CAROLINA PANTHERS 28
HOUSTON TEXANS 13
Paid Attendance: 71,540

THE TEXANS…
· Set the franchise single-season sack record with the 38th of the year when NT Earl Mitchell tackled Carolina QB Cam Newton for no gain in the first quarter, breaking the previous mark of 37 set in 2005. The Texans entered the game with 36 sacks on the year.

· Trailed at the end of the first quarter, at halftime and through three quarters for the second consecutive week and the third time this season in each instance. Houston fell to 1-2 in all three instances.

· Were shut out in the first half for the first time this season.

· Scored on their opening drive of the second half for the eighth time this season and for the second consecutive week when K Neil Rackers booted a 26-yard field goal.

· Team captains were C Chris Myers on offense; ILB Brian Cushing, ILB DeMeco Ryans and DE Antonio Smith on defense; and K Neil Rackers representing the special teams.

· The Texans won the toss and elected to receive.

· Total paid attendance was 71,540, which was the third-largest crowd this season and third-largest in team history. The Houston Texans have sold out all 99 home games, including preseason and regular-season contests, in franchise history.

G THOMAS AUSTIN
· Made his professional debut, taking the field with the kickoff return unit on the opening kickoff.

OLB CONNOR BARWIN
· Sacked Carolina QB Cam Newton for a 10-yard loss on the Panthers’ opening drive, giving him 10.5 for the year. Barwin became the second Texan to notch double-digit sacks in a season, joining Mario Williams, who did so in 2007 and 2008.

G ANTOINE CALDWELL
· Made his first start of the season at RG. He started seven games in 2010, including the last three games of the season.

ILB BRIAN CUSHING
· Led the team with 12 tackles, including nine solos and one tackle for loss. It was the 10th game this season in which Cushing led the team or tied for the team lead in tackles.

TE OWEN DANIELS
· Extended his streak of consecutive games played with a reception to 67 on a 17-yard reception in the third quarter.

FS QUINTIN DEMPS
· Returned a fourth-quarter kickoff 50 yards. It was his longest kick return as a Texan and his longest since 11/23/08 when he had a 100-yard return for a touchdown at Baltimore as a Philadelphia Eagle.

RB ARIAN FOSTER
· Surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for the second consecutive season on is seventh carry of the game, a gain of 18. The run gave him 1,010 yards on the year, making him the second player in team history to top 1,000 rushing yards in consecutive season along with Domanick Williams in 2003-04.

· Became the fifth player in NFL history to surpass 1,000 rushing yards and 600 receiving yards in consecutive seasons. He topped 600 receiving yards on the year with his fifth catch of the day, a 22-yard gain in the fourth quarter, which gave him 601 yards on the season.

· Went over 100 yards for the sixth time this season and the 14th time in his career. He topped the century mark on a 6-yard gain in the fourth quarter, his 13th rush of the game, and finished with 109 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries.

· Scored his ninth rushing touchdown of the season and the 28th of his career when he dove into the end zone from 2 yards out. Foster has scored a rushing touchdown in eight of Houston’s last nine games.

WR BRYANT JOHNSON
· Doubled his season reception total with a pair of catches on Houston’s second drive. He entered the game with two receptions for 22 yards on the year and caught two passes for 23 yards on that drive.

WR JACOBY JONES
· Returned a third-quarter punt 42 yards. It was his fifth return of 40 or more yards this season.

WR JEFF MAEHL
· Made his NFL debut after being signed off of the Texans’ practice squad on Wednesday. Maehl saw his first action on the punt return unit in the first quarter.

NT EARL MITCHELL
· Registered his first sack of the season when he tackled Carolina QB Cam Newton for no gain in the first quarter. It was his second career sack.

K NEIL RACKERS
· Scored seven points in the game to increase his season total to 115, tying Kris Brown’s 2007 point total for the third-most in franchise history.

FB LAWRENCE VICKERS
· Caught his fourth pass of the game, a four-yarder in the third quarter, to set a career single-game high. Vickers’ previous high was three receptions on 11/4/07 vs. Seattle as a member of the Cleveland Browns.

