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HEAD COACH MIKE MULARKEY PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT - Thursday, November 30, 2017**

(on the team's injuries)

DeMarco (Murray), illness today, no practice, and Rishard (Matthews), still no practice, still dealing with the hamstring, still day-to-day.

(on if safety Da'Norris Searcy practiced today)

(Da'Norris) Searcy, everybody else was full participation.

(on if running back DeMarco Murray is at all a concern for the weekend)

No, he practiced yesterday.

(on the key to the team stopping the run since the last time they played the Texans)

I'd say execution would be the number one thing, typically is. Guys doing their job, being in the gaps they're supposed to be in, having a mindset that be where you're supposed to be and trust that the guy next to you is going to be where he's supposed to be, and that's what they've done. They've done it since that game. Obviously, it's been proved to be a good formula.

(on getting players to have the 'be where you're supposed to be' mindset)

We've got some guys too that their talent will allow them to do things others can't. If they just trust the system and do what they're supposed to do, good things happen. That's been the defense, not just against the run, but against all these offenses. Guys are where they're supposed to be, coverage and everything.

(on getting faster starts is something that can be carried on to the practice field)

I think so. You look at our practices this week, especially today. If it wasn't our best Thursday, it was one of our better Thursdays. Really good tempo, really good looks by our look squad. It was very crisp. I don't know if that's carried over from the game or not, but I know where their mindset is right now.

(on what has contributed to rookies around the NFL being able to come in a produce quickly)

That was a talented draft class, that was one thing. I think these guys being here in the offseason, with as much work as they get to have, they were thrown right into a role pretty quickly. You're talking about getting a lot of reps early, a lot of experience early. I think that has a lot to do with it.

(on how much he's seen wide receiver Corey Davis eliminate mistakes the more he plays)

He's getting better, he's definitely getting better. Each game he's gotten better. I think he's playing faster than he has, not as much thinking. That's typical when you haven't had that much experience.

(on who gets credit for the team being as healthy as it is 11 games in)

Knock on wood, but it's two years now. Our guys just do a good job of taking care of themselves. Hydration has a big influence on what we do. Not just what they do pre-practice, post-practice, their days off, when they leave here what they do. Our training staff and our strength staff I think are just phenomenal in getting these guys prepared and then recover when the game's over with. The players have got to buy into that and they got to spend the extra time that it takes to do that.                 

(on how the distribution of snaps has contributed to the running backs staying healthy)

I'm sure it certainly can't hurt the way it's working out.

(on if he has any interest in coaching the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturdays)

We've got our hands full here. No more comment.