# 2003 Houston Texans season

The 2003 Houston Texans season was the franchise's second season in the National Football League and the second under head coach Dom Capers. It saw the Texans make a one-game improvement on its initial season's record.
In the NFL draft, the Texans selected wide receiver Andre Johnson from Miami (FL) third overall. Johnson would become a cornerstone of the Texans' franchise for the next decade and would go on to hold nearly every franchise receiving record. Considered one of the best receivers of his era, Johnson was selected for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024, becoming the first player to start their career with the Texans to be inducted.

## Offseason

| Additions | Subtractions |
| G Zach Wiegert (Jaguars) | LB Keith Mitchell (Jaguars) |
| G Todd Washington (Buccaneers) | WR Jermaine Lewis (Jaguars) |
| LB Steve Foley (Bengals) | T Ryan Young (Cowboys) |
| DT Steve Martin (Patriots) | G Cameron Spikes (Cardinals) |
| | WR JaJuan Dawson (Colts) |

### NFL draft

2003 Houston Texans draft :
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
| 1 | 3 | Andre Johnson * $^†$ | WR | Miami (FL) | |
| 2 | 41 | Bennie Joppru | TE | Michigan | from Baltimore via New England |
| 3 | 67 | Antwan Peek | LB | Cincinnati | |
| 3 | 75 | Seth Wand | OT | Northwest Missouri State | from Washington via New England |
| 3 | 88 | Dave Ragone | QB | Louisville | from Atlanta |
| 4 | 101 | Domanick Davis | RB | LSU | |
| 6 | 192 | Drew Henson | QB | Michigan | Extra selection |
| 6 | 214 | Keith Wright | DT | Missouri | Extra selection |
| 7 | 217 | Curry Burns | S | Louisville | |
| 7 | 233 | Chance Pearce | C | Texas A&M | Extra selection |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career ||||||

## Preseason

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | August 9 | Denver Broncos | L 12–20 | 0–1 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 15 | at Dallas Cowboys | L 6–34 | 0–2 | Texas Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 23 | San Diego Chargers | L 17–19 | 0–3 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | August 28 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 3–34 | 0–4 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap |

## Regular season
### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | September 7 | at Miami Dolphins | W 21–20 | 1–0 | Pro Player Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | September 14 | at New Orleans Saints | L 10–31 | 1–1 | Louisiana Superdome | Recap |
| 3 | September 21 | Kansas City Chiefs | L 14–42 | 1–2 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | September 28 | Jacksonville Jaguars | W 24–20 | 2–2 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |
| 5 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 6 | October 12 | at Tennessee Titans | L 17–38 | 2–3 | The Coliseum | Recap |
| 7 | October 19 | New York Jets | L 14–19 | 2–4 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |
| 8 | October 26 | at Indianapolis Colts | L 21–30 | 2–5 | RCA Dome | Recap |
| 9 | November 2 | Carolina Panthers | W 14–10 | 3–5 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |
| 10 | November 9 | at Cincinnati Bengals | L 27–34 | 3–6 | Paul Brown Stadium | Recap |
| 11 | November 16 | at Buffalo Bills | W 12–10 | 4–6 | Ralph Wilson Stadium | Recap |
| 12 | November 23 | New England Patriots | L 20–23 (OT) | 4–7 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |
| 13 | November 30 | Atlanta Falcons | W 17–13 | 5–7 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |
| 14 | December 7 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | L 0–27 | 5–8 | Alltel Stadium | Recap |
| 15 | December 14 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 3–16 | 5–9 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap |
| 16 | December 21 | Tennessee Titans | L 24–27 | 5–10 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |
| 17 | December 28 | Indianapolis Colts | L 17–20 | 5–11 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: at Miami Dolphins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Texans | 3 | 3 | 9 | 6 | 21 |
| Dolphins | 0 | 14 | 0 | 6 | 20 |
at Pro Player Stadium, Miami, Florida
* Date: September 7
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT / 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 89 °F (32 °C), wind 6 mph
* Game attendance: 73,010
* Referee: Terry McAulay
* TV announcers (CBS): Gus Johnson and Brent Jones
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
HOU – Kris Brown 36-yard field goal, 5:14. Texans 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 79 yards, 4:13.
Second quarter
MIA – Chris Chambers 57-yard pass from Jay Fiedler (Olindo Mare kick), 9:34. Dolphins 7–3. Drive: 2 plays, 57 yards, 0:48.
HOU – Kris Brown 50-yard field goal, 6:22. Dolphins 7–6. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:26.
MIA – Chris Chambers 21-yard pass from Jay Fiedler (Olindo Mare kick), 1:11. Dolphins 14–6. Drive: 9 plays, 93 yards, 5:17.
Third quarter
HOU – Corey Bradford 78-yard pass from David Carr (run failed), 4:34. Dolphins 14–12. Drive: 1 play, 78 yards, 0:12.
HOU – Kris Brown 23-yard field goal, 0:25. Texans 15–14. Drive: 7 plays, 41 yards, 2:39.
Fourth quarter
MIA – Ricky Williams 35-yard pass from Jay Fiedler (pass failed), 12:37. Dolphins 20–15. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 2:57.
HOU – Kris Brown 24-yard field goal, 4:59. Dolphins 20–18. Drive: 16 plays, 72 yards, 7:29.
HOU – Kris Brown 35-yard field goal, 0:30. Texans 21–20. Drive: 7 plays, 24 yards, 3:28.
Top passers
HOU – David Carr – 17/31, 266 yards, TD
MIA – Jay Fiedler – 17/32, 227 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
HOU – Stacey Mack – 27 rushes, 89 yards
MIA – Ricky Williams – 17 rushes, 69 yards
Top receivers
HOU – Corey Bradford – 2 receptions, 85 yards, TD
MIA – Chris Chambers – 7 receptions, 118 yards, 2 TD :

#### Week 2: at New Orleans Saints

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Texans | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Saints | 7 | 0 | 10 | 14 | 31 |
at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
* Date: September 14
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 68,390
* Referee: Peter Morelli
* TV announcers (CBS): Craig Bolerjack, Beasley Reece
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
NO – Deuce McAllister 24-yard run (John Carney kick), 1:35. Saints 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 2:31.
Second quarter
HOU – David Carr 1-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 10:46. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards, 2:31.
HOU – Kris Brown 30-yard field goal, 0:06. Texans 10–7. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 2:07.
Third quarter
NO – Donté Stallworth 35-yard pass from Aaron Brooks (John Carney kick), 10:57. Saints 14–10. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 3:58.
NO – John Carney 39-yard field goal, 1:25. Saints 17–10. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 3:53.
Fourth quarter
NO – Ernie Conwell 2-yard pass from Aaron Brooks (John Carney kick), 9:05. Saints 24–10. Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 4:14.
NO – Joffrey Reynolds 40-yard interception return, 3:00. Saints 31–10.
Top passers
HOU – David Carr – 17/36, 213 yards, 2 INT
NO – Aaron Brooks – 18/27, 189 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
HOU – Stacey Mack – 13 rushes, 31 yards
NO – Deuce McAllister – 20 rushes, 96 yards, TD
Top receivers
HOU – Andre Johnson – 5 receptions, 71 yards
NO – Joe Horn – 10 receptions, 111 yards :

#### Week 3: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 7 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 42 |
| Texans | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: September 21
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 70,487
* Referee: Ron Blum
* TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Randy Cross
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
KC – Priest Holmes 6-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 9:09. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 84 yards, 2:16.
Second quarter
HOU – Andre Johnson 43-yard pass from Derek Carr (Kris Brown kick), 5:55. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 97 yards, 5:08.
KC – Priest Holmes 3-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 0:19. Chiefs 14–7. Drive: 2 plays, 97 yards, 0:05.
Third quarter
KC – Eddie Kennison 15-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 4:18. Chiefs 21–7. Drive: 3 plays, 32 yards, 0:20.
KC – Dante Hall 73-yard punt return (Morten Andersen kick), 1:50. Chiefs 28–7.
Fourth quarter
KC – Derrick Blaylock 20-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 14:04. Chiefs 35–7. Drive: 3 plays, 85 yards, 0:43.
KC – Shaunard Harts 38-yard interception return (Morten Andersen kick), 7:16. Chiefs 42–7.
HOU – Andre Johnson 4-yard pass from Tony Banks (Kris Brown kick), 2:01. Chiefs 42–14. Drive: 16 plays, 68 yards, 5:06.
Top passers
KC – Trent Green – 16/28, 262 yards, TD, 2 INT
HOU – David Carr – 17/27, 167 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
KC – Priest Holmes – 18 rushes, 89 yards, 2 TD
HOU – Tony Hollings – 7 rushes, 41 yards
Top receivers
KC – Priest Holmes – 4 receptions, 67 yards
HOU – Andre Johnson – 7 receptions, 102 yards, 2 TD :

#### Week 4: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Jaguars | 3 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 20 |
| Texans | 7 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 24 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: September 28
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game attendance: 70,041
* Referee: Tony Corrente
* TV announcers (CBS): Don Criqui, Steve Tasker
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
HOU – Stacey Mack 5-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 9:00. Texans 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 69 yards, 5:35.
JAX – Seth Marler 29-yard field goal, 3:19. Texans 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 51 yards, 4:13.
Second quarter
HOU – Jabar Gaffney 24-yard pass from David Carr (Kris Brown kick), 14:11. Texans 14–3. Drive: 8 plays, 53 yards, 3:59.
JAX – Fred Taylor 1-yard run (Seth Marler kick), 6:46. Texans 14–10. Drive: 7 plays, 48 yards, 3:25.
Third quarter
HOU – Kris Brown 48-yard field goal, 13:45. Texans 17–10. Drive: 4 plays, -1 yards, 0:55.
JAX – Troy Edwards 84-yard pass from Byron Leftwich (Seth Marler kick), 11:04. Tied 17–17. Drive: 2 plays, 84 yards, 0:17.
JAX – Seth Marler 20-yard field goal, 4:06. Jaguars 20–17. Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 3:36.
Fourth quarter
HOU – David Carr 1-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 0:02. Texans 24–20. Drive: 10 plays, 41 yards, 3:20.
Top passers
JAX – Byron Leftwich – 17/36, 231 yards, TD, 3 INT
HOU – David Carr – 23/36, 234 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
JAX – Fred Taylor – 19 rushes, 67 yards, TD
HOU – Domanick Davis – 16 rushes, 53 yards
Top receivers
JAX – Troy Edwards – 3 receptions, 111 yards, TD
HOU – Andre Johnson – 8 receptions 97 yards :

#### Week 6: at Tennessee Titans

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Texans | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
| Titans | 14 | 7 | 3 | 14 | 38 |
at The Coliseum, Nashville, Tennessee
* Date: October 12
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 69 °F (21 °C), wind 3 mph
* Game attendance: 68,809
* Referee: Gerald Austin
* TV: CBS
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
TEN – Derrick Mason 32-yard pass from Steve McNair (Gary Anderson kick), 10:38. Titans 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 74 yards, 2:53.
TEN – Derrick Mason 46-yard pass from Steve McNair (Gary Anderson kick), 6:12. Titans 14–0. Drive: 5 plays, 69 yards, 2:45.
Second quarter
TEN – Robert Holcombe 5-yard run (Gary Anderson kick), 0:57. Titans 21–0. Drive: 9 plays, 88 yards, 4:32.
HOU – Kris Brown 29-yard field goal, 0:00. Titans 21–3. Drive: 7 plays, 58 yards, 0:57.
Third quarter
HOU – Corey Bradford 65-yard pass from David Carr (Kris Brown kick), 12:20. Titans 21–10. Drive: 2 plays, 98 yards, 0:56.
TEN – Gary Anderson 33-yard field goal, 3:44. Titans 24–10. Drive: 8 plays, 38 yards, 3:09.
Fourth quarter
TEN – Derrick Mason 50-yard pass from Steve McNair (Gary Anderson kick), 14:46. Titans 31–10. Drive: 5 plays, 98 yards, 1:46.
TEN – Andre Dyson 51-yard interception return (Gary Anderson kick), 13:03. Titans 38–10.
HOU – Derick Armstrong 13-yard pass from David Carr (Kris Brown kick), 9:06. Titans 38–17. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 3:57.
Top passers
HOU – David Carr – 25/42, 371 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT
TEN – Steve McNair – 18/27, 421 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
HOU – Domanick Davis – 7 rushes, 59 yards
TEN – Eddie George – 19 rushes, 60 yards
Top receivers
HOU – Corey Bradford – 5 receptions, 127 yards, TD
TEN – Derrick Mason – 6 receptions, 177 yards, 2 TD :
David Carr threw for 371 yards and two touchdowns, but also threw three interceptions, including a pick six.

#### Week 7: vs. New York Jets

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Jets | 0 | 7 | 3 | 9 | 19 |
| Texans | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: October 19
* Game time: 3:05 p.m. CDT
* Game attendance: 70,623
* Referee: Ed Hochuli
* TV: CBS
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
HOU – Stacey Mack 10-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 8:53. Texans 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 61 yards, 4:31.
Second quarter
HOU – Stacey Mack 1-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 14:56. Texans 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 64 yards, 4:09.
NYJ – Santana Moss 18-yard pass from Vinny Testaverde (Doug Brien kick), 1:22. Texans 14–7. Drive: 7 plays, 91 yards, 2:16.
Third quarter
NYJ – Doug Brien 39-yard field goal, 1:36. Texans 14–10. Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards, 3:13.
Fourth quarter
NYJ – Doug Brien 30-yard field goal, 9:05. Texans 14–13. Drive: 9 plays, 26 yards, 4:40.
NYJ – LaMont Jordan 8-yard run (pass failed), 1:21. Jets 19–14. Drive: 8 plays, 86 yards, 1:27.
Top passers
NYJ – Vinny Testaverde – 15/29, 182 yards, TD
HOU – David Carr – 15/23, 170 yards
Top rushers
NYJ – Curtis Martin – 17 rushes, 88 yards
HOU – Domanick Davis – 27 rushes, 129 yards
Top receivers
NYJ – Santana Moss – 6 receptions, 111 yards, TD
HOU – Andre Johnson – 3 receptions, 71 yards :

#### Week 8: at Indianapolis Colts

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Texans | 0 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| Colts | 3 | 14 | 10 | 3 | 30 |
at RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana
* Date: October 26
* Game time: 3:15 p.m. CST / 4:15 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 56,132
* Referee: Walt Coleman
* TV announcers (CBS): Gus Johnson and Brent Jones
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
IND – Mike Vanderjagt 31-yard field goal, 0:44. Colts 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 71 yards, 6:28.
Second quarter
HOU – Domanick Davis 15-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 11:14. Texans 7–3. Drive: 2 plays, 28 yards, 0:37.
HOU – Billy Miller 1-yard pass from David Carr (Kris Brown kick), 4:55. Texans 14–3. Drive: 8 plays, 79 yards, 4:39.
IND – Marcus Pollard 1-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Mike Vanderjagt kick), 1:54. Texans 14–10. Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, 3:01.
IND – Reggie Wayne 2-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Mike Vanderjagt kick), 0:15. Colts 17–14 Drive: 4 plays, 23 yards, 0:42.
Third quarter
IND – Reggie Wayne 57-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Mike Vanderjagt kick), 14:03. Colts 24–14. Drive: 2 plays, 68 yards, 0:57.
IND – Mike Vanderjagt 29-yard field goal, 4:34. Colts 27–14. Drive: 12 plays, 81 yards, 5:41.
Fourth quarter
HOU – Domanick Davis 2-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 12:31. Colts 27–21. Drive: 12 plays, 66 yards, 7:03.
IND – Mike Vanderjagt 22-yard field goal, 5:16. Colts 30–21. Drive: 13 plays, 67 yards, 7:15.
Top passers
HOU – Tony Banks – 12/17, 88 yards, INT
IND – Peyton Manning – 22/30, 269 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
HOU – Domanick Davis – 25 rushes, 109 yards, 2 TD
IND – Edgerrin James – 23 rushes, 104 yards
Top receivers
HOU – Jabar Gaffney – 4 receptions, 58 yards
IND – Marvin Harrison – 8 receptions, 100 yards :

#### Week 9: vs. Carolina Panthers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
| Texans | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: November 2
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (retractable roof)
* Game attendance: 70,052
* Referee: Ron Blum
* TV: Fox
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
CAR – Steve Smith Sr. 24-yard pass from Jake Delhomme (John Kasay kick), 7:47. Panthers 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 68 yards, 7:13.
Second quarter
No scoring plays
Third quarter
HOU – Stacey Mack 1-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 6:43. Tied 7–7. Drive: 13 plays, 73 yards, 8:17.
CAR – John Kasay 23-yard field goal, 0:05. Panthers 10–7. Drive: 14 plays, 68 yards, 6:38.
Fourth quarter
HOU – Billy Miller 20-yard pass from Tony Banks (Kris Brown kick), 9:30. Texans 14–10. Drive: 9 plays, 67 yards, 5:35.
Top passers
CAR – Jake Delhomme – 13/23, 193 yards, TD, INT
HOU – Tony Banks – 13/19, 154 yards, TD
Top rushers
CAR – Stephen Davis – 30 rushes, 153 yards
HOU – Domanick Davis – 12 rushes, 74 yards
Top receivers
CAR – Steve Smith Sr. – 5 receptions, 88 yards, TD
HOU – Andre Johnson – 4 receptions, 64 yards :

