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Xavien Howard – October 22, 2018 Download PDF version

Monday, October 22, 2018

CB Xavien Howard

(How excited are you about going back to Houston in the NFL for the first time?) – “I can’t wait. I’ve never played in the stadium at (NRG). I went to high school out there but I never played in there. I’m ready to get back home to see my family so they can see me play.”

(What do you have planned? I know you guys have a night game. Do you see your family a lot or just a little?) – “They’ll probably come to the hotel or something like that. I’ll see them.”

(You’ve been shadowing a lot more than you did in previous seasons. What are the challenges that come with that outside of facing the best opponent?) – “I’d say it depends on what receiver I’m shadowing. Some receivers they move inside in the slot. I’ve been trying to add that to my game, playing inside in the slot. It’s a different game playing outside than in the slot. It’s really just what my coach wants me to do. Whatever they want me to do, I’m going to do that.”

(What’s the biggest challenge that WR DeAndre Hopkins presents?) – “I just watched a little film this morning and I watched the Jaguars. I see he likes to push off a lot. He likes to get physical. That’s going to be part of his game. He can make some hell-of-a-catches.”

(Can you match his physicality?) – “Oh, yeah. I’m a physical corner. It comes with it.”

(For you it’s a homecoming but what’s the challenge of traveling for a Thursday night game? Is that harder than traveling for a Sunday game?) – “We expect it’s going to be a quick turnaround. It’s part of the NFL. We’ve just got to put our pads on and we have to play.”

(Some guys have the mindset that we like playing the game without the practice and then getting the break afterwards. Where is your thought process on the Thursday night game?) – “I’m not really focused on after the game. I’m worried about trying to win the game right now. Thursday night we’re going back to my hometown and it’s the next game. It’s an important game so that’s my main focus right now. I’m trying to get a W.”

(The offense is going to be without WR Kenny Stills and WR Albert Wilson. Defensively, do you think we have to do some more stuff?) – “I feel like defensively we’ve been playing at a high level. After this game, the stuff we can get better at, we’ll see after this. We have to bring our A-game. We have to stick together and just bond.”

(You have a great deal of fondness for Houston it seems like from talking to you in the past. Can you speak on what Houston means to you as a person?) – “That’s what built me, just living in Houston and seeing everything that happened out there due to the hurricanes and a lot of stuff in that nature. I’d say it built me, my character and who I am today. It’s a great city and we’re still building. That’s enough of what I can say about Houston.”

(What do you see from DE Camerom Wake and DB Bobby McCain being out there? Were they their old selves or 80 percent of themselves? What did you see?) – “Those guys came in the game and they were playing their butts off. Watching film, I’d say they’ll get better. I wasn’t really paying attention to Cam or them like that. We were trying to work on our secondary and seeing what our deal was with the Detroit Lions and what they were dong to us. We’re going to watch film and see, but I’d say Cam is always Cam. I expect nothing less from him.”

(And CB Bobby McCain?) – “Bobby McCain, he came out there and played his butt off.”

(When you guys cut into the score, I know as a defense, you felt it was just about time, right? We you guys surprised that those turnovers you’ve been getting or those game-breaking plays that you’ve been getting on defense didn’t come this week?) – “Yeah. That’s what I was … When I went to the sideline that’s what I was trying to get the guys on the backend. If we want to consider ourselves as one of the best secondaries, we’ve got to make plays when they come. I had the opportunity to make a play, I tried to undercut a play. The receiver caught it. It wasn’t a safe one. I could’ve easily knocked the ball down but I was trying to make a play. That’s what I’ve been doing this whole season. Stuff like that happens. I’d say we’re going to get back to the table and see what we’re going to do for this week.”

(If WR DeVante Parker asked you for advice because you’ve gone against him in practice so many times. We’re all assuming he’s playing Thursday. If he asked you for advice, what would you say?) – “DeVante, I’d say he’s ready. He’s a big receiver, a fast receiver and has good hands. He’s a good deep threat for us too. I’d say he’ll bring attention to the cornerbacks and whatever they’ll try to do to him, I’d say he’s ready.”

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