The Texans pretty much gave the game away today due to shoddy passing offensively and poor special teams play. T.J. Yates had a game to forget as he completed 17 of 35 passes for 184 yards with 0 TD passes and 3 INTs. Arian Foster had another outstanding game as he rushed for 132 yards on 27 carries (4.9 ypc) with 1 TD run. He also caught 4 passes for 22 yards (5.5 avg) in this game. Andre Johnson led the way in the passing game for the Texans with 8 grabs for 111 yards (13.9 avg) today. The Texans finished up with 131 yards rushing on 28 carries (4.7 ypc) and they also completed 17 of 35 passes (48.6%) for 184 yards as they had possession of the ball for 28:40.

The defense was simply awesome for the Texans in this game. They sacked Ravens’ QB Joe Flacco five times in this game. DE J.J. Watt (12 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 3 tackles for a loss and 3 QB hits) and LB Brian Cushing (11 tackles and 1 pass defensed) led the way for the Texans in this game. Safety Danieal Manning also had a great game with 9 tackles, 1 pass defensed and 4 kickoff returns for 133 yards (33.3 avg)). Rookie OLB Brooks Reed was living in the Ravens’ backfield as he had 8 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 1 tackle for a loss and 2 QB hits. The Ravens finished up with 87 yards rushing on 31 carries (2.8 ypc) and they also completed 14 of 27 passes (51.9%) for 140 yards as they had possession of the ball for 31:20.

Jacoby Jones really hurt the Texans bad in this game as he returned 6 punts for 4 yards (0.7 avg). He also fumbled twice, losing one of them that eventually resulted in the Ravens’ first TD of the game.

The Texans played hard on defense in this game and Arian Foster was incredible, but it just wasn’t enough to extend their season. That being said, it was still the best year in the history of the Houston Texans.

The Texans went back to the time tested game plan of running the ball and playing defense yesterday and it was a recipe for success.  T.J. Yates was a game manager type in this game as he completed 11 of 20 passes for 159 yards with 1 TD pass and 0 INTs.  Arian Foster led the way for the Texans on the ground in this game with 153 yards rushing on 24 carries (6.4 ypc) with 2 TD runs.  He also caught 3 passes for 29 yards (9.7 avg) in this game.  Ben Tate pitched in with 9 carries for 37 yards (4.1 ypc) in this game.  WR Andre Johnson led the way in the passing game with 5 receptions for 90 yards (18.0 avg) with 1 TD grab.  The Texans finished up with 188 yards rushing on 35 carries (5.4 ypc) and they also completed 11 of 20 passes (55%) for 152 yards as they had possession of the ball for 29:43.

The defense was pretty darn good for the Texans yesterday.  LB Brian Cushing (8 tackles and 1 tackle for a loss) and safety Danieal Manning (7 tackles, 1 pass defensed and 1 interception) led the way for the Texans on D yesterday.  CB Johnathan Joseph (6 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, 2 passes defensed and 1 interception), DE Antonio Smith (5 tackles, 1 sack, 3 tackles for a loss and 1 QB hit) and DE J.J. Watt (2 tackles, 1 sack, 1 tackle for a loss, 1 pass defensed, 1 QB hit and a interception that he returned 29 yards for a TD) also had solid games for the Texans yesterday.  The Bengals finished up with 76 yards rushing on 19 carries (4.0 ypc) and they also completed 27 of 42 passes (64.3%) for 224 yards in this game.  The Texans have advanced to the second round of the playoffs as they will visit  the Baltimore Ravens next weekend.

The Texans scored on a 5-yard TD pass from Jake Delhomme to Bryant Johnson with 14 seconds left in this game, and for some reason, they decided to go for 2-points and they failed.  T.J. Yates started this game and he completed all four of his pass attempts, good for 47 yards before leaving this game after getting dinged up.  Jake Delhomme replaced Yates and he looked pretty solid as he completed 18 of 28 passes for 211 yards with 1 TD pass and 0 INTs.  Ben Tate led the way on the ground for the Texans in this game with 97 yards rushing on 16 carries (6.1 ypc) with 1 TD run and he also caught 4 passes for 24 yards (6.0 avg).  Derrick Ward pitched in with 50 yards rushing on 12 carries (4.2 ypc).  FB James Casey led the way for the Texans in the passing game with 7 grabs for 91 yards (13.0 avg).  WRs Bryant Johnson (2 rec, 45 yards, TD) and Andre Johnson (2 rec, 21 yards) also pitched in for the Texans in the passing game.  The Texans finished up with 152 yards rushing on 30 carries (5.1 ypc) and they also completed 22 of 32 passes (68.8%) for 235 yards as they had possession of the ball for 34:38.

The defense didn’t play up to par in this game for the Texans.  Safety Quintin Demps (6 tackles) and DT Earl Mitchell (6 tackles and 1 pass defensed) led the way for the Texans on D in this game.  LB Jesse Nading pitched in with 2 tackles, 1/2 a sack, 1 QB hit and 1 fumble recovery.  The Titans finished up with 86 yards rushing on 22 carries (3.9 ypc) and they also completed 22 of 35 passes (62.9%) for 275 yards.  The Texans finished the 2011 with a 10-6 record and they will host the Cincinnati Bengals next weekend in the first round of the NFL Playoffs.

The Texans have the #3 seed in the AFC Playoffs all wrapped up no matter what happens in the game this Sunday.  Look for them to rest some regulars in the second half this Sunday.  That doesn’t mean that they don’t want to whip the Titans again and knock them out of any chance to make the playoffs.  They thumped them 41-7 earlier this year in Nashville.  The Texans are going to get the Titans’ best shot this time around as they can make the playoffs with a win this Sunday and some help.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Texans have the ball:  The Texans are going to get WR Andre Johnson heavily involved in the passing game early so that he can knock some rust off.  Having Johnson in the starting lineup will allow T.J. Yates to stretch the field with some deep shots.  That will open things up for the other receivers, TEs and RBs with short passes underneath.  The Texans might also look to get Jake Delhomme or Jeff Garcia into this game in the second half to knock some rust off.  The Texans are still going to be a run first team in this game with Arian Foster getting most of the carries early in this game and Ben Tate getting most of the carries late in this game against a Titans’ run D that is giving up 126.7 yards rushing per game and 4.4 yards per carry.

When the Titans have the ball:  The Texans are going to have to stop Chris Johnson and make Matt Hasselbeck beat them with his right arm.  The Texans should be able to do exactly that as Johnson has been up and down so far this year.  The Texans are going to be blitzing Matt Hasselbeck early and often in this game.  The Texans will have to be ready to defense the short pass as that will be what the Texans are trying to complete.  TE Jared Cook, WR Nate Washington, WR Damian Williams, WR Lavelle Hawkins and RB Chris Johnson are also decent players, so the Texans’ secondary is going to get challenged this Sunday.

PREDICTION:  TITANS 21, TEXANS 20

The Texans could stop the Colts on their game winning drive as QB Dan Orlovsky took his team on a 12-play, 78 yards TD drive that took them only 1:37.  The offense was very vanilla for the Texans last night.  T.J. Yates completed 13 of 16 passes for 132 yards with 0 TD passes or interceptions.  Arian Foster had another monster game with 158 yards rushing on 23 carries (6.9 ypc) with a TD run and he also caught 3 passes for 16 yards (5.3 avg).  WR Kevin Walter (3 rec, 47 yards) and TE Joel Dreessen (4 rec, 38 yards) led the way in the passing game for the Texans last night.  The Texans finished up with 171 yards rushing on 31 carries (5.5 ypc) and they also completed 13 of 16 passes (81.3%) for 112 yards as they had possession of the ball for 27:05.

The defense was outstanding until the last time the Colts had the football.  LB Brian Cushing led the way for the Texans in this game with 12 tackles, 1 sack and 1 QB hit.  CB Brice McClain (7 tackles and 2 passes defensed), LB Demeco Ryans (5 tackles) and DE J.J. Watt (5 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, 1 sack, 3 passes defensed and 3 QB hits) also had solid games for the Texans last night.  OLB Brooks Reed pitched in with 3 tackles, 1 pass defensed and 1 fumble recovery.  The Colts finished up with 95 yards rushing on 32 carries (3.0 ypc) and they also completed 23 of 41 passes (56.1%) for 225 yards in this game.  The Texans are now 10-5 on the season after this HUGE  loss.

The Panthers jumped on the Texans early in this game, as they were down 21-0 at the half.  The Texans looked flat for the most part and the Panthers took it to them.  T.J. Yates looked like a rookie today as he completed 19 of 30 passes for 212 yards with 0 TD passes and 2 INTs.  He also carried the ball 2 times for 15 yards (7.5 ypc).  Arian Foster led the way on the ground for the Texans in this game with 109 yards rushing on 16 carries (6.8 ypc) with 1 TD run.  He also caught 5 passes for 58 yards (11.6 avg) in this game.  Ben Tate pitched in with 26 yards rushing on 7 carries (3.6 ypc) in this game.  Fullback Lawrence Vickers didn’t carry the ball in this game but he did catch 4 passes for 29 yards (7.3 avg).  The Texans finished up with 150 yards rushing on 25 carries (6.0 ypc) and they also completed 19 of 30 passes (63.3%) for 208 yards as they had possession of the ball for 27:26.

The Texans’ D did not play too well today.  LB Brian Cushing (12 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss), LB Demeco Ryans (8 tackles and 1 pass defensed) and DE J.J. Watt (7 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss and 1 QB hit) led the way for the Texans defensively today.  The Panthers finished up with 166 yards rushing on 34 carries (4.9 ypc) and they also completed 14 of 24 passes (58.3%) for 150 yards in this game.  The Texans are now 10-4 on the year.

This was an amazing game.  The Texans didn’t play too well in the first half as they were down 16-3.  They made adjustments at halftime and they outscored the Bengals 17-3 in the second half, including 10 unanswered points in the 4th quarter to prevail.  T.J. Yates hit Kevin Walter with a 6-yard TD pass with 2 seconds left in the game to give the Texans a huge win.  T.J. Yates completed 26 of 44 passes for 300 yards with 2 TD passes and 1 INT.  He also carried the ball 5 times for 36 yards (7.2 ypc) in this game as he was outstanding.  Ben Tate led the way on the ground for the Texans yesterday with 67 yards rushing on 8 carries (8.4 ypc) and he also caught 3 passes for 30 yards (10.0 avg).  Arian Foster pitched in with 41 yards rushing on 15 carries (2.7 ypc) and he also caught 4 passes for 33 yards (8.3 avg).  WR Owen Daniels led the way in the passing game for the Texans yesterday with 100 yards receiving on 7 grabs (14.3 avg).  WR Kevin Walter (6 rec, 76 yards, TD) and TE Joel Dreessen (3 rec, 22 yards, TD) also pitched in for the Texans in the passing game.  The Texans finished up with 144 yards rushing on 28 carries (5.1 ypc) and they also completed 26 of 44 passes (59.1%) for 268 yards as they had possession of the ball for 31:44.

The Texans played solid again defensively yesterday, as usual.  Safety Danieal Manning (11 tackles) and LB Demeco Ryans (6 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss and 1 pass defensed) led the way for the Texans in this game.  DE Connor Barwin (5 tackles, 1 sack and 1 QB hit) and OLB Brooks Reed (3 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss and 1 fumble recovery) also pitched in for the Texans yesterday.  The Bengals finished up with 101 yards rushing on 29 carries (3.5 ypc) and they also completed 16 of 28 passes (57.1%) for 184 yards.  The Texans are now 10-3 on the season as they clinched the AFC South Title yesterday.

The Texans played smash mouth football yesterday offensively and the defense was outstanding, as usual.  T.J. Yates was solid in his first NFL start as he completed 12 of 25 passes (48%) for 188 yards with 1 TD pass and 0 INTs.  He also carried the ball 2 times for 10 yards (5.0 avg) yesterday.  Arian Foster had a very heavy workload yesterday with 31 carries for 111 yards (3.6 ypc) with 1 TD run.  Ben Tate also was effective with 11 carries for 41 yards (3.7 ypc) and 3 catches for 41 yards (13.7 avg).  WR Andre Johnson led the way in the passing game for the Texans with 4 grabs for 97 yards (24.3 avg) in this game.  TEs Owen Daniels (3 rec, 35 yards) and Joel Dreessen (1 rec, 3 yards, TD) also helped out in the passing game.  The Texans finished up with 162 yards rushing on 44 carries (3.7 ypc) and they also completed 12 of 25 passes (48%) for 175 yards as they had possession of the ball for 35:04.

The defense was outstanding for the Texans yesterday.  LB Brian Cushing (6 tackles and 2 QB hits), safety Glover Quin (6 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss and 2 passes defensed) and OLB Brooks Reed (5 tackles) led the way for the Texans on D in this game.  CBs Jason Allen and Kareem Jackson pitched in with 1 interception apiece yesterday.  The Falcons finished up with 70 yards rushing on 18 carries (3.9 ypc) and they also completed 20 of 46 passes (43.5%) for 267 yards.  The Texans are now 9-3 on the season.

The defense really stepped up for the Texans today and they were the big reason for a huge road win over the Jaguars.  The Texans sacked the Jags’ QBs 7 times today as they were living in the backfield.  OLB Connor Barwin was like a mad dog in a meat market today.  He led the way for the Texans with 10 tackles, 4 sacks, 5 tackles for a loss and 6 QB hits today!  Safety Glover Quin (7 tackles and 1 pass defensed) and DE J.J. Watt (7 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, 2 sacks, 1 pass defensed and 3 QB hits) also had very solid games for the Texans today.  The Jaguars finished up with 105 yards rushing on 24 carries (4.4 ypc) and they completed 20 of 40 passes (50%) for 150 yards in this game.

The Texans just barely did enough to win this game on offense.  Matt Leinart completed 10 of 13 passes for 57 yards with 1 TD pass and 0 INTs before leaving the game due to injury.  Rookie T.J. Yates finished this game at QB and he completed 8 of 15 passes for 70 yards without a TD pass or INT.  Arian Foster led the way on the ground with 22 carries for 65 yards (3.0 ypc) with 1 TD run.  He also caught 7 passes for 24 yards (3.4 avg) today.  It all wasn’t good for Foster today though as he lost a fumble that was returned 38 yards for a TD by Jaguars’ CB Ashton Youboty.  TEs Owen Daniels (4 rec, 31 yards) and Joel Dreessen (1 rec, 20 yards, TD) led the way for the Texans in this game.  The Texans finished up with 88 yards rushing on 31 carries (2.8 ypc) and they also completed 18 of 28 passes (64.3%) for 127 yards as they had possession of the ball for 28:21.  The Texans are now 8-3 on the season.

The Houston Texans dominated the Buccaneers yesterday!  Matt Schaub completed 11 of 15 passes for 242 yards with 2 TD passes and 0 INTs as the Texans came out throwing the ball before grinding out the win on the ground.  Arian Foster led the way on the ground with 84 yards on 17 carries (4.9 ypc) with 1 TD run and he also led the way in the air with 4 grabs for 102 yards (25.5 avg) with 1 TD grab.  Ben Tate (13 carries, 63 yards, TD) and Derrick Ward (11 carries, 36 yards, TD) also pitched in on the ground for the Texans in this game.  WR Jacoby Jones (2 rec, 87 yards, TD) and TE Owen Daniels (3 rec, 31 yards) also played well in the passing game for the Texans yesterday.  The Texans rushed for 185 yards on 44 carries (4.2 ypc) and they also completed 11 of 15 passes (73.3%) for 235 yards as they had possession of the ball for 35:06.

The defense was awesome once again for the Texans yesterday.  LB Brian Cushing (8 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, 1 sack, 1 pass defensed, 1 QB hit and 1 interception) and safety Troy Nolan (6 tackles) led the way for the Texans in this game.  LB Bryan Braman (fumble recovery), CB Brice McCain (interception) and safety Quintin Demps (interception) also made big time plays for the Texans in this game.  The Buccaneers finished up with 90 yards rushing on 18 carries (5.0 ypc) and they also completed 15 of 35 passes (42.9%) for 141 yards in this game.  The Texans are now 7-3 on the year.