#### Week 10: at Cincinnati Bengals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Texans | 3 | 14 | 10 | 0 | 27 |
| Bengals | 7 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 34 |
at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
* Date: November 9
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST / 1:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 43 °F (6 °C), wind 7 mph
* Game attendance: 50,437
* Referee: Terry McAulay
* TV: CBS
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
CIN – Brandon Bennett 6-yard pass from Jon Kitna (Shayne Graham kick), 9:03. Bengals 7–0. Drive: 13 plays, 77 yards, 5:41.
HOU – Kris Brown 45-yard field goal, 6:56. Bengals 7–3. Drive: 5 plays, 17 yards, 1:54.
Second quarter
HOU – Corey Bradford 73-yard pass from David Carr (Kris Brown kick), 14:49. Texans 10–7. Drive: 3 plays, 74 yards, 1:16.
CIN – Jeremi Johnson 1-yard run (Shayne Graham kick), 6:47. Bengals 14–10. Drive: 14 plays, 74 yards, 8:02.
CIN – Shayne Graham 40-yard field goal, 2:33. Bengals 17–10. Drive: 5 plays, 27 yards, 2:41.
HOU – Jabar Gaffney 8-yard pass from David Carr (Kris Brown kick), 0:19. Tied 17–17. Drive: 6 plays, 44 yards, 0:53.
Third quarter
HOU – Domanick Davis 2-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 12:31. Texans 24–17. Drive: 6 plays, 83 yards, 2:29.
CIN – Rudi Johnson 17-yard run (Shayne Graham kick), 8:09. Tied 24–24. Drive: 9 plays, 73 yards, 4:22.
HOU – Kris Brown 33-yard field goal, 1:47. Texans 27–24. Drive: 14 plays, 33 yards, 6:22.
Fourth quarter
CIN – Rudi Johnson 1-yard run (Shayne Graham kick), 10:56. Bengals 31–27. Drive: 12 plays, 65 yards, 5:51.
CIN – Shayne Graham 40-yard field goal, 2:23. Bengals 34–27. Drive: 15 plays, 56 yards, 7:07.
Top passers
HOU – David Carr – 11/25, 146 yards, 2 TD, INT
CIN – Jon Kitna – 18/26, 182 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
HOU – Domanick Davis – 14 rushes, 104 yards, TD
CIN – Rudi Johnson – 43 rushes, 182 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
HOU – Corey Bradford – 1 reception, 73 yards, TD
CIN – Chad Johnson – 9 receptions, 89 yards :

#### Week 11: at Buffalo Bills

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Texans | 0 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 12 |
| Bills | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 10 |
at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
* Date: November 16
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST / 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 47 °F (8 °C), wind 3 mph
* Game attendance: 72,677
* Referee: Johnny Grier
* TV: CBS
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
BUF – David Carr fumble out of end zone, 4:48. Bills 2–0.
Second quarter
BUF – Rian Lindell 23-yard field goal, 2:07. Bills 5–0. Drive: 9 plays, 89 yards, 4:23.
HOU – Andre Johnson 46-yard pass from Tony Banks (run failed), 1:12. Texans 6–5. Drive: 4 plays, 73 yards, 0:55.
Third quarter
HOU – Kris Brown 41-yard field goal, 10:42. Texans 9–5. Drive: 10 plays, 52 yards, 4:18.
BUF – Rian Lindell 20-yard field goal, 4:38. Texans 9–8. Drive: 7 plays, 18 yards, 4:00.
Fourth quarter
HOU – Kris Brown 34-yard field goal, 3:23. Texans 12–8. Drive: 9 plays, 67 yards, 5:22.
BUF – Andre Johnson tackled in own end zone, 0:00. Texans 12–10.
Top passers
HOU – Tony Banks – 11/16, 207 yards, TD, INT
BUF – Drew Bledsoe – 15/26, 184 yards
Top rushers
HOU – Domanick Davis – 26 rushes, 68 yards
BUF – Travis Henry – 23 rushes, 149 yards
Top receivers
HOU – Andre Johnson – 4 receptions, 122 yards, TD
BUF – Bobby Shaw – 5 receptions, 92 yards :
On the Texans' third offensive drive, David Carr was sacked in his own end zone by Jeff Posey and fumbled the ball. The ball eventually went out of bounds in the end zone, resulting in a safety, giving the Bills a 2–0 lead. Carr was injured on the play and would be replaced by Tony Banks for the rest of the game. On the final play of the game, the Texans were facing a 4th and 14 at their own 34-yard line with 0:03 left to play up 12–8. The team lined up in a punt formation and Andre Johnson took the ball, intentionally running backwards to his own end zone and ran out of bounds for a safety with 0:00 on the clock, securing a 12–10 victory for the Texans.

#### Week 12: vs. New England Patriots

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Patriots | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 23 |
| Texans | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 20 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: November 23
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 70,719
* Referee: Mike Carey
* TV: CBS
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
HOU – Kris Brown 19-yard field goal, 2:36. Texans 3–0. Drive: 14 plays, 79 yards, 8:41.
Second quarter
NE – Bethel Johnson 27-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 13:12. Patriots 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 67 yards, 4:24.
NE – Adam Vinatieri 21-yard field goal, 5:55. Patriots 10–3. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 2:02.
Third quarter
HOU – Andre Johnson 10-yard pass from Tony Banks (Kris Brown kick), 4:01. Tied 10–10. Drive: 2 plays, 11 yards, 0:32.
Fourth quarter
NE – Adam Vinatieri 32-yard field goal, 14:57. Patriots 13–10. Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 4:04.
HOU – Billy Miller 16-yard pass from Tony Banks (Kris Brown kick), 6:49. Texans 17–13. Drive: 5 plays, 31 yards, 2:10.
HOU – Kris Brown 31-yard field goal, 3:11. Texans 20–13. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 1:39.
NE – Daniel Graham 4-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 0:40. Tied 20–20. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 2:31.
Overtime
NE – Adam Vinatieri 28-yard field goal, 0:41. Patriots 23–20. Drive: 9 plays, 76 yards, 3:39.
Top passers
NE – Tom Brady – 29/47, 368 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
HOU – Tony Banks – 10/25, 93 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
NE – Kevin Faulk – 23 rushes, 80 yards
HOU – Domanick Davis – 24 rushes, 69 yards
Top receivers
NE – Kevin Faulk – 8 receptions, 108 yards
HOU – Andre Johnson – 4 receptions, 37 yards, TD :

#### Week 13: vs. Atlanta Falcons

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Falcons | 0 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 13 |
| Texans | 0 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 17 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: November 30
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 70,388
* Referee: Larry Nemmers
* TV: Fox
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays
Second quarter
ATL – T. J. Duckett 1-yard run (Jay Feely kick), 8:38. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 4:21.
HOU – Kris Brown 40-yard field goal, 5:43. Falcons 7–3. Drive: 6 plays, 40 yards, 2:55.
Third quarter
HOU – Domanick Davis 7-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 8:51. Texans 10–7. Drive: 8 plays, 63 yards, 4:21.
HOU – Domanick Davis 2-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 6:31. Texans 17–7. Drive: 8 plays, 63 yards, 4:21.
Fourth quarter
ATL – Jay Feely 35-yard field goal, 14:07. Texans 17–10. Drive: 6 plays, 16 yards, 3:07.
ATL – Jay Feely 42-yard field goal, 1:24. Texans 17–13. Drive: 14 plays, 56 yards, 5:45.
Top passers
ATL – Doug Johnson – 12/27, 116 yards, INT
HOU – Tony Banks – 8/14, 100 yards
Top rushers
ATL – T. J. Duckett – 12 rushes, 31 yards, TD
HOU – Domanick Davis – 24 rushes, 101 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
ATL – Alge Crumpler – 4 receptions, 48 yards
HOU – Billy Miller – 4 receptions, 40 yards :

