Texans forged a foundation in camp
Team returns home for Saturday’s game vs. Belichick, Patriots
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — After spending more than three weeks at their first training camp in West Virginia, the Texans return to Houston on Friday to prepare for Saturday night’s preseason game against the New England Patriots at NRG Stadium.
The team’s first training camp outside of Houston was productive for the players and coaches. Staying at The Greenbrier and having camp at the nearby $30 million Sports Performance Center received high approval ratings from everyone who participated, including owner Bob McNair, general manager Rick Smith and coach Bill O’Brien.
“It’s been good, but we miss Houston,” O’Brien said. “We’re ready to go back and see our fans.
“This camp has been good for chemistry (and) good for focus. It’s been good for a lot of different reasons, and we’re
looking forward to, hopefully, coming back in the future.”
The Texans will be back in 2018 because they signed a two-year contract with an option for a third year. Moving camp to West Virginia cost McNair close to $4 million.
“We’re excited about playing in front of the home crowd,” O’Brien said. “We know we’ll be ready to go, even though it’s a preseason game.
“We’re looking forward to the public practices. I’m sure there’ll be a ton of fans there.”
Two practices open
After getting a day off Sunday, the Texans have practices Monday and Tuesday at Houston Methodist Training Center that are open to the public. A lot of Texans fans were angry the team went on the road to camp for the first time.
What Patriots coach Bill Belichick talked to his players about coming to West Virginia for two days of practice echoed what O’Brien told his team.
“Any time you travel on the road as a team, particularly to a location like this, it gives your team an opportunity to form closer bonds and do things together,” Belichick said. “(You) experience things together that are a little different than when you’re at home and everybody has a home to go home to.
“Here, our home is a very nice one at The Greenbrier, but we’re all together, so it gives us all an opportunity to know each other a little better (and) work together.”
Belichick gave his players a history lesson on The Greenbrier and the floods that ravaged the area last year. He singled out the role played by Jim Justice, the West Virginia governor who had bought The Greenbrier in 2009.
“I don’t know how you could give a better example of teamwork and unselfishness,” Belichick said. “To take in so many people from these communities, to feed them, to give them shelter, to provide medical assistance, to reach out and help people who needed help in a time that they needed it.
“That’s the kind of teamwork, unselfishness and sacrifice that we all want to have in our lives and have on our teams. This is a great example for all of us in our organization, players and coaches, to see and appreciate. It’s a great lesson to be here on a number of levels.”
Now the Patriots are in Houston for Saturday’s game. The Texans and Patriots played two times last season. New England won both games at Gillette Stadium, including in the playoffs.
Rematch Sept. 24
This season, the Texans return to New England for a Sept. 24 game.
“The Texans — they’re a good team, obviously, very well-coached and good fundamentally,” Belichick said. “They’re a very talented team.”
The Texans’ trip to West Virginia was positive. O’Brien remains convinced coming to The Greenbrier has helped the players bond, which could translate to success.
“I believe in that, so I’m hoping it translates really well,” he said. “This is a team that can deal with adversity because adversity is going to come. Football’s a tough sport. Things are going to happen where you’re going to have to pick yourself right up and be ready to go. I think the chemistry of the team’s going to help that.
“I think we have a tough team that’s going to continue to get better. We won’t know the true identity of this team until probably the beginning of October — middle of October — but I think right now we’ve got a good foundation to build on.”