HOUSTON – The setbacks finally seemed to catch up to the Houston Texans in Cincinnati last week.

It had all been going remarkably well — while one key player after another went down with a major injury, Houston somehow continued to win.

At last, the Texans had run into a team good enough to beat them, and the Bengals had them down 16-3 at halftime, and 19-13 with just over two minutes left.

But not even that was too much for depleted Houston to overcome.

Rookie quarterback T.J. Yates, a fifth-round pick, calmly guided the Texans on an 80-yard touchdown drive that ended up lifting the young franchise to its first AFC South title and first playoff berth.

Houston (10-3) has won seven in a row going into Sunday’s game against Carolina (4-9), and with the franchise’s first post-season berth secured, the expansion team with the mostly dismal history is taking aim at the Super Bowl.

And the way this season is unfolding, who’s to say the Texans can’t get there?

“The division was one of our goals, but not our main goal,” running back Arian Foster said, “and there’s a lot more at stake out there for us to go grab. It’s an opportunity that doesn’t come along a lot in the NFL, so you have to take advantage of it, and that’s what we’re working towards doing.”

Of course, the Texans are dealing with more obstacles this week.

Star receiver Andre Johnson is likely to sit out for the second straight week with a strained left hamstring, and defensive co-ordinator Wade Phillips is taking a medical leave following kidney surgery. Phillips expects to miss a week to 10 days, and linebackers coach Reggie Herring will run the league’s top-ranked defence.

Phillips has orchestrated a dramatic turnaround, transforming a defence that ranked 30th last season (377 yards per game) to No. 1 this year (275 yard per game). The 102-yard improvement would be the best in NFL history, and coach Gary Kubiak expects nothing to change in Phillips’ absence.

“Our guys, they’ve showed such maturity all year long, through adversity and any issues,” Kubiak said. “They understand the situation, and also want Wade to be sitting there watching them play Sunday and make him proud.

“I watch guys continue to find a little bit more in themselves, week in and week out,” he said. “That’s what our team is all about.”

The Texans have held their last seven opponents below 20 points, but doing that against rookie quarterback Cam Newton this week will be a major task.

With Newton at the helm, the Panthers have made nearly as drastic a reversal on offence as Houston has on defence. Carolina ranks fifth in total offence (399 yards per game) after ranking last in 2010 (258.4 yards per game).

“It does start with the quarterback,” first-year coach Ron Rivera said. “Quite frankly, that position has really been solidified with Cam, as he’s developing and learning the system.”

Newton needs 167 yards passing to top Peyton Manning’s rookie record, set in 1998 (3,739 yards). The top overall pick in last year’s draft, Newton already set a rookie mark with 432 yards passing in a 30-23 loss to Green Bay in Week 2, and his 13 rushing touchdowns are a single-season record for a quarterback.

“The young man’s everything we hoped he would be,” Rivera said.

The hardest part for Kubiak this week may have been trying to simulate Carolina’s offence in practice. Not only do the Panthers run what Kubiak calls an “unconventional” offence, the Texans have no one who can adequately mimic what Newton does.

“I said, ‘Hey guys, I’d love to tell you we can give you a good look in practice of what you’re going to face this week, but we can’t,’” Kubiak said. “We’re going to do our best. You’ve got to respect what he is, as an athlete and what he can do to you. It’s a different challenge because of what they do and all his ability.”

On top of that, Newton gets to work with one of the league’s top receivers.

Steve Smith leads the NFC and ranks second overall in yards receiving (1,217) and became the 35th player to reach 10,000 career yards receiving in last week’s loss to Atlanta. He needs 10 catches to become Carolina’s career leader, passing Muhsin Muhammad (696).

Smith should match up with top Houston cornerback Johnathan Joseph, who has four interceptions. Joseph remembers three previous encounters with Smith during his five-year stint in Cincinnati.

“He hasn’t changed anything,” Joseph said. “He’s just a guy that goes up and competes on each and every play. In this league, that’s all you can ask for from the guy you’re opposing, a guy that’s going to compete, whether it’s a jump ball or a hitch.

“He can take it 80 or 90 yards, that’s just what he’s about, competing from the beginning to the end of a ballgame.”

Wade Phillips, who’s turned the Houston defense into the NFL’s best, will have surgery this week to resolve a kidney condition and will be away from the team for a week to 10 days.

The 64-year-old Phillips disclosed the medical issue after working with the team at practice on Wednesday. He would not specify the condition, but said it is not life-threatening, is not cancer, and that doctors recommended that he have the procedure.

“I feel good,” Phillips said. “I don’t have any physical problems right now, so if I get this done, this procedure that I’m doing, then I’ll be fine.”

Linebackers coach Reggie Herring will run the defense for Houston (10-3) in Sunday’s game against Carolina (4-9). Herring was Phillips’ linebackers coach in Dallas from 2008-10, then joined Houston’s staff after Phillips was hired last January.

“He’s ready to do it,” Houston coach Gary Kubiak said. “Reggie’s called defenses before. We got a lot of confidence. We just need to keep going.”

The Texans play at Indianapolis on Dec. 22, and Phillips is hoping to return in time for the regular-season finale against Tennessee on Jan. 1. In the meantime, Herring won’t change anything.

“At the end of the day I’m not Wade Phillips,” Herring said, “but it’s Wade Phillips’ system. It’s our calls. It’s what the players know.”

Phillips’ leave is just the latest roadblock for the Texans.

Outside linebacker Mario Williams (torn chest muscle) and quarterbacks Matt Schaub (right foot injury) and Matt Leinart (broken left collarbone) are all out for the season, and star receiver Andre Johnson has a strained left hamstring after missing six games with an injury to his right hamstring.

Starting right guard Mike Brisiel had surgery on his broken right leg on Monday, and Johnson only jogged during Wednesday’s practice.

Somehow, the Texans have managed to win a franchise-record seven straight games and clinch the AFC South for the team’s first postseason berth.

Still, the latest helping of bad luck has everyone in the locker room shaking their heads in disbelief.

“The ‘next man up’ theme is hitting us everywhere,” said two-time Pro Bowl linebacker DeMeco Ryans.

And Phillips has probably made as a big an impact as anyone the Texans acquired this offseason.

Fired as the coach of the Dallas Cowboys in the middle of last season, Phillips talked earlier this season about feeling rejuvenated in Houston, where he played in college and began his coaching career. He took over the league’s 30th-ranked 2010 defense, implemented a 3-4 alignment, moved Williams to outside linebacker and the transformation was swift.

Houston now leads the league in total defense at 275 yards per game, ranks fourth in rushing defense at 91.5 yards per game and third in pass defense at 183.5 yards per game. The Texans have held each of their last seven opponents below 20 points.

Wade Phillips, who’s turned the Houston defense into the NFL’s best, will have surgery this week to resolve a kidney condition and will be away from the team for a week to 10 days.

The 64-year-old Phillips disclosed the medical issue after working with the team at practice on Wednesday. He would not specify the condition, but said it is not life-threatening, is not cancer, and that doctors recommended that he have the procedure.

“I feel good,” Phillips said. “I don’t have any physical problems right now, so if I get this done, this procedure that I’m doing, then I’ll be fine.”

Linebackers coach Reggie Herring will run the defense for Houston (10-3) in Sunday’s game against Carolina (4-9). Herring was Phillips’ linebackers coach in Dallas from 2008-10, then joined Houston’s staff after Phillips was hired last January.

“He’s ready to do it,” Houston coach Gary Kubiak said. “Reggie’s called defenses before. We got a lot of confidence. We just need to keep going.”

The Texans play at Indianapolis on Dec. 22, and Phillips is hoping to return in time for the regular-season finale against Tennessee on Jan. 1. In the meantime, Herring won’t change anything.

“At the end of the day I’m not Wade Phillips,” Herring said, “but it’s Wade Phillips’ system. It’s our calls. It’s what the players know.”

Phillips’ leave is just the latest roadblock for the Texans.

Outside linebacker Mario Williams (torn chest muscle) and quarterbacks Matt Schaub (right foot injury) and Matt Leinart (broken left collarbone) are all out for the season, and star receiver Andre Johnson has a strained left hamstring after missing six games with an injury to his right hamstring.

Starting right guard Mike Brisiel had surgery on his broken right leg on Monday, and Johnson only jogged during Wednesday’s practice.

Somehow, the Texans have managed to win a franchise-record seven straight games and clinch the AFC South for the team’s first postseason berth.

Still, the latest helping of bad luck has everyone in the locker room shaking their heads in disbelief.

“The ‘next man up’ theme is hitting us everywhere,” said two-time Pro Bowl linebacker DeMeco Ryans.

And Phillips has probably made as a big an impact as anyone the Texans acquired this offseason.

Fired as the coach of the Dallas Cowboys in the middle of last season, Phillips talked earlier this season about feeling rejuvenated in Houston, where he played in college and began his coaching career. He took over the league’s 30th-ranked 2010 defense, implemented a 3-4 alignment, moved Williams to outside linebacker and the transformation was swift.

Houston now leads the league in total defense at 275 yards per game, ranks fourth in rushing defense at 91.5 yards per game and third in pass defense at 183.5 yards per game. The Texans have held each of their last seven opponents below 20 points.

HOUSTON (AP) — The injury-riddled Houston Texans added to their quarterback depth Tuesday, reaching a deal with Jake Delhomme.

Delhomme worked out with the Texans on Tuesday, along with another retired quarterback, Jeff Garcia. The 36-year-old Delhomme will back up rookie T.J. Yates, a fifth-round pick slated to start Sunday’s game against Atlanta.

Rick Smith, Delhomme’s agent, said in a phone interview Tuesday that his client has been staying in shape and raising racehorses in Louisiana since he was cut by Cleveland in July.

“He relishes that role, and he’s looking forward to contributing to the team,” Smith said in a phone interview. “He keeps himself in shape, he’s been throwing a bunch.”

The Texans are dangerously thin at the position in the wake of season-ending injuries to Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart.

Houston signed Kellen Clemens last week after learning that Schaub will need season-ending surgery on his right foot. Leinart broke his left collarbone in Sunday’s 20-13 win over Jacksonville.

Yates replaced Leinart late in the first half, and went 8 for 15 for 70 yards in his first NFL action. Coach Gary Kubiak confirmed Monday that Leinart was out for the year and said Yates would start against the Falcons.

Smith didn’t know if Delhomme would be No. 2 or No. 3 on the depth chart this week. But Smith said Delhomme would only consider playing for a handful of teams if he ever came back, and Houston was one of them.

“Gary runs a very quarterback-friendly system,” said Smith, who also represents former Texans quarterback Sage Rosenfels. “It’s a great offensive system, and quarterbacks, they love it.”

Delhomme guided Carolina to the Super Bowl after the 2003 season – played at Reliant Stadium. He completed 16 of 33 passes for 323 yards and three touchdowns in the Panthers’ 32-29 loss to Tom Brady and New England.

Houston plays the Panthers at Reliant on Dec. 18.

Cleveland signed Delhomme to a two-year contract in March 2010, but he sprained his right ankle in the opener, lost his starting job to rookie Colt McCoy and played in only five games. He threw only two touchdown passes with seven interceptions that season.

But the Texans could hardly afford to be picky.

With Yates thrust into a starting role, Houston will have to lean on its top-ranked defense and No. 3 rushing attack to navigate through the final five games and earn the franchise’s first playoff berth.

Despite losing a key player seemingly every week, the Texans are having their best season. They’ve won five in a row and hold a two-game lead over Tennessee in the AFC South.

“They’ve got a lot of people telling them they can’t do something,” Kubiak said of his team Monday. “Believe me, they believe they can. It’s been about the team all year long and it will continue to be that way. It’s just another obstacle. We’ll rally and get ready to go this week.”

The Texans rank second in pass defense (175.8 yards per game) and fourth against the run (92.5 yards per game). They have 35 sacks, second in the league to Baltimore, and they’re plus-11 in turnover ratio.

Arian Foster and Ben Tate were bottled up against Jacksonville, but both still rank among the league’s top 16 rushers.

HOUSTON – The injury-riddled Houston Texans added to their quarterback depth Tuesday, reaching a deal with Jake Delhomme.

Delhomme worked out with the Texans on Tuesday, along with another retired quarterback, former CFLer Jeff Garcia. The 36-year-old Delhomme will back up rookie T.J. Yates, a fifth-round pick slated to start Sunday’s game against Atlanta.

Rick Smith, Delhomme’s agent, said in a phone interview Tuesday that his client has been staying in shape and raising racehorses in Louisiana since he was cut by Cleveland in July.

“He relishes that role, and he’s looking forward to contributing to the team,” Smith said in a phone interview. “He keeps himself in shape, he’s been throwing a bunch.”

The Texans are dangerously thin at the position in the wake of season-ending injuries to Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart.

Houston signed Kellen Clemens last week after learning that Schaub will need season-ending surgery on his right foot. Leinart broke his left collarbone in Sunday’s 20-13 win over Jacksonville.

Yates replaced Leinart late in the first half, and went 8-for-15 for 70 yards in his first NFL action. Coach Gary Kubiak confirmed Monday that Leinart was out for the year and said Yates would start against the Falcons.

Smith didn’t know if Delhomme would be No. 2 or No. 3 on the depth chart this week. But Smith said Delhomme would only consider playing for a handful of teams if he ever came back, and Houston was one of them.

“Gary runs a very quarterback-friendly system,” said Smith, who also represents former Texans quarterback Sage Rosenfels. “It’s a great offensive system, and quarterbacks, they love it.”

Delhomme guided Carolina to the Super Bowl after the 2003 season — played at Reliant Stadium. He completed 16-of-33 passes for 323 yards and three touchdowns in the Panthers’ 32-29 loss to Tom Brady and New England.

Houston plays the Panthers at Reliant on Dec. 18.

Cleveland signed Delhomme to a two-year contract in March 2010, but he sprained his right ankle in the opener, lost his starting job to rookie Colt McCoy and played in only five games. He threw only two touchdown passes with seven interceptions that season.

But the Texans could hardly afford to be picky.

With Yates thrust into a starting role, Houston will have to lean on its top-ranked defence and No. 3 rushing attack to navigate through the final five games and earn the franchise’s first playoff berth.

Despite losing a key player seemingly every week, the Texans are having their best season. They’ve won five in a row and hold a two-game lead over Tennessee in the AFC South.

“They’ve got a lot of people telling them they can’t do something,” Kubiak said of his team Monday. “Believe me, they believe they can. It’s been about the team all year long and it will continue to be that way. It’s just another obstacle. We’ll rally and get ready to go this week.”

The Texans rank second in pass defence (175.8 yards per game) and fourth against the run (92.5 yards per game). They have 35 sacks, second in the league to Baltimore, and they’re plus-11 in turnover ratio.

Arian Foster and Ben Tate were bottled up against Jacksonville, but both still rank among the league’s top 16 rushers.

Rick Smith, Delhomme’s agent, said in a phone interview Tuesday that his client has been staying in shape and raising racehorses in Louisiana since he was cut by Cleveland in July.

“He relishes that role, and he’s looking forward to contributing to the team,” Smith said in a phone interview. “He keeps himself in shape, he’s been throwing a bunch.”

The Texans are dangerously thin at the position in the wake of season-ending injuries to Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart.

Houston signed Kellen Clemens last week after learning that Schaub will need season-ending surgery on his right foot. Leinart broke his left collarbone in Sunday’s 20-13 win over Jacksonville.

Yates replaced Leinart late in the first half, and went 8 for 15 for 70 yards in his first NFL action. Coach Gary Kubiak confirmed Monday that Leinart was out for the year and said Yates would start against the Falcons.

Smith didn’t know if Delhomme would be No. 2 or No. 3 on the depth chart this week. But Smith said Delhomme would only consider playing for a handful of teams if he ever came back, and Houston was one of them.

“Gary runs a very quarterback-friendly system,” said Smith, who also represents former Texans quarterback Sage Rosenfels. “It’s a great offensive system, and quarterbacks, they love it.”

Delhomme guided Carolina to the Super Bowl after the 2003 season — played at Reliant Stadium. He completed 16 of 33 passes for 323 yards and three touchdowns in the Panthers’ 32-29 loss to Tom Brady and New England.

Houston plays the Panthers at Reliant on Dec. 18.

Cleveland signed Delhomme to a two-year contract in March 2010, but he sprained his right ankle in the opener, lost his starting job to rookie Colt McCoy and played in only five games. He threw only two touchdown passes with seven interceptions that season.

But the Texans could hardly afford to be picky.

With Yates thrust into a starting role, Houston will have to lean on its top-ranked defense and No. 3 rushing attack to navigate through the final five games and earn the franchise’s first playoff berth.

Despite losing a key player seemingly every week, the Texans are having their best season. They’ve won five in a row and hold a two-game lead over Tennessee in the AFC South.

“They’ve got a lot of people telling them they can’t do something,” Kubiak said of his team Monday. “Believe me, they believe they can. It’s been about the team all year long and it will continue to be that way. It’s just another obstacle. We’ll rally and get ready to go this week.”

The Texans rank second in pass defense (175.8 yards per game) and fourth against the run (92.5 yards per game). They have 35 sacks, second in the league to Baltimore, and they’re plus-11 in turnover ratio.

Arian Foster and Ben Tate were bottled up against Jacksonville, but both still rank among the league’s top 16 rushers.

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

HOUSTON – Texans coach Gary Kubiak woke up Wednesday to the bad news he knew was probably inevitable.

Doctors told quarterback Matt Schaub that he’ll need season-ending surgery to repair a Lisfranc injury in his right foot, and Houston put Schaub on injured reserve and signed Kellen Clemens.

Kubiak was hoping Schaub might still return this season after he was hurt in Houston’s 37-9 win over Tampa Bay on Nov. 13. But Schaub met with several doctors and talked to Kubiak early Wednesday about the disappointing diagnosis.

“Well, that there’s no way that any rest would allow him the opportunity to go play. It was just too risky,” Kubiak said. “It’s something he needs to get fixed for his future, so that’s what we got to go do. We’ve got to go do what’s best for him.”

Matt Leinart will start for Houston (7-3) at Jacksonville (3-7) on Sunday. Rookie T.J. Yates, a fifth-round pick, will be the backup, and Clemens will take the No. 3 spot on the depth chart.

Schaub was averaging only 29 pass attempts per game, but had completed 61 per cent of his throws this season. His 96.8 rating ranks sixth, and his 15 touchdown passes rank ninth.

The Texans haven’t needed Schaub to put up big numbers like he did last year, because running backs Arian Foster and Ben Tate have both played well and helped Houston rank second in rushing (158 yards per game).

“It’s not his fault we weren’t throwing it that much,” Kubiak said, “but when we threw it, he was throwing it as good as anybody and he made probably as many big plays as anybody in the league.

“Everything he was doing,” Kubiak said, “he was a better play this year than he’d been for me the previous four years. I think Matt’s going to have a great career.”

Now, it’s up to Leinart to help Houston earn its first playoff berth in franchise history. The Texans have a two-game lead in the AFC South with six to play.

Kubiak said Schaub will be back at practice on Thursday to assist in getting the other quarterbacks ready, and Leinart says Schaub will be on the sideline Sunday to help him.

“I’m going to pick up where he (Schaub) left off and get us into good situations and do what he was doing,” Leinart said. “I know he’s going to be there every day supporting me. I’m sure I’ll turn to him for a bunch of things.

“We all know he’ll do everything to get back as soon as he can,” Leinart said. “But he’s going to be here, helping big-time.”

Leinart has started only one game since 2007, when he played for Arizona. Clemens tried out for the Texans on Monday, along with Jeff Garcia, Trent Edwards, Brodie Croyle and Chase Clement.

Clemens had an edge because he was in training camp with Washington and coach Mike Shanahan, Kubiak’s former mentor. The Redskins’ offensive co-ordinator is Kyle Shanahan, Mike’s son, who was Kubiak’s offensive co-ordinator with the Texans from 2008-09.

Since he was cut by the Redskins on Sept. 3, Clemens has mostly been working out in his home state of Washington, waiting for an opportunity to re-enter the league.

“The offence, there’s some carryover,” said Clemens. “It’s been as easy a transition as it could be in one day. I’ve only been official for a few hours.”

Meanwhile, star receiver Andre Johnson and safety Danieal Manning were back for the team’s first full practice following the bye week after both missed several games with injuries.

Johnson has been out since hurting his right hamstring in the Texans’ 17-10 win over Pittsburgh on Oct. 2, an injury that required minor surgery to repair. Manning has made a quicker-than-expected recovery after breaking his left fibula in Houston’s 41-7 win over Tennessee on Oct. 23.

Kubiak expects Johnson and Manning to both play in Jacksonville.

Schaub is the 10th Texans player to go on injured reserve this season, joining a group that includes outside linebacker Mario Williams (torn chest muscle) and linebacker Darryl Sharpton (dislocated shoulder).

Schaub’s durability was questioned after he missed games in the 2007 and ’08 seasons with various injuries. But the quarterback started all 16 games for Houston in 2009 and 2010.

Clemens was a second-round pick by the New York Jets in the 2006 draft and backed up Chad Pennington. Clemens started only nine games for the Jets, eight in the 2007 season when the team finished 4-12.

He was eventually demoted to No. 3 on the depth chart after Rex Ryan became the coach, and the team drafted Mark Sanchez in 2009. Clemens became a free agent after the 2010 season, signed with Washington before training camp began.

