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"We had our first practice (Wednesday) and, obviously missing a lot of guys, I thought we went with good tempo, but it's not quite the same. Hopefully, we'll get some of those guys back (Thursday). We just have to be a little bit sharper, but all-in-all, we're off to a pretty good start to the week."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on if any of the injuries on the team are serious)
"We hope they aren't. You always feel like they're going to improve and be ready to go by game time. I think we will get our receivers back for sure. Then, we had some guys like (DB) Tim Jennings and (DE) Robert Mathis just getting their normal day off, so I think we'll be OK by (Friday) for sure."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on how hard it is to accomplish goals in practice with so many players out)
"It's not bad on defense. Offensively, it's tough. We didn't have our receivers who are going to be playing in the game, so we had to put different guys in those spots and work on some different personnel packages, but we should be better (Thursday)."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on how many snaps DT-Antonio Johnson played Sunday at Pittsburgh)
"I don't remember off the top of my head. It was probably in the mid-20s, I think."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on Johnson)
"He was in on a lot of running plays, in running situations. He did a good job for us for his first game."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on if Johnson is a promising player)
"Yes. He does some things that we have missed on not having Ed (Johnson) and Quinn (Pitcock). He gives us a big body who's an active guy, an athletic, big guy and we haven't had that. I think he has a chance to help us."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on DB-Antoine Bethea playing CB at Pittsburgh)
"We have a lot of guys like that. Not only our corners coming in and playing well, but Antoine and (DB) Melvin (Bullitt) playing in different spots in the nickel and covering receivers and tight ends. We needed that versatility for sure."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on DE-Dwight Freeney's sack production last week and if Houston will throw quick passes)
"You never know. We haven't had great sack production. We've had good rush at times and different kinds of schemes against us. (Pittsburgh) did have to go up the field, especially in that last drive where they have to make some things happen, the quarterback holds the ball a little longer and you get some chances. You can't always measure it by sacks, but I did think Dwight did rush better last week than he did in a couple of previous games."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on if division teams are more likely to throw quick passes)
"We get a lot of that against teams that play us a lot."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on if the improvement of the young interior linemen has helped the defense)
"I think they have gotten better. We're playing a little sharper. I think in the Jacksonville game, we had maybe eight runs (allowed) over 12 yards, and I think we've only had six since then. We're doing a lot of things better and just playing smarter. A lot of that is our younger guys learning it a little bit better."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on what the young players are doing)
"Just staying in their gaps, understanding what's happening, understanding blocking schemes, not trying to make every play but just making the plays that they're responsible for and just playing a little sharper."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on if the return of LB-Tyjuan Hagler has given the defense more freedom)
"It does, and gives us a little better rotation. And, you have a veteran guy that has played before, so you're not as worried if you have an injury or if someone needs to come out. We have to get Tyjuan in the lineup a little bit more."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on if Houston QB-Sage Rosenfels could try to make up for mistakes in the first game by doing more)
"Everybody's different. They have a style of play. They're going to be aggressive. They're aggressive in their play calls. We have to force those mistakes. In the first 50-some minutes, we didn't do a lot to force any mistakes, and so we hope we can force him into more."
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HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on if turnover differential goes hand-in-hand with wins)
"It does. Part of that is making things happen and playing aggressively. Some of it is getting the lead where the other team has to take some chances. When you win, it's usually because you made some things happen and you got some takeaways."
HEAD COACH TONY DUNGY (on DB-Keiwan Ratliff's quad injury)
"I think he'll be alright. Hopefully he'll be able to practice today. I think, injury-wise, he's going to be fine. It's just a matter of how much he's able to practice and get the timing and understand what we're doing."
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