Roche: Texans Relaxed, Focused
HOUSTON, TX (CBS) - Spending Wednesday with the Texans here in Houston as they get ready for Sunday's Divisional match-up with the Patriots. Houston is such a spread out city that it's hard to get a feel if there's a tremendous amount of excitement for Sunday. In talking with some folks down here, there seems to be guarded optimism. Apparently, after their 1-3 regular season finish, a lot of Texan fans were upset with their team that was 11-1 at one point. However, a win, and an ugly win at that, over Cincinnati in the Wild Card match-up changed things in this "what have you done for me lately world" and the excitement is back.
Due to torrential rains/thunderstorms here, the Texans practiced in their bubble on Wednesday. We were allowed in for about 20 minutes. The team seemed pretty relaxed and focused. Not much joking around, etc. The special teams unit was working in the middle of the field while the positional players worked in the end zones and sidelines on other drills. Watched Andre Johnson and the receiver corps working on catching passes off a machine.
JJ Watt and his fellow defensive lineman went through some drills in the sideline area.
One of the things that I've noticed in being here for only a few hours is the mood. Seems relaxed, but a bit quiet. You have to think that Head Coach Gary Kubiak is leading the way on this one. Houston was calling the December meeting in Foxboro the biggest game in franchise history. Don't think we'll hear any of that this week. Yet, if the Texans pull off the upset Sunday it would mark their first-ever win at Gillette Stadium, their first-ever playoff road victory, and their first-ever trip to the AFC Championship. A lot more at stake than in December........
