The Texans fell to the Chargers on Sunday afternoon at Reliant Stadium. After, the coaches and players from both teams met with the media. The following is a transcript of their respective interviews.
Houston Texans Head Coach Gary KubiakLB Kevin BentleyTE James CaseyLB Brian CushingTE Joel DreessenRB Arian FosterCB Kareem JacksonWR Andre JohnsonDT Amobi OkoyeSS Bernard PollardCB Glover QuinQB Matt SchaubDE Antonio SmithDE Mario WilliamsRT Eric Winston
San Diego Chargers Head Coach Norv TurnerWR Seyi AjirotutuK Kris BrownLB Stephen CooperCB Quentin JammerTE Randy McMichaelT Marcus McNeillQB Philip Rivers
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Houston Texans Head Coach Gary Kubiak(on his feelings about the failed fourth and one play) "You always regret it when it doesn't work. I thought we could get a half a yard and stay on the field. That's something we work on all the time. In that situation, I give them credit—they stopped it. It was a bad call by me. We didn't get it done."
(on today's loss) "The NFL has good teams and good players. You have to play well whether you play at home or on the road. You've got a chance of getting beat at any place. They did a great job today and we didn't win the game. It's a tough league and you've got to play well to win."
(on failed fourth and one attempt) "We work on that in our 2-minute drill. Goal-line quick, protect our edges, and run the quarterback sneak to move the chains down the field. Wish I wouldn't have done it now. It didn't work."
(on the intentional grounding call) "It doesn't make any sense to me, but that's (Referee) Mike's (Carey) call.We had a guy on the corner route so we threw the ball his way. The official on my side said he was going to tell him (Mike Carey) that there was a receiver over there, so I assumed when he did that the call would be wiped out. Mike's explanation to me was that the angle that he threw the ball prevented him from getting credit."
(on lopsided officiating) "That's football. Sometimes you get a lot of calls to go your way and sometimes the calls win you games and sometimes they don't. Today we just had so many opportunities as a team to close out the game—the red zone with the catch or two, getting a yard on fourth down. We had every opportunity and they made the plays that and we didn't. You cant get caught up in penalties and calls like that. You've got to keep playing.
(on RB Arian Foster's touchdown catch negation) "You've got to finish the catch all the way to the ground. That's something we've shown to our players, the league has shown to our players. You have to finish the catch all the way through the act of falling. The ball came out. When the ball hit the ground it came out. I do understand that."
(on if he thought it was a full yard on fourth and one or less) "I was looking right there; I thought we needed a half of a yard. I still think we get a yard in that situation. I wish we wouldn't have done it now. It's my fault."
(on defensive passing coverage) "We gave up some big plays. First touchdown was a huge play and their last touchdown was a huge play. Then we settled down and did some good things too. There were opportunities for us to finish this game and we didn't do that."
(on what he feels is most frustrating about the game today) "There were a lot of positive things going on the field. We ran the ball, we had good patience as a football team. We kept them off the field which was a big goal of ours. Trying to do that—we did all of those things we wanted to do but we didn't close things out. The first drive of the second half, we didn't get it there, the fourth and one, the 17-yard line. We just don't execute the way we execute everyday. Those are things that are frustrating because those things win games. Those things close out games and you find a way to win today, and we didn't."
(on his perspective regarding the interception to end the game) "I can't really see where I'm at. I'm watching the screen like everybody else. I assumed it looked dead and it didn't."
(on his feelings of losing three at home) "It's tough. We're two and three at home. You've got to protect your home turf. Obviously we haven't done that. We're going to have to find a way to win road games. It's disappointing."
(on the final interception representing the frustrations of the game) "You've got to make your breaks. We had our chances, so no excuses."
(on not making changes to the secondary) "No. We're going to play with these kids. They're all playing. The only one, (CB Antwaun) Molden, probably hasn't played that much. He's been healthy now for three or four weeks. That's the first time he's been healthy for this team in awhile. (CB) Sherrick (McManis) had been out, so we're playing the guys that should be on the field. We should get (SS) Troy (Nolan) more involved. He's doing some good things. We went young, we're going with these guys. They've got to get better and we've got a good football team."
(on the San Diego Chargers lacking depth at wide receiver) "I told the guys last night that it didn't matter if (TE Antonio) Gates plays, he (QB Philip Rivers) will throw it to the right guy. It's about defeating coverage and he is going to do that just like the guy we played last week. It doesn't matter who you give them, they will find a way to beat coverage."
