Texans Training Camp Thread

Quotes from Monday's practice:

Head Coach Bill O’Brien

Spoiler

(on Jadeveon Clowney and Chris Myers) “(Chris) Myers was out there today practicing and (Jadeveon) Clowney is still day-to-day.”

(on making cuts for the first time as a head coach in the NFL) “You know, we’re still in that process. Those things aren’t finalized yet. But just speaking on those terms in general, none of that is ever easy. Any guy that’s come through here that we’ve had to release over the last seven or eight months, that’s a very difficult part of the job for both myself and Rick Smith. Not to speak for Rick, but I know, we talk about this a lot because these guys have come in here and really worked hard. They’ve been professional, they’ve worked hard in the weight room, worked hard in conditioning, they’ve worked hard on the practice field, some of them played decently in the games, but at the end of the day, you have to whittle the roster down to 53 men and 10 practice squad guys. That’s just the way it works in this league, but it’s a tough process.”


(on the quarterback rotation with Tom Savage and Case Keenum for Thursday’s game) “I haven’t really determined that yet, but both of those guys will play a significant amount in the game.”

(on if Ryan Fitzpatrick will play at all in Thursday’s game) “Haven’t determined that yet, but I would say that Case (Keenum) and Tom (Savage) will get the bulk of the reps.”

(on the importance of the game to the quarterback battle versus the whole body of work) “I think you look at the whole body of work, but I think that game is an important part of that body of work. No doubt about it. I’ve been in situations like this where two guys are really competing in New England. A lot of times the guy that played well in the fourth game, he ended up being the number two guy. But I think conceptually you always look at the body of work and then you determine within that body of work how they played in those games and in those practices and you try to add it up that way. This is an important game for everybody that’s going to play in the game.”

(on if there is any concern that Jadeveon Clowney would miss the season opener) “No. As I see it right now, I believe it’s day-to-day. I believe that he would be ready for Sept. 7, as I see it today.”

(on if it has been the plan all along to be extra careful with the team in preseason and practice) “Yeah, I think when you look at this roster, I think one of the most important parts of our success this year is going to be the health of our team, and I would say that probably that would be same for all 32 teams. But I look at our roster and I know that there are some really good top-line players, there are some really good role players, and it’s my job as the head coach to make sure that those guys, that this team is as healthy as possible when the regular season starts. That has been part of the plan throughout the whole time, even from April 7 all the way through to where we are right now.”


(on if a lot of guys will be kept out of Thursday’s game) “I wouldn’t say a lot. We’re still discussing that. We’ll go back up there and we’ll meet today and we’ll keep talking with Kap (Director of Sports Medicine/Head Athletic Trainer Geoff Kaplan) about where the injuries are right now. The guys that are banged up a little bit, probably would hold those guys if they continue to be banged up because it is such a short week. I would say that a lot of guys will play this game.”

(on the goals for the fourth preseason game) “We would like to win. We’d like to win the game. We want to come out of the game playing a smart football game, meaning don’t turn it over. Be good situationally, no line-of-scrimmage penalties, make sure that we don’t have bunch of missed assignments. We’re playing a very good football team in the 49ers. Make sure that our special teams do a really good job of tackling, protecting and trying to knock the ball loose. I think if we do those things, play smart on both sides of the ball, do a good job on third down, the red area and two-minute, hopefully that means we win the game and then we feel pretty good about where we’re at after that game. I think if you look at our preseason to this point, I believe we’ve improved in every game, so I think the other thing that we’ll look at is just to continue the improvement of the team when we come out of this game.”

(on if he noticed when reviewing the tape a cleaner game last Saturday in terms of penalties) “I would say it was a cleaner game. I think our guys are really working hard not to commit penalties. We’ve shown them tape of illegal contact on defense, defensive holding, hands to the face on both sides of the ball, how the takeoff on the kickoff is being ruled, things like that. We’ve really gone over that a lot with our guys. These guys are really trying hard to follow the rules. And so I think, hopefully, that’s what you saw in the game the other night and hopefully that’s what you’ll see on Thursday night.”

(on if would bring in a former Penn State player who left the school when he took over as head coach) “I think, again, like I’ve said to you guys a lot, anything that we can do to improve this football team, if we feel like we can improve the team, we’re going to improve the team with high-character guys, good football players, guys that understand what it means to be part of a team. That’s part of it. And so if we can look at guys and we think that their skill set and those type of intangibles can help us improve the team, then we’ll always look to do that.”

(on Will Yeatman’s status) “He was out there today practicing. So it looks like he’s practicing.”

(on Will Yeatman missing a considerable amount of time) “He’s got to catch up. No question about it. He’s behind through no fault of his own. Anytime you’re injured, there’s a lot of catch-up that you have to do when you’ve missed a significant amount of time in the games and in practices. He’s been in the meetings, which is a good thing, but he’s got some catching up to do.”

(on what he did today to match the intensity of the last two weeks of practice with other teams) “Well, we brought them in and we talked about the video. One thing that we try to do as a coaching staff is we really try to show the good, the bad and the ugly. So when we do that, the guys can kind of see how it all works together. When you show them, ‘Hey, look, this is what we can be if we continue down this road. Like, this is what we really can be as a team and then this is what we have to stay away from. We’ve got to fix this,’ like the situation at the end of the half (against Denver). We can’t do that. Give the ball back to the Broncos offense and only run 20 seconds off the clock offensively. We can’t do that. So I think at the end of the day when they see that, they say, ‘You know what? That is what we can be.’ And then they’re excited to go out and fix it in practice. That’s all I can say. I think other than that, you’d have to ask them what they felt about practice today.”

(on the fans being loud when the team is on offense) “Well, I think that’s a good question. You know, when we were in New England, when we were on offense it was really quiet, and so for whatever reason the fans were just, they knew to be quiet, I guess. One of the things we do here is because of the home crowd and we love, we really think that home environment here is a big, big deal to us. The fans in Houston coming out here, you know (70,000)-plus, whatever it is, being loud as heck. regardless of who has the ball, that’s big. So that’s why we crank the music in practice. So that regardless of where we’re at, whether we’re here, we’re in Indianapolis, we’re in Jacksonville or we’re in Nashville, where we know it’s going to be loud when we’re on offense, at least we’re used to it and we’ve worked the hand signals, the communication, read laps, eye signals, things like that. Hopefully, we’re ready for that. We just want a loud crowd.”

(on if he worries that the increased attention D.J. Swearinger is receiving will cause officials to watch him more closely) “His reputation with our football team is that he practices hard, he plays hard, he’s a guy that’s emotional in the fact that he wants to win, he wants to help his team win. That’s the reputation that we’re concerned with.”


(on if he is concerned what anybody else thinks of D.J. Swearinger) “(No).”

(on how hard it is to keep a guy like A.J. Bouye positive after he has ups and downs like the Denver game) “Well, I would say for A.J. it’s been more up than down. I do. I think he’s had a really good training camp. He’s a young corner. Now, remember what you’re talking about here, an undrafted guy out of Central Florida that came in here, got injured last year and now has come back since we were hired here and I believe had a really good offseason. He’s got size, he’s got length and he’s really had a good training camp. When you play that position, whether it’s the inside, the star or the outside corner position, you know you’re not going to win every battle. Those guys have to have a very, very different mindset. They have to be very confident in their own abilities to continue to stay aggressive, and I believe that’s what A.J.’s done. That interception he had was a big play for us the other night. It led to a touchdown drive. It was a good example of complimentary football. I believe that he is improving every week.”

(on what Johnathan Joseph’s status is) “Johnathan Joseph right now is day-to-day and we’re just trying to kind of follow the protocol with our medial people on where he’s at. He’s improving every day, but he’s definitely day-to-day.”

(on if he has any concerns that Johnathan Joseph will be out for week one) “No. Not as of right now. Nope.”

(on the two touchdowns from Peyton Manning to Emmanuel Sanders last Saturday against Denver) “Two different coverages though.”

