EDITOR'S NOTE: Wide receiver Jacoby Jones will be providing periodic diary entries for HoustonTexans.com to give fans insight into the life of an NFL rookie.
Everybody in the media's been asking what's going to happen if Andre Johnson can't play on Sunday. That's a big loss if he can't go, but that just means everybody has to step up. Me, I've got to make plays. More touches equals more opportunities. So I'm basically not doing anything different this week.
I had a great opportunity against the Panthers on that one punt return, but I think I relapsed and had another rookie moment cutting back like I used to at Lane, which I shouldn't have done. In the first preseason game, I cut back against Chicago and got tackled the same way. This was my last time doing it- I won't cut back any more. No more cut backs.
I know what it feels like to get in the end zone from the preseason, and that made me hungry. That ate me up on the plane ride all night. My teammates kept messing with me about the cut back and the coaches did, too, so I've got something to prove about that. Hopefully I can come back like I did after that first preseason game, get some help and good blocking from my teammates and get back to the end zone. I'm going to try my best.
As for the win, winning a game on the road in the NFL is something big to do. By us accomplishing that, that's a big step for us. I played against some big crowds a few times at Lane, but nothing with 70,000 people. We played Tuskegee for their homecoming and it was big like that, but that was like only every other year, though, and I think that was closer to 50,000 people.
It makes you a lot more confident when you've got Matt Schaub in the huddle. Matt's a real smooth quarterback, man. He makes plays. I mean, he knows where he's going with the ball as soon as he lines up. I think he's a great quarterback in this league, and I like our chances with him back there.
This Sunday, we'll have the home fans cheering for us again. That's lovely. I love coming out of the tunnel and hearing the "yays" and "hoorays" instead of the boos.
Some people ask me if I ever thought I'd be here right now, sitting at 2-0 with the Houston Texans. I did expect it. When you're in the NFL you expect to win no matter what, because you're playing with the best of the best.
I feel a lot more comfortable every day, almost like the game is getting easier for me. Nothing's going to be easy on Sunday against the Colts, but I'm excited. It should be a great game.
Jacoby Jones diary archive:
Entry 4 - 9/12
Entry 3 - 9/5
Entry 2 - 8/28
Entry 1 - 8/22
Got a question for Jacoby? Post a comment, or send an e-mail to editor Nick Scurfield at **nscurfield@houstontexans.com*.*
