(SportsRadio 610) - Texans veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks did not sugarcoat what the team is six games into the season.
"We're an undisciplined team. I'm being very honest with you," Cooks said after the Texans' 31-3 loss Sunday on the road against the Indianapolis Colts. "From all of us. We've all got some type of accountability in that. We're undisciplined. It's just the truth."
The Texans cut down on their penalties and turnovers from the last time they were on the road, a 40-0 blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills. But there were still costly mental errors in the game.
Texans head coach David Culley on Monday pointed to a holding penalty called on tight end Jordan Akins in the first quarter, which put them behind the chains and led to a punt and the Colts' first touchdown of the game.
Culley also mentioned a 3rd and 10 for Indianapolis in the second quarter, when Jordan Jenkins jumped offsides, and the Colts settled for a 41-yard field goal.
Turning points in the game were in the third quarter, when the Texans defense forced a three-and-out, but rookie quarterback Davis Mills promptly threw an interception to Colts linebacker Darius Leonard on his first pass of the next drive.
On the Texans' next possession, they punted from their own 45-yard line. Colts running back Jonathan Taylor ran for 83 yards on the very next play, making for a short field and setting up another Colts touchdown to go up 24-3.
Culley said coaches have not done a good enough job preparing the players. While the players like Cooks and Kirksey have noted that a lot of their shortcomings can't be coached, but have to start within.
Last week, before the loss to Indy, there was a players meeting in which Kirksey was one of the leaders holding teammates accountable, according to wide receiver Chris Moore.
So it was somewhat surprising the message did not resonate Sunday. Cooks summed it up after the game.
"I think that’s one of those things that you have to take on individually, to be honest with you," he said. "You can’t make anyone disciplined. You’ve got to want to be disciplined. You have to practice that way. Not just practice that way, but you have to be in the meeting rooms that way, take care of your body. Success is not a gimmick. Discipline is not a gimmick. It’s about everyday life choices. It’s about deep down inside, individually, do you want to be there or not? It’s as simple as that. We can’t make our teammates, we can’t make anyone else do that. You have to do that by yourself."
