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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

But in a dominating final 20 minutes, the Ravens, relying on some long completions from Flacco and a suffocating defense, scored the game’s final 16 points to pull away from the Houston Texans and post a 29-14 victory in front of an announced 71,154 at M&T Bank Stadium.

“It was really encouraging to see the way we responded in a tight game in the fourth quarter,” Ravens Coach John Harbaugh said. “To have to come out and really win the fourth quarter in that kind of fashion is a huge statement.”

Flacco threw for 305 yards and scored a rushing touchdown, Billy Cundiff tied a team record with five field goals, running back Ray Rice had 161 total yards and wide receiver Anquan Boldin had eight catches for 132 yards.

The Ravens took over the game in the second half, out-gaining Houston 269 yards to 151, dominating the time of possession and scoring on four of five drives before finally taking a knee.

Ricky Williams’s four-yard touchdown run — his first as a Raven — with just over four minutes to play all but sealed it as the Ravens improved to 4-1 overall heading into next Monday’s game against the 1-5 Jacksonville Jaguars, and 5-0 all-time against the Texans (3-3).

“You look everybody in the eye at halftime and you say, ‘let’s go, let’s go do this,’ ” Flacco said. “We had moved the ball on them. We had to stop hurting ourselves. That’s what makes it so good to win this football game. We were able to push through and really have a great second half.”

There were some tenuous moments and the capacity crowd went silent when Jones beat safety Ed Reed, and Schaub found him to give the Texans a 14-13 lead with 8 minutes 46 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

But two long Flacco completions to rookie Torrey Smith set up Cundiff’s 25-yard field goal that gave the home team a 16-14 lead.

The Ravens defense did the rest. Former Texan Bernard Pollard broke up a pass intended for Arian Foster on third and nine. A sack by Pernell McPhee on third and three ended the Texans’ next drive and forced a punt, and then the Ravens stopped Houston on fourth down on its final two possessions.

While the defense was its stellar self, the offense continued to battle inconsistency.

Looking sharp after the bye week, the Ravens went 97 yards in 16 plays on their first possession, ending in Flacco’s one-yard plunge into the end zone, the first first-quarter touchdown the Texans have given up all season.

Instead of setting the tone for a huge offensive day, the drive was followed by a quarter and a half of offensive frustration. Baltimore’s next three drives ended in a punt, a Flacco fumble that set up the Texans touchdown, a 43-yard Cundiff field goal and then a Flacco interception on a play where tight end Ed Dickson was wide open down the field. Several plays during that span ended with Flacco laying on the turf.

“Today was the day that it didn’t look pretty at first,” Rice said, “but in the second half, we got it all together.”

— Baltimore Sun

(Sports Network) – The Houston Texans have come up empty in each of their
previous four meetings with Baltimore. Perhaps the addition of a former Raven
can get them into the win column in this series.

The Texans could have wide receiver Derrick Mason on the field this Sunday
when they draft to get the better of the Ravens, a task easier said than done
given the AFC North leaders’ usual play at M&T Bank Stadium.

Following a 25-20 loss to the Oakland Raiders last weekend — a game in which
the Texans played without star wide receiver Andre Johnson — Houston sent an
undisclosed draft pick to the New York Jets on Wednesday for Mason, a 14-year
veteran with 937 career catches and over 12,000 receiving yards.

Mason had spent his previous six seasons in Baltimore, going over 1,000 yards
receiving in four of those years, before signing with the Jets this offseason
following a 61-catch, 802-yard campaign in 2010. The 37-year-old made 13
catches for 115 yards in five games with the Jets.

Houston head coach Gary Kubiak hopes that Mason can help fill the void left by
Johnson, who is unlikely to play again this weekend after sitting out the
Oakland loss with a hamstring injury.

“I’m going to do whatever I need to do to play Sunday, and not just because
it’s Baltimore or just because I want to be out there,” said Mason. “I’m a
football player. I want to be out on the field.”

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh isn’t worried about his former receiver giving
the Texans any extra insight.

“I don’t think he’ll give them much that way,” he said. “It’s been a while. He
may have something. But for all these guys, when you get away from that scheme
…he may have something on the players, maybe, kind of his insights. But he’s
been working on the Jets’ system and learning that system. That stuff leaves
you after a while and things change.”

Houston certainly could have used Mason last weekend after failing to hold a
two-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. Quarterback Matt Schaub had
one last chance to get his team a win, but his pass into the end zone as time
expired was intercepted.

The loss gave the Texans a split of a two-game homestand and was their second
in three games since starting 2-0. It also featured a season-ending pectoral
injury to linebacker Mario Williams, who had five sacks after making the move
from defensive end.

“I feel so bad for Mario because he’s been such a heck of a player, and what
we’re doing to me is really going to blossom his career from now on,” said
Kubiak. “I think he’d really taken to the position he’s playing. He was
improving every day at practice, improving in every game and really enjoying
[it].”

Schaub, meanwhile missed practice on Wednesday due to shoulder and thigh
ailments, but he is expected to play this weekend.

Houston will need him given the absence of Williams and Johnson, though the
Ravens, who are coming off their bye week, aren’t going to take the Texans
lightly.

“It just doesn’t really matter to us,” said Harbaugh of Houston’s injuries.
“We’ve got to get ready to play. That team is a really good team. I told our
team before we left on the bye week that we’d be playing the best team in the
AFC next week — the team that was playing the best.

Baltimore is aiming to improve to 4-1 for just the fourth time in team history
and for a second straight year after besting the Jets, 34-17, before the bye.
Though the Ravens’ offense struggled, the defense contributed a team-record
three touchdowns off returns, taking a pair of fumbles and an interception to
the end zone.

The victory was the Ravens’ 12th in their last 13 games at M&T Bank Stadium,
while quarterback Joe Flacco improved to 21-5 at home in his career.

While Mason could line up against his old team for the second time this
year, Houston will face a pair of former faces for the first time in Baltimore
safety Bernard Pollard and fullback Vonta Leach. Pollard spend the previous
two seasons with the Texans, while Leach had been with the club since 2006.

SERIES HISTORY

As previously mentioned, the Ravens have won each of the four previous meetings
between the teams, including a wild 34-28 overtime victory in Houston during
Week 14 of last season in which the Texans scored 21 straight second-half
points to force the additional session. Houston will be making only its second
appearance at M&T Bank Stadium, having been handed a 16-15 setback there in
2005, and has lost twice to Baltimore at home in addition to last season’s
matchup. The Ravens came through with a 23-19 win at Reliant Stadium in 2002
and recorded a 41-13 road rout during the 2008 campaign. That game was
initially scheduled to be played in Week 2, but was pushed back into November
due to the arrival of Hurricane Ike.

Harbaugh owns a 2-0 career record against Houston, while Kubiak has lost both
of his two prior encounters with both the Ravens and Harbaugh.

WHEN THE TEXANS HAVE THE BALL

Oakland was unable to fend off the Texans last weekend despite 473 yards of
offense for Houston, including 416 passing yards from Schaub (1377 passing
yards, 9 TD, 5 INT). The quarterback completed 24 of his 51 pass attempts,
getting picked off twice while throwing touchdown passes to tight end Joel
Dreessen (8 receptions, 1 TD) and wide receiver Kevin Walter (9 receptions, 2
TD). Schaub extended his own team record of 13 straight games with a touchdown
pass and helped Houston feature four players with at least 80 receiving yards
in a game for the first time in team history. Running back Arian Foster (256
rushing yards, 10 receptions, 1 TD) led the way for Houston’s eighth-ranked
offense with his first 100-yard receiving game, logging 116 yards on five
catches and another 68 yards on the ground over 22 carries. Dreessen and
Walter both had five catches, with the tight end logging a career-high 116
yards and Walter having 81. Tight end Owen Daniels (21 receptions, 3 TD) added
89 yards on a team-leading seven receptions. Fullback James Casey suffered a
pectoral injury in the game and is day-to-day. Lawrence Vickers would start in
his place if he can’t go.

The Texans could struggle to overcome the loss of Johnson (25 receptions, 2
TD) again this weekend, given that the Ravens rank third in total defense at
284.5 yards allowed per game and are yielding an NFL-low 14.3 points per
contest. Turnovers have been key for Baltimore, which leads the league in
takeaways per game and have scored 55 points off mistakes this year. Twenty-one
of those came versus the Jets, with linebackers Jameel McClain (11 tackles, 1
sack) and Jarret Johnson (8 tackles) both returning fumbles for scores and
cornerback Lardarius Webb (27 tackles, 2 INT) adding a 73-yard pick-six. Safety
Ed Reed (17 tackles, 1 sack, 2 INT) and tackle Haloti Ngata (13 tackles, 1
sack) logged sacks in that win, while cornerback Cary Williams (23 tackles) had
eight tackles. Linebacker Ray Lewis (30 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT) added five
stops and needs 28 more interception yards to pass Derrick Brooks (530) for
the most all-time by a linebacker, while Reed is 20 interception yards shy of
the all-time record held by Rod Woodson (1,483). Lewis also needs just another
half-sack to become the first player ever with 40 sacks and 30 interceptions.
Safety Haruki Nakamura missed Baltimore’s last game with a knee injury and Tom
Zbikowski (14 tackles) left the Jets contest with a concussion. Both are
questionable after being limited in practice.

WHEN THE RAVENS HAVE THE BALL

Baltimore’s offense will look to move on from the Jets game after logging only
267 yards of offense. The Ravens rank 14th in total offense (358.5 ypg), but
are still scoring at a healthy 29.8 points per game clip. Dual threat Ray Rice
(297 rushing yards, 16 receptions, 4 total TD) had over 100 yards of offense
versus the Jets, notching 66 yards on 25 carries with the lone offensive
touchdown for the Ravens, and compiling another 64 through the air on a pair of
catches. The back is averaging 134.8 yards per game from scrimmage. Flacco (973
passing yards, 7 TD, 3 INT) completed only 10 of his 31 passes for 163 yards
two weeks ago and was picked off once without a touchdown pass. He was also
sacked twice, bringing his season total to eight. Flacco tried a number of
times to get the ball to tight end Ed Dickson (16 receptions, 1 TD) in the
team’s last game, targeting him 12 times. Dickson came up with four catches for
45 yards, while receivers Anquan Boldin (15 receptions, 1 TD), Torrey Smith (6
receptions, 3 TD) and LaQuan Williams were held to one catch each. Baltimore
hopes a few offensive pieces got healthy over the break, with guard Ben Grubbs
and receiver Lee Evans both practicing on a limited basis this week. Grubbs has
missed the last three games with a toe injury, while Evans has sat out two
straight due to an ankle issue.

Houston’s defense ranks seventh in the league with an allowance of 314 yards
per game, thanks in part to a much-improved secondary that is yielding only
208.2 passing yards per game that ranks sixth. The Texans will be looking to
hold an opponent under 20 points for the fourth time in 2011, but will look to
do so with rookie linebacker Brooks Reed replacing Mario Williams. The Texans
still have two other playmakers at the position in Brian Cushing (36 tackles, 1
sack) and DeMeco Ryans (21 tackles), however. The former matched cornerback
Jason Allen with eight tackles against the Raiders to go along with a sack,
while Ryans had four stops. Allen (25 tackles, 2 INT) had an interception for a
second straight game and will try to log three picks in a row for the first
time in his career. Defensive end Antonio Smith (10 tackles, 4.5 sacks) logged
a half-sack against the Raiders, leaving him 1 1/2 shy of his career high set
in 2007. Smith and rookie end J.J. Watt (15 tackles, 1 sack) will try to get
more pressure on Flacco in Williams’ absence, while corners Kareem Jackson (13
tackles) and Johnathan Joseph (15 tackles, 2 INT) will try to add to Houston’s
season interception total of five.

