text:
- Independent
- The Enterprise
- The Recorder
Gabrielle Cory, 16, of Leonardtown was named Miss Maryland Agriculture 2013 at the Maryland State Fair in Timonium on Friday during the fair's opening-night festivities.
"It was very surprising. Very overwhelming," Cory said during a phone interview Monday afternoon.
She said the moment her name was announced for the honor "was just like what you'd see on TV," as they put a Miss Maryland Agriculture sash on her. "Who would have through someone from little St. Mary's County would get that?"
She noted that the program indicated that someone from St. Mary's County had only been selected two other times in the history of the program — first in 1946 when Edith Russell won and again in 1983 when Crystal Hayden won.
Miss Maryland Agriculture is selected through a series of judging events, according to Mary Amoss of Fallston, coordinator of the Miss Maryland Agriculture Program since 1979. Three judges from out of state rated the 22 participants representing county farm bureaus throughout Maryland. First impression, roundtable and formal interview judging events make up 70 percent of the contestant's score. An on-stage public speaking event, when the contestants each have 90 seconds to talk about themselves and agriculture in their county and then answer a question related to their biography, makes up the rest of the score.
The judges are looking for "a well-rounded individual who can speak on behalf of the agriculture industry and farm bureau," Amoss said.
As the new Miss Maryland Agriculture, Cory will be present throughout the run of the Maryland State Fair to award prizes and meet with visitors to the fair, dignitaries and media representatives. For instance, on Thursday she is scheduled to have lunch with Gov. Martin O'Malley (D).
After the fair, Cory will participate in the Maryland Farm Bureau convention in December, travel around the state to speak to students about agriculture and appear at other farm bureau events. Her duties, however, "will take a back seat to school," Amoss said.
Cory said she is most excited about the opportunity to talk about agriculture to young people. She noted that St. Mary's County has a strong 4-H program but that "it definitely could grow more" and people her age could be more interested in agriculture.
Cory, who is the daughter of Wesley and Marian Goddard Cory, lives on a 20-acre farmstead dedicated to forest conservation. She helps to raise livestock and grow crops on her grandmother's 60-acre farm two miles from her home. She just started her junior year at Leonardtown High School and after graduation plans to pursue a degree in dental hygiene.
She has been a member of Chaptico Chargers 4-H Club for eight years and an officer for six years. She is also a member of the Maryland 4-H Teen Council, National Honor Society, the Student to Student Mentoring Program and Girl Scout Troop 4549. When Cory ages out of the 4-H program, she plans to volunteer to assist younger members in 4-H activities.
Along with the title of Miss Maryland Agriculture, Cory was awarded $11,000 in scholarship funds and $2,000 to pay expenses for her travels for the coming year. Other Southern Maryland participants in the program were Sarah Manning representing Calvert County and Caitlin Olejnik representing Charles County.
"I am very honored to have been chosen," Cory said.
County seat celebrates being an arts and entertainment designation
Leonardtown is celebrating Maryland's newest Arts and Entertainment Designation Award. One way to celebrate with the town is to participate in Leonardtown's Art Walk that will be held Aug. 30 through Sept. 6. The public is being asked to visit galleries and businesses hosting art, and vote on their favorite works of art. Winners and awards will be announced on the square on First Friday, Sept. 6.
For more information visit leonardtownfirstfridays.com or call the town office at 301-475-9791.
Art contest designed to support breast cancer Awareness
The St. Mary's County Arts Council invites artists to submit a decorated piece of "bra art" to its first Uplifting Designs Bra Art Contest to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The bra exhibit will be displayed in Leonardtown on Friday, Oct. 4. Artists are asked to get creative — to thread a needle, fluff a few feathers and prepare to decorate bras.
Hundreds of bra art contests have been held across the country in the last few years as a way to raise money. About one in eight women in the United States will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of their lifetimes.
The bras will be displayed in Leonardtown during First Friday on Oct. 4 from 5 to 8 p.m. Visitors can vote with a donation for their favorite design. All proceeds from the event will be donated to the First Friday cause to support breast cancer awareness. There is no charge to enter the event. Entry forms and complete details are available at www.stmarysartscouncil.com. All bra art entries should be turned in by Tuesday, Oct. 1, to the Town of Leonardtown office, which is located at 41660 Courthouse Drive.
The Arts Council will be offering a workshop on Saturday, Sept. 28, from 1 to 3:30 p.m. at the Leonardtown Arts Center for those who would like to decorate their bras in the company of others. The Leonardtown Arts Center is located at 22850 Washington St., on the second floor. Organizers will supply bras, decorating materials and refreshments for a fee of $10. Registration for the workshop can be found at www.stmarysartscouncil.com. Walk-ins are welcome. Bras created from the workshop will be displayed at the arts center and will also be entered into the contest.
Bras should be selected and decorated in a manner that is tasteful; no inappropriate or offensive entries will be put on display. For more information, call Nell Elder at 240-687-5418.
Take a tour of trees
The Maryland Tree Farm Committee, Maryland Forests Association and other partners are sponsoring a field tour in St. Mary's County this fall to help the area's woodland owners and enthusiasts discover the benefits provided by the region's woodlands. The half-day, outside event will occur at the Skyview Family Tree Farm, located off of Loveville Road in Mechanicsville, on Saturday, Sept. 21, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
While Maryland is a relatively small state, its woodlands vary dramatically depending on your location. For instance many of the trees found in the cooler higher elevations of the western part of the state won't be found growing on the lower, more humid Eastern Shore. The St. Mary's County tour is part of four regional events to be held throughout Maryland this fall to showcase this woodland diversity and to highlight their importance to the state's air quality, wildlife, economy, drinking water and quality of life.
The event will take place outside, rain or shine, and some trail walking will be necessary. Preregistration is required. For more about the agenda and to register, visit www.forestryforthebay.org/discover_woodlands.cfm or contact David Gailey at 301-880-2746 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
Buddy Walk set for Sept. 14
Southern Maryland's Buddy Walk will be held Saturday, Sept. 14, at 12:30 p.m. at Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf. The Buddy Walk is a 1-mile walk designed to promote awareness, inclusion and acceptance for children and adults with Down syndrome.
This walk is also an annual fundraising event for Angels Forever Up! Funds raised from the Buddy Walk will pay for various events provided by the group, including its annual fall festival at Bowles Farm, family day at Pump it Up and Chuck E. Cheese. This year, Angels Forever Up! provided $6,000 in summer camp scholarships. The group also provides new parent packets to local hospitals and obstetrician's offices.
To register for the walk, go to http://buddywalk.kintera.org/angelsforeverup or send email to email@example.com. Information is posted at www.angelsforeverup.org. Participants can start their own team or register individually. Prizes will be awarded for the team and individual that raises the most money. Registration fee includes T-shirt, entertainment, goody bags, game ticket and food voucher.
In addition, organizers are looking for volunteers to assist on the day of the Buddy Walk and for corporate sponsors. For more on these opportunities, email firstname.lastname@example.com.
Three-day event set to focus on domestic violence
Leah's House Shelter and For Kathy's Sake Inc. are sponsoring a three-day event featuring Donna Andersen from Sept. 12 to 14.
For three days in September, students and their families can learn how to spot and escape potentially dangerous dating partners. "Love Fraud and How to Avoid It" will be presented by Andersen, author of Lovefraud.com, who was featured in the premiere episode of Investigation Discovery's "Who the (Bleep) Did I Marry?"
On Thursday, Sept. 12, at St. Mary's College of Maryland, the event will be held in St. Mary's Hall from 7:30 to 9 p.m. and will feature drum corps, step team performances and refreshments. Donation is $5.
On Friday, Sept. 13, at the Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center in Leonardtown, the event will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. and will include step team performances and refreshments. Donation is $5.
On Saturday, Sept. 14, organizers will host a catered brunch from 10 a.m. to noon at the Patuxent Presbyterian Church in California. This brunch will include Andersen's presentation and a panel of experts in domestic violence response. Donation is $20.
Proceeds from the events will benefit the Leah's House shelter, which protects women and children in crisis, including human trafficking victims. For more information, call 301-994-9580 or email email@example.com. Refreshment sponsors and volunteers are needed.
College chapter honored
Omicron Delta Kappa recently awarded St. Mary's College of Maryland with the Superior Circle Award. Each year Omicron Delta Kappa recognizes circles (chapters) that meet all the circle standards. Circles qualify as a superior circle if they meet all standards and produce two or more campuswide leadership events during the year.
St. Mary's College also announced that the ODK Foundation Scholarship Committee selected Emily Wavering from the Class of 2013, who was also named ODK Circle Leader of the Year, as a recipient of the 2013 ODK Scholarship. Each year the foundation awards up to 20 scholarships to members who are applying for post-graduate programs. These $1,000 scholarships are available to students who have earned a 3.5 or higher cumulative GPA, were voting members of their ODK Circle and are current seniors or have graduated within the past five years.
Artsfest set for Sept. 21 and 22
The 20th Annual Artsfest Fine Arts Festival will take place at Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Arts Center on Sept. 21 and 22 in Solomons. Artsfest is a weekend of shopping, live music, food and drink, free family and children's activities and more. In celebration of the 20th anniversary, more than 165 indoor and outdoor artist booths will be set up. The event will also feature more than 30 entertainers, including jazz, rock, folk, blues and country.
Genticorum to perform, workshops offered
The Celtic Society of Southern Maryland in partnership with the Calvert Marine Museum will present Genticorum, the award-winning traditional Quebecois trio from Montreal. The band members will offer master workshops in fiddle/feet, guitar and flute/pennywhistle on Saturday, Sept. 7, from 2 to 4 p.m. A concert will be presented at 7:30 p.m. The workshops and concert will be held at the Calvert Marine Museum Auditorium in Solomons. Workshop cost $35, with some scholarships available. Concert tickets are $25 and are available online at www.cssm.org/tickets.
Alumni association awards scholarships
This year, the Margaret Brent High School Alumni Association has awarded six scholarships of $1,000 each to the following 2013 high school graduates.
The recipients are: Charles Ryan Gilbert, graduate of Chopticon High School, son of Charles and Lori Gilbert; Jacob Noah Jarboe, graduate of St. Mary's Ryken High School, son of William and Lori Kay Jarboe; Katlyn Florence Lyon, graduate of Leonardtown High School, daughter of Michael and Brenda Lyon; David Rippetoe Norton Jr., graduate of Providence High School in Florida, son of David and Margaret Norton; Maxwell Scott Pilkerton, graduate of Huntley High School in Illinois, son of Scott and Susan Pilkerton; and Megan Elizabeth Spence, graduate of Chopticon High School, daughter of Robert and Dorothy Spence.
All of the winners are direct descendents of former MBHS students who attended the school between 1931 and 1965, prior to the school becoming a middle school. Winners were selected based on their academic record and achievements in school and in their community.
Workshop on land preservation set
The Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission and the Maryland Environmental Trust will hold a workshop Sept. 3 at 6 p.m. to discuss opportunities for land preservation in Southern Maryland. The workshop will take place at the SMECO auditorium in Hughesville.
Recently, the state increased funding in the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Program and the Rural Legacy Program. The federal government increased the tax break for easement donations in 2013. After a donation of an easement to the Maryland Environmental Trust, landowners may deduct up to 50 percent of adjusted gross income from their federal income tax, and they can continue to take the deduction for another 15 years, or until they reach the value of the easement.
Landowners may deduct up to 100 percent of their adjusted gross income per year if the majority of their income comes from farming, ranching or forestry, until they reach the value of the easement. In previous years, the maximum deduction was 30 percent of adjusted gross income and it is likely to be no higher than that in the foreseeable future.
The majority of the workshop will concentrate on easement donation because of the one-time jump in the percentage of adjusted gross income deduction. As easement donation does not suit all landowners, information on alternative land preservation programs will also be provided. Light refreshments will be served. Respond by today, Aug. 28, by emailing Greg Bowen at email@example.com or calling 301-274-1922, ext. 1.
Yard sale to raise funds for fire/rescue squad
A yard sale will be held by the Second District Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad in Valley Lee on Sept. 28 from 7 to 11 a.m. To reserve a table for $10 or for more information, call Kelly at 240-299-5261 or Georgia at 301-994-1960.
Registration open for cycling event
Registration is now open for the 2013 Crop Hop: a cycling tour of Southern Maryland farms. Hosted by the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission and the Charles County Board of Commissioners, the Crop Hop highlights the connection between local farms, fresh food and good nutrition. Profits from the event will go to the Southern Maryland Food Bank for purchasing fresh, local food.
This year's 2013 Crop Hop will be held Saturday, Oct. 19, in Charles County. All rides begin and end at Gilbert Run Park. Riders cycle to local farm stops to experience farm tours, interact with farmers and enjoy locally-sourced snacks.
This year's routes include the Silo Century (62 miles) for serious riders, the Harvest Hop (33 miles), the Barnstormer (15 miles), the Barnstormer Lite (for those less inclined to ride the hilly terrain) and the Sprout Route for children. Farm stops along the route specialize in turkeys, cattle, horses, goats, produce, agritourism and more. The Sprout Route is a kid-friendly course, featuring a 3-mile, in-park walk and ride with educational stops featuring animals, seed planting and exercise.
After the ride, cyclists can participate in a locally sourced picnic lunch at Gilbert Run Park.
Cost for the Sprout Route is $20 per rider. Cost is $40 for the Barnstormer routes and $60 for the Harvest Hop and Silo Century courses. Riders registering before Sept. 30 are guaranteed a complimentary lunch and event T-shirt.
Non-cyclists and community members are welcome to attend the festivities and lunch at Gilbert Run Park from 11:30 to 2 p.m. Registration for lunch is open on the Crop Hop website, and the cost is $10 per adult and $5 per child (6 and younger). For more, see www.crophop.com.
Butterfly bonanza created
Rachel Adler, the Lindsey Paul Rudolph summer intern at the St. Mary's County Library, created a native butterfly garden at the Lexington Park branch as her summer project. Caterpillars were raised at the library over the summer, and then the resulting butterflies were released at a Waiting for Wings event on Aug. 5, attended by more the 40 people. Photos are available on the library's Flickr page at www.flickr.com/photos/stmaryslibrary/9447861006/.
Native plants for the project were donated by the ELMS Environmental Center's native plant nursery. The garden was planted outside the windows of the children's section at the Lexington Park branch. Paper butterflies with facts now decorate the inside windows, and a nearby felt board with butterfly life cycle pieces was installed. The aim of this learning center is to engage children in learning about the life cycle of a butterfly, pollination, native plants and gardening.
Chaney beautification grants awarded
The Chaney Beautification Fund, a field of interest fund at the Community Foundation of Southern Maryland, awarded 11 grants to nonprofits in Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles and St. Mary's counties this year. Nonprofits, educational institutions and governmental agencies were eligible to apply for the grant. The Community Foundation of Southern Maryland Grants Committee accepted and reviewed approximately 17 grant applications from five counties and 11 organizations were selected for this year's grant cycle. Awardees include Friends of Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum, Friends of Cedar Lane, Captain Avery Museum, Humane Society of Charles County, College of Southern Maryland, University of Maryland Extension-St. Mary's Master Gardeners, Historic Sotterley Inc., Center For Life Enrichment, Mary H. Matula Elementary School, Sandy Point State Park and Ridge Elementary School.
The fund is designed to assist projects that add beauty to the communities in which Chaney Enterprises does business by matching donated resources community stakeholders with cash and/or construction materials.
Holy Angels to host annual seafood dinner
On Sunday, Sept. 8, from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Holy Angels Catholic Church in Avenue will hold its annual seafood dinner, featuring fried oysters, steamed spiced shrimp, crab balls and fried chicken. The meal is all you can eat, served buffet style. Cost is $25 for adults, $8 for children 6 to 12 and free for children 5 and younger. Carryouts will be available at $23 each. There also will be homemade desserts and a craft table. The raffle prize this year is for $1,500 — with the first prize being $1,000 and the second prize $500. You do not need to be present to win.
Holy Angels is located at 21340 Colton Point Road in Avenue. For more information or to purchase advance tickets, call the rectory at 301-769-3332 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.
Allen, Madden win book award
Dakota Allen of Leonardtown and Emma Madden of Leonardtown, both students at St. Mary's Ryken High School, were awarded the 2013 Saint Michael's College Book Award for Academic Achievement with a Social Conscience.
The award recognizes students who demonstrate a commitment to leadership in volunteer service and academic achievement. Saint Michael's, located in Burlington, Vt., was founded on the belief that serving others is part of its Catholic tradition. Award recipients, named at schools throughout the country, are high school juniors who are inductees of the National Honor Society or an equivalent school-sponsored honors organization. They must demonstrate a commitment to service activities in high school or community organizations, taking leadership roles in these activities.
Winners were presented the book "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung, a 1993 Saint Michael's College graduate.
Farm Bureau awards two scholarships
At the annual picnic for the St. Mary's County Farm Bureau, Katherine Thompson of Chopticon High School and Catherine Raley of St. Mary's Ryken were each awarded a $1,000 scholarship from the bureau's Floyd Raley Scholarship program. Both Thompson and Raley are dependents of farm bureau families.
Long-term care conference scheduled
It's time to register for the third annual Long-Term Care Awareness Conference, hosted by the St. Mary's County Department of Aging and Human Services. The conference will be held Friday, Oct. 11, at Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center in Leonardtown. Registration fee is $22. Advance registration is required.
The conference will begin at 9 a.m., with registration doors opening at 8 a.m. This year's theme is "A Focus on Services & Supports in Long-Term Care Facilities."
Guest speakers will address topics including medical benefits for residents in long-term care, understanding the needs of those with dementia-related illnesses, Medicare updates, legal documents essential for long-term planning, alternative choices for long-term care and psychosocial benefits of activities and recreation.
Registration forms are available at the Garvey, Loffler and Northern senior activity centers. For more information or a registration form, contact Mindy Carter or Kathy Goodspeed at 301-475-4200, ext. 1055, or email email@example.com.


text:
There are no items in your cart at this time.
20% Off All Clearance Styles Site-Wide — Shop Now —
Select your desired product options and we will notify you when it is back in stock.
Strut with style anywhere you go with the sophisticated Clarks Kessa Nora. The neutral hue of this taupe leather flat allows you to wear it with anything. Pair this versatile shoe with black dress pants in the office, or your favorite blue jeans on the weekend. Either way, its decorative stitching, intriguing criss-cross strapping and pintuck pleating details at the forefoot add a stylish accent you'll love. Enjoy long lasting comfort and style with the Clarks Kessa Nova soft-padded footbed – designed to massage your feet with every step.
Clarks Kessa Nora Taupe Leather Women's Shoe
Features include:
This shoe has soft, flexible leather.
Sign up to receive new arrival, sale & special event info from us.
Note: we do not share your personal information with anyone. Period.
"Footwear etc, has always been trustworthy, reliable, and more recently, provides great, speedy shipping and returns for no fee. They carry the shoe lines that I wear. They have great sales. I recommend shopping with Footwear etc. It is always my first choice."
©2015 Footwear Etc. All Rights Reserved. For any questions or assistance call 1-800-720-0572.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Step 1: The design
How much more difficult or costly would it be to make this shelf in clear heavy plastic instead of wood? email@example.com
if you want a feeling of extra security you could cut your end pieces so that the grain runs diagonally (from the top back to the front bottom corner, not from the top front to the back bottom.) make them the same size as the divider (will require a larger board to cut them from, or let the leading corner be cut off, won't hurt the strength, just a different look) and screw them from below and behind as you did with the divider. this way will both give you stronger glue joints than gluing onto end grain and somewhat hide the screw heads on the back and bottom. this is probably the strongest connection you can make without some sort of proper joinery involving fancy cutting.
however, if you are really attached to metal reinforcement, you could counter sink the brackets with a chisel or router (too fiddly) or put the brackets on the outside so they go behind and under (lumpy but the book are safe) or get the kind that are flat L shapes (much stronger than the kind you are using now, not that it is needed) and hide them between the end caps and the shelf/back, screwing through them as you put the end pieces on (still a bit lumpy if you don't want to cut notches for them, but it might be possible to hide the gaps with caulk or wood putty before painting.)


text:
The newly formed Reston-Herndon Committee Against Gun Violence made its presence known Friday, when nearly 60 marchers held a peaceful protest in front of the Fairfax headquarters of the National Rifle Association in blustery 27-degree weather.
The group, dressed all in black, held up handmade signs with sayings such as "Killing Children Is Not Sport" and "Stop the NRA."
The protest was personal for marcher Beverly Rains of Herndon, whose 19-year-old son Ryan Jones killed himself in 1994 with a handgun he purchased at a Chantilly K-Mart.
"My son originally purchased a handgun at a flea market in West Virginia and was later charged with concealing it in his vehicle in Virginia. He then went to K-Mart and bought another one that he used to kill himself with," she said. "Both those gun sales could have been avoided with a universal background check."
For committee co-founder Joanna Simon of Reston, both the formation of the committee, and its first NRA protest, was an answer to December's school massacre in Newtown, Conn. "I have two first-grade grandchildren and when the Newtown massacre occurred, it really hit home with me," she said. "I think the NRA's response to that tragedy, to put more guns in schools, was deplorable."
Sally Horwatt-Brodsky, also of Reston, said that she too had an adverse reaction to the NRA's suggestion. "I literally stood up after hearing it on television and yelled 'I can't stand it!'"
Horwatt-Brodsky said that she is in favor of the Second Amendment, and that mandatory gun registration does not conflict with it. "Supreme Court Justice Anthony Scalia agrees with me," she said. "He said so in his dissention in the case of Disctict of Columbia vs. Heller."
Jim Sollo, spokesman for the Virginia Center for Public Safety, said he lives "a rifle's shot" from the NRA headquarters in Fairfax. He marched Friday to commemorate a 26-year-old female co-worker who he says was gunned down in 1993 by a crazed gunman just before her wedding.
"That made it personal," he said. "I have been advocating for responsible gun control laws ever since. I think Newtown brought it home for many others as well. Enough is enough."
Simon said that going forward, her committee will protest outside NRA headquarters on the 14th of every month at 9:30 a.m., to commemorate the victims of the Newtown Massacre which took place December 14 around that same time.
"We welcome all those who are interested in supporting our efforts to limit gun violence," she said. "In addition to tens of thousands of gun deaths every year, U.S. lifetime medical costs for gunshot injuries total an estimated $2.3 billion, and taxpayers pay for almost half of that."
NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam did not acknowledge attempts seeking NRA comments to Friday's protest.


text:
Houston Texans Details
|All NFL Tickets
|See all NFL tickets
Price for a Beer
3/25/15: The major question around the Houston Texans has to be who will be the quarterback when the season starts. Since the Texans traded away Ryan Fitzpatrick and Case Keenum, it really comes down to Ryan Mallet and Brian Hoyer. Hoyer is predictable and steady, but hardly outstanding. Mallet may have more upside, though is largely unproven and is coming off of a broken leg. It should be an interesting competition during the preseason, though many may be hoping for the greater potential of Mallet. If the Texans can solve some offensive issues, then they have a good chance to get back to the playoffs.
3/18/15: The Houston Texans are still trying to sort out their quarterback situation for next season, and it looks like it will be a competition between journeyman Brian Hoyer (who just signed with the Texans last week) and Ryan Mallett (who is coming off of an injury that ended his season early). What they have in common is that they were both backups to Tom Brady in the Patriots organization in the past. The Texans also traded away Ryan Fitzpatrick to Buffalo. More importantly, the team released the best player in franchise history, wide receiver Andre Johnson, who signed with AFC South rival Indianapolis as he searches for a Super Bowl ring.
3/11/15: The Houston Texans have been an NFL franchises for 13 years. Wide receiver Andre Johnson has been on the team for the last 12 of those seasons. He has been through the development and peaks, and has little to show for it. He is recognized as being a great wide receiver and the best player in Texans history, but now he wants out. He insists that he has never asked for a trade, but has asked for his release. The team told him that he would have a reduced role next season and his contract is for $11.5 million, so the writing is really on the wall.
3/4/15: There will constantly be news and speculation about the Houston Texans quarterback situation until there is a solution. The team needs a franchise quarterback. There is none on the roster right now, though Ryan Mallett could develop into that guy. But the better, and more uplifting news out of Houston is that offensive lineman David Quessenberry's lymphoma is in remission. Quessenberry missed the entire 2014 season because of the cancer and finished radiation treatments just a few weeks ago. Great news for Quessenberry and best of luck for a full recovery. At least he did not have as bad of a year as Ravens owner Steve Biscotti claims to have had.
2/25/15: Not that it is any surprise, but Texans head coach Bill O'Brian wants Ryan Mallett to stay in Houston. Mallett has the most talent of all of the quarterbacks on the Texans roster, but only managed two starts before tearing a pectoral muscle last season. Mallett is set to be a free agent next month. It is difficult to say what type of market there is for him. Teams need QBs and most recognize Mallett's potential, but his limited game experience makes him a risk to hand a team over to. In reality, staying in Houston probably makes the most sense for Mallett.
2/18/15: Fair or unfair, Texans linebacker Brian Cushing has been referred to as soft and injury-prone. When healthy, he is a very good player and patrols the middle of the field with the best in the league. The problem is that he has been injured often in his career. He played through last season, but was not himself and his snaps were limited. He now says that he feels 100 percent healthy and does not need to be limited anymore. If he and defensive lineman Jadeveon Clowney can ever really be healthy at the same time, then the Texans are going to have a great defense that can stop almost anyone.
2/11/15: Texans head coach Bill O'Brian stated the obvious last week when he admitted that the team will probably have a quarterback competition this coming season. The options on the roster do not inspire confidence with the fans. That list includes Ryan Fitzpatrick, Ryan Mallet, Tom Savage and Case Keenum. Fitzpatrick is recovering from a broken leg. It would not be surprising, in fact, it would be expected that the Texans bring in at least one more quarterback for the competition, either through free agency, trade or even the draft. In any case, not all of them will be there next season.
2/5/15: It seems like J.J. Watt is everywhere. He is on commercials. He is on radio programs. He has been in a few episodes of "The League". And, of course, he is constantly in highlight reels scoring touchdowns, swatting down passes and sacking quarterbacks. One of the minds that helped make Watt the best defensive lineman in the league is now gone from Houston, though. That would be now-former D-Line coach Bill Kollar. The Texans allowed Kollar to get out of his contract and he is now joining former Texans head coach Gary Kubiak in Denver for the same job. There is probably little need to panic, though, as Watt is a force on his own, regardless of the D-Line coach.
1/28/15: Most NFL players who actually go and play in the Pro Bowl take it easy and just enjoy themselves. And no one ever, ever plays defense. However, most players are not J.J. Watt. Watt was a one man wrecking crew last Sunday in the Pro Bowl. He kicked field goals during practice and even recovered a fumble. It is pretty well accepted that Watt will win the Defensive Player of the Year honors but the real question is whether or not he will win league MVP honors. A case can certainly be made for league MVP, but that award typically goes to quarterbacks and defensive players rarely even gather votes.
1/21/15: The Pro-Bowl may be a secondary prize to the Super Bowl, but it is still an honor to be on the team. It is an even bigger honor to be one of the captains. Texans defensive end extraordinaire J.J. Watt was selected to be captain and will work with Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown to help pick one Pro Bowl team. They will be facing off against the captains of the other team: Cleveland Browns cornerback Joe Hayden and Dallas Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray. It is all part of the NFL's efforts to make the Pro Bowl a more competitive game - though that is a pretty tough task.
1/14/15: Houston ran former head coach Gary Kubiak out of town on a rail a year ago after a miserable 2-14 campaign in 2013. They did that despite the fact that Kubiak was largely successful in his time in Houston. Now, Kubiak has re-emerged as a legitimate head coaching candidate for a few teams after rejuvenating the Baltimore Ravens offense as their OC. The Texans may now be losing their director of college scouting, Mike Maccagnan, who is reportedly the top choice of the New York Jets for their open General Manager position. The only problem with that is that he would be working for the Jets, who are not the most stable organization in the league.
1/7/15: The Houston Texans had one of the best defenses in the NFL this season, led, of course, by J.J. Watt. Watt had three sacks in the season finale against Jacksonville, giving him 20.5 for the season - and making him the first player to have more than one 20+ sack seasons in NFL history. He should be a candidate for MVP, though that has pretty much become a quarterback award. Speaking of QBs, that is what the Texans need to improve from 9-7. It is pretty obvious that Ryan Fitzpatrick and Case Keenum are not the answers, and Ryan Mallet got hurt so he is still a question mark. Do not be surprised if the Texans spend a high draft pick on a signal caller come May.
