The Texans practiced on Wednesday and spoke with the media afterwards. The following is a transcript of their respective interviews.
Head coach Gary Kubiak DE Tim Bulman DT Shaun Cody RB Chris Henry DE Tim Jamison WR Andre Johnson WR Jacoby Jones CB Dunta Robinson LB DeMeco Ryans QB Matt Schaub RB Steve Slaton DE Antonio Smith
Head coach Gary Kubiak
(on player updates) "(LB Brian) Cushing is at home. He's not feeling well last night and so we got him started on preventative stuff and he's at home today. He's doing better. He should be here tomorrow morning. (DE) Mario (Williams) did not practice—a shoulder. He's coming off a banged shoulder so he's day to day. (CB) Fred Bennett is not here. He's been excused by me; some personal issues he's dealing with. We brought in (RB) Chris Henry and we activated (DE) Tim Jamison."
(on if Cushing had flu-like symptoms) "Yeah, I actually saw him. I spent some time with him last night about 5 o'clock in the training room, and I think about 6:30 or 7, he called (head athletic trainer) Geoff (Kaplan) to say he wasn't feeling well. So they went to the house and got him to the doctor and basically kept him home for preventative reasons today. He should be back tomorrow."
(on if Cushing will be ready to go on Sunday) "Oh yeah, we've obviously got some guys who are having some issues and so we're just trying to stay on top of it and do the smart thing with each one here.
(on how concerned is he that these illnesses keep popping up) "Obviously, it's been an issue here for a few days. It has calmed down. The guys that we've had problems with are back out here today. Hopefully, it stops, but I think Brian is going to be fine. All indications, I've been told he's doing fine and he should be back in the morning."
(on if DE Mario Williams will be limited in any way on Sunday) "If he plays, he won't be. We're just going to be smart with him this week. Mario could play without practicing. He's had enough reps, so we'll be smart with him and I guess I'll let y'all know day to day."
(on if there is a doubt that Mario could play on Sunday) "Well the fact that he didn't practice today, obviously. But we've got a long way to go."
(on what exactly is the injury with Mario) "He's got a bruised shoulder. He did not miss a snap the other day, so that's very encouraging. We'll just see. We're just being smart with him right now.
(on TE Anthony Hill being back at practice) "Yeah he's fine. He's ok.
(on CB Jacques Reeves) "He's fine, practiced. Jacques will be ready to go if we can keep him in a closet somewhere until Sunday, so he should be ready to go."
(on how the secondary is shaping up this week) "It's slowly getting healthier with Jacques back and these young guys are getting a lot of reps. We're going to play them all. Obviously we are impressed with what Quin did in the game the other day –and Bernard. I think we just keep working them and like I said, Jacques is going to be a part of the rotation this week. We'll see how far he comes and get him ready to go."
(on if he will see the same starters as last week) "I don't know. I just know that we're going to play Jacques and GQ—both will play out there. Who starts? I don't know how important that is. They're both going to play. I'm not worried about that right now. I'm just worried about getting to Sunday and having them both play."
(on if Jacques practiced today) "Yeah, he looked good today at practice. We're kind of teaching tempo today so we'll pick up the tempo tomorrow, but I know he's chomping at the bit to play. It's so horrible with all that happened to him last week—nothing you can do."
(on how much it helps have an experienced corner against Arizona) "It helps a bunch, especially against the group we're fixing to go up against. That's what this team does: spreads you out and throw it around--some veteran players. We need him. There couldn't have been a better time for him to come back."
(on the challenges the Cardinals present) "First off, great quarterback, that prides himself on getting rid of the ball quick. Then you've got those receivers, those weapons. This running back is playing really good for them too. They're probably as explosive of a group as we've played so a big challenge for us. They're going to make some plays. We've just got to find a way to contain them and hopefully make a couple big plays of our own."
(on if the defensive line played their best this year against Oakland) "That's the best they've played. We were very active up front, a factor all day long. The thing I was most impressed with defensively is we did it from the first snap to the last snap. Hopefully we've gained some confidence from that moving forward."
