Houston Texans- In-season thread (1 Viewer)

on if RB Ahman Green will be limited in the game) “Well, we’re going to rotate them. Basically, Ahman (Green), (Steve) Slaton and Chris (Taylor) are all going to play. We’re going to keep them fresh on the field. I have confidence in all three of them. I think the two young kids have looked as good as they’ve looked all camp this week. So, that’s encouraging. We’re not going to go crazy with Ahman in this game and set him back. I’m hoping he comes out of this game maybe somewhere between 12 and 15 good carries. We go too far, it’s going to be a mistake. But he’s had two good weeks, a full-practice player. He’s looked good this week, so I’m excited to see him get going.”

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(on if RB Steve Slaton’s toe is ok) “Yeah, he’s been great. We just really were trying to be smart with him last week, not play him. I gave him an extra day off on Saturday, but he has practiced ever since. He’s been fine.”

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WINSTON SIGNS EXTENSION WITH TEXANSPosted by Mike Florio on September 6, 2008, 8:14 a.m. A league source tells us that the Houston Texans have signed right tackle Eric Winston to a five-year, $30 million extension.The deal includes $10 million in guaranteed money.Winston was the second player selected in the third round of the 2006 draft. His rookie deal runs through the 2008 season, and he was due to earn $445,000 this year.He appeared in twelve games and started seven as a rookie. Last year, he started every game for the Texans.We’re told that the deal makes him one of the three highest-paid right tackles in the league.

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coolnerd said:

Winston gets an extensionprofootballtalk.com

WINSTON SIGNS EXTENSION WITH TEXANSPosted by Mike Florio on September 6, 2008, 8:14 a.m. A league source tells us that the Houston Texans have signed right tackle Eric Winston to a five-year, $30 million extension.The deal includes $10 million in guaranteed money.Winston was the second player selected in the third round of the 2006 draft. His rookie deal runs through the 2008 season, and he was due to earn $445,000 this year.He appeared in twelve games and started seven as a rookie. Last year, he started every game for the Texans.We’re told that the deal makes him one of the three highest-paid right tackles in the league.

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Former Bears running back Cedric Benson, released by the team June 9 after two alcohol-related off-season arrests, said Saturday he has a tryout with the Houston Texans this week.

Benson also said by phone he'd had a workout with the New Orleans Saints two weeks ago and that it "went well." Benson believes teams are waiting for his legal matters to be cleared up before signing him.

Benson maintains he was treated unfairly in both arrests in Austin, Texas. One was for boating while intoxicated, the other for driving under the influence.

As for his stint with the Bears, the fourth pick in the 2005 draft said he'd taken steps to make sure he would have a breakout year.

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coolnerd said:

Kinda a story that won't go away...Benson to workout ???

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/chi-0...0,2228505.story

Former Bears running back Cedric Benson, released by the team June 9 after two alcohol-related off-season arrests, said Saturday he has a tryout with the Houston Texans this week.

Benson also said by phone he'd had a workout with the New Orleans Saints two weeks ago and that it "went well." Benson believes teams are waiting for his legal matters to be cleared up before signing him.

Benson maintains he was treated unfairly in both arrests in Austin, Texas. One was for boating while intoxicated, the other for driving under the influence.

As for his stint with the Bears, the fourth pick in the 2005 draft said he'd taken steps to make sure he would have a breakout year.

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GregR said:

coolnerd said:

Winston gets an extensionprofootballtalk.com

WINSTON SIGNS EXTENSION WITH TEXANSPosted by Mike Florio on September 6, 2008, 8:14 a.m. A league source tells us that the Houston Texans have signed right tackle Eric Winston to a five-year, $30 million extension.The deal includes $10 million in guaranteed money.Winston was the second player selected in the third round of the 2006 draft. His rookie deal runs through the 2008 season, and he was due to earn $445,000 this year.He appeared in twelve games and started seven as a rookie. Last year, he started every game for the Texans.We’re told that the deal makes him one of the three highest-paid right tackles in the league.

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Glad to see him locked up. I think he's going to be worth it. Especially 3 years down the road when the cap has gone up and salaries have escalated.

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coolnerd said:

Kinda a story that won't go away...Benson to workout ???

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/chi-0...0,2228505.story

Former Bears running back Cedric Benson, released by the team June 9 after two alcohol-related off-season arrests, said Saturday he has a tryout with the Houston Texans this week.

Benson also said by phone he'd had a workout with the New Orleans Saints two weeks ago and that it "went well." Benson believes teams are waiting for his legal matters to be cleared up before signing him.

Benson maintains he was treated unfairly in both arrests in Austin, Texas. One was for boating while intoxicated, the other for driving under the influence.

As for his stint with the Bears, the fourth pick in the 2005 draft said he'd taken steps to make sure he would have a breakout of jail year.

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As for his stint with the Bears, the fourth pick in the 2005 draft said he'd taken steps to make sure he would have a breakout year.

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FavreCo said:

Houston is run by idiots. Poor Andre Johnson. Gotta feel bad for him.

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Big Blue Wrecking Crew said:

OK, coolnerd, what is the scuttlebutt regarding Schaub/Rosenfels? Do you see Schaub being on a shorter leash or is it the typical "the backup QB is the most popular guy with the fans" stuff.Also, I recall Daniels starting off slow last year, so is a combination of a repeat of last year plus an aberration of a game? All research indicated Daniels should be a bigger part of the offense, but not sure what happened in preseason.Any insights appreciated...TIA

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Lobary said:

FavreCo said:

Houston is run by idiots. Poor Andre Johnson. Gotta feel bad for him.

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Is there an emoticon for "reactionary post?"Jeesh. AJ had a solid game yesterday against a tenacious defense. Mario Williams was fantastic. But other than that, the organization is run by idiots. Ummmkay.

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coolnerd said:

Under the category of Water is Wet, Fire is Hot, and the Sun rises in the East...per kubiak in the press conference, Ahman Green has an injury; this time an ankle.I will link the transcript on post 2 later.

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Big Blue Wrecking Crew said:

OK, coolnerd, what is the scuttlebutt regarding Schaub/Rosenfels? Do you see Schaub being on a shorter leash or is it the typical "the backup QB is the most popular guy with the fans" stuff.Also, I recall Daniels starting off slow last year, so is a combination of a repeat of last year plus an aberration of a game? All research indicated Daniels should be a bigger part of the offense, but not sure what happened in preseason.Any insights appreciated...TIA

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Big Blue Wrecking Crew said:

I recall Daniels starting off slow last year, so is a combination of a repeat of last year plus an aberration of a game? All research indicated Daniels should be a bigger part of the offense, but not sure what happened in preseason.

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coolnerd said:

Big Blue Wrecking Crew said:

OK, coolnerd, what is the scuttlebutt regarding Schaub/Rosenfels? Do you see Schaub being on a shorter leash or is it the typical "the backup QB is the most popular guy with the fans" stuff.Also, I recall Daniels starting off slow last year, so is a combination of a repeat of last year plus an aberration of a game? All research indicated Daniels should be a bigger part of the offense, but not sure what happened in preseason.Any insights appreciated...TIA

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Schaub is going to get a legetimate chance to prove he is not the guy. some fans will talk, unless he is hurt Schaub is going to take the snaps.

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prefontaine said:

coolnerd said:

Under the category of Water is Wet, Fire is Hot, and the Sun rises in the East...per kubiak in the press conference, Ahman Green has an injury; this time an ankle.

I will link the transcript on post 2 later.

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details?

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prefontaine said:

coolnerd said:

Under the category of Water is Wet, Fire is Hot, and the Sun rises in the East...per kubiak in the press conference, Ahman Green has an injury; this time an ankle.I will link the transcript on post 2 later.

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details?

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(on if he planned to go with RB Steve Slaton so much) “No, we were going to rotate Ahman (Green) and him basically three plays at a time. It would’ve been crazy to send Ahman in there too much. So that was our plan all along. Just never got in a rhythm to see a good rotation going.”

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Houston turmOiler said:

I see the same thing happening with Schaub that happened with David Carr. Schaub is getting the crap kicked out of him in large part due to the fact we have no running game and have to throw too much. I still think Schaub's way better than Carr ever was, but he's not going to get any better at this rate. He's not one of those guys like Tom Brady who can chunk it every play and carry a team, but all too often that's what we have to do. I think Rosenfels actually performs better under those kinds of conditions. Schaub is better fit for what the offense WANTS to do, IMO, but it doesn't seem to be happening often enough. If this continues then Schaub will be injured soon or his confidence will disappear, and Sage will get another shot. I like this regime and don't want to be too critical, but yesterday flat-out sucked and it's getting REALLY freaking old. Until this team learns to be physical up front on both sides of the ball they are going to continue to suck.

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prymetyme25 said:

Lobary said:

FavreCo said:

Houston is run by idiots. Poor Andre Johnson. Gotta feel bad for him.

