What The Seahawks Said Following Their 33-13 Win Over The Texans

Featuring postgame quotes from the following:

Head Coach Pete Carroll

Opening Statement

"Well, we had a really nice day today. Took us a while to get going. They had a nice opening drive, a really good drive and then our guys settled in and did a really good job on the defensive side of the ball. Again, holding the guys to 60 yards, 70 last week, that's really consistent play from a team that is trying to be balanced and all of that, so that's a nice job and I'll take those all day long. Again, we get a shut out in the second half, played really good, it much be those half time adjustments. We are going to want to know exactly what those were. I'm pleased that we continue to find a way to play good consistent football on the defensive side of the ball. It was a big day on offense, and we converted on third downs, we ran the football, no sacks. Great day to see Rashaad Penny come out like that, so happy to see that. We've been waiting and you'll all been waiting too. Thrilled to see that he really got loose, and you can see the explosion and the play making that he's got. It was on full display today. Those of us who watch Tyler Lockett on a regular basis, I mean this was another masterpiece today of just body control, getting open, using the sideline, the balls that rushed through to him. Just such a graceful, beautiful athlete. I was thinking about Lance Alworth, a guy who back in the day used to be so graceful. Tyler just looked, just unbelievably on it today and did a great job. A bunch of yards and the big touchdown right before the half. Russell (Wilson) threw a great deep ball right there to get score before half. So, it's also worth noting how consistent the offensive line played today. Jake Curan got his first start and did a heck of a job just hanging in there with the fellas. I'm really proud of him but that whole group did a great job. 193 yards rushing is a big day for us and no sacks and all that is beautiful. The last thing I'll say is the third downs really did tell the story again. We have a big day on third down on offense. You can see that, and it was frustrating, but it was great to see them do that today, 7 for 13 and the defense did really well on third down. Again, we are on there. It's a continuation. No turnovers by the offense too. Ain't nothing more important than that so it gave us a chance."

With all the struggles Rashaad Penny has had, how much does the whole team get behind a guy like him?

"He was running so hard and of course the big plays that exploded but he was running tough and everything. We've been waiting for a little juice from the run game and it was really there today in a big way. I think, I'm not sure but it seems like that's the only time he's really come back to back maybe in the last two years and this last season, the one before and this one. I don't remember though so maybe he did. To see him come back and play again, was the accomplishment. So now, we got to get him back this week and get him back out there and hopefully he will feel good about it and be able to contribute in a big way again."

Was the plan to use Rashaad Penny as much as you could?

"I was hoping that it would go that way because we just want to see what we could do, and it was really going in even. Basically, just see what would happen but just right off the bat we saw him and said, 'let's stay with him and see how far we could really just ride him through it. See if he could kind of bust out and he did."

Did Rashaad Penny make it out ok?

"As far as I know, yes."

Is Rashaad Penny give you what you expected when you drafted him?

"He's shown us. We've seen him do this in the past. We've seen him explode in the big play and the ability that he has. It's just been such a long time since his injury. It's been almost two seasons and he's tried like crazy to get back. It's not validation on the pick, it's validation that he's finally back. We've seen it before. The real test is to see who can come back and be a big factor. I mean obviously you can see how much the team benefits from having those kinds of plays."

Has Tyler Lockett gotten better as the season as gone on?

"Did he go over 1,000 today? Yeah, I mean he's just an amazing player, you know? And because of his connection with Russell (Wilson) and like I've said to you before, those are two marvelous, all-around athletes with great, savvy instincts. You put those two together with enough time to develop their sense for one another, this is what you see. They're just magic plays. I mean, how about the two-point play? You guys have seen it. I haven't seen it yet. It was a flash to me. I can't wait to see on there the catch and all that that happened. And Tyler just got it. So many guys don't make that play right there, you know? But just in awe about how good he continues to be. He continues to show you he's a great player.

Can you talk about how Russell Wilson controlled the game today?

