Houston Texans – Blog

Halftime notes: Texans 9, Bengals 7

Courtesy of the Texans’ media relations staff, notes from halftime at Reliant Stadium, where the Texans lead the Cincinnati Bengals 9-7 in the Wild Card round of the playoffs:

THE TEXANS

·         Scored first for the 10th time this season and for the first time in team postseason history when they took a 3-0 lead on K Shayne Graham’s 48-yard field goal in the first quarter.

·         Led after the first quarter for the first time in team playoff history and for the ninth time overall this year.

·         Led at halftime for the second time in team postseason history and for the 11th time overall this season. Houston led Cincinnati 17-10 in the 2012 AFC Wild Card Playoff on 1/7/12.

ILB CAMERON COLLINS

·         Made his professional debut when he took the field on the opening kickoff. Collins was signed from the Texans’ practice squad on Friday, Jan. 4.

TE OWEN DANIELS

·         Extended his streak of consecutive games with a reception to 84, including regular season and postseason games, with an 8-yard catch in the first quarter.

·         Caught seven passes for 73 yards in the first half. His six receptions are the second-most in a game in Texans postseason history, trailing WR Andre Johnson’s eight catches in the 2012 AFC Divisional Playoff at Baltimore (1/15/12).

K SHAYNE GRAHAM

·         Connected on a 48-yard field goal in the first quarter. It was the longest postseason field goal in his career and was also the longest in Texans history in postseason play. Graham’s previous long in the playoffs was a 35-yard kick on 1/16/11 in an AFC Divisional Playoff as a New England Patriot against the New York Jets. The previous long in Texans history was a 40-yarder by K Neil Rackers at Baltimore on 1/15/12 in an AFC Divisional Playoff.

·         Set a team postseason record and postseason career high with his third field goal of the game, a 22-yard kick in the second quarter. K Neil Rackers hit two field goals in the 2012 AFC Divisional Playoff at Baltimore (1/15/12). Graham previously kicked two field goals in the 2011 AFC Divisional Playoff vs. the New York Jets (1/16/11) as a member of the New England Patriots.

WR ANDRE JOHNSON

·         Extended his franchise-record streak of consecutive games with a reception to 99, including regular season and postseason games, with a 19-yard catch in the first quarter.

QB MATT SCHAUB

·         Made his playoff debut as a starter. He played briefly in the 2005 NFC Championship Game with the Atlanta Falcons at Philadelphia (1/23/05) but did not record any statistics.

DE J.J. WATT

·         Sacked Cincinnati QB Andy Dalton for a 9-yard loss in the first quarter, raising his career postseason sack total to 4.5. Watt has recorded at least one sack in all three of his career postseason games.

MISCELLANEOUS STATS

·         The following players made their playoff debuts in the game: G Brandon Brooks, DE Jared Crick, TE Garrett Graham, CB Brandon Harris, T Ryan Harris, G Ben Jones, P Donnie Jones, WR Keshawn Martin, OLB Whitney Mercilus, S Eddie Pleasant and WR DeVier Posey.

·         Inactive players for the Texans were G Antoine Caldwell, CB Roc Carmichael, FB Tyler Clutts, T Andrew Gardner, NT Terrell McClain, CB Stanford Routt and G Cody White.

·         Captains for the Texans were ILB Tim Dobbins, WR Andre Johnson, FS Shiloh Keo, C Chris Myers, QB Matt Schaub, DE Antonio Smith and DE J.J. Watt. Schaub, Johnson and Smith went to midfield for the pregame coin toss.

·         The Texans won the toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff.

First-quarter notes: Texans 3, Bengals 0

Courtesy of the Texans’ media relations staff, notes from the first quarter at Reliant Stadium, where the Texans lead the Cincinnati Bengals 3-0 in the Wild Card round of the playoffs:

THE TEXANS

·         Scored first for the 10th time this season and for the first time in team postseason history when they took a 3-0 lead on K Shayne Graham’s 48-yard field goal in the first quarter.

·         Led after the first quarter for the first time in team playoff history and for the ninth time overall this year.

ILB CAMERON COLLINS

·         Made his professional debut when he took the field on the opening kickoff. Collins was signed from the Texans’ practice squad on Friday, Jan. 4.

TE OWEN DANIELS

·         Extended his streak of consecutive games with a reception to 84, including regular season and postseason games, with an 8-yard catch in the first quarter.

K SHAYNE GRAHAM

·         Connected on a 48-yard field goal in the first quarter. It was the longest postseason field goal in his career and was also the longest in Texans history in postseason play. Graham’s previous long in the playoffs was a 35-yard kick on 1/16/11 in an AFC Divisional Playoff as a New England Patriot against the New York Jets. The previous long in Texans history was a 40-yarder by K Neil Rackers at Baltimore on 1/15/12 in an AFC Divisional Playoff.

WR ANDRE JOHNSON

·         Extended his franchise-record streak of consecutive games with a reception to 99, including regular season and postseason games, with a 19-yard catch in the first quarter.

