# 2011 Houston Texans season

The 2011 season was the Houston Texans' 10th in the National Football League (NFL) and their sixth under head coach Gary Kubiak. The Texans improved on their record from the 2010 season, despite losing starting quarterback Matt Schaub & backup Matt Leinart to season ending injuries. Third stringer T.J. Yates filled in, and earned the franchise's first playoff berth by defeating the Cincinnati Bengals 20–19 in Week 14 and clinching the AFC South. It also assured the Texans of at least one playoff game at home—the first NFL playoff game in Houston since 1993. After reaching the Divisional match against the Baltimore Ravens, the Texans suffered their maiden loss in the NFL Playoffs, losing 20–13.
Prior to the season, former Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips was hired as defensive coordinator, replacing Frank Bush, who was fired. The Texans defense made major improvements in Phillips' first year calling Houston's defensive plays. The team allowed the fourth-fewest points in the league in 2011 (compared to fourth most in 2010), the second-fewest yards allowed (third-most in 2010) and third-fewest yards per play (4.8, compared to 6.0, second-worst in 2010). Not only do the 2011 Texans hold the record for least points conceded in the average game of a season for the team with 17.4 points, which happened nine times, but they also got a +103 point differential, which is the best in franchise history. Of the Texans' 10 wins, 9 of them were decided by at least 6 points.

## Offseason
### 2011 draft board

2011 Houston Texans draft :
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
| 1 | 11 | J. J. Watt * | Defensive end | Wisconsin | |
| 2 | 42 | Brooks Reed | Defensive end | Arizona | |
| 2 | 60 | Brandon Harris | Cornerback | Miami (FL) | from New England |
| 4 | 127 | Rashad Carmichael | Cornerback | Virginia Tech | from Chicago via Washington |
| 5 | 144 | Shiloh Keo | Safety | Idaho | from Washington |
| 5 | 152 | T. J. Yates | Quarterback | North Carolina | from Indianapolis via Washington |
| 7 | 214 | Derek Newton | Offensive tackle | Arkansas State | |
| 7 | 254 | Cheta Ozougwu | Defensive end | Rice | Supplemental compensatory 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 15 | New York Jets | W 20–16 | 1–0 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 20 | New Orleans Saints | W 27–14 | 2–0 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 27 | at San Francisco 49ers | W 30–7 | 3–0 | Candlestick Park | Recap |
| 4 | September 1 | at Minnesota Vikings | L 0–28 | 3–1 | Mall of America Field | Recap |

## Regular season
### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | September 11 | Indianapolis Colts | W 34–7 | 1–0 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | September 18 | at Miami Dolphins | W 23–13 | 2–0 | Sun Life Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | September 25 | at New Orleans Saints | L 33–40 | 2–1 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
| 4 | October 2 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 17–10 | 3–1 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |
| 5 | October 9 | Oakland Raiders | L 20–25 | 3–2 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |
| 6 | October 16 | at Baltimore Ravens | L 14–29 | 3–3 | M&T Bank Stadium | Recap |
| 7 | October 23 | at Tennessee Titans | W 41–7 | 4–3 | LP Field | Recap |
| 8 | October 30 | Jacksonville Jaguars | W 24–14 | 5–3 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |
| 9 | November 6 | Cleveland Browns | W 30–12 | 6–3 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |
| 10 | November 13 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 37–9 | 7–3 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap |
| 11 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 12 | November 27 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | W 20–13 | 8–3 | EverBank Field | Recap |
| 13 | December 4 | Atlanta Falcons | W 17–10 | 9–3 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |
| 14 | December 11 | at Cincinnati Bengals | W 20–19 | 10–3 | Paul Brown Stadium | Recap |
| 15 | December 18 | Carolina Panthers | L 13–28 | 10–4 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |
| 16 | December 22 | at Indianapolis Colts | L 16–19 | 10–5 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap |
| 17 | January 1 | Tennessee Titans | L 22–23 | 10–6 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: vs. Indianapolis Colts

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Colts | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Texans | 17 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 34 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: September 11
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 71,444
* Referee: Walt Coleman
* TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf
Game information :
First quarter
HOU – Neil Rackers 25-yard field goal, 4:27. Texans 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 73 yards, 6:32.
HOU – Derrick Ward 1-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 2:56. Texans 10–0. Drive: 2 plays, 5 yards, 0:41.
HOU – Ben Tate 2-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 1:41. Texans 17–0. Drive: 3 plays, 18 yards, 1:08.
Second quarter
HOU – Andre Johnson 4-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick), 6:57. Texans 24–0. Drive: 10 plays, 89 yards, 5:54.
HOU – Neil Rackers 29-yard field goal, 1:34. Texans 27–0. Drive: 9 plays, 51 yards, 3:51.
HOU – Jacoby Jones 79-yard punt return (Neil Rackers kick), 0:54. Texans 34–0.
Third quarter
No scoring plays
Fourth quarter
IND – Reggie Wayne 6-yard pass from Kerry Collins (Adam Vinatieri kick), 9:17. Texans 34–7. Drive: 2 plays, 8 yards, 1:10.
Top passers
IND – Kerry Collins – 16/31, 197 yards, TD
HOU – Matt Schaub – 17/24, 220 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
IND – Joseph Addai – 8 rushes, 39 yards
HOU – Ben Tate – 24 rushes, 116 yards, TD
Top receivers
IND – Reggie Wayne – 7 receptions, 106 yards, TD
HOU – Andre Johnson – 7 receptions, 95 yards, TD :
The Texans began their season at home against the AFC South division foes, Colts. With the win, the Texans started the season out at 1–0.

