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(on how Fernando Velasco did in his first start at center)
I thought he played pretty well. He did a nice job, handled the checks and communicating with Kerry and the rest of the guys and getting the right thing. I think for the most part he did a pretty good job of protecting the passer. Obviously, we were effective in the run game when we needed to be and I thought he played pretty well.
*(on the value of having fresh legs on the defensive line)*
It helped. Certainly the rest over the weekend helped. We played a game that we're probably better suited to play, and that's one where you can just roll off and rush the passer. That's what we did most of the second half.
(on how Hall Davis and Malcolm Sheppard played)
They played good. They didn't play a lot, but they were fine. They'll get better this week.
(on their ability to convert two early fourth downs and if they will continue to go for it on fourth down)
Not necessarily. We felt good about what we had, and as I said after the game, we felt good about being able to anticipate some things that we might get and attack them. We predicted and guessed right and it helps that we were able to execute.
(on if Kenny Britt is as important to the offense as the statistics suggest)
He's been very effective. He had seven touchdowns for us before he went out with the hamstring in the San Diego game. He's been very effective. Yesterday he kept drives alive, made some big plays and he's playing with a great deal of energy and making a lot of plays—tough catches, traffic catches. So yeah, he's becoming a very, very good football player.
(on how close Kenny Britt was to making the diving catch along the sideline)
You know the ground—it came loose. That's a great effort. It is a hard catch when you're running that fast and extend and then you've got control of the ball, it's just hard to maintain control. That's a great effort.
(on how much of a boost it was to the team to catch a break on that tipped pass that was completed to Kenny Britt)
We haven't been getting many of those over the last five or six weeks. Really in any of the three phases, when you get a tip like that, even a tip for an interception at times is certainly a boost for your football team. That was just a big play; you kind of almost expected something like that to happen this week.
(on giving the game ball to Mike Heimerdinger)
He's dedicated himself to his job and to this organization—to this team and specifically to the offense in a very, very difficult time. What he's going through is not easy. Since he was diagnosed I was waiting for the opportunity and it was the perfect opportunity yesterday. He did a great job. He did a great job all week with the plan, and a great job calling. We're just fortunate to be able to have him at the office every day.
(on how much Dowell Loggains' role has expanded)
He's doing a little bit more of the installation. He's spending a little bit more time with the quarterbacks. The quarterbacks have been great. They all really enjoy working with Dowell and working with Mike (Heimerdinger). They're spending a lot of extra time; Kerry (Collins) is spending a lot of extra time—as he always does. Yeah, Dowell's role has expanded a little bit. You know, he's calling the plays, he's sending the plays in. Mike's communicating to Dowell and Dowell is sending the plays in to the quarterback.
(on how much help the positive momentum can help with the rest of the season)
Well I think the second half of the Colts game; I think that's where it started. We started scoring points and keeping the ball out of the end zone and we wanted to continue with that. Fortunately we were able to do that. I think you can see by the way this game goes how one side affects the other. As it would relate to us, respectively, the points scored and then the defense being able to get some stops—a third-and-one stop here and there, a fourth-and-one stop, get the ball back and then get a lead and then you're basically playing a one-dimensional offense. As far as they're concerned, they've got the second-best rushing attack in the National Football League and they averaged 1.8 per carry because they got behind. That just kind of shows you how the game is going.
(on if the NFL needs to address unfair scheduling)
I think the league looks at those things and they do the best that they can, but with the network and all the Thursday games you just can't avoid those situations. Baltimore is on a short week, last Monday night in Houston and come back and beat the World Champs (New Orleans Saints). It's hard to put it together, but they do as good of a job as they can, from the standpoint that they're never going to give someone an advantage going into the short week, it's what happens after.
(on if he has talked with Bo Scaife and Vincent Fuller since yesterday about being inactive for the game)
No, I haven't talked to them today.
(on if it was a mistake to sign Randy Moss)
Not a mistake whatsoever. If I had to do it over, of course I'd do it. He's been great. Again, I explained this last week, Randy has been great for this team. The numbers aren't there, the production isn't there, the play time isn't there right now because Kenny's (Britt) coming back. Randy is a great teammate. He works with the young guys, has fun and is just great to have around. People have enjoyed him.
(on if Randy Moss would want to be more productive)
I'm sure he does, everybody would like to have 10 catches for 200 yards. He's had such great games and such a great career, but it just hasn't worked out that way. He, by no means, has been anything but great and understanding and understands where we are. He knew when he came in the kind of player that Kenny (Britt) was and has been a really good influence on Kenny here as of late. I think he gets satisfaction out of seeing Kenny be productive.
(on if Randy Moss has expressed any frustration with his role in the offense)
No, he's bought into what we're doing, he's a pro and he's been a great influence in the locker room for us.
(on if Randy Moss' decreased production is due to decreasing ability on his end)
No, as I said he was getting rotation early in the first two or three weeks and we had some opportunities in the Washington game that we were unable to capitalize on. He's practicing fine, he's making plays, you see him make plays and run by people on the practice field—it just hasn't happened (in a game).
(on how many snaps Randy Moss played against the Texans)
I don't know offhand.
(on how Jared Cook played)
He ran around and made some plays. He made some tough catches, made two first-down catches for us, and was getting open. He wasn't the primary target on a number of instances, but he battled, he's blocking better, he finished blocks, I saw him block (Brian) Cushing across the field. He did a nice job with what we asked him to do.