QB MATT SCHAUB

·         Made his playoff debut as a starter. He played briefly in the 2005 NFC Championship Game with the Atlanta Falcons at Philadelphia (1/23/05) but did not record any statistics.

DE J.J. WATT

·         Sacked Cincinnati QB Andy Dalton for a 9-yard loss in the first quarter, raising his career postseason sack total to 4.5. Watt has recorded at least one sack in all three of his career postseason games.

MISCELLANEOUS STATS

·         The following players made their playoff debuts in the game: G Brandon Brooks, DE Jared Crick, TE Garrett Graham, CB Brandon Harris, T Ryan Harris, G Ben Jones, P Donnie Jones, WR Keshawn Martin, S Eddie Pleasant and WR DeVier Posey.

·         Inactive players for the Texans were G Antoine Caldwell, CB Roc Carmichael, FB Tyler Clutts, T Andrew Gardner, NT Terrell McClain, CB Stanford Routt and G Cody White.

·         Captains for the Texans were ILB Tim Dobbins, WR Andre Johnson, FS Shiloh Keo, C Chris Myers, QB Matt Schaub, DE Antonio Smith and DE J.J. Watt. Schaub, Johnson and Smith went to midfield for the pregame coin toss.

·         The Texans won the toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff.

Texans-Bengals Wild Card Thursday injury report

The Thursday injury report for the Texans and Cincinnati Bengals, who play in the Wild Card round of the playoffs on Saturday at Reliant Stadium at 3:30 p.m. CT (bold indicates change in player’s status from previous day):

HOUSTON TEXANS

DID NOT PARTICIPATE
G Antoine Caldwell (Back), ILB Tim Dobbins (Ankle)

LIMITED PARTICIPATION
CB Alan Ball (Foot), NT Shaun Cody (Back), TE Owen Daniels (Chest/Knee), T Derek Newton (Knee), OLB Brooks Reed (Groin), DE Antonio Smith (Ankle), G Wade Smith (Knee)

FULL PARTICIPATION
FB James Casey (Knee), FB Tyler Clutts (Abdominal), RB Justin Forsett (Knee), S Shiloh Keo (Ankle), WR DeVier Posey (Foot), RB Ben Tate (Foot), QB T.J. Yates (R. Elbow)

CINCINNATI BENGALS

DID NOT PARTICIPATE
S Chris Crocker (Thigh)

LIMITED PARTICIPATION
CB Jason Allen (Hamstring), DE Wallace Gilberry (Illness), HB BenJarvus Green-Ellis (Hamstring), CB Leon Hall (Hamstring), S Taylor Mays (Hamstring)

FULL PARTICIPATION
CB Terence Newman (Groin),  LB Dan Skuta (Thigh)

Texans-Bengals Wild Card Wednesday injury report

The Wednesday injury report for the Texans and Cincinnati Bengals, who play in the Wild Card round of the playoffs on Saturday at Reliant Stadium at 3:30 p.m. CT:

HOUSTON TEXANS

DID NOT PARTICIPATE
G Antoine Caldwell (Back), ILB Tim Dobbins (Ankle)

LIMITED PARTICIPATION
CB Alan Ball (Foot), NT Shaun Cody (Back), TE Owen Daniels (Chest/Knee), T Derek Newton (Knee), OLB Brooks Reed (Groin), DE Antonio Smith (Ankle), G Wade Smith (Knee)

FULL PARTICIPATION
FB Tyler Clutts (Abdominal), RB Justin Forsett (Knee), S Shiloh Keo (Ankle), WR DeVier Posey (Foot), RB Ben Tate (Foot), QB T.J. Yates (R. Elbow)

CINCINNATI BENGALS

DID NOT PARTICIPATE
DE Wallace Gilberry (Illness)

LIMITED PARTICIPATION
CB Jason Allen (Hamstring), S Chris Crocker (Thigh), HB BenJarvus Green-Ellis (Hamstring), S Taylor Mays (Hamstring), CB Terence Newman (Groin)

FULL PARTICIPATION
LB Dan Skuta (Thigh)

Postgame notes: Colts 28, Texans 16

INDIANAPOLIS — Courtesy of the Texans’ public relations staff, notes from Week 17 at Lucas Oil Stadium, where the Texans lost to the Indianapolis Colts 28-16:

THE TEXANS

·         Limited the Colts to 265 yards of total offense in the game. It was the seventh time this season that Houston’s defense has held an opponent to less than 300 yards of total offense.

·         Tied the franchise record for touchdowns in a season when they scored their 46^th of the year on RB Arian Foster’s 13-yard run in the third quarter.

·         Outrushed Indianapolis, 102-81. Houston fell to 11-1 this season and 48-17 under Head Coach Gary Kubiak when outrushing its opponents.

·         Trailed at the end of the first quarter for the sixth time this season and trailed at halftime and after three quarters for the fifth time in each instance. Houston fell to 2-4 this season when trailing after the opening period and 1-4 when trailing at halftime and after three quarters.

