Texans GM Shawn Wilson and Head Coach Jim Johnson step into the room, with a little extra pep in their step, and take a seat.
Coach Johnson: "Almost had to have someone call for an oxygen machine for this old man! But hey, if we didn't make it exciting, would it really have been Texans football?
Alright, alright, let's get to the game. And what a game it was, as those of you who saw it already know. For those of you who missed it, shame on you!
Okay, really now, on to the game. It seemed for once, after she had dissed us so many times, Lady Luck was finally on our side. That's right, I said it. I'd be lying if I told you that it didn't take a little bit of luck to beat those Colts. But then again, luck is a big part of any football game..."
Mr. Wilson: "Okay Jim, cut to the chase! Know what, forget it, I'll take it from here, thanks. Long story short, we found ourselves leading the game 16-14 with 30 seconds left in the 1st half. But a bad squib kick and a couple of Peyton Manning lasers later, the Colts found themselves in position to try for a 50 yard FG, which the usually reliable Mike Vanderjagt missed.
After the defenses of both sides owned most of the early 2nd half, the Colts took the lead via an Ahman Green TD run on the goal line. Ahman brought it in again on the 2 point conversion to make the Colts lead 22-16.
But we wouldn't quit. Unfortunately, neither would they. We traded FGs for a while...first us, making it a 22-19 game, but then them, making it 25-19. David Carr threw a very untimely interception with just minutes remaining in the 4th quarter, but our defense made a nice stand and kept them to a FG right at the 2 minute warning.
So now its 28-19, two minutes left. Not looking good for us at all. But just like last week, Carr and the offense refused to quit. After a quick, short pass, Carr realized he needed to go deep, and to go deep now. Carr saw speed demon Michael Bennett burn a LB, and chucked it to him for a 70+ yard score. With about 1:45 remaining, the Colts had a 28-26 lead.
The Colts feared offense came back on to the field with one goal : Run out the clock. So they handed it off twice to Ahman, but our LBs made sure that went nowhere. Tried to throw it on 3rd down, but Shaun Ellis got into the backfield for our only sack of the game. Colts forced to punt...
I needed to change my pants after the punt, because Chris Henry didn't call for a fair catch. Luckily, he held onto the ball. One long play was all it took, a long connection from David Carr to Andre Johnson. That put us at around the 30. We tried to get closer with some throws, but all were batted down. Luckily for us, Kasay didn't need it...he hit a 47 yarder for the lead, 29-28.
Colts get the ball back with 30 seconds remaining, which is plenty of time for the Colts. Their offense was driving down the field, but somewhat poor clock management forced them to take their last timeout at midfield with 5 seconds left, ruining any chance of a FG. Manning tossed one long, and it was caught...but just wasn't long enough. The WR was dragged down, and the Texans beat the Colts for their first time in their last 4 tries.
I don't feel the need to get into stats that much today, but if you want to ask about individual performances, go ahead. Carr threw for over 300 yards with a TD and INT, and Galloway led the defense with 2 INTs, one that he took to the house.
Overall we feel that this was a huge win for our team. We really sent a message to the rest of the league that we should be taken seriously, and we have a legitimate shot to make something happen this year. The Colts are one of the best teams in this league, and to beat them is a huge boost for our young franchise.
Do you think this win will help elevate the Texans beyond being the best 3rd place team in the league?
That's what we're hoping for. But when you have two teams in your division like the Titans and the Colts, both of which are proven powerhouses and considered to be two of the best teams in the league, its hard to elevate yourself to that status. Not to mention, the always dangerous Jaguars are in our division too...its not like we even have 3rd place locked up.
Trust me, we're not gonna let this win get to our heads. As it stands, we're still defending "bottom-feeders" of the AFC South. But I must admit, wins like this do prove that we have progressed since last season, and if all goes right we can hope to make something happen this year.
But, week 1, the Jaguars threw for 288 yards and this week Peyton threw 340 yards. Do you plan on making changes to compensate for this? And if so, how?
But, week 1, the Jaguars threw for 288 yards and this week Peyton threw 340 yards. Do you plan on making changes to compensate for this? And if so, how?
Well, to be fair, you have to take note that the Jags threw the ball 51 times. If they're gonna spend almost all of their offensive plays throwing the ball, then 288 yards isn't all that bad.
Peyton...well, Peyton is Peyton. Nothing much you can do about that. He had some big yardage, but if he wants to give us 2 INTs, then he can throw for 340 yards on us every time for all I care. Turnovers play a huge part in a defense's success too, and since we already have 4 INTs through 2 games, I can't say that I am dissatisfied with our play so far. We don't see it neccessary to make any changes just yet, not as long as we keep winning games.
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