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Feb. 12, 2008
Overview: The Texans finished .500 for the first time in franchise history, but poor play on the road and a 1-5 record vs. AFC South foes landed them in last place. However, the Texans were resilient in the face of injuries to WR Andre Johnson, QB Matt Schaub and RB Ahman Green. The defense again finished in the bottom half of the league, but DE Mario Williams became a star in the final two months of the season.
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Date
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Opponent
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Spread
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Result
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09/09/07
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Kansas City
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-3
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20-3
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09/16/07
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at Carolina
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+6½
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34-21
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09/23/07
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Indianapolis
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+6½
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24-30
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09/30/07
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at Atlanta
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-2.5
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16-26
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10/07/07
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Miami
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-4½
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22-19
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10/14/07
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at Jacksonville
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+6½
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17-37
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10/21/07
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Tennessee
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-2
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36-38
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10/28/07
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at San Diego
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+9½
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10-35
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11/04/07
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at Oakland
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+3
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24-17
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BYE WEEK
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11/18/07
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New Orleans
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-1½
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23-10
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11/25/07
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at Cleveland
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+3½
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17-27
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12/02/07
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at Tennessee
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+3½
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20-28
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12/09/07
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Tampa Bay
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+3
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28-14
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12/13/07
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Denver
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+2½
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31-13
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12/23/07
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at Indianapolis
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+6½
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15-38
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12/30/07
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Jacksonville
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-7
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42-28
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Team MVP: MLB DeMeco Ryans gets the honor by a slim margin over Johnson and Williams. After all, Johnson missed seven games, and Williams’ first half of the season was nothing special. Ryans was his steady self all season. In only two seasons, he’s established himself as one of the top inside linebackers in the game.
Biggest surprise: When Johnson missed seven games, the Texans’ passing offense didn’t suffer much, thanks to the play of a deeper and more talented receiving corps than originally expected. WR Kevin Walter (65-800-4) was the biggest surprise, but the contributions of WR André Davis and TE Owen Daniels should not go overlooked, either. If Johnson plays a full season in ’08, the Texans’ passing offense should be one of the AFC’s more productive.
Biggest disappointment: Knee problems prevented Green from contributing much on offense. Green, who turned 31 in February, rushed only 70 times for 260 yards and two touchdowns. If he’s back in 2008, he’s going to have to fight for playing time. The Texans are expected to add at least one running back.
Offseason outlook: Bolstering the secondary will be a top priority. CB Dunta Robinson (knee, hamstring) is likely to miss the beginning of the season. The offensive line could also get a shake-up now that Alex Gibbs has joined the staff as assistant head coach. Schaub enters 2008 as the starter, but the Texans want him to be more consistent — and to stay healthy. Houston is unlikely to deal backup QB Sage Rosenfels, who impressed when Schaub was out of the lineup.
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