|
HOUSTON (AP) #8212;The Texans #8217; offensive line delivered one of its bestperformances in years to help Houston gain control of the AFC South.So far, the offensive line #8217;s play has been an accurate gauge to teamsuccess, and the Texans (4-3) can take another step toward their first divisiontitle against the Jacksonville Jaguars (2-5) on Sunday.In four victories, Houston has averaged 176.75 football tickets yards rushing and either BenTate(notes) or Arian Foster(notes) has topped 100 yards. In three losses, the Texans haveaveraged only 91 yards rushing, with neither featured back reaching the centurymark. The line has also done a better job protecting quarterback Matt Schaub(notes) withonly four sacks in the wins, while they #8217;ve given up nine in the three losses. #8220;To a certain part, a football tickets s the offensive line goes, so goes the rest of theteam, #8221; said right tackle Eric Winston(notes), who #8217;s started 78 consecutive games.The Texans have started 13 games over the past two seasons with the currentfront five: left tackle Duane Brown(notes), guard Wade Smith(notes), center Chris Myers(notes), guardMike Brisiel(notes) and Winston. Houston has averaged 399.2 yards in those games, football tickets andthe linemen have embraced the role of setting the tone for the offense.In Houston #8217;s 41-7 win at Tennessee last week, the line paved the way for aseason-high 222 yards rushing and did not allow a sack. Winston said the linemenalso established an intensity that spread through the entire team. #8220;The big thing I was pleased with the last game was we brought a lot ofenergy, and I think a football tickets lot of people fed off of that, #8221; Winston said. #8220;We keptthe energy level up, kept running down the field, making blocks and doing thosethings. I was proud of it from that standpoint, and I think that #8217;s ourresponsibility from here on out. #8220;Now that we #8217;ve seen what we do, we #8217;ve got to go out there and keep doingthat, keep bringing that energy level and keep doing eve football tickets rything we can to makesure we #8217;re successful. #8221;The Texans set a franchise record for total offense (386.6 yards per game)for the fourth straight season in 2010, and they lead the league with 13100-yard rushing performances since the start of last season.Houston leads the NFL this season in drives lasting five minutes or more(16), and Foster and Schaub say stability has become a key to th football tickets e line #8217;seffectiveness. #8220;Those guys know what they #8217;re doing, they #8217;re playing extremely well, #8221;Schaub said. #8220;I have all the confidence in the world in what they #8217;re doing.I #8217;ve been with them for four years, so great chemistry with those guys. #8221;Winston was a third-round pick in 2006 and Brisiel signed later that year asan undrafted free agent. Houston football tickets acquired Myers in a trade with Denver in March2008 then selected Brown in the first round of the draft that year. Smith joinedthe team before the 2010 season, and the line has been virtually intact eversince.Winston says the line has been #8220;up and down #8221; this year, even thoughHouston #8217;s offense ranks seventh in the league (400.6 yards per game).Tate and Foster both reached 100 yard football tickets s rushing in Sunday #8217;s game, and Fosterbecame the first Texans player and 32nd in history to have 100 yards rushing and100 yards receiving in the same game. Foster was named the AFC #8217;s top offensiveperformer, and reiterated on Wednesday that his offensive line should #8217;ve gottenmore recognition for helping him lead the league in rushing in 2010.Winston said the linemen gladly relinqu football tickets ish the spotlight. #8220;I don #8217;t think a lot of us want the publicity necessarily, or expect it, #8221;Winston said. #8220;We love to hear that Arian was the 32nd player in NFL history todo something, or we had two guys over 100 yards. Those kind of things areawesome for us. That #8217;s where we feel like we had a direct correlation on theoutcome of the game. #8221;Notes: As expected, WR A football tickets ndre Johnson(notes) returned to practice on Wednesday aftersitting out the previous three games with a right hamstring injury. Coach GaryKubiak says Johnson took another #8220;huge step forward #8221; in his recovery, thoughhe would not say definitively if Johnson will play on Sunday. #8220;It #8217;s going to bea process this week, #8221; Kubiak said, #8220;but there #8217;s obviously a chance football tickets (he #8217;llplay). #8221; #8230; Fullback James Casey(notes) (strained chest muscle) also returned aftermissing the last two games, and expects Casey to play on Sunday. #8230; LB BrianCushing(notes) sat out Wednesday #8217;s practice with a sinus infection. Follow Yahoo! Sports' NFL coverage on Twitter. Updated 7 hours, 49 minutes ago football tickets
|