Texans 23, Bills 19
Q. Davis, take us through that two-minute drill if you will that you got to get that touchdown.
DAVIS MILLS: Yeah, I mean, right before the half got the ball back with enough time to go down and score. I thought offensive line all night bought me enough time to kind of spread the ball to those guys.
Made a couple big time plays. The chunk to C. Kirk, that was a big play. Getting back side of my progression, they kind of dropped into a zone coverage and he was able to break across it and make a big time play off a shorter underneath pass.
And then we capped it off with Higgins touchdown down there. I mean, like I said before I think a lot of it just goes to the offensive line, the backs. Great protection all night. I don't think we gave up a sack. I didn't really feel pressured at all back there. I was kind of sitting pretty.
Made it easy to spread the ball around to the playmakers and letting them do what they do. It was fun. Luckily we capped it off with a touchdown going into halftime.
Q. Seemed to be in a pretty good rhythm with Nick especially. What about his playcalling or his communication is it that makes you guys have a good partnership?
DAVIS MILLS: Yeah, I think he's done a great job communicating, playcalling. It's fun when you're playing ahead. I think our offensive line, I mean, we protected well but we also ran the ball well. Backs ran downhill. Receivers got in on the action going and blocking.
I think when you can do that and you have a defense that can keep finding ways to get off the field and hold the other team to not that many points, it makes it fun to go out there and play. He's having a fun time calling it.
Q. Davis, eight sacks, three turnovers. The big turnover right to the red zone. You get to go up against this defense every single day in practice. When you look at the form they had tonight, did they prove they're the best defense in the NFL?
DAVIS MILLS: I think they're definitely the best defense in the NFL. I mean, after personal experience going against them the past couple years, those guys come to play every single day. They work as hard as they can every day when they're in the building, on the practice field. I think the way they work and the mentality they have, it shows up on game day week in and week out.
I mean, it makes it fun to be on the same team as those guys.
Q. That drive, and Higgins specifically, it seemed like you made a concerted effort to target him, especially early on in the game. Just talk about that in terms of the mentality. We asked you about him earlier in the week and you talked about him, but how important was he?
DAVIS MILLS: I mean, he's vital. I think everybody on our offense plays a crucial role in executing and making everything go. But, I mean, their defense made a point to find ways to give their players help with Nico on the other side.
Higgs was in positions where if the post safety or the deep safety is leaning away he's isolated in a one-on-one matchup. I even still missed a couple throws to him where he could have had an even better game.
I think he capitalized on his opportunities and played a great game. I think I said he's a stud earlier in the week. It's fun when you have a target like that who is going to go out and make plays.
Q. Davis, you alluded to it already about Jaylen and Nico. Was there something -- was it a little bit easier because knew (indiscernible) Nico over the top that you were sort of taking your eyes and just making that safety stay over the top and giving Jaylen some more room to get more looks as the game progressed?
DAVIS MILLS: Yeah, I think the defense as the flow of the game developed and as we kept playing, they were trying to keep a top on everything on the back end, so not really giving up a lot of deep shots. So we were trying to run the ball, bleed clocks, keep the lead, and then when we had opportunities to pass it they were either on top of everything or they were bringing pressure and I had to get the ball out quick.
So my eyes, every snap I go through a very similar process where I'm down the middle presnap and then trying to confirm where those safeties are going and find my best matchups and my kind of spots I need to get to in my progression.
So, I mean, they just like I said, scheme-wise for a defense they tried to help over top of Nico which I think a lot of teams are going to do because when he's one-on-one I think we have a good matchup on his side pretty much versus anyone.
So I think we're going to get a lot of that. I mean, it makes it fun because we have a lot of other guys who can go out there and make plays.
Q. Davis, you talked about it a little bit earlier. Can you talk about how much the run game helped everything you guys did tonight and having that one-two punch with Woody and Nick?
DAVIS MILLS: Yeah, I mean, I think when we can pound the rock and run the ball, it opens everything else up in the offense. Our guys did that successfully today. We really took the mentality in the game, I mean, that was our No. 1 key to victory as an offense this week from the coaches, was we need to find a way to run the football. Our guys did a great job owning that.
Woody and Nick ran hard. Like I said before, offensive line did a great job opening up holes for them and controlling the line of scrimmage, and our receivers and tight ends got in on the action. When you can do that play-action pass opens up because they're stacking more people in the box and you can spread it out and really get everything going scheme-wise as an offense.
Q. Davis, do you think that being the backup quarterback and stepping in for CJ, do you think that not getting sacked feels good? Do you ever get excited about anything?
DAVIS MILLS: I'll answer the second one first. Yes, I get excited. A lot of times I just don't show it. I'm focused on my job in the moment. It's kind of hard to display all my emotions.
Taking zero sacks I can assure you that my body feels drastically better than it has in some other games and in my football playing history. Those guys did a hell of a job tonight protecting, and I was able to find people open or get the ball out if I needed to early on.
Yeah, I think our offensive has shown to get better each and every week. I think those guys will keep progressing as we keep going forward.
Q. Tonight Tytus Howard played his third position of the season. Can you talk about his position flexibility and being that leader that can kind of be a spark plug on your offensive line when you have holes?
DAVIS MILLS: Yeah, Tytus is a warrior. Extremely selfless. I've been a locker mate with him the last couple years. Great person. Great football player. Whenever he's on the field he wants to do what's best for the team. I mean, he's played every single one of those positions at a really high level. I don't know if there many other guys that can do what he does.
He would probably tell you he could play every position on the field, quarterback being one of them. But I think -- I love Tytus on the team. He's a great teammate and keeps showing why he means so much to this team and he's one the best offensive lineman in the league.
Q. Tonight was the first time we've seen CJ on the sideline since the concussion. Wondering what were your interactions were like with him.
DAVIS MILLS: Yeah, they were great. Coming over to me and giving me pointers if he saw something throughout the game when I was coming back to the bench, yeah, supremely supportive. Definitely ready to be back. He want to get back. You can tell he's itching to get back out on the field.
But he was great all night, yeah.
Q. Asked earlier if you get excited about anything, but curious how you're taking all this in. Three starts in a row. Win all three of them. What does this moment, these moments, this whole time been like for your career, being backup and stepping in when the team needs you?
DAVIS MILLS: It's been great. I don't know if I want to reflect too much on it middle of the season. We got a long road ahead of us if we want to do what we're capable of and what we're planning to do. Just grateful for the opportunity.
I come into work every day, love my teammates, love my coaches, and it's fun to get back out there on the field and do what I love. I've been dreaming of being in this situation since I started football when I was six years old. Every day I'm just living out that childhood dream and going out there and having fun with it.
Q. Three straight wins for you. Curious, do you view yourself as solely the backup to CJ here or is this still an open audition for you by any kind of measure?
DAVIS MILLS: I mean, in my current situation I don't think there is a competition. I mean, CJ is the starter for this team. I'm just doing everything I can to bring my best foot forward every day, make everyone else around me better and try to, I mean, provide and play my role to my best ability when I get thrown in there.
Q. Davis, I seen you throw a (indiscernible)
DAVIS MILLS: I tried to. Yeah, we tried to call a kind of reverse pass where Hutch was going to throw it. I saw him cut back across the field and trying to get in somebody's way so he could pick up some extra yards.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports