The Minnesota Vikings defeated the Houston Texans 23-6 at Reliant Stadium to improve to 9-6 and keep their playoff hopes alive.

Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder played efficiently, completing 16 of 30 passes for 174 yards and one touchdown. Ponder connected with tight-end Kyle Rudolph on a three yard play action pass to go ahead 7-3. Ponder’s favorite receiver was rookie Jarius Wright, who caught five passes for 53 yards.

Running back Adrian Peterson carried the ball 25 times for 86 yards. This was Peterson’s first game being held under 100 yards after running for over 100 in the last eight games. Peterson needs 208 yards to surpass Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record.

Vikings rookie kicker Blair Walsh hit three field goals from 39, 41 and 56 yards to help Minnesota stay ahead. Walsh broke an NFL record with nine field goals of 50 yards or longer.

The Houston Texans offense was out of sync the entire day and was only able to compile 187 total yards. Quarterback Matt Schaub completed 18 of 32 passes for 178 yards. This was Schaub’s fourth game this season without throwing a touchdown pass and the Texans lost three of those four games.

Schaub’s favorite target was wideout Andre Johnson, who hauled in seven passes for 97 yards. Back-up quarterback T.J. Yates came in on Houston’s final drive. Running back Arian Foster was limited to 10 carries for 15 yards and one fumble. His 1.5 yards per carry was a season worse for the four year back. Foster left the game because of an irregular heart beat.

Texans defensive lineman J.J. Watt recorded one sack to expand his total to 20.5 sacks. Watt needs 2.5 sacks to surpass Michael Strahan’s single season record.

The Vikings will have another tough match-up next week against NFC North rivals the Green Bay Packers. The Texans will end the season next week against AFC South rivals the Indianapolis Colts and will look to clinch home field advantage in the playoffs.

Image Courtesy : Houston Texans

The article Vikings Fight Off Houston to Stay in Playoff Contention appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The Jacksonville Jaguars (1-9) weren’t supposed to present any sort of problem for the Houston Texans (9-1) on Sunday. With polar opposite seasons taking place for the two AFC South representatives, the consensus was that the Texans would glide past the Jags with utmost ease.

Instead, Texans head coach Gary Kubiak and his men let out a huge sigh of relief as Andre Johnson turned a screen pass into a 48 yard trip to the end zone to win the game in overtime, 43-37.

“All the good teams find a way to win, no matter if it’s ugly, pretty or whatever,” said Johnson, who finished the day with the lone touchdown and career highs of 14 receptions and 273 yards. “In the win column, it either says ‘W’ or ‘L.’ They don’t ask how you got it done.”

But he was not the only one with video-game like numbers. Matt Schaub threw for 527 yards – second most all-time – and tossed five touchdown passes, two of which came in the fourth quarter during a string of 16 consecutive completions that got the Texans even after trailing 34-20 with 12:33 left to go in regulation.

It was not the first time that a Houston quarterback put up 527 yards through the air. Hall of Famer Warren Moon also did it back in 1990 with the Houston Oilers, who eventually went on to become the current-day Tennessee Titans.

After witnessing a tie just last week between the St. Louis Rams and San Francisco 49ers – the NFL’s first since 2008 – this matchup was not far from producing yet another. A 33 yard Jaguars field goal deadlocked the two sides at 37 in overtime with 4:21 remaining following a 25 yarder made by Houston around the eight minute mark.

“I told them afterwards, we didn’t come here for a tie,” said Jaguars coach Mike Mularkey. “We had some chances. We just did not make some of the plays that we haven’t made throughout the year.”

Jaguars quarterback Blaine Gabbert was unable to return to the game after taking a sack from Houston safey Danieal Manning and injuring his elbow on the play. Backup Chad Henne played the rest of the way and had an excellent performance with 354 yards and four touchdowns.

“You’ve just got to always be prepared and ready to go in,” Henne said. “I’ve been preparing these last couple weeks like I’ve got to be the starter, and any time he (Gabbert) goes down, just jump in and hopefully not lose a step.”

Jaguars rookie receiver Justin Blackmon played a significant role in Henne’s success, hauling in a touchdown and 236 yards on seven receptions.

