Irving was blocked by Texans free safety Glover Quin into punt returner Trindon Holliday in the second quarter. Irvin appeared to be knocked unconscious after striking Holliday’s left shoulder with the crown of his helmet. He fell to the grass on the Broncos sideline and his teammates waved over the team’s medical personnel.

Irving, a second-year pro from North Carolina State, stayed down for several minutes before being helped to his feet. The Broncos said he wouldn’t return to the game.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

THE WIN…
·         Was the Texans’ third consecutive victory on Kickoff Weekend. Houston improved to 6-5 on opening day and 5-3 at home on Kickoff Weekend.

·         Improved Houston’s all-time record against Miami to 7-0 overall and 4-0 at Reliant Stadium.

·         Improved Houston’s record against AFC East opponents to 10-10 all-time.

HEAD COACH GARY KUBIAK
·         Improved his career regular-season record to 48-49 overall.

·         Won his 30th game at Reliant Stadium, improving to 30-19 at home.

·         Unsuccessfully challenged a call on Houston’s first possession, arguing that WR Lestar Jean was in bounds on a catch in the end zone. Jean was ruled out of bounds by the officials on the field. His career record fell to 5-17 on challenges.

·         The Texans have scored 30 or more points 25 times in franchise history, 22 of which have come under Kubiak (2006-12).

THE TEXANS…
·         Did not allow Miami to score an offensive touchdown in the game.

·         Held an opponent to 10 or fewer points for the 25th time in team history and the sixth time in two seasons under defensive coordinator Wade Phillips.

·         Intercepted three passes in the first half, tying a franchise record for the most interceptions in one half. The last time Houston had three interceptions in a half was in the second half at Tampa Bay last season (11/13/11).

·         Forced turnovers on four consecutive possessions to end the first half.  It was the second time in team history that the Texans forced turnovers on four straight possessions. The previous time was 10/3/04 vs. Oakland.

·         Forced turnovers on three consecutive plays in the second quarter. Following ILB Brian Cushing’s interception, CB Kareem Jackson intercepted a pass on first-and-10 on Miami’s next drive, and SS Danieal Manning recovered a fumble on the first play of Miami’s subsequent possession.

·         Tied the team record for the most takeaways in one half with four in the first half. The last time Houston forced four turnovers in a half was in the second half at Tampa Bay on11/13/11.

·         Held Miami’s offense to -5 yards in the third quarter. The previous low was 1 yard by Tampa Bay in the third quarter on 11/13/11.

·         Stopped Miami on fourth down on three consecutive possessions in the fourth quarter. Houston’s opponents were 6-of-13 (46.2 percent) on fourth-down attempts in 2011.

·         Held Miami to 2-of-10 (20 percent) on third down attempts in the game. Houston’s opponents converted 35.8 percent of third-down tries in 2011.

·         Have scored 30 or more points in each of their last three season openers. They scored 34 vs. Indianapolis in 2010 and again in 2011.

·         Scored 24 points off of four takeaways, their first such points this season. In 2011, the team scored 119 points off of 27 turnovers.

·         Scored 24 second-quarter points, which tied for the most in that period in team history. Houston also scored 24 points vs. Arizona on 12/8/05. Tied for second-most points in a quarter in franchise history.

·         Had four red-zone possessions in the first half and scored three touchdowns. Overall, Houston was 3-of-6 on its red zone possessions in the game. The Texans scored touchdowns on 28-of-60 red zone possessions (46.7 percent) in 2011.

·         Won the time of possession battle, holding the ball for 34:44. Houston was 9-3 when winning time of possession in 2011 and are now 39-18 under Kubiak when holding the ball more than their opponent.

·         Ran the ball 35 times in the game. Under Kubiak, Houston is now 33-5 when running the ball 30 or more times.

·         Outrushed the Dolphins, 83-79. Houston improved to 1-0 on the season when outrushing its opposition and 38-15 under Kubiak.

·         Held a plus-4 turnover ratio in the game (4 takeaways, 0 turnovers) and improved to 28-7 under Kubiak in games with a positive turnover margin.

·         Did not have any rookies start in the season opener for the first time in franchise history.

ILB BRIAN CUSHING
·         Forced a fumble in the first quarter. It was his first forced fumble of the season and the sixth of his career.

·         Intercepted his first pass of the season and the seventh of his career when he hauled in a deflected pass in the second quarter. Cushing returned the interception for 1 yard.

·         Also led the team with seven tackles, including six solo stops. It was the

TE OWEN DANIELS
·         Made his 300th career reception with his first catch of the afternoon, a 23-yard gain on the Texans’ opening drive. Daniels finished the game with 87 yards on four catches.

