HOUSTON — The Houston Texans signed safety Quintin Demps to add depth following Danieal Manning’s injury, and waived receiver/kick returner Trindon Holliday.

The 5-foot-11, 206-pound Demps was originally drafted by Philadelphia in the fourth round in 2008. He was waived in September 2010, signed with Houston two months later and then was cut at the end of training camp this year.

Manning broke his left fibula in Sunday’s 41-7 win at Tennessee. Coach Gary Kubiak says Manning will miss a minimum of four weeks.

The 5-5, 170-pound Holliday was drafted by the Texans in the sixth round of the 2010 draft. He was on the practice squad when this season began and was called up on Oct. 5, after Andre Johnson was injured.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP Photo/Joe Howell

Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson (28) fumbles as he is hit by Houston Texans linebacker Darryl Sharpton (51) in the first quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 23, 2011, in Nashville, Tenn. The Titans recovered the ball.

The Tennessee Titans spent their bye week trying to fix their run game.
Now, they have even more work to do.
The Titans finished with a season-low 148 yards on offense, Chris Johnson ran just 10 times for 18 yards and the defense missed tackles all over Sunday in a 41-7 rout by the Houston Texans.
Their second straight loss pushed the Titans (3-3) out of the AFC South lead and looking for answers.
“We’ve got to figure it out because you can’t play like this and beat anybody,” Titans coach Mike Munchak said.
The Titans managed only 14 yards of offense in the first quarter, while letting Arian Foster run for 48 of his 115 yards.
The Titans held the ball for just 22 minutes, 2 seconds and converted only 2 of 10 third downs. Matt Hasselbeck was intercepted twice with one returned for a TD, and he was surprised by the struggles after thinking the Titans were ready to play.
Backup running back Javon Ringer outgained Johnson with 31 yards rushing, and fans booed Johnson early and often.
Johnson said he was frustrated with the running struggles and that those who know football can tell what the problems are.
“I’m very confident that I’ve been doing the things that I’ve been having to do,” Johnson said. “It’s a situation where I continue to say that I can’t do anything but keep running hard and working hard and doing what I can for this team.”
Hasselbeck was 14 of 30 for 104 yards with a 38.8 passer rating, a big drop for a quarterback who had been the AFC’s second-rated passer behind only Tom Brady coming into the game.
But receiver Damian Williams, who replaced the injured Kenny Britt at starter, had headaches after hitting the ground on a long pass play attempt and missed the second half.
The game got out of hand and Titans rookie QB Jake Locker came in with 9:32 left and completed his lone pass for 12 yards for his first NFL completion.
The Texans (4-3) snapped a two-game skid even with Pro Bowl receiver Andre Johnson missing his third straight game and fullback James Casey his second because of injuries.
Foster ran for 115 yards and two touchdowns and added 119 more receiving with a 78-yard TD as the Texans took back the division lead from Tennessee.
He became the first Texan with 100 yards rushing and receiving in the same game. Matt Schaub threw for 296 yards and two TDs, and the Texans won in Nashville for the second time in three years.
“It’s big going forward for us to know that’s what we’re capable of as a team,” Schaub said.
Houston outgained the Titans 518-148 and had the ball for more than 37 minutes. Ben Tate ran for 104 yards, marking the first time the Texans have had two backs top 100 yards in the same game in their short history.
“It’s hard to run on the road, and it was a very big game,” Texans coach Gary Kubiak said. “We get a chance to win like that and to grasp it and play the way we played in the second half is what made me feel good.”
Tennessee managed to force Houston to punt on its first two drives. Then the missed tackles and penalties starting piling up as the Texans scored on six of the next seven possessions in blowing out their rival.
Neil Rackers started it with the first of two field goals. Danieal Manning’s interception pinned Houston at its own 13, but Schaub finished off an 87-yard drive with a 10-yard TD pass to Joel Dreessen midway through the second quarter.
Houston needed four plays on the next drive when Schaub rolled to his right, stopped and threw back across the field to Foster who caught the ball and easily outraced the Titans to finish off a 78-yard TD for a 17-0 lead.
Schaub had been banged up in the past two games. Against Tennessee, he had plenty of time to throw and was rarely touched.
Foster capped a 92-yard drive by leaping over the top for a 1-yard TD, giving the Texans a 27-0 lead late in the third quarter that was so big they couldn’t let it slip away as they did in the past two losses. He added a 5-yard run early in the fourth.
“I’m just starting to get back to my football shape,” Foster said.
Going no-huddle with Ringer in for Johnson helped the Titans avoid the shutout, and Hasselbeck capped the drive with a 5-yard TD pass to Jared Cook with 5:34 left in the third.

The Houston Texans seem to have a host of issues.

Mario Williams is out for the year, quarterback Matt Schaub is hurting, and the running game is sputtering. Most significantly, the Texans (3-3) have lost two in a row heading into a pivotal divisional matchup in Tennessee (3-2) this week.

Houston faltered in the fourth quarter for the second straight game on Sunday, losing 29-14 in Baltimore.

“We’ve been in two very tough games, and haven’t gotten it done,” coach Gary Kubiak said Monday. “But we come in here, we make our corrections, we’ve got to juggle some guys around because of some of the nicks we’ve got going on.

“We’re going to Tennessee to play in a huge game, for the division lead,” he said. “We’re getting over the disappointment of (Sunday) really fast, and we’re getting excited about playing this weekend.”

But the Texans are still four games from their bye week, and the health concerns seem to be mounting.

Schaub underwent an MRI exam on Monday, and Kubiak says he has a bruised chest and sore hip. Schaub was already playing with a sore throwing shoulder after taking some hard hits in Houston’s 25-20 loss to Oakland the previous week.

Kubiak says Schaub is “just banged up” and will likely sit out Wednesday’s practice.

“We need him on the field,” Kubiak said. “There’s not a break in sight right now, it’s a month away. We’ve just got to be smart with him. Throughout the week, if I’ve got to give him a break, a day a week, or two days a week. Matt can play without the practice. I’ve just got to be smart with him, but he is just very banged up right now, after six weeks.”

Kubiak is hoping Andre Johnson can return this week after missing two games with a right hamstring injury. Johnson’s workload will increase this week, Kubiak said, and his status for Sunday’s game will be determined later.

Johnson was injured in Houston’s 17-10 win over Pittsburgh in Week 4, and underwent a minor procedure to repair the hamstring.

“He made a lot of improvement last week,” Kubiak said. “I had a long talk with him on Saturday night. He’s feeling very, very good. I have a hard time saying (if he’ll play Sunday). Maybe there’s a chance he sees the practice field before the end of the week. If that’s the case, there’s always a chance. But we’ll have to wait and see.”

The Texans haven’t yet found a way to make up for Johnson’s absence.

Newly acquired Derrick Mason caught three passes for 27 yards in Baltimore, and Kevin Walter had six catches for 52 yards. Tight end Owen Daniels had two catches for 13 yards, but none after the second quarter.

Jacoby Jones, who took Johnson’s position, caught four passes for 76 yards in Baltimore, but he couldn’t get a first down on a short pass from Schaub with less than four minutes left.

“I think in some of these situations that we’ve been in, I hope these guys aren’t looking for him because he’s not out there,” Kubiak said. “Somebody else has got to step up and make that play. We’re in the situation we’re in until he gets back. We’ve got to find a way to work through it.”

And without Johnson, the running game has stalled, as well.

Houston still ranks seventh in rushing (126 yards per game), but 2010 NFL leading rusher Arian Foster has been bottled up since running for 155 yards in Houston’s 17-10 win over Pittsburgh in Week 4. He’s rushed for only 117 yards since — 68 against Oakland and 49 on Sunday.

Ben Tate, Foster’s backup, has only 61 yards in his last two games after topping 100 yards in the Texans’ first two games this season.

