MARVIN LEWIS (with Cincinnati media)
Opening comment:
 Lewis |
“Obviously, our guys are excited to move forward with this opportunity to prepare and play against the Texans. I know we will have a very focused week of preparation. It was just a few weeks ago that we played the Texans here, and now we’ve got to go to Reliant Stadium and play them. We’re going to have to deal with the crowd noise and the things you have to deal with on the road. It’s an exciting time, and a little bit over half of our guys have played in playoff games and that’ll be good to help some of our younger players. Just keep playing. We’ve been playing like this for a while now and really kind of rehearsing these opportunities. Now it’s time to make good on them.”
Having just played the Texans four weeks ago, how does that familiarity come into play?
“That’s part of the equation, and there are a lot of things from the first time around we have to do much better. We know it will take that in order to go down there and win the football game. They’re an excellent running team. They’re very efficient in the passing game. They do a great job with their schemes, getting the ball in and out of the quarterback’s hands. Andre Johnson didn’t play in the game a few weeks ago against us, so he’ll be part of the equation this time around.”
How about Andy (Dalton) seeing that defense for the second time?
“They do a great job. They’ve been a strong unit all year. We know they are very aggressive in the front seven. Their secondary covers very well. You’re going to get a lot of man-coverage schemes, a lot of pressure schemes. We have to do a better job of giving Andy an opportunity than we did the first time around.”
How happy are you for 
“He’s the oldest guy on our team that has never been in the playoffs, so it’s great for Nate. You’ve just go out and put the smile back on your face, lock your jaw, go to work and keep playing because the one at the end is even more special.”
Is playoff experience overrated?
“We have a lot of guys who have played in the playoffs, so I don’t think you can judge us on that. I think there’s something to it, there’s no question in my mind. But I was part of a coaching staff on a team that had never been to the playoffs and won the Super Bowl, so I guess it was overrated then.
“I think there’s something to being hungry, to being detailed in your preparation and your execution. That’s what counts at the end. It’s not that somebody was in this many playoffs or somebody was not in this many playoffs on paper. You don’t play or win or lose these games on paper. Every game we play is won out there on that field.”
Is there a difference in playoff road football? You’ve got a lot of experience, but it was in an ’09 home game?
“We’ll see. It’ll be a different thing. We’ve got to go play on the road like we’ve done this year. We know what’s at stake.”
You’ve performed well on the road. What have you guys done well to do that?
“At the end of the day, we hopefully have more points than the other team. Every time you go out there it’s a different day. When you go on the road, you have to be efficient, you have to execute and you’ve got to stay the course. That’s what it takes to be successful on the road.”
Looking back at the first game against the Texans, it looked like you had it won:
“There were a lot of plays that had we done it differently or had it turned out differently, you have an opportunity to win the football game, and we didn’t. We don’t get to start back at that point and reverse time. We’re going to have to go back and put our heads down and go to work and chop wood just like we did last time.”
The first time you played Houston, you didn’t have a lot of film on T.J. Yates. Now, you’ve obviously got more film on him, including your own experience. How important is that?
“I don’t think much has changed from what our thinking was going into the game, from now to then. I think he has played as we expected him to play and that’s what he’s done each week he’s played since we played them.”
What have you said to your team, coming off a game where you lost but still got into the playoffs to channel their focus and be thinking in the right direction?
“That season’s over. We just closed that one up and we’re in the new season now. This is what you all worked very, very hard to get this opportunity to do. Our ultimate goal is still ahead of us. We’ve got to go to work. We’ve got to be diligent, we’ve got to move ahead, move forward. Let’s keep doing the things we’ve been doing well, and that’s in your preparation and your study. Get your body right, your mind right. I’ll take care of you. I’ll get you physically ready and you do the rest of it. We’ll put you in position and you be ready to answer the call.”
In your time here, you’ve experienced the playoffs twice before. How important is it for this organization to take that next step and win a playoff game?