(on implications of losing and going 4-4) "We're sitting 4-4 and we would be a lot better off if we had come out of here with the win today. We are facing some adversity and it's about strength in people and what we're doing. I believe in our guys that are doing it. We've just got to keep our nose to the grindstone and keep going. That's a part of the NFL and you've got to be tough enough to work through the disappointments and understand why you have disappointments."
(on RB Arian Foster's performance today) "He's been doing some good stuff. We had good control of the football game, good control of the clock, had them off the field. We had an eight minute drive to start the third quarter, yet we only got three out of that. We had the big drive going down, we had the fourth and one at the 17 we had a lot of good things going on but not finishing those things keeps you from feeling better about it right now."
(on poor execution) "I'm sitting here putting myself through everything. I've got to look at the tape. We are two-for-six in the red zone. I think we dropped two balls in the end zone. We don't make a fourth and one or that third and two. Our last play of the game, we're down there again. The bottom line is that the opportunities we had we just didn't get it done."
(on QB Matt Schaub being injured) "He's banged up a little bit but he sucked it up and finished the game. He got hit in the gut."
(on why the QB sneak was called) "In that situation, I thought we could get it done but we didn't get it done. My fault."
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Houston Texans LB Kevin Bentley(on what kind feelings he has when he hears rookie CB Kareem Jackson taking responsibility) "It makes me feel good that he wants to take ownership, but at the same time, I think it's a team game. We didn't make enough plays down the stretch to win the game. It's not just him. It's all of us. We've got to find ways to get this thing closed out."
(on if he could figure out what is going wrong with the team) "I'd say consistency right now. You know, we get a three and out and give up a big play. We go three and out and we give up something we shouldn't haven't given up. We've got to be focused for the whole 60 minutes and find ways when it's on the line to make the plays. That's the bottom line to what it comes to. 23 points is good enough to win in this league. When you score 23, you are supposed to win. We've got to do our part and I don't think right now we are holding up as well as we can."
Houston Texans TE James Casey (on if this loss was tough because of the many missed opportunities) "Yeah, it was opportunities everywhere. A lot of guys had different opportunities, both defensively and offensively. It's not on one guy. We were so close, knocking on the door. A lot of times, for whatever reason, we couldn't step up to make the special play to get a stop or get in the end zone on offense or defense. It's tough. It's hard to come up with words when you lose like that. Everybody's disappointed. You know the fans are disappointed in us. There is nobody more disappointed than the players themselves, but we're still got to bounce back and learn from what we did wrong and make sure we fix it next week."
(on the reality of being 4-4) "The reality is you are what your record is. It shows that we are 4-4. We are a .500 mediocre team right now, but we know what we've got in this locker room to get it done. We know we got a tough schedule coming up as well, but that doesn't matter. Everybody playing in the NFL is good. But we still know we've got everything in front of us. We are not going to hang our heads and walk around like we are defeated. We still got a lot of season left. We can go on a run. It's been done before that you could win out the games and still be right there. We've got to have that mindset that we've got to put wins together. We kind of got our backs against the wall and hopefully we will respond and come out and play well."
(on his contribution offensively) "It felt really good to get out there and get some opportunities and be a part of the offense. I haven't been doing that a lot the first seven games. That felt good, but it would've felt really good if we pulled out a win. We felt that we were right there, but we just couldn't put it together in the end. With a loss, it's hard to be happy about anything regardless of how many snaps you got or what plays you did or not. I'll go and watch the film. It was good to get the experience and hopefully I'll get better from that from now on. If I get more opportunities, I'll just look to make more plays to help the offense."
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Houston Texans LB Brian Cushing(on how he feels about the loss) "I don't know. I don't know how it makes me feel. I think we did a pretty good job against a very good rushing team as far as limiting them on the run. But that doesn't mean anything if you give up the big plays, and we did today."
(on if he feels as if the team let this one get away) "Yeah. I feel like we let this one get away. It was one of those games where we had it. If we want to be the team that we talk about, we have to win this game. There is no question about it."
(on how painful this loss is) "It is. Every loss is painful. Frustrating does not even begin to describe how this one feels. It's one of those games that we know we have to win. We had every opportunity to do it and we just did not come away with it."
(on whether or not the game slipped right through the team's fingers) "Yeah, big time. I did not even think it slipped through our fingers. I think we just let it get away. It's just super frustrating. It's one of those things where you play technically sound nine out of 10 plays, but on that 10th play, touchdown. Against a guy like that with an arm like that, it does not matter who he is throwing to. He's going to get the ball there. He's going to throw it deep downfield. He's a very good player for a reason."
