Houston Texans
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article is about the current National Football League team. For the World Football League team, see Shreveport Steamer.
| Year founded: 2002 | |||||
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| City | Houston, Texas | ||||
| Team colors | Deep Steel Blue, Battle Red, and Liberty White | ||||
| Head Coach | Gary Kubiak | ||||
| Owner | Robert C. McNair | ||||
| General manager | Rick Smith | ||||
| Mascot | Toro | ||||
| League/Conference affiliations | |||||
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National Football League (2002–present)
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| Team history | |||||
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| Championships | |||||
| League Championships (0) | |||||
| Conference Championships (0) | |||||
| Division Championships (0) | |||||
| Home fields | |||||
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The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The Texans joined the NFL as a 2002 expansion team. The city's previous franchise, the Houston Oilers, moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1997 and changed their name to the Tennessee Titans.
[edit] Franchise history
[edit] The birth of the Texans
After the 1995 Cleveland Browns relocation controversy, and the establishment of both the Baltimore Ravens and a newly reactivated Browns club, the NFL sought another expansion team to give the league an even number of 32 clubs.
The NFL's newest team was originally destined for Los Angeles, as the league desired a franchise in the United States's second-largest media market (having lost both the Rams and the Raiders to relocation). Thus, initially the NFL was dealing exclusively with Los Angeles-based groups, though it seemed Los Angeles seemed to be indifferent with the prospect of being awarded an NFL franchise. No real progress seemed to be made toward securing a suitable stadium (both the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and the Rose Bowl are aging facilities).
Seeing this, Houston, still reeling from the loss of the Houston Oilers to Tennessee, took a highly aggressive approach toward gaining the franchise for itself, marketing its size (Houston is the fourth-largest city and tenth-largest media market in the United States), the region's broad support for football at all levels, and the fact that it too had lost a franchise to relocation. Having learned from the loss of the Oilers that an aging stadium (the Astrodome) would not sway the NFL, Houston put together a package which included a new stadium. Houston's aggressiveness (and LA's indifference) paid off, and thus the Houston Texans were born.
[edit] On the field: 2002-2004
The Texans made NFL history by becoming the first expansion team to win consecutive season openers: first in 2002, defeating its established NFC in-state rival Dallas Cowboys in its first regular season game by a score of 19-10; then in 2003, beating the Miami Dolphins 21-20. In 2004, the Texans were the host team for Super Bowl XXXVIII.
Until 2005, the team had steadily improved with each successive season with a record of 4-12 in its first season, 5-11 in 2003, and 7-9 in 2004. In 2004, they cleared some major hurdles and won two consecutive games twice in that season after failing to do so in either 2002 or 2003. The team could have won three in a row to end the season, but they were stymied by the Cleveland Browns. During one notable series in 2004, the Texans won several competitions against the Tennessee Titans (the previous Houston franchise) and the Jacksonville Jaguars. As of November 2006, they have not yet won a game against the Indianapolis Colts (a bellwether of the AFC South division). Texans fans were pleased with the progress made up to this point, even though they booed the team for its dreadful performance in the aforementioned Browns game that ended the 2004 season.
[edit] 2005 Fallout
In 2005, there were expectations for a .500 season or even a playoff berth. However, the team got off to a slow start and with the offense not playing well, offensive coordinator Chris Palmer was fired and replaced by Joe Pendry. This marked the first major shakeup of the Texans' coaching staff in franchise history. In the 2005 NFL Draft the Texans drafted seven players but only one offensive lineman, long considered the team's weakest area. In December 2005, the (at the time) 1-12 Texans hired former Broncos, Giants, and Falcons coach Dan Reeves as a consultant. With their loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the last game of the season the Texans ended their season with a 2-14 record, the worst record in the NFL in the 2005 season and earned the right to the first selection in the draft. However, the team announced the day before the draft that they would pick defensive end Mario Williams out of NC State instead of Bush. This was considered by many in the national media to be the worst mistake in Texans history. Many Texan fans booed and it is reported that some cried on draft day when the Texans passed on Bush.[1] Williams was signed to a six-year, $54 million contract. When Mario Williams's name was called, many Texans fans were angered and shocked. With the first selection in the second round they selected Alabama linebacker DeMeco Ryans. The rest of their picks included Pittsburgh offensive tackle Charles Spencer, Miami University (FL) offensive tackle Eric Winston, Wisconsin tight end Owen Daniels, Virginia running back Wali Lundy, and Colorado St. wide receiver David Anderson.
