DE Trent Cole On proving that the team was ready for this game, as he said would be the case prior to the game: "After coming from the game Sunday (at Chicago) it was hard. It was a struggle, but we put that in the back of our heads going into this game. We were playing four games in 18 days and we came out there and we pulled it off. We have next week's game, we're going to be rested up well. We got the win today, so that's a big help. Look for a great team coming out next week."
On how difficult it was to stop Houston's offense: "It was pretty tough to stop. We knew we had to stop this running game coming into the game. They have a great running game and a great receiving game with (WR) Andre Johnson—they used it. This game got a little close, but we pulled it out and that's what counts; we won, we got the win under our belt tonight. We'll be ready to go next week against Dallas."
On whether this game felt like a survival test, especially with CB Asante Samuel out: "No. You can't think about those things. You got to rely on your team and go with the guys that you've got. You got to have faith in the guys beside you and faith in the guys who's taking the place of the guys who can't play. They did well. We pulled this one through. We got this win and that's what's most important."
DT Trevor Laws
On getting his first career interception: "It feels real good. I was actually really surprised that came to me. I kind of threw a weird spin move. When I looked as I was double-screened, the ball was right here, I tucked it, saw the end-zone, thought I had it, but I was a little too slow (laughing).
On how it feels to get the win on a short week and after coming off a loss in Chicago: "It's a huge win for us. It's tough to play a short week. It's tough for them, tough for us. Our bodies are hurting, but we came out here. They had a great team, a great running game, great scheme, and we played tough in the fourth quarter and tough in the second half, and we were able to come out with the win."
On what it does for the team in regards to playoff implications down the stretch: "It's one step closer. We got to keep up with the Giants right now. We have a tough game versus the Cowboys coming up. It's one step each week. We keep moving forward in order to keep playing for a good playoff spot."
DT Mike Patterson
On why the defense has struggled in the red zone: "I don't know. You guys can tell better than I can. We just go out there and work real hard."
On recording sacks in consecutive games: "I'm not really looking for recognition. I'm just happy I'm able to come out and help out on a victory."
On the defensive gameplan focusing on stopping the rush: "Most definitely. You've got to give those guys credit. They're hard runners. They've got a good offensive line."
On the third-down conversions keeping the defense on the field: "We'll fight through it. That's what we do. We're just happy that we came out with the win, and everybody worked hard for it."
CB Dimitri Patterson
On the defensive struggles in the third quarter: "We were beating ourselves on those drives. We had some penalties, some offsides…but at the end of the day, we fought through. It's football -- you're going to have your ups and downs, and that third quarter was definitely a battle, but we fought through."
On giving up some big plays: "The big plays were just mental assignments. Of course, you don't want to give up any big plays, but you've got to be able to fight through it. The game doesn't end with that big play. You've got to continue to play, and that's what we did."
On DT Trevor Laws' interception: "That was big. That was a big turnaround for us. It was momentum, and we needed that at the time."
On the play in the third quarter when Houston WR Andre Johnson appeared to push off with no penalty called: "Hey, I'm a competitor. At the end of the day, I'm right there. If you go look at the film, I'm right there on him. He clearly put two hands on me. I'm not complaining. He's a competitor. He's trying to get the ball. Whether the ref calls it or not, at the end of the day, it was a completed pass. You've got to line up and play again, bottom-line. But yeah, I was disappointed. I don't want anybody to catch anything, but hey, it's football."
On the big play in the second quarter when Johnson got past him and S Nate Allen: "That was my fault. I got greedy, wanted to jump the out route. Simple as that. I just got greedy on that. He double-moved us, and we had to move forward."
On the defensive gameplan: "You want to come in and stop the run. Of course, you don't want to give up the two or three big plays that we gave up. But, that was the goal -- come in, stop the run, corral the quarterback. That was the gameplan."
S Quintin Mikell
On the defense turning around its play after the tough third quarter: "That was big. That's one thing we always try to do is keep fighting. We knew this (Houston) team…every game they had went down to the fourth quarter, so for us to keep fighting, and even when something bad happened, to keep coming back and keep clawing and scratching, that's really what it's about. We've got a lot to work on, but I'm glad we pulled it out."
On the fourth quarter: "We always said we knew it was going to come down to the fourth quarter, just everybody keep fighting and stay disciplined. That was really a big problem tonight -- staying disciplined. Once we buckled down and really stayed focused, it turned up for us."
On the team rallying together after Head Coach Andy Reid's postgame speech last week: "I think that was big. Obviously, he's never been like that before as long as I've been here. Sometimes with a young team, you've got to do something like that, and I think that was really big for us. We're all grown-ups and we're all professionals here, but every now and then it's good to get a kick in the tail."
On trying to contain Houston's star players: "It was big. I still feel like they're good players, but we kind of let them get out a little bit. For our young guys to step up the way they did, it was good. (CB) Trevard Lindley, I think he stepped up and had a great game. He really showed what he can do, and that was good to see."
On how the defense stepped up in the fourth quarter: "I think everybody just really re-focused. When you're up, and things start to go bad, it can either go one way or the other. It can kind of snowball. I think the one thing that we did was re-focus. Everybody talked and we realized that a lot of stuff that was happening, we were doing to ourselves. Everybody focused there and we were able to pull it out."
S Nate Allen
On DT Trevor Laws' interception: "It was huge. That was a big play. We made a lot of big plays tonight in crucial situations, and that was one of them."
On the defense turning around its play in the fourth quarter: "We just rallied together. We came over on the sideline, and the veteran guys got everybody together and said, 'Hey, let's turn it around. Let's keep our confidence and stay with it,' and we were alright."
On shutting down Houston RB Arian Foster: "We knew coming in that he was a great player. He's leading the league in rushing. We just made the plays -- the linebackers and the (defensive) line, they just did a good job of containing."
On his emotions after tonight's game: "It feels good. This was a huge win for us. We'll just take this time off and recuperate, get our bodies back, and just come in and be ready to go for Dallas."
On the defensive performance in the red zone: "We're just working on everything every week. Things happen out there, but we're just going to keep working at it and getting better. (It's) just making the plays, putting ourselves in good position, bottom-line. We're definitely going to get better week-by-week. We've just got to keep working."