"Yeah, I thought he was comfortable throughout. You know, we started quick, had some nice drives early. He just felt comfortable the whole time. He was on it. One of those sequences got caught up on a play call, but it was just what happens. And the whole game I thought he was smooth. He did some nice stuff at the line of scrimmage and dictated some calls and things like that. He looked great like we counted on him to do. Him and Shane were on it today. They were really communicating well."

How is Bryan Mone feeling?

"Brian sprained his knee. Let's just keep it at that right now until we know more."

Is it the same one from last season?

"No, it was a different one. Yeah, unfortunately. So, we'll see what happens on that one. Really, we should make mention of Gavin Heslop, the play on the sidelines. I haven't seen it yet, but I was told all about it. But he was really hurting. Our hearts and love go out to him. He's going to stay in town tonight. And that's as far as we know right now."

Does Gavin Heslop need surgery tonight?

"I don't know. There's a good chance."

What did you feel changed about the defense?

"You know, we were just trying to feel them out, see what they were capable of doing and find the way with them a little bit. The first drive shouldn't have happened. There were too many plays and mistakes. It was the first drive that really hurt us. But, you know, we weren't trying to overdo it. We were just trying to get a feel for them and their receivers. We were going to see how Brandin Cooks would factor into it, he's an excellent player and all that. You saw we got stronger as the game went out and made a good sense of what we needed to do and really kept them under control."

What did you think about DL Al Woods today?

"He played really good again. Al (Woods) is playing terrific football. In the role that he's playing and the run stopping that we're calling on him to do, he is doing it. He had five tackles today, but his impact is way more than those numbers. It's just his factor in controlling the line of scrimmage, and that's two weeks in a row that he's been doing well in the running game. He's been great."

Did you see DL Al Woods' sack celebration?

"Yeah, that was great. He's usually really good on his feet, but then he just took what he had and made the most of it."

What happened to DB D.J. Reed?

"They just crashed and he got hit in the chest, so he has a chest contusion. I don't know how serious that's going to be, but he got whacked pretty good."

Is Sidney Jones IV okay?

"Yeah, as far as I know. He did fine."

Did you get much of a feel for OL Jake Curhan and how he played?

"From what I understand kind of as the game was going, there were a couple plays in there that he didn't control real well, but overall he played really well. We ran his way a lot. Jake (Curhan)'s a good prospect now. He's a good prospect. I was really proud of him. He pulled it off today."

Did you remind the guys in the locker room that December is a signature month?

"Yeah, they've been hearing it. This has always been a build-up to the finish and the mentality that it takes. I think they responded in a big way this week because they looked to me like they're fundamentally continuing to improve. They had a ton of big hits and big plays and stuff that had happened in the last four or five weeks as we're leading into it. Sometimes play deteriorates during the season, particularly when you're struggling, you're not in the top of the heap and all that. But I'm really proud that we're still moving ahead. We're going to get challenged like crazy this week and all the way through the finish."

What are you seeing in the improvement of the defense?

"What you're seeing, and I made mention of that last night to the guys just watching Friday's practice again, it's the last day of the week. We try to fit everything in just right and make sure everybody knows what's going on. We had a beautiful day on Friday of guys just really taking pride in being on spot in the plays. That's the discipline that it takes to play a game like that. It's not just you hit them and throw them on the ground and make the tackle, it's about discipline, coordinated work, and the guys are on it. It was so sharp that it was totally expected that we could do that again. We'll see if we can keep going and see if we can do it again."

What has DL L.J. Collier done in practice to make him keep cracking the lineup like he has?

"He's been working his tail off all year, giving really good effort every day. Great attitude, just want to give him a chance and see what he can do with it. I like that he's real active in his pass rush, and he's got good length as always. Just seeing if we can get a combination going that can give us a spark. I can't tell you how it went today for him, but that's the reason."

How did DL Darrell Taylor play despite having his sack wiped out by a penalty?

"He's a good player now. He's doing it. What's he got now, six? Just keep going."

Is there a common theme with the extra point attempt misses from K Jason Myers?

