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Head Coach Bill O'Brien**
(opening statement) "These three guys will not play in the game: Lonnie Ballentine, Akeem Dent and Jonathan Grimes. Rest of these guys, those guys that you always ask me about, Arian (Foster), Duane (Brown), those guys will be game-time decisions."
(on how G Xavier Su'a-Filo is doing) "Doing good, he's had a good week of practice. We're going to try to get him in there."
(on what he's seem from S William Moore and CB Desmond Trufant) "Both guys are very good players. Moore is a very good tackler, very physical player, instinctive player. Trufant is a really, really good corner. He doesn't get targeted very often for obvious reasons. He's a smart player. He studies film. He's got good ball skills. Two very good players."
(on how challenging it is for DE J.J. Watt to constantly find ways to improve) "Definitely, very challenging for him, and I think that's the type of guy he is. As great as he's been, he's always looking for ways to improve, whether it's obviously with a new move, as to how he would take on a run block, a pass rush move, maybe it's some new exercise that he does in the weight room. The guy is always looking to improve. I think that's what, again, that's what makes him great. Any great player I've ever been around, they're always looking for ways to improve."
(on going up against a zone running team) "Yes, that is very difficult. That's what (Offensive Coordinator) Kyle Shanahan has done for a long time. They run play action, I think he's doing a great job. Got a lot of respect for their offense, and we just have to show up, play, do our job, and not make mistakes and hopefully it'll turn out okay."
(on how to stop Falcons WR Julio Jones) "Tough to do that. This guy is one of the best receivers in the league. I think he's been targeted close to 50 times in three games. He's a great player, big, fast, strong, great hands. It's going to be a tough challenge."
RB Arian Foster
(on his progress and if he feels good enough to play Sunday vs. Atlanta) "Progression is well, I think. From two months ago having it off the bone to today, it feels great. So yeah, I feel like I got a chance so it just depends on how it feels on Sunday."
(on if he trusts his body enough to play running back) "Yeah, the more and more you run on it, the better, the more confidence you build on it, and I guess this is the type of injury – I talked to the doctor that cut me open and he said the best rehab actually is getting out there and playing. He feels confident that the attachment is going to stay there. That helps out."
(on if he realized how bad the injury was when it happened) "Yeah."
(on if he realized how bad the injury was because of the pain) "No, not because of the pain. I've been with my body for a while now, so you kind of know what it feels like when something happens."
(on if he is taking into consideration the fact the Texans are playing on Thursday next week and if that affects his decision to play Sunday vs. Atlanta) "Yeah, I mean, all of that gets taken in. This is a business, so it gets taken into consideration. So, we're cognizant of that and we'll move forward accordingly."
(on if he would be okay sharing reps in his first game back to help ease him back in) "Yeah man, I'm just a rook really. I'm just a chess piece out there. That's the coach's call. He'll ask me how I feel and we'll have some nice conversations about it. Ultimately, it's the coach's call how much he wants to play me out there."
(on if he's hoping to feel a certain way before the game on Sunday that will let him know if he can play) "Yeah, just hope it doesn't feel like you can't go. I don't know how to explain it. It's just a feeling. You either know you can go or you can't."
(on his practice participation and whether he was limited or a full participant) "I have no idea what that means, actually."
(on if he feels limited) "I mean, like I said, 'limited' like if you're out there, you're out there. I never really understood what limited meant. I understand when you're first coming back, I guess. You don't want to do all the drills. But I'm a full participant in all the practices. That's for y'all, I guess."
(on if he is 'excited, edgy or juiced' to possibly play vs. Atlanta on Sunday) "I haven't played since December of last year, so it's what I've been dreaming of since I was a kid, playing in the NFL. So I'm excited. I love what I do. I'm excited, edgy and juiced."
(on the possibility of making his first start with QB Ryan Mallett) "We were talking about that earlier, actually. We never got a chance to rock together. I feel like he has a really good command of the offense and you can tell it's just very smooth when he gets out there because he's been in it for so long and he commands it. When you have players like that who are confident in what they're doing, it's going to be fun."
(on the game RB Alfred Blue had last week) "He had a good game. Anytime you can get any kind of success in this league, it's a tribute to the work you put in. I was happy for him. I was out there as much as I could to try and encourage and coach him up with all the running backs, you know, to the best of my ability. He's going to be a good one."
