Vanilla Ice performs at halftime and must have been a good luck charm for the Texans



Brian Cushing celebrates after the Texans defense picks up a safety



DeAndre Hopkins and Chris Myers enjoy the Texans' 30-24 win in overtime



Deandre Hopkins ‏@Nukdabomb 48m
Great team win

It feels good to be 2-0 but I'm ready for that huge game next Sunday at Baltimore. That's going to be a great game.

Wow. Two really close games that we pulled out at the very end to start the season 2-0. I'd really like to see us play an entire game from start to finish instead of scrambling at the end to get back in it.

The running game is going to be stronger as the season progresses if Arian Foster and Ben Tate continue to split carries. That will keep both of them healthy all season long. Right now, Ben Tate is running the ball like a beast and is deserving of more carries until Arian starts to get into shape after missing the entire pre-season.

9 carries a game for Ben Tate isn't enough. He should be getting closer to 15 carries a game while he has the better numbers.
Can you imagine teams like the Giants which would kill to have a Ben Tate as their feature back? He's a strong runner.

Game 1 at San Diego: Arian Foster 18 carries for 57 yards (3.2) and Ben Tate 9 carries for 55 yards (6.1)
Game 2 vs. Tennessee: Arian Foster 19 carries for 79 yards (4.2) and Ben Tate 9 carries for 93 yards (10.3)

But either way, it's a nice tandem to have and we'll see what they do at Baltimore on Sunday.



“It’s not like we hide anything from each other. I tell him everyday, I’m coming for your spot everyday. That’s just the way it is.” Tate told reporters after the game. “If you’re mature about the situation and you both know that you’re both competitors, and you both are pushing each other to be better, then at the end of the day it works out for the team.”

Those great hands. That was before the NFL draft. He's getting better every week. It's almost unfair when he uses both hands.



DeAndre Hopkins rookie watch
Game 1 at San Diego: 5 receptions for 66 yards
Game 2 vs. Tennessee: 7 receptions for 117 yards and 1 TD

A month ago, DeAndre Hopkins didn’t want to talk because he hadn’t done anything real.

On Sunday, Hopkins said he can be better than Andre Johnson.

“That’s my mindset, and that’s what Andre’s telling me: ‘Don’t try to shadow yourself when you know you can be better,’ ” Hopkins said.

“Once you’re lined up on the other side of Andre, it’s business,” said Hopkins, who recorded a game high in receiving yards (117), tied Johnson for the lead in targets (13) and has collected 12 catches for 183 yards in his initial two games.





Our red-zone offense is showing a lot of improvement. Also made a two-point conversion yesterday.

I like that Foster and Tate split carries, it will help keep both of them fresh and healthy.

DeAndre Hopkins has been really great for us, and looks like he was a steal at 27.

Our defense looks solid, as usual, and marginally better with Cushing healthy again. We have allowed an average of 156 pass yards per game through 2 games.

The red-zone offense does appear to be improved, and our overall offense is earning the 4th most yards per game thus far. We have the most first downs in the league (tied with Green Bay), which is a really good indicator of offensive prowess.

We are at a -2 turnover rate, and the fact that we are 2-0 is a bit surprising considering the circumstances we have put ourselves into late in games.

One thing we need to look out for is making sure we stay consistent and keep our heads down. Our problem last season was a combination of injuries and peaking at the wrong time. I don't know how much of that you can control, but it would be nice to peak in December + January rather than September + October like last year.

Houston has a really good football team, but we need to play full games in order to be real Superbowl contenders.

Andre Johnson and Ed Reed may both be ready to play at Baltimore on Sunday

From John McClain (Houston Chronicle): Coach Gary Kubiak said today that receiver Andre Johnson is going through his concussion protocol and looked “great today” when players went through their day-after-the-game routine.

“(Johnson) has a concussion, is in protocol and did great today,” Kubiak said. “He rode the bike today. Obviously, it’s going to be an end-of-the-week decision because of the (protocol), but he’s making good progress.”

Johnson was forced out of the game in the fourth quarter when hit by strong safety Bernard Pollard. He held the ball long enough for a magnificent 21-yard catch to set up the touchdown. Johnson’s teammates who talked to him after the game said they expect him to play against the Ravens.

Ed Reed nearly made his Texans debut against the Titans.

The veteran safety went through a pregame warmup session and was almost activated, Texans coach Gary Kubiak said Monday at Reliant Stadium. Reed was held out of action Sunday. But the Texans’ biggest offseason addition has moved closer toward taking the field for a Week 3 contest at Baltimore, when his new team plays his former team.

Reed was inactive for the Texans’ initial two wins this season. He’ll make the final decision about his activation later this week.

This post was edited by Madmartigan on Sep 16 2013 04:30pm

Gary Kubiak said after practice today that the Texans are preparing for the Ravens as if Ray Rice is going to play and be 100 %? Hopefully that's not a mistake. The last thing we need is their backup running back having a big game against our defense. Bernard Pierce leads Baltimore in rushing yards (79) and carries (28) through two games.

Superstar Ray Rice is a lot like Arian Foster. Off to a very slow start this season. He only has 72 rushing yards on 25 carries with 1 TD.

This is going to be a fun one to watch on Sunday. I believe the Texans have to win this game more than the Ravens do. If we can get to 3-0 before the next two games against the Seahawks and 49ers, that will give us a little wiggle room in case we lose one or both games. The Seahawks and 49ers are both rated top three on the latest power rankings that I've seen, so I doubt many people are going to give the Texans much of a chance to win either game coming up.

The Ravens on the other hand, have shown the heart of a champion and the resiliency to overcome a slow start to the season under John Harbaugh before. I remember when the Texans spanked the Ravens 43-13 in Houston last season, a lot of the so-called NFL experts said the Ravens season was over, and yet they managed to rally back from that embarrassing loss and made their incredible Super Bowl run.

If the Texans are serious about clinching home field advantage this year and getting that first-round bye in the playoffs, this Sunday's game at Baltimore is a must-win game. Because looking at the schedule, I see so many tough games on the way. We play the Seahawks, 49ers, Broncos and Patriots to name a few. We also play the Colts twice and we are 0-11 all time at Indianapolis. So yeah, this Sunday's game could be the difference in a top two seeding in the AFC playoffs or third (again). Hosting a wild-card game isn't fun anymore. Time to strive for bigger things.

It's also time to play for a full 60 minutes. The Texans can't continue to suck for two or three quarters and expect to win games.

All Pro LT Duane Brown is the one player the Houston Texans offense can't afford to be without

From Brian T. Smith (Houston Chronicle)


Oh no, we may be without our all pro left tackle on Sunday. While Ryan Harris is serviceable he's not going to be able to manhandle Terrell Suggs like Duane Brown can. But long term, it's best to allow Duane Brown to rest his turf toe. We'll need him healthy to have any chance to beat the Seahawks and 49ers the next two games.

Also Andre Johnson and Ed Reed will both be a game time decision. Andre Johnson did not practice on Wednesday but Ed Reed took a few snaps. If Ed Reed plays against the Ravens, I'm not sure if that will be as a starter or coming off the bench. The Texans are planning to ease him back onto the field slowly.

"It's nothing that urged me to play this week. You know, I didn't circle this on the calendar," Ed Reed explained. "I said it earlier in the offseason that with my rehab, I'm not preparing to play against San Diego or Tennessee or even the Ravens. It's about being there for the long haul," Reed continued, "being there for the team when it really counts, and that's playoffs, the Super Bowl, AFC Championship Game."

But seriously, no Duane Brown could hurt us a lot more against the Ravens compared to not having Andre Johnson or Ed Reed. This is going to be one of those gut-check games that we'll have to grind out the way it's looking. It's going to be a lot like the Ravens and Browns game was, low scoring, but that's assuming our defense can play hard for a full 60 minutes. They had played poorly for two quarters in each of the last two games.

I'm starting to have my doubts about this game. I think the Ravens can beat us at M&T Bank Stadium like they always have before. It's going to be a tough game for us to win. If Duane Brown doesn't play, Matt Schaub is going to have to be prepared to throw that football extra fast, unless the plan is to run the ball about 40 times. Just give Arian Foster and Ben Tate about 20 carries apiece and hope they have some success.

I always enjoy watching Jill Arrington on Fox Sports. They hired all the best looking ladies that ESPN once had. LOL
She made a mistake at the end mentioning that DeAndre Hopkins was the 29th overall pick though. He was 27th.



A Thursday update on three of our best players from the Houston Chronicle

Duane Brown down but not out

Left tackle Duane Brown missed practice again Thursday and may not work again Friday because of a sprained toe, but don’t count him out for the Baltimore game, Gary Kubiak said.

“Duane can play football without practicing,” Kubiak said. “He’s played a lot of snaps. He knows our offense better than anybody.”

According to Kubiak, Brown’s toe “is very sore. I don’t want him standing around out there for two hours watching practice. We left him inside so we’ll push toward the weekend and see where he’s at.”

Andre Johnson close to being cleared to play

Andre Johnson still has to receive final clearance from an independent, NFL-appointed doctor, but all indications are he’ll start against the Ravens Sunday. Johnson suffered a concussion on a hard hit from former Texan Bernard Pollard in the Tennessee game and has been under the league’s concussion protocol this week.

“Andre was full go,” Kubiak said. “He took everything he’d normally do on a Thursday. He looked good. Today’s the last hurdle. He’ll see the NFL’s doctor one more time and hopefully that takes place in the next 24 hours.”

Ed Reed likely to make Texans’ debut against former team

Texans coach Gary Kubiak said Ed Reed’s workout Thursday was “the most aggressive we’ve had him in situations in practice” and, barring a setback, it seems likely he’ll make his Texans debut in Baltimore, where he spent the first 11 seasons of his career.

Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips took it a step further and noted how Reed has made several of the kind of “ball-hawking plays” in practice this week that he came to be known for as a Raven. He’s the NFL’s active leader in interceptions with 61.

Shiloh Keo will start at free safety against the Ravens, but Reed could figure prominently in special cover packages. Best case, he’s likely still a few weeks away from playing an entire game.

I couldn't find the Texans page. Had to scroll down 30 pages or so. We're not dead yet. A 2-1 record isn't great but it's not bad either. We should thank our lucky stars we're not 0-3 playing the way we did in those first three games. Trailed all three games in the fourth quarter. Also trailed all three games at halftime. That's not going to get it done moving forward. The Seahawks will smack us in the mouth on Sunday if the Texans come out as flat as they have been.

Texans, Colts and Titans are all 2-1. So if nothing else we'll have a very exciting AFC South race in 2013.
That's assuming the Texans start to play some good football. Too much talent not to be a factor this year.