2011 Houston Texans season

2011 Houston Texans season
Head coach	Gary Kubiak
General manager	Rick Smith
Owner	Bob McNair
Home field	Reliant Stadium
Results
Record	10–6
Division place	1st AFC South
Playoff finish	Won Wild Card Playoffs (vs. Bengals) 31–10 Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Ravens) 13–20
Pro Bowlers	4 HB Arian Foster CB Johnathan Joseph C Chris Myers DE Antonio Smith

The 2011 Houston Texans season was the franchise's 10th season in the National Football League and the 6th under head coach Gary Kubiak. The Texans improved on their record from the 2010 season, despite losing starting quarterback Matt Schaub & backup Matt Leinart to season ending injuries. Third stringer T.J. Yates filled in, and earned the franchise's first playoff berth by defeating the Cincinnati Bengals 20–19 in Week 14 and clinching the AFC South. It also assured the Texans of at least one playoff game at home—the first NFL playoff game in Houston since 1993. After reaching the Divisional match against the Baltimore Ravens, the Texans suffered their maiden loss in the NFL Playoffs, losing 20–13.

Prior to the season, former Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips was hired as defensive coordinator, replacing Frank Bush who was terminated by Texans owner Bob McNair. The Texans defense made major improvements in Phillips' first year calling Houston's defensive plays. The team allowed the fourth-fewest points in the league in 2011 (compared to fourth most in 2010), the second-fewest yards allowed (third-most in 2010) and third-fewest yards per play (4.8, compared to 6.0, second-worst in 2010).

Offseason

2011 draft board

Main article: 2011 NFL Draft

Round	Selection	Player	Position	College
1	11	J. J. Watt	Defensive end	Wisconsin
2	42	Brooks Reed	Defensive line	Arizona
2	60 (From Patriots)	Brandon Harris	Defensive back	Miami
4	127 (From Bears through Redskins)	Rashad Carmichael	Defensive back	Virginia Tech
5	144 (From Redskins)	Shiloh Keo	Defensive back	Idaho
5	152 (From Colts through Redskins)	T. J. Yates	Quarterback	North Carolina
7	214	Derek Newton	Offensive line	Arkansas State
7	254 (Mr. Irrelevant)	Cheta Ozougwu	Defensive line	Rice

^{^[a]} Compensatory selection.

Preseason

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	Template:Dow tooltip	New York Jets	W 20–16	1–0	Reliant Stadium	Recap
2	Template:Dow tooltip	New Orleans Saints	W 27–14	2–0	Reliant Stadium	Recap
3	Template:Dow tooltip	at San Francisco 49ers	W 30–7	3–0	Candlestick Park	Recap
4	Template:Dow tooltip	at Minnesota Vikings	L 0–28	3–1	Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome	Recap

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	September 11	Indianapolis Colts	W 34–7	1–0	Reliant Stadium	Recap
2	September 18	at Miami Dolphins	W 23–13	2–0	Sun Life Stadium	Recap
3	September 25	at New Orleans Saints	L 33–40	2–1	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap
4	October 2	Pittsburgh Steelers	W 17–10	3–1	Reliant Stadium	Recap
5	October 9	Oakland Raiders	L 20–25	3–2	Reliant Stadium	Recap
6	October 16	at Baltimore Ravens	L 14–29	3–3	M&T Bank Stadium	Recap
7	October 23	at Tennessee Titans	W 41–7	4–3	LP Field	Recap
8	October 30	Jacksonville Jaguars	W 24–14	5–3	Reliant Stadium	Recap
9	November 6	Cleveland Browns	W 30–12	6–3	Reliant Stadium	Recap
10	November 13	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 37–9	7–3	Raymond James Stadium	Recap
11	Bye
12	November 27	at Jacksonville Jaguars	W 20–13	8–3	EverBank Field	Recap
13	December 4	Atlanta Falcons	W 17–10	9–3	Reliant Stadium	Recap
14	December 11	at Cincinnati Bengals	W 20–19	10–3	Paul Brown Stadium	Recap
15	December 18	Carolina Panthers	L 13–28	10–4	Reliant Stadium	Recap
16	Template:Dow tooltip	at Indianapolis Colts	L 16–19	10–5	Lucas Oil Stadium	Recap
17	January 1	Tennessee Titans	L 22–23	10–6	Reliant Stadium	Recap

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Indianapolis Colts

Week One: Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Colts	0	0	0	7	7
Texans	17	17	0	0	34

at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas

• Date: September 11
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 71,444
• Referee: Walt Coleman
• TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf

Game information

First quarter HOU – Neil Rackers 25-yard Field Goal, Texans 3–0 HOU – Derrick Ward 1-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), Texans 10–0 HOU – Ben Tate 2-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), Texans 17–0 Second quarter HOU – Andre Johnson 4-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick), Texans 24–0 HOU – Neil Rackers 29-yard Field Goal, Texans 27–0 HOU – Jacoby Jones 79-yard punt return (Neil Rackers kick), Texans 34–0 Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter IND – Reggie Wayne 6-yard pass from Kerry Collins (Adam Vinateri kick), Texans 34–7 Top passers IND – Kerry Collins 16/31 Comp/Att 197 Yds. 1 TD 0 Int. HOU – Matt Schaub 17/24 Comp/Att 220 Yds. 1 TD 2 Int. Top rushers IND – Joseph Addai 8 Rushes 39 Yds. 4.9 Avg 13 Lng. 0 TD HOU – Ben Tate 24 Rushes 116 Yds. 4.8 Avg 18 Lng. 1 TD Top receivers IND – Reggie Wayne 7 Rec. 106 Yds. 15.1 Avg 36 Lng. 1 TD HOU – Andre Johnson 7 Rec. 95 Yds. 13.6 Avg 21 Lng. 1 TD Top tacklers IND – Pat Angerer 9 Tack 4 Ast 0 Sack 0 Int 1 FumR HOU – Brian Cushing 4 Tack 5 Ast 0 Sack 0 Int 0 FumR

The Texans began their season at home against the AFC South division foes, Colts. With the win, the Texans started the season out at 1–0.

Week 2: at Miami Dolphins

Week Two: Houston Texans at Miami Dolphins – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Texans	6	10	0	7	23
Dolphins	3	0	7	3	13

at Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

• Date: September 18
• Game time: 4:15 p.m. EDT/3:15 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: 87°F (Sunny)
• Game attendance: 51,032
• Referee: John Parry
• TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts

Game information

First quarter HOU – Neil Rackers 23-yard Field Goal, Texans 3–0 HOU – Neil Rackers 22-yard Field Goal, Texans 6–0 MIA – Dan Carpenter 42-yard Field Goal, Texans 6–3 Second quarter HOU – Owen Daniels 4 pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick), Texans 13–3 HOU – Neil Rackers 36-yard Field Goal, Texans 16–3 Third quarter MIA – Brandon Marshall 12-yard pass from Chad Henne (Dan Carpenter kick), Texans 16–10 Fourth quarter MIA – Dan Carpenter 34-yard Field Goal, Texans 16–13 HOU – Andre Johnson 23-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick), Texans 23–13 Top passers HOU – M.Schaub 21/29 Comp/Att 230 Yds. 2 TD 0 Int. MIA – C.Henne 12/30 Comp/Att 170 Yds. 1 TD 1 Int. Top rushers HOU – B.Tate 23 Rushes 103 Yds. 4.5 Avg 16 Lng. 0 TD MIA – D.Thomas 18 Rushes 107 Yds. 5.9 Avg 14 Lng. 0 TD Top receivers HOU – A.Johnson 7 Rec. 93 Yds. 13.3 Avg 43 Lng. 1 TD MIA – B.Marshall 6 Rec. 79 Yds. 13.2 Avg 29 Lng. 1 TD Top tacklers HOU – B.Cushing 7 Tack 3 Ast 0 Sack 0 Int 0 FumR MIA – R.Starks 6 Tack 0 Ast 0 Sack 0 Int 0 FumR

The Texans went on the road to face the Dolphins. With the win, the Texans improved to 2–0.

Week 3: at New Orleans Saints

Week Three: Houston Texans at New Orleans Saints – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Texans	10	6	3	14	33
Saints	0	10	7	23	40

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

• Date: September 25
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 73,002
• Referee: Tony Corrente
• TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf

Game information

First quarter HOU – Owen Daniels 14-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick) Texans 7–0 HOU – Neil Rackers 22-yard field goal is good Texans 10–0 Second quarter NO – Darren Sproles 30-yard run (John Kasey kick) Texans 10–7 HOU – Neil Rackers 27-yard field goal is good Texans 13–7 HOU – Neil Rackers 27-yard field goal is good Texans 16–7 NO – John Kasay 35-yard field goal is good Texans 16–10 Third quarter NO – Robert Meachem 2-yard pass from Drew Brees (John Kasay Kick) Saints 17–16 HOU – Neil Rackers 36-yard field goal is good Texans 19–17 Fourth quarter HOU – James Casey 26-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick), Texans 26–17 NO – Jimmy Graham 27-yard pass from Drew Brees (John Kasay kick), Texans 26–24 NO – Lance Moore 16-yard pass from Drew Brees (Lance Moore pass from Drew Brees), Saints 32–26 HOU – Kevin Walter 20-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick), Texans 33–32 NO – Mark Ingram 13-yard run (Lance Moore pass from Drew Brees), Saints 40–33 Top passers HOU – M.Schaub 22/39 Comp/Att 373 Yds. 3 TD 1 Int. NO – D.Brees 31/44 Comp/Att 370 Yds. 3 TD 1 Int. Top rushers HOU – B.Tate 19 Rushes 82 Yds. 4.3 Avg 19 Lng. 0 TD NO – M.Ingram 9 Rushes 38 Yds. 4.2 Avg 17 Lng. 1 TD Top receivers HOU – A.Johnson 7 Rec. 128 Yds. 18.3 Avg 48 Lng. 0 TD NO – J.Graham 4 Rec. 100 Yds. 25.0 Avg 32 Lng. 1 TD Top tacklers HOU – K.Jackson 7 Tack 1 Ast 0 Sack 0 Int 0 FumR NO – J.Dunbar 6 Tack 4 Ast 0 Sack 0 Int 0 FumR

With the loss, the Texans fell to 2–1.

Week 4: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Week Four: Pittsburgh Steelers at Houston Texans – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	0	0	7	3	10
Texans	7	3	0	7	17

at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas

• Date: October 2
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 71,585
• Referee: Clete Blakeman
• TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf

Game information

First quarter HOU – Owen Daniels 1-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick) Texans 7–0 Second quarter HOU – Neil Rackers 25-yard field goal is good Texans 10–0 Third quarter PIT – Rashard Mendenhall 3-yard run (Shaun Suisham kick) Steelers 7–10 Fourth quarter PIT – Shaun Suisham 26-yard field goal is good Steelers 10–10 HOU – Arian Foster 42-yard run (Neil Rackers kick) Texans 17–10 Top passers PIT – Ben Roethlisberger – 16/30, 206 Yards, 1 INT HOU – Matt Schaub – 14/21, 138 Yards, 1 TD Top rushers PIT – Isaac Redman – 6 Rushes, 40 Yards HOU – Arian Foster – 30 Rushes, 155 Yards, 1 TD Top receivers PIT – Mike Wallace – 4 Receptions, 77 Yards HOU – Owen Daniels – 5 Receptions, 69 Yards, 1 TD Top tacklers PIT – Troy Polamalu – 8 tackles, 1 assist HOU – Jason Allen – 6 tackles, 1 INT

With the win, the Texans improved to 3–1.

Week 5: vs. Oakland Raiders

Week Five: Oakland Raiders at Houston Texans – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Raiders	3	9	3	10	25
Texans	7	7	3	3	20

at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas

• Date: October 9
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 71,420
• Referee: Pete Morelli
• TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts

Game information

First quarter HOU – Kevin Walter 5-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick), Texans 7–0 OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 54-yard Field Goal, Texans 7–3 Second quarter OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 55-yard Field Goal, Texans 7–6 HOU – Joel Dreessen 56 yard Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick), Texans 14–6 OAK – Darrius Heyward-Bay 34-yard pass from Jason Campbell (Pass Failed), Texans 14–12 Third quarter OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 50-yard Field Goal, Raiders 15–14 HOU – Neil Rackers 54-yard Field Goal, Texans 17–15 Fourth quarter OAK – Chaz Schilens 18-yard pass from Jason Campbell (Sebastian Janikowski kick), Raiders 22–17 OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 42-yard Field Goal, Raiders 25–17 HOU – Neil Rackers 40-yard Field Goal, Raiders 25–20 Top passers OAK – Jason Campbell – 15/35 for 190 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT HOU – Matt Schaub – 24/51 for 416 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers OAK – Darren McFadden – 16 carries for 51 yards HOU – Arian Foster – 22 carries for 68 yards Top receivers OAK – Darrius Heyward-Bey – 7 receptions for 99 yards, 1 TD HOU – Owen Daniels – 7 receptions for 89 yards Top tacklers OAK – Tyvon Branch – 7 tackles HOU – Jason Allen – 10 tackles

With the loss, the Texans fell to 3–2 and they lost both their second game and first home game against the Raiders.

Week 6: at Baltimore Ravens

Week Six: Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Texans	0	7	7	0	14
Ravens	7	3	6	13	29

at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland

• Date: October 16
• Game time: 4:05 p.m. EDT/3:05 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: 72°F (Partly Cloudy)
• Game attendance: 71,154
• Referee: Gene Steratore
• TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf

Game information

First quarter BAL – Joe Flacco 1-yard run (Billy Cundiff kick), Ravens 7–0 Second quarter HOU – Wade Smith fumble recovery in the end zone (Neil Rackers kick), Tied 7–7 BAL – Billy Cundiff 43-yard Field Goal, Ravens 10–7 Third quarter BAL – Billy Cundiff 48-yard Field Goal, Ravens 13–7 HOU – Jacoby Jones 32-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick), Texans 14–13 BAL – Billy Cundiff 25-yard Field Goal, Ravens 16–14 Fourth quarter BAL – Billy Cundiff 33-yard Field Goal, Ravens 19–14 BAL – Ricky Williams 4-yard run (Billy Cundiff kick), Ravens 26–14 BAL – Billy Cundiff 40-yard Field Goal, Ravens 29–14 Top passers HOU – Matt Schaub – 21/37, 220 yards, 1 touchdown BAL – Joe Flacco – 20/33, 305 yards, 1 interception Top rushers HOU – Arian Foster – 15 carries, 49 yards BAL – Ray Rice – 23 carries, 101 yards Top receivers HOU – Kevin Walter – 6 receptions, 52 yards BAL – Anquan Boldin – 8 receptions, 132 yards Top tacklers HOU – Danieal Manning – 9 tackles, 2 assists BAL – Ray Lewis – 8 tackles, 4 assists

With the loss, the Texans fell to 3–3.