(on how much of the two touchdowns from Peyton Manning to Emmanuel Sanders last Saturday was a case of miscommunication between A.J. Bouye and Eddie Pleasant) “Like I said yesterday, it’s a little bit vanilla what all the teams are doing, us defensively. And I think when you look at Denver on offense on those two plays; number one is they made good plays. Give them credit. They made really good plays. Peyton did a great job on both plays and obviously, Sanders did a great job on both plays. We can learn a lot from both plays based on the coverage we were in and I think it’s one of those deals where we’re going to get better in those coverage situations against what they did and you have to give them credit for the plays that they made.”

(on the progress of Ryan Fitzpatrick thus far) “He’s really improved every week. I think it’s difficult in the preseason because he’s not playing the whole game, so you’re not getting a full body of work and that’s the way we planned it. We’re trying to get Case (Keenum) and Tommy (Tom Savage) some reps in there, too. Trying to see what they can do in a live game. So, to only get a few series or maybe a half is not a full body of work. What we see on the practice field and then what we see in the games is improvement, and every week he is improving. He’s improving his knowledge and his comfort level with the system. He’s a really good leader, he’s a really good teammate, he’s fun to coach and I think that he’ll just continue to get better.”

QB Ryan Fitzpatrick

Spoiler

(on the challenges of preparing for a game with a short week) “I think you just have to be that much more focused. You’ve obviously had less practice time to get ready. So there’s a lot of different things that go into it in terms of your health and recovering, everything gets condensed into that short week so it’s good practice for us to get a quick turnaround on an opponent like we would on a Thursday game during the year.”

(on if he’ll play Thursday) “I don’t know. We haven’t talked about any of that. Just if I get to play then I’d love the work.”

(on having WR Andre Johnson on the field on Saturday) “It was good to have Andre out there. I think just getting back into the flow of a game and obviously trying to get him involved early with kind of our timing and those types of throws against an opponent. It was a good week of practice and then it was good to get some of that stuff on film so we could talk about it and watch it. Yeah, it’s just continuing to improve and continuing to build towards that first week.”

(on reaching a comfort level with the rest of the team) “Yeah, we’ve had to mix pieces here and there during the offseason and I almost look at that as a benefit though because during the season everybody is not going to be healthy and you’ve got to get a good feel for every guy and hopefully we get into our first game with everybody healthy and ready to go. But I kind of look at it almost as a benefit just because of the work I’ve gotten with everybody.”

(on if it is easier to transition into a new offense being a 10th-year veteran who has been named the starter) “It’s never easy right away just getting thrown into another group of guys that you don’t know anything about but I think being in the league and having to do it multiple times has made it easier for me in terms of being able to step in here. Whether it’s understanding an offense or applying some of my knowledge from old offenses to this one, that game experience of being out there and playing. And on this roster there are some guys that have played a lot of games, so being able to relate right away to those guys.”

(on if he is frustrated at the limited reps a starter gets when learning a new system) “It goes both ways. I think you love to be out there playing but you also want to be healthy for the real thing and so it goes both ways there but we’re going to get plenty of reps and snaps during the year. We want to make sure everybody is healthy.”

(on if it is tougher to learn the new system when he gets limited reps) “I think it’s tougher if this was the first system I’d ever been in. So for me it’s good to get out there. Every single rep that I get, and again we go back to playing against Atlanta and playing against Denver and those practices, those were so beneficial for me and for us as an offense because we were able to get good competitive looks, and stuff we hadn’t seen before versus a different team. I take those as a real positive as well, just in terms of some of those extra reps that maybe we’re not getting in the preseason games.”

(on if it is an open atmosphere between coaches and quarterbacks) “Yeah, it’s an open atmosphere and it’ll change a little bit here as we get into the regular season because with the preseason stuff you’ve got so much stuff going on every day. We haven’t really been able to get into that routine, that in-season routine. I’m sure it’ll change coming up here. To me it’s a great room, just in terms of having a couple coaches that really have been through a lot of stuff with this offense and had a lot of success. So we always talk about seeing it through the same set of eyes and that’s kind of what we will continue to work towards throughout the year.”

