GAME THREAD: GAME THREAD: NFL: HOUSTON (3-2) at JACKSONVILLE (3-1)

NFL: HOUSTON (3-2) at JACKSONVILLE (3-1)

<h3>Off to best start, Texans welcome Jaguars</h3>

Jacksonville (3-1) at Houston (3-2), Sunday 1:00 p.m. EST

HOUSTON (Ticker) - The Houston Texans welcome their favoriteopponent Sunday.


The Texans play host to the Jacksonville Jaguars, a team againstwhich they have enjoyed their greatest success since thefranchise's inaugural season in 2002.


Despite a miserable 18-46 record in its first five seasons,Houston has won a third of those contests against Jacksonville,capturing six of the 10 overall meetings.


That includes a series sweep in 2006, when the Texans allowedthe Jaguars just 17 points in posting two victories during afour-week span.


Matt Schaub, in his first year at quarterback for Houston, getshis first crack at Jacksonville after leading a late drive thatculminated with Kris Brown's 57-yard field goal with one secondremaining in Sunday's 22-19 victory over the winless MiamiDolphins.


The thrilling win snapped a two-game skid for Houston, whichdropped a 24-14 decision to the lowly Atlanta Falcons theprevious week. It marks the first time in franchise historythat the Texans have had a winning record five games into aseason.


Brown also kicked field goals of 54, 43, 54 and 20 yards. Hebecame just the third kicker in NFL history to convert threefield goals of at least 50 yards in the same contest.

Houston has been plagued by injuries, going without star widereceiver Andre Johnson for the past three games and startingrunning back Ahman Green the last two.


Green's replacement, Ron Dayne, managed just 40 yards on 16carries against Miami, which was ranked last against the run.

The Jaguars, who ranked among the league's rushing leaders lastseason, could not solve the Texans' defense.


Maurice Jones-Drew struggled mightily against Houston lastseason, managing just 21 yards on 11 carries. However,Jones-Drew showed signs of breaking out of a season-long slumplast week against the Kansas City Chiefs, rushing for 82 yardson nine carries, including a 52-yard TD run.


Quarterback David Garrard, who started last season as a backup,had an awful performance in the second loss to the Texans,throwing four interceptions.


Now entrenched as the starter, Garrard has been steely efficientthis season, completing 68-of-102 passes for 848 yards withfour touchdown passes and no interceptions.


In the 17-7 win over the Chiefs, Garrard completed 10 of hisfirst 11 passes and finished 19-of-25 for 200 yards and atouchdown.


The Jaguars' defense also excelled, holding Kansas City's LarryJohnson to 12 yards on nine carries.

 

NFL: HOUSTON at JACKSONVILLE

<div class="pre">NFL
HOUSTON 0
JACKSONVILLE 0 14:55 LEFT, 1ST QTR

HST BALL ON HST 20 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: HOUSTON at JACKSONVILLE

<div class="pre">NFL FG HST
KRIS BROWN 20 YD

HOUSTON 3
JACKSONVILLE 0 10:24 LEFT, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NFL: HOUSTON at JACKSONVILLE

<div class="pre">NFL
HOUSTON 3
JACKSONVILLE 0 10:18 LEFT, 1ST QTR

JAC BALL ON JAC 17 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: HOUSTON at JACKSONVILLE

<div class="pre">NFL MISSED FG JAC
JOHN CARNEY 42 YD ATTEMPT WIDE RIGHT

HOUSTON 3
JACKSONVILLE 0 7:25 LEFT, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NFL: HOUSTON at JACKSONVILLE

<div class="pre">NFL
HOUSTON 3
JACKSONVILLE 0 7:25 LEFT, 1ST QTR

HST BALL ON HST 32 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: HOUSTON at JACKSONVILLE

<div class="pre">NFL
HOUSTON 3
JACKSONVILLE 0 4:20 LEFT, 1ST QTR

JAC BALL ON JAC 20 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: HOUSTON at JACKSONVILLE

<div class="pre">NFL
HOUSTON 3
JACKSONVILLE 0 1:55 LEFT, 1ST QTR

HST BALL ON JAC 48 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: HOUSTON at JACKSONVILLE

<div class="pre">NFL
HOUSTON 3
JACKSONVILLE 0 0:03 LEFT, 1ST QTR

JAC BALL ON JAC 3 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: HOUSTON at JACKSONVILLE

<div class="pre">NFL END, 1ST QTR 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
HOUSTON 3 3
JACKSONVILLE 0 0 END, 1ST QTR

SCORING SUMMARY

1ST QUARTER: HST - FG, KRIS BROWN 20 YD, 4:36. Drive: 10
plays, 78 yards in 4:36. Key plays:
Schaub 46-yard pass to Walter on
3rd-and-4 to Jacksonville 28;
Schaub 14-yard pass to Walter to
Jacksonville 3. HOUSTON 3-0</div>

 

NFL: HOUSTON at JACKSONVILLE

<div class="pre">NFL HOUSTON 3
JACKSONVILLE 0 12:00 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>

 

NFL: HOUSTON at JACKSONVILLE

<div class="pre">NFL
HOUSTON 3
JACKSONVILLE 0 11:50 LEFT, 2ND QTR

HST BALL ON JAC 40 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: HOUSTON at JACKSONVILLE

<div class="pre">NFL FG HST
KRIS BROWN 35 YD

HOUSTON 6
JACKSONVILLE 0 9:38 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>

 

NFL: HOUSTON at JACKSONVILLE

<div class="pre">NFL
HOUSTON 6
JACKSONVILLE 0 9:31 LEFT, 2ND QTR

JAC BALL ON JAC 24 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: HOUSTON at JACKSONVILLE

<div class="pre">NFL TD JAC
GEORGE WRIGHSTER 1 YD PASS FROM DAVID GARRARD
(JOHN CARNEY KICK)

HOUSTON 6
JACKSONVILLE 7 3:51 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>

 

NFL: HOUSTON at JACKSONVILLE

<div class="pre">NFL
HOUSTON 6
JACKSONVILLE 7 3:50 LEFT, 2ND QTR

JAC BALL ON JAC 41 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: HOUSTON at JACKSONVILLE

<div class="pre">NFL TWO MINUTE WARNING, 1ST HALF

HOUSTON 6
JACKSONVILLE 7

JAC BALL ON HST 23 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: HOUSTON at JACKSONVILLE

<div class="pre">NFL FG JAC
JOHN CARNEY 37 YD

HOUSTON 6
JACKSONVILLE 10 0:59 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>

 

NFL: HOUSTON at JACKSONVILLE

<div class="pre">NFL
HOUSTON 6
JACKSONVILLE 10 0:53 LEFT, 2ND QTR

HST BALL ON HST 19 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: HOUSTON at JACKSONVILLE

<div class="pre">NFL HALFTIME 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
HOUSTON 3 3 6
JACKSONVILLE 0 10 10 HALFTIME

SCORING SUMMARY

1ST QUARTER: HST - FG, KRIS BROWN 20 YD, 4:36. Drive: 10
plays, 78 yards in 4:36. Key plays:
Schaub 46-yard pass to Walter on
3rd-and-4 to Jacksonville 28;
Schaub 14-yard pass to Walter to
Jacksonville 3. HOUSTON 3-0
2ND QUARTER: HST - FG, KRIS BROWN 35 YD, 5:22. Drive: 6
plays, 23 yards in 2:12. Key plays:
Faggins recovery of R Williams'
fumble at Jacksonville 40; Schaub
17-yard pass to Davis to
Jacksonville 19. HOUSTON 6-0
JAC - TD, GEORGE WRIGHSTER 1 YD PASS FROM
DAVID GARRARD (JOHN CARNEY KICK),
11:09. Drive: 13 plays, 76 yards in
5:47. Key plays: Garrard 14-yard
pass to Lewis to Jacksonville 38;
Garrard 15-yard pass to Northcutt
to Houston 47; Garrard 19-yard pass
to Northcutt to Houston 17; Garrard
2-yard run on 4th-and-1 to Texans
6. JACKSONVILLE 7-6
JAC - FG, JOHN CARNEY 37 YD, 14:01. Drive: 7
plays, 41 yards in 2:52. Key plays:
Carney rev JACKSONVILLE 10-6</div>