Highlighted Year: Matt Schaub, 2009

Quarterback, Houston Texans

Age: 28

6^th season in pro football, 3^rd with Texans

College: Virginia

Height: 6’5”   Weight: 234

Prelude:

Schaub set multiple school passing records in college and was the ACC Player of the Year in 2002. He was chosen by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round of the ’04 NFL draft and backed up Michael Vick for three seasons. Schaub started two games and showed enough promise to attract the attention of other teams. He was traded to the Texans in 2007 and moved into the starting lineup. With a strong and accurate arm, he played well when healthy, but injuries kept him out of ten games in his first two years with the team, and he was prone to fumbles and interceptions. Still, he completed 66.1 percent of his passes in 2008 for 3043 yards and 15 touchdowns with 10 interceptions.

2009 Season Summary

Appeared and started in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

Attempts – 583 [1]

Most attempts, game – 50 at Arizona 10/11

Completions – 396 [1]

Most completions, game – 35 at Arizona 10/11

Yards – 4770 [1]

Most yards, game – 392 at Cincinnati 10/18

Completion percentage – 67.9 [4]

Yards per attempt – 8.2 [4]

TD passes – 29 [5]

Most TD passes, game – 4 at Tennessee 9/20, at Cincinnati 10/18

Interceptions – 15 [9, tied with Jason Campbell]

Most interceptions, game – 2 at Buffalo 11/1, at Indianapolis 11/8, vs. Indianapolis 11/29

Passer rating – 98.6 [7]

300-yard passing games – 9

200-yard passing games – 15

Rushing

Attempts – 48

Most attempts, game – 8 (for 3 yds.) at Buffalo 11/1

Yards – 57

Most yards, game – 21 yards (on 3 carries) at Indianapolis 11/8

Average gain – 1.2

TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:

Pro Bowl

Texans went 9-7 to finish second in the AFC South, the first winning record in franchise history, while leading the NFL in passing yards (4654).

Aftermath:

Schaub again started every game in 2010 and passed for 4370 yards and 24 TDs with a passer rating of 92.0 while his interceptions dropped to 12. Both he and the team were off to a good start in ’11 before a foot injury knocked him out for the last six games of the regular season as well as the club’s first postseason appearance. Schaub returned in 2012 and had a Pro Bowl year as he passed for 4008 yards and 22 TDs and won in his first playoff appearance. However, he had a disastrous year in 2013, throwing for more interceptions (14) than touchdowns (10) and he was benched, leading to his being traded to Oakland in the offseason. He saw scant action as a backup to Derek Carr, was released, and signed with the Baltimore Ravens for 2015. Through 2014, Schaub has passed for 24,311 yards and 130 touchdowns, giving up 86 interceptions, with a 63.9 completion percentage and 89.5 passer rating. Of those totals, 23,221 yards with 124 TD passes and 78 INTs with a completion percentage of 64.6 and passer rating of 90.9 came during his seven years with Houston. He has been named to the Pro Bowl twice.   

--

Highlighted Years features players who were consensus first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following statistical categories:

Rushing: Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Passing: Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating

Receiving: Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Scoring: TDs, Points, Field Goals (min. 5)

All-Purpose: Total Yards

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

Kickoff Returns: Average

Punt Returns: Average

Punting: Average

*Leagues include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)

**NFC/AFC since 1970

2008: Andre Johnson Gains 207 Yards as Texans Edge Titans

The Houston Texans were coming off three straight wins and, while not in playoff contention, looking to achieve the first winning season in franchise history as they hosted the Tennessee Titans on December 14, 2008. In their third season under Head Coach Gary Kubiak, the Texans had a productive offense directed by QB Matt Schaub (when healthy), who had an outstanding target in WR Andre Johnson (pictured at right), plus rookie RB Steve Slaton to bolster the ground game. The defense, however, was less proficient and streaky Houston had a 6-7 record.

The Titans, coached by Jeff Fisher, were 12-1 and had already clinched the AFC South, but were still looking to gain home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Third-year QB Vince Young had been benched in favor of veteran Kerry Collins, to good effect, and rookie RB Chris Johnson was exceeding expectations. The defensive line was anchored by star DT Albert Haynesworth and there were other fine players in LB Keith Bulluck, CB Cortland Finnegan, SS Chris Hope, and FS Michael Griffin. Rob Bironas also provided reliable placekicking.

There were 70,831 fans present at Houston’s Reliant Stadium. The Titans had the first possession and moved into Houston territory largely on the strength of Chris Johnson’s running as he gained 29 yards on three carries. But after reaching the 37, Kerry Collins threw a long pass that was intercepted by CB Fred Bennett in the end zone and returned 23 yards. However, after Matt Schaub passed to Andre Johnson for 15 yards, he fumbled while being sacked by DE Jevon Kearse and Albert Haynesworth recovered at the Houston 32. Six plays later, Rob Bironas (pictured below) kicked a 26-yard field goal.

