Houston Texans Into The Playoffs

10 years after their formation, the Houston Texans have finally broken their duck and made the NFL playoffs after a dramatic last-minute win in Cincinnati. 

Going into Sunday's game, the Texans were the only team never to have made the playoffs of any of the 3 major sports leagues in the USA. 

Like any brand new team starting from scratch, the Texans struggled in the big time but gradually improved courtesy of early draft picks like Mario Williams and eventually had their first winning season in 2009.

They were expected to push the Colts last season and looked like they would after beating the Colts in their first game last season. But they faded away and ended up with a losing season.

But 5 year coach Gary Kubiak got the Texans back on track and thanks to TJ Yates - and Drew Brees - won their first ever division title after 10 seasons. 

And it has been deserved too. Ironically, the Texans have had their worst injury crisis in years and lost Mario Williams and Matt Schaub for the season while Andre Johnson and Arian Foster have been in and out with injuries. 

Yet the team have somehow kept winning. It's because of one of the best defences in the NFL, up there with the 49ers, Ravens and Broncos. 

Now with a fairly easy finish to the season, the Texans can set their sights on trying to get the top seed in the AFC and being at home in Houston throughout January. 

It's what this massive city on the Gulf has been waiting for since the Houston Oilers hosted the Kansas City Chiefs in the Astrodome in 1994; the last NFL playoff game in the city.

Meanwhile, Tebow Time has continued and is very much into overdrive after the Broncos' latest 4th quarter comeback possibly damaged beyond repair the Chicago Bears' playoff chances. 

Plenty has been said but the fact is the Broncos are very much in control of their division and destiny now - not that Tebow hasn't been aware of that anyway even when the Broncos were losing earlier in the season. 

I have been struggling to find anything that compares to this Broncos side. Maybe there is one side that does - the Blackcaps who just beat Australia for the first time in 16 years. 

It's widely known that the Blackcaps are a side who are better at containing in the one day game. They are terrific when they bowl first and then chase down a total big or small. They're a side that seem to play better when there's a target in the horizon.

The Broncos are the Blackcaps of the NFL. They don't have the flashiest players or the flashiest quarterback. They are average for much of the game but when the chips are down and the game is winnable, they can pull it off. 

So the AFC is very much decided. The Patriots, Ravens and Steelers keep winning and will probably clinch their playoff spots next weekend. The Broncos might even clinch a playoff spot next weekend if the Raiders lose. 

Wish the same could be said about the NFC East. 

It looks likely now that we'll get a second dose of NY Giants and Cowboys in a matter of weeks on NBC.  

Can Matt Leinart Become an NFL Starting Quarterback?

The most intriguing situation to observe during this Thanksgiving weekend of NFL action will be in East Florida when the Jacksonville Jaguars host the Houston Texans.

Okay, it may be just another game between two divisional rivals - the first for this season between these two. And okay, the Jaguars have the Texans' season record in reverse.

So what's so intriguing about this game?

Well, it'll be Matt Leinart's first game for the Houston Texans as starting quarterback since incumbent, Matt Schaub was ruled out for the season, and since Leinart was told by the Arizona Cardinals he wasn't their starting quarterback for the future despite Kurt Warner's retirement leaving the path free for the former Heismann Trophy winner.

Matt Leinart has the talent and has shown to be a winner, helping to guide his USC team to the Rose Bowl and National Championship. He won 34 out of his 35 games in Los Angeles - his 1 defeat was only to Vince Young's Texas in the best Rose Bowl in history in 2005.

Perhaps this is why Leinart hasn't quite been able to make the transition from college star to regular NFL starting quarterback. It didn't help that when Leinart got injured at the Cardinals that Kurt Warner brought back the Age of Aquarius and guided the Cards to their first Super Bowl in eons and only just lost to the Steelers in the 2009 Super Bowl.

But 5 years on and in a winning team environment in Houston, Leinart now has the chance to nail that starting quarterback that his talent long deserves.

Despite losing star defensive end, Mario Williams to a season-ending injury and despite star wide receiver, Andre Johnson's persistent injuries this season, the Texans are still winning and as a team have never been better. Their defensive form from a few seasons ago has returned and is now backed up with a monster rushing game.

Perfect for a quarterback new to the system and in his first start then. And against Jacksonville who are also a predominantly rushing side, Leinart will not have to throw to his receivers as much.

It's a bit like the All Blacks in this year's Rugby World Cup when Dan Carter was injured prior to the knockout stages. Colin Slade, Aaron Cruden and even Stephen Donald were drafted in to fill the key pivot position with Cruden and Donald probably impressing the most.

Leinart will be hoping to be Cruden/Donald: confident and ready to take on the line, instead of the nervous Slade. The Texans would like him to be the former as a first ever playoff appearance looks ever closer.

And given Schaub is now in his 30s, nail this and Leinart could be the Texans quarterback for a couple of seasons yet as they set to take advantage of the rebuilding in Indy, Nashville and Jacksonville.  


Fail, and Leinart will be another what-if story for ESPN to file.