·         Picked up a first down on all four of his receptions.

RB ARIAN FOSTER
·         Scored his 30th career rushing touchdown and his first of the season on a 14-yard gain late in the second quarter.

·         Became the second Texans position player, along with WR Andre Johnson, to score more than 300 points when he scored his first touchdown of the game. The score gave him 305 career points.

·         Scored his second rushing touchdown of the game on a 1-yard run in the second quarter. It was his seventh career multi-touchdown performance. He finished with a game-high 79 rushing yards on 26 attempts, including his two touchdowns.

K SHAYNE GRAHAM
·         Saw a 52-yard field goal attempt in the first quarter fall short. Graham is now 9-19 from beyond 50 yards in his career. The kick was his 250th career field goal attempt.

·         Connected on a 36-yard field goal in the second quarter for his first points as a Texan.

·         Made a 40-yard field goal in the third quarter to push the Texans’ lead to 27-10. In his career, Graham is 57-of-71 (80.3 percent) on attempts between 40 and 49 yards.

·         Closed the scoring with a 19-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. It was only the fifth attempt of his career from less than 20 yards, and he is perfect on those kicks.

CB KAREEM JACKSON
·         Intercepted his first pass of the season and the fourth of his career when he picked off a deflected pass in the second quarter. He returned the interception 3 yards.

·         Tied a career high with two passes defensed in the game. The last time he had two passes defensed was 11/6/11 vs. Cleveland.

DE TIM JAMISON
·         Sacked Miami QB Ryan Tannehill for a 12-yard loss in the fourth quarter. It was his first sack of the game and the fourth of his career.

WR LESTAR JEAN
·         Made his first career reception with a 9-yard gain on third-and-4 to keep the Texans’ opening drive alive.

WR ANDRE JOHNSON
·         Extended his streak of consecutive games played with a reception to 83 with an 11-yard catch on Houston’s opening drive of the game.

·         Caught his 500th pass under Head Coach Gary Kubiak with a 24-yard gain in the second quarter, his second catch of the day. Johnson has averaged 89.3 receiving yards and 6.49 receptions per game under Kubiak, both of which would be the highest in NFL history by a wide margin if viewed on their own.

·         Caught his 53rd career touchdown pass on a 14-yard scoring strike just before halftime.

·         Surpassed 100 receiving yards on the day with a 29-yard catch in the fourth quarter. The catch gave Johnson 119 yards on the day. It was Johnson’s 39th career 100-yard game.

·         Became the first player in Texans history to play 10 seasons with the team when he took the field to start the game.

CB JOHNATHAN JOSEPH
·         Intercepted his first pass of the season and the 19th of his career when he picked off Miami QB Ryan Tannehill in the second quarter. Joseph returned the interception 36 yards. It was Joseph’s first interception in regular-season play at Reliant Stadium.

SS DANIEAL MANNING
·         Recovered his first fumble of the season and the fifth of his career in the second quarter.

FS GLOVER QUIN
·         Forced his first fumble of the season when he knocked the ball out of Miami RB Daniel Thomas’ hands in the second quarter.

QB MATT SCHAUB
·         Improved his record as the Texans’ starting quarterback to 33-32.

·         Threw his first touchdown pass of the season and the 99th of his career when he hit WR Andre Johnson for a 14-yard score just before halftime.

·         Completed 20-of-31 passes for 266 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions, giving him a passer rating of 102.4. The Texans are 22-6 when Schaub has a passer rating of 100 or better.

DE ANTONIO SMITH
·         Teamed with DE J.J. Watt to sack Miami QB Ryan Tannehill for an 8-yard loss in the third quarter. The half-sack gave Smith 30.0 for his career and 15.5 as a Texan.

DE J.J. WATT
·         Picked up his, and the team’s, first sack of the season when he fell on Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill after Tannehill was tripped by one of his linemen in the second quarter. The sack gave Watt 6.5 career sacks.

·         Deflected three passes, all in the first half, two of which resulted in interceptions.

·         Teamed with DE Antonio Smith to sack Tannehill for an 8-yard loss in the third quarter. It gave Watt second career multi-sack game in regular-season play. He had 2.0 sacks at Jacksonville on 11/27/11.  Additionally, Watt had 2.5 sacks in the AFC Divisional Playoff at Baltimore on 1/15/12.

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
·         Four rookies made their NFL debuts in the game: DE Jared Crick, C Ben Jones, WR Keshawn Martin and OLB Whitney Mercilus. Second-year WR Lestar Jean also made his professional debut after spending his rookie season on Injured Reserve. Veteran free agents CB Alan Ball, FB Tyler Clutts, RB Justin Forsett, K Shayne Graham, T Ryan Harris, ILB Bradie James and P Donnie Jones all made their Texans debuts.

·         Inactive players for the Texans included QB John Beck, OLB Bryan Braman, G Brandon Brooks, CB Roc Carmichael, T Andrew Gardner, CB Brandon Harris and WR DeVier Posey.

·         Captains for the Texans were ILB Brian Cushing, ILB Tim Dobbins, WR Andre Johnson, QB Matt Schaub and DE Antonio Smith.

·         The Dolphins won the toss and elected to receive.

·         Total paid attendance was 71,566, which is the second-largest crowd in Texans history. The team record is 71,585 on 10/2/11 vs. Pittsburgh. Houston has sold out all 104 home games, including preseason, regular-season and postseason, in franchise history.

Texans non-dressers
8 QB Matt Schaub
13 QB T.J. Yates
21 CB Brice McCain
23 RB Arian Foster
24 CB Johnathan Joseph
25 CB Kareem Jackson
29 FS Glover Quin
38 SS Danieal Manning
44 RB Ben Tate
50 OLB Bryan Braman
53 ILB Bradie James
55 C Chris Myers
56 ILB Brian Cushing
58 OLB Brooks Reed
62 G Antoine Caldwell
74 G Wade Smith
75 T Derek Newton
76 T Duane Brown
80 WR Andre Johnson
81 TE Owen Daniels
86 FB James Casey
87 WR Jerrell Jackson
88 TE Garrett Graham
94 DE Antonio Smith
95 NT Shaun Cody
96 DE Tim Jamison
98 OLB Connor Barwin
99 DE J.J. Watt

Texans starting lineup changesrt
Keshawn Martin and Lestar Jean will start at wide receiver. Rashad Butler will start at left tackle. Cody White will start at left guard. Ben Jones will start at center. Brandon Brooks will start at right guard. Andrew Gardner will start at right tackle. Logan Brock will start at tight end. John Beck will start at quarterback. Moran Norris will start at fullback. Justin Forsett will start at running back. Mitch King and Jared Crick will start at defensive end. Hebron Fangupo will start at nose tackle. Whitney Mercilus and D.J. Bryant will start at outside linebacker. Mister Alexander and Tim Dobbins will start at inside linebacker. Alan Ball and Sherrick McManis will start at cornerback. Quintin Demps and Troy Nolan will start at safety.

Vikings non-dressers
7 QB Christian Ponder
12 WR Percy Harvin
20 CB Chris Cook
26 CB Antoine Winfield
28 HB Adrian Peterson
32 HB Toby Gerhart
33 FS Jamarca Sanford
34 S Andrew Sendejo
41 S Mistral Raymond
42 FB Jerome Felton
50 WLB Erin Henderson
52 SLB Chad Greenway
54 MLB Jasper Brinkley
65 C John Sullivan
69 RDE Jared Allen
71  T Phil Loadholt
74 LG Charlie Johnson
75 LT Matt Kalil
81 WR Jerome Simpson
82 TE Kyle Rudolph
89 TE John Carlson
93 UT Kevin Williams
96 LDE Brian Robison
98 NT Letroy Guion

Vikings starting lineup changes:
84 Michael Jenkins at WR for 81 Jerome Simpson
73 DeMarcus Love at LT for 75 Matt Kalil
72 Chris DeGeare at LG for 74 Charlie Johnson
61 Joe Berger at C for 65 John Sullivan
79 Pat Brown at RT for 71 Phil Loadholt
40 Rhett Ellison at TE for 82 Kyle Rudolph
11 Stephen Burton at WR for 12 Percy Harvin
14 Joe Webb at QB for 7 Christian Ponder
44 Ryan D’Imperio at FB for 42 Jerome Felton
38 Lex Hilliard at HB for 32 Toby Gerhart
91 D’Aundre Reed at LDE for 96 Brian Robison
62 Chase Baker at NT for 90 Fred Evans
99 Christian Ballard at UT for 93 Kevin Williams
97 Everson Griffen at RDE for 69 Jared Allen
51 Larry Dean at LB for 52 Chad Greenway
58 Tyrone McKenzie at LB for 54 Jasper Brinkley
55 Marvin Mitchell at LB for 50 Erin Henderson
27 Brandon Burton at CB for 26 Antoine Winfield
25 Chris Carr at CB for 20 Chris Cook
37 Eric Frampton at SS for 41 Mistral Raymond
22 Harrison Smith at FS for 33 Jamarca Sanford

On CB Johnathan Joseph: “For us last year, he was the ultimate professional. He came in as a big-money free agent guy who practiced every day. Set a great example for our young guys. He was a great leader on the field, especially. I was proud of him. Sometimes, you sign guys who come in and don’t want to practice, don’t want to go the extra mile. But he worked every day, went the extra mile, studied and improved his game and made his first Pro Bowl. I’m assuming this year he’s going to be even better for us. He’s the ultimate key to our pass defense. Every week, he matches the best receiver from our opponents, man or zone. That gives us a great disguise. It also gets our best on their best each week. Some guys, you give them that assignment and sometimes they kind of want to relax and not play up to their level each week, but he embraces that challenge. He lives for playing the best guy each week. He has great long speed and great ball skills, and we’re expecting great things from him this year.”

On FS Danieal Manning: “Danieal Manning had a great spring. He’s gonna be a Pro Bowl player. I mean, that’s what he is. Last year, he missed almost four games and came back and played really well, but he had a great, great offseason here in the spring. He finally knows what to do and how to do it. Last year, we didn’t have any OTAs, so those guys came in, went right to camp, right to the season. The offseason has made him a better player in all aspects, especially knowing what to do. Physically, he’s off the charts as far as running, hitting, catching the football. Even his return skills are excellent. Mentally last year, he wasn’t where he should’ve been, but now he is. And he’s a leader. He’s a leader by example. He’s a guy every day who’s going to give you 100 percent. He’s going to give you energy every day. If guys follow his lead a little bit, it’s contagious, so I’m excited about Danieal.”

On SS Glover Quin: “He’s the model of consistency. G.Q. shows up every day and he’s the same person, mentally and physically, and that’s a skill that everyone doesn’t have. I mean, that’s hard to do in life, to show up every day and be the same or be better every day. That’s what he gives us, so we know going into Sundays he’s going to give us a solid day of play, mentally and physically. This offseason, he’s worked on his pass coverage stuff, being more rangy in high zones and all those things and in coverage on tight ends. I thought it was an excellent transition for him last year. Going from corner to safety and taking on the physical battles that a safety does, he’s really good at that. He’s going to get better. That was his first year playing safety in the NFL and he was almost there, but this year, he’s going to take great, great steps.”

On CB Kareem Jackson: “Jackson’s a guy I’m very, very proud of. Coming into last season, he had a rough rookie season, so confidence-wise, he wasn’t where he should’ve been. But he worked so hard on his technique and playing the game the right way. He was already a tough, smart player, but his technique wasn’t up to par. But after a long camp and spending hours of working technique, he became a really solid football player. The criticism he takes off the field, man, it’s almost impossible for a guy to play with confidence, but he has. He’s been very, very resilient. That’s a quality that most corners don’t have that he has. He’s a resilient player, he’s a tough player and he believes he can. I believe he can. He had a great spring. When we came in last year, he looked like a young corner. Now, watching the guy all spring, he looks like a professional corner, so I’m looking forward to great days from Kareem Jackson.”

The position-by-position season preview articles and Coach’s Commentary quotes for each projected starter will be featured in the 2012 Houston Texans Yearbook, which goes on sale at the Go Texan Store at Reliant Stadium and online on Saturday, July 28.

Also, quarterback T.J. Yates will pop on, and we’ll hear his thoughts on how OTA’s went and what he’s picked up this offseason.

Plus, former Patriots and Browns outside linebacker Willie McGinest, who now works at the NFL Network will join us, and he’ll share his thoughts on Wade Phillips’ 3-4 scheme, where Brian Cushing should play on the field and more.

We’ll also welcome Jets reporter Eric Allen. The Texans play at New York on Monday Night Football in Week 5.

Remember, you can listen here!

I’ll also be in studio with Nick Scurfield, and we’ll hear how Yates’ first OTA’s went, what Quin is doing this offseason to fight illiteracy and a whole lot more.

If you’re out and about, listen to us on SportsRadio 610, or if you’re online, check it out here.

Pleasant, an undrafted free agent from Oregon, was previously mentioned by general manager Rick Smith as a player the Texans had contemplated drafting. Marciano seconded that notion, and then some.

“We’ve got Eddie Pleasant, who we really liked,” Marciano said in response to a question about UDFAs who could make an impact on special teams. “We thought we were going to draft him. That’s another story for another day, but we had him and his card was picked; we were ready to take him. I already gave him a nickname. His name is ‘The Missile.’ He seeks in on the target and he just takes off and hits it. He’s a very, very exciting player. I’m excited about him to come in and see what he can do.”