DE J.J. WATT
· Tied a career high with seven tackles, including five solos, one tackle for loss and one quarterback hit. He also made seven tackles in Week 12 at Jacksonville (11/27).

QB T.J. YATES
· Completed his first eight pass attempts, gaining 60 yards on those throws. His ninth pass of the game was tipped at the line of scrimmage and fell incomplete.

· Finished the game 19-of-30 for 212 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions, giving him a passer rating of 56.5.

by Associated Press

khou.com

Posted on December 18, 2011 at 3:32 PM

Updated
today at 3:48 PM

HOUSTON — Cam Newton threw two touchdown passes, DeAngelo Williams ran for a score and the Carolina Panthers ended Houston’s seven-game winning streak with a 28-13 win over the Texans on Sunday.

Newton completed 13 of 23 passes for 149 yards, outplaying opposing rookie quarterback T.J. Yates. The Panthers (5-9) built a 21-0 halftime lead, then ended Houston’s second-half rally when linebacker James Anderson intercepted Yates in the end zone midway through the fourth quarter.

The Texans (10-4) are playing for home-field advantage in the playoffs after clinching the AFC South last weekend.

But their top-ranked defense looked vulnerable without coordinator Wade Phillips, who’s on medical leave after undergoing kidney and gall bladder surgery this week. Linebackers coach Reggie Herring made the defensive calls on Sunday.

Houston gave up only 316 yards, but Carolina converted two Texans turnovers into 14 points.

Arian Foster fumbled on the second snap, and Newton threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Steve Smith less than 3 minutes into the game. It was the third fumble lost by Foster this year, and Ben Tate came in for Houston’s second series.

Yates completed his first seven passes, but the Texans struggled to sustain drives against the league’s 24th-ranked defense.

Newton, meanwhile, completed passes at key moments, despite finishing with a season-low total in yards passing.

He shrugged off two early sacks to make pinpoint passes to Smith and Greg Olsen for big gains then found Jeremy Shockey for a 9-yard touchdown pass with 12:19 left in the half.

Yates made his first key mistake after getting Houston across midfield in the second quarter. Carolina linebacker Jordan Senn intercepted his off-target pass to Kevin Walter, and Newton calmly guided the Panthers down the field again.

Richie Brockel’s sweeping TD run finished a 9-play drive to put Carolina up 21-0 and the Texans faced their largest deficit of the season. The Panthers were also the first opponent to reach 20 points on Houston’s home field since the Texans lost 25-20 to Oakland in Week 5.

The Texans’ offense looked better in the third quarter, twice advancing into Carolina territory. But Yates threw incomplete on two third-down plays and Houston came away with only two field goals from Neil Rackers to cut the Panthers’ lead to 21-6.

Houston’s defense stiffened after the break, and Foster got the offense moving again with a weaving, 22-yard run to the Panthers 24. Yates zipped a pass to Walter to the 11, and Foster scored three plays later.

Carolina produced only 23 yards and one first down in the third quarter.

But Newton quieted the revived crowd with a 26-yard pass to Shockey early in the fourth. Williams sprinted 24 yards through a gaping hole on the next snap to put Carolina in front 28-13.

The Texans were looking for a quick answer, driving inside the Panthers 10 in less than 2 minutes. Anderson then picked off Yates in the end zone, and the rookie quarterback walked to the sideline with his head down.

Yates, making his third career start, completed 19 of 30 passes for 212 yards.

Newton and the Panthers chewed up the final 7 minutes to earn their first victory of the season over a team with a winning record. Newton also rushed for 55 yards on seven carries.

 

 

Right guard Mike Brisiel (broken right leg), cornerback Sherrick McManis and defensive end Tim Bulman are also inactive for Houston.

Cornerback Darius Butler (concussion), receiver Seyi Ajirotutu and kicker Adi Kunalic are among the inactive players for Carolina. The Panthers signed Kunalic this week after Olindo Mare missed a 36-yard kick in the fourth quarter of last week’s loss to Atlanta.

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

Pressed into action following injuries to Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart, Yates led the Texans to their first postseason berth last Sunday. He also became the first rookie quarterback in at least 20 years to lead game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime in each of his first two starts.

“Winning the last couple of games has been a wild experience,” Yates said, “just coming from where I was earlier in the season and all the stuff that’s happened to this team. It’s happened so fast, and how we’ve been able to keep it going, to keep winning. It’s been awesome.”

The Texans (10-3) play Carolina (4-9) on Sunday, with home-field advantage in the AFC playoffs within reach. And Yates has proven to his coaches and the team’s long-suffering fans that as long as he’s the quarterback, any goal seems possible.

Last week in Cincinnati, Houston trailed 19-10 in the fourth quarter before Yates engineered two 80-yard scoring drives in the final 5 1/2 minutes. His 6-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Walter with two seconds left tied it, and Neil Rackers’ extra-point kick gave Houston a 20-19 victory.

“Well, obviously a winning performance,” Houston coach Gary Kubiak said. “You don’t, as a quarterback in this league, go 80 (yards) twice. He took us 80-plus yards for the field goal and he took us 80 to win the game only the road. That’s exceptional, what he did.”

A week earlier, Yates orchestrated a 19-play, 85-yard touchdown drive for the decisive score in the fourth quarter of a 17-10 win over Atlanta. He’s the first rookie to guide winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime of his first two starts since at least 1991, according to STATS LLC.

“It’s very impressive,” Walter said. “He’s solid, he’s confident. He doesn’t look like he gets rattled out there. Everybody’s looking at him and he’s saying the right things, doing the right things.”

Yates made his pro debut three weeks ago, when Leinart broke his left collarbone in the second quarter against Jacksonville. Schaub was already out for the season with a right Lisfranc fracture.

The 24-year-old Yates hasn’t been perfect. He threw an interception in Cincinnati. He’s lost two fumbles and been sacked eight times. But he’s also run 11 times for 43 yards, including a 17-yard scramble on Sunday to keep the winning drive alive.

Walter, in his ninth season, says that even in pressure situations, Yates has never wavered in the huddle.

“You can tell some people, quarterbacks or any position, you can tell if they’re nervous or not,” Walter said. “But for him, you can tell he’s confident. He’s like, ‘Let’s go, it doesn’t matter if I’m a rookie or not, I’m still going to go out there and perform. I have a job to do, just like everybody else.’”

Pro scouts were aware of Yates before the draft. He set virtually every significant school passing record in four years at North Carolina, running an offense that’s virtually identical to the one Kubiak and the Texans use.

Yates threw a touchdown pass, Arian Foster rushed for 111 yards and Houston overcame another injury to Andre Johnson to beat Atlanta 17-10.

The Texans (9-3) have won a franchise-record six straight games, a remarkable feat considering they’re down to their third-string quarterback and have played the bulk of their streak without their star receiver.

“This is a league of talented players,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “First-teamers, second-teamers, third-teamers — I think we had the advantage on paper, but you’ve always got to go out and play the game. It doesn’t matter who was on the other side.”

Johnson left in the third quarter after hurting his left hamstring. He injured his right hamstring in Week 4, underwent minor surgery and sat out six games.

Coach Gary Kubiak said after the game that he was told the injury was not severe, but he couldn’t be certain until Johnson underwent tests Monday.

The Falcons (7-5) sputtered offensively much of the day and lost for just the second time in seven games. Houston’s top-ranked defense knocked down two passes by Matt Ryan in the end zone in the closing seconds.

“We had opportunities to make some plays and we didn’t make them,” Ryan said. “It’s disappointing.”

Atlanta hadn’t allowed a 100-yard rusher in its previous 14 games and entered having allowed the second-fewest yards rushing per game in the NFL.

“We figured they would run the ball (and) that is what they did,” Atlanta linebacker Curtis Lofton said. “They mixed the run with the pass and they kept us off guard. We really couldn’t pin our ears back and play solid defense.”

Yates was thrust into his pro debut last week in Jacksonville when Matt Leinart broke his collarbone. Leinart was starting in place of Matt Schaub, who broke his right foot in Houston’s previous game.

Smith wasn’t surprised that the Texans were able to play well with Yates at quarterback.

“It is a system offense,” Smith said. “It is based on the running game and, so, regardless of whom the quarterback is, there are the same actions.”

The Falcons couldn’t capitalize on Yates’ biggest mistake, either.

Early in the fourth quarter, linebacker Mike Peterson intercepted and returned for an apparent touchdown on the second play of the fourth quarter. But cornerback Dunta Robinson and linebacker Sean Weatherspoon were both called for defensive holding.

Foster kept the drive going with a 12-yard scamper and finished the 19-play march with a 1-yard run with 6:05 left.

Then it was up to the Texans’ defense to finish.

Atlanta got the ball back with 59 seconds left, and Ryan threw a deep pass to Julio Jones to the Texans 25. But Ryan overthrew Roddy White in one corner of the end zone and Kareem Jackson swatted away a pass to Jones in the other corner as time expired.

“I had the opportunity to make that play and I just had to come up with the catch at the end,” Jones said.

Ryan completed 20 of 46 passes for 267 yards, but also threw two interceptions.

Johnson pulled in a 50-yard pass from Yates to the Atlanta 5 in the second quarter. Yates then snapped a quick pass to Joel Dreessen for his first career TD.

Ryan completed three passes to Tony Gonzalez to get the Falcons moving. Atlanta drove and finished with a 19-yard field goal by Matt Bryant.

Yates took a hard hit from John Abraham early in the third quarter, but Abraham was disappointed they weren’t able to disrupt him more.

“It was our fault for not getting him down,” Abraham said. “We got a few good pressures on him. But there’s a difference between making him move and making him take hits and getting him on the ground. We didn’t get him on the ground that much. He did a good job.”

Ryan kick-started Atlanta’s best drive of the game with an 18-yard pass to Gonzalez. Jones made an over-the-shoulder catch to the Houston 4, and Ryan found White wide-open for the tying score with 1:46 left in the third quarter.

Notes: Gonzalez has a catch in 175 consecutive games, the league’s longest active streak. Gonzalez also reached 60 receptions for the 13th consecutive season, an NFL record. … The Texans had a positive turnover ratio (plus-1) for the eighth time in 12 games. … Houston has already matched its highest single-season wins total (9-7 in 2009).

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

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) – If the Houston Texans are going to make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, they probably will have to do it with their third-string quarterback.

Matt Leinart injured his throwing shoulder Sunday at Jacksonville, overshadowing Houston’s 20-13 victory against the offensively inept Jaguars.

Leinart may have broken his collarbone, although coach Gary Kubiak said initial X-rays were inconclusive.

“There’s a pretty strong possibility I probably won’t be coming back this season,” Leinart said.

Arian Foster ran for 65 yards and a score, Leinart delivered a perfect touchdown pass to Joel Dreessen before leaving the game and the Texans (8-3) sacked Blaine Gabbert six times. It was good enough for their fifth consecutive win, which moved them a little closer to clinching the AFC South.

But Leinart’s shoulder injury appears to be a serious setback.

The Texans already lost starter Matt Schaub for the season with a right foot injury. Now, they are down to T.J. Yates and newly signed Kellen Clemens.

Yates completed 8 of 15 passes for 70 yards in relief of Leinart, doing just enough to help the Texans beat the Jaguars (3-8). Houston managed just two first downs in the second half.

Jacksonville’s quarterback situation is a mess, too.

Coach Jack Del Rio benched Gabbert in the fourth quarter. Luke McCown led the team to a late field goal, but his fourth-down pass with about a minute remaining fell incomplete.

Leinart and Schaub stood next to each other for the final snaps, Leinart in a sling and Schaub in a walking boot.

Leinart, making his first start in two years, was hit hard by defensive end Jeremy Mincey late in the second quarter. Leinart completed 10 of 13 passes for 57 yards and a touchdown, a 20-yard pass to Dreessen under heavy pressure. He got hurt on the next possession.

Yates replaced him and drove the Texans into position for a field goal that put them ahead 20-10 at halftime.

