Texans - 32, Colts - 31
COACH SATURDAY: Proud of the guys overcoming three turnovers in the first half. Gave ourselves a shot to win at the end. Unfortunately didn't make enough plays at the end to get off the field.
But we ran the ball well. Battled with it. And just unfortunately they made two huge plays at the end and then converted. So a disappointing way that we finished the season. But proud of the guys' effort. They left it all out there for sure.
Q. Have you ever seen a finish like that?
COACH SATURDAY: I've never seen a lot of what I've seen in the past eight weeks, right? So baptism by fire, however you want to frame it. But no, I felt good about where we were and where we sat. And then I don't know what the first fourth-and-long was that they convert in the little middle hole shot. And then Rodney just being mis-times it, however you just -- like I said, just some crazy plays happen and unfortunately they happened for them and not us.
Q. Have you been able to figure out what's been missing and why you can't finish games?
COACH SATURDAY: Like I said, I thought the effort was good. I'll go back and take inventory and stock over the whole, the time I was here, when I have time. But this one is the only one I'm thinking of.
And unfortunately, like I said, you have to make two plays at the end or three plays at the end and they make them. Tip the cap to them. We've got to make them and didn't.
Q. Do you feel like you've improved your chances of being the long-term candidate?
COACH SATURDAY: I have given zero thought to any of that. I told those guys when I walked in the locker room the first time, and it has not changed, was to serve them the best I could, and I feel for those guys. They're the ones that lay it all on the line every week.
And, again, we came up short, and that's heartbreaking for me for them. Again, those guys, just the way they play, I tip my hat to them. There ain't nothing easy about what we do. And to generate enthusiasm and energy and all the things that they've done these past few weeks, I'm just grateful for them.
Q. What was your message to the team?
COACH SATURDAY: Really kind of the story of our season, right, is that we play, give ourselves a shot, and unfortunately at the end we didn't close it out. And this one wasn't one play. And similar to other games we had, it was a number of different plays, different players, different opportunities.
And from my perspective, gotta find ways to make that happen. And unfortunately -- they see them. They come up and say, Coach, I've got to make that. I get it. But unfortunately we're not making them.
Q. How difficult has it been the last three, four, five weeks? How have you been trying to find answers but not being able to?
COACH SATURDAY: I think from my perspective, like I said, I want to do the best I can for them. So anytime you feel like you're arming them and it's not coming up the way you want, it frustrates you.
I can assure you, losing as a coach is much more painful than losing as a player, in my experience. And just because you're involved with all three phases. And so if one phase plays well, it doesn't affect the other ones and vice versa. It seems like you always go home with some kind of difficulty to get through with that part of the staff.
So I'm not -- it's just a disappointing way to finish the season. And I feel for those guys.
But, again, I appreciate them. I told them I was grateful for them. Everything they did, showing up, never wavering, all the things I've asked of them, they did it each and every week. And the way they put it out there I was grateful to them for that.
Q. Did you think this was everything you thought it would be? Will you allow yourself to rest, take all this in?
COACH SATURDAY: We'll probably look at the latter part of this week. We'll do exit interviews, physicals, kind of all the things tomorrow like every other season that I've been a part of. And meet with the guys, say goodbyes to players over the next day or so.
And then I'll start, I'll start looking at it and kind of diving into the details, for lack of a better term. So that will be probably towards the latter part of this week.
Q. You mentioned with the bad finishes, inability to close each time, how does the team learn to close?
COACH SATURDAY: When you get young players, when you put yourself in it, (indiscernible), building confidence that you can make the plays. The first week I'm here it's Bobby and Gilly (phonetic) who make the plays, guys who have kind of been in those situations.
And as the season progresses and other guys are in, it's those guys making the plays, however that looks and whatever it looks like. But once you start making them you build confidence. It's kind of like turnovers and sacks. You talk about those things coming in batches.
So learning from that, it's no different from offense when you turn the ball over -- how do you learn from not making that mistake? And when you experience it how do you make a change from it? That's how you go back and forth.
Q. Have you scheduled your interview?
COACH SATURDAY: No.
Q. Do you still want to pursue the full-time job?
COACH SATURDAY: If anything, for after the season, I'll talk to you guys tomorrow and through the week. But this is about today. That's where I am.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports