Week 10 Game Recap: Houston Texans 13, Jacksonville Jaguars 10

What you need to know

Houston Texans

Houston opened the game with a nine play 70 yard drive that was capped off by Wali Lundy’s one yard touchdown run. The key play of the drive was a 41 yard reception by Andre Johnson. Johnson nearly had a touchdown, but stepped out of bounds at the one yard line.

Morlon Greenwood’s interception ended Jacksonville’s initial possession and set up the Texans at the Jaguars’ 41 yard line. David Carr led Houston to the Jaguars’ six yard line, but his third down pass attempt to Andre Johnson was tipped four times before falling incomplete and the Texans settled for a Kris Brown field goal and a 10-0 lead.

Jacksonville answered with a field goal for their only score of the first half. However, Houston was unable to score again in the first half, despite a 16 play 67 yard drive that ate up nearly seven and one half minutes of game time. Kris Brown’s 32 yard field goal attempt was wide to the left. The drive was indicative, however, of the Texans’ ball control offense for the game. Houston controlled the ball for more than 18 minutes of the first half and finished the game with a 15 minute time of possession advantage.

Houston’s 148 rushing yards exceeded its season average by 61 yards and was instrumental in the time of possession advantage. Samkon Gado led the Texans with 67 rushing yards on seventeen carries. He split attempts with Wali Lundy, who was held to only 34 yards on sixteen attempts. All but two of Lundy’s carries came in the first half, as the Texans turned to Gado in the second half; each of Gado’s attempts came after halftime. The Houston backfield situation is certainly less clear. Although Lundy has been the starter, Gado was the more effective runner in the game and may see more time in the future.

David Carr chipped in 48 rushing yards of his own. He completed only half of his 32 passes for 167 yards, but directed the Houston offense to a turnover free day. Carr was forced to leave the game early in the fourth quarter. He took a helmet to his throwing shoulder after completing a 14 yard pass to tight end Owen Daniels. Carr initially looked to be in a lot of pain, but later was able to throw the ball on the sideline. Sage Rosenfels took over and finished the game at quarterback.

Head coach Gary Kubiak elected to gamble and go for a fourth down and one from his own 41 yard line with 1:40 left in the game. Samkon Gado was able to convert the first down and Houston ran out the clock.

With the win, Houston ended the NFL’s longest current road losing streak. The Texans had lost 12 consecutive road games dating all the way back to December 2004. Houston is now 6-4 against Jacksonville, but has only 15 wins against the remainder of the league in the team’s short history.

Starting right tackle Zach Wiegert tore an ACL and will be lost for the season.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars marched on a ten play 54 field goal yard drive on their second possession. However, the offense was plagued by turnovers and did not score again until less than five minutes remained in the game. Trailing 13-10 the Jaguars final drive resulted in a three straight incomplete passes. Jacksonville was forced to punt just prior to the two minute warning, but Houston converted a fourth down and one play and was able to run out the clock.

David Garrard entered the game with nine touchdowns and only two interceptions as a starter. However, he threw four interceptions in the game. Although Garrard did not have a great game, he was victimized by bad luck (and Matt Jones). Garrard’s first interception resulted when he was hit hard by DeMeco Ryans as he was releasing the pass. As a result, the ball fluttered and was intercepted by Morlon Greenwood. Two of Garrard’s interceptions can be blamed on Matt Jones. Both passes were right on the money and should have been completions. On the first occasion, Garrard put the ball perfectly in Jones’ hands. However, Demarcus Faggins was able to wrestle the ball from Jones. Jones later bobbled another perfectly thrown pass and Anthony Weaver plucked it form the air. Jones would later drop another well thrown ball. Garrard was at fault on the final interception. He attempted to hit Ernest Wilford for a 23 yard touchdown, but Dunta Robinson cut in front and picked off the pass in the end zone. Nevertheless, if you credit Garrard for completions on three Jones plays, plus two more drops by Ernest Wilford, he would have finished 20 for 34 with only two interceptions rather than 15 for 34 with four picks.

Fred Taylor had 134 yards from scrimmage despite only having 17 touches. Most of Taylor’s yards came on three big plays. Taylor caught consecutive screen passes for 18 and 36 yards and added a 24 yard run.

Maurice Jones-Drew scored the lone Jaguars’ touchdown on a three yard run in the fourth quarter. Jones-Drew only had three rushes for 11 yards, but added 56 receiving yards on four catches.

Jacksonville lost for the first time at home this season and has been swept by Houston this season.

Left tackle, Khalif Barnes, was inactive for the game as punishment for a recent DWI arrest.

What you ought to know

QB David Carr, Pass: 16 - 32 - 167 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 5 - 48 - 0

Carr entered the game leading the NFL in completion percentage with a 70.4% success rate, but he completed only fifty percent of his passes in the game. However, Carr played a smart, ball control oriented game. He did not try to force passes into coverage and showed a willingness to throw the ball away rather than take a sack. Carr, who had been sacked a whopping 208 times in his short career, was sacked only once and was able to avoid turnovers.

Carr used his quickness to contribute 48 yards on five rushing attempts. He had scrambles of eight, 13, 14, and 11 yards plus a two yard keeper to convert a first down.

Carr was forced to leave the game early in the fourth quarter, when he was hit with a helmet on his throwing shoulder. Carr was able to toss the ball on the sideline afterwards, but did not return. The injury was diagnosed as a bruise.

QB Sage Rosenfels, Pass: 1 - 3 - 9 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 3 - -2 - 0

Rosenfels played most of the fourth quarter after David Carr injured his shoulder. He attempted only three passes, completing a screen pass to Wali Lundy. Rosenfels was stuffed for no gain on a sneak attempt and was credited twice with one yard kneel down losses.

RB Samkon Gado, Rush: 17 - 67 - 0, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (2 targets)

Gado caught one six yard pass late in the first half. In the second half, Gado was Houston’s primary ball carrier. All of his runs came after halftime at the expense of Wali Lundy. Gado was the more effective of the two runners. He averaged 3.9 yards per carry with a long run of 13 yards. Gado’s one yard run on fourth and one iced the game for Houston.

Gado fumbled once in the game, but Houston retained possession.

RB Wali Lundy, Rush: 16 - 34 - 1, Rec: 1 - 9 - 0 (3 targets)

Lundy started at tailback for the third game in a row. It is not clear whether he will be the starter next week, however. Lundy gained only 34 yards on 16 attempts and ran the ball only twice in the second half, when Samkon Gado took over. Lundy did not appear to be injured and was still involved in the game after halftime. All three of his targets came in the second half. His lone reception resulted in a nine yard gain on a screen pass from Sage Rosenfels. Had Lundy been more patient to set up his blocks on the play, he might have had a big gain. Lundy was sacked for a nine yard loss on a play when he was going to attempt a halfback option pass.

RB Jameel Cook, Rush: 1 - 1 - 0, Rec: 2 - 10 - 0 (4 targets)

Cook’s one carry converted a second and one play into a first down. Cook had receptions of one and nine yards. The nine yard gain converted a first down.

WR Andre Johnson, Rec: 3 - 56 - 0 (11 targets)

Johnson’s 65 receptions starting the game were 13 more than any other player in the NFL had accrued entering Week 10. Johnson was targeted a game high 11 times, but added only three catches for 56 yards. He narrowly missed a touchdown, when he stepped out of bounds at the Jacksonville one yard line after a 41 yard catch on Houston’s first drive, and had a mostly quiet game thereafter.

WR Eric Moulds, Rec: 3 - 14 - 0 (5 targets)

Moulds had three receptions for only 14 yards.

WR Kevin Walter, Rec: 2 - 16 - 0 (2 targets)

Walter caught both passes thrown his way for gains of five and 11 yards.

TE Owen Daniels, Rec: 4 - 55 - 0 (6 targets)

Daniels led the Texans with four receptions. His catches went for eight, 12, 21, and 14 yards. Daniels had what appeared to be another reception and fumble that went out of bounds, but the play was ruled as an incomplete pass.

TE Jeb Putzier, Rec: 1 - 10 - 0 (2 targets)

Putzier was targeted twice and had one reception for ten yards.

PK Kris Brown 2 - 4 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 7 points

Brown hit two short field goals and one extra point attempt. He missed wide left on a 32 yard attempt and hit high on the right upright from 52 yards out.

HOU Rush Defense

Jacksonville averaged 6.2 yards per attempt and gained 118 yards on the ground. However, 44 of those yards came on four David Garrard runs. The Jaguars touchdown was a three yard run by Maurice Jones-Drew. Rookie, DeMeco Ryans, who led the league with 58 solo tackles coming in, had six more solo stops.

HOU Pass Defense

Jacksonville gained only 204 yards through the air, but the number could have been significantly higher. Quarterback David Garrard suffered from at least five dropped passes that led directly to two interceptions and the loss of a potential long touchdown. Jason Babin sacked David Garrard twice. DeMeco Ryans set up Morlon Greenwood’s interception when he pulverized Garrard just as he was releasing the football. Demarcus Faggins stole a pass from Matt Jones for another interception, while Anthony Weaver and Dunta Robinson also contributed picks. Robinson had seven solo tackles.

QB David Garrard, Pass: 15 - 34 - 214 - 0 TD / 4 INT, Rush: 4 - 44 - 0

Garrard played better than his stats would indicate. He was victimized by at least five dropped passes. Matt Jones dropped three passes and two of them resulted in interceptions. Ernest Wilford dropped two more. One of the drops came on a perfectly thrown deep ball that might have become a 79 yard touchdown pass. Garrard’s first interception occurred when he was crunched by DeMeco Ryans just as he was releasing the ball, causing the pass to flutter in the air. Garrard made a bad decision when he tried to force the ball to Wilford in the end zone from 23 yards away and Dunta Robinson picked it off.

Garrard used his mobility to gain 44 yards on four rushes.

QB Byron Leftwich

Leftwich was listed as the third quarterback and saw no action in the game.

RB Fred Taylor, Rush: 12 - 63 - 0, Rec: 5 - 71 - 0 (7 targets)

Taylor gained 63 yards on 12 attempts. His long run went for 24 yards. However, Jacksonville trailed most of the game and never committed to establishing the running game.

Taylor led the Jaguars with five receptions for 71 yards. Taylor had consecutive receptions of 18 and 36 yards in the fourth quarter. Taylor had a pass go off his fingertips on Jacksonville’s last possession. The announcers speculated that he may have been bothered by sun in his eyes.

Taylor fumbled in the second quarter, but Reggie Williams recovered it and Jacksonville retained possession.

RB Maurice Jones-Drew, Rush: 3 - 11 - 1, Rec: 4 - 56 - 0 (5 targets)

Jones-Drew carried the ball three times for 11 yards including a three yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. He also lost a ten yard gain to a holding penalty.

Jones-Drew caught passes of 18, six and 11 yards shortly before halftime. He had one 21 yard reception in the second half.

Jones-Drew averaged 18 yards on three kickoff returns.

WR Ernest Wilford, Rec: 2 - 50 - 0 (8 targets)

Wilford was targeted a team high eight times. He had two 25 yard catches. Wilford dropped two other passes, including a perfect deep throw that might have resulted in a 79 yard touchdown pass.

WR Reggie Williams, Rec: 1 - 12 - 0 (4 targets)

Williams caught only one pass for twelve yards in the game. He was called for two crucial penalties, however. His holding penalty negated a ten yard Maurice Jones Drew run that would have set Jacksonville up with a first and goal on the Houston three yard line. Instead, David Garrard threw an interception in the end zone (from the 23 yard line) on the next play. Williams’ offensive pass interference penalty negated Cortez Hankton’s 37 yard reception on Jacksonville’s final drive. Instead of having the ball in game tying field goal range, the Jaguars were forced to punt and Houston would run out the clock.

Williams did recover Fred Taylor’s fumble in the second quarter.

WR Matt Jones, Rec: 1 - 11 - 0 (5 targets)

Jones may have single-handedly cost Jacksonville the game. He caught one ball for an 11 yard gain. He dropped three others, however, and two of those drops directly resulted in interceptions.

WR Cortez Hankton (1 targets)

Hankton had a 37 yard reception called back due to an offensive pass interference penalty on Reggie Williams. He made a nice jumping grab in traffic that would have set Jacksonville’s offense up at the Houston 27 yard line on the Jaguars’ final possession. Instead, Jacksonville was forced to punt and would not see the ball again.

TE George Wrighster, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (4 targets)

Wrighster caught one pass for eight yards.

TE Marcedes Lewis, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (2 targets)

Lewis caught one pass for six yards.

PK Josh Scobee 1 - 1 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 4 points

Scobee made a 44 yard field goal and his sole extra point attempt.

JAX Rush Defense

Jacksonville allowed the Texans to rush for 148 yards. However, the Texans averaged only 3.5 yards per attempt. 48 of the yards came on runs by David Carr. If you subtract those yards form the total allowed, Houston gained only 100 yards on 37 attempts.

The unit played without injured defensive tackle Marcus Stroud, who has an ankle injury. Linebacker, Daryl Smith had 12 solo tackles to go along with a sack and forced fumble.

JAX Pass Defense

Houston passed for only 158 yards and completed less than 50 percent of their passes. Bobby McCray, Paul Spicer, and Daryl Smith had sacks.