Falcons vs. Texans: 5 Key Halftime Stats for Houston

Goodbye Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart, hello T.J. Yates. If Kellen Clemens has to get into this game, Gary Kubiak's head might just explode.

The Texans might not be Superbowl contenders with Yates under center (though who knows?), but they can still make the playoffs if their defense continues to play well, and Arian Foster and Ben Tate can carry the load on offense.

So far so good for Houston, as they're hanging with a very solid Falcons team heading into the locker room.

Let's look at 5 key stats from the first half:

1 - That's how many starts T.J. Yates has made in the National Football League. Compare that with Schaub's 102 games and Leinart's 31. Yates performed capably in limited action last week, but now he's facing a team who had a whole week to prepare for him. Clearly, the rest of the season is going to be an adventure.

83.5 - The Falcons came into the game ranked 2nd overall in rushing yards allowed, at 83.5 yards per game. Meanwhile, with Yates under center, the Texans have been forced to rely on the run even more than usual. Heading into the game, we knew that something had to give.

3 - The number of turnovers in the game so far. Matt Ryan has been picked off twice already, and T.J. Yates lost a fumble. All that, and the game is perched at 3-0. In the winner could well be the team that holds onto the ball better in the second half, can win the field position battle and eek out a touchdown or two.

50 - That's how many yards Andre Johnson covered on the 2nd-quarter bomb he caught from T.J. Yates. The Texans may not have the personnel for a consistent offensive attack, but in Foster and Johnson they still have big play potential. Great delivery by Yates on the play, and he might have provided a blueprint for Houston going forward.

11.0 - The average yards per catch of Falcons receiver Julio Jones. In previous weeks, Jones has emerged as a big-play threat for Atlanta. This week, he's been stymied. Look for the Falcons to take some deep shots with Jones early in the second half. How Houston responds could be a key to the game.