12/3/14: A quarterback throwing six touchdowns in a game is more commonplace these days considering all of the rules changes to benefit the offense. That being said, no one expected Texans journeyman QB Ryan Fitzpatrick to do that. But he did against the Tennessee Titans. One of those TDs was to J.J. Watt, which was his fifth TD of the season. That is the first time since 1944 that a defensive end has registered five touchdowns in a season. Houston went on to rout the Titans 45-21 and improve to 6-6 on the year. The Texans can get above .500 this Sunday when they visit the Jaguars.
11/19/14: The Houston Texans were supposed to struggle at Cleveland last Sunday. They were on the road, playing against a good defense and were starting quarterback Ryan Mallet for the first time. None of that seemed to matter as the Texans defense dominated Brian Hoyer and the Browns. J.J. Watt had a big day with a touchdown, sack and turnover recovery. Mallett's debut was adequate. He threw for 211 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Alfred Blue filled in for Arian Foster and gained 156 yards on the ground. The win got Houston back to .500 on the season with a 5-5 record. The Texans are back home on Sunday to host the Cincinnati Bengals.
11/12/14: Houston has had the season that many envisioned they would so far under rookie head coach Bill O'Brian. They are 4-5, but trail the Indianapolis Colts by two games in the AFC South. They are much better than last season's 2-14 team, but still need work to get back to the top. Getting first overall pick Jadeveon Clowney to actually play may help. One guy that will not be playing is QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Houston Texans are giving Ryan Mallet the starting role, allowing them to observe his abilities. Houston comes off of their bye with a trip to Cleveland this Sunday.
11/5/14: The Texans have one of the better defenses in the league, but they had a tough assignment last Sunday against the visiting Philadelphia Eagles and Chip Kelly's high-octane offense. The defense hung in early with a pick-six, but ultimately they could not slow down the Eagles. It did not help that the Texans could not get much offense going, despite Arian Foster's 56 yard reception for a TD. Houston fell 31-21 and dropped to 4-5 on the season. It is probably as good of a time as any for a bye week, which the Texans can use to regroup and come back fresh for the home stretch.
10/29/14: Houston is not done yet. The Texans earned a much needed division win on the road last Sunday, defeating the host Tennessee Titans 30-16. The Texans won this game in the second and third quarters where they scored 27 of their 30 points. QB Ryan Fitzpatrick was efficient, throwing for 227 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions, but this day belonged to Arian Foster. Foster gained 151 yards on the ground and two touchdowns, plus another 22 receiving for another score. Houston evened their record to 4-4 and returns home this Sunday to host the exciting Philadelphia Eagles.
10/22/14: Houston's strong start has unfortunately given way to questionable decision making and execution over the past few weeks. Even worse, it was on full display in Week 7 as the Texans were on Monday Night Football. Actually, the Texans were not as bad as the 30-23 loss may indicate. It was really the last three minutes of the first half that doomed them. In that time, the Steelers scored 24 points with the help of a few Houston turnovers. That is a tough way to fall. The loss dropped the Texans to 3-4 on the season, but the Texans do have Tennessee this Sunday, which is a great chance for a division win.
10/15/14: No one really believed that the Texans were bad enough to deserve a 2-14 record last season - there is simply too much talent on the roster. Houston got out to a 3-1 start, but has dropped their last two games, including the Thursday Night Game to the division rival Indianapolis Colts 33-28. The Texans were down 24-0 at the second quarter, but battled back to make the game interesting. They actually limited the Colts to just nine points after the first quarter, but that first quarter ended up being their doom. Houston is now 3-3 on the season and has an extra long week - they play again in primetime on the Monday Night Game at Pittsburgh.
10/8/14: The Battle of Texas featured one of the best defenses in the league (Houston) against one of the best offenses in the league (Dallas). The Cowboys got the better of this one, winning 20-17 in overtime in one of the more exciting matchups of the weekend. The defenses won the first half, with Houston down only 3-0, but both sides came out more aggressively in the second half. Arian Foster had a monster day with 157 yards rushing and two touchdowns. The Texans are now 3-2 on the season, which is still better than last year. They host the Indianapolis Colts on the Thursday Night Game.
10/1/14: Four games into the season and the Texans have already surpassed last season's win total. Houston hosted the Buffalo Bills last Sunday and earned win number three with a 23-17 victory. The Texans are using a reloaded and rejuvenated defense to win games this season. They limited the Bills to only 94 yards rushing on the day and got two interceptions and a fumble. J.J. Watt returned one of those interceptions for a touchdown, joining an exclusive group of players that have scored touchdowns both through interception and receiving in the same year. At 3-1, the Texans are looking like a threat to the Colts and head to Dallas (3-1) to face the surprising Cowboys on Sunday.
9/24/14: OK Houston fans, it is not time to panic yet. Sure this is looking a lot like last season when the team started off 2-0, then dropped 14 consecutive games, but this is a different team. Yes, the Giants beat the Texans 30-17 last Sunday, but again, this is a different team. This game was different as Arian Foster was unavailable due to injury. But the Texans may have found a capable backup in Alfred Blue, who did rush for 78 yards. QB Ryan Fitzpatrick was 20 of 34 passing for 289 yards, one touchdown - but it was his three interceptions that made a big difference. Houston has a good chance to right the ship this Sunday when they host the Bills.
9/17/14: The Houston Texans are off to the same start they had last season at 2-0, let's hope that the rest of the season does not follow last year's script. Houston easily dispatched the Oakland Raiders on the road 30-14. QB Ryan Fitzpatrick did all he had to do, even with only throwing for 139 yards with two touchdowns - one of those touchdowns went to defensive lineman J.J. Watt, who lined up as a tight end. The team added 188 yards on the ground and the defensive picked off Raiders QB Derek Carr twice. Houston now heads up north to face the Giants for another road game.
8/28/14: It has to be a bit frustrating for Houston fans. They watched as Bud Adams moved their beloved Oilers to Tennessee fifteen years ago (and then got to the Super Bowl). They managed to land an expansion team that fell short for many years before finally breaking through just a couple of years ago. Then came the disastrous 2013 season. It also hurts that Peyton Manning reportedly wanted to go to Houston after the Colts cut him - but the team was not interested. They were committed to Matt Schaub and Manning was coming off of serious neck injury. Today, Manning is the best QB in the league and the Texans are scraping for a starter. At least they have Clowney and Watt.
8/21/14: The first overall pick in the NFL draft is expected to step in on day one and make an impact. Jadeveon Clowney can check that box off his list, at least in the preseason. Clowney penetrated the backfield on consecutive plays to make impact hits against Atlanta in the Texans' preseason win. The first hit met running back Antone Smith as he got the handoff. The second was a sack on Matt Ryan for a seven yard loss. The Texans' defense looks like it is in good hands with Clowney and J.J. Watt. Now the offense needs to catch up and then the Texans could have a special team.
8/14/14: Is J.J. Watt the best defensive player in the NFL? That may be debatable (though the Texans fans certainly think so). What is not in doubt is that Watt is at least among the very best. The Texans picked up the fifth year option on his first round pick rookie contract, so he will be in Houston for at least another two years. Owner Bob McNair essentially acknowledged Watt's worth to the team by saying they will try to get an extension done early if it makes sense. It makes sense. So do not be surprised if the team and Watt announce a long term deal in near future.
8/7/14: The Houston Texans players are standing behind one of their own right now. Offensive lineman David Quessenerry was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma OTAs and is undergoing chemotherapy. The Texans are now selling a t-shirt boasting 'DQ Strong". The shirts are being sold for $20 and all the proceeds are going to lymphoma research. The team is optimistic that he will make it back to play this season, with the possibility even including returning for Week 1 and the Texans' season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Fortunately, it seems the disease was caught in its early stages.
7/31/14: Every year, there is a first overall pick in the draft who is supposed to be both a 'can't miss' prospect and be able to contribute right away. Jadeveon Clowney is that man this season and the Texans have high hopes for him. He may be a little late in providing an impact, though. He is on the field at training camp, but is not 100 percent at this time. There are still five weeks before opening day, and getting Clowney ready - both physically and playbook-wise - has to be a key goal of the Texans this training camp. If so, then they are on their way to proving that last season's 2-14 record was just an aberration.
7/24/14: The Texans got a bit of rough news when they found out that their new star, first overall pick defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, would need surgery for a lingering sports hernia. Training camp begins on Saturday and Clowney is preparing for it, though a week prior he had not been cleared for activity. Clowney figures to be a major part of the defense in 2014 and for several years thereafter. Just the thought of him paired with J.J. Watt should present major challenges to the AFC South for a long time, which is what the Texans want.
7/17/14: While Houston is looking to rebuild, or at least rebound from last season, they may have a Texas-sized problem on their hand with star wide receiver Andre Johnson. Johnson has been unhappy for a while now and skipped voluntary and mandatory workouts, reportedly costing him $1 million in workout bonuses. But the situation has escalated as the 33 year old has reportedly asked for a trade. He does not want to be part of a rebuilding process apparently. Of course, it would be hard to get a good return for him, considering he is owed over $20 million for the next two seasons.
7/10/14: Great organizations in professional sports often take the proverbial 'best player available' in drafts, regardless of a need or surplus at any given position. The long-term idea is that if they end up with a surplus, then they have a better team and trade bait. The Texans selected Jadeveon Clowney with the first overall pick even though they have a lot of quality outside linebackers. So they are moving veteran Brooks Reed to the inside on a full time basis. This does fill a need at inside linebacker and allows Reed to help Clowney learn to play the outside linebacker position.
7/3/14: The NFL and NFLPA did a pretty good job of getting rookie contracts into line with the last CBA deal two years ago, but there are still some glaring holes. The Texans selected Jadeveon Clowney with the first overall pick and he got $14 million guaranteed. At the same time, standout defensive end J.J. Watt has a lot of awards and accomplishments under his belt over the past four seasons, but is still on his rookie contract which maxes out at $11 million. Watt has never threatened to hold out, but has certainly outplayed his contract, and the Texans would be wise to resign him to a more lucrative deal and keep him happy.
6/26/14: The Texans announced their starting quarterback last week and went with the safe choice, at least for now. Ryan Fitzpatrick, the pride of Harvard football gets the nod to start off with. Fitzpatrick developed into a competent, if unspectacular, QB in Buffalo. And then he signed a big contract and his play fell off dramatically. The team also thinned the QB ranks by trading (or releasing) T.J. Yates. That leaves rookie Tom Savage and Case Keenum fighting for the backup spot. Savage will probably be named the starter sometime in the future, but it is Fitz for now.
6/19/14: The Texans picked the biggest defensive name in the draft, Jadeveon Clowney, with the first overall pick. It was just announced that Clowney had surgery for a sports hernia. That will keep him out of some team activities this summer, but he is expected to be healthy for training camp. Head coach Bill O'Brien suggests that the hernia is a recent issue, but new reports indicate that Clowney participated in his Pro Day with a slight groin pull, and that was back in April. In any case, this should not be cause for alarm for the team or their fans. Clowney is an extraordinary athlete and should be fine to play when that time comes.
6/12/14: It was only a few years ago that landing the number one pick overall was a hindrance and not a help. Not because of the talent available, but because the enormous contract that had to be filled. Sam Bradford of the St. Louis Rams was the last of those picks, and he was paid handsomely. This year's number one pick, defensive end Jadeveon Clowney is already signed, sealed and delivered to the Texans. He signed a four year rookie deal worth $22 million, with a $14.5 million signing bonus. The team will have the option for the fifth year.
6/6/14: The oddsmakers like the Houston Texans a whole lot better than most NFL fans outside of the Houston metro area. The Texans, of course, won only two games last season and had the worst record in the NFL - thereby earning the number one overall pick and the first pick in each round of the draft. The oddsmakers now have them at 7.5 wins on the season, which would be a remarkable improvement. Chances are that as more people bet the under, that line will move down. The Texans are certainly better, but still have a tough schedule in front of them and do not have a proven QB.
5/29/14: The great thing about this time of year is that every fan can have optimism that this is the year and every player can talk about what a great season he is about to have. The Texans should easily be better than last season based solely on the returned health of the their players - and Texans fans should be excited about that. Arian Foster is upbeat as well. He expects to catch more passes this season and he likes that possibility. Foster's season ended early last year, but after back surgery he is doing well. He participated in the voluntary minicamp and is expected to be at OTA's.
5/22/14: Houston may have another problem on their hands in star wide receiver Andre Johnson. Speaking publicly, Johnson wondered about the future of the team and his place in it. Reportedly, he has not asked for a trade, but that is not outside the realm of possibilities. Johnson is the best player in franchise history, and seems upset about being in his 30's with a rebuilding team. Houston may want a first round pick in a trade, which seems like a pretty steep price for a wide receiver that gets a lot of yards but very few touchdowns - and is probably not too many years away from retirement.
5/15/14: The speculation is over and the dust has now settled. The Texans, apparently, could not strike a deal to trade the number one pick overall, so they went ahead and used it on the consensus best player in the draft. The Texans selected Jadaveon Clowney, the star defensive lineman out of South Carolina. Clowney will be paired with all-pro J.J. Watt, and that could provide a standout defensive line for years to come. It may well be a good pick for Houston, as they do face Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts twice in every season.
5/8/14: All eyes are on Houston today as they have to decide what to do with the first overall pick in the NFL draft. The Texans owner, Bob McNair, has said that they know who they want. While that sounds like they are going to use the pick, they may just be throwing out a smoke screen to facilitate a trade. Many believe that they will take defensive lineman Jadeveon Clowney with the first pick. Others think they want Kalil Mack. In any case, the spotlight is on Houston this week as they hold all the cards in the NFL draft.
5/1/14: Texans owner Bob McNair says the team will not make the same mistakes with the first overall pick as they did when they selected David Carr a dozen years ago. They were an expansion team at the time and picked the best QB in draft. He played right away and was mauled. Over and over again. The Texans did not invest enough in protection for Carr and never gave him the time he needed to develop. Overlooked in this is that the Texans had the first overall pick in 2006 and they took DE Mario Williams. That sounds like McNair is hinting at taking a QB overall. Or it is just another smokescreen.
4/24/14: It's the never-ending story for the Texans, and will be until draft day. The Texans are bringing in former Louisville QB Teddy Bridgewater for a visit. This should shock absolutely no one who follows the NFL, as the Texans are looking at any and all options with the first overall pick in the NFL draft. Well, that, and they need a franchise QB. It is anyone's guess at this point on who the Texans will take with that first pick. Many believe they will go with defensive lineman Jadeveon Clowney and pair him with J.J. Watt for a very impressive front four. Others think QB is the answer, particularly since head coach Bill O'Brien's experience is in developing quarterbacks.
4/17/14: As the draft nears, the scrutiny of the media and fans increases on the Houston Texans and what they will do with the first overall pick. While it is impossible to really know what they are going to do, many feel that it is coming down to a choice between defensive lineman Jadeveon Clowney (South Carolina) and QB Blake Bortles (UCF). Clowney is considered the best player in the draft, but some question his work ethic. Bortles needs development, but new head coach Bill O'Brien is a QB guru and Bortles has all the tools needed to be a franchise QB.
4/10/14: The speculation that the Texans will select standout defensive lineman Jadaveon Clowney with the first overall pick is gaining steam, at least in the media. Clowney had a strong pro day last week and flatly says that he should be the number one overall pick. The Texans need a new QB and have said they will take at least one, but do not know in which round(s). None of the QBs in the draft are considered 'can't miss' prospects. It also makes sense to pair Clowney with J.J. Watt for a very intimidating duo in the front seven. Those are all good arguments for Clowney, but only the Texans can make the decision.
3/27/14: The Matt Schaub era in Houston is finally over. The fans may be appreciative of finally ridding themselves of Schaub, though he did have several good years in Houston and got them to the playoffs. Even better for the Texans is that they did get a draft pick (late round) from Oakland in the process. Schaub originally came to Houston as a free agent several years ago, from Atlanta, when he saw that he would only be a backup behind Michael Vick. It was not all bad, and he did lead some decent teams. Last season, though, was a disaster, and the trademark image was fans cheering when Schaub got hurt against the St. Louis Rams. Good luck to Schaub in the future.
3/20/14: The Houston Texans are getting a lot of publicity this offseason and that has mostly to do with firing head coach Gary Kubiak, hiring new head coach Bill O'Brien, and owning the first overall pick in the May draft. What there has not been a lot of coverage on is Houston's free agent signings. Good reason for that - there have been exactly zero adds since the start of free agency. Most notably, the team released QB Matt Schaub and let running back Ben Tate walk in free agency. He signed with the Cleveland Browns and is expected to be the feature back.
3/13/14: Houston's eventual decision as to what to do with the first overall pick is changing course again, at least in the eyes of those who watch such things but are not actually with the team. This week, it is former Central Florida Knights QB Blake Bortles that sits on top of several experts' lists. Bortles has the prototypical frame to be an NFL QB, but is more raw than Johnny Manziel or Teddy Bridgewater. There is also a lot being made of between the relationship between Texans' head coach Bill O'Brian and UCF head coach George O'Leary. That may be stretching to get the links aligned, but it makes for good copy with the talking heads.
3/6/14: The Texans are playing coy about what they want to do with the first overall pick in the May NFL draft. Conventional logic dictates that the team needs a new starting quarterback who can lead the franchise for many years. The top options, of course, are Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M), Blake Bortles (UCF) and Teddy Bridgewater (Louisville). Of course, defensive lineman Jadeveon Clowny is on the board as well, and he could be a monster when paired with J.J. Watt. Perhaps the Texans are thinking about taking Clowney, then addressing QB with a later pick in the draft.
2/27/14: The Texans are on the clock for the first overall pick in the upcoming NFL draft. The top QBs all want to be that first selection and become the franchise QB for a team that was 2-14 last season, but went to the playoffs in the years before. So perhaps the pressure of evaluating for the draft has left the team little time to discuss a contract extension with J.J. Watt. He is now eligible for an extension, and is one of the best defensive players in the NFL. His rights are locked up with Houston for the next two years, but one has to figure that he is a guy that the team would want to hold on to for many years.
2/20/14: Johnny Manziel wants to be the first overall pick in the draft and is having no problems letting the Texans know his thoughts. Manziel is a Texas guy and wants to stay in the state where he is enormously popular. Houston does not have any real problems selling tickets, but adding Manziel would make them more interesting and could drive ticket prices higher. It remains to be seen who the Texans want, but Johnny Football warns that if the Texans do not take him, then he will torment them for years within the division (which presumes that Jacksonville will take him).
2/13/14: This is an interesting story out of Houston. There is a report going around saying that the Texans, who own the number one pick in the draft, must draft Johnny Manziel off the bat to be their franchise quarterback. There is some logic to that - he is one of the elite QBs in the draft, he is fairly local, the Texans need a QB, and he brings excitement. What is interesting is that former DC and interim head coach Wade Phillips said that he told Texans management the same thing when he interviewed for the permanent head coaching job. He did not get that job, so maybe the Texans want to go a different direction.
2/6/14: Houston, you are officially on the clock. Now that the Super Bowl has been decided (43-8 Seattle over Denver), the season is officially over. That means just a few weeks until the combine and three months until the draft. This will be the first draft for the new Texans regime, and they are likely to take a QB with the first overall pick. Reports say they are leaning toward Texas native Johnny Manziel from Texas A&M or Blake Bortles from Central Florida. Bortles looks the part more, but Manziel offers the X factor as well as hometown love.
