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Phillips, addition of Joseph leads turnaround of…

info — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 05:18:01 +0000

Now in the playoffs for the first time, Houston hopes its highly rated defense can lead the team to a victory Saturday against the Bengals, the team Joseph played for before joining the Texans.

“It doesn’t get any better than this,” Joseph said about helping Houston to its first postseason game against his former team.

He has communicated with 20 to 25 of his former teammates this week and is proud of what the Bengals have done this season. But he certainly won’t feel torn Saturday.

“I’m a Texan now,” he said.

Phillips has had a difficult few weeks after having kidney and gall bladder surgery Dec. 15. He missed two games, but rejoined the team last week and coached from the press box Sunday.

He isn’t feeling great — he has a chair to sit in for parts of practice — but knew it was important to be with the team during this critical time.

“It’s taken a lot out of me but I’m working my back, doing what the doctors say, ready to keep building up,” Phillips, who wasn’t available to the media Wednesday, said recently.

Coach Gary Kubiak insisted the defense wasn’t any different with Phillips away, but acknowledged Wednesday that his return has given the unit a boost.

“I know from a confidence standpoint for everybody it’s nice to have him back in the locker room last weekend and have his presence throughout the course of the week, so that’s been a good thing,” Kubiak said. “We’ve got to make sure Wade gets good and healthy and everything goes OK.”

Linebacker Brian Cushing, who leads the team with 114 tackles, said Phillips’ importance to the team can’t be overstated.

“He’s been huge,” Cushing said. “For what he’s done in turning this defense around has been unbelievable. So much credit goes to him, from scheme, to coaches he’s brought to just the personality of the team.”

Joseph has helped Houston’s secondary go from allowing a league-worst 267.5 yards to just 189.7 this season — the third fewest in the NFL.

“To come in and be embraced by the guys and make such an impact to be counted and looked upon as a leader here has been a tremendous experience for me altogether,” Joseph said.

Houston has thrived in Phillips’ 3-4 defense even without 2006 top overall pick Mario Williams. The former defensive end was expected to star at outside linebacker in the new scheme, but had a season-ending injury during the fifth game.

That left the Texans shuffling people around. They moved the other starting outside linebacker Connor Barwin to Williams’ spot and rookie Brooks Reed took Barwin’s slot.

Reed filled the position ably and Barwin flourished this season, piling up a team-leading 11 1/2 sacks.

Barwin, another converted defensive end, said Phillips is quiet and stoic, but has a unique way of motivating players.

“Wade comes in with some gems,” Barwin said. “They might be short and quick but he’s wise.”

Phillips, who has more postseason coaching experience than any member of the staff with 26 games, encouraged the team to focus this week in practice with one of his “gems” of which Barwin is so fond.

“He walks out and says real mellow like he does: ‘Every single play is the playoffs now,’” Barwin said of Phillips. “So we knew every single play we do in practice is so important just because we’re in the playoffs now.”

DeMeco Ryans also credits Phillips for what has happened this year. Of course, the linebacker has helped out in the change this season, starting each game in 2011 after missing 10 games last year with an Achilles injury.

“The biggest key is that from the first day all the guys just bought into Wade’s system and how we were going to do things,” Ryans said. “Everyone in our room just wanted to excel and everyone wanted to be great in our defensive room.”

Ryans knew around the midway point of the season that this group could be special. Kubiak saw it a few weeks sooner, when the defense stopped Pittsburgh and Ben Roethlisberger four times in the fourth quarter of a 17-10 win.

“That was special against a great quarterback in Ben,” Kubiak said. “So you could see the confidence starting to grow right there and they’ve been very consistent all year long. As a matter of fact they’ve been darn good and hopefully they will continue to be, because we will need to play great defense to continue to move on.”

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Why the Cincinnati Bengals Should Be Hopeful About…

info — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 22:57:00 +0000

When the Cincinnati Bengals travel into Reliant Stadium to take on the Houston Texans, they have more than a few reasons to be confident. I might even go as far as picking the Bengals to win this game.

Much has been made about the Bengals inability to beat a good team —they’re a whopping 0-7 against those within the playoff field. While those numbers do raise some alarm, they’re not as bad as they look on the surface. With the exception of their Week 13 game in Pittsburgh, they haven’t lost a game by more than eight points. Additionally, they don’t have any “bad” losses —losing to teams they shouldn’t (Denver might be an exception, though it’s hard to make that argument when they’re in the playoffs). I’ll readily admit that you need to be able to take down better teams, but the Bengals clearly show where they fall on the quality spectrum. They’ve probably been one of the best teams to set your watch to. They win when they should and lose when they should. They lost to the Baltimore Ravens by seven and eight points, respectively. They lost to the Denver Broncos by two and the San Francisco 49ers by five. Their other game against Pittsburgh found them losing by only seven. Lastly, they lost to the Houston Texans by one. This is a team that can compete.

The Texans, on the other hand, do have a few mind boggling losses. That being said, they also have some impressive wins —Pittsburgh and Atlanta specifically. However, they also carry losses to the Carolina Panthers and Indianapolis Colts. You can throw in the Oakland Raiders if you want as well. I’ll give a couple of those teams the benefit of being pretty decent, but they aren’t teams the Houston Texans should lose to. The Titans game gets a free pass because most of the starting Texans were on the bench. What’s more alarming for the Texans is their current three-game losing streak they’re riding into the playoffs —Carolina, Indy, and Tennessee. Being the Texans first ever trip to the playoffs, I’m sure the Bengals are going to run into a raucous crowd at Reliant Stadium. If Dalton and company can’t control that, it could get ugly.

What makes this game difficult is that you have two rookie quarterbacks. T.J Yates hasn’t thrown a touchdown in two-plus games and following Yates’ injury against the Titans, we don’t know if that shoulder will affect his performance. When you look at the numbers of the two teams, they’re relatively even. The slight edge goes to the Texans in most categories, but that also factors in the gaudy offensive numbers they were putting up prior to Matt Schaub’s injury. As it stands now, I think the game is pretty even.

Andy Dalton doesn’t give much more confidence. Despite Dalton having a stellar rookie season, you don’t often like the idea of rookie quarterbacks in the playoffs. In fact, the research I’ve found is that no rookie quarterback has ever won a Super Bowl. That’s an alarming trend for both Bengals and Texans fans.

We don’t need to talk about the Super Bowl yet. Yates and Dalton both have things to take care of before we start thinking about that. While I think it’s a virtual toss up, I think I like Cincinnati.

Bengals 20 Texans 17

Brian is a lifelong NFL fan, specifically of the Chicago Bears, having lived in Illinois his entire life and having followed the NFL throughout.

Sources

Bengals/Texans Preview

Bengals Schedule

Texans Schedule

T.J Yates Stats

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

That’s all for today.

Ready or not, Texans look to playoffs

info — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 09:10:20 +0000

by Associated Press

khou.com

Posted on January 2, 2012 at 9:56 PM

HOUSTON — Ready or not, the Houston Texans are less than a week away from the franchise’s first playoff game.

The Texans (10-6) will ride a three-game losing streak into Saturday’s game against Cincinnati (9-7) at Reliant Stadium.

Last week, Texans players talked about the importance of regaining momentum after consecutive losses. They lost to Tennessee 23-22 in Sunday’s finale when they botched a 2-point conversion at the end, then said after the game that their three-game skid was irrelevant.

Coach Gary Kubiak said Monday that his players have “got to let it go,” pointing out that a winning streak would’ve also had no bearing on what may happen in the postseason.

“You’ve got to let everything go,” he said, “and start over.”

Kubiak thought the Texans played better Sunday than they had in losses to Carolina and Indianapolis. His team has dealt with major injuries almost every week this season, and he said that’s led to constant transition that’s affected the level of play.

Add one more injury concern leading up to Saturday’s game: Rookie quarterback T.J. Yates, who started the last five games, bruised his left shoulder when he was sacked on his first snap against Tennessee. Kubiak expects Yates to start against Cincinnati, though he acknowledged Monday the fifth-round pick is “sore.”

Yates was a revelation when he first took over the starting role in the wake of season-ending injuries to Matt Schaub (right foot) and Matt Leinart (broken left collarbone), guiding the Texans to narrow victories over Atlanta and the Bengals to clinch the division.

In Cincinnati on Dec. 11, Yates engineered two long scoring drives in the fourth quarter, rallying Houston for a 20-19 win. Yates struggled in the next two games and played only one series Sunday, but Kubiak says he still has enough confidence to play him over veteran Jake Delhomme.

“He’s very young and this is a big, big game,” Kubiak said. “But he’s the best guy for our team, and if he’s able to go and do the things we need him to do in practice, then we’ll turn him loose and let him go.”

Delhomme, signed out of retirement in late November, relieved Yates on Sunday and completed 18 of 28 passes for 211 yards without an interception.

The 36-year-old Delhomme was seeing his first action since December 2010, when he played for Cleveland. He’s one of only a handful of current Texans with playoff experience and the only one who’s already played in a postseason game at Reliant Stadium.

Delhomme guided Carolina to its only Super Bowl in February 2004, when the Panthers played Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. Delhomme threw for 323 yards and three touchdown in the Panthers’ 32-29 loss.

The Panthers had only one postseason victory in their history before that Super Bowl season, and Delhomme thinks inexperience could actually work to Houston’s advantage.

“When you don’t know any better, to me, that’s a great thing,” Delhomme said. “If you play well during the season and prepare well, obviously you’re one of the better teams at the end of the year. So we just knew that if we just did what we did week in and week out, it would work.”

The 2003 Panthers won their last three games, but they lost three in a row just before that, so Delhomme isn’t a big believer in needing momentum.

“This is a young, hungry football team that works,” Delhomme said of the Texans. “I know I haven’t been here long, but last week on that practice field, just watching guys fly around you saw how important it is. This team is going to be ready and sometimes innocence is bliss.”

Kubiak isn’t sure how much past experience helps in the playoffs, either, but he has plenty of it. He was an assistant coach on three Super Bowl teams, one in San Francisco and two in Denver.

“All those things took place for me somewhere else, on a different team,” said Kubiak, Houston’s coach since 2006. “I’ve been growing as a head coach with this group I have, they’ve been growing with me as a team, so it’s our first opportunity together. That’s what’s most important.”

Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips has participated in his share of playoff games, too. Phillips coached from the press box Sunday, just over two weeks after kidney and gall bladder surgery, and Kubiak says he’ll work from the booth again for the playoff game.

“That’s a long road back from what he’s been through,” Kubiak said. “We’re just trying to make sure he gets his rest, and he’ll be ready to call the game on Saturday once again.”

What are your opinions.

MacPherson: Houston Texans become pride of Texas

info — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 08:07:40 +0000

What a difference a year makes.

A season ago the Texans were the joke around the state. A loss
to the Cowboys, a horrible second half of the season and a big step
back in terms of wins.

This year, though, the Texans have to be the pride of Texas.

Sure, they lost three consecutive games heading into this
Saturday’s wildcard playoff matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals.
And maybe the quarterback position is about as steady as a house of
cards in an earthquake.

But the Texans have to like their chances in the franchise’s
first ever playoff game regardless.

The Texans have what every good playoff team needs – a tough run
game and a steady defense. If those two aspects of their game can
step up, then there rookie quarterback T.J. Yates can simply steer
the bus to a victory.

Sounds easy right?

Yates should have some added confidence, too. Remember, the
Texans last win came against these same Bengals nearly a month ago
– a game that Yates drove the offense down the field in the last
minute before finding Kevin Walter for the go ahead touchdown.

Thanks to the great start, the Texans get the added boost that
is home field advantage. Houston fans have been waiting for 18
years for a playoff game – expect them to be loud and proud.
There’s a reason why the Reliant Stadium atmosphere is consistently
ranked near the top in the NFL.

It’s hard to imagine Saturday’s game being any sort of cakewalk,
but the Texans will and should be the favorites heading into it.
Let’s just hope they show more fight than what the Cowboys did in
their elimination game with the New York Giants on Sunday
night.

The Cowboys’ performance only adds to the lure of the failures
of Jerry Jones, Tony Romo and a largely overrated team.

It’s hard to imagine a team can’t get up for a game as big as
the Dallas’ on Sunday. Their season on the line and the Cowboys
didn’t even get off the bus.

Then again, it happened to them before. See the 44-6 whooping
that the Philadelphia Eagles put on the hapless Cowboys in
2008.

That being said, the whole state should be behind the Texans as
they enter the playoffs. Not that it will help much being that most
will be in front of their TV sets instead of in the stadium, but it
has to count for something.

While the Texans could very well come out on bottom of a dog
fight on Sunday – though I doubt that will be the case – this
season will forever go down as on of the most memorable in the
team’s history.

Regardless of what happens, at least the Texans aren’t the
Cowboys.

Keith MacPherson is the Sports Editor of The Courier. He can be
reached at kmacpherson@hcnonline.com or follow him on Twitter
@ConroeSports

Not much else going on in the NFL world today.

2012 NFL Opponents

info — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 00:01:58 +0000

AFC EAST
New England Patriots
	   Home: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos, Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers
	   Away: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens, St. Louis Rams, Seattle Seahawks
New York Jets
	   Home: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, San Diego Chargers, Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers
	   Away: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Pittsburgh Steelers, St. Louis Rams, Seattle Seahawks
Miami Dolphins
	   Home: Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Oakland Raiders, St. Louis Rams, Seattle Seahawks
	   Away: Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Cincinnati Bengals, Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers
Buffalo Bills
	   Home: Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Kansas City Chiefs, St. Louis Rams, Seattle Seahawks
	   Away: Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Cleveland Browns, Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers
AFC NORTH
Baltimore Ravens
	   Home: Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants
	   Away: Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Chargers, Houston Texans, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins
Pittsburgh Steelers
	   Home: Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Chargers, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins
	   Away: Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, Tennessee Titans, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants
Cincinnati Bengals
	   Home: Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, Miami Dolphins, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants
	   Away: Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins
Cleveland Browns
	   Home: Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Chargers, Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins
	   Away: Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants
AFC SOUTH
Houston Texans
	   Home: Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings
	   Away: Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions
Tennessee Titans
	   Home: Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions
	   Away: Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, San Diego Chargers, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings
Jacksonville Jaguars
	   Home: Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Cincinnati Bengals, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions
	   Away: Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, Oakland Raiders, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings
Indianapolis Colts
	   Home: Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings
	   Away: Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions
AFC WEST
Denver Broncos
	   Home: Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Houston Texans, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
	   Away: Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, New England Patriots, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers
San Diego Chargers
	   Home: Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Tennessee Titans, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers
	   Away: Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Oakland Raiders
	   Home: Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Chargers, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
	   Away: Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Chargers, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers
Kansas City Chiefs
	   Home: Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers
	   Away: Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
	   -- -- -- =
NFC EAST
New York Giants
	   Home: Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Green Bay Packers, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers
	   Away: Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals
Philadelphia Eagles
	   Home: Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Washington Redskins, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Detroit Lions, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals
	   Away: Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Washington Redskins, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers
Dallas Cowboys
	   Home: New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers
	   Away: New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Seattle Seahawks, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals
Washington Redskins
	   Home: Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Minnesota Vikings, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals
	   Away: Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, St. Louis Rams, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers
NFC NORTH
Green Bay Packers
	   Home: Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans
	   Away: Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, St. Louis Rams, Seattle Seahawks, New York Giants, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts
Detroit Lions
	   Home: Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, St. Louis Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Atlanta Falcons, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts
	   Away: Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans
Chicago Bears
	   Home: Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, St. Louis Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts
	   Away: Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans
Minnesota Vikings
	   Home: Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans
	   Away: Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, St. Louis Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Washington Redskins, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts
NFC SOUTH
New Orleans Saints
	   Home: Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Chargers
	   Away: Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Green Bay Packers, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders
Atlanta Falcons
	   Home: Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Arizona Cardinals, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders
	   Away: Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Chargers
Carolina Panthers
	   Home: Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders
	   Away: Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, Chicago Bears, Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Chargers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
	   Home: Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, St. Louis Rams, Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Chargers
	   Away: Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders
NFC WEST
San Francisco 49ers
	   Home: Arizona Cardinals, St. Louis Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, New York Giants, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins
	   Away: Arizona Cardinals, St. Louis Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, New England Patriots, New York Jets
Arizona Cardinals
	   Home: St. Louis Rams, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins
	   Away: St. Louis Rams, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots, New York Jets
Seattle Seahawks
	   Home: Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, St. Louis Rams, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, New York Jets
	   Away: Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, St. Louis Rams, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Carolina Panthers, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins
St. Louis Rams
	   Home: Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Washington Redskins, New England Patriots, New York Jets
	   Away: Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins

That’s all the news for today.

Texans ready to move on from 23-22 loss to Titans

info — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 17:28:35 +0000

The Houston Texans didn’t spend much time worrying about
Sunday’s loss to the Tennessee Titans.

They had much more important concerns with the first playoff
game in franchise history just six days away.

Matt Hasselbeck threw two touchdown passes and Houston botched a
2-point conversion at the end of Tennessee’s 23-22 victory at
Reliant Stadium.

The Texans (10-6) will play Cincinnati (9-7) on Saturday in the
first round of the playoffs.

“It’s going to be unbelievable,” said receiver Kevin Walter, a
former Bengal. “We are going to be ready, I tell you that for
sure.”

Tennessee (9-7) earned its first winning record since 2008 in
Mike Munchak’s first season, but its postseason fate depended on
the outcome of later games in Cincinnati, Oakland and Denver.

When the Broncos lost to Kansas City, the Titans were knocked
out of playoff contention.

“I was proud of the guys for bouncing back the last two weeks
and putting ourselves in the position to reach the playoffs,”
Munchak said in a statement, “But we also put ourselves in the
position of needing help and it didn’t work out for us today.”

Houston was locked into the No. 3 seed in the AFC playoffs
before the game began. With the playoff position secured and
nothing to lose but more players to injury, coach Gary Kubiak
called for a 2-point conversion to avoid overtime and win the game
in regulation.

“You would never go for 2 there in any other situation,” Kubiak
said. “But where we were physically, at the end of the game, I had
a tight end (Garrett Graham) playing linebacker. Our team, I had to
get them to next week.”

Now the Texans will prepare for the biggest game in the team’s
10-year history.

“It’s a different platform that we’ve never played at before,”
linebacker Brian Cushing said. “We’re really excited to showcase
what we’re about as a team and as an organization to the city and
to the fans. This is huge and from here on out this is big-time
football and we’re excited for it.”

Rookie starter T.J. Yates left the game after one series and was
replaced by Jake Delhomme. Kubiak said Yates had a bruised left
shoulder but could’ve returned if necessary.

“Obviously, I didn’t want him to go back in the game,” Kubiak
said. “We’ll know better where we’re at (Monday) at this
point.”

The 36-year-old Delhomme, signed Nov. 29 in the wake of
season-ending injuries to starter Matt Schaub and backup Matt
Leinart, completed 18 of 28 passes, including a 5-yard touchdown
pass to Bryant Johnson with 14 seconds left.

Kubiak called for a 2-point conversion at the end. But after a
false start penalty, backup center Thomas Austin snapped the ball
over Delhomme’s head and the game was over.

The Texans certainly weren’t happy about losing, but won’t spend
any time thinking about what happened on Sunday.

“We’re ripping off the rear-view mirror,” tight end Joel
Dreessen said. “The regular season is over with, and the Texans are
officially invited to the postseason. We open up at home, in one
week. And that’s our focus right now. It’s a whole new season, and
we have to play at our best.”

Chris Johnson ran for 61 yards, and Rob Bironas kicked three
field goals for Tennessee. The Titans needed a Bengals loss and
victories by Oakland and Denver to earn a postseason rematch with
the Texans back in Houston next week.

The Texans had other concerns after the loss.

Yates was sacked on Houston’s first snap by Jurrell Casey and
Derrick Morgan. He completed passes to Dreessen and James Casey for
first downs, before Tate and Derrick Ward started alternating
touches for the rest of the drive.

Tate finished that drive with a touchdown, but Yates came off
the field favoring his left shoulder and went to the locker
room.

Titans defensive end Dave Ball sacked Delhomme and knocked the
ball loose, and safety Chris Hope recovered at the Texans 33.
Hasselbeck threw a 25-yard pass to Jared Cook, then found Donnie
Avery in the corner of the end zone to move Tennessee in front.

Delhomme threw a 16-yard pass to Andre Johnson to get Houston
moving again. Johnson caught two passes and sat out the second half
after missing the previous three games with a strained left
hamstring.

Neil Rackers kicked a 52-yard field goal with 1:09 left in the
first half, but Bironas booted a 43-yarder on the final play before
the break to put Tennessee up 13-10. Bironas extended his own NFL
record by kicking a field goal of 40 yards or longer for the 10th
consecutive game.

The Texans rallied to tie it at 16-all, but Kubiak had most of
his defensive starters on the bench in the fourth quarter. Nate
Washington got behind rookie cornerback Brandon Harris and
third-string safety Quintin Demps for a 23-yard touchdown with 4:31
remaining.

Texans linebacker Jesse Nading recovered a fumble by Ahmard Hall
with less than two minutes left, and Delhomme completed 5 of 6
passes to drive Houston for the late touchdown.

Notes: Wide receiver Andre Johnson played about 20 snaps. Kubiak
said he isn’t ready to play 70 plays next week, but that he should
be able to go 45-50. … Kubiak said Houston OLB Bryan Braman has a
stinger. … Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips worked from the
press box after missing two games following kidney and gall bladder
surgery.

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

Titans hold off wounded Texans, stay alive

info — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 16:54:40 +0000

CBSSports.com wire reports
Jan. 1, 2012

HOUSTON — The Houston Texans talked all week about the importance of beating Tennessee on Sunday to enter the playoffs on the right track.

In the end, coach Gary Kubiak decided keeping his key players healthy entering next week was more important than a victory.

Matt Hasselbeck threw two touchdown passes and the Titans kept alive their playoff hopes briefly with a 23-22 victory over Houston on Sunday after the Texans failed to convert a 2-point conversion attempt that would have won the game.

Houston (10-6) will head into its first postseason on a three-game losing streak. The Texans were locked into the No. 3 seed in the AFC playoffs and Kubiak played mostly reserves in the second half.

“You would never go for two there in any other situation … but I had to get them to next week,” Kubiak said.

The Titans (9-7) earned their first winning record since 2008 in Mike Munchak’s first season, but their postseason fate depended on the outcome of later games in Cincinnati, Oakland and Denver.

Tennessee got some early help when the New York Jets lost in Miami, but was knocked out of playoff contention when the Broncos lost to Kansas City in a late game.

Rookie starter T.J. Yates left the game after one series and was replaced by Jake Delhomme. Kubiak said Yates had a bruised left shoulder but could’ve returned if necessary.

“Obviously, I didn’t want him to go back in the game,” Kubiak said. “We’ll know better where we’re at (Monday) at this point.”

The 36-year-old Delhomme, signed Nov. 29 in the wake of season-ending injuries to starter Matt Schaub and backup Matt Leinart, completed 18 of 28 passes, including a 5-yard touchdown pass to Bryant Johnson with 14 seconds left.

Kubiak called for a 2-point conversion at the end. But after a false start penalty, backup center Thomas Austin snapped the ball over Delhomme’s head and the game was over.

The Texans certainly weren’t happy about losing, but won’t spend any time thinking about what happened on Sunday.

“We’re ripping off the rear-view mirror,” tight end Joel Dreessen said. “The regular season is over with, and the Texans are officially invited to the postseason. We open up at home, in one week. And that’s our focus right now. It’s a whole new season, and we have to play at our best.”

Chris Johnson ran for 61 yards, and Rob Bironas kicked three field goals for Tennessee. The Titans needed a Bengals loss and victories by Oakland and Denver to earn a postseason rematch with the Texans back in Houston next week.

The Texans had other concerns after the loss.

Yates was sacked on Houston’s first snap by Jurrell Casey and Derrick Morgan. He completed passes to Joel Dreessen and James Casey for first downs, before Tate and Derrick Ward started alternating touches for the rest of the drive.

Tate finished that drive with a touchdown, but Yates came off the field favoring his left shoulder and went to the locker room.

Titans defensive end Dave Ball sacked Delhomme and knocked the ball loose, and safety Chris Hope recovered at the Texans 33. Hasselbeck threw a 25-yard pass to Jared Cook, then found Donnie Avery in the corner of the end zone to move Tennessee in front.

Delhomme threw a 16-yard pass to Andre Johnson to get Houston moving again. Johnson caught two passes and sat out the second half after missing the previous three games with a strained left hamstring.

Neil Rackers kicked a 52-yard field goal with 1:09 left in the first half, but Bironas booted a 43-yarder on the final play before the break to put Tennessee up 13-10. Bironas extended his own NFL record by kicking a field goal of 40 yards or longer for the 10th consecutive game.

The Texans rallied to tie it at 16-all, but Kubiak had most of his defensive starters on the bench in the fourth quarter. Nate Washington got behind rookie cornerback Brandon Harris and third-string safety Quintin Demps for a 23-yard touchdown with 4:31 remaining.

Texans linebacker Jesse Nading recovered a fumble by Ahmard Hall with less than two minutes left, and Delhomme completed 5 of 6 passes to drive Houston for the late touchdown.

Notes: Andre Johnson played about 20 snaps. Kubiak said he isn’t ready to play 70 plays next week, but that he should be able to go 45-50. … Kubiak said Houston OLB Bryan Braman has a stinger. … Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips worked from the press box after missing two games following kidney and gall bladder surgery.eld favoring his left shoulder and went to the locker room.

Titans defensive end Dave Ball sacked Delhomme and knocked the ball loose, and safety Chris Hope recovered at the Texans 33. Hasselbeck threw a 25-yard pass to Jared Cook, then found Donnie Avery in the corner of the end zone to move Tennessee in front.

Delhomme threw a 16-yard pass to Andre Johnson to get Houston moving again. Johnson caught two passes and sat out the second half after missing the previous three games with a strained left hamstring.

Neil Rackers kicked a 52-yard field goal with 1:09 left in the first half, but Bironas booted a 43-yarder on the final play before the break to put Tennessee up 13-10. Bironas extended his own NFL record by kicking a field goal of 40 yards or longer for the 10th consecutive game.

The Texans rallied to tie it at 16-all, but Kubiak had most of his defensive starters on the bench in the fourth quarter. Nate Washington got behind rookie cornerback Brandon Harris and third-string safety Quintin Demps for a 23-yard touchdown with 4:31 remaining.

Texans linebacker Jesse Nading recovered a fumble by Ahmard Hall with less than two minutes left, and Delhomme completed 5 of 6 passes to drive Houston for the late touchdown.

Notes

Hall and Titans LT Mike Otto left with “probable” concussions, Munchak said. WR Damian Williams has a rib injury, Munchak said, and would be re-evaluated Monday.
Chris Johnson is the third player in Titans history to reach 1,000 yards rushing in at least four straight seasons, joining Eddie George (1996-2000) and Earl Campbell (1978-81)..
Bironas extended his own NFL record by kicking a field goal of at least 40 yards in his 10th consecutive game.
The Texans dropped to 5-1 in season finales under Kubiak.
Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips worked from the press box after missing two games following kidney and gall bladder surgery.

What do you guys think about this.

Texans lose 3rd in row, 23-22 to Titans

info — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 06:29:26 +0000

The Houston Texans talked all week about the importance of
beating Tennessee on Sunday to enter the playoffs on the right
track.

In the end, coach Gary Kubiak decided keeping his key players
healthy entering next week was more important than a victory.

Matt Hasselbeck threw two touchdown passes and the Titans kept
alive their playoff hopes with a 23-22 victory over Houston on
Sunday after the Texans failed to convert a 2-point conversion
attempt that would have won the game.

Houston (10-6) will head into its first postseason on a
three-game losing streak. The Texans were locked into the No. 3
seed in the AFC playoffs and Kubiak played mostly reserves in the
second half.

“You would never go for two there in any other situation … but
I had to get them to next week,” Kubiak said.

The Texans will face Cincinnati in Houston next Saturday
afternoon at Reliant Stadium.

The Titans (9-7) earned their first winning record since 2008 in
Mike Munchak’s first season, but their postseason fate depended on
the outcome of later games in Cincinnati, Oakland and Denver.

Tennessee got some early help when the New York Jets lost in
Miami, but was knocked out of playoff contention when the Broncos
lost to Kansas City in a late game.

Rookie starter T.J. Yates left the game after one series and was
replaced by Jake Delhomme. Kubiak said Yates had a bruised left
shoulder but could’ve returned if necessary.

“Obviously, I didn’t want him to go back in the game,” Kubiak
said. “We’ll know better where we’re at (Monday) at this
point.”

Kubiak called for a 2-point conversion at the end. But after a
false start penalty, backup center Thomas Austin snapped the ball
over Delhomme’s head and the game was over.

The Texans certainly weren’t happy about losing, but won’t spend
any time thinking about what happened on Sunday.

The Texans had other concerns after the loss.

Tate finished that drive with a touchdown, but Yates came off
the field favoring his left shoulder and went to the locker
room.

Texans linebacker Jesse Nading recovered a fumble by Ahmard Hall
with less than two minutes left, and Delhomme completed 5 of 6
passes to drive Houston for the late touchdown.

Notes: Andre Johnson played about 20 snaps. Kubiak said he isn’t
ready to play 70 plays next week, but that he should be able to go
45-50. … Kubiak said Houston OLB Bryan Braman has a stinger. …
Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips worked from the press box after
missing two games following kidney and gall bladder surgery.

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Texans Limp Toward Regular Season Finale

info — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 07:55:46 +0000

POSTED: Saturday, December 31, 2011 – 8:49pm

UPDATED: Saturday, December 31, 2011 – 8:50pm

The Houston Texans’ season seems to be unraveling
at the worst possible time.

Rookie quarterback T.J. Yates and the vaunted defense struggled again Thursday night, and the playoff-bound Texans lost 19-16 to lowly Indianapolis, their second straight defeat after seven consecutive victories.

Houston (10-5) clinched its first AFC South title and playoff berth on Dec. 11, but has followed up with back-to-back poor performances.

The Texans lost 28-13 to Cam Newton and Carolina on Sunday, then couldn’t stop Dan Orlovsky from rallying the Colts in the fourth quarter.

Houston went 1-for-10 on third downs and committed a season-high 11 penalties to drop to 0-10 in Indianapolis.

The Texans wrap up the regular season at home against Tennessee on Jan. 1.

That’s all the news for today.

Titans, Texans have different incentives in finale

info — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 03:52:46 +0000

HOUSTON — The Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans have different
objectives in mind heading into today’s regular-season finale.

For the Titans (8-7), the goal is clear-cut — win at Reliant
Stadium and then hope for the magic combination of losses involving
Cincinnati, Denver, Oakland and the New York Jets to earn their
first playoff berth since 2008.

And that would set up a rematch with the Texans in the first
round of the postseason right back in Houston.

“If we don’t take care of our business, there will be no
scoreboard watching,” kicker Rob Bironas said. “We’ll be on the
couch watching — for all of January.”

For the Texans (10-5), the incentive is more intangible —
regaining the momentum they seem to have lost in two consecutive
defeats after reeling off seven straight wins to clinch their first
AFC South title.

Houston has nothing at stake in terms of postseason positioning.
The Texans are locked into the No. 3 seed in the AFC, and will host
a game on the first weekend of the playoffs, no matter what
happens.

But no one in the locker room wants to go into the franchise’s
first postseason game riding a losing streak.

“This game is more important than most people will ever know,”
defensive end Antonio Smith said. “You think that since it doesn’t
hurt us or help us as far as the playoff run, that it doesn’t
matter.

“You’ve got to be firing on all cylinders when you go into the
playoffs,” he said. “If not, man, ain’t no telling what will
happen.”

The Texans kick-started their regular season with a 41-7 victory
in Nashville on Oct. 23. They stayed in first place for the rest of
the regular season, despite playing most of their games without
star receiver Andre Johnson.

The five-time Pro Bowl selection has been practicing this week,
and coach Gary Kubiak expects Johnson to play in the finale.
Johnson sat out six games with a right hamstring injury that
required minor surgery, started the next two games and then
strained his left hamstring. He’s been sidelined for the last three
games, and he’s eager to see some action on Sunday, just so he can
regain some stamina and timing.

“I’m excited,” Johnson said. “I feel like I haven’t played
football all year. It’ll be fun to get back out there and run
around a little bit.”

Houston also hopes to have defensive coordinator Wade Phillips
back calling the plays, but from the press box instead of on the
sideline. Phillips, 64, returned to practice this week after
undergoing kidney and gall bladder surgery on Dec. 15.

“It’s awesome to have him back,” rookie outside linebacker
Brooks Reed said. “He just has that personality where no matter
what goes wrong, he’s always calm and I think that is kind of
contagious throughout.”

The Titans, meanwhile, only have flickering playoff hopes
because of a 23-17 victory over Jacksonville last week. They lost
to the previously winless Colts on Dec. 18, a setback that now
looms large.

And they also remember how the Texans manhandled them on their
home field, holding Tennessee to 148 yards and 11 first downs.
Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck conceded that the Titans took their
divisional rivals too lightly the first time around.

“I think we probably underestimated how good they were
physically,” Hasselbeck said. “They’re one of the premier teams in
the NFL this year and it just hasn’t been the case sometimes in the
past.

“They were fantastic that game we played against them here,” he
said. “They were making plays all over the field in all phases and
they really took it to us. I think that’s probably the toughest
game we’ve played this year in terms of just, we were feeling one
thing and they really disrupted what our thoughts were and took it
to us.”

Chris Johnson rushed for only 18 yards in that game, but he’s
had three 100-yard games since, all Tennessee victories. Johnson
needs only 14 yards rushing on Sunday to reach 1,000 yards for the
fourth consecutive season.

“We’re fully aware that he can just break out any time,” Reed
said, “and we just need to secure edges and just make sure he
doesn’t get out in too many open spaces because that’s where he’s
dangerous.”

The Texans’ running backs dominated the earlier meeting.

Arian Foster and Ben Tate both went over 100 yards, and Foster
also had 100 yards receiving. Foster, named to the Pro Bowl for the
second straight season, has seven 100-yard games this year and has
topped 100 yards rushing in Houston’s last two season finales, both
victories.

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Andre Johnson Ready to Play in Week 17: Fantasy…

info — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 23:08:00 +0000

Receiver Andre Johnson could actually put up some good fantasy numbers on Sunday. His Houston Texans go up against the Tennessee Titans in the last game of the regular season and Johnson looks to get in on a number of plays. He missed the last three games due to a strained left hamstring, further compounding his issue with injuries during the 2011 NFL season. For fantasy football owners he became one of the most frustrating players to have this year.

In Week 13 against the Atlanta Falcons, Johnson had 9.7 fantasy points in the 17-10 win. It was only the sixth game that he had played in 2011, but the 4 catches and 97 receiving yards really helped out the Titans. It ended up just becoming a big tease to those that play fantasy football, because he would then miss the next three weeks.

After starting out the season with three good games, it really looked like Johnson was going to put up some of the best numbers of his career. He had 21 catches for 316 yards and 2 touchdowns heading into Week 4, showing that he could threaten the 100-catch 1,600-yard mark for the year. It didn’t go according to plan though, and injuries caused him to miss nine games of the fantasy season. Now he returns in Week 17 during a time when many fantasy leagues have actually already finished.

There are some Texans fans frustrated with the news that Johnson is even returning before the playoffs, simply because a hamstring injury is one of the easiest to worsen on the football field. One bad cut or misstep and Johnson could miss the playoffs, likely taking away one of the best weapons that the Texans have on offense. This is where the risk also comes in for fantasy football owners, because while Johnson has the opportunity to make a big play or two, he might have very limited playing time. If the quarterback(s) can’t get him the ball early, then he may not post very good stats for the day.

Consider Johnson a risk as a fantasy starter in Week 17, though he does have the potential to put up big numbers on the first two drives alone. Starting a receiver that will play a full game in Week 17 is definitely a safer bet at this point, but most league champions know when to play it safe and when to bet on a talented player trying to prove something.

More From YCN:

Best_Week_16_Players

Best Fantasy Tight Ends

Best_Week_16_Defenses

Best_Five_Fantasy_Players

Tim_Tebow_Beats_Tom_Brady

Sources:

Week 16 NFL Scores

Defensive Team Leaders

Yahoo! Fantasy Football

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Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news.

Texans’ Johnson to return vs. Titans, will be on…

info — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 01:50:06 +0000

HOUSTON — Houston Texans star receiver Andre Johnson will play against Tennessee on Sunday after missing the past three games because of a strained left hamstring.

Coach Gary Kubiak said Johnson will be on a play count, but wasn’t sure how many. Johnson has played only six games this season after missing six straight with a right hamstring injury that required surgery.

“It was all depending on how the week went and everything went fine this past week, so I’ll be able to go out and play a little bit on Sunday,” Johnson said.

Kubiak said he wants Johnson to play so he’ll be ready to contribute for Houston next weekend in its first playoff game. Johnson also believes getting some work in this week is important.

“I just want to get back in the flow of playing a game,” he said. “It’s been a while since I’ve played. I just want to get back to the game feeling. I think it will show fans that I will be ready to play for the playoffs. So it will give them something to be excited about.”

Johnson is disappointed that he hasn’t been able to play much this season, but after enduring years of losing seasons in Houston, the team’s success this year has kept his attitude positive.

“It’s been a long season with a lot of frustrating times, but there’s still light at the end of the tunnel,” Johnson said.

The AFC South champions have lost two straight heading into Sunday’s game after reeling off seven consecutive wins. While the outcome can’t change their playoff position, they hope to build momentum for the postseason.

“We want to go out and win this game and get back to playing football the way we had when we were on our winning streak,” Johnson said. “We need to come out and eliminate those mistakes that we’ve been having for the past couple of weeks.”

Johnson has finished with more than 1,200 yards receiving the each of the past three seasons, including a career-high 1,575 in 2008. He has 31 receptions for 471 yards and two touchdowns this season while missing the most games in his career.

What do you guys think about this.

Titans cling to playoff hopes, while Texans seek…

info — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 03:51:18 +0000

HOUSTON – The Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans have different objectives in mind heading into Sunday’s regular-season finale.

For the Titans (8-7), the goal is clear-cut — win at Reliant Stadium and then hope for the magic combination of losses involving Cincinnati, Denver, Oakland and the New York Jets to earn their first playoff berth since 2008.

And that would set up a rematch with the Texans in the first round of the post-season right back in Houston.

“If we don’t take care of our business, there will be no scoreboard watching,” kicker Rob Bironas said. “We’ll be on the couch watching — for all of January.”

For the Texans (10-5), the incentive is more intangible — regaining the momentum they seem to have lost in two consecutive defeats after reeling off seven straight wins to clinch their first AFC South title.

Houston has nothing at stake in terms of post-season positioning. The Texans are locked into the No. 3 seed in the AFC, and will host a game on the first weekend of the playoffs, no matter what happens.

But no one in the locker room wants to go into the franchise’s first post-season game riding a losing streak.

“This game is more important than most people will ever know,” defensive end Antonio Smith said. “You think that since it doesn’t hurt us or help us as far as the playoff run, that it doesn’t matter.

“You’ve got to be firing on all cylinders when you go into the playoffs,” he said. “If not, man, ain’t no telling what will happen.”

The Texans kick-started their regular season with a 41-7 victory in Nashville on Oct. 23. They stayed in first place for the rest of the regular season, despite playing most of their games without star receiver Andre Johnson.

The five-time Pro Bowl selection has been practicing this week, and coach Gary Kubiak expects Johnson to play in the finale. Johnson sat out six games with a right hamstring injury that required minor surgery, started the next two games and then strained his left hamstring. He’s been sidelined for the last three games, and he’s eager to see some action on Sunday, just so he can regain some stamina and timing.

“I’m excited,” Johnson said. “I feel like I haven’t played football all year. It’ll be fun to get back out there and run around a little bit.”

Houston also hopes to have defensive co-ordinator Wade Phillips back calling the plays, but from the press box instead of on the sideline. Phillips, 64, returned to practice this week after undergoing kidney and gall bladder surgery on Dec. 15.

“It’s awesome to have him back,” rookie outside linebacker Brooks Reed said. “He just has that personality where no matter what goes wrong, he’s always calm and I think that is kind of contagious throughout.”

The Titans, meanwhile, only have flickering playoff hopes because of a 23-17 victory over Jacksonville last week. They lost to the previously winless Colts on Dec. 18, a setback that now looms large.

And they also remember how the Texans manhandled them on their home field, holding Tennessee to 148 yards and 11 first downs. Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck conceded that the Titans took their divisional rivals too lightly the first time around.

“I think we probably underestimated how good they were physically,” Hasselbeck said. “They’re one of the premier teams in the NFL this year and it just hasn’t been the case sometimes in the past.

“They were fantastic that game we played against them here,” he said. “They were making plays all over the field in all phases and they really took it to us. I think that’s probably the toughest game we’ve played this year in terms of just, we were feeling one thing and they really disrupted what our thoughts were and took it to us.”

Chris Johnson rushed for only 18 yards in that game, but he’s had three 100-yard games since, all Tennessee victories. Johnson needs only 14 yards rushing on Sunday to reach 1,000 yards for the fourth consecutive season.

“We’re fully aware that he can just break out any time,” Reed said, “and we just need to secure edges and just make sure he doesn’t get out in too many open spaces because that’s where he’s dangerous.”

The Texans’ running backs dominated the earlier meeting.

Arian Foster and Ben Tate both went over 100 yards, and Foster also had 100 yards receiving. Foster, named to the Pro Bowl for the second straight season, has seven 100-yard games this year and has topped 100 yards rushing in Houston’s last two season finales, both victories.

Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news.

My Week 17 Picks for the AFC South Division: A…

info — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 23:44:00 +0000

In week 16, I posted a 1-1 mark with my predictions for the AFC South division. The Tennessee Titans made me look good in beating the Jacksonville Jaguars, but the Houston Texans were surprisingly beaten by the Indianapolis Colts. Despite just a 2-3 record over the past two weeks, my overall record still stands at a respectable 34-14. Here is a look at how I think the teams in the division will fare against one another in the last week of the 2011 NFL season.

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Indianapolis Colts:

As mentioned earlier, the Indianapolis Colts earned their second straight win, knocking off the Houston Texans 19-16. Dan Orlovsky played efficient, completing 23-of-41 passes for 244 yards and a touchdown, while the ground game totaled just 95 yards on 32 rushing attempts. Reggie Wayne also had a solid game for the Colts, hauling in eight catches for 106 yards, including the game-winning touchdown.

On the other side, we have a Jaguars’ team, who played the Titans close last week, but still came up a bit short. With rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert struggling, Maurice Jones-Drew has been forced to shoulder the offensive load for a majority of the season. Last week, Drew rushed for 103 yards on 24 attempts and caught six passes for 21 yards, while Gabbert threw for 198 yards, completing just 50 percent of his 42 passing attempts.

This game is difficult to predict because the Colts have been terrible against the run this season, which should favor the Jaguars. However, in week 15, they limited Chris Johnson to under 60 yards en route to their first victory on the season. In week 16, they gave up 158 yards to Arian Foster and the result was still a victory. I haven’t picked the Colts often this year, but I will give them the edge this week, especially if they do a good job of containing Jones-Drew.

Houston Texans vs. Tennessee Titans:

Two weeks ago, the Texans were 10-3 and were a strong contender for the top seed in the AFC. However, following two straight losses to the Carolina Panthers and the Colts, they have to settle for the third seed. With that being said, the Texans will probably be more concerned with resting their starters for the postseason instead of winning this game. The Titans on the other hand, will have a sense of urgency in this match-up because they still have a slim chance of making the playoffs. With that being said, I think the Titans will emerge victorious in this one.

James Tillman is a resident of the Chicago-land area who has been an NFL fan for over 20 years. James is also a fan blogger on Yahoo Sports and NJFFL Dynasty. For interesting topics on the NFL, NBA and MLB, follow him on Twitter @jtillman9693.

Sources:

Week 17 NFL Picks and Predictions

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

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Texans defensive co-ordinator Wade Phillips back…

info — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 03:26:30 +0000

HOUSTON – Two weeks ago, Houston Texans defensive co-ordinator Wade Phillips cracked jokes about going on medical leave to have surgery on his kidney and gall bladder.

The 64-year-old Phillips returned to practice Wednesday in a more sombre mood, though he’s confident he’ll be able to work from the press box Sunday when Houston (10-5) plays Tennessee (8-7) in the regular-season finale.

“It’s good to be back,” Phillips said. “It’s not as funny now as it was before I was going in.

“I’m a little more sore than I thought I’d be. It’s taken a lot out of me, but I’m working my way back, doing what the doctors say.”

Phillips went on medical leave Dec. 14, and had surgery the next day. Linebackers coach Reggie Herring ran the defence in his absence, and the Texans lost their next two games.

The players got a pleasant surprise Monday when Phillips showed up at a meeting, and they got another emotional lift when he joined them on the practice field Wednesday.

“Even just seeing him out there and smiling and making calls,” linebacker Brian Cushing said, “I know that means a lot for him, as well.

“To be away from football like that, it really hurt him. For him to be back out there, all of us are just happier to see him out there.”

Phillips mingled with his players during the practice, but walked to the sideline late in the workout to sit on a golf cart with his father, Bum, the former coach of the Houston Oilers.

Phillips was in hospital for eight days, and says he’s only now getting back to eating regular food.

“I’m starting to feel better and better,” Phillips said. “I’ll feel good, and then all of a sudden, my energy level does go down a little bit.

“But that’ll get better as it goes.”

Houston’s defence has made a dramatic turnaround from 2010 in Phillips’ first season, ranking second overall (281 yards per game). The Texans have already set a single-season record for sacks (41) and rank 10th in takeaways (26).

Phillips said the hardest part of his recovery is over, and returning to his regular schedule this week has boosted his spirits.

“Once you get into your routine, once you get to start eating and start being with the players and with the team, in the meetings and so forth, then everything gets easier,” he said. “I’m just starting out, solid foods now.

“Once I get back to normal, which seems to be the case right now, that will get better and better.”

Coach Gary Kubiak visited Phillips in the hospital and was relieved to see him back on the field.

“Just for me, knowing what he went through, to see where he was then and where he’s at right now, it’s a great feeling,” Kubiak said. “It’s one thing you can’t take for granted in life, your health.

“It’s good to see him back out here, and I know we all appreciate it. The players are glad to see him back.”

Phillips said earlier this season he was getting too much credit for reviving a defence that ranked 30th overall last season (376.9 yards per game). Fired as coach of the Dallas Cowboys in the middle of last season, Phillips was hired last January, implemented a 3-4 alignment and moved Mario Williams to outside linebacker.

The defence showed instant improvement and was ranked No. 1 in the league for several weeks. But the unit gave up long touchdown drives in the fourth quarters of the two games he missed.

Phillips broke down film of the two games, and defensive end Antonio Smith said he downplayed his condition and got back to business Monday.

“He just told us the situation,” Smith said. “He told us about how he missed us and how he missed football most of all.

“And then he told us what he thought of the games he missed, because he said he watched all of them. And he told us what we need to do in the future.”

Smith said the Texans were keeping each other updated on Phillips’s condition throughout the last two weeks. Seeing him back at work, Smith said, has put everyone at ease this week.

“You can hear somebody tell you that somebody’s all right,” Smith said, “but when you see him talking and he’s in good spirits, it gives you an easier heart for the people who are really just worried about him as a person, and his health.

“That was good, just to see that he’s all right.”

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