After missing the Texans' regular season finale to nurse ankle and knee injuries, cornerback Kamari Lassiter said he's feeling good and expects to play in Monday night's wild-card matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Lassiter spoke Thursday about being excited for the game, especially the opportunity to face Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers in a win-or-go home situation.
When asked if this one specifically is his style of game, Lassiter gave the exact answer one should expect from him.
"I feel like every game is my style of game but this game, for sure," Lassiter said. "You know it's going to be a physical brand of football on both sides. Smashmouth football. They're coached very well. We're coached very well. It's going to be dog on dog, who wants it more."
Getting Lassiter back is certainly a welcomed development, given his tendency to impact the game with either a big tackle or an interception. Lassiter is one of four defensive backs with at least four interceptions on the season.
It should also make communication easier than it was in Houston's last game against the Colts, when they played two backups in the secondary with Lassiter injured and a revolving door at strong safety.
The Texans have since released safety K'Von Wallace, who played key snaps for them Sunday, and could return rookie Jaylen Reed, who returned to practice this week after a forearm injury sidelined him for several weeks.
Reed looked promising in the one game he started and his 73 defensive snaps before the injury. He even recovered a fumble in the Texans' 23-19 win over the Buffalo Bills on Thursday Night Football back in November.
Second-year safety Calen Bullock, Lassiter's known running mate since they entered the league together last season, said it's the communication that's allowed the secondary and defense as a whole to thrive as a top unit this season.
"Everybody's just on the same page, communicating out there," Bullock said. "It makes it easier for us to go out there and do our job and play faster."
The timing is also perfect considering the Steelers return former All-Pro wide receiver DK Metcalf, who missed the final two games of the regular season due to suspension.
Metcalf is good enough to dictate coverage, though Houston with Lassiter and All-Pro cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. appear equipped to handle it.
The question is how the Texans plan to cover Metcalf, whether it's Stingley one-on-one, Lassiter with safety help, or some combination of ideas to switch it up.
It would not be wise for the Texans to show their cards, but there is comfort in knowing Lassiter is ready to go and understands the assignment, whatever it entails.
"He's a really good player," Lassiter said of Metcalf. "Big, fast, physical, can catch the ball, run after the catch. I mean he can do it all and he's been doing it for a long time. I've got a lot of respect for his game. He definitely is their No. 1 receiver. He's the guy they lean on when they need big plays.
"So we're just going to have to lock in, go do our job."