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Ready or not, Texans look to playoffs

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

by Associated Press

khou.com

Posted on January 2, 2012 at 9:56 PM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What are your opinions.

MacPherson: Houston Texans become pride of Texas

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

What a difference a year makes.

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

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

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

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

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

Sounds easy right?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What do you guys think about this.

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

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

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

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Indianapolis Colts:

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

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

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

Houston Texans vs. Tennessee Titans:

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

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

Sources:

Week 17 NFL Picks and Predictions

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

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Playoff-bound Texans can’t overlook 1-13 Colts

info — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 21:50:21 +0000

After dominating the AFC South over the previous eight seasons, the Peyton Manning-less Indianapolis Colts have given way to the Houston Texans.

Even though these teams’ most recent efforts more resembled previous seasons than the current one, this may be Houston’s best chance to finally win in Indianapolis.

Looking to regroup from their first defeat in more than two months, the division champion Texans visit a Colts team looking to build on its first win of the season Thursday (8:20 p.m. ET).

‘I think [the Colts are] feeling very good after what happened last week. We know they’ll play well.’— Texans head coach Gary Kubiak

With Manning under centre, Indianapolis had won seven of the past eight South titles and made the playoffs in all nine years since the division was created in 2002 — Houston’s inaugural season.

The Colts had been 15-1 in this series before losing two of the last three meetings, including a season-opening 34-7 defeat at Houston on Sept. 11. However, the Texans are 0-9 all-time at Indianapolis, giving up an average of 32.6 points, but this is the first time they’ve played there without having to face Manning.

Then again, Indianapolis (1-13) is coming off its first win, shocking Tennessee 27-13 on Sunday.

“I think [the Colts are] feeling very good after what happened last week,” Texans head coach Gary Kubiak said. “… You know, the Thursday night game gets a lot of attention. We know they’ll play well. Like I said, our history in that building hasn’t been very good, so we’re going to have to go change that and play much better.”

The Texans secured their first post-season berth and division title in Week 14. They entered Sunday having won a franchise-record seven straight and coming off a last-second 20-19 victory over Cincinnati, but they lost 28-13 at home to a sub-.500 Carolina team.

Houston had been tied for the conference’s best record but fell one game behind New England and is now one of three AFC teams at 10-4.

‘Wake-up call’

“It is a wake-up call, and it’s up to us as leaders to let our team know what exactly this game is,” defensive end Antonio Smith told the team’s official website. “I wouldn’t say it has to happen, but if it does happen, it’s needed for you to be battle-tested in a situation like this, for us to grow as a team. You got to take your [knocks]. You got to take your hits on the chin.”

“When you become ‘the team,’ just like when we face teams that people give high praise, you got the underdog coming to knock you right off the pedestal.”

The Texans find themselves in a similar situation Thursday and likely know better than to overlook a Colts team that has plenty to celebrate following a 0-13 start.

Indianapolis rallied in the second half to defeat the Titans, posting its first victory without Manning in more than 14 years.

“Any time you get a win, it’s good, and these guys have been working hard,” coach Jim Caldwell said. “The guys haven’t been complaining, they’ve worked together, they’ve fought together, so it’s good to get a good result. I think it gives our guys a little bit of a lift.”

Making his third consecutive start, Dan Orlovsky was just 11 of 17 for 82 yards but threw for the go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter, and no Colts passes were intercepted for the first time since Week 5. Donald Brown carried 16 times for a career-high 161 yards, including an 80-yard TD run late in the fourth.

“It means a lot [to win], but we’re a proud ball club so one game out of 13 or 14, we still have a ways to go,” defensive end Robert Mathis said.

A big reason Indianapolis dominated this series was the Texans weren’t very good defensively, but they’ve made major strides this year, ranking second in total yards allowed at 277.9 per game and fifth against the run (96.8 ypg). However, they gave up a season-worst 166 yards on the ground Sunday and two rushing TDs, one more than they surrendered during the seven-game win streak.

