Texans Fumble away Victory: A Recap of Keys to Victory

Before Sunday's Week Three loss to rival Jacksonville, the Houston Texans were on the verge of a winning record. While ordinary teams are not often quick to celebrate such things, the Texans are no ordinary team.

In Week Two's victory, the Texans were able to overcome horrific run defense. Chris Johnson was able to run all over the field, but the Texans came back to win.

This week, the luck ran out. Houston's defense played equally bad, or worse. Maurice Jones-Drew had three touchdowns and ran all over the field. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? 

The Texans have the worst run defense in the league. You know it, I know, and you can bet opposing coaches know it and salivate over that stat. The Jaguars offense came alive against the Texans this week. This may be a refrain we often repeat.

Sure, Chris Brown fumbled into the end zone. Sure, the pass interference call on Kevin Walter could have gone either way. But it should never have come down to such plays.

In order to stop the physical Jaguars, it was imperative the Texans take an early lead and force the Jags to catch up through the air. Houston was unable to do so and paid the price in the end.

The first key I identified last week, forcing the David Garrard to sling his way to victory, was not achieved. The Texans defense allowed Jones-Drew to remain a huge factor.

Giving credit when it's due, Jones-Drew was the story for the Jags. Jacksonville averaged nearly six yards per carry, an other-worldly figure.

Another key I identified was the Houston pass rush running over and past the Jaguar's  rookie tackles Eugene Monroe and Eben Britton. Again, swing and a miss. The Texans notched exactly zero sacks in the game.

Britton and Monroe are talented players who were taken early in this year's draft, but keeping Mario Williams and company off the scoreboard completely is inexcusable.  Simply put, the Texans must generate a pass rush from somewhere. Whether the problem is scheme, effort, or talent, a solution must be identified. And quickly.

The time of possession for each team was fairly close, with the Jags holding the bar for almost two more minutes than the Texans. The score was close throughout the game. 

This Houston team, however, is simply not well equipped to win close games. The defense gave up too many points and did not generate enough turnovers. The offense did not score enough points and gave it away too many times. Sounds a lot like years past, doesn't it?

All of a sudden, next week's match up with Oakland takes on much more meaning.  Falling again at home would signal an ineptitude that will only lead to the loss of employment for both players and coaches. Oakland possesses a shut down cornerback and a physical defensive line. The Texans are in for a dog fight. Is there any fight in them? Only time will tell.