Kevin Walter goes vertical for a catch.
TUNE INTO**TEXANS TV**ON HOUSTONTEXANS.COM MONDAY AT 3:30 P.M. CT FOR LIVE STREAMING VIDEO OF COACH GARY KUBIAK'S WEEKLY PRESS CONFERENCE.
Daniels steps up: Tight end Owen Daniels stepped up to ignite a Texans offense that struggled to find its rhythm in the first half. Daniels made a 17-yard catch up the middle late in the third quarter to spark a scoring drive that resulted in a 54-yard Kris Brown field goal.
"They were in a Cover-2 look a little bit, which leaves them a little open, and also the sidelines, with the corners playing up," Daniels said. "I think we did a good job of exploiting that when we could."
In the fourth quarter, Daniels was simply clutch. He caught a 15-yard pass from quarterback Matt Schaub to convert on a momentum-changing third down. The tight end then broke free for a 24-yard grab, which put the team at the Miami four-yard line and helped set up a 20-yard field goal.
Daniels, however, saved his best for last. On the Texans' final drive, the second-year veteran again abused the Dolphins' secondary, making 19-yard and 14-yard receptions. The catches helped lead Houston into Miami territory where Brown kicked the game-winning 57-yard field goal.
"We had a good connection there," Schaub said. "He does a great job and runs great routes. I am very confident in getting him the ball and giving him a chance to make plays. As you saw, he demonstrated today that he can catch the ball and make a good play after the catch."
To read more about Daniels' performance, click here.
Plus two receivers: Wideouts Kevin Walter and André Davis also finished with stellar receiving games. Both took advantage of the open middle and defensive mismatches to combine for 141 receiving yards.
"That's why we're out there," Walter said. "That's why we practice real hard - to do that, to get an opportunity to do that, and we've just got to execute, and we did in that last series."
Walter, who came up with several key fourth quarter plays, finished the game with 67 receiving yards.
"We felt confident as a receiving group and as an offense that with 'Dre (Andre Johnson) down and a few guys down, we feel like we can come in and step in and make some plays," Walter said.
Davis' big play came on the opening play of the game when the wideout caught a 49-yard pass, his longest catch of the season. Davis notched 79 total receiving yards.
Johnson apologizes: Defensive tackle Travis Johnson apologized to the Dolphins for his hot-headed behavior in the first quarter.
Johnson hit Miami quarterback Trent Green in the head with his knee when Green was trying to block after a Miami fumble. As the quarterback lay motionless on the ground, Johnson stood over Green and taunted him, drawing a 15-yard penalty.
"I apologize for going off like that," Johnson said. "We d-linemen, when you have someone going at your knees, it's kind of tough. But at the same time, I shouldn't have reacted like that. The penalty ended up leading to a score, so really I hurt my team. I shouldn't have let my anger get to me."
Texans head coach Gary Kubiak said Johnson's behavior was unacceptable.
"I can tell you that the Travis I talked to today once that happened compared to the one I talked to last year is night and day," Kubiak said. "The kid was apologetic. 'I made a mistake. I reacted poorly.' He apologized to me, the official and the Miami Dolphins."
Green eventually was taken off the field in a stretcher and treated for a concussion at a nearby hospital.
Brown's boots: Kicker Kris Brown's career day led the Texans to their three-point victory over the Dolphins. The nine-year veteran kicked five field goals, including the game winner on a career-long 57-yarder with just one second left on the clock.
"I had a feeling that it was going to be good," Brown said. "With that long of a kick, it's certainly hard to tell. That one, of all the kicks I hit, I hit that one about as well as I could."
Brown also tied an NFL single-game record with three makes over 50 yards. He hit two 54-yard field goals earlier in the game, in addition to a 20-yarder and a 43-yarder.
"That's as impressive as I've ever seen," said Kubiak. "And then to put (the 57-yarder) on top of it, I'm kind of at a loss for words. It's special. I don't know if we'll ever see that again."
To read more about Brown's performance, **click here**.
Texans pick pink: October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the NFL recognized Sunday as Breast Cancer Awareness Weekend. As part of the league's observance, the home teams chose honorary captains who are either breast cancer survivors or volunteers from local breast cancer organizations.
The Texans' honorary captions were front office staff member Susie Galvan, Limited Partner Pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell's wife, Suzette Caldwell, and the First Lady of the Texans, Mrs. Janice McNair. Texans coaches observed the day by wearing pink Breast Cancer Awareness ribbons and players used special-edition pink Gatorade during the game. Team members also autographed the towels, which will be auctioned off to generate proceeds for breast cancer charities.
Texans - Dolphins encore: If you missed the Houston Texans' last second victory over the Miami Dolphins, you have a second chance to catch all the action.
The 22-19 thriller will be re-aired on NFL Replay in 90-minute format on Monday, Oct. 8 7:00 PM ET exclusively on the NFL Network.
NFL Replay re-airs five of the most exciting games from the weekend without halftime and other elements not critical to the outcome. Plus, the show includes sound bites captured on the field during the game and post-game press conferences, giving fans an inside look at game action they did not see on Sunday.
