The Mob Has Spoken!

After many weeks of countless bickering from both fans and the media, the Texans have decided to fire defensive coordinator Richard Smith, defensive backs coach Jon Hoke and defensive line coach Jethro Franklin.

What does this tell me? It tells me that the expectations around this team are high and that mediocrity will NOT be tolerated. I'm anxious to see who we can lure in! Given the talent on our defense at key positions, I don't know who WOULDN'T want to jump at the chance to coach this defense. Stay tuned...

All things considered, a perfect ending to a wild season

I can't express the joy I felt watching this team defeat the Bears on Sunday. As a good friend of mine put it:

"We are no longer a team who strives for 8-8, but one who underachieves at 8-8"

I like that. Think about it for a second. We finished with only our second non-losing season ever, and the first thing that comes to our minds is a whole lot of "what ifs" and "almosts." As this season showed it is going to take a good number of wins to get into the playoffs in the AFC. At a first glance of the opponents we will have to face in 2009, I can honestly say that I see 10, possibly 11 wins on that schedule. And for some reason, this time, it doesn't feel like blind optimism. That is the feeling this team gives me. The feeling that when we play our best football no one in this league can stop us. As long as we don't stop ourselves, we can win our fair share of games. Just ask the Titans. Ask the Dolphins. Ask the Bears. You know what, ask the Colts if they still look forward to playing us.

Everybody may not agree with me. The thing that we can all agree on is the fact that we are certainly heading in the right direction. We have always had the heart. What we have now is what we have always lacked: serious talent. Talent at serious positions. We have the type of players that you can pencil in for upper echelon production for the duration of their tenures with the team. Mario Williams is and will be the cornerstone of our defense for many years to come. Demeco Ryans is the incumbent-in-waiting for the AFC Pro Bowl roster as soon as Ray Lewis hangs it up. Dunta Robinson is a luxury to have in the secondary, both in pass defense and in run support. Steve Slaton has single handedly filled our perennial running back void. Matt Schaub is our quarterback. Period. And Andre Johnson, what can you say about Andre Johnson? He is the best wide receiver in the NFL, pure and simple. These guys are some of the best players in the NFL, and they are ALL under the age of 27!

The Texans are rising as fast as the Cowboys are falling, and there is a reason for it. We play as a team and we play for eachother. This team has been ridiculed since its inception. It has been been under constant scrutiny, a lot of the time by its own fan base. Mario has become a monster because he doesn't let the drama of the outside world affect his effort and performance. If you met Demeco Ryans on the street, you would never guess that he was a complete beasticon on the football field. Not only is Andre Johnson the prototypical wide receiver, he is the prototypical professional. He is soft spoken, outworks everybody and gives his best effort at all times while continuing to be the definition of role model off the field. It is nice to see a professional athlete that understands what a blessing and privilege it is to be in such a fortunate position. He reminds us every day with his work ethic on the field and his charitable contributions off of it. The only time you will read about his in the newspaper is because of a humongous football performance or a saintly act of charity and kindness off of it. There is no ego in this wideout. Can't say the same for the "other" Texas team.

The future is bright for the Houston Texans. I've said it before, but I can't wait for next season. For some reason it has a greater ring to it this time around...

Texans 2009 Opponents

It's not to early to start thinking about next season. Here are the teams we will face next season:

Home:
San Fran
Seattle
NY Jets
New England
Oakland
Indy
Jacksonville
Tennesee

Away:
Cincinnati
Buffalo
St. Louis
Arizona
Miami
Indy
Jacksonville
Tennesee

Looks like a perfect season to me...

MARIO AND 'DRE ARE GETTING LEID

Congrats to Mario Williams and Andre Johnson on being named starters on the 2008 AFC Pro Bowl squad!!!!

Quoteables

"They weren't doing that well, but it was their Super Bowl and credit them for being the good team today," - Titans cornerback Cortland Finnegan

Andre Johnson owned you all day. Owned you.


"It's a big win for them as an organization,(but) no matter what they do, they'll still go home (during the) playoffs. We have a lot to look forward to." - Titans running back Lendale White

We will be home, watching you get knocked out of the playoffs by any of the other 3 top seeded teams.


"Slaton didn’t do anything. Slaton busted that run (34 yards) at the end of the game, and we pretty much had him in check. To tell you the truth, I don’t think their running game hurt us at all today." - Titans outside linebacker Keith Bulluck

He did nothing, except for gaining 100 yards for the second time against your defense.

