QB MATT SCHAUB
(on what he remembers from his first NFL start his rookie year)
Back when I was a rookie I had an opportunity to play in a few games, start one and then play a lot in two others backing up Michael Vick. It's one of those things that's a tough situation, but when you have a good group around you, not only on the offensive side of the ball but when you have a good defense, you can just go out and you don't try to do too much. You just relax and just try and run the game plan, take care of the football and things will happen for you that are positive. Obviously, he's put in a tough situation, but it's all about having the people around you help you out.
(on if being patient is important to having success as a rookie quarterback)
Yeah I think so. That goes without even being a young player, that's how you have to approach the game anyway—even as a veteran player, to have the patience to have the game come to you and not try to force things too much.
(on the Texans mindset after four consecutive losses and if this is a must-win game)
If it's not yet, it's getting to that point. There are only so many games left, but you can't win all of them at once, you have to take them one at a time. We've had some tough circumstances fall our way the past few weeks, but you have to go on to the next one. Our focus is on Tennessee and what it's going to take to beat a very good football team, and that's where our mindset is at.
(on what he would say to the Texans' fans who are upset with the Texans season and if he's sympathetic to all the heat Texans head coach Gary Kubiak and his staff are receiving)
I am, I'll fight for Coach Kubiak and all our coaches until the end. I'm in it with all them and ultimately coaches put you as players in position and they give you the scouting report, they give you the game plan, ultimately it comes down to us as players going out and doing it. Playing well and taking it upon ourselves to do the right thing and make the decisions on the field and make the plays. As a group of players when we're not doing our job or we could do it better and the coaches are getting the heat for it, we take that personally. That is something that as players we ultimately go out on the field and we're the product on the field and we need to pick it up and play better.
(on if there is a pressure there that starts to feed off itself when things are going badly)
I think it can, but whether you let it or you succumb to that, that is up to you as an individual or you as a team. Whether that happens to you and the teams that can maintain the course and stay focused on their job, that ultimately in the end will come out on top. That is what we're trying to do. We're trying to keep from pressing and forcing things, so to speak, and just maintain our poise.
(on what running back Arian Foster has meant to the Texans offense)
He's been huge to our offense. We saw flashes of it late in the season last year, but for him to start out the season and to have the success that he has through 10 games has been very valuable to us. He's taken a lot of heat off the passing game. Just being able to have some efficiency running the football and for some chunks of yardage. Like you said, he's been even more valuable in the passing game because when teams want to double Andre (Johnson) or even triple Andre at times and take things down the field away, I can just give it to him. Very rarely does the first guy tackle him and he gets big chunks of yardage that way too.