#### Week 2: at Miami Dolphins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Texans | 6 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 23 |
| Dolphins | 3 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 13 |
at Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
* Date: September 18
* Game time: 4:15 p.m. EDT/3:15 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 87 °F (31 °C) (Sunny)
* Game attendance: 51,032
* Referee: John Parry
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts
Game information :
First quarter
HOU – Neil Rackers 23-yard field goal, 9:58. Texans 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 5:02.
HOU – Neil Rackers 22-yard field goal, 4:33. Texans 6–0. Drive: 8 plays, 40 yards, 4:04.
MIA – Dan Carpenter 42-yard field goal, 2:25. Texans 6–3. Drive: 7 plays, 29 yards, 2:08.
Second quarter
HOU – Owen Daniels 4-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick), 14:09. Texans 13–3. Drive: 2 plays, 6 yards, 0:44.
HOU – Neil Rackers 36-yard field goal, 0:00. Texans 16–3. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 2:42.
Third quarter
MIA – Brandon Marshall 12-yard pass from Chad Henne (Dan Carpenter kick), 6:37. Texans 16–10. Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards, 3:06.
Fourth quarter
MIA – Dan Carpenter 34-yard field goal, 12:53. Texans 16–13. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 3:26.
HOU – Andre Johnson 23-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick), 10:06. Texans 23–13. Drive: 5 plays, 63 yards, 2:47.
Top passers
HOU – Matt Schaub – 21/29, 230 yards, 2 TD
MIA – Chad Henne – 12/30, 170 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
HOU – Ben Tate – 23 rushes, 103 yards
MIA – Daniel Thomas – 18 rushes, 107 yards
Top receivers
HOU – Andre Johnson – 7 receptions, 93 yards, TD
MIA – Brandon Marshall – 6 receptions, 79 yards, TD :
The Texans went on the road to face the Dolphins. With the win, the Texans improved to 2–0.

#### Week 3: at New Orleans Saints

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Texans | 10 | 6 | 3 | 14 | 33 |
| Saints | 0 | 10 | 7 | 23 | 40 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
* Date: September 25
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 73,002
* Referee: Tony Corrente
* TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf
Game information :
First quarter
HOU – Owen Daniels 14-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick), 10:13. Texans 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 92 yards, 4:47.
HOU – Neil Rackers 22-yard field goal, 3:17. Texans 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 82 yards, 3:43.
Second quarter
NO – Darren Sproles 30-yard run (John Kasay kick), 8:23. Texans 10–7. Drive: 8 plays, 86 yards, 4:44.
HOU – Neil Rackers 27-yard field goal, 6:20. Texans 13–7. Drive: 6 plays, 71 yards, 2:03.
HOU – Neil Rackers 27-yard field goal, 3:53. Texans 16–7. Drive: 6 plays, 25 yards, 2:17.
NO – John Kasay 35-yard field goal, 0:35. Texans 16–10. Drive: 7 plays, 62 yards, 3:18.
Third quarter
NO – Robert Meachem 2-yard pass from Drew Brees (John Kasay kick), 10:34. Saints 17–16. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 4:26.
HOU – Neil Rackers 36-yard field goal, 5:08. Texans 19–17. Drive: 11 plays, 55 yards, 5:26.
Fourth quarter
HOU – James Casey 26-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick), 14:54. Texans 26–17. Drive: 4 plays, 42 yards, 2:06.
NO – Jimmy Graham 27-yard pass from Drew Brees (John Kasay kick), 9:30. Texans 26–24. Drive: 5 plays, 49 yards, 1:50.
NO – Lance Moore 16-yard pass from Drew Brees (Drew Brees pass to Lance Moore), 7:10. Saints 32–26. Drive: 6 plays, 47 yards, 1:58.
HOU – Kevin Walter 20-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick), 4:13. Texans 33–32. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 2:57.
NO – Mark Ingram II 13-yard run (Drew Brees pass to Lance Moore), 2:42. Saints 40–33. Drive: 8 plays, 70 yards, 1:31.
Top passers
HOU – Matt Schaub – 22/39, 373 yards, 3 TD, INT
NO – Drew Brees – 31/44, 370 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
HOU – Ben Tate – 19 rushes, 82 yards
NO – Mark Ingram II – 9 rushes, 38 yards, TD
Top receivers
HOU – Andre Johnson – 7 receptions, 128 yards
NO – Jimmy Graham – 4 receptions, 100 yards, TD :
With the loss, the Texans fell to 2–1.

#### Week 4: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 10 |
| Texans | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: October 2
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 71,585
* Referee: Clete Blakeman
* TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf
Game information :
First quarter
HOU – Owen Daniels 1-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick), 4:05. Texans 7–0. Drive: 19 plays, 82 yards, 10:55.
Second quarter
HOU – Neil Rackers 25-yard field goal is good, 2:33. Texans 10–0. Drive: 12 plays, 60 yards, 5:41.
Third quarter
PIT – Rashard Mendenhall 3-yard run (Shaun Suisham kick), 7:02. Texans 10–7. Drive: 13 plays, 79 yards, 7:58.
Fourth quarter
PIT – Shaun Suisham 26-yard field goal is good, 14:57. Tied 10–10. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 5:27.
HOU – Arian Foster 42-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 12:02. Texans 17–10. Drive: 5 plays, 85 yards, 2:55.
Top passers
PIT – Ben Roethlisberger – 16/30, 206 yards, INT
HOU – Matt Schaub – 14/21, 138 yards, TD
Top rushers
PIT – Isaac Redman – 6 rushes, 40 yards
HOU – Arian Foster – 30 rushes, 155 yards, TD
Top receivers
PIT – Mike Wallace – 4 receptions, 77 yards
HOU – Owen Daniels – 5 receptions, 69 yards, TD :
With the win, the Texans improved to 3–1.