[edit] 2006
- Further information: 2006 Houston Texans season
The Houston Texans opened the 2006 season with a great first drive that resulted in a touchdown for the newly acquired Eric Moulds, but ended in a disappointing 24-10 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. The Texans would lose their next two games to the Indianapolis Colts and Washington Redskins in embarrassing fashion. In Week 4 of the 2006 season, the Houston Texans finally broke through and got their first win of the season, 17-15, over the Miami Dolphins, whose defensive coordinator was former Texans head coach Dom Capers. It was the first win for new head coach Gary Kubiak. After a bye week, the Texans were set for their second battle with the in-state rival Dallas Cowboys. The Texans would fall to the Cowboys 34-6 after leading the game 6-3 at the half, dropping their record to 1-4. Week 7 would show an impressive 27-7 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars to improve their record to 2-4. The Texans would then lose to the Titans 28-22 in a game that had the Texans outgaining the Titans 427 to 197 in total yards, but they turned the ball over 5 times. The Texans lost a consecutive road game to the Giants 14-10 in a defensive struggle in the Meadowlands, but rebounded with a 13-10 win over their division rival Jaguars in Jacksonville, whom they swept for the season series (they are 6-4 against the Jaguars, and have swept them twice; oddly, the Texans seem to play better against the Jaguars than anyone else). It was their third win of the season, eclipsing the win total (2) for all of the 2005 season. The next week the Texans would lose to the Buffalo Bills, 24-21, giving up a touchdown with only 9 seconds left. The next week the Texans played well all game, but lost in overtime by a 39 yard touchdown run by Vince Young in overtime. The Texans' remaining schedule includes the New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, and Cleveland Browns.
[edit] Trivia
As of the 2006 NFL season, Houston is the only NFL team with all three of the following distinctions: they have yet to post a winning season, they have yet to play in a regular-season Monday Night Football game, and have yet to make their first playoff appearance. The Texans are also one of six franchises, along with the New Orleans Saints, Jacksonville Jaguars, Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, and Detroit Lions to have never played in a Super Bowl.
[edit] Logo and uniforms
The Texans' helmet is "steel" blue with the logo of a bull head in the red, white, and blue colors of the Texas flag. The uniform design consists of "battle" red trim and either Steel blue or "liberty" white jerseys. The team wears white pants with its blue jerseys, blue pants with its white jerseys, and on occasion they will wear all-white. In 2003, the Texans introduced an alternative battle red jersey with blue trim, posting a 3-2 record when wearing those jerseys.
Like many other NFL teams located in subtropical climates, the Texans traditionally wear their white jerseys at home during the first half of the season — forcing opponents to wear their dark ones under the hot autumns in Houston. The team will still wear white jerseys during those early regular season games even though the retractable roof of the club's home field, Reliant Stadium, may be closed.
 Home Uniform |
 Road Uniform |
 Alternate Uniform |
 Alternate Uniform |
[edit] Season-by-season records
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties
| Season | W | L | T | Finish | Playoff Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 4 | 12 | 0 | 4th AFC South | -- |
| 2003 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 4th AFC South | -- |
| 2004 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 3rd AFC South | -- |
| 2005 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 4th AFC South | -- |
| *2006 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 4th AFC South | -- |
| Totals | 21 | 53 | 0 | (2002-2006, regular season) | |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | (2002-2006, playoffs) | ||
| 21 | 53 | 0 | (all games, 2002-2006, including playoffs) | ||
* = Current Standing
[edit] Record vs. Opponents
(as of December 13, 2006)
- Arizona Cardinals 1-0
- Atlanta Falcons 1-0
- Baltimore Ravens 0-2
- Buffalo Bills 1-4
- Carolina Panthers 1-0
- Chicago Bears 1-0
- Cincinnati Bengals 1-2
- Cleveland Browns 1-2
- Dallas Cowboys 1-1
- Denver Broncos 0-1
- Detroit Lions 0-1
- Green Bay Packers 0-1
- Indianapolis Colts 0-9
- Jacksonville Jaguars 6-4
- Kansas City Chiefs 1-2
- Miami Dolphins 2-0
- Minnesota Vikings 0-1
- New England Patriots 0-1
- New Orleans Saints 0-1
- New York Giants 1-1
- New York Jets 0-3
- Oakland Raiders 2-0
- Philadelphia Eagles 0-2
- Pittsburgh Steelers 1-1
- St. Louis Rams 0-1
- San Diego Chargers 0-2
- San Francisco 49ers 0-1
- Seattle Seahawks 0-1
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0-1
- Tennessee Titans 2-8
- Washington Redskins 0-2
[edit] Single Season Records
- Passing Attempts: 466 David Carr (2004)
- Passing Completions: 285 David Carr (2004)
- Passing Yards: 3,531 David Carr (2004)
- Passing Touchdowns: 16 David Carr (2004)
- Passing Interceptions: 15 David Carr (2002)
- Rushing Attempts: 302 Domanick Davis (2004)
- Rushing Yards: 1,188 Domanick Davis (2004)
- Rushing Touchdowns: 13 Domanick Davis (2004)
- Receiving Catches: 79 Andre Johnson (2004)
- Receiving Yards: 1,142 Andre Johnson (2004)
- Receiving Touchdowns: 6 Andre Johnson (2004), Corey Bradford (2002)
- Quarterback Sacks: 8 Jeff Posey (2002)
- Pass Interceptions: 7 Marcus Coleman (2003)
[edit] Players of note
[edit] Current players
[edit] First Round Draft Picks
| Year | Pick | Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 1st overall | David Carr | Quarterback | Fresno State |
| 2003 | 3rd overall | Andre Johnson | Wide receiver | Miami (FL) |
| 2004 | 10th overall | Dunta Robinson | Cornerback | South Carolina |
| 2004 | 27th overall (From Tennessee) | Jason Babin | Defensive end | Western Michigan |
| 2005 | 16th overall | Travis Johnson | Defensive tackle | Florida State |
| 2006 | 1st overall | Mario Williams | Defensive end | North Carolina State |
[edit] 2006 NFL Draft selections
| Round/Pick | Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/1 | Mario Williams | Defensive end | North Carolina State |
| 2/33 | DeMeco Ryans | Linebacker | Alabama |
| 3/65 | Charles Spencer | Offensive tackle | Pittsburgh |
| 3/66 (From New Orleans) | Eric Winston | Offensive tackle | Miami (FL) |
| 4/98 | Owen Daniels | Tight end | Wisconsin |
| 6/170 | Wali Lundy | Running back | Virginia |
| 7/251 | David Anderson | Wide receiver | Colorado State |
[edit] Pro Football Hall of Famers
- None
[edit] Retired Numbers
- None
[edit] Other notable alumni
- Tony Boselli
- Aaron Glenn
- Gary Walker
- Billy Miller
- Jamie Sharper
- Chris Palmer
- Charley Casserly
- Dom Capers (1st Head Coach)
[edit] Head Coaches
As of December 13, 2006. Only regular season and postseason games are counted.