KEYS TO THE GAME

The Ravens will be looking to prevent another quick start by the Texans, who
have scored 24 points and posted 348 yards on their five opening drives this
season. On the other side, Houston’s defense is also the only unit in the
league that has forced five punts on their opponents’ first drives.

Schaub and company will need to hold onto the ball, as the Ravens own a plus-37
turnover ratio at home since 2008. That ranks second in the NFL over that
span.

Let Mason be your guide. The veteran should do wonders for Houston’s locker
room, and his main focus should be on telling the rest of the Texans not to
worry about their past history versus the Ravens.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

The task in front of the Texans is no small one, given that the Ravens are
coming off a bye and have had the club’s number in the past. Not having
Andre Johnson only makes things more challenging, but Houston should have three
healthy backs to turn to in Foster, Ben Tate and Derrick Ward for the first
time in a while. That may take some pressure off of Schaub’s shoulders, which
is good considering that Lewis and Reed will be looking to put him on his back
all game. The Ravens showed two weeks ago that they don’t need an above-average
showing from the offense to win, and should be able to grind Houston down.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Ravens 17, Texans 13

The Sports Network

Arian Foster rushed for 155 yards, including the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter, and the defense harassed Ben Roethlisberger on Sunday in a 17-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Johnson left in the second quarter with a right hamstring injury and didn’t return, though he was back on the sideline late to watch Houston (3-1) finish off Roethlisberger and the injury-plagued Steelers (2-2).

“It’s good to see the pressure that we were putting on Roethlisberger, not giving him enough time to throw,” Texans owner Bob McNair said.

Roethlisberger was beaten up behind an offensive line missing two regular starters.

“With Andre going down, we knew we had to pick it up,” linebacker Mario Williams said. “We tried to hold them and get the offense the ball back as many times as we could.”

The Steelers also lost running back Rashard Mendenhall (hamstring), linebacker James Harrison (eye) and defensive end Aaron Smith (foot) during the game.

Roethlisberger hurt his left foot but stayed in, and he was wearing a walking boot when he left the stadium. He said he was injured on the second-to-last series when he was tackled from behind. Roethlisberger had an X-ray after the game but said he didn’t know the results.

He refused to blame the line for the problems Sunday.

“I’ve still got to make plays,” he said. “I’ve got to make it easier on my guys and I didn’t do that.”

Williams was pleased with his team’s defensive performance.

“This was probably one of the best games we’ve had as far as pressure goes,” Williams said. “We were coming every play. We just held them and kept going.”

Foster finally looked healthy after weeks of nursing a left hamstring strain. He broke off a 42-yard touchdown run with about 12 minutes left after the Steelers rallied to tie it 10-all. Foster finished with 30 carries.

“It surprised me that he could handle 30 carries,” Houston coach Gary Kubiak said. “He’s a player that plays better the more he plays.”

Matt Schaub threw a touchdown pass to Owen Daniels in the first half. The Texans led 10-0 at the break, and an ill-timed penalty cost them another touchdown.

On the final snap before the half, Danieal Manning blocked Shaun Suisham’s field-goal attempt, and Johnathan Joseph scooped up the loose ball and ran 61 yards to the end zone. But Manning was flagged for an illegal block well behind Joseph, and the score was nullified.

Houston was on the move in the second quarter when Johnson pulled up without being touched.

The five-time Pro Bowl receiver caught a pass, turned upfield and then fell forward near the 40-yard line, immediately clutching the back of his right leg. He limped off and walked to the locker room on his own.

The Texans seemed to lose their edge after that. The drive stalled and Neil Rackers kicked a 22-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead.

Schaub threw a 30-yard pass to Daniels to the Steelers 42 early in the fourth. Foster took it from there, breaking outside and outrunning the Pittsburgh secondary to the end zone.

The defense then finished off the Steelers.

Antonio Smith and Mario Williams sacked Roethlisberger, and linebacker Connor Barwin swatted away his fourth-down pass with 2:38 left.

The Steelers had one last gasp after Houston had another touchdown wiped away by a penalty. Joseph intercepted Roethlisberger’s pass from the end zone and returned it for a score, but rookie J.J. Watt was flagged for roughing the passer.

The Texans then got an interception by Jason Allen, and that one stood up.

Another Houston penalty in the first half wiped out a sack and forced fumble by Barwin.

The Texans dominated the first half, with Foster setting the tone on the first drive. The 2010 NFL rushing champion had 41 yards on the drive. With the Steelers keying on him, Daniels was open and Schaub found him for an easy touchdown.

The score finished a 19-play drive that consumed 10 minutes, 55 seconds, both franchise records.

Williams sacked Roethlisberger on the fourth play of the second half. But Pittsburgh’s line started holding up better, and Roethlisberger threw a 23-yard pass to Antonio Brown to the Houston 15. Mendenhall scored on a 3-yard run, his last play before leaving with the injury.

Backup Isaac Redman had an 18-yard run across midfield to start the Steelers’ next series. Pittsburgh chewed up the last five minutes of the third quarter with the drive, and Suisham tied it with a 26-yard field goal.

Notes: Texans RB Ben Tate left with a groin injury. … The Texans have outscored their opponents 76-13 in the first half this season. … Roethlisberger has been sacked 14 times this season. … The Steelers failed to generate a turnover and are minus-10 in turnover margin this season.

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

HOUSTON (AP)—Andre Johnson(notes) could only watch with the game on the line in
the fourth quarter.

With their All-Pro receiver out because of an injured hamstring, the Houston
Texans were OK though, thanks to a defense that has finally found a pass rush
after years of struggling.

Arian Foster(notes) rushed for 155 yards, including the go-ahead touchdown in the
fourth quarter, and the defense harassed Ben Roethlisberger(notes) on Sunday in a 17-10
win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Johnson left in the second quarter with a right hamstring injury and didn’t
return, though he was back on the sideline late to watch Houston (3-1) finish
off Roethlisberger and the injury-plagued Steelers (2-2).

“It’s good to see the pressure that we were putting on Roethlisberger, not
giving him enough time to throw,” Texans owner Bob McNair said.

Roethlisberger was beaten up behind an offensive line missing two regular
starters.

“With Andre going down, we knew we had to pick it up,” linebacker Mario
Williams(notes) said. “We tried to hold them and get the offense the ball back as many
times as we could.”

The Steelers also lost running back Rashard Mendenhall(notes) (hamstring),
linebacker James Harrison(notes) (eye) and defensive end Aaron Smith(notes) (foot) during the
game.

Roethlisberger hurt his left foot but stayed in, and he was wearing a
walking boot when he left the stadium. He said he was injured on the
second-to-last series when he was tackled from behind. Roethlisberger had an
X-ray after the game but said he didn’t know the results.

He refused to blame the line for the problems Sunday.

“I’ve still got to make plays,” he said. “I’ve got to make it easier on
my guys and I didn’t do that.”

Williams was pleased with his team’s defensive performance.

“This was probably one of the best games we’ve had as far as pressure
goes,” Williams said. “We were coming every play. We just held them and kept
going.”

Foster finally looked healthy after weeks of nursing a left hamstring
strain. He broke off a 42-yard touchdown run with about 12 minutes left after
the Steelers rallied to tie it 10-all. Foster finished with 30 carries.

“It surprised me that he could handle 30 carries,” Houston coach Gary
Kubiak said. “He’s a player that plays better the more he plays.”

Matt Schaub(notes) threw a touchdown pass to Owen Daniels(notes) in the first half. The
Texans led 10-0 at the break, and an ill-timed penalty cost them another
touchdown.

On the final snap before the half, Danieal Manning(notes) blocked Shaun Suisham’s(notes)
field-goal attempt, and Johnathan Joseph(notes) scooped up the loose ball and ran 61
yards to the end zone. But Manning was flagged for an illegal block well behind
Joseph, and the score was nullified.

Houston was on the move in the second quarter when Johnson pulled up without
being touched.

The five-time Pro Bowl receiver caught a pass, turned upfield and then fell
forward near the 40-yard line, immediately clutching the back of his right leg.
He limped off and walked to the locker room on his own.

The Texans seemed to lose their edge after that. The drive stalled and Neil
Rackers(notes) kicked a 22-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead.

Schaub threw a 30-yard pass to Daniels to the Steelers 42 early in the
fourth. Foster took it from there, breaking outside and outrunning the
Pittsburgh secondary to the end zone.

The defense then finished off the Steelers.

Antonio Smith and Mario Williams sacked Roethlisberger, and linebacker
Connor Barwin(notes) swatted away his fourth-down pass with 2:38 left.

The Steelers had one last gasp after Houston had another touchdown wiped
away by a penalty. Joseph intercepted Roethlisberger’s pass from the end zone
and returned it for a score, but rookie J.J. Watt(notes) was flagged for roughing the
passer.

The Texans then got an interception by Jason Allen(notes), and that one stood up.

Another Houston penalty in the first half wiped out a sack and forced fumble
by Barwin.

The Texans dominated the first half, with Foster setting the tone on the
first drive. The 2010 NFL rushing champion had 41 yards on the drive. With the
Steelers keying on him, Daniels was open and Schaub found him for an easy
touchdown.

The score finished a 19-play drive that consumed 10 minutes, 55 seconds,
both franchise records.

Williams sacked Roethlisberger on the fourth play of the second half. But
Pittsburgh’s line started holding up better, and Roethlisberger threw a 23-yard
pass to Antonio Brown(notes) to the Houston 15. Mendenhall scored on a 3-yard run, his
last play before leaving with the injury.

Backup Isaac Redman(notes) had an 18-yard run across midfield to start the
Steelers’ next series. Pittsburgh chewed up the last five minutes of the third
quarter with the drive, and Suisham tied it with a 26-yard field goal.

Notes: Texans RB Ben Tate(notes) left with a groin injury. … The Texans have
outscored their opponents 76-13 in the first half this season. …
Roethlisberger has been sacked 14 times this season. … The Steelers failed to
generate a turnover and are minus-10 in turnover margin this season.

The most glaring example of the Houston Texans’ red-zone inefficiency in their 40-33 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday at the Superdome can be found in kicker Neil Rackers’ stat line: four field-goals attempted, four field-goals made. And of the three times the Texans did find the end zone, one, the last that gave Houston a 33-32 lead with 4:13 remaining, was a fluke, a Kevin Walter catch of a pass deflected by New Orleans linebacker Jonathan Casillas, that Walter brought across the goal line for a 20-yard touchdown.

“That’s what really hurt us,” Walter said of the Texans’ inability to score six while settling for half the points instead. “On offense, I think we were really moving the ball up and down the field. But when we got into the red zone, we got field goals instead of touchdowns. That’s the result of the game right there.

“We’ve got to do a better job when we’re in the red zone. We look at this tomorrow … we’ll see that’s the difference between winning and losing this ballgame.”

On an afternoon when the visitors were outgaining the home team 473 yards to 454, Houston’s failure to crack the end zone, leaving Rackers’ 22-, 27-, 27-, and 36-yard field goals, cost the Texans a victory.

“Obviously, if we had played better in the red zone we’d probably be getting out of here with a win,” Houston Coach Gary Kubiak said. “It’s very disappointing. We design plays down there for certain coverages and certain things. We got the things we wanted; we didn’t execute like I think we need to. But at the same time, as a coach, I think you have to be hard on yourself.

“We were down there five more times (Sunday). I think we’ve been down there more than anybody in football. We’re struggling down there. It’s a nice problem to have, but obviously we have to get better.”

Houston quarterback Matt Schaub threw for 373 yards on 22 of 39 passing and three touchdowns. He also had one interception in the fourth quarter, a pass intended for Andre Johnson which was picked off by cornerback Jabari Greer at Houston’s 47-yard line.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees made short work of that drive, completing five of six passes for 47 yards, all but one of the completions to Lance Moore, including a 16-yard touchdown pass.

But the Texans’ four failed trips into scoring territory were too much to overcome.

“We settled for too many field goals,” Schaub said. “We’ve got to find a way to put it in the end zone. They’re a great team. We’ve got a lot of respect for them, but we feel we’re pretty good, too. We have the potential to be a great team. They were doing stuff we thought they might do. There were subtle nuances to what they were doing differently. After the first series or two, we had to make adjustments — but it’s all about executions and making the plays.”

WAY IT GOES: Kubiak said the Texans didn’t purposely allow Mark Ingram to score the winning 13-yard touchdown quickly, so Houston would get the ball back with enough time on the clock to mount a potential go-ahead drive.

Texans defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, meanwhile, was crediting Brees — who was sacked twice and harassed on many more occasions — with getting the job done against Houston.

“He’s a heck of a quarterback. We know that,” said Phillips, who pointed out that rush linebacker Mario Williams was slowed a bit in the second half by a minor leg injury. “(Brees) bided his time a couple of times and made big plays. That was the key. They were going to throw the ball. We knew that. They threw it a lot in the first half and a lot in the second half. They had protections at the right time. We kind of backed off them. We wanted to play them a little tougher and a little tighter, and we didn’t when we needed to.”

BIG NUMBERS: Texans fullback James Casey was, arguably, Houston’s most dangerous weapon.

Casey caught five passes for 126 yards, including a 62-yard flare in the Texans’ first field-goal drive in the first quarter — he was uncovered in the flat when cornerback Leigh Torrance blitzed on the play — and made a diving 26-yard touchdown catch on the first snap of the fourth quarter when he found himself single-covered by Casillas.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve had the ball and had room to run,” Casey said of the 62-yard play. “We were free releasing because we knew they’d bring a lot of blitzing. The person who was supposed to be blocking me just blitzed and left me along. I wish I could have taken it all the way, of course.

“The touchdown was a play our offensive coaches and Coach Kubiak designed for this week. I guess they saw something on film. Schaub told me before the play to be alert, that he could go to me if they put a linebacker on me. Which they did. Matt told me to look. I didn’t until the last second, but he threw it in a perfect spot.”

(Sports Network) – The Miami Dolphins had no answer for one of the league’s
elite quarterbacks this past Monday night. Now they’ll have to figure out how
to solve a Houston Texans team that is coming off one of its best games in
franchise history.

The Texans could have last year’s NFL rushing leader Arian Foster back as well
when they try for their second straight 2-0 start in Sunday’s matchup against
the Dolphins at Sun Life Stadium.

Houston heads to Miami looking to open the season with two straight wins for
the third time in team history after dismantling the Peyton Manning-less
Indianapolis Colts, 34-7, last Sunday. The Texans scored all of their points in
the first half and limited the Colts to under 250 yards of total offense.

Also impressive was the Texans racing out to a big lead despite Foster sitting
out the game with a hamstring injury. Ben Tate and Derrick Ward did an
excellent job in his place, however, in a game that head coach Gary Kubiak
called one of the best the team has ever played.

Kubiak also gave credit to new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips.

“He’s done a hell of a job,” Kubiak said. “We played good defense in a very
short period of time. We got going really good. No doubt in my mind if we
don’t turn the ball over in the fourth quarter, it would have been even
better.”

While the defense enjoyed a resurgence under Phillips, the offense could get
Foster back after he returned to practice on Wednesday for the first time
since aggravating his hamstring on Aug. 27.

Kubiak said Foster took a normal workload for a starter in a positive
practice. If the running back does play this weekend, the head coach doesn’t
think he will be limited.

“If he can play, you play,” Kubiak said. “There won’t be being careful with
him. You may say this is how many times he’s going to touch it, but you can’t
do something half-speed out there. We’d have to see, but if he’s ready to go,
he puts us at our best and he’ll be out there.”

The Dolphins will be looking to rebound after a 38-24 setback to New England on
Monday night that saw Patriots quarterback Tom Brady throw for a team-record
517 yards and four touchdowns. Miami could do little to stop the reigning
league MVP, who also hit on a 99-yard scoring pass to hand the Dolphins their
fourth straight defeat dating back to last year.

Miami wasted a career game from its own quarterback, as Chad Henne threw for
over 400 yards in a losing cause. In all, the two clubs combined for an NFL-
record 933 passing yards, which topped the 927 yards totaled by Miami’s Dan
Marino and Ken O’Brien of the New York Jets back on Sept. 21, 1986.

“Not the defensive performance that we were hoping for,” Dolphins coach Tony
Sparano said. “[The Patriots] had almost 700 yards of offense. That’s an
understatement.”

One thing working in the Dolphins’ favor is that the Texans haven’t won on the
road in almost a year, with Houston’s most recent win as the visitor coming on
Oct. 3 of the 2010 campaign. The Texans have lost their last six road games.

SERIES HISTORY

Houston has had the upper hand all throughout this rather brief series, having
won all five of the meetings by seven points or less. That streak contains a
pair of victories at Sun Life Stadium, including a 27-20 triumph during Week
16 of the 2009 season in the Texans’ most recent encounter with the Dolphins.
Houston also won a 21-20 squeaker in Miami in 2003.

Kubiak is 4-0 lifetime against the Dolphins, while Sparano has lost both of
his career meetings with both Kubiak and Houston.

