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3:23:00 AM MST
Texans Win Battle of the Draft Picks, 23-10
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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11/20/07 4:57 PM
As far as my Ravens, I think we're looking at 7-9 as a best case scenerio. Boller is a much better QB at this point of his career as compared to the current McNair. However, with San Diego, NE, Indy coming up next, we'll be hard pressed to win even one of those. Hopefully, we won't be Miami's first win, as that might be the bottom of the barrel. Take care. Matt Schaub is a great pickup but you still should have taken Bush with the 1st pick.
-Bruce