Injuries fail to unsettle Texans on winning ways to historic playoffs berth – NFL Special
No one could have believed a couple of weeks ago that the Houston Texans would continue to find the winning ways despite confronting a pile of problems due to injuries to their key players.
The franchise however downplayed all those fears to be wrong by managing to remain pulled together and beating all sides in their way to American Football Conference (AFC) south division title, which they clinched by beating the
Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
To add to their this season’s glories the side has made it to playoff for the first time in its franchise history, a remarkable achievement by them given the fact that their last three games were not as easier to win as they might
had found in earlier part of the season. The reason was the injuries to number of their players at the quarterback position.
They first lost their star quarterback Matt Schaub for his foot injury. He was replaced by Matt Leinart. This was Leinart’s first game since 2009 but unlucky for him that he could only manage a play of a half hour. He was next
one to go out for rest of the season due to his collarbone injury.
The quarterback-thin Texans then tried their best to find a solution for their quarterback position vows. They first signed Kellen Clemens, and as he was hoping to be their quarterback no. 1 they announced to pick another quarterback.
This time they fetched veteran Jake Delhomme to end his retirement to be their quarterback No. 2. Clemens still had hopes that he might be pull off to be Texans’ quarterback no. 1. He however met with the shocking news of waiver
by them that came only a week after his signing.
Next day the Clemens was announced to cut the Texans announced to have signed another veteran Jeff Garcia to be their quarterback no. 3. Both Garcia and Delhomme had played the game for over a decade each respectively.
The Texans in the meantime announced to elevate their fifth round pick rookie Taylor Jonathan (T.J.) Yates. The decision had backing from their injured fulltime quarterback Matt Schaub.
Another setback for the side on the injuries scares was the injury of their wide receiver Andre Johnson was ruled out for their game against the Bengals only second game after he had returned from the sideline for straight six
games due to a hamstring injury.
With all three main players on the sideline and start with a fifth round pick was not seen as an ideal situation for the Texans to keep on winning tracks. They however proved their critics wrong, not only for one two but last three
consecutive games. This included their final showdown against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Texans were in a must win situation against the Cincinnati Bengals to keep their playoff hopes alive, and also to claim the AFC North title. Only team in their way to the divisional title was the Tennessee Titans.
A Titans’ loss could mean a confirmed AFC South title for them. Another lucky day for them the Titans did lose against the visiting New Orleans Saints 17-22.
The Texans however had to wait for Titans’ loss in the locker room after celebrating their playoff berth. This is first time in the history of the Franchise that they have made it to the playoff. The Texans 10-3 with the win over
the Bengals became the first team to reach the playoff this season. They have reached this mark with three games yet to play before finishing of this season.
So it was all to their holding of 100 per cent record from very beginning that helped them to claim this historic mark. This is also unique to the Texans that they are only among the sides that have been consistent their performance
and not allowed the ups and downs because of injuries to their star players unsettle them at the season got closed to closure.
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