Gary Kubiak has said that the Houston Texans know they need to play better against the New England Patriots this weekend.

The Texans suffered a heavy defeat by the Patriots in the regular season, and play them again in the playoffs on Sunday.

The head coach told reporters: "We went down there a month ago and did not play well. Like I said, there's no excuses in what took place. You have to give them all the credit.

"I don't think players pay attention to that type of stuff. But what we do pay attention to is the film and what happens on that field. And we know that our effort and how we performed last time wouldn't give us a chance against anybody on the road.

"It's about right now refocusing on all the things we have to do go down there and have a chance to be successful, and I'm sure that's what they're thinking about."

The Texans sealed their place in the divisional round of the playoffs with a win against the Cincinnati Bengals last week.