HEAD COACH GARY KUBIAK

·         Challenged a play in the first quarter, arguing that the Indianapolis defense had 12 players on the field. Kubiak lost the challenge, dropping his record on coaches’ challenges to 1-2 on the season and 13-29 for his career.

TE OWEN DANIELS

·         Extended his streak of consecutive games with a reception to 83 with a 6-yard catch in the first quarter. The catch gave him 60 receptions for the third time in his career and the first time since 2008.

·         Surpassed 700 receiving yards for the third time in his career and the first time since 2008, doing so on his second catch of the game, a gain of 6 yards in the second quarter. He entered the game needing 11 yards to reach the milestone.

RB ARIAN FOSTER

·         Scored the 50^th touchdown of his career when he found the end zone on a 13-yard run in the third quarter. The touchdown also pushed his point total to 102 for the season, giving him his second career 100-point season. He scored a career-high 108 points in 2010.

·         Reeled off a 39-yard gain in the third quarter, which was his second-longest run of the season. Foster had a 46-yard run in Week 5 at the New York Jets (10/8).

·         Recorded his 1,000^th career rushing attempt on his sixth carry of the game, a loss of 3 yards in the second quarter.

K SHAYNE GRAHAM

·         Set the franchise single-season scoring record with his third field goal of the game, which gave him 138 on the year. The previous high was 135 points by K Neil Rackers in 2011.

·         Tied his season long with a 51-yard field goal in the first quarter. It was Graham’s fourth field goal of 50 yards or longer this season, which is a career single-season high. He had three 50+ yard field goals in 2004 for Cincinnati.

·         Booted a 37-yard field goal in the second quarter which raised his season point total to a career-high 134. His previous high was 131 points in 2005 for Cincinnati.

CB KAREEM JACKSON

·         Led the team with eight tackles, including six solo stops, and had one pass defensed. The eight tackles were one shy of his career high of nine set in Week 3 at Denver (9/23).

WR ANDRE JOHNSON

·         Set a career high in receiving yardage. Johnson finished the season with 1,598 yards, topping his previous high of 1,575 yards in 2008. His 112 catches were the second-most in his career, trailing only his total of 115 from 2008.

·         His 1,598 receiving yards were the fourth-most by a player over the age of 30 in NFL history.

Player                   Year         Age          Yards

Jerry Rice              1994         33             1,848

Marvin Harrison      2002         30             1,722

Jimmy Smith         1999         30             1,636

Andre Johnson     2012         31             1,598

·         Surpassed 1,500 receiving yards for the third time in his career, joining Hall of Famer Jerry Rice (4) and Marvin Harrison (3) as the only players in NFL history to surpass the 1,500-yard mark three or more times. Johnson topped the milestone on a 39-yard catch in the second quarter.

Player                                      1,500-Yard Seasons

Jerry Rice                                                              4

Andre Johnson                                                     3

Marvin Harrison                                                     3

·         Joined Marvin Harrison as the only players in NFL history to record three seasons with more than 100 receptions and 1,500 receiving yards. Hall of Famer Jerry Rice is the only other player with multiple 100-1,500 seasons in his career.

Player                                      1,500-Yard Seasons

Andre Johnson                             2008, 2009, 2012

Marvin Harrison                              1999, 2001, 2002

Jerry Rice                                               1990, 1995

·         Recorded his 17^th career game with 10 or more receptions and 100 or more yards, which is the most in NFL history. Johnson entered the day tied with New England WR Wes Welker, who plays later today, with 16 such games.

Player                    Career GP  10-100 Gms       Pct

Andre Johnson      138             17                12.32%

Wes Welker*           139             16                11.51%

Jerry Rice               303             15                 4.95%

Brandon Marshall    107             14                13.08%

Marvin Harrison       190             14                 7.37%

Tim Brown               255             13                 5.10%

* Welker plays later this afternoon.

·         Surpassed 100 receiving yards on his 10^th catch of the game, a pickup of 14 yards in the third quarter. It was his NFL-record 18^th game with double-digit receptions; it was also his 44^th career 100-yard game and his sixth this season.

·         Passed WR Keyshawn Johnson (814), WR Henry Ellard (814) and Hall of Fame TE Shannon Sharpe (815) for 22^nd on the NFL’s all-time receptions list. He now has 818 career catches.

·         Extended his franchise-record streak of consecutive games with a reception to 98 with a 8-yard catch in the first quarter.

SS DANIEAL MANNING

·         Returned a kickoff for the first time this season, picking up 18 yards on the return.

QB MATT SCHAUB

·         Surpassed 4,000 passing yards in a season for the third time in his career. He entered the game needing 267 yards to reach the milestone and topped it with an 18-yard completion to RB Arian Foster in the fourth quarter. Schaub finished the season with 4,008 yards.

DE ANTONIO SMITH

·         Established a career high for sacks with 7.0 when he sacked Indianapolis QB Andrew Luck for a loss of 7 yards in the second quarter. Smith’s previous high was 6.5 sacks in 2011.

DE J.J. WATT

·         Batted down his 16^th pass of the season when he swatted away a throw in the second quarter.

·         Registered four solo tackles, all of which were behind the line of scrimmage, and had one quarterback hit on an incomplete pass. When combined with his pass defensed, he finished the game with six plays for no gain or negative yardage, giving him 95 such plays on the season.

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

·         Inactive players for the Texans were CB Alan Ball, G Antoine Caldwell, T Andrew Gardner, NT Terrell McClain, OLB Brooks Reed, CB Stanford Routt and G Cody White.

·         Captains for the Texans were ILB Tim Dobbins, WR Andre Johnson, FS Shiloh Keo, C Chris Myers, QB Matt Schaub, DE Antonio Smith and DE J.J. Watt. Schaub, Johnson and Smith went to midfield for the pregame coin toss.

·         The Colts won the toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff.

First-quarter notes: Colts 7, Texans 3

INDIANAPOLIS — Courtesy of the Texans’ public relations staff, notes from the first quarter at Lucas Oil Stadium, where the Texans trail the Indianapolis Colts 7-3:

DE J.J. WATT

·         Remained two sacks shy of Michael Strahan’s single-season NFL sack record (22.5) set in 2001. Watt entered the game with 20.5 sacks.

THE TEXANS  

·         Trailed at the end of the first quarter for the second consecutive game and the sixth time this season. Houston is 2-3 this season when trailing after the opening period.

HEAD COACH GARY KUBIAK

·         Challenged a play in the first quarter, arguing that the Indianapolis defense had 12 players on the field. Kubiak lost the challenge, dropping his record on coaches’ challenges to 1-2 on the season and 13-29 for his career.

TE OWEN DANIELS

·         Extended his streak of consecutive games with a reception to 83 with a 6-yard catch in the first quarter.

K SHAYNE GRAHAM

·         Tied his season long with a 51-yard field goal in the first quarter. It was Graham’s fourth field goal of 50 yards or longer this season, which is a career single-season high. He had three 50+ yard field goals in 2004 for Cincinnati.

WR ANDRE JOHNSON

·         Extended his franchise-record streak of consecutive games with a reception to 98 with a 8-yard catch in the first quarter.

MISCELLANEOUS STATS

·         Inactive players for the Texans were CB Alan Ball, G Antoine Caldwell, T Andrew Gardner, NT Terrell McClain, OLB Brooks Reed, CB Stanford Routt and G Cody White.

·         Captains for the Texans were ILB Tim Dobbins, WR Andre Johnson, FS Shiloh Keo, C Chris Myers, QB Matt Schaub, DE Antonio Smith and DE J.J. Watt. Schaub, Johnson and Smith went to midfield for the pregame coin toss.

·         The Colts won the toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff.

Texans-Colts Week 17 Thursday injury report

The Thursday injury report for the Texans and Indianapolis Colts, who play at Reliant Stadium in Week 17:

HOUSTON TEXANS

OUT
None

DID NOT PARTICIPATE
CB Alan Ball (Foot), TE Owen Daniels (Hamstring/Neck)

LIMITED PARTICIPATION
NT Shaun Cody (Back), ILB Tim Dobbins (Shoulder), S Shiloh Keo (Ankle), T Derek Newton (Knee), OLB Brooks Reed (Groin), DE Antonio Smith (Ankle), G Wade Smith (Knee/Ribs), DE J.J. Watt (Chest)

FULL PARTICIPATION
OLB Connor Barwin (Back/Elbow), FB Tyler Clutts (Abdominal), DE Jared Crick (Neck), RB Justin Forsett (Knee), RB Arian Foster (Arrhythmia), CB Johnathan Joseph (Groin/Quadricep), S Eddie Pleasant (Hamstring), S Glover Quin (Hip), ILB Darryl Sharpton (Toe), RB Ben Tate (Hamstring), QB T.J. Yates (R. Elbow)

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

OUT
None

DID NOT PARTICIPATE
RB Delone Carter (Ankle), NT Antonio Johnson (Ankle), LB Robert Mathis (Not Injury Related), DE Cory Redding (Quad), C Samson Satele (Ankle)

LIMITED PARTICIPATION
WR Donnie Avery (Shoulder), LB Kavell Conner (Hamstring), C A.Q. Shipley (Knee), CB Teddy Williams (Knee), Tom Zbikowski (Knee)

FULL PARTICIPATION
LB Jerrell Freeman (Thumb), LB Dwight Freeney (Not Injury Related), T Winston Justice (Shoulder), QB Andrew Luck (Knee)

Postgame notes: Vikings 23, Texans 6

Courtesy of the Texans’ media relations staff, notes from Week 16 at Reliant Stadium, where the Texans lost to the  Minnesota Vikings 23-6:

THE TEXANS

·         Raised $34,400 at the team’s gameday silent auction. The team announced on Friday that it would donate the proceeds from the auction to the Sandy Hook School Support Fund. Texans owner Bob McNair pledged to match the amount raised at the auction, meaning that he and his team will donate $68,800 to the fund.

