Head Coach Gary Kubiak
Offensive Coordinator Rick Dennison
LT Duane Brown
NT Shaun Cody
CB Johnathan Joseph
FS Danieal Manning
RT Derek Newton
QB Matt Schaub
DE J.J. Watt
Buffalo Bills Head Coach Chan Gailey Conference Call (Courtesy of Buffalo Bills PR)
Buffalo Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (Courtesy of Buffalo Bills PR)
Head Coach Gary Kubiak
(on the team's health in practice today) "(RB) Ben Tate did not practice today. (ILB Darryl) Sharpton still is not on the field. (G) Cody White, our young center/guard, got sick on us today. He's not at practice. (NT) Shaun Cody did not practice. That's strictly part of a maintenance program. He will be back out there tomorrow, and (WR) Andre (Johnson) is missing today for some personal issues that he had to deal with today and will be back tomorrow. That's where we're at practice-wise."
(on if he's concerned about NT Shaun Cody's status) "There is some concern, but he's been able to work through this. We dealt with some of it last year. We knew we were going to deal with some of it this year. (NT) Shaun (Cody) is able to play and do his job well even if he does miss some time practice wise. We've had him on the program now for almost a month .We're not going to change it. It helps us get these young guys reps too with (NT) Earl (Mitchell) and with (NT Terrell) McClain. We'll continue this process. We know what we're going to get from Shaun on game day. We're just trying to be smart."
(on NT Shaun Cody's ailment) "It's a back issue he's been dealing with. Bottom line, we don't want to leave his reps on the practice field. We want to make sure they happen on Sundays. He's been able to work through it and hopefully we keep our fingers crossed that this program we've got him on holds him up throughout the season."
(on RB Ben Tate's status for Sunday) "Yeah, if we're playing today. It's day-to-day with (RB) Ben (Tate), actually didn't even send him to the practice field today, had him stay inside to do his rehab. I don't know. I'm just going to have to talk to you guys day to day, but if I had to guess right now is he going to be there tomorrow? I would say no, that being our big work day tomorrow, but we'll see."
(on the Texans' low average per carry) "We have a lot of carries. We have had some games throughout the course of the season where we're trying to eat up the clock, so to speak, late in the fourth quarter. I think there is some there, but as coaches you try not to hide anything there. You try to look at the big picture and say our yards per carry is still not good enough. We need some more big plays. We had one big play out of (RB) Arian (Foster) down in New York on the Monday night, but we've got to find him some more space and some big plays. If we do that, all that takes a couple big plays and your average goes up. We are running the ball a great deal too. That's a good thing."
(on if the Texans would look to acquire a running back if RB Ben Tate is sidelined for a while) "We're always looking. We've got three here right now. We've got (RB) Justin (Forsett) and then we've got (RB Davin) Meggett on the practice squad where we can do something with him if we feel the need when we get to the weekend. We're always trying to improve our team. We're always looking at everything that's going on out there."
(on if there is interested in RB Jonathan Grimes) "I've been so busy with the team right now. We know that the waiver wire is out there until 3 o'clock today so I've got another hour and 45 minutes here before claims and those type of things have to go in. Obviously, he's a player that we had come through here that did a good job for us. Whether or not that's something we'd look at, I'd have to wait and see."
(on if he's comfortable with RT Derek Newton handling DE Mario Williams) "I'm not comfortable with anybody handling him. He's a great player. I think we know where he's going to be the most part. He's playing on our right a great deal so that means that challenge comes to (RT) Derek (Newton), but we got to help Derek, too. They're very good up front. The best way to neutralize is to be able to run the ball for us. We can't put Derek in satiations where we're in a drop back all day long so hopefully we can help him out."
(on SS Quintin Demps' status) "He's doing good. I think our question is we've still got (SS) Troy (Nolan) here. The question is as we watch him practice with pads, can he wrap up? Can he tackle? Can he do the things with that cast on that he normal does because we definitely want him back? Tomorrow is a big day with us making a decision whether he's ready to go back to work."
(on Bills DE Mario Williams returning to Houston) "I've got a lot of respect for (DE) Mario (Williams). You all know that. I think a lot of him as a person and a player. He's a hell of a player. You got to pay a great deal of attention to him. We've had a few of these situations come up with some guys coming back here and us playing them whether it's (TE) Joel (Dreessen) whether it's (WR) Jacoby (Jones). That's just part of it, but we got to beat their football team. We got to play good to beat their football team and Mario is a big part of that."
(on the Bills' running attack) "It's a tough run game too because it's not your conventional, I back. They spread the field, a lot of motions, a lot of the three wides, four wides, and then here comes the run game and two very good players with (C.J.) Spiller with the big play. You're very concerned about that so we're really having to show our defense a different picture. (QB) Case (Keenum) is very much a part of our practice this week trying to get the look that we need. That's a tough thing for us to adjust to but that's part of it."
(on the Bills' running backs duo ) "I think they have been. If you look at what they do. One is a grinder in there and really just a solid, solid player, has been. The other one makes huge plays and then he goes outside when they empty the backfield and makes big plays catching the ball. It's a different situation for us. We'd appreciate a lot of noise at our place Sunday."
Offensive Coordinator Rick Dennison
(on reviewing the offensive line during the bye week) "Little bit, we're still working with them. A little bit more solid on what we want to try and do as far as rotation, but there's still a little play.
(on if he expects to keep rotating the same games on the offensive line) "Yeah for the most part, I think we will continue to do that."
(on Bills DE Mario Williams) "He's a very good player obviously and is a tough matchup for everybody. If he moves around it makes it even harder because you can't turn towards him. They all play very hard up front. Obviously, being a great player and having been around him on a daily basis, I know what kind of disruption he can cause. We got our hands full."
(on what makes Bills DE Mario Williams great) "Certainly his size. He's big, strong, athletic, fast, what else do you want? He's very long. Length is a key for offensive linemen and defensive linemen because whoever gets there first tends to win the battle as far as length. He makes things hard for a tackle as far as his length. His speed to power, he has tremendous power. He gets his hips underneath him very well."
(on if he's comfortable with RT Derek Newton facing Bills DE Mario Williams) "We'll be working towards that. We have to do a lot of different things. It's not going to be a one-on-one battle hopefully all day. We have to work the run. We have to do our play action. We have to do a lot of things to keep them as a team, not just (DE) Mario (Williams), off balance."
(on the offense's play action) "We tend to put our hat on that quite a bit because it helps us with a lot of our big chunks come from our play action and our movement game. If they're putting extra guys down in there and then certainly the transition from run to pass makes it a little bit harder if they're always playing pass it's a lot easier on the takeoff if they have to transition form run to pass. It makes it a little bit harder for them to get any pressure on."
(on RB Justin Forsett's experience) "(RB) Justin (Forsett), every time we put him in he's done a great job, practice, games. Obviously his experience plays into that fact, but a lot of times guys are experience in the league but not quite what you'd want in your system. Everything he's done for us has been great."
(on how important time of possession is) "Obviously, it keeps you on the field and that's what we like to do. Looking at our stats, we've done a nice job with time of possession. Keeping yourself on the field and the times that we've felt like we're struggling a bit is when we're in and out, three. We like to put series together and keeping those in a manageable distance is the biggest one, third and tens are a lot harder than third-and-fours, third-and-fives. That's why we also emphasize the run game, try to get our first and second down yardage so that our thirds are manageable if we get to those. Yes, it's a big key for us to continue and keep drives alive and keep our defense on the sidelines and wear them out."
(on the team's average per carry) "We'd love it to be higher, but it's not what it is. We keep working on that. I think we're lowing than explosive runs. We don't have those big ones that we've had. We looked at that when we could get those and how we can better improve that and hopefully we'll work on that the second half of the second nine of 16, a little over a half."