But as far as wide receivers were concerned, it was Johnson’s day from start to finish.

“I don’t know if that one will ever be touched,” said Kubiak. “That was special from the Texans standpoint.”

Image Courtesy : Jacksonville Jaguars

The article Jaguars Give Texans Fits, But Houston Escapes in Overtime appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Defensive end Mario Williams returned to Houston a much richer man on Sunday after signing a six-year, $100 million contract during the offseason with the Buffalo Bills.

The Houston Texans, off to their best start in franchise history, showed their #1 overall pick of the 2006 draft first hand that they’re doing fine without him.

Matt Schaub threw for 268 yards and two touchdowns, Arian Foster racked up 111 yards on the ground, Andre Johnson totaled 118 yards on eight receptions, and the Texans (7-1) notched another one in the win column with a 21-9 victory over Williams and the Bills (3-5).

“We’re happy to be 7-1 at the halfway mark,” said Schaub. “But we’re not finished. We’ve got to go into a tough environment against a very good team next Sunday night.”

The Texans never made Williams any type of offer once he hit the free agent market, but their defense hasn’t missed a single beat in their first season without him since ‘06, as they’re ranked fourth in the league in points allowed, surrendering an average of just 17.1 per game.

He finished the game with five tackles and one sack.

Leading 14-9 early in the fourth quarter, Houston capped off an 11-play, 68-yard drive when Schaub tossed a five-yard touchdown pass to tight end Garrett Graham on 3^rd and 5 with 11:25 remaining to extend the lead to two possessions at 21-9.

Their defense closed out from there. They imposed their will on Houston all day long, specifically in the run game. Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick had 239 yards through the air on 25 completions, but running backs C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson combined for just 60 yards on 12 rushes.

“We didn’t want to let them run the football,” said Texans defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. “We had to stop the running game and I thought we did that.”

A 39-yard touchdown grab by tight end Owen Daniels gave the Texans the first score of the game with less than a minute left in the first quarter. Buffalo knocked through two field goals for the only other points of the first half.

Taking advantage of a short field following a 26yard punt return by receiver and special teams extraordinaire Brad Smith, Houston had to go just 43 yards to get into the end zone with a three-yard Foster run and push their lead to 14-9. Foster had four carries and nine yards on the drive, and was set up by a 34-yard catch by Johnson.

Texans head coach Gary Kubiak wasn’t thrilled with his team’s performance, given that it wasn’t at its most dominating offensively or in the defensive passing game. Nonetheless, he’ll take it.

“We did a lot of things that are not good enough for us to win consistently,” Kubiak said. “But yet we found a way to survive.”

Houston will travel north for what would appear to be one of the most intriguing games of the year thus far: a battle with another 7-1 heavyweight, The Chicago Bears.

Image Courtesy : Houston Texans

The article Williams Returns to Houston, Texans Defeat Bills 21-9 appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The only thing the Houston Texans (3-0) did wrong on Sunday was not allow quarterback Matt Schaub to go home with his entire left ear intact. Other than that, they took care of business the way they had it planned all week.

On a high hit handed out by Denver linebacker Joe Mays, which warranted a flag, Schaub severely cut his left ear and had to come out of the game for a play. It turned out that a chunk of the lobe actually fell off.

“I felt fine,” Schaub said. “I just lost a piece of my ear. I was bleeding and my helmet came off. So, I had to come out for a play, but I was fine.”

Schaub threw for 290 yards and four touchdowns, Arian Foster tallied 105 yards on 25 carries and the Texans held on late to clinch their third consecutive win to open the season, defeating Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos (1-2) on the road, 31-25.

“We knew that we had to try to get the ball downfield because they had a lot of people committed to the run,” said Texans head coach Gary Kubiak. “We did what we had to do to win, convinced them that we had to make some big plays and they did.”

Houston responded to Denver’s quick five points at the outset with a 60 yard Andre Johnson touchdown to gain a 7-5 lead at the 6:38 mark of the first quarter.

They never trailed again from that point on.

A three yard touchdown pass to Foster and 52 yard strike to receiver Kevin Walter later, the Texans had extended to a 21-5 advantage less than midway through the second quarter.

