Coach Gary Kubiak addressed the media Friday in what he hopes is not the Texans' last practice of the season. He discussed the team's health and final preparations for the New England Patriots.
Head coach Gary Kubiak
(on if LB Brian Cushing participated in today's practice) "Full participation. He took every rep. We're all ready to go. He and (DT) Shaun (Cody) should be fine."
(on if practice was any different today) "No, we've kind of been on this routine the last month. We've been walking through on Fridays and really just doing a lot of mental work on Fridays, making sure we're fresh. Everybody understands the importance of the football game, it'll take our best effort and we've had a good week of work. It's going to be a tough football game but we're ready to go."
(on if he's surprised that the Patriots will play their starters) "No, I expect that. They're getting ready to win a championship, that's what this football team's getting ready to do and watching them last week, that's as impressive a performance as I've seen from a football team all year long. We know that, our guys know that."
(on what stands out about the team this season) "I would just say the persistence, what we've been through. We were 5-3 at the half-way mark and a lot of very nice things being said and then you go through a tough stretch and it's not very good but we battled out of that and I just think we've battled all year long and we're going to have to battle at our best this weekend."
(on if he's reflected on how much the team has grown since he took over in 2006) "I really haven't. I've been so tied up in what we're doing right now as a team. But I've watched players really grow up. Some of these young guys have come a long, long way. But there's still a ways to go. The good news is that I think we understand that too."
(on if there's one thing he knows needs to happen Sunday) "I think adjustments. When you play this team you get so many things so I think that our ability to adjust offensively, defensively and on special teams (is important). They do some stuff that's off the charts. We could've wasted a week of practice. We'll find out on Sunday. That's how hard they are to prepare for."
(on if his team has been loose) "I don't know if I'd use the term 'loose'. I think they're focused on what they're doing. They've got a lot of confidence in themselves right now. They should have. They've been playing some good football. They're also smart enough, they've been watching that film and they know what they're playing against this week. So I think the focus has been good."