#### Week 5: vs. Oakland Raiders

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Raiders | 3 | 9 | 3 | 10 | 25 |
| Texans | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 20 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: October 9
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 71,420
* Referee: Pete Morelli
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts
Game information :
First quarter
HOU – Kevin Walter 5-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick), 8:09. Texans 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 4:43.
OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 54-yard field goal, 3:26. Texans 7–3. Drive: 4 plays, -1 yards, 1:20.
Second quarter
OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 55-yard field goal, 14:55. Texans 7–6. Drive: 5 plays, 2 yards, 1:53.
HOU – Joel Dreessen 56-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick), 11:57. Texans 14–6. Drive: 1 play, 56 yards, 0:08.
OAK – Darrius Heyward-Bey 34-yard pass from Jason Campbell (pass failed), 1:09. Texans 14–12. Drive: 5 plays, 73 yards, 0:51.
Third quarter
OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 50-yard field goal, 5:12. Raiders 15–14. Drive: 11 plays, 37 yards, 5:39.
HOU – Neil Rackers 54-yard field goal, 1:59. Texans 17–15. Drive: 7 plays, 54 yards, 3:13.
Fourth quarter
OAK – Chaz Schilens 18-yard pass from Jason Campbell (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 14:50. Raiders 22–17. Drive: 6 plays, 61 yards, 2:09.
OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 42-yard field goal, 10:00. Raiders 25–17. Drive: 8 plays, 46 yards, 3:22.
HOU – Neil Rackers 40-yard field goal, 2:56. Raiders 25–20. Drive: 16 plays, 72 yards, 5:26.
Top passers
OAK – Jason Campbell – 15/35, 190 yards, 2 TD, INT
HOU – Matt Schaub – 24/51, 416 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
OAK – Darren McFadden – 16 rushes, 51 yards
HOU – Arian Foster – 22 rushes, 68 yards
Top receivers
OAK – Darrius Heyward-Bey – 7 receptions, 99 yards, TD
HOU – Owen Daniels – 7 receptions, 89 yards :
The day before the game Al Davis passed away at the age of 82 due to heart failure. Davis served as the Raiders' head coach from 1963 to 1965, part owner and general manager from 1966 to 1971, then became the team's principal owner in 1972, still serving as general manager. Additionally, Davis served as commissioner of the AFL in 1966. With the loss, the Texans fell to 3–2 and they lost both their second game and first home game against the Raiders.

#### Week 6: at Baltimore Ravens

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Texans | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| Ravens | 7 | 3 | 6 | 13 | 29 |
at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
* Date: October 16
* Game time: 4:05 p.m. EDT/3:05 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C) (Partly Cloudy)
* Game attendance: 71,154
* Referee: Gene Steratore
* TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf
Game information :
First quarter
BAL – Joe Flacco 1-yard run (Billy Cundiff kick), 1:08. Ravens 7–0. Drive: 16 plays, 97 yards, 8:47.
Second quarter
HOU – Wade Smith fumble recovery in the end zone (Neil Rackers kick), 4:48. Tied 7–7.
BAL – Billy Cundiff 43-yard Field Goal, 1:50. Ravens 10–7. Drive: 10 plays, -7 yards, 2:58.
Third quarter
BAL – Billy Cundiff 48-yard Field Goal, 11:46. Ravens 13–7. Drive: 7 plays, 48 yards, 3:14.
HOU – Jacoby Jones 32-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick), 8:36. Texans 14–13. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:10.
BAL – Billy Cundiff 25-yard Field Goal, 3:30. Ravens 16–14. Drive: 8 plays, 79 yards, 5:06.
Fourth quarter
BAL – Billy Cundiff 33-yard Field Goal, 14:44. Ravens 19–14. Drive: 5 plays, 51 yards, 1:43.
BAL – Ricky Williams 4-yard run (Billy Cundiff kick), 4:01. Ravens 26–14. Drive: 6 plays, 66 yards, 2:37.
BAL – Billy Cundiff 40-yard Field Goal, 1:55. Ravens 29–14. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:39.
Top passers
HOU – Matt Schaub – 21/37, 220 yards, TD
BAL – Joe Flacco – 20/33, 305 yards, INT
Top rushers
HOU – Arian Foster – 15 rushes, 49 yards
BAL – Ray Rice – 23 rushes, 101 yards
Top receivers
HOU – Kevin Walter – 6 receptions, 52 yards
BAL – Anquan Boldin – 8 receptions, 132 yards :
With the loss, the Texans fell to 3–3.

