When the Houston Texans got off the team bus after they got back from Cincinnati as AFC South champions, the first person to greet them was of great significance.

“When the buses parked last night, the first guy waiting on us in the parking lot was Mario (Williams),” coach Gary Kubiak said at his Monday news conference. “He did not make the trip. That meant a lot to the team. And Mario had brought a lot of the guys’ families over. I told Matt (Schaub) this after the game: ‘I know it’s a great day for you, but I know it’s a tough day for you because you’re not out there playing.’

“I let Andre know how I felt about him after the game, but I could sit here and talk about Mario, I could talk about Matt Schaub, I could talk about (Daryl) Sharpton. I could talk about all those guys that have been a part of this that unfortunately are not going to be a part of it as we move forward. We’re here today because of a lot of people, and out players understand that, we respect that. We carry those guys with us every week that we go on.”

Williams (pectoral) and Schaub (foot) have been a big part of the Texans’ franchise building, but are among the players on IR who aren’t a part of what’s been happening on the field.

Andre Johnson (hamstring) didn’t play against the Bengals and has missed significant time, too. Kubiak gave Johnson a game ball after the Texans clinched the division thanks to a combination of their win in Cincinnati and the Titans’ loss to New Orleans.

Now the Texans will be without right guard Mike Brisiel, who suffered a fractured fibula and had it repaired Monday morning. He will be replaced by Antoine Caldwell, but the Texans hope Brisiel won’t miss extensive time. Safety Danieal Manning missed three games and four weeks after the very same injury and surgery.

One player who won’t be part of things going forward is veteran receiver Derrick Mason. The Texans cut him to create some roster flexibility as Kubiak said they can use a special teams’ contribution from their fourth receiver.

The Texans were delighted by the response they got after returning to Houston. (Here are some players addressing the crowd.)

Kubiak grew up in Houston and once greeted the Oilers at the Astrodome when they returned from an AFC Championship Game loss in the late 1970s.

“I’m a proud Houstonian like everybody,” Kubiak said. “…I grew up five miles down the road, so it’s special to see that excitement. I know the hard work that’s been put in, the job that the coaches and players and this organization has done. To walk around our building today and see how proud everybody is that works here and is part of this organization, it’s a great day.”

The coach said he had good conversations on the plane and upon the team’s return with players about staying focused and keeping blinders on.

“They’ve got to keep going,” Kubiak said. “They understand.”

This team’s done an excellent job of refocusing week-to-week.

I expect it to do the same as it prepares for a visit from Carolina. The Texans said clinching the division and a playoff spot was only step one. They currently hold the AFC’s No. 1 seed and all indications are they’ll put a premium on holding on to it.

HOUSTON – The first name is the same, and the Houston Texans say not much else is changing, either.

Matt Leinart practiced for the first time as the Texans’ starting quarterback on Monday, with Matt Schaub likely out for the season with a right foot injury.

The Texans (7-3) are coming off a bye week and play at Jacksonville (3-7) on Sunday.

Leinart has been anxiously awaiting a chance to start again ever since he was demoted in Arizona in 2008 in favour of Kurt Warner. He signed with the Texans after the Cardinals cut him in September 2010.

“I’ve worked hard, I’ve been focused every day since I’ve been here, preparing for an opportunity like this, just in case this ever came up,” Leinart said. “Now it’s just time to take all that preparation onto the field.”

The 2004 Heisman Trophy winner did not take a snap in a game as a backup to Schaub last season. He became a free agent, but re-signed with Houston because he was comfortable with Coach Gary Kubiak and the Texans’ offensive system.

He’s also found a strong support system within the team that he feels will help get his career back on track.

“I’ve been surrounded by positivity, I’ve gotten my confidence back over the last 18 months,” Leinart said. “I feel good, ready for this opportunity.”

Schaub sustained a right foot injury during Houston’s 37-9 win over Tampa Bay on Nov. 13. He watched Monday’s practice in a protective boot will visit a foot specialist in Charlotte on Wednesday. Kubiak is hoping to get a “definitive answer” on whether Schaub will need season-ending surgery.

He’s holding out hope that Schaub will return this season, but he’s comfortable using Leinart for the rest of the season, if it comes to that.

“You can see the fire in his eyes,” Kubiak said. “What a great opportunity for him in his career. He’ll give us everything he’s got.”