(on the team's practices) "No, we had a little deal on Monday that looked great. Today, with an install of a game plan it's set up to try and take advantage of a few things that we think we can get in Buffalo. A little slower, but fine, they've all been good. They know the situation that it's not often that you get to a point where we're doing well and we have a good position in at least our division. It's up to us to keep that going. They're very, very focused."
(on if WR Lestar Jean will be more involved) "We do. Actually he looked really good on Monday. We'll keep rolling him in. Like I said, if guys are making plays they'll get more opportunity to make more plays."
(on RB Justin Forsett) "Very comfortable, like I said he's got a great burst. He gets to the hole. He's not as big as our other two guys, but he certainly runs with power. He's a compact guy, and he does a great job of pass protection. He knows what he's doing and he steps up and battles. We feel very comfortable with him going in and playing with however much time we need him."
(on if the game plan changes) "No, I don't think so. We tend to kind of do what we do, do our game plan's based on what we're best at. Like I said, if there is a couple things that we think we can take advantage of we'll do that but we haven't changed very much personnel wise because our guys from training camp are molded in what we think we need to do as an offense. We'll see how that works."
(on resting RB Arian Foster in games) "It might work out that way. It might now. Certainly it hasn't hurt us to this point right now, and looking at (RB) Arian (Foster) and the pass the more he gets the ball the better of he is. He makes a lot of yards in the fourth. That's a credit also to our line. We always tell them persistence is key. The three- and four-yarders in the first become 10- and 12-yarders in the fourth if we just keep battling them and wear them down."
(on LT Duane Brown's success) "Well, talent would be one, obviously. The thing is that (LT) Duane (Brown) has worked very, very hard, had that little lay off a couple years ago where he wasn't able to play. From that point on, he's really put his nose to the grindstone. He came back in great shape. I think (Offensive Line Coach) John's (Benton) done wonders with everybody up front, and Duane is just taking everything he says. He's very easy to coach. John will give him one thing to work on and one thing to do and he'll correct it quickly."
LT Duane Brown
(on if he expects a little noise out of Bills DE Mario Williams) "I don't know, man. I'm sure he'll be excited to come back here, be his first time playing here in a long time. I'm just going to do my job, that's all."
(on the challenge RT Derek Newton faces with Bills DE Mario Williams) "He's been watching film. He's a pretty good player in his own right. I'm giving him tips that I've learned throughout the years facing him in practice. He's had a chance to block on him in practice last year, so he has a pretty good idea of what to expect. (Bills DE) Mario (Williams) is a very good player, very physical, one of the biggest, most athletic ends in the league. He brings a nice group of challenges; he's just got to buckle up."
(on if he's seen anything different in Bills DE Mario William's game) "What I watched on film is pretty much the same thing he's been doing his whole career. Just expecting him to turn it up a notch. There's a lot to be said about him coming back here. I'm sure he wants to perform. It's my job to not let him."
(on if he's surprised that the Bills are using DE Mario Williams on the left side) "No, he went back and forth when he was here. He's pretty versatile, so I'm not surprised at all. I think early on they played him most on our right but the last couple games they moved him around. I'm not surprised though."
(on if he's preparing to face DE Mario Williams) "I'm preparing like I will. They have a pretty good rotation of D-ends that they use. But I'm definitely preparing to face him."
(on the attitude of the team) "It's back to business. We're far from complacent; we know we have a long season left. We know that this is a game that we really have to prepare for. They have a lot of talent on that team, and they haven't played that well up to this point but we know better than to think that we're just going to show up and win. We know it's going to take our best effort from here on out to win every single game, week in and week out. That's our mindset."
(on the reception he thinks DE Mario Williams will get from fans) "I don't know, man. I love Houston fans, and I'm sure they're going to embrace him, one way or another. I don't know what they expect for him, but we've got to make sure that he's not on the stat sheet too much."