1/30/14: New head coach Bill O'Brien keeps building Patriots South. Most recently, he hired Pepper Johnson away from New England. Johnson played for Pats head coach Bill Billechek in both New York and Cleveland, and has been a trusted assistant coach for him since 2001. While most of Billechek's disciples have not had great success outside of New England (Eric Mangini, Romeo Crennel, Josh McDaniels come to mind as poor head coaches), there is something to be said about championship experience - and it looks like O'Brien is trying to build that in Houston. And he already has a good roster to start with.
1/23/14: This will be the game for the next four months - who will the Texans take with the number one pick overall. There is no question that the team needs a franchise QB, and there are several in the draft, including Johnny Manziel, Blake Bortles, and Teddy Bridgewater. Logic would dictate that the Texans take one of them, but that may not be the case. The Texans owner has offered up some opinions that may include South Carolina defensive tackle Jadaveon Clowney. Of course, this could be a smoke screen in an attempt to trade down.
1/16/14: New head coach Bill O'Brien seems intent on making the Texans the Patriots South. He has former Pats DC Romeo Crennel as defensive coordinator as well as several others who were once with the Patriots. One of the more notable hires is Mike Vrabel. Vrabel played for the Pats during the glory years and was on Urban Meyer's staff at Ohio State last season. His departure from Ohio State stunned the Buckeyes. While it may be a Patriots-centric staff, it is tough to argue with the logic, considering the dominance the Pats have had for the last 14 years.
1/9/14: The Texans landed their next head coach by hiring Bill O'Brien from Penn State. O'Brien had previous NFL experience as an assistant with the Patriots before going to Penn State. He received national acclaim for saving the Nittany Lions program after the Jerry Sandusky scandal nearly destroyed them. It looks like he will bring another former Patriot's assistant with him too. Romeo Crennel is set to be the next defensive coordinator, replacing Wade Phillips who did a great job with that defense for the past few seasons. Phillips wanted the job, but O'Brien wants his own leadership.
1/2/14: All that remains now for the Houston Texans is to 1) pick a new head coach, and 2) figure out who they will pick with the number one overall pick in the draft. Houston finished out the season with a loss to Tennessee to fall to 2-14. Injuries, bad QB play, and a coaching change were all culprits. Bill O'Brien, the head coach at Penn State, is said to be the leading candidate for the coaching job. Lovie Smith has interviewed as well and Ken Whisenhunt is probably a candidate for a prime job. Houston has all the tools to be a contender quickly - the same way Kansas City did it this year.
12/26/13: Houston was everyone's darling team last season, but this has been a nightmare of a campaign. A combination of devastating injuries, terrible quarterback play, and a coaching change has doomed the season. The Texans lost 37-13 to the Broncos last Sunday - it would have been a great matchup a year ago. As the losses continue to mount, the draft picks get better and better. Houston will have the first or second pick in April. There is a lot of speculation on who the next head coach will be, and Ken Whisenhunt and Lovie Smit are two top candidates.
12/19/13: It is tough to be a Houston Texans fan this season knowing that the team has a lot of talent but also a lot of injuries and poor QB play which have put them in the basement of the league. The Texans played the Colts last Sunday in what was originally expected to be a heavy-weight bout between the two best teams in the AFC South (back in August). But it was more of the same. Houston's offense struggled and the Colts cruised to a 25-3 win. The good news is that the Texans are in line for the number one pick in every round in April. Houston hosts the Broncos this Sunday.
12/12/13: It is a dismal season for the Houston Texans, who dropped their 11th straight game last Thursday in a 27-20 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. It was also the second time this season that the Texans have lost to the Jags, and ended up being the final game for head coach Gary Kubiak. Kubiak was fired after the game as the Texans sit at 2-13 on the season. Reportedly, Texans ownership was not happy that he pulled Case Keenum for Matt Schaub in the loss. Wade Phillips takes over for the final three games as interim coach. Houston plays the Colts (8-5) this Sunday.
12/5/13: Texans head coach Gary Kubiak may be coaching his final games for the Houston Texans over the next few weeks. The Texans dropped their 10th straight game, this time to the New England Patriots. It is a far cry from the great team last year. Houston actually had a sizable lead at halftime, going into the break leading 17-7. However, they could not sustain it the second half and ended up losing 34-31. Houston is now in the cellar of the AFC South, but can pull even this week with a win over the Jags (3-9) in Jacksonville on the Thursday night game.
11/28/13: The Texans looked to snap an eight game losing streak so they were thankful when the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars came to town. They did not expect to lose the game, but the 13-6 defeat puts them in last place in the AFC South. The Texans were expected to contend again this season, but poor quarterback play and the loss of star running back Arian Foster now has them in contention for the first overall pick in the draft. Rookie QB Case Keenum is proving not to be the answer. He managed only 169 yards and no scores against the Jags. It does not get easier this week as the Patriots (8-3) come to town.
11/21/13: The Texans could use a hug. The nightmare that is the 2013 season continued with the Texans eighth consecutive loss - this time as the hands of the Oakland Raiders, 28-23. Rookie QB Case Keenum started the game, as he has played well for the past couple of weeks. However, he was benched for Matt Schaub in the second half. The Raiders started undrafted rookie Matt McGloin, who threw for only 197 yards, but three touchdowns. The season is lost for the Texans so the big question becomes if head coach Gary Kubiak keeps his job. Perhaps the Texans can get back on track this Sunday when they host the 1-9 Jacksonville Jaguars.
11/14/13: Houston's disastrous season continues to get worse as news came out that star running back Arian Foster is finished for the season with a back injury. The losses keep coming - seven in a row now - as the Texans lost at Arizona 27-24 last Sunday. Case Keenum started again and had another decent game. He only threw for 200 yards, but three of those completions were for touchdowns. Wade Phillips acted as coach for the game as head coach Gary Kubiak was still recovering from a mini-stroke the week before. Kubiak is expected to be back this Sunday when the Texans (2-7) host the Raiders (3-6).
11/7/13: The Houston Texans have owned the AFC South for the past two years but there is certainly a changing of the guard going on right now. Houston lost another game, dropping their record to 2-6 on the season. They have also lost their head coach for at least a little while. The Texans built up a 21-3 halftime lead over the Colts. Then head coach Gary Kubiak collapsed with a mini-stroke. That left the Texans distracted and allowed the Colts to come back and win 27-24. Kubiak is expected to miss a week before returning to the sidelines.
10/31/13: It is a tough season for the Houston Texans, who have lost more games this season than last. The team had their bye in Week 8, sitting with a 2-5 record and well behind the Indianpolis Colts and Tennessee Titans. The QB position is up in the air. Matt Schaub was injured against St. Louis, and Case Keenum started in Week 6. Head coach Gary Kubiak has been non-commital about the Week 8 starter when the Texans host the 5-2 Colts in the Sunday Night Game. Schaub has been under fire all season for his frequent pick-sixes and generally poor decision making. There is a good chance that neither Kubiak nor Schaub will be with the team next season.
10/24/13: Things are not getting any easier for the Houston Texans who are ravaged with injuries. Houston lost their third consecutive game, this time falling 17-16 to the unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs. The Texans started Case Keenum at quarterback with Matt Schaub injured and Yates ineffective in relief duty last week against St. Louis. Houston had a chance for the win, but Keenum was stripped of the ball with about 90 seconds left in the game and KC ran out the clock. If anyone needs a week off, it is the Texans, and lucky for them theirs is this week.
10/17/13: Most teams get healthy when they play the Rams, but not the Texans. Perhaps the Texans were just unlucky to have the Rams on the schedule during a tremendous pro sports renaissance in St. Louis. The Cardinals are up 2-0 on the Dodgers in the NLCS. The Blues are undefeated. And the Rams came into Houston and demolished the Texans 38-13. QB Matt Schaub left the game with an ankle injury, but that did nothing to stop the pick-six streak. The Texans are now 2-4 on the season, and head to KC to play the 5-1 Chiefs this Sunday.
10/10/13: The Texans fell to 2-3 on the season with a big loss to the San Francisco 49ers by a score of 34-3. Houston could not manage any offense and QB Matt Schaub surrendered yet another pick six. A week after taking the Seahawks to overtime, the Texans just could not make anything of this game. Houston falls into third place in the AFC South, a division they were expected to win again. Indianapolis (4-1) leads and the surprising Tennessee Titans (3-2) is in second. The Texans have a very good chance to get back on track this Sunday as they play their third NFC West team in a row when they host the St. Louis Rams (2-3).
10/3/13: QB Matt Schaub has been criticized ever since he became the starter for Houston several years ago and the criticism is only going to get louder. Houston (2-2) held a 20-13 lead over the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth quarter when Schaub threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown to Richard Sherman. That tied the game and the Texans could not muster any more offense during the remainder of the regulation time and went scoreless during two overtime possessions. Seattle kicked the winning field goal in the extra frame to win 23-20. The Texans head to San Francisco (2-2) for the Sunday Night Game.
9/26/13: Houston started off the season with two wins and tried to make it three against the struggling Baltimore Ravens in safety Ed Reed's emotional return to the Charm City. But, even without Ray Rice, the Raven took control of the game and simply would not relinquish. QB Matt Schaub could only manage 194 yards passing and the Ravens defense kept the Texans rushing attach to under 100 yards on the day. It was a sobering loss for the Texans who just cannot seem to beat the better teams in the AFC. Houston returns home in Week 4 to face the 3-0 Seattle Seahawks.
9/19/13: Houston escaped Tennessee with a victory, a costly victory. The Texans won 30-24 on the back of rookie wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. Star WR Andre Johnson was knocked out of the game with a concussion on a hit from the Titans' Bernard Pollard (the same guy who broke Tom Brady a few years ago). Hopkins had 117 yards and a TD in his second game. The good news for the Texans is that it looks like they finally found a complement for Johnson. Houston now travel to Baltimore to face the Ravens (1-1) on Sunday afternoon.
