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Head Coach Bill O'Brien**
(opening statement) "Like I said yesterday, just wasn't our best football game obviously. Too many penalties. Too many big plays, didn't coach good enough. So we have to turn the page. We have to turn the page and we have turned the page. We met with our team today, meetings are probably over about now. We're moving on to New England. As far as injuries go, I think we're fairly healthy. Normally at this time of the year, a lot of guys are banged up. That's definitely the case with us. We've got a lot of guys that have played a lot of football for us and they're banged up. Brandon Brooks stayed overnight in Buffalo, should be back in Houston by seven o'clock tonight. Then, Cecil Shorts took a hit there at the end of the game. But he's not in the concussion protocol and looks to be okay. With that, I'll open up for questions."
(on the job the Bills did on DE J.J. Watt) "Look, they had some good schemes. They've got a very good offensive coaching staff, Greg Roman did a good job. But we've got to regroup and, like I said, we're moving on to New England. We've got to figure out how to do better there."
(on the importance of the upcoming game vs. New England) "You're right. I think every game is big though. I really do. I think when you're in this league, you only play once a week, I don't see in the regular season where necessarily one game is bigger than the other. I know the race that we're in and those types of things, but I think in December every game is big."
(on the New England Patriots organization) "Tremendous respect. Good friends, got a lot of lifelong friends in that organization. Starting at the top with Mr. (Robert) Kraft, Coach (Bill) Belichick, Josh McDaniels, Nick Caserio, Chad O'Shea, Ivan Fears, all those guys that I worked with there, Matt Patricia. But I think in the end, and you're right, I'll get a lot of those questions this week and I'll answer all of them. But I think in the end, what it's about is, it's really about the two teams. It's not necessarily - it's not about Romeo (Crennel) or Mike Vrabel or myself or George Godsey or Vince Wilfork. It's about the two teams playing each other, the 2015 Texans versus the 2015 Patriots. That's what this week's about."
(on RB Chris Polk's progress this season) "I think the whole thing all the time with Chris Polk is that he stays healthy. So far, he's stayed healthy the last few weeks. He's helped us in the running game and he can catch passes out of the backfield and he contributes on special teams. I think he's playing pretty well for us and hopefully that will continue."
(on the success the Texans had running the ball vs. Buffalo) "I thought the offensive line, for the most part, I thought those guys blocked well. I think they've gotten better and better every week. I think they're still improvement to be made in the running game. I think there were still some yards left out there that we can do better in the running game. But I thought overall, the offensive line blocked, in the running game, blocked well yesterday."
(on the defense playing better in the second half last week and carrying that over to this week) "We came out in the second half and played better on defense, no doubt about it, overall, until the end there. We played better on defense, but I think every game is different. You know this past game, Buffalo was about unbalanced, wildcat, zone read, different types of schemes to get to the outside, so it's going to be whatever the Patriots decide to do and maybe they'll do some of that, but I don't necessarily think we are going to see a bunch of wildcat, I think it's different every single week."
(on having previously coached Patriots QB Tom Brady and how that will help in this week's preparation) "You guys are probably going to laugh at this, but I don't see it as much of a benefit at all because I think I haven't been there in three years and they are a lot different than when I was there."
(on what separates Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick from other coaches) "He is a very bright guy and he's been in the National Football League for 40-plus years. When he graduated from college, he went right to the NFL. He has seen it all. He has seen the changes in the league over 40 years, both in strategy and in salary cap, free agency and trades, all the different things. He really understands the league and he understands personnel really well. He understands his own team and how he put his team together, it's different every year at a lot of positions and he tries to, with his staff, they have a really good coaching staff, they try to put together the game plan that is best suited to beat the team that they are playing."
(on what he expects from the Patriots coming off consecutive losses) "I expect one of the best football teams in football coming in here and playing a good game and posing a number of challenges to our team."
(on the clock management before halftime and if he considered calling a timeout late in the first half) "Yeah, we thought about it there. I did, I did think about it there, but looking back on it, right now, I think we handled the clock well in that situation for the way that the game was going and the way that drive was going. I wasn't disappointed with how I handled the clock there."
(on if G Brandon Brooks will play this week) "I think it's too soon. I think he was pretty sick, so I think it's too soon. I am hoping that it is going to be okay, but it is probably too soon to tell right now."ILB Brian Cushing
(on moving onto the next game) "That's our only option. We have a big game coming up this week. We are going to watch some film on yesterday, but for the most part we are moving forward to, obviously, a very big game."
