Texans - 21, Cardinals - 16
Q. How are you feeling (indiscernible) the cycling all the fun?
COACH RYANS: After a game like this we're feeling excitement. Anytime you win in this league is a big win. And this game there was a lot of miscues things didn't go our way but what I love the most and told our guys we found a way to win and that's what it takes to be a good football team. You have you to find a way to win, have to play complementary football.
Offense struggled there defense stepped up had their back. We had other backs where the defense has struggled and offense has stepped up and made drives there at the end of game to win the game. I think the defense owed the offense a drive. So it was awesome to see the defense be on that side and being the reason why we won that game.
Q. How are you impressed with the performance of the offensive line today?
COACH RYANS: Overall, our offense did a nice job moving the ball. Anytime you get over 400 yards you're moving the ball. They did a really good job there. We did a really good job on third down. We were moving it.
Got a little stagnant there in the red zone where -- some costly turnovers there but we're moving. We're in position to score, but had miscues there and turned the ball over.
Q. You talked about the defense but what can you say about the production out of (indiscernible)?
COACH RYANS: Stingley came up big time on the interception. It was cool to see him make a big play for us after all he's went through to work his way back to get on the field. He's been through a lot, a lot of people don't see, but the rehab process, and for him really grinding while no one's watching to show that he was ready to step up and compete. When his opportunity was there he stepped up and made the play. So happy for Stingley to be making a game-changing play for us, being a factor in the game.
Q. You mentioned the defense, four times, fourth down (indiscernible) turned them back. And (indiscernible) part of playing otherwise had that type of success on fourth fourth-down plays (indiscernible)?
COACH RYANS: Credit to our guys, no one flinched in that moment. Fourth-down, we know it's a big time play and opportunity for us. But the way the guys communicated, really credit Cashman for stepping at the Mike linebacker spot, which he hasn't played all year, but the way he stepped in and communicated in those pressure moments. It was awesome to see him step up and play big for us today.
Q. C.J. had three interceptions but he also had over 300 passing yards. When you have a game those (inaudible). What kind of coaching method for a young quarterback after a (indiscernible) day like that?
COACH RYANS: For C.J. we continue to highlight the good he's doing. You're talking about a young guy who can move the football down the field. You're going to have miscues and bad plays but it's all about how you respond to those plays.
We'll continue to highlight all the positive things that C.J. is doing, and we'll also coach him up around those negative plays.
And C.J. knows, that's what I love about C.J., he knows when he makes a mistake he already knows what he needs to do to fix it. Very coachable. But I know he'll be dialed in on getting better this week.
Q. Obviously you're going to enjoy this for a day, but then you got the Jacksonville Jaguars coming in, (indiscernible) next Sunday, first place in the NFC South. How big is that?
COACH RYANS: For us, it's a credit to our guys for putting us in a position to be where we are to be able to compete. That's all I ask from our guys from day one, just continue to improve, continue to focus on getting better.
If we're playing meaningful football late in the season, that shows the growth. That shows that everybody is doing what they're supposed to do, focused on getting better. So it's good for us to be in this spot playing meaningful football.
Q. You mentioned defense, probably (indiscernible) offense. What could you possibly do for (inaudible) confidence in how you perform (indiscernible) in six-run (indiscernible)?
COACH RYANS: The thing about this game and the thing about playing in the NFL, most games are going to come down to that last possession. And at some point, that's why guys I tell the guys that's why you get paid the big bucks. When the game is on the line, can you step up and make plays in those moments.
And it's cool to see, again, for our guys, nobody blinks in that moment. We've seen our offense drive down late in games and make plays. And now defense stood up and made plays.
I think overall I think it just continues to add confidence to our guys, confidence to our team knowing that no matter what the situation is, no matter how ugly it may look like, if there's still time on the clock, we still have a chance.
Q. Did you see anything that Arizona did in the second half in terms of adjustments that kind of stymied the offense? Or was it just you guys just shooting yourselves in the foot?
COACH RYANS: I feel in the second half it was totally us and our mistakes that stalled us on offense. And defensively it's our mistakes that allowed them to continue to move drives.
We stood up on fourth down, but we shouldn't have let them get in those situations. And we have to improve our tackling. We've got to be better in that situation.
Q. When C.J. takes a big shot from Thompson, (indiscernible) we all saw him leave the game, (inaudible). Can you speak to anything, did he have to clear protocol? Was he (inaudible)? And to come back and throw the dime to Tank Dell, how important was that for the sidelines, to the other guys how he played with adversity? We haven't seen that from (inaudible).
COACH RYANS: C.J. is a tough young man. Stood in there. Took a big hit. Got the wind knocked out of him but gotta take a play off there to make sure he's fine, check in with our medical staff. They did a really good job making sure he was okay. He was fine to go back in.
But he went back in and it shows the resolve that he has. It doesn't matter. He represents for his team every time he steps out on the field. He continues to make big play after big play for us.
Q. (Indiscernible) had a long touchdown pass where he got flushed out of the pocket. Explain that play from the time you saw Stroud coming out of the pocket until when you saw Tank make the catch.
COACH RYANS: As I see C.J. rolling towards our sideline I look up and I see Tank has a step on the defender. And when I see those two in the right position to make a play, nine times out of 10 Tank is coming down with that ball. To see Tank go up, as soon as he left C.J.'s hand I knew it was a touchdown.
Q. Will Anderson started the game off (indiscernible). Pressure on Kyler Murray to lead off the game -- with (indiscernible) Nelson with that pass deflection. Can you talk about the impact that rookie has had? Heard a lot about C.J. coming (indiscernible). Will Anderson as a rookie, how impactful has he been for this Texas defense?
COACH RYANS: Will has been very impactful for our defense. He's an impact player. Will plays the game with a relentless mindset. I love how he gets after each and every snap. You talk about effort. You talk about him disrupting the quarterback. He did a really nice job today, along with our entire D line. You talk about a tough out with Kyler Murray, he's not an easy guy to get down. So I told the guys before we played, you're going to have to rush twice, keep rushing, keep rushing.
And Will, he continues to help our defense and be the reason why we can finish out games like this.
Q. When you became the head coach of the Houston Texans, all the fans all around the NFL, everybody was looking at it, saying, hey, this is the right guy, this is the right fit for this team. Did even you in your wildest expectations believe you could put things on the right track this quickly?
COACH RYANS: For me, taking this job, for me, I understand it's not about me. I have full faith in God that he's going to guide, lead and direct my steps through everything I do and everything that I've approached, everything that's happening to me in my life, I know it is not because of me as DeMeco. I've had a lot of grace, favor over my life. I'm always grateful, always thankful for God being able to surround me by good people to make sure it's not about me, it's about him.
Q. Following up on that, talk about how proud you are the way this team played today, talking about mistakes made, what you did in the second half, at the end of the day, this young team and this staff got a win that could have run the other?
COACH RYANS: I'm so proud of our guys. I told them in the locker room, can we not make them so close? (Laughter).
But if it is close and we're coming out on the right side of it with a win, I'll take it every single time. I'm proud of those guys. I'm proud of just the growth that I continue to see each and every week.
No matter what happens, we have guys in and out of the lineup. Seems like we have different lineups every week, whether it's offense, defense, special teams, and nobody cares, nobody flinches. Everybody has the mindset that we're in this thing together as a family and we're going to find a way to win no matter what it takes.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports