’13 Houston Texans: Andre Johnson continues path to Canton; reviewing the WRs

Nov 24, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson (80) warms up against the Jacksonville Jaguars before the game at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Campbell-USA TODAY Sports

In what was a forgettable season for the entire Houston Texans franchise, one plus for the team was the play of Andre Johnson, as he continued to add to his impressive career numbers, furthering his resumé to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

For the 2013 season, Johnson caught over 100 passes for the fifth time in his career, an NFL record. Johnson actually finished with 109 receptions for 1,407 yards with three different quarterbacks throwing passes his way this season.

He played in 16 games for the second consecutive seasons as he just wrapped up his 11th year in the NFL. Johnson was one of the few bright spots on the team this session, averaging 12.9 yards per reception, with his longest reception being 62 yards on a couple occasions.

Johnson also had five touchdown receptions as he earned another Pro Bowl selection.

The wide receiver now has 12,661 receiving yards for his career with 61 touchdowns.

What I liked about Johnson this season was he was reliable when others weren’t. The Texans’ quarterback play wasn’t reliable, the running backs were injured and the offensive line had very little pass protection this season.

The one constant was Andre Johnson.

Another plus about Andre Johnson is he didn’t regress in his 11th season in the league. OK, his numbers weren’t as good as 2012, but considering the inconsistent play of the offense in ’13, his numbers for this past season were some of the best in his career.

Even with next season being his 12th year in the NFL, I still don’t see him regressing any in ’14.