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Week 4 Game Recap: Houston Texans 16, Atlanta Falcons 26
What you need to know
| Houston Texans |
The Texans played well enough to keep the game fairly close despite missing some of their offensive starters, including wide receiver Andre Johnson and running back Ahman Green, but an inability to convert red zone opportunities into touchdowns contributed to them losing the game. Houston began by trying to establish their running game with Ron Dayne, but apart from one long run, he averaged just 2.6 yards per carry. Dayne was unable to get past the line of scrimmage or break tackles, and as a result, the Texans were unable to rely on their running game.
Although they were without Johnson and rookie wide receiver Jacoby Jones due to injuries, Houston quarterback Matt Schaub was still able to be effective passing the ball. He threw mostly short and intermediate passes with a few deep passes, mostly to Andre Davis, mixed in. He threw accurately and was comfortable attempting all the passes asked of him, and did a good job of throwing balls where his receivers had the best chance of catching them and making plays. Schaub had a touchdown pass to wide receiver Kevin Walter called back due to an offensive penalty. He also ran for what was ruled a touchdown on the field, but was overturned after the officials reviewed the play.
Houston attempted 13 plays in the red zone, and had a fairly even distribution of running plays and passing plays. They ran the ball seven times inside the red zone, with Dayne having five of those carries and Schaub having the other two running plays called for him. However the Texans had to settle for field goal attempts on their red zone possessions. Their inefficiency was in part due to an inability to run the ball effectively, and penalties that stalled drives that were inside the ten yard line.
| Atlanta Falcons |
The Falcons were able to get their first win of the season in large part due to an excellent effort by quarterback Joey Harrington and a solid, if not dominant, rushing attack spearheaded by Warrick Dunn. Dunn and Jerious Norwood combined for 27 rushing attempts and just under 100 yards on the ground and six receptions for another 25 yards. They were instrumental in the Falcons having the edge in time of possession. Dunn in particular ran hard and showed he is still quick and shifty enough to make the initial defender miss several times during the game.
Atlanta's passing attack was executed very well by Harrington. He appeared very confident and made good decisions about which receivers to throw to, especially when he was blitzed. Harrington threw mostly intermediate passes, and was very accurate, placing the ball where his receivers were able to catch it in stride and gain significant amounts of yards after the catch. He also demonstrated an ability to escape from pressure and still complete passes after buying time, and proved to be a very effective leader in this game. He spread the ball among his receivers and did not lock into any particular receiver, although Michael Jenkins was the recipient of both his touchdown passes.
Atlanta attempted nine passing plays to seven running plays in the red zone. Dunn and Norwood had six and two red zone rushing attempts respectively, and were targeted once each in the red zone. Harrington continued his trend of spreading the passes around in the red zone, with Jenkins, Roddy White and Crumpler each receiving two red zone targets. Crumpler and White were thrown a pass each in the end zone, but both passes were deflected by defenders before they could catch them.
What you ought to know
| QB Matt Schaub, Pass: 28 - 40 - 317 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 5 - 19 - 0 |
Schaub played well and helped his depleted receiving corps by making accurate throws and giving them a chance to run after the catch with his ball placement. Schaub also demonstrated good mobility and athleticism in evading the pass rush and running with decent speed at times. Considering he was without some of his primary weapons at receiver and running back, Schaub showed he has the ability to make other players better with his accuracy and touch. He looked to be equally comfortable making shorter throws as well as deeper passes.
| RB Ron Dayne, Rush: 15 - 62 - 0, Rec: 2 - 12 - 0 (3 targets) |
Dayne did not run particularly effectively, and gained almost half of his yards on one carry. He did not hit the line of scrimmage with power, and was usually brought down on first contact. He was used only as an outlet receiver and his contribution to the passing game was minimal.
| RB Jameel Cook, Rush: 2 - 6 - 0, Rec: 6 - 28 - 0 (6 targets) |
The fullback displayed solid hands, catching all of the targets thrown his way, which were shorter passes.
| RB Vonta Leach, Rec: 2 - 3 - 0 (2 targets) |
Leach was involved on two plays with the ball, lost a fumble on one play and was stopped short of a first down on a fourth down play on the other.
| WR Kevin Walter, Rec: 6 - 77 - 0 (7 targets) |
Walter was used mostly on short routes, but did manage to get open deep once and make the catch. He did a good job of getting open short and gaining additional yards after making the reception.
| WR Andre Davis, Rec: 5 - 117 - 1 (8 targets) |
Davis took advantage of the opportunity to play and had an excellent game. He not only showcased his deep speed, but also ran good intermediate routes and had good timing with Schaub. Two of the targets he did not catch were thrown just out of his reach.
| WR David Anderson, Rec: 1 - 9 - 0 (2 targets) |
Anderson was not on the field much, but one of his targets was thrown to him in the end zone.
| TE Owen Daniels, Rec: 5 - 69 - 0 (7 targets) |
Daniels ran good short and intermediate routes and continued to display an affinity for getting open in traffic. The two targets he did not catch were overthrown.
| TE Jeb Putzier, Rec: 1 - 2 - 0 (1 targets) |
Putzier's involvement in the game was minimal.
| PK Kris Brown 3 - 4 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 10 points |
Brown made his only point after attempt, and made field goals from 42, 37 and 19 yards. However he missed a 25 yard attempt late in the game.
| HOU Rush Defense |
The Texans rush defense did not dominate, but gave a solid performance, preventing the Falcon's running backs from having large gains. They did not penetrate into Atlanta's backfield much, but did a good job of stopping Dunn and Norwood before they could get too far past the line of scrimmage, thanks to strong linebacker play.
| HOU Pass Defense |
Houston's pass defense was aggressive throughout as they attempted to blitz Harrington several times in the game, especially in the second half. While they only recorded two sacks and did not have any interceptions, they did not give up many pass plays deep. However they did give up a lot of short receptions that were turned into longer gains as on several occasions they did not wrap up Atlanta's receivers immediately after they caught the ball.
| QB Joey Harrington, Pass: 23 - 29 - 223 - 2 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - -1 - 0 |
Harrington had a very good game. He looked very comfortable directing the offense and made good decisions in the face of an aggressive pass rush. Harrington made a variety of throws and appeared poised and confident throughout the game. He spread the ball around and did not lock onto any one receiver, while displaying good touch on shorter passes and enough arm strength on longer ones. Of his six incompletions, one was intentionally overthrown and two were excellent defensive plays by defenders who deflected his passes at the last moment.
| RB Warrick Dunn, Rush: 18 - 62 - 0, Rec: 4 - 9 - 0 (4 targets) |
Dunn ran well, and although he did not have many long plays, he showed quickness and determination on several runs, and was close to breaking free for longer gains a few times. He was on the field for the last series as Atlanta tried to hold on to their lead, and also had some touches in the red zone, both running and receiving.
| RB Jerious Norwood, Rush: 9 - 29 - 0, Rec: 2 - 16 - 0 (3 targets) |
Norwood also ran hard and seemed close to breaking free a few times. A few times he showed his explosiveness bursting through the line of scrimmage, but Atlanta's linebackers would prevent him from any big gains.
| RB Artose Pinner, Rush: 2 - 0 - 0 |
Pinner had two rushing attempts, one from the goal line, but was stopped for a loss on that play.
| WR Michael Jenkins, Rec: 6 - 64 - 2 (6 targets) |
Jenkins had a good day, showing good quickness and leaping ability. He was used on short routes, and ran well after the catch on several plays, including one of his two touchdown receptions.
| WR Laurent Robinson, Rec: 4 - 31 - 0 (6 targets) |
Robinson was used on short and deep routes, and managed to draw a defensive penalty in the end zone on a play where he went deep.
| WR Roddy White, Rec: 3 - 64 - 0 (7 targets) |
White was used in a variety of ways, running short slants as well as longer routes. He ran well after the catch, and was targeted in the red zone, with his defender making a good play to deflect the ball at the last minute. White also had a red zone reception that he took inside the five yard line called back due to an offensive penalty.
| WR Joe Horn, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (1 targets) |
Horn caught the first pass of the game and was not heard from afterwards.
| TE Alge Crumpler, Rec: 3 - 34 - 0 (5 targets) |
Crumpler was only targeted in the first half, and was used exclusively on short routes; He attacked defenders after he secured the ball, taking them head on as they tried to tackle him.
| PK Morten Andersen 4 - 5 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 14 points |
Andersen's comeback continued well, as he made both his point after attempts, and field goals from 28, 22, 36 and 42 yards. His lone missed field goal attempt was a result of it being blocked due to an excellent effort from a Houston defender.
| ATL Rush Defense |
Atlanta's rush defense was very effective, routinely stopping Dayne at the line of scrimmage. They were able to penetrate the Texans' offensive line and prevented big gains as a result, including two short-yardage runs that they stuffed.
| ATL Pass Defense |
The Falcons' pass defense was aggressive and although they only sacked Schaub once, they forced him out of the pocket several times and affected his rhythm as a result. Atlanta's pass defenders recovered a fumble after a reception by Leach, and also recovered a fumble they caused Schaub to make as a result of being sacked late in the game. They did allow some big plays in the secondary, but overall played well.