WHEN THE TEXANS HAVE THE BALL

Houston wasn’t shy running the ball without Foster last weekend, ripping off
167 yards on 24 carries as a team. Ward (39 rushing yards, 1 TD) got the start
in place of Foster, but left early because of an ankle injury that has him day-
to-day. Tate (116 rushing yards, 1 TD) shouldered the load the rest of the way
in his NFL debut after spending all of last season on injured reserve.
Quarterback Matt Schaub (220 passing yards, 1 TD) had some short fields to work
with following some Colts turnovers, though he can’t be too happy with the pair
of interceptions he threw in the win. He was sacked just once while completing
17-of-24 pass attempts, however. Wide receiver Andre Johnson (7 receptions) was
targeted 11 times and finished with 95 receiving yards while hauling in
Schaub’s lone touchdown pass, with fellow wideout Kevin Walter making one catch
before exiting with a shoulder injury. It was feared he suffered a fracture,
but an MRI revealed just a bruise that still leaves his status for this game in
doubt. Jacoby Jones, who will take over for Walter if he can’t go, set a new
club record with his fourth career special teams touchdown after taking a punt
back 79 yards against the Colts.

The Dolphins will be licking their wounds before this game after allowing 622
yards of total offense in the national spotlight against the Patriots. The
summary play came when defensive back Benny Sapp was beaten for Wes Welker’s
99-yard score, and the nickel defender had his contract terminated during the
week as a result. To take Sapp’s place, Miami re-signed veteran Will Allen, one
of the team’s final cuts during training camp. He should step into a nickel
role behind starters Vontae Davis (4 tackles) and Sean Smith (3 tackles).
Safety Reshad Jones (12 tackles) led the Dolphins in tackles versus New
England, while linebacker Cameron Wake (3 tackles) came away with the team’s
lone sack. Defensive end Jared Odrick (2 tackles) came up with an interception
on a deflected pass, one of the defense’s few highlights on the night.

WHEN THE DOLPHINS HAVE THE BALL

Henne did his best to keep the Dolphins in the game, throwing for a career-
high 416 yards with a pair of touchdown passes. He also rushed for 59 yards
and a score while getting picked off once and sacked four times. Wide receiver
Brandon Marshall (7 receptions) got plenty of looks from his quarterback and
ended with 139 receiving yards, and Reggie Bush was targeted often as well in
his Dolphins’ debut. The running back made nine catches for 56 yards with a
score and rushed for another 38 yards on 11 carries. Wide receiver Davone Bess
and tight end Anthony Fasano also had big games on Monday, with each making
five catches and totaling 92 and 82 yards, respectively. Miami would like to
see a better effort out of the offensive line, which is led by All-Pro left
tackle Jack Long, after Henne was under consistent pressure in the opener.

Miami will be getting its first look at the Texans’ new 3-4 scheme that had
success a week ago. In his new role at outside linebacker, Mario Williams (2
tackles) had two sacks — giving him 50 for his career — along with a forced
fumble, while defensive end Antonio Smith (3 tackles) added a sack and forced
fumble of his own. Houston struggled against the pass a season ago, but held
Indianapolis’ Kerry Collins to just 197 yards through the air and a fourth-
quarter touchdown pass. The new-look secondary features corner Johnathan Joseph
(5 tackles) and safety Danieal Manning (2 tackles), both acquired as free
agents during the offseason, while rookie defensive end J.J. Watt (5 tackles)
also made his debut as a starter last week. Linebackers Brian Cushing (7
tackles) and DeMeco Ryans (6 tackles) also had solid games for Houston in the
opener.

KEYS TO THE GAME

The Dolphins will need to keep an eye on Johnson, who will be looking to go
off in his hometown. The Miami-born wide receiver has 30 catches, 426 yards
and three touchdowns in four career games against the Dolphins and will
certainly be looking to copy what made the New England receivers so successful
in Week 1.

The team that has the ball last just might win. Four of the five all-time
meetings between these clubs have been decided by three points or less,
including three in the final 30 seconds of the game. Schaub ran for a three-
yard score to clinch a Houston win in 2008, while the Texans’ Kris Brown was
good on a field goal attempt from 57 yards out with one second to go in the
previous season’s matchup.

Miami’s secondary will need to quickly forget last week; no silver linings,
just get better. It is unfortunate that Sapp was the one to fall on the sword,
but now the rest of the unit needs to turn the guilt into anger and big hits
versus the Texans.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

After getting torched through the air on Monday, the Dolphins will be facing a
more balanced Houston attack and could have to contend with a rested — and
hopefully healthy — Foster. Henne will be out to prove that last week’s
numbers were not a fluke, while Houston should also be looking to show that
missing a matchup with Manning didn’t lead to its big defensive showing. The
Texans raised expectations for the season with their big Week 1 victory, but
can’t afford to take the foot off the gas in Miami.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Texans 21, Dolphins 17

The Sports Network

HOUSTON – Reggie Wayne gathered the Indianapolis offense on the sideline in the fourth quarter against the Houston Texans on Sunday and shared a simple message.

“We’re going to be all right,” Wayne said he told his teammates.

It was a pep talk the Colts needed on a day when they were dominated by the Texans in a 34-7 loss with Peyton Manning out with a neck injury.

Matt Schaub threw for 220 yards and a touchdown, Ben Tate rushed for 116 yards and another score in relief of injured Arian Foster, and the Texans took advantage of the miscues of Manning’s replacement, Kerry Collins, for the win.

Manning, the four-time MVP, didn’t travel with the team to Houston as he recovers from his third neck surgery in the 19 months. His streak of 227 consecutive starts, including playoffs, ended.

Wayne remained optimistic despite the tough start and finished his fourth-quarter speech by telling the team “there’s no reason to worry.”

“We were in the same position last year and we still accomplished our goal and that’s taking care of our division,” Wayne said.

He kept referring to the Colts losing to the Texans 34-24 in Week 1 last season and still making the playoffs and insisted that this loss is no different.

“We’ll never know if this would have been different if 18 (Manning) was here,” Wayne said. “But the guys we have here now, we’ve got to deal with this.”

The 38-year-old Collins was lured out of retirement less than three weeks ago. Based on the opener, the Colts need to find another solution.

Collins fumbled on consecutive snaps that set up Texans touchdowns in the first quarter, and he was sacked three times. He didn’t throw an interception, but the Colts mustered only 236 yards and 15 first downs against Houston’s 3-4 defense guided by new coordinator Wade Phillips.

“It’s so hard after a loss like that to think about how you did personally,” Collins said. “Everybody had a hand in it in one way or another, but as quarterback of the team, regardless of how long I’ve been here, I need to take care of the ball better.”

The Texans sprinted to a 34-0 halftime lead, even with 2010 NFL rushing leader Foster deactivated with a left hamstring injury. Foster ran for 231 yards in the opener against the Colts last year, but the Texans hardly missed him.

Tate, a 2010 second-round draft pick who sat out last season with a broken ankle, carried 24 times and Ward scored a touchdown before leaving late in the game with an ankle injury.

Indianapolis, meanwhile, seemed overwhelmed on both sides from the start.

Mario Williams hinted what was coming when he sacked Collins for a 9-yard loss on Indianapolis’ fourth snap. Williams, Houston’s sacks leader in each of the past five seasons, made his first start at outside linebacker, one of the changes introduced by Phillips.

Indianapolis coach Jim Caldwell didn’t blame Collins for the lopsided defeat.

“It was tough out there,” Caldwell said of Collins’ first start for the Colts. “Obviously he had some pressure and some situations where protection broke down on him. He didn’t perform as well as he is capable of because of that, but he made some nice throws. One guy or two guys can’t do it all. It’s a team game.”

The Colts’ defense was just as vulnerable, allowing 259 yards and 19 first downs in the first half. Neil Rackers finished Houston’s second series with a 25-yard field goal before the romp started in earnest.

Collins lost the ball when he was hit by defensive end Antonio Smith, and nose tackle Shaun Cody recovered at the Indianapolis 12. Ward scored on a 1-yard run for a 10-0 lead.

Collins dropped the next snap from center Jeff Saturday, rookie defensive end J.J. Watt pounced on the loose ball, then Tate ran into the end zone with 1:41 left in the opening quarter.

“This wasn’t the day obviously that we’d hoped for,” Collins said.

HOUSTON — Hey, Peyton Manning. If there was ever a doubt about what you mean to Indianapolis, there isn’t anymore.

Final score in Sunday’s season opener: Texans 34, Colts 7.

What already looks like a long, long season ahead for the Colts might be the chance, at last, for the Texans to make a leap forward in the AFC South.

Matt Schaub threw for 220 yards and a touchdown, Ben Tate rushed for 116 yards and another score in relief of injured Arian Foster, and Houston dominated Kerry Collins, Manning’s replacement.

The Texans (1-0) weren’t ready to say the win signals a change in the division. Houston beat the Colts with Manning in last year’s home opener, but finished 6-10.

“We were in the same situation last year,” star receiver Andre Johnson said. “And then, things just went bad for us.”

Then again, with Manning out indefinitely, Houston has never had a better chance to earn the franchise’s first postseason berth.

“Every year, you get your group together and it’s your chance to do something special,” Texans coach Gary Kubiak said. “So it was this group’s first opportunity together and they made it happen.”

No Manning on the field certainly helped.

Last year, the Colts rallied from the opening loss to finish 10-6 and win the division for the seventh time in eight seasons. In the fourth quarter on Sunday, Indy receiver Reggie Wayne gathered his teammates and reminded them of the turnaround.

“I just told them: ‘We’re going to be all right. It’s a long season and there’s no reason to worry,”‘ Wayne said. “We were in the same position last year and we still accomplished our goal and that’s taking care of our division.”

This loss definitely had a different feel, though.

The four-time MVP quarterback didn’t travel with the team as he recovers from his third neck surgery in the 19 months. His streak of 227 consecutive starts, including playoffs, ended.

The Colts (0-1) lured the 38-year-old Collins out of retirement less than three weeks ago to take a crash course in the offense. Based on the opener, they may need to find a better solution.

Collins fumbled on consecutive snaps that set up Texans touchdowns in the first quarter, and he was sacked three times. He didn’t throw an interception, but the offense mustered only 236 yards and 15 first downs against Houston’s 3-4 defense guided by new coordinator Wade Phillips.

“This wasn’t the day, obviously, that we’d hoped for, but it’s a long season,” Collins said. “I don’t care what the situation is, we just can’t do those things and expect to have a chance to be in the ball game. We’ve got a lot to do obviously. We’ll get back to work.”

The Texans sprinted to a 34-0 halftime lead, even with 2010 NFL rushing leader Foster deactivated with a left hamstring injury. Foster ran for 231 yards in the opener against the Colts last year.

Tate, a 2010 second-round draft pick who sat out last season with a broken ankle, carried 24 times and Ward scored a touchdown before leaving with an ankle injury.

Indy, meanwhile, seemed overwhelmed on both sides from the start.

Mario Williams hinted what was coming when he sacked Collins for a 9-yard loss on Indy’s fourth snap. Williams, Houston’s sacks leader in each of the past five seasons, made his first start at outside linebacker, one of the big changes introduced by Phillips.

Houston’s defense showed improvement after ranking as one of the league’s worst in 2010.

“It was obviously a good start for us,” Phillips said. “We felt like we had to come out strong against that team. They had adversity with their quarterback. We had to play strong early, and I thought we did that.”

The Colts’ defense was just as vulnerable as the offense, allowing 259 yards and 19 first downs in the first half.

“We couldn’t do anything right in all three phases,” Colts defensive end Robert Mathis said.

Even after jumping to a 17-0 lead, the Texans couldn’t feel comfortable just yet, recalling they’d blown 17-point leads to the Colts in Houston in 2008 and ’09.

Manning wasn’t here to bail out Indy, though, and Houston poured it on.

Schaub went 5 for 5 on the Texans’ next series, finding Johnson open in the back of the end zone for a 24-0 lead. Johnson had seven catches for 95 yards in the game.

“That’s the best half of football we have probably played as a team,” Kubiak said. “It was explosive in every area.”

The Colts used their timeouts at the end of the half to give the offense one more chance to do something, and even that backfired.

