Salvon Ahmed – August 19, 2023 (Postgame)
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Saturday, August 19, 2023
Postgame – Houston
RB Salvon Ahmed (transcribed by Houston Texans)
On how it felt to play rush for nearly 100 yards
“It felt good to be out there. It’s a team sport, so everybody’s out there doing their thing. The offensive line, the receivers, the quarterback, everybody was out there doing their thing to make sure we all could make plays, so it was fun to be out there.”
On how he compartmentalizes and focuses on what he needs to focus on
“You just take it one day at a time, and that’s great room that I’m in with those guys. We all try to learn from each other, we all try to help each other. As much as there is competition, just like anything in life and in sports, we all try to help each other a lot. Just take it day by day, and we all look out for each other and help in any way possible.”
What were some of the factors that helped you rush for more than 200 yards?
“Man, just being consistent. Just being consistent, and it’s been a long training camp, just taking the stuff that we do in practice and applying it to the game. The offensive line did an amazing job. The receivers out there making blocks. There’s a lot that goes into it.”
Did you have a sense something like this could be coming?
“Definitely. We practice hard. We practice hard, and like I said, it’s a lot of consistency. It’s a lot of consistency going out there day in and day out and just applying everything that you do in practice and make sure it’s going to the game. It’s all coming together.”
On how he feels he stacks up to the running back competition and how much a game like this helps
“You just focus on day-in and day-out and just take it one day at a time, not really looking at – you try to focus on stuff outside of your job, that’s not my job, where I’m supposed to be at or anything like that. I just show up to work, be at practice, come to the game, and do my job.”
On how it felt to see QB Tua Tagovailoa take the field in a game for the first time in a long time
“We’re all excited. We love Tua [Tagovailoa], and I can’t wait to see everything that he’s going to do this season. Yeah, I think we were all excited, and just ready for the season.”
On what it meant to have QB Tua Tagovailoa back in the huddle
“I mean, we love having Tua [Tagovailoa] on the field. He’s a really poised guy. He makes everybody else feel calm, so I love being in the huddle with him. That’s my guy.”
Skylar Thompson – August 19, 2023 (Postgame)
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Saturday, August 19, 2023
Postgame – Houston
QB Skylar Thompson (transcribed by Houston Texans)
To go from two interceptions in the last game to no interceptions and three touchdown passes in this game, what do you think changed?
“Just not living in the past. I think the best thing for me, in my mindset, is when adversity hits, which obviously the first preseason game didn’t go how I would want it to go – that’s when I just tried to get stronger and not let it affect my confidence, affect my belief in myself. That’s all I did today. Just when I stepped out there, I just had belief and confidence in myself that this is a new game, new opportunity, and a new chance for me to just play the game that I love. Just try to make it simple and have fun out there, and it definitely worked in my favor today.”
Did you know that you were going to play most of today’s game following QB Tua Tagovailoa?
“Yeah, I knew I was going to play after Tua [Tagovailoa]. I didn’t quite know what the situation was going to look like. Once Mike [White] went through the same deal that I did, so they just informed me that I was playing the rest of the game, so I was happy to get more opportunities there.”
Did you get any explanation as to why you played the rest of the game instead of QB Mike White?
“I don’t know what took place with Mike [White]. I was just told that I was playing the rest of the game, and that I was going to finish it out. I have yet to know what exactly happened. That’s just what the coaches told me at the time, and that’s what I did.”
Where do you think you’ve grown the most from your first preseason games last year to today?
“I think just the language of our system. As Tua [Tagovailoa] kind of showed earlier in the week, it is a complex system that we do a lot of shift trade motion, do a lot of stuff that affects the defense. Last year, I was really just very vanilla on the system, as far as executing it and getting guys in the right spot, have this motion, have this motion, but now I feel like I’m getting better at being able to understand why we’re motioning, why we’re doing the things that we’re doing to kind of give me indicators of what the defense is doing. It just allows my process pre-snap to have an idea of what’s going to play out after the snap. That’s the most important thing as a quarterback is to have a plan, and being able to predict what you think the defense is doing but also being able to react, but just having an idea pre-snap that allows me to play faster and play with confidence, and I think that’s helped me going into year two here.”
Being around QB Tua Tagovailoa all the time, you probably have a sense of what it means to him to return to the field after 237 days. What’s your perspective on that?
“I was happy for him. Tua [Tagovailoa] is a guy that is full of joy. That’s the best way to describe him. He’s always upbeat, always positive, always has a smile on his face, and you can tell he loves the game of football. Just last week, you can tell he was frustrated he didn’t get to play. He’s a competitor. So, when he got that opportunity to get back out there and get back on the field, I know that was big for him. Everybody in our locker room, everybody in this organization supports him and was excited for him. You could tell he was happy to get back out there and get in the swing of things and get back in the routine of playing ball.”
I saw QB Tua Tagovailoa yelling at you to change the play. What did he want to change?
“It’s just an inside joke. We ran this play that we scored on against the Texans in practice, and Mike just made a joke because Tua had that play. Just to read it out, it was an inside joke and happened to throw a touchdown on it. It was Tua just being Tua, just having fun.”
Which touchdown was that?
“It was the first one to ‘Salvie’ [Salvon Ahmed].”
Can you take us through the touchdown pass to WR Braxton Berrios?
“That was just a backside route there that he’s really a place holder trying to hold the safety there, so we could hit what we were trying to hit on the front side. The front side was covered, so I kind of took a step back and just played football. I stepped back there. On paper, the ball was hardly ever going to go there, but as I retreated back to buy myself some time, I felt him make a great play, kind of a scramble drill type of thing, cut loose, and made a great football play there.”
Tua Tagovailoa – August 19, 2023 (Postgame)
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Saturday, August 19, 2023
Postgame – Houston
QB Tua Tagovailoa (transcribed by Houston Texans)
“First off, great team effort, great team win. Any which way you can put that, proud of the guys. They went out there. They competed. Didn’t matter who was in. So that was really good to see.
Tua, let’s start with before the game. What was going through your mind before this ballgame knowing you’d be returning to the field for the first time in a long time?
“It was awesome. You get all the feelings that you normally feel of getting back out there again. Butterflies, anxious to get out there, all these thoughts going through your head. But I thought it felt really good being able to go out there, call plays with the guys, the camaraderie in the huddle. Things didn’t go our way, adversity hit, and it was cool to see the guys respond.”
What did you think of the interception on the first play?
“Yeah, it was just a bad play. That’s really all it was, just bad quarterback play right there. That’s not how you want to start out a drive any way you look at it. It was a bad play, but like I said, I’m glad with the way we responded because the next series, things were still jarred up with the first two plays and then we got into third down and things started to settle and we found our rhythm in the game.”
Was it good to get that one out of your system?
“It’s never good to do that. It doesn’t matter which way you look at that. It’s never good to turn the ball over. It’s never good to throw a pick. I’m not happy about that, but like I said, I’m really happy for the guys that were in there that were able to go out and showcase their skills and be able to perform at the level they did today.”
You took your first quarterback hit from the defender, I know one of the things you focused in the off season was making sure your head doesn’t snap back and it seemed like you avoided that. After the fact, did that come to your mind? That the Jiu-Jitsu was really working there?
“Yeah, I would say yeah. The thing with that, I mean, you just have to continue to rep it. We do some things at the facility that help keep up with that. But it’s football. There’s hits that you’re going to see that you know you can fall and then there’s others where you’re not going to be able to see, and it’s how you react to it. It’s a physical sport. It’s tough. But yeah, went out there and was expecting to get hit, was expecting to go to the ground, all of that.”
On the interception, my friend Dave pointed out that you spun towards the guy with the ball. In the future would you think about not getting involved in the tackle, or is that something you’re just not going to be able to avoid?
“I mean, as a quarterback, I understand the whole outlook of, okay, like he threw an interception, try not to get hurt while you’re trying to make a tackle. But on top of throwing the interception, what’s even worse than that is the guy scoring when he intercepts the ball. I think for me, I’m going to do the best that I can to make a play, and if not, then so be it.”
Would you feel that the operation and flow of the second drive is what led to converting those 3rd downs?
“Yeah. We definitely got into a good flow, and it was both the run game and the pass game. When we needed to run, I felt like we did the things necessary to gain some yards, and when we had to pass the ball, I thought we executed really well.”
As the game kept progressing and the offense kept scoring touchdowns, you always ran on to the field to celebrate with your teammates. What was going through your mind when the touchdowns just kept coming?
“Yeah, I don’t think people outside looking in understand the amount of work that these guys put in day in and day out. There’s a lot of guys that have the luxury to slough off because they are who they are. But the guys that don’t have that luxury and don’t have that opportunity, the amount of work that they put in day in and day out, it’s tough. So, to be able to see them go out and execute and execute at a high level regardless of who’s out there on the field, I mean, you’re just happy for them. You see the reward that is out there when they’ve worked so hard their entire lives. Guys are all competing for a job. Everyone is competing for a job. I thought that was something super, super cool, and I just wanted to be there to support those guys as much as I could, both offensively and defensively.”
What did you think of QB Skylar Thompson’s game?
“I enjoyed it. I enjoyed it. Three touchdowns? What do you mean? Any which way you call that, that’s awesome. He led those guys, and it was both the twos and the threes, due to some unfortunate circumstances. But I’m very happy for him. He got into a groove with the group that he was with, and he balled.”
If the team can run the ball the way it did today, what impact do you think that will have on the offense?
“I think it’ll have a big impact. You could see through the games last year when we were able to run the ball how efficient we were on first, second, third. It didn’t matter, because the defense didn’t know what to expect. When we’re able to do that, we’re able to play on our terms, and we’re able to play fast, physical, and play with elite type things, so it’s good.”
Are you happy right now?
“Am I happy right now? Anytime we can get a win, I’m happy. Big shout-out, Annah, Ace, if you guys are watching, love you guys.”
Mike McDaniel – August 19, 2023 (Postgame)
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Saturday, August 19, 2023
Postgame – Houston
Head Coach Mike McDaniel (transcribed by Houston Texans)
On what was going through is mind on QB Tua Tagovailoa’s first interception
“You know, I told him before the game, I did not expect him to play that long but if adversity comes our way, to seize it, and he took it extremely literal. To me, it’s like, ‘Alright, perfect. What are you going to do?’ I think it was so valuable because it was the first play, and he came back as I would expect, but the rep – he had already put himself there before. What happens when that happens? It was on a play that he’s had a lot of success with, and he threw a pick. We got behind the sticks, and I think we had like a 14 or 15-play drive that was critical with three or four third downs on it. That is exactly what preseason is for, that’s why you want somebody to play. I’m glad he got it out of the way. But more importantly, the team didn’t blink. The team had a pretty short field to defend, and what a momentum swing that is when your defense can come up and not bat an eye, hold a team to not have points and then progress from there. I was happy with the way the team responded to that.”
On his thoughts on QB Tua Tagovailoa’s performance and how he handled taking hits
“I mean, it was – it’s not if, but when. These are things that you prepare for. I didn’t feel anything except that it was a – I wasn’t imagining his first play that he was going to tackle somebody on it, but he’s as prepared as one can be. So, I’m not – if I was surprised that it happened and/or – if I was surprised, I would have my eyes blindfolded and earplugs in my ears. That happens as a part of football, and you have to prepare for that, which he does.:
On what led to the 200-yard rushing performance from the team
“You know, I think there’s a lot of individual effort. There’s inches in the game of football. Especially with a penetrating front like Houston has, you have to be on your P’s and Q’s, a lot of people have to execute things, and then people have to make plays when the opportunity is there. So, I think starting with the offensive line, the tight end group, and the receivers all blocked – and we had some ballcarriers make plays in tight windows. It’s cool for guys to get rewarded for all the work that goes on unseen.”
On how rewarding was it to see RB Salvon Ahmed do what he did
“It didn’t surprise me at all, but I’m very happy for him because he’s the consummate pro that focuses on the right things, which is when my opportunity is there, to make the most of it. When you have that type of mindset, that enables you to be the best version of yourself and take advantage of the opportunities when they do come. I was happy for him to just really seize the moment and do some good things running the ball and in the receiving game.”
On his thoughts on QB Skylar Thompson
“I thought Skylar [Thompson] did a great job handling everything. That’s what you want to see is you want to see from him how fast he was getting in and out of the huddle. You could tell it was an emphasis from him as well as it was for me, and he didn’t get bogged down with a play. There were some plays that he’d want back, but then he continued to press forward and try to make some plays, and I think he did a great job of that, some on-schedule, some off-schedule, and the key will be to go watch the tape and get better from that moving forward.”
On how he foresees the third preseason game with respect to snap counts for the quarterbacks
“Well, I just think you have to balance opportunities, and there’s so many compounding variables with opportunities. You get playing time, but who are the eligibles? Who’s the offensive line? You want it to be settled on the field, and it doesn’t just go into game performance. It’s game performance on things that – there’s a lot of times I’m calling plays for them less concerned about the defense, and like, ‘Hey, we rep this play, we talked about it at length, and I want to see what he does,’ those type of things. You just try to balance that stuff out across the board with every position.”
On the status of LT Terron Armstead
“He’s doing well. Optimistic. We avoided anything too substantial in terms of a timeline. I’m not really worried about it. I’m just worried about him getting right as fast as possible, which I know he’ll do.”
Have you been told anything about RB De’Von Achane or OL Rob Jones?
“I think (De’Von) Achane is a shoulder, we’ll find more out tomorrow. Rob Jones, we’ll find some more out tomorrow, too, I believe. It’s a lower extremity. But they’re going to find a lot more information with imaging.”
On what he likes about the defensive unit
“I think it’s held true to what collectively the coaching staff headed by (Defensive Coordinator) Vic (Fangio) and the defense in general as a group of people, they want to continue to progress and get better. There’s a big part of playing defense that as a team we talk about a ton that is yards are cool, but they have to get in the end zone, and being that mindset is kind of very similar to that of the team’s mindset with adversity. Sometimes you’ll give stuff up – don’t worry about it. You finish, they don’t. That’s what you’re trying to get done. Yeah, it’s always fun when defensive units are getting better in a real way, not because of anything, but their details, their technique and their fundamentals.”
On if OL Lester Cotton is dealing with an injury
“Yeah, he had something minor. He probably – like if we were – he wanted to go, but I didn’t think it was fair to him to gut through something and the potential of having tape put out there that’s not a reflection of how he’s been playing. So we held him out. But he wants to get on the field in the worst way, and we’ll be excited for that.”
On what he thinks this win meant for QB Tua Tagovailoa
“I think you’re highlighting a great point. I think he’s finding himself as a man, and he is doing it alongside teammates. I think that when you’ve been doing something for that long, you’re just enjoying the process day-in, day-out. He is so comfortable in his skin and his zest for life is so strong, now as a father and a husband and a quarterback. He is enjoying – he’s worrying about the right stuff. Like you throw a pick first play, that’s not ideal, but you focus on ‘OK, well, most people might let that linger and have an effect on how you approach everything else. As a competitor, I’m going to try to not have that be the case.’ I think all of that fits within him and his development and where he’s at, and I’m excited to see him every day. He’s got a really cool new tattoo, so that’s cool, too.”
Do you approach this game as sort of a dress rehearsal of the preseason?
“No, I literally didn’t even decide who was going to play until, you guys will believe me at some point, like literally the day before because it made sense. Then I felt like the team – a lot of guys needed tape. They needed a game to do good or bad – doesn’t matter – but you’re practicing for so long, they were ready for that. There’s something we’re trying to get done every single time we’re able to go on the field, whether it’s practice or preseason game, whether or not certain guys play will be our educated best guess as to what helps and what hurts people moving forward. There may be less, there may be more. We’ll see how the week progresses, how we are health-wise and what guys need to do to best prepare for the regular season.”
Jaylen Waddle – August 19, 2023 (Third Quarter)
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WR Jaylen Waddle on CBS Miami Broadcast
(We just saw you guys get in the end zone again, 28 points here so far. Impressions of the offense?) – “We look real good. We had a bad start but that comes with it getting all the rust and jitters out, coming out and playing the one’s for the first time. Got that out the way and we started moving the ball efficiently.”
(I did want to ask you about coming home this week. How much fun did you have? Did you get to visit any of your old stomping grounds, see friends and family?) – “Yeah, I got to see friends and family. It’s always good coming back to Houston. There’s a lot of love and support out here. I went back to my old high school and got to see them scrimmage. It was a good week.”
(I know a lot of them were probably asking, when are we going to see you back out there? How are you feeling? Are you close to coming back?) – “Yeah, definitely. You’ll see me back out there real soon. I’m feeling good, going to be back real soon.”
(You’ve had a heck of a start to your career here. Last year, you lead the Dolphins in receiving touchdowns. What were your goals coming in and how much do you get to play off of a guy like WR Tyreek Hill?) – “Yeah, man. Tyreek definitely, he kind of brings the energy not just in the room, but to the team. Him coming out there and being himself, you don’t have no choice but to follow him and try to match his energy.”
(When WR Tyreek Hill came out and said, “I want a 2,000-yard season,” did that get you thinking about maybe what you want to bring to the table here in 2023?) – “Not really. ‘Reek’ (Tyreek Hill) has the ability to do anything he wants to do in this league. So him saying he wants 2K is in his reach, and we’re all rooting for him to do that and make history.”
(I know I saw you out there during practice, still being engaged with practice even if you couldn’t be out there, saying hi to old Alabama teammates. How cool was the reunion this week?) – ”Man, it was good. Houston’s got a lot of Alabama guys over there. So it’s always good seeing my old teammates, seeing how they’re doing, catching up with them, talking about the ‘Bama days and all that good stuff.”
Mike McDaniel – August 19, 2023 (Halftime)
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Head Coach Mike McDaniel on CBS Miami Broadcast
(You mentioned yesterday you wanted to get some of the butterflies out. The team had a little bit of a rough start there out of the gate. How did you like the response?) – “Well, that’s everything you’re looking for. I was obviously not happy with an extreme commitment to coaching points and adversity was an opportunity, but first play since December (Tua Tagovailoa) throws a pick, defense gets the team back. We start second-and-long next series (and) have a 15-play drive. Defense, I thought, gave up some yardage they didn’t want to, but when push came to shove, they kept them out of the end zone which is what they do. We’re getting better which is the point, but we have a whole half left to continue that process and that’s what I’m looking forward to.”
(I know you emphasize the run game a lot. What did you like out of that group? 140 yards on the ground there in that first half.) – “I think a lot of guys make plays in the run game. It’s something – Year 2 for us is a big difference. I think there’s been a substantial commitment by all coaches and players, so it’s cool to see them be rewarded for a half.”
Robert Hunt – August 17, 2023
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Thursday, August 17, 2023
OL Robert Hunt
(What have these joint practices been like for you guys physically and trying to develop some chemistry as a unit?) – “They’ve been pretty important. I think as an offense, we have a high standard and we want to roll. We’ve seen what it looks like when it’s good. When it’s not looking that way, it feels like it’s not going good but you watch film and the film tells a different story. Work still needs to be done but the good thing is we don’t play until – I don’t know how many weeks, maybe three? We’ve still got some work to do. We’re not far but we’ve got some work to do.”
(How antsy are you to go in and see how T Terron Armstead is doing?) – “I didn’t see what happened but definitely when I get up to my phone, I’m going to text him and check on him and see how he’s doing. Hopefully he’s okay. We all know how important he is to this team, to this offensive line. Hopefully it’s nothing too serious.”
(Where are you guys in terms of building chemistry as an offensive line? Obviously, there’s some competition at the left guard spot. Does that impact everybody’s continuity or just really that side?) – “I don’t know. I don’t think it affects anyone negatively. I mean we all know, as a human, competing at your job is something you feel some type of way about. But this is a business. We’re all fighting for a job. We’re all going to make the best of this short time that we have in the NFL and that’s that. I think as an offensive line though, I think we’re a lot further along than we have been. I think we’ve got the right stuff brewing. I think we’re playing well. Not by any means is it perfect but I think we’re doing a lot of really good stuff. I think we’re headed in the right direction.”
(How would you measure the growth of the run game from Day 1 of camp to where it is right now?) – “Run game, I don’t know, man. You see it and it hits and then sometimes you see it and it doesn’t hit. It’s hard to tell. But like I said, watching film, it looks pretty good. It looks good when you watch film and you actually see what’s actually going on. Me when I’m playing, I’m focused on me and what I can do and what I affect in that run. But as I watch it as a whole in film, it looks good. I think a lot of guys are playing hard. I think we’re running off the football. I think there’s a lot of good stuff happening. You can see that even with guys that aren’t typically Day 1 starters right now at this point. Last week in the preseason game, you still can see that. You see guys running off the ball. It’s a testament to us. I was talking to a couple of those guys yesterday and they were like ‘damn, y’all are so far off the ball. I thought y’all would be running off the ball today.’ It’s talked about and it’s seen so I think it’s going well.”
(Let me ask you about the second year in this system with the wide-zone scheme. What is the difference in your mindset in terms of aiming points and angles and turning players?) – “In this second year, for me, I feel more comfortable in going to my landmark and to my spots and I know the plays. So for me, I’m just playing football. I’m just going and I hit the spot. Sometimes I don’t hit the spot and I’ve just got to play football. At the end of the day, it’s about winning. For me, I think this second year has been really good because you do kind of have an idea of what you want. But also, you understand we have a new coach so the coaching may be a little different than it was last year. Same system, same plays, but the coaching and some little details may be a little different and I think Butch (Barry) is doing a hell of a job.”
(Why is Offensive Line Coach Butch Barry doing a hell of a job?) – “He knows what he wants. He’s coaching it. We’re buying into it and I think it looks good. It’s early on and there’s a lot of work that’s not finished. It’s not a finished product. We’ve got 17 weeks, but I think we’re headed in the right direction.”
Emmanuel Ogbah – August 17, 2023
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Thursday, August 17, 2023
DE Emmanuel Ogbah
(If I’m not mistaken, you’re normally in a three-point stance guy for most of your career?) – “Yes, sir.”
(How’s it converting to a two-point stance?) – “It’s new for me but I have the option to go three point or two point, if I want to. Right now, I’m just practicing my two point because I’m not familiar with it. But yeah, I’m getting better every day.”
(So you can put your hand in the ground, if you choose to?) – “Yeah, I can. I have the option. Sometimes I have to drop too. It’s hard to drop from a three-point stance, so I have to rush from a two-point and drop.”
(This scheme obviously goes back to your rookie season. How much overlap do you feel like there is?) – “Just a little bit, but I know in Cleveland, I was primarily with the rush guys. So even though we had drops, you rush. I’m still getting used to dropping in coverages and all that but like I said, I’m getting better every day.”
(I wondered this, why don’t you work inside?) – “I do work inside. We’re just trying to master the outside because this is something new to me. It’s still new for me. So I’m trying to master outside first.”
(What was your reaction when they let you know that they’d like you to play in the previous game?) – “I was kind of surprised but then again, I was okay with it because I needed that. I needed that little warm up game. The last time I played on that field, I tore my triceps. I needed that experience. And I didn’t really play much either.”
(Are you getting some home cooking down here?) – “Oh, yeah, come on now. My mom’s down the street. I had some good Nigerian food. Might go back tonight, grab a little bit and come back to the hotel.”
