Practice quotes - Thursday

Defensive end Anthony Weaver will return to the starting lineup Sunday, wearing Liberty White jersey number 98.

Texans head coach Gary Kubiak and various players spoke to the media before and after Thursday's practice about preparing for their home opener against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

Head Coach Gary Kubiak
(on any health issues with the team) "No, we're fine. We have everybody out at practice. There are a couple of guys that are just a little dinged up, but they'll be one hundred percent. We should be okay."

(on if CB Ty Law and CB Patrick Surtain are still among the top cornerbacks in the league) "I think so. They're very smart. The scheme is built for them. Gunther (Cunningham) has got the scheme built for them. They're both ball hawks. If you make a mistake with the ball, they're going to make you pay. I think that's one of the big reasons they've gotten so much better on defense because they solidified their corner situation in the past year."

(on if S Michael Boulware is ready) "You know what, he could play. Could we throw our whole package in there with him? Maybe not. We still have another day to go. He knew a great deal of what we were doing before he came here and we knew that. I think he's made up some ground in the last couple of days. He should be a factor. He should be a factor on special teams and if something happens, he can play."

(on if using S Michael Boulware as a run stopper on short yardage situations would be a good role for him) "He can definitely go in those situations. You can get him down in the box. I feel good that S Jason (Simmons), S (Von) Hutchins, and S C.C. (Brown) are ready to go. For us to go and put a big load on him, I mean he's only been here for a week, I think would be wrong. I think we let him be a factor on special teams and then we'll go from there."

(on how he does not over-emphasize this game) "They are all important. You put the same emphasis on all of them. I know one thing, we can only win one game right now. So, we're worried about Kansas City and we know we're going to have to play extremely well against this football team. They're just so solid across the board. Yes, it's the first one, but they're all important."

(on QB Matt Schaub and RB Ahman Green's familiarity with his system playing a role in bringing them in) "It played a big part. With RB Ahman (Green), knowing (Mike) Sherman's terminology and Mike having such a relationship with him, there's no doubt in my mind that's why we were able to land him in free agency because he had some tremendous offers from Denver, I know was one of them, Tennessee might have been the other. That definitely helps. And then with QB Matt (Schaub), I knew how they called things and I knew the guys that were with him. I spent the day with him just talking football, progressions, and things that we teach and listening to him spit it back at me before we ever even pulled the deal. It had a lot do to with it."

(on what the additions of QB Matt Schaub and RB Ahman Green mean right now) "They mean a great deal. Not just to me, but to those guys that are going to step in the huddle. Our guys up front know right now that if they give that guy a crease, he can make a big, big play. That puts a big time confidence level in those guys up front. And then also, they have a guy back there handling the ball that one of his strengths is getting rid of ball. I just think it's kind of brought some enthusiasm and a little bit more bounce in the step to the whole group because of those two players being in there."

(on how much DE Anthony Weaver adds to the defense) "It adds a great deal. We have to be very smart. He's ready to go. He's going to play. He's looked good in practice. We have to be smart on how much we play him, so we'll put a play count on him, but he's a factor. Just watching him practice today, what he brings to our team, he's a leader of our football team amongst that group, along with LB DeMeco (Ryans). I'm just hoping that we've had the right plan all along on how we brought him along and then we have to be smart on how we play him."

LB DeMeco Ryans
(on being named captain) "It's a definitely a great feeling any time you're elected captain, something that's selected by your teammates. It's always great to be respected by your teammates. When you do that, you really feel like you really accomplished something when you have your teammates really feeling like you can go out there and be the leader of the team for them."

(on K Kris Brown and WR Andre Johnson also being named captains) "Definitely, I think those guys were a shoe in for it also. They are great leaders on and off the field. When you have great character guys like that, great guys on and off the field, doing things the right way, guys look up to them."

(on if he's ready to go up against RB Larry Johnson) "Definitely, it's the first regular season game. I'm looking forward to just getting the season started going against a good team, the Chiefs. They are going to come in running the ball. Our job is to go out and stop the run if we expect to win. It's going to be a challenge for us, but we're definitely looking forward to it."

(on if he will watch the game tonight) "I don't really care. I may watch. It's not a must for me. I may watch it."

(on the Chiefs offensive line) "I think they are still a pretty solid unit because of the scheme that they run. It's a good enough scheme to where they can put guys in here and there and have a great back running behind them. They can still make things happen."

(on what he thinks about QB Damon Huard) "I haven't seen him much on film. I know he started for them last year. He's an accurate passer and we definitely have to get some pressure up in his face so we can flush him out of the pocket. He's not one of those quarterbacks that's going to get out and scramble on you. If we can get him moving around a little bit, I think we can have success."

T Ephraim Salaam
(on looking at film from last year as opposed to preseason) "I look at all of it. Everything that is available to us is important as you try to pick up tendencies or anything that can help you."

(on what he takes from the preseason success) "Well, it's not what we think we can carry into the season, it's what we will carry into the season. Just the fact that the offense as a unit is playing well together, we had some new editions with RB Ahman (Green) and QB Matt (Schaub). WR Jacoby Jones came in and did a remarkable job in the preseason on offense and on special teams. We got into a little rhythm, our last game we played against Dallas, and everything seemed to be rolling well. We'll carry that into the season opener."

(on RB Ahman Green's ability to break tackles) "Most definitely, throughout his career he's been that type of running back. It's definitely something, as an offensive lineman, I love. We can't block them all. We're going to block most of them, but we can't block them all. Sometimes we need you to get past the one or two defenders that are left, and he does that well."

(on how well the team ran the football in the preseason) "Of course, I would pick a run play over a pass play any day. But, to us, it didn't get lost in the shuffle because it was something we concentrated on. We went out and every week we got a little better running the ball. We'll just build of that success we had and take it into the regular season."

DE Mario Williams
(on his expectations of the defense) "Being that it is the first regular season game, the whole point of us going out there is basically to play mistake free. That's our goal and hopefully we can accomplish that."

(on if he is encouraged with the progress they have made through camp) "We did a lot of great things. We still have a lot of things we need to work on. Hopefully, those things will be ironed by Sunday."

(on what he wants to do personally during the game) "My biggest goal is just to go out there and make plays, no matter when it is. Even if I don't make a tackle, as long as I know I helped make that play. Just going out there and letting it loose, that's all I'm worried about."

(on looking at T Damion McIntosh on film) "Yes, trying to figure out what he does, you have to go back to the film. We've been looking at older film trying to pick the keys."

(on if because they have RB Larry Johnson, it really doesn't matter who the have on the line) "It does matter to a certain extent. We have to account for everybody. You can't just say, RB Larry Johnson's a great running back, obviously, but you still have to get past the blockers. We have to focus on that and deal with LJ, obviously."

(on if it is impressive how QB Damon Huard manages the team) "Yes, he is. At the same time, we have to do what we have to do."

(on if they can rattle and put pressure on QB Damon Huard) "That's the point. That's our objective. I hope so. That's what we have to do."