Pleasant (5-10, 211) was a three-year starter at Oregon, starting his career as a linebacker and emergency running back. He didn’t play safety until his junior year with the Ducks but blossomed as a senior in 2011, recording 61 tackles, three interceptions and 11 passes defensed en route to first-team All-Pac 12 honors. He posted a 4.63 40-yard dash, 33.5-inch vertical jump and 22 bench press reps of 225 pounds at the NFL Scouting Combine.

The Texans currently have eight safeties on the roster: 2011 starters Danieal Manning and Glover Quin; 2011 contributors Troy Nolan, Quintin Demps and Shiloh Keo; 2011 practice squad player Torri Williams; and undrafted rookies Pleasant and Desmond Marrow (Toledo).

Four safeties were on the Texans’ active roster on opening day in 2011 (Manning, Quin, Nolan and Dominique Barber). There could be room for five this year, since the Texans had seven cornerbacks in Week 1 last season and now have only six corners on the roster. It’ll be a tough group to crack, but it certainly sounds like Pleasant has a legitimate chance.

We’re taking a round-by-round look at the players who have been drafted by the Texans since their inaugural season in 2002. In particular focus are the picks made since 2007, Rick Smith’s first draft as Texans general manager.

Bold denotes made Texans’ active roster that season
*Denotes finished 2011 season on an NFL roster
#Denotes Pro Bowlers

Texans fourth-round draft picks
2011: Roc Carmichael, CB, Virginia Tech (127 overall)
2010: Darryl Sharpton, LB, Miami (102)*
2010: Garrett Graham, TE, Wisconsin (118)*
2009: Anthony Hill, TE, North Carolina State (122)*
2009: Glover Quin, CB, New Mexico (112)*
2008: Xavier Adibi, LB, Virginia Tech (118)*
2007: Fred Bennett, CB, South Carolina (123)
———————————————————————————
2006: Owen Daniels, TE, Wisconsin (98)*#
2005: Jerome Mathis, WR, Hampton (114)
2004: Glenn Earl, SS, Notre Dame (122)
2003: Domanick Davis (Williams), RB, LSU (104)
2002: Jonathan Wells, RB, Ohio State (99)

Aside from Carmichael, who spent his rookie season on injured reserve, all of the Texans’ fourth-round picks under Rick Smith have made the active roster (as should be the expectation). Aside from Bennett, whose last season was in 2010, all of Smith’s fourth-round picks were still in the league as of last season. Quin (44), Bennett (17), Adibi (8) and Sharpton (6) have all started games for Houston.

Quin, Graham, Sharpton and Carmichael are still with the Texans. Quin is the starting strong safety and finished second on the team with 77 tackles in 2011. Sharpton and Graham both have a chance to compete for significant playing time in 2012 – Sharpton as a possible starting inside linebacker, Graham as the potential second tight end. Carmichael is a wild card after getting hurt in the first week of training camp last year.

The fourth round was good to the Texans under former GM Charley Casserly. Daniels was a Pro Bowler in 2008 and led the Texans in receiving last season. Davis/Williams won Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2003 and had 3,195 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns in three seasons before knee injuries ended his career. Mathis was an All-Pro kick returner as a rookie before injuries and off-field issues derailed his career. Earl started 31 games for the Texans, Wells 18.

“I think there is more excitement around here than there ever has been going into an offseason program,” tight end Owen Daniels said. “Obviously, after the year we had, everyone’s fired up to get started and continue on that path. So, a lot of smiling faces in the building right now.”

Because of the lockout in 2011, there were no team-organized offseason workouts until training camp in late July.

“It’s refreshing compared to last year where we were just looking for places to work out and working out over at Rice and doing our football stuff,” quarterback Matt Schaub said Monday. “To be here with the coaches, with the strength coaches and doing our work here, where we actually work, it’s nice to have that familiarity.”

The offseason program will last for five weeks leading up to the start of organized team activities (OTAs) on May 21.

“I’m excited to be back,” safety Glover Quin said. “We had a nice little break, but I’m excited to be back with the guys, with the team, and starting our journey for next year. I think it’ll be good, getting a chance to go through the offseason. Last year, we were locked out and when we came back, it was straight into camp and so we were still learning the defense as we were going through the season. So I think getting a chance to have an offseason and work with the guys, work with the coaches and dive more into our playbook and more into our looks and things like that, I think we’ll benefit from it.”

When the trade goes through this afternoon, the Texans will receive the fourth pick in the fourth round of this year’s draft. They also will receive the 77th overall pick in the third round in exchange for their third-round pick at No. 89. Instead of picking 26th in the third round, they’ll pick 13th.

