Williams insisted he is not disappointed about being left off the Pro Bowl roster and that his focus is on helping the Texans finish with a winning record.
Head coach Gary Kubiak and several Texans players spoke to the media on Wednesday as they continued to prepare for the Indianapolis Colts, with Tuesday's Pro Bowl selections a hot topic.
Head coach Gary Kubiak
(on DE Mario Williams not making the Pro Bowl) "I've been in this thing long enough to know that those things happen. You don't have to look any further than our team. (LB) DeMeco (Ryans) I thought very much deserved to be in the Pro Bowl last year. He got passed by, but you can tell the respect factor that came back this year. Unfortunately, I think that's part of it. Do I think he (Williams) deserves to go? No doubt. I mean, he's had a tremendous year and I think he could still go. There are some ways he could still possibly go. My challenge is for him to finish up playing the way he's been playing all year, and I think he'll get plenty of credit."
(on if DE Mario Williams could still go to the Pro Bowl) "I think each coach gets to pick two players once it's all said and done. I would imagine he would be considered for that."
(on how coaches choose additional Pro Bowl players) "I'm not positive, but I think they can pick whoever they want and it has to come from certain positions. I know his position is one of them."
(on injuries) "(LB) DeMeco (Ryans) practiced today. We were pretty light today. (RB) Ronnie (Dayne) did just a little individual work. (QB) Matt (Schaub) practiced today and took some scout team stuff. Like I said, my hope is that maybe he'll be able to back up (QB) Sage (Rosenfels) this weekend. Other than that, we're ok."
(on LB Charlie Anderson's play) "He's gotten better, and that's been the key. I think his first time out, he struggled a little bit, but he got better the next week. He just continues to get better, and that's what you want to see as he continues to play and get more comfortable in his role. He's done that. These are two big weeks for (LB) Charlie (Anderson). He's got a great opportunity. I don't know if (LB) Danny (Clark) will be ready to go. I didn't mention that he did not practice today. So this is a great opportunity for Charlie to prove he can start in this league."
(on RB Darius Walker's improvement) "It's a matter of growing up a little bit. We all know (RB) Darius' (Walker) story, where he went to college, what his expectations were, and then all of a sudden he's a free agent. I've had some ups and downs with him here, as far as his work habits and what it takes to be a pro in this league. I like the way he's responded. He's come out and played well. He's done his job. He's gotten better at protections. I like his attention here in practice as far as his attention to detail that you have to have to be a pro."
(on what he expects from RB Darius Walker) "After being around so long, you know that some kids have to go through that stuff to figure out what it takes to be good and last in this league. And that's what I saw out of him. I don't think we're finished. I think it's still going to be an ongoing battle, but I think he's definitely got the ability to be a pro and play in this league a long time. It's up to him. If he does it the right way, I think you'll see him play for a long, long time."
(on RB Darius Walker improving his work habits) "It's a lot to expect of a young man, but you've got to watch them grow up. All you can do is tell them, 'Hey, this is the way you've got to do it,' and show them examples, your players who are great examples for them. And then they have to figure it out themselves. The biggest thing for me, and the key is, and I've said this before, I think that players have to earn their way on the field. I think (RB) Darius (Walker) was on his way to doing that. I think he had a couple of setbacks along the way, but he went right back to work. That's the important thing."
(on RB Darius Walker getting his shot) "If you're not hungry, then you won't make it in this league. You have to be hungry. Nobody is going to give you anything. A great example is (TE) Joel Dreessen. Joel's an I-don't-know-what-round draft choice – fifth or sixth – goes to the Jets and plays a year and then they cut him. So we picked him up and gave him another chance. This guy has taken a tremendous advantage of his opportunity. He told me once, 'You know, coach, I won't get cut again.' A lot of guys have to go through that to really appreciate the job they have and the opportunity they have in their lives to be a pro football player and not take it for granted. They all come from some place where they were probably 'the guy.' Being 'the guy' in this league is hard to do. You've got to learn to be one of the guys first."