Jacoby Jones fielded a punt with just over a minute left and outran the Colts down the sideline for a 79-yard touchdown. It was Jones’ third punt return for a TD and his first since 2008.

Tate fumbled with about 10 minutes left in the game, and the Colts averted the shutout when Wayne caught a 6-yard TD pass from Collins.

“We’ve got to go back to the basics and focus in on the things we did really poorly,” Indy coach Jim Caldwell said. “They are all correctable. There is an old saying, ‘You’re never as bad as you think you are when you lose, and you’re never as good as you think you are when you win.’ That certainly is true for us today.”

Notes: Colts LB Ernie Sims left in the first half with a knee sprain. LB Gary Brackett sprained his shoulder after an interception return in the fourth quarter. … The Texans recognized the Sept. 11 anniversary by allowing four members of both the New York city police and fire departments to lead the team onto the field before the game. Linebacker DeMeco Ryans, the last player introduced, waved an American flag as he came out of the tunnel.

HOUSTON — Reggie Wayne gathered the Indianapolis offense on the sideline in the fourth quarter against the Houston Texans on Sunday and shared a simple message. “We’re going to be all right,” Wayne said he told his teammates. It was a pep talk the Colts needed on a day when they were dominated by the Texans in a 34-7 loss with Peyton Manning out with a neck injury. Matt Schaub threw for 220 yards and a touchdown, Ben Tate rushed for 116 yards and another score in relief of injured Arian Foster, and the Texans took advantage of the miscues of Manning’s replacement, Kerry Collins, for the win. Manning, the four-time MVP, didn’t travel with the team to Houston as he recovers from his third neck surgery in the 19 months. His streak of 227 consecutive starts, including playoffs, ended. Wayne remained optimistic despite the tough start and finished his fourth quarter speech, by telling the team “there’s no reason to worry.” “We were in the same position last year and we still accomplished our goal and that’s taking care of our division,” Wayne said. He kept referring to the Colts losing to the Texans 34-24 in Week 1 last season and still making the playoffs and insisted that this loss is no different. “We’ll never know if this would have been different if 18 (Manning) was here,” Wayne said. “But the guys we have here now, we’ve got to deal with this. So for us, it feels like last year. We came out and we lost. We’ve just got to build off of this, which I think we will.” The 38-year-old Collins was lured out of retirement less than three weeks ago to take a crash course in the offense. Based on the opener, the Colts need to find another solution. Collins fumbled on consecutive snaps that set up Texans touchdowns in the first quarter, and he was sacked three times. He didn’t throw an interception, but the Colts mustered only 236 yards and 15 first downs against Houston’s 3-4 defense guided by new coordinator Wade Phillips. “It’s so hard after a loss like that to think about how you did personally,” Collins said. “Everybody had a hand in it in one way or another, but as quarterback of the team, regardless of how long I’ve been here, I need to take care of the ball better.” The Texans sprinted to a 34-0 halftime lead, even with 2010 NFL rushing leader Foster deactivated with a left hamstring injury. Foster ran for 231 yards in the opener against the Colts last year, but the Texans hardly missed him. Tate, a 2010 second-round draft pick who sat out last season with a broken ankle, carried 24 times and Ward scored a touchdown before leaving late in the game with an ankle injury. Indy, meanwhile, seemed overwhelmed on both sides from the start. Mario Williams hinted what was coming when he sacked Collins for a 9-yard loss on Indy’s fourth snap. Williams, Houston’s sacks leader in each of the past five seasons, made his first start at outside linebacker, one of the big changes introduced by Phillips. Indianapolis coach Jim Caldwell didn’t blame Collins for the lopsided defeat. “It was tough out there,” Caldwell said of Collins’ first start for the Colts. “Obviously he had some pressure and some situations where protection broke down on him. He didn’t perform as well as he is capable of because of that, but he made some nice throws. One guy or two guys can’t do it all. It’s a team game.” The Colts’ defense was just as vulnerable, allowing 259 yards and 19 first downs in the first half. Neil Rackers finished Houston’s second series with a 25-yard field goal before the romp started in earnest. Collins lost the ball when he was hit by defensive end Antonio Smith, and nose tackle Shaun Cody recovered at the Indy 12. Ward scored on a 1-yard run for a 10-0 lead. Collins dropped the next snap from center Jeff Saturday, rookie defensive end J.J. Watt pounced on the loose ball, then Tate ran into the end zone with 1:41 left in the opening quarter. “This wasn’t the day obviously that we’d hoped for,” Collins said. “We didn’t help ourselves certainly by those two turnovers back to back and giving them a short field. I don’t care what the situation is, we just can’t do those things and expect to have a chance to be in the ball game.” The Texans couldn’t feel comfortable just yet, recalling they’d blown 17-point leads to the Colts in Houston in 2008 and ’09. Manning wasn’t here to bail out Indy, though, and Houston poured it on. Schaub found Andre Johnson open in the back of the end zone for a 24-0 lead. Johnson had seven catches for 95 yards in the game. Indy failed to get a first down on its next possession, and the Texans turned to their backup running backs to drive downfield again. Tate broke a 14-yard run and Ward had an 8-yarder before Rackers kicked a 29-yard field goal. Jacoby Jones fielded a punt with just over a minute left in the first half and outran the Colts down the sideline for a 79-yard touchdown. It was Jones’ third punt return for a touchdown and his first since 2008. Tate fumbled with about 10 minutes left in the game, and the Colts averted the shutout when Wayne caught a 6-yard TD pass from Collins.

The New Orleans Saints will face the Houston Texans in Reliant Stadium Saturday night in the second week of the preseason schedule.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. It will be the fourth straight year the Saints and Texans meet in the preseason. The series is split at 2-2 after New Orleans claimed a 38-20 win in the Superdome on Aug. 21, 2010.

The two teams will also meet in the regular season on Sept. 25 in the Superdome.

New Orleans took a 24-3 win over the San Francisco 49ers in the preseason opener last week.