Andre Johnson shredded the St. Louis secondary on Sunday for nearly 200 yards receiving.
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ST. LOUIS -It was another banner day for the Texans' passing attack, as quarterback Matt Schaub found eight different receivers and finished with 367 yards passing. The aerial assault began early for Schaub and company and was interrupted by only 19 running back carries that gained the team 55 yards.
Wide receiver Kevin Walter caught Schaub's first throw of the day for a 21-yard gain. He followed that up on the very next play with a 16-yard reception. It was a fast start for the Texans, and one that Walter loved.
"First two plays, Matt threw it to me and we completed it and did a good job," Walter said. "But you never know how the game's going to transpire because you can go out there and catch the first two or three balls and not catch one for the rest of the game."
That wasn't the case for Walter, who pulled in the Texans' only touchdown when he caught a three-yard pass for a score in the third quarter. It was Walter's first touchdown reception since Week 3, and his return to the end zone was a welcome one.
"It felt good, because it had been awhile since I'd been in the end zone, helping out and making an impact," Walter said. "I'm looking forward to keep on doing it the rest of the year."
{QUOTE}It was a day of explosive passing plays as well, as four different receivers caught a pass that went for at least 20 yards. Walter, tight end Joel Dreessen and wide receiver André Davis each had a reception for 20-plus yards, but it was Andre Johnson who devastated the Rams' defense most.
Johnson pulled in four passes of 30 yards or more and finished the day with 197 receiving yards on nine catches. It's almost old hat for Johnson, but his teammates are still amazed by what he did.
"I'm seriously speechless," safety Dominique Barber said. "I look up to Andre so much. The way he goes about his business, I just think he's the best receiver in the league."
Running back Ryan Moats wasn't surprised by Johnson's outburst, which was the second consecutive game in which he cracked the 190-yard receiving mark.
"He does that every time," Moats said with a grin. "It's becoming normal. He's a very, very talented guy."
Johnson averaged 21.8 yards per catch. It was his sixth 100-yard receiving game of the season, the 31st in what's been a brilliant seven-year career.
"I'm going to continue to play the way I've been playing," Johnson said. "I'm just going to make the best of my opportunities."
Schaub, meanwhile, became the first Texans quarterback to throw for more than 4,000 yards on the season. Sunday's game was the eighth this season in which he's thrown for more than 300 yards.
"Since Day 1 when Matt got here, we've been on the same page," Johnson said. "When we're out on the field, we talk a lot. He tells me he's going to throw me the ball, and we see the same things."