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Is there an emoticon for "reactionary post?"Jeesh. AJ had a solid game yesterday against a tenacious defense. Mario Williams was fantastic. But other than that, the organization is run by idiots. Ummmkay.

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We were up against a clearly superior team yesterday. I dont think anyone person was at fault yesterday.On another note to the other guy: We like to keep our threads pretty free of the clutter and focus more on news and notes, so if you dont have anything newsworthy please reframe from posting in here. TIA

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Buckna said:

If the Ravens are for real, the next 4 games are brutal.Baltimore@Tenn@JaxIndyI originally expected the Texans to go 2-3 to start the season, but now I am a little worried. Schedule gets much easier after week 5 though.

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Houston turmOiler said:

I see the same thing happening with Schaub that happened with David Carr. Schaub is getting the crap kicked out of him in large part due to the fact we have no running game and have to throw too much. I still think Schaub's way better than Carr ever was, but he's not going to get any better at this rate. He's not one of those guys like Tom Brady who can chunk it every play and carry a team, but all too often that's what we have to do. I think Rosenfels actually performs better under those kinds of conditions. Schaub is better fit for what the offense WANTS to do, IMO, but it doesn't seem to be happening often enough. If this continues then Schaub will be injured soon or his confidence will disappear, and Sage will get another shot. I like this regime and don't want to be too critical, but yesterday flat-out sucked and it's getting REALLY freaking old. Until this team learns to be physical up front on both sides of the ball they are going to continue to suck.

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coolnerd said:

Under the category of Water is Wet, Fire is Hot, and the Sun rises in the East...per kubiak in the press conference, Ahman Green has an injury; this time an ankle.I will link the transcript on post 2 later.

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Lobary said:

I'm listening to Kubiak on the radio in Houston right now and he just nixed the rumor about Benson.

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Islanders rule said:

So, Does all the running back tryouts mean that the Texans have no confidence in Slaton ?

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The Texans are now looking at a new threesome at running back with Steve Slaton expected to start and Chris Taylor and Darius Walker likely backing him up.

Taylor hasn't played since the season finale in 2006. He was ready last week, but never saw the field. Darius Walker remains on the practice squad but he is expected to be called up.

Ahman Green, meanwhile, wore a black boot that went from his toes almost up to his knee. Coach Gary Kubiak reconfirmed that it is an ankle sprain that currently has a lot of swelling. That doesn't bode well for the team. Sometimes broken bones will actually heal quicker than a sprain. I'm sure they'll try to run him out there again soon and see how he handles it, but it definitely won't be this week.

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By the way, for those who want to know who the Texans brought in Tuesday to work out: LaBrandon Toefield, Najeh Davenport, Tyson Thompson, Noah Herring and Dwayne Wright. They didn't sign any of them, which means they're going with Steve Slaton, Chris Taylor and Darius Walker, who's on the practice squad, if Ahman Green isn't healthy enough.

Considering Green is limping around, I doubt seriously he'll be available for a while.

In Green's restructured contract that dropped his base this year from $3.8 million to $1.8 million, he receives $200,000 per game for every game he's active, starting against Baltimore. No way he's going to be active against the Ravens.

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(on what if they signed any new running backs) “No, we are waiting today on - what time is it? As we speak, (Stanley) McClover is having his surgery. So, we’re trying to make a decision on how long his recovery process is. So, that’s why we’re kind of in a hold mode right now. But obviously, the first option is to activate Darius (Walker). As of right now, Ahman (Green) did nothing today. (Steve) Slaton and (Chris) Taylor and Darius did all the work.”

(on what RB Ahman Green’s situation is) “I think it’s day-to-day. He’s got a sprained ankle. It’s pretty swollen. So, I think it’s going to be day-to-day. We’ll see.”

(on when he wants to decide about his running backs) “It might be Saturday. Are you talking about how we are going to play them? Well, that’s a last minute deal. As of right now, those young kids are going. So, we’ll see where Ahman (Green) is. I don’t think we’ll see him work tomorrow. We’ll see where he’s at on Friday.”

(on signing another running back) “Other than Darius (Walker), right now, no. I don’t see anything happening. Maybe a scout team player because we need another set of legs out here to practice. But other than that, no.”

(on if he feels RB Steve Slaton or RB Chris Taylor is more of a starter) “Well, they are both very young players. I think Chris (Taylor) has one start in this league and if Ahman (Green) doesn’t play, (Steve) Slaton is fixing to tie him. They are both young players; they are both going to play. It’s not like one of them is going to take all of the load, so I’m counting on both of them.”

(on if he could play RB Ahman Green without a lot of practice this week) “Yeah, Ahman (Green) is capable of playing without a lot of practice, as far as knowing what to do and all those type of things. But he’s got a good sprained ankle, so we’ll have to wait and see.”

(on any other injury updates) “Travis (Johnson) did not work today. He’s coming off a sprain of his knee and his ankle, actually. But we’re hopeful that he’s ready to go this week, but he did not work today.”

(on anything new on the weather situation) “No, the bottom line is we are still monitoring the situation along with the league and expecting to play here and for everything to be OK. Now, I’m sure that could change any time but that answer is between (general manager) Rick (Smith) and the league. We’re preparing as if it’s going to be here and everything is going to be OK.”

(on if there is a plan B in place) “I know they are talking about a plan B. To sit and here say what that is, I’m not really sure. But I know it’s something they have to talk about in case they get to the point where they think we have to do something. But right now, the plan is to be here.”

"Everybody wants to be the Ray Lewis of their team. The type of leader that he is, the way he has all his guys rallied around him, that’s the template for every other middle linebacker on his team.” - DeMeco Ryans(on how important it is for QB Matt Schaub to regain his confidence this week) “Well, you’d like to say, ‘Yeah, let’s go out there and start five-for-five and about three touchdowns.’ But this is football. Bottom line is he has to go out and play a good game this week. You play yourself back into confidence. Confidence isn’t something that you just snap your fingers and it comes back. He’s fine, he practiced well today and I’m expecting him to play well this week. Just need him to play a good, solid football game, play his position well.”

(on T Duane Brown having a short memory with last week’s game) “You’re exactly right. He found out there’s a different level of play in the regular season in the National Football League than the preseason, and he went against a pretty dang good player in a tough place to play. So, he’s going to see that a lot. They are going to start lining up and coming after him this week against 55 (Ravens LB Terrell Suggs). He’s one of the better players in football. Next week, if I’m not mistaken, is (Titans DE Kyle) Vanden Bosch. So, he’ll get to see them all.”

(on Ravens’ QB Joe Flacco) “Very strong arm. I’ve worked him out and watched him work out in Indianapolis (at the NFL Scouting Combine). Very smart kid. Has a big, big arm. I thought they handled him very well in the game. I think they only threw the ball 16, 17 times; it wasn’t many. They ran the ball extremely well, but very capable kid. (Ravens offensive coordinator) Cam (Cameron) does a good job with quarterbacks. I thought he did a great job with him last week.”

(on his players caring more about this team than in years past) “Well, that better be the situation. Believe me, there are a lot of people working awfully hard and that was a lot of disappointment last weekend. But I’ve always said the hardest thing in this league is when you win, you have to go back and do it again in seven days and the great thing is when it doesn’t go well you get a chance to go back and do it in seven days. Part of the National Football League, if you’re in it long enough you’ll probably get both ends of the stick. I just didn’t like our end last wee

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With starting running back Ahman Green’s status for Sunday’s game in question as he nurses a sprained ankle, the Texans added a third healthy running back to the roster on Thursday by signing Darius Walker from the practice squad.

In four games with two starts last season, Walker ran for 264 yards and averaged 4.6 yards per carry as an undrafted rookie out of Notre Dame.

“I’m excited about the opportunity again to get a chance to showcase what I can do, but I also know that I have a job to do and they expect me to perform at a high level,” Walker said. “I’ve been working this whole time to try to get to this point and to make it to this spot.”

Rookie Steve Slaton is expected to make his first NFL start this week, sharing carries with third-year back Chris Taylor. Slaton, a third-round draft pick out of West Virginia, led the Texans with 13 carries for 43 yards in the opener. Injuries to Green and his projected backfield mate, Chris Brown, have opened the door for Slaton to make a steady climb up the depth chart since training camp.

“Coming in with OTAs and mini-camp, I don’t think I could’ve pictured this right now,” Slaton said. “But I’m just happy my teammates helped me prepare well, and I’m looking forward to this weekend.”

“Coming in with OTAs and mini-camp, I don’t think I could’ve pictured this right now. But I’m just happy my teammates helped me prepare well, and I’m looking forward to this weekend.” - running back Steve SlatonAfter the 2008 draft, many observers labeled the 5-9, 201-pound Slaton as a third-down back. But the rookie’s body has held up well to the pounding that came with leading the Texans in carries in both the preseason and regular-season opener. Slaton has shown toughness running between the tackles and has improved in pass protection to the point that he feels comfortable in any game situation.

