AFC Notes: Matt Ryan, Colts, Jaguars, Texans, Davis Mills

“The two weeks prior, you never know what’s going to happen — someone could get hurt, the situation could change, so there’s always that reality that I have to stay ready, that I can’t assume anything,” Ryan added. “But your perspective changes when nothing has happened and suddenly they talk to you about, what are you thinking? I practiced Thursday and Friday, and I’m like, ‘OK, I’m good. I feel pretty good.’ It was his call to make at that point about what he wanted to do.”

• Saturday on making the move to Ryan: “I felt like Matt gave us the best chance to win. I wanted to make sure he was in the right space to do it. He wanted all of it. Let’s go, let it rip.” (Mike Chappell)

Jaguars

Jaguars DC Mike Caldwell said it is “definitely important” for DE Dawuane Smoot to be on the field and he’s “really motivating” players with his strong performance of far this season. 

“[It’s] definitely important to get him on the field,” Caldwell said, via JaguarsWire. “There are certain situations where we want to try to get him more reps, and once he’s out there, he’s performing well and doing a great job. He’s really motivating other guys to do the same thing. We’re really excited about it.”

Caldwell added that Smoot brings a lot of versatility to their defense with his ability as a defensive lineman and in coverage. 

“His versatility really speaks for itself; he’s a guy that can play inside, can play outside. He can drop into coverage; he can rush the quarterback. He does so many things for us that we just have to get him on the field and let him go.”

Texans

Texans HC Lovie Smith doesn’t believe the time is right to replace QB Davis Mills but still noted that his performance on Sunday was not good enough.

“I just don’t think it’s time, as simple as that,” Smith said, via Aaron Wilson of Click2Houston.com. “Quarterback position is a little bit different. We rotate pretty much at most positions, we play more than one guy. The quarterback position is a little bit different. We can’t turn the ball over. Acknowledging what we did today is not good enough and anytime we’re turning the ball over especially in the red zone it’s not good enough. But that’s where we are right now. Quarterback, we needed to play better today. I mean that’s pretty much it.”

Mills threw an interception in the end zone as the team was trying to rally against the Giants, continuing a recurring theme for Mills of putting the ball in harms way. 

“Very critical,” Mills said. “Not coming away from that drive with points is big. It changed from maybe a worst-case scenario getting a field goal there, which allows us to go down that next drive and it be a one-possession game. So, it’s tough. I’ve got to be smarter with the ball there. We’re 2nd-and-25, we don’t need it all back at once, trying to score. I can find the checkdown on that and get ourselves into a third-down situation still in the red zone with a lot of plays at our disposal, so I’ve just got to continue protecting the ball and be better in that way.”

“It is what it is,” Mills continued. “I’ve got to go out there and make plays just like everyone else. My job is to go out there and protect the football and win football games and we haven’t done it up to this point, but we’re really close and we’re optimistic each week going forward that we’re going to go out there and do enough to win games and that’s what the feeling in the locker room right now is. Everyone is hungry for this next week at home against Washington to go out there and get a win.”

• Smith on DE Jerry Hughes racking up eight sacks so far this season: “We liked him a lot. He’s played quite a few years. We liked everything about him, his play on video. All those things said we want him here. His play has been outstanding every game.” (Wilson)