"No, I don't know. He's a great kicker. I don't know. I'm more concerned with the kickoff that he kicked out of bounds, really, because he was pissed about the one he missed. He's a great competitor. He knows how to control stuff and get back in it. He will. He's done a great job. I don't know why that's happening."

What went into the sequence with the touchdown pass to WR Tyler Lockett before halftime?

"Russ (Russell Wilson) got great protection on the play. He got a second look at it and he just kept running and going, and that happens. We work on it all the time in practice. Russ loves to go and look for those guys on the scrambles. I can't tell you how much he moved. But he moved a little bit to get some space and those guys just did it again."

How would you evaluate QB Davis Mills today?

"I thought he did a nice job. He's composed, he throws the ball real well, he's an accurate thrower, strong enough. This is what we saw on film. He looked like a good player, and he did it again. We didn't slow him down much early. But all in all, he got a bunch of yards late in the game and all that, but I thought he did pretty well. That's kind of what we saw and we expected it. I'm sure the coaches are seeing it. I'm sure that's why they made the move they made."

Quarterback Russell Wilson

Knowing what Rashaad Penny has been through, how does it feel to see his success today?

"I thought that was great by Rashaad Penny. I thought he had an amazing game. He kept battling. He's had a really great couple of weeks. He's really put in the work at practice and it shows. Any time you go through injuries the way he's gone through and the battles and the obstacles he's faced, just the ability to overcome those is what's really amazing, and just to be able to come back stronger the way he has. That was really great to see, and we all felt great for him. What was also great, too, was watching our offensive line dominating the line of scrimmage. They were dominating the line of scrimmage in the run game and pass game. They did a tremendous job, and we just stayed the course."

With this two-game winning streak, do you feel like you are building momentum and you can finish the season out with four wins?"Well, what's important is the next moment, the next game. Just staying focused on the next opportunity, the next play. The next play is the most important one. The next game is the most important one. That's all that really matters."

How special was it to see Justin Britt?

"First of all, Justin Britt has been an all-time classic player for us. He was a guy that gave everything every day, every moment. To see him today was really cool. It gave me chills a little bit just because I know how much he dedicated to the Seahawks. I know how much he dedicated to me and our football team. But he is a tremendous football player. He looks great out there, he was making plays all day. But just to see him, I was asking him about his family and everything else. I miss his family. He's a great friend, he's a good soul. He does a lot for the community that he's in, wherever that is. He's always been about others and always been about his teammates and giving everything that he's had. I love that about Justin Britt. I love him as a teammate, I love him as a football player, but also, I love him as a friend."

What did you see in the Texans secondary that allowed you to have such a clean game?

"I thought their secondary was really, really talented. They made a lot of great plays. They've had 14 interceptions this year. That's a big deal just knowing that. But we didn't play scared. We took advantage of our opportunities. We took some shots down the field. Tyler (Lockett) had some sweet catches on the sidelines in tight quarters and tight areas. On third down we were great. We executed the plays we needed to execute. I moved around a little bit when I needed to. That was huge. I thought that our receivers and our tight ends did a tremendous job. Obviously, Tyler had a special, special night, and then DK (Metcalf) had some sweet plays where he stiff-armed some guys and made some great plays as well. Everybody touched the football in a huge way."

Does Tyler Lockett ever surprise you with the plays he can make?

"No, nothing Tyler Lockett does surprises me. Our man of the year. Our guy. He does everything right. He approaches the game with everything that he has. Just his ability to maneuver his body. One of the first third downs of the game, I threw one down the sideline to him and just took a shot to him and put it over the top of the defender. Tyler was able to just put his hands up and catch it, one-two. Those are the kind of plays that make him so special. Obviously, the touchdowns and things he does too, but his craftiness is amazing."

What did you see on the 54-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Lockett?

"It was a huge opportunity for us. Obviously, their defense has been playing great all year. We got the ball back. Our defense did a tremendous job getting the ball back, so that way we would have the ball with 1:05 on the clock. Then I kind of dropped back and maneuvered away from two guys and slid to the right. Tyler (Lockett) was chugging along downfield, and I just gave him a shot downfield to make a huge play. On the first play of the drive, it was awesome just to see Tyler make that great play."