Food for thought

-The Tennessee Titans have only allowed ONE RB to rush for 100 yards: Steve Slaton...TWICE!!!

-Matt Schaub has a QB rating of 92.7 good for 7th overall and ahead of Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, Donovan McNabb, Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger. He is 5th overall in YPG ahead of all the above mentioned, and is 4th in completion percentage.

-Out of Andre Johnson's league leading 103 receptions, 69 have been for 1st downs. I would love to hear any argument against him being the best receiver in the NFL.

more to come...

Put that in your pipe and smoke it!

I'm so ecstatic I don't even know where to being. Talk about a statement game and moral boost for a young and impressive team. Sunday's win over the now 12-2 Tennessee Titans was a lot more than just a "W" in the win column it was a shout out to the AFC South and even more so the entire NFL. The number 3 overall ranked offense, a rookie running back who has surpassed all expectations to rush for 1000+ yards and 8 td's, and a now .500 record...these are all signs of good things to come.

Looking at the last two games of the season we face Oakland on the road then Da Bears back at Reliant for the season closer. 9 - 7 is a lock and I can already here the analyst in the off season predicting us to win the division in '09. We've proven that we can play and beat the best but it's now a matter of maturity and discipline to get us over that hump and into the elite tier.

I couldn't be happier with where our teams currently stands, we have a great coaching staff, an unbelievable core group of players, and a city that loves their team. I wasn't able to make it to this Sundays game but I bet the atmosphere was nothing short of breathtaking. A 4 game winning streak and coach with a kick ass hair cut....what else could you ask for!

Game Day

The Texans' MNF debut is now a mere hours away. If you're not in Houston by now, I hope you're on the way. If the Texans play as well as they tend to in night games, then tonight is going to be electric.

Week 13: Rumblings and Grumblings

-Matt Schaub says he wants to play on Monday night.
-Looks like someone other than myself is predicting a Texans victory.

Back in the High Life Again

Now I know what Steve Winwood was talking about. The Texans are back in the win column after an old-fashioned-ugly-stick-beat-down versus the Browns on Sunday. I was not able to watch the game due to regional coverage issues (fuck you Time Warner Cable), but looking at that 16-6 final score from Browns Stadium I can tell that it wasn't pretty. Nevertheless, I'll take a win any way I can get it, ESPECIALLY on the road!

We're beating teams that we should be beating as evidence by our opponents' combined record in wins of 11-27-1. At least we don't give games away to inferior teams. Let's be honest, Texans fans. The Texans have one of the more brutal schedules in the NFL. Yes we lost close ones and gave a few away, but if I told you I saw 10 wins on that schedule before the season started I would have been lying. The combined record of our opponents in loses is 49-28! What does this tell me? We're not there yet. However, I don't think we're that far away.

It usually seems that by Week 12 we're already guaranteed a losing record. However, that is not the case this year. At 4-7 there is still a slim chance that we can bring our record to .500 by season's end.

We face the Jags this Monday night, and this time around I like our chances. The Jags are 1-4 in there last 5 games including giving up the Bengals' only win of the season as well as losing to the Cleveland Browns. Their only victory in that time period has come against winless Detroit. In their 30-12 loss to Minnesota on Sunday the Jags only managed 35 total yards rushing and committed 5 turnovers. If they bring that shit to Reliant then they're in for a big surprise. After an inspired defensive performance in the midst of widespread ridicule, I look for the Texans D to play their hearts out under the lights on Battle Red Day. Remember what happened last time Mario played in prime time wearing red?

More to come on the Jags game, but for now I'm enjoying this victory. We might not be playing for very much, but in the eyes of a true Texans' fan, there's always next year. Any win is a big win for our franchise. This last one was especially sweet for me. I get an extra day this time around to enjoy a Texans victory and then it's on to Houston for our first Monday night game ever. Can you tell I'm excited?
Cliche of the week: "Big players make Big plays in Big games."

Rant and Rave

The following post, 7 years in the making, was submitted by guest author, Texans fan Adam:

Let me preface this rant with the following: I am a Texan, rain or shine I will have my gear on every Sunday ready for kick off and will show my colors proudly to every band wagon jumping Cowboys fan who takes the “Americas Team” defense to explain why they root for the Boys despite growing up 700 miles from the Dallas City Limits.

Watching the Colts game last Sunday it was clear, that game summed up exactly where our young franchise is after 7 years of building: Prolific Offense and a talentless Defense who more importantly plays with no heart.

DEFENSE

The discrepancy in talent on our Defense has become so absurd that Mario, Demeco, and Dunta has might as well stay at home because their efforts do not matter. Opposing Offenses simply pick out their target of the day, be it Reeves, Faggins, etc… and go to town.

In 7 years I have never had a sense of indifference watching our young franchise, but watching our Defense turn in gutless after gutless effort week in and out has taken the excitement of watching the Texans away from me. Look, I realize we don’t have grade A, B, or even C plus talent but that doesn’t mean our guys shouldn’t be flying across the field and making hits. We miss tackles, blow assignments, and have started making critical penalties. We get no pressure on the defense, outside of Mario are guys don’t get in the same zip code as opposing QBs. When opposing QBs come to down I guarantee they are planning on negotiating contract extensions for the following Monday.

Texans fans have suffered through years of losing season but always had the hope that our team was headed in the right direction and improving, watching our D I have no faith that we can ever improve to the caliper of Defense needed to win in this league.

Matt Schuab took a dirty helmet to helmet his last year in San Diego that took him out of the line-up and Jared Allen takes out Schuab’s knee and season this year, and our Defenses’ response is absolutely nothing. No pride, no coming to THEIR QBs defense, just continuous gutless efforts.

If it’s not clear what I’m looking for just think back to this years game against Cincinnati; their defense was simply over matched, Schuab and Andre were to much and we scored at will. However, the whole game I was cringing from the hits they were putting on Andre, they may have been overmatched but they were going to play at 110% until the game was over. In the end that’s all you can really ask for from your team.

Offense

One phrase sums up our Offense- Walk Softly and Carry a Big Stick. Since the inception of our young team, Texan fans have had to listen to constant ridicule about our offense and the David Carr years certainly didn’t help. However, through those tough years Texans fans saw promise in some of our young players and knew it was a matter of time before it all came together, and this year that promise of a prolific offense has come to fruition. A quick run down of the Offense:

Owen Daniels – Maybe the most rewarding player to watch, for the past 3 years Texans fans have been saying it: just wait, this guy is the real deal and today he is a legitimate Pro Bowler…O D is the prototypical new Tight End, great hands whose not afraid to take a hit over the middle of the field and he works relentlessly on his blocking, he needs to take some time to work on his TD dance, his current one is weak, because its only a matter of time before he becomes a regular in the end zone

Andre – If you don’t know what 81 is all about then pack up and move to Canada, you don’t deserve American Football…Best Receiver in the NFL

Leech- Maybe the most undervalued unselfish player on the team who plays with HEART, if this guy could play both ways I guarantee a few QBs and Receivers would be making trips to the Hospital

Slaton- Might as well be the 2nd coming of Jesus for Texan Fans, we have waited for a running back since the D. Davis days and we finally have one, he may always need a physical back to take over in certain situations but in the modern 2 RB scheme the NFL has adopted we have our feature back

O- Line- IMPROVEMENT IMPROVEMENT IMPROVEMENT…our improved running games tells all you need to know, we are getting better each game. We still give up some key sacks and have more work to do but our O-Line has given no reason to doubt they will get to where they need to be.

Kris Brown- Ice Cold Pro Bowl Kicker...after watching the Bills lose on a missed FG makes you appreciate have Brown in a Texans Uniform

Schuab- Ignore all the fair weather Houston fans calling for Sage, this guy is the real deal, and when he has been healthy he has shown it, it started out rough this year but responded by setting team records, he has the respect of his team mates and wants to lead this team. Injuries have become a problem, given dirty hits have been the cause of both his stints on the IR the past two years its still worrisome, and if our Defense took some pride and hit someone back to defend our QB maybe we wouldn’t have this concern but more on that later.

Bring on the Colts

Huge game Sunday. Humongous. The Texans go on the road (eesh!) to face the resurgent Indianapolis Colts (eesh!). In all honesty, the optimism is fading as is the confidence in this team. Who knows? Maybe my team can surprise me this week. Outcome aside, I will continue to be a Houston Texans fan.

Justice Served....kind of

Jared Allen was fined $50K for his hits last week on Matt Schaub. Unfortunately, he wasn't expelled from the league like some Texans fans had hoped.

Week 10: Gutcheck Time for the Texans

Home sweet home. I am not going to sit here and blow smoke up your ass, fabricating excuses as to why we haven't won on the road. All I know is, we're home now! In the words of the wise Eric Ogbogu: "We must protect this house!"

As the Ravens stroll into town I have only one thought, and that is that we are going to win this game. I would love to break it down for my people, but this is Wurstfest weekend and unfortunately I have no time. Actually, I'm about to hop on the booze fest right now!

I will just say a few things that will be critical for the Texans if we are to beat the Ravens on Sunday:

-LIMIT THE TURNOVERS! Listen, it happens. The Ravens are an electric defense, so turnovers are common in games they play. Guess what. Our defense is pretty dynamic as well. We have shot ourselves in the foot in the past, but there is no denying our offense when we keep possession of the football. The Ravens O, conversely, is a work in progress at best. If we can win the turnover battle, we can win this game.

-STOP THE RUN! Willis McGahee could return to action this week, but if not the Ravens will go with Ray Rice and Le'Ron McClain. It is imperative that we shut down that tandem and force the Ravens offense to be one dimensional. They don't have a speed guy in their WR corps like the Vikings did, so it is unlikely that they will burn us deep in this one. In Flacco we distrust.

-UTILIZE THE SCREEN AND DRAWS! We will probably have a little trouble running the ball against this defense. In this case, we will need to once again rely on the hands and feet of Steve Slaton to manufacture a "running game" with the short to intermediate pass. 100+ all purpose yards sounds like a good goal for Steve.

-KEEP THE CHAINS MOVING! Sage has proven to be quite decisive when he has seen action. The fact that he gets rid of the ball quickly will be to our advantage. It just seems like Owen and Andre are always open when he's on the field. If we can convert on 3rd down and keep the nicked up Ravens D on the field while eating up clock, we should have a nice day.

This is no different from what I prescribed for the team last week. With an offense as smooth as ours and a defense as athletic as ours, the name of the game is execution. We can't play the "two steps forward, three steps back" game this week and expect to win. The critics are back out, but I feel like that bodes well for us. It will be nice to see if our team can overcome recent adversity and rally around Sage, Andre, Mario and the rest of our leaders to push the Texans to their 4th win of the season!

"Freak" Injuries Becoming Common for Texans

The Houston Texans were once again bitten hard by the injury bug Wednesday when they lost LB Zac Diles for the season due to a broken leg suffered in practice. Zac had been playing his ass off for the Texans this season. One could argue that, thus far in the season, he has been our defensive MVP. This is extremely unfortunate for Diles, a former 7th round pick who was blossoming into the next great Texans' defender next to Demeco and Mario, as well as for our thin LB unit. The time is NOW for another player to step in and make the most out of the opportunity. It looks like the first guy to get a chance will be Kevin Bentley.

This is the NFL and injuries happen. Up to this point we had been relatively fortunate in that department, but our fortunes have recently taken a dramatic turn. The great teams in this league are not only the ones who get lucky and avoid key injuries but also those who can make adjustments and plug guys in who can take over where the others left off. I hope that we can be one of those teams. Regardless, we will definitely learn something about ourselves this weekend when the Ravens come to town.

New name added to my "people to kill" list

It appears Kubiak is just as pissed as I am about the malicious attack on his quarterback last Sunday. He has sent a tape of 3 plays in particular to the NFL. If you have any doubts as the Jared Allen's intent, watch this:

Purple Sticky Punch

Don't take that champagne off ice just yet. After a tough 28-21 road loss to the Vikings, the Texans finish the first half of the season with a record of 3-5. Although the game proved to be a frustrating experience for Texans fans, there were still a few positives to draw from the game. Unfortunately, there were also the negatives. To alleviate the mood, I will alternate my assessments:

BAD
"The important thing is for us to remain healthy through this game! If I have any concerns, it's for the safety of Matt Schaub." -- It goes without saying that we failed in this aspect as Schaub left the game at halftime. An MRI Monday revealed a torn MCL which will sideline him for at least a month. This is a big loss for our team and we can only hope that Matt recovers quickly. Say it with me Texans fans: SAGE IS NOT THE ANSWER! WE NEED MATT SCHAUB! Now that that's settled, I want to take a moment to express my extreme disgust for Jared Allen and his gruesome assault on Matt Schaub's knees. Not once, but TWICE I saw him not only hit Schaub late but also aim low and consequently we lost our starter for the rest of the game. Absolutely despicable.

GOOD
"Slaton will be a factor in the passing game this week, no doubt...The short to intermediate passing game should serve as our running game this week." -- He finished with 8 catches for 56 yards to go along with 62 yards on 16 carries for a 3.9 ypc average. Most impressive was the fact that he handled ALL the carries. He might not be Adrian Peterson, but I don't know what else you can ask for than a RB who averages almost 6 yards per touch and 90 total yards from scrimmage despite splitting time.

BAD
"The name of the game for the defense is simple: contain Adrian Peterson! Easier said than done, I know, but I think we can allow him to top 100 yards and still win. It will be critical, however, to keep him out of the end zone and dare Gus Frerotte to beat us." -- AD finished with 139 yards on 25 carries and a TD and Frerotte tossed 3 TDs. As he does often, Peterson gained the majority of his yards in the fourth quarter. Needless to say, we let Frerotte beat us. The secondary was burned on several occasions. We got decent pressure on the QB as the D line recorded 3 sacks. In the end, however, too many big plays allowed sealed our fate.

Stat of the Game = 3:1
You can sum up the reason for this loss in one word: turnovers. For the sixth time this season, the Texans lost the turnover battle to their opponent, giving the ball up to the Vikings three times on Sunday (twice in the redzone and all 3 times in Vikings territory). On the season, the Texans are -6 in turnover differential. Ladies and gentlemen, we will NOT make the jump into the upper echelon of the NFL until we stop turning the ball over. The good news is that our problems with turnovers is completely fixable. The sooner we learn to protect the ball, the sooner Texans fans will see their team play with the kind of consistency that warrants playoff consideration. We are making strides and we are getting better, but until we stop shooting ourselves in the foot the team will continue to stay stagnant.

Next up, the Texans head back to the friendly confines of Reliant Stadium as the Ravens come to town to make up the game put off by Hurricane Ike. If the team is anywhere near as hungry for a win as I am, then we will certainly get back on track. Unfortunately for the Ravens, they are standing on the tracks when the train is coming through.

The glass is half-full and filling up quick

I've been thinking about the game all week, and BOY am I confident!!! Despite the fact that their are still those who take the glass half-empty approach to Texans fandom, this team makes it easy for me believe that we are in the midst of something special. Don't get me wrong, road games have proven to be the nemesis of the Texans, but with the way we've been playing I have rationalized a victory for the Texans in this way:

First and foremost, we're healthy. Ahman Green is a game-time decision (surprise surprise), but the rest of the team is fit a whistle going into this week's matchup with the Vikes. Talk about unchartered territory for us!

The important thing is for us to remain healthy through this game! If I have any concerns, it's for the safety of Matt Schaub. We all know about the potency of the Vikings' D line. The matchup between Jared Allen and Duane Brown/Ephraim Salaam scares me to tell you the truth. Minnesota's stout D tackle tandem of Williams and Williams demands enough attention. Some way, some how, we need to neutralize that threat. Look for the Texans to use the screen pass often on Sunday. Slaton will be a factor in the passing game this week, no doubt. If we keep Schaub standing up, then we will move the chains all day long.

We will need to execute on 1st and 2nd down to to maintain our league-leading 3rd down conversion rate. I don't expect a huge day for us on the ground, so watch out for a high percentage of passing plays on 1st down. The short to intermediate passing game should serve as our running game this week.

I also can't tell you how important Andre, the AFC offensive player of the month, will be for us this week. I'm sending him a gift certificate for a shiatsu massage because he is going to be SORE on Monday. Nevertheless, we need Andre to run all over the field this week to effectively move the ball and win the time of possession battle. Against Minnesota's suspect secondary, I don't see this becoming a problem. Just for fun, can we go deep to 'Dre? Please? Just once?

The key to the game will be our defensive front four versus Minnesota's girthy offensive line. The name of the game for the defense is simple: contain Adrian Peterson! Easier said than done, I know, but I think we can allow him to top 100 yards and still win. It will be critical, however, to keep him out of the end zone and dare Gus Frerotte to beat us. It is worth noting that we have held our last four opponents under 100 yards rushing, so hats off the front seven. AD poses a huge challenge for Mario and Co, but don't be surprised to see the D step up. Seriously.

Call me crazy, but I have faith in our defense. I could also see a scenario where we have a little trouble moving the ball. In this case, field position will be critical. Luckily for us we hold the advantage in the special teams department. Jacoby Jones, carrying a 14.7 yard average on punt returns, is making a case for a free trip to Hawaii. Working with a short field will be a big boost for the Texans offense. Against a Vikings special teams unit who looked more like the Fresno State Bulldogs against Reggie Bush, Jacoby should be licking his chops!