Week 7: at Tennessee Titans

Week Seven: Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Texans	3	17	7	14	41
Titans	0	0	7	0	7

at LP Field, Nashville, Tennessee

• Date: October 23
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: 72°F (Sunny)
• Game attendance: 69,143
• Referee: Terry McAulay
• TV announcers (CBS): Marv Albert and Rich Gannon

Game information

First quarter HOU – Neil Rackers 32 yd. Field Goal, Texans 3–0 Second quarter HOU – Joel Dreessen 10 yd. pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick), Texans 10–0 HOU – Arian Foster 78 yd. pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick), Texans 17–0 HOU – Neil Rackers 29 yd. Field Goal, Texans 20–0 Third quarter HOU – Arian Foster 1 yd. run (Neil Rackers kick), Texans 27–0 TEN – Jared Cook 5 yd. pass from Matt Hasselback (Rob Bironas kick), Texans 27–7 Fourth quarter HOU – Arian Foster 5 yd. run (Neil Rackers kick), Texans 34–7 HOU – Brice McCain 38 yd. interception return (Neil Rackers kick), Texans 41–7 Top passers HOU – Matt Schaub – 18/23, 296 yards, 2 touchdowns TEN – Matt Hasselbeck – 14/30, 104 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions Top rushers HOU – Arian Foster – 25 carries, 115 yards, 2 touchdowns TEN – Javon Ringer – 3 carries, 31 yards Top receivers HOU – Arian Foster – 5 receptions, 118 yards TEN – Chris Johnson – 6 receptions, 27 yards Top tacklers HOU – Brian Cushing – 5 tackles, 1 assist TEN – Jason McCourty – 8 tackles, 4 assists

With the win, the Texans improved to 4–3.

Week 8: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Battle Red Day

Week Eight: Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Jaguars	0	7	0	7	14
Texans	7	0	7	10	24

at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas

• Date: October 30
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: 68°F (Sunny)
• Game attendance: 71,412
• Referee: Scott Green
• TV announcers (CBS): Marv Albert and Rich Gannon

Game information

First quarter HOU – Matt Schaub 2-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), Texans 7–0 Second quarter JAC – Jason Hill 5-yard pass from Blaine Gabbert (Josh Scobee kick), Tied 7–7 Third quarter HOU – Joel Dreessen 7-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick), Texans 14–7 Fourth quarter HOU – Arian Foster 4-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), Texans 21–7 JAC – Maurice Jones-Drew 2-yard run (Josh Scobee kick), Texans 21–14 HOU – Neil Rackers 39-yard Field Goal, Texans 24–14 Top passers JAC – Blaine Gabbert – 10/30, 97 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions HOU – Matt Schaub – 16/30, 225 yards, 1 touchdown Top rushers JAC – Maurice Jones-Drew – 18 carries, 63 yards, 1 touchdown HOU – Arian Foster – 33 carries, 112 yards, 1 touchdown Top receivers JAC – Marcedes Lewis – 4 receptions, 45 yards HOU – Kevin Walter – 5 receptions, 70 yards Top tacklers JAC – Dawan Landry – 9 tackles, 2 assists HOU – Brian Cushing – 3 tackles, 4 assists

With the win, the Texans improved to 5–3.

Week 9: vs. Cleveland Browns

Week Nine: Cleveland Browns at Houston Texans – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Browns	3	0	3	6	12
Texans	14	10	3	3	30

at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas

• Date: November 6
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 71,511
• Referee: Alberto Riveron
• TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts

Game information

First quarter HOU – Ben Tate 27-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), Texans 7–0 HOU – Matt Schaub 2-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), Texans 14–0 CLE – Phil Dawson 50-yard Field Goal, Texans 14–3 Second quarter HOU – Arian Foster 19-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), Texans 21–3 HOU – Neil Rackers 28-yard Field Goal, Texans 24–3 Third quarter HOU – Neil Rackers 21-yard Field Goal, Texans 27–3 CLE – Phil Dawson 51-yard Field Goal, Texans 27–6 Fourth quarter HOU – Neil Rackers 50-yard Field Goal, Texans 30–6 CLE – Joshua Cribbs 2-yard pass from Colt McCoy (Pass Failed), Texans 30–12 Top passers CLE – Colt McCoy – 14/22, 146 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception HOU – Matt Schaub – 14/23, 119 yards, 1 interception Top rushers CLE – Chris Ogbonnaya – 13 carries, 28 yards HOU – Arian Foster – 19 carries, 124 yards, 1 touchdown Top receivers CLE – Joshua Cribbs – 5 receptions, 50 yards, 1 touchdown HOU – Arian Foster – 5 receptions, 26 yards Top tacklers CLE – Scott Fujita – 7 tackles, 2 assists HOU – Brian Cushing – 4 tackles, 3 assists

With the win, the Texans improved to 6–3.

