The Texans have just half the time of a normal game week to recover and prepare for their Thursday night match up against the Miami Dolphins. Like every NFL team heading into a short week, the team will have to change up their routine to be ready to go in Week 8.
"That's a big part of the week," head coach Bill O'Brien said Monday. "I think No. 1 is sleep. I think they've got to be able to get some sleep. I think No. 2 is the recovery process, which includes – obviously, I'm not expert on, but we have people here that help me with this – includes eating properly, hydration, getting workouts in the weight room, making sure that they understand that this is a very mental week."
Following a few days of rest, the Texans usually get three days of practice before a game. That won't be possible with such the short turnaround this week. Instead, O'Brien wants players to adjust their expectations of practice.
"You're not going to be able to go out there and have a knock-down, drag-out type of practice," O'Brien said. "You can do some things to break a sweat, but you've got a quick turnaround here. So, it's very much of a mental week. We've got to do a great job teaching the game plan and we've got to do a great job of focusing in meetings, but it's definitely a different week."
The (4-3) Texans, coming off a four-game win streak, are now in sole possession of first place in the AFC South. They will host the (4-3) Miami Dolphins in a primetime matchup on Thursday Night Football. Kickoff is set for 7:20 p.m. CT on NFL Network, FOX-26 and SportsRadio 610.
The Houston Texans are warming up to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars for Week 7.