Call me a homer, call me optimistic, but I feel a win coming. A tough road game against a stout opponent in a hostile environment, this matchup will prove to be a litmus test for the direction in which the Texans will go this season. If the Texans are to reach .500 after an abysmal start, it will be because of the special cast of leaders on a special team. Do you believe in miracles? I do. The future is here and now. I know it, Kubiak knows it, the players know it and it is time for Schaub, Mario, 'Dre, and Co to seize the opportunity. Texans 27-20.

ROCK THE VOTE!!!

As election day nears, I encourage everybody to take part in their civic duty and vote...

It only takes a minute to vote all of your Houston Texans into the 2009 Pro Bowl. Let's get these guys to Hawaii. They deserve it!

Week 9: Rumblings and Grumblings

Riding a franchise record three game winning streak, the Texans travel to the Metrodome Sunday to take on the Minnesota Vikings. Here is what people are buzzing about:

-Apparently, the Texans are not as bad as most people think. NO SHIT!!!

-If you didn't already know, Andre Johnson is a flat out stud.

-It seems as though the Texans are finally starting to receive the respect we all believe they deserve. At least from Minnesota, that is.

-Look for Jacoby Jones to have a good day in the return game against a team which has allowed 3 punt return TDs already this season.

-Seen as a weakness at the beginning of the season, the acquisition of of key veterans and the return of a friendly face has rejuvenated the Texans' secondary.

-I've already got multiple Texans on my fantasy squad, and maybe you should too.

Did I mention how much I LOVE Andre Johnson?

Getting Up to Speed on the 2008 Season

What a time to be a Texans fan! If you're like me, then you came into this season with lofty expectations. And why not? After a gratifying 8-8 season it seemed as though the years of agony suffered supporting the laughing stock of the NFL was finally starting to yield a return. The offense no longer dormant, the defense no longer porous, we were on our way to the top of the mountain! And then, it happened...

The 2008 season did not start off the way I had dreamt it would this past summer. The Texans walked into a buzz saw when they visited the Pittsburgh Steelers to start the season. Anyone who watched the game knew what happened. The Steelers dominated the trenches on both sides of the ball. Their 3-4 defense wreaked so much havoc that I was praying Schaub would get up with every hit he took. On the brighter side, Andre Johnson got off to a good start with 10 catches for 112 yards, a potential foreshadow for what was in store this year. Mario Williams carried the momentum from an impressive sophomore campaign into the opener with 2 sacks of Ben Roethlisberger while looking unblockable for most of the game. After the dust settled, the Texans peeled themselves off the Heinz Field turf with a 38-17 loss. As an optimistic Texans fan I, like many others, had no problem absolving the team after this tough road loss against a perennial contender as long as we rebounded in our home opener against the Baltimore Ravens...

The Texans were then forced to take a premature bye week as Hurricane Ike rolled into Houston, postponing the game and causing severe damage to Reliant Stadium. Their were talks that they might not get to play their home opener at Reliant. Luckily that did not turn out to be the case, but the bye week meant that the Texans would have to play an unprecedented 15 straight weeks to close out their season.

As if that weren't enough, the next team on the docket for the Texans were the South division rival Tennessee Titans. One must always respect a Jeff Fisher-coached team, but I, like many others, had no idea what we were in store for. Another week, another dismal performance as the Titans trounced the Texans 31-12. The disappointment lies less in the loss as it does in the showing. The defensive front of the Titans gave Matt Schaub fits all day as he finished the day with 3 interceptions to go along with being sacked 3 times. This is when the "here we go again" chants officially began buzzing in my head.

Week 4 pinned the Texans up against the Jacksonville Jaguars in yet another road game against a South division foe. This time, however, the Texans we all expected before the season began decided to grace us with their presence. Houston traded punches with Jacksonville for 4 quarters. Schaub topped 300 yards passing and threw 3 touchdowns as the Texans looked like the better team for 47 minutes. Unfortunately, the defense was unable to shut down Jacksonville on a critical fourth down late in the 4th quarter as Garrard converted and later led his team into the endzone forcing overtime. As we see many times in the NFL, the Jaguars were the first team to get possession in the extra time and consequently gained enough yardage to set up a game-winning 37 yard field goal. Unlike the first two games where the Texans were clearly outplayed, outcoached and outmatched, this one seemed to sting a little bit more simply because we had the taste of victory on the tip of our tongues only to squander a golden opportunity in yet another late game Texans loss. 0-3 was not the way I had projected the season to start out, but their was still a ton of season to go. Next up, the Indianapolis Colts at home. If there was ever a time the Texans needed to show me something, this was it...