“It’s important to win the playoff games. That’s why you’re here. You want to be world champions.”
ANDY DALTON (with Cincinnati media)
 Dalton |
You have already seen the Houston Texans once this year, what are your thoughts going into your first playoff game in Reliant Stadium?
“It’s going to be a crazy atmosphere. I know that place can get really loud. It’s good for both teams that we’ve played each other once. You have a feeling for what each team does. They play hard on defense. They do a good job of rushing the passer. It’s going to take our best effort.”
What is it like to play against the team you grew up rooting for in a stadium that you played in as a high schooler?
“It makes it a lot of fun. For me, there are going to be a lot of family members and people at the game. It makes it fun. It’s a place where I have played before in high school and college. Now, I get a chance to play there in the pros, it’s going to be awesome.”
What kind of feelings do you remember from playing in Reliant Stadium as a high schooler?
“That’s what you want to do. You get a chance to play in Reliant Stadium. As a high school kid, it’s a really cool thing. That’s how Texas high school is. You get to play in NFL stadiums.”
Do you have any idea how many tickets you will be asked to come up with for your family and friends?
“I’m going to get numbers later on today.”
Were you in awe the first time you played in Reliant Stadium?
“I think I had been there and seen the stadium before, but to be in there to play on the field was pretty cool.”
It’s only been two days since the announcement that the Bengals are facing the Texans. Has it been different for you the second time? Are you receiving more calls from friends before the trip to Houston?
"Not really. I have some friends who are excited. Of course, my family is. It hasn’t been anything over the top.”
How might your familiarity having faced the Texans defense help with your comfort level this week?
“It’s big. Any time you get to play a team twice you have a feel for what they do and how they play. So, it’s nice going in to the first playoff game against a team we’ve played before. So, we can go back and watch the game that we’ve already played against them, see what they were doing and make some adjustments from there. It’s definitely good for us.”
What was the biggest adjustment they made in the second half of the first meeting?
“We didn’t run the ball as well as we did in the first half. They found ways to stop the run. They did a good job with that of limiting us. We have to find ways to get things going and keep drives alive. Have time of possession and convert on third downs.”
What is it about the Texans defense that is the most challenging?
“They just play so hard. That’s the one thing you see on film. They are never giving up. Even guys who are getting blocked. It’s not like they are stopping their feet. They are doing everything they can to get off of their blocks. That’s what makes their defense play the way they do.”
The long ball hasn’t been there since the first half at St. Louis (Dec. 18). Have teams adjusted to take the long pass away from the Bengals?
“We had some chances last week. We had some pressure on some. Some teams are dropping guys back. Teams have taken it away. We will definitely find our ways to take the shots. The big thing is completions to keep drives going and getting the chance to go and score.”
It seems you haven’t had the same rhythm the last few weeks. Are teams blitzing more to take you out of that rhythm?
“It just comes down to execution. We’ve had some third and shorts that we weren’t able to execute and convert on. We have to find out how to get that done and find that extra yard that we need.”
Against Houston, you struggled in goal to go and short yardage situations. It seems you have gotten better that in recent weeks:
“It’s definitely a focus. When you get down there you want touchdowns. You don’t want to kick field goals. It’s definitely an area that we have stressed.”
This game features a pair of rookie quarterbacks starting. Do you know T.J. Yates very well?
“Yes. I got to know him through the (NFL Draft) process. I met him before my senior year at a football camp. I got to know him a little bit.”
After the first meeting, did you have a chance talk to him after the game?
“Yes, I did. He’s done a good job for them. It was a big, game-winning drive for him. It’s good to see rookies – my class – doing well. It was unfortunate that it was against us.”
What makes you and T.J. so successful as rookie starting quarterbacks to make the playoffs?
“We’ve got a lot of good guys around us. We have guys all on the same page, with the same goal to come out and get better each day. That’s what gave this team an opportunity to be where we are. Like I have said many times, nobody gave us any credit before the season. That gave us extra motivation to prove everybody wrong.”
Is there any superstition or routine you are carrying into the playoffs?
“I don’t really have any superstitions. I don’t do the same thing every time. I’m not very superstitious.”
Growing up, did you ever have a chance to meet or talk with Texans head coach Gary Kubiak?
“I’ve never talked to him.”
You’ve seen the Baltimore and Pittsburgh defenses, this Houston defense is statistically one of the best in the NFL. How does it compare to the best in the AFC North?
“They’ve done a good job. Like I said before, it’s because they play really hard. They are relentless in what they do. We’ve got to have that same attitude and go out and play that same way.”
Is there any common denominator or characteristic of the really best defenses you have faced this year?
“Yes. It’s just how hard they play. They have talented guys back there.”
What have the last 36 hours been like? Following Sunday’s loss, what was Marvin Lewis’s message to the team and has it changed?
“It was a weird feeling after the game. We did lose, but we were excited to get into the playoffs. It didn’t matter. Everybody’s record is zero and zero. You win, you’re in. If you lose, you’re out. You just have to have that extra focus. Whatever it is, if it’s extra studying, whatever it takes to win this week.”
How aware are the younger players of how long it has been since the Bengals have won a playoff game?
“Everybody knows it’s been 21 years, three winning seasons and all kind of stuff. We don’t worry about that. It’s our first time. We’re coming in and trying to do our best.”
Was the game to Houston – more than the others – one this season in which you learned lessons about capitalizing on opportunities?
“Yes. That’s how the game of football is. It’s not one play that defines the game, but you have to find ways to execute. We had a chance to run the four-minute drill to run (the clock) out. We didn’t get it done and they went on the game-winning drive.”
Was it by design last week that
“No. They did a good job of trying to double him and make us throw to other guys.”
MARVIN LEWIS CONFERENCE CALL (with Houston media)
Lewis |
On both teams moving past last week’s losses:
“The key element of that now is it’s a new deal. You want to finish and do everything on a high note, and we’ve been in the situation before like they were in. It’s a difficult thing sometimes to finish that last one off like that when everybody has different meetings and different ambitions about how the last game should be played. But now, it’s a new season, and you’ve got to move forward.”
On his thoughts about two rookie quarterbacks starting in a playoff game:
“Well, I don’t think either one of the young guys has really gone out there and acted like they’re rookies, so I think it’s both guys have got experience. Obviously, Andy’s (Dalton) got 16 games of experience, and T.J.’s (Yates) got what, six or seven? So, I think that in the case of both players, they’re kind of a little bit ahead of their time. The focus has got to be on how they prepare and how the rest of the guys play up to these guys’ ability.”
On the differences he sees between how QB T.J. Yates looked in the first game against Cincinnati and now:
“Well, I think he’s settled in, he’s confident in what he’s doing and they’re confident with what they’re doing with him. I’m sure the rest of the team has really rallied around that and feels good about the things that he’s doing.”
On if it is beneficial to play a team so closely in the regular season as the first game in the postseason:
“Well, it is what it is. I don’t have an opinion one way or another that really matters. This is the way it played out and this is a game that’s important for us to continue on what we feel like our journey is.”
ANDY DALTON CONFERENCE CALL (with Houston media)
Dalton |
On his feelings about coming back to Houston for the playoffs:
“Yeah, it’s a lot of fun to get to go home, and everybody’s excited. It’s their chance for people who weren’t able to make it up here for any games to come out and watch me play.”
On memories of playing at Reliant Stadium having never lost a game here:
“Yeah, I had some good games. Katy played in the first high school game that was ever played in Reliant Stadium, so that was a lot of fun. In high school, it’s something that you want to do – get a chance to play in an NFL stadium, get to be on that field and stuff. It makes for a cool atmosphere. And then in college to get the bowl win over Houston, that was another fun thing, so I’ve had some fun games I’ve played in there.”
On his feelings about two rookie QBs starting in a playoff game and what he knows about QB T.J. Yates:
“Yeah, I’ve got to know him just through the whole process of everything, and he’s a good guy. He’s done a really good job for them and he’s been playing well. It’s going to be fun to get to go against the guy I watched play in college and kind of going through the same thing being rookies, so it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
On how he has accomplished throwing only one interception in the last five games:
“I think it just comes down to understanding that turnovers usually decide a game. For me, it’s knowing when to take my chances and when to check it down or throw the ball away. I think that’s something that I’ve just realized that I can’t be just throwing the ball around and hoping it doesn’t get picked or something like that. I’ve got to just be smart with it.”
On how long it feels like since working at Plex in preparation for the draft:
“I know. It’s crazy. I had so much go on in a year, so it does feel like a long time ago.”
On his favorite memory of playing at Katy High School:
“Yeah, I think it’s just getting to play with a lot of my good friends. I think Katy is one of the best high school programs in the state, and to have the following that we do and all that, it definitely makes it for a great high school experience and playing football there.”
On what he can do to improve against the Texans:
“It just comes down to being really efficient, you know, getting completions, keeping drives alive, and being able to convert third downs. If we can do that then I think it will give us a good chance.”
On how mentally tough he had to be at the start of the season knowing he would be starting as a rookie:
“I wasn’t worried about anything Carson (Palmer) was doing. He wasn’t here, so I had to step in and step up and prove to everybody that they can trust me. I was given every opportunity to come in and win the starting quarterback job and the guys around me made it easy for me. I think they just made it easy for me to step in and have a leadership role and I didn’t really get treated like a rookie.”
On the Bengals mindset coming into the game after losing against the Texans:
“It was unfortunate the way we lost. To go down and lose with two seconds left, three seconds left or whatever it was, that’s unfortunate. For us I think it’s whatever it takes to win this game. It’s the playoffs now. It doesn’t matter what we have done in the past or what anybody has done in the past. If you win you stay in and if you lose you’re out.”
On any advice that has stuck out to him this week concerning playoffs:
“I mean, we just can’t do too much. We can’t put too much pressure on ourselves. We just have to go out and play our game. “
On whether playing his first playoff game in Houston is a settling or nerve-racking feeling:
“It’s not nerve-racking. It’s just another game.”
On whether him and QB T.J. Yates have traded pointers about playing as rookies:
“I’ve talked to him I think once or twice but as a rookie I think you’re hearing enough from everybody else.”
On the most important thing he has learned this season:
“The biggest thing is just going out and playing football and just to trust yourself. I feel like the way I prepare and the way I have an understanding of what’s going on I just have to trust myself and trust the guys around me.”
On what has surprised him about himself this season:
“I feel like if I just came in and learned the offense and had control how I did in college I felt like I could be successful. I’ve been able to do that and have a lot of great talent around me that makes my job easier.”
On leaving behind a reputation of being not only a great athlete but a great person as well:
“It means a lot. I think that football is one thing but how people see me as a person means a lot. I feel like that’s what I try to do. I try to be a good example for everyone and it’s great that they’re seeing that.”
TEXANS HEAD COACH GARY KUBIAK (with Cincinnati media)
Congratulations on the playoff berth. What is your next step?
“First of all, congratulations to you guys (the Bengals), as well. Obviously it was exciting to wake up and go to work today. At this time of year, we have an opportunity, like 11 other football teams. We’re just trying to get focused here and make sure we stay to our routine and those types of things. It was a quick turnaround for both of us, to play Sunday afternoon and then turn around again and have to play Saturday afternoon. We’re trying to get them (the players) all fresh and get them mentally into what they’re doing and get them ready to go.”
Do you expect T.J. Yates to play on Saturday?
“Oh yeah. My expectation is for him to be ready to go. As I’ve said, he could have gone back in the game the other day, but it didn’t make a lot of sense to me with where we’ve been physically as a team. Plus, Jake (Delhomme) needed some work. I didn’t want to put him (Yates) back in there. He didn’t do anything yesterday, but he was feeling much better, and I’m expecting him to be part of practice today. I’m expecting him to be there (start), unless something happens between now and Saturday. So we’ll see. We’ll go day-to-day, but I’m expecting him to practice today.”
You’ve made the playoffs, but ended the season on a three-game losing streak. How do you handle that as a coach and put that behind your team as you head into the playoffs?
“It’s difficult. The last six weeks of the season – really seven, when you think about the Jacksonville game – it’s been a big adjustment period for our football team, losing our leader (Matt Schaub), and losing (Matt) Leinart immediately after that. So we’ve been adjusted to a young quarterback. You guys (the Bengals) have done a tremendous job of that all year long, playing a young quarterback. We’re trying to adjust to that and get our team heading back in the right direction.
“Of course, getting Andre (Johnson) back is a big help. We haven’t played our best football, over the last month. We’ve turned the ball over, we’ve hurt ourselves and that’s something we didn’t do all year. I did like the way we played in the first half last week. I liked the attention to detail. We looked a little bit more like ourselves. Obviously we’ll have to play a lot better this weekend if we’re going to win. All you can do is let everything go and move onto this weekend – that’s what it’s all about.”
At the end of last week’s game vs. Tennessee, you opted to try to win the game by going for a two-point conversion. How much of that was because the outcome of that game had no bearing on your playoff situation, and how much of it was because you wanted to head into the playoffs on a good note with a win?
“Our goal is to win the football game. We did play a lot of people in the game, especially in the second half. Physically, we’ve been through the gamut here this year, and honestly I’m trying to get everybody as fresh and healthy as I can to give my football team the best possible chance, starting this weekend. That’s what really went into that decision. We ended the game the other day with a tight end playing SAM linebacker. I’ve been around a long time, and I’ve never seen that happen. I thought it was the smartest thing to do to give us a chance to win, and give those guys that played the second half a chance to win and make sure that we got to next week (healthy).”
Your defensive coordinator, Wade Phillips, was not with the team for a period of a few weeks. He’ll be there for the playoff game this weekend, but how do you think your defense has played without him?
“That’s a lot like our team, guys. The last three weeks have not been some of our better football this year. There have been spurts of good football in the last two weeks. We had every chance to win at Indianapolis; we had every chance to win last Saturday. We didn’t find a way to win those close games the last few weeks. Wade has been back now for basically a week and a half and was part of the planning for Indianapolis, and he did everything last week. So other than being in the booth, he was back here with us. But we’ve got to play better as a football team – defensively, offensively and on special teams.”
What have you seen in T.J. Yates’ development since your first game against the Bengals, on Dec. 11?
“T.J. continues to do some very good things. He’s got all the ability to be a full-time player in this league. It’s a very young process – this will only be his sixth or seventh start. But he’s got the ability. He’s playing like a young player – he’s doing some very good things, but then he has some mistakes. We’re trying to eliminate those mistakes. He’s going to have to play like a three-, four- or five-year player this next weekend. That’s just the way it is. I really love his preparation, I like what he stands for, our team respects how hard he’s worked for this opportunity. We’ve got to help him out a little more than we’ve helped him the last few weeks.”
You have two playoff-tested QBs on your roster – Jeff Garcia and Jake Delhomme. How can those two help T.J. Yates as he heads into his first playoff game?
“They have helped him by providing another set of eyes. They have played a lot of football. From the standpoint of helping him with our scheme, it’s probably more of T.J. helping those guys. We have to remember that Jake’s been with us five or six weeks. Jeff’s been with us for four or five (weeks). When it comes to our offense and what we do, it’s probably the opposite way around. They’ve been great in the locker room with the young man. They understand what he’s going through and how important these games have been. They’ve done a good a job with him of getting him ready for game day and the confidence in him. I respect the fact that they came back and have tried to help us.”