(on how DE Antonio Smith feels about playing the Cardinals) "I don't know, he'd have to answer that. I'm sure anytime you go back and play your old team it's got to be something special, especially after what that team went through last year, the run they went through. That was a hell of a year, you know?"
(on if he knows what the Cardinals will do offensively) "Yeah, you never know what they're going to do to you. I mean, if they play you in three wides, four wides, you know they have the ability to do that and that could be their game plan so all of a sudden now you're in a different personnel defensive-wise. So you know right now we've got to prepare for all of it. How they decide to attack us—who knows."
(on what the Cardinals have been doing) "They do it all. I mean they have four wides on first down, three wides on second down, they'll go to two wides on third, I mean they're totally out of the norm so to speak, just very wide open offensively."
(on CB Glover Quin) "He played very well in the game. Very physical, no mental mistakes. In the right spots, has a nose for the football, loves to tackle. He was a big plus. He played well."
(on how the Cardinals got so good defensively against the run) "I tell you what, (Cardinals DT Darnell) Dockett's the best player I've seen on film this year. You know as a coach every year you start studying teams and preparing for teams and he's the best individual player I've seen. I mean, he's something for us to deal with coming this weekend. But very aggressive up front, a lot of stunting, a lot of pressure-type situations and with that it's added up to them being pretty darn good."
(on DE Tim Jamison coming off the practice squad) "One of the things that's important to me and (general manager) Rick (Smith) is when you've got guys on the practice squad and they're busting their tail you'd love to be able to reward them and bring them up. You know, you don't just bring them up to bring them up—you want them to play. The guy's just been after our guys now for a month. I mean, our guys—he wears them out at practice, he deserves an opportunity. And our guys got more excited about seeing a guy like that rewarded in the meeting room that I've ever seen. I mean, they think that's pretty neat. That's how (DE Tim) Bulman came up, that's how (Jesse) Nading came up, so here's a chance for Tim."
(on if he thinks RB Steve Slaton's good play on Sunday came as a response to RB Ryan Moats getting some reps in the game) "I don't know. But obviously he came back with a fire and made a couple of great plays. And you don't want it to have to take that but I don't feel that way about Steve. I think Steve gives me everything he's got all the time, he just—he's got to eliminate some of these balls that have been on the ground and he knows how important that is. I don't have to tell him."
(on what he's seen about the way the Texans running game goes against an eight-man front) "Well, I didn't like what I saw. We just—they had a lot of guys up there. A lot of guys committed to the run which you should, I mean if you're in that situation in the game. We just, bottom line we got to be better at two-back offense regardless of if they're in an eight-man front or not. We've got to be able to stay on the field. So we can do it better and we've got a lot to grow from right there to take a look at. But we pride ourselves in being a good two-back offense."
(on G Kasey Studdard's play)"Kasey has been kind of up and down. He's played very, very well at times, he's struggled at times. So he's a young starter. I mean, he's had two starts under his belt. His consistency will probably be a big key to how we play the rest of the way but he's got to get more consistent in his play. But it's never about effort with him; he's always playing hard."
DE Tim Bulman
(on Arizona QB Kurt Warner) "He definitely does get rid of the ball quick, but our goal as a d-line is if he holds it for a second too long, we're going to be in his face trying to get him."
(on if it's easy to focus so much on the pass that you forget about the run) "No. No, we've got to stick to basics. We have to just stick to our keys and what we learn as a d-line. We have to learn the keys that the o-line gives us and we have to read them first, eliminate that and then go hunt for the quarterback."
(on if he's concerned about the H1N1 flu virus) "I'm not concerned with it. I've gotten through enough sicknesses and colds; I trust my genetics. I mean, I feel it's the flu. It's the normal flu, so people, they just make a big deal out of it like bird flu and all that. I feel like I'm 26; I should be able to make it through. If I can't, then it was a good run."
