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The Houston Texans are one of two undefeated teams left in the NFL with a 5-0 record. Last Monday night the Texans were challenged by the New York Jets on the road, but prevailed with a 23-17 win, though they didn’t escape completely unblemished. Houston was dealt a blow after the game when the team found out that star linebacker Brian Cushing was pronounced out for the season with a torn ACL.It’s a major loss for the Texans’ defense. This is a unit that bounced back from the loss of Mario Williams last year and had J.J. Watt step up. Who will step up this season? Jonathan Joseph sounds like he’s up to the challenge.Jonathan Joseph joined KGOW in Houston with Clanton and Wessling to discuss the Houston Texans’ Monday night win over the New York Jets, the Texans rallying around the loss of Brian Cushing, the Texans raising their level of play without Brian Cushing, the status of his groin injury and the team’s plans to stop Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers’ offense.
Your thoughts on the win over the Jets on Monday?
“We knew it would a tough, physical game going into the game. They are a well-rounded football team and we just knew going on the road in a hostile environment in New York we had to go in there fighting and clawing and scrapping to get a victory. We did that.”
How are you guys rallying around the loss of Brian Cushing?
“It’s kind of been the same for us just like last year and man up. You are never going to replace a guy like Cush and what he brings to the team. From attitude, the intensity, he’s vocal every down, sideline to sideline and obviously as a team we have a lot of faith in Tim Dobbins. He’s played a lot of football as well. We feel comfortable with him filling that role for us for Brian, but like I said you can’t replace a guy like Brian. It takes a little extra from everybody else to help out and just help Tim to keep going where he needs to be playing.”
What do you need to do in order to help fill the loss of Brian Cushing?
“Just doing what I have been doing. It’s nothing special. Nobody is going to have to go out of their way to do anything. Just have to pay more attention to detail and things like that. Taking the hit and loss of Brian Cushing, we don’t know to what extent exactly, we just know you can’t replace a guy like that. Everybody knows they have to raise their level of play.”
How’s your groin injury?
“Oh it’s fine. I was at practice today and the day before, so I’m good to go. I’m fine.”
What do you expect from the Packers on Sunday night and how do you expect to stop them?
“We just have to play our defense. We don’t have to do anything we haven’t done before. We go out and play our defense the way it is called and put in the right situation. Now with going up against a team like Green Bay, they are stacked across the board at the skill positions with guys that can make plays at any moment. For us it’s going to be a sound game where you have to be sound and cover the things like that because with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, he can extend the drive with his legs and he can pretty much put the ball in any spot at any given time. So for us it will be a big test, but that’s what the NFL is about at the same time.”
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