OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR DAVE CANALES

(On if he used the extra time after last Thursday's game to do self-scouting)

"Yeah, we took advantage of some of that, continuing to look at the run game first. Some of the improvements that we saw in the game was just the intensity and attitude. I think that comes from the familiarity and the comfort in the schemes that we're running. I saw guys really getting after it – aggressive plays. Even Trey [Palmer]'s holding call on an explosive run – which are so hard to come by these days – it was an effort penalty. He's driving the guy into the ground on an aggressive block twice this year. We've just got to get better [at] knowing to let our hands go – he's dominating the play, but… I saw some more physical play, so that was a positive. Again, the efficiency was not there. I think we were in like the 30-some-odd percent efficiency, so we've still got to continue to improve in that regard. But yeah, using that time, looking at the run game, looking at the pass game – things that they're trying to do to Mike [Evans], things they're trying to do to Baker [Mayfield] to make him uncomfortable. Really trying to help them out. At this point now, we're really trying to hone in on what we're good at in the pass game."

(On how much screens can help out the running game)

"Absolutely. Screens are a huge part of it. Whether it's wide screens, drop-back screens, play-action screens – some of those things. We've talked about this before: Rachaad [White] is really good in space. [He] knows how to set up and make that first tackler miss. It really needs to continue to be a part of what we're doing – to supplement it as we get the run game going."

(On how OL Aaron Stinnie did at left guard)

"He played great. He had [a] good couple of runs where he really moved some people [and] had some power. In pass [protection], it was his first shot really in there since the preseason to go against some guys and did pretty [well] – he's got room for improvement there. I love seeing his athleticism, length, and power in the run game. That was really cool."

(On what other changes can be made to the offensive line to avoid penalties other than changing personnel)

"I've got to go to me first and just ask myself, 'What am I doing? What indecision, what hesitancy [and] angst at the snap am I creating with what we're asking them to do?' I know that we can't be as simple as not having alerts on plays. There [are] ways to take advantage of the defense – that's part of the growing pains. This was a problem for us in Seattle, I'll be honest. Over time, we got better at it – the quarterback and the center owning the snap and then just the discipline of the play by the tackles. We've got to have discipline out there. We really attacked it head-on this week. We put the noise as loud as we could and put it on plays that get alerted – there are different things that happen so they had to sit there [and say], 'We can't hear, let's verbally, non-verbally communicate.' We try to put them in pretty difficult situations. We were great in Minnesota, we were great in New Orleans – two of the loudest places you could play in. This one got us. I don't know if it was the short week [and] not having the noise as part of our walk-throughs early on. But, again, that's on me – I've got to ask for those things. I know I can take my part of it, but the players also have to take that part of, 'Let's move forward, let's make new mistakes.'

(On if he can explain the specific miscommunication that could be leading to false starts by the offensive linemen)

"I really don't know. All I know is that any time you change from one play to another, their brains have to click to something new. That does just create a little bit of indecision and all of that. It's something that you have to get comfortable being in those uncomfortable spots and then work together that way."

(On if he sees similarities between QB Baker Mayfield and Seattle Seahawks QB Geno Smith)

"Similarities in that these are experienced players, so I think that that helps us – being able to talk through things, being able to analyze the plays we have in the gameplan [and] make tweaks that make things the right way. The communication with the center – Baker, as well as Geno, being able to work with the centers. They see one thing, but the quarterback can see more, so he's done a great job that way. Again, yeah, whether it was Geno or Baker, they know they're playing for something. There's a challenge to continue to have those conversations and say, 'We don't have to chase anything. Let's just do the right things, fundamentally – the most basic part of it. All of that stuff will come to you.'"

(On how important having more success on opening drives would be)

"Huge. Yeah, I'd love to score a touchdown every opening drive. Whether that's the play types or execution, I think that's a huge area of growth for us. Just being able to start our practices with the right energy – making sure that our bodies are right and everything is right so we can come off. I just know, personally, the more we get comfortable with what we're doing, we will play fast from the first snap to the last. I don't see that from us right now. We've got a long way to go, still, in that regard."

(On OL Cody Mauch's transition from LT in college to RG in the NFL)

"I can't speak to the transition, I just know that he's a rookie guard playing in the NFL. He's seeing the challenges of big, athletic dudes – bigger and faster than he's ever played against moving on him at the snap and the different challenges that come with accumulating all those experiences. Again, this investment in Cody is a long-haul process. He's athletic enough to hold up [and] hold his own, but on any play, there's some technique stuff that he needs to continue to improve in. Not only is it a new system for everybody, he's also a rookie on top of that. Just being able to continue to encourage him and support him as he grows and improves."

(On if Mauch gives them the best chance to win)

"I believe he gives us the best chance to win – especially from an athletic standpoint. He's coming along, too, in the run game. His athleticism shows – backside or frontside on it. Again, it's a fundamental deal."

(On if the team was trying to go up-tempo in the 17-play drive against the Bills)

"Yeah, but at the same time, I'm trying to move the chains and trying to flip the field. We got in a lot of situations [where] we had to go the entire length of the field. For me, we have good chunk plays built into our tempo, but also, have an arsenal of plays that attack the coverages. I was trying to get to those. We were trying to hit balls out of bounds, but caught it and got tackled in bounds a few times. That's just us getting out of bounds on routes and being able to finish it that way. To your point, yeah. Work the sidelines – if they're giving you those outs, let's take the outs and let's move it. We got saved a couple times with penalties, so again, it comes down to execution – throwing and catching routes, being detailed. Some of the things that we've got to be really hard on the guys for."

(On Houston Texans HC DeMeco Ryans and what he sees with the Texans from when Ryans was in San Francisco)

"The crossover is that he's coaching effort first. Up front, they're a penetrating defensive line – these guys fire off the ball, whether it's the nose tackle, the three[-technique] or the ends. They're crash-nine techniques. They're up the field right now. You look earlier in the season, don't think they really understood what he was really asking them to do. You watch the last two or three games – even just thinking about Pittsburgh – they're firing off the ball. They're playing into blocks. It makes it really challenging for the tackles, really challenging for the guards with the three-technique shooting up the field. What you're starting to see from them is in their structures, there's not a lot of complicated structures they have, but in the communication, you're seeing improvement. This whole time, throughout the whole season, they team-tackle – they gang tackle everything. If you look at it, it's really hard to score touchdowns in the redzone because they play their defenses and they all swarm and rally to the ball. I see the same signature. Some of the situational stuff, I don't want to get into, but as far as the philosophy and style of the way they play, he's definitely getting them towards what he's looking for and what I'm used to seeing from San Francisco."

(On how QB Baker Mayfield is doing and if he's sensing any change in his personality)

"I see urgency, but I think especially in the last two weeks, I see a guy that's mature – that's handling it the right way. He's coming to work with a professional attitude. He's been really challenging guys – challenging young guys, challenging different players and [saying], 'Let's go. Let's start heading in the right direction.' I feel like he's doing it the right way. His language isn't demeaning, it's challenging – there's a difference. As far as his own work, he's just consistent. Every single day, he's going through his checklist, going through his situations. We have those conversations. I definitely see a guy who's maturing – I don't know what he was like before, but he's showing me he's handling it the right way."

(On the importance of having QB John Wolford on the team)

"Practically speaking, it's just good to have three guys that you've trained. He's got history in somewhat of the same system. But just going through [training] camp and getting all those reps, what he does bring to the quarterback room is super important. For me, it just makes me feel good that the guy wanted to be here and believes in what we're building, believes in what we're doing and believes in just how we treat each other and the family we're building here as this group. A culture of respect, a culture of hard work and that mutual respect of players taking coaching, but then coaches also listening to the players. I was really fired up. [It was] in a time in our season where we've got three losses, that was a definite win for me. I've got to take the wins and the encouragement as we go."

(On his thoughts on Philadelphia's QB sneak)

"Oh yeah, I love it. We're working on it. We're trying to get that rolling. In a given situation, I think that will really help us in short yardage."

(On where he thinks the offense is as far as their grasp of the offensive scheme)

"I think there's no magical number [for how long it takes]. I can't say, 'Hey man, it's half of the season, we got it.' But I will say this, to your point, I think the attitude and mentality was there on Thursday night. I think we put ourselves in horrible situations with penalties that didn't allow us to get more runs called, to get more of our play actions and screens called – all of the things that were left on my call sheet. That was a struggle, just being in second-and-18, being in first-and-15 and you're trying to get half back. It makes it harder to say, 'Man, I'm just going to keep leaning on this run.' That's where I had to mix it. I think that our attitude and mentality, the effort part, is heading in the right direction. The combos, the [running] backs are more patient and hitting them. We weren't perfect on our reads, by any means, but I think that we're heading in the right direction with that, for sure."

(On why he thinks Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud has been so successful this season)

"Discipline. I know he's getting coached really hard in a system very similar to what they were doing in San Francisco. They ask the quarterback to be very disciplined – read your first progression and then check it down. That's what you see from C.J. – he's playing smart football and he's taking care of it. On top of all of that, he's a really talented passer. He's taking advantage of some of the shots he has down field. I'm not surprised but you definitely don't see rookies come in with that kind of a maturity and discipline to come in and play like that. Brock Purdy did that in San Francisco and I see C.J. doing some of the same things."

PASS GAME COORDINATOR/DEFENSIVE LINE COACH KACY RODGERS

(On why the starting secondary hasn't come up with more interceptions)

"Well, some of the things we looked at are some of the matchups we like. We love our corners. We'd like to be able to put them in man [coverage] all day, but from our standpoint when you look at it, you don't want to create a bad matchup somewhere else, so that gets us a little off kilter. A lot of picks come from zones and [having] good zone drops. Right now, we're a little off. We'll have good zone drops [but] poor rush. Then we'd have vice versa. It all works hand-in-hand. We'd like to be a defense that mixes [coverages] because we want to pressure you – pressure with zone, pressure you with man. Right now, until we can get that cleaned up, we're a little off kilter."

(On Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud)

"When you watch them, they're doing a great job with this young quarterback. We've played a couple of young quarterbacks this year, but when you watch them, he is actually playing quarterback. We play some young quarterbacks where it's run, run throw. It's very vanilla and by the book. With this guy, watching him on film, he gets the whole gamut. He's [not] just throwing flat routes – he's throwing over the middle, he's throwing it deep, he's utilizing all of his weapons and then he can make plays with his feet if he has too. He is truly playing quarterback. Us, as a defensive staff sitting there evaluating, we think he has a bright future. They're doing a great job implementing him into their scheme and he is doing a great job playing quarterback."

(On NT Vita Vea leading the team in sacks)

"Us, as far as sacks, we always want more. Vita is an extremely talented player, but right now with our outside linebackers, of course we want them to win more. But as we look at it, we've got to look at it like… we just played a game last week and the ball was coming out pretty fast, so it's hard to judge them off of that. [He] took two steps and the ball was gone on the RPO-type action that they were doing. It all works hand-in-hand. We've said it all year, and we've seen it – sacks come in bunches. You look around and you had two this game and the next game you could have eight. The thing is we see in practice that they're steadily working at it and this and that. It will translate to the field."

(On if he sees OLB Yaya Diaby improving each week in his pass rush)

"Yes. That's the thing we're struggling with right now is trying to find an ideal role for him because he is getting better week-in and week-out. But, being a young player, you don't want to overload him from that standpoint. Now you're an outside linebacker – you drop, you've got a seam, too, and then you've got to rush. Now, we're going to put you inside in the rush to just help get you on the field. But then it becomes too much. We don't want to stunt him. We like the progress he is making, so you don't want to stunt him by overloading him, but this guy has a bright future."

(On if the team plans to keep Diaby on the outside)

"Keep him outside, primarily. But that's the problem we run into because you really want him on the field, but then we're blessed to have guys that you don't want to take off the field either, so that's a good problem to have."

(On if this is some of the best football he has seen S Antoine Winfield Jr. play in his career)

"Hands down. But the thing is, since we got him as a rookie, it's the same thing. The unique thing about him is that when you watch practice tape, you see exactly what you see on the game [film]. We just finished practice and the plays you see him make… I just saw him make two in practice today. He's the same guy. That's why you say he's an excellent pro because he practices hard, and what you get in practice, you're going to get in the game. He's just a true pro and a great human being."

