--The NFL released the dates and times for all 65 of its preseason games Tuesday. The Texans have known their opponents for weeks, but kickoff dates and times hadn't been announced.

The Texans will open the preseason Aug. 9 against the Denver Broncos at Reliant Stadium at 7 p.m. They will then travel to New Orleans and play the Saints at 7 p.m. Aug. 16.

The Texans will play on national television against the Dallas Cowboys at Texas Stadium at 7 p.m. Aug. 22.

Their final preseason game will be at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 7 p.m. Aug. 28.

--Coach Gary Kubiak is having fewer and fewer players miss the offseason conditioning program. Each year, the number of no-shows has declined. While it's voluntary, the coaches strongly encourage all of the players to participate.

"The offseason's a voluntary program in the National Football League," Kubiak said. "But if you want to be good, it's not very voluntary, to be honest with you. You've got to work, and they've got to be there. And it's my job to put pressure on them to be there, but in all honesty, the pressure comes from the players to work. The peer pressure that, 'Hey, you better be here busting your tail just like me, or you're not going to be a part of this football team.' And I'll give you an example of how well ours is going right now. My first year here, throughout the offseason, I probably battled about 15 or 20 kids. You know, 'Why'd you miss Tuesday? Why'd you miss this?' 'Coach, I had this, I had that.' You know, that's part of our business. Last year I probably battled 10 or 12. I've had two meetings in six weeks this year.

"Our guys are doing it the right way, and if they'll keep working that way, then we will find that other two or three wins that we're looking for to put us in the position that we all want to be in."

QUOTE TO NOTE
"I am media-friendly. You know why I'm media-friendly? Because if I am not media-friendly, if I am not the voice of my teammates, then you guys just get out of control. OK? I try to keep an even keel, keep the marriage between us a good marriage. You know, divorce rates are high. I don't want us to be divorced, now. As soon as y'all step out of line, then we have to divorce y'all. So that's why I try to be the liaison between you guys and the players." -- LT Ephraim Salaam on winning the Mickey Herskowitz Award recently for being the Texans' most media-friendly player.

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