By halftime the Broncos were not done, though, as they were able to cut it to a 10 point game with two field goals before entering the locker room.

A dominant third quarter by the Texans in which they outscored the Broncos 10-0 put a considerable amount of distance between the two at 31-11.

It appeared to be over, but Manning, as he has always done, would not go down without swinging.

Manning found his old battery mate from his Indianapolis days, Brandon Stokley, for 38 yards and a touchdown to trim the deficit to 31-18 with just under 10 minutes remaining in the fourth.

Another Manning touchdown pass with exactly three minutes left to go gave the Broncos an opportunity to win the game if they could find a way to come up with a much needed stop.

But that didn’t happen, as Schaub found Johnson down the left sideline on a critical 3rd and 5 in Houston territory. They were eventually forced to punt, but by that time the Broncos were left on their 14 yard line with just 20 seconds on the clock.

They tried to pull off a lateral-laced miracle as the clock struck zero, but to no avail.

“Second week in a row we lost by six points,” said Broncos head coach John Fox. “It’s the second week in a row we started very slowly. Different side of the ball this time.”

“We have to learn from this game, address it, be honest, everybody needs to be accountable and try to improve forward,” Manning said. “It’s not the ideal situation. Everybody would love to be 3-0. That’s not the way it is right now.”

While Manning and his new crew are still trying to find themselves, Schaub and the Texans just keep rolling along, even if pieces of body parts are literally being torn off.

Said Kubiak of Schaub’s performance, “Boy, he played like a champ today.”

Image Courtesy of   Houston Texans

The article Texans Remain Undefeated, Down Manning and Broncos 31-25 appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The Houston Texans were able to overcome a sluggish start in a big way during Sunday’s home and season opener at Reliant Stadium against the Miami Dolphins. A 24 point second quarter explosion following a scoreless first quarter paved the road toward a rather easy 30-10 win for the defending AFC South champions.

“I liked the way we were able to work through our uneasiness early in the game and be a darn good football team there in the second quarter,” said Texans head coach Gary Kubiak.

Houston quarterback Matt Schaub, who announced after the game that he had agreed to a four year, $62 million contract extension through the 2016 season, completed 20 of 31 passes for 266 yards and one touchdown in his first game back after fracturing his right foot back in Week 10 of last season.

With his previous contract due to expire at the conclusion of this season, Schaub stated, “I’m excited for it to be done and over with so every ounce of focus and energy can be directed to this season.”

Wide receiver Andre Johnson and running back Arian Foster, Houston’s other two offensive stars, made eight catches for 119 yards and one touchdown, and had 79 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries, respectively.

But it was the Texans stingy defense that was the big story. After surrendering a field goal late in the first quarter to fall behind 3-0 to the Dolphins, lead by rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who was selected 8^th overall in this summer’s draft, the Texans did not allow another score until a 72 yard punt return touchdown by Marcus Thigpen during the beginning stages of the second half.

And considering that those points came on special teams, it was exactly the type of day the Texans defense was hoping for.

Tannehill threw three interceptions in his NFL debut, which led to Houston’s scoring outburst in the second quarter. But even in spite of his struggles, he refused to focus solely on the negatives of his performance.

“I felt like we hurt ourselves more than they really just stopped us,” said Tannehill, who threw for 219 yards on 20 of 36 passing. “That’s a good defense. So being able to move the ball on a good defense like that gives us some confidence. Obviously, we have to fix a lot of things and eliminate those turnovers. But I think it gives us a look at what we could be if we played to our full potential.”

Tannehill’s three picks all came within the final eight minutes of the first half. The first was recorded by cornerback Johnathan Joseph at midfield and returned to the Miami 14 yard-line, setting up a 35 yard game-tying field goal by Shayne Graham. Linebacker Brian Cushing’s interception a couple minutes later near midfield would eventually lead to a 14 yard touchdown run by Foster, which gave the Texans the lead for good. Kareem Jackson, another Texans cornerback, was the final defender to intercept Tannehill at the Miami 30 with less than two minutes remaining in the half. After a 26 yard defensive pass interference penalty, Foster punched in his second touchdown of the afternoon from two yards out.

