Join Senior Editor Vic Ketchman as he provides insight and analysis about the game in progess. On 12/24/2005 10:19 AM, Vic wrote:
(three hours before kickoff) Good morning and welcome to Reliant Stadium. The weather in Houston is sunny and warm and the Texans are expected to open the roof for today's game. The Texans' win last week over Arizona broke a 10-game losing streak with the roof closed.
On 12/24/2005 11:53 AM, Vic wrote:
(1:15 before kickoff) The Jaguars inactives are: Byron Leftwich, Greg Jones, Rich Alexis, Brett Romberg, Mike Pearson, Marcellus Wiley, Ephraim Salaam and Cortez Hankton. The Texans inactives are: Domanick Davis, Kenneth Pettway, Frank Chamberlin, Tyson Walter, Travis Johnson, Matt Murphy and Derick Armstrong.
On 12/24/2005 11:56 AM, Vic wrote:
(1:10 before kickoff) Dave Ragone is the Texans "third quarterback" and Jonathan Wells will start at running back back in place of Domanick Davis. For the Jaguars, Derrick Wimbush will start at fullback in place of Greg Jones and Gerald Sensabaugh will start at strong safety.
On 12/24/2005 12:56 PM, Vic wrote:
(kickoff time) Paul Spicer sustained a sprained right hand in pregame. He will play.
On 12/24/2005 12:57 PM, Vic wrote:
(kickoff time) Correction: Paul Spicer sprained his left hand.
On 12/24/2005 1:15 PM, Vic wrote:
(Jags ball, 4-1 at Texans 38) Fred Taylor gets the first down. Jaguars have converted four of 10 fourth-and-one attempts this season.
On 12/24/2005 1:16 PM, Vic wrote:
(Jags ball, 1-10 at Texans 14) David Garrard looks sharp; nice throw to Jimmy Smith.
On 12/24/2005 1:17 PM, Vic wrote:
(Texans injury update) Defensive tackle Gary Walker has sustained a right triceps injury. He will not return.
On 12/24/2005 1:17 PM, Vic wrote:
(Taylor to the one-yard line) Fred Taylor gains 12 up the middle.
On 12/24/2005 1:21 PM, Vic wrote:
(Jaguars touchdown, 6:02 of 1st) Holding on the Texans on a third-down incomplete pass made this possible. LaBrandon Toefield scores from a yard out. The drive went 64 yards in 12 plays.
On 12/24/2005 1:27 PM, Vic wrote:
(Texans ball) David Carr had a receiver deep against Kenny Wright but Carr left the pocket early and ran.
On 12/24/2005 1:29 PM, Vic wrote:
(Texans ball, Jaguars 28-yard line) That's the same play. This time Carr threw it. Carr to Corey Bradford for 33 yards against Wright.
On 12/24/2005 1:31 PM, Vic wrote:
(Texans ball, 4-1 at Jags 19) Dom Capers is gonna kick ... er, Kris Brown is kicking ... and it's good, a 37-yard field goal with 2:21 to play in the first quarter.
On 12/24/2005 1:32 PM, Vic wrote:
(update) The Jaguars are 12-1 in the last two seasons when they have scored first; that includes a 6-1 mark this year. They've won their last seven games when they've scored on their opening possession.
On 12/24/2005 1:37 PM, Vic wrote:
(Jags ball, interception nullified) Saved by a penalty again. Roughing the passer cancels interception by Demarcus Faggins, who cut in front of Reggie Williams.
On 12/24/2005 1:39 PM, Vic wrote:
(32-yard pass to Ernest Wilford) Garrard is on fire. Jimmy Smith has an upset stomach; should return.
On 12/24/2005 1:42 PM, Vic wrote:
(update) Thirty of Wilford's 36 receptions this season have gained first downs. That was his 10th reception this season of 20 yards or longer.
On 12/24/2005 1:44 PM, Vic wrote:
(Scobee 40-yard field goal attempt, wide right) Josh Scobee is now 20 of 27 in field goal attempts this season. He's missed two of his last three tries.
On 12/24/2005 1:47 PM, Vic wrote:
(Texans ball) Carr may leave the pocket more quickly than any quarterback I've ever seen. He's had guys open.
On 12/24/2005 1:48 PM, Vic wrote:
(Texans ball, 1-10 at Texans 48) Terry Cousin's missed tackle on Andre Johnson allowed that first down.
On 12/24/2005 1:49 PM, Vic wrote:
(Deep pass attempt) The Texans are going after Kenny Wright, the former Texan, just as the Steelers went after Dewayne Washington last year.
On 12/24/2005 1:50 PM, Vic wrote:
(Texans ball, sack) Reggie Hayward sacks Carr; Hayward has team lead with 8.5 sacks. Carr has already been sacked twice in this game. John Henderson had the other one.
On 12/24/2005 1:53 PM, Vic wrote:
(Texans touchdown, 11:43 of 2nd) They're killing Wright. Bradford just beat him for a 50-yard touchdown catch.
On 12/24/2005 1:58 PM, Vic wrote:
(quarterback stats) Garrard is four of seven for 73 yards. Carr is four of five for 106 yards and one touchdown. He has a perfect passer rating of 158.3.
On 12/24/2005 2:00 PM, Vic wrote:
(running into the kicker) The Texans are making major mistakes. Why go for the block? They would've had great field position on the exchange.
On 12/24/2005 2:07 PM, Vic wrote:
(Jags ball, Wilford 37-yard catch to Texans six) Another big catch by Wilford.
On 12/24/2005 2:09 PM, Vic wrote:
(Jones drop) Garrard hit Matt Jones right in the hands for what would've been a touchdown.
On 12/24/2005 2:10 PM, Vic wrote:
(Scobee 26-yard field goal, 4:35 of 2nd) It ties the game but the Jaguars should've scored a touchdown on the pass to Jones.
On 12/24/2005 2:11 PM, Vic wrote:
(Wilford stats) Wilford has caught three passes for 82 yards. The field goal drive was 81 yards in 14 plays.
On 12/24/2005 2:15 PM, Vic wrote:
(Texans strategy) Those deep passes have put the Jaguars in "nickel" and the Texans have countered by running the ball.
On 12/24/2005 2:25 PM, Vic wrote:
(Brown 53-yard field goal, 1:03 of 2nd) Kris Brown killed it. Is that the same guy who missed against Tennessee? Brown's kick is the longest FG of the year against the Jaguars.
On 12/24/2005 2:34 PM, Vic wrote:
(halftime stats) Garrard is 10 of 18 for 152 yards and an 83.6 passer rating. Garrard has four rushing attempts for 32 yards. Fred Taylor has rushed 13 times for 39 yards. Carr five of seven for 115 yards, one TD, 153.3 rating. Jonathan Wells 12 rushes for 50 yards.
On 12/24/2005 2:35 PM, Vic wrote:
(time of possession) The Jaguars have nearly a seven-minute time of possession advantage and have gained 75 yards more than the Texans. The long TD pass to Bradford is the difference in the game.
On 12/24/2005 2:48 PM, Vic wrote:
(update) Derrick Wimbush is the Jaguars' single-season leader in kickoff return yardage.
On 12/24/2005 2:59 PM, Vic wrote:
(strategy) The Texans are in three wide receivers and one running back, which has the Jaguars in "nickel." Akin Ayodele is the linebacker who was taken out.
On 12/24/2005 3:03 PM, Vic wrote:
(Williams catch) Impressive grab and run by Reggie Williams for 19 yards to Texans 39.
On 12/24/2005 3:07 PM, Vic wrote:
(Taylor run) That 18-yard run by Fred Taylor to the 16 is his most impressive carry in a long time.
On 12/24/2005 3:09 PM, Vic wrote:
(Jaguars touchdown, 4:03 of 3rd) Toefield finds a big hole up the middle from two yards out. The drive covered 58 yards in eight plays. It could be the drive that puts the Jaguars into the playoffs.
On 12/24/2005 3:15 PM, Vic wrote:
(Texans ball, 1-10 at Jags 22) Carr is playing his best football of the season. His passer rating is 146.5.
On 12/24/2005 3:18 PM, Vic wrote:
(Brown 38-yard FG attempt, wide right) Snap may have been bad; the timing didn't look crisp.
On 12/24/2005 3:19 PM, Vic wrote:
(stats) Garrard is 13 of 24 for 192 yards and an 80.6 passer rating. Taylor has rushed 16 times for 73 yards, his most yards rushing since the St. Louis game. His 17-yard run was his longest since the St. Louis game.
On 12/24/2005 3:29 PM, Vic wrote:
(Big possession of the game) The defense must rise to the occasion. The Texans are at their 34-yard line with 13:34 to play in the game. This is big.
On 12/24/2005 3:33 PM, Vic wrote:
(Texans touchdown, 12:15 of 4th) Andre Johnson beat Terry Cousin across the middle for a 53-yard catch-and-run touchdown. Carr's play-action fake may have frozen the coverage. The pressure now falls on Garrard to respond.
On 12/24/2005 3:35 PM, Vic wrote:
(stats) Johnson has six catches for 108 yards and one touchdown.
On 12/24/2005 3:37 PM, Vic wrote:
(Williams catch) The Jaguars got lucky on Williams catch. No official was in the area to get a look at it and the Jaguars hurried up the snap as as not to allow the Texans time to challenge.
On 12/24/2005 3:38 PM, Vic wrote:
(Garrard scramble) What a great job Garrard did to scramble away from the rush and find Jimmy Smith for a 20-yard completion.
On 12/24/2005 3:41 PM, Vic wrote:
(Jaguars touchdown, 9:16 of 4th) Fred is back! What a great run, 15 yards up the middle for a touchdown. He's running hard and he's at 90 yards rushing for the game. More importantly, the Jaguars are back in the lead. Garrard was sensational in responding to the Texans' score.
On 12/24/2005 3:49 PM, Vic wrote:
(Texans drive at Jags 35) Carr is nibbling. Watch out deep.
On 12/24/2005 3:53 PM, Vic wrote:
(Brown 48-yard FG attempts, wide right) On fourth-and-five Capers went for three and missed. The fans are chanting "Reggie, Reggie" for Reggie Bush, meaning they want the first pick of the draft. The Texans play the 49ers next week in the Bush Bowl.
On 12/24/2005 3:53 PM, Vic wrote:
(Jags ball) The Jaguars are five minutes away from winning a playoff berth.
On 12/24/2005 3:56 PM, Vic wrote:
(Just run the ball) No more passes, please. That near interception should be enough of a warning.
On 12/24/2005 3:57 PM, Vic wrote:
(Taylor over a hundred) Fred's at 101 with that carry.
On 12/24/2005 3:59 PM, Vic wrote:
(Jaguars touchdown, 2:37 of 4th) OK, I'm wrong. Garrard threw it 36 yards to Wilford for what should be the game-clinching touchdown.
On 12/24/2005 4:01 PM, Vic wrote:
(analysis) I don't know if the Texans defense wore down physically or let up emotionally, but the Jaguars offense took control of the game in the fourth quarter. I couldn't be more impressed by Garrard's performance today. He's 18 of 31 for 292 yards, one TD and a 100.5 rating.
On 12/24/2005 4:04 PM, Vic wrote:
(Cousin interception) Terry Cousin intercepted Carr off a tip at the line of scrimmage. Bobby McCray may have tipped it. At the two-minute warning, only the celebration remains. Congratulations on the playoff berth. I'm going downstairs. Merry Christmas.