#### Week 7: at Tennessee Titans

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Texans | 3 | 17 | 7 | 14 | 41 |
| Titans | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
at LP Field, Nashville, Tennessee
* Date: October 23
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C) (Sunny)
* Game attendance: 69,143
* Referee: Terry McAulay
* TV announcers (CBS): Marv Albert and Rich Gannon
Game information :
First quarter
HOU – Neil Rackers 32-yard field goal, 1:25. Texans 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 67 yards, 7:18.
Second quarter
HOU – Joel Dreessen 10-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick), 7:24. Texans 10–0. Drive: 7 plays, 78 yards, 3:29.
HOU – Arian Foster 78-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick), 3:53. Texans 17–0. Drive: 4 plays, 94 yards, 1:48.
HOU – Neil Rackers 29-yard field goal, 0:00. Texans 20–0. Drive: 7 plays, 37 yards, 1:52.
Third quarter
HOU – Arian Foster 1-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 9:06. Texans 27–0. Drive: 7 plays, 92 yards, 3:28.
TEN – Jared Cook 5-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Rob Bironas kick), 5:34. Texans 27–7. Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 3:32.
Fourth quarter
HOU – Arian Foster 5-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 9:51. Texans 34–7. Drive: 8 plays, 31 yards, 5:02.
HOU – Brice McCain 38-yard interception return (Neil Rackers kick), 9:28. Texans 41–7.
Top passers
HOU – Matt Schaub – 18/23, 296 yards, 2 TD
TEN – Matt Hasselbeck – 14/30, 104 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
HOU – Arian Foster – 25 rushes, 115 yards, 2 TD
TEN – Javon Ringer – 3 rushes, 31 yards
Top receivers
HOU – Arian Foster – 5 receptions, 118 yards
TEN – Chris Johnson – 6 receptions, 27 yards :
With the win, the Texans improved to 4–3.

#### Week 8: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
##### Battle Red Day

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Jaguars | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Texans | 7 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 24 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: October 30
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 68 °F (20 °C), sunny (roof open)
* Game attendance: 71,412
* Referee: Scott Green
* TV announcers (CBS): Marv Albert and Rich Gannon
Game information :
First quarter
HOU – Matt Schaub 2-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 8:21. Texans 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:39.
Second quarter
JAX – Jason Hill 5-yard pass from Blaine Gabbert (Josh Scobee kick), 5:41. Tied 7–7. Drive: 2 plays, 8 yards, 0:47.
Third quarter
HOU – Joel Dreessen 7-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick), 9:10. Texans 14–7. Drive: 9 plays, 44 yards, 4:07.
Fourth quarter
HOU – Arian Foster 4-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 12:32. Texans 21–7. Drive: 5 plays, 40 yards, 4:07.
JAX – Maurice Jones-Drew 2-yard run (Josh Scobee kick), 5:15. Texans 21–14. Drive: 7 plays, 26 yards, 3:58.
HOU – Neil Rackers 39-yard field goal, 0:18. Texans 24–14. Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards, 4:57.
Top passers
JAX – Blaine Gabbert – 10/30, 97 yards, TD, 2 INT
HOU – Matt Schaub – 16/30, 225 yards, TD
Top rushers
JAX – Maurice Jones-Drew – 18 rushes, 63 yards, TD
HOU – Arian Foster – 33 rushes, 112 yards, TD
Top receivers
JAX – Marcedes Lewis – 4 receptions, 45 yards
HOU – Kevin Walter – 5 receptions, 70 yards :
With the win, the Texans improved to 5–3.

#### Week 9: vs. Cleveland Browns

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Browns | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 12 |
| Texans | 14 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 30 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: November 6
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 71,511
* Referee: Alberto Riveron
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts
Game information :
First quarter
HOU – Ben Tate 27-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 9:50. Texans 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 82 yards, 5:10.
HOU – Matt Schaub 2-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 7:11. Texans 14–0. Drive: 6 plays, 21 yards, 2:29.
CLE – Phil Dawson 50-yard field goal, 3:43. Texans 14–3. Drive: 7 plays, 20 yards, 3:28.
Second quarter
HOU – Arian Foster 19-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 8:06. Texans 21–3. Drive: 7 plays, 71 yards, 3:54.
HOU – Neil Rackers 28-yard field goal, 0:00. Texans 24–3. Drive: 1 play, 0 yards, 0:02.
Third quarter
HOU – Neil Rackers 21-yard field goal, 5:45. Texans 27–3. Drive: 13 plays, 78 yards, 7:19.
CLE – Phil Dawson 51-yard field goal, 2:08. Texans 27–6. Drive: 8 plays, 35 yards, 3:37.
Fourth quarter
HOU – Neil Rackers 50-yard field goal, 10:35. Texans 30–6. Drive: 12 plays, 47 yards, 6:33.
CLE – Josh Cribbs 2-yard pass from Colt McCoy (pass failed), 4:47. Texans 30–12. Drive: 11 plays, 64 yards, 5:48.
Top passers
CLE – Colt McCoy – 14/22, 146 yards, TD, INT
HOU – Matt Schaub – 14/23, 119 yards, INT
Top rushers
CLE – Chris Ogbonnaya – 13 rushes, 28 yards
HOU – Arian Foster – 19 rushes, 124 yards, TD
Top receivers
CLE – Josh Cribbs – 5 receptions, 50 yards, TD
HOU – Owen Daniels – 3 receptions, 32 yards :
With the win, the Texans improved to 6–3.

