Texans get good news on Johnson, Phillips

A team that desperately needs as much good news as possible received some Monday at Reliant Stadium. Texans star receiver Andre Johnson practiced with his teammates and appears likely to play in the season finale Sunday against the Titans at Reliant, although coach Gary Kubiak stopped short of declaring that Johnson will definitely play. In addition, defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, who missed the last two games due to gallbladder and kidney surgery, was back at work on a limited basis. Kubiak expects Phillips to run the defense from the coaches' booth Sunday. "Wade was at work today for a couple of hours," Kubiak said after Monday's practice. "He went through the (Colts) game from the other night and met with the players. I'm hoping that's the process leading into this weekend. Our goal is that he would be in the press box on Sunday but we'll also see how he feels." With regard to Johnson, Kubiak was not ready to pronounce his star receiver a go for Sunday: "I gotta watch him practice this week and see how he's doing. But today was a step in the right direction." In terms of possible playoff match-ups, the Texans only know this much: They will host a game on either Saturday January 7 or Sunday January 8. At this point, the Bengals are the most likely opponent in the first round, although several other possibilities exist. If: The Bengals win at home against the Ravens and other playoff contenders such as the Broncos, Raiders and Jets win, Cincinnati comes to Houston If: The Bengals lose and the Broncos, Raiders and Jets lose, the Bengals still visit Houston in Round 1. If: The Bengals lose and the Jets, Broncos and Raiders win, Oakland would be Houston's first round opponent. Other scenarios obviously exist, including a Texans loss to the Titans. Such an event could bring Tennessee right back to Reliant Stadium for Round 1. Kubiak said that he is not paying that much attention to the scenarios and is focused instead on making certain his team is ready for the postseason. "We'll prepare like it's any other game," he said. "We understand the situation and what's going on from a standpoint of going into the playoffs but we have to find a way to fix some of our problems."