(on what the defense can do to limit the big plays) "You have to eliminate it. You have to find a way to eliminate it, no matter what. It does not matter how you do it. You have to stop it and we just did not do it."
(on how the team can turn it around) "In order to turn it around as a team you need to win as a team. You have to do it consistently, every down. It does not matter if it is first down, second down, third down, first quarter or fourth quarter. You have to play consistent football. I just do not think we are doing that. I'm talking about the defense. They just hit every time they needed a big play. They just got what they needed."
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Houston Texans TE Joel Dreessen(on not being able to extend leads)"We had a chance to go up three or four scores at times. Good teams got to do that at home."
(on whether the success of the running game was wasted) "Anytime you run the ball, certainly is not a wasted effort. That's kind of what makes our offense go really well. I just don't know what to say right now."
(on whether they should have won the game) "Certainly, we needed this so bad. I'm a believer. I'm a believer in Coach Kubiak. I'm a believer in my teammates. We're doing the right things and good things happen to people that work hard. We just got to stay the course. It's going to happen to us."
(on preparing for tough opponents in the second half of the season) "That's ok. We'll find a way."
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*Houston Texans RB Arian Foster *(on the loss) "It's frustrating, obviously. The thing about football is that there is always another game. We got to regroup, fix our mistakes and go back at it."
(on his touchdown reception that was nullified) "I was trying to use the ball to catch my balance. I had possession. I'm not too clear on the rule. I guess, going to the ground you have to possess it or something. I don't know."
(on if he was surprised that he didn't get the ball on Matt Schaub's quarterback sneak on fourth down in the fourth quarter) "I tend not to second-guess play-calling. I don't get paid to call plays. I get paid to run the ball and block and things of that nature, so I don't get into all that."
(on what the team needs to do to make the playoffs) "Play good football. Teams have done it before in the past. It's not an impossible task. We're 4-4, sitting at .500. We still control our own destiny in our division. We know what we got to do. It starts one step at a time. It starts with Jacksonville next week. So we got to go play a solid game in Jacksonville next week and put together a good running game."
(on his reaction to seeing his touchdown overturned) "I was real disappointed because you can't keep getting field goals against a team like that, with a high-powered offense. It was what it was. They teach you to have a short memory in this game. I tried to shake it off and come back in the second half."
(on if anyone explained the rule applied to his second-quarter touchdown catch being overturned) "Yeah. I asked the ref going in and I guess going down into the ground is a part of the catch. I don't understand it fully, because I guess, you're running and you dive into the end zone and you break the plane, that's a touchdown. But I'm not sure about the rule. I really don't know it. The refs made the call, so you got to stick with it."
Houston Texans CB Kareem Jackson (on how it went for him today) "It was tough. In my opinion, I think it was the big plays that determine the game, in which I gave up three alone two for a touchdown. Anytime that happens, you don't give your team a chance to win. That's on me. I'll just have to come back out this week and just work hard and just try to get better."
(on the big plays that he gave up) "The first play was a double move. I thought I was high enough on the guy where I thought I could just speed-turn. Once I went to speed-turn he double moved and he was off. I wasn't close enough to him where I could grab him. In the last one, it was just bad technique at the line of scrimmage. I missed my jam and every time you miss in this league, it'll go for six."
(on if his confidence is affected) "Not at all because I made a couple of plays out there and a couple of good tackles. It didn't affect my confidence at all. I know what areas I've got to improve in and that's what I'm going to do."
Houston Texans WR Andre Johnson (on the pass intended for him that was intercepted) "I just didn't make a play on it. No matter what happened in the game before that play and we still had a chance to win the game. I pride myself on making plays like that. I didn't make the play. We lost."
(on if it was just a sign of how things have gone lately for this team) "When we get down in the red zone, we have to score touchdowns. We can't kick field goals. That's pretty much it. We just have to score touchdowns and not kick field goals. When you score touchdowns, it kind of puts the dagger in them. Like I said, I accept responsibility for what happened on that last play. Whatever happened before that really didn't matter because we still had a chance to win the game. I wasn't able to make the play."
(on rookie CB Kareem Jackson taking the blame for the loss) "It just shows how he feels about the game. I know what type of person Kareem is. He wants to go out and peform well every Sunday. Like I said, no matter what happened before, on our last drive we still had a chance to go close the game out. At times before, when we're in that situation, we closed the game out. Today, we didn't. I was at fault for that."