Rookie T.J. Yates, thrown under centre with season-ending injuries to Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart, also had a forgettable performance as he went 19 of 30 for 212 yards and two interceptions.

“We’ve got a lot of things to fix and maybe just a quick turnaround is the thing,” Kubiak said.

With Yates still getting accustomed to his new role, the offence continues to lean on Arian Foster. The Pro Bowler had his fifth 100-yard rushing effort and eighth touchdown in eight games Sunday, running for 109 yards and catching five passes for 58. In two career meetings with Indianapolis, Foster has totaled 405 yards from scrimmage and four TDs. He rushed for a career-high 231 yards and three scores during a 34-24 win Sept. 12, 2010.

All-Pro wideout Andre Johnson will miss a third straight contest and ninth this season due to a hamstring injury. It’s unknown if defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, who went on medical leave after undergoing kidney and gall bladder surgery last week, will be available to coach.

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Wide receiver Andre Johnson to miss another game…

info — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 01:51:06 +0000

HOUSTON – Houston Texans star receiver Andre Johnson will sit out Thursday night’s game against the Indianapolis Colts because of a strained left hamstring.

Johnson, who will miss his ninth game this season, was sidelined for six straight games earlier in the year with a right hamstring injury that required surgery.

Coach Gary Kubiak said Tuesday that Johnson is “very close” to returning to practice, but isn’t quite ready.

The Texans (10-4) have already clinched the AFC South, so Kubiak is staying cautious with the franchise’s career leader in receiving yards. Houston plays Tennessee in its regular-season finale on Jan. 1.

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Newton, Panthers snap Texans’ 7-game streak

info — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 03:54:58 +0000

HOUSTON (AP) — With all eyes on
Cam Newton
, the
Carolina Panthers
turned to a trick play to stretch their big lead in Houston on Sunday.

Newton took the snap, slipped the ball to
Richie Brockel
, and the tight end swung around the left side for a touchdown late in the first half of Carolina’s 28-13 victory that snapped
the Texans’ seven-game winning streak.

Newton also threw two touchdown passes and outplayed 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.

But the talk in the Panthers’ locker room after the game swirled around the bold gimmick play from the Texans 7 in the final
minute of the half.

“The offensive coaches have basically been working on different things and things that we can mix with what we do on offense,”
Panthers coach Ron Rivera said. “I’m not sure which one of our guys came up with this one, but the timing of it was perfect.”

Houston’s focus on Newton, the top overall pick, created the opportunity to run the play.

“The defense is so keyed up on him and worried about him making the play,” Brockel said, “they sometimes forget about other
things and their assignments.”

By then, Carolina already had the Texans (10-4) on their heels.

Houston looked emotionally flat after clinching the AFC South last weekend, and its top-ranked defense appeared 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, but the Texans could not generate a turnover in a game
for the first time this season.

“I just think the overall theme of the day was, we gave up big plays and there were discipline parts of the game that we were
not very disciplined on, as we have been throughout the year,” Herring said. “We obviously didn’t execute very well.”

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.

Newton has avoided a turnover in three of four games since throwing four interceptions in a loss to Detroit on Nov. 20.

“I think that’s the key to success for the
Carolina Panthers
offensively,” Newton said. “I look at other quarterbacks across the league and when they do a good job of protecting the football
that’s just the key to the win.”

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

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 only came away with two field goals from
Neil Rackers
.

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.
DeAngelo Williams
sprinted 24 yards through a gaping hole on the next snap to put Carolina in front 28-13.

Notes: The Panthers have led in 13 of 14 games this season. … Carolina has scored 40 touchdowns this season after scoring
just 16 in 2010. … Newton finished with 149 yards passing, a season low. … Yates completed 19 of 30 passes for 212 yards.
… The Texans allowed more than 20 points at home for the first time since a 25-20 loss to Oakland in Week 5.

What do you guys think about this.

Panthers jump on Texans early, roll to easy win

info — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 03:01:49 +0000