RB Rashad Jennings runs 80 yards for the touchdown. Photo by Tony Gonzales
Head Coach Dennis Allen
On the game: "Starting off with the just the injuries real quick – Dan Muir has a knee, Mike Brisiel also with a knee. Both those guys weren't able to finish the game. I'm sure they'll be MRIs and stuff to kind of figure out exactly what they have, but we'll know probably more tomorrow where those guys are at. As far as the football game, listen, it's great to go on the road and get a win. I thought our guys did a great job of…I thought we started fast and I think the key was we were able to finish. Now it didn't always look pretty, but we made enough plays to win the football game. I thought defensively, starting off the way that we did, getting a couple takeaways early in the game and then offense was able to capitalize that. I thought our red zone efficiency, both offensively and defensively, really was a critical factor in the game. They were 0-for-3 in the red zone as far as scoring touchdowns. We were 3-for-3 in scoring touchdowns. I thought our defense did a great job again in the game rising up and making a critical stop. The 3rd down play was huge to get it to 4th down. I thought we had them stopped on the 4th down play. One of the few penalties we got in our favor actually gave them another shot. But I'm proud of those guys in there. I'm proud of them for the way they've continued to keep their head up, for the way they've continued to work and came out and competed. I thought we had a lot of great individual achievements. Obviously Matt McGloin went in and played outstanding. To go against that defense, to have three touchdown passes with a [105.9] quarterback rating, I thought that was outstanding for a kid that's an undrafted free agent that came in here as a fourth arm for camp, to come and perform in this type of environment. I thought that was outstanding. I thought Rashad Jennings, offensively, I thought he had another great game with the 80-yard touchdown. I didn't know if he was going to make it or not, but he had just enough juice at the end. Defensively, we had enough to hang in there at the very end and we talked about putting the bulls eye on our chest and somebody standing up and making the play at the critical moments of the game and we were able to do that today. Excited about getting a win and looking forward to the trip back."
On Matt McGloin: "You know what, some of these guys just have it. Do you know what I mean? Some just there's something deep down inside of them that they don't pay any attention to the fact that people say they can't do it. He's really done that ever since we brought him in. Like I said the other day, we brought him in on a workout and really not expecting a whole lot and there was no question in our mind by the end of the workout, really by the third throw, that that was the guy we wanted to sign. He's continued to do that since he's been here. So it's not shocking that he was able to come in here and play as well as he did."
On McGloin's throws: "That's one of the things we really like about him. As far as the quarterback position, he throws the ball with timing. He throws the ball with accuracy. He's really smart. Obviously, again, not everything was perfect; he made his mistakes in the game, but overall, I was really pleased with the way he went in there and played. I thought our offensive line going against that front I thought they did a great job in the running game. I thought they did a great job in the passing game of giving him some protection, giving some opportunities to throw the ball down the field. It was a great team win."
On if McGloin earned the starting QB position: "Listen, here's what I'm going to do – I'm going to enjoy this win. We're going to go back and we'll evaluate, but he definitely did a very good job today."
On the wide receiver drops: "I think more of a concentration thing. There wasn't a ton of negatives in the game, but obviously the dropped passes was one of them. We have to be better there."
On the punt return for a TD: "I'll have to go back and really look at it. I thought we had the tackle to be honest with you. I thought we had him down. I thought we had the ability to tackle him right there. We didn't make the play. The kid, he's shown on tape that he's an explosive punt returner and that's what happens when you get in these type of games and have those explosive players like that and you can't make mistakes. It was just a little bit of lack of coverage there and gave them a chance to get back in the game."
On if road issue was a topic during the week: "Wasn't a real big topic of conversation to be honest with you. It really wasn't. We just talked about keep preparing, keep getting ourselves ready to play, keep putting ourselves in position to go make a play and win a football game. Obviously we were all well aware of what our road woes have been, but I've said this all along, we kept putting ourselves in position being in 4th quarters of games to win games, and today was one of those times where we were able to pull through and finish it. Proud of those guys."
On conversation with refs after challenge: "I wouldn't say it was pleasant. Listen, those are tough calls. To me, I thought he had possession of the ball with the elbow down in bounds and I didn't feel like he ever lost any type of possession of the ball. The explanation to me was there wasn't enough conclusive evidence that he fully maintained possession of the ball without being out of bounds. But questionably I thought there were some calls that didn't go our way and that was one of them."
On giving up 14 point lead and then regaining lead in 3rd quarter: "That's huge. Listen, the team we just played out there – and I understand everybody looks at records – but I look at the players, I look at their coaches, they've got good football players and they've got good coaches over there. For our guys to come in here and be able to get a win and I think, like you said, the way the win came about that we were able to get off to a lead, we give up the lead, we're able to come back and regain the lead, and then they kind of get back into it again and to just keep staying the course, everybody staying together, everybody believing in each other, every player, every coach, there was no doubt in our mind that we were going to win that football game. That's what you have to develop and that's what we're trying to develop here."
On the goal line stand at end of 4th quarter:"Obviously, we got the stop on 1st down, which got them in a 2nd and long situation. I think it was [Charles] Woodson and maybe it was [Tracy] Porter, I couldn't tell exactly who it was, that tackled him just short of the 1st down on 2nd down and then we got some good knock-back on the 3rd down play and were able to stop them. And then obviously the two opportunities they had on 4th down, I thought our guys went and executed and did the things they had to do. The route they ran on 4th down is something that we've worked a lot on, something that's beat us in the past. For us to make the adjustment, make the correction…they actually tried it twice in the game and both times we were able to stop it."
On Rashad Jennings: "I thought he was outstanding; I really did. He's a workhorse type of back. Again, that's the way I envision our running game. I envision our running game as a lot of 1s and 2s and 3s, a few 4s and 5s mixed in there, and then all of a sudden, bam, we hit a big one. For him to be able to hit that 80-yard run there, that was a huge play in the football game. But really the last three weeks he's been a guy that we've called on to come in and run the ball for us and he's done a great job of it."
On if Jennings has surpassed his expectations: "Yeah absolutely. And he's that as he continues to run the ball like he's doing, he's a guy that's going to continue to get opportunities to run the ball."
On if offense was opened up with way McGloin was throwing: "No, that was kind of the plan all along. Our plan was not to come in here and play conservative and play not to lose the game. Our plan all along was to come in here and run our offense and take our shots down the field and give this kid an opportunity to throw the ball. We knew we had to protect him because we knew this was a good front we were going up against. We didn't have anything in our game plan that was conservative, let's try to make sure we protect this kid and he doesn't make mistakes. We had all the confidence in the world that he was going to go out and play well."
On more shots down the field with McGloin: "The ball went down the field a little more. I thought the protection held up pretty good today and gave us an opportunity to get a few shots down the field. The one ball Andre [Holmes] caught on their sideline was a great call by Ollie [Greg Olson] and a great job by Andre and a heck of a throw by McGloin. So I wouldn't say we ended up taking more shots down the field, but the ball got down the field a little bit more today."
On why Terrelle Pryor didn't travel to Houston: "Really, to be honest with you, it's really part of the policy, but he was also sick on Saturday morning and that was something I didn't want…I didn't want somebody that was sick to be on the plane and have the opportunity to get a bunch of guys sick coming into this game."
On turnover to start the game: "I thought that was huge that we were able to give our offense a couple of short fields early in the game. And then obviously Matt took advantage of them and I thought it was a great throw and catch on the first touchdown on the 3rd down to hit Dmoe [Denarius Moore] underneath like that. That was pretty impressive."
On NFL not being too big for McGloin:"To be honest with you, I didn't have a whole lot of interaction with him during the game. There was never a look in his eye like it was too big for him. He was in command of what we were doing offensively. It was about what I expected. I really did. I expected the kid to come in and play well and he did."
On if he was surprised by Texans QB Matt Schaub coming in: "No, I really wasn't surprised. I think Matt Schaub's been a guy that's been a good quarterback in this league. I know he's had his struggles this year, but obviously there was times in the game where he really through the ball really well and I think we were able to get some pressure on Keenum early in the game and I thought they were probably just trying to create a little bit of a spark and see if they could get something changed."
On if Raiders did anything different defensively against Schaub: "No."
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QB Matt McGloin
On nerves going into the game: "There's definitely always nerves. I think if there's not then you shouldn't be playing the game anymore, but I was more anxious to get going, things like that. Things couldn't really have started off any better for us, getting the ball in that position and then going and scoring."
On decisiveness in throws:"We know what they have at defensive line and that's something we stressed all week. I wanted to make sure that I understood what they were doing defensively in terms of coverage and I wanted to be decisive in my decision making and try to get the ball out quick and let our receivers catch and run."
On if he felt the need to win the team over: "I'm happy with the way they embraced me, the way they accepted me coming into the starting role, but I don't think I had to win them over or anything like that. We all have respect for one another on the team and each individual puts the time and the effort in the weight room, film room, at practice so, like I said, it really wasn't a win me over situation."
On the speed of the game: "Yeah, it's a fast game, but obviously with preparation and understanding what we want to do as an offense and what their tendencies are, it allows you to slow the game down a little bit and get in control."
On if he'll start next week: "That's really not my decision; that's something you're going to have to ask Coach Allen. We'll see."
On if spent time previous night mentally preparing: "I've kind of been mentally prepared for awhile now. And as a backup quarterback the past couple weeks it's kind of something you're always ready. You never know what's going to happen so I think physically getting ready was more my mindset this week. I was grateful for getting the reps from Wednesday when we started practice. I think it was a big factor in today's game."
On going through similar process before at Penn State: "It just feels great being out there, contributing to your team, helping out any way that you can and getting a win on the road. I have been in that situation before and you have to perform. You have to make the most of the reps you get and make the most of our opportunity."
On if he slept well the night before the game: "I slept fine. It was a long week of preparation so getting to bed was kind of good."
On if he was going through the playbook in his head: "The hay's never in the barn, so you're always thinking about different things and going back and looking at film and going over your notes from throughout the week, but there's a certain point where you've got to get some rest, rest your brain a little bit. I think I got a lot of rest last night and looked over some more things today before the game and that really helped."
On if he could have written a better script for his NFL debut: "If I was writing it, probably, but it was a great opportunity to be out there today. Like I said, this is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. I've been prepared for awhile now to get in there and, again, my team really supported me and that's one of the reasons why I prepared as hard as I could this week and give it everything I had."
On winning college award for best walk-on: "It's called Burlsworth Award. I was the third recipient of it. I don't know if you guys know this story – Brandon Burlsworth went to Arkansas and he was drafted by the Colts and unfortunately passed away a couple weeks after he was drafted. They give it to the nation's best player who started their career as a walk-on."
On if his "undrafted rookie" tag is past now: "There's always more to prove and more to do. I think I got off to a good start, but we'll see. We played great today. What can you say about the defense there in the end? That's one of the big reasons why we won the game, obviously. So I'm really happy about that."
On his favorite throw of the day: "I enjoyed throwing the ball to Rod [Streater] there, that touchdown there. I think the ball to [Mychal] Rivera was one of my better ones on the day. He runs great routes and I trust him a lot in his decision-making and his route running. I gave him the opportunity for it and I knew he was going to be there and he was."
On waiting for the linebacker to get the ball there: "Yeah, I was itching to throw it out there, but sometimes you just have to wait another half second. I knew, my line did a tremendous job of holding those guys off me, so I knew protection wouldn't be a problem there and we made a great play."
On being the last one into the locker room after the win: "It doesn't get better than that when you see your team there after a tough victory and there's so much more to it. You see each and every day what goes into going into one game – the preparation, the hard work throughout the course of the week, the discussions – that feeling that you get in the locker room seeing those guys, I think hat's something we have to remember each and every game."
On help from Pryor during the week: "We have a very healthy relationship Terrelle and I. This is his team and just film work, what to expect, how to handle situations, he was really there throughout the whole way. I'm happy to be playing quarterback with him."
On if he's heard from Pryor yet: "I didn't even check my phone or anything yet, but absolutely, he probably did. He probably reached out."
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RB Rashad Jennings
On his game today: "Compliments go the offensive line. Coming in to this game, this (Texans defense) was a great defense. Actually, they were the No. 1 ranked defense in the league. We pay a great deal of respect to those guys and we knew that we would have to control the clock. We would have to be able to run the ball and what really helped us was the young quarterback (Matt McGloin) stepping up and making plays. So, I think collectively as a team, we definitely won as a unit."
On relying on himself to be the guy with a young quarterback at helm: "It's never any pressure on anybody to play. The accountability that I have aside from with the coaches put on me, is something at a higher state. I put a lot on my shoulders and I always want to come out and perform. Wherever they place me, running back, special teams, lining up at receiver is cool with me. If I need to protect every down, I will protect."
On winning a tough game on the road and what it means for the season: "We still have a lot to clean up as you can see. There were some plays missed and some yards left out on the field, things we wish we could have back. But, to battle in the fourth quarter and change this culture with winning in the second half is a step forward."
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WR Denarius Moore
On the offensive consistency from first half to second half: "Really, it was just us staying on schedule and capitalizing on each chance we get."
On what he saw on his touchdown catch: "It was good timing, a good call. They ran a cover-zero. Rod (Streeter) ran a good route where he pushed his depth. My man (cornerback) ran into his dude which was covering him which got me open."
On QB Matt McGloin and what he can expect from him going forward in the season: "He just comes in and steps in as a leader. It was his first start, but he acted like he been in the league for three years. It's just taking on that role, knowing your 'hots' (reads) and knowing your first read through your third read."
LB Nick Roach
On what the Raiders' defense saw in order to capitalize on Texans offense: "I think one of the big things we did a good job on was just mixing it up. We would bring some pressure, then we would be in coverage. It was really a mix of both. I think that, mixed with the fact that we didn't allow maybe one or two big (passing) plays down the field. Not allowing the big plays was big."
On his interception early in the game: "It was just one of their basic routes. They sent somebody in front and tried to push a receiver behind us. Thankfully, the ball got tipped up front (at the line of scrimmage) and I was able to get a good break on it and catch it."
On maintaining a good game and what it means going forward in the second half of the season: "It's huge, it's huge because that has been our thing all year. Not being able to finish is what we're trying to overcome. A lot of our games we start off 14 to 0 and in the second half for whatever reason, not being able to keep the pedal down. But today, we made strides toward making it happen and obviously we won."
S Charles Woodson
On road win against the Texans: "It was good for us because we haven't won any games on the road all season long. We came down here today and it was a close game all the way through. We were able to make plays down the stretch to keep them out of the end zone. Keeping them out on that last drive was huge for us. We feel like we have let some games get away from us all season long, but it was good for us to close this one out."
On aggressive play resulting in forced fumble: "Personally for me, I am always at the ball, it doesn't matter who it is. My whole career has been trying to get that ball when I see a guy with it, so I was able to get my hand in there and pull it out. We got after the quarterback, but we let him get away the one time on the touchdown. He got the ball over our heads, so those are some things we can get better at."
On QB Matt McGloin's performance: "In my eyes, he really played flawless. He played flawless football, especially for this being his first start in the National Football League. He put the ball in there. He had some guys early on in the game that had some drops, but he put it right on the numbers and those are catches the guys have to make for him. He played well all day long and made some huge throws for us."
On defensive adjustment to QB Matt Schaub entering the game in 4th quarter: "At that point, we were doing what we were going to do. I don't think we anticipated that happening, but we just tried to keep the ball in front of us. We had that lead and we wanted to protect it."
