(opening statement) "We knew going into today that we had a big challenge. We were playing the hottest team in the NFL. They're a good football team. They're a veteran team. They made the plays at crunch time. We had a number of opportunities and unfortunately we weren't able to capitalize on our opportunities and they capitalized on theirs. I thought our team fought their tails off. We had a blocked field goal in a situation where things didn't look too good. I thought that our kicking game gave us good field position. We took the ball away on defense. We were able to capitalize and score points of the takeaways. It came down to them making the plays at the end of the football game. There have been games like that where we made them but unfortunately we didn't make them today. Our execution didn't match our intentions today at critical times in the football game."
(on the play calls on the last possession) "you can look back at a lot situations. We had outstanding field position and we would have attempted the field goal if we don't lose any yardage. They came in, give them credit, they knocked us out of field goal range. One of the things you don't want to do in those situations in lose yardage. You would like to be a able to go in and take a shot and kick the ball."
(on throwing deep in overtime) "We had one-on-one coverage on Andre Johnson. We liked the match-up there and we took a shot at it. I'm sure you could go back through and there are a lot of calls that when they don't work you go back at look at them. I thought our thinking was sound on it when you have a guy in a match-up you like one-on-one with the guy up pressing Andre."
(on S Ramon Walker having a great game) "Ramone did (have a great game). Anytime you block two kicks in a game. That doesn't happen very often. A blocked punt, a blocked field goal, and we had good push on the other ones."
(on the loss being frustrating) "It's very frustrating. This is the hottest team in the NFL right now. Had we been able to make the plays and come out on top I think it would have been a major step in the right direction. We have a group down there in that locker room that has great intentions, a great attitude, and a great work ethic."
*Texans SS Eric Brown *
(on the team's effort) "It's not all bad because we did make some plays but we lost. We pretty much went out there and gave it our best effort but we came up short. We did not get the job done. This is one is going to hurt for awhile. "
*Texans DE Jerry Deloach *
(on the defense being tired during the Patriots' score at the end of regulation) "I feel like I was in shape enough to play the entire overtime and I was confident the entire defense could play well into overtime if needed. I was not worried about it because we had to go out and make plays but we did not make enough."
(on the defensive performance) "I am proud of everybody. Terrance (Martin), Junior (Ioane), Steve (Martin). And Gary (Walker) for staying around and helping us out. It has been a good year for the defensive line because you've seen guys step up and play well."
(on the big plays of the defense) "Yes, we've made some big plays at crucial times, but we're not fortunate to make one more big play to get us the win."
Texans
TE Billy Miller
(on if this is the worst loss) "Right now it's the worst one because it's very fresh in my mouth, it's terrible…I need to spit a couple times. I'm drained, it was an emotional game, I felt that we definitely should have won the game, I'm just tired of being on this side of it."
(on overtime) "Yeah, we were in good shape, but we didn't execute, and if we don't execute the plays that are called, then we come up short. It just seems like in some games, when it's crunch time, we go out and sometimes we do it and sometimes we don't. We need to get to the point where, if we get the ball, we're going to put you away."
Texans
WR Jabar Gaffney
(on the loss) "This is pretty tough, we had one of the hottest teams in the NFL down here today and we had them on the ropes. We just couldn't finish them."
(on being down 13-3 at half) "We never thought that we were out of it the whole game. We were just doing little things to keep ourselves out of it. We knew if we could change those things around and make adjustments, that we could go out there and beat them."
Texans S
Ramon Walker
(on if he say a weakness in New England's FG unit on film) "We knew that we could get a block during the week. We picked it up on film. It was a big advantage to know what they were going to do."
(on the punt block) "I did an up-and-under move to get by and I got through clean and I laid out for the block."
(on his special teams play) "I just go out there and try to make plays. We have a group of guys that fight every game. We all just try to get to the ball and make plays."
(on the quiet locker room) "It hurts because we knew we could have won. To go to overtime and lose it just kills you."
Texans C
Steve McKinney
(general comments) "We had a chance to win the game and we didn't get it done."
(on the series after New England punted from their end zone in OT) "Basically all we were trying to do was set it up for a field goal. We didn't feel like we had to get any yards, we felt like Kris was good from 52 (yards). We were just trying to set him up on the left hash. Then we get a 5-yard loss and that is frustrating."
(on the tough loss) "We played our hearts out today. The defense and special teams did an incredible job. They really kept us in the ball game. Offensively, points and yards were tough to come by today. You have to give them credit, they are a good defense. They had a good game plan and just out executed us."
Texans P
Chad Stanley
(on the team's outlook for next week) "I feel like anytime we step on the field I feel we have a chance to win. I don't think this loss will affect anyone beyond tonight and maybe tomorrow."
Texans
NT Steve Martin
(on the outcome) "It just comes down to finding a way to win, you have to do whatever you have to do to win. Regardless of the mistakes you make throughout the game, it's all about that last minute and can you find a way to win."
(on the team's fight) "We fought hard, that's a plus, and everybody gave it their all. It's just about winning, we have got to win."
Texans
QB Tony Banks
(on the tough loss) "They made the plays when it came down to it and we didn't."
(on the decision to punt instead of trying the FG) "We weren't able to keep the same yardage where we were. Unfortunately, we got moved back."
