Defensive tackle Amobi Okoye registers the fourth sack of his rookie career.
Passing up: The Houston Texans only suited up three wide receivers in Sunday's game against the Falcons in the Georgia Dome. However, the trio of David Anderson, André Davis and Kevin Walter proved to be more than enough manpower for the team's offense. The Texans finished with 317 passing yards, collecting almost 100 more yards than Atlanta.
"Those three kids, André, David and Kevin, boy did they play well and they played their hearts out," head coach Gary Kubiak said. "We trust those guys. We can count on those guys every week being there for our football team."
Walter caught a career-high six passes for 77 yards. Tight end Owen Daniels did his best wideout impression, grabbing five receptions for 69 yards. And in his first career start as a Texan, Davis led all players in receiving yards with 117, including a 35-yard touchdown catch.
Quarterback Matt Schaub also sang the praises of his receiving targets.
"André stepped up and made some plays for us," Schaub said. "We had some chances to make some big plays down the field. He stepped up in a big way, and Owen Daniels stepped up and Kevin Walter made some big plays. So everybody chipped in."
Running down: In the days leading up to the Week 4 game, Kubiak said the Texans had to establish the run to be effective offensively. The head coach thought his team got away from their rushing attack against the Colts, and he wanted to get them back on track against the Falcons.
That mission was not accomplished.
With running back Ahman Green still nursing a bruised knee, Ron Dayne had to take over the rushing duties. Dayne posted 62 yards on 15 carries, but that wasn't enough to sustain the offense, especially when the team failed to convert on crucial third-and-one situations.
"It doesn't matter how many people a team puts in the box, when it's third-and-one, you've got to be able to lineup and say, 'Hey, we're running right here. We're going to make a yard,'" Kubiak said. "I mean, that's part of it. That's a mindset of a football team, and we didn't do that today."
Dayne took much of the blame personally, especially a costly fourth quarter bobble.
"I missed it," Dayne said. "I do not blame it on anybody. It was me and I missed the ball."
Penalties abound: Penalties, especially holding calls, unraveled the Texans' game plan the entire day. Cornerback Demarcus Faggins was called for defensive holding twice in the second quarter. Tackle Ephraim Salaam got caught holding in the red zone during the fourth quarter.
"You have penalties, you're in trouble," Kubiak said. "We had a touchdown called back, which was right there at the end of the game. I don't know what to tell you except they happen, and if you have penalties and you turn the ball over, you lose in the National Football League."
{QUOTE}Salaam, like Dayne, blamed himself for the loss, but Kubiak said each player deserved to take blame for coming up short against the Falcons.
"You could go to every phase of the game as to why we didn't win, and, like I said, if you don't play clean in this league, you're not going to win," Kubiak said.
Defensive moments: The Texans' defense did come up with some highlight plays. Rookie defensive tackle Amobi Okoye registered his fourth sack of the season, taking down quarterback Joey Harrington in the first quarter. Linebacker Morlon Greenwood led the team in tackling with 11 tackles, all solo stops. DeMeco Ryans also posted a solid game with six tackles and a sack.
Still, Ryans said his troops failed by not causing any turnovers and not putting enough pressure on the passer.
"We flat out didn't do the job on defense," Ryans said. "We didn't get enough pressure on their quarterback. And when you don't pressure a guy like (Joey) Harrington, he will pick you apart. That's what happened today."