Was that his original path or was that you scrambling?

"It may have been an original. I don't know, we'll see."

Who does Tyler Lockett most remind you of?

"Tyler Lockett? Man, that's a good question. Lance (Alworth) is a good one. I don't think there's anyone like Tyler Lockett. I think Tyler Lockett's his own man. I think he's a guy that's creating opportunities for guys all over the world. He's a smaller player, but he plays big. He's able to catch everything and able to play outside. I think that Tyler Lockett will be one of those guys that is forever remembered. In my opinion, I think he's had a Hall of Fame type career, just how he's approached it. I don't think people talk enough about him and what he's been able to do. It's been a tremendous honor to be able to play with such great players over my career. But Tyler's one of those guys where the connection is really remarkable. We work at it every day. He spends extra time watching film with me. We do extra work, we talk about it, we get up early in the mornings and that's really been showing up. He's worked really hard at his craft. Not to mention, what's even better about the man is that he's our Man of the Year. He's a guy that's worked his butt off in the community and done so many amazing things back home, and obviously in Seattle as well. He has a good soul. I always say, 'you think he's a good football player? Wait until you read his books and everything else he's going to do in life.'"

We talk about your improvisation like a good jazz master. Who do you think you are now?

"Well, my dad would love that reference to Miles Davis and being able to make things happen. You know, for me, I always try to read out the play how it's supposed to happen, and the next thing you know, it's time to make some magic and see what we can do. I think just over my career, to be able to feel where people are, where they were and where they're not anymore, to be able to understand how the game is kind of a beautiful but yet chaotic puzzle piece. You know, I think that you have to be able to have amazing minds and amazing ability of guys around you to be able to do that, too. That's what we have. We have really talented guys that can get open and make plays, and you know, the line, it takes them battling and just giving me another little split second and another little chance. That's what they do a great job of and did that tonight."

What's it like to interact with fans? How good does it feel to have that type of support on the road?

"Yeah, Seahawks fans are the best in the world. I mean, just the energy, just to have our fans come all the way from Seattle, all over the country, all over the world just to be here with us. It was really special.
You know, I got to see some fans pregame and then, obviously, after the game to run around the stadium and just give everybody a little bit of love. Just because the energy was great today."

What have these last two weeks been like for you guys getting these two wins?

"I think the last two weeks have just been us executing. We picked up the tempo a little bit. We've been able to make some plays. We've been really good on third downs in key situations. Obviously, playing the 49ers last week was a tough NFC West battle. A physical game, really physical game to be able to, you know, overcome that physicality of that game, to win that game and then to be able to come to this game and know it's going to be another tough nose-type football game. They've been playing well and have been making a lot of plays on the defensive side for them. To be able to make that a nonproblem for us and just really to be able to execute on offense and score touchdowns was really key. We had another one to DK [Metcalf]. That would have been cool, too. I think there's some things out there we could have done a little bit better, but I think we're staying the course, we're believing in each other and there's a lot more football left. And we just got to keep playing one game at a time, one play at a time."

What do you think of Jake Curhan getting his first start a right tackle?

"Yeah, I thought Jake (Curhan) did a great job just holding down that right side and just battling, battling.
One thing about Jake, and we've been talking about this, me and him, is just he's going to give me everything and vice versa. He's going to keep battling. He did a tremendous job. He had a great -- we knew he was going to be able to a great player for us just because we saw him in preseason and saw him in training camp, and he did a great job. One thing about Jake, he's super confident. That's what you love about him. He's really confident."

What advice would you offer Texans rooking quarterback Davis Mills?

"Yeah, I think that it's a long journey. Every day is a long journey. If you come in every day with the right approach and you come in every day with the right mentality, you love the game, you love the process more than the end result, I think that's the best thing you can do to give yourself the best chance possible to be successful."

When Tyler came in, he talked about his deep faith, and I know you have a deep faith, too. How much has that helped you through what you've gone through this season?