The Texans responded by putting together a long, 16-play drive that covered 70 yards. Schaub connected with Johnson for 22 yards on a third-and-ten play and followed right up with another pass to Johnson that gained 14 yards. A roughing-the-passer penalty helped Houston out of a third-and-23 jam and Steve Slaton had a 19-yard run along the way. Finally, on the first play of the second quarter, Kris Brown kicked a 32-yard field goal to tie the score.

The Titans went three-and-out on their next series, and after the ensuing punt had the Texans starting at their own 11, Schaub went long for Johnson down the middle for a 65-yard gain to the Tennessee 24. After three running plays, Schaub went to Johnson again and the result was a 13-yard touchdown. Brown added the extra point and Houston was ahead by 10-3.

The teams traded punts before the Titans reached midfield and Collins threw to WR Justin McCareins for 17 yards, only to have the receiver fumble and DE Tim Bulman recover for the Texans at their 31. The clubs returned to exchanging punts until, with 39 seconds remaining in the half, the Titans took over the ball at their own two and quickly moved 93 yards in four plays. The biggest was a pass from Collins to WR Brandon Jones for 40 yards and that was followed by a 36-yard gain on a pass interference penalty. Bironas kicked a 23-yard field goal and the score was 10-6 at halftime.

Following a short possession to start the third quarter, the Texans punted and Tennessee drove 30 yards in nine plays. Collins completed two passes, both to TE Bo Scaife, and RB LenDale White ran three times for 18 yards. Bironas kicked his third field goal, this time from 51 yards, and Houston’s lead was down to one point.

That was the way it stayed for the remainder of the period. A long series by the Texans reached the Tennessee seven, but it was all for naught when Brown missed a 26-yard field goal attempt. As the game headed into the fourth quarter, the Titans had the ball deep in their own territory and had to punt. An apparent 23-yard return by WR Jacoby Jones was wiped out by an illegal block and the Texans had to start at their 36. But a pass interference penalty got them to midfield and back-to-back pass completions to TE Owen Daniels – the second of which was good for 19 yards in a third-and-five situation – got them to the Tennessee 12. Once again they tried for a field goal, and this time Brown was successful from 24 yards to give the home team a 13-9 lead.

The Titans reached the Houston 48 on the next series and punted. The Texans had a short series that also resulted in a punt, with Matt Turk booming it 57 yards but DB Chris Carr returning it 17 yards to the Tennessee 39. Collins immediately went long and WR Justin Gage caught it for a 28-yard gain to the Houston 33. Chris Johnson ran for 13 yards but the drive finally stalled at the 16 and Bironas was once again called on to kick a field goal, which was successful from 34 yards.

Schaub threw to Andre Johnson for 40 yards on a series that reached the Tennessee 41 and resulted in a punt. The Titans came right back with a big pass play of their own as Collins connected with Gage for 34 yards, but facing fourth-and-three at the Houston 32, Tennessee passed up a long field goal attempt and came up empty when Collins tossed an incomplete pass.

That came with just under two minutes remaining to play, and proved to be Tennessee’s last shot. The Titans used all three of their timeouts on the next series, but a 12-yard carry by Slaton gave the Texans a game-clinching first down as they were able to run out the clock. Houston was the winner by a final score of 13-12.

The Texans had the edge in total yards (375 to 281) and first downs (22 to 14). However, they hurt themselves with 11 penalties at a cost of 127 yards, as opposed to 7 flags thrown on Tennessee totaling 64 yards. Houston also gave up three sacks while not getting to Kerry Collins at all. The Titans turned the ball over twice, to one suffered by the Texans.

Andre Johnson, who was largely shut down by the Titans when the two teams met earlier in the season, had a huge performance with 11 catches for 207 yards and the game’s only touchdown. Matt Schaub completed 23 of 39 passes for 284 yards and a touchdown with none intercepted. Steve Slaton (pictured below) ran for an even 100 yards on 24 carries.

For the Titans, Kerry Collins was successful on 15 of 33 throws for 181 yards and no TDs with one intercepted. Chris Johnson rushed for 65 yards on 13 attempts. Justin Gage caught three passes for 76 yards. Rob Bironas was the scoring star as he was successful on all four of his field goal attempts – but one that he didn’t get to try on Tennessee’s last possession might have made the difference in the outcome.

The Texans lost the next week but won their season finale to finish at 8-8 for the second straight year, again missing out on a winning record and placing third in the AFC South. They would finally finish over .500 for the first time in 2009. Tennessee split its last two games but ended up with the conference’s best record at 13-3. The season ended in disappointment with a loss to the Ravens in the Divisional round of the postseason.

Andre Johnson, in his sixth year, led the NFL with 115 catches and 1575 receiving yards. He averaged 13.7 yards per catch and scored eight touchdowns. It all resulted in his receiving consensus first-team All-NFL recognition as well as selection to the Pro Bowl for the third time. His 207 receiving yards against the Titans set a franchise record that he broke in 2012.  

2007: Long Kris Brown Field Goals Propel Texans Over Dolphins

The Houston Texans were 2-2 as they faced the Miami Dolphins at Reliant Stadium on October 7, 2007, having won their first two games of the season but then lost the next two. In their second year under Head Coach Gary Kubiak, the club had made changes, most notably acquiring QB Matt Schaub from Atlanta and 30-year-old ex-Packer RB Ahman Green. Schaub started off well, especially in combination with WR Andre Johnson in the first two winning contests, but when Johnson went down with a knee injury and Green was also slowed by injury, the Texans ran into trouble.

The Dolphins, coached by Cam Cameron following the departure of Nick Saban for Alabama, had lost all four of their games to date. They had also brought in a new quarterback in the offseason, ex-Chief Trent Green, who beat out Cleo Lemon for the starting job in the preseason. While second-year RB Ronnie Brown was a bright spot, there were few others.

The Texans had the first possession of the game and proceeded to drive 78 yards in 11 plays. Schaub misfired on his first two passes but then converted a third-and-ten situation with a completion to WR Kevin Walter for 16 yards. A personal foul penalty on Miami DE Jason Taylor turned a second-and-17 play into a first down along the way. Schaub connected with WR Andre’ Davis for 49 yards to the Miami two and while it took four straight handoffs to RB Ron Dayne to finally score, Houston had the early lead.

The Dolphins responded with a scoring series of their own after rookie WR Ted Ginn Jr. returned the ensuing kickoff 52 yards. Green scrambled around end for a 23-yard gain to highlight a 46-yard drive that ended with a 23-yard Jay Feely field goal to narrow Houston’s margin to 7-3.

Miami got the ball back quickly when a deflected Schaub pass was intercepted by CB Andre Goodman. Goodman returned the pickoff 18 yards to give the Dolphins excellent field position at the Houston 25. On the next play, a scary situation that turned ugly occurred when an aborted handoff was fumbled and Ginn, recovering, attempted to reverse field and advance. Green was knocked unconscious while attempting to block. While lying motionless on the field, the player he blocked, Houston DE Travis Johnson, taunted him and drew a 15-yard penalty (as well as plenty of negative comments afterward). Green was taken off the field on a stretcher and was finished for the day (and, ultimately, the year).

Cleo Lemon came into the game at quarterback and the Dolphins drove to a three-yard touchdown run by Ronnie Brown. With the successful extra point, they were ahead at the end of the first quarter by a score of 10-7. 

Early in the second quarter, and following a punt by the Texans, Miami scored again. Brown started the series with a 22-yard run and it was followed by a Lemon pass to Ginn that covered 36 yards. The Dolphins made it to the Houston 22 from where Feely booted a 40-yard field goal to make it 13-7.

The Dolphins got the ball back again in good field position when Schaub fumbled while being sacked by Taylor and DE Rodrique White recovered at the Houston 41. Seven plays and 26 yards later, Miami added to its lead as Feely was successful on a 33-yard field goal.

With time running down in the first half, the Texans put together an eight-play scoring drive. Schaub completed passes of 16 yards to Davis and 20 yards to RB Samkon Gado and, after the series stalled at the Miami 36, Kris Brown (pictured at top) boomed a 56-yard field goal to make it 16-10 at the half.

On Miami’s second play of the third quarter, FS C.C. Brown intercepted a pass by Lemon to give Houston good field position at the Miami 46. Seven plays later Brown kicked a 43-yard field goal to pull the Texans to three points behind. Following a punt by the Dolphins, Houston again drove to a long field goal attempt by Brown from 54 yards. It was successful to tie the contest at 16-16.

Miami moved back in front early in the fourth quarter thanks to a 10-play, 40-yard series that ended with Feely connecting on his fourth field goal, from 48 yards. The Texans came back with a 64-yard drive in 14 plays. They converted two third downs along the way, including a third-and-13 situation when Schaub threw to TE Owen Daniels (pictured below) for 15 yards. Another Schaub-to-Daniels pass gained 24 yards to the Miami four, and while the Texans couldn’t punch it in from there, Brown came through with his fourth field goal of the contest from 20 yards to again tie the score at 19-19.

The Dolphins took over possession with 5:25 left on the clock and short passes by Lemon got the ball into Houston territory. But after reaching the 38 yard line by the two minute warning, Lemon threw two incomplete passes and Miami punted. The 35-yard kick had the Texans starting their next series at the three.

On second down, Schaub passed to Daniels for a 19-yard gain to get out of the hole. Two plays later he hit Daniels again for 14 yards and then WR David Anderson for 19 yards to the Miami 44. The Texans having taken their second timeout, Schaub passed to Walter for six yards and then spiked the ball at the 38. The clock ran down to one second before Houston took its final timeout and Brown came through with a 57-yard field goal to give the Texans a 22-19 win.

Houston outgained the Dolphins (352 yards to 285) and had the edge in first downs (20 to 17). However, they hurt themselves with two turnovers, to one suffered by Miami. They also failed to run the ball effectively, gaining just 74 yards on 28 carries, and had difficulty reaching the end zone.

Kris Brown kicked five field goals in as many attempts, with a record three of them coming from 54 yards or longer, including the game-winner. All of that came after he had injured his foot on the opening kickoff. Matt Schaub completed 20 of 34 passes for 294 yards but with no touchdowns and one intercepted. Owen Daniels caught 6 passes for 96 yards while Andre’ Davis contributed 79 yards on his 4 receptions and Kevin Walter added 5 catches for 67 yards. Ron Dayne rushed for 40 yards and a TD on 16 carries.

For the Dolphins, Ronnie Brown was the offensive star with 23 rushes for 114 yards and a TD and a further 39 yards on 5 pass receptions. After replacing Trent Green, Cleo Lemon was successful on 15 of 27 throws for 151 yards and had one intercepted. WR Marty Booker was the top receiver with 45 yards on 5 catches. Jay Feely, overshadowed by Kris Brown, nevertheless had a good day as he booted four field goals in four attempts. Ted Ginn Jr., (pictured below) who caught one pass for 36 yards, also averaged 35.2 yards on his five kickoff returns.

The Texans lost their next three games but ultimately ended up at 8-8 for the first non-losing season in franchise history. It still placed them last in the highly-competitive AFC South (all three teams ahead of them went to the playoffs). Miami suffered through a dreadful 1-15 campaign, not pulling out a win until its fourteenth game.

Kris Brown was successful on 25 of 29 field goal attempts (86.2 %), including all five from over 50 yards. Injuries hindered Matt Schaub, who appeared in 11 games and passed for 2241 yards with 9 touchdowns as well as 9 interceptions.

Trent Green, who had missed half of the ’06 season after suffering a concussion in the opening game, never played again for the Dolphins in 2007, although he did play as a backup for the Rams in 2008, his last season. Ronnie Brown, who played so well for a poor team, went down with a season-ending injury in the seventh game. He rushed for 602 yards on 119 carries (5.1 avg.) and caught 39 passes for 389 yards.

2005: Seahawks Stop 2-Point Conversion, Defeat Falcons to Win NFC West

The 2004 season-ending game on January 2, 2005 between the Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks at Qwest Field featured two teams assured of spots in the postseason, but it still held significance for the home team. The Seahawks, in their sixth year under Head Coach Mike Holmgren, were 8-7 and had clinched a playoff spot the week before. However, if they lost and the Rams won, they would end up as a wild card team rather than a division champion with a home playoff game to open the postseason.

Seattle’s offense featured star RB Shaun Alexander and included QB Matt Hasselbeck, still a work in progress at age 29 and in his fourth year as a starter, and WR Darrell Jackson. Anchoring the offensive line were OT Walter Jones and G Steve Hutchinson on the left side. The defense was a problem area, having been diluted by injuries.

Atlanta, under first-year Head Coach Jim Mora Jr., had far less riding on the game. The Falcons were 11-4 and had the AFC South title wrapped up. They also had injured players, such as athletic QB Michael Vick, who needed a rest prior to the postseason. Despite being a West Coast offense, Atlanta featured its ground game, led by running backs Warrick Dunn and T.J. Duckett – not to mention Vick, who could be quick to run with the ball. TE Alge Crumpler was his best receiver.

Following a short possession by the Seahawks to start the game, the Falcons showed that they took the contest seriously by blocking the ensuing punt. With Vick completing three passes and Dunn running for 12 yards, Atlanta went 48 yards in 12 plays and WR Peerless Price caught a two-yard touchdown pass to take an early 7-0 lead.

Seattle came right back as Alexander rushed for 24 yards in a six-play, 48-yard drive that ended with the star running back scoring from a yard out. Josh Brown’s conversion tied the contest at 7-7.