(on how often he's seen players tell a coach they won't get cut again) "I've seen it. One of my best friends in Denver was cut five times and then he played 10 years. It's a man's game, and you've got to man up if you want to last."
(on LB Morlon Greenwood stepping up) "He's had a fine year. I think (LB) Morlon (Greenwood) sort of flies under the radar. (LB) DeMeco (Ryans) gets a lot of the attention, which is well deserved. But Morlon is a true pro, and this team really respects Morlon. He's really had two good years and I think he understands (defensive coordinator) Richard's (Smith) scheme better. He's just shown up more."
(on how important FS Will Demps is to the team) "Very important. For us to go through what we went through and then all of a sudden pick him up, and he's back there. (FS) Will (Demps) is very smart. He comes from that Baltimore defense where you have to read those great players and really study the game. Will has those habits. He's really helped (SS) C.C. (Brown) in the back end. They've gotten to where they are very comfortable with each other, so I think he's taken advantage of an opportunity."
(on what it means that FS Will Demps is an alternate in the Pro Bowl) "It shows you that first off, guys know who he is because he's played well before in this league and played well with a good defense. They've acknowledged that they know he's here and they know he's done some good things. "
(on how rare it is to be cut and then be an alternate in the Pro Bowl) "He actually moved to New York to be a free agent with the Giants and they let him go. We're just very fortunate to get him."
(on if he has seen a guy get cut and then be an alternate in the Pro Bowl) "I can't say that I've seen actually that, but you see guys who go through different things in this league and for one reason or another it doesn't work out and they get hungry, like I talked about. Then they make the most of the situation, and that's what he is doing."
(on simplifying the defensive scheme) "I think it's helped them all. Like I said, we had to find an identity when we lost (CB) Dunta (Robinson) in our back end and find exactly where we were going to go and what we were going to do. I think we've done that. Actually, (defensive coordinator) Richard (Smith) has done a great job of expanding from that and doing some new things in the last few weeks. I just think they are comfortable with what he's doing and the scheme."
(on the importance of getting an eighth win) "I mean, we talk all the time. We talked after the game that we are 60 minutes away and another good football game away from reaching a point that this organization has never been to, and that's what we've got to play for. It's going to be extremely difficult. We play two of the best teams in football the next two weeks. If we're going to do it, it's going to happen the right way. I think that makes it even more important."
(on how hard the team has worked this season) "It's been great work. It's been a lot of hard work. Everybody is paying an extremely hard price around here for us to move forward. We've got a lot more that we expect out of ourselves. We want to finish this thing the right way this year and move on to the future. We don't want to go back anymore. We want to keep moving forward."
(on what worries him the most about the Colts) "What worries me the most is this team. I think this team is flying under the radar going into these playoffs. They are the World Champs. What (Colts head coach) Tony (Dungy) has done with the problems they have and the injuries they've had and to be 12-2 and continuing to win – they're going to be healthy before the playoffs. They're doing this without (DE) Dwight Freeney, who is one of the best players in the game. We're playing a great football team; their whole football team scare me."
(on DE Mario Williams moving around) "We do it because of (DE) Mario's (Williams) progress. He's made so much progress on what he's doing. If you can remember, there was a time when we felt like moving him around hurt him. Now, we don't feel that way at all. He wants to move around. He wants to play various spots. He can handle it mentally. Our whole defense is handling it, so it's a credit to him."
(on what he said to DE Mario Williams about not making the Pro Bowl) "I kind of mentioned it to him yesterday. I still think there's some hope from that standpoint. Really, my talk to him was more about what's happened to us as a team this month has a lot to do with him as a player. What I meant by that was that we got ourselves in a position as a football team to win some big games. We went on the road and came up short in two of them. But I talked to this team and said, 'Let's get right back into that position and let's make the plays.' We did that these last two weeks. I told him, as a player, he's got to look at it the same way. He's played extremely well. He's had himself in the position for a tremendous high in his career to make the Pro Bowl. It didn't happen. He needs to get himself right back to that spot, week in and week out."
