HOUSTONTEXANS CONFERENCE CALL
HEAD COACH DOM CAPERS(on at 5-7, how they approach these last four games) 12/8/04
"The challenge for us, to me, this will be an indication of how much we've improved as a team, from year two to year three. We won four in the first year, five in the second year, and our goal is to play our best football here over the next four weeks."
HEAD COACH DOM CAPERS(on if he has seen the progress he has wanted to see from year to year) 12/8/04
"I have. I think we have our best team. I've seen us play very well at different segments. The thing we haven't done is, we've had a hard time putting four quarters together at times. I go back to the Green Baygame, at the end of three quarters, we're up 13-3, and we don't get much done in the fourth quarter and we lose 16-13. This last week, we went into New York(Jets), and at halftime we're up 7-6. At the end of three quarters, it's 13-7, and then the fourth quarter goes all to the Jets. Which is the way it goes in this league: if you're playing good teams, you have to be able to play for four quarters and be able to finish things off."
HEAD COACH DOM CAPERS(on what challenges this Sunday's game vs. Indianapolischallenges his guys) 12/8/04
"You have the hottest team in football coming in here. I mean, their statistics speak for themselves in terms of what they've been able to do. I just think that they have everything going right now. I think their defense is playing a lot better now than it did early in the season. I think the combination of the way their offense plays and their defense, they really fit well together, because they're getting a lot of takeaways on defense, they're getting a lot of pressure on the quarterback and quarterback sacks. And their offense gets up on people and then it becomes somewhat a one-dimensional game and it really plays into their defense's hands."
HEAD COACH DOM CAPERS(on what his assessment of QB-Peyton Manning is and what is different this year, if anything) 12/8/04
"Well, I think he has all of his weapons. I think a year ago, when we played them here, they were more injured than what they are now. I just think that when you've been in a system, you've had the same coordinator, you've had the same offensive line coach, you've had the same quarterback, he knows the system. With seven years experience in playing with the same coaches, and he has talent around him. I think the skill position players, when you look at the three receivers and you look at the year that Edgerrin James is having and the year that Peyton's having, it just all ties together. They're all having outstanding years and they have tremendous balance in their offense."
HEAD COACH DOM CAPERS(on how aware he is of QB-Peyton Manning's record-setting pace) 12/8/04
"Just what you hear. I don't get too caught up in those things. I know he's having a tremendous, tremendous year. I mean, you don't have to look at him very long to see that. When you play a team twice a year, you obviously get to know personnel."
HEAD COACH DOM CAPERS(on what strikes him about the passing TD record of 48 set by Dan Marino) 12/8/04
"Well, any time you're approaching a record that's stood up for that long, it's a phenomenal accomplishment. In this league now, everybody has strengths and weaknesses and everybody gets paid. And what the Colts are doing on offense this year, they're doing it to everybody. So, to me, if you're an opponent, you're looking, you say, 'Man, they have talent, they have the right chemistry, they have the right formula and they've been doing it with great consistency."
HEAD COACH DOM CAPERS(on if he prefers QB-Peyton Manning to set the record the next week) 12/8/04
"I really don't get caught up in that. If you do, I think you make a mistake. We have to get ready to play our best game, and we know that it's going to take four quarters of good football to compete against the Colts. We saw when we came up there (11/14), you can't make the errors that we made and have a chance to stay in the game and be competitive. So, we have to be sound and we have to take care of what we do. Peyton and their offense is going to get their yardage. They do it against everybody. But, we have to do what we think it is going to take for us to be competitive and have a chance in the game."
HEAD COACH DOM CAPERS(on if he got the perception that the Colts ran the score up in the last meeting) 12/8/04
"I've been in situations like that before. I'd like for it to be more often, the situation they were in. I'm sure there at the end of the game what ends up happening is, you work on certain things all week to where if you get a certain look, it's going to put you in an audible or a check or whatever. And I think that's what happened at the end of the game. The last play, the third-and-short, we were stacked up in there to play the run. And I'm sure Peyton (Manning), what he worked on for a long time was, let's try to hit the weakness rather than the strength of what they're doing. So, I really don't get caught up in all of that. I've known (Head Coach) Tony Dungy for a long time. I have the utmost respect for him. I don't think that that was his intention, to try to embarrass anybody."
HEAD COACH DOM CAPERS(on if bulletin board material is overblown or if he's used it in the past to motivate) 12/8/04
"I think for the most part those things are. It comes down to preparation and execution, and I think pep talks and speeches and all of those things are probably really overrated. It comes down to preparing and executing, because it's a game of execution and efficiency."
HEAD COACH DOM CAPERS(on the Texans' defense) 12/8/04
"We haven't been as consistent. Again, there's been times that we've played well, but not as consistent as you obviously want. I do feel like we have some young guys on our defense that are really improving, and I think in the long run, it's going to pay dividends for us. You don't ever want to lose two of your better players. Jay's (Foreman) been our signal caller and Marcus (Coleman) (being) a free safety, calls the signals back in the secondary. So, the fortunate thing is we're getting Jason Simmons back this week. He'll step in and pick up some of the slack there."
HEAD COACH DOM CAPERS(on DE-Gary Walker) 12/8/04
"Gary's done a good job for us. He's a big, strong guy that plays the run well and gives you some good quickness as an inside player. We move him inside on third down and he plays an end for us on first and second down. So, we think Garyis a very good player."
