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HEAD COACH BILL O'BRIEN**
Is ILB Akeem Dent out of the concussion protocol now?
"Yes, he was cleared."
What have you thought about the way the players have made the transition from the mindset of training camp to now, preparing for Sunday?
"That's a good question. That's a difficult transition. It's a totally different schedule. Obviously, you're in a game plan mode, you're focusing on one opponent. And in training camp, you never really know what to expect from the defense or the offense from one day to the next. It's a different meeting schedule and that whole deal. It always takes a little bit of time to get used to that transition. I think we've handled it decently. I thought that we had a very productive practice week and I think these guys are ready to go."
How are DE J.J. Watt and T Derek Newton looking?
"They're doing fine. They were out there today and they both practiced all week and they look like they're ready to go."
How do you feel overall about your team heading into the first game?
"I feel good. I really like this team. I like these guys. It's fun to coach these guys. First games are tough. You're going against, obviously, a great opponent and great coaching staff in Coach (John) Fox and his crew. It's going to be a very, very tough game, but I feel good about our team and I feel good about the work we've put in, the attention to detail and things like that. Just want to go out there and play a clean game, play a good football game."
Is there anything further about the potential of having DE J.J. Watt on a play count?
"I appreciate the question, but what do you want me to tell you? Like, 'All right, we're going to play him like 21 plays and when he gets to 21, he's out.' That's not how it's going to be. He'll play in the game and we'll just see how the game goes and how he goes."
CB KAREEM JACKSON
How do you think the team looks before your first game?
"I'm feeling a little good. We put in a lot of work in OTAs and training camp. I think every guy in this locker room definitely took the right approach to prepare for the game. Like I said, we put in a lot of hard work. I'm just looking forward to going out there on Sunday and getting back at it."
What have you seen from Bears WR Kevin White and WR Alshon Jeffrey?
"Definitely a lot of talent. Alshon Jeffrey is a big body with a huge catch radius. (Kevin) White has a lot of speed and is also a big body. They have a big time quarterback, so I think it's one of things where we definitely have to be close in coverage and try to mix it up throughout the game, try to make it hard for him as far as disguising, doing the little things and paying attention to the little details to try to be successful against these guys."
What impresses you the most about Bears QB Jay Cutler?
"His arm strength. He can make every throw on the field. He scrambles around and kind of finds guys down the field. He pretty much does whatever it takes to put his team in position to make positive yards. We're definitely going to try to contain him and be close in coverage because he can make every throw on the field."
What do you like most about the Texans defense?
"I guess just our approach year in and year out. We did some good things last year, but the way we came in was almost as if we didn't do any of those things. Every guy came in, wanted to get better, and wanted to learn more. With that approach and the leaders that we have, we just want to get better each and every day and gel together and all be on the same page. It's all about communication and us being on the same page for us to be successful. That's definitely the first step for us. I feel if we can go out Sunday and all communicate and be on the same page, we can definitely be successful."
