Kubiak is now focused on the Titans
The day after his team dropped the season opener 24-7 to the New York Jets, Texans head coach Gary Kubiak answered questions from the media.
Dunta's demands: One story tangent after the loss was a message cornerback Dunta Robinson had on his shoes during the Jets game. Written on one shoe was "Pay me." Meanwhile, on the other shoe was the word "Rick," as in Texans general manager Rick Smith. Robinson signed a one-year deal with the Texans a week ago after holding out since the middle of last spring.
The first question during today's press conference concerned Robinson's shoes, and Kubiak said the matter has been discussed and the team is moving forward.
"I'm disappointed, but it's been dealt with," Kubiak said. "It's been dealt with as a football team and dealt with within the organization, so we moved on from there."
Kubiak was pressed further on the matter, and reiterated that the situation had been hashed out between Robinson, Smith and Kubiak.
In the locker room today with the media, Robinson was apologetic.
"Rick didn't take it personal," Robinson said. "If it offended anybody, I apologize. But it wasn't that serious at all. I won't wear them (the shoes) again. That's a situation where I guess it can rub some people the wrong way, so I don't want that situation to happen again."
Click **here** to read Robinson's full comments.
Injury situation: Receiver André Davis left the game Sunday in the second half because of a concussion. Kubiak said today that Davis didn't feel well and didn't work out with the team, so he's listed as day-to-day.
{QUOTE}Kubiak followed that news by saying that receiver Kevin Walter likely will return for the contest against the Titans and that "he should be ready to go."
Kubiak was optimistic about the return of starting safety Eugene Wilson, who's been out with a knee injury since the Monday Night Football game against the Vikings.
"Eugene ran with the team today," Kubiak said. "So I'm very encouraged with him."
Additionally, cornerback Jacques Reeves is closer to a return, and it looks like Sunday against the Titans will be the day it happens. The sixth-year veteran fractured his left fibula in early August, but practiced with the team all last week.
"I think he's got a great chance of playing," Kubiak said. "I think because of his work today he's got a good chance of playing."
Reeves proclaimed himself ready to go for Sunday and thinks he'll add depth to both the secondary and the special teams.
Almost...but not quite: Kubiak was displeased with the performance of the offense on Sunday, as the Texans were limited to a mere 204 yards of total offense and held the ball for just 21:14. But until the final quarter, Kubiak liked what his defense did against New York.
"I thought our defense for three quarters had our football team in position to win the game," Kubiak said. "They played good enough for us to win, we just didn't do anything offensively to help the team."
That being said, Kubiak wished his defense could've come up with more turnovers than just the John Busing interception.
"We had four chances at turnovers that could've been the difference in the game," Kubiak said. "The ball just didn't bounce our way. It wasn't a lack of effort. I thought we worked hard in the running game. We gave up the one big play, but I think for the most part we contained them."
Any positives?: Kubiak was pleased with the play of rookie defender Brian Cushing. The first-round pick from Southern California finished with eight total tackles in his professional debut and impressed his head coach.
"Cushing was a bright spot," Kubiak said of the strongside linebacker. "For a guy that hadn't played, I thought he was pretty darn good. Very physical. (He was) pretty clean assignment-wise. (He had) some technique issues, but you would expect that from a guy who hadn't played. But he was a bright spot."
