Lions quotes: Jim Schwartz, players comment on loss to Texans

Below is a look at what Detroit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz and various players had to say following Thursday's loss to the Houston Texans. (Quotes provided by the Lions.)

LIONS HEAD COACH JIM SCHWARTZ

On the play he threw the flag: "I know that we can't challenge a turnover or a scoring play and I overreacted. I was so mad that they didn't call him down - because he was obviously down on the field. I had the flag out of my pocket before he even scored the touchdown and that's all my fault. I overreacted in that situation and I cost us a touchdown. I was still smarting over the first challenge that wasn't overturned. I thought it was pretty obvious that the ball hit their guy and we didn't get that ball and we seemed to be behind a lot of those calls today and I overreacted and I cost us."

On what they said on the first challenge: "They said that they didn't think it hit their guy. They didn't say it hit our guy first, they just said they didn't think it hit their guy and didn't turn it over."

On if they could have come over to him and told him to ‘pick up the flag': "I've seen some of those before, but, in that case, that's my fault. Particularly on a play that - if he was obviously down. That's the thing that was most disappointing is he was down on the field and nobody blew the whistle and the guy got up and kept on running. But that's still no excuse. You don't challenge turnovers and you don't challenge scoring plays."

On what he told his players after the illegal challenge: "I just wanted to let them know on the sideline what the call was and that was my fault on the sideline. Tried to spread the word as much as we could. Things happen in a game. We still had a lot of time to play and I just wanted to make sure they weren't distracted by that and just knew exactly what happened on the field."

On why the players didn't keep playing until the whistle: "In the NFL, there's not a lot of whistles. It's the God's-honest truth. It's not like high school or anything else where they're blowing whistles as soon as guys are down. There's a lot of times where whistles don't get blown until late and with all the emphasis that's on ... and he was down. I mean, they saw him down on the field. If you go down and you dive on him and you hit him in the head or hit him with your head, you're getting a 15-yard penalty. So it puts defensive players in a tough position like that. Obviously he was down, but you can't blame that on the players. That's just the NFL and me blowing it by throwing the flag."

LIONS QB MATTHEW STAFFORD

On if this is as tough a loss as you can take: "It's a tough one, yeah. Had our opportunities to win it multiple times. Both teams did. It was a great football game. Didn't catch many breaks and couldn't capitalize on a couple we needed to."

On what Coach Schwartz said to the team in the locker room regarding the challenged touchdown: "Yeah, I don't know, I guess that's a rule. Yeah, he knew it and he talked to us on the field about it right after it. I'll let him talk about it, what was going on there. But, yeah he explained to us what the issue was with that and I didn't know that was a rule and that's a tough one to swallow. Give up an 80-yard touchdown run on a guy that went down."

On if he feels they deserved a better fate: "I don't know what we deserve. We deserve what we got we deserved. Guys in there fought their ass off and played hard and I'm proud of every single one of them. We just couldn't capitalize on a couple plays and that was just one of those games."

LIONS RB JOIQUE BELL

On the controversial touchdown play: "Oh, yeah, I mean that's football. The refs can't see everything. Things happen...like you said, it's a lot of adversity when it comes to this game. You have to overcome and, I mean, bad call or not a bad call we've just got to pull away with this. We had our chances to pull away with it. We just have to learn to finish."

On if he was surprised the offense did not run the ball in overtime: "I mean, our passing game is probably one of the top in the League. So, you know, the coaches, I can see why the coaches want to pass the ball when we have threats like, you know, Ryan Broyles is stepping up big time, Tony Scheffler, you have Calvin, Pettigrew. I mean you have guys who, you know, make plays, have been making plays the entire season. So I wasn't surprised."

On how much the loss stings: "I mean, any loss stings, period. It's a heartbreaker. We wanted to win our first Thanksgiving here. We had our chances but like I said, we have to learn how to finish."

On how they approach the rest of the season: "Just pride. I mean, you're never, like you said, you never know what can happen. You've just got to keep playing, let the chips fall where they may."

LIONS DE KYLE VANDEN BOSCH

On the RB Justin Forsett touchdown where the runner's knee touched the ground: "It's unfortunate. It was obvious to just about everybody that the runner was down. Obviously, it cost us. It's just too bad that that's not reviewable."

On not being able to finish games: "You know, it's kind of the same story. It's just frustrating. I mean, back-to-back weeks, we had a chance to beat a really good team. But that's not good enough because this is a really good team. We're just not playing like it right now."

On being so close to winning in back-to-back weeks: "It's a blow. I mean, but its gut-check time. I mean, I feel like I know how guys are going to respond. I feel like I can see the fight in everybody's eyes and, you know, losses like this are tough. It's tough, but we'll be alright. We'll bounce back. We just need to get some breaks. We've had opportunities and came up a play short several times this year. We just need to find a way to make that play."

On his near interception in overtime: "I mean, I don't expect plays like that and it's not something we practice, but it's a play I should make. I couldn't make it."

LIONS K JASON HANSON:

On what happened on the last field goal attempt: "You know I just...it went right obviously. I don't know what to say. Just started right and went right at the upright so it doesn't matter if it hits the upright or goes wide it's no good."

On if this is one of the crazier games he has been in: "Yeah it was pretty emotional up-and-down. A lot of chances, a lot of crazy situations, but at the end when it comes down to the kick it's the same as if it was in regulation or it doesn't matter what happened before it. Everything's right there."

On not being in that situation if the officials had not ruled RB Justin Forsett's score a touchdown: "Right, right. That kind of stuff, you know, happens I guess in all the games. And again when it comes down to the end and you're in a position to win - at that moment nothing else... It doesn't matter what happened before it. It could have been the greatest comeback in history or controversy or whatever. It's just the same situation there and I didn't make it."

On if it is frustrating because you outplayed the Texans most of the game: "Yeah, I mean you have to get the ‘W', but you have to have your players make plays to win and (we) didn't do that."

On if the snap on the missed field goal attempt was bad: "Well if that happens, then that's horrible and that's what happens. But I didn't notice any of that so yeah it's a moot when (P) Nick's a great holder and gets it done and it's up to me to get it in."

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