#### Week 10: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Texans | 9 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 37 |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 9 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
* Date: November 13
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 77 °F (25 °C) (Partly Cloudy)
* Game attendance: 56,037
* Referee: John Parry
* TV announcers (CBS): Marv Albert and Rich Gannon
Game information :
First quarter
HOU – Jacoby Jones 80-yard pass from Matt Schaub (kick blocked), 14:48. Texans 6–0. Drive: 1 play, 80 yards, 0:12.
HOU – Neil Rackers 22-yard field goal, 4:29. Texans 9–0. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 7:24.
Second quarter
HOU – Arian Foster 78-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick), 8:55. Texans 16–0. Drive: 3 plays, 85 yards, 1:53.
TB – Connor Barth 55-yard field goal, 0:00. Texans 16–3. Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 0:28.
Third quarter
HOU – Arian Foster 5-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 8:10. Texans 23–3. Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 4:04.
HOU – Derrick Ward 4-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 2:03. Texans 30–3. Drive: 7 plays, 39 yards, 3:14.
Fourth quarter
TB – Preston Parker 9-yard pass from Josh Freeman (pass failed), 11:17. Texans 30–9. Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 3:38.
HOU – Ben Tate 11-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 5:38. Texans 37–9. Drive: 4 plays, 27 yards, 2:29.
Top passers
HOU – Matt Schaub – 11/15, 242 yards, 2 TD
TB – Josh Freeman – 15/33, 170 yards, TD, 3 INT
Top rushers
HOU – Arian Foster – 17 rushes, 84 yards, TD
TB – LeGarrette Blount – 10 rushes, 34 yards
Top receivers
HOU – Arian Foster – 4 receptions, 102 yards, TD
TB – Arrelious Benn – 2 receptions, 47 yards :
With the win, the Texans went on their bye week 7–3. However, Matt Schaub was lost for the season due to a Lisfranc injury on his right foot.

#### Week 12: at Jacksonville Jaguars

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Texans | 7 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| Jaguars | 7 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
at EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Florida
* Date: November 27
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 75 °F (24 °C) (10% chance of rain)
* Game attendance: 62,004
* Referee: Walt Coleman
* TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots
Game information :
First quarter
JAX – Ashton Youboty 38-yard fumble return (Josh Scobee kick), 13:38. Jaguars 7–0.
HOU – Arian Foster 1-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 6:15. Tied 7–7. Drive: 8 plays, 67 yards, 3:59.
Second quarter
JAX – Josh Scobee 21-yard field goal, 10:41. Jaguars 10–7. Drive: 10 plays, 77 yards, 4:22.
HOU – Joel Dreessen 20-yard pass from Matt Leinart (Neil Rackers kick), 6:24. Texans 14–10. Drive: 2 plays, 26 yards, 0:49.
HOU – Neil Rackers 53-yard field goal, 4:13. Texans 17–10. Drive: 4 plays, -1 yards, 1:37.
HOU – Neil Rackers 33-yard field goal, 0:02. Texans 20–10. Drive: 10 plays, 40 yards, 1:43.
Third quarter
No scoring plays
Fourth quarter
JAX – Josh Scobee 35-yard field goal, 4:15. Texans 20–13. Drive: 8 plays, 50 yards, 2:48.
Top passers
HOU – T. J. Yates – 8/15, 70 yards
JAX – Blaine Gabbert – 13/29, 136 yards, INT
Top rushers
HOU – Arian Foster – 22 rushes, 65 yards, TD
JAX – Maurice Jones-Drew – 18 rushes, 99 yards
Top receivers
HOU – Owen Daniels – 4 receptions, 31 yards
JAX – Maurice Jones-Drew – 4 receptions, 67 yards :
With the win, not only did the Texans improved to 8–3, but swept the Jaguars for the 1st time since 2006. With Matt Schaub suffering a lisfranc injury against Tampa Bay, Matt Leinart started at quarterback for the Texans. Leinart would go down against the Jaguars with a collarbone injury, with T. J. Yates stepping in at quarterback. Leinart finished the game going 10-of-13 for 57 yards with a touchdown.

#### Week 13: vs. Atlanta Falcons

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Falcons | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| Texans | 3 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: December 4
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 71,545
* Referee: Bill Leavy
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
Game information :
First quarter
HOU – Neil Rackers 43-yard field goal, 4:03. Texans 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 13 yards, 2:45.
Second quarter
HOU – Joel Dreessen 3-yard pass from T. J. Yates (Neil Rackers kick), 10:08. Texans 10–0. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 4:00.
ATL – Matt Bryant 19-yard field goal, 5:06. Texans 10–3. Drive: 10 plays, 79 yards, 5:02.
Third quarter
ATL – Roddy White 4-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 1:46. Tied 10–10. Drive: 7 plays, 56 yards, 2:44.
Fourth quarter
HOU – Arian Foster 1-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 6:05. Texans 17–10. Drive: 19 plays, 85 yards, 10:41.
Top passers
ATL – Matt Ryan – 20/47, 267 yards, TD, 2 INT
HOU – T. J. Yates – 12/25, 188 yards, TD
Top rushers
ATL – Michael Turner – 14 rushes, 44 yards
HOU – Arian Foster – 31 rushes, 111 yards, TD
Top receivers
ATL – Tony Gonzalez – 7 receptions, 100 yards
HOU – Andre Johnson – 4 receptions, 97 yards :
Due to injuries to Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart, quarterback T. J. Yates made his first NFL start. With the win, the Texans improved to 9–3, securing the first winning season in franchise history.

#### Week 14: at Cincinnati Bengals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Texans | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 20 |
| Bengals | 6 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 19 |
at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
* Date: December 11
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 34 °F (1 °C) (Clear)
* Game attendance: 41,202
* Referee: Ed Hochuli
* TV announcers (CBS): Marv Albert and Rich Gannon
Game information :
First quarter
HOU – Neil Rackers 46-yard field goal, 9:51. Texans 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 3:08.
CIN – Mike Nugent 22-yard field goal, 4:45. Tied 3–3. Drive: 9 plays, 76 yards, 4:57.
CIN – Mike Nugent 47-yard field goal, 2:31. Bengals 6–3. Drive: 4 plays, -4 yards, 0:53.
Second quarter
CIN – Jerome Simpson 17-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Mike Nugent kick), 3:02. Bengals 13–3. Drive: 15 plays, 97 yards, 7:45.
CIN – Mike Nugent 49-yard field goal, 0:06. Bengals 16–3. Drive: 4 plays, 32 yards, 0:24.
Third quarter
HOU – Joel Dreessen 6-yard pass from T. J. Yates (Neil Rackers kick), 12:27. Bengals 16–10. Drive: 4 plays, 17 yards, 1:52.
CIN – Mike Nugent 28-yard field goal, 2:07. Bengals 19–10. Drive: 12 plays, 88 yards, 6:48.
Fourth quarter
HOU – Neil Rackers 33-yard field goal, 5:31. Bengals 19–13. Drive: 13 plays, 88 yards, 6:04.
HOU – Kevin Walter 6-yard pass from T. J. Yates (Neil Rackers kick), 0:02. Texans 20–19. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 2:31.
Top passers
HOU – T. J. Yates – 26/44, 300 yards, 2 TD, INT
CIN – Andy Dalton – 16/28, 189 yards, TD
Top rushers
HOU – Ben Tate – 8 rushes, 67 yards
CIN – Cedric Benson – 21 rushes, 91 yards
Top receivers
HOU – Owen Daniels – 7 receptions, 100 yards
CIN – A. J. Green – 5 receptions, 59 yards :
With the last-second win, the Texans improved to 10–3 and clinched the franchise's first playoff berth and AFC South division title.

#### Week 15: vs. Carolina Panthers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 7 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 28 |
| Texans | 0 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 13 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: December 18
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 71,540
* Referee: Jeff Triplette
* TV announcers (Fox): Ron Pitts, Charles Davis and Drea Avent
Game information :
First quarter
CAR – Steve Smith Sr. 26-yard pass from Cam Newton (Olindo Mare kick), 12:07. Panthers 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 26 yards, 2:09.
Second quarter
CAR – Jeremy Shockey 9-yard pass from Cam Newton (Olindo Mare kick), 12:19. Panthers 14–0. Drive: 9 plays, 71 yards, 4:53.
CAR – Richie Brockel 7-yard run (Olindo Mare kick), 0:55. Panthers 21–0. Drive: 9 plays, 53 yards, 5:08.
Third quarter
HOU – Neil Rackers 26-yard field goal, 11:07. Panthers 21–3. Drive: 6 plays, 28 yards, 1:47.
HOU – Neil Rackers 34-yard field goal, 2:53. Panthers 21–6. Drive: 12 plays, 89 yards, 5:06.
Fourth quarter
HOU – Arian Foster 1-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 13:48. Panthers 21–13. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 3:37.
CAR – DeAngelo Williams 24-yard run (Olindo Mare kick), 9:54. Panthers 28–13. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:54.
Top passers
CAR – Cam Newton – 13/23, 149 yards, 2 TD
HOU – T. J. Yates – 19/30, 212 yards, 2 INT
Top rushers
CAR – DeAngelo Williams – 15 rushes, 61 yards, TD
HOU – Arian Foster – 16 rushes, 109 yards, TD
Top receivers
CAR – Steve Smith Sr. – 5 receptions, 82 yards, TD
HOU – Arian Foster – 5 receptions, 58 yards :
With the loss, the Texans' seven-game winning streak was snapped, falling to 10–4. Houston also lost to the Panthers for the first time in franchise history.

#### Week 16: at Indianapolis Colts

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Texans | 10 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 16 |
| Colts | 3 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 19 |
at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
* Date: December 22
* Game time: 8:20 p.m. EST/7:20 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 64,159
* Referee: Jerome Boger
* TV announcers (NFLN): Brad Nessler, Mike Mayock and Alex Flanagan
Game information :
First quarter
HOU – Arian Foster 9-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 14:06. Texans 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 17 yards, 0:45.
IND – Adam Vinatieri 23-yard field goal, 4:38. Texans 7–3. Drive: 7 plays, 22 yards, 3:36.
HOU – Neil Rackers 44-yard field goal, 2:01. Texans 10–3. Drive: 6 plays, 54 yards, 2:37.
Second quarter
IND – Adam Vinatieri 32-yard field goal, 3:36. Texans 10–6. Drive: 7 plays, 47 yards, 3:39.
Third quarter
HOU – Neil Rackers 35-yard field goal, 10:25. Texans 13–6. Drive: 8 plays, 63 yards, 4:35.
IND – Adam Vinatieri 47-yard field goal, 0:54. Texans 13–9. Drive: 12 plays, 51 yards, 5:11.
Fourth quarter
IND – Adam Vinatieri 31-yard field goal, 6:48. Texans 13–12. Drive: 11 plays, 63 yards, 6:08.
HOU – Neil Rackers 31-yard field goal, 1:56. Texans 16–12. Drive: 11 plays, 67 yards, 4:52.
IND – Reggie Wayne 1-yard pass from Dan Orlovsky (Adam Vinatieri kick), 0:19. Colts 19–16. Drive: 12 plays, 76 yards, 1:37.
Top passers
HOU – T. J. Yates – 13/16, 132 yards
IND – Dan Orlovsky – 23/41, 244 yards, TD
Top rushers
HOU – Arian Foster – 23 rushes, 158 yards, TD
IND – Joseph Addai – 19 rushes, 53 yards
Top receivers
HOU – Kevin Walter – 3 receptions, 47 yards
IND – Reggie Wayne – 8 receptions, 106 yards, TD :
With the loss, the Texans fell to 10–5.

#### Week 17: vs. Tennessee Titans

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Titans | 0 | 13 | 3 | 7 | 23 |
| Texans | 7 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 22 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: January 1
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 71,512
* Referee: Ron Winter
* TV announcers (CBS): Bill Macatee & Steve Tasker
Game information :
First quarter
HOU – Ben Tate 4-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 5:15. Texans 7–0. Drive: 13 plays, 85 yards, 6:43.
Second quarter
TEN – Rob Bironas 21-yard field goal, 13:06. Texans 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 69 yards, 4:20.
TEN – Donnie Avery 1-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Rob Bironas kick), 3:48. Titans 10–7. Drive: 5 plays, 33 yards, 2:41.
HOU – Neil Rackers 52-yard field goal, 1:09. Tied 10–10. Drive: 7 plays, 46 yards, 2:39.
TEN – Rob Bironas 43-yard field goal, 0:05. Titans 13–10. Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards, 1:09.
Third quarter
HOU – Neil Rackers 37-yard field goal, 11:46. Tied 13–13. Drive: 5 plays, 61 yards, 3:14.
TEN – Rob Bironas 33-yard field goal, 7:22. Titans 16–13. Drive: 5 plays, 62 yards, 1:46.
Fourth quarter
HOU – Neil Rackers 22-yard field goal, 14:57. Tied 16–16. Drive: 12 plays, 81 yards, 7:25.
TEN – Nate Washington 25-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Rob Bironas kick), 4:31. Titans 23–16. Drive: 6 plays, 56 yards, 2:32.
HOU – Bryant Johnson 5-yard pass from Jake Delhomme (run failed), 0:14. Titans 23–22. Drive: 7 plays, 36 yards, 1:35.
Top passers
TEN – Matt Hasselbeck – 22/35, 297 yards, 2 TD
HOU – Jake Delhomme – 18/28, 211 yards, TD
Top rushers
TEN – Chris Johnson – 15 rushes, 61 yards
HOU – Ben Tate – 16 rushes, 97 yards, TD
Top receivers
TEN – Nate Washington – 4 receptions, 92 yards, TD
HOU – James Casey – 7 receptions, 91 yards :
T. J. Yates left the game after the Texans' first offensive drive with a bruised left shoulder. He was replaced by Jake Delhomme for the rest of the game. Houston scored a touchdown with 0:14 left to trail 22–23. To avoid overtime and further injuries, head coach Gary Kubiak decided to try a two-point conversion. Tight end Joel Dreessen was flagged for a false start, moving the Texans back 5 yards. The attempt would ultimately fail as backup center Thomas Austin snapped the ball over Delhomme. Neil Rackers would attempt an onside kick, but it was recovered by Lavelle Hawkins for the Titans, securing a win for Tennessee. With the loss, the Texans would end their season at 10–6 and the AFC's #3 seed.

### Standings
#### Division

AFC South :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(3)}$ Houston Texans | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–2 | 8–4 | 381 | 278 | L3 |
| Tennessee Titans | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–3 | 7–5 | 325 | 317 | W2 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 3–3 | 4–8 | 243 | 329 | W1 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 2–4 | 2–10 | 243 | 430 | L1 |

#### Conference

AFC
viewtalkedit :
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
| Division winners ||||||||||||
| 1 | New England Patriots | East | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 5–1 | 10–2 | .449 | .423 | W8 |
| 2 | Baltimore Ravens | North | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 6–0 | 9–3 | .477 | .484 | W2 |
| 3 | Houston Texans | South | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–2 | 8–4 | .453 | .413 | L3 |
| 4 | Denver Broncos | West | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .520 | .445 | L3 |
| Wild cards ||||||||||||
| 5 | Pittsburgh Steelers | North | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 4–2 | 9–3 | .492 | .411 | W2 |
| 6 | Cincinnati Bengals | North | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 2–4 | 6–6 | .492 | .326 | L1 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason ||||||||||||
| 7 | Tennessee Titans | South | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .461 | .396 | W2 |
| 8 | New York Jets | East | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .500 | .395 | L3 |
| 9 | San Diego Chargers | West | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .516 | .430 | W1 |
| 10 | Oakland Raiders | West | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .504 | .438 | L1 |
| 11 | Kansas City Chiefs | West | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 4–8 | .512 | .464 | W1 |
| 12 | Miami Dolphins | East | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .504 | .417 | W1 |
| 13 | Buffalo Bills | East | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .520 | .510 | L1 |
| 14 | Jacksonville Jaguars | South | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 3–3 | 4–8 | .500 | .363 | W1 |
| 15 | Cleveland Browns | North | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 0–6 | 3–9 | .531 | .313 | L6 |
| 16 | Indianapolis Colts | South | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 2–4 | 2–10 | .539 | .594 | L1 |
| Tiebreakers ||||||||||||
| 1 2 Baltimore clinched the AFC North title based on a head-to-head sweep over Pittsburgh. 1 2 3 Denver clinched the AFC West title instead of San Diego or Oakland based on record versus common opponents (5–5 to San Diego's and Oakland's 4–6). 1 2 Cincinnati clinched the AFC 6 seed instead of Tennessee based on a head-to-head victory. 1 2 New York Jets finished ahead of San Diego based on head-to-head victory. 1 2 San Diego finished ahead of Oakland in the AFC West based on better conference record (7–5 to 6–6). 1 2 Miami finished in third place in the AFC East based on a head-to-head sweep over Buffalo. ↑ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division. ||||||||||||

## Postseason
### Schedule

| Round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| Wild Card | January 7, 2012 | Cincinnati Bengals (6) | W 31–10 | 1–0 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |
| Divisional | January 15, 2012 | at Baltimore Ravens (2) | L 13–20 | 1–1 | M&T Bank Stadium | Recap |

### Game summaries
#### AFC Wild Card Playoffs: vs. (6) Cincinnati Bengals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bengals | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Texans | 7 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: January 7, 2012
* Game time: 3:30 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 71,725
* Referee: Clete Blakeman
* TV announcers (NBC): Tom Hammond, Mike Mayock and Alex Flanagan
Game information :
First quarter
CIN – Cedric Benson 1-yard run (Mike Nugent kick), 7:38. Bengals 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 74 yards, 2:23.
HOU – Arian Foster 8-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 4:57. Tied 7–7. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:37.
Second quarter
CIN – Mike Nugent 37-yard field goal, 7:09. Bengals 10–7. Drive: 8 plays, 61 yards, 4:15
HOU – Neil Rackers 39-yard field goal, 1:53. Tied 10–10. Drive 13 plays, 59 yards, 5:21.
HOU – J. J. Watt 29-yard interception return (Neil Rackers kick), 0:59. Texans 17–10.
Third quarter
HOU – Andre Johnson 40-yard pass from T.J. Yates (Neil Rackers kick), 1:18. Texans 24–10. Drive: 9 plays, 83 yards, 4:37
Fourth quarter
HOU – Arian Foster 42-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 5:26. Texans 31–10. Drive: 3 plays, 45 yards, 1:46.
Top passers
CIN – Andy Dalton – 27/42, 257 yards, 3 INT
HOU – T. J. Yates – 11/20, 159 yards, TD
Top rushers
CIN – Brian Leonard – 3 rushes, 34 yards
HOU – Arian Foster – 24 rushes, 153 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
CIN – A. J. Green – 5 receptions, 47 yards
HOU – Andre Johnson – 5 receptions, 90 yards, TD :
Making their NFL postseason debut as the AFC's #3 seed, the Texans began their playoff run at home in the AFC Wild Card Round against the #6 Cincinnati Bengals, in a rematch of their Week 14 contest. Not only was this the Texans' first postseason game, it was the franchise's first game ever broadcast nationally on NBC, they were also the last NFL team to finally play on NBC, since their 2002 inception.
Houston trailed in the first quarter with Bengals running back Cedric Benson getting a 1-yard touchdown run, yet the Texans answered with an 8-yard touchdown run from running back Arian Foster. Cincinnati struck back in the second quarter with kicker Mike Nugent getting a 37-yard field goal, but Houston took the lead with a 39-yard field goal from kicker Neil Rackers, followed by rookie defensive end J.J. Watt returning an interception 29 yards for a touchdown. From there, the Texans took control with rookie quarterback T.J. Yates finding wide receiver Andre Johnson on a 40-yard touchdown in the third quarter, followed by a 42-yard touchdown run by Foster in the fourth quarter.
With the win, the Texans improved their overall record to 11–6.

#### AFC Divisional Playoffs: at (2) Baltimore Ravens

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Texans | 3 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Ravens | 17 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 20 |
at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
* Date: January 15, 2012
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 31 °F (−1 °C), Sunny
* Referee: Pete Morelli
* TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf
Game information :
First quarter
HOU – Neil Rackers 40-yard field goal, 12:24. Texans 3–0. Drive: 5 plays, 20 yards, 2:36
BAL – Kris Wilson 1-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Billy Cundiff kick), 9:51. Ravens 7–3. Drive: 3 plays, 2 yards, 1:21
BAL – Billy Cundiff 48-yard field goal, 6:02. Ravens 10–3. Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 2:47
BAL – Anquan Boldin 10-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Billy Cundiff kick), 1:08. Ravens 17–3. Drive: 5 plays, 34 yards, 2:05
Second quarter
HOU – Neil Rackers 33-yard field goal, 11:42. Ravens 17–6. Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 4:26
HOU – Arian Foster 1-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 4:48. Ravens 17–13. Drive: 12 plays, 86 yards, 5:49
Third quarter
No scoring plays
Fourth quarter
BAL – Billy Cundiff 44-yard field goal, 2:52. Ravens 20–13. Drive: 10 plays, 45 yards, 4:29
Top passers
HOU – T. J. Yates – 17/35, 184 yards, 3 INT
BAL – Joe Flacco – 14/27, 176 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
HOU – Arian Foster – 27 rushes, 132 yards, TD, FUM
BAL – Ray Rice – 21 rushes, 60 yards, FUM
Top receivers
HOU – Andre Johnson – 8 rec, 111 yards
BAL – Anquan Boldin – 4 rec, 73 yards, TD :
With the loss, the Texans finished the season with an overall record of 11–7.

## Statistics
### Team

| Category | Total yards | Yards per game | NFL rank (out of 32) |
| Passing offense | 3,506 | 219.1 | 18th |
| Rushing offense | 2,448 | 153.0 | 2nd |
| Total offense | 5,954 | 372.1 | 13th |
| Passing defense | 3,035 | 189.7 | 3rd |
| Rushing defense | 1,536 | 96.0 | 4th |
| Total defense | 4,571 | 285.7 | 2nd |

### Individual

| Category | Player | Total |
| Offense |||
| Passing yards | Matt Schaub | 2,479 |
| Passing touchdowns | Matt Schaub | 15 |
| Rushing yards | Arian Foster | 1,224 |
| Rushing touchdowns | Arian Foster | 10 |
| Receiving yards | Owen Daniels | 677 |
| Receiving touchdowns | Joel Dreessen | 6 |
| Defense |||
| Tackles (Solo) | Brian Cushing | 76 |
| Sacks | Connor Barwin | 11.5 |
| Interceptions | Jason Allen Johnathan Joseph | 4 |
Source: