It's too early to call it a season-changing kick, but with the Texans teetering between a 3-2 start to the season and a three-game losing streak, including consecutive losses to winless teams, Kris Brown's 57-yard game winner was about as close as it gets.
The Texans' 22-19 win over the Miami Dolphins Sunday at Reliant Stadium can be credited in large part to Brown, whose career- and franchise-long field goal, and four other tries – including two 54-yarders – kept the Texans in the game despite the offense's two giveaways and six penalties.
With six seconds remaining in the game, Brown was called upon to attempt his fifth field goal. As soon as he kicked it, Brown ran the opposite way in celebration as the 70,156 fans erupted and his teammates mobbed him on the field.
In his post-game press conference, coach Gary Kubiak was nearly speechless. To add to Brown's accomplishment, Kubiak said that Brown's foot is injured, and he received a shot in his foot at halftime to continue playing.
"It's special," Kubiak said of Brown's performance. "I don't know if we'll ever see that again.
"I think this is the most important game we've ever won around here."
The Texans were their own worst enemy during stretches of the first half. Matt Schaub's interception in the first quarter, and a fumble caused by defensive end Jason Taylor's sack in the second quarter helped Miami score 10 points.
Hobbled by an injured leg, Schaub recovered to throw for 294 yards on 20-of-34 passing, finding tight end Owen Daniels on six occasions for 96 yards. On the game-winning drive, Schaub completed four passes for 58 yards with only one incompletion aside from his spike to set up Brown's kick.
"We have to give him a lot of credit," Kubiak said of Schaub. "He has one hell of a thigh bruise. He's not moving like he normally does. That was his push-off leg. It was not his best outing, but what you also find out about him today is what he's made of. That's playing quarterback in the NFL. You go out there and you're not up to par, and you still win games. I watched (John Elway) do that in Denver for 16 years."
Defensively, the Texans allowed 137 net rushing yards mostly to running back Ronnie Brown. After Dolphins quarterback Trent Green left the game with a concussion in the first quarter, backup Cleo Lemon completed 56 percent of his passes for 151 yards with one interception to C.C. Brown.
On the game's opening possession, Schaub dropped back on the first three plays, completing his third attempt to wide receiver Kevin Walter for a 16-yard gain. A 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty on Taylor, who tackled Schaub out of bounds, gave the Texans another first down at their 47-yard line.
{QUOTE}Two plays later, André Davis caught a season-long 49-yard pass from Schaub. Ron Dayne rushed four times, finally diving into the end zone on fourth down for a one-yard score to give the Texans a 7-0 lead after Brown's extra point.
Ted Ginn Jr.'s 52-yard kickoff return sparked the Dolphins, who gained 46 rushing yards on the ensuing series, including a 23-yard scramble by Green to the Texans' eight-yard line. On fourth-and-one at the one-yard line, tight end David Martin was penalized for a false start, forcing a 24-yard field goal by Jay Feely with 4:18 left in the first quarter.
The Texans turned the ball over when Schaub's pass deflected off tight end Jeb Putzier's hands and into the grasp of cornerback André Goodman, who returned the pick 18 yards to the Houston 25. On the first play from scrimmage, Ginn fumbled the reverse attempt and recovered the loose ball, reversed field and was tackled at the 40-yard line. In the process, Green blocked defensive tackle Travis Johnson, who flipped head over heels. After the play, Johnson was penalized 15 yards for taunting, while Green lay motionless on the field with doctors attending to him.
Green, who suffered a severe concussion last year while playing for the Kansas City Chiefs, was carted off the field on a stretcher as players on both sidelines knelt in prayer. The scene was eerily reminiscent of the Texans' last home game, when defensive tackle Cedric Killings injured his neck against the Indianapolis Colts and was carted off the field.
With Lemon replacing Green, the Dolphins took the lead on Brown's three-yard touchdown run.
After Matt Turk's 47-yard punt to the Miami 14 early in the second quarter, the Dolphins began their third series. Brown rushed for 25 yards on two carries, and Ginn caught a 36-yard pass, setting up Feely's 40-yard field goal with 9:51 left in the first half.
After a seven-play drive, Taylor sacked Schaub for a seven-yard loss and knocked the ball loose at the Houston 41, where defensive tackle Rodrique Wright recovered the fumble for the Dolphins' second takeaway . On third-and-seven at the 38-yard line, Brown picked up 21 yards on a screen pass to keep the chains moving. Three plays later, Feely nailed a 33-yard field goal to stretch Miami's lead to 16-7 with 3:31 remaining before halftime.
Schaub passed for 43 yards on three completions, but was sacked by Taylor for a nine-yard loss to set up Brown's franchise-long 54-yard field goal with 46 seconds on the game clock.
On Lemon's first pass attempt of the second half, Brown intercepted the ball near midfield and returned the pick nine yards to the Miami 46. After a seven-play, 21-yard drive, Brown kicked a 43-yard field goal to cut the Dolphins' lead to 16-13 with 10:45 left in the third quarter.
Miami responded by gaining 34 yards on nine plays behind Brown's 33 rushing yards on six carries. Defensive end Mario Williams sacked Lemon for an eight-yard loss to force third-and-17 from the Houston 38, where defensive tackle Amobi Okoye tackled Brown for no gain.
After the Dolphins' punt, Schaub hit Walter for a 21-yard gain and Daniels for a 17-yard gain on consecutive plays to the Miami 38. The drive stalled, though, leading to another 54-yard field goal attempt, which Brown converted to tie the game with 2:12 remaining in the third quarter.
After Ginn's 29-yard kickoff return, and Lemon's 39 passing yards on four completions, Feely set up for a 48-yard field goal that gave Miami a 19-16 lead.
Thanks to Dexter Wynn's 38-yard kickoff return to the Houston 34, the Texans' offense entered the field in favorable field position. Walter's 17-yard catch gave the Texans a first down near midfield, while Daniels' 15-yard catch on third-and-13 from the Houston 43 put the Texans into Brown's field goal range. A few plays later, Daniels hauled in a 24-yard pass to the Dolphins' four-yard line. On third-and-goal from the two-yard line, Schaub was chased from the pocket and threw it out of bounds. Brown's 20-yard field goal tied the game with 5:25 remaining in the contest.
Starting at their 39-yard line, Miami burned more than three minutes of game clock, driving into Houston territory after picking up two first downs. After Lemon threw incomplete on third-and-nine from the Houston 38, Feely lined up for a 56-yard field goal. Dolphins coach Cam Cameron called a timeout, though, and decided to put his punt team on the field.
Following Brandon Fields' 35-yard punt to the Texans' three-yard line, Samkon Gado picked up one yard on a rush. On second down, Schaub connected with Daniels for a 19-yard reception to the Houston 23. A 14-yard catch by Daniels two plays later gave Houston a first down nearing midfield. David Anderson's 19-yard catch and Walter's six-yard grab set up Brown's 57-yarder that split the uprights with one second on the game clock.
Injury report
- Dolphins quarterback Trent Green left the game with a concussion and will not return. He went to a local hospital for observation, and accompanied the team back to Miami, according to Miami coach Cam Cameron.
"Once they got (Green) on the board, he was smiling and talking to me," Cameron said. "It was positive."
- Texans safety Will Demps dislocated his right elbow in the third quarter, but returned to the game.