“I think I’m ready,” he said. “I’ve been used to carrying the load since I started playing. I view myself as more than just a third-down back.”

Taylor, a former undrafted rookie out of Indiana, had 28 carries for 133 yards (4.4 avg.) in the 2006 season but missed the 2007 campaign with a knee injury. Though he didn’t get any carries in the opener, contributing solely on special teams, Taylor is likely to get his turn against Baltimore. It would mark his first action at running back in a regular-season game since the 2006 season finale when Taylor ran 20 times for 99 yards and a touchdown against the Browns.

Taylor and Slaton have played in a combined six career games, with zero starts between them.

“We know we’re going to have a lot on our shoulders and we just have to step up to the challenge,” Taylor said. “We’re young backs, but we’re up for the challenge and we’re just ready to show our talent.”

Walker, with the two games he started in 2007, finds himself as the seasoned veteran of the group – even though he just moved up from the practice squad and is in only his second season in the league.

“Who would’ve thought?” Walker said. “I hope to use that to my advantage. I’ve been talking with Steve, I’ve been talking with CT as well and talking about this whole game thing and what’s it like to be out there in the game and trying to offer my experience, so to speak, from my standpoint from last year and everything.

“I think we’re all ready as a unit, and we’re going to play well.”

To make room for Walker on the roster, the Texans placed defensive end Stanley McClover on the injured/reserve list. McClover had surgery this week to repair a torn meniscus. Running back Arliss Beach was added to the Texans’ practice squad.

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coolnerd said:

Due to the importance of allowing the Houston area to focus on its recovery from the expected arrival of Hurricane Ike on Friday, the Houston Texans' home game Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens has been re-scheduled for Monday night at Reliant Stadium at 7:30 p.m. Houston time (8:30 p.m. ET). The game originally was scheduled to be played on Sunday, Sept. 14 at 3:15 p.m. Houston time (4:15 p.m. ET).

The Texans-Ravens Monday night game will be televised on local CBS stations in the primary and secondary markets of the Texans (Houston, Beaumont-Port Arthur, and Bryan, Texas) and the Ravens (Baltimore; Washington, DC; Salisbury, MD; and Harrisburg, PA).

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/Story.asp?story_id=4630

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Well, we’re not quite sure why or how it happened, but the good folks at the NFL and ESPN have decided that the Monday night game between the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans will be available to DirecTV customers.

“After taking a closer look at it, we have decided that our Sunday Ticket subscribers will receive Monday night’s telecast of the Baltimore Ravens at Houston Texans game,” NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told us by e-mail a few moments ago.

The game won’t be available via DirecTV in Baltimore or Houston, but it wouldn’t be available via DirecTV in those cities if they played the game on Sunday. In those cities, it can be seen on the local CBS affiliate.

Kudos to the league and ESPN for doing the right thing.

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The Houston Texans will not be playing their home opener against the Baltimore Ravens on Monday night at Reliant Stadium.

The game was supposed to have been played at 7:30 p.m., but Hurricane Ike has caused damage to the stadium that has made it unsuitable for hosting the game.

"The facility will not be usable," said Shey Guinn, president of SMG, the company that manages Reliant Park.

"There's some structural damage to the roof. Part of it is off," Guinn said.

"There's also some other damage on the property caused by wind and water. We're in the process of assessing the damage," he said. "As far as the game being postponed again or played, that will be up to the NFL."

The game had originally been set for 3:15 p.m. Sunday, but because of Ike the NFL moved it to Monday night.

The Texans and Ravens will have no comment until they hear from the league. Conference calls among three are scheduled for later today.

The NFL will determine where and when the Texans play the Ravens. The Texans' bye week (Oct. 26) is a possibility. The Texans and Bengals have the same bye week. The Ravens' bye week is Nov. 9. The Texans host the Bengals on Nov. 6. The Texans could host the Bengals on Oct. 26 and the Ravens on Nov. 6.

The big question is, can Reliant Stadium be repaired in time for the Texans' next home game Oct. 5 against Indianapolis.

Rice Stadium could be an alternative. When Hurricane Katrina forced the Saints to leave New Orleans in 2005, they relocated to San Antonio and played at the Alamodome.

The last thing the Texans want to do is to play road games until Reliant Stadium is ready.

Until experts assess the damage at Reliant Stadium, nobody knows anything.

The Colts game marks the first of three in a row at home. Miami (Oct. 12) and Detroit (Oct. 19) are scheduled to come to Houston after Indianapolis.

john.mcclain@chron.com

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