“First off, we’re not a bad running football team,” Kubiak said. “I think we’re seventh in the league, but our standard of running the ball is very high and I don’t think we’ve met the standard the last two weeks.

“Where are my concerns? My concern is with the group,” Kubiak said. “It’s not with the line. It’s not with the backs. It’s with everybody and I told the players, I just don’t think we’re doing the little things that we do that put us at the top of the league (last year), some of the little extra things we do work-wise, so I’m calling on them to get that done.”

Notes: S Dominique Barber will go on injured reserve after a sustaining a foot injury on Sunday. … Kubiak said S Danieal Manning (lower leg bruise) and LT Duane Brown (bruised knee) are day to day.

HOUSTON – Houston’s defence looked nothing like the sieve it was last year in a season-opening win over the Indianapolis Colts.

Sure, part of that has to do with the new 3-4 scheme, but players and coaches alike noticed a different feel to the unit.

Some call it confidence, others say it’s swagger, but however it’s termed, coach Gary Kubiak says it comes from the group knowing everyone can make plays.

Kubiak also believes the trust the players have in new defensive co-ordinator Wade Phillips has made a difference in their play.

“They’ve got a lot of confidence in the guy making the call when it’s third-and-5, that’s sending the defence in,” Kubiak said. “Overall, it’s just real upbeat right now and feeling good out of Week 1 and moving on to Week 2.”

Houston ranked 30th in the NFL in yards allowed last season with 377 and the 267.5 yards passing a game the Texans yielded was most in the league. The Texans face Miami on Sunday after allowing the fifth-fewest yards in the NFL last week.

Linebacker DeMeco Ryans loves the 3-4 scheme Phillips implemented when he was hired by the Texans in January after being fired as the head coach in Dallas when the Cowboys started 1-7.

“I think the mindset is everyone is just eager to do good,” Ryans said. “Everyone wants to be great in this defence, and this defence allows us to be more aggressive. Guys know what to do and how to do it, which allows us to play fast.”

The unit is focused on pressuring the quarterback, after ranking 23rd in sacks last season with 30. The Texans excelled at that task against the Colts, sacking Kerry Collins three times, which led to two fumbles.

Mario Williams, the top overall draft pick in 2006, moved from defensive end to outside linebacker this season and had two sacks against Indianapolis.

Phillips was impressed with Williams’ debut at linebacker and is sure he wasn’t alone.

“I think everybody in the country is, everybody that saw the game and all of our fans and certainly the coaches are,” he said. “The guy was a dominant player in the game and that’s what we’re looking for from him.”

Linebacker Brian Cushing thinks the push up front was the key in Houston’s improvement.

“I think the pressure’s obviously been a lot better, which has helped overall,” Cushing said. “I think any time you have a better pass rush and can get after the quarterback, it helps your overall defence, so that’s really benefited us so far.”

The Texans were encouraged by Cushing’s performance against the Colts, when he led the team with seven tackles. He had 133 tackles as a rookie in 2009, but finished with just 76 last year when he served a four-game suspension for testing positive for a banned substance.

He seems to have finally recovered from off-season knee surgery that kept him off the practice field for much of camp.

“He looks really good,” Kubiak said. “He’s playing very, very hard. The effort he played with last week, if he plays like that all year he’s going to lead a lot of things.”

Phillips said he doesn’t do anything special to build confidence in his players and there’s no secret to why his defence is so self-assured already.

“The guys have done a good job of learning their responsibilities and what they’re supposed to do and that’s part of it,” he said. “Then part of it is playing together and playing well. Our first group really played well in preseason and I think that helped our confidence going into the season.”

Houston has also been helped by the addition of defensive end J.J. Watt, a first-round draft pick this year, and perhaps more importantly, cornerback Johnathan Joseph and safety Danieal Manning, both picked up in free agency.

The pair is hoping to help turn around the league’s worst pass defence from a year ago. Joseph thinks Houston’s solid play against the Colts will give the group something to build on.

“I think it rolls over and it carries over, as well as does practice,” he said. “If you go out in practice and make plays, it carries over to the game just because it gives you confidence throughout the week that you can do the same thing on Sunday.”

Some call it confidence, others say it’s swagger, but however it’s termed, coach Gary Kubiak says it comes from the group knowing everyone can make plays.

Kubiak also believes the trust the players have in new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips has made a difference in their play.

“They’ve got a lot of confidence in the guy making the call when it’s third-and-5, that’s sending the defense in,” Kubiak said. “Overall, it’s just real upbeat right now and feeling good out of Week 1 and moving on to Week 2.”

Houston ranked 30th in the NFL in yards allowed last season with 377 and the 267.5 yards passing a game the Texans yielded was most in the league. The Texans face Miami on Sunday after allowing the fifth-fewest yards in the NFL last week.

Linebacker DeMeco Ryans loves the 3-4 scheme Phillips implemented when he was hired by the Texans in January after being fired as the head coach in Dallas when the Cowboys started 1-7.

“I think the mindset is everyone is just eager to do good,” Ryans said. “Everyone wants to be great in this defense, and this defense allows us to be more aggressive. Guys know what to do and how to do it, which allows us to play fast.”

The unit is focused on pressuring the quarterback, after ranking 23rd in sacks last season with 30. The Texans excelled at that task against the Colts, sacking Kerry Collins three times, which led to two fumbles.

Mario Williams, the top overall draft pick in 2006, moved from defensive end to outside linebacker this season and had two sacks against Indianapolis.

Phillips was impressed with Williams’ debut at linebacker and is sure he wasn’t alone.

“I think everybody in the country is, everybody that saw the game and all of our fans and certainly the coaches are,” he said. “The guy was a dominant player in the game and that’s what we’re looking for from him.”

Linebacker Brian Cushing thinks the push up front was the key in Houston’s improvement.

“I think the pressure’s obviously been a lot better, which has helped overall,” Cushing said. “I think any time you have a better pass rush and can get after the quarterback, it helps your overall defense, so that’s really benefited us so far.”

The Texans were encouraged by Cushing’s performance against the Colts, when he led the team with seven tackles. He had 133 tackles as a rookie in 2009, but finished with just 76 last year when he served a four-game suspension for testing positive for a banned substance.

He seems to have finally recovered from offseason knee surgery that kept him off the practice field for much of camp.

“He looks really good,” Kubiak said. “He’s playing very, very hard. The effort he played with last week, if he plays like that all year he’s going to lead a lot of things.”

Phillips said he doesn’t do anything special to build confidence in his players and there’s no secret to why his defense is so self-assured already.

“The guys have done a good job of learning their responsibilities and what they’re supposed to do and that’s part of it,” he said. “Then part of it is playing together and playing well. Our first group really played well in preseason and I think that helped our confidence going into the season.”

Houston has also been helped by the addition of defensive end J.J. Watt, a first-round draft pick this year, and perhaps more importantly, cornerback Johnathan Joseph and safety Danieal Manning, both picked up in free agency.

The pair is hoping to help turn around the league’s worst pass defense from a year ago. Joseph thinks Houston’s solid play against the Colts will give the group something to build on.

“I think it rolls over and it carries over, as well as does practice,” he said. “If you go out in practice and make plays, it carries over to the game just because it gives you confidence throughout the week that you can do the same thing on Sunday.”

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

But I’m joining the chorus and saying it anyway: If this team can’t win this division, it’ll be time for owner Bob McNair to crumple up the plan and aim it for the closest trash can.

The Texans have a championship-caliber quarterback, receiver, tight end and running back (maybe two or three of those) all working with a smart and skilled offensive line that understands how it needs to work.

Mindset is the only question mark on offense, starting with Matt Schaub’s ability to rise to big moments. Even if he’s only average in that category, with Peyton Manning out for at least the bulk of the season, Schaub is the best signal-caller in the division by a wide margin.

The Schaub-Andre Johnson-Arian Foster combination is among the league’s best. Who has a better trio?

Philadelphia perhaps, with Michael Vick-LeSean McCoy-DeSean Jackson. Maybe Matt Ryan-Roddy White-Michael Turner in Atlanta. If we sub tight ends for running backs, San Diego with Philip Rivers, Antonio Gates and Vincent Jackson is in the conversation as is Green Bay with Aaron Rodgers, Greg Jennings and Jermichael Finley.

[+] Enlarge

Troy Taormina/US PresswireThe Texans’ defense had an outstanding performance in its first game under coordinator Wade Phillips.

The revamped Houston defense was outstanding in the opener. Sure, much of that had to do with the Colts’ offense in its first game with Kerry Collins playing in place of Manning. But we saw all the elements of a defense that can win games — stout run defense, consistent pressure on the quarterback, quality coverage, the ability to cope with sudden-change situations.

One can see swagger and confidence in the body language of guys thrilled to be working under defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. I think he’s too low key, but it can clearly work for him as a coordinator. He has a way of keeping things simple and keeping the mood light, and players have bought in. I never sensed a similar feeling when Richard Smith or Frank Bush manned the post, though they obviously didn’t have the same quality of personnel Phillips will enjoy.

On special teams, Neil Rackers has a big leg that will make a lot of touchbacks and long field goals. Jacoby Jones and Danieal Manning can provide a jolt in the return game. Rookie punter Brett Hartmann isn’t proven yet but has a big leg.

The schedule is hardly a breeze, but look at the quarterbacks they could face: Collins twice, Chad Henne, Matt Hasselbeck twice (or maybe rookie Jake Locker), Luke McCown twice (or maybe rookie Blaine Gabbert), Colt McCoy, Andy Dalton and Cam Newton.

Houston’s been called a soft team, a finesse franchise. Not too many soft teams produce the NFL rushing champion the way this team produced Foster last season.

If the Texans’ offensive blocking scheme amounts to a finesse one, so be it. The Colts have won the division eight times in nine seasons with a lot of finesse. They’re fine with you insulting them over it while admiring their success.

The Texans can show their toughness this season in how they stand up to Pittsburgh on Oct. 2 and at Baltimore on Oct. 16 and in how they fare in their games with the Jaguars.

The Colts’ issues should be a huge assist for the Texans, as will the fact that the Titans and Jaguars are trying to stay afloat with temporary quarterbacks while developing top-10 draft picks in Locker and Gabbert. Although both teams may be ascending, their talent doesn’t match Houston’s.

If the Texans can make it through the first three-fourths of the season with a good record and in good health, they should be golden with a home stretch against Cincinnati (away), Carolina, Indianapolis (away) and Tennessee.

It sets up for success.

If this team folds under the expectations, if it cannot go get what’s so attainable, it’s going to have to be dismantled. It will require no more Mr. Nice Guy from McNair, who will have to part ways with a lot of nice guys he truly admires, starting with GM Rick Smith and coach Gary Kubiak. McNair will have no choice but to look for a different tone after a house cleaning.

I don’t think that’s how things will play out. I think Manning’s injury is a big break that opens the door, a door the Jaguars and Titans are not ready to approach. The Texans are more than talented enough to storm through it if they don’t complicate things. Run the ball. Work the play-action and bootleg game off of it. Rush the passer. Build from there as the season goes on and finish strong.

Watch pundits pick you to be a team that can do damage in the playoffs, and respond to it.

It sounds simple.

It just might be.

HOUSTON — Ben Tate gave Houston coach Gary Kubiak one less decision to make before Saturday night’s preseason game against New Orleans.

Tate, a second-round pick in 2010, rushed for 95 yards and a touchdown in his first game action in more than a year, and Arian Foster ran for two more scores in Houston’s 27-14 win over the Saints.

Tate broke his ankle in the first preseason game last year, had surgery and went on injured reserve. He’s missed several practices in a training camp this year with a hamstring injury, and Kubiak began to worry that Tate wasn’t getting enough snaps to be ready for the regular season.

But Tate, vying for the backup role behind Foster, told Kubiak that he’d be ready for Saturday’s game, and showed enough in Thursday’s practice to convince his coach.

“I was excited, we all are,” Kubiak said. “It’s been a rough go for him, and he’s missed a lot of time. He came and saw me and said, ‘Coach, I’m going to play against New Orleans. I’ve just got to get this thing right.’ He was ready to go and played extremely well.”

Tate had a 4-yard touchdown and gained 43 yards on another run in the second quarter.

“I was just excited, to be honest,” Tate said. “It’s been over a year since I have been out there on the field, so I wasn’t really thinking about anything. I was just excited and just thinking, ‘keep going, keep going.’ I didn’t want to come out of the game for anything.”

The Texans scored on their first four possessions and produced 323 yards and 19 first downs in the first half. Houston finished with 436 total yards, a franchise record for a preseason game. Matt Schaub completed 12 of 16 passes for 163 yards and Andre Johnson caught four passes for 100 yards for Houston (2-0).

The Saints’ defense took a step backward after allowing only 234 yards in last week’s 24-3 win over San Francisco.

“They (the Texans) did a good job with their execution and they whipped us,” Saints coach Sean Payton said. “It was pretty evident. So we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

Drew Brees went 7 for 14 for 109 yards in a little more than quarter of action for the Saints (1-1). Chase Daniel threw a long TD pass to rookie Joseph Morgan and 2011 first-round pick Mark Ingram had a touchdown run in the first half for New Orleans.

The Saints produced 331 yards, but gave away three turnovers.

“It was just far too many inconsistencies for our liking,” Payton said. “I thought we weren’t as ready maybe as I thought we were the last week we played. I thought we were sluggish and I thought they looked sharp.”

Houston’s defense played well again in its second outing employing Wade Phillips’ 3-4 scheme. The Texans had seven sacks in the opener against the Jets, and defensive end Antonio Smith hit Brees on the Saints’ first series, causing a fumble. Mario Williams pounced in the loose ball at the Houston 28.

Schaub went 4 for 4 on the Texans’ first drive, including a 23-yarder to Johnson. Foster ran the last 15 yards of the drive on three carries, scoring with 6:04 left in the first quarter.

Schaub started Houston’s next series with a play-action fake and a perfect 48-yard pass down the middle to Johnson. On second down, Foster burst through a big hole, sidestepped safety Paul Oliver and ran into the end zone.

“Whenever a team gets you early and punctures you, we’ve got to be able to stop the bleeding,” Saints safety Roman Harper said. “We did not stop them like we needed to, did not force field goals like we needed to.”

Brees completed a 43-yard pass to Robert Meachem to the Texans’ 8, and Ingram scored on fourth down from 1 to make it 14-7.

Neil Rackers kicked a 49-yard field goal for a 17-7 Houston lead. Daniel replaced Brees on the Saints’ second series of the second quarter, and promptly threw a 56-yard touchdown pass to Morgan, who beat Houston safety Danieal Manning on the play.

There is more arbitrary ranking news for Houston Texans fans today as the Madden NFL 12 ratings for your pre-free agency Texans roster has been released. I won’t go over the entire rankings, but you can see those here. After the jump, I’ll touch on my issues with the rankings.

– All-Pro wide receiver Andre Johnson a mere 97? What a tragedy! Clearly, the best receiver in the league should be an unstoppable 99. What? I’m making a mountain out of a 2-point molehill? Fine, well how about…

- No love for Kevin Walter or Joel Dresseen. Both toil in the 70s. I don’t see why Walter’s a 78 overall when most of his stats are in the 80s. Given his few drops, Walter’s hands are probably underrated. Dresseen at 70 overall over is a shame when he showed himself to be a starting-caliber tight end last year. Given the similarity in stats to Indianapolis back-up tight end Jacob Tamme (631 yards and four touchdowns for Tamme to Dresseen’s 518 yards and four touchdowns), Dresseen should be significantly higher than what he currently is.

- The All-Pro backfield represents properly as Arian Foster and Vonta Leach rate in at 92 and 91 respectively. It’s a very nice show of respect for Foster who dominated in 2010. As for those who are wondering what it looks like with a roster update, Lawrence Vickers has a 90 rating and will keep the fullback position as a strength on the team.

- The starting line chimes in with two starters below 80. Chris Myers (79) and Mike Brisiel (75) are the two culprits are are hampered by speed and pass blocking. It’s probably more unfair to Myers who had an outstanding season last year as the centerpiece to one of the league’s best lines.

- Aside from the strongside linebackers, Mario Williams, Brian Cushing, and DeMeco Ryans average a near-88 rating. They’ll be the strength of this virtual defense despite all the real life questions about health and position transitions.

- For a rookie, J.J. Watt’s 80 overall rating is an impressive stat. His team-leading 91 in block shedding also sounds spot on according to his eye-opening start to camp.

- With no cornerback above 75 (Kareem Jackson and Jason Allen), Johnathan Joseph will be a welcome addition with his 89 overall rating and 95 speed and acceleration. Danieal Manning, whose rating is unrevealed as of today, should be better than Bernard Pollard’s 80 rating at safety.

Overall, The Texans are a force on offense and players who choose them will be looking to put up the points. Unlike seasons past, there aren’t too many gripes about the ratings. For every underrated player (like Myers) we have someone who was spotted some generous points (like Kareem Jackson at 75). When the rosters get updated online, the Texans should come out looking much stronger than they sit now.

As in real life, the only questionable spots are at nose tackle, strongside linebacker, and second starting cornerback where Houston is depending on the improvement of young Earl Mitchell, Connor Barwin, and Kareem Jackson.

Madden NFL 12 will be available in stores on August 30, 2011.

“You’ve got to stay positive, because it’s a hard assignment and bad things happen, even when you’re playing good,” Joseph said Sunday. “Somebody’s got to be there supporting them, and it’s got to be me, as their coach.

“This is a young group, they want to do well, they want to be great,” he said, “so there’s no reason not to be positive.”

The Texans allowed 267.5 yards passing per game and 33 touchdown passes last season. They drafted cornerbacks Brandon Harris (Miami) and Roc Carmichael (Virginia Tech), then picked up free agents Johnathan Joseph and Danieal Manning to bring experience that the group lacked in 2010.

“They’ve been around good secondaries, they know how it should look,” Vance Joseph said. “They can push these guys, show them how to practice, show them how to prepare, how to think through it.

“We’ve also got two guys who are in the primes of their careers,” he said. “That’s strange. Teams drafted these guys pretty high, and now we get them at only the second stage of their careers? All the bad things, the bad habits are behind them. All their good football is still ahead.”

One of Johnathan Joseph’s first directives when he arrived was talking to cornerback Kareem Jackson, last year’s first-round pick who often took the sharpest criticism for the secondary’s problems.

Joseph, a first-round pick by Cincinnati in 2006, reassured Jackson that just about every NFL rookie struggles and that cornerback is one of the hardest positions for a young player to learn. Joseph did not intercept a pass in his first season, but has 14 picks in his four seasons since.

“We’ve all had those same growing pains,” Johnathan Joseph said. “I’m sure, from talking to him (Jackson),that it’s behind him. He comes out here every day confident, and it doesn’t bother him at all. In this league, you have to have a short memory, which he understands.”

Jackson doesn’t want to forget 2010 entirely. If anything, he says remembering the backlash from fans and media provides perfect motivation.

“For having a year like that last year, no one wants to go through that,” Jackson said, “so everybody is committed to what we’re doing. So we’re just coming out and working hard every day just trying to get it done.”

Vance Joseph, hired in the offseason after six years in San Francisco, says the main issue for Jackson and Houston’s other defensive backs last year was faulty technique. He’s focused on footwork and fundamentals through the first few days of practice, and never misses a chance to point out improvement.

“Nice job, GQ, that was perfect,” he said after third-year safety Glover Quin made a play during a practice last week.

“Nice, Brice, you were in great shape there,” he told third-year cornerback Brice McCain after McCain broke up a pass.

The Texans’ defensive backs also benefit from facing All-Pro receiver Andre Johnson and one of the league’s top passing offenses every day in practice. Johnson was back at work on Sunday after missing four days with a dislocated left index finger.

Johnson leaped over McCain to catch a touchdown pass on Sunday, then made a one-handed grab on a deep sideline route with Jackson covering him.

While Vance Joseph wants his players to learn to shake off the sting of big plays, he wants them to learn something from each one.

“You can’t totally forget, because bad things happen for a reason,” Vance Joseph said. “You’ve got to be coachable, you’ve got to listen and be ready to fix it. Your best defensive backs are consistent players. They’re the same all the time. When you have young kids who are great players, but on four or five plays, they’re not their best, bad things happen. Consistency is the key.”

Johnathan Joseph says he’s already seen progress and likes the mentality of the group.

“We go into the film room, we correct things and then you see them come out here and translate that to the field,” he said. “I think that’s the most important key thing, because those guys are listening. You want guys to listen at this level, because if you don’t listen, and you don’t bring it to the field, it won’t do you any good at all.”

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

HOUSTON (AP)—The Houston Texans cut 2007 first-round pick Amobi Okoye(notes),
along with quarterback Dan Orlovsky(notes) and receiver David Anderson(notes) on Saturday.

Okoye was 19 when he was drafted 10th overall, the youngest player ever
taken in the first round.

Orlovsky played in only one game in two seasons in Houston and did not
complete a pass. He signed a three-year contract with Houston in March 2009, and
was Matt Schaub’s(notes) backup in 2010.

Anderson has played all five of his seasons in Houston, and caught 11 passes
for 117 yards in 2010.

The team also announced Saturday that it had signed undrafted free agent
Darius Morris, an offensive tackle out of Temple.

The Texans open training camp on Sunday. The cuts come the day after the
team introduced cornerback Johnathan Joseph(notes) and safety Danieal Manning(notes), two
free-agent acquisitions brought in to help improve the league’s worst pass
defense.

New defensive coordinator Wade Phillips is implementing a 3-4 defensive
alignment, and the Texans apparently thought the 6-foot-2, 315-pound Okoye
wasn’t a good fit for it. The former Louisville star disappointed after a strong
rookie year, when he made 32 tackles, including 5 1-2 sacks.

Okoye had a career-high 44 tackles in 2010, including three sacks, but the
Texans’ defense ranked at or near the bottom of the league in virtually every
defensive category. Houston used six of its eight draft picks on defensive
players, and Phillips plans to use Shaun Cody(notes) and Earl Mitchell(notes) at nose tackle,
leaving Okoye out of the mix.

Orlovsky worked with starting quarterback Matt Schaub and other teammates
during the lockout.

But the Texans drafted North Carolina quarterback T.J. Yates(notes) in the fifth
round, then re-signed Matt Leinart(notes) this week, making Orlovsky the odd man out on
the depth chart. Orlovsky was a fifth-round pick by Detroit in 2005 and played
10 games in 2008, when the Lions finished 0-16.

Anderson was drafted by the Texans in the seventh round in 2006, out of
Colorado State. He also returned punts and played on special teams in Houston.

Also gone from last year’s roster are linebacker Zac Diles(notes), who joined St.
Louis, and punter Matt Turk(notes), who agreed to terms with Jacksonville.

Houston is still trying to re-sign free agent fullback Vonta Leach(notes), an
All-Pro in 2010. The 6-foot, 255-pound Leach was the lead blocker for Arian
Foster(notes), the NFL’s leading rusher in 2010 with 1,616 yards.