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Head Coach Gary Kubiak**
(on what he feels about where the team is right now) "Well, I'm looking at the game right now and obviously very disappointed yesterday. As I said after the game, I thought defensively, after the first drive, we settled down, we battled all day and kept the team in position. Special teams, we've been doing some better things the last couple of weeks. Offensively, we just struggled yesterday, really struggled just with some simple things, execution. Did not play very good and disappointed in that. (we're) going to have to be a lot better. I feel the same the way about the game. As far as the big picture, that hasn't changed. I know we're struggling. I know it's tough. (We've) got to be strong and keep going."
(on if QB Case Keenum will remain the starting quarterback) "Yes, Case will play, yeah."
(on what he can do to get QB Case Keenum straightened out after his performance in the last two games given that they are about to play New England) "I think that's part of the process. Yeah, we're playing a great football this weekend. Defensively, just speaking defensively, do a lot of stuff. Bill (Belichick's) always done a lot of stuff and they do it very well. But it's part of the growth process for him and, as I've said before, as coaches, you do everything you can to put him in a successful situation. He's done a lot of good things. Had some early success. I think the last couple of weeks have been a little tougher. I thought it would get tougher, so it doesn't surprise me. But I think he's battling, continues to do some good stuff. We've got to find a way to eliminate some of the mistakes and some of the things that are happening to him. And I think those will happen as he continues to play. You want to find the young man some success. He's had his team in five football games that, look, we've lost every one of them by less than a touchdown. So he's been position, but hasn't had the success of the winning, so that's what we need to find."
(on Jaguars playing saying they sensed that QB Case Keenum didn't feel comfortable in the pocket and if that's something that can be fixed) "I didn't hear about that. Well, I can tell you this, when you're a rookie, you're probably not going to be real comfortable until you play a lot of football. That's part of it. I just think he's going through a growth process. I think, initially, a lot of good things going on, a lot of big plays going on. He's getting played differently a little bit each week, so he's seeing different defenses, different teams. How are you going to play me that day? What do I have to do as a player? He's drifting a little bit in the pocket, which is something we've got to go fixed. That's something that he has confidence to do because of the way he did in college. You can't do that in this league because the edges get real short. That's part of his growth process, but he's a confident kid. Yesterday was a tough day on him, I know. It's tough on everybody, not just Case. Just got to stay positive and keep working."
(on if there's anything he's talked to the offense about how to make things easier on QB Case Keenum) "Yeah, the best thing they can do is just play at the highest level they can possibly play at. That's a good message because, if you're out there playing and you've got a young quarterback or some young guys you, it's easy to get too concerned with what they're doing or maybe what they're not doing, and not do your job. We've just got to all stay focused on our job. Our veterans have done, I think they've done a good job of that. They understand he's young back there. But you look at guys like Chris (Myers) and Andre (Johnson), Duane (Brown). They're trying to help him because they see a talented young man who's done a lot of good things. Like I said, just working through that. I think, if anything, they should understand that because they all started at some place in their career, so they should understand that."
(on if he still believes that the team is a good team and struggling right now or how he views the team) "Well, I know we're struggling, if that's what you're asking me, as a football. We're missing some pieces, obviously, as a football team. A lot of guys get nicked this time of year. You never use that as an excuse. You've got to work through that stuff, so we're no different from that standpoint. There are a lot of young players contributing to what we're doing, so we're finding out from that that perspective. It always gets down to winning and being successful and that's all we care about week-in and week-out regardless of what's going on. Another disappointment yesterday, but another opportunity this week."
(on if he's happy with development of RT Derek Newton right now) "Derek's a second-year player. We're really playing (him) a great deal. Derek's looking for consistency. I think he does some things really well and then he'll struggle at times. He's the same thing and Brandon Brooks, as a player, as a young player. We can all get better and Derek's no different. We're throwing the ball a great deal as a football team. You start to get exposed a little bit when you're out there throwing it 35-40 times and you're down in games. I would just answer your question by saying Derek's improving, but there's still a long way to go to be a consistent pro tackle in this league performer week-in and week-out, but he has the ability to do it. He works at it."
(on why RB Ben Tate struggled so much yesterday and how they get him back on track) "I don't know. There were a couple of times where there really wasn't any room for him. I don't know if he ever got in a rhythm with what he's doing. We know what he's battling through. He's not practicing during the week; he's just playing on Sundays. So I know that's tough from that standpoint, but we definitely appreciate with some of the things going on. The young guy, DJ (Dennis Johnson), was running so well. He did some good things, so we gave him some more opportunities. I think Ben will bounce back."
(on how much injuries to RBs Arian Foster and Ben Tate has thrown off the offense which is typically run-first) "I think in general, just looking at the season and the types of games we've been in, we've been behind and had to come back. Statistically, I'm always self-scouting what we do week-to-week and where we're at as a team. Right now, I'm sitting there looking at how many times we've thrown the ball compared to running it. All those things are off right now and that's why we're sitting here where we're at. When we're playing the way we want to play, you're right, hopefully we're running the ball well. He hit a little stretch yesterday where we had a little spurt, but at the end of the day we didn't consistently run it."
(on how important is time of possession to be successful after leading the league the last couple of years before this season) "This week, it will be extremely important, OK? It's important. That's what we are. We've been somewhere around 32½ to 33 minutes pretty consistently. For the last few years, we've been at the top of the league. Now, we're maybe just a little over 30, I'm not sure. When we're doing what we do best, we usually are hanging on to the football. We're not a good third down team this year; we haven't been consistent. Those two things go hand-in-hand."
(on the defense going from 29 turnovers in 2012 to 8 in 2013 thus far) "Oh boy, I wish I could put a finger on it. You go from the top of the league winning as far as the turnover ratio. Now, you're at the bottom of the league. If you look at the people at the bottom of the league, it goes with being successful and not being successful. That's the way it is. Yesterday we play a game, we had one turnover on the very last play of the game, but you have to find ways to make big plays in this league and you can't get people help. We've struggled on both ends of that stick."
(on if their struggles are more frustrating knowing that if they won three more games, they would be tied for the final Wild Card spot) "Yeah, that's extremely frustrating, especially when you go back and look at some of the games we've lost and some of the situations we've been in. I don't know if I'm right but I think for five weeks in a row, we've lost the game by less than a touchdown. If you flip half of those, then you're sitting here correcting mistakes and playing for opportunities to play in the playoffs. That makes it very difficult, but it is what it is."
(on if he felt the intensity of the Texans was lacking yesterday) "I watched the film and I see guys trying hard and busting their tails. I don't see clean execution. I see a lack of confidence at times and I think that goes with the lack of success. I think I've said this a couple of times, but we can do things better. There are situations where we have to do a little bit more. Does that mean harder? Yeah, you're always trying to do more, but I think our guys are battling. We need some things to happen that would help our confidence. We'll keep working until we get that done."
(on what they can do to try and improve on third downs) "Yesterday, we really should've come out of the game pretty good. We missed about four or five, where it goes back to execution, like I'm talking about. We've struggled, especially I want to say the last three weeks, we've struggled on third downs being able to stay on the field. That goes back to controlling the football and making plays. When you're not, then things happen like they happened to us yesterday."
(on CB Kareem Jackson and TE Owen Daniels and their injury updates) "Kareem, I think he'll do everything he possibly can to play this week, but I think it's still day-to-day. Owen, when he initially started working out, had a little soreness, but he is doing better. He did work pretty hard today. If he can come back or actually get on the practice field, would it be this week? I'm not sure, but he's real close. We'll see how things work out but he has improved over the course of the last week."
