Texans defensive end Jadeveon Clowney:

Being a Rock Hill, S.C., native and former South Carolina star, what was that experience like and what do you expect in your return: "It was great. Having the city behind me was great. It's a good feeling when you know you have people counting on you, looking up to you and kids looking up to me. It's going to be great to come back home and play in front of those guys and people from back home. Hopefully, we can get the win."

What's your scouting report on Carolina's offense: "I know they've got a nice quarterback in Cam Newton and the running game with (Jonathan) Stewart. We are going to have to contain, stop the run and try to get Cam to make plays. We've got to play our game. We are coming in there, trying to play our game, be physical and play football. That is what we're here to do."

Does Newton present a unique challenge: "He is physical. He can run the ball. You don't play a lot of running quarterbacks in the league. They have the zone read, and you take it back to college since the last time you saw a lot of zone reads. With Cam at quarterback, it's like you've got a running back in the backfield, two running backs at one time. You've got to stop the run and try to get him to pass the ball more."

Head coach Bill O'Brien:

Thoughts on the Panthers offense: "They're very physical. I think they've got a very good offensive line that is tough, led by the center Ryan Kalil. I think he's a good player. The running back, Jonathan Stewart, is a very tough runner, very hard to tackle. Obviously the focal point of the offense is Cam Newton, big guy that can throw. He's a good runner. They've got some speed and some size at receiver, and I haven't even talked about the tight end Greg Olsen who had 84 catches last year. This guy is a really good tight end in this league, so we've got a big challenge with their offense. They're very, very good."

What specifically about Newton has your attention: "I would say he poses a lot of challenges. He can throw the ball. He's accurate, he's got a good arm, he's a pocket passer when he wants to be and then he can run it. He's got the read option, the quarterback power, he can scramble. He's very difficult to bring down because of his size and his toughness. It's a big challenge for us. He's a very good player."

When you're on offense, how does Luke Kuechly impact things if he's on the field: "I have a great appreciation for smart linebackers, tough linebackers. The thing that's pretty neat about this guy is when you watch him he really, obviously studies film. He knows what's coming. It reminds you of some of the great linebackers you've called plays against in the past or that you've been around. Whether it was Ray Lewis or Teddy Bruschi or Junior Seau or Mike Vrabel, who's on our staff. These guys really study film, they're really bright, they're tough, they call out things before they even happen and that's what Kuechly does. He's a great player."