That gives the Texans three picks in the top 77 — Nos. 26, 58 and 77. They now have two fourth-rounders to go along with a fifth, sixth and seventh-round pick. The full draft order has not been released because compensatory draft picks, which are awarded at the end of the third through seventh rounds, are still pending.

Among the Texans’ fourth-round picks since 2006 have been tight end Owen Daniels, safety Glover Quin and linebacker Darryl Sharpton, Ryans’ presumptive replacement at Mo (weak inside) linebacker.

Ryans did not play on passing downs last season in the Texans’ 3-4 defense and was due to make a $5.9 million base salary in 2012. His contract is now off the Texans’ books in 2013 and beyond.

Here’s a sampling of the comments from his teammates, NFL peers and others:

@MikeMcCartney7: Congrats to @ArianFoster for agreeing to a 5 year contract with the @HoustonTexans! Arian has showed tremendous class the last couple years.

@MSchaub8: Congrats to @ArianFoster for reaching a five year deal. Much derserved.

@DuaneBrown76: Congrats to my dawg @ArianFoster signing a new deal. Truly a special player that works very hard. Well deserved bruh

@JJWatt: Congrats to @ArianFoster on agreeing to a new 5-year deal! Very well deserved. #Texans

@briancushing56: Couldn’t be happier for my boy @ArianFoster. Very well deserved no one has worked harder.

@GloverQuin29: Congrats to my homie @ArianFoster on the new deal.. Well deserved my brotha..

@grah89ham: Congrats @ArianFoster. Well Deserved

@TJ_Yates: Congrats @ArianFoster on the new deal! Hard works pays off!

@34dombarber:Congrats to the homie @ArianFoster on his new contract! Kid works hard and never complains.. #canigetthatmixtapedoe lol

@MattLeinartQB: To echo my teammates, congrats to @ArianFoster for reaching a new deal. No one is more deserving!

@vleach44: Congrats to @ArianFoster well deserved now it’s time for @RayRice27 to get paid #showmethemoney

@RayRice27: Congrats to the bro @ArianFoster well deserved #respect

@HannahStormESPN: Congrats @ArianFoster And @HoustonTexans fans! RT @AdamSchefter: Texans and Foster agree on a five-year, $43.5 m deal $20.75 guaranteed

Here’s a brief pictorial summary of my day.  Enjoy!

 Now, we just need a Texans victory this weekend over the Baltimore Ravens (game in Baltimore), and a Broncos win over the New England Patriots (game in New England), and the Texans will be back here for the AFC Championship game next weekend! 

Here’s hoping! 

The Bengals won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. The Texans received the opening kickoff.

First quarter

7:34: Bengals 7 — Texans 0

Bengals running back Cedric Benson runs for a one-yard touchdown on first-and-goal.

Drive summary: 5 plays, 74 yards, 2:23

Key plays: Texans safety Glover Quin was penalized 52 yards for pass interference on the second play of the drive on a deep pass from Andy Dalton to A.J. Green over the middle. On third-and-seven from the Houston 17, Dalton completed a 16-yard screen pass to Brian Leonard. Benson scored on the next play.

4:57: Texans 7 — Bengals 7

Texans running back Arian Foster runs for an eight-yard touchdown on first-and-goal.

Drive summary: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:37

Key plays: On the second play of the drive, Foster made a 20-yard cutback run to the left side to the Houston 44. Texans quarterback T.J. Yates hit tight end Owen Daniels over the middle for 21 yards on the next play. Bengals safety Reggie Nelson was flagged 15 yards for unnecessary roughness to move the ball to the Cincinnati 20. Foster ran for eight yards, then four yards, then scored and punctuated the touchdown with a “Dream Shake” celebration in homage to Houston Rockets legend Hakeem Olajuwon.

Second quarter

7:09: Bengals 10 — Texans 7

Bengals kicker Mike Nugent makes a 37-yard field goal.

Drive summary: 8 plays, 61 yards, 4:15

Key plays: On third-and-one from the Cincinnati 29, Dalton ran up the middle for two yards and a first down. On the next play, he hit tight end Donald Lee for a 36-yard pass. Lee appeared to fumble after the play, and defensive end Antonio Smith was flagged 15 yards for a personal foul in the ensuing scramble. That moved the ball to the Houston 18-yard line.

1:48: Texans 10 — Bengals 10

Texans kicker Neil Rackers makes a 39-yard field goal.

Drive summary: 13 plays, 59 yards, 5:21

Key plays: Yates hit wide receiver Kevin Walter for 11 yards on the second play of the drive. Three plays later on third-and-four from the Houston 37, Yates completed an eight-yard pass to Daniels. Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis challenged the catch, but the ruling was upheld. Because Lewis lost a challenge earlier in the quarter, that left the Bengals without of challenges for the rest of the game.