(on mentoring and learning at the same time) “Yeah, I really like that role. Because there were so many guys that I was able to ask questions and rely on different things and so for me to be in this situation now where they can bounce questions off me or I can give them little tidbits about what I have experienced, whether it be good or bad and pass that on, I really enjoy that. Obviously being out there playing, that’s the big deal for me. I want to go out and compete, but I love the meeting rooms and being in there and being able to dissect film and talk through some things.”

(on if the quarterbacks have the offense down enough to where there isn’t much more to learn) “This offense is constantly changing with our personnel and matchups and all the different things. This is an offense I don’t think you ever really say, ‘Hey. I got it. This is easy. Let’s go.’ It’s an offense that you’ve got to put your work in every week to be able to really understand the details of it. So it’s going to be a week-to-week deal for us. I think they’ve done a really good job this whole offseason of kind of getting us prepared for that in terms of throwing so many different things at us.”

(on his role off the field with younger guys) “Some of it is with the other quarterbacks talking about things or maybe something I saw. Some of it for me, like last week, is maybe sitting on the sideline with Andre (Johnson) or with Hop (DeAndre Hopkins) or Chris Myers and talking about the play call and what I’m thinking and what they’re thinking and kind of going over those, getting those reps with guys on the sideline talking with them about it because that’s helpful for them to know what I’m thinking and vice versa there.”

(on if he said anything to Tom Savage to help make him comfortable on the last drive of the game) “That’s a fun deal for me to--I’m so far removed from the rookie year. (You) don’t know when you’re going to play and he gets thrown in in the last series of the game and I was just thinking back to when I was a rookie and the stuff I went through and how you prepare for that going into a game. And it is all about him being himself and not trying to be a hero and, like I said, we have a good relationship in that room. Tom was able to go in, stay calm and complete some balls. I think that got his confidence going.”

(on if Tom Savage is as laid back as he seems) “Yes and no.”

(on if he sees Coach Bill O’Brien’s love of football) “Yeah. There’s definitely, on our coaching staff, there’s a love for this game and I think that’s very contagious and I think we’ve got a lot of players that have played a lot of football that continue to play because they love the game and I think it’s a contagious atmosphere around here for that. For the young guys to see that, and to see older guys sticking around and getting extra lifts and watching film, I think it’s a good locker room for that.”

(on what Quarterbacks Coach George Godsey brings to the team) “You always like a quarterback coach that’s played the position. It’s not necessarily a requirement, but he’s seen it, he’s been back there with a lot of bullets coming. He’s been back there in the fire and that’s always good to have somebody that understands that part of the game. He’s been super impressive to me, just in terms of his knowledge, not only of this system but football in general and the stuff that he’s already been able to teach me through the front part of the offseason. I think it’s going to be a good working relationship for us and he certainly brings a passion for the game.”

(on if he has helped George Godsey as well) “You’ll have to ask him about that one. But like I said, it’s a good working relationship. For me, I’m just excited to be here in this offense with the opportunity we have in front of us.”

(on if he talks to guys who have been cut from the team and offer them encouragement) “Sometimes you don’t see them. It’s kind of a tough ordeal but it’s the most unpleasant part of this job. I think if you ask anybody, coaches and players, one day you’re in there with a guy and the next day he’s not there anymore and you don’t know who it’s going to be. It’s a tough part of the deal but I always try to talk to a lot of the young guys, maybe they’ll come up to me and we’ll talk through some stuff, just in terms of what I’ve been through before. It’s a tough experience for everybody”

(on how fun it is to have his family at training camp every day) “That’s awesome. For us as players, and obviously as coaches, too, and it’s the whole building, it’s equipment guys, it’s the training staff—you get so much caught up into football and training camp and you don’t have much time. So to be able to have that, whether it’s just 15 or 30 minutes a day to spend with the family right after practice with my boys and girls running on the field and that’s a cool time for me during training camp. My little 30-minute release where I don’t have to be thinking about football 100 percent of the time.”

QB Case Keenum

Spoiler

(on if it is difficult to pull for QB Tom Savage when they are competing for the same job) “No, it’s awesome, man. We’re all pulling for each other and rooting because we’re on the same team here. To see him lead the team down there on that 2-minute drive was awesome. We were all going pretty crazy on the sideline and, preseason or not, we all wanted to win that game. Tom did a great job of leading those guys on the field and getting in the end zone and converting on the two points. So that was a lot of fun.”