{QUOTE}(on what got DE Mario Williams going late in the season) "I think he's just got more confidence every time he's come out. He's been playing well, as I told you guys, those numbers of sacks weren't always there. I think he started to get a lot of confidence in what he was doing with (defensive line coach) Jethro (Franklin) and (defensive coordinator) Richard (Smith). The whole group's getting better. They're running stunts better; they're doing all those things better. When I saw him start to take scout team reps in practice about six weeks ago, I knew we were headed in the big-time right direction."
(on why he thought DE Mario Williams was headed in the right direction) "I think it was because he was so comfortable with what he's doing. He's having fun playing. He's got a lot of confidence in (DE) Mario (Williams). He knows he's going to do this thing well and he's going to do it for a long, long time."
(on who decided for DE Mario Williams to take reps with the scout team) "He asked to do it. He loves to do it. It makes out offensive line guys mad, but that's a good thing."
(on what the extra practice says about DE Mario Williams) "It just tells you that a guy is getting really comfortable with who he is as a pro and where he's headed with his career. It's not hard for him out here anymore. He loves practice. That's the key to being a great player."
(on if the coaches were waiting for that to happen with DE Mario Williams) "Any time a guy gets confidence, they become a better player. That's definitely happened with him, and now he's in a situation where we've gotten something that's taken place in his career here in the last 24 hours that gives him a chance to find a new hunger and make him an even better player. And I think you'll see him do that."
(on what it would mean to beat the Colts) "We're searching for that eighth win. We've talked about that. In all honesty, I would think a lot of people would think we have a better chance of having them next week rather than this week. I guarantee our football team feels good about the way we're playing, and it would mean a tremendous amount to our football team to go there and find a way to get this game."
(on if he's talked with the team about the importance of the winning eight) "No doubt. It's all we talk about every day. We're 60 minutes away from a big win for this organization, and we're playing two great teams to try to get it. It's a big two weeks for us."
FS Will Demps
(on being named an alternate to the Pro Bowl) "It's an honor just (that) your peers and the fans see what you've been through. Overall, right now it's big on Indianapolis. DeMeco's (Ryans) the one with the big honor because he is the guy actually going to the Pro Bowl. It's a good honor for me, but definitely just getting ready for Indianapolis."
(on not having see a whole lot of QB Peyton Manning) "I've seen too much. I see him every year. I played him in New York and in Baltimore; he does so many good things and there's so much things you could say about him, but we've just got to be ready mentally and physically this week."
(on coming in at the start of the season and the tough adjustment) "Any time you adjust, you don't know your teammates around you, just have to understand your environment, adapt to the coaches and how you play with the system they run and just kind of come in here just kind of open-minded, kind of just come at it full-steam just understand that you have to be open-minded and play hard, play physical and understand that's what they brought you in here for. And luckily enough, I got to step in and showed what I can do."
(on people recognizing what he's been through with the Pro Bowl recognition) "I think so, and I think it's a blessing from God just to understand what I've been through, just from New York and transferring to here and just overall just to kind of work hard, never give up, understand that you may be pinned against the wall but you've got to overcome things and understand that obstacles are going to happen in the NFL, you've just got to deal with them and what ultimate way to kind of get noticed with an alternate, so I'm very proud of that and excited for that just because I'm part of the Houston Texans."
(on dropping two potential interceptions in the last game) "I'm just wishing Santa for a pair of hands, but any time you're in position to make plays, you've got to make plays, especially in this league because you only get so many opportunities. And I wish I could have those back, but definitely working hard this week on jugs.
(on if he has put in extra time to work on catching interceptions) "Oh, I put in extra time. You see me put in extra time this afternoon watching film and just putting in extra time after practice with the jug machine. I just understand you kind of have to have those big plays, especially against Indianapolis this week."
