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Week 9 Game Recap: Houston Texans 21, Minnesota Vikings 28
What you need to know
| Houston Texans |
Math Schaub was taken out due to a knee injury and not his play. Sage Rosenfels moved the team much better in the second half but that could be due to half time adjustments.
Owen Daniels was catching the ball down the sideline, up the middle, and on outs all day long. It was a very impressive performance for the TE.
Andre Johnson was not targeted much in this game because the Vikings doubled him up all day. There were few times that Matt Schaub would throw to him. Sage Rosenfels didn't seem scared of the coverage and threw the ball to him anyway.
| Minnesota Vikings |
Bernard Berrian looked for real. What you won't see in the box score is that two incompletes could have added a score and almost another 100 yards to an already great day.
Adrian Peterson proved why everyone likes him so much. He couldn't get anything in the first half but wore the defense down and started to make big runs in the second half.
The Minnesota defense was just punishing. The stat line says it all: five sacks, two interceptions, and two fumble recoveries.
What you ought to know
| QB Sage Rosenfels, Pass: 21 - 29 - 224 - 2 TD / 1 INT |
Sage Rosenfels moved the team pretty well in the second half. The QB change was made due to an injury to Matt Schaub and not due to his play. The Texans did move much better in the second half. It might have been due to halftime adjustments, but Dick Enberg with CBS said "They are responding to Sage Rosenfels' arm." Rosenfels was able to get the team up and down the field and did bring the Texans back into the game. His throws were on target and he wasn't afraid of the tough coverage on Andre Johnson. However, he seemed to hit a road block in Viking territory. On one third down he forced a ball into the endzone when the team was in field goal range. That interception cost the team three points. In one half he was able to throw two touchdowns and pass for over two hundred yards. It just wasn't enough to beat the Vikings. Adrian Peterson took over in the fourth quarter and kept the Texan offense watching the game.
| QB Matt Schaub, Pass: 11 - 16 - 139 - 0 TD / 1 INT |
There was intense pressure on Matt Schaub and he took a hard hit in the late second quarter. He played the rest of the quarter, but was benched after half time. He wasn't horrible, but he didn't seem to move the team up and down the field very well. He also had two fumbles lost and an interception that was intended for Vonta Leach. It did not look horrible but Schaub was not impressive either.
| RB Steve Slaton, Rush: 16 - 62 - 0, Rec: 8 - 56 - 0 (8 targets) |
Steve Slaton had a busy day as Ahman Green was inactive. He was used a great deal in both sides of the offensive game plan. The Minnesota defense did not give Slaton much running room but he was able to make some plays and break a few tackles.
| RB Vonta Leach, Rec: 1 - 9 - 0 (4 targets) |
Vonta Leach was only used as a short passing alternative and a few of his targets were to avoid sacks.
| WR Andre Johnson, Rec: 4 - 62 - 1 (6 targets) |
Andre Johnson was double covered all day. Matt Schaub went a different direction most of the day. Johnson barely dropped a long pass in the first half that would have added nicely to his numbers. Once Sage Rosenfels was in he did try to pass the ball to Johnson more no matter what the coverage was. The touchdown catch was a very nice hookup between Rosenfels and Johnson.
| WR Kevin Walter, Rec: 4 - 47 - 0 (7 targets) |
Walter had many targets but didn't do much with them. He dropped two passes and was not able to do much with the ball after the catch. He also didn't fight much for what would have been a game tying score. That play turned into an interception. He did have a nice 28 yard reception but the rest of the day was very quiet.
| WR David Anderson, Rec: 2 - 12 - 1 (2 targets) |
David Anderson had one touchdown and another possession reception but he was not focused on.
| WR Jacoby Jones, Rec: 1 - 31 - 0 (1 targets) |
His one reception of the game was a nice deep route with some nice yards after the catch. His main part of the game plan was returning kicks which he did well when they didn't kick it out of bounds or corner him.
| TE Owen Daniels, Rec: 11 - 133 - 0 (13 targets) |
Owen Daniels was the star of the day for the Texans. He caught the ball from the slot, wideout, tight-end, and in motion. He was a focal point for the offense. He did not get targeted in the endzone but that would have been the icing on a great day. Daniels ran over defenders and fought for the ball to get every catch and every yard. He even had one catch that he had to slide down to get.
| TE Joel Dreessen, Rec: 1 - 13 - 0 (1 targets) |
Joel Dreessen had a nice catch for a first down, but was not heard from again.
| PK Kris Brown 0 - 0 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 3 points |
Kris Brown only had PATs and no attempted field goals today.
| HOU Rush Defense |
The Texans were able to stifle the Vikings rushing attack in the first half. Adrian Peterson had a lot of touches but could not get many yards. But in the second half and mainly in the fourth quarter we were reminded what all day means. Adrian Peterson made defenders miss and busted tackles and gained over 100 yards in the second half alone.
| HOU Pass Defense |
The pass defense was open to the big play. Bernard Berrian dropped a deep pass that might have been another touchdown. The interception return for a touchdown was the only bright spot. There was not a lot of pressure outside of Mario Williams. The Vikings just loaded up his side and didn't have many problems. In the second half the Vikings didn't need to pass much and they didn't.
| QB Gus Frerotte, Pass: 11 - 18 - 182 - 3 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 3 - 0 - 0 |
The three touchdowns are impressive and it was a pretty good day. The interception was on a bobble by Bernard Berrian that he should have caught. Frerotte only had six attempts in the whole second half. The numbers could have been even better. He wasn't afraid to go deep and only missed on one deep route. There were a few drops and a couple deep routes that were barely out of bounds. Two of those catches could have put Frerotte well over 200 yards for the day.
| RB Adrian Peterson, Rush: 25 - 139 - 1 |
It didn't look like there would be much to report on Peterson. Then the third quarter came to an end with a 40 yard run. After that Adrian Peterson ran at will. He was able to make people miss and break tackles. He put a lot of meaning to all day and wore the defense down. The touchdown was on the first drive, but the yards were all at the end of the game. It was impressive once the fourth quarter ended. His running probably won the game for Minnesota because it kept Sage Rosenfels off the field.
| RB Chester Taylor, Rush: 7 - 38 - 0, Rec: 3 - 25 - 0 (2 targets) |
Chester Taylor was not used much outside of giving Adrian Peterson a rest. He did do a very good job with the few touches that he had.
| RB Naufahu Tahi, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (1 targets) |
Naufahu Tahi earned one reception just so he could appear in the stat lines.
| WR Bobby Wade, Rec: 3 - 16 - 0 (4 targets) |
Bobby Wade was used again in some short receptions. There were only eighteen passing attempts total. There just wasn't a lot more Wade could do.
| WR Bernard Berrian, Rec: 2 - 104 - 1 (7 targets) |
This was an impressive performance. Berrian was targeted early and often. Many of his targets were deep throws. One was overthrown and another in double coverage that Berrian just missed. Another was bobbled but could have been a touchdown. He was just inches from a huge day. On his first touchdown he fought for the ball, then made a guy miss, and then outran a DB for the score. It was a quiet second half and Berrian was only targeted once. But, there were only six attempts during the whole second half. The first half was most impressive.
| WR Sidney Rice, Rec: 1 - 8 - 1 (1 targets) |
On only his fourth reception of the year, Sidney Rice caught a touchdown.
| WR Aundrae Allison (1 targets) |
Aundrae Allison had one very nice reception on a deep route but he pushed off and it was called back.
| TE Visanthe Shiancoe, Rec: 1 - 25 - 1 (2 targets) |
Visanthe Shiancoe had a very nice touchdown catch. He also had a key drop that could have cost the Vikings. That catch would have been a first down and the Vikings could have run the clock out.
| PK Ryan Longwell 0 - 0 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 4 points |
Ryan Longwell was only called on the field for extra points today.
| MIN Rush Defense |
"The Firm" of Williams, Williams and Allen were in full force. Steve Slaton could not run up the middle at all. The linebackers contained the run when the Texans tried to go outside. There were not many rushing attempts in the second half. But, when the Texans needed a few yards for a first down they went to the pass. It was like they Texans were conceding that they couldn't run the ball.
| MIN Pass Defense |
The pass rush was relentless. The Vikings did not need to blitz and they still had a lot of pressure. The interceptions might have been a huge product of that pass rush. There were five sacks, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions. Most of this was in the first half. The Vikings had a tougher time trying to contain Sage Rosenfels. The interception was in the endzone and took points away from the Texans. The passing yards were high in the second half because the Texans had to play from behind.