Week 10: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week Ten: Houston Texans at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Texans	9	7	14	7	37
Buccaneers	0	3	0	6	9

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

• Date: November 13
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: 77°F (Partly Cloudy)
• Game attendance: 56,037
• Referee: John Parry
• TV announcers (CBS): Marv Albert and Rich Gannon

Game information

First quarter HOU – Jacoby Jones 80 yd. pass from Matt Schaub ( kick blocked), Texans 6–0 HOU – Neil Rackers 22 yd. Field Goal, Texans 9–0 Second quarter HOU – Arian Foster 78 yd. pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick), Texans 16–0 TB – Connor Barth 55 yd. Field Goal, Texans 16–3 Third quarter HOU – Arian Foster 5 yd. run (Neil Rackers kick), Texans 23–3 HOU – Ben Tate 4 yd. run (Neil Rackers kick), Texans 30–3 Fourth quarter TB – Preston Parker 9 yd. pass from Josh Freeman (Pass Failed), Texans 30–9 '*HOU – Ben Tate 11 yd. run (Neil Rackers run), Texans 37–9 Top passers HOU – Matt Schaub – 11/15, 242 yards, 2 touchdowns, 0 interceptions TB – Josh Freeman – 15/33, 170 yards, 1 touchdown, 3 interceptions Top rushers HOU – Arian Foster – 17 rushes, 84 yards TB – LeGarrette Blount – 10 rushes, 34 yards, 1 touchdown Top receivers HOU – Arian Foster – 4 receptions, 102 yards, 1 touchdown TB – Kregg Lumpkin – 5 receptions, 30 yards Top tacklers HOU – Brian Cushing – 8 tackles, 1 sack TB – Adam Hayward – 7 tackles, 1 assist

With the win, the Texans went on their bye week 7–3. However, Matt Schaub was lost for the season due to a Lisfranc injury on his right foot.

Week 12: at Jacksonville Jaguars

Week Twelve: Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Texans	7	13	0	0	20
Jaguars	7	3	0	3	13

at EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Florida

• Date: November 27
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: 75°F (10% chance of rain)
• Game attendance: 62,004
• Referee: Walt Coleman
• TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots

Game information

First quarter JAC – Ashton Youboty 38-yard fumble return (Josh Scobee kick), Jaguars 7–0 HOU – Arian Foster 1-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), Tied 7–7 Second quarter JAC – Josh Scobee 21-yard Field Goal, Jaguars 10–7 HOU – Joel Dreessen 20-yard pass from Matt Leinart (Neil Rackers kick), Texans 14–10 HOU – Neil Rackers 53-yard Field Goal, Texans 17–10 HOU – Neil Rackers 33-yard Field Goal, Texans 20–10 Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter JAC – Josh Scobee 35-yard Field Goal, Texans 20–13 Top passers HOU – Matt Leinart – 10/13, 57 yards, 1 touchdown JAC – Blanie Gabbert – 13/29, 136 yards, 1 interception Top rushers HOU – Arian Foster – 22 carries, 65 yards, 1 touchdown JAC – Maurice Jones-Drew – 18 carries, 99 yards Top receivers HOU – Arian Foster – 7 receptions, 24 yards JAC – Maurice Jones-Drew – 4 receptions, 67 yards Top tacklers HOU – Connor Barwin – 7 tackles, 3 assists JAC – Ashton Youboty – 8 tackles

With the win, not only the Texans improved to 8–3, but swept the Jaguars for the 1st time since 2006. The Texans had to play the remainder of the season with T.J. Yates at QB after losing Matt Leinart for the season with a broken collarbone.

Week 13: vs. Atlanta Falcons

Week Thirteen: Atlanta Falcons at Houston Texans – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	0	3	7	0	10
Texans	3	7	0	7	17

at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas

• Date: December 4
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 71,545
• Referee: Bill Leavy
• TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa

Game information

First quarter HOU – Neil Rackers 43-yard Field Goal, Texans 3–0 Second quarter HOU – Joel Dreessen 3-yard pass from T.J. Yates (Neil Rackers kick), Texans 10–0 ATL – Matt Bryant 19-yard Field Goal, Texans 10–3 Third quarter ATL – Roddy White 4-yard pass Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), Tied 10–10 Fourth quarter HOU – Arian Foster 1-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), Texans 17–10 Top passers ATL – Matt Ryan – 20/47, 267 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions HOU – T.J. Yates – 12/25, 188 yards, 1 touchdown Top rushers ATL – Michael Turner – 14 carries, 44 yards HOU – Arian Foster – 31 carries, 111 yards, 1 touchdown Top receivers ATL – Tony Gonzalez – 7 receptions, 100 yards HOU – Andre Johnson – 4 receptions, 97 yards Top tacklers ATL – Curtis Lofton – 11 tackles HOU – Brian Cushing – 5 tackles, 1 assist

With the win, the Texans improved to 9–3.

