Texans Struggle Against Winless Dolphins

Well, if I was a betting man, I would have been upset with the Texans game on Sunday (five-point spread). In a way I still am, the Miami Dolphins had no business contending. Give credit to the Dolphins, however, who stayed in the game until the very end until Kris Brown ended it with a 57-yard field goal to give the Texans a 22-19 victory.

I woke up on Sunday and decided to get to the game early and go tailgate. If you ever head out there, be sure to make a stop in the Red Lot. The white tent next to the entrance has great food, and there are some of the nicest fans you can meet.

A few sidenotes from the game itself:
• Have you ever noticed that Texans running back Ron Dayne is the football equivalent of San Antonio Spurs forward Manu Ginobili? And by that I mean the falling down and flopping part. He takes the handoff, then it's one step and fall. Touched or not. At least I have come up with a new nickname for him. Ron "London Bridge" Dayne.
• Remember a few weeks ago when I asked why wide receivers couldn't get interceptions when its not the quarterback's fault? That happened yet again due to a pass being deflected by tight end Jeb Putzier.• When I awoke on Sunday morning, I kept saying to myself, "I really hope to see a field goal battle today. None of this 'touchdown' nonsense. Just all kickers." Wish granted.
• For the first time since 2003, Miami scored on first four possessions. At halftime, I noticed that David Carr was carted off the field in the Panthers game against the Saints. Apparently, he suffered a fractured hair follicle. I had to get my weekly jab in there.

So the Texans struggle yet again against a winless team, but thankfully get the win this time, improving to 3-2 on the season. I know the Texans are injury plagued right now, but you would think they could still get the job done a little better than what they have been doing.

Matt Schaub is still getting the job done even though it wasn't the greatest performance. With a depleted wide receiver corps, Schaub still threw for 294 yards.

I will say this: That was hands down the greatest performance by a field goal kicker I have ever seen. Texans kicker Kris Brown had a ridiculous day.Brown set an NFL record with three 50-yard field goals in one game. One of those being the 57-yarder that won the game. What many people aren't aware of is that he did that with an injured kicking foot. "The kid took a shot at halftime for his foot," Kubiak said. "So he came out and did that hurt. He did that for his team."

However, on a pessimistic note, the Texans still struggle to run the ball. That will change once running back Ahman Green returns from injury, but until then it will be painful to watch. It also seems like after every big play the Texans have on offense, it is called back because of an offensive line penalty. If these problems can be fixed has yet to be seen.

The Texans defense allowed a 100-yard rusher for the first time this season, giving up 114 yards to Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown. "They're gonna get him touches," Kubiak said. "They have a lot of weapons, but he is the big puzzle piece in their game."

Next week, the Texans head to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars in an AFC South showdown. With the Jags winning on Sunday and improving to 3-1, it would be a big win for the Texans. But at this point, I have no idea what to expect.

My Prediction: Toss-Up.