Kubiak was hoping Schaub might still return this season after he was hurt in Houston’s 37-9 win over Tampa Bay on Nov. 13. But Schaub met with several doctors and talked to Kubiak early Wednesday about the disappointing diagnosis.

“Well, that there’s no way that any rest would allow him the opportunity to go play. It was just too risky,” Kubiak said. “It’s something he needs to get fixed for his future, so that’s what we got to go do. We’ve got to go do what’s best for him.”

Matt Leinart will start for Houston (7-3) at Jacksonville (3-7) on Sunday. Rookie T.J. Yates, a fifth-round pick, will be the backup, and Clemens will take the No. 3 spot on the depth chart.

Schaub was averaging only 29 pass attempts per game, but had completed 61 percent of his throws this season. His 96.8 rating ranks sixth, and his 15 touchdown passes rank ninth.

The Texans haven’t needed Schaub to put up big numbers like he did last year, because running backs Arian Foster and Ben Tate have both played well and helped Houston rank second in rushing (158 yards per game).

“It’s not his fault we weren’t throwing it that much,” Kubiak said, “but when we threw it, he was throwing it as good as anybody and he made probably as many big plays as anybody in the league.

“Everything he was doing,” Kubiak said, “he was a better play this year than he’d been for me the previous four years. I think Matt’s going to have a great career.”

Now, it’s up to Leinart to help Houston earn its first playoff berth in franchise history. The Texans have a two-game lead in the AFC South with six to play.

Kubiak said Schaub will be back at practice on Thursday to assist in getting the other quarterbacks ready, and Leinart says Schaub will be on the sideline Sunday to help him.

“I’m going to pick up where he (Schaub) left off and get us into good situations and do what he was doing,” Leinart said. “I know he’s going to be there every day supporting me. I’m sure I’ll turn to him for a bunch of things.

“We all know he’ll do everything to get back as soon as he can,” Leinart said. “But he’s going to be here, helping big-time.”

Leinart has started only one game since 2007, when he played for Arizona. Clemens tried out for the Texans on Monday, along with Jeff Garcia, Trent Edwards, Brodie Croyle and Chase Clement.

Clemens had an edge because he was in training camp with Washington and coach Mike Shanahan, Kubiak’s former mentor. The Redskins’ offensive coordinator is Kyle Shanahan, Mike’s son, who was Kubiak’s offensive coordinator with the Texans from 2008-09.

Since he was cut by the Redskins on Sept. 3, Clemens has mostly been working out in his home state of Washington, waiting for an opportunity to re-enter the league.

“The offense, there’s some carryover,” said Clemens. “It’s been as easy a transition as it could be in one day. I’ve only been official for a few hours.”

Meanwhile, star receiver Andre Johnson and safety Danieal Manning were back for the team’s first full practice following the bye week after both missed several games with injuries.

Johnson has been out since hurting his right hamstring in the Texans’ 17-10 win over Pittsburgh on Oct. 2, an injury that required minor surgery to repair. Manning has made a quicker-than-expected recovery after breaking his left fibula in Houston’s 41-7 win over Tennessee on Oct. 23.

Kubiak expects Johnson and Manning to both play in Jacksonville.

Schaub is the 10th Texans player to go on injured reserve this season, joining a group that includes outside linebacker Mario Williams (torn chest muscle) and linebacker Darryl Sharpton (dislocated shoulder).

Schaub’s durability was questioned after he missed games in the 2007 and ‘08 seasons with various injuries. But the quarterback started all 16 games for Houston in 2009 and 2010.

Clemens was a second-round pick by the New York Jets in the 2006 draft and backed up Chad Pennington. Clemens started only nine games for the Jets, eight in the 2007 season when the team finished 4-12.

He was eventually demoted to No. 3 on the depth chart after Rex Ryan became the coach, and the team drafted Mark Sanchez in 2009. Clemens became a free agent after the 2010 season, signed with Washington before training camp began.

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

by Michelle Homer

khou.com

Posted on November 17, 2011 at 6:06 PM

Updated
yesterday at 6:11 PM

HOUSTON – Even now, in the best of times, the Houston Texans can’t escape their star-crossed history.

The Texans (7-3) are off to the fastest start in franchise history and enter their bye week on a four-game winning streak. They’ve taken control of the AFC South and share the top record in the conference with Pittsburgh, whom they defeated on Oct. 2.