(on if he thinks it's fair that fans boo past Texans) "That's just how sports is. (Bills DE Mario Williams) definitely did a lot for this team, for this city but that's just how sports are. I can't say, they might cheer him, they might boo him, you never know. That's not really my concern."
(on what tips he gave RT Derek Newton) "Just told him to brace for (Bills DE Mario Williams) and be aggressive. He's a very big guy, very strong. So not anything that he's faced this year. But he's prepared, not too much that I can share. Just get ready for him."
(on playing against Bills DE Mario Williams) "We both know each other's tendencies and each other's strong points, so it's going to be interesting. Going against him in practice isn't the same as full speed on game day. It'll be interesting, and I'm looking forward to it."
NT Shaun Cody
(on the Bills) "Their offense is rolling pretty good. Watching the offensive side of the ball, they're doing a lot of good stuff. They're putting points on the board and they're moving it. We definitely have a challenge on our hands this week because like I said they're moving the ball and scoring points."
(on the Bills' running attack ) "They've got two great backs who do a great of job what kind of run game their running, working. The quarterback does a good job of spreading that ball out. They're all over the place. They want to spread you out kind of to attack you in the run game so hopefully we'll be ready for that."
(on if the Bills' offense is very different from other offenses) "A little bit in that they're predominately in 11 personnel which is one tight end, one running back. They're trying to attack you that way. Most teams like to get in with a fullback or an H-back back there, but they're predominately in that personnel group and they're trying to attack you in that."
CB Johnathan Joseph
(on if it's good to be back in the swing of things) "Absolutely. You know, Monday was a day to get you back used to practicing and today we game plan and got back out, our normal schedule. So today we get a chance to get back out there amongst your teammates and everything. Back to normal."
(on getting back to focus) "Absolutely. The bye week was time to get away from football, get away from everything. Relax your mind, relax your body, have a chance to see your family and friends you haven't seen in a while. And now obviously of course with the bye week behind, it's a long road ahead of us because we are looking to go deep into the playoffs and possibly the Super Bowl. Taking it one game at a time."
(on if he healed a little bit over the break) "Absolutely. Any time you have some extra time is always a good thing. For me, I use it valuably to sit down and rest for a week."
FS Danieal Manning
(on what he expects from Bill DE Mario Williams) "I think he's going to be hyped up. Definitely coming back home playing his former team, and wanting to show out in front of the crowd, it's a little bit going back and forth about what type of player he was here and what he's done for this team. Guys hate to lose him and stuff like that. It's going to be exciting to see playing this game with us."
(on the team's attitude at practice) "Guys were definitely eager to get back on the field. Again, just getting back and the pads back on and running around. You get guys a little rusty. You have a week, almost week and a half off from ball, some plays your laughing about because you're not making them. It's just fun to get back in the groove. We're playing against a team that's definitely capable of putting points up on us and capable putting a big win together if we're not careful."
(on what he sees from the Bills this season) "I just see the core guys they're young. They put some guys in. You got an offensive coordinator who's definitely a smart guy, been around for a long time. I guess it's just all those guys trying to get on the same page. Like I said, the games that they have won the defense played great and the offense definitely put points on the board. If we can keep them from doing that, stopping them on offense, stopping their running game and the offense continue to hold on to the ball and force those guys to stay in coverage for a long time we definitely can win this game."
RT Derek Newton
(on facing Bills DE Mario Williams) "It's going to be a big deal for me this week, a big challenge. My thing is to come to practice every day, get better, and be ready for the game on Sunday."
(on having practiced against Bills DE Mario Williams last year) "Pretty much just keep working, keep working hard at practice, keep working hard to get better, and things will turn out for the best for me on Sunday."
(on the biggest challenge Bills DE Mario Williams presents) "He brings a lot to the table, but at the same time, I've just got to be patient and play my game and just be ready for whatever he has for me."
QB Matt Schaub
(on his Halloween party) "We had a nice little get together. It was fun to get the guys and their significant others together outside of our football world. It was good."
(on who won best costume at his party) "(TE) Owen Daniels and his fiancé won the best one. They were the guys from Dumb and Dumber when they had the orange and blue tuxedoes. It was pretty good."
(on facing Bills DE Mario Williams) "I'm sure words will be exchanged. He was here for how many years and was the face of this organization for so long being the first overall pick. He's having some success there. He's a great player, glad to see him doing well."
(on the Bills' front-four defenders) "They've got a great group. Their front four can match up against pretty much anyone in the league. He's definitely playing well as are all their guys up front. They're a good group. You can't really key in and focus on one guy. You got to handle the whole group."
(on combating the Bills strong front with a good running attack) "Yeah, against anybody's good pass rush that's what you got to do. You've got to keep them guessing. You can't get in situations where they can just pin their ears back and rush. You've got to be able to run the football, be able to run your action game, and keep them off balance from that standpoint."
(on Bills DE Mario Williams) "He's a great player. He's definitely one that you've got to be aware of where he is.
(on facing the Bills) "It's a football game. We've got a game to go win. We're going to be pretty charged up and excited to go get our seventh win this week."
(on his bye week) "It was good to get away the point in the season where we're at being that it was week eight. We've been going at it since the start of camp so it was good to get away, get refreshed, our minds, our bodies and come back. We had a great practice on Monday competing against one another and get back into football after a few days off. Guys are refreshed and ready to go."
(on if he's concerned about lost timing after the bye week) "No, we're not concerned about that. We've been going at it long enough. We have enough veterans that have been together now for how many years. A few days off isn't going to hurt us."
(on RB Justin Forsett) "He's been a good player in this league for a few years now. He's demonstrated it to us as teammates that he's going to be ready when called upon. Every time he's been in there he's performed whether it be in the run or the pass game so we got a ton of confidence in his ability and what he can do for us."
(on if he evaluated his performance during the bye week) "That was the thing that we did last Monday and Tuesday and early in last week, was just evaluate ourselves, kind of a midseason report of our offense and what we've done well, what we need to work on, things that maybe we won't do these as much because it hasn't been as productive. It was more of a self-evaluation those days. We feel pretty good about the direction we want to go and continue towards."
(on his discussions with the coaches) "I think the comfort level between myself and the coaching staff; I've been around these guys for a number of years so the comfort level is there to where they ask my opinions. They ask me what I've liked and what I've disliked and vice versa. It's great interaction because we're all in this together. We're all on the same page of wanting to improve and continue to climb the mountain. Those talks were great last week."
(on watching the Bills on film) "We just turn on the film and to be honest with you, you see a ton of talent. You see a lot of good players making a lot of good plays. In this league, anyone can win on any given day. They've got an offense that can score points with the best of them. Their defense can make a lot of plays. They've got a lot of ball hogs in the secondary. Like I said, their front four can match up against any group. All you got to do is turn on the film. For us as a time, it's about what we do. We say that a lot. You got to focus on our jobs and what we got to do to be successful."
(on RT Derek Newton's improvement) "A ton, (RT Derek) Newton has really got a ton of confidence right now. He's really challenged himself to get better every week, every practice, and he's done that. The more reps and game experience he gets the more confident and the better player that he becomes. You can just see it on game days. He's very confident in what he can go out and do."
(on G/C Ben Jones' improvement) "(G/C) Ben's (Jones) a hard worker. He goes out every day looking for things to improve on. You know if he's going to make any type of mistakes he's going to do it a thousand percent. He's a hard worker who's going to give you everything he has on every play. Like (RT) Derek (Newton), every playing time that he gets, every snap and rep that he gets he's only getting better. Those two guys next to one another have really improved for us."