(on at least not letting the other team make plays by deflecting the ball) "Definitely, any time you're in position to make plays, they're not making the plays, so as long as I'm there to knock the ball down or try to catch it, I think that's a big plus for us."
(on his hands throughout his career) "Oh, they've been pretty good. I'm not going to use the elbow brace as an excuse, but it does kind of hinder me a little bit. But you're in the NFL, you're a professional, you've got to make those type of plays."
(on being more comfortable in Houston than New York) "Things happen for reasons, and I'm excited to be here every day. Since day one, I've never talked negative. I've been positive here and I've been excited here from day one and always contributed the way I could, and I'm excited every day. I always talk, the group of guys here are so young, and I knew (head coach Gary) Kubiak before coming here with the coaches and players that I talked to, Anthony Weaver, Chester Pitts, so I kind of knew ahead of time before I was going to make that same decision again. So I did my research this time so I definitely understood ahead of time."
(on if part of his success is being more comfortable here) "I think so, I think being in the New York media coming off of a knee injury, I was coming a major ACL but I never missed a game last year and had a career-high 116 tackles. Things like that that I felt like I did well that he (Giants head coach Tom Coughlin) just didn't think that I did well enough for him. And I think just for that, coming here, just the success that I felt, just working hard and understanding that I've been through a lot and understanding that being up there coming here, it just kind of prepared me for everything I had here."
(on who mentored him when he was with Baltimore) "Everybody. You play for a defense like Baltimore, you have Ray Lewis, and me and Ed (Reed) came in together as rookies. We learned fast. We had Mike Nolan as the defensive coordinator, Mike Singletary as the linebacker coach and (secondary coaches) Dennis Thurman and Donnie Henderson, all well-respected names, and we just learned, just learned how to play fast and how to play physical, understanding watching film, we understand how to make plays. And I think that's the biggest key for me, what I brought to this team, was just understanding how to make plays and be in position and kind of lead a group. And I think I've shown that, and it's been an honor for me and I'm just excited to keep moving forward."
(on if he was ahead of the game because he started in Baltimore) "I'm not saying it's ahead, but I actually was tutored and mentored in the right direction for this opportunity, I think. I learned at such a young age, being 20, 21 as a rookie, undrafted, so I had to learn everything. I couldn't answer a question to Ray Lewis, 'Why do you play this route? Why do you do this?' I couldn't come back to a huddle and say, 'Hey, you know what, I'm sorry I dropped that pass or I didn't make that tackle.' You can't do that. And you learned early, you learned fast, and I think that's what made you better fast and that's what made me who I am today."
(on if his success here has reinforced that he made the right decision) "Oh, definitely. I think in life you've got to make decisions, (take) opportunities for the right reasons, and I had to sit down with my agent, sit down with my family and just understand that you've got to make the right decision any time in life. For me, could this be the right fit for me? I don't know. I didn't know that. I could've went back to Baltimore and been in a comfortable situation, started right away, played right away, did whatever, but you saw what's happened in Baltimore and right now it took me a while to kind of get in a starting role, but you know what, I'm happy to be where I'm at right now, excited to be a Houston Texan and whatever happened in the past was in the past and is history, so I'm just happy to be here."
WR Andre Johnson
(on how important a win at Indianapolis would be) "Very important. Like I said, we're in a position we've never been in before. We're trying to take steps to getting to where we want to be in the future, and one of those steps would be winning the game in Indy for the first time, so we're going to go out and try to do that."
(on DE Mario Williams not making Pro Bowl) "We talked about it before the Pro Bowl selections came out, and I told him sometimes guys who deserve to go don't go, and that happens every year. I was just explaining that to him, and it's nothing you can get down about because it's out of your control. So he just has to come back and do what he did and a little bit more, and hopefully he'll be in the same situation next year but he'll be going."
