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HOUSTON TEXANS POSTGAME NOTES vs. DENVER BRONCOS**
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Reliant Stadium
Houston, Texas
TEXANS TEAM NOTES
• Houston's defense recorded a season-high nine passes defensed.
• The Texans held Denver to 2-of-11 on third downs (18 percent). Denver ranked second in the NFL with a 46.9 percent third-down conversion rate entering the game.
• The announced paid attendance of 71,761 is the third-highest attendance for a Texans game in franchise history.
• Houston held Denver to 0-for-4 on third down in the third quarter and outgained the Broncos 115-28 in the quarter.
• Houston held Denver to 0-for-2 in the red zone in the first half and 1-for-3 in the game. Denver entered the game as the NFL's top red zone offense, scoring touchdowns on 78.33 percent of its red zone possessions.
• The Texans became the first team to stop Denver on a fourth-down conversion attempt this season in the first quarter. S Eddie Pleasant tackled TE Julius Thomas for a 2-yard pass gain on fourth-and-3 from the Houston 28-yard line. Denver was 8-of-8 on fourth-down conversions coming into the game.
• Houston opened on defense with six defensive backs: CB Kareem Jackson, CB Johnathan Joseph, CB Brice McCain, FS Shiloh Keo, SS D.J. Swearinger and S Eddie Pleasant.
• The Texans lost the toss. The Broncos elected to defer to the second half and the Texans elected to receive to start the game.
• Houston's captains for the game were WR Andre Johnson, QB Matt Schaub, P Shane Lechler and DE J.J. Watt.
• Inactive players for the Texans were QB Case Keenum, WR DeVier Posey, FS Jawanza Starling, G Alex Kupper, T Andrew Gardner, G Cody White and TE Garrett Graham.
TEXANS SCORING DRIVES
• Houston's first-quarter scoring drive was seven plays for 47 yards and ended with a 45-yard field goal by Randy Bullock at the 2:02 mark. The drive lasted 3:04.
• Houston's second-quarter scoring drive was seven plays, 10 yards, lasted 3:45 and ended with a 35-yard field goal by Bullock at the 6:06 mark of the quarter.
• Houston drove 74 yards on nine plays, eating up 3:14 of clock in the third quarter to trim the deficit to 16-13 on a 15-yard pass from QB Matt Schaub to WR Keshawn Martin at the 10:33 mark.
INDIVIDUAL PLAYER NOTES:
K RANDY BULLOCK
• Made his 11th consecutive field attempt at the 6:06 mark of the second quarter, a 35-yarder. It is the sixth-longest streak in franchise history.
• Converted his 10th consecutive field goal attempt with a 45-yard field goal at the 2:02 mark of the first quarter. It marked the 12th consecutive game in which he has made a field goal, the second-longest streak in franchise history.
• Tied Kris Brown (2005) for the third-most field goal attempts in a season in franchise history with 34 on his second field goal attempt of the game gave.
• Scored his 100th point of the season on a successful extra-point attempt at the 10:33 mark of the third quarter.
TE RYAN GRIFFIN
• Made his longest reception of the season in the third quarter, a 40-yard pass from Matt Schaub. Griffin's previous long was 37 vs. Jacksonville on Nov. 24.
• Posted a career-high 66 yards receiving on five receptions. His previous career high was 62 yards receiving at Indianapolis on Dec. 15.
RB JONATHAN GRIMES
• Ran for 7 yards on his first career carry in the fourth quarter and finished the game with 23 yards on five carries.
WR ANDRE JOHNSON
• Became the second player in NFL history to have five seasons with 100 or more catches, joining Denver WR Wes Welker. Johnson caught his 100th pass of the season at the 3:49 mark of the first quarter from QB Matt Schaub for a gain of 33 yards.
• Passed Torry Holt for 14th on the NFL's all-time receptions list with 921 for his career on his fourth catch of the game, a 7-yard pass in the fourth quarter from Schaub.
• Extended his franchise record of games played to 153.
• Extended his franchise-record streak of consecutive games played with a reception to 116.
RB DENNIS JOHNSON
• Made his first career NFL start. He is the ninth rookie to start at running back in franchise history and finished the game with 29 yards rushing on 12 carries.
CB JOHNATHAN JOSEPH
• Recorded his 16th pass defensed of the season in the first quarter, the most he has had in his three seasons as a Texan. It is the most passes defensed in a season for Joseph since he tied a career-high with 20 in the 2009 season with the Cincinnati Bengals.
RB DEJI KARIM
• Recorded season highs of eight carries for a team-best 30 yards.
P SHANE LECHLER
• Extended his streak of consecutive games played to 189, tops among active punters
• Moved into fourth place on the all-time punt yards list I the third quarter with his sixth punt of the game, passing Lee Johnson (51,979). Lechler now has 52,175 career punting yards.
WR KESHAWN MARTIN
• Had a 51-yard punt return in the second quarter, vaulting him into fourth place on the franchise's single season punt return yards list with 326. It was the ninth-longest punt return in franchise history and Martin's third career punt return of 50 or more yards.
• Set a career-high with his second touchdown pass of the season, a 15-yard strike from Schaub at the 10:33 mark of the third quarter.
• Tied a career-high with four receptions and had 35 yards receiving. He also had four receptions against Jacksonville on Dec. 5, 2013.
OLB WHITNEY MERCILUS
• Set a career-high with his seventh sack of the season, dropping Peyton Manning for a 3-yard loss in the third quarter. Mercilus' previous season career high was 6.0 as a rookie in 2012.
C CHRIS MYERS
• Extended the NFL's longest active consecutive games played streak by an offensive lineman to 136
• Extended the NFL's longest active consecutive games started streak by a center to 111
• Played and started in his 95th consecutive game as a Texan
DE J.J. WATT
• Had two quarterback hits to set a career season high with 44. He led the league in quarterback hits in 2012 with 43 and leads the NFL again this season.