(on the work that is still to be done) "We realize the length of this season and the marathon that it is. You don't win any prizes at week seven to be 6 -1. We know there is a ton of work to be done. We got to put ourselves in a position to do some great things, but we know that we're only as good as the week in front of us."
(on succeeding with time of possession) "I think the big thing is keeping them manageable, being good on first down and being able to put ourselves in third and mediums and not put ourselves in those third and long situations. The thing is we've got a lot of playmakers. When you have that amount of weapons at your disposal, it puts stress on a defense in their matchups. They can't necessarily focus on one guy to cover. They got four or five that they got to worry about. That plays in our favor."
(on if he has a favorite Halloween costume or memory) "No, not many. I'm working on those right now, making those with my little ones at home and our family working on making those Halloween memories, dressing them up."
DE J.J. Watt
(on attending the Justin Bieber concert) "It was really good. I was there with the Berry children. Justin (Bieber) has done a lot with the Berry children and I was there with them to meet Justin. It's good. I have a lot of respect for him for what he did for those kids and obviously he does a lot of charitable acts, so it was a good time."
(on how it feels to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated) "When I was kid, we would go to Disney World and you do those photos where you put your face on the SI cover. Now my face is actually on the SI cover. It's pretty cool. It's surreal. It's an honor. It's just one of those things you dream about as a kid. It's one of those things that you grow up looking at the cover and imagining yourself on the cover. To be on the cover, it's very, very cool."
(on if he believes in the Sports Illustrated cover jinx) "No, I believe hard works cures everything. I don't believe in jinxes. I don't believe in sophomore slumps. I don't believe in any of that. I believe if you work hard and you do things the right way you'll be just fine."
(on his picture on the cover of Sports Illustrated) "It's pretty cool. I think it's pretty cool. Obviously I know wall the emotions that run through my head when I come out of that tunnel so it's cool to know what it feels like in that moment."
(on when he first saw the cover)" I saw it yesterday. Obviously, a lot of people tweeted it to me and sent it to me so I saw yesterday. It was pretty cool. I had to check with a couple different sources to make sure it was real. When I found out it was real, it was pretty neat."
(on if he was surprised at all at being on the cover of) "I didn't know they were going to do that. I got the picture and was pretty shocked. It was neat."
(on the Bills running game) "I think they're number three or number four in the league, very good running team. They have a couple good running backs. They do a lot of good things. They're explosive. You've got (C.J.) Spiller who can do a lot. Obviously (Fred) Jackson is a good runner, do a little bit with the Wildcat. Like I've said every single week, we need to stop the run first and that's always our first goal."
(on the Bills spread like offense) "They definitely try and spread you out and still run the ball. I think if we play our game, just execute our assignments and do what we're supposed to do we'll be just fine. It's always about us. It's always about the way we play. We're very confident in our scheme. Opponents can throw whatever they want at us, but as long as we execute and do our job we'll be fun."
(on time of possession) "It's huge. We want to get off the field. We want to give our offense the ball back so they can go do what they do so getting off the field is a big deal to us obviously. We want to be number one so it's another goal to strive for."
(on his bye week) "It was great. It was great for me. Gets your legs back under you, got to go home, see both my brothers, see my family, hang out, just relax, still did a lot of working out, a little bit of stuff aback home so it was good. It also rejuvenates you. Not playing on Sunday, it's nice, but it's also frustrating. You want to get back out there. You're hungry. You're ready to roll so chomping at the bit for this Sunday."
(on his community involvement) "The community is huge to me. I'm a firm believer in if we want people to come out and support us then we need to give back and support them. Our fans are so great. They're unbelievable all around town. I want to give back as much as I can and it's so important to me that kids get the same opportunities that I got growing up. Obviously, that's the whole basis behind my foundation. I was very fortunate. I understand I was very fortunate growing up as a kid and I was given many great opportunities. I don't want kids to have to suffer because adults can't afford those opportunities for them. That's the whole basis behind my foundation. That's why I give back when I do. You never want to see kids sad. You never want to see kids have to go through a tough time so any chance that we can put a smile on a kid's face, even for five seconds, that's a huge deal. I love doing that and I'll continue to do it until I'm done because we have an unbelievable platform as football players as NFL players the world kind of looks up to us. I feel like it's our job. It's our duty to put on a good show and be a good role model for those kinds and be someone that they can look up to."
(on the Berry's children and his involvement) "It was great. Those kids, they're a riot. It was Peter's (Berry) birthday and Justin (Bieber) took the cake and smashed it in his face so they loved that. They're just great kids. It's unbelievable to see their spirit. To go through what they had to go through at such a young age and see the way they bounce back, they're so lively. I'm going to check out one of their basketball games here soon. They're in a basketball league, a wheelchair basketball league. Last year they did wheelchair football. It's just crazy to see as adults I feel like I would have such a hard time handling that and they've done an unbelievable job. They keep their composure. It's just such a rewarding feeling to get a call from them or to see their smiles when you walk into a room. It lights up your world. It's so cool and it's so neat. Last night was great for me. It was a really cool experience to be with them just hanging out a little bit."
(on his success and goals) "I haven't reached all my goals yet. It's easy to stay focus when there are still things you're working towards. There is a lot more things out there that I want to get done. The SI cover is nice but it's not anywhere near my ultimate goal. I have a lot more things on the checklist. Every time I set a goal and I reach a goal, I have a new goal that I make. There is so much more we want to do as a team. We understand what it takes to get here. I understand what it took to get on the cover of SI and I also understand what it's going to take to stay at this level and keep playing this way and our team to keep playing this way. Like I've said before, it's a what have you done for me lately league. They can love you one minute and hate you the next. You just got to keep playing, keep doing what you do. I was brought up to work hard. Hard work is always going to be the basis of everything I do."
(on if there has been some rust coming off the bye week at practice) "No, I think coming back even on Monday. Monday we had a real great practice, high speed, high energy, high tempo. Today was good out there. That's one thing we attack every practice with focus and intensity. We're not out there just going through the motions. Everybody is trying to get better and that's what I love about this team. That's what I love about these guys is everybody is practicing with a purpose. Nobody is just trying to get by."
(on if he attended QB Matt Schaub's Halloween party) "I did not attend. I felt like it was a little more of a couples party and I'm a single 23-year old. I didn't have a date."
(on his Halloween costume) "My costume, I don't have a costume. I'm giving out candy tonight so I dress as me. I don't know. I'm not that creative like that."
(on the fan support) "It's unbelievable. It's extremely humbling. I'm almost at a loss for words at it. Just to see how much support, people are tweeting me their Halloween costumes. They're carving out pumpkins that look like me, and they're dressing up like me. Everybody is getting birthday gifts and it's my jersey. It's unbelievable. Probably the biggest surprise to me was at the concert yesterday I walk out and there is a whole bunch of little girls screaming my name and I'm like 'Are you sure you know who I am? You're not supposed to know me. I'm a football player.' It's really cool to see how all demographics, all ages, all sizes, male, female, there are so many fans and I think that is what's awesome about Houston. It's a football city. It's a football town. These people love their ball and it's really cool to be a part of that. I sure hope I'm a part of it for a long time. I love it here."
(on his favorite Halloween memory or costume) "I used to dress up as a Power Rangers all the time. I think I went as a Power Ranger three or four years in a row when I was a kid. I was red two years in a row and then I think I was the white one time. I'm big into hockey so if I dressed up, I would probably be a hockey player nowadays. You're not going to see me dressing up. I'm not that creative and I definitely don't have that much time on my hands to go get a costume. I'll just throw the candy at the kids. They enjoy it. I know my house last year by the end got popular because I give out the big candy bars. You know how the kids are. They go crazy for that. I'm pretty sure a couple kids switched costumes and came back last year. They're sneaky. They know what they're doing, but I'm excited for tonight. It'll be good. Hopefully, it stays safe."