"Yeah, I think faith is everything to me. It's the first thing. Every day I wake up, I'm grateful that God has given me an opportunity just to do what I get to do and to be able to impact people and to hopefully be able to inspire somebody else and give somebody else a chance. Not just in football, but just in life and have a little bit of hope. I think for me, I think that Jesus has just given me another opportunity to play the game and every time I get to glorify, it's another opportunity to glorify him and give him phrase. That's what this game is to me. Then also, too, being able to do it with my teammates. We have a tight knit group and guys who are working their buts off every day."

There was some pretty impressive offensive numbers, including total yards today, rushing yards and zero sacks. What do the numbers mean?

"I think that means we're playing efficient football. We were able to run the ball and have a great balance in sense. We were also able to throw the ball around the field pretty good. You know, I thought the line did a great job just battling. When things weren't there, I threw some away. But we stayed -- we knew that they were really good with the football, meaning their defense. We knew they could attack the football. So, we didn't want to give them any real chances at it. We took some chances down the field for sure, and we hit them when we needed to. That was key for us."

What did you see there on the two-point conversion? How much tougher is it to play that scramble ball and you got that chaos in the tight area?

"Well, I think that in those situations, the two-point conversion, and in any situation down there really, you know, if it's not there right away, just try to keep the play alive and try to move a little bit. You know, the O-line did a great job of giving me enough time. One of the guys came around the edge, and I just kind of moved away from him a little bit, and guys were crisscrossing and everything else. I kind of no-looked it and tried to throw a bullet in there to Tyler (Lockett). He made a great play. That was an awesome play by Tyler to be able to come down with it."

Rashaad Penny had the nice game last week, too, which included the big blitz pickup there. What did that play mean to you, the way he sold out for that?

"Like I mentioned earlier, I think what he's been doing in practice has been showing up in the game. You know, and I think that his consistency of that has been really awesome to see. He's building that confidence up every day. Just to be able to make that block last week against a really good 49ers team, to be able to cut off that edge so I could slide to the left and hit the deep cross, that was huge. For him to have an early, nice big run there for a touchdown, that was awesome. I think everybody is just coming together. We're really catching our groove, and we just got to stay the course."

Wide Receiver Tyler Lockett

How are you doing?

"I'm doing good. It feels good to be able to get a win in. So just taking it one day at a time."

The sideline footwork, is that something you worked on once when you got in the NFL, something you've always had, or something you guys practice a lot?

"No, I don't think I really practice it a lot, honestly. But I think it's something I do without even knowing that I do. There's times when I'm catching the ball, like in walk-through or even at practice where I'm not even on the sidelines but I'm practicing it without even thinking about it, you know? I think a lot of it is just kind of trying to have awareness of knowing where you are on the field, knowing how close you are to the sidelines and all that type of stuff. Knowing if you need to go toe drag or just hurry up and chop your feet to be able to get in, but also being able to know where the defender is and how to take a hit. I think it's just something that you do work on and hopefully pretty soon it's something that can become natural."

What type of preparation goes in throughout the week, for you and Russell (Wilson) being in sync like that?

"A lot of it is just not really on the field, it's more so off the field. It's really about how you think, understanding how he sees the game going into the week, where he thinks the open holes are going to be at. When it does come to scrambling, sometimes that stuff that does need to be seen in practice so that way he has an idea of what you're going to do or try to get open. But a lot of it is just being able to understand the way he does things, the way that he operates, the way that he creates plays with his feet. Then after that, it's just being able to try to get open the best way that you can. I think the best part about the scramble drill is it's something that can be taught, but it's something that comes naturally when you have people that can adjust. I think that at quarterback, Russ is really great at adjusting when things aren't going right to be able to keep the play alive. That way he's able to create us and find ways to be able to make us open."

You went over 1,000 yards for the third straight year. Steve Largent is the only guy in team history to do that. What does that mean to you?

