Texans Once Again Clicking On All Cylinders

Remember the beginning of September? The Houston Texans were off to the first 2-0 start in franchise history and were clicking on all cylinders. Something else happened during that time. The Texans lost receiver Andre Johnson in the second game of the season and changed what looked to be the franchise's first bright year. The Texans then went 2-5 over the next seven games, with injuries continuing to plague the team.

I asked myself two questions during these struggling weeks. One, should I relocate to Europe, force myself to enjoy soccer and forget the NFL ever existed? And two, can a receiver really have that much impact on a team?By reading this right now, it is safe to assume I didn't move nor did I start to watch soccer. It is also a good bet that, yes, a receiver of Johnson's magnitude can make a difference as seen on Sunday in the Texans 23-10 stomping of the New Orleans Saints.

Now, many can argue that the Texans defense took over the game, causing three turnovers, but note how the offense ran smoothly with Schaub back under center and Johnson back as the primary receiver.

Johnson brought in the Texans first score on a 73-yard pass from Schaub in the first quarter, looking like he never missed a step. With Johnson demanding attention, this created wide holes for the running game helping running back Ron Dayne rush for 89 yards.

"Any time we can get those long passes, that helps out the running game," Dayne said. "We can continue to keep the ball moving, and it helps keep our defense off the field."

Not that the defense needed help. The Texans defense caused quarterback Drew Brees to throw two interceptions and forced three fumbles, one being recovered by the Texans.

And speaking of, how about Mario Williams? I promised myself I would not bring up the overly tired storyline of last year's draft, but Williams' stat line on Sunday should shut everyone up. It also didn't hurt that Reggie Bush forgot how to run the ball, carrying it 15 times for 34 yards and adding a fumble on the opposing one-yard line.

Reliant Stadium even erupted in "Reggie! Reggie!" chants to mock Bush. And for those of you saying, "It isn't his fault the Texans didn't pick him," remember one thing: He is the one that wouldn't let it go.

And now that the offense seems to be able to be productive once again, and the defense looks as motivated as ever, the Texans could be prepared to make a run. With cornerback Dunta Robinson out for the season, rookie Fred Bennett made the start and impacted the entire game.

"This really gave us confidence," Bennett said. "We wanted to come out and get this win. And it gives me a lot of confidence as well as my teammates."

So now the Texans sit at .500 with a 5-5 record, sitting behind the 6-4 Cleveland Browns for the last AFC Wild Card spot. And guess who comes into town next week? That's right, Cleveland.

So with Schaub healthy, and the Texans having one of the top-five receivers in football back, it could go anywhere from this point on.

My Prediction: Texans 24, Browns 21.