What is Andre Johnson’s status for Saturday?
“He’s ready to go. First, it’s great to have him back. We weren’t sure if we would get him back this year. We were able to get him to play 20 plays last week. He looked good. That was a good step in the right direction. He needs a good week of work this week. I don’t expect him to play 60-70 plays in the game, but I think he’s ready to play a good 45-50 and help us out. It means a lot to this team. It’s also his first playoff game. I’m happy he’s able to participate in it.”
In terms of T.J. Yates’s development, how much have Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart helped him?
"They’ve helped him a great deal. Matt (Schaub) understands our offense as well as any coach that we’ve got. He’s an excellent preparer for games. He’s taught T.J. how to prepare and study. He’s a part of all of the meetings, all of the game preparation and all of the headset communication. Matt’s been exceptional. A lot of guys in that situation can get removed. Matt hasn’t done that. He’s been here for T.J. everyday at practice, game day, everything.”
Is this one of the more unique situations that you have experienced in the NFL as a player, assistant or head coach?
“You bet. I’ve been doing this a long time. We have one hell of a quarterback picture we are going to take when this is said and done. It’s been interesting. It’s been the makeup of our whole year – having issues and trying to find ways to rise to the occasion; because of a lot of hard work and guys being able to do that we get a chance to play this weekend. Unfortunately, it’s something that we’ve gotten used to. We are ready to try to battle again and try to play some good football this week.”
This game marks the first time in NFL history that a pair of rookie quarterbacks meet as starters in the playoffs. What type of game do you expect?
“This is the first time two rookies have ever faced each other, huh? We’ve got to be aggressive and believe in our players and what we do. We have to cut it loose and play the game. There are obviously things we need to do well to be successful. But, at the same time, we have to go out there and believe in what we are doing and feel aggressive as a football. If not, you’re probably not going to like the result.”
Having seen
“I’m impressed with the job that Jay (Gruden) has done with him. He’s a rookie, but he’s not playing like one. He’s making plays off-schedule. He handles a tough offense. They do a lot of creative things. They ask him to do a lot. The thing that scares you with Andy more than anything is that you’re looking for guys in this league who can make plays that you can’t practice. He finds a way to do that. He’s very impressive. I’ve watched him closely. Obviously, he’s from Houston and TCU, I’ve been very impressed with him as a player and as a young man. For him to take over that team and lead them to the playoffs that tells you what he’s all about.”
Does T.J. Yates’s leading the Texans from behind, including the game-winning score with two seconds left at Cincinnati, make you feel comfortable heading into the playoffs?
“I don’t know if comfortable is the word. We were dead in the water. We got a lot of breaks. Probably the biggest break in the game was when Arian (Foster) fumbled and we found a way when Chris Myers hustled back and made a tackle and we got the ball back on the one (yard line). If not, the game is over. We made our share of mistakes in that game. Y’all caused them. Y’all played extremely well that day. Y’all caused us to turn the ball over and ran the ball on us. We have a lot of respect for your football team and we know we are going to have to play a hell of a lot better than we did that day if we are going to survive. We’re looking forward to it and need to have a good week of preparation.”
Did you feel like you got away with a win when you boarded the plane to leave Cincinnati?
“There is no doubt. We were very, very lucky as a football team to be in the position that we were in. The ball that bounced back to us and, if I recall right, we fumbled a kickoff that bounced back to us and we recovered it on the 10 or 11-yard line. (The Bengals) played extremely well that day. They made us play poorly. That’s my opinion. I gave them a lot of credit. They played extremely well in the game. We know we won’t get away with that type effort this week.”
Talk about Connor Barwin’s play that turned momentum in your favor on the sack and forced fumble in the previous meeting:
“That obviously got us back in the ball game and got us going.”
