"Wheels up! GM Rick Smith is on his way to pick up free agent S Ed Reed in #Texans chairman & CEO Bob McNair's private jet!" -- @HoustonTexans, Thursday morning The Texans' Twitter proclamation about Rick Smith's early morning travel schedule on Thursday served a dual purpose, providing a symbolic ... More >>
Back in the day, when I used to have oodles and oodles of idle time on my hands during prime game-show watching hours (that's code for "back in college"), Wheel of Fortune was a staple of my game-show dance card. (For the record, Tic Tac Dough, Joker's Wild and Price is Right -- the Sopranos of game ... More >>
Ignore the main box score numbers. Forget the 425 total yards for Houston and the 28 points. Same for the 41 placed in the New England column. In the big picture, it's more of the same. Gary Kubiak, Matt Schaub and the Houston offense shoulder the majority of blame in yet another crucial game, this ... More >>
In the grand scheme of things, none of us really wanted to be there at Reliant Stadium on Saturday. Yes, the NFL is awesome, and we love our Texans, and it was (cue hokey Clay Walker voice) football time in Hoooussston!! But up until the time Christian Ponder was scrambling around the Texans' defens ... More >>
Make no mistake about it. For the first time in weeks, the Texans showed flashes of their former Super Bowl-contending selves. But without a steadier performance from quarterback Matt Schaub, it won't matter. The once-famed "Bulls on Parade" defense overwhelmed Cincinnati (10-7) and second-year qu ... More >>
After a season of lofty hopes and expectations of a home AFC Championship game, the Texans find themselves in the exact same spot they were one year ago. They're the number three seed in the AFC playoffs, opening at Reliant Stadium against number six Cincinnati. The Texans thrashed the Bengals, 31 ... More >>
There was a time (largely, 2002 through around 2008) when the night the Pro Bowl rosters were revealed was a complete non-event for Texans fans. Well, times have changed, and Wednesday the Texans AFC best 12-3 record was mirrored by having an AFC best eight players (six offense, two defense) named t ... More >>
The time is almost here. This week's game of the century is upon us. Texans versus Patriots in New England. The storyline is simple for the Texans -- win, and you are one win away from hosting playoff games all the way up to the Super Bowl in New Orlens. Lose, and you're one bad week against the Co ... More >>
After back-to-back games of exhilarating drama, the Texans seem back to their usual selves. That's just fine for soon-to-be Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt. Led by Watt and a defense that suffocated Tennessee and second-year QB Jake Locker, the Texans cruised to 11-1 and clinched the second ... More >>
See pics: Texans fans celebrate win in chilly Chicago. It seems an eternity ago, but it's been less than two years since many considered the Texans soft. Led by second-year defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, the evolution is finally complete. The "Bulls on Parade" are now bullying long-establish ... More >>
"It's just one game." "Nobody would have beaten Aaron Rodgers tonight." "Hey, if someone had told you before the season they'd be 5-1 going into the Ravens game, you'd have taken it, right?" Those are just a few of the dozens of different ways Texans fans and media rationalized last weekend's 42- ... More >>
Check out our slideshow of the Texans beating the Ravens for the first time in franchise history. The final score doesn't come close to showing it, but there were tense moments Sunday. Three early possessions resulted in three Houston punts, with only a single first down to show for it. Receivers ... More >>
It may be only one loss, but the trend lines are concerning. For a second straight week, the Texans (5-1) were outplayed in a handful of key areas, most notably within the once-vaunted line play as well as individual battles of receivers vs. cornerbacks. But unlike this past Monday, when the Texans ... More >>
Well, it wasn't sexy, it wasn't pretty, and it was actually a whole lot closer than most people thought it would be, but the Texans escaped northern New Jersey with a 23-17 win over the New York Jets. After the game, most Texan fans on Twitter were more interested in breaking down what went wrong ( ... More >>
One week after exorcising their Peyton Manning demons, the Texans found themselves squarely in the crosshairs of another familiar enemy: complacency. In 2011, a 3-1 start turned sour with a demoralizing loss to Oakland in Reliant Stadium. Likewise, a home disappointment against Carolina ensued afte ... More >>
Borrowing a famous analogy from Wade Phillips's father, Bum, the Texans have knocked and beaten on the door of the NFL's elite for three straight Septembers. In 2010, a 2-0 start came crashing down in an embarrassing home loss to Dallas. In 2011, they nearly improved to 3-0 before the defense unrav ... More >>
A week ago, Texans coach Gary Kubiak said he'd have trouble sleeping after his team struggled in the run game on both sides of the ball - a concerning trend that began in the preseason. He should rest a lot easier this week. The Texans (2-0) physically demolished Jacksonville (0-2) up front Sunday ... More >>
Check out our slideshow of the Houston Texans' season opener against the Dolphins. It ended with the exact lopsided score we predicted Friday, but at the same time, the 2012 season opener was quite different than the anticipated Texans blowout. The oldest NFL cliché is that winning depends on run ... More >>
We are about 72 hours away from the first Sunday of the NFL season, a season that is undoubtedly the most highly anticipated in the history of the Texans since their inaugural campaign in 2002. This means we are also 24 hours away from my first "Weekend's Best Bets" posts, which is basically my we ... More >>
Assessing all their strengths and weaknesses, we could be looking at a repeat or better.
Thursday night, the Texans' 2012 preseason wraps up with a game against the Minnesota Vikings. The game is meaningful to a couple dozen guys still battling for roster and practice squad spots (and REALLY degenerate gamblers -- seriously, final preseason game gambling is the bestiality porn of the ga ... More >>
After years of trying to get people's respect, trying to force people to sit up and notice how smart I am, I finally figured out what the secret is. (And I'm so smart that I'm about to share this secret with all of you at no charge!) The secret is this -- just describe whatever it is you do with th ... More >>
"Wanna again thank the @HoustonTexans front office and staff for believing in my ability and extending this contract." -- Texans left tackle Duane Brown (@DuaneBrown76 on Twitter), 8/16/12 Left tackle, pass rusher, quarterback. Not only are they the most pivotal positions on the football field (al ... More >>
On our radio show on 1560 The Game this past Monday, John Granato and I were breaking down various aspects of both the Texans 26-13 win over the Panthers and the preseason in general. The topic was the defense, specifically Whitney Mercilus and the various ways that Texans defensive coordinator Wade ... More >>
It takes looking at just one final box score to show the relative importance, or lack thereof, with early preseason scores. Patriots 7, Saints 6. So the Texans' thorough road dismantling of a capable Carolina team may not signal much, particularly considering most first-teamers played less than a ... More >>
"#TexansNation I'm good!!!! Thanks for the thoughts and concerns!" -- Texans left tackle Duane Brown, 2:21 PM 8/1/12 on Twitter (@DuaneBrown76) "Thank God..." -- Every Texans fan...on Twitter, on message boards, at the grocery store, pretty much everywhere Remember the first five minutes of Raider ... More >>
On Sunday morning at the Texans' second day of practice of the young preseason, I was hanging out with my co-host John Granato watching the wide receivers go one-on-one against the cornerbacks in pass catching drills when Evan Koch of the Texans media relations team walked by and asked us who we tho ... More >>
It was less than a month ago when I believed the Texans would consider making a play for quarterback Peyton Manning. But on the verge of the NFL's free-agent signing bonanza on Tuesday, it looks as though any Texans' changes will be on a smaller scale -- and rightfully so. It seems clear the Texan ... More >>
There was a time not too long ago when the last-minute defection of wide receiver Deontay Greenberry from my alma mater Notre Dame to the University of Houston would have sent me into a mental funk that would have taken me a week from which to recover. After all, Greenberry is a dynamic "four star ... More >>
The lack-of-respect narrative for the T.J. Yates-era Texans may finally be changing. Of the four playoff underdogs this weekend, the Texans ( 7.5) are labeled by oddsmakers as the second-most likely to pull an upset. The only team higher, San Francisco ( 3.5), is playing at home. The newfound resp ... More >>
If he can dream...The last time the city of Houston hosted an NFL playoff game -- or even had a team playing in one -- it came under very different circumstances than what will transpire Saturday afternoon. Unlike the 10-6 Texans, who slide into the playoffs on a 3-game losing streak, the 12 ... More >>
In national NFL circles, the apparent lead storyline for this weekend's Wild Card opener seems to be Cincinnati's opportunity to atone for their December 11 collapse against the Texans. Upon a closer look back, it's Houston that has the most to make up for. The clash in Cincinnati wasn't an exampl ... More >>
Oh, there goes gravityFor months, it seemed as though the Texans were the average Houstonian's sports salvation. Never mind the Astros' status as the worst organization in baseball and a Bud Selig-forced move to the American League after 50 years. Never mind that the Rockets, after cleverly ... More >>
Photo by Marco TorresSign of the timesThe popular opinion of the 2011 Houston Texans has been that while they were an inspiring story, injuries would prevent them from being a true Super Bowl contender. After Sunday, consider the latest in a long line of Texan myths officially debunked. Whe ... More >>
T.J. Yates is on a roll.Sunday morning, about an hour before the Texans and Bengals kicked off, I was driving to the grocery store with my girlfriend Amy to pick up some "Texans watching" supplies -- chips, sandwich paraphernalia, beverages, etc. (Xanax no longer necessary this season.) Unsol ... More >>
Born under a bad sign.So, I was thisclose to hitting "SEND" on a post that would have openly discussed the Texans going 13-3 and getting home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. And then this: Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub has a significant foot injury that will force him to mi ... More >>
Photo by Marco TorresMark Schaub, the new Cam NewtonTo know the Houston Texans is to know drama, at least from a historical standpoint. Offensive explosions -- both from the Texans and their opponents -- fueled both spectacular wins and crushing collapses in 2009 and 2010. In the end, the ups ... More >>
Photo by Marco TorresTexans battlefought their way to a win in Battle Red"I still don't like them, and I have no respect for them at all. It was just the dirty stuff they were doing. I don't want to get into specifics; I just don't like them. . . . I'm not going to get into names or anything ... More >>
Photo by Marco TorresThe Texans face a tougher test this week."If the Texans are 3-3 after the first six games, then we'll be happy." -- Pretty much every same Texans fan The statement is a classic example of how the ebb and flow of a season can recalibrate expectations. The Texans are set u ... More >>
See more pics from the Texans' third win in our slideshow. Led by a dynamic running game and relentless pass rush, the Texans beat and bullied defending AFC champion Pittsburgh to the point that Ben Roethlisberger compared the Texans to the Ravens. Wait, what? "That defense is physical," Roethlis ... More >>
Andre Johnson: Good hands.The long-standing reputation for the Gary Kubiak-era Texans has been that they fold under pressure. When teams hit them, they rarely hit back. They don't finish the job, especially on the road. In the season's second week, the Texans took yet another step toward exo ... More >>
Photo by Marco TorresMatt Schaub encountered the odd concept of relying on his defense.It took just 12 game minutes for Wade Phillips and his new-look defense to show why this year's Texans could be different from their once-promising predecessors. Matt Schaub wasn't himself early on, air-ma ... More >>
No Peyton, no chance.With Peyton Manning out for Sunday's opener and potentially the entire year after undergoing a second surgery on his neck, the narrative for Houston changes from a statement game to one of trends. That is, there should be no way to actually lose, or for the final score t ... More >>
The Texans start operating like a bona fide NFL team.
At least this shouldn't happen tonight.It's the final game of the 2011 preseason tonight with the Texans' backups taking on the Minnesota Vikings' backups in the newly inflatable-roofed Metrodome. If you're the Texans, I suppose the good news is that you're traveling to Minnesota in September ... More >>
Photos by Marco TorresMatt Schaub didn't play much.In the big picture, the narrative from Monday's preseason opener at Reliant Stadium was a promising one for Gary Kubiak's Texans. First and foremost, there were no major injuries. Secondly, the retooled unit of renowned defensive coordinato ... More >>
It's another big night for you, Matt LeinartI don't know that there was ever any point during the NFL lockout where I was fearful that we wouldn't have football this season. Still, the specter of the work stoppage that loomed over us throughout thus summer made us at least ponder life without ... More >>
Everyone's favorite kind of guyWe all have that friend who not only loves to be right, but also loves to point out that they're right and then continuously remind you that he (or she -- yeah, ladies, you're guilty, too!) is right. They'll text, they'll tweet, they'll take screen shots of Spo ... More >>
"Happy to do a solid, bro," Jesus repliesYesterday, on my radio show at high noon, when the Texans' roster of free agent signings consisted of three re-signings of their own free agent backups on offense, I invoked prayer to help find what was clearly a disabled or trapped Wade Phillips. I as ... More >>
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