(On the offensive playmakers in the Texans offense)

"We look at them and we have to see the similarities. We look at us playing San Francisco last year because a lot of the scheme is the same carryover. We were looking at them using [Tank] Dell like their Deebo [Samuel], so to speak, the way they use him on the jet sweep. He comes in and they can use him in the backfield, he could take a toss. [Nico] Collins – he has just really, really come on. He is like their [Brandon] Aiyuk in the way they utilize him. He is really making big plays and stretching people down the field, and he's long so the short corners got problems. Fortunately, we've got long corners, but he is really stepping up. That kind of goes along to what we were saying about all of the weapons and how they're utilizing them – on their team, everybody has a role, and everybody is executing their roles. No. 3 (Dell) is their gadget guy. He is their reverse guy, jet sweeps, he can be anywhere. He can be a bad matchup, so here lies our problem… when he's in the backfield, who's covering him? Is he on the linebacker or is he on the DB? You really want him on the DB, but now you're getting your run fits screwed up. They have a unique scheme and the thing you like about them, or appreciate about what they do, is the way they are utilizing their pieces."

LINEBACKER LAVONTE DAVID

(On Tampa Bay's defense only allowing 18 points per game)

"Yeah, obviously, teams getting into the red zone and [us] stopping them from getting points, getting turnovers – all of that works hand-in-hand. At the end of the day, the total yards, if we give up all the passing yards, that plays a factor, as well. We want to be a whole defense – we don't want to just dominate in certain categories, we want to dominate in all categories. We want to try to put it all together and be better at everything."

(On his three-straight games of double-digit tackles)

"Everything is playing out. Everybody is doing what they're supposed to do, for the most part. [I am] just flying to the football and playing the game the way I know how to play it."

(On Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud)

"The crazy thing is, he's not playing like a rookie quarterback. He's very poised in the pocket, he can make all the right decisions and makes all the right throws. He knows where guys are supposed to be at. He [doesn't] make the silly mistakes that you kind of see out of the rookie quarterbacks. He's controlling that offense really well. They've got a great team around him, they've got a great running game and a great offensive line who protects him really well. He's definitely holding up his end of the bargain of being the No. 2 overall pick."

(On how much faith he has in this team)

"I've been here 12 years. I've seen a lot of things – a lot of good, a lot of bad. I've always got faith in whatever team I'm on, especially this group. [There are] guys who I've won with, and these guys who I've played with for a very long time. I know they've got a lot of confidence in themselves and I've got a lot of confidence in them. I'm definitely looking forward to how this thing can turn around, and I know it will."

LEFT TACKLE TRISTAN WIRFS

(On the pressure of the Houston Texans defense)

"You know, they're trying to generate pressure on the quarterback. They're doing that through twist games, bring pressure up the A gaps. We're all going to have to be on the same plane, and not open up windows for them to run through."

(On Houston Texans LB Will Anderson Jr.)

"Very explosive, always turning his legs, he's always fighting, very good get off, he flips back and forth, so me and Luke [Goedeke] are both going to see him. They have a lot of good rush edgers, and they have Jerry Hughes too. Jerry Hughes is on year 14, [and] still flying around. Me and Luke are both going to have to be ready to see him, be ready to see all of them, but it's going to be fun."

(On how excited he is to go up against a group of good edge rushers)

"It's always fun. You're not going to go a week really where you're not going to have somebody who is good off the edge. That's the competition that we love, just trying to put our best selves on tape, and I know the guy across from us is probably trying to do the same."

(On if he feels the 'mini Bye Week' was a reset)

"A little bit. Having that early Bye week kind of sucks, you know, you kind of get out of your rhythm a little bit. We had a couple of days [to] give every one's body a little bit of rest, and now we have 10 straight [games]. [We will] just take it one week at a time, [and] get in a routine. 10 straight Sunday's, so it's going to be nice."

(On how impressed he has been with LB Lavonte David)

"Lavonte is an animal. I think he is incredibly underrated, [and] incredibly overlooked. You look at what he's done the past 12 years and it's up there with the best to ever to do it. They better get his gold jacket ready. Lavonte is an incredible player, incredible person, and it's not a surprise to any of us in this locker room what he is doing in year 12 still."

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