Leinart is left-handed and Schaub throws right-handed, but Kubiak said that won’t alter the offensive game plans much. And the linemen say there’s nothing different with Leinart taking snaps, other than right tackle Eric Winston becoming the quarterback’s blind-side protector.

“There’s no difference in the running game, there’s no difference in protections, there’s no difference in anything else,” said Winston, who’s made 81 consecutive starts. “I haven’t seen us put anything (new) in yet. We’re going to run the same running plays we always have.

“Left-handed, right-handed, under-handed,” Winston said, “I don’t think it really matters.”

And Leinart should benefit from the return of All-Pro receiver Andre Johnson, who’s expected to play Sunday after missing six games with a right hamstring injury. He can also lean on the league’s second-best rushing offence (158 yards per game), with Arian Foster and Ben Tate in the backfield behind him.

“I don’t think much is going to change,” Leinart said. “I just think we’re going to go out there and execute the offence that we’ve been doing, and that’s running the football, and play-(action) pass and getting out on the outside and making some plays.”

Rookie T.J. Yates, a fifth-round pick out of North Carolina, is Leinart’s backup, but Kubiak isn’t ruling out adding another quarterback this week.

Jeff Garcia, Brodie Croyle, Trent Edwards, Kellen Clemens and former Rice star Chase Clement tried out for the team Monday morning.

The 41-year-old Garcia hasn’t played in the NFL since 2009. He played for Omaha in the UFL last year. Edwards was cut by Oakland in training camp after spending three full seasons with Buffalo and one in Jacksonville.

Clemens was cut by Washington during training camp, and that may give him an edge — the Redskins are coached by Mike Shanahan, Kubiak’s longtime mentor.

“It’s probably important (to add a quarterback), because you never know,” Kubiak said. “You get into a situation, you lose another guy, you better be grooming somebody. We’ve got five guys we’re going to work out. It doesn’t mean we’ll sign one of those guys, but I think it’s probably important here, at some point.”

Notes: Safety Danieal Manning practiced on Monday after missing three games with a broken left leg. Kubiak said Manning would be out a minimum of four weeks after he was hurt in Houston’s 41-7 win in Tennessee on Oct. 23. “If he doesn’t have any setbacks throughout the week,” Kubiak said, “he should have a great opportunity to be available this weekend.” … LT Duane Brown used the bye week to fly to Los Angeles and propose to his fiancee, Devon Anthony. “I just wanted to get it over with.,” Brown said. “It’s something I’ve been planning for a few weeks now. It was very exciting. I’m very happy right now.”

HOUSTON (AP)—The first name is the same, and the Houston Texans say not
much else is changing, either.

Matt Leinart(notes) practiced for the first time as the Texans’ starting
quarterback on Monday, with Matt Schaub(notes) likely out for the season with a right
foot injury.

The Texans (7-3) are coming off a bye week and play at Jacksonville (3-7) on
Sunday.

Leinart has been anxiously awaiting a chance to start again ever since he
was demoted in Arizona in 2008 in favor of Kurt Warner(notes). He signed with the
Texans after the Cardinals cut him in September 2010.

“I’ve worked hard, I’ve been focused every day since I’ve been here,
preparing for an opportunity like this, just in case this ever came up,”
Leinart said. “Now it’s just time to take all that preparation onto the
field.”

The 2004 Heisman Trophy winner did not take a snap in a game as a backup to
Schaub last season. He became a free agent, but re-signed with Houston because
he was comfortable with Coach Gary Kubiak and the Texans’ offensive system.

He’s also found a strong support system within the team that he feels will
help get his career back on track.

“I’ve been surrounded by positivity, I’ve gotten my confidence back over
the last 18 months,” Leinart said. “I feel good, ready for this opportunity.”

Schaub sustained a right foot injury during Houston’s 37-9 win over Tampa
Bay on Nov. 13. He watched Monday’s practice in a protective boot will visit a
foot specialist in Charlotte on Wednesday. Kubiak is hoping to get a
“definitive answer” on whether Schaub will need season-ending surgery.

He’s holding out hope that Schaub will return this season, but he’s
comfortable using Leinart for the rest of the season, if it comes to that.

“You can see the fire in his eyes,” Kubiak said. “What a great
opportunity for him in his career. He’ll give us everything he’s got.”

Leinart is left-handed and Schaub throws right-handed, but Kubiak said that
won’t alter the offensive game plans much. And the linemen say there’s nothing
different with Leinart taking snaps, other than right tackle Eric Winston(notes)
becoming the quarterback’s blind-side protector.

“There’s no difference in the running game, there’s no difference in
protections, there’s no difference in anything else,” said Winston, who’s made
81 consecutive starts. “I haven’t seen us put anything (new) in yet. We’re
going to run the same running plays we always have.

“Left-handed, right-handed, under-handed,” Winston said, “I don’t think
it really matters.”

And Leinart should benefit from the return of All-Pro receiver Andre
Johnson(notes), who’s expected to play Sunday after missing six games with a right
hamstring injury. He can also lean on the league’s second-best rushing offense
(158 yards per game), with Arian Foster(notes) and Ben Tate(notes) in the backfield behind
him.

“I don’t think much is going to change,” Leinart said. “I just think
we’re going to go out there and execute the offense that we’ve been doing, and
that’s running the football, and play-(action) pass and getting out on the
outside and making some plays.”

Rookie T.J. Yates(notes), a fifth-round pick out of North Carolina, is Leinart’s
backup, but Kubiak isn’t ruling out adding another quarterback this week.

Jeff Garcia(notes), Brodie Croyle(notes), Trent Edwards(notes), Kellen Clemens(notes) and former Rice
star Chase Clement tried out for the team Monday morning.

The 41-year-old Garcia hasn’t played in the NFL since 2009. He played for
Omaha in the UFL last year. Edwards was cut by Oakland in training camp after
spending three full seasons with Buffalo and one in Jacksonville.

Clemens was cut by Washington during training camp, and that may give him an
edge—the Redskins are coached by Mike Shanahan, Kubiak’s longtime mentor.

“It’s probably important (to add a quarterback), because you never know,”
Kubiak said. “You get into a situation, you lose another guy, you better be
grooming somebody. We’ve got five guys we’re going to work out. It doesn’t mean
we’ll sign one of those guys, but I think it’s probably important here, at some
point.”

Notes: Safety Danieal Manning(notes) practiced on Monday after missing three games
with a broken left leg. Kubiak said Manning would be out a minimum of four weeks
after he was hurt in Houston’s 41-7 win in Tennessee on Oct. 23. “If he doesn’t
have any setbacks throughout the week,” Kubiak said, “he should have a great
opportunity to be available this weekend.” … LT Duane Brown(notes) used the bye week
to fly to Los Angeles and propose to his fiancee, Devon Anthony. “I just wanted
to get it over with.,” Brown said. “It’s something I’ve been planning for a
few weeks now. It was very exciting. I’m very happy right now.”

Reading the coverage …

Houston Texans

GM Rick Smith wrote the Monday Morning Quarterback column in Sports Illustrated this week, and he talks about how the Texans have handled the lockout and how this offseason has been “more interesting and challenging than any other I’ve been a part of in my six years as general manager of the Texans and my 16 years overall in the NFL.”

Matt Schaub thinks Raiders corner Nnamdi Asomugha would fit right in with the Texans: “I totally think it would be a great fit for him. … Him and [Texans wide receiver] Andre [Johnson] have a good relationship so I definitely see it as a great fit for him with this new scheme that we’re bringing in and what Wade [Phillips] is going to be able to do and especially the teams that we play.”

Indianapolis Colts

Since Peyton Manning has not had access to the Colts’ trainers, he’s been “extra cautious” with his rehab from neck surgery. Manning: “When you find a good trainer and a good rehab guy that you like, it’s a pretty special bond. These guys kind of know your body. So the fact that I haven’t had access to my guys and I’ve been somewhat on my own, I’ve been extra cautious and extra slow and making sure we don’t have any setbacks.”

Jacksonville Jaguars

The lockout has slowed down season-ticket sales, which could mean more television blackouts in Jacksonville.

Don Carey was a surprise participant in a youth football camp hosted by the Jets’ David Harris in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Tennessee Titans

Kerry Collins’ redemption as a person may surpass his considerable accomplishments on the field, writes CBSSports.com’s Len Pasquarelli.

The Titans won’t consider Vince Young as Kerry Collins’ replacement, writes the Tennessean’s David Climer.

Although veterans may not miss playing a full preseason schedule, preseason games provide valuable opportunities for rookies and fringe players and are profitable for teams as well.