Houston Texans Inside Slant
by Sports Xchange
"If everything goes OK this week, then expectations are that he goes back into his role as our starter," coach Gary Kubiak said. "All indications are that he'll be fine, but let's wait and see how he works this week."
Schaub was injured when Vikings defensive end Jared Allen hit him low twice. The NFL fined Allen $50,000 for the hits.
There's no way to know for sure how Schaub's left knee will respond to being hit until it actually happens.
"That's not something you're going to find out on the practice field," Kubiak said. "You just trust the doctors and the times they've dealt with players with that situation.
"They felt very good about him going into the (Jaguars) game after we viewed practice on Friday. They were very confident that he could play and play well. But I think we're very fortunate that he did not have to play in that game. I think the extra rest will help him."
After losing his first two starts against Baltimore and Indianapolis, Rosenfels has helped the Texans defeat the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville to improve their record to 5-7.
Barring a setback in practice, Schaub will start against the Packers, and Rosenfels will return to his role as the backup.
The Texans are playing at Lambeau Field, where the game-time temperature is predicted to be anywhere from 12 to 20 degrees. The surface could be slippery.
"If he can play, then he can play," Kubiak said. "That's not going to play into it. Weather-wise up there, you know it's going to be cold. That's just part of playing up there.
"But they do a great job with their field, so regardless of what the conditions (are), if we think he can play, we'll go from there."
Kubiak was asked if he trusts Schaub to tell him the truth about how he feels, knowing the quarterback wants to get back on the field so badly.
"You have to as a coach," he said. "I mean, he was beating my door down last week telling me he was ready. But as I studied him, I was comparing his work before he got injured to how he was practicing last week, and I saw a little bit of a difference on Wednesday and Thursday.
"I thought he closed the gap on Friday when he practiced more. I'm expecting him to close the gap even more this week. But that's something we have to deal with.
"There are players that don't think they can go that you have to push to go. Then there are guys that tell you, 'Hey, I'm fine. I'm playing,' and you have to stop them and say, 'No, not yet.' That's just part of what we do."
SERIES HISTORY: 2nd regular-season meeting. Packers lead series 1-0, with this being the Texans' first trip to Lambeau Field. The last time the teams played, Houston hosted the Packers in 2004 on Sunday Night Football. The Texans jumped out to a 13-3 lead and controlled most of the game. In the fourth quarter the Packers held the ball for 10:13 and collected 11 first downs as Houston failed to gain one. Green Bay scored 13 points and sealed the win when K Ryan Longwell hit a 46-yard field goal as time expired.
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