It was smooth sailing in the second half, as the Texans rolled to their first win of the year in what they believe can be a truly special season for them.

Houston travels to Jacksonville next week to take on a division rival in the Jaguars, while the Dolphins will host the Oakland Raiders in their home opener.

Image Courtesy of  Houston Texans

The article Texans Cruise Past Dolphins After Intercepting Tannehill Three Times in Debut appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The Houston Texans finally did it in 2011. On their tenth NFL birthday last season, the long-overdue AFC South franchise no longer had to fantasize about the opportunity to compete in the postseason after clinching their first division title, playoff birth and victory after posting a 10-6 record during the regular season.

Over the last handful of years, Houston had been repeatedly labeled as one of the league’s sleeper teams ready to crash the postseason party. With rock-solid weapons in Pro Bowlers such as quarterback Matt Schaub, wide receiver Andre Johnson, running back Arian Foster and defensive end Mario Williams, it was pretty difficult to simply overlook the type of potential that the Texans possessed on paper.

Despite a 2-8 collapse in 2010 following a 4-2 start to that year, they exuded plenty of confidence entering the 2011 campaign. They heard the chatter about who they could be and what they could accomplish if they somehow found a way to put it all together. And once Peyton Manning – the future Hall of Famer and former Indianapolis Colts quarterback who plagued the Texans dating back to their first season – was sidelined due to a serious neck injury that failed to heal properly, the Texans were immediately claimed the unanimous AFC South favorites.

Now that their division rivals – the Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans – are all in rebuilding mode and being led by young quarterbacks (rookie Andrew Luck and second year men Blaine Gabbert and Jake Locker, respectively), the Texans will once again be heavy favorites to snag one of the top four AFC playoff seeds as a division champion.

Among the key losses that will be tough for head coach Gary Kubiak and his squad to overcome include those of Williams, wide receiver Jacoby Jones, linebacker DeMeco Ryans, cornerback Jason Allen, tight end Joel Dreessen and kicker Neil Rackers. Two valuable additions that have been brought on board, however, consist of veteran linebacker Bradie James and cornerback Alan Ball.

Defensive lineman Whitney Mercilus, wide receivers DeVier Posey and Keshawn Martin, guard Brandon Brooks, offensive lineman Ben Jones, defensive lineman Jared Crick, and kicker Randy Bullock compose the team’s early draft picks.

If Schaub can remain healthy (unlike last season, when he was placed on IR to end the season following a Week 10 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers where he sustained a Lisfranc injury), the offense has a great chance of improving an already impressive 2011 ranking of 23.8 points per game, which was 10^th in the league.

As far as the defensive side of the ball is concerned, the loss of Williams will certainly be felt at times. But even if that is the case, the Texans ranked 4^th overall in defensive scoring last season, at a clip of just 17.4 points per game, and with that much talent they should still be an elite defense nonetheless.

Image Courtesy of  Houston Texans

The article Houston Texans Season Preview appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The Baltimore Ravens gave their fans something to cheer about as they booked themselves a meeting with the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game, after a hard fought victory over the Houston Texans. Baltimore, playing in their first home playoff game since 2006, won the game 20-13, and largely relied on their overpowering defense after scoring two touchdowns in the first quarter.

The Texans almost had the perfect start to the game when Danieal Manning looked as if he was going to break through the Ravens defense for a touchdown return from the opening kickoff, but was eventually bumped into touch after making 60 yards on the return. The return gave Houston good field position, but the Texans were unable to convert the field position into a touchdown, having to settle for a field goal to take the first lead of the game.

The Ravens then capitalized on a mistake by Jacoby Jones who, under immediate pressure from Cary Williams, attempted to collect a punt and fumbled the ball, allowing rookie Jimmy Smith to dive on the ball and give the Ravens a first and goal. Baltimore showed good composure in the red zone, with Joe Flacco finding Kris Wilson for a 1-yard touchdown pass and move Baltimore into the lead, which the home side would go on to maintain for the rest of the game.

Baltimore then extended their lead through wide receiver Anquan Boldin, who was on the end of a 10-yard touchdown pass to make the score 17-3 to the Ravens. Boldin proved to be the most effective receiver for Baltimore, finishing the game with one touchdown and 73 yards on four receptions.

Houston were determined to get back into the game however, and a field goal and an Arian Foster rushing touchdown in the second quarter brought them to within four points of Baltimore.

They looked as if they might retake the lead on several occasions, and were only kept at bay by the much vaunted Ravens defense, with Baltimore’s secondary in imperious form, Ladarius Webb picking up two interceptions and Ed Reed collecting one as well on a critical deep pass to Andre Johnson that would have certainly been a touchdown if the safety had not intervened. A late field goal in the fourth quarter then gave Baltimore a little more security and their defense saw out the game.

Although thoroughly disheartened to have lost a game which they seemed to be the more dominant team in, the Texans will be encouraged by their performance in their debut season in the playoffs. Foster was dominant in the running game, clocking up 132 yards on 27 carries, and Johnson was comfortably the most proficient receiver in the game, registering 111 yards on eight receptions.

Despite now being in contention for the AFC Championship, the Ravens will not be happy with their offensive performance, and will have to improve dramatically if they are to overcome the in-form Patriots away from home, who demolished the Denver Broncos in their divisional round match up.

Image Courtesy of   https://www.facebook.com/baltimoreravens

The article Ravens Battle Through Against Texans, Pats Await appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The Houston Texans (6-3) enjoyed a comfortable 30-12 victory over the visiting Cleveland Browns (3-5) at Reliant Stadium. The win improves what is already the Texans’ best start to a season in franchise history, and Head Coach Gary Kubiak will be pleased with what he saw from his side, not least from rookie linebacker Brooks Reed, who collected two sacks and generally looked solid in defense, helping the keep the Browns to just 172 yards.

With Cleveland only managing to put up 107 points in their opening seven games, their offense was always likely to struggle, especially against Houston, who have the third best defense in the NFL, allowing just 286.8 ypg. However, with the Browns currently fifth in the yards allowed table, and dangerous wide receiver Andre Johnson still sidelined with injury, Defensive Coordinator Dick Jauron will be left wondering what happened to his side.

The Texans put themselves into a commanding position in the first quarter, registering two touchdowns, the first a 27-yard rush from Ben Tate, and the second was a darting run from quarterback Matt Schaub from two yards out. Arian Foster compounded Cleveland’s problems when he rushed for 19 yards and a touchdown in the second quarter, extending Houston’s lead.

With just under five minutes left to play, Colt McCoy sparked Cleveland’s fans hopes of a comeback, when he found Josh Cribbs for a two-yard touchdown pass, but it proved too little too late for the Browns, who had looked second best all game long.

The game was won on the ground, with Foster recording 124 yards on 19 carries, and Tate racking up 115 yards on just 12 carries. Stripped of both Peyton Hillis and Montario Hardesty, the Browns could not make a similar impact on the ground, with running back Chris Ogbonnaya only managing to rush for 28 yards from his 13 attempts.

Cleveland, lacking an effective running option, turned to the passing game. With Mohamed Massquoi out for a second consecutive game, McCoy targeted Cribbs consistently. Although Cribbs did grab a touchdown pass to help his team, the wide receiver could only average ten yards per reception, and rarely troubled an in-control Houston defense.

Browns Head Coach Pat Shurmur will be hoping that both Hillis and Massaquoi can return to full training this week, as their meagre haul of 12 points just goes to highlight how toothless the Browns offense has looked of late.

The Browns will look to pick themselves up in Week 10 when they face the St Louis Rams at home, one of the few teams to have actually scored less points than the Browns prior to the Week Nine games. Meanwhile, the Texans will visit the inconsistent Buccaneers as they attempt to further cement their place at the top of the AFC South.

Image Courtesy of   http://www.facebook.com/HoustonTexans

The article Texans Run Through Cleveland Browns, 30-12 appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The 2010-2011 NFL season showed fans a slew of teams that found themselves on the cusp of taking the reigns of their respective divisions. The AFC South in particular has seen the Indianapolis Colts dominate Houston, Jacksonville and Tennessee over the past decade en route to perennial top seeded playoff positions. Though they are still considered a serious threat around the league, last year for the first time they showed that they too have flaws and seem to be a bit vulnerable. Father time seems to have caught up with a few of their dominant players, and young talent across the division may be too much to handle for Indianapolis moving forward. Let’s break down the AFC South down team-by-team and see who really has the best chance to dethrone the Super Bowl XLI Champions.