(on if he congratulates Tom Savage as soon as he can get to him after a big touchdown) “Yeah. We’re all on the same team and all of us quarterbacks feel the same way and we’re all competitive and I think we all want to win so it was fun.”

(on if Thursday’s game is pivotal in what happens to the backup quarterback battle going forward) “Any time we step on the field it’s pivotal as to what is happening going forward. So anytime, practice today or practice tomorrow, I’m going to approach it the same way and go out and be the best I can.”

(on if the quarterback competition has been a fair process) “I’m just trying to go out and get better each day. You can’t look at anything like that and if I’m not getting reps, I’m getting mental reps and that’s how this league is. You’ve got to get a lot of mental reps.”

(on Bill O’Brien saying Tom Savage closed the gap in the backup quarterback competition) “I hadn’t heard that until you just told me. That’s not something I pay attention to. I’m just going out, like I said, trying to get better each day and just continue to work hard and be the best quarterback in this offense that I can be.”

(on if he’s comfortable in this offense) “I am. I’m getting more comfortable. Every snap you see more things and you learn from those experiences. You learn from good things, learn from bad things especially and don’t make those same decisions again.”

(on if the offensive system is more complicated than last year) “I don’t think you can compare. Playing quarterback in this league is tough and no matter who you play for, what offense you’re in or what defense you face. It’s just a matter of executing.”

(on if there really are 50 ways to call the snap count) “Yeah, that’s just the start of it. That’s just the snap count, so it goes on from there.”

WR Travis Labhart

Spoiler

(on his relationship with QB Ryan Fitzpatrick) “He’s been a great leader. He’s been somebody that has really helped me mature as a player, learn more about the game, and he’s just been really helpful in this process for me. So I really appreciate Fitz (Ryan Fitzpatrick).”

(on preparing for the anticipated increased playing time) “Just like any other thing you want to succeed at, you have to put in a lot of effort, a lot of work, be ready, and be prepared for anything

the opponent’s going to give you. You’ve got to do a lot of studying on the 49ers. They’re a good ball club. There are a bunch of other guys out there that are trying to do the same thing I am and make this game count for them. It’s a big game, but it’s just another game. You just have to see it as just another game. You live for these kinds of things regardless if it’s a preseason (game) or whatever. As a child, you grow up dreaming of playing on Sundays and you’ve got to treat Thursday like that.”

(on his performance during camp) “I think I’m probably my biggest critic, so there are things I’ve got to work on, things I’ve got to be better at, and things I want to be better at. I need to be better at the line of scrimmage, I can always get better at my routes, catching, and special teams. Really whatever I can do to help the team is really my biggest goal to get better at, to be a coachable player. I think, as a whole camp, I got better, but there’s still tons of room for improvement.”

(on what he specifically needs to improve on at the line of scrimmage) “I think I just need to be more physical. I watched Andre (Johnson) every day and obviously, I’m not as big as Andre and I’m not nearly as good as Andre, but I still can learn a lot from just the way he defeats guys at the line of scrimmage. Even guys like Mike Thomas, all of the receivers, you can learn something from watching somebody else. For me, that’s been something that I’ve tried to learn at and get better because college is different than the NFL. Defenders play different.”

(on feeling that he’s done enough to make the team) “That’s up to the coaches, I have no idea. You just go out each day and you prepare, you give yourself the best opportunity. So when your number is called, you’re fully prepared and you know that no matter what, you control how you play, so for me, it’s about doing that and it’s about just being prepared. If they say, ‘you get one snap,’ as long as I know what I’m doing and I play a hundred miles per hour, that’s the best I can do. So you’ve just got to be ready for that opportunity.”

(on if the Cleveland Browns tried to sign him) “I don’t know. I’m here Houston and I’m tickled to death to be here. So that’s what I’ll say on that.”