| Name | Nat | From | To | Record | Titles | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | |||||
| Dom Capers |  |
January 21, 2001 | January 2, 2006 | 18 | 46 | 0 | 0 |
| Gary Kubiak | |
January 26, 2006 | Present | 4 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
[edit] Current staff
- Head Coach - Gary Kubiak
- Assistant Head Coach/Offense - Mike Sherman
[edit] Offensive coaches
- Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach - Troy Calhoun
- Running Backs Coach - Chick Harris
- Offensive Line Coach - John Benton
- Wide Receivers Coach - Kyle Shanahan
- Tight Ends Coach - Rod Ryan
- Offensive Quality Control Coach - Mike McDaniel
[edit] Defensive coaches
- Defensive Coordinator - Richard Smith
- Defensive Line Coach - Bob Karmelowicz
- Assistant Defensive Line Coach - Tracy Simien
- Linebackers Coach - Johnny Holland
- Defensive Backs Coach - Jon Hoke
- Assistant Defensive Backs Coach - Martin Bayless
- Defensive Quality Control Coach - Robert Saleh
[edit] Special Teams coaches
- Special Teams Coach - Joe Marciano
[edit] Conditioning coaches
- Strength and Conditioning Coach - Dan Riley
- Strength and Conditioning Assistant Coach - Ray Wright
- Strength and Conditioning Assistant - Virgil Campbell
- Strength and Conditioning Assistant - Everett Coleman
[edit] Trivia
- The Houston Texans are the sixth professional football team to adopt the nickname "Texans." The first was the Dallas Texans, who after one season became the last NFL team to fold in 1952. The second was the American Football League Dallas Texans, who played in three AFL seasons starting with the league's inauguraral season in 1960 before becoming the Kansas City Chiefs. The third was also named the Houston Texans, playing in the World Football League before the league folded in 1974. A fourth incarnation of the Dallas Texans played four seasons in the Arena Football League before disbanding in 1993. Finally, one of the Canadian Football League's U.S. teams, the Sacramento Gold Miners moved to San Antonio where they played one season as the San Antonio Texans before disbanding in 1995. Other possible nicknames considered for the new Houston franchise were Stallions, Toros, Wildcatters, and Apollos.
- The Texans hold the record for the fewest yards gained by a winning team in NFL history (47). The record was set on December 8, 2002 when the Texans defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 24-6 despite being outgained 422-47 in total yards.
- The Texans are just the second expansion team since 1960 to win their very first NFL regular season contest. The Texans defeated the Dallas Cowboys on September 8, 2002 by a score of 19-10. The other expansion team to win its very first NFL regular season contest since 1960 were The Minnesota Vikings, who defeated the Chicago Bears on Opening Day 1961 by a score of 37-13.
- The Texans hold the dubious record for allowing the most quarterback sacks in a single season. In 2002, David Carr was sacked 76 times, but still managed to take every snap for the team that season.
- At the 2002 Pro Bowl, The Texans tied the 1961 Vikings for the most players selected (2) from an expansion team and become the first expansion club to be represented at the Pro Bowl since the New Orleans Saints in 1967, when all teams were required to have at least one player selected. The two representatives for the Texans that year were cornerback Aaron Glenn and defensive end Gary Walker.
[edit] External links
- Official Houston Texans web site
- TexansTalk.com - Houston Texans fan website and message boards
- Sports E-Cyclopedia.com
- The Houston Texans #1 Fan Group
- Houston Texans schedule
| Houston Texans Head Coaches |
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| Capers • Kubiak |
