HOUSTON (AP) -Texans owner Bob McNair remains confident in the leadership of his team and still believes it can be successful this year despite an 0-4 start.
McNair said he doesn’t envision any personnel changes in the wake of Sunday’s fourth quarter meltdown in a 31-27 loss to the Colts. It was the second close defeat for the Texans, who lost in overtime to Jacksonville two weeks ago.
“We’re playing well,” McNair said Wednesday. “The last two games we’ve played very well and I suspect any team that is playing well, players are going to feel good and they’re going to feel good about their coaches and that’s the way I feel.”
He expressed confidence in the coaching staff repeatedly, but avoided answering the question of whether there was any scenario in which coach Gary Kubiak could be fired this season.
“I’m focusing on where we are right now and what we’re doing and I’d say our coaching staff is doing a fine job,” McNair said. “The players were prepared. They executed well. They played hard. What could anybody else do?”
Kubiak said he and McNair have always had a great relationship, so he isn’t surprised the owner remains confident in his ability to lead this team.
“We’re all disappointed right now,” Kubiak said. “We need a win and we’re going to work hard to get one.”
Many expected this to be the year the Texans made the playoffs for the first time, after finishing a franchise-best 8-8 last season. Instead, it looks as if Houston is headed for another losing record in its seventh season.
“I’m disappointed, but shocked? I don’t know,” McNair said. “I think I’ve seen enough that nothing shocks me anymore.”
McNair was so impressed with Houston’s performance Sunday until the last-minute collapse that he made a bold prediction about the rest of the year. The Colts scored 21 points in a span of 2:10 to erase a 17-point deficit and go on to beat the Texans.
“If we get 60 minutes the way we played 56 this last week, I don’t know of any team on our schedule that will beat us,” he said. “I don’t know who it is.”
Playing well against AFC South rival Indianapolis will give his team confidence as it tries for a win Sunday against Miami, McNair said.
“They know what we can do and now they just have to go out and finish,” he said. “We have not executed adequately in these first four games. We’ve got 12 more games to play and if we keep playing the way we did Sunday, we’re going to win most of those games.”
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