We need Owen Daniels to play big again. 4 catches for 40 yards against the Colts isn't bad. He should be doubling that production and scoring in the red zone.



He played well at the end of last year and still made some nice catches in the two playoff games against the Ravens and Bengals despite having a broken hand. At least he's healthy this time around. Five more days until the Vikings game. I'm ready to see the Texans clinch the 1st seed and focus on the playoffs.

It's been too long of a season already. Almost time for the games that matter to start.

Game ball and Pro Bowl recognition for Braman

Bryan Braman showed again Sunday that he is one of the best special teams player in the NFL. Braman blocked a punt and scooped up the loose ball for a touchdown, giving the Texans a 20-3 lead that they milked en route to a 29-17 victory.

Braman, who is second in the AFC Pro Bowl voting for special teams player, received a game ball from coach Gary Kubiak for his efforts.

“It means a lot,” Braman said. “There aren’t too many players that get it. He doesn’t hand out a game ball every game. For me to be able to receive one means a lot. It’s definitely a big thing.”

Johnson nears elite company

Andre Johnson has put together the best eight-game stretch of his 10-year career.

In the last eight games, Johnson has 68 catches for 1,002 yards. He needs seven catches for 140 yards to reach 100 and 1,500, respectively. If he reaches those milestones, he’ll join Marvin Harrison as the only receivers in league history to have at least 100 receptions and 1,500 yards in three seasons.

Johnson also would join Jerry Rice as the only receivers with 100 catches and 1,500 yards in their 10th season or later.

Wow, can you imagine if Andre Johnson had a full season like his past eight games? People forget he struggled all of last year with injuries and got off to a slow start this season. It's pretty remarkable that he even has a chance at another 1,500-yard season, considering he was 26th in the NFL this season in receiving yards going into the Jaguars game on November 18.

His past 5 games alone... 763 receiving yards total...

11 for 151 versus Colts
8 for 95 versus Patriots
5 for 56 versus Titans
9 for 188 versus Lions
14 for 273 versus Jaguars

Before the Jaguars game he wasn't even having that good of a season. That included three dismal games of 21 yards, 15 yards and 35 yards receiving. People said he was washed up and too old. Then he out-gained the great Calvin Johnson (140 yards), the best WR in the game right now, on Thanksgiving day which capped off the best two-game stretch in NFL history (461 receiving yards).

I still think the best is yet to come for Andre Johnson during the 2013 NFL playoffs.

His 2012 playoffs was pretty good even with 3rd string rookie T.J. Yates at quarterback: 5 for 90 versus Bengals and 8 for 111 versus Ravens. Andre Johnson also eclipsed 11,000 career receiving yards against the Colts in the last game. He's having a Hall of Fame career.

Up next: A Vikings defense that allowed 377 passing yards against the Rams in their last game. Perhaps another big game for Andre?

Do you think they're going to utilize Andre a lot more before the play offs or wait until then to let him cut

Hopefully Foster starts to stretch his legs from here throughout. He did pretty well vs colts.

I think they'll go all out to beat the Vikings and clinch the 1st seed in the AFC on Sunday. And then they'll rest most of their main guys against the Colts the final game of the season at Indianapolis. That will probably include J.J. Watt not playing at Indianapolis, who could be chasing Strahan's single-season sack record. Resting up and being healthy for the playoffs is more important than records at this point.

Remember back in 2009 when Bill Belichick and the Patriots had nothing to play for the final game at Houston? They foolishly played their starters into the 4th quarter. Tom Brady was lucky not to get hurt, he took a vicious sack late in that game. Also Wes Welker blew out his ACL in that game. It doesn't make sense to play your starters if the final game means absolutely nothing. You lose more than you win in those situations - if a key player gets hurt.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Reliant-Stadium-to-have-widest-video-displays-in-pro-sports/fb89292e-3349-495e-8e12-174a2dd8c526?_cldee=a2JlcmxhbmdhODlAeWFob28uY29t

The Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation voted to approve enlarging the Reliant Stadium video display boards on Wednesday, making them the largest in Texas and the widest display in professional sports.

“Our game experience is consistently rated as one of the finest in the world and these spectacular video boards will help us elevate to an even higher level of performance for our fans," said Houston Texans President Jamey Rootes. "Starting next season, the energy, excitement and entertainment we deliver for each home game at Reliant Stadium will be matched with exclusive video content, real-time information and event enhancements to provide an even better experience for our large and loyal fan base.”

Construction on the video boards is projected to begin after the current season and be completed by Aug. 1, 2013. Manufactured by Mitsubishi Electric’s Diamond Vision Systems Division, they will have an image area of 52.49 by 277.17 feet, totaling 14,549 square feet of display surface and weighing in at more than 100 tons each.

Rootes believes the installation of the new and improved video display boards will better Houston's chances of hosting the Super Bowl at Reliant Stadium in 2017.

“An integral component is the Super Bowl bid," Rootes said. "Their question is, ‘What is the experience going to be like? The game experience for the fans when they’re there for the Super Bowl?' When you show that picture and it is the largest stadium installation, 25 percent larger than what they’ve seen before, you can't help but think that will be exciting for the fans.”

CEO of Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Leroy Shafer is anticipating the renovation with much excitement. He not only sees the project as benefiting football fans, but people that attend the variety of events held at Reliant Stadium, as well.

“It’s a big deal because it keeps Reliant state of the art," he said. "When we built Reliant Stadium everybody looked at it and said, ‘Wow, there’s nothing like this in professional football.’ We came to the end of the life of this board and we looked at it and said ‘OK, we can just replace that up there but let’s see what we can do to make it the best, let’s see what we can do to make it the biggest out there in the NFL, for the Rodeo, or whatever we may bring into Reliant Stadium.’”

Other recent notable Diamond Vision installations include the Dallas Cowboys (Cowboy Stadium), New York Yankees (Yankee Stadium), Green Bay Packers (Lambeau Field), Boston Red Sox (Fenway Park), and Seattle Seahawks (Century Link Field).


TL:dr - Reliant will be getting widest video display in pro sports.

Brooks Reed is returning against the Vikings. Very good news because he's good at stuffing the run and pressuring the quarterback.



Brooks Reed says he’ll play this week

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/19/brooks-reed-says-hell-play-this-week/

The Texans have already locked up the AFC South, leaving them with two primary concerns in the final two weeks of the season.

They want to secure home-field advantage in the AFC playoffs and make sure that they’re as healthy as possible once the playoffs roll around. Linebacker Brooks Reed figures into both of those desires. He’s missed the last three games with a groin injury and his return would bolster their defense as they try to hold off the Broncos and Patriots for the top spot in the conference in the last two weeks.

Reed returned to practice on Wednesday and said after the session that he will play this week against the Vikings barring a setback in practice.

“It felt good. It felt good to get back on the field again, move my legs. I feel pretty confident in my performance today in practice,” Reed said, via CSNHouston.com. “I felt good today. I won’t really know until I’m hitting 350-pounders when I’m trying to defend the run.”

Reed’s return to practice leaves the Texans looking healthy heading into this weekend. Cornerback Alan Ball was the only player not to practice for them on Wednesday.

Watt is going to sack Christian Ponder 4 times and be at 23.5 to break Strahan's single-season record of 22.5 after Sunday's game.