(on fighting an uphill battle to prove himself throughout football career) “Obviously, I’m not the biggest guy and so I’ve always kind of had to play from behind, if you will. I think when I was a freshman in high school I weighed 98 pounds. When I would go to restaurants, people would ask me if I wanted a kids menu. I was really small, so I’ve always been just kind of behind the group. It’s been fun though, I wouldn’t ask it any different. God has blessed me with a great small body and I’m making it work, so that’s all you can ask for.”

(on doing the math to see if there is room at the receiver position) “I try not to think about it. They’re going to put the best guys out there, I have no doubt. I have full confidence in this coaching staff. I’ve learned so much from them and I have no doubt that if I’m not the fifth, sixth, seventh, or however many guys they take, if I’m not guy, then I’m not that guy. I’ll do whatever they ask me to do. If it’s practice squad, or it’s not this team, then they make the best decision for the team, so I’m willing to accept whatever happens.”

(on ever being hesitant towards playing football) “I think my mom was hesitant. I never really was, I was always excited for that opportunity, being the underdog, being the small guy. Basketball was probably more of my niche because it didn’t require physical contact as much. It’s a sport that I’ve loved ever since I was little. My dad played football, my brother played football, so it’s been an exciting journey and regardless of 98 pounds or 180 now, it’s been fun.”

FS Kendrick Lewis

Spoiler

(on how the group is coming together) “We’re constantly getting better, day-by-day, week-by-week. We’re still in the preseason, trying to finish this preseason off real strong and get ready for the regular season.”

(on how well the base defense has worked given the personnel that has been out there) “It’s worked pretty good. It depends on how the offense plans on attacking us, and that’s how Coach RAC (Defensive Coordinator Romeo Crennel) calls his personnel and who he wants on the field, so whatever personnel he calls, we go out and try to execute the game plan.”

(on being concerned about the perception of S D.J. Swearinger by fans and referees)
“No, man. That’s just the way he plays, that’s the type of player he is. This is a physical game, you’ve just got to come out and if that’s what it takes, where he doesn’t hit a guy the proper way, that’s what he’s got to correct, whether it’s how he tackles or when he tackles, just doing it in a proper way and the way the league wants it to be done.”

on how facing Falcons QB Matt Ryan, QB Peyton Manning, and the past three opponents has helped the team prepare for the regular season)
“Those are two good quarterbacks in this league and there were good challenges all around, not just those guys, just the weapons that they bring, as far as with their offense. It was great competition for those two weeks.”

(on the ups and downs of the secondary’s performances)
“That’s the nature of our business. You’re going to have good plays and you’re going to have bad plays, you’ve just got to have a short memory about it all. Line up and play the next play because nothing is going to always go your way. You’re always going to have little situations that you may not like, but that’s the nature of the business, the nature of the game where you’ve just got to take it on the chin and move on.”

(on if he gets fired up after getting beat on a play)
“Absolutely, you forget about it, but you always keep it in the back of your mind. You put it behind you, but you keep it in the back of your mind because you want to make a play or make a splash when your opportunity comes.”

QB Tom Savage

Spoiler

(on not over-thinking in the game against Denver) “I’ve just been taking what I’ve learned all week and kind of just put it on the field. I’ve said it before, just trust the process.”


(on it being beneficial to not think and rely on instincts more during hurry-up situations) “I think a little bit. Obviously, you’re going to go out there and react to what they’re going to throw at you at a quick rate, but at the same time, you’ve got to go back to your fundamentals, the way you’ve learned and what coach taught me. It was fun.”

(on the game speed gradually slowing down as time went on) “I would think so. I think each week I’m definitely improving and getting better each week, but I still have a lot to learn and I’m pretty excited about it.”

(on whether the hardest part of the job is adjusting to professional football or adjusting to a different offensive system) “I think it’s both. You have better athletes out there, but you have better athletes on your side, too. So it’s fun and I’m enjoying the process and just learning each day.”

(on whether or not it was helpful being brought into the game with first team against Atlanta) “Yeah, it’s always good to go out there. In order to learn, I think these preseason games are good for us because we get to go out there in the fire and take the reps.”