(on if DE Tim Jamison reminds him of himself) "I respect him. I've been exactly in (DE) Jesse (Nading) and Jamison's shoes where you're on the practice squad and you've got to take all the reps and you've got to grind and you've got to go that extra step to prove that you belong in this league over draft picks and veterans. Just to get activated is a hard thing to do and I'm proud of him. I congratulate him, I think it's a hell of a job."
DT Shaun Cody(on the shirt he had printed and what it says in Spanish) "It says 'My people,' and on the back, 'Si se puede – Yes we can.' Just supporting the Mexican community. You know, this Sunday was Hispanic (Heritage) Day and I thought, being half Hispanic myself, that I'd support the community by wearing this shirt."
(on the challenge of facing Arizona's offense) "You know, they can get the ball out. They've got big stud receivers and a good quarterback who can throw the ball, so we've just got to stay in our role and try to stop them."
(on Arizona QB Kurt Warner's ability to get rid of the ball quickly) "Yeah, we know that, but we've got a couple of different things that we're going to do and hopefully we can get back there in time to disrupt the throw if not get him down."
(on the importance of getting pressure on the quarterback) "It's always (important). If you look at last week, we were able to get back there and rattle him a little bit and he threw some errant passes. It's always important, you know, even if you don't get him down, to make him throw some bad balls."
(on the importance of the pass rush given Arizona's talented receivers) "Exactly. Those guys are studs and beasts, and it's important for us to get back there."
(on if the defensive line can build on last week's performance) "Yeah. I just talked to Bill (Kollar), our defensive line coach, and that's the way he wants us to play. That's what he envisioned and I think it's starting to come to fruition now, and hopefully we've just got to keep the ball rolling, doing those kinds of things and just feed off of it. Just keep the ball rolling."
(on if there is a competition amongst the defensive linemen to make the next play) "Yeah, that's always the kind of thing you want. We watched the video today and guys are arguing, 'No, that's my play. No, that's my play.' And you want to be the guy getting there and making the plays."
(on how the defensive line rotation is coming together) "Good. I think it's working out perfect. We've got guys who are stepping up and playing big and guys who are filling in at the times needed, so no one's mad about playing time, we just go out there and play."
RB Chris Henry(on his familiarity with the Texans) "I actually scored my first touchdown against this team, my rookie year. I like the team. I like the makeup and I like the direction the team's going. I see myself being able to help and being able to participate. Being a part of this just feels right."
(on what opportunity is here) "Opportunity always plays a role. It's not just with me, it's with everything and every aspect of life."
DE Tim Jamison
(on his reaction to being elevated from the practice squad) "It's what you dream about. Coach (Kubiak) told me just to work hard and that he was giving me an opportunity. They told me this week, is my week, so I don't want to disappoint."
(on his teammates reaction to his promotion) "They gave me kudos and banged on the tables a lot. Our players have been saying good things to me. "
(on what his hard work being rewarded means) "Coming in as an undrafted free agent you're starting from the bottom. They told me that hard work would pay off. I'm treating it like how it was when I was a freshman in college. Starting off like no one knows about my capabilities and I have to prove myself every day. Now that I've got the opportunity, I'm just going to stay on the grind."
WR Andre Johnson
(on him vs. Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald) "I think he's a great player. You know, he's very talented. I've watched him play since he's been in college; I've played against him since college. So, you know, I think he's very good at what he does. Who's better? I feel like I'm better. I don't know what else you expect me to say."
(on young defensive backs saying that practicing against him prepares them for Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald) "I think that it helps, you know, when you get to go against top guys. I try to do everything I can when I'm out there in practice when I go against those guys, to give them my best so that when they go out in games, they're going to get his best. I just try to go out and do what I can and help those guys also while trying to get myself better."
(on his not cutting the young defensive backs any slack) "No, you're not supposed to cut them any slack. So I'm not out there, just because it's a young guy, cutting him any slack. I'm going to go treat him just like I'm going against (CB) Dunta (Robinson)."
