The Houston Texans have a short week before playing on Thanksgiving on the road. They decided to make it even shorter by forcing overtime Sunday.
The Texans outlasted the Jacksonville Jaguars 43-37 in overtime, narrowly avoiding the biggest upset of this NFL season.
There are a lot of crazy numbers to digest from this AFC South slugfest:
- Texans quarterback Matt Schaub tied former Houston Oilers star Warren Moon for the second-most passing yards in an NFL game with 527. Schaub threw for five touchdowns, including the game-winning, 48-yarder to Andre Johnson. Schaub also threw two interceptions, including one in overtime. The Texans' defense made sure it didn't matter.
- Johnson put up the ninth-most receiving yards in NFL single-game history with 273, and he had 14 catches and one touchdown.
- Chad Henne replaced Jaguars starting quarterback Blaine Gabbert, who injured his right elbow in the first quarter, to throw for 354 yards and four TDs. Henne had some ugly moments, too, but we're guessing he'll keep the starting job no matter how healthy Gabbert is next week. (Jaguars coach Mike Mularkey said he'll decide next week.)
On NFL Network
NFL Replay
will re-air the
Houston Texans' 43-37 overtime win over the Jacksonville
Jaguars in Week 11 on Tuesday, Nov. 20 at 8 p.m. ET.
- Jaguars rookie wide receiver Justin Blackmon had 236 yards and one touchdown. He had just 250 yards for the season before this week.
When you win a game like this, it's a character builder. If the Texans had lost, it would have been an inexcusable slip-up as they hunt for a playoff bye. They certainly worked hard to prevent that from happening after falling down 34-20 to start the fourth quarter.
Of all the wild numbers here, the most important stat is 9-1. That's Houston's record as it remains the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
Now the Texans just have to get ready to play football again in four days.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.