And somehow they’ve done it as their best players continue to go down with major injuries.

The latest is quarterback Matt Schaub, who may be lost for the season after injuring a Lisfranc joint in his right foot during Sunday’s 37-9 win over Tampa Bay. Schaub has started all but 10 games since the start of the 2007 season, but Matt Leinart will replace him for the Texans’ next game, in Jacksonville on Nov. 27.

Houston has already survived more than a month without All-Pro Mario Williams (torn chest muscle) and has won four of the last six games without All-Pro receiver Andre Johnson (right hamstring), who’s expected to return after the bye. Running backs Arian Foster and Ben Tate have also missed games, and starting safety Danieal Manning is still out with a broken left fibula.

It’s always something with the Texans, whose 10-season life span is more defined by epic collapses than milestone victories. The players insist this year feels different, with upgrades in depth, talent and coaching creating confidence and unity in the locker room.

But they also can’t help but wonder why this franchise can’t ever catch a break.

“Over the years, it’s been crazy,” said tight end Owen Daniels, drafted by Houston in 2006. “That’s just the way it’s going to be with the Texans. We’re going to have to fight through stuff, we’re going to have some crazy adversity that other teams might not have.

“That’s what’s going to make this group so special,” Daniels said. “We’re going to be able to fight through that, and find a way to get it done, even though certain things have happened.”

The mindset began to change when Houston scuttled its defensive staff after last season and hired Wade Phillips, renowned for quickly turning around bad defenses.

And, boy, did the Texans need a change after ranking 30th overall and dead-last against the pass in 2010. Phillips not only sold coach Gary Kubiak and owner Bob McNair on a switch to a 3-4 alignment, he also suggested moving 6-foot-6 Williams from defensive end to outside linebacker and morphing into a DeMarcus Ware-type pass rusher.

The Texans focused on high-energy defensive players in the draft, picked up Johnathan Joseph and Manning in free agency to shore up the secondary and the pieces were suddenly in place.

Kubiak can hardly believe how well it’s turned out.

Houston has the league’s No. 1 defense (269.7 yards per game) and more amazingly, ranks second against the pass (178 yards per game). The Texans have generated 20 takeaways (14 interceptions, six recovered fumbles) and are plus-11 in turnover margin.

And even without Williams, who’s been out since Week 5, the Texans rank second in sacks (28). Rookie Brooks Reed has capably filled Williams’ role, outside linebacker Connor Barwin and defensive end Antonio Smith have 4 ½ sacks each, and linebacker Brian Cushing has recaptured his playmaking form from 2009, when he was named the league’s top defensive rookie.

“It’s just been fun to watch,” Kubiak said. “The players have just bought into what we’re doing and they’re playing with a lot of confidence right now and a lot of young players stepping to the plate. Hopefully there’s a lot more good things to come, but right now, it’s very exciting to watch.”

The Texans can also boast the league’s top rushing tandem, Foster and Tate. Both rank among the league’s top 10, and Houston is third in rushing (158 yards per game), behind Philadelphia and Denver.

Between the defense and the running game, the players think they’re equipped to withstand the loss of any one player. Even their starting quarterback.

“Everything happens for a reason,” receiver Kevin Walter said. “It seems like it’s been one thing after another with this team, this year, but we’ve overcome it. We have to do good job and overcome this with Matt, too.

“I feel bad for Schaub, he was having a heck of a year,” he said. “But I know Leinart, and I know he’s excited for the opportunity to come and keep this thing rolling. We’re going to ride him on in, and we’re going to continue to make plays and do our thing.”

Leinart seems to be one of the first who felt a good vibe for this season. He was a free agent in the offseason, but turned down other offers to come back, knowing that he would still be backing up Schaub.

The start of his NFL career derailed in Arizona, and Leinart wasn’t shy during training camp about his desire to earn another starting role. Now he’s in control of a franchise that’s never won anything, but also never felt more optimistic about its future.

“I think it’s easy to let the situation itself overpower you,” Leinart said. “But for me, that’s why we play this game and that’s why we get paid what we get paid. That’s why we grind it out every day during the season and training camp is for things like this.

“It’s exciting,” he said. “This organization, we haven’t been in this situation before, but we’ve got a great team, we’ve got a great team camaraderie. Everyone is so together in belief of what we can accomplish. We just continue to march forward together.”

A loss would drop the Bucs below .500 for the first time since Week 1.