“I don’t know if there was one big key. We moved the ball better in the second half, after we got the turnover and scored. I think possession-wise in the fourth quarter, we had the ball a great deal with those two big drives. I think it was more so about time of possession than anything else. The Bengals controlled (the ball) in the first half and controlled the football game. We had the ball quite a bit in the fourth quarter. I think it was more about that than anything.”
You’ve talked about the Bengals rushing offense. How about your own running game? Are you seeing teams dare T.J. Yates to beat them?
“We’ve been playing a little bit different each week. I think everybody comes in with a plan on how they are going to play against your offense. When you have a young quarterback, that may come into play. We’ve been seeing a lot of things. We’re committed to the run, regardless of seven- or eight-man fronts. We’ve got to find a way to run the ball and be successful. It’s a big challenge for us. We’re going to have to be on top of our stuff. Our commitment to the run is always going to be there.”
Not that TE Owen Daniels was a secret before, but do you expect the Bengals defense to pay more attention to him this time?
“First off, I have to get him back and ready to go. He did not play against Tennessee. He had his knee drained a couple of times the previous week. I’m trying to get him back to himself. Owen is a good player. When he gets involved, good things are usually happening for us. Ever since we lost Andre (Johnson), we’ve had a lot of guys chip-in. We don’t know where the ball is going to go. Everybody has to step up and make there plays. Owen is very capable of making his.”
TEXANS QB T.J. YATES (with Cincinnati media)
From all reports, it sounds like you’re very confident that you’ll play on Saturday:
“Yes. Absolutely.”
How is your shoulder feeling?
“It’s a little sore. We thought it would be best to not go back into the game on Sunday, and just play it safe. I feel sore, but nothing is going to keep me out of the game.”
Had it been maybe not Week 17, or maybe if it was a playoff game, would you have been confident about going back in?
“Absolutely. We wanted to just go in and get X-rays, make sure everything was alright and everything was sound, and it was. We just made the decision to keep me out the rest of the game.”
The first game against the Bengals was a huge game for you. What did you take from that game?
“We didn’t put four quarters of football together. We did a good job of coming out in the second half and putting on a comeback, but the majority of that game, we didn’t play that well. You guys did a good job of forcing turnovers. You created some problems for us offensively. We didn’t play that well the majority of the game but we did a good job of fighting back and not quitting. We took a lot from that game as far as being able to move forward, but we knew that we had to play a lot better.”
On that last drive, you had a couple key plays, including the scramble on third down:
“We knew we had to move the ball down the field, and a couple of times we caught the right coverages, where they didn’t have anybody on me underneath. I knew I had to make a play, and fortunately, I was able to slowly, slowly get 17 yards on the play. I don’t know how that happened. I got away from the pass rush, and saw the big opening and I took it.”
How much more comfortable are you now in your role and what the team is asking you to do?
“A lot more comfortable. Every single week, win or lose, whether I play good or play bad, I’ve been learning. That’s the main thing I’ve been trying to do – learn from my mistakes, not make the same mistakes over again. Just keep progressing in this offense, getting smarter and more experienced every single game. Tough situations you can’t really experience until you get them in a game and learn from them first hand.”
How much have Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart helped you this year?
“They’ve helped me so much. Even when Matt was playing, and I was the third-string guy doing the scout team, he was always helping me in every way possible, whether it was on the practice field or in the film room. He’s always just thinking out loud, kind of teaching, because he knew that I needed to play catch up as much as possible. He’s been in this offense longer than some of the coaches have, so he has more of the little tidbits and the little reminders that he’s experienced over the past few years running this offense. He’s one of the best coaches I can have.
Most players when they go on IR, they’re season’s done, they usually go away, but it seems like Matt’s been there every game for you:
“Every game, Every practice. Every meeting. He doesn’t have to be in our early meeting in the morning, but he’s there. He hasn’t missed one thing. He’s still into the game plan like he’s playing every single week. He helps out everybody in the quarterback room. He’s still a leader around this ball club.”
How well do you know Andy Dalton?