"Man, that's a blessing. I was just telling him, it's funny because we got the same birthday and we were born and raised in the same hometown – Tulsa, Oklahoma. It's just pretty funny that just something like that was to happen. Ultimately, I just thank God for even putting me in this position. There are sometimes, as individuals, we want to go out there and have these certain type of games or we want to have these moments where we can look back on our careers and be happy with it. The things that I've wanted to happen for myself is nothing compared to what God's been doing in my life. It's just funny how things work out and how the journey looks, and you just got to be able to keep pushing and know that everything is going to work together for the good. Sometimes it's hard to see that because we want to see a work for our good or we just want to see it in the way we envisioned it in our heads. The best stories come when God is able to create the story and tell the story rather than me as an individual trying to tell my own story."

Can you take us through the touchdown right before the half?

"We just kind of understood what type of defenses that they were going to be able to run. Once we were able to kind of see it, that's when we took advantage of it. Russ did a great job of being able to throw the ball. Again, when he throws the ball up in the air, for me, I just got to be able to know how to track it and just being able to understand where I need to be and to track it, based off the DBs, them reading it, them trying to catch up to me, maybe some of them don't look up for the ball, maybe some of them do. So, for me, it's how can I position myself in the best way to come down with it. But I mean, that was a perfect throw."

Is that weird when you're in a stadium where it's a dome but it's open? Was it weird when they opened the dome?

"Oh yeah, it through me off when they opened up the dome. I thought it was going to be closed. But it's nice out here, you know? I don't blame them. I really don't. It was a little colder than I thought it was going to be. But I think for the most part it was good weather. Just having that opportunity – like I said, a lot of the things that we take for granted is being able to land here safely, being able to make it through another day, being able to sit here and being able to play the game. So, when you look at the little things and you see those as victories, then it makes the game so much more easier. You're able to celebrate being able to actually play. There's people that wish that they could suit up. There's people in practice squad that wish they could suit up. When you start looking at a lot of these different things as victories – I got to get 100 yards, a thousand yards, those are all things that we all want. They might happen, they might not, but being able to see the good in every situation, that's something that me personally I want to work on and continue to be good at."

The two-point play, could you take us through that?

"Turn back in the scramble drill. Once Russ get out of that pocket, everybody get open. He made a great throw. He was looking at me, he threw it, and I saw Diss (Will Dissly) coming on the other side. And I was a little nervous because I didn't know what to do and I just kind of moved out the way. I felt like he was throwing me the ball, so I tried to make an effort to catch the ball. It was just one of those things we got the two-point conversion, everybody is happy. You know, that was a big play for us in the game. Because they could have gone down and scored. So, they could have went down and scored and it could have been whatever type of game. We have a lot of crazy games here, just being with the Seahawks. Man, it was a great day, it was a great day."

How small was that window when he released it?

"It's different when you're in it then seeing it. I didn't really see the replay or anything like that. But I definitely knew that it was a small window that he had to throw it into. I knew there was a reaction that had to be there because otherwise, if I didn't move out the way before, me and Diss (Will Dissly) would have ran into each other."

What do you feel like after these last two wins?

"I think it's given us a lot of confidence, a boost. We were able to get ourselves a win at [Lumen]. And, that was a crazy win in and of itself. Crazy game, like I said earlier. I think what that does is, I think that's a defining moment for us as individuals, but also as a team of what is it that we want to do and how far do we want to go. We understand what it is that we want to do and accomplish. But we got to be able to enjoy the journey to get there. So being able to come here, things hadn't always been going good for us, but the fact that we were able to get things going on offense. (Rashaad) Penny did a fabulous job rushing the ball. I think we rushed for 190- something yards, I think it was almost 200 yards rushing. Just seeing us being able to get back to Seahawk football, being able to move the ball, I think we did a lot better on third downs. These were the things that we always talked about. Third downs is was what was detrimental as a team. We weren't able to run the ball like we wanted to. When those things start coming together, then everybody who has questions on the outside are finally able to see what we always see at practice. So for us, it's just making sure that we can bring that to the game and I think that these two games have given us the confidence and boost that we need to continue to do what needs to be done to finish out this season right."