#### Week 14: at Jacksonville Jaguars

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Texans | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaguars | 7 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 27 |
at Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida
* Date: December 7
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST / 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 56 °F (13 °C), wind 7 mph
* Game attendance: 43,363
* Referee: Jeff Triplette
* TV: CBS
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
JAX – Jimmy Smith 32-yard pass from Byron Leftwich (Seth Marler kick), 5:24. Jaguars 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 63 yards, 3:03.
Second quarter
JAX – Seth Marler 35-yard field goal, 3:24. Jaguars 10–0. Drive: 11 plays, 36 yards, 4:34.
JAX – Fred Taylor 2-yard run (Seth Marler kick), 0:15. Jaguars 17–0. Drive: 9 plays, 84 yards, 1:34.
Third quarter
No scoring plays
Fourth quarter
JAX – LaBrandon Toefield 1-yard run (Seth Marler kick), 10:21. Jaguars 24–0. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:43.
JAX – Seth Marler 28-yard field goal, 1:55. Jaguars 27–0. Drive: 13 plays, 72 yards, 7:10.
Top passers
HOU – Dave Ragone – 11/23, 71 yards, INT
JAX – Byron Leftwich – 18/29, 194 yards, TD
Top rushers
HOU – Tony Hollings – 18 rushes, 19 yards
JAX – Fred Taylor – 24 rushes, 163 yards, TD
Top receivers
HOU – Billy Miller – 4 receptions, 29 yards
JAX – Jimmy Smith – 3 receptions, 58 yards, TD :
With injuries to both David Carr and Tony Banks, third-round rookie quarterback Dave Ragone made his first NFL start. Decimated by injuries, the Texans' offense struggled throughout the game, finishing with just 124 yards and three turnovers.

#### Week 15: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Texans | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Buccaneers | 7 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 16 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay, Florida
* Date: December 14
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST / 1:00 p.m.
* Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C), rain, wind 7 mph
* Game attendance: 65,124
* Referee: Gerald Austin
* TV: CBS
* Recap
Game information :
First quarter
TB – Thomas Jones 18-yard run (Martin Gramatica kick), 7:26. Buccaneers 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 53 yards, 4:08.
Second quarter
TB – Martin Gramatica 36-yard field goal, 10:13. Buccaneers 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 49 yards, 4:47.
TB – Martin Gramatica 23-yard field goal, 0:33. Buccaneers 13–0. Drive: 14 plays, 72 yards, 7:00.
Third quarter
HOU – Kris Brown 38-yard field goal, 9:01. Buccaneers 13–3. Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 3:33.
TB – Martin Gramatica 26-yard field goal, 7:03. Buccaneers 16–3. Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 1:58.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays
Top passers
HOU – Dave Ragone – 9/17, 64 yards
TB – Brad Johnson – 17/28, 237 yards
Top rushers
HOU – Domanick Davis – 16 rushes, 56 yards
TB – Thomas Jones – 34 rushes, 134 yards, TD
Top receivers
HOU – Andre Johnson – 4 receptions, 28 yards
TB – Charles Lee – 3 receptions, 95 yards :

#### Week 16: vs. Tennessee Titans

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Titans | 0 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 27 |
| Texans | 0 | 3 | 14 | 7 | 24 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: December 21
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game attendance: 70,758
* Referee: Peter Morelli
* TV: CBS
* Recap

#### Week 17: Indianapolis Colts

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Colts | 0 | 3 | 0 | 17 | 20 |
| Texans | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: December 28
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 70,680
* Referee: Ed Hochuli
* TV: CBS
* Recap

### Standings

AFC South :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(3)}$ Indianapolis Colts | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 9–3 | 447 | 336 | W1 |
| $^{(5)}$ Tennessee Titans | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 4–2 | 8–4 | 435 | 324 | W3 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 2–4 | 3–9 | 276 | 331 | L1 |
| Houston Texans | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 3–9 | 255 | 380 | L4 |

## Statistics
### Team

| Category | Total yards | Yards per game | NFL rank (out of 32) |
| Passing offense | 2,655 | 165.9 | 29th |
| Rushing offense | 1,651 | 103.2 | 23rd |
| Total offense | 4,306 | 269.1 | 31st |
| Passing defense | 3,712 | 232.0 | 31st |
| Rushing defense | 2,370 | 148.1 | 31st |
| Total defense | 6,082 | 380.1 | 31st |

### Individual

| Category | Player | Total |
| Offense |||
| Passing yards | David Carr | 2,013 |
| Passing touchdowns | David Carr | 9 |
| Rushing yards | Domanick Williams | 1,031 |
| Rushing touchdowns | Domanick Williams | 8 |
| Receiving yards | Andre Johnson | 976 |
| Receiving touchdowns | Andre Johnson | 4 |
| Defense |||
| Tackles (Solo) | Jamie Sharper | 105 |
| Sacks | Jamie Sharper | 4 |
| Interceptions | Marcus Coleman | 7 |
Source: