The Seattle Seahawks come to Houston, and will seek their third win in as many weeks.
The Texans (5-7) return home to Houston for a Week 14 matchup against the Seahawks (5-7) at Reliant Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for noon CT.
Head coach Jim Mora and the Seahawks have won two in a row and three of their last five. In Week 13 at home against the 49ers, Seattle triumphed 20-17, getting an Olindo Mare 30-yard field goal as time expired to seal the victory. Mora is in his first year as Seattle's head coach after serving as an assistant the previous two seasons.
OFFENSE Quarterback
Starter Matt Hasselbeck has been able to stay on the field much longer than in 2008, completing 208-of-340 passes on the season for 2,153 yards, 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions. In the win against the 49ers, Hasselbeck was 25-of-34 for 198 yards, and he tossed a pair of touchdowns without an interception.
He led the Seahawks to the Super Bowl in 2005 when he threw for 3,459 yards, 24 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Hasselbeck is a three-time Pro Bowler having gone in 2003, 2005 and 2007. Backup QB Seneca Wallace started two games earlier this season when Hasselbeck was out with a broken rib.
Running backJulius Jones and Justin Forsett have run the football for Seattle in 2009, as Jones has more total yardage with 459 yards, while Forsett has scored more times with four touchdowns, and also averaged nearly two more yards per carry (5.5) than Jones.
In Weeks 10 and 12, Forsett cracked the 100-yard mark in a game. Jones gained 117 yards in Week 1, and hasn't picked up more than 98 in a game since.
Together, the tandem has gained 853 yards on 199 carries, for 4.3 yards per carry.
Wide receiver/tight end
The pass-catching duo of wide receivers T.J. Houshmanzadeh and Nate Burleson has been impressive and nearly identical statistically, as the former has caught 61 passes for 669 yards and three touchdowns, and the latter's pulled in 60 passes for 762 yards and a trio of scores. Each player has also cracked the 100-plus yardage mark in two games in 2009.
At tight end, John Carlson has 426 yards receiving on 37 catches, and has found the end zone three times in 2009. In the win over the 49ers on Sunday, he caught a single pass for nine yards.
Offensive line
The Seattle o-line has allowed 31 sacks in 2009, and the run game has averaged 3.9 yards per carry. Left tackle Damion MacIntosh is a 10-year veteran who was picked up by Seattle in mid-October after perennial All-Pro and franchise cornerstone Walter Jones was placed on injured reserve.
Rob Sims is the left guard and has been in the league four years, while center Chris Spencer is a fifth-year veteran from Ole Miss.
The right side of the line features rookie guard Max Unger, and tackle Ray Willis, who is a fifth-year pro that mostly played as a guard prior to 2009.
DEFENSE
Defensive line
Defensive end Patrick Kerney missed nine games in 2008 with a shoulder injury, but has come back to lead the Seahawks in sacks with five through 12 games.
The defensive end opposite Kerney is Lawrence Jackson, who has four sacks this season to go along with 23 tackles and a pair of forced fumbles.
Defensive tackle Brandon Mebane has 33 tackles and a sack-and-a-half. Four of his 33 tackles have been for a loss.
The other interior defensive lineman is Colin Cole, who is tied with Mebane with 33 tackles.
Linebacker
Their opening day lineup of linebackers consisted of three starters all under the age of 25 that play with a physical smash mouth style of football. Unfortunately for the Seahawks, they lost defensive leader Lofa Tatupu to a season-ending injury when he tore a pectoral muscle in Week 5. In Tatupu's absence, David Hawthorne has stepped up, leading the team in tackles with 82, seven of which have been for a loss. He also has intercepted three passes, tallied four sacks and forced a pair of fumbles. He finished with five tackles versus the 49ers.
Aaron Curry was the fourth overall selection in the 2009 NFL Draft out of Wake Forest. During his senior season, Curry was awarded the Butkus Award, given each year to the nation's top linebacker. Curry has played well in his first NFL season, compiling 55 tackles and a pair of sacks.
SecondaryAfter missing the first six games of the season with a lower back injury, corner Marcus Trufant has returned, and has 29 tackles and an interception on his ledger. The Pro Bowler is backed up by Josh Wilson, who leads the team with 12 passes defensed. Wilson has also picked off two passes.
Nine-year veteran Ken Lucas is the other corner, and he has an interception and 32 tackles this season.
Free safety Jordan Babineaux leads the team with 86 tackles, and has also picked off two passes and forced a fumble. He finished with nine tackles and half of a sack against San Francisco on Sunday.
Special teamsKicker Olindo Mare has connected on 21-of-23 field goals this season and has made all 24 of his extra point tries. He leads the team in scoring with 87 points, and his longest field goal this year has been a 47-yarder.
Jon Ryan is averaging 47.1 yards per punt, and has boomed a 70-yarder this season.
Nate Burleson is averaging nearly nine yards per punt return, and his longest went for 29 yards. Justin Forsett has handled a team-high 11 kickoffs, averaging 24.5 yards per return, with a long of 46 yards.