(on the team as a whole) "We're a bunch of fighters and go into most games as the underdog. One thing you can't measure is a guy's heart. The guys in the locker room have the hearts of a lion."
Texans G
Todd Washington
(on the Patriots defense) "They have a good defense. They bend but don't break. We tried to break them. They have a lot of guys who have experience and they're crafty guys who know their stuff."
(on making plays) "Football is about how many plays you make, not how many quarters. It came down to five or six plays that would determine the outcome of the game. If you make them, you're victorious. If not, you're going to struggle on finding ways to win."
*Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick *
(on ending up with a win) "We talk a lot on our team about hanging in there and playing 60 minutes of football, and today was 74 or 73. As I told the team, I didn't think we played particularly well but we have a lot of tough guys in that locker room that stepped up and made a lot of big plays at key times."
(on the Texans' effort) "I've got to give a lot of credit to Houston and to Dom (Capers). They are a tough team, and we knew that coming down here. We didn't expect anything different from what we got. They are a tough, physical team and they certainly played that way all day today. They are one of the better special teams units we have faced and they obviously gave us some trouble, so it was good to get out of here with a win."
(on the poise of Tom Brady down the stretch) "Tom has always been great at the end of the games. He's a good decision-maker; he made some really key throws under pressure scrambling around and taking some hits. The touchdown pass to (Daniel) Graham was a big-time throw under pressure. He really did a good job."
(on the bootleg call on fourth down for the touchdown) "It's one of our lead plays on the goal line for this game. I thought it was the right situation at the time. We could have run it but if we picked up the first down we were still looking at having the ball on the three or four yard line. Then we would have gone through another sequence of plays, and we thought we might be able to get that one in and score there."
(on Adam Vinatieri's troubles) "Adam has been as good a player as we could possibly ask for in that situation. I don't think there was much he could have done about the one that was blocked. The guy came through the end-wing gap and made a good play. I felt like once we got the protection straightened out we could count on Adam and he made it."
Patriots
QB Tom Brady
(on being undefeated in over time) "It didn't look good there for a minute, but our defense stepped it up. That last drive was really good. Great execution by everyone, and that's what it takes. When it gets really loud, and you're in a dome the communication is tough. This team just showed that we have a lot of heart and perseverance. We had some early mistakes, but being able to overcome those was great."
(on mistakes) "They frustrate you. The first interception we ended up getting turned back over, the one with Marcus Coleman was bad execution and the third one was a bad decision. I tried to make the play with nothing to be made. I just tried to throw it with a guy hanging on me."
(on being in a "funk" or not) "I don't think that I was in a funk. I thought that I was really focused today. Some times are better than others I guess. You just have to hope there is more good than bad."
(on Daniel Graham two big plays) "Those were really great plays. He made the one down the field that really changed the position for us. On the last one he did a great job of running on the side and cutting back to lose his defender and giving me a place to throw it. I put it up there and he made a great catch on that."
NOTES
The Texansbroke the attendance record with 70,719 (had 70,694 vs. Tennessee 12/29/02)
The Texansplayed their first overtime game
The Texans recorded their longest scoring drive in team history with an 8:41 drive that setup the first points of the game (FG) in the first quarter
The Texans scored 14 points off turnovers, a season-high for 2003
The Texanshave scored 51 points off turnovers in 2003, they had 37 points off turnovers in 2002
The Texans beat their single season record of 11 passing touchdowns from 2002, with 13 total in 2003
The Texans continued their streak of at least one offensive touchdown in every game in 2003
S Eric Brown recorded his first interception in 2003 and ninth career interception (third as a Texan)
K Kris Brown continued his streak of not missing a field goal since he missed a 50-yarder on Sept. 28, 2003 against Jacksonville
K Kris Brownscored in his 58 th consecutive game
CB Marcus Coleman recorded his team-high fifth interception of the season and 20 th of his career * *
CB Marcus Coleman tied the Texans single season high of five interceptions, CB Aaron Glenn had five in 2002* *
CB Marcus Coleman started in his 117 th career game
LB Jay Foreman recovered his first fumble as a Texan and third of his career
WR Jabar Gaffney recorded his first career rush, a 13-yarder in the first quarter
CB Aaron Glenn started in his 145 th career game
DT Junior Ioane shared his first sack (.5) in 2003 and recorded his 1.5 career sack
WR Andre Johnson scored his fourth career touchdown
DT Steve Martin recorded his first sack in 2003 and 7.5 career sack
TE Billy Miller recorded his third touchdown catch in 2003 and sixth of his career
LB Shantee Orr recorded the 1.5 sack in his first two weeks in the NFL
LB Jamie Sharper started in his 106 th career game
S Ramon Walker blocked the first punt for the Texans in 2003 and last Texans punt blocked since Jimmy McClain blocked a punt against Washington (12/22/02)
S Ramon Walker blocked the first field goal in team history
OL Zach Wiegert started in his 100 th career game * *
LB Kailee Wongrecorded his third sack in 2003 and 15 th of his career* *
<span>LB
**Kailee Wong** recorded a sack against the Patriots and became
the Texans career sack leader with 8.5 (the team record is eight by
Jeff Posey)</span>
