After last season when the Texans finished 9-7 and lost a playoff berth to the New York Jets on the last day of the season, coach Gary Kubiak said one objective would be to get more physical on both sides of the ball.
By the time the Texans got to training camp, Kubiak was ready for his players to take the next step toward meeting his goal.
"Our No. 1 focus in camp was to get more physical," said Kubiak, who enters his fifth season. "We hit in camp more than any time since I've been here. We tried to create a tougher environment. We want to be more physical on both sides of the ball because we think that'll help us finish (games) better.
"I'm very pleased with the results. I'm happy with the way our guys have done what we want. Now, we have to carry that over to the field."
The coaches believe the Texans have to become more physical to improve in the AFC South. They were 1-5 in the division last season.
"It's time for somebody else to win the AFC South, and we believe we have the team to do it," Kubiak told fans at a Texans luncheon this week.
The defense became more physical over the last 13 games last season when it ranked fourth, including second against the run. The offense is getting more attention this season, and it begins with the running game.
Injuries hampered the running game last season when the Texans ranked 30th against the run, including 3.5 yards a carry. Now they have new starting guards and a running back, Arian Foster, who picked up where he left off last season.
Foster, 6-1, 227, is a power back with the speed to get around the corner. He gouged Miami and New England for 216 yards and three touchdowns in his only two starts at the end of last season.
In a 23-7 preseason victory over Dallas, he rushed for 110 yards and averaged 6.1 per carry. The offensive linemen were much more physical, and it's something Kubiak hopes will become a habit against the Colts.
"I have high expectations for myself," Foster said. "I think highly of myself. I think every successful player in this league does. What I've done hasn't surprised me because I set high goals."
Foster was undrafted last year. The Texans signed him to a two-year contract to keep him away from the Saints and Jets. He began on the practice squad and worked his way on to special teams before getting to start in the last two games, both victories.
"It wasn't instantaneous by any stretch of the imagination," Foster said about his success. "They let me go, but they brought me back on the practice squad. That showed they saw something in me. When the opportunity came, I made the most of it."
COACHING: Gary Kubiak, 5th year, 5th with Texans (31-33).
REMEMBERING: 2009 record: 9-7 (2nd in AFC South).
PREDICTING: 2010 regular-season record 10-6 (2nd in AFC South); lose in wild-card round.
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TEXANS INSIDE SLANT