Q: What was it like playing in a stadium as loud as Arrowhead Stadium was last week?
SMITH: "I mean, when you're at home, it's fine. All of us on offense know what it's like to play in that environment, maybe not one that noisy. There were certainly a lot of guys with a smirk on their face on the sideline, watching them go out there and just the problems it caused: the delay of games, the false starts, the sacks. It's tough to play in that type of environment."
Q: It seems like you've reached the maximum performance from Jamaal Charles; where is the growth in this offense going to come from?
SMITH: "I don't know, I mean, I certainly don't know where the ceiling is for Jamaal (Charles), but as far as that goes, if there is one, it's pretty high. He can do so much. Certainly, it falls on everyone else though; we all have to pick it up in the execution. It's 11 guys. That's certainly a thing, when you turn on the tape, there's a lack of execution. That's what it is. It's one guy here, it's one guy there. It's all of us kind of having a part of it. We really need to kind of clear up the details and go out there and execute it at a high level."
Q: What can you do to pick up your execution percentage?
SMITH: "I mean, it's a statistic. It's not something I think I'm directly looking at. I think it's, 'Should have I made decisions that I should have made differently?'; those are the types of things I'm looking at. We're looking at (whether) the throw was a good decision and if it was, then I mean, if it affects your completion percentage negatively, then it does. Certainly, I think you look at all those types of things on a play-by-play basis, 'Could I have made a better decision? Could I have made a better throw?', things like that. It's tough to always take that stat as a whole and judge off of it."
Q: Have there been a lot of times this year that you've kind of beat yourself up for a decision you've made?
SMITH: "I don't know about a bunch of times, but yeah, there's certainly, no question, every game, there are decisions you'd love to have back; 'If I'd have known this, if I'd have done this differently.' No question. So, yeah, there's a handful. You'd love to constantly be cutting those down. I mean, as a quarterback, I think after games, that's what you're going through in your head. 'What could I have done differently?' No question. So yeah, there's a handful every game."
Q: What would you like to see in the second option? Right now, you're kind of that guy.
SMITH: "Once again, I certainly don't want to even have two guys. You'd love to have a complete group that's really going out there and playing effectively and not allowing them to zero in on anybody. Certainly, all of our guys, so I don't think there's any one."
Q: What about Anthony Fasano practicing again?
SMITH: "You know, he's a guy that has played at a really hard level for a long time in this league and with so many reps and the whole offseason kind of invested, it will be good to have him back for sure."
Q: What's your approach when things aren't going so well?
SMITH: "I think my style, but I think kind of offensive football in general, when things aren't going so well and you aren't in a rhythm and you are struggling to execute, I think of those little things. I don't think yelling and screaming is the answer. For me, I just say 'Everybody, let's calm down a little bit. Everybody, just play a little better. Everybody, do your part; let's get this thing going.' That's my style, but I think offensively, in general, I think we have to go out there and we have to be able to think. We have to think on our feet and execute."
Q: There are other quarterbacks who go out and rant to their receivers.
SMITH: "Not saying there isn't a time for that; we're all different. We all have our own styles."
Q: How do you make other guys better?
SMITH: "I don't know about any of that. For me, I'm just trying to be myself and prepare the best I can, every single day, to go out there and play on Sunday and continue to be myself. I think, once again, we want to play better offensively, no question, especially the last couple of weeks. I think as a team, there's something invaluable about continuing to find a way to win and having that confidence, because as the year goes on and the games get bigger and bigger, you need to have that. I think that's kind of invaluable experience."
Q: What kind of length is Houston going to cover Jamaal Charles?
SMITH: "You certainly can tell he's a focal point for them, especially for us outside. It changes, you know, you can certainly see him getting doubled sometimes and clouding to his side, very aware of where he is on the field. I think, once again, coming back to us offensively, to continue to remain balanced and not let them zero in on anybody."
Q: Do you ever get tempted to try and give Jamaal Charles the ball any way you can?
SMITH: "Absolutely. I mean, I think it's a good thing. He's a guy that I think has earned that. I know he's earned that from me. He's that kind of player that when he is one-on-one, that certainly warrants me throwing that into a window that maybe I wouldn't with some other guys. He's that type of player."
Q: When you look at the Texans defense, is J.J. Watt a guy you have to look out for?
SMITH: "They have a lot of good players on defense, a lot of good players; he's certainly one of them. He's the reigning defensive MVP, player of the year or whatever, an elite player up-front, he is. They have a lot of them. They have a lot of good players, across the board, but I think it starts with those guys up-front; they do a great job of playing run and the pass and especially him. I think most guys get credit for sacks, but you see him do a great job against the run. They create pressure in the pocket, there's a reason statistically why they've been doing so well."
Q: Do you feel like the games are getting bigger at this point in the season?
SMITH: "Yeah, no question; I mean right now, you're kind of in the meat of the season. For us, we have to continue to stay shortsighted, not looking down the line, but yeah, the stage is getting bigger. This week, we're not playing at noon; that's one little thing, you're playing at three, so you're getting bumped back. The games get bigger, the stages get bigger; that's what you want though, that's a great thing."
Q: On the topic of your demeanor on the field, do you have a "blue ice" stare like Len Dawson?
SMITH: "That's probably a better question for everybody else in the huddle, but yeah, I'm certainly not deliberately staring at anybody. We all have our own styles, but once again, yeah, that's a better question for everybody else."
