Texans head coach Gary Kubiak addressed his team in the locker room after they beat the Patriots in the season finale.
With the season over, the Texans cleaned out their lockers Monday morning and head coach Gary Kubiak met with the media for his final weekly press conference of the season.
So long, Shanahan: Offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan is likely leaving the Texans for a job with the Redskins. For more on that story, click **here**.
Robinson coming back?: Cornerback Dunta Robinson missed the entirety of training camp in 2009, and it's possible the club can put a franchise tag on him again for 2010. He was asked about whether or not he wants to return.
"I know I would like to be back next year," Robinson said. "That's something that we will have to sit down and discuss. Hopefully, we can work something out."
Kubiak also was enthusiastic about wanting Robinson to come back as well.
"I think he did a heck of a job, but obviously we have many free agents on this team that we're going to have to deal with and make decisions on," Kubiak said. "The thing that I was impressed with was he got better each and every week. He was out there for his teammates every week. He might've played his best game yesterday."
The six-year veteran didn't intercept any passes in 2009, but he explained what he did well this season.
"I lined up against the best receiver every day, every week," Robinson said. "Not one receiver can say, 'Man, when I played against the Houston Texans this year, I torched them.' Not one receiver can say that."
Emergence of Jones: Wide receiver Jacoby Jones made an acrobatic catch for a fourth-quarter touchdown on Sunday. He also returned a fourth-quarter punt 31 yards. Jones finished with five catches for 65 yards and the score, and he was happy to overcome his drop that led to a Patriots' interception return for a touchdown.
"It's about maturing and coming through and just coming out and trying to make the next play," Jones said. "That's what I did."
Jones is also happy that Kubiak—whom he terms as a "great coach"--will return in 2010.
"I'm glad he's back," Jones said.
Kubiak, for his part, expects even more from Jones in 2010.
"Visiting with him in the tunnel today, I told him he's got starter ability and it's time for him to think that way," Kubiak said. "He's got the ability to do it, and probably this offseason will be his most important one. He's got to come back here in March, whenever we get started, and show his teammates he plans on being that type of player."
Sunday viewing: Kubiak and the players were riding an emotional high after Sunday's win, but they quickly turned their focus to watching the games played by Baltimore, Denver and the New York Jets. The Broncos were the only team that lost, which meant the Texans missed out on the playoffs by one spot in the AFC standings.
Kubiak described what he did after leaving Reliant Stadium on Sunday.
{QUOTE}"Probably the same thing y'all did: Sat around and watched the games in the afternoon," Kubiak said. "They were really going our way there for a while, and still had a chance late that night. I watched about a quarter of that one last night and knew that it didn't look good at all."
Wide receiver Andre Johnson was hoping for his first trip to the playoffs, but he was resigned to the fact that Cincinnati dug itself too deep a hole against New York.
"I watched the first half and then I went to sleep," Johnson said. "You really can't worry about how they play. Like I said, we left it in the hands of other teams, and it just didn't turn out the way we wanted it to turn out."
Defensive end Antonio Smith was especially bummed about the Bengals' loss.
"Just my personal opinion, it really looked like they didn't have any fight in them," Smith said. "They had no interest in even winning the game. Being a competitive football player, I don't think that I could in any way just coast in a game. Nobody wants to lose in that type of fashion, and they looked pretty bad even when they had their starters in."
Rookie linebacker Brian Cushing also didn't enjoy the results of the Bengals-Jets contest.
"I kind of figured after that first quarter, they weren't going to win," Cushing said. "It was rough, but that's on us. If we'd won one or two more games, we wouldn't have to worry about all that."
2010 opponents: The NFL released each team's opponents for 2010. The Texans found out who they'll play at home and on the road next season, but still don't know the dates or times of those matchups.
In addition to facing AFC South opponents Tennessee, Jacksonville and Indianapolis at home and on the road, the Texans will travel to Denver, Oakland, Philadelphia, Washington and New York to face the Jets.
The Texans will host the Cowboys, Ravens, Chiefs, Giants and Chargers at Reliant Stadium in 2010.