Buffalo Bills Head Coach Chan Gailey Conference Call (Courtesy of Buffalo Bills PR)
Q: What jumps out at you defensively about the Texans?
A: How hard they play. They are very active. They are very good tacklers. They play fast every snap.
Q: How do you stop DE J.J. Watt? The other coaches we have talked to on conference calls have not come up with an answer that has worked yet. How do you take care of Watt and at least limit him?
A: I think that is the $64,000-question. How do you do that? We are just going to do our stuff and hopefully we can get on him, occupy him long enough to get some runs and get a pass off every now and then. He is a dynamic player to say the least.
Q: On the other side of the ball, RB Ben Tate does not look like he will be able to go this week. How much does it help you when you are game planning that the Texans are not going to have that two-headed attack on the ground?
A: It always helps to take a good player off of another team, but to say they do not have enough weapons would be a misstatement. They have plenty of weapons. It is not like they will not be able to execute what they want to be able to do. They have done a good job using both of them, but I think they will be just fine.
Q: A lot of people down here in Houston think WR Andre Johnson has lost a step as he has gotten up in years, do you see that when you look at film of him?
A: I know one thing—he still scares the daylight out of you. If he has lost it, it is hard to see it that much for us. Maybe the people that play him more and see him more than we do might have a better idea than us. We do not see him that often. He looks great when we watch him.
Buffalo Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick Conference Call (Courtesy of Buffalo Bills PR)
Q: Can you talk about when you watch the tape of the Texans defense, what stands out to you?
A: Yeah, there is a lot. They are a top defense for a reason. I think you start up front and the pressure that they get on the quarterback. Some of it just from straight rushing, some of it from blitzing and some of it the games that they run, but a lot of pressure on the quarterback and they bat a lot of balls down. I know that there has been a lot made of that and that they are very effective at doing that. They are tough on the backend too. They have created a lot of turnovers and big plays on defense. They are playing really well.
Q: When you talk about the batted balls, you are right they have been able to do that. A lot of clubs have tried to stop that, but what have the Texans done to be able to overcome that?
A: I think they just have players up front that just have a good feel for it. There is not a whole lot you can do as an offense to stop that. I think they have good defensive linemen that have a good feel for it.
Q: When you watch DE J.J. Watt on tape, what comes to mind?
A: Relentless. He obviously makes a lot of sacks and bats some balls down, but he does a great job in the run game as well getting off blocks and creating havoc in the backfield. He is a guy that has been playing at a very high-level this year and a guy that really jumps off the tape when you watch it.
Q: The Texans have talked a lot about your run game and how effective it can be. How much can you use that to off-set what they are trying to do with their rush and batting down passes?
A: That is just part of us and our identity. I think we have two real talented tail backs and two guys that we need to get the ball. They are explosive players. That is something we try to do all of the time. Just get them their touches. We expect them to make big plays for us. That is always helpful when you can get the run game going.
Q: One more thing about this batted ball deal. Do you have to kind of just put that out of your head and not let it affect you mentally knowing that they constantly always have their hands up trying to get in your passing lanes?
A: Yeah, you just go about your business. There are too many things I am thinking about. It is something I cannot worry about. If it happens, it happens.
Q: What is your biggest concern with this defense when you look at the film and the Texans?
A: There are very few deficiencies. You look at them across the board statistically. Sometimes statistics lie, but they are in the top of the league in everything. You put on the tape and the stats do not lie. These guys are a great defense. Relentless was a word that I used for J.J. Watt, but it is their whole defense. It is their whole front seven. Just getting after the quarterback and playing hard. It will be a great challenge for us.
Q: Do they remind you of any other defenses you have faced this year or recently?
A: No, I do not want to throw out any comparisons or anything. We have played some good ones, but these guys are right up there.
