton) did a great job stepping up in a leadership role, he spoke to the team yesterday. Aaron has invested a lot of time, effort, and energy in that group and kind of showed them the way and now it's time for them to take what they've learned and some of the influence he's had and they've got to carry the torch. I think there was some good play at times, not enough on the quarterback for me throughout the course of the game, but we'll keep working at it."
(on if there is a number of wins that he thinks they need) "No, we've got three more games in our division and they're all on the road. We've got a challenging second half of our season that's all in front of us right now. We've just got to keep, as a football team, we've talked about we really believe our best football is in front of us. We played well in spurts today, we've got to put it together and function as a football team for 60 minutes like that and put it all together and that's what we're striving to do. We're working hard to reach our potential and we're doing it with commitment, hard work, dedication, and we're going to continue to do those things and take it one day at a time."
Jaguars QB David Garrard(on what the play call was for the game-winning touchdown) "It was the Thank you, Jesus play. My wife's name is Mary so I always love to call the Hail Mary, but really when it works like that, it's beyond words. "
(on his perspective on the last play) "It's a Hail Mary play, so I'm just thinking to myself, throw the ball as high as I can, to really get some time to throw it because you see guys get sacked a lot of times in that situation. So I just stepped up to give the ball some air. When I threw it, I was actually thinking I hope I threw that far enough. I wasn't sure if I did, but when I saw it get down there and I saw the safety go up make a play on it, I said, 'Please just knock it down…don't pick it off.' But then he knocked it back to Mike Thomas. I couldn't tell if he caught it or even if there was a play on the ball. Then I saw him run into the end zone, I didn't know what to do. I thought I was going to explode right there."
(on if he has ever been a part of a game-winning play Hail Mary) "I've never been a part of game that had that situation. To really come up with a Hail Mary throw and have it work…it's just a hope and a prayer really. You're just hoping and praying somebody goes down and makes a play."
(on how many times the team practices the play) "We don't. You don't practice it. We go through it in walk throughs on Saturday, but the guys just kind of walk down and say this is what you do, but you never put the ball in the air. So that's really the first time we ran it."
(on the last drive) "When I threw the ball out to Marcedes (Lewis), I thought, 'Man, I don't know if this is a good idea,' because it might have the time run off. But then when he got out of bounds with it, I thought at least now we'll get a chance to throw it into the end zone."
(on the last second wins) "To be involved in a game in that situation, it's unbelievable. It's a situation that you'll remember the rest of your life, not just your career. To have the two plays (today's game winner and Josh Scobee's game winning field goal against Indianapolis) that will probably be shown for the rest of the season is amazing. To have them both result in wins just shows we'll do whatever it takes to get the win."
(on Mike Thomas' emergence as a go-to receiver) "We keep talking about how Mike Thomas is an explosive receiver and he continues to make plays. He really shows that he turns into a running back when he gets the ball in his hands. He does an awesome job with that. He does an awesome job running his routes. If you look at him on that spoke (pass play), I threw the ball when he was on the outside of the guy and it pulled him back inside and he just made a great play on it with the safety and corner hitting him at the same time. He continues to give me confidence and continues to give the coaches confidence."
(on the importance of the win) "It's huge. It's a division game with both teams four and four trying to scratch and claw to get back on top. With that win, it puts us right up there at the top of the division. It really gives you an opportunity to move forward."
Jaguars WR Mike Thomas(on what he was expecting as he was running toward the goal line) "I thought it was the typical Hail Mary play, I'm the "Scoop Man". There are the three of us, Marcedes (Lewis) is the "Head" and Mike Sims-Walker is the "Back Ground" and I'm the "Scoop Guy". It was the typical Hail Mary, you never know what to expect on those kind of plays, my objective is to scoop it. The ball was in the air and I took a glance at it and the DB jumped over Mike (Sims-Walker) and he batted it and it fell right in my hand. It was like being a little kid at Christmas, I caught it and I walked right in there. Then I saw the ref give the signal and I guess the rest is history."
(on his reaction to catching the ball) "It definitely was a surprise. You don't expect that kind of play to go the way it's supposed to go. I caught it. I was a little shocked and stunned and I took a few steps forward just to make sure I got into the end zone and that was it."
(on if he knew where he was when he caught the ball) "I knew I was close but I didn't know exactly where I was or what yard line but I knew I was close and I walked in."
(on how often that play is run in practice) "We run it once a week but it's just one of those plays. Everybody knows what kind of play that is, it's either you're going to get it or you're not. We just so happened to get it today."
(on if that was the first time he got the ball on that play) "Yes it was the first time for me. This is only my second year, I've never seen anything like that. You see it on T.V. every blue moon."
(on if that play ever works in practice) "Well we never throw it we just kind of run through it. We threw it today."
(on what it is called in the huddle) "I can't tell you that man."
(on the feeling of catching the game winning ball) "It was awesome. I don't think you can describe the way that we felt; it was a great team effort. We played them good. Houston put up their best guns. It was a dogfight. We missed a field goal late in the game, but the defense did a great job with getting us the ball back and we got the rebound play."
Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew(on how difficult it was to run) "Well it definitely tightened up in the second half. We tried some different things. They started firing through the gaps in our running game. They made great second half adjustments, but we just kept fighting and sticking with it and it opened up the pass game a bunch in the second half."
(on the mood in the huddle on the last play of the game) "Try to get down the field as fast as you can and that's all we wanted to do. We had an opportunity. We did a great job passing to Marcedes (Lewis) on the sideline and getting out of bounds. We had some time left. We even did a hard count to see if we could get some cheap yards and it worked. He (David Garrard) threw it up and the guy did what the coaches tell you to do with batting the ball down. We definitely lucked out on that one, but Mike Thomas was in the right place at the right time."
(on if he has ever seen a play like that) "No never, I assume we're all going to the ESPY's this summer for the play of the year. I told Mike Thomas to book my ticket."
Jaguars TE Marcedes Lewis(on what happened) "The whole way down the field one of the defenders was like holding me the whole way down the field so all I was trying to do was get off the jam and once I got down there it was just like we drew it up. I'm the furthest to it and Mike (Thomas) kind of staggers behind me and either if I get there first, I tip it. In that case the defender tipped it right to Mike."
(on if he's seen something like that play before) "I think one time in college. It wasn't a Hail Mary, it was just like a 40-yard bomb and we won the game in overtime but other than that, that's crazy. I've never been a part of something like that."
(on what he felt) "It was surreal. I was almost like, you could probably see it on the replay, I was like wait a minute, that's it, that's game. That's a good feeling. We work so hard."
(on what they have to do now) "Just keep working, keep working. Obviously the work we put in is starting to show. We're going to be in every game. We just have to execute a little better towards the end and we'll be fine."
Jaguars TE Zach Miller(inaudible) "A little bit. Coach (Dirk) Koetter knows when to call those plays and he did it at the right time. Marcedes (Lewis) had a great block. I don't get into the end zone if it wasn't for his block."
(on if the plan was to get him the ball more today) "No. The plan is how it is. We're never going to say Marcedes (Lewis) you have to do this play, or Zach you do this one. He's a Pro Bowl tight end. He does things in the passing game at an elite level and he does things in the blocking game at a level that no other tight end in the league does. He's a beast."
(on how it was to be a part of the ending) "It was amazing. To be resilient and kept on grinding. It's a tough game. We came out 17-3 at the half and felt like we were in control, then they tie it up. You just have to keep on grinding, keep your head up and keep moving forward so you can get out of there with the win."
(on if he was on the field for the last play) "I wasn't in, but I was the first one on the field when we scored. I told Mike (Thomas) when he caught it I was the first one getting him. He wasn't getting away. It was a special moment for our team."
Jaguars G/C Uche Nwaneri(on if they practice the Hail Mary) "Well we don't have any defenders out there during practice when we run it. It's just kind of like a little throw it up and somebody tips it over and catches the ball. It was great for those guys to be aware and realize what the defender was doing. Watching it from that far away I could see one receiver on the outside and Mike Thomas on the inside. He was right in front of the defender when it was batted. It was great. That's going to be number one on SportsCenter this week I'm pretty sure."
(on if he's ever been part of a hail Mary working) "The last time we ran something like that was a couple years back in 2008. I think it was against Tennessee when Dave (Garrard) threw it deep and it just went off Matt Jones' hands in the back of the end zone. I've never seen a play like that work. Being on the team or on TV, I can't tell you the last time I saw a Hail Mary work like that. We'll take it."
Jaguars S Sean Considine(on if the Texans didn't fumble, if they would have gotten the field goal unit on the field) "They would have had a hard time because they went over the middle. That's where we wanted them to go with the ball. As long as I got him down there, that was going to hopefully be the game, but you never know if they would have got up and spiked it real quick."
(on spiking the Hail Mary ball) "That's what you're taught to do. I think there might be some coaches reconsidering that right now."
Jaguars CB Derek Cox(on the close play) "I actually thought I was about to get an interception. I looked up and saw the ball. Sometimes those balls are hard to pick out with the backdrop. You've got their line of defense, so sometimes they're hard to pick out. It was a good throw, real low, and I thought I was doing it. I don't believe he caught it but touchdown for him. Good job for him, they gave him a touchdown, I don't think it was though."
(on what he was thinking on the sideline when the Texans tied it) "It was a tied game so I was just like we still got time, our offense can get out there and score. My mentality was that I just need to be ready if we get back out there and we get our chance there."
(on if he's ever had a better win) "No, this is. I've won some high school state championships, those are great, but a win like that, never had one. It was a big conference game, it was huge. This one will be right up at the top."
Jaguars PK Josh Scobee(on the missed kicks) "Unfortunately I didn't make a good effort there on that last kick. Fortunately this is a team game and the defense bailed me out big time, made a huge play there to get the ball back. At that point I'm thinking we're going to go into overtime, so I'm trying to prepare myself mentally to be ready to go back out and kick. Then we get that once-in-a-lifetime Hail Mary. I can't thank them enough. It was unfortunate I missed a couple of kicks like that, but I'm already over it and ready to move on to the next game."
