HOUSTON (SportsRadio 610)- The mood was light at NRG Stadium a day after the Texans squeaked out a 13-12 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
"You hear a lot laughs in here," Texans safety Tashaun Gipson said Monday in front of his locker. "The weight room was full of dancing, and that aint typically a place where guys laugh and smile and dance. That's part of the victory Monday. I think the energy is high, the atmosphere is amazing around here, and that's what happens when you win."
Sunday was Gipson's first win as a member of the Texans, but even for someone like Whitney Mercilus, who has won a lot of games since joining, the day after a win feels good.
"When you lose, like we did last week your body hurts, so this week, when we win, your body doesn't hurt as bad, that's why we're laughing and joking around like that."
In the NFL, players spend their Mondays in the weight room, the trainer's room, and meeting rooms. Tuesday is typically a day off, and then the focus falls on the team's next opponent, which in the Texans case is the Los Angeles Chargers.
"They're coming off of a tough loss yesterday," Gipson said. "We know they're definitely going to be motivated. They're 1-1 just like we're 1-1, and these AFC games count when it comes down to the grand scheme of things, so I think we're going to get their best shot, and obviously, we're excited about the opportunity, and we're going to go out and give them our best shot."
After facing future Hall of Famer Drew Brees in week one, the Texans defense faced rookie sixth-round pick Gardner Minshew II on Sunday. The competition will pick up again in Los Angeles when it's another future Hall of Famer, Philip Rivers under center for the Chargers.
"Played against him several times in this league," Texans cornerback Johnathan Joseph said. "He's always been at the top group of those guys at quarterback. He's still doing his thing, I think this is probably year 16 for him, and he's got a group of weapons over there, and it will be a tough task, and that's what the NFL is all about week in and week out."
Rivers threw for 333 yards and three touchdowns in the Chargers' week one overtime win against the Colts, but did not throw a touchdown pass Sunday in a 13-10 loss in Detroit. Joseph knows the challenge of limiting Rivers will be tough, but he's hoping when he and his teammates re-convene in seven days, the mood in the locker room is exactly the same.
"Everybody's in a good mood after a win, no matter how you got it, what it's like," Joseph said. "A win is a win in this league."
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