(on the team playing well late in the season despite so many injuries) "I think as the season just goes along, we're just coming more and more together. I think guys are understanding each other when they're out on the field and I think guys are just getting more of on the same page, and I think that's why we're playing well right now. We're not turning the ball over and things like that. Guys are communicating. They always said that was the biggest thing, just communication, whether you're on offense or defense, and I think that's why we're being successful now, just guys taking it upon themselves and instead of just having a few guys step up, everybody stepping up their play."
(on if the last two games are meaningless) "No. We don't plan on losing these two games. We're going to go out and try to win both of them. Like I said, we've never been in this situation before, and it could be the first time we ever have a winning season, so I feel like we still have a lot to play for."
(on the importance of winning division games) "It's very important. If you can't win against teams in your division, then you'll never win your division, so it's very important. You have to win your division games, and like I said, this is a place we have to learn how to win at. We've won games in Tennessee, we've won games in Jacksonville. We've never won in Indy. So this'll be a big test for us."
DE N.D. Kalu
(on DE Mario Williams saying he doesn't watch TV or read the newspaper) "Well, if I was (DE) Mario (Williams) and all the crap he went through last year, I wouldn't watch TV, either, because it's disheartening hearing about all the negatives that he had to hear about. But we do. I mean, we're too curious as athletes. I've never been in the situation he's been in, but you're always going to open the paper, turn on the news and see the sports section because you want to see what they're saying about you and your teammates. So maybe he's just saying that so he doesn't have to comment on the negativity that went on last year."
(on if DE Mario Williams would enjoy what he hears and sees now) "I hope so. He deserves it. He really worked hard this offseason. I don't think he missed a day of training, voluntary training, (he has) 13 sacks, playing the run well. The only thing that's negative this year is the fact that he didn't get a chance to go to Hawaii. And the fact that he's a second alternate, that's a slap in the face, because he had a great season. He has a chance to lead the NFL in sacks, and that's what everybody was hounding him about last year, his sack total, and now that he got it up he still doesn't have a chance to go. It's bad, but maybe he can use that as fuel to the fire next year if he works hard."
(on if the league would find a way for DE Mario Williams to get to Hawaii if he ends up leading the league in sacks) "They should've found a way when the voting was tallied last week. It didn't take the three-sack game that he had against Denver to get him in there. He had a great season before that game; people get too caught up in just sacks. I mean, the guy plays the run well. Like when he's on the right side, we know the ball's not running there. When he's on the left side, we know it's not going to get an inch to the left side. And now he added 13 sacks to that, there's no way – to me he's one of the top three ends in the whole league, and for him not to go to the Pro Bowl, it's a shame."
(on still having something to play for in the last two games) "Definitely. Any time you just roll the ball out there, I know that's a cliché, but we want to win. That's what we do. We get paid to win. And if we can finish this year 9-7, party at my house. We're going to be happy about it."
(on if the media would be invited) "Yes, of course. I love y'all guys."
(on DE Mario Williams doing the hula dance in the Denver game) "I thought that was like the exclamation point when he got that last sack. But when I heard it yesterday, I was upset for him."
G Chester Pitts
(on the opportunity to win a franchise-record eight games) "For me, it'd be extremely exciting. I've never won eight games, so all the hard work, you feel like it's paying off. For me, it's just something we're really focused on and we're willing to do whatever it takes to find a way to get that done."
(on needing to win division games) "Absolutely. The best thing about it, we can safely say if it's not the best it's one of the best, and in this division if you're competing and doing well, you should end up doing well throughout the league."
(on it if would be satisfying just to finish .500) "It would be very nice. Obviously, I don't play to be .500, I play to be a champion, but you've got to start somewhere. As long as you're always going up, you'll eventually get there."
(on DE Mario Williams not being named to the Pro Bowl) "Well, you know how it goes. Fan voting, there's so many things that play into it. He's played well. He's either tied for number one or second in the league in sacks; what else do you have to do, I guess. But he'll come back next year, do it again, and he'll be in Hawaii."