(on his thoughts on this game) "I didn't make the play to win the game. When you play football, you're put in certain situations and it's your job to go out and execute during those situations. Like I said, we were in the situation we were in today more than once during the season and we found a way to come through. Today we didn't. That's pretty much it."
(on how worried he is that the Texans won't make the playoffs) "You can't really worry about that right now. Yes, it's the goal, but you can only take it one game at a time. You can't play all eight games in one days. So we just have to come in, correct mistakes and focus on Jacksonville."
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Houston Texans DT Amobi Okoye(on today's loss) "I'm at a loss of words right now because obviously my feeling was like we had this game won and we let it slip away."
Houston Texans SS Bernard Pollard
(on how he felt about the loss) "You can't leave points. You can't leave plays out there on the field and I think that's what we did today. We clearly showed a spark but when we don't play sound, this is what happens. We got beat over the top a few times and that right there is man on man. You have to take pride in what we're doing. We have to get better as a defense to not give up these big plays. This is what's been killing us all year. Big plays are our Kryptonite."
(on not getting breaks in the game) "It's not about breaks. It's about us going out there competing and stopping them. It's not about breaks. It's about us stepping up man-on-man. We had a lot of opportunities and we obviously did not hold up our end of the bargain. The great thing about this league is that you are able to play the next week. We're sitting at 4-4 right now. We should be better. We should have a better record but that's not the case. You have to move forward."
(whether he still believes in Head Coach Gary Coach Kubiak) "I'm not about to sit up here and say I still believe in Kubiak. By me saying that means that he's on the chopping block. My thing is us as players got to come in and play what's called. Kubiak isn't on the hot seat. He just got an extension. It's about us going out there competing and making plays. They're making plays and we're not on defense. We have to step up. At some point we have to step up."
Houston Texans CB Glover Quin(on how he felt on the loss) "It hurts deep down inside to know that we had so many opportunites to win the game. Obviously, we lost a tough one at home. We have a tough road stretch coming up in the next two games. We just got to go to work."
(on today's game) "It's tough. It was a hard one. We had every opportunity to win the game and we just didn't get it done. It's a tough one to swallow."
(on the final defensive stop to give the ball back to the offense for a potential game-winning drive being a positive) "Yeah, but we were up in that game 23-14. So as a defense, we've got to be able to close it out. We can't give up two touchdowns in that stage of the game. We've got to be able to close the game out."
(on the Chargers ability to throw the ball deep on the Texans secondary) "Yeah, they were able to throw a couple of them on us. Obviously, it hurt us with that touchdown. We've just got to keep fighting and trying to make plays. We are already at the halfway point of the season. We are not where we really want to be right now at 4-4, but the positive thing is that we have eight chances left to finish strong and that's what we'll do."
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Houston Texans QB Matt Schaub(on what the referee said to him regarding the intentional grounding call ) "He didn't really say anything to me. He just made the call and didn't really listen to anything anybody had to say."
(on if he agreed with the call) "Absolutely not because it wasn't in our favor."
(on if he left the field in the second half because of a hand injury) "No. I didn't hurt my hand."
(on why he left the field) "I was just going in to check on something but I'm fine."
(on the play on fourth and one) "We were trying to get out there quick, snap it, and try and sneak yardage. We just didn't convert it."
(on how he feels about losing two games in a row) "It's very disappointing because we are right there if we play our game and our style and don't hurt ourselves. We can play and beat anybody in this league, but we hurt ourselves. We"re 4-4, we're .500, and we're 1-1 in our division. We have four division games left. We just need to go out and win one game and then win the next one and just get on a roll."
(on feeling good about the past and now having this bad luck) "It's just one of those bounces that doesn't go your way. We had the right play on and had the look. We just didn't finish it off."
(on if he could see what happened on the play) "I mean, it happened so fast."
(on if he has an injury) "There is none. I'm fine."
(on what he said to the official after the intentional grounding call) "I said we had a tight end on the corner rounding the back side of our play there, where I was throwing it in his direction. Obviously not trying to complete it, I was trying to save time and throw it away; but we had a guy in the vacinity. That was what I was saying."
(on if he knew how much yardage he needed to get on fourth and one) "I always go in expecting to drive my feet and get as much as I can, thinking it"s at least a yard that I need to get."
(on how the red zone has been a great strength of the offense this season and why it wasn"t today) "We didn"t execute. We left eight points out on the field. The one right before the half. We needed to finish that play off and get a touchdown there. Then when we drove down there in the second half, early in the third quarter. Not
getting that third and two or third and three, whatever it was, and having to kick a field goal. We needed to convert a touchdown downthere. That's eight points right there. We just need to execute and convert those to touchdowns.