Week 14: at Cincinnati Bengals

Week Fourteen: Houston Texans at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Texans	3	0	7	10	20
Bengals	6	10	3	0	19

at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

• Date: December 11
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: 34°F (Clear)
• Game attendance: 41,202
• Referee: Ed Hochuli
• TV announcers (CBS): Marv Albert and Rich Gannon

Game information

First quarter HOU – Neil Rackers 46 yd. Field Goal, Texans 3–0 CIN – Mike Nugent 22 yd. Field Goal, Tied 3–3 CIN – Mike Nugent 47 yd. Field Goal, Bengals 6–3 Second quarter CIN – Jerome Simpson 17 yd. from Andy Dalton, Bengals 13–3 CIN – Mike Nugent 49 yd. Field Goal, Bengals 16–3 Third quarter HOU – Joel Dreessen 6 yd. pass from T.J. Yates (Neil Rackers kick), Bengals 16–10 CIN – Mike Nugent 28 yd. Field Goal, Bengals 19–10 Fourth quarter HOU – Neil Rackers 33 yd. Field Goal, Bengals 19–13 HOU – Kevin Walter 6 yd. pass from T.J. Yates (Neil Rackers kick), Texans 20–19 Top passers HOU – T.J. Yates – 26/44, 300 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception CIN – Andy Dalton – 16/28, 189 yards, 1 touchdown Top rushers HOU – Ben Tate – 8 carries, 47 yards CIN – Cedric Benson – 21 carries, 91 yards Top receivers HOU – Owen Daniels – 7 receptions, 100 yards CIN – A.J. Green – 5 receptions, 59 yards Top tacklers HOU –Danieal Manning – 8 tackles, 3 assists CIN – Thomas Howard – 9 tackles, 3 assists

With the last-second win, the Texans improved to 10–3 and clinched the franchise's first playoff berth and AFC South division title.

Week 15: vs. Carolina Panthers

Week Fifteen: Carolina Panthers at Houston Texans – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	7	14	0	7	28
Texans	0	0	6	7	13

at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas

• Date: December 18
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 71,540
• Referee: Jeff Triplette
• TV announcers (Fox): Ron Pitts, Charles Davis and Drea Avent

Game information

First quarter CAR – Steve Smith 26-yard pass from Cam Newton (Olindo Mare kick), Panthers 7–0 Second quarter CAR – Jeremy Shockey 9-yard pass from Cam Newton (Olindo Mare kick), Panthers 14–0 CAR – Richie Brockel 7-yard run (Olindo Mare kick), Panthers 21–0 Third quarter HOU – Neil Rackers 26-yard Field Goal, Panthers 21–3 HOU – Neil Rackers 34-yard Field Goal, Panthers 21–6 Fourth quarter HOU – Arian Foster 1 run (Neil Rackers kick), Panthers 21–13 CAR – DeAngelo Williams 24-yard run (Olindo Mare kick), Panthers 28–13 Top passers CAR – Cam Newton – 13/23, 149 yards, 2 touchdowns HOU – T.J. Yates – 19/30, 212 yards, 2 interceptions Top rushers CAR – DeAngelo Williams – 15 carries, 61 yards HOU – Arian Foster – 16 carries, 109 yards, 1 touchdown Top receivers CAR – Steve Smith – 5 receptions, 82 yards, 1 touchdown HOU – Arian Foster – 5 receptions, 58 yards Top tacklers CAR – Jordan Senn – 12 tackles, 2 assists HOU – Brian Cushing – 9 tackles, 3 assists

With the loss, the Texans' seven-game winning streak was snapped, falling to 10–4. Houston also lost to the Panthers for the first time in franchise history.

Week 16: at Indianapolis Colts

Week Sixteen: Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Texans	10	0	3	3	16
Colts	3	3	3	10	19

at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

• Date: December 22
• Game time: 8:20 p.m. EST/7:20 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 64,159
• Referee: Jerome Boger
• TV announcers (NFLN): Brad Nessler, Mike Mayock and Alex Flanagan

Game information

First quarter HOU – Arian Foster 9-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), Texans 7–0 IND – Adam Vinateri 23-yard Field Goal, Texans 7–3 HOU – Neil Rackers 44-yard Field Goal, Texans 10–3 Second quarter IND – Adam Vinareri 32-yard Field Goal, Texans 10–6 Third quarter HOU – Neil Rackers 35-yard Field Goal, Texans 13–6 IND – Adam Vinateri 47-yard Field Goal, Texans 13–9 Fourth quarter IND – Adam Vinateri 31-yard Field Goal, Texans 13–12 HOU – Neil Rackers 31-yard Field Goal, Texans 16–12 IND – Reggie Wayne 2-yard pass from Dan Orlovsky (Adam Vinateri kick), Colts 19–16 Top passers HOU – T.J. Yates – 13/16, 132 yards IND – Dan Orlovsky – 23/41, 244, 1 touchdown Top rushers HOU – Arian Foster – 23 carries, 158 yards, 1 touchdown IND – Joseph Addai – 19 carries, 59 yards Top receivers HOU – Joel Dreessen – 4 receptions, 38 yards IND – Reggie Wayne – 8 receptions, 106 yards, 1 touchdown Top tacklers HOU – Brian Cushing – 7 tackles, 5 assists IND – Antoine Bethea – 8 tackles, 1 assist

With the loss, the Texans fell to 10–5.

