Bill O'Brien is downplaying the significance of reports of tension between him and Brock Osweiler.

CBS Sports reported that O'Brien and Osweiler had a "heated exchange" last week after a quarterbacks meeting while reviewing film of Week 5's loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Osweiler reportedly had objections to playcalling.

O'Brien called the report the "biggest non-story of the year" and said it's a side effect of coaching in an intense environment.

"Anybody that's been around me knows that I really only know one way to go about it," O'Brien said. "That's to work very hard and to do it in a very intense environment. I think that's the type of players we have. So when you're coaching football and playing football, and you're in a competitive environment where everyone is pulling the same rope and everybody is trying to do their very best to win the game, things are going to happen."

O'Brien took over the playcalling duties from offensive coordinator George Godsey after the Texans were shut out at New England in Week 2.