Houston 23, Bills 20
DEMECO RYANS: Afternoon. Another wild moment. I'm good, I'm good. I'm doing better. Trying to settle down a little bit.
Fire away.
Q. Coach, your defense (indiscernible.) What was the key to limiting such a dynamic quarterback and how did the game plan come together to execute that this week?
DEMECO RYANS: Limiting Josh, who is a great player, is a tough out for us. It took a valiant effort from everybody. It was a collective effort. D-line knew we weren't going to get many sacks against him because he's so elusive in the pocket. Had to keep the pressure on him.
Did a great job keeping the pressure on them and our back end guys, the way they covered, that was the reason why we played tight coverage and made the plays we needed to make. It was that collective effort of the rush and coverage being tied together.
Q. And another game where you guys win at the end. What allows you guys to consistently, since you've been here, be able to pull out these close games?
DEMECO RYANS: Today it was just really cool to see our guys make the plays they needed to make in situational football.
Like we stepped up and made the plays at that particular time there at the end of the half. Being able believe to get points, coming out end of game, just the way we ended it as a football team. Tommy getting big punt for us. Pinning them there at the 2. Defense standing up and making three big stops, and then Rob with his return to get us at midfield. CJ, Dare, it was just everybody working together.
It was a big goal for us this week, is just to help the team. How can you help the team win a game, and our guys, they were clutch in the critical moments.
Q. Coach, Azeez's playing history prior to arriving here, say that was his best games as a Texan, and what has he meant overall to your effort defensively today?
DEMECO RYANS: Azeez meant everything to what we did today. Azeez, people don't know he was sick last night. Didn't know if he was even going to play. For him, right, to be as tired as he was, for him to gut it out and play every snap, it was an outstanding performance by him.
I know what he was battling. I know how hard it was for him to push through and play through that game. I've got so much respect for Azeez and what he accomplished today.
Q. Can you talk about what it means to have (indiscernible) and just to know -- you always want to score a touchdown, but to know you have him and all you have to do is get it close?
DEMECO RYANS: Congratulations to 'Imi. I mean, when you have a guy that can kick it the way he does, he's our all-time leading kicker here in Texans franchise history, and no bigger play than a 59-yard walkoff. It's comforting to know you have a guy who can hit it at that critical moment. It's clutch time and he stood up. He didn't waver.
Like, man, put it through the uprights. It's comforting for everyone to know wherever we are, 'Imi can make a play. When you're in that situation, not a lot of time left, we know we got to get down quickly and we know we're kicking it, wherever we end up got to take a shot at it.
I felt really good about the return. Wanted to get more yards, but the way he nailed it, it takes him, Weeks, Tommy with the hold, Weeks with the snap, our protection up front, everybody working together. It's exciting.
Q. Coach, can you put your finger on the third quarter? (Indiscernible.)
DEMECO RYANS: The thirds quarter was definitely our sloppiest moment in this game. Felt really good in the first half, like no penalties. We played clean. No sacks. Like, man, we were humming there in the first half.
Come back out, third quarter -- I think we did -- I know we took a step in that third quarter, offense being able to go down and able to get points there. That was a step forward for us.
We got better.
But just the penalties, right? Again, we had a costly penalty there hitting the quarterback to give them better field position. That third quarter wasn't who we are, but I really, really love the way our guys stepped up in the fourth. That's what the league is. Games are going to be tight.
I mean, come within one score almost every week. It's about how you close it out and having a chance at the end, and we made the plays we needed to make.
Q. Coach, I don't want to sound like a broken record, but another ugly win.
DEMECO RYANS: Ugly win? Come on, Sarge.
Q. You said there is no such thing as an ugly win. Last year some of these games got away from you. Ya'll are finding ways to win these games. What does that say about the unit?
DEMECO RYANS: These are the type of games you find out who you are as a team. Like Buffalo is an outstanding team. They're a well coached team. Much respect to them. All their players, the way they play. Nothing but respect for them. Tough opponent.
So to beat a team like this, like end of the day you want to score more points than the other team. It doesn't matter how you get it done. I'm proud of our guys for gutting it out. Again, it wasn't all pretty. That's how games go.
It's about how you finish at the end, and I'm proud of the way our guys finished.
Q. Two part question. First off, Kris Boyd seems to be getting better and better every week. What is he doing to get better? You mentioned the punt at the two yard line. How big of a play was that?
DEMECO RYANS: That play was huge getting the punt down there. I think D-Ross and Boyd were there making that play. Kris just has continued to play his technique. What's the one thing he had to focus on. Just play cleaner for us and play his technique.
If you just play your technique and do what you're supposed to do and be where you're supposed to be you'll make plays for us.
Q. The rookies had some good runs today. Also has some rookie moments. What are some lessons they can take from today to keep progressing?
DEMECO RYANS: Kamari and Calen have been playing outstanding for us. I really love both of those guys and what they're doing as young players. They don't flinch. No matter what happens, they don't flinch, they keep battling, and play the game the right way, and I love having both of those guys back there.
Q. Update on Nico? What did it mean to -- because you had mentioned before when you play your whole team you want to get the win. What can you say about Diggs going against his former team?
DEMECO RYANS: We were really happy for Diggs. We knew how important this win was for him, this week was for him. Any time you're going against your old team, like a lot of the guys knew we had to get this one for Diggs.
We try not to make a big deal out of it through the week, but we know it. It's emotional. All the great things that he did there, right, as a receiver, player, he stood out and he made a lot of plays. He helped that team in some critical moments down the playoff run.
Man, no bigger game for him than this one. Today for us he made some really big catches on third down to keep drives moving. Play after play Diggs stepped up and made plays.
Happy for him that we were able to get to win for him.
And the update on Nico, on the long passing touchdown he -- felt his hammy grab so he has a hammy. We'll evaluate him day-to-day.
Q. What if anything did you say to CJ after the way the game ended for him? Did you have any conversations with him about how that series went?
DEMECO RYANS: What I'll say to CJ is I'm proud of you. Like so proud of him because it's easy to see the negative plays. Easy to see the turnovers. Everybody knows, nobody hurts more when that ball is turned over than CJ.
He feels really bad about it. But you keep punting, keep battling, that's why I'm so proud of him. In those moments, a lot of guys can tuck their head and feel sorry. When we needed to play at the end to get a few more yards, CJ stepped up.
Our play wasn't there so he improvised and found Dare to get a few more yards to kick the field goal. So proud of CJ and his growth throughout this entire year.
Q. Speaking of Dare, talk about -- I know you want to get Joe back, but he stepped in and did whatever you asked him to do; made some key plays today.
DEMECO RYANS: Yeah, every week Dare makes a play for us. Last week, the big one on third down, and today just him, the way he ran the football, the big catch again to get yards for us.
Dare, he's special. Such a special player. He's that utility guy. Whatever you need him to do -- hopefully don't need him to kick any time soon, but whatever you need him to do he's there. We got to just keep pressing with Dare.
I like the way he ran the ball. He was reliable. He's consistent. That's what sticks out. When you got as many guys on our team as possible who can be as are liable as Dare is, that's the makings of a really good team.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports