Schaub Time in H-Town

1:24:09 AM MST

I got back from the movies (saw Bee Movie, which no adult male should be subjected to) Monday night and turned on the Titans/Broncos game just after Andre Hall broke the 62-yard TD run for Denver, and settled in to root for Denver for one quarter, not only because being a Texans' fan requires rooting for whatever team opposes Tennessee in a given week, but because a win by the Titans would have kept Houston two games plus the tie-breaker out of the last AFC wild card spot. Trailing 34-20 early in the fourth quarter, Vince Young took the field to try and lead his Titans to a Monday Night comeback in Denver.

Vince Young's connections with the Texans are obvious and well-known. He's the hometown guy we passed on in the 2006 draft after he led the Texas Longhorns to a miraculous win over the USC Trojans in the championship game that January. The Titans then took Young with the third overall pick, ensuring Houston and it's fans will have at least two divisional games a year to see what they missed out on. But for those of you who are still pissed at the Houston head office for taking Mario Williams and snubbing Vince, don't be. Vince Young is not the answer at quarterback for any team.

Young's effort to bring the Titans back Monday - against the team John Elway had treated to dozens of fourth quarter comebacks, no less - was commendable. He threw a few deep balls with some serious touch on them that his receivers stiffed him on, and despite the drops, still had the first 300-yard passing game of his brief career. He also kept the offense lukewarm in a game where LenDale White was inexplicably ineffective against a defense that had been horrid against the run all year.

But those modest highlights aside, the weaknesses in Young's game were on display in the fourth quarter of the Monday Night foray. The Denver defense, knowing the run wasn't much of a threat at that point, finally shifted their focus to the pass. With the high profile cornerback tandem of Champ Bailey and Dre Bly focusing solely on coverage, Vince Young saw his downfield passing lanes dry up, and that was when his biggest flaw came center stage. Unlike the great QBs of the present, or even some of the intermediate ones (like Schaub), Young can not create what he can not see. He can't anticipate what crease a receiver will find and then decide what throw is best to get it to him. He can not be a true field general.

His defenders will say that his ability running with the ball makes up for it, and in a lot game situations, that's been true. When the game is still wide open and all you're looking for on offense is to move the ball, then it doesn't usually matter how the guys gets it done. But in a situation like VY found himself in Monday Night, down 14 in the fourth quarter, the Titans will continue to fold. Whether it's failing to decipher the defense and making inadvisable throws that get picked, which happened twice while Tennessee was in Denver territory during the final stanza of their primetime affair, or it's him giving up on the pass and taking off on a scramble up the middle for a handful of yards when he should be focused on preserving the clock, Young is just not equipped to bring a team back late in a game. Hopefully Houston puts him in that position again on December 2nd, so he can help my argument.

Back to the team. Darius Walker, who played for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish before they were a joke, has been plucked from the practice squad by the Texans, although he was inactive for the game in Cleveland. I had hoped Walker would catch a roster spot coming out of training camp, and now that Houston has realized that, hey, Ron Dayne AND Samkon Gado is kind of redundant, Walker will hopefully get a look, at least as a third down back. His receiving skills out of the backfield are a big plus, especially with Ahman Green set to be a complete unknown for the rest of the year. Don't sleep on Mr. Walker, he could turn some heads with his ability running outside - if he gets a chance.

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3:23:01 AM MST

One of the reasons we watch football is for the drama. The lead changes, the controversial calls.. the big hits, big plays, the goalline stands, the last-second field goals. The games that tie knots in your stomach, and leave you an anxious, slightly nauseous shell of your usual self. Of course, it's sometimes nice to see your team win a game without having to endure any of that.

The Saints held a 10-7 lead with 4:39 left in the second quarter, but there was no sense of an impending struggle, let alone doom. Houston had been moving the ball quickly and causing turnovers, while the Saints were struggling to find a rhythm on either side of the ball. Matt Schaub's second TD on the following drive gave Houston a 14-10 lead, and the Houston defense made sure the lead wasn't threatened again. Schaub finished with 293 yards passing and two TDs, one that went 73 yards to Andre Johnson to get Houston's scoring started. Johnson had six catches, 120 yards and the score in his first game back from his MCL sprain. Houston has won all three games he's been able to play this year.

Plenty can be said for Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson's day on offense, they were great, but it's the guys in the secondary who really deserve a nod. After losing cornerback Dunta Robinson for the year, this unit could have lost their focus and let Drew Brees throw all over them in this game, and got Houston into a barnburner -- as I thought they would. But they rose to the occasion and played a calibur of football that was really a case of the sum being greater than the parts, and I have to give it to them for playing gutsy football Sunday.

Oh, and stuffing Reggie Bush for 34 yards on 15 carries was pretty great, too. Someone clearly didn't eat enough Subway before kickoff.

No, this game was well in hand at halftime, which sounds strange, considering it was only a seven-point lead at that point, but New Orleans wasn't able to do anything effectively on offense after the half, which was punctuated by two failed fourth down attempts and zero points. The Texan offense only came up with six points in the same span, but Ron Dayne ran more effectively and kept the clock moving, and Houston didn't commit a turnover after losing two fumbles that became all 10 Saints' points in the first half. With this fifth notch of the season on their belt, Houston turns it's attention to the Cleveland Browns (6-4), another tough, but winnable game. The Browns are smack in the middle of the AFC play-off hunt, and won't be interested in doing Houston any favors at home in the Dawg Pound. With Derek Anderson under center, the Browns offense has become one of the AFC's most dangerous, which means Houston's shuffled secondary will be in for another challenge. Houston's gonna have to hang tough through the big plays and convert turnovers to touchdowns and break the spirit of the surging Brownies if they want to have a chance in this one.

But all that's miles down the road! I wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving Day, hope you all tune into the Packers/Lions and Jets/Cowboys games, just because it's the first time in a long time that both Detroit and Dallas have something to play for on Turkey Day. I'll be back in a few for the Houston/Cleveland preview.

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1:19:53 PM MST

The Saints/Texans contest has definitely lived up to it's billing as a pass-heavy showdown. Matt Schaub and Drew Brees have combined for 393 yards and three TDs through the air, while the two teams have combined for just 56 yards on the ground. Reggie Bush has been especially ineffective, with Houston holding him to 11 runs for a meager 19 yards.

The game started very inauspiciously for Houston. Opening the game with the ball, Houston fumbled twice in it's first three plays, and the second was recovered by New Orleans' Scott Fujita at the Houston 43-yard line. Luckily for Owen Daniels, the man guilty of losing the fumble, Drew Brees came out a little cold and could move his offense just six yards. Olindo Mare's 52-yard field goal attempt was good, and gave New Orleans a 3-0 lead that it wouldn't enjoy for long.

Schaub responded by showing a clever play fake on the third play of the drive, sucking the New Orleans secondary down toward the line of scrimmage enough to let Andre Johnson get loose behind them, and Schaub threw an easy lob to 'Dre, who jaunted 73 yards to the endzone. It was Johnson's first catch in return from his seven-game lay-off.

The Saints used third down conversions, including a 28-yard connection with Marques Colston on 3rd and 20, to move the ball all the way down to Houston's three on the next drive. But Reggie Bush coughed up the ball trying to pound the ball in for the score, which Earl Cochran, of former NFL Europa fame, recovered.

After the Texans punted, the Houston defense again failed to get off the field, allowing two more third down conversions as New Orleans moved into Houston territory again. But Von Hutchins made up for it by picking Brees off at the Houston 26.

After trading punts, Adimchinobi Echemandu got his first carry of the game, and promptly fumbled it away. The ensuing drive ended with a six-yard TD pass from Brees to Devery Henderson, giving New Orleans it's second lead, 10-7.

Schaub again countered, completing passes of 24 and 25 on the first two plays of the next drive, moving them swiftly to the Saints' 21. Ron Dayne followed with his first run over four yards of the game, taking it for 11 to the 10-yard line. The Saints called a timeout with 2:16 left to regroup, but it didn't work. Schaub connected with Joel Dreessen on the next play for his second TD of the first half, giving Houston the 14-10 advantage.

The next drive was a near disaster for the Saints. Brees fumbled as he was sacked by Mario Williams, but New Orleans was lucky enough to recover at their own 11. The punt that followed was returned by Jacoby Jones to the Houston 40, giving Schaub great field position with 1:19 left on the clock.

Schaub immediately went to work, swinging the ball to Ron Dayne for 17 yards. Owen Daniels made the next two catches, for 12 and 13 yards, respectively. But having burned their last timeout after Daniels' first catch of the drive, with only 0:18 seconds left and well within Kris Brown's range, Houston settled for a 36-yard field goal, and closed the half with it's biggest lead of the game.

Both offenses have shown they can play fast and throw at will, and both teams have committed costly turnovers. However, the last minutes of the second quarter saw Houston capture the momentum. While Drew Brees has moved the ball well, Schaub has clearly been more effective, with 10 completions of 10 yards or more.

The Texans have played well and showed New Orleans they can play the same brand of high-flying football the Saints employ, and have played it better, thus far. Houston now has to focus on converting third downs and stopping New Orleans from doing the same, and get Ron Dayne more established on the ground. That, and just let Schaub work, 'cause he has got it working right now. I'll be back after the game for the wrap on what is shaping up to be another win for the Texans.

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1:55:36 PM MST

While the team has regained Andre Johnson and Matt Schaub coming out of it's bye week, which turned out to be at just about the right time after all, the injury report saga that has been Ahman Green's 2007 will continue this week. Originally expected to play after his visit with famed specialist James Andrews was said to turn up nothing significant in his troublesome right knee, it came to light about an hour and a half before the time of this writing that Superman will be sitting out against New Orleans. This will be the fourth time he's missed a game as a Texan.

Whatever illusion any of us Texans' fans were maintaining of some stability at running back on the back nine of the season is pretty much dead. Ahman Green is no savior, of course, but he at least gave us a recognizable name at the head of the depth chart. Looking at the alternatives, I'd held out hope that he'd be able to resume the 15-carry quasi-starter role he served in the first two games. Now we're left to brace for the worst, and hope he dons a helmet and pads again this year at all.

The alternatives I spoke of are Ron Dayne and Adimchinobi Echemandu, and to their credits, both of them have put forth quality efforts in recent games. Oakland waived Echemandu earlier this fall, something he's grown used to in his career. He's typically been a training camp hero since he came on to the NFL scene as a seventh-round selection by the Cleveland Browns in the 2004 draft. Houston is his fourth stop.

Honestly, I don't know much about this guy, the San Diego game was the first time I'd seen him play. He ran the ball 10 times for 62 yards, a respectable output. However, when a guy at a skill position is still bouncing from team to team when he's 26, very rarely does that guy turn out to be a difference maker for a team. Echemandu can't be viewed as anything but depth at this juncture.

And then, there's the human landslide, Ron Dayne. Dayne's been a notorious bust since he was drafted in the first round by the New York Giants as the NCAA all-time most prolific rusher. At 5'11", 245 lbs., he simply doesn't have the speed needed to create big plays. Even when he does break into the second level of the defense, he's bouncing off defenders and on his way to the ground. He's also not as much of a load to bring down as you would think from looking at him, as strong tackling defenses have historically kept him from breaking away from many defenders. Daynewas very productive relieving Green in Week 9, when he finished up with 122 yards rushing and a TD against Oakland, but even that display showcased his weaknesses: Oakland has been lousy against the run to begin with, and were sloppy and wreckless trying to bring him down, which constantly added yards to Dayne's runs. Dayne is starting this week against New Orleans, who has played the run far better than Oakland. Dayne's yards per carry ratio will not be pretty in this game.

Although Ahman's injury is the most pertinent at the moment because we'll probably be getting him back soon, having Dunta Robinson placed on IR last week with a torn right ACL and torn right hamstring will end up being the one injury that could sink the Houston Texans this year. Not only because it rips the best player out of our secondary and leaves a gaping hole, but because of the personnel shuffle that will follow. Von Hutchins, who's done a fine job at free safety to date, will have to swing to cornerback so that DeMarcus Faggins can be kept in his nickelback role. Houston's now been hit with the loss of Robinson, SS Glenn Earl, and SS Jason Simmons for the season, and is now missing former first-round pick Jamar Fletcher, who underwent an appendectomy after Week 9. Will Demps, who was signed in September after the Giants cut him loose, takes the free safety job vacated by Hutchins. Demps does offer more size than Hutchins opposite SS C.C. Brown, but he has been used very sparingly since coming to Houston. We'll have to see what he can bring to the defense in two days.

The new look of the Texans' secondary will receive the trial by fire treatment, drawing New Orleans right off the bat. No team in football has taken to the air more consistently than the Saints (not even Houston), and they'll only push the pass more, now. The one positive in that is the lingering possibility that Drew Brees' throwing arm isn't 100%, which has been a moderately popular rumor, albeit only during or after New Orleans losses this year. The Saints are the popular pick in this one because they have more of an identity than Houston, but coming off an outright humiliating loss at home to the Rams and going on the road against a team that's been resting for two weeks? That is enough for me to favor Houston. Both teams like to throw and both teams stink at defending it, so it will be death from above for one of these two. I'm banking on it being New Orleans. The pick: Houston - 40, New Orleans - 32. Maybe next time, Big Easy.

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3:49:43 AM MST The Houston Texans responded after a 35-10 loss last week at the hands of the Chargers, never trailing in their win over Oakland, 24-17. If only the story could stop there.

X-Rays after the game revealed Pro Bowl cornerback Dunta Robinson, who has quietly held the Houston secondary together the past three years, sustained a slight ACL tear in Sunday's game, and will miss the remainder of the 2007 season.

Can't overestimate the effect Dunta's had on the Houston defense since he was drafted with the 10th overall pick in the 2004 draft, and you can't underestimate how hard up Houston's defensive backs will be having lost him. DeMarcus Faggins and fourth-round rookie Fred Bennett will now be the starting corners, neither of whom will worry any opposing offensive coordinators this year. Houston will be very suspectible to the pass for the rest of the year.

That bad news aside, Houston did get their fourth win of 2007 and 10th with Gary Kubiak as head coach, beating Oakland 24-17. Houston improves to 4-5 on the year, while Oakland skids to 2-6.

Houston's first half was nothing short of a clinic on how to take control of a game. They ran the ball effectively with different personnel in the backfield, kept the offense on the field to get the defense long breaks between action, and finished drives with points. Defensively, the Texans came up with two interceptions and contained the Oakland rushing attack, which has been their best strength. All in all, it equated to a 17-0 lead at halftime. And in the second half.. well, they managed not to give the game away.

Oakland made a solid effort to get back in the game in the second half, twice trimming Houston's lead to seven. And while Oakland did run the ball with success in the second half, their inability to move the ball through the air forced them to use too much of the clock as they tried to pull off the comeback.

How can you complain about a win your backups at QB, RB, and WR got for you? Sage Rosenfels continued to show that the Texans can win without Matt Schaub if need be. He completed 11 of his 18 attempts for 181 yards, a TD and a pick, but the steadying presence he gave Houston went beyond the box score. He avoided mistakes that could have put blood in the water, and hit the big play when the game was on the line, connecting with Andre' Davis for the score that put Houston up 24-10 in the fourth quarter. Ron Dayne dusted his cleats off in the second quarter and ended up cranking out 122 yards on the ground, along with a TD. The receivers didn't do much, Ahman Green's 53-yard catch on Houston's first drive turned out to be enough to lead all Houston players in receiving yards, but Owen Daniels and Kevin Walter combined for seven catches, and didn't drop passes that could keep the Houston offense on the field.

And now, we rest, a full 14 days between games. And after that? Games against New Orleans, Cleveland Tampa Bay.. the schedule does not get easier. Houston will have to come out of the bye singularly focused and determined to get a win streak going against the Saints, who have been punching teams in the mouth of late while putting themselves back in the NFC South division race. But at least it's on Houston soil.

Until then, you wild and crazy readers, I say farewell. Well, probably not that long, but at least until the next entry. And that's my final offer.

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4:01:13 PM MST Ahman Green has made up for the absence of Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson with a 53-yard reception on Houston's 12-play, 7+ minute opening drive of the game, punctuating it with an eight-yard TD to start the scoring that only Houston has enjoyed to this point in the game. Green totaled 81 yards on nine touches in the first half, while Sage Rosenfels completed 7-of-13 passes for 111 yards, no touchdowns, one inteception, which is the superior effort between the game's two QBs so far. Josh McCown has struggled far worse, completing only four passes for 35 yards, throwing two picks along the way, one of which gave Houston the ball at the Oakland 16-yard line. Ron Dayne banged the ball into the endzone from 14 yards out two plays later.

On the ensuing drive, Oakland scraped close enough to give rocket-legged kicker Sebastian Janikowski a chance for an NFL record. He lined up to attempt a 64-yard field goal, and put enough distance on the kick, but it bounced off the right upright and was no good. Houston would add a field goal just before the half to increase their lead. Houston will start the second half with the football.

As the old cliche demands, Houston has executed their gameplan today. Oakland has not been able to break loose running the ball, which has eliminated Josh McCown's ability to throw against out of position defensive backs. No Oakland Raider had more than one reception in the first half.

LaMont Jordan has been essentially benched for this game, with one run and one catch for a total of 18 yards in the first half. Justin Fargas has been effective, but the explosiveness he had offered off the bench in Oakland's games against Miami and last week against Kansas City has not been there.

Well, Ron Dayne just started the second half with a bang by busting a 39-yard run, so I'll wrap it up. Houston is obviously in a great position to put this game away in the third quarter, so long as Sage Rosenfels continues to play game manager and not make any stupid throws and the Texans' offense stays on the field and eats clock. C'mon Houston, let's bring this one home.

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11:50:10 AM MDT

There's a few ways I could dress up the story of Houston's season, right about now. Yes, they did start with a bang, spanking the first-place Chiefs 20-3 (never forget the Mario Rumble!), followed by the 34-21 win in Carolina that Texans' fans have been hanging their bragging hat on ever since. Then, of course, the injury bug bit, and I could easily wax on about the six-game absence of Andre Johnson and flickering presences of Matt Schaub, DeMeco Ryans, and Ahman Green being the reason Houston's lost five of six, the most recent of which was a 35-10 tar-whooping at the hands of the Chargers (turns out they're still really good). I'm certainly tempted to.

Regretfully, that wouldn't change anything, except maybe my reputation as a whiner. The Texans team is 3-5 no matter what anyone says to justify their swift descent to the cellar of the AFC South. Tennessee, Jacksonville, and Indianapolis sure don't care, all of whom won last week, deepening the hole Houston's dug for themselves just a little more.

So with the football world seemingly closing in on the Houston Texans, a trip to Oakland just might be the thing to right the ship -- if only for a week.

Oakland, like Houston, has had a small handful of pleasant surprises this year. Their run game has been a major plus, and cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha leads one of the NFL's better pass defenses. Also like Houston, injuries have tempered their offense, with Josh McCown having missed several games with a foot injury, and running back LaMont Jordan slowed by the back problems that have haunted him for years. Daunte Culpepper has been the fill-in at QB, but has been adequate at best, which is why Josh McCown should be welcomed back as the starter for this game with open arms. Ronald Curry enjoyed a 10-catch, 133-yard receiving day in Week 1 with McCown at the helm, success their passing game hasn't been able to duplicate with Culpepper.

Oakland is 2-5, though, and with good reason(s). Their run defense, reliable last year, has been a major liability this year, as they're coughing up nearly 150 yards a game on the ground. Houston has struggled to establish the run game this year, so hopefully they commit to the run on offense early. Attacking Oakland in the air is a much tougher proposition, and with Sage Rosenfels making his first start of the year, I don't want to see him throw it more than 20 times. Ahman Green will play tomorrow, albeit sparingly, and between him,Ron Dayne, and former Raider Adimchinobe Echemandu (didn't even have to check the spelling!), Houston will find room running the ball if they make the effort.

On defense, it's simple. Oakland has been a run-heavy team all year, and were even more with Culpepper at QB. McCown will throw it, especially with Houston's secondary below league-average against the pass, but the battle will be won on the ground. Houston's run defense has been gashed by Maurice Jones-Drew, LenDale White, and a guy named LaDainian Tomlinson of late, and they get another tough test with Oakland. If they can stop LaMont Jordan and Justin Fargas the way Tennessee did last week, Houston will control this game.

There's no dressing this up, now; this is the season. The Texans have winnable games at home for New Orleans and in Cleveland after this, but it all starts here. The season's on life support right now, and even that might be generous, but if Houston can't win this game, that's it, it will be time to start looking toward next year already. And honestly, if Houston can't beat Oakland, they don't deserve to indulge such distant fantasies as the play-offs, because play-off teams beat 2-5 teams, period. I'm not sure Houston will. But.. I feel just confident enough to predict it. My pick: Houston, 23-17.

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12:54:03 AM MDT Two weeks ago, the Texans were heading into a pair of pivotal divisional games that would determine the pecking order of the AFC South for weeks to come, and were doing so with victory fresh in their minds, having staved off the Miami Dolphins at home on the strength of Kris Brown's clutch, gimpy boot. At 3-2, Houston was in a great position to make a decisive statement that they'd arrived as a major player in the ultra-tough AFC play-off picture.

Cut to the present: after going into the fourth quarter of the Jacksonville game trailing by only seven points, the Texans lost their grip on Maurice Jones-Drew, and the Jaguars put the game away with ease, 37-17. Houston followed that up by waiting until the fourth quarter to show up against the Titans, roaring back from a 32-7 deficit to take a 36-35 lead before Rob Bironas kicked his now-infamous eighth field goal of the game to give Tennessee the win. While it's my opinion Houston could have definitely won both of these games and been perched at 5-2 going into this game with the resurgent Chargers, who had been declared dead by the public after their loss at the hands of the Chiefs in Week 4, losses all look the same in the standings, and now, Houston has one last must-win on their plate before the season begins to slip away.

What's more, the Chargers are coming off their bye week, so they've been preparing for this game for two weeks, and it's just as crucial to their postseason aspirations as it is to Houston's. And if this must-win wasn't daunting enough, the Texans will definitely be without Andre Johnson for a sixth consecutive game, and may be without Matt Schaub, who is shuffling injuries in a Steve McNair-ish manner at the moment. Many in the know are beginning to murmur that Sage Rosenfels isn't even a downgrade, but I disagree. Schaub has played well enough even without his best receiver, and Rosenfels is older and much less mobile. But that's another argument for another time.

The strategy here shouldn't be too tough for anyone to grasp: Stop LT and you can win. Let him run wild, and things will get ugly in a hurry. Mr. Tomlinson followed up his record-obliterating 2006 season with a slow start to 2007, but has been heating up of late, and now with a bye week to rest up, he'll be at the top of his game. Houston's defense against the run was stellar to start the year, but they have allowed a 100-yard rusher in each of their last three games, and appear likely to see that streak continue in San Diego.

While opponents' running games have begun to get going, Houston's has sputtered badly in recent weeks, with the rushing attack ranking 31st in the NFL. Part of this can be credited (or debited) to the fact that Ahman Green has been banged up since the Indianapolis, along with the fact that he's just kinda old. Whatever the reason, the running game isn't likely to improve this weekend against San Diego's sixth-ranked run defense. However, Houston's 10th-ranked passing game should continue to find success against the Chargers 25th-ranked pass defense. Look for Schaub/Rosenfels (Schaubenfels?) to take to the air just as frequently as they have all year in this game and end up in the 250-325 yard range.

I desperately want Houston to win this game, it would be great to see them level their record before a hospitable stretch of games (@ Oakland, New Orleans, @ Cleveland), but I think San Diego has too much confidence, too much to play for, and too much LaDainian Tomlinson. I can't let the homer in me call this one: Houston 23, San Diego 36. Sorry guys.

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1:06:39 AM MDT

I know you're probably expecting a certain amount of modesty and maturity to go with my elation over today's win, but you can forget it. What a win! Praise Kubiak, I'll never stray again, you are my shepherd!

Yes, salty cynic that I am, I expressed my belief that Houston would not be able to win this game, although I thought they'd stay close. I thought Carolina would establish the run, Steve Smith would beat our secondary repeatedly, and the Panther D would heap pressure on Schaub and keep us off-rhythm all game. One out of three ain't bad.

Houston put themselves in an early hole, giving up a TD pass that saw Steve Smith tip the ball away from DeMarcus Faggins to himself, and then fumbling the ball away on their next possession in their own territory, which would result in a second Steve Smith score that made it a quick 14-0 Carolina lead. Faced with an uphill climb on the road against the possible NFC South champions, the Texans could have easily wilted in the sun. In fact, we wouldn't have been at all surprised by it, since Houston had never overcome a double-digit first quarter deficit on the road before. But then, Matt Schaub took the field, and perhaps defined Houston's season.

Schaub proceeded to lead the offense down the field on a 16-play, 80-yard drive that closed with a nine-yard pass to Andre Johnson for the score. The length of the drive took the fans out of the game, and the long rest was all Houston's defense needed to keep Carolina in check until the game was well in hand. Houston scored 34 consecutive points before a third Steve Smith TD was scored too late to be of any major consequence (although I must say, some of the tackles he broke on that 74-yard TD were superhuman). Schaub helped Andre Johnson take over as Houston's all-time leader in TD receptions with 21 (Corey Bradford had 18) before the day was out, and Ahman Green's first TD as a Texan put a ribbon on a banner day for the team.

I am awed by today's game. Not only by Schaub's awesome performance, or by Houston keeping Schaub from being sacked once while simultaneously grounding Delhomme three times. What I really took as a sign of Houston's start not being a flash in the pan is that the Houston defense allowed Carolina, who is historically a run-first team, to run for only 66 yards on the ground, 13 of which came from Delhomme late in the game. Even when Carolina was up two touchdowns early, Houston had completely eliminated the run as an option, and after that second score, the Panthers offense played like one of their legs had been kicked out from under them, and in essence, that was true. Houston took a simple approach to beating a good team, stuck with it even when they got behind early, and beat the opposition down with it. And the marks of a winning team showed up plentifully; Houston dominated time of possession by nearly 10 minutes, and also won the turnover battle for the second time this season. I questioned Schaub last week, he was the only piece of the team that didn't completely fit for me last week, but today, he fit like a 10-year old baseball mitt, and I could watch him play seven days a week.

The only bad news that can be taken away from today's game is that Andre Johnson, who has all three of Matt Schaub's TD passes with Houston, sprained his knee. His status will be updated in the next 24 hours, but the Texans may hold him back next week as a precaution, since he's clearly Schaub's favorite target. If he can't go, we'll be very hindered next week.. when Indianapolis comes to town. More on that later.

And lastly, my friends, I must confess something. I again tried to take advantage of my team, the team I hold so dear, or at least claim to. Faced with the question of who to start on my 1-0 fantasy team, I had to choose from Delhomme, David Garrard, or Eli Manning. And, in a moment of weakness, I chose the Carolina QB. And yes, he had a good statistical day, thanks in very large part to the manchild that is Steve Smith -- who my opponent had. Yes, each time Delhomme hit Smith for a TD, it hurt more than helped. And did I mention my opponent also had Chad Johnson? I have paid for my moral error, as my team was felled, 146-99. I throw myself on the mercy of the blog!

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11:53:31 PM MDT

No matter how much hype and debate and analyzation you do of any team in the preseason, contemplating how the first significant game will play out, you won't have more than half a clue what's going to happen until that day finally arrives, and the players hit the field. And I'll be honest, I thought a veteran team like the one Herm Edwards is running--although depleted at QB, WR, and on the offensive line--would give Houston a tough time. I forecast what I felt was an optimistic prediction a few months ago, a 21-16 season-opening win for the Texans. But no matter how much you think about it, the first game is pretty much always surprising, and it let me know once again that I was foolish to think I had figured it out.

The Chiefs opened the game with the ball and eked out a long drive, creeping into Houston territory and setting up for an early 30-yard field goal, and three point lead. Out trotted rookie placekicker Justin Medlock, the kicker KC felt confident enough in to dispatch the inconsistent Lawrence Tynes in favor of. That confidence lasted all of one kick, as Medlock shanked it badly to the left, and set the tempo for the game. Houston enjoyed a Kris Brown field goal, a 77-yard Matt Schaub-to-Andre Johnson TD, and big Mario Williams diving on a fumble, then scrambling to his feet and steaming into the endzone for a 17-0 lead before KC got their first and only points of the game on a Medlock field goal. It would be his only as a Chief, as Kansas City reneged on their commitment to the youngster and cut him in favor of former Green Bay kicker Dave Rayner the next day. Kris Brown tied on another field goal in the 4th quarter to make it 20-3 Houston, which is how the game would end.

Plenty of positives, here. The Texans run defense, much-maligned in recent history, slowed Chiefs' superstar Larry Johnson way down, as he tallied a very modest 10 rushes for 43 yards and seven catches for 44 yards. KC QB Damon Huard also sputtered, completing 22 of 33 passes, but for only 168 yards, and no TDs versus two interceptions. Along with the picks (by Dunta Robinson and Travis Johnson, respectively, both of which were rather highlight reel-ish), Houston forced three fumbles out of the Chiefs, recovering two, which gave them a +2 in the turnover differential for the game.

However, the Chiefs lost #1 receiver Eddie Kennison on the first play of the game on a reverse that looked like it was going to go for a big play until he pulledup with a lame hamstring and had to hobble out of bounds after a minimal gain. This clearly wrecked Kansas City's gameplan, as the loss of Kennison resulted in Larry Johnson accumulating seven receptions, a very high number for most running backs. Huard was also playing with a calf injury that had been plaguing him since preseason. All in all, KC's offense is one of the more vanilla in the league, so Houston's ability to completely shut it down, while obviously not a bad thing, doesn't grab my attention like it would if they did it again this week.

Also, and I really hate to do it since I believe he is our answer at QB, but if you take out the long TD pass to 'Dre, Schaub completed 15 of 21 passes for 148 yards, no TDs, 1 INT, and the interception was in the endzone, when the game was still scoreless. That reminds me of another QB that wore #8 for us.. that said, he made good reads and throws, bought time with his legs without panicking and scrambling, and kept Houston on the field and in control. Raise your glass/beer can/wine cooler to Schaub!

Now, the task at hand. Carolina traveled to St. Louis in Week 1, and after three quarters had a scant 14-13 lead. But they put the Rams away with authority in the fourth, scoring 13 more points and allowing none in return, winning 27-13. Jake Delhomme threw three touchdowns and no interceptions, DeShaun Foster nearly hit the century mark on the ground, and Steve Smith was his normal superhuman self, recording 118 yards receiving, including a 68-yard TD. This offense works, and will test Houston's defense in ways KC simply couldn't. Oh, and Carolina still has Julius Peppers, one of the most dominant and athletically-gifted defenders football has ever seen. In the words of Bill Murray, "So they got that goin' for 'em."

As awesomely exciting as an upset road victory against a potential Super Bowl team would be, not to mention a 2-0 start for the first time in franchise history, I can't honestly say I believe it will happen. My prediction way back when was 30-14, Carolina, but now I believe the game will be more contested than that, especially if Houston is again able to stuff the opposing running game. However, against Houston's tender secondary, I can't Steve Smith having a quiet day, even with Dunta on him. But hey, what do I know? Haven't got half a clue. Go Texans.

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