Texans look ahead to opener
HOUSTON: After a tough week waiting out Hurricane Harvey in Dallas and scrapping their final preseason game, the Houston Texans are home and looking toward Sunday’s opener against Jacksonville.
While their thoughts are with the city as it begins its recovery from the storm and subsequent floods, the Texans know they must shift their focus to football this week.
“It’s about winning football games,” coach Bill O’Brien said. “I think that we’ll do whatever we can in our spare time that we have to help the city, but ... as a football team, we’re paid to coach and play and to win games. So, that’s what our job is and we’re going to go back to making sure we do as good a job as we can at our job.’’
Houston returned to a normal schedule on Monday for the first time since playing their third preseason game in New Orleans on Aug 26.
From New Orleans the Texans flew to Dallas in advance of the storm and remained there, practising in the Cowboys’ facilities, until driving back to Houston when the roads into town were finally clear enough to return safely.
Players and staff spent Sunday in various locations around the city volunteering before returning to practise on Monday.
NRG Stadium was not damaged in the storm and O’Brien confirmed on Monday that Sunday’s game against Jacksonville will be played there as planned. He said team officials spoke with Houston mayor Sylvester Turner before making the decision.
“Everyone agrees that our game will not take resources away from other parts of the city and that this game will be an opportunity to continue to bring us all together as Houstonians and as Texans,” O’Brien said.
And receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who practised on Monday after missing time with an injured thumb, believes the game will be a boost to the city.
“In a big way. This is a football state,” Hopkins said. “Texas, in general, is a football state, so for us to go out there and get a win, I think that’s what this city needs.”
Hopkins said O’Brien didn’t talk to the team about switching gears this week and he doesn’t believe they have to shut out what’s going on around the city to be successful on Sunday.
“I’m sure guys are going to go out this week and still [volunteer], even though we have a game Sunday, and I don’t think that’s going to mess our focus up,” he said.