ATRAIN
11-21-2007, 11:54 AM
Texans getting healthy, eye AFC wild card berth
November 19, 2007
By Scott Serrano
PA SportsTicker Staff Writer
The Houston Texans are getting healthy on offense, just in time to make a surprising playoff push.
On Sunday, the Texans (5-5) welcomed back two of their most important players in quarterback Matt Schaub and wide receiver Andre Johnson as they defeated the New Orleans Saints, 23-10.
Schaub missed Houston's 24-17 Week Nine victory over the Oakland Raiders with hip and head injuries, but recovered enough after last week's bye to suit up on Sunday. In his return, Schaub completed 21-of-33 passes for 293 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions.
Johnson, Schaub's favorite target, played in his first game since suffering sprained left knee ligaments in Week Two. In his highly anticipated return, Johnson caught a team-high six passes for 120 yards, including a 73-yard touchdown.
In just three appearances this season, Johnson has 20 catches for 382 yards and four touchdowns. Among players with at least 20 receptions this season, Johnson leads the way at 19.1 yards per catch.
Most importantly, the Texans are a perfect 3-0 when Johnson has played this season.
"Just his presence on the team is unbelievable," Texans coach Gary Kubiak said. "You could feel it in the stadium when Andre Johnson is on the field.
"He's the heart and soul of this franchise, not just this team."
While key cogs in the passing game are almost back to full strength, the running game will likely not be at full strength for the remainder of the season.
Starting halfback Ahman Green missed Sunday's game with a left knee injury which has put his season in jeopardy.
In Green's place, former Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne stepped into the starting lineup and rushed 21 times for 89 yards to give the Texans a balanced attack.
"Just being able to move the ball, that really helps a lot, keeping the defense off the field," Dayne said. "And the line played real well. The receivers played great. So as long as we all play together, ain't no telling what we could do."
If Dayne can continue to move the ball on the ground, and if Schaub and Johnson can stay healthy, the Texans should challenge for an AFC wild card berth. A win over the Cleveland Browns this upcoming Sunday would greatly help that cause.
"It's exciting right now," Kubiak said. "I made the comment at Oakland that one thing I'd like to see happen is see this franchise and this football team play some real big games down the stretch, and see these players and people experience what that's like.
"It didn't look good a few weeks ago, but we worked really hard to get to the point we're at. We're excited about moving forward. We've got to take them one at a time and continue to try to clean ourselves up - regardless of who we're playing, and I think if we can do that we'll be very competitive."
November 19, 2007
By Scott Serrano
PA SportsTicker Staff Writer
The Houston Texans are getting healthy on offense, just in time to make a surprising playoff push.
On Sunday, the Texans (5-5) welcomed back two of their most important players in quarterback Matt Schaub and wide receiver Andre Johnson as they defeated the New Orleans Saints, 23-10.
Schaub missed Houston's 24-17 Week Nine victory over the Oakland Raiders with hip and head injuries, but recovered enough after last week's bye to suit up on Sunday. In his return, Schaub completed 21-of-33 passes for 293 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions.
Johnson, Schaub's favorite target, played in his first game since suffering sprained left knee ligaments in Week Two. In his highly anticipated return, Johnson caught a team-high six passes for 120 yards, including a 73-yard touchdown.
In just three appearances this season, Johnson has 20 catches for 382 yards and four touchdowns. Among players with at least 20 receptions this season, Johnson leads the way at 19.1 yards per catch.
Most importantly, the Texans are a perfect 3-0 when Johnson has played this season.
"Just his presence on the team is unbelievable," Texans coach Gary Kubiak said. "You could feel it in the stadium when Andre Johnson is on the field.
"He's the heart and soul of this franchise, not just this team."
While key cogs in the passing game are almost back to full strength, the running game will likely not be at full strength for the remainder of the season.
Starting halfback Ahman Green missed Sunday's game with a left knee injury which has put his season in jeopardy.
In Green's place, former Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne stepped into the starting lineup and rushed 21 times for 89 yards to give the Texans a balanced attack.
"Just being able to move the ball, that really helps a lot, keeping the defense off the field," Dayne said. "And the line played real well. The receivers played great. So as long as we all play together, ain't no telling what we could do."
If Dayne can continue to move the ball on the ground, and if Schaub and Johnson can stay healthy, the Texans should challenge for an AFC wild card berth. A win over the Cleveland Browns this upcoming Sunday would greatly help that cause.
"It's exciting right now," Kubiak said. "I made the comment at Oakland that one thing I'd like to see happen is see this franchise and this football team play some real big games down the stretch, and see these players and people experience what that's like.
"It didn't look good a few weeks ago, but we worked really hard to get to the point we're at. We're excited about moving forward. We've got to take them one at a time and continue to try to clean ourselves up - regardless of who we're playing, and I think if we can do that we'll be very competitive."