BLUE 1,026 Posted October 7, 2011 TIME: 01:00 P.M. ESTVENUE: Reliant Stadium Whether Oakland Raiders coach Hue Jackson was making a bold prediction or simply instilling confidence in his team by stating it will win the AFC West, the message is clear - expectations are heightened. The same can be said for the Houston Texans, though they'll play without injured All-Pro wide receiver Andre Johnson when the teams meet Sunday at Reliant Stadium. Jackson continues to be vocal regarding the progress of his Raiders (2-2), even after last week's 31-19 loss to New England. "We're going to do everything we can to get in the playoffs and go challenge for a Super Bowl. I am not backing down from that," Jackson said. It may be wishful thinking for a team which hasn't won more than eight games since going 11-5 in 2002 - the franchise's last Super Bowl appearance - but the Raiders seem to be buying into that goal. "We just finished the first quarter of the season," cornerback Stanford Routt said. "We've got 12 more. All the challenges from here on out, they're just going to get bigger and they're going to get more important." Houston (3-1), tied with Tennessee for the AFC South lead, may be facing its biggest challenge yet - winning without its star receiver. Johnson injured his right hamstring in last week's 17-10 win over defending AFC champion Pittsburgh. He had a minor procedure done Wednesday, and coach Gary Kubiak said Johnson will miss "a period of time." "We're probably going to get played a little differently," Kubiak said. "When Andre's on your team, everybody tries to take him away. "We can't replace Andre. We've got to, as a group, try to replace all the production that he adds on the field. That means everybody's got to pick it up, and we'll have a chance to prove it." Luckily for the Texans, they'll be facing the Raiders' 29th-ranked defense which allows 409.8 yards and 28.3 points per game. Arian Foster, who rushed for 133 yards and a touchdown in a 31-24 win over Oakland on Oct. 3, 2010, seems fully recovered from a hamstring injury after carrying 30 times for 155 yards and a score last week. Foster may have to shoulder more of the offensive load Sunday with Johnson sidelined and backup running back Ben Tate nursing a groin injury. "We've always leaned on him pretty good," Kubiak said of Foster. "When we run the football 30-35 times in a game, we're usually playing pretty good football as a team. I like to think we can do that every week." Without Johnson, Matt Schaub - sixth in the league with a 101.7 passer rating - will have to search for other targets. Johnson has caught 25 passes, while tight end Owen Daniels is second on the team with 14 catches. Jacoby Jones will get the start in Johnson's place, and Kevin Walter and Bryant Johnson will rotate as well. "We're going to have to have some guys step up and play well," Kubiak said. The Raiders have some of their own offensive issues to work out. Oakland gained a season-high 504 yards against New England, though Jason Campbell threw two interceptions to snuff out potential scoring drives which resulted in the Raiders scoring a season-low for points. Darren McFadden was held out of the end zone and gained 75 yards on the ground, though 41 of them came on one run. In three games against Houston, McFadden has rushed 30 times for 91 yards and no touchdowns. The Raiders rank eighth averaging 410.8 total yards, while the Texans are fourth in the league allowing 17.5 points per game. "We know we can be a legit and an elite offense in this league," Campbell said. "We've done it. Not just one week here and there. We've done it week in and week out. ... We definitely feel like we have the ability and we have what it takes to get to the next level." The Texans have won five of the six all-time meetings, taking both matchups in Houston by an average of 18.0 points. Source: CBSSports.com Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vin+ 3,121 Posted October 9, 2011 Texans declared RB Derrick Ward, WR Andre Johnson, QB T.J. Yates, CB Sherrick McManis, LB Tim Dobbins, G Thomas Austin, and T Andrew Gardner inactive for Week 5. Raiders declared WR Louis Murphy, CB Chimdi Chekwa, CB Chris Johnson, FB Marcel Reece, OT Stephon Heyer, DE Matt Shaughnessy, and TE Richard Gordon inactive for Week 5 against the Texans. Rookie Demarcus Van Dyke is making his first career start. He'll match up with Jacoby Jones for a good portion of Sunday's game. Jarvis Moss replaces Shaughnessy at defensive end. Murphy (sports hernia) isn't ready yet. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AllYouNeedIsLovie 377 Posted October 9, 2011 Raiders should come out hard in honor of Al, but I think the Texans take this one. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
