Texans Handed Opportunities

This is a surprising start to the Texans-Jets game. Nobody expected the Texans to get off to a quick start, but the Jets didn’t get anything going offensively until later in the second quarter.

After a good punt return by the Jets, the Texans were able to hold them to just a field goal. The Texans would eventually assemble a drive where foster would drive the ball for the majority of it. The Texans would eventually take the lead on a 2 yard touchdown run by Foster.

Then the Jets started to turn up the throttle. Jets players were contributing all over including wide receiver Santonio Holmes. After getting the ball into the redzone, the Jets capped off the drive on a touchdown reception by Braylon Edwards off a quick slant.

On the following drive, the Texans had the perfect opportunity to make the game theirs again. After a great move by Kevin Walter downfield, a great pass by Matt Schaub was wasted when Walter lost it in the sun. The drive would result in minimal production.

Another Jets drive netted a field goal and put the Jets up on the Texans 13-7. That’s the way they would go into the half.

Here’s a problem I have, however. On the Texans drive right before halftime, the Texans had yet another opportunity to put more points on the board. After a great screen play to Foster that got the Texans inside the Jets’ 40 yard line, the Texans failed to call a timeout and the incompletion that followed left the Texans with 1 second left in the half.

On the next play, Schaub was sacked and all the effort was wasted. So for one, they didn’t call a timeout when they should have. Second, with 1 second left in the half inside the 40, why wouldn’t the Texans at least give Neil Rackers to opportunity to make a long field goal? They could have at least got a short gain to help that case, but they didn’t. Instead, they took the sack and got nothing.

The Texans are being handed opportunities to control the game, but the Texans aren’t talking advantage them. It’s unfortunate that they’re still making these mistakes.