Q: With Kiwi out and Pierre-Paul, a rookie, being asked to step up. How ready is he for it now compared to a month ago?
A: We made a lot of progress with him off of last week's game. We've just been spoon feeding him, spoon feeding him, and then last week he stepped up to the plate. He made some plays in there, he gained some confidence, we gained some confidence and we can spoon-feed him a little bit more, so we'll just keep giving it to him and we're going to turn him loose and let him play.
Q: He wasn't officially part of the sack parade. What did he do that you liked?
A: He was hitting his right gaps. He was executing the defenses that we called. He had really no mental errors. On the pass where he intercepted the ball - you don't count that stat - we were ecstatic because that was a defense that we had just put in on Wednesday and he had only had two or three reps at it and we were wondering is he going to remember to do it and all that type of thing and boy, he hit it just right and he showed that he had good hands on the play. It's just unfortunate that the play was nullified.
A: Yes he did.
Q: Which is something he's probably not that familiar with...
A: Exactly. Yes. So we were very excited about continuing to give him information that he can use and him executing the information that we're giving him.
Q: Do you anticipate the Texans using a lot of extra help against your pass rush, more than the Bears?
A: You know, this is really a different offense that we're going to face. It's a run type offense. They execute the play action pass, they try to stay on schedule with not putting themselves in long yardage situations, so it's a little bit of a different philosophy going into this football game than last week.
Q: It seems like Foster has come out of nowhere. What has allowed him to become one of the premier backs in this league? Or is it really more the scheme of what they're doing?
A: It's a good scheme. It's really a good scheme and you have to be disciplined defensively and if you're not, they can crease you, and then he's good - he has good vision, and when he sees the hole, he can plant his foot and turn up in the hole, and he has enough speed that he can accelerate through that hole and gain 10, 12, 14...sometimes take it the distance. So, it's a little bit of both - he's got good vision plus they have a good scheme and it's a tough scheme to defend against.
Q: Are we talking like a Broncos scheme where you can plug anybody in there and they seem to run well?
A: I would say yes. I'm not calling him anybody because he's playing really well right now, but this is the Denver Broncos scheme. No doubt about it.
Q: What are the challenges of facing a zone blocking scheme?
A: Well, when you play a team like this, they like to cut block you and that type of thing and they get your hands down, so they take your mind off of, I've got to stay in this gap or I've got to do this, because they're trying to protect themselves a lot. So, we've just got to get over that mental barrier of...hey, it's going to happen man, but we've got to be where we need to be though.
Q: Is this the most balanced team you've faced so far? Do you think you'll learn more about your defense this week?
A: It is definitely the most balanced team we've faced. Solid, solid run game, excellent pass game off the play action, they can drop back and throw it, so it will be a challenge for us, but I think that we can rise to the occasion. I think we can play well against these guys.
Q: Is this really where you have to be sound in your gaps?
A: No question. You have to tackle well against these guys. You must knock them off schedule. We want to create third and long situations for them and they don't have a lot of third and long situations. If you look at them statistically, they're a third and three team, third and four team and they can throw the quick game out there to those receivers and then it's first down again. It's going to be a big challenge for us to play first down very well against this football team.
Q: This would have been a game where Keith Bulluck probably would have played a lot.
A: No question.
Q: Without him is it more Clint Sintim or Deon Grant?
A: Probably both. We're not going to hold anything back from a personnel group, but Sintim will play a lot. Yes, he's going to play a lot in this football game.
Q: The last time he was out it was a different type of offense...
A: Yes, Tennessee was more of this type of offense.
Q: So this will be the most reps that Sintim has had?
A: Yes. I would definitely say that.
Q: Is he ready for this?
A: Oh, he's ready. I tell you, he's put in an excellent week of practice. We've liked the way he's focused and the way he's taken on the challenge of, hey I'm going to step up and do my part. So we've just got to wait until Sunday to see if he can fulfill that role.
Q: Is this the kind of game that your front four is made for?
A: You want to say that as a football coach. You better hope that they're built for this because, again, this is a tough offensive scheme, so you would like to say, yes, your front four is built for this and they can play the run and convert and play the pass.
Q: Did you get a look at Foster at all last year because he came in at the end of the season...
A: We played them last year. He played a little bit against me when I was at Buffalo last year. I remember the power and him having the good vision and being able to hit the hole and find the creases.
Q: With his size and speed, what does Deon Grant allow you to do versatility-wise?
A: When I use Deon, I use the veteran experience, the knowledge and the know-how, that sixth sense of I'm supposed to...I can see the offensive formation, I've been here before, I've done that, so he's almost like a guy that you can just say, Hey, Deon, when you see this, can you remember this? And if you can remember this, can we play this this way? And he can execute these things for you whereas a rookie or a second or third-year player is just trying to get lined up in the right spot and execute the defense that's called. I use a lot of Deon's knowledge and know-how from an experience standpoint.
Q: It seems like he's almost built more like a linebacker. Does that enable you to do anything differently?
A: Not really. Not from that standpoint. I just try to use him...he matches up well with some of the tight ends that we play against and we feel like that's a good thing for us. Can he go in and play the run? Yes, he can from a size standpoint, but I don't really try to use him in that sense.
Q: With Kiwi sidelined, is that part of the package out of the defense for now?
A: No, it's not. As a matter of fact, we used that package on Sunday night. We plugged someone else in that role. We might temper it down a little bit with him being out, but we still use the package.
Q: What was it like for you to watch that on Sunday night? Ten sacks...
A: I just was excited to see it, number one, but I really didn't harbor...I didn't really take it all in. I had to move on to the next game or the next opponent. I didn't take a lot of time to just cherish it because as a ball coach you're like, okay we won this one, what about the next guy?
Q: Even on Sunday night you weren't enjoying it?
A: Oh, you're jacked up! You can't sleep. After something like that, you go home and you try to sleep - you can't. You're up until two or three o'clock and you're like, wow. That's all you can do. You just go ‘wow.'
Q: But you had already started thinking Texans almost right after the game?
A: No doubt. Let's win the next one.
Q: Do you prepare like Andre Johnson is going to play?
A: No doubt.
Q: Where do you rank him?
A: We play against some good receivers...boy...he's right there. He's a headache. Gosh he's a headache - size, speed, he's on the same page with his quarterback. Plus, the run game hurts you a little bit from the play action. Yeah, he's right there at the top. He's a Pro Bowler.
Q: As far as defensive line performances, is that as good as you've seen a unit play on Sunday?
A: Yes. That's the best I've ever been around. That's absolutely the best I've ever been around from a performance standpoint, yes.