Q:What stands out to you about this Patriots team and how they have been operating over the last couple of weeks?
JH:Very impressed, in all phases – the kicking game, return game, offensively, defensively – playing at a very high level, very impressive.
Q:There was an expectation that J.J. Watt and the Texans defense would be a little more disruptive of Tom Brady. What do you think it will take for your team to disrupt Tom Brady and this offense?
JH:Well, we would sure like to find the answer to that and then implement it. But it's really, really difficult. As you said, they're tough to do that against.
Q:When you break down the film on the Patriots, what is the one strength or weakness that stands out?
JH:Well multiple strengths: a really good scheme, really good play calling and then great individual effort at each position, the great ability they have to play as a team. You could talk for hours about how good they are.
Q:How has Randy Moss done for you this year?
JH:He's done a nice job. He's been a contributor, he's produced and he's been a great teammate.
Q:You seem to have a similar situation at the quarterback position to the one they had in New England with Tom Brady and Drew Bledsoe. The starter gets hurt and the reserve comes in and plays well. What goes into the decision to play one quarterback over the other?
JH:Well, it's rarely compared to any other situation but I think it was a unique situation here [with] two guys that we believe in and believe can win games for us. In picking one it's who do you think can give you the best chance for this next game?
Q:How much does the upcoming opponent and matchup factor into your decision to play one quarterback over the other?
JH:I hate to speculate on anything, so I'd rather not.
Q:I got lost there. Does that mean that Colin Kaepernick is not your starting quarterback?
JH:I don't know how you got lost or got that impression. I just said that I didn't want to speculate that if we were playing another opponent, what possibility there would be about who would be the quarterback. So I just chose not to go down that road. So I don't know how you got lost there.
Q:So Colin--
JH:Colin is starting, yes.
Q:What has Colin brought to the team in his four games as a starter?
JH:He's playing really with a lot of poise and is beyond his years. He's produced, he's made big plays with his arm and his feet and with his mind. [He's] 3-1 as a starter; doing a fine job. He's acquitted himself very well.
Q:What kind of adjustments have you made to your offense given Colin's unique skill set?
JH:A few things. Maybe a few plays here and there in terms of scheme that take advantage of some things that he does really well. Other than that, really just try to improve in every area in terms of our blocking schemes and how we execute.
Q:Other than the obvious physical skill set that he has, what are some of the other important things that Aldon Smith brings to the table?
JH:He's got a very high motor, he really likes football and he's got a lot of physical attributes – speed and power – and [he's] a very smart guy. Just to name some of them.
Q:Can you talk about Justin Smith? One thing that stands out is that he has only missed one game in however many number of years it has been.
JH:Well, I've really thought this for a long time, that everybody should have a Justin Smith. He is a football player in every sense of the word, which encompasses all of the good qualities: great teammate, great worker, talented and smart. He has it all. It makes it a joy to come out here and coach when you've got guys like that.
Q:When you look at Jerod Mayo on film do you see some of Patrick Willis in him and vice versa?
JH:Definitely. I think they both stand on their own, but they're both really good players. Jerod has all of the skills that you want a linebacker to have – physical, good tackler, good blitzer, can cover side-to-side. He's just a really good football player.
Q:From what you have seen on film, has the acquisition of Aqib Talib allowed the Patriots defense to do some things that they were not doing before?
JH:Yes, I think it's allowed them to do some things that they weren't doing before definitely, [like] moving a corner to safety and a lot of man-coverage that you saw the other night against Houston. So I think there are probably a number of things there.
Q:Can you talk about dynamic the Pistol formation brings with all the options it allows?
JH:Well that's the idea, to try to have a formation that you can do different things out of – run, pass, etcetera.
Q:Is that a formation that is tailored for a guy like Colin Kaepernick?
JH:Yeah, I think it suits him well.
