https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/sports/2007-12-07/568870/

Texans Fumble Another Opportunity

By Mark Fagan, December 7, 2007, 3:27pm, The Score

Despite losing two offensive linemen (Fred Weary and Chris White, both gone for the season) and their starting quarterback, Matt Schaub, to injury, the Texans behind Ron Dayne, Andre Johnson, and Sage Rosenfels managed to bring the score within four points, 21-17, with 12 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. The Texans D came out and stopped the Titans on their next possession and I actually started to feel a little optimistic … that is until rookie punt returner Jacoby Jones decided that he's not into fair-catching punts and fumbled the ball away to Tennessee on Houston's 29 yard line. Chris Brown scored on a nine-yard TD run putting the Titans up 28-17 sealing the Texans fate. Houston has yet to win a divisional game this season.

Both Texans and Titans fans have something to be upset about this weekend as KEYE will be broadcasting the Oakland/Green Bay game over the Tennessee game and Fox will be showing the Cowboys/Lions instead of Houston/Tampa Bay. Maybe local broadcasters should consider airing Yankees and Red Sox games next year instead of the Rangers and Astros. They might get better ratings, right?

A look ahead to Sunday …

Houston will lose to the Bucs at Reliant. If Titans defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth plays they have a chance against the Chargers, if he doesn't, they don't. It is no coincidence that the Titans three-game losing streak coincided with Haynesworth's hamstring injury. He came back last week to help apply pressure to the Texans QBs with the Titans knocking Schaub out of the game and Tennessee beating the Texans once again.

While the Texans are not mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, with the Bucs, the Broncos, the Colts, and the Jags remaining on their schedule, they'll be lucky to finish the season 7-9. I guess an 8-8 record could salvage the season, but you would still have to consider the 2008 campaign a failure after starting the season 2-1 heading into Atlanta. That loss to the Falcons brought the Texans back down to earth where they currently reside.

Mario Williams had 2 1/2 sacks versus the Titans last Sunday and holds the Texans single-season record of 8 1/2. Maybe they can lay off on drafting d-linemen for a bit and start focusing on their o-line. Maybe not.