Receiver Andre Johnson could actually put up some good fantasy numbers on Sunday. His Houston Texans go up against the Tennessee Titans in the last game of the regular season and Johnson looks to get in on a number of plays. He missed the last three games due to a strained left hamstring, further compounding his issue with injuries during the 2011 NFL season. For fantasy football owners he became one of the most frustrating players to have this year.

In Week 13 against the Atlanta Falcons, Johnson had 9.7 fantasy points in the 17-10 win. It was only the sixth game that he had played in 2011, but the 4 catches and 97 receiving yards really helped out the Titans. It ended up just becoming a big tease to those that play fantasy football, because he would then miss the next three weeks.

After starting out the season with three good games, it really looked like Johnson was going to put up some of the best numbers of his career. He had 21 catches for 316 yards and 2 touchdowns heading into Week 4, showing that he could threaten the 100-catch 1,600-yard mark for the year. It didn’t go according to plan though, and injuries caused him to miss nine games of the fantasy season. Now he returns in Week 17 during a time when many fantasy leagues have actually already finished.

There are some Texans fans frustrated with the news that Johnson is even returning before the playoffs, simply because a hamstring injury is one of the easiest to worsen on the football field. One bad cut or misstep and Johnson could miss the playoffs, likely taking away one of the best weapons that the Texans have on offense. This is where the risk also comes in for fantasy football owners, because while Johnson has the opportunity to make a big play or two, he might have very limited playing time. If the quarterback(s) can’t get him the ball early, then he may not post very good stats for the day.

Consider Johnson a risk as a fantasy starter in Week 17, though he does have the potential to put up big numbers on the first two drives alone. Starting a receiver that will play a full game in Week 17 is definitely a safer bet at this point, but most league champions know when to play it safe and when to bet on a talented player trying to prove something.

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Sources:

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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.

HOUSTON – The Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans have different objectives in mind heading into Sunday’s regular-season finale.

For the Titans (8-7), the goal is clear-cut — win at Reliant Stadium and then hope for the magic combination of losses involving Cincinnati, Denver, Oakland and the New York Jets to earn their first playoff berth since 2008.

And that would set up a rematch with the Texans in the first round of the post-season right back in Houston.

“If we don’t take care of our business, there will be no scoreboard watching,” kicker Rob Bironas said. “We’ll be on the couch watching — for all of January.”

For the Texans (10-5), the incentive is more intangible — regaining the momentum they seem to have lost in two consecutive defeats after reeling off seven straight wins to clinch their first AFC South title.

Houston has nothing at stake in terms of post-season positioning. The Texans are locked into the No. 3 seed in the AFC, and will host a game on the first weekend of the playoffs, no matter what happens.

But no one in the locker room wants to go into the franchise’s first post-season game riding a losing streak.

“This game is more important than most people will ever know,” defensive end Antonio Smith said. “You think that since it doesn’t hurt us or help us as far as the playoff run, that it doesn’t matter.

“You’ve got to be firing on all cylinders when you go into the playoffs,” he said. “If not, man, ain’t no telling what will happen.”

The Texans kick-started their regular season with a 41-7 victory in Nashville on Oct. 23. They stayed in first place for the rest of the regular season, despite playing most of their games without star receiver Andre Johnson.

The five-time Pro Bowl selection has been practicing this week, and coach Gary Kubiak expects Johnson to play in the finale. Johnson sat out six games with a right hamstring injury that required minor surgery, started the next two games and then strained his left hamstring. He’s been sidelined for the last three games, and he’s eager to see some action on Sunday, just so he can regain some stamina and timing.

“I’m excited,” Johnson said. “I feel like I haven’t played football all year. It’ll be fun to get back out there and run around a little bit.”

Houston also hopes to have defensive co-ordinator Wade Phillips back calling the plays, but from the press box instead of on the sideline. Phillips, 64, returned to practice this week after undergoing kidney and gall bladder surgery on Dec. 15.

“It’s awesome to have him back,” rookie outside linebacker Brooks Reed said. “He just has that personality where no matter what goes wrong, he’s always calm and I think that is kind of contagious throughout.”

The Titans, meanwhile, only have flickering playoff hopes because of a 23-17 victory over Jacksonville last week. They lost to the previously winless Colts on Dec. 18, a setback that now looms large.

And they also remember how the Texans manhandled them on their home field, holding Tennessee to 148 yards and 11 first downs. Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck conceded that the Titans took their divisional rivals too lightly the first time around.