The teams traded punts as the game proceeded into the second quarter. The Falcons drove to the Seattle 10 yard line thanks to the running of Dunn (back-to-back carries of 14 and 26 yards to get the ball into Seahawks territory) and Vick’s throwing. Jay Feely kicked a 33-yard field goal to finish off the 10-play series and put the Falcons back in front at 10-7. The lead grew larger five plays later as Hasselbeck was intercepted by CB DeAngelo Hall, who returned it 48 yards for a TD.

Seattle bounced back as Hasselbeck immediately connected with WR Bobby Engram on the next play from scrimmage to get to midfield and capped a 66-yard drive with a three-yard scoring pass to Jackson.

When the Falcons returned on offense, Vick had been replaced by rookie backup QB Matt Schaub. While Coach Mora had vowed to treat the contest like a playoff game, Vick was nursing a hand injury and it made no sense to expose him any further. Still, Schaub gave notice of his ability by throwing for a 26-yard gain to WR Brian Finneran on his first pass. Atlanta came up empty on the series and there was no further scoring in the first half as the tally stood at 17-14 at the intermission.

The Falcons drove into Seattle territory to start the third quarter, but Schaub was intercepted by CB Marcus Trufant, who returned the pickoff 31 yards to the Atlanta 41 yard line. Hasselbeck completed six passes for 35 yards, including a scoring throw to TE Jerramy Stevens from three yards out. With the successful conversion, the Seahawks were back in front at 21-17.

It seemed as though Atlanta would narrow the score when T.J. Duckett dashed 35 yards up the middle to fuel an advance to the Seattle 21, but Feely missed a 39-yard field goal attempt. The Seahawks went three-and-out and the Falcons proceeded to put together a long, 15-play drive that stretched into the fourth quarter and covered 56 yards. Highlights included a six-yard Schaub completion to Price in a third-and-five situation and a 17-yard throw to the same receiver that moved the ball into Seattle territory. Feely ended the possession with another field goal attempt, and this time he was successful from 40 yards to make it a one-point game.

The Seahawks responded with a long drive of their own, going 60 yards in 10 plays. Hasselbeck had pass completions of eight yards to TE Ryan Hannam, 23 yards to Engram, and 11 to Stevens to get to the Atlanta 16, and Alexander ran for 15 yards on three carries to set up Hasselbeck’s one-yard scoring carry. It was 28-20 with 4:28 remaining on the clock.

That was enough time for the Falcons to put together a closing 15-play drive following CB Allen Rossum’s 23-yard kickoff return. Atlanta moved methodically down the field, converting two third downs, the first with Schaub carrying for eight yards on a third-and-one play. In a third-and-17 situation from the Seattle 28, Schaub completed a pass to Finneran for 16 yards and, following a timeout with 18 seconds left, the rookie quarterback out of Virginia completed a swing pass to FB Fred McCrary for a nine-yard gain on fourth-and-one. After a near-interception by CB Ken Lucas, Schaub was successful on a three-yard scoring toss to Finneran on a crossing pattern at the back of the end zone with no time remaining in regulation. That set up a two-point conversion attempt to try and tie the game and send it into overtime. However, the Seahawks held on for the 28-26 win when Schaub rolled to his left and gave the ball to Dunn on a counter play that barely came up short under a pile of Seattle defenders.

The Falcons had more total yards (354 to 253) and first downs (22 to 21), and of that yardage figure, 204 came on the ground (to 83 for the Seahawks). Atlanta drew far more penalties (8 for 53 yards to just one for five yards on Seattle). Each team turned the ball over once.

Matt Hasselbeck completed 21 of 27 passes for 191 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Shaun Alexander ran for 80 yards on 19 carries that included a TD. Bobby Engram (pictured below) was the team’s top receiver with 6 catches for 79 yards.


For Atlanta, Michael Vick was successful on 6 of 7 throws for 35 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game. Matt Schaub went to the air 22 times and completed 14 for 133 yards with a TD and one picked off. Warrick Dunn was outstanding with 132 yards on 25 carries and three receptions for 20 more. Peerless Price pulled in 7 passes for 46 yards and a TD and Brian Finneran gained 45 yards on his 3 catches that included a score. Of the seven sacks the teams combined for (four by the Falcons, three by Seattle), DT Roderick Coleman accounted for two.

“I knew I wasn't in,” Dunn said of his run on the two-point conversion attempt at the end. “It was just one of those plays that we thought was going to be there and it wasn't. They played it well. I was trying to squeeze myself into a small crack and get in.”

“To come up short like we did is not acceptable,” Coach Mora said in summing up. “But to run for 204 yards, to have drives with a rookie quarterback to win, and to stop the run? That was outstanding.”

The Seahawks faced their division rivals, the Rams, in the Wild Card playoff round. St. Louis had swept the season series and made it three-for-three with a 27-20 win at Seattle. The Falcons, who had a first-round bye, went deeper into the postseason as they then thrashed the Rams, 47-17, but lost the NFC Championship game at Philadelphia.

Thanks to the Falcons holding onto the ball so long at the end of the game, Shaun Alexander ended up losing the NFL rushing title by one yard to Curtis Martin of the Jets. Alexander ended up with 1696 yards on 353 carries (4.8 avg.) and scored 16 touchdowns. He led the league by scoring a total of 20 TDs and was selected for the Pro Bowl.

Warrick Dunn (pictured below) finished five spots behind Alexander among NFC rushers with 1106 yards on 265 attempts (4.2 avg.) and 9 touchdowns. Matt Schaub made a favorable impression in his rookie season and stayed for another two years as Vick’s backup before being dealt to the Houston Texans.

2010: Foster’s 231 Rushing Yards Propel Texans to Win Over Colts

The season-opening game at Houston’s Reliant Stadium on September 12, 2010 matched the host Texans against the defending AFC Champions, the Indianapolis Colts. Houston was coming off of a 9-7 record in ’09, the franchise’s first winning season. Under offensive-minded Head Coach Gary Kubiak, QB Matt Schaub had a Pro Bowl year and had an outstanding receiver to throw to in WR Andre Johnson. However, the running game had been disappointing due to injuries on the line and the dropoff in performance of second-year RB Steve Slaton. Undrafted rookie RB Arian Foster (pictured above) had started the season on the practice squad and played well when given an opportunity late in the year, giving him the chance to take over the starting role in 2010.

The Colts, under Head Coach Jim Caldwell, were a steady and successful team that was coming off of a Super Bowl loss to the New Orleans Saints after going 14-2 during the regular season. QB Peyton Manning had yet another MVP year and the club appeared to be solid on both sides of the ball. Moreover, Indianapolis had an overall record of 15-1 against the Texans and had won the last six games between the division rivals.

The Texans started off fast as they scored on their first two possessions on field goals of 30 and 49 yards by Neil Rackers to take a 6-0 lead after a quarter of play. The third drive, which extended into the second quarter, culminated in the first touchdown of the game as Schaub threw to WR Kevin Walter for 22 yards. The TD was set up by back-to-back completions of 23 yards to WR Jacoby Jones and 21 yards to Johnson.

However, on Houston’s next possession and following two runs by Foster that gained 17 yards, Schaub was intercepted by DB Melvin Bullitt, who ran 19 yards to give the Colts good field position at the Texans’ 35. Indianapolis took full advantage as Manning, passing on every down, completed five of seven passes that ended with a 14-yard touchdown throw to WR Reggie Wayne. Houston’s lead was cut to 13-7.

Following a three-and-out possession by the Texans, the Colts took over at their own 35 with 3:50 remaining in the half. Converting a fourth-and-two play along the way, Indianapolis moved methodically down the field. A 26-yard Manning completion to WR Pierre Garcon got the ball down to the Houston six yard line, and Adam Vinatieri kicked a 20-yard field goal to cut the Texans’ lead further to 13-10 at halftime.

Houston started off the second half with a 15-play, 66-yard drive that featured Foster carrying the ball 10 times for 49 yards, including a one-yard touchdown. The Colts, now down 20-10, drove to the Texans’ 27, but Manning was sacked for a seven-yard loss by defensive ends Mario Williams and Jesse Nading, pushing Indianapolis out of field goal range. The resulting punt went into the end zone for a touchback and Foster started off the Houston possession with an 11-yard run that put him over 100 yards for the game.

The Texans’ drive stalled at the Indianapolis 42 and, following a punt, Manning completed four straight passes that moved the Colts 40 yards to the Houston 46. However, on a pivotal play, a deep pass to Garcon that gained 32 yards ended with the wide receiver fumbling and Houston CB Glover Quin recovering, giving the ball back to the Texans at their nine yard line.

Foster immediately took off on a 42-yard jaunt and, after Steve Slaton ran for 13, followed up with an 11-yard carry up the middle and then a 25-yard run for a touchdown. In short order, instead of the Colts closing the margin, the Texans had now extended it to 27-10.

Manning again filled the air with passes on the ensuing 12-play drive, hitting WR Austin Collie three times and Wayne and TE Dallas Clark twice apiece. The second completion to Clark was for 10 yards and a TD that, with the successful PAT, made it a ten-point game. However, an attempted onside kick failed as Walter recovered for the Texans.

Once again Houston kept the ball on the ground, which meant Foster carrying six times for 41 yards that included an eight-yard touchdown. With the clock now down to just under two minutes to play, the result was virtually sealed, although Manning completed a deep pass to Collie that resulted in a 73-yard touchdown.

While it was once again a ten-point game, Nading recovered another onside kick attempt by the Colts to snuff out any possible threat. Houston was able to run out the clock and come away with a 34-24 win.

The Colts outgained Houston (463 yards to 355) but the breakdown of rushing to receiving yards showed a significant contrast. The Texans rushed for 257 yards while Indianapolis ran the ball just 10 times for 44 yards and passed for the rest. Each team suffered two sacks and one turnover apiece.

Arian Foster’s breakout performance was the biggest story as he set a new club record with 231 yards on 33 carries and scored three touchdowns. Matt Schaub went to the air only 17 times, with 9 completions for 107 yards, and had one TD as well as one interception. Andre Johnson led the receivers with three catches for 33 yards.

For the Colts, Peyton Manning completed 40 of 57 passes for 433 yards and three TDs, suffering no interceptions. Austin Collie (pictured below) caught 11 passes for 163 yards and a TD and Dallas Clark also had 11 receptions, for 80 yards. Reggie Wayne gained 99 yards on 7 catches that included a score. RB Joseph Addai accounted for all of the team’s rushing statistics and contributed a further 6 catches for 29 yards.


“At halftime, we talked about the key to the game being the most physical team and our offensive line,” said Houston’s Coach Kubiak. “That's what you want as a coach. You want those guys walking the sideline saying, 'Run the ball, coach’.”

Things did not go as well for the Texans the rest of the year. While the offense was proficient in both running and passing the ball, the defense collapsed and ended up ranking 30th in the league. Houston finished at 6-10 for third place in the AFC South. Arian Foster continued to perform very well, however, as he led the NFL in rushing with 1616 yards on 327 carries (4.9 avg.) with 16 touchdowns.

The Colts won the division with a 10-6 record but struggled at times due to injuries and lost in the Wild Card playoff round to the Jets. Peyton Manning led the league in pass attempts (679) and completions (450) and ranked second in yards (4700), TD passes (33, tied with Drew Brees of the Saints), and completion percentage (66.3).

2008: Schaub Passes for 414 Yards as Texans Beat Packers

The Houston Texans had reached the .500 mark for the first time in 2007, but were having difficulty progressing in 2008. After ten games, they were 3-7, but by the time they faced the Packers at Green Bay’s Lambeau Field on December 7, they were riding a two-game winning streak and stood at 5-7.

While Head Coach Gary Kubiak’s team had some good performers on defense, most notably DE Mario Williams and LB DeMeco Ryans, overall the unit was inconsistent. Offensively, QB Matt Schaub (pictured above) had been plagued by a knee injury and missed the four games leading up to the contest in Green Bay. Backup Sage Rosenfels had been effective in relief, but was prone to turning the ball over. With star WR Andre Johnson and productive RB Steve Slaton, the team was capable of making big plays, but had not been able to do so with regularity.


The Packers, under Head Coach Mike McCarthy, were in transition entering the season. For the first time since 1992, going back some 253 games, Brett Favre was not the starting quarterback. His departure to the New York Jets had been accompanied by plenty of offseason dramatics. Fourth-year QB Aaron Rodgers (pictured at right) was now running the offense, and while he was playing as well as could be hoped, the club, which had gone 13-3 in 2007 and advanced to the NFC Championship game, was struggling at 5-7 as it prepared to host the Texans and had lost four of the last five games.

Schaub was wearing a knee brace and the temperature at game time was just three degrees, making it the coldest contest in the franchise’s brief history to date. Neither the quarterback nor the team appeared to be hindered, however, as Schaub’s second pass went for a 58-yard touchdown to WR Kevin Walter.

The Packers didn’t complete a pass until their second possession, and both teams traded punts for the remainder of the opening period. The second quarter opened with Houston at the Green Bay 30, however, and it looked likely that the visitors would score when Schaub tossed a pass to Johnson that was good for a 19-yard gain to the 11. But TE Owen Daniels, after making a catch at the one, fumbled and CB Tramon Williams recovered for Green Bay at the three.

The Packers drove into Houston territory but, after DE Tim Bulman sacked Rodgers for a seven-yard loss on a third down play, once again had to punt. However, Schaub was intercepted by Williams at the Texans’ 28 and two plays later Green Bay tied the score as Rodgers connected with TE Donald Lee for a 20-yard TD with just over five minutes remaining in the half.

Schaub made up for the pickoff on Houston’s next play when he threw a pass to Walter for a 46-yard gain to the Green Bay 25. The drive finally stalled at the 11 and Kris Brown kicked a 30-yard field goal to put the Texans back in the lead. After an apparent 99-yard kickoff return by CB Will Blackmon was nullified by a holding penalty, Houston CB Dunta Robinson intercepted a Rodgers pass on the ensuing series, but the Texans were unable to add to their lead when Brown was wide on a 41-yard field goal attempt on the last play of the half. Houston led by 10-7 at halftime.

The Packers went three-and-out to start the third quarter and the Texans, helped by a 21-yard gain on a pass from Schaub to FB Vonta Leach, scored on a 41-yard field goal by Brown.

Following a short Green Bay possession, the Texans got the ball back on a punt and it appeared that they would have to punt again in turn, facing a fourth-and-six situation at their own 35. But veteran punter Matt Turk stunned both the Packers and his own team by taking off for an 18-yard gain and a first down. However, after driving to the Green Bay 16, Slaton fumbled and the Packers took over at their 21. On the last play of the third quarter, Rodgers passed to WR Greg Jennings for a 63-yard gain to the Houston six yard line. RB Ryan Grant ran the remaining six yards for a touchdown to start the final period, and with the successful PAT, the Packers took the lead at 14-13.

The Texans came back on a drive in which Schaub completed five passes for 55 yards, the last of which was for an 11-yard touchdown to Johnson. Following up with another pass to Johnson for a successful two-point conversion, Houston was now back in front at 21-14.

It appeared that the defense had successfully held the Packers after a short possession in which they only advanced to their own 18, but the ensuing punt was muffed by WR Jacoby Jones and recovered by long snapper Brett Goode for Green Bay. Back in possession of the ball at their own 49, the Packers took full advantage and seven plays later Rodgers threw a nine-yard scoring pass to WR Jordy Nelson. With the successful kick for the extra point, the game was tied at 21-21 with just under six minutes to play.

The Texans failed to advance on their next possession and punted. Rodgers passed to WR Donald Driver for a 59-yard gain to the Houston 25, but a holding call and sack backed the Packers to the 38 and out of field goal range. Punter Jeremy Kapinos pinned Houston down with a 35-yard kick to the three yard line.

Now with 1:49 remaining on the clock, Schaub proceeded to move the Texans downfield, completing passes to Leach for 22 yards, WR David Anderson for 17 yards, and Daniels for 27. After Slaton ran three yards to get the ball down to the Green Bay 22, Brown kicked a 40-yard field goal on the game’s final play to give Houston a 24-21 win.

The Texans accumulated a team-record 549 total yards, to 387 for the Packers, and had 25 first downs to Green Bay’s 16, although they were nearly undone by giving up four turnovers. But the Packers converted only one of 10 third downs, while Houston succeeded on 7 of 13 third down plays (and their one fourth down play).

Matt Schaub, showing no ill effects from the time off, threw for 414 yards as he completed 28 of 42 passes with two touchdowns and one intercepted. Kevin Walter (pictured below) caught 6 of those passes for 146 yards and a TD and Owen Daniels contributed another 65 yards on his 6 receptions. Steve Slaton ran for 120 yards on 26 carries.



Aaron Rodgers was successful on 19 of 30 passes for 295 yards with two TDs and an interception. Ryan Grant also reached the hundred-yard threshold with 104 on 19 attempts that included a touchdown. Donald Driver caught three passes for 75 yards.

There was much rejoicing by the Texans over what was considered one of the greatest wins in franchise history.

“Our group had every reason at some point to fold with the turnovers hurting us,” said Coach Kubiak. “But this group is made of a lot of character and it's as good a win as I've ever been around.”

Houston went on to win two of its last three contests (as part of five of the final six) to again finish at 8-8 and third in the AFC South. Green Bay lost the next two games before winning the season finale to end up at 6-10 for third place in the NFC North.

While Matt Schaub’s overall statistics of 3043 yards passing with 15 touchdowns (against 10 interceptions) were held down due to losing five games to injury, his 8.0 yards per attempt ranked second in the NFL (tied with Drew Brees of the Saints) and 276.6 yards per game ranked fourth. Schaub also ranked fourth in completion percentage (66.1) and seventh in overall passing (92.7 rating).

Andre Johnson led the NFL in both pass receptions (115) and receiving yards (1575). Kevin Walter added 60 catches for 899 yards (15.0 avg.) and eight TDs.


Rookie Steve Slaton (pictured at left) ran for 1282 yards on 268 carries for a 4.8-yard average and nine touchdowns. With 50 catches for 377 more yards, he garnered 1659 yards from scrimmage. However, the production dropped off significantly the following year.

Aaron Rodgers finished just ahead of Schaub with a 93.8 passer rating. While the team slumped, the new starting quarterback drew good reviews as he placed fourth in passing yards (4038), TD passes (28), and percentage of TD passes (5.2).