@DPo8*.
I missed our last game with a couple little injury issues. It was hard to sit there and watch; that game in Detroit was crazy. I felt like we had a good game plan going in. I was excited about it. It was a big opportunity for our team to win on national TV with everybody watching. We had a good week of practice, we were mentally ready and we just wanted to fight out 'til the end and show what kind of character we have on our team.
Being part of the Thanksgiving game actually just felt like another day at work. You'd think, 'Wow, it's such a big game,' but you've just got to clock in while everybody's relaxing. It's the job that you always wanted and you've always watched the games, so to get the chance to be on the team that's playing in it is a great opportunity.
Those two overtime games last week were big for our team. We felt like those games and that little stretch would be a pretty big test for us, and we wanted to come out and pass it. In our eyes, a win is a win, and for us to go out against those conditions, having to play back-to-back in a short week, we wanted to figure out midseason where we were as a team, and that was a big test for us. Moving forward, we know our expectations now.
I'm always eager to play, and this week is no different. I stayed here over Thanksgiving break just rehabbing and missed out on family time. I'm really excited to get back. I think it was a smart decision. It was kind of rough – I wanted to go home – but it was cool. I'm happy that I'm practicing this week and get the opportunity to play.
Whatever opportunities I get, I'm just going to take advantage of them. For me, being on a team that's 10-1 and trying to be 11-1, I just want to contribute any way I can. My development and getting better as a receiver, I'm working on that every single day. I pay attention and I prepare like I'm a starter, so I feel like I'm developing and learning under (Texans coach Gary) Kubiak's system, been growing and understanding his concepts more and more as each week goes. To me, that's a great thing. If I can contribute on such a team this year, I'll just wait for my opportunity and continue to learn and be a student of the game. 80 (Andre Johnson) is playing maybe the best he's ever played in his career. Right now, it's a great opportunity to be in my shoes and learn and move forward. That's how I'm looking at it. Watching him, AFC Player of the Month, obviously, he's doing the right thing. I just make sure I watch everything he does and try to learn and not forget my personal development.
There's not much I even need to say about my Ohio State Buckeyes. 12-0, man. It's crazy. That's big right there for our school. I'm real excited for those seniors. I'm mad they can't go to a bowl game but, hey, we'll move forward, and good luck to everybody there.
DPo Diary Archive
11/9:Sunday Night Football11/2:Brotherly love, bye week review10/12:First NFL playing time9/28:Excited and ready to play9/21:Tips from a Pro Bowler9/14:Mental reps, learning from Andre9/8:Week 1 excitement8/29:Ready to make plays8/17:Game mode8/10:Excited for first game7/31: Life in NFL training camp
