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Head Coach Bill O'Brien**
OT Duane Brown
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
WR DeAndre Hopkins
Head Coach Bill O'Brien
(on an update to QB Ryan Mallett) "Mallett is still being evaluated. Basically, we'll have more to report towards the end of the week."
(on if QB Ryan Mallett could play against the Titans and if not, who would be the starter) "He's still being evaluated. I'll have more to report by the end of the week."
(on if he can say what QB Ryan Mallett is being evaluated for) "No."
(on when QB Ryan Mallett was injured and if he re-aggravated the injury against Cincinnati) "Again, like I said, he's being evaluated. I'll have more to report to you at the end of the week. I know there are a bunch of sighs and all this other stuff, but I'm trying to get ready for Tennessee. So if there are Tennessee questions, or if there is not, we're moving on to Tennessee. Whether he's there or not, the next guy is going to step up, whoever that might be. We'll figure that out."
(on the improved play of Titans QB Zach Mettenberger) "He's definitely improved. I think you improve with experience. The more you play, especially when you're a young quarterback, you're bound to get better, and he has. Like I said before we played them last time, he was a good college quarterback and he's coming into this league and he's been improving every time he gets out there. Again, it's a big challenge for us."
(on what he saw from OLB Jadeveon Clowney vs. Cincinnati) "I thought some of it was good. Certainly there is improvement to be made there, just like every player. I thought he played hard. I thought he had some plays in there that affected the game in a good way, in a positive way. I thought he hustled. I can remember on play in particular where he really did a good job of going down there and tackling a look pass down there in the red area. I thought he did a nice job out there overall."
(on the hustle play OLB Whitney Mercilus made running down QB Andy Dalton) "He did. That
was a great hustle play. That was a great hustle play. I mean, he turned and never gave up on the play. Like I've said for a long time now, he's one of the more improved players on the team."
(on the potential that RB Arian Foster plays this week) "I think there is a potential that he could play. He feels better today. Hopefully he'll be out there at practice. Hopefully that's something that he'll be able to help us on game day."
(on the lack of success in the run game against the Bengals) "It wasn't good. I think it's coaching and playing. I think we've got to coach it better. We've got to figure out what it is. At the end of the day, give Cincinnati a lot of credit. They came in here and really stopped the run. We have to figure out what we can do to run the ball better because at the end of the day we've got to run the ball. Like I said, Cincinnati did a good job and we've got to get back to the drawing board and try to improve it."
(on what happened on the safety against the Bengals) "That's on me. That was a bad play call. I wish I could have that one back. You don't have it back, so that's on me. We've got to do a better job there."
(on QB Ryan Mallett's toughness) "He's a tough guy. And I said the same thing about Fitzy (Ryan Fitzpatrick) when Fitzy was in there. When you play quarterback in this league, there has to be some toughness involved, some physical toughness, some mental toughness. I think that's something that Ryan Mallett definitely has. He's a guy that really stands in the pocket. Takes a hit, if that's going to happen, he stands in there and delivers the ball. I think he's a guy that's definitely a tough, tough football player."
(on the play of CB Darryl Morris) "I thought he competed very well. That's what I liked. I thought that he, certainly just like all the DBs at time they gave up plays, but with a guy like D-Mo (Morris), I felt that he competed to the bitter end. He was in press coverage, did a nice job on the fourth-and-1 right before the safety. He did a really nice job on that play. Broke up a big pass when we had momentum late in the game. He broke up a pass during that drive. Broke up another one on third down of that drive, the drive after J-Joe (Johnathan Joseph) had taken the ball back on an interception for touchdown. I really like the way Darryl competed yesterday."
(on if he ever considered pulling QB Ryan Mallett from the game) "No. Never did. I thought that there were times were he was inaccurate and then there were times where he did. He hit the nice pass to Andre (Johnson) there down the middle. He had some decent throws throughout the day. But there were other ones that were high. I never thought about taking
him out. I wanted to give him as much chance as I could to lead us back to victory, and that's what I was trying to do."
T Duane Brown
(on if he noticed QB Ryan Mallett in pain) "On the last two drives, just saw him kind of grimacing in pain a little bit after a couple of throws. I didn't know exactly what was going on or the extent of it."
(on if he feels like what can go wrong next) "That's not my place to comment. I could talk about our lack of running game yesterday. That was probably the biggest thing that stood out to me. All I can control is doing my job and how we as an o-line being able to protect him and run the ball well. Things happen. This is the NFL. If there is a significant injury there, that's just part of the game. We have a lot of talent on this team. Fitz (Ryan Fitzpatrick) isn't a stranger to the starting lineup or playing in big games. We have all the confidence in the world in him if he's under center. That's just where we are."
(on what it says about QB Ryan Mallett to play through a potentially significant injury) "He's tough, man. He's tough. You can just tell that by his character. He's tough. He wants to win. He wants to compete. Like I said, I could tell there was something there towards the end. He didn't back down at all. He didn't ease up at all. He showed his fight to even try to get a score on that last drive there. That is just the kind of player that he is and the kind of person that he is. We really respect that."
(on if he feels for QB Ryan Mallett because of how long he waited to get his chance to start in the NFL) "Absolutely. You could just tell how excited he was to be able to get his first start on the road in a big game, come out with the win, get his second start at home in a pretty significant game for us. It sucks. It sucks and I definitely feel for him. But again, I need more information on how bad it is. Definitely feel for him."
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
(on the reports that QB Ryan Mallett suffered a pectoral muscle injury) "I have no idea. We just came in, got a work out. I know there are a lot of things swirling in the air right now, but there is not a whole lot of information other than what you guys probably know. I'm not real sure."
(on if it is weird being in the middle of not knowing exactly what is going on with QB Ryan Mallett) "No. I know you've been around the league for a long time, being around it for a long time there is never a dull moment. So, no. For me, it's kind of a normal Monday. Just coming in, getting a workout in, we'll review the tape and try to get everybody better."
(on if he is put back as starting quarterback if it makes much of a difference or if it's like riding a bike) "I don't think so. I think it's like riding a bike."
(on whether Head Coach Bill O'Brien has spoken to him about potentially starting) "I don't know what's going on, so maybe when things get figured out or whatever, I'll probably have a better shot of talking to you guys and giving you something. But I don't know anything."
(on if it is about being ready for the next game) "That's what being a quarterback is. That's what kind of my whole career has been."
(on what is says about QB Ryan Mallett to have played with any type of shoulder injury) "Again, I haven't really talked to him much this morning. I don't have much to say about it."
WR DeAndre Hopkins
(on if he practices catching one-handed passes) "I used to in college on the jug machine. Not so much now."
(on if he knows he can catch one-handed) "Yeah. It's just an ability that you know that you have. I don't try to, but if I have to I will."
(on if he noticed QB Ryan Mallett struggling with an injury during the game) "Yeah, I did. But I really didn't know how serious it was until after the game. Him playing through that, it speaks volumes about his toughness."
(on if the result of the game makes more sense now that he knew QB Ryan Mallett was playing with an injury) "Yeah it does."
(on if he feels it is the players' responsibility to take himself out if he is injured and give his team a better chance to win) "We still had a chance to win. We never were out of the game with him (Ryan Mallett) in there. I don't feel like it was a negative situation."
(on his thoughts on QB Ryan Mallett's toughness) "His second start, the guy wanted it. He wanted to win. You could see it in his eyes. He never let us show that he was hurt. He never really let us down on the sideline. He was the same Ryan."