(on if it makes any difference to him that Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald is playing in this game) "It really doesn't. I mean, every game you want to go out and have a great game. I don't think that just because Larry's going to be on the other side really makes a big deal, because he can't cover me and I can't cover him. So, like I always tell people, you know, I'm a fan of the game and I like to see other receivers go out and do well, just not when they play against us. I can't cover him, he can't cover me. So I'm going to go out and give it my best shot, I know he's going to give it his and whoever has the most yards and the most catches, I'm pretty sure somebody will make a big deal out of it. All I care about is winning."
(on building offensive consistency) "If you look at the way we played in the first half, we were able to go out and put up points and we were able to move the ball pretty good. The second half, we couldn't do anything. So that's definitely something that was on our minds after the game even though we won the game. Guys were—it was definitely on guys' minds because you know we talked about it when we came back in here. So, it's on our minds and it's just something we have to work on and try to be consistent."
(on what about Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald surprises him the most) "I think when you look at especially the playoff games from last year, you could just pretty much throw the ball up in the air to him and he always finds a way to come down with it. And just looking at him do that in the postseason last year and, I think he's probably, I've said it before, I think he's probably the best in the league at doing that. He goes up and attacks the ball very well."
(on if he feels there's a kind of fraternity of wide receivers around the league) "I think it is because when you get around those guys there's no hatred or jealousy or anything like that. You know, me and (Cardinals WR) Larry (Fitzgerald), (Seahawks WR) T.J. (Houshmandzadeh), (Steelers WR) Hines Ward, (Lions WR) Calvin Johnson and (Cowboys TE) Jason Witten, we did a photo shoot together in the offseason and guys just pretty much sat around, we talked a little bit about football but there's nothing—no jealousy or anything like that. You could tell that guys really love the game of football and they admire what each other do out on the field."
(on if they talk during the season, be it congratulations or smack talk) "I wouldn't say there's smack talk, I think it's more of guys just trying to find out things. T.J., I think he texted just about all the guys right when the season started, he was like, 'Hey guys, here we go again, let's go out and do well' or whatever. And I received a few texts from (Cardinals WR) Larry (Fitzgerald) before they played the Colts. We play the Colts twice a year and he was just asking a few things about the Colts defense. So it'll just be little things like that, nothing real big."
(on sharing information about other teams) "Yeah, you know, you can do things like that. It's just trying to find out little things about their defense and things like that."
(on if different conferences have different styles of play) "I think it depends on who you're playing. You do have—when you look at a team like Washington or the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago, those are more of your physical-type teams. But I just think football is football."
WR Jacoby Jones
(on what he sees in the Cardinals on game film) "They're a pretty good team. They've got a great offense and a good defense and the made the Super Bowl, so we've got to go up there and play to win."
(on playing four of the next five games on the road) "That's tough. Whenever you are playing on the road, it's a hostile environment, so four out of the next five on the road will be good for us."
(on if the team can learn about themselves during this stretch) "Yeah. It's about coming together as a team. Offensive has got to play their roles; defensive has got to hold them; special teams has got to stay special."
(on winning AFC Special Teams Player of the Week) "That was a group award. Everybody did a great job blocking, (special teams coordinator) Joe (Marciano) made the call, and like I said, I just ran for my life. That's a team thing. Everything is a team thing. We all won that award together."
(on if the offense got a little of its swagger back on Sunday) "We were hurting after that loss (to Jacksonville in Week 3), so the next week we went to practice talking about it like, 'We need to get this bitter taste out of our mouths,' so we had a good swagger."
CB Dunta Robinson(on what he's told the young cornerbacks) "You just tell them to do what they've been taught. I just preached to them that they see the best in the league every day in practice, and sometimes you can cover this guy. Just go out there and play football."
(on WR Larry Fitzgerald's level of play in the 2008 playoffs) "He was unbelievable. I've never seen anything like that before in my life. He's done the things that he did throughout his career and exploded onto the scene. We know we have our hands full."