Tennessee Titans: The Titans have probably been the most inconsistent team in the division over the past few years. They were always able to fall back on having one of the most well-renowned coaches in the NFL in years past. Now that the Jeff Fisher era is behind us, we will see what this team really is made of. Also, owner Bud Adams seems to have finally given up on Vince Young and his off-field antics. The hope is that new coach, former Houston Oilers guard, Mike Munchak will be able to form a nice report with first-round draft pick Jake Locker (QB, Washington), and mold him into a leader on the field. They undoubtedly have some other nice pieces in place with electrifying running back Chris Johnson alongside receivers Kenny Britt and Justin Gage running the offense. Their defense has shown promise over the past few seasons, and though Tennessee is in somewhat of a rebuilding time, they might just have enough firepower to make noise in the division.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Though the Jaguars picked after the Titans in the first-round of the draft, they got the quarterback that everyone else seemed to want more than Locker in Blaine Gabbert (QB, Missouri). Jacksonville is taking the safer, and probably smarter route in developing Gabbert over time since they still have David Garrard to man the helm and mentor the rookie for a few years. They always seem to be a tough team to beat at home, and when you possess one of the best runners in the league, defenses are never going to be excited about playing you. Maurice Jones-Drew has racked up over 1,300 yards in each of his past two seasons and shows no signs of slowing down. Look for them to feature MJD even more this season amidst all of the quarterback confusion. The Jags can be expected to round out the bottom of the division this season, but if Jones-Drew has another career year, ninth year head coach Jack Del Rio just might be able to coax them into a successful season.

Houston Texans: This is where we come to the bread and butter of the AFC South. Last season the Texans showed real promise at the beginning of the season knocking off the Colts at home in week one and making everyone wonder whether 2010 was finally their year. It wasn’t. They finished a disappointing 6-10 and showed serious problems on the defensive side of the ball. I remember seeing their offense torch a prolific New York Jets defense last season, only to watch their corner backs fail to cover simple slant routes on consecutive plays to lead the Jets into the end-zone and blow yet another game for Houston. Everybody knows that the Matt Schaub to Andre Johnson connection is one of the best in the business. Unfortunately, they also know that they can routinely throw down field on one of the worst secondaries in the league. Everyone in Houston is hoping that newly hired defensive coordinator Wade Phillips will be able to turn their struggles around and finally snatch the division away from Indianapolis. The Texans are my sleeper this year, and if the Colts aren’t careful, they might find themselves having to compete for a wild-card spot in 2011.

Indianapolis Colts: So what do we know about the Colts? Well, offensive guru Tom Moore is gone, they caught the injury bug in the worst way last season, and Peyton Manning is coming off of two neck surgeries. Nobody is doubting what Manning has done, and probably still will do in the future at quarterback in Indianapolis. In fact, I would have to say that he’s the best I’ve ever seen play the game at that position. The problem is, he’s 35 years old going into this season, and not everyone can last as long as Brett Favre and John Elway. He finally, for the first time, showed signs of the slowing down last season when he was plagued by a string of interceptions midway through the year. Of course, even with all of the injuries, the Colts still went 10-6 to win the division, but failed to show off their prolific offense in the playoffs and were bounced quickly. I’m not doubting what this team can do with a future hall-of-fame quarterback leading them, but I will say that if they don’t make some changes and improvements from last season, their time in the spotlight of the AFC South may be coming to and end sooner than some people may think.

The AFC South is definitely no longer a one horse race as it has been for majority of the past decade. There are some real star-players all the way across the division, and seemingly more to come out of the first-round draft picks selected in this years draft. There will be battles throughout the year between all four of these teams, and don’t be surprised if we see two AFC South representatives in the playoffs next season…if there is a season of course.

Anthony Correia / Shutterstock.com

The article Balance of Power: AFC South appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.