(on some of the mistakes made in yesterday's game) "Yeah, it just wasn't our best game. It wasn't our best game, but at the end of the game we still had the opportunity to win and we didn't get it done. Turn the page, we got to get going and we got to get going quick and get over this today."
(on still controlling their fate with four games left) "Yup, it's right in front of us and we control our own destiny, right now, and we just got to worry about the next game. The most important thing is to get the job done and win."
(on if he shares with his younger teammates what it's like to go against Patriots QB Tom Brady) "I'll share some of the experiences, but I mean, obviously, a very good quarterback, he is going to give us some issues and different matchups and know what he is looking for, so we just have to go into the game plan expecting certain things that he is going to do, but as we all know and saw, yesterday, he pulled some things out. He does some different things that no one is expecting, that's what makes him one of the best, if not the best ever."
CB Kevin Johnson
(on correcting some easy mistakes) "Yeah, I watched the tape a couple of times and there is some stuff that I can do better. We are going to watch the tape again and just correct those things."
(on facing Patriots QB Tom Brady) "It is going to be a tough matchup. Tom Brady is known as one of the best players to play the game, so we have to be on our game."
(on letting go of what happened and moving on to this week) "I am going to learn from it. We are going to watch the tape some more today, and I am going to see what I can do better and then I am going to get ready for next week, but learn lessons from it."
(on still controlling their own destiny) "Yeah, we just have to focus on this week first with the Patriots and we have to bring our A-game."
CB Johnathan Joseph
(on still controlling their fate with four games left) "That's the good thing about it, there's always something positive to come out of it. Obviously, we have a tough four game stretch coming up and I think every game means something, so you have to take it one game at a time."
(on how the previous four game win streak helped propel you to where you are now in the standings) "It puts you in the position to where you control what happens at the end of the year. It obviously gives you a chance to, into contention for postseason play. I think we are all aware of that in this locker room. Coming off a loss like yesterday, we had a long plane ride back where guys can kind of look at the film and move on from it. Obviously, today we are going to talk about some of the mistakes we made in the game, but the mindset is onto the New England Patriots now."
(on how do you help the younger players move on quickly from a loss like yesterday) "You just have to make sure that everyone is on board with it. Obviously, some of the younger guys, rookies and younger guys, haven't played a whole lot of football, but you have to have the veterans, like me and Nate (Washington) and those guys, to preach it, constantly, throughout the week about moving on from it and just learning from it."
(on the touchdown at the end of the game by Bills TE Charles Clay) "It wasn't really miscommunication. It was a combination of a lot of things, but I think, more so, they had a great play call on for that particular defense at the time."
(on facing Patriots QB Tom Brady) "Ultimate competitor, he's one of the best to ever do it. He is always prepared and always ready. It's a full 60-minutes, or however long the game lasts, playing against a guy like that, just look at the game from last night with those guys."
WR Nate Washington
(on still being in the playoff hunt with four games left) "Oh yeah, definitely. The attitude and attention to where this team is right now is right where it should be. The heads of the guys understand we still have an opportunity in front of us. It's a lot of football to play, but it's our job to be focused, our job to be aware of our opportunity in front of us. We have to seize it. We can't let this opportunity slip through our hands."
(on having to face the Patriots who are one of the better teams in the league) "Definitely. It's always good when you have an opportunity to face a known playoff team. The Patriots are a well-respected team in this league, as they should be obviously. But we have an opportunity in front of us and what better opponent to have it against. These guys have been at the top of the league for the past years. Coach (Bill) Belichick is one of the best coaches in the league to get his team prepared. But we fully believe in (Bill) O'Brien. He fully believes in us and the opportunity is there in front of us to go seize it. It's important for us to get in these film sessions and get back on the practice field Wednesday and clean up a lot of our things. We'll be all right."
(on the importance of turning the page quickly after the loss to Buffalo) "It's very important. I think the mode of 'we lost' is already gone. I don't think guys are in that mode. I think it's the eagerness to get back in the weight room, get back in the film sessions, and get back in those things to understand what happened. I think a lot of the guys understand the situation that's in front of us. The loss that happened yesterday is definitely behind us. None of the guys are even walking around dwelling on that. I don't think I've heard any of the guys mention it since I've been in the building this morning. That's the most important thing. We understand that it happened. Like I said before, yesterday, kudos to the Bills, they played a good game, but we must move on. That game is behind us now. That was yesterday and we're looking forward to our tomorrow."
