The Texans practiced Friday morning at the Methodist Training Center. After, head coach Gary Kubiak answered questions from the media. The following is a transcript of his interview.
Head Coach Gary Kubiak(on what WR Andre Johnson did today in practice) "He jogged around a little bit today, but I didn't have him to take any of the practice because I did some things different in practice today from what we've been doing. He'll be a game-time decision. We'll bring him in tomorrow early and move him around a little bit and see if he could go."
(on if WR Andre Johnson's ankle has been worse off lately) "I would say he's the same. It's just that we had 80-something plays Monday night against Baltimore and then we turned around and went to Tennessee six days later. I think that stuff has caught up with him. If he can take a shot and he feels like he can go run and play, then he's going to play. So I'll listen to him, but I don't see us any different today than we had been other than the fact that we just did a little more today."
(on giving LB Darryl Sharpton more of a leadership role) "Obviously he's playing a lot. He's playing full-time so they got him making some of the calls. It's been impressive what he's done. He's got a chance to play and he just keeps getting better every week you turn the film on. The kid is playing as good as anybody we got. It's been impressive and he's taken a little bit of a role himself and we'll ask him to do even more these last two games."
(on how WR Dorin Dickerson is responding with more playing time) "It's good for him and (WR Derrick) Townsel. They get a lot of work with (WR) Andre (Johnson) and (WR) David (Anderson) being out. They have gotten a lot of work and they need some speed on special teams so those guys will a chance to do that. We'll see how they'll do. Dickerson has been getting an opportunity."
(on how important it is to play smash-mouth football from the start) "We just need to play better early. Whether we throw it or run it. We need to play better as a football team. We need to stop somebody. We need to move the ball. We need to punt it better if we have to punt it early in the game. We just need to play better early."
(on making a statement) "The only statement I'm worried about is winning a game. That's it. That's the only statement I worry about every Sunday when I line up."