(on what makes him so good) "The way he attacks the football when it's in the air. When the quarterback throws the ball up, he says 'I gotta come down with this football.' He's a hard worker. Not a lot of receivers catch the ball and try to work for that extra five yards. You see a lot of guys try to catch the ball and run out of bounds. He's catching the ball and he's trying to score on them every play. I think that's the difference between him and a lot of great receivers in the league."
(on the challenge they present) "They can stretch the field on both sides. You can't just focus on one guy, because you have another great receiver on the other side of the football field. Or you put (WR Larry) Fitzgerald in the slot and put (WR Steve) Breaston on the outside. We haven't faced this problem before that they can cause. It's going to be tough, but if you feel you're a good DB these are the challenges that you look forward to."
(on the mindset in playing against QB Kurt Warner) "Just do your job. You know the ball's going to come out quickly. Just work as soon as the ball is snapped and look for the football. That's all you can do."
(on if he's concerned about the swine flu) "No. Not really. I just stay away from those guys. Nah, I'm just kidding. I'm not really concerned about it. I just hit the hand sanitizer as much as I can and slide to the side when I see those guys and get my work in."
LB DeMeco Ryans
(on preparing to go against the Cardinals offense) "Arizona presents a different challenge for us in that they throw the ball around a lot. That's something that we haven't faced this year, a team that throws it around as much as they do."
(on if he's worried about LB Brian Cushing being healthy) "No, I'm not worried about it. He'll be ready to go on Sunday. I'm not worried about it."
(on how they're preparing to face Cardinals QB Kurt Warner) "We have to get pressure from our front four. I know they come off the ball good and I feel like we can get pressure from our front four working against their offensive line and in the back end like I said it's just going to be—it's a different type of game for us. Going to be a lot more coverage-type situations."
(on what skills the Cardinals bring) "They have one of the—probably two of the best receivers in the league, 11 and 81. Those guys, we know they're going to try to give those guys the ball to get the offense going. And that's some big-time playmaking."
(on why the defense stepped up last week) "I think seeing guys play with different intensity level, high energy, guys were flying around and we had a lot of fun out there. Everybody was honed in on their assignments and guys just played hard."
(on the stretch of road games being a good test for the team) "Next stretch? I just take it one at a time, so I'm not looking at the stretch, we're just trying to go 1-0 this week."
(on if he's concerned about swine flu) "It's not a big concern. I think everybody's just taking a little more precaution with hand sanitizer, different things of that nature. You just have to be a little more precautious, that's it. But these guys, they'll be fine. I think everybody's bounced back OK. (TE) Anthony's (Hill) back and he's fine. I know (LB Brian) Cushing, he'll come back and be fine also."
(on how he thinks the linebackers are playing together) "I like playing with Cush (LB Brian Cushing) and (LB) Zac (Diles). They're two good linebackers and they bring a lot of intensity out there with me. It's a fun group to play for because as a group we have so much fun together on and off the field, it's just, it's nothing to it. It's natural to go out there and just have fun and ball out."
(on if LB Brian Cushing reminds him of himself) "Yeah, he's very instinctive. Sometimes he may not be all the way correct on a play, but he sees it and he just goes and gets it to make the play."
QB Matt Schaub(on playing the Cardinals this weekend) "It's a great challenge for our football team, going on the road, playing a team that was in the Super Bowl last year. They are a great defense. Obviously, they have a very explosive offense. It's a great challenge for our football team and we're excited to go down there and play well."
(on playing four quarters of good football) "We're just going to go out and prepare all week and be ready to go for four quarters of football. We're going to score some points and go down there on the road in a tough place to play and play well. We're excited about the win we got this past week but that's over with and we're on to Arizona now."
(on if the problems from the running game are fixable) "Oh, without a doubt. Anytime you go through a game, it's hard to go through and be perfect with everything you do. So there is always ways to improve. We went through that and digested it all and so we're out there on the practice field today correcting those things and moving on to what Arizona does to us."
(on what stands out about their defense) "They're very athletic. They're very talented. They've got players on the front line and at linebacker. Across the board, their secondary is good. They have Pro Bowl players everywhere. So they're a physical team. They're going to be down there and they're going to line up against us and say, 'Who's going to be better? Who's going to win?' So, we've just got to be prepared to go down there and play our game."
(on how much you have to account for Cardinals DT Darnell Dockett) "Oh you definitely know where he is in the front and he's obviously very disruptive. I've been playing against him going back to my college days, matching up with him at Florida State. He's been a good player dating all the way back to college, so obviously you have to know where he is."
(on if he sees any differences between the conferences) "Not really. That's a good football team. They were in the Super Bowl last year so they are obviously a very tough opponent. Anybody in this league can beat anyone on any day. I know that is cliché, but there is so much talent across the board on every team that you have to bring you're A-game each week."
(on how he explains his success against the NFC) "We just go out and play the games. I can't really say that we've dominated the NFC. We just go out and play the games and let the chips fall where they may."
(on him blocking downfield last game) "Well, it was just a play where I was booting away and (RB) Steve (Slaton) ended up cutting back and I was able to get in front and I tried to give him any help that I could. Obviously, I wasn't laying anybody out or anything, just trying to get in the way. Just playing ball and going out there to try and help the team."
(on the Texans offensive weapons) "We do. We've been developing over the past few years, obviously with (WR) Andre (Johnson) and (WR) Kevin Walter. You mentioned (WR) Jacoby (Jones). (WR) Andre Davis has been coming around the past few years. (WR) David Anderson, in the nickel situations, you add (TE) Owen Daniels and (RB) Steve Slaton—we've got weapons. It's just a matter of distributing the ball and getting it to the right guy at the right time and letting him make a play. We obviously have a lot of weapons ourselves."
(on if that is something he thinks about during the game) "You just play the game. You don't really think about how I am going to get the ball to this person or that person. You just get the play called, and based on what the defense is doing, you're just trying to distribute the ball, keep the chains moving, drives alive, and just keep moving forward."
(on how important it was to get WR Kevin Walter back) "It was huge for us because he's such a weapon for us. He's so dependable and we know where he's going to be. He's going to make the plays. If you give him the opportunity, he's going to go get the football. He's huge for us on third downs. He's huge for us on plays down the field when they're double-covering Andre. He's been known to really pick up the slack with they are doubling Andre to make those big plays."
(on how important is it to have all receivers run their routes) "It's huge because a lot of times they affect the play and what happens on the defensive side, more so than just the guys that are in the progression. Whether you're just clearing a corner out or trying to pull a linebacker out of a certain zone, they're huge for us. That's the thing; we have a lot of guys that understand that. They got out to do their job to help the team."
RB Steve Slaton
(on how good the Cardinals are) "They're real good. It's going to be a tough game. It's going to be a game we focus on the run and pass. We can't run away from the run. We've got to stick with it all four quarters. "
(on living through fumbling and the replay of the fumble) "It's part of the game. When you make a mistake you've got to take advantage of your opportunities again and make it right."
(on whether or not he was extra-inspired after the fumble) "When you make mistakes it hurts the team. It not only hurts the offense but it hurts the defense too. I gave them three points off of that. So you just gotta go in there and make up for it."
(on his concern about the swine flu) "You just know you have to be careful. Wash your hands. I'm not overly concerned about it."
(on the Cardinals defense) "They've got a good front, with good linebacking corps and a good safety corps and cornerback crew. It's going to be tough. We'll need to focus."
DE Antonio Smith(on playing against Arizona's offense for the first time) "We used to joke around and say, 'You know, I bet you in a game, I would get you,' and they would be like, 'No, you couldn't get me,' so now we'll get to have a little fun."
(on if he circled this game on his schedule) "I thought about it, but I didn't circle the date. I didn't dwell on it, but I thought about it; I'm not going to lie."