(on if Randy Moss has offered words of wisdom to Jared Cook like he has with Kenny Britt)
I mean he could have, I don't know. I think anybody who comes in here from another club and sees the kind of capability and potential that Cookie has, would notice. I don't know if Randy has said anything to him or not.
(on the increased number of offsides penalties)
He was using the hard count and the center moved the ball a couple times, but that's what happens when the umpire moves back to the other side of the line of scrimmage. We had nine penalties in the last eight minutes of the game, that is unacceptable. Only one had something to do with the play, we had false starts on offense, Kenny (Britt) had one, G-Mac (Gerald McRath) had one on the punt. We were lined up in the neutral zone a couple of times—again you'd like to see it work both ways, when the offensive tackle starts backing up, backing up and is not breaking the framework of the center, the offensive tackle needs to be held responsible for that too. We got warned early in the game and they decided to call us for aligning in the neutral zone.
(on if Leroy Harris did a good job of not being drawn into a penalty after the play at the end of the first half)
You know, I have to go back and look at it. I didn't see what was going on because I was managing the clock. I needed to get timeout called to kick the field goal and the first official that I went to as I began to tell him I want a timeout with two seconds left on the game clock, he looked at me and then ran out to get involved in the fracas. So then I went to the next official to make sure I was going to get the timeout called, so time wouldn't expire so I didn't see what took place out there. But if Leroy is involved in something and is not penalized then he must have kept his poise.
(on if Brian Cushing was penalized because he removed his helmet)
Unsportsmanlike conduct, so I'll have to go back and look at it.
(on the difference between a Monday at the facility after a win and a Monday at the facility after a loss)
It's certainly much better to come to work in these circumstances, but you still do the same things. You correct the tape, you look at the game, you look at the mistakes, you see where you could have played better. In this particular case we gave the players a 'Victory Monday' which they were certainly entitled to this week, so they're going to come in and get their workout in and watch tape on their own. The coaches are getting a head start on Kansas City.
(on if the Titans are making it a priority to get off to fast starts the rest of the season)
We try to do that all the time. We were able to convert, we were sacked and we were able to convert and get out of the negative-yard situations and kept the drive alive and got points. You want to be aggressive, you want to get points, you want to get the ball back and you want to get fast starts. We preach that every week. The guys went in the locker room saying they wanted to double the points in the second half and that's the attitude that you have to take—come back out and approach it as if it is a tie ballgame. The fast start certainly helped us. It changed the tempo, it changed our defensive approach, Chuck (Cecil) did a good job of adjusting to the fact that we were up and that we could anticipate a lot more passing situations and we tried to keep our pass rushers on the field. We made all of the adjustments.
*(on if Bo Scaife will be inactive for the rest of the season)*
I don't know. I'm obviously going to try and work out and create a situation where he can come back and help us. I'm going to continue to let Cookie (Jared Cook) play, but it's going to be a week-to-week thing here for the next couple of weeks.
(on if Bo Scaife's comments about Vince Young had anything to do with him being inactive on Sunday)
It had nothing to do with the fact that he was inactive. We had talked earlier, actually very, very early in the week about getting Cookie (Jared Cook) more playing time.
(on Vince Young being on the sideline for the game)
Well it was good, I guess his teammates appreciate him showing up—that was good. Again, I honestly didn't know he was there until I stood in the press conference. I am focusing on what's going on out here and not what's going on out there behind us. I didn't speak with him; I understand he was there for about a quarter.
*(on the Vince Young situation)*
Look this deal is y'all's deal, this is not our deal. We had an issue in the locker room after the Washington Redskin game. He had surgery; he went on IR (Injured Reserve). I have not spoken with him, he is on IR and we'll address it when the season is over, period. Whatever is going on is not an issue, I'm focused on the football team, the guys who are playing and we'll address the future of this franchise and the quarterback position when the season is over.
(on if it is a distraction for Vince Young to come at halftime and leave in the fourth quarter)
Again, I didn't know he was there. Talk to him; find out what he was doing. I saw Injured Reserve players that were at the game, I knew they were at the game because I saw them in the locker room before the game and I said hello to them. I don't know who all was there and who wasn't there, but I did see a few of them. Beyond that, I don't know what his intentions were and why he came for just a quarter. I can't speak for that or him.
(on if Chris Johnson is injured because he was caught in the open field)
Oh no, you're talking about a player who can really run—I'm talking about the defender (Jason Allen). He can run and he had an angle. If you look at the play, he had a pretty good idea of where he was going to try and make that play from the start, he didn't flatten out and try and make it on the 40-yard line, he took off.
(on if division opponents are learning how to take pursuit angles to catch Chris Johnson)
Yeah, I would think you would adjust once you've seen him the first time. He had another 100-yard game and I think he's tied with one or two other players for most 100-yard games in the season. It was good to see him get off and get going yesterday.
(on if this week is more difficult because of Christmas)
No, it's not going to be. Over the years, there is a difference between playing on Christmas Day as compared to playing the day after Christmas. Typically in those situations you're almost better off going on the road. We've had Christmas Days here, we've changed the schedule. The only thing that will change for us on Saturday is that we'll allow them to spend time with their families in the morning and they'll come in a couple hours later.