Week 17: vs. Tennessee Titans

Week Seventeen: Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Titans	0	13	3	7	23
Texans	7	3	3	9	22

at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas

• Date: January 1
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 71,512
• Referee: Ron Winter
• TV announcers (CBS): Bill Macatee & Steve Tasker

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers TEN – HOU – Top rushers TEN – HOU – Top receivers TEN – HOU – Top tacklers TEN – HOU –

Jake Delhomme and the Texans line up against the Titans

With the loss, the Texans would end their season at 10–6 and the AFC's #3 seed.

Standings

AFC South
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
(3) Houston Texans	10	6	0	.625	4–2	8–4	381	278	L3
Tennessee Titans	9	7	0	.563	3–3	7–5	325	317	W2
Jacksonville Jaguars	5	11	0	.313	3–3	4–8	243	329	W1
Indianapolis Colts	2	14	0	.125	2–4	2–10	243	430	L1

Postseason

Main article: 2011–12 NFL playoffs

Schedule

Playoff round	Date	Kickoff	Opponent (seed)	Results		Game site	TV	NFL.com recap
				Final score	Team record
Wild Card	January 7	3:30 p.m. CST	Cincinnati Bengals (6)	W 31–10	1–0	Reliant Stadium	NBC	Recap
Divisional	January 15	12:00 p.m. CST	at Baltimore Ravens (2)	L 13–20	1–1	M&T Bank Stadium	CBS	Recap

Game summaries

AFC Wild Card Playoff Game: vs. #6 Cincinnati Bengals

AFC Wild Card Playoff Game: Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bengals	7	3	0	0	10
Texans	7	10	7	7	31

at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas

• Date: January 7, 2012
• Game time: 3:30 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 71,725
• Referee: Clete Blakeman
• TV announcers (NBC): Tom Hammond, Mike Mayock and Alex Flanagan

Game information

First quarter CIN – Cedric Benson 1-yard run (Mike Nugent kick), 7:38. Bengals 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 74 yards, 2:23. HOU – Arian Foster 8-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 4:57. Tied 7–7. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:37. Second quarter CIN – Mike Nugent 37-yard field goal, 7:09. Bengals 10–7. Drive: 8 plays, 61 yards, 4:15 HOU – Neil Rackers 39-yard field goal, 1:53. Tied 10–10. Drive 13 plays, 59 yards, 5:21. HOU – J. J. Watt 29-yard interception return (Neil Rackers kick), 0:59. Texans 17–10. Third quarter HOU – Andre Johnson 40-yard pass from T.J. Yates (Neil Rackers kick), 1:18. Texans 24–10. Drive: 9 plays, 83 yards, 4:37 Fourth quarter HOU – Arian Foster 42-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 5:26. Texans 31–10. Drive: 3 plays, 45 yards, 1:46. Top passers CIN – Andy Dalton – 27/42, 257 yards, 3 INT HOU – T. J. Yates – 11/20, 159 yards, TD Top rushers CIN – Brian Leonard – 3 rushes, 34 yards HOU – Arian Foster – 24 rushes, 153 yards, 2 TD Top receivers CIN – A. J. Green – 5 receptions, 47 yards HOU – Andre Johnson – 5 receptions, 90 yards, TD

Making their NFL postseason debut as the AFC's #3 seed, the Texans began their playoff run at home in the AFC Wild Card Round against the #6 Cincinnati Bengals, in a rematch of their Week 14 contest. Not only was this the Texans' first postseason game, it was the franchise's first game ever broadcast nationally on NBC, they were also the last NFL team to finally play on NBC, since their 2006 inception.

Houston trailed in the first quarter with Bengals running back Cedric Benson getting a 1-yard touchdown run, yet the Texans answered with an 8-yard touchdown run from running back Arian Foster. Cincinnati struck back in the second quarter with kicker Mike Nugent getting a 37-yard field goal, but Houston took the lead with a 39-yard field goal from kicker Neil Rackers, followed by rookie defensive end J.J. Watt returning an interception 29 yards for a touchdown. From there, the Texans took control with rookie quarterback T.J. Yates finding wide receiver Andre Johnson on a 40-yard touchdown in the third quarter, followed by a 42-yard touchdown run by Foster in the fourth quarter.

With the win, the Texans improved their overall record to 11–6.