“I was at the Peyton Manning Passing Academy with him two summers ago. I met him a little bit there and we got to know each other. We saw each other at the Combine. He’s a real good guy, a great football player. I’m happy that he’s playing very well.”
Seems that in terms of adversity you’ve had experience dealing with it at North Carolina and the situation there as well?
“Yeah, in some aspects the situation I had my senior year at Carolina was the same as we have here because of all of the suspensions. Every week, I think, my senior year we had another guy getting suspended or another guy coming back from suspension so every week throughout the entire team everybody had to be ready to play. In Houston people have been going down – starters, backups – we’ve had so many injuries across the board. That’s some of the worst adversity that you can deal with but “next man up” has kind of been our mantra the entire season because guys across the roster have stepped up and have been having to step up.”
What’s the attitude been like in the locker room given that since you clinched division title here you have lost three in a row?
“All three games that we’ve played since we played you guys have been a letdown for us. We knew that we weren’t playing the football that we were before and we weren’t playing football that we had to play to compete in the playoffs but the energy is good. We had a great day of practice today. Everybody is revved up and energized for some playoff football.”
What does it mean for this offense to get Andre Johnson back?
“It’s huge. Everybody knows what kind of player Andre is; just the difference in the defenses that you see. Guys are going to play us differently because we have that outside deep threat downfield now. We’re going to be able to open up different parts of our game as well as get the ball to a great playmaker.”
Have you seen teams play more defenders in the box not just because of your rushing attack but because you are a rookie and teams are trying make you beat them?
“Yeah. First and foremost we are a running football team and that’s the main concern for defenses that are facing us. They want to stop that run game and in the past weeks we haven’t had our deep threat on the outside, which has kind of making us a little one-dimensional but we’ve found ways to make it work and found plays in other places. But now that we have Andre back defenses are going to have to respect both aspects.”
Seems like in the first game you took advantage of a lot of play-action and some routes down the middle:
“We like to sell that run game with that play-action and that works out great for us and opens up things downfield, gets the backers reacting and we feel that we can win some one-on-one coverage with our guys underneath and in the middle. That’s one thing we definitely took advantage of the last game.”
Back to the run game, after seeing what Baltimore did last week with Ray Rice’s two long touchdown runs, how important is it to stay with the run game since it is a strength and the Bengals have been vulnerable to give up long runs?
“We don’t plan on doing anything different than usual. We’re going to play our game, what we’ve been doing all year long. We know you guys have a great defensive football team and have had a great defensive football team all year and been very consistent so we’re going to stick to our game plan and do what we do.”
What does it feel like to be a part of the first playoff matchup of rookie quarterbacks in league history?
“It’s a pretty cool feeling. It shows how much the game has changed in these days. My situation is obviously a lot different than Andy’s. He was drafted there to be the starter and unfortunate circumstances here in Houston led to me being the one playing but you’ve just got to take advantage of every opportunity you get and it’s pretty cool to be a part of it.”
The Bengals last playoff win as a franchise was after the 1990 season against the Houston Oilers. Do you remember the Houston Oilers?
“Kind of. They were a little before my time. It was ’93 the last time Houston went to the playoffs and I was only six years old back then so I don’t remember them too much. Hopefully we can continue the playoff streak going in Houston.”
How has the city reacted now that you guys are back in the playoffs?
“The city has been great. Our fans are amazing. The people in this city have been waiting for us to get back in the playoffs for a really long time. We have some great fans that come out and support us no matter what every single game. I know that Reliant is going to be rocking on Saturday.”
Did you talk to Cincinnati during the draft process?
“I talked to them at the combine. You talk to just about every team there but other than at the combine, no.”
Do you have to laugh a little because after your first two starts about six or seven GMs and teams started talking about how they had you on their draft boards and were going to pick you?
“Yeah, that’s kind of a funny situation. You see them come out and say that now but you can’t worry about that stuff. I’m happy with where I got picked and it’s turned out to be a great situation for me.”