(on Head Coach Bill O’Brien saying that the gap between him and QB Case Keenum is closing) “I try to not really to pay attention to all of that stuff and just keep growing, keep getting better, and just trying to make the team.”

(on getting a lot of reps in the upcoming game against San Francisco) “I’ve just got to be prepared and be prepared when they call my number and that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to work hard this week and do whatever I can to help the team win.”

(on if there was a turning point in his learning process) “I think it’s been gradual. I would like to say it clicked a little bit for me, but at the same time, I think I’ve got tons of room to improve and I’m looking forward to learning it and getting better.”

(on a particular factor that helped things make sense and come together easier in learning the offense) “It’s just week-by-week. As the weeks went on, I’m just learning more and more about the game and understanding the offense, understanding all of the calls, and knowing where to go with the ball. But like I said, I have a lot of room to work.”

(on knowing where things could be done differently from watching film without being told) “Yeah, I’m definitely my toughest critic. I know when I mess up and I know what I’ve got to do to get better and the coaches reiterate that and help me out a lot.”

(on finding things to improve on despite getting the win) “Even completions sometimes aren’t the right throw. Sometimes it’s where you were supposed to go with the ball, but at the same time, it was good to get the win and good to finish out on top.”

(on being his own toughest critic) “Yeah, I think I’ve always been my toughest critic and anybody who knows me will tell you the same thing. I think I know when I mess up. I know it’s never as good as it is when everything’s going good and it’s never as bad as it seems when you do bad. But I’m definitely a tough critic and just trying to get better.

(on whether he has more confidence or he sees the bad more than the good following the game against Denver) “I think at a young age, you’ve got to see the bad. You’ve got to know what to improve, but at the same, I’m excited we got the win. But like I said, it’s never as good as it seems and it’s never as bad as it seems, so I’m watching it and just learning as much as I can throughout this week and throughout the season and see what happens.”

(on some things that need to be worked on before the game against San Francisco) “Just the overall command out there over the offense and being loud, letting my line here me, making all of the proper points and all the calls, and putting the team in good situations.”

SS D.J. Swearinger

Spoiler

(on if he has been asked to change anything about his game) “I haven’t thought (to) change. It won’t change. I’m the player that I am. That’s why I got here. It hasn’t changed since I’ve been in the league. It’s me.”

(on if he was surprised when Peyton Manning ran to the end zone to talk to him) “Man, it was surprising but it’s all football. It’s a competitive sport. It is what it is. We’re competitive so it is what it is.”

(on how he balances his game to stay within the rules) “It’s definitely a fine line. It’s hard. When you’re going full speed, you’re breaking on the ball and the last second you try to do what you’ve got to do to not hit a guy in a certain place when that guy ducks into the hit trying to protect themselves. So it’s a hard situation as DBs but it’s football at the end of the day.”

(on his mindset as the season starts regarding penalties when the game is on the line) “In crunch time you can’t think. That’s the wrong thing to do. They don’t pay you to think. They pay you to know. In situations like that you’ve just got to do what you’ve got to do. In that situation my job as a defender is to try to knock the ball out and not the player. Knock the ball out. That’s what I try to do every play is knock the ball out and if results happen, me trying to making a football play doing my job, that’s just the results of it. I’m going to try to do my job the best I can and leave it at that.”

(on if it is realistic to target only a certain part of a players body during a hit) “It’s unrealistic. I wish we had an answer to it. I wish I had an answer to ‘Where do I hit him at in that situation?’ But we don’t have an answer to it. You’ve just got to keep playing football the way and I’ll just hit them I guess or move out of the way. But that’s definitely something I’m not going to do so you’ve just got to play football at the end of the day.”

(on how difficult it is to see guys get cut from the team) “That’s hard. That’s the hard thing about this business. You build a relationship with guys. A lot of guys that won’t make the 53 man roster but you develop good relationships on down the road. Maybe you see that guy again on this team, or see that guy again on another team but you build great relationships. It’s tough for that player but you know you’ve just got to find another spot and get it done wherever they go.”

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/a...practice/ba1dee0d-20a2-4bb7-bad5-5a838c086a69

I can't believe Labhart is a rookie. The guy looks 40 years old.