AFC Divisional Playoff Game: at #2 Baltimore Ravens

AFC Divisional Playoff Game: Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Texans	3	10	0	0	13
Ravens	17	0	0	3	20

at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland

• Date: January 15, 2012
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: 31 °F (−1 °C), Sunny
• Referee: Pete Morelli
• TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf

Game information

First quarter HOU – Neil Rackers 40-yard field goal, 12:24. Texans 3–0. Drive: 5 plays, 20 yards, 2:36 BAL – Kris Wilson 1-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Billy Cundiff kick), 9:51. Ravens 7–3. Drive: 3 plays, 2 yards, 1:21 BAL – Billy Cundiff 48-yard field goal, 6:02. Ravens 10–3. Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 2:47 BAL – Anquan Boldin 10-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Billy Cundiff kick), 1:08. Ravens 17–3. Drive: 5 plays, 34 yards, 2:05 Second quarter HOU – Neil Rackers 33-yard field goal, 11:42. Ravens 17–6. Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 4:26 HOU – Arian Foster 1-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 4:48. Ravens 17–13. Drive: 12 plays, 86 yards, 5:49 Third quarter None Fourth quarter BAL – Billy Cundiff 44-yard field goal, 2:52. Ravens 20–13. Drive: 10 plays, 45 yards, 4:29 Top passers HOU – T. J. Yates – 17/35, 184 yards, 3 INT BAL – Joe Flacco – 14/27, 176 yards, 2 TD Top rushers HOU – Arian Foster – 27 rushes, 132 yards, TD, FUM BAL – Ray Rice – 21 rushes, 60 yards, FUM Top receivers HOU – Andre Johnson – 8 rec, 111 yards BAL – Anquan Boldin – 4 rec, 73 yards, TD

With the loss, the Texans finished the overall season 11-7.

Staff

Houston Texans 2011 staff
	Front Office Chairman/CEO – Bob McNair Vice Chairman – Philip Burguières Vice Chairman – D. Cal McNair President – Jamey Rootes Executive Vice President/General Manager – Rick Smith Vice President of Football Administration – Chris Olsen Director of Pro Personnel – Brian Gardner Associate Director of Pro Personnel – Bobby Grier Director of College Scouting – Mike Maccagnan Head Coaches Head Coach – Gary Kubiak Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Line – Bill Kollar Offensive Coaches Offensive Coordinator – Rick Dennison Quarterbacks – Greg Knapp Running Backs – Chick Harris Wide Receivers – Larry Kirksey Tight Ends – Brian Pariani Offensive Line – John Benton Assistant Offensive Line – Frank Pollack Offensive Assistant – Marc Lubick Offensive Assistant – Jim Ryan			Defensive Coaches Defensive Coordinator – Wade Phillips Linebackers – Reggie Herring Secondary – Vance Joseph Assistant Defensive Backs – Perry Carter Defensive Assistant – Bobby King Special Teams Coaches Special Teams – Joe Marciano Strength and Conditioning Head Strength and Conditioning – Cedric Smith Assistant Strength and Conditioning – Matt Schiotz

Final roster

2011 Houston Texans final roster
	Quarterbacks 17 Jake Delhomme  7 Jeff Garcia 13 T. J. Yates Running backs 86 James Casey FB/TE 23 Arian Foster 44 Ben Tate 47 Lawrence Vickers FB 32 Derrick Ward Wide receivers 80 Andre Johnson 89 Bryant Johnson 12 Jacoby Jones PR 15 Jeff Maehl 83 Kevin Walter Tight ends 81 Owen Daniels 85 Joel Dreessen 88 Garrett Graham		Offensive linemen 61 Thomas Austin G 65 Mike Brisiel G/C 76 Duane Brown T 62 Antoine Caldwell G 66 Andrew Gardner G 55 Chris Myers C 75 Derek Newton T 74 Wade Smith G 73 Eric Winston T Defensive linemen 93 Tim Bulman DE 95 Shaun Cody NT 96 Tim Jamison DE 92 Earl Mitchell NT 94 Antonio Smith DE 99 J. J. Watt DE		Linebackers 54 Mister Alexander ILB 98 Connor Barwin OLB/DE 50 Bryan Braman OLB 56 Brian Cushing ILB 52 Tim Dobbins ILB 57 Jesse Nading OLB/DE 58 Brooks Reed OLB/DE 59 DeMeco Ryans ILB Defensive backs 30 Jason Allen CB 27 Quintin Demps SS 26 Brandon Harris CB 25 Kareem Jackson CB 24 Johnathan Joseph CB 31 Shiloh Keo FS 21 Brice McCain CB 22 Sherrick McManis CB/KR 38 Danieal Manning FS/KR 33 Troy Nolan FS 29 Glover Quin SS Special teams  4 Neil Rackers K  1 Matt Turk P 46 Jon Weeks LS		Reserve lists 34 Dominique Barber SS (IR) 10px 78 Rashad Butler OT (IR) 10px 36 Rashad Carmichael CB (IR) 10px  2 Brett Hartmann P (IR) 10px 18 Lestar Jean WR (IR) 10px 11 Matt Leinart QB (IR) 10px 77 Darius Morris OT (IR) 10px  8 Matt Schaub QB (IR) 10px 51 Darryl Sharpton ILB (IR) 10px 71 Shelley Smith G (IR) 10px 64 Kasey Studdard G (IR) 10px 90 Mario Williams OLB/DE (IR) 10px Practice squad 63 Howard Barbieri G 91 Ra'Shon Harris NT 16 Trindon Holliday WR 19 Juaquin Iglesias WR 97 Derrell Smith ILB 79 Cody Wallace C 40 Javarris Williams RB 42 Torri Williams SS Rookies in italics 53 Active, 12 Inactive, 8 Practice squad