You mentioned Rashaad Penny, to see him have that kind of game, a couple tough injuries that he's had, what's that say?

"Just to being able to see Penny go out there and be able to ball, it was amazing because people don't understand the injuries part of the game and the mental and the physical. Just all of that type of stuff. A lot of people, they played sports, they might have stopped playing sports in college. But as you get older and older and older, that stuff takes a toll on you. When a lot of guys get older, that's what determines whether somebody stays or decides to play a couple more years. Just being able to see him come out there, seeing him play and break some really big plays, being able to score touchdowns, that was something that was real big for him because people saw glimpses and flashes of what he could do last week. And that's something that we always knew that he could be able to do. Now I think he's in his groove. I think he's became the person he wants to be as an individual. And the way that he ran that ball, he was making a statement."

Being compared to some Hall of Famers, is that what you envisioned when you grew up playing the game?

"Oh, no. Honestly, growing up all I really wanted to do was prove to the world God was real. I didn't know how I was going to do that, but I knew I was going to try and use it through football. That's really all I try to do. I know you can't make people believe. But you just try to live a life to where people never see Jesus that maybe they can see him through you, you know? As far as being a part of the Hall of Fame or anything like that, I'm not going to stress about that. There's a lot of great players, a lot of great people who can possibly be in the Hall of Fame. But for me, that's not why I play. That's something that I will enjoy if it happens, but that's not why I play. Life is way, way bigger than that. But that's something that -- that I've started to realize, that's something that you appreciate and you take it with the grain of salt and you enjoy it for what it is. But if that's what I want my life to be, then I feel like I'm losing. Because what keeps me here and what keeps me motivated, even when this football stuff is over, is the impact that you have over kids' lives and people's lives. Kids are out there screaming your name, people want autographs and signatures. That stuff changes. But the impact that you have on people, some people they be wanting to commit suicide, they be wanting to do all that different type of stuff. The fact of the matter is some people are in positions where they see certain football players and they're, like, 'Bro, you saved my life.' I'm not saying it's me. I'm just saying any football player. So when you really realize the true impact that we have as individuals, that's what I consider the Hall of Fame."

Linebacker Bobby Wagner

What changed for you guys in the second half?

"I feel like we executed a lot better. I think that first drive they were able to move the ball down the field, we didn't execute as well as we should have. But after we kind of calmed down and started to lock in, we were able to stop them from scoring."

What are you seeing from the defense that is allowing you to shut down opposing run games?

"I think we're just coming downhill. We're being aggressive. You have guys like Big Al (Woods) up front who caused a lot of havoc up front and helps us as linebackers come downhill and play faster. Everything works together, but we understand that each week, we've got to make a team one dimensional, and it starts with the run game."

How big has DL Al Woods been for you guys this year?

"He's been huge. Like I said, he's been a guy that loves to keep guys off of linebackers, and linebackers love to hear that. But he also can make plays. There's a play where he throws the lineman and goes and makes the tackle, I think he might have missed it. But that kind of havoc is something that teams have to pay attention to and it takes the eyes off of you and allows us to make plays."

What did you see from Texans QB Davis Mills today?

"He was making some good reads. He was out there, they got the ball out of his hands fast. He made some good reads. He definitely was getting confidence as he connected on some of his throws. It was a nice throw down the end in the corner. But he's definitely growing and made some nice throws."

What type of adjustments did you all have to make after QB Davis Mills got on a hot streak early?

"I think it was more execution on our part. We weren't executing the way that we needed to. And so, once we did that, we started to slow it down a little bit."

Did you see what happened to DB Gavin Heslop?

"I didn't see it. I didn't see the play. I just heard the crowd reaction. And any time the crowd reacts like that, it's typically not good. We're praying for him and hoping that it's not as bad as it sounded."

What have these last two weeks meant for you guys?

"I think it's just good momentum. I think we were able to kind of build off of what we did last week, and I think we just got to keep our heads down and keep playing. We can't look up and see who we have next or anything like that. You've just got to keep getting better each week and see what happens."

Running Back Rashaad Penny

Tackle Duane Brown