(on if he thinks it's his role as a quarterback to say anything to (RB) Arian Foster about the rules regarding the play) "Yes. We took care of that."
(on if it makes a differenece if it's third down or fourth down regarding the quality of the play in that situation) "I went with the call. Coach (Gary Kubiak) called the play and we wanted to catch them off balance and run the sneak there to try and get the yardage."
(on how tough it will be to bounce back from two tough losses) "We're going to come in and watch the film and get refocused and ready for our game next week. We're going to come out and have a great week of practice and we're going to go win. That"s all that matters."
(on if there is anything behind the fact that they have struggled at home this season) "It doesn't matter. It is what it is and we need to play better all around whether it's home or on the road. We played probably our most complete team game today, we just fell short. We left plays and points out on the field offensively and we just need to go out and win. Bottom line."
Houston Texans DE Antonio Smith(on today's game) "We need to win these games and play better. I think I saw some good things out there. We got turnovers where we haven't been getting them before. It just seems like we need to stop the big play. The big play is really hurting us because we are consistently getting teams to third down, but a big play here and a big play there and it makes the game totally different than what it could've been."
(on how alarmed he is about the defense capacity to give up big plays) "I'm not really that discouraged because I really feel from watching film and seeing how things are going that we are working in the right direction. I know it really doesn't look like it right now, but we are working in the right direction. It's a lot more big plays happen in past games and I think that we are right on the edge of being a good defense. But to do that, we have to hone in on the little things. The inches here and the inches there; where they catch a big pass. The bad step here where you fall down and they take it 70 yards. That's just where we are at. The inches it takes for you to slap the ball from the quarterback's hand; instead of him just getting it off. We are right there, but luck is not coming our way."
(on if the team is capable of going 6-2 down the stretch of the season) "I know this team is capable of it. That team that came out of that tunnel in week one is slowly gaining its way back up to the surface. This team before the end of this season is over, is going to be a great team. I feel and I know that we will be a playoff team. Once you get in the playoffs, it's week by week. We are going to work each and every day in practice to make sure that happens. We are right on the edge and right on the verge. We just need to gain that confidence back."
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Houston Texans DE Mario Williams(on his thoughts on the game) "It was definitely a game that we know we could have won. We had plenty of opportunities to get it done. We didn't take care of those opportunities."
(on some saying the game slipped through their fingers) "I would say they were referring to those opportunities I was saying. We were right in there from the very beginning. There were a couple of big plays that we, once again, can't have. They continue to get big plays on us, so we just have to figure out what we need to do to stop it."
(on how worrisome it is at this point in the season) "We still have half a season left. I'm not sitting here trying to call it in. We definitely can improve. We all know that. There's definitely room to grow. It isn't like this is all we got. We just have to continue to chip the wood and get after it. "
(on rookie CB Kareem Jackson taking the blame for the loss) "We all have to get better. It's not just on him. It's on everybody. If they're putting up that many yards against our defense, it's all of us. It's not just him, but we all have to get better."
(on DE Antonio Smith still being positive the team can make a playoff push) "Yeah, like I said, it's half way through the season. We still have got a chance. We've got to chip wood and break it down."
(on the defensive line pressure and the secondary) "That's one of those things we've got to be hand-in-hand, up front and in the back. A lot of those times, you get back there and he's just throwing the ball so fast—it's a deep pass and he still completes it. Or vice versa—they're holding up all day and we're not getting there or whatever. We've got to be hand-in-hand, regardless of what happens."
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Houston Texans RT Eric Winston(on his thoughts on the offense in the second half) "We had our chances. We did not get two fourth downs. We kicked a field goal on our opening drive in the red zone. And I do not know where we had the ball when we threw that interception. So we had four possessions in the second half and we did not punt on any of them but we only scored three points."
(on whether or not he was surprised that RB Arian Foster did not get the ball on the fourth and 1 in the fourth quarter) "No. It's one of those situations when you catch them in a personnel group and it's hard for them to regroup and stop it. I guess we give them credit for getting the guys down there and just trying to plug the hole. Like I said, that is a hurry-up play where it is hard to know even what is going on."
(on if this is the low point of the season for the team) "Every loss is a low point."
(on if he is worried about the team's home record) "Sure. I want to win every game at home. If you tell me we can only win eight games, I want them all at home. We're just not getting it done."
(on the daunting task of having to go 6-2 to get to 10 wins and have a good shot at the playoffs) "I do not look at it that long. I know we get Jacksonville next at Jacksonville. We need to go down there and get a win somehow. If you start looking at it that way, it's too hard to start thinking about wins and losses. You have to go and get one win at a time and not worry about the long term."
(on the offense's performance inside the red zone, where they had two touchdowns in six opportunities) "I've always said that these NFL games come down to who has the better red zone percentage. Today, I'm assuming they scored in the red zone. We moved the ball very well and we got it down there. The rule that you have to finish the catch even though the ball is in possession through the end zone, that cost us. Obviously, that is part of the rule, so that is the rule. We settled for field goals a couple times. We had a third and two down there. We ran it but we did not get it. You settle for field goals and what happens is you give the other team a chance to score a touchdown and get right back into it. And that is what they did. They were able to score four touchdowns on us and we only managed two and we had three other field goals. But like I said, the two fourth-and-one plays that we did not score on were the difference."
(on whether he feels the team had this game and they gave it away) "I do not know if you ever feel like you have a game. We did not score touchdowns in the red zone and that is what it comes down to. If you score touchdowns in the red zone and you put up 35 points and you get over that 30-point threshold, you know you're going to have a win."
San Diego Chargers Head Coach Norv Turner(Opening Statement) "The biggest thing for me, and I talked to our team about it after the game is the character, the attitude. Obviously that was a game, the way it was going, it was going to be played and won in the fourth quarter. Most of our games have come down to one drive at the end of the game. Our guys found a way to stop them. We had an unbelievable number of guys play who have not played much and came in and played well enough to win, obviously. (G-T) Tyronne Green goes in at left guard in the second half. (C-G Scott) Mruczkowski goes in at right guard. Has as big of a game as you can ask a guy to have. (WR Gary) Banks is in playing. We're just playing a lot of people. (TE) Randy McMichael, can't say enough. He stepped up and played. And it all works because they work hard and trusted what were doing. And we have some veteran leaders that keep this group together when guys are dropping like flies. I can't say enough for what (ILB) Stephen Cooper does for our defense, and obviously what (QB) Phillip (Rivers) does for our offense. It's just a great team win."
(On the upcoming bye week) "We need a bye to get our guys healthy. We're playing pretty good. We've got some confidence going, but I think that will carry over into the next time we play. Obviously, next time we play is at home, is on Monday night and I think our guys will be excited to play in that game."
(On if there are any updates on RB Ryan Matthews and SS Steve Gregory) "I don't have any updates in terms of the injuries. I know they couldn't return to the game."
(On if he;s concerned with RB Ryan Matthews) "It's all about technique. And he's gone three weeks and done a great job securing the ball. He runs a little bit too high sometimes and when you run that high in this league they just hold you up and they hold you up and they don't blow a whistle and they're allowed to just strip and strip and strip. He's gotta get his shoulder pad level and over. He's got strong hands. He's got good technique in terms of how he holds the ball. He's just gotta get his body lower as he runs."
(On QB Philip Rivers) "You know, Phillip, the best thing about him is the way he competes and the way he approaches a game everyday. And then after that, he can make any throw. He understands what we're doing. He makes a lot of guys look like real good players and we got some young guys that are going to be good players, that I'm not sure are yet, but they're making plays."
(On if they attributed the stop at the end to slowing down RB Arian Foster in 2nd half) "The key to the game for us and we talked about at half time, was you have to stop the run. We were very disappointed the way we defended the run in the first half. We came out in the second half and I think they had 30-35 yards rushing. And again, it's as much about, I'm not sure we made a lot of adjustments in terms of calls, but we played better. We were running sideways, they got us running sideways and were cutting back in the first half. I think we played more physical and didn't get pushed sideways. We went at them and knocked them back a little bit."
(On if he was surprised to see that WR Andre Johnson was targeted so few times) "I can't get into that. I know that they're looking for him an awful lot. I know we had a big sense of urgency in terms of making sure we had a lot of people around him, so hopefully some of the times he wasn't targeted was because of the way we played defense. I know the run he was targeted at the end, it was a tough play for him and (FS) Paul Oliver made a great play. And there were a lot of people around him."
(On the blocked punt) "It's not acceptable. It's disappointing. We've had to play so many different guys in there. It's a new guy that only been here a couple of weeks. But he's got to understand his responsibility because we cant go through every guy who ends up on our punt team giving up on one and that's the way were headed right now."
(On the relief of going into the bye 4-5 instead of 3-6) "This game isn't about relief. I mean I'm not relieved. I'm excited about the fact that we won a game, that we're playing better and that we won a game on the road. As I said, a tough, competitive game on the road. We know the problems we've had on the road. We know whats kept us from getting the job done and we got it done today."
(On winning back to back games, and building some momentum, is that happening here?) "This is a game at a time in the season, and confidence is a big part of it. So yeah, we're getting some confidence. But the most important thing for us, as I told our guys, is the calvary coming. We're getting some guys back. We're gonna get a bunch of guys back in the next two weeks that haven't been available for awhile."
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San Diego Chargers WR Seyi Ajirotutu(on him getting the start today) "Just an excellent day at the office. I am glad to be a part of this."
(on how his first touchdown felt) "It felt awesome. We have been working all week in practice and I am glad I can just catch the ball. He threw an awesome ball. I was just able to get open a just run the play like (Head coach) Norv (Turner) says."
(on how long he thought the ball was I n the air on his first touchdown) "The ball was in the air for an eternity. I didn't know when it would ever get down. I was just hoping to make sure I caught it. I am just glad I stayed on my feet and was able to score."
(on if he beat CB Kareem Jackson on a double move for his first touchdown) "No, not really. We just were going for a shot. (The coaches) said that the corners tend to look inside. So I just ran the route and luckily he bit, so I could get the touchdown."
(on his second touchdown) "The second one I was in the slot and it was man to man. I just beat him to the outside and (QB) Philip (Rivers) threw an awesome ball and I was able to score again."
(on how all the wide receivers step up in the abscense of some of their main starters) "I am just glad we all could step up at a time where a lot of guys were injured. Just like everybody, I don't think I would have thought myself would be starting at week eight or whatever it was. I am just glad that I am and I am just glad I could help the team out and get this win."
(on how special he think QB Philip Rivers is) "He's a special guy. He prepares that way and expects to play that way. I am just glad I am on his team. You can't say enough about about him and I am just glad that I can come out here and step up and make a couple of plays for us to win."
San Diego Chargers K Kris Brown(on playing against Houston Texans for the first time since being released by the team) "I'm glad that we came over and did the walk-through on Saturday because that let me come in here and whatever emotions there may have been, I got over those on Saturday. Had we not had that, it probably would have been more difficult."
(On the mixed emotions on Saturday) "When you drive past your house and the street you live on and drive in to work the same way you did for eight years—it was a lot more emotional than I thought it would be."
(on watching his former team lose from the other sideline) "I'm not really worried about them. I'm not thinking along those lines. I'm apart of this team now and this is where I'm at. I'm just concerned about what I can do to help this team win."
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San Diego Chargers LB Stephen Cooper(on containing Houston Texans RB Arian Foster in the second half) "We did a great job of understanding what we had to do as a defense. We didn't let the defensive line and linebackers get cut up, that's how they got a lot of rushing yards in the first half. Once we fixed that in the second half, we stopped the run and got them to throw the ball a little bit."
(On going from 2-5 to 4-5) "The biggest thing is we understand it's one game at a time. You can't look forward, you have to take it day by day and team by team. We're getting ready for the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football."
San Diego Chargers DB Quentin Jammer(on if they made any adjustments after halftime) "We stayed with some of the same defenses but we made some minor adjustments. We came out and we got some stops."
(on if he thinks the team will go on long winning streak to end this season like they have in the past) "It's hard to tell. We are starting to get our groove. We are starting to cut down the mental errors and we are starting to cut down on the turnovers. That has been our m.o. (main objective) all season. Turn the ball over four or five
times a game, we put ourselves in a hole. Now we are just trying to get back in the flow of playing Charger football."
(on how special it was to play in front of his home crowd) "It is definetly special. I get all my family to the game. Unfortunately, I had to play against the referees today. In the end, we won the game and that is all that matters."
(on if he thinks they have a chance to make a run to the Super Bowl) "We have the guys to put a run together. We've done it. We've got guys who have been here and been a part of it, so I definitely think we can put a run together. We just have to continue to play them one at a time and win the ones we can control."
San Diego Chargers TE Randy McMichael(on the game today) "It was a total team effort. We had so many guys down today. Especially with one of the best players in football, not just at his position, but period in the football game today. (WR) Malcolm (Floyd) wasn't here. We had a lot of guys that weren't here and everybody had to step their game up and we found a way to win the football game. It was big for us too, because with this bye, we get some of our guys back and we will be back at full stride."
(on him getting another shot to play at a high level with good team) "Don't make me worry about that. When I had that conversation with Coach (Norv) Turner this offseason about coming here I knew I was coming here to help the team win any way I could and that's what I did today. It's nothing that is unexpected by myself. I hold myself to a high level. I just went out there and had fun today, like I always do."
(on if he would like to keep playing after the starters return) "Oh yeah. At the same time you get to sit back and relax and get those guys healthy again. Once we come back and get ready for whatever game is next, we are going to have all our guys back, hopefully, and we are going to be clicking on all cylinders."
(on if he thinks the team is stronger because second and third string players are getting experience) "I think that is the biggest thing. When you are a young player and you have to step in there when you are not ready, that helps your career along. I think a guy like (WR Seyi ) Ajirotutu getting in there today and having a great game helps him. I'm just happy for him. Once we get all these other guys back, we are going to continue to get better."
(on which touchdown of his two was the toughest to catch) "Both of them. Like I said, it was just one of those things where when you have a quarterback like Philip (Rivers) he puts the ball where it needs to be at. It was just an exciting game today."
San Diego Chargers T Marcus McNeill(on getting a road victory) "We got off to a rough start this year on the road so we had to come in here and take it one game at a time. This was our first game since taking it one game at a time. We went out there and played good all four quarters."
(on importance of getting a win going in to a bye-week) "Had to get a win going in to a bye so we can get that confidence going and roll with that momentum coming out. We have a lot of guys banged up so we needed this bye. When we get everybody back we'll have the calvary coming back in and hopefully everybody's back ready to go when Denver comes in."
(on getting off to a slow start in Houston) "We've got so many guys trying to fill in for other guys with nicks and bruises. So when you stick guys from the special teams in to the lineup it takes time to gel. We're not going to give up, we battled hard to come back from that blocked punt."
(On scoring 29 points with key players missing on offense) "We've got a real good offense from top to bottom. Not only our starters but our back-ups are good. You can check every back-up on that list and I guarantee they're ready to go right now. That's what our back-ups pride themselves on."
San Diego QB Philip Rivers(on productivity in the game with injury) "It was huge. We had the expectations that they would and they certainly did that force today. They were big. The guys up front had great protection. They had a great balance. It was a good win on the road"
(on new faces) "It's the first time we've had that many guys out; guys that I've had a lot of games with. The way we practiced the last few weeks, we haven't had (WR) Malcom (Floyd) or (WR) Legedu (Naanee) the last two or three weeks. (TE Antonio) Gates hasn't been able to practice. For three weeks now, I've had a ton of reps with TE Randy (McMichael), (TE) Kris Wilson, (WR) Patrick (Crayton),(WR Seyi) Ajirotutu, and (WR Gary) Banks. From a practice standpoint, I was able to get a ton of valuable reps and have a great deal of confidence in those guys. Obviously Tutu hasn't been playing very long, but the game isn't too big for him. Randy is a starting tight end in this league. He's been that for a handful of years so we knew it wasn't too big for him. We knew he could step up and play a big force and he did."
(on practicing with new people) "It wasn't so much what they were doing; it was just a matter of getting the chance to practice with them. I usually don't get to throw Tutu a ton of balls, or (TE) Randy (McMichael) for that matter because practice reps are so valuable. If something is up for the tight ends, (TE Antonio) Gates usually takes it. The last week or two, I was able to throw those guys a lot more balls than I have in the past and it certainly paid off today."
(on keeping the defensive line off) "The guys up front were awesome. The one sack early in the game, I told them it was on me. I didn't feel good about throwing it so I just ate it. They were good all day long and have been all year."
(on Texans effort to go after rookie CB Kareem Jackson) "Not necessarily. We did feel like we were about to throw the ball on the outside to go score. And we had a few things up that we thought we could make big play on, obviously, like the first touchdown to Tutu (WR) turned out just like we ran iy in practice. A couple things came up just how we drew them up. We were able to execute and make plays."
(on becoming the same winning team) "I think the bye is coming at a good time. We were able to win two games in a row one on the road. I'm making no predictions, but I'm optimistic that we'll get a lot of familiar faces back when we play two weeks from tomorrow on Monday night at home against Denver. It's nice t get to 4-5 but we have a long way to go. I think we've put ourselves in a position to have a chance down the home stretch."
(on one hand touch down) "It was huge. An unbeleivable able catch by (TE) Randy (McMichael). I probably didn't have to be as careful as I ended up. I was being really careful with the throw because I didn't love it. I didn't think he was as open as he ended up being so I didn't have to make it that tough on him, but what a great play he made."
(on learning tutu's name) "Yes, Seyi Aijortutu. I've heard a lot of guys say it now. I couldn't say I could pronounce it about a week ago."