(on if a win at Indianapolis would be big) "Absolutely, because we've never done it. Obviously, last year, the first time we beat them, that was really big. We beat them here. But this is our chance to beat them up there in six years now, so it's time for it to happen. We're beyond overdue. So it's just what we have to do. We have to find a way to get it done."
QB Sage Rosenfels
(on the importance of the last two games) "We have a ton to play for, and obviously everyone knows we're out of the playoffs, but we've never beaten Indy at Indy. They're the World Champions, they've won our division, (we can) get our eighth win – those are all meaningful things for our team to try to go out and try to win this game."
(on being out of the playoff race) "When you start OTA's and training camp, that's the original goal is to get in the tournament and have a chance at the whole thing. That's every guy's goal, but there are still great things to accomplish going into this game."
(on how important it is to show they can win in the division) "Yes, I think everyone's in agreement that this is the best division in football. There's nothing you can do about that; they're not going to change the divisions. We're fine with that. We've got to find ways to beat the other three teams in our division, which are all three very good football teams. We've got to find a way to beat those teams year in and year out."
(on if there is any news on who will start at quarterback this week) "Not that I know of. That's coach (Gary) Kubiak's answer."
(on DE Mario Williams not being named to the Pro Bowl) "Well, being that we voted last week and I think most teams probably voted before the Thursday night game, that really hurt him and I think everyone pretty much realizes if they would've voted on Friday morning, I think he would've been a starter. But that's the way it goes. (LB) DeMeco (Ryans) last year we all thought got a sort of raw deal on that, and maybe next year if (DE) Mario (Williams) has another similar year, I'm sure he'll be in the Pro Bowl. A lot of times it takes one really good year and you sort of get a raw deal, then a lot of times the next year you're in, so maybe it's a good motivation for Mario in the offseason."
(on DE Mario Williams potentially leading the NFL in sacks and not going to the Pro Bowl) "I've seen a couple of things like that before on other teams I've been on, where I think (RB) Stephen Davis my rookie year rushed for about 1,500 and something yards and didn't make the Pro Bowl, but he rushed for I think about 300 yards in the last two games. So maybe they should change the voting or something to the last week of the season, something like that, but that's the way it is. And as I said, Mario's had a great year, and hopefully he finishes off the year right."
(on LB DeMeco Ryans making the Pro Bowl) "As we said, we all thought he deserved it last year and he's still the heart and soul of our defense, and it's a great thing for him to make it this year."
(on possibly getting eight wins) "Well, it's important, and you've got to take steps to get where we want to go. And obviously before we can become a playoff team, we've got to have a winning team, and then once you hopefully become a winning team this year, we'll be a playoff team next year, and then who knows after that. So you've got to take steps, I guess, and we're sort of taking baby steps. Six wins last year, we're at seven this year. Hopefully it's eight or nine by the time the season's out."
(on the Colts defense) "Well, they're very fundamentally sound. I could probably give you the same speech about the Colts defense as I did about Tampa Bay's defense. Some great athletes, very fundamentally sound, very well-coached. They really make you earn it, they rally to the football and they live off turnovers, so we have to do a great job of executing this week."
DE Mario Williams
(on not being selected to the Pro Bowl) "I mean, it is what it is. Like I said all along, I'm really not worried about a personal goal. Right now, we're just trying to get a winning season, so that's all that matters."
(on having to have had to be some sense of disappointment) "I'm not disappointed."
(on not being disappointed despite being second in the NFL in sacks) "It's another one of those things that I can't control, so I can't be disappointed about something I can't handle. I can't do anything about it."
(on if it's nice to hear positive things now instead of criticism) "Well, I still don't watch TV and I still don't read the paper, so (laughs), seriously, besides what I hear from other people, just around, out and about, I mean, I guess it's a good thing to kind of have things change, but I just try to just play hard and make things happen."
(on thinking about the Pro Bowl when he did the hula dance against Denver) "(Laughs) Yes, because the whole thing was coming out, but it was just having fun, though. The only reason why I did it is because somebody else told me to do it, so that's the only reason why. But that's alright."