(on if this game is any different for him since he's facing his former team) "Pretty much. Because it's just another game. We've got to get another win, especially now with what we're trying to fight through and become as a team, winning is the biggest picture. Getting another win and trying to build on that is the biggest and number one thing I'm focused on."
(on facing Arizona DT Darnell Dockett) "It's going to be fun. I know he's going to be out there running his mouth; I'm going to be running mine. He's going to be thinking that he's going to make more plays than me, but I don't think that's going to happen."
(on what he would say to Arizona DT Darnell Dockett this week) "I don't know. Headstand. He'll know what it is. Headstand."
(on how to disrupt Arizona QB Kurt Warner) "It's hard. It's hard to disrupt him. You can hit him all day long and he's going to fall down, get up like he's hurt and then throw a 60-yard touchdown pass. He does like to hold the ball a lot. He holds it a little low with one hand, so it's easy to get strips on him and fumbles, so that would be the main focus when you're sacking him is to try to get him to fumble the ball."
(on if it'll be more fun to be able to put pressure on Arizona QB Kurt Warner in a real game) "Yeah. It's kind of bittersweet, because I'm real fond of Kurt and he hasn't ever gotten to see me put the hands on him, but I guess I'm going to have to do it."
(on going back to Arizona for the first time) "It's going to be a fun game, an exciting game, finally getting to go back and see my boys, see some of my friends, play against them and show them that what happened in practice wasn't a fluke. I'm coming to get 'em. No, you practice against the boys. You practice with them every day and you get your little rivalry going back and forth, saying, 'I can beat you here,' or, 'You can beat me here.' Finally, now I'm a Houston Texan and it'll be the test of time to see who can get it done and who can't get it done."
(on if he wants this game to be the best ever) "No, I would want my next Super Bowl game to be the best one. This one is going to be just another good game."
(on whether he knew he would be leaving Arizona after the season) "I got the feeling like I was moving on. Everything, the steps that were being taken, the way it seemed, I just kind of had a feeling that I was going to be moving on. You always have a little hope; you wonder what they were going to do, how they were going to approach the situation."
(on his fondest memories of last season in Arizona) "Fondest memory of what we did last year? It would be the Super Bowl, and how we played in it. In that game, you had a little bit of everything. We got up, then we got down, and then all of a sudden you think you've got it won and then they come back. Even though we ended up losing, just to see what kind of team we came from in the beginning to the way we ended, that was my fondest memory."
(on the challenge of facing Arizona's offense) "Yeah, that's kind of what I was just saying. You can knock Kurt down and all around, and unless he just goes out of the game he's going to get right back up and, probably the next play, throw a big pass and score a touchdown. So what you've got to do is give him as little chance as you can. What that means is strip the ball from him, get as many turnovers as you can and keep them off the field as much as possible."
(on Arizona's running game) "From what you see on the film, they don't run the ball much, and I don't think that's because they can't run the ball; I think they just love passing the ball. If you've got 81 (Arizona WR Anquan Boldin) and 11 (Arizona WR Larry Fitzgerald), you're going to pass the ball, so I think it's just their approach. They want to get the ball to those two electrifying players and see what they can do with it."
(on why Houston's defensive line played better last Sunday vs. Oakland) "I think due to all the things that were happening, the way it came about with the losses and the pressure that was being us, I think we came together closer as a unit and just went out, played for each other and had fun. And when you're having fun, everything falls into place."
(on if it helps knowing that Arizona will pass the ball so much) "It helps you in a way, but pass rushing is more exhausting than run-stopping, so you're going to have to do a lot of rotating and you're going to have to give it your all to get back there and frustrate (Arizona QB) Kurt (Warner) and get some, get him to give up a couple of those balls."
(on how much he'll be talking during the game) "The whole game. They know I talk all the time. We're going to have some fun out there."
(on if there is any difference between the AFC and the NFC) "I didn't really think so. The coaches always made a big deal about it. They said that it was, but to me it wasn't. It didn't feel like it was."