It seemed as though we had found every way to lose during the course of the young season. In week 5, the Texans showed their fans a new definition of pain. Playing without Schaub, who was sitting due to illness, Sage Rosenfels was given the challenge of leading us to our first victory of the season. Having dominated the Colts for 3.5 quarters in every facet of the game, the Texans were 4 minutes away from their first win of the season. The impressive fashion with which the Texans had handled the Colts made it all the more difficult to watch what transpired in the game's final moments. Sage had led the squad admirably after the Colts got off to a quick 10-0 start. A 27-0 run had fans feeling good about the team for the first time all year. A couple of ill advised turnovers by Sage opened a window for the Colts who took advantage scoring a miraculous 21 points to steal the game along with the hearts of Texans fans everywhere. I've been a witness to bad losses by our club in the past, but this one was almost too much to handle. If I had been in public during the game, someone was probably getting their ass kicked. This was it, the lowest of lows, the pitfall of another disappointment of a season. We were staring the first pick in the draft right in the face. But all of a sudden, it happened...

HOLY SHIT, WE WON A GAME! It only took five tries, but we finally got a win under our belts when we defeated the suddenly not-so-terrible Miami Dolphins in the friendly confines of a patched up Reliant Stadium. Although we tried to give the game away when Eugene Wilson fumbled a game-clinching interception back to Miami giving the Dolphins an opportunity to take the lead with just over a minute to go, Schaub was able to overcome the unwarranted home field boos and score a game winning TD run as time expired. It was not the prettiest victory, but for those of us who have been watching this team through the tumultuous times (pretty much since 2001) we could tell that this might have been the start of something. I don't know what, but it was definitely not nothing. In any case, we were 1-4 and had the world at our finger tips. This was a new Texans team, no matter what the mass, uninformed media said. All that stood in our way of our first winning streak of the season were the lowly Detroit Lions...

Now, this is more like it! The Texans followed up their first win by jumping all over the Detroit Lions 21-3 in the first half. Everybody on the offensive side of the ball got in on the action as Schaub finished the game with 267 yards and 2 TD passes to Owen Daniels. Andre Johnson caught 11 balls for 141 yards and both Steve Slaton and Ahman Green punched one in on the ground. The game also marked the return of CB Dunta Robinson from a yearlong hiatus as the result of a horrific hamstring/knee injury. With the emotional leader of the Texans back on the field and a shiny new two game winning streak to show off, things were finally starting to look up for us, for real this time...

Just when we were searching for another confidence boost, in stroll the all-defeated Cincinnati Bengals. This one was not even close. Jacoby Jones set the tone early with a 73 yard punt return for a touchdown, his second of the young season. Schaub was a nearly perfect 24-28 for 280 yards and 3 TDs and Andre led us with 11 catches for 143 yards in what had seemed to become a trend this year. Death, taxes and a dominating effort by Andre Johnson. The defense stepped on the neck of the overmatched Bengals and did not let up until the game was over. Mario notched his 7th sack of the season and Dunta picked off a pass making him the Texans' all-time interception leader. It was nice to see us wrap this one up early for a change. It was also nice to see the team dominate in every facet of the game. The offense looked prolific, the defense looked substantive, the special teams looked ethereal. We had secured our first three game winning streak in franchise history in a total team effort, one which many of us had expected since the strong finish of last season. If there is a common theme that Texans fans must adhere to if they are to survive this emotional roller coaster, it is: "better late than never."

That's where we currently stand. The spark is back and the only thing that stands in the way of our second .500 record in team history is a trip to the Metrodome to take on Adrian Peterson and the Minnesota Vikings. As a Texans fan, I know I must learn to temper my expectations, given our history of torment and heartbreak. At the same time I feel a sense that it is only a matter of time before this team blows by whatever expectations I set for them, no matter how measly or absurd, on their way to limelight and into further uncharted territory. I am just happy that I am along for the ride :)

Stay tuned for my Texans/Vikings matchup preview, as well as other rumblings and grumblings from around the Texans universe...