0:52: Texans 17 — Bengals 10

Texans defensive end J.J. Watt scores on a 29-yard interception return.

Drive summary: N/A

Key plays: Watt jumped up and snatched Dalton’s pass behind the line of scrimmage, then dashed all the way to the north end zone.  He became the sixth defensive lineman in NFL history and first rookie defensive lineman to return an interception for a touchdown in the playoffs, not including the Super Bowl.

Third quarter

1:08: Texans 24 — Bengals 10

Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson catches a 40-yard touchdown pass on second-and-eight.

Drive summary: 9 plays, 83 yards, 4:37

Key plays: On the second play of the drive, Foster picked up 15 yards on a screen pass. Yates hit Foster for a 12-yard pass up the middle two plays later.  On third-and-six from the Houston 49, Johnson made a bobbling nine-yard catch for a first down. He caught his first-career playoff touchdown two plays later on a streak down the left sideline.

Fourth quarter

5:15: Texans 31 — Bengals 10

Foster runs for a 42-yard touchdown on third-and-seven.

Drive summary: 3 plays, 45 yards, 1:46

Key plays: Free safety Danieal Manning gave the Texans a short field with a leaping interception of Dalton on pass intended for Green. Foster scored three plays later, tiptoeing down the right sideline behind a nice downfield block by Jacoby Jones and shoving off a would-be tackler on his way to the end zone.

HOUSTON TEXANS

*Glover Quin missed Wednesday’s practice with a family-related matter

Did Not Participate in Practice
G Mike Brisiel (Ankle), CB Sherrick McManis (Ankle), S Troy Nolan (Ankle), S *Glover Quin (Non-Injury)

Limited Participation in Practice
NT Shaun Cody (Knee), TE Owen Daniels (Knee), TE Joel Dreessen (Knee), WR Andre Johnson (Hamstring), WR Bryant Johnson (Thigh), WR Jeff Maehl (Hamstring)

Full Participation in Practice
CB Jason Allen (Thumb), NT Earl Mitchell (Knee), C Chris Myers (Knee), T Eric Winston (Calf), QB T.J. Yates (R. Shoulder)

TENNESSEE TITANS

Did Not Participate in Practice
TE Daniel Graham (Illness), WR Lavelle Hawkins (Ankle), RB Chris Johnson (Ankle), DE Jason Jones (Ankle), DE Derrick Morgan (Non-Injury), DT Shaun Smith (Knee)

Full Participation in Practice
LB Gerald McRath (Knee/Ankle)

The offense continues to click along.  Matt Schaub is having a quietly solid season, minus the costly mistakes at crunch time that have plagued him in previous campaigns.  But unlike past years, every week isn’t a shootout and the running game is a consistent presence throughout games.  After dealing with injuries the past few seasons, tight end Owen Daniels is back to his play-making self, a la 2007 and 2008.  He currently is leading Houston in catches with 37 and receiving yard with 478.  An underrated offensive line, led by tackles Duane Brown and Eric Winston and center Chris Myers, has helped pave the way for the league’s third-ranked rushing attack, while allowing a mere 16 sacks on the year.

And Arian Foster is following up his amazing 2010 campaign with another fantastic season, despite missing two games and the better part of a third due to injury.  It appeared that Foster might get “Wally Pipped” by last year’s second-rounder Ben Tate, who put up strong numbers in the first three weeks of the season.  Foster, though, had other plans as he rumbled for 155 yards on 30 carries against the vaunted Steelers run defense, in his return to the lineup in week 4.  He has not looked back since, posting 740 rushing (eighth best in the league) and 445 receiving yards with 8 total touchdowns.  Ben Tate hasn’t disappeared, despite being supplanted as the starter.  He leads the team with a 5.6 yards-per-carry average and is the NFL’s tenth-ranked rusher with 686 yards.  Together Foster and Tate have spearheaded the Texans offense, bludgeoning opposing defenses and laying the foundation for a play-action passing game that has Matt Schaub registering a career-high in yards per attempt at 8.49.

The real story in Houston, though, is a defense allowing the second fewest points per game in the NFL.  Bringing in Wade Phillips and installing a 3-4 base defense has been a masterstroke that, to this point, is saving the jobs of Gary Kubiak and GM Rick Smith.  Brian Cushing is thriving at inside linebacker, registering a team high in tackles, along with 3 sacks, and 2 interceptions.  Rookie outside linebacker Brooks Reed is tied for the team lead in sacks with 5 (Mario Williams also posted 5 sacks before being lost for the season with a torn pectoral muscle).  Fellow outside ‘backer Connor Barwin and defensive end Antonio Smith are also applying consistent pressure on passers with 4.5 sacks each on the season.  Rookie J.J. Watt has garnered some defensive rookie of the year buzz for his all-around play at defensive end.  The secondary has improved dramatically since last season.  The additions of corner Jonathan Joseph and safety Danieal Manning in free agency, along with the exponentially-improved play of corner Kareem Jackson and the switch of Glover Quin to safety from corner, have brought the pass defense from dead last in the league in 2010 to an unbelievable second-place ranking to date.

To be sure, the AFC South is having a down year.  The Manning-less Colts are absolutely dreadful and well on their way to an 0-16 season.  Jacksonville, while boasting a solid defense, has the worst passing offense in the NFL, led by rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert and a host of nondescript pass catchers.  The Titans are maddeningly inconsistent, looking like contenders in the division one game and cellar dwellers the next.  Against this not-so-fearsome triumvirate, the Texans have taken care of  business, as well as dominating other hard-luck cases like the Dolphins and Browns.  In past years, Houston would have found ways to lose to the bad teams.  They have only defeated one playoff contender, Pittsburgh, while losing three to the Saints, Raiders, and Ravens, so we don’t know yet if they’ll stack up well against the AFC’s elite in the postseason.  The remainder of the schedule sets up well for the Texans to possibly secure a bye in the playoffs, perhaps even paving the road to the AFC title through Reliant Stadium, with only Cincinnati and Atlanta shaping up to be challenges.

Andre Johnson is likely to return to the lineup, following the bye, for the stretch run.  The Texans are coming off a dominant win over the Tampa Bay Bucs.  They’re on a bye this week.  The Jags are next on the slate and the stars seem to be finally aligning in Houston.  Hey, why not the Texans in 2011?

Aside from injury updates on Andre Johnson, Darryl Sharpton and James Casey, here are the highlights:

• After the Texans’ last two victories, players from the Titans and Jaguars have accused Texans players of being dirty. Kubiak was asked if those comments bother him. “It doesn’t bother me,” he said. “We’re going to put 46 guys out there and play as hard as we can play. Other than that, I’ve got no comment on it.” Kubiak said that cut blocking, which has often drawn the ire of defensive linemen, is “just part of what we do.”
• Asked about the secondary’s performance on Sunday, Kubiak said “the whole group played well.” That included Troy Nolan, who started at free safety in place of the injured Danieal Manning and had five solo tackles. “Troy tackled well,” Kubiak said. “That’s what we were very encouraged by.”
• Kubiak said fullback Lawrence Vickers, who has become more involved in the offense since Casey’s injury in Week 5, is getting better each week. “He was better yesterday,” Kubiak said. “There’s a lot of things we can help Lawrence with from a teaching standpoint or the way he’s been taught to play this position before and what we ask our fullback to do. He’s responding to that, so I see him getting better every week. He played very good on special teams. They’re a good special teams unit. We had problems on the edge when we were punting. We moved Lawrence to the edge in the game and he did a heck of a job on one of the top special teams players in football. Lawrence is helping this team more each and every week.”
• Backup running back Ben Tate lost a fumble 9:31 remaining on Sunday, which set up the Jaguars for a touchdown that made the score 21-14. It was the final carry of the game for Tate, who finished with only five carries for 42 yards. Arian Foster had 33 carries for 112. “I don’t like the way the numbers came out,” Kubiak said. “I think they would have come out different if we don’t fumble the ball because I think Ben’s fixing to get probably five, six, seven more carries right there late in the game. But when you come out of it, you wish you’d been a little bit more balanced in what you were doing. You always go in trying to get it to a certain point depending on how the games go.”
• Kubiak said that, along with Manning and cornerback Johnathan Joseph, strong safety Glover Quin has become a leader in the secondary. “I think GQ has taken on that responsibility, too,” Kubiak said. “GQ has got a lot of confidence in what he’s doing. Just defensively right now, we’ve got a lot of confidence as a group, so when that’s going on and we’re playing as well as we’re playing there, I think more and more guys have a tendency to lead in their own way. I think our leadership is growing on that side of the ball.”
• The Browns signed running back Chris Ogbonnaya off the Texans’ practice squad two weeks ago. With injuries to running backs Peyton Hillis and Montario Hardesty, Ogbonnaya could be in line for a substantial role on Sunday when Cleveland visits Reliant Stadium. “We’re happy for Chris,” Kubiak said. “We were unable to find room for him and for them to come get him, that says he’s doing a heck of a job, so we’re all happy to see him playing. That’s good for him.”