(on if somebody tells him to sack QB Peyton Manning, he'll do it) "I'll do my best (laughs)."
(on if the Colts have a particularly tough offensive line) "It's just the whole thing. It's the offensive line, and it's him (QB Peyton Manning) just knowing the scheme of things and getting rid of the ball."
(on if the Pro Bowl voting should take place later in the season) "Well, it was a statement pretty much whenever we started off here 2-0, and it was like, the beginning of the season isn't what matters, it's always the end of the season that will tell us what happened. Pretty much, I feel like, and I'm sure a lot of people do, that the season's not over, but it is what it is and that's how it's always been, so you can't do anything about it."
(on if he is a more confident player now than when he got here) "Yes. Like I said, I'm trying to get better and not go backwards, so just working hard in practice and then trying to let it carry over to the game."
(on LB DeMeco Ryans being named to the Pro Bowl) "It's great to see somebody going. He really deserves it. Last year, he went through pretty much the same thing, and just for somebody to represent us is big."
(on how he is moving around differently this year than last year) "It's just being more comfortable. Last year, there was so much stuff thrown at me and now I'm just a lot more comfortable, so it's just something that I've been accustomed to doing, and I like doing it. Everything's pretty good right now."
(on if offenses having to keep track of him helps his play) "I try not to sit there and think about it (laughs). I just try to play and do whatever."
(on if it is more satisfying to have the recognition of his peers, fans or media) "I would say most satisfying is us winning – having a winning season and my teammates just being there for me, which they are. So that's all that really matters, is the family that's in this locker room."
T Eric Winston
(on playing the Colts this week) "It's a great chance for us to go up there and get a win and keep the streak going and just keep our momentum going. We built some up over the last two weeks and we've been playing pretty well and doing things that we're playing the way we want to play, and we've just got to continue that. We can't get away from our game plan, and just go out there and execute."
(on if he thinks the Colts will rest their starters) "I don't know. I heard coach (Tony) Dungy saying that they've done that in the past and it hasn't really worked out for them, so if they want to keep the guys out there, I don't blame them. I hope they don't. I hope they play (QB) Peyton (Manning) and those guys; it'd mean more if we were to get a victory with them in."
(on if RB Darius Walker has improved since training camp) "Well, of course; I think with all the rookies, you see changes. Even, I'm sure for me for this being my second year, from the beginning of the season to this part right now, there are big changes going on. He's done well. He's gone out every day and I think gotten better, and if you're a rookie and you do that, you're going to see a vast improvement over the start of the season to the end of the season. He's done that, and I think everyone's seeing the hard work that he's put in out on the field now."
(on RB Darius Walker getting a second chance with the Texans after being undrafted and then cut) "You always want to see something like that. Guys for whatever reason just don't work out the first time, and they probably learn a lot from that and they probably learn what not to do and what to do. Obviously, he did. Obviously, he knew how much it was going to take, how much effort it was going to take and what kind of commitment it was going to take, and I think he's put that out there now."
(on DE Mario Williams not making the Pro Bowl) "I mean, the way the Pro Bowl's done, it's such a weird way they do it. They wait 'til two or three weeks left in the season to vote on it; it's kind of quirky. I don't know why we don't wait 'til next week to vote on it, having 15 games of a 16-game season to vote on, but that's the way they do it. I think maybe he just came on a little late. Obviously, seeing him every day I'm shocked because we know how good he is and we know how good he's going to be, but he probably just came on a little late for everyone to kind of take notice, and it's a shame that Thursday game probably wasn't a week before or he probably would have made it."
(on if he is proud of LB DeMeco Ryans) "Oh, absolutely. (LB) DeMeco's (Ryans) been a great player. I thought he got robbed last year. He was amazing last year, and he's carried that over to this season. He's done well. He's been a great leader for our team and he's probably going to be there 10 more times after this, so that's going to be one trip of many for him, probably."
