Houston – The Texans have a game to play on Sunday but this week is unlike any other they have had in franchise history.
A few years ago they made a short trip to Mexico City but now London is calling. For the first time the Texans will take part in the NFL's partnership with London and will play the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
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Here are some of the top quotes from Wednesday at the Texans availability.
Texans Head Coach Bill O'Brien meets with the media on Wednesday
What is the expectation for OLB Whitney Mercilus with the loss of DE J.J. Watt?
"I think that Whitney is having a good year. There's a lot of different things that we can do with Whitney. When J.J. is in there, we do certain things with Whitney. When J.J. is not in there, maybe there's other things we do, and I think that also includes some other guys – Brennan Scarlett, Jacob Martin, Barkevious Mingo, (D.J.) Reader, (Angelo) Blackson, (Charles) Omenihu. I think there's a lot of different things that we can do. I think that Whitney has always been a guy that does what's best for the team, so whatever we ask him to do, he's going to try to do it to the best of his ability. We'll see how that plays out over the week here."
What would you like the fans in England to know about the Texans?
"I think I'd like the fans to know that this is a great organization that cares about the community relative to Houston, obviously, but also cares about and is really looking forward to going over there and playing in London. I know Cal (McNair), Hannah (McNair) and Janice (McNair) are really excited about the opportunity to go over there. I want the fans to know that we have an organization that cares a lot about football, but also everything else surrounding football, and I think I'd like the fans in England to know that we have a bunch of great guys on this team that are excited about playing in front of the London fans."
What goes into a young quarterback like QB Deshaun Watson getting better at play action as he progresses through his first couple of years in the NFL?
"That's a good question. Deshaun came in here, he's an excellent ball handler. He's really good with the football in his hands. He was coached well in high school, coached well at Clemson, and then he came here and he really understood what we were trying to do. Some of our fakes are hard ball fakes, some of our fakes are flash fakes. He understands that. He does a lot of different things that relative to being able to understand what we're trying to fake and what we're trying to do there, he gets better and better and he takes a lot of pride in it. He takes a lot of pride in it and it's a big part of what we do."
Texans QB Deshaun Watson's top quotes from his Wednesday media session
What did you think of London when you went this summer?
"London was awesome. I went there twice this summer, had a great time, met a lot of different people, actually had the opportunity to go to Wembley Stadium and go into the locker rooms and walk the field and do all the experience and the tour. It was a dope time."
What do you think of showcasing your game in front of the world with an international crowd?
"It's a dope opportunity, not just for me, but this whole team and this organization to be able to have the chance to play in front of the world and for us to play in a different environment and different crowd. We're actually looking forward to it."
What else did you do in London on your trip?
"I toured the whole city, really. Went to some different flea markets and different stores, shops, food, different clubs. Just kind of did the whole London feel."
Did you go to any of the famous landmarks of London?
"Yeah, we kind of rode through it and got a pretty cool experience and tour. It was a good time."
What was your favorite thing you saw in London?
"Everything was pretty cool. I think the best thing I did when I was there was the football camp I put on with the kids out in the countryside. I had a football field, actually watched a football game and people from all over, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Norway, they all flew in for it, so it was dope."