“I think we probably underestimated how good they were physically,” Hasselbeck said. “They’re one of the premier teams in the NFL this year and it just hasn’t been the case sometimes in the past.

“They were fantastic that game we played against them here,” he said. “They were making plays all over the field in all phases and they really took it to us. I think that’s probably the toughest game we’ve played this year in terms of just, we were feeling one thing and they really disrupted what our thoughts were and took it to us.”

Chris Johnson rushed for only 18 yards in that game, but he’s had three 100-yard games since, all Tennessee victories. Johnson needs only 14 yards rushing on Sunday to reach 1,000 yards for the fourth consecutive season.

“We’re fully aware that he can just break out any time,” Reed said, “and we just need to secure edges and just make sure he doesn’t get out in too many open spaces because that’s where he’s dangerous.”

The Texans’ running backs dominated the earlier meeting.

Arian Foster and Ben Tate both went over 100 yards, and Foster also had 100 yards receiving. Foster, named to the Pro Bowl for the second straight season, has seven 100-yard games this year and has topped 100 yards rushing in Houston’s last two season finales, both victories.

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

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HOUSTON – Two weeks ago, Houston Texans defensive co-ordinator Wade Phillips cracked jokes about going on medical leave to have surgery on his kidney and gall bladder.

The 64-year-old Phillips returned to practice Wednesday in a more sombre mood, though he’s confident he’ll be able to work from the press box Sunday when Houston (10-5) plays Tennessee (8-7) in the regular-season finale.

“It’s good to be back,” Phillips said. “It’s not as funny now as it was before I was going in.

“I’m a little more sore than I thought I’d be. It’s taken a lot out of me, but I’m working my way back, doing what the doctors say.”

Phillips went on medical leave Dec. 14, and had surgery the next day. Linebackers coach Reggie Herring ran the defence in his absence, and the Texans lost their next two games.

The players got a pleasant surprise Monday when Phillips showed up at a meeting, and they got another emotional lift when he joined them on the practice field Wednesday.

“Even just seeing him out there and smiling and making calls,” linebacker Brian Cushing said, “I know that means a lot for him, as well.

“To be away from football like that, it really hurt him. For him to be back out there, all of us are just happier to see him out there.”

Phillips mingled with his players during the practice, but walked to the sideline late in the workout to sit on a golf cart with his father, Bum, the former coach of the Houston Oilers.

Phillips was in hospital for eight days, and says he’s only now getting back to eating regular food.

“I’m starting to feel better and better,” Phillips said. “I’ll feel good, and then all of a sudden, my energy level does go down a little bit.

“But that’ll get better as it goes.”

Houston’s defence has made a dramatic turnaround from 2010 in Phillips’ first season, ranking second overall (281 yards per game). The Texans have already set a single-season record for sacks (41) and rank 10th in takeaways (26).

Phillips said the hardest part of his recovery is over, and returning to his regular schedule this week has boosted his spirits.

“Once you get into your routine, once you get to start eating and start being with the players and with the team, in the meetings and so forth, then everything gets easier,” he said. “I’m just starting out, solid foods now.

“Once I get back to normal, which seems to be the case right now, that will get better and better.”

Coach Gary Kubiak visited Phillips in the hospital and was relieved to see him back on the field.

“Just for me, knowing what he went through, to see where he was then and where he’s at right now, it’s a great feeling,” Kubiak said. “It’s one thing you can’t take for granted in life, your health.

“It’s good to see him back out here, and I know we all appreciate it. The players are glad to see him back.”

Phillips said earlier this season he was getting too much credit for reviving a defence that ranked 30th overall last season (376.9 yards per game). Fired as coach of the Dallas Cowboys in the middle of last season, Phillips was hired last January, implemented a 3-4 alignment and moved Mario Williams to outside linebacker.

The defence showed instant improvement and was ranked No. 1 in the league for several weeks. But the unit gave up long touchdown drives in the fourth quarters of the two games he missed.

Phillips broke down film of the two games, and defensive end Antonio Smith said he downplayed his condition and got back to business Monday.

“He just told us the situation,” Smith said. “He told us about how he missed us and how he missed football most of all.

“And then he told us what he thought of the games he missed, because he said he watched all of them. And he told us what we need to do in the future.”

Smith said the Texans were keeping each other updated on Phillips’s condition throughout the last two weeks. Seeing him back at work, Smith said, has put everyone at ease this week.

“You can hear somebody tell you that somebody’s all right,” Smith said, “but when you see him talking and he’s in good spirits, it gives you an easier heart for the people who are really just worried about him as a person, and his health.

“That was good, just to see that he’s all right.”