Carolina Panthers - 24, Houston Texans - 9
Q. (Question about the run defense.)
ROSS BLACKLOCK: I think we're solid. I think we're a good team. Regardless of what just happened, we just got to keep trusting the scheme of the defense. Good things are going to happen. I wouldn't say go in complete panic mode. We have good guys up front. We have a good defense in general. Tonight just wasn't our night. We'll learn, we'll get better, and we'll just keep moving forward.
Q. What were some of the things that you saw different in the second half that got them going, particularly that 90-yard drive they had there on that?
ROSS BLACKLOCK: Yeah, guys just seen the opportunity at hand. McCaffrey was down. We know that was the guy to stop. We did that. While he was down we got together as a defense and just decided, like, let's turn it up a little bit. Let's try to get a turnover. Let's keep generating those strip sacks and try to force a turnover or something. We just tried to come out with more energy in that second half and just see where it landed.
Q. What did you see differently from them in that second half?
ROSS BLACKLOCK: I think guys was playing hard. They were playing with their hearts out no matter what the score was. Nobody got down on the sideline. Guys were picking each other up. I think that's the type of team camaraderie that we need in times like that. It's the NFL playing against some of the best guys in the world. So, yeah, it was all positive, though, throughout the whole game, but I think we played better in the second half.
Q. How do you guys feel as a defense when Coach Culley makes a decision to kind of punt and give them a long field like did he in that situation. And the week before in Cleveland, he also kind of punted on Cleveland's side of the field to try to give them a long field?
ROSS BLACKLOCK: Yeah, man, he's the head coach. He calls the shots. So we're the players, so we got to trust his decisions and trust what he knows and just put our best foot forward out there and just go get a win.
Q. What happened when you had to come out of the game?
ROSS BLACKLOCK: Yeah, I just, I landed funny on my knee. You're talking about that play, right? Yeah. I just landed real funny on my knee when I made that one tackle. My weight went to my left knee and it was a little sore for a minute, but I'm fine now. Just had to come out for a second.
Q. Two games so close like this. A lot of things happened. Turnover with injuries and such. Five days, how do you feel in comparison to where y'all were at last week at this point?
ROSS BLACKLOCK: It was a short turnaround so of course we had to get ready quicker, do everything with our routines faster. I think last week is just a similar to this week. I think we had a chance where we should have executed when we should have. There was a certain point in the game, in the Cleveland game, where we had a chance to execute and there was a chance this game and we should have.
Like I said, we just got to go back to the drawing board. We got to get better as a team. And when we come back next week we'll just correct all the mistakes and just get better and move forward from there. This is a good team. It's a great team. Like I said, it's just everybody has these games.
Q. How much did you miss Justin and Kendall?
ROSS BLACKLOCK: I think we did okay. Obviously we want them to be here. Everybody would. But like I said, it's the next man up and I think the people who stepped up did a good job for the most part. Hopefully they will be back soon and just keep this train rolling.
Q. You had three sacks and five quarterback hits, which is close to what you had two other games combined. What did you think about the pass rush and how you guys worked together so well there?
ROSS BLACKLOCK: Yeah, pass rush was definitely a little better this week rather than last week. Guys got a lot of action, got a couple stripped balls, a sack. We pride ourself in D-line room just to be productive in any way, form, or fashion. So tonight was good but we can always be better. I know we'll look at the film and we'll learn and we'll get better from there and then we'll just keep moving forward.
Q. What did you see from Davis tonight?
ROSS BLACKLOCK: Davis is surprising every game. He's a rookie, so, I mean, I was a rookie last year. I know how it feels to get just thrown in the fire like that. You have to do something. I think he's going to be a really good, he's a really good player. He's going to be fine once he gets in that groove. He doesn't blink. That's one thing I notice about him. He doesn't blink. He goes out there, he does the best that he possibly can. He tries to make plays. He moves the ball. He's doing the best that he can in the situation that he's in.
So kudos to him and I know he'll get better and better and he's going to be a great quarterback for this team and I'm excited to see where he goes from now until week 16, 17.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports