WR Andre Johnson, Houston Texans

HT: 6-2, WT: 221, Born: 7-11-1981, College: Miami, Drafted: Round 1, Pick 3

2013 Projections

Average draft position

Current as of May 6th. [Full ADP list]

Overall: R White (29), T Brady (30), Andre Johnson (31), D Wilson (32), D McFadden (33)
Position: P Harvin (26-WR7), R White (29-WR8), Andre Johnson (31 - WR9), L Fitzgerald (34-WR10), R Cobb (37-WR11)
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PPR Average draft position

Current as of May 6th. [Full PPR ADP list]

Overall: A Rodgers (22), P Harvin (23), Andre Johnson (24), D Brees (25), D Murray (26)
Position: D Thomas (19-WR6), P Harvin (23-WR7), Andre Johnson (24 - WR8), R White (27-WR9), R Cobb (31-WR10)
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Latest News

Texans | Kubiak calls rookie WR Hopkins 'special' (Sun May 12, 09:24 PM) - Houston Texans head coach Gary Kubiak has been impressed with what he's seen from first-round pick WR DeAndre Hopkins (Clemson). "He's special," Kubiak said Sunday. "Ball skills are extremely special. Very long; long arms. Big hands; you saw the catch he made out here today. He's going to help us early, and we know that, and that's why we brought him here."

Our View: We agree with Kubiak here. Hopkins reminds us of Reggie Wayne (Colts) because of his body control and ability to make difficult catches seem routine. The team finally has a legitimate threat opposite superstar Andre Johnson. We like him as a WR4 with upside in 2013. His current ADP is WR43 and he's coming off the board at the end of round nine.
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Texans | Coach praises DeAndre Hopkins (Fri May 10, 02:15 PM) - Houston Texans head coach Gary Kubiak praised WR DeAndre Hopkins after his first practice with the team. "Impressed. Very impressed," Kubiak said. "Very competitive, that's number one."

Our View: Hopkins is an impressive prospect who reminded some in the scouting community of Reggie Wayne (Colts) because of his sideline awareness, body control, and strong hands. He should start opposite Andre Johnson this year. His current ADP is WR44 and he's coming off the board at the beginning of round 10.
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2013 Schedule

2012 Game Summaries

Week 1 - Andre Johnson showed once again that, when healthy, he is one of the most talented receivers in football. He finished the day with eight receptions as the Texans primary receiver. Despite a rotated pre-snap safety working to double-team Johnson over the top most of the game, the veteran receiver was able to move throughout the secondary with ease. Johnson was most effective on the right side of the field when split out by himself. From this position he caught a 19 yard touchdown pass against the sideline as well as a 29 yard catch on the run where he was forced out of bounds inside the ten yard line. Johnson was able to get off the line of scrimmage easily which meant he was between two defenders almost as soon as the ball was snapped. As a result, he and Matt Schaub were able to make easy work of the Miami secondary.

Week 2 - Despite being healthy Andre Johnson had a quiet game against Jacksonville in week 2. Quarterback Matt Schaub did an excellent job spreading the ball around between his receivers and the Houston running game was firing on all cylinders. Despite only three receptions, Johnson was a willing blocker in the running game. He sealed off the end on numerous end runs and engaged his man at the line of scrimmage on runs up the middle. Johnson's best catch came on a quick slant to the inside on 2nd and 11 that netted a first down. On the play, Johnson got off the line of scrimmage quickly, caught the ball cleanly, and used his ample size and speed to push upfield for the first down.

Week 3 - One thing is for certain. Despite the checkered injury history recently and the fact Johnson isn’t getting any younger, the talented WR is still one of the best in the game when he is on the field. While only catching two balls, both were critical to the Texans’ victory on Sunday. The first being a 60-yard bomb on 1st and 20 promptly getting Houston out of five point deficit. It wasn’t until the final drive that Johnson would hit the stat sheet again, but again, it was another critical play. Facing both a dramatic momentum swing and the potential for consecutive three and outs, Schaub looked to his most trusted target on 3rd and 5, finding Johnson on a 12-yard gain allowing Houston to essentially ice the remainder of the game. Johnson’s numbers were a tad deceptive, however, as his two other targets just missed being big plays (the 2nd being a TD). Attempting to make an over the shoulder catch, the pass from Schaub ever so slightly grazed Johnson’s shoulder pad, redirecting the pass. Johnson actually prevented an INT, as it caromed right into Mike Adams’ hands, but the hit from Johnson on Adams broke the INT up. Later, Schaub would again look to Johnson deep, this time in the end zone, but Champ Bailey made a great effort as Johnson was reeling the pass in, just barely jarring the ball loose for an incompletion. Owners will take the 72 yards and a TD, just know there was nearly another 60 yards and TD barely missed on Sunday.

Week 4 - Johnson was somewhat quiet against the Titans, primarily from a lack of need in the Texans passing game. He was only targeted twice on the day on the Texans' first two plays from scrimmage. The results were a 33 yard catch to the left followed by a 20 yard reception to the right. From there, the Texans were able to spread the ball around and generate points in a variety of ways without calling their star receiver's number. Johnson was nursing a slight groin injury prior to the game so it is certainly possible that the Texans were conserving him on purpose.

Week 5 - Andre Johnson had a difficult time getting open against Antonio Cromartie. Johnson’s sole reception occurred during Houston’s first drive after halftime. Johnson ran a slant route and found a soft spot in the Jets’ zone coverage. Earlier in the game, one of Johnson’s targets was intercepted by Cromartie. Matt Schaub under threw Johnson on a deep crossing route, allowing Cromartie to intercept the pass.

Week 6 - Andre Johnson saw his normal consistent targets. Johnson finished the game with 8 catches for 75 yards and became just the 28th player in NFL history to surpass 10,000 receiving yards for his career. Johnson is still one of the elite receiving talents, and found ways to get open consistently.

Week 7 - After a somewhat uninspiring start to the season, Johnson finally broke through against the Ravens. Despite not scoring and not eclipsing 100 yards, Johnson managed to haul in nine receptions (on ten targets) and keep the Ravens' safeties honest against the potent Houston running game. The absence of corner Lardarius Webb meant that the Ravens' were forced to choose whether to double-cover Johnson or Owen Daniels with lesser players. When Johnson was single-covered or handed off in zone defense, he was able to catch the ball on the run. His best catch came on a 12 yard gain in the middle of the field. On the play, Johnson faked a deep route before cutting sharply across the middle of the field, leaving his defender far behind. He used his body to shield the ball and make the catch before being wrapped up by safety Ed Reed. Johnson has always been one of the NFL's best receivers when it comes to using his size and strength to block defenders from the ball and Sunday's game was no different. Despite trying to press him at the line of scrimmage, Johnson did an excellent job getting in to his routes quickly and making sure his defender did not have a chance at the ball when it came his way. While it still remains to be seen if Johnson can reemerge as a dangerous deep threat, his game against the Ravens shows that his elite pass catching ability and superior route running are still part of his present, not his past.

Week 9 - Facing the severely undersized Aaron Williams for the majority of the relevant action on Sunday, Johnson worked the 2nd year DB up and down the field before sending Williams off with an injury. Johnson led the team in targets with 10, catching eight of them and surpassing the century mark for the first time since week one. Johnson successfully flashed the entire route tree, opening the clinic with a 13-yard out on the Texans’ 2nd drive. The following drive Johnson easily beat the coverage for seven yards on a quick slant. Johnson’s best play (and longest) came on the opening drive of the 2nd half. Again facing a pressed Williams, Johnson faked the slant before using a powerful swim move to get outside the DB. Williams bit and Johnson was given a clean route on the vertical, running below the perfectly thrown ball from Schaub. Johnson made the catch and as Williams dragged Johnson down, he hurt his knee as it was caught below Johnson’s body. The catch was Johnson’s longest on the day, picking up 34 yards and setting up a three-yard TD run from Foster two plays later. Johnson exhibited some serious power on his 2nd longest catch, hauling in the slant and easily blasting through Gilmore’s attempted tackle before he dragged severely undersized safety George Wilson down to the Buffalo ten, setting up another Texan TD. Johnson just missed a TD of his own late in the game. Schaub threw a nice ball to the end zone for Johnson, but Gilmore was finally able to tighten the coverage and was able to break the pass up just before Johnson could haul it in. Clearly healthy and vastly superior, Johnson was able to have his way with Buffalo, only missing a huge game because the script didn’t call for much more from the Texan offense.

Week 10 - Johnson had a quiet game for the Texans – partially due to the fact that the weather was terrible and partially because Charles Tillman was shadowing him all night. Johnson was targeted early and often by Schaub, but his longest catches were a pair of 11 yard gains. He did not have a reception after 7:26 left in the second quarter and wasn’t even targeted in the 4th quarter. On the opening series, Schaub went to Johnson deep down the left side of the field. Johnson was open, but the ball bounced off his hands due to the poor weather conditions. He caught two passes on the next series for just eight and 11 yards, both were short routes – high percentage receptions. He was also targeted on a play action pass, but was well overthrown. His only catch of the second quarter was a quick slant for 11 yards, mid-way through the quarter. In the second half, the Texans turned to the run to preserve the lead and grind the clock. Johnson was on the field, but was not a factor.

Week 11 - At 31 years old many had thought that Johnson's best days were behind him. His performance on Sunday against the Jaguars calls such assertions in to question. Johnson finished the day 14 receptions on 19 targets for an eye-popping 273 yards. His best catch came on a touchdown in overtime. On the play, Johnson caught a screen to the right side, made a quick move to the inside and then sped past the defense up the right sideline for the game-winning touchdown. Johnson also caught a nice deep pass down the right sideline that fell right in to his arms on the run as the Texans were driving to tie the game. Most impressive, Johnson was able to use his speed all day to find gaps in the defense and rip off large chunks of yardage after catching the ball. He had receptions on screen passes, go routes, drag routes, and crossing patterns. Despite attempted double coverage with a safety rolled over the top, Johnson was able to average almost twenty yards per catch on the strength of excellent route running and quick acceleration after the catch.

Week 12 - ohnson had his second straight fantastic game. He finished the day with 9 catches for 188 yards and was uncoverable for long stretches. His two best catches came on very different plays. On the first, he streaked down the right side of the field and caught an on-target Matt Schaub pass for a 37 yard gain. On the second, Johnson was streaking down the left sideline with two Lions covering him. The Matt Schaub pass was batted around by the defense but Johnson showed excellent concentration in catching the ball anyway for a 43 yard gain. As has been the case in the last two weeks, Johnson had a great deal of success on deep crossing routes. Johnson had a big gain on a second quarter pass from Schaub. On the play, Johnson lined up to the left and ran a deep cross. Matt Schaub faked the handoff and rolled out to the left. The quarterback set his feet and lofted a ball over the defense to a crossing Johnson. Johnson also had a 17 yard reception on 4th and sixteen late in the fourth quarter as the Texans drove to tie the game. Quite amazingly, Johnson did not score a touchdown despite catching 9 passes and posting nearly 200 yards.

Week 13 - After two outstanding weeks in a row, Johnson was brought back to earth by a Tennessee defense determined to not let him catch the ball on the run. Johnson caught five balls on the day but was not targeted deep once as the Titans seemed content to give up short passes instead of the big play. Johnson primarily ran drag routes across the middle of the field and short curls to the right side. He also ran out patterns and designed screens to the left when the Titans gave him an ample cushion at the line of scrimmage. His best catch came on a 15 yard gain in the first quarter. On the play, Johnson ran a crossing pattern from the right side and was able to catch the ball on the run, gaining extra yardage after the catch before being brought down by the Titans defender. Johnson finished the day with 56 receiving yards.

Week 14 - Despite catching eight passes for 95 yards, Andre Johnson never seemed a threat to break off a big play against the Patriots. New England rolled a safety to Johnson's side of the field on most passing downs and made sure that his yards-after-the-catch were minimal. Johnson primarily ran go patterns and crossing routes from the left side of the field. The Patriots wisely defended him close to the line of scrimmage in an effort to reduce the number of quick passes and screens that could come Johnson's way. His best catch came on a 25 yard gain. On the play, Johnson quickly got up to full speed on a crossing pattern, caught the pass, and turned upfield for his longest reception of the day. Johnson was targeted on a deep pass down the middle of the field in to the endzone in the first half but the pass was incomplete.

Week 15 - Johnson continued to look rejuvenated as the Texans worked him on more short and intermediate routes to the middle of the field instead of just go patterns. Johnson had a sure touchdown done in on Houston's first drive when Matt Schaub underthrew him. The play still resulted in a 52 yard gain. Otherwise, his big day might have been even more impressive. Johnson's touchdown came on a catch that reminded of his earlier years. On the play, he lined up split to the right side. He ran a quick slant to the middle of the field and caught Matt Schaub's fast pass. At the one yard line, a defender had a chance to tackle Johnson but he sidestepped away from traffic and found his way to the endzone. Johnson was excellent with the ball in his hands Johnson also had a 22 yard catch and run over the middle on an excellent crossing pattern that demonstrated how in sync he and Schaub are. The Houston quarterback has consistently gotten Johnson the ball in front of his body and on the run allowing for substantial yards after the catch.

Week 16 - Johnson continued his excellent play for the year against the Vikings.  He finished the day with 7 receptions for 96 yards and had little trouble getting separation at the line of scrimmage.  That said, the Vikings worked diligently to make sure Johnson did not get behind the defense on any deep routes. Minnesota's defensive backs also wrapped Johnson up soon after the catch, limiting his ability to get yards after the reception except on crossing patterns and drag routes.  Matt Schaub missed Johnson twice in the first half on go patterns, once on each side of the field, leading to more conservative throws as the game went on.

Week 17 - Johnson took almost the whole passing game on his shoulders. He received a ton of quick, short targets, and made good moves with good speed and strength after the catch to keep the Texans offense viable after they went away from the run. He got got open downfield between the hashes and on the sidelines when longer pass plays were called. Johnson did drop a long touchdown, and he was well-covered on the long interception that was the Texans last offensive play, but he gave the team everything he had in this regular season finale, and it was a lot. Johnson proved he is still an elite fantasy receiver this year.

Week 18 - Johnson was second on the team with 62 yards receiving on six targets and four catches. Despite Schaub looking his way on more than one occasion deep down the field off play fakes, the Bengals did a tremendous job keeping everything in front of them. Johnson’s longest catch went for 22 yards, taking the offense down to the Bengal five-yard line on the Texans lone TD drive. Locked into single coverage, Johnson beat the DB to the inside and Schaub delivered a perfect throw on the play. Johnson just missed a TD in the first half. Playing from the slot, with severely undersized Adam Jones manned up, Johnson literally tossed the DB formally known as “Pacman” aside as he ran a quick out. The throw grazed Johnson’s fingers, but was a bit too wide and he wasn’t able to make the catch (although it is certainly one he has to make going forward).

Week 19 - Johnson led the offense in receiving yards, but just like the Wild Card game against Bengals last week, he was unable to make much happen down field (averaging a mere 12 yards per catch). Johnson should have had a TD on the opening drive as he ran free and uncovered across the back of the end zone, but Schaub threw the pass well above the WR. The following drive saw Johnson’s first catch he picked up 10 yards on a curl. The next three drives all opened with completions to Johnson, including a great catch 16 yards. Streaking across the middle, Johnson had to go horizontal to the field and extend to snatch the low throw out of the air. Johnson’s long came in the 2nd half, and at the time appeared to be pivotal to the Texans’ chances. Facing a 3rd and long, Johnson ran a deep dig route and was able to make the catch just before the defense collapsed on him. On the Texans’ final scoring drive, Johnson made another tremendous catch on the two-point conversion. With Schaub scrambling outside, Johnson went wide too and used his body to box out CB Aqib Talib for the catch on the high throw. Johnson caught one more ball, for 15 yards, on the game’s final drive as the Patriots played well off the WR. No one was more hurt more by Schaub’s unwillingness to attack via the pass and his numbers (and at one point Johnson’s clear frustration) showed that.