Vikings 31, Texans 23
Q. Last sequence there, what did you see on the touchdown that they overturned, and could you take us through the decision to do the option play on 3rd down?
BILL O'BRIEN: Yeah, they said that the ball moved when Will caught the ball, but when it hit the ground the ball moved and then the option, the way that they were playing our three by one formation, we felt like we could run that play, and it just didn't work out.
Q. Bill, did you call the plays today?
BILL O'BRIEN: We just did it through -- the only difference today was the way we communicated it to Deshaun. That was really the only difference. There was no difference as to what we've been doing the whole year.
Q. Bill, how do you read that game? You're almost able to get that touchdown at the end, potentially tie it. You're also down 31-16 and they were often able offensively to get what they wanted. What do you take away from that game and how you guys performed?
BILL O'BRIEN: I don't know. I think we never quit, so I think that's really good. I think we got a bunch of great guys. We've just got to figure out how to win a game. We got down there and we weren't able to get it in.
You know, the plays just didn't work. So we just have to figure out -- we've just got to keep working. There's really no way out of it other than that. You have no choice. The only choice is to just keep working and keep trying to improve, and that's what we're all going to try to do.
Q. What do you see as some of the biggest things you need to work on for you to get on track and get a win?
BILL O'BRIEN: We have to continue to stop the run more consistently at times we do it. We give up chunk plays in play action. We've got to do a better job there. We've got to find a running game, a consistent running game. And I just think that we have to finish drives. Our red area was terrible today. I think we were 0 for 3, or 0 for 4.
We usually are pretty good in the red area, but give the Vikings credit; we just didn't do a good enough job in the red area, two field goals and then nothing there at the end, so you're not going to win many games doing that.
Q. What exactly was the difference in how the plays are communicated?
BILL O'BRIEN: I gave the play to Deshaun, but we did it together. We've been doing it that way -- the only difference is I just gave the play to Deshaun today. There was no difference in how we've been doing it the whole year.
Q. When Jordan Aikens got hurt there, how much does that affect the offense with the weapon that he's been for you guys?
BILL O'BRIEN: Yeah, you know, he made a big play on that and he got hit and he had to be taken out for the concussion. So yeah, I mean, he's a really good player. He's done a lot of great things for us.
So you know, yeah, but Fells was in there. At the end of the day the next guy goes in and it's just a different personnel grouping really.
Q. The fumble by De'Andre Carter, the timing of it, your thoughts on the impact of that play?
BILL O'BRIEN: Yeah, I mean, it's not good, but I'm sure he wishes he could have that play back. That was a pretty key moment in the game because I think obviously we had stopped them and we were doing pretty well on offense, but we just -- we turned it over.
Q. You touched on your run defense -- I know you have to look at the tape, but what do you feel like needs to happen now in terms of upgrading what you're doing against the run, and what did you think of your tackling today, as well?
BILL O'BRIEN: I don't know. I don't know. I think at times we tackled well. I think a couple times we like had him in the backfield but he broke free. I don't know, other than I've got to look at the tape. I'm sorry I can't answer that question more clearly for you. But I just have to watch the film, see what we can do to be better.
Q. In this game overall was inconsistency one of your biggest issues to where the offense worked well at times, at times it didn't at all, the defense stood up strong sometimes in the second half but other times they were able to run or throw all over you?
BILL O'BRIEN: Yeah, you said it. We weren't very consistent, and we started out in the first quarter offensively, really can't do anything, and then like I said in the red area we drive the ball but we get in the red area and we don't -- the plays didn't work.
Timmy and I are -- we're not calling plays that don't work. We're trying to call plays that we think will work. But they didn't work, and so we weren't able to punch it in. That was a big difference in our red area offense. Stopping the run we just -- we're too inconsistent stopping the run. At times we do it really well and other times we don't. You know, it's just -- yeah, it's just something we've got to keep working on. There's nothing else we can do. We've got to keep working.
Q. What made them so successful off play action today just conceptually? What made it a challenge for you guys?
BILL O'BRIEN: I don't know, we hit -- we didn't hit. We called some shots, they played two deep and we weren't able to hit them. We had to check the ball down. But we hit a couple pop passes, so I don't know. I don't know.
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