FLOWERY BRANCH — Here's what Houston Texans coach Bill O'Brien had to say on the conference call with the Atlanta media on Wednesday:
Q: Are things starting to come together for the Texans?
A: I'd say, over the first three weeks, there have been some ups and downs. I think that in the last game we started to improve in some of the areas that we really needed to improve on like running the football, playing better run defense and taking advantage of some takeaways. We had one takeaway in the game. But there is still a lot of improvement to be made. I think that in my experience in this league, you really have to start identifying who you are pretty quickly. Hopefully, we are starting to identify who we are.
Q: How is Ryan Mallett’s development coming along?
A: He's getting better every day. He played better against Tampa Bay than he did against Carolina. He made better decisions. He managed the game better. He made some better throws. He said it after the game, the more he plays the better he gets. Hopefully, we'll see that.
Q: How’s Pro Bowl left tackle Duane Brown? Where’s he at with his thumb injury?
A: He's good. He's very close to being able to play on Sunday.
Q: Do you have an update on running back Arian Foster?
A: He's in the day-to-day category. I think that will be more of a game time decision.
Q: How’s Jadeveon Clowney coming along?
A: He's getting better every day. He played a lot against Tampa Bay. I think he had like 58 snaps. Kind of the same as Mallett, the more that he plays, the better he gets. JD is a hard worker. He's practiced every day. He was out there today and had a good practice. Hopefully, he'll continue to improve.
Q: How do you game-plan for a cornerback like Desmond Trufant?
A: It's tough. The reason why he's not targeted is because he's a really good player. He's a guy who's a smart player. He's an interceptor. He can get his hands on the ball. He's a physical player. He's got really good instincts and transitional ability. He fits in well with coach (Dan) Quinn's defense. He's a great player.
Q: How does it help Mallett to have an explosive receiver like DeAndre Hopkins?
A: Anytime that you have a really good receiver and we have some good receivers, all three of our guys have had good years so far. DeAndre, Cecil Shorts and Nate Washington have all been productive. I think that helps the quarterback. It gives him confidence that when he throws the ball, it's going to be caught and the guys are going to be in the right spot. I think having all of those guys have helped.
Q: How’s Ben Jones, the former Georgia Bulldog, playing for the Texans?
A: He's doing a good job. He's a good center. He plays tough. He's a great teammate. He's one of the leaders of our team. He's doing a really good job.
Q: Does the Falcons offensive line look like a line that’s only been together for about five weeks?
A: The Falcons offensive line is playing well. To be able block the way they are blocking and to open up holes in the running game, protect Matt Ryan. All of those guys are playing well. (Left tackle Jake) Matthews is a great player, a young player. The inside guys are playing well. It's a big challenge for us. We feel good about our defensive line. It will be a tough matchup on Sunday.
Q: What all does J.J. Watt bring to the defense and the flexibility that he provides the coaches with?
A: He's a great player. We do a lot of different things with him. We move him. Up and down the front. We have a different game plan for him every week. He's a hard-working guy. Extremely talented guy. He's the leader of our team. A great player.