9/12/13: Houston looked like they did not show up for their season opener until the second half. In the late Monday Night Game, the Texans allowed the host San Diego Chargers to build a 28-7 lead late in the third quarter. Houston roared back to life, scoring three late touchdowns to tie the game and kicking home the winning field goal to secure the win. QB Matt Schaub threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns in the effort. Houston will try to continue their winning ways this Sunday when they host the Tennessee Titans in the AFC South opener for both teams.
9/4/13: The Texans open the season with a Monday Night game against the San Diego Chargers. Houston will be a team to watch again, especially since WR Andre Johnson already looks like he is mid season form. The biggest questions are health related. Star running back Arian Foster has been limited all preseason with injuries, and many are worried about the wear and tear his body has taken the past few years. Also, new safety Ed Reed is still banged up, and he is needed to shore up the secondary. Regardless, the Texans are still a top team and should fend off Indy to take the AFC South yet again.
8/29/13: The Texans removed Arian Foster from the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, meaning that he should be back in the lineup soon. Foster has missed all of training camp and every preseason game so far with calf and back injuries. Many worry that he has put too many miles on his body too early. Fortunately for the Texans, they have a more than capable second option in Ben Tate. What the team may want to consider is bringing Tate in more often simply to give Foster a bit of a break, and protect him for the playoffs and future years.
8/22/13: Texans' defensive tackle J.J. Watt made a name for himself last season as perhaps the best defensive lineman in the game. He consistently provided pressure on opposing QBs, racked up a lot of sacks, and batted down a lot of balls. This year he wants to start the 20-20-20 club: 20 sacks, 20 tackles for loss, and 20 balls batted down. He actually came pretty close last year, and would have reached it with a few more sacks. With Brian Cushing back at linebacker, Watt may have his best chance to do it this time around.
8/15/13: A lot of ink has been used predicting that Texans' star running back Arian Foster is due to break down this season. It is true that Foster has been nursing a sore calf for a few months now, and it is also true that he has had a very large workload the past three seasons - 354 attempts last year alone. The concern, therefore, is that he will either get hurt or fatigued this season, and not put up his normal huge numbers. Perhaps that is true, but Foster has shown toughness in his three seasons and is still an elite running back. The Texans do have a nice security blanket, though, in backup running back Ben Tate - who would start on most teams.
8/8/13: The Texans knew that future hall of fame safety Ed Reed had a bad hip when they signed him, but now are getting worried that he will miss time in the regular season. Houston had one of the best defenses in the league last season, and may get better with Reed and the return of linebacker Brian Cushing. The team is looking for some help on offense. QB Matt Schaub is serviceable, but certainly not elite. RB Arian Foster is returning from a calf injury and should be fine. The big question is how well can rookie DeAndre Hopkins adjust to life as a NFL wide receiver. If he does well, then the offense gets a lot better.
8/1/13: All eyes in Houston are on running back Arian Foster - because they certainly are not on the Astros. Foster is still nursing an injury and the team is hoping that he will be back and just as effective come the start of the season. Foster has been training every day, but has not gotten on the field yet. Head coach Gary Kubiak does not think that his injury is too much of a problem and that he should be back sooner than later. The good news is that the Texans still have Ben Tate, who could be a starter on most teams, in case Foster's injury continues on for longer than expected.
7/25/13: The Texan appear ready to roll. For the first time in ages, the team has all their core players healthy. That list includes: wide receiver Andre Johnson and linebacker Brian Cushing. They also have a healthy Ed Reed at safety, which should make a top ten defense even better. There is some concern about star running back Arian Foster, but all indications are good at this point. The Texans have something to prove this season. They rolled through the first three months of the 2012 season, but came up flat in December - which carried over to the playoffs.
7/18/13: This is a big year for QB Matt Schaub. Schaub has proven himself to be a good, but not great quarterback in his time in the league. He does have the luxury of playing with Arian Foster and Andre Johnson - two tremendous weapons that make him look better. However, Schaub is considered a game manager. He probably will not lose a game, but he certainly is not going to win a game. He likely has this season to prove that he should remain the starting quarterback or else the team may make that decision for him.
7/11/13: Texans linebacker Brian Cushing ruffled a few old feathers last week by saying the J.J. Watt may become the best defensive player ever in the NFL. Of course some old timers and pretentious journalists took exception at the comment, saying that he was disrespecting the history of the NFL. But Cushing was saying he is the best ever, but that he could be the best ever. And maybe he can be, only time will tell. What we do know is that Watt is an exceptional defensive player and only has a couple years in the league. He is in a great scheme for his talents and is a budding superstar. That is not disrespect, that is what is happening today.
7/4/13: Believe it or not, the Texans' fans have reason to be optimistic this season. Everyone saw the Colts rise from the depths of the NFL cellar to the playoffs last year. Many expect the Colts to make the next step and take over the AFC South, with Houston as just a decent team. However, they are forgetting that the Texans signed Ed Reed in the offseason and Brian Cushing will be back - so the defense will remain strong. Also, the addition of DeAndre Hopkins will reduce the coverage on Andre Johnson, opening up the passing game. The will be just fine.
6/27/13: All eyes in Houston are focused either on running back Arian Foster's health or DeAndre Hopkins development. Foster is probably the second best running back in the game behind Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings. He is a game changer that can carry a team on his back. Hopkins is the rookie wide receiver drafted to be opposite of Andre Johnson. For too long, Johnson has been essentially the sole receiver, allowing defenses to double and triple team him. That should not be the case this year if Hopkins develops as hoped - which would mean more success for Johnson and Foster as well.
6/20/13: The Texans have had the run of the land in the AFC South for the past two years. They are fortunate to have doormats Tennessee and Jacksonville in their division. Indy surprised everyone last year by being much better than expected. So it looks like a two team race this season. The concern is that Houston is now in decline while the Colts are on the rise. The addition of Ed Reed and return of Brian Cushing should help the defense. As long as Arian Foster can stay healthy and DeAndre Hopkins develops well, this team could be better than last year.
6/13/13: A few interesting stats about all-pro Texans' WR Andre Johnson. He was 58% of his team's passing game last year. He routinely got double and triple teamed. He still caught 70% of the balls thrown to him. He has never had 10 or more TDs in a season. That means that the Texans need a complementary receiver. DeAndre Hopkins was drafted for that role. Houston still has a nasty defense and a strong running game. If Hopkins (or someone else) can step up, then the Texans may be able to get deeper into the playoffs this season.
6/6/13: Most of the off season press about Houston is the drafting a wide receiver to play opposite of all-world WR Andre Johnson - and DeAndre Hopkins may be that guy. But the city of Houston is holding their collective breath about the fate of Arian Foster. Foster left OTA's with a calf injury and has not been back. the Texans are publicly saying that the injury is minor - but no one outside the organization really knows. The Texans have a capable back up in Ben Tate, but Foster is a rare talent that can single-handedly change the course of the game.
5/30/13: The Texans and their fans may have cause for concern after signing future hall of fame safety Ed Reed to a three year, $15 million free agent contract a few months ago. Baltimore was not interested in re-signing Reed, who was a stallwart on their fabled defense for a number of years. Now it seems that Reed has had surgery to repair a tear in his hip. He is supposed to be ready for training camp. However, speculation is running rampant that the Ravens knew about the hip problem but the Texans did not. Or, perhaps, the Texans knew, but figured he would be worth the risk as they lost a lot of talent on defense during the offseason.
5/23/13: Houston had a great defense last season, even if they tailed off a little towards the end of last season. But the team was undoubtedly better when linebacker Brian Cushing was in the line up. He tore his ACL in early October, and was lost for the rest of the 2012 season. Cushing has been going through his rehab as directed and hopes to be back for the start of training camp in July - nine months after the injury. In any case, he will be fully ready for the start of the season, barring any setbacks.
5/16/13: The Texans like what they see in rookie DeAndre Hopkins. Hopkins came into rookie mini camp and astounded the coaching staff with his skills. The Texans have lacked a suitable complement for superstar WR Andre Johnson for years, but they may have found their man with the 27th pick out of Clemson. Hopkins has the credentials. He caught 82 passes for 1,405 yards and 18 touchdown last season. He probably will not put up those numbers this year, but will take some pressure off of Johnson and is the heir apparent to the number one spot.
5/9/13: After longtime Ravens' safety Ed Reed signed with the Texans a couple months ago there were rumors that the Ravens did not want him back - and that is why they did not get into a bidding war for the future hall of famer. Now comes reports that Reed had hip surgery to repair a labral tear. Reed is expected back for training camp, but maybe that is the reason the Ravens were so willing to let him go. In the meantime, rookie D.J. Swearinger will get some extra reps and maybe accelerate his development into an NFL player.
5/2/13: No one really knows what the Texans defense will look like this year. They started off great in 2012, but tailed off at the end of the season. They lost several players to free agency, though did add safety Ed Reed. But their most glaring need is at wide receiver, so Houston addressed that with their first pick, taking wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins from North Carolina with the 27th overall pick. The Texans hope that Hopkins can complement all-pro WR Andre Johnson, as well as take away some double teams from him over the next several seasons.
4/25/13: The Texans move to bring in future Hall of Fame safety Ed Reed should help with a defense that started strong but withered over the last half of the year. That is actually a concern for this team. Houston built up a strong enough lead on the division early on that they weathered losing three of their last four games. This year will be tougher since Indianapolis is better. The Texans lost to New England in New England last December, then were eliminated by the Patriots in the playoffs (in New England again) just a few weeks later. They drew the Pats once again in December, and will have to learn how to beat Brady if they are going to take the next step.
4/18/13: The NFL vice president of special events came down to Houston to inspect the facilities as part of Houston's bid for Super Bowl LI. The city is not among the most elegant site, but does have a nice stadium. Also, the team is installing new video boards which are said to be the worlds largest. The upgrade is intended to help lure the Super Bowl in 2017. The scoreboards will be 53 feet tall and 277 feet wide, which is longer than a 747 wing. The video boards are probably overkill, but Houston has to keep up with Dallas, and this is in Texas.
4/11/13: J.J. Watt may have just given Andrew Luck, Jack Locker, and the Jags' QB du jour heart attacks by announcing that he was not 100% last year. Watt led the league in sacks with 20.5, and was an absolute terror on the defensive line all season. In fact, he was probably the best defensive player in the league in 2012. The fact that he had a dislocated elbow early on and it never healed during the season can only mean that he may be better in 2013. A fully healthy Watt will certainly command double teams, opening up blitzing lanes for other Texans.
4/4/13: Houston has owned the AFC South for the past two years. Those are the two years that Peyton Manning has not played a game for the Indianapolis Colts. Manning was injured all of 2011 and signed with Denver for the 2012 season (and beyond). Houston took advantage of that misfortune and built a very competitive team. However, the Texans have lost a lot on their vaunted defense in the off season, and have really not upgraded their offense. Meanwhile, the Colts battled in for a playoff spot last season. Now it looks like a two horse race in the division, and it should go down to the wire.
Your team might not have made the Super Bowl, but that doesn't mean you can't have a great time at the Super Bowl. Check out more info on Super Bowl 2013 tickets over on the SeatGeek Blog.
3/28/13: Houston finally got their man. The Texans rolled out the red carpet in hosting long time Ravens safety Ed Reed. Most experts assumed that Reed would eventually resign with the Ravens, and the courting by Houston was merely formality and smoke screen. Then Reed signed a $15 million, three year with the Texans. Reed took out a full page newspaper ad in the Baltimore paper, thanking fans. This addition should help the Texans, especially after they lost Connor Barwin, James Casey, and Glover Quin to Philadelphia, Philadelphia, and Detroit, respectively, during the first week of free agency.
3/21/13: Texans' wide receiver Kevin Walters became a salary cap casualty in Houston. The Texans released him and his $2.5 million salary so they could clear out space for their upcoming draft class. Head coach Gary Kubiak is 'sick' about the whole situation, citing Walters' hard work and leadership. Many people may not consider Walters to be a top receiver, but he was the number two behind All Pro Andre Johnson, and provided a veteran's point of view in a locker room filled with young, kid receivers. He will be hard to replace, and the Texans need to do so in order to keep double and triple teams off of Johnson.
3/14/13: One of the problems with developing a good team, particularly a good offensive or defensive unit is that the other teams will poach your players when they become eligible for free agency. Such is the case with the Ravens defense, and likewise, the Texans defense. Glover Quin has already signed with the Detroit Lions and there may be more defections to come. In other news, the Texans are set to receive a visit by none other that Ed Reed. Most expect Reed to eventually re-sign with the Ravens, but it is interesting to see who he may consider.
3/17/13: Texans QB Matt Schaub has taken a lot of heat from fans about the team's downfall in the last several weeks of the season. The Texans led the NFL at 11-1 before going 1-3 in the final month, then losing in the second round of the playoffs to the New England Patriots. But people should remember that Houston really only had one receiving threat in Andre Johnson, and had holes in linebackers and in the secondary. Drafting E.J. Manual from Florida State will not fix those problems, the Texans need to put some more talent on the field to contend.
2/5/13: Perhaps unsurprisingly, Texans defensive end J.J. Watt was named the defensive player of the year. It was one vote shy of being unanimous. Texans defensive coordinator Wade Phillips claimed it was the best year any defensive player has ever had - and that includes Bruce Smith, Reggie White and even Elvin Bethea because of the combination of stats. Watt led the league with 20.5 sacks, 16 batted down balls, and 39 tackles for loss during the season - leading Houston to a second straight division championship and a playoff victory over the Bengals in the first round of the playoffs.
1/31/13: The Matt Schaub bashing continues in Houston, particularly after he struggled in the Pro-Bowl. On one hand, it is difficult to continually criticize the starting QB who has made multiple Pro Bowls, led the team to the Divisional Round of the Playoffs, and won 12 games last season. However, Schaub did struggle down the stretch, and the Texans fell from first to third place, then lost twice to the Patriots. The Texans were without Brian Cushing by that time and certainly Schaub needs someone else to throw to beside Andre Johnson. But that kind of logic will not stop the complaining in Houston.
1/24/13: Its hard to criticize a guy who threw for 343 yards, two touchdowns, and only one INT in a playoff game, but may Texans fans are calling for the removal of QB Matt Schaub. Schaub, obviously, put up some great stats, but most of that was after the game was out of hand and the pressure was off. The Patriots won decisively 41-28, and Schaub's fine play came after the team was down by 25 points. At the least, the fans want the Texans to bring in a veteran or talented youngster to compete for the starting job and put some pressure on their current QB.
1/17/13: The talk about the Texans all season was how they were the most balanced team in the NFL. They had a great defense, great rushing attack, and a good passing game. But the team struggled down the stretch, dropping from number one to three in the AFC. Houston was beaten badly by the Patriots in a Week 13 Monday Night game in New England, 42-14. In the Divisional Round game their defense improved, only allowing 41 points, while scoring 28. Still, 28 is less than 41 so the Texans' season ends in disappointment again, with many calling for a replacement for quarterback Matt Schaub.
1/10/13: Houston repeated their effort from last year, knocking off Cincinnati in the Wild Card Round of the NFL Playoffs. The Texans lost their three of their last four games to fall from first to third in the AFC. But the team rebounded against the Bengals, doing what they do best: running the ball and playing defense. Arian Foster led the Texans with 140 yards rushing and a touchdown. Houston outgained the Bengals 250-53 in the first half, and finished the job by holding off Cincy to win the game. Houston now returns to New England, where they were routed a few weeks ago, for a chance to advance to the AFC Championship.
1/3/13: Houston stumbled down the stretch and their record fell from 11-1 to 12-4. The Texans had two chances to win and secure the number one seed for the playoffs, and with it a first round bye and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. However, Houston lost their last two games, including the season finale against the Colts. The game did not mean anything to Indy, but their win meant that the Texans ended up with the third seed and will host the Bengals in the first round. The game is a rematch of last season's first round, a game that Houston won.
12/27/12: Houston hosted the Minnesota Vikings in Week 16 and was looking to wrap up homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. Instead, they found a very hungry Vikings team that dominated the Texans from start to finish, and Houston lost 23-6. The only bright spot was that J.J. Watt recorded another sack, bringing his total to 20.5 on the season. Arian Foster left the game after only 15 yards on 10 attempts in a precautionary move, though backup Ben Tate did not fare much better. The 12-3 Texans have lost two of their last three, but have a chance at playoff seeding this Sunday at Indianapolis.
12/20/12: After the Packers dismantled Houston earlier in the year, the Texans went on a six game winning streak. That was ended in New England in Week 14 with another routing. So the Texans got back to doing what they do best - dominating on defense and allowing the offense to score easy points. Such was the case in Indianopolis on Sunday. Houston
Patriots Perch on Top of AFC
Houston Texans Football Tickets New England Patriots Football Tickets The highly anticipated Monday-night game between the Houston Texans and New England Patriots was most likely a preview of the AFC Championship game that is due to come in due time. The 11-1 Texans and the 9-3 Patriots came into Monday night knowing that the victor…Read more
Houston Texans Ticket PricesFind Tickets
Recent Pricing Stats
$216Average PricePast 7 Days
#4Price rankOut of 32 Teams
$163Low priceAverage from Season
$217High priceAverage from Season
SeatGeek Data Quality
SeatGeek's ticketing data is the most comprehensive and most trusted. Our data has been used by The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, LA Times, ESPN, SportsCenter, & More. For specific data requests reach out to us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Next 17 Games
Upcoming Games
|Sep 3, 2015
|Houston Texans vs Dallas Cowboys
|Sep 13, 2015
|Kansas City Chiefs vs Houston Texans
|Sep 20, 2015
|Houston Texans vs Carolina Panthers
|Sep 27, 2015
|Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Houston Texans
|Oct 4, 2015
|Houston Texans vs Atlanta Falcons
|Oct 8, 2015
|Indianapolis Colts vs Houston Texans
Scores and Schedule
|Aug 30, 2015
|Preseason: Houston Texans - New Orleans Saints
|27 - 13
|Aug 22, 2015
|Preseason: Denver Broncos - Houston Texans
|14 - 10
|Aug 15, 2015
|Preseason: San Francisco 49ers - Houston Texans
|10 - 23
|Dec 28, 2014
|Jacksonville Jaguars - Houston Texans
|17 - 23
|Dec 14, 2014
|Houston Texans - Indianapolis Colts
|10 - 17
|Dec 7, 2014
|Houston Texans - Jacksonville Jaguars
|27 - 13
|Nov 30, 2014
|Tennessee Titans - Houston Texans
|21 - 45
|Nov 16, 2014
|Houston Texans - Cleveland Browns
|23 - 7
|Nov 2, 2014
|Philadelphia Eagles - Houston Texans
|31 - 21
|Oct 26, 2014
|Houston Texans - Tennessee Titans
|30 - 16
|Oct 9, 2014
|Indianapolis Colts - Houston Texans
|33 - 28
|Oct 5, 2014
|Houston Texans - Dallas Cowboys
|17 - 20
|Sep 21, 2014
|Houston Texans - New York Giants
|17 - 30
|Sep 14, 2014
|Houston Texans - Oakland Raiders
|30 - 14
|Sep 7, 2014
|Washington Redskins - Houston Texans
|6 - 17
|Average Price