That was enough to beat Jacksonville, which outgained Houston 255-215 in total yards.

McCown, named the starter five days before the season opener and then benched after two games, replaced Gabbert for the final two series. But he failed to do enough for a comeback.

McCown was 7 of 11 passing for 62 yards. Gabbert was 13 of 29 for 136 yards, with an interception.

The Texans finished with seven sacks, four of them coming from Connor Barwin.

Maurice Jones-Drew was the lone bright spot for Jacksonville’s offense. He ran 18 times for 99 yards and caught four passes for 67 more.

Tight end Marcedes Lewis, all alone in the end zone, dropped a pass that would have put Jacksonville ahead 14-7 in the second quarter. Instead, the Jaguars had to settle for a short field goal and a 10-7 lead.

Jacksonville’s only touchdown came on Ashton Youboty’s 38-yard fumble return on the opening series. Foster fumbled for the first time in 172 carries this season, coughing up the ball on Paul Posluszny’s tackle.

Foster bounced back with a 43-yard gain on the next possession and later scored on a 1-yard plunge. It was his fifth consecutive game with a rushing touchdown.

Neil Rackers made it 17-10 with a franchise record-tying 53-yard field goal into a stiff breeze. Jacksonville’s Josh Scobee missed a 55-yard attempt, which gave the Texans a short field for Yates.

Andre Johnson, back in the starting lineup after missing several games because of a hamstring injury caught two passes for 22 yards.

TAMPA, Fla. — The streaking Houston Texans are gaining confidence by the victory.

The AFC South leaders pummeled the reeling Tampa Bay Buccaneers 37-9 on Sunday with Matt Schaub throwing for two long touchdowns, Arian Foster, Ben Tate and Derrick Ward each running ran for scores, and the NFL’s No. 1-ranked defense delivering another strong performance.

“We’re playing well as a team,” Schaub said after the Texans (7-3) won their fourth straight with star receiver Andre Johnson sidelined by hamstring injury, matching a franchise mark set in 2009 to head into their bye week with their best-ever record through 10 games.

“We have some playmakers on this offense,” the quarterback added. “Defensively, we’re playing really well. They’re holding teams, making them turn the ball over. They’re just playing exceptional football.”

Jacoby Jones filled in for Johnson with an 80-yard TD reception on the first play from scrimmage and Foster turned a short pass into his second 78-yard scoring reception of the season for Houston.

A defense that’s made a dramatic turnaround under coordinator Wade Phillips had four sacks, three interceptions and recovered a fumble.

The Texans lead their division by 1 1-2 games over second-place Tennessee and may get Johnson, who’s been sidelined six weeks, back when they travel to Jacksonville in two weeks. After losing two straight without Schaub’s favorite target, Houston has put together an impressive winning streak by getting contributions from a lot of different players.

The bye figures to give others a chance to get healthy, too.

“It was important today that we got to this point,” coach Gary Kubiak said. “We’ve been working really hard. … We had five or six players that missed a whole week of practice, and they lined up and played. ‘We’ve got a good team thing going on right now.”

The Bucs (4-5), on the other hand, have lost three straight and four of five following a 3-1 start.

Josh Freeman threw three interceptions and was sacked four times, and Tampa Bay’s offense didn’t get into the end zone until the fourth quarter for the second game in a row. Defensively, the Bucs tackled poorly and yielded 268 yards in the opening half and 420 overall.

“Terrible game. Completely, put the blame on me for this one. … We started the game just like we finished it,” Tampa Bay coach Raheem Morris said. “Poor job by myself. I’ll take complete responsibility for that. I refuse to believe that our guys are that bad, so it has to be my fault.”

Houston, which is ranked No. 1 in total defense for the first time, has limited opponents to just over 10 points per game during its winning streak. After limiting the Titans, Jaguars and Browns to fewer than 175 yards the previous three weeks, the Texans held Tampa Bay to 231.

Foster and Tate each ran for over 100 yards to key last week’s 30-12 victory over Cleveland. They weren’t as successful running this time, however the Texans did finish with 185 yards on the ground. Foster gained 84 on 17 carries and Tate wound up with 63 on 13 carries, including an 11-yard TD burst to make it 37-9 with under six minutes remaining.

“With winning comes a winning mind-set, and believing in each other keeps that positive energy flowing,” Texans defensive end Antonio Smith said. “I think everybody is in on it from top to bottom.”

Tampa Bay scored on Connor Barth’s 55-yard field goal on the final play of the first half and didn’t get into the end zone until Freeman threw a 9-yard TD pass to Preston Parker early in the fourth quarter. Defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth made his debut for the Bucs, blocking an extra point after Houston’s first touchdown and finishing with five tackles.

The two-time Pro Bowl selection was released by New England on Tuesday, claimed off waivers Wednesday and practiced with his new team for the first time on Thursday. Gerald McCoy’s season-ending injury left the Bucs thin on the offensive line, and with backup Frank Okam still sidelined by a sore calf, the 350-pound Haynesworth moved into the starting lineup.

A week after rushing for a club-record 261 yards during a 30-12 victory over Cleveland, the Texans came out throwing on a Bucs defense that has struggled to stop the run and had to honor Schaub’s play-action fakes. A wide-open Jacoby Jones caught an underthrown ball at the Tampa Bay 45 on the first play, cut back to his left between safeties Tanard Jackson and Sean Jones and sprinted to the end zone to finish Houston’s longest scoring play of the season.

Foster’s long TD reception nearly covered as much ground and also involved some nifty running after the catch. The third-year running back took a short throw from Schaub, broke a tackle and headed up the left sideline before cutting inside near midfield to avoid Sean Jones and easily outrun the remaining pursuit.

Houston’s first three scoring drives covered 80, 80 and 90 yards. Foster had four receptions for 102 yards, and missed going over 100 yards rushing when he had a 39-yard gain wiped out by a penalty in the fourth quarter.

Schaub only attempted three passes after halftime, finishing 11 of 15 for 242 yards and no interceptions. One apparent pick at the Tampa Bay goal line was reversed following a replay review that showed that intended receiver Derrick Mason jarred the ball loose from Talib before the Bucs cornerback gained control. Neil Rackers kicked a 22-yard field goal on the next play for a 9-0 lead.

Freeman completed 15 of 35 passes for 170 yards. The Texans limited LeGarrette Blount to 34 yards rushing on 10 attempts.

“The last three weeks have been tough. We haven’t won in about a month,” Morris said. “The guys right now are not playing well, and we’ve got to find a way to get better.”

Notes: Schaub has thrown 10 TD passes and just one interception in five road games. . … Brian Cushing, Brice McClain and Quintin Demps had Houston’s interceptions. … Bucs backup DE George Johnson injured his knee late in the first half and did not return.

TAMPA, Fla. – The streaking Houston Texans are gaining confidence by the victory.

The AFC South leaders pummelled the reeling Tampa Bay Buccaneers 37-9 on Sunday with Matt Schaub throwing for two long touchdowns, Arian Foster, Ben Tate and Derrick Ward each running for scores, and the NFL’s No. 1-ranked defence delivering another strong performance.

“We’re playing well as a team,” Schaub said after the Texans (7-3) won their fourth straight with star receiver Andre Johnson sidelined by hamstring injury, matching a franchise mark set in 2009 to head into their bye week with their best-ever record through 10 games.

“We have some playmakers on this offence,” the quarterback added. “Defensively, we’re playing really well. They’re holding teams, making them turn the ball over. They’re just playing exceptional football.”

Jacoby Jones filled in for Johnson with an 80-yard TD reception on the first play from scrimmage and Foster turned a short pass into his second 78-yard scoring reception of the season for Houston.

A defence that’s made a dramatic turnaround under co-ordinator Wade Phillips had four sacks, three interceptions and recovered a fumble.

The Texans lead their division by 1 1-2 games over second-place Tennessee and may get Johnson, who’s been sidelined six weeks, back when they travel to Jacksonville in two weeks. After losing two straight without Schaub’s favourite target, Houston has put together an impressive winning streak by getting contributions from a lot of different players.

The bye figures to give others a chance to get healthy, too.

“It was important today that we got to this point,” coach Gary Kubiak said. “We’ve been working really hard. … We had five or six players that missed a whole week of practice, and they lined up and played. ‘We’ve got a good team thing going on right now.”

The Bucs (4-5), on the other hand, have lost three straight and four of five following a 3-1 start.

Josh Freeman threw three interceptions and was sacked four times, and Tampa Bay’s offence didn’t get into the end zone until the fourth quarter for the second game in a row. Defensively, the Bucs tackled poorly and yielded 268 yards in the opening half and 420 overall.

“Terrible game. Completely, put the blame on me for this one. … We started the game just like we finished it,” Tampa Bay coach Raheem Morris said. “Poor job by myself. I’ll take complete responsibility for that. I refuse to believe that our guys are that bad, so it has to be my fault.”

Houston, which is ranked No. 1 in total defence for the first time, has limited opponents to just over 10 points per game during its winning streak. After limiting the Titans, Jaguars and Browns to fewer than 175 yards the previous three weeks, the Texans held Tampa Bay to 231.

Foster and Tate each ran for over 100 yards to key last week’s 30-12 victory over Cleveland. They weren’t as successful running this time, however the Texans did finish with 185 yards on the ground. Foster gained 84 on 17 carries and Tate wound up with 63 on 13 carries, including an 11-yard TD burst to make it 37-9 with under six minutes remaining.

“With winning comes a winning mind-set, and believing in each other keeps that positive energy flowing,” Texans defensive end Antonio Smith said. “I think everybody is in on it from top to bottom.”

Tampa Bay scored on Connor Barth’s 55-yard field goal on the final play of the first half and didn’t get into the end zone until Freeman threw a nine-yard TD pass to Preston Parker early in the fourth quarter. Defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth made his debut for the Bucs, blocking an extra point after Houston’s first touchdown and finishing with five tackles.

The two-time Pro Bowl selection was released by New England on Tuesday, claimed off waivers Wednesday and practiced with his new team for the first time on Thursday. Gerald McCoy’s season-ending injury left the Bucs thin on the offensive line, and with backup Frank Okam still sidelined by a sore calf, the 350-pound Haynesworth moved into the starting lineup.

A week after rushing for a club-record 261 yards during a 30-12 victory over Cleveland, the Texans came out throwing on a Bucs defence that has struggled to stop the run and had to honour Schaub’s play-action fakes. A wide-open Jacoby Jones caught an underthrown ball at the Tampa Bay 45 on the first play, cut back to his left between safeties Tanard Jackson and Sean Jones and sprinted to the end zone to finish Houston’s longest scoring play of the season.

Foster’s long TD reception nearly covered as much ground and also involved some nifty running after the catch. The third-year running back took a short throw from Schaub, broke a tackle and headed up the left sideline before cutting inside near midfield to avoid Sean Jones and easily outrun the remaining pursuit.

Houston’s first three scoring drives covered 80, 80 and 90 yards. Foster had four receptions for 102 yards, and missed going over 100 yards rushing when he had a 39-yard gain wiped out by a penalty in the fourth quarter.

Schaub only attempted three passes after halftime, finishing 11 of 15 for 242 yards and no interceptions. One apparent pick at the Tampa Bay goal line was reversed following a replay review that showed that intended receiver Derrick Mason jarred the ball loose from Talib before the Bucs cornerback gained control. Neil Rackers kicked a 22-yard field goal on the next play for a 9-0 lead.

Freeman completed 15 of 35 passes for 170 yards. The Texans limited LeGarrette Blount to 34 yards rushing on 10 attempts.

“The last three weeks have been tough. We haven’t won in about a month,” Morris said. “The guys right now are not playing well, and we’ve got to find a way to get better.”

Notes: Schaub has thrown 10 TD passes and just one interception in five road games. . … Brian Cushing, Brice McClain and Quintin Demps had Houston’s interceptions. … Bucs backup DE George Johnson injured his knee late in the first half and did not return.