·         Fell to 6-2 at home this season, which is tied for the best mark at Reliant Stadium in team history. Houston also went 6-2 at home in 2007 and 2008.

·         Reached the 400-point mark for the season, marking the first time in team history that Houston has scored 400 or more points in a season.

·         Tied a franchise single-season record by recovering their 13^th fumble of the season. It was the 29^th takeaway overall this season for Houston, which is one shy of the team record of 30 set in 2004.

·         Scored on their opening possession for the seventh time this season and the second game in a row. Houston fell to 6-1 this year when scoring on the first possession of the game.

·         Scored first for the ninth time this season. Houston fell to 8-1 this year when scoring first.

·         Trailed after the first quarter, at halftime and after three quarters. It was the fifth time this year that Houston trailed after one period and the fourth time the team trailed at halftime and after three quarters.

·         Lost the time of possession battle for the third time this season and had fewer than 30:00 of possession for the second time this year. Houston held the ball for 35:38 in an overtime game in Week 12 at Detroit (11/22) but lost the time of possession.

·         Finished with a negative turnover margin for the fourth time this season and fell to 2-2 in those games.

·         Failed to score a touchdown for the first time in 106 games. The last game in which the Texans did not reach the end zone was a 35-6 loss at Dallas on 10/15/06.

TE OWEN DANIELS

·         Extended his streak of consecutive games with a reception to 82 with a 6-yard catch on the final play of the first quarter.

RB ARIAN FOSTER

·         Set a career high with his 328^th rushing attempt of the season. He set the mark on his fourth carry of the game, a gain of 8 yards in the first quarter. With 10 carries today, Foster has 335 rushing attempts on the season.

K SHAYNE GRAHAM

·         Tied his season long with a 51-yard field goal to cap Houston’s opening possession. The field goal was Graham’s 12^th career kick of 50 yards or longer. He is

·         Scored six points in the game, raising his season total to 128 points. That is the second-highest point total in Texans history and is also the second-highest point total in his career.  K Neil Rackers holds the team record with 135 points in 2011, and Graham’s career-high is 131 points in 2005 with Cincinnati.

ILB BRADIE JAMES

·         Recovered a fumble in the third quarter. It was his second fumble recovery of the season and the 14^th of his career.

WR ANDRE JOHNSON

·         Became the second-fastest player in NFL history to reach 800 career receptions, doing so in his 137^th career game. He reached the milestone with his first catch of the game, a 5-yard catch in the first quarter.

Player                       Games to 800           Career Total

Marvin Harrison                          131                      1,102

ANDRE JOHNSON                     137                         806

Torry Holt                                  142                         920

Jimmy Smith                              149                         862

Jerry Rice                                  152                      1,549

·         Caught his 100^th pass of the season, becoming the fifth player in NFL history to catch 100 or more passes in four seasons. He reached the century mark on his seventh catch of the game, a gain of 14 yards in the third quarter.

Player                                             100-Catch Seasons

Wes Welker                                                                 5

ANDRE JOHNSON                                                      4

Jerry Rice                                                                    4

Marvin Harrison                                                           4

Brandon Marshall                                                         4

Reggie Wayne                                                             4

·         Surpassed 1,400 receiving yards for the season on a 17-yard catch in the first quarter. He became the 10^th player in NFL history to top 1,400 yards in a season after the age of 30. Johnson now has 1,457 receiving yards on the season.

Player                          Year           Age              Yards

Jerry Rice                     1994              33                1,848

Marvin Harrison             2002              30                1,722

Jimmy Smith                 1999              30                1,636

Wes Welker                   2011              30                1,569

Jerry Rice                     1993              31                1,503

Jerry Rice                     1994              32                1,499

Randy Moss                 2007              30                1,493

Stanley Morgan             1986              31                1,491

Brett Perriman*              1995              30                1,488

ANDRE JOHNSON        2012              31                1,457

Don Maynard                1967              32                1,434

Tim Brown                     1997              31                1,408

Muhsin Muhammad       2004              31                1,405

* Turned 30 on Oct. 10, 1995

·         Passed WR Chad Johnson (11,059) for 27^th on the NFL’s all-time receiving yardage list, doing so on a 17-yard catch in the first quarter.

·         Extended his franchise-record streak of consecutive games with a reception to 97 with a 5-yard catch in the first quarter.

SS EDDIE PLEASANT

·         Made his professional debut when he took the field for the opening kickoff. Pleasant was signed from the Texans practice squad on Friday. Pleasant made a tackle on the opening kickoff of the second half.

FS GLOVER QUIN

·         Led the team with a season-high 10 tackles, including nine solos, and had three tackles for loss.

DE J.J. WATT

·         Became the ninth player in NFL history to record 20 or more sacks in a season when he sacked Minnesota QB Christian Ponder for a loss of 3 yards in the third quarter. The sack gave him 20.5 on the season.

Player                          Year, Team          G         Sacks

Michael Strahan*           2001 NYG            16            22.5

Jared Allen                    2011 Min             16            22.0

Mark Gastineau             1984 NYJ            16            22.0

Chris Doleman              1989 Min             16            21.0

Reggie White*               1987 Phi              12            21.0

J.J. WATT                    2012 HOU            15            20.5

Lawrence Taylor^*          1986 NYG            16            20.5

Derrick Thomas             1990 KC              15            20.0

DeMarcus Ware             2008 Dal              16            20.0

^ Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player

* Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year

·         Forced a fumble in his fourth consecutive game. It was his fourth of the season, tying a franchise single-season record.

·         Has now been responsible, in one way or another, for nine of Houston’s 29 takeaways (31.0 percent) on the season. He has forced four fumbles, three of which were recovered by the Texans, has recovered two fumbles and has deflected four passes that resulted in Texans interceptions.

MISCELLANEOUS STATS

·         Inactive players for the Texans were CB Alan Ball, G Antoine Caldwell, SS Quintin Demps, T Andrew Gardner, NT Terrell McClain, CB Stanford Routt and G Cody White.

·         Captains for the Texans were ILB Tim Dobbins, WR Andre Johnson, FS Shiloh Keo, C Chris Myers, QB Matt Schaub, DE Antonio Smith and DE J.J. Watt. Schaub, Johnson and Smith went to midfield for the pregame coin toss.

·         The Texans won the toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff.

·         Sold out their 111^th consecutive home game with a crowd of 71,688. Houston has sold out every home game, including preseason, regular season and postseason contests, in team history.

First-quarter notes: Vikings 7, Texans 3

Courtesy of the Texans’ media relations staff, notes from the first quarter at Reliant Stadium, where the Texans trail the  Minnesota Vikings 7-3:

THE TEXANS

·         Scored on their opening possession for the seventh time this season and the second game in a row. Houston is 6-0 this year when scoring on the first possession of the game.

·         Scored first for the ninth time this season. Houston is 8-0 this year when scoring first.

·         Trailed after one quarter for the fifth time this year. Houston is 2-2 this season when trailing after the opening period.

TE OWEN DANIELS

·         Extended his streak of consecutive games with a reception to 82 with a 6-yard catch on the final play of the first quarter.

K SHAYNE GRAHAM

·         Tied his season long with a 51-yard field goal to cap Houston’s opening possession. The field goal was Graham’s 12^th career kick of 50 yards or longer.

WR ANDRE JOHNSON

·         Became the second-fastest player in NFL history to reach 800 career receptions, doing so in his 137^th career game. He reached the milestone with his first catch of the game, a 5-yard catch in the first quarter.

·         Extended his franchise-record streak of consecutive games with a reception to 97 with a 5-yard catch in the first quarter.

·         Surpassed 1,400 receiving yards for the season on a 17-yard catch in the first quarter. He became the 10^th player in NFL history to top 1,400 yards in a season after the age of 30.

·         Passed WR Chad Johnson (11,059) for 27^th on the NFL’s all-time receiving yardage list, doing so on a 17-yard catch in the first quarter.

SS EDDIE PLEASANT

·         Made his professional debut when he took the field for the opening kickoff. Pleasant was signed from the Texans practice squad on Friday.

MISCELLANEOUS STATS

·         Inactive players for the Texans were CB Alan Ball, G Antoine Caldwell, SS Quintin Demps, T Andrew Gardner, NT Terrell McClain, CB Stanford Routt and G Cody White.

·         Captains for the Texans were ILB Tim Dobbins, WR Andre Johnson, FS Shiloh Keo, C Chris Myers, QB Matt Schaub, DE Antonio Smith and DE J.J. Watt. Schaub, Johnson and Smith went to midfield for the pregame coin toss.

·         The Texans won the toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff.

Postgame notes: Texans 29, Colts 17

Courtesy of the Texans’ media relations staff, notes from Week 15 at Reliant Stadium, where the Texans beat the Indianapolis Colts 29-17:

THE WIN

·         Clinched Houston’s second consecutive AFC South division championship.

·         Gave Houston its 12th win on the year, extending the team’s franchise-record win total.

·         Improved Houston’s home record to 6-1 on the year. The six wins matches the most in a season in team history. Houston went 6-2 at home in 2007 and 2008.

·         Was Houston’s fifth against AFC South opponents this season, which is the most in team history. Houston went 4-2 against the AFC South in 2004 and 2011.

·         Was Houston’s third consecutive win over Indianapolis at Reliant Stadium and improved the Texans’ record against the Colts to 4-17 all-time and 4-7 at Reliant Stadium.

·         Was Houston’s fourth consecutive home victory, which tied the franchise record. Houston previously won four consecutive home games from 11/18/07 – 12/30/07.

·         Improved Head Coach Gary Kubiak’s career record to 59-51 and 35-20 at Reliant Stadium.

·         Improved QB Matt Schaub’s career record with the Texans to 44-34 overall and 26-12 at Reliant Stadium.

THE TEXANS OFFENSE

·         Had a 150-yard rusher and a 150-yard receiver in the same game for the first time in franchise history. RB Arian Foster finished with 165 yards on the ground and WR Andre Johnson had 151 receiving yards.

·         Won time of possession for the 12th time this season, holding the ball for 33:06. The Texans are 11-1 this season when winning time of possession.

·         Outrushed Indianapolis 178-124. Houston improved to 11-0 this season and 48-16 under Kubiak when outrushing their opponents.

·         Ran the ball 32 times for 178 yards, improving Houston’s record to 43-5 under Kubiak when running the ball 30 or more times

·         Scored on their first possession for the sixth time this season, capping their opening drive with a 29-yard field goal from K Shayne Graham. The Texans improved to 6-0 this season when scoring on their opening possession.

·         Scored first for the eighth time this season. The Texans improved to 8-0 when opening the scoring.

·         Led after the first quarter for the eighth time this season and led at halftime and after three quarters for the tenth time in each situation. The Texans are 8-0 when leading after the opening period and 10-0 when leading at halftime and after three quarters.

THE TEXANS DEFENSE

·         Forced their 28th turnover of the season when DE J.J. Watt forced a fumble at the goal line and ILB Tim Dobbins recovered the ball.

·         Sacked Indianapolis QB Andrew Luck five times in the game. It was the 13th time in team history and second game this year in which the Texans defense registered five or more sacks. The Texans recorded a season-high six sacks in Week 13 at Tennessee (12/2).

·         Held Indianapolis to 17 points. It was the ninth game this season in which Houston’s defense held an opponent below 20 points.

·         Limited the Indianapolis offense to 272 total yards. It was the sixth game this season in which Houston has held its opponent below 300 net yards of offense.

·         Held Indianapolis to 1-of-8 (13 percent) on third-down attempts. It was the ninth game this season in which the Texans limited their opponent to a third-down conversion rate of less than 30 percent.

ILB BRYAN BRAMAN

·         Blocked his second punt of the season, setting a team-single season record, and recovered it for the first touchdown of his career in the second quarter.

BLOCKED PUNTS FOR TD, TEXANS HISTORY

Player                    Opponent                                      Date

Bryan Braman         vs. Indianapolis                     12/16/2012

Bryan Braman         vs. Green Bay                       10/14/2012

Ramon Walker         at San Francisco                       1/1/2006

Antwan Peek           at Denver                                11/7/2004

Ramon Walker         vs. New England                   11/23/2003

Jimmy McClain        at Washington                       12/22/2002

TE OWEN DANIELS

·         Extended his streak of consecutive games with a reception to 81 with an 8-yard catch in the first quarter.

ILB TIM DOBBINS

·         Recovered a fumble for the fourth time this season, setting a team single-season record, when he fell on the ball near the Houston goal line in the second quarter.

RB ARIAN FOSTER

·         Topped 100 rushing yards for the seventh time this season and the 23rd time in his career. He topped the century mark on a gain of 26 yards in the fourth quarter.

·         Finished with a season-high 165 yards on 27 carries. The yardage total was the third-highest of his career and was the third time in three starts against Indianapolis that Foster has surpassed 150 rushing yards.

ARIAN FOSTER vs. INDIANAPOLIS

Date                  Att.        Yds.        Avg.          Lg.           TD

9/12/2010            33          231           7.0            42             3

12/16/2012           27          165           6.1            31             0

12/22/2011           23          158           6.9            30             1

11/1/2010            15          102           6.8            33             1

K SHAYNE GRAHAM

·         Tied a franchise single-game record with five made field goals. His six field goal attempts were the second-most in Texans history. Kris Brown attempted seven field goals (five made) at Miami on 9/7/03.

WR ANDRE JOHNSON

·         Became the third-fastest player in NFL history to surpass 11,000 career receiving yards, doing so in his 136th career game. He topped the milestone on a 16-yard catch on the last play of the third quarter.

FASTEST PLAYERS TO 11,000 RECEIVING YARDS

Player                    Career       Gms to 11,000    Career Yds

Jerry Rice               1984-04                      131           22,895

Torry Holt                1999-09                      131           13,382

Andre Johnson      2003-12                      136           11,016

Michael Irvin            1988-99                      137           11,904

Randy Moss*          1998-12                      141           15,184

* Moss plays later tonight

·         Joined New England WR Wes Welker as the only players in NFL history to have 16 career games with 10 or more catches and 100 or more yards.

MOST GAMES, 10+ CATCHES, 100+ YARDS

Player                    GP                10-100 Gms     Pct. Of GP

Andre Johnson      136                              16          11.76%

Wes Welker*           137                              16          11.68%

Jerry Rice               303                              15            4.95%

Marvin Harrison       190                              14            7.37%

Brandon Marshall    105                              14          13.33%

* Welker plays later tonight

·         Extended his franchise-record streak of consecutive games with a reception to 96 with a 9-yard catch on the first play of the game.

·         Caught his fourth touchdown pass of the season when he hauled in a 3-yard pass from QB Matt Schaub in the first quarter.

·         Caught four passes for 74 yards and a touchdown in the first quarter. The yardage total was tied for the second-most in the opening quarter in a game in his career. He previously had 74 yards on three catches earlier this year vs. Jacksonville (11/18). His career high for first-quarter yardage is 77 yards vs. Seattle on 12/13/09.

·         Passed WR Joey Galloway (10,950) for 28th on the NFL’s all-time receiving yardage list. He entered the game needing 86 yards to pass Galloway and did so on his fifth catch of the game, a 5-yard gain in the second quarter.

·         Surpassed 100 receiving yards for the 43rd time in his career and the fifth time this season, doing so on a 22-yard catch in the second quarter, his sixth catch of the game.

·         Topped the century mark before halftime for the eighth time in his career and the second time this season, finishing the half with seven receptions for 107 yards. He previously had seven catches for 132 yards in the first half in Week 11 vs. Jacksonville (11/18).

C CHRIS MYERS

·         Started his 78th consecutive game for the Texans, moving him past DE/OLB Mario Williams for third on the franchise’s all-time consecutive starts list.

WR DeVIER POSEY

·         Finished with career highs in receptions and yards, catching three passes for 46 yards. He entered the game with one career reception for 19 yards, which came last week at New England (12/10).

FS GLOVER QUIN

·         Knocked down a pass on Indianapolis’ first drive to force a punt. The pass defensed was his 14th of the season, matching a career high. He also had 14 passes defensed in 2010.

QB MATT SCHAUB

·         Threw his 120th career touchdown pass and his 22nd of the season when he hit WR Andre Johnson for a 3-yard score in the first quarter.

·         Finished with a passer rating of 109.7 after completing 23-of-31 passes for 261 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. Schaub has had a passer rating of better than 100 in six of his seven home starts this season.

DE ANTONIO SMITH

·         Sacked Indianapolis QB Andrew Luck for a 9-yard loss in the first quarter. The sack gave Smith 6.0 on the season, leaving him a half-sack shy of his career high of 6.5 set in 2011.

DE J.J. WATT

·         Now has 19.5 sacks and 15 passes defensed on the season. His 34.5 combined sacks and passes defensed are the most by a player in since 1991 when passes defensed became an official statistic. Hall of Fame DB Rod Woodson had the previous high with 32.0 (30 passes defensed, 2.0 sacks) in 1993.

SINGLE-SEASON COMBINED SACKS AND PASSES DEFENSED (since 1991)

Player, Pos                  Team      Year   Sacks        PD       Total

J.J. Watt, DE                Hou        2012      19.5         15         34.5

Rod Woodson, CB*       Pit          1993        2.0         30         32.0

Darrelle Revis, CB#       NYJ        2009        0.0         31         31.0

* Named Defensive Player of the Year

# Runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year

·         Increased his sack total to 19.5 on the year, which is the sixth-most in NFL history by a defensive lineman and is tied for the ninth-most in League history overall.

MOST SACKS, SEASON, DEFENSIVE LINEMEN

Player                    Team      Year   Sacks

Michael Strahan       NYG       2001      22.5

Jared Allen              Min         2011      22.0

Mark Gastineau       NYJ        1984      22.0

Chris Doleman        Min         1989      21.0

Reggie White          Phi         1987      21.0

J.J. Watt                 Hou        2012      19.5

·         Tied his career high with his third sack of the game when he tackled Luck for a 4-yard loss in the fourth quarter. Watt previously had 3.0 sacks in Week 12 at Detroit (11/22). He has seven games this season with more than 1.0 sack.

·         Forced a fumble for the third consecutive game when he jarred the ball out of Indianapolis RB Mewelde Moore’s arms at the goal line in the second quarter.

·         Led the team and tied a career high with 10 tackles, all solo stops, including six tackles for loss. He also had four quarterback hits and one forced fumble.

MISCELLANEOUS STATS

·         Inactive players for the Texans were CB Alan Ball, G Antoine Caldwell, T Andrew Gardner, RB Jonathan Grimes, NT Terrell McClain, OLB Brooks Reed and G Cody White.

·         Captains for the Texans were ILB Tim Dobbins, WR Andre Johnson, FS Shiloh Keo, C Chris Myers, QB Matt Schaub, DE Antonio Smith and DE J.J. Watt. Schaub, Johnson and Smith went to midfield for the pregame coin toss.

·         The Texans won the toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff.

·         Total paid attendance was 71,702. That was tied for the second-highest regular season attendance in team history, matching the total from Week 6 earlier this year vs. Green Bay (10/14).