Not that this performance will get him the kind of endorsement dollars that Reggie Bush has gotten since they both came into the league last year, but Mario Williams just plain clowned Bush yesterday. Super Mario had six tackles including four of The Greatest Running Back Ever himself. Reggie's stat line for the game: 34 yards rushing on 15 carries, and 2 fumbles. Take that, draft pundits.
Of course, the real big story from the Texans' 23-10 victory over New Orleans was the triumphant return of wide receiver Andre Johnson. After watching the Texans' offense flail around like the T-1000 at the end of Terminator 2, Johnson ignited the offense in the first quarter with a 73-yard touchdown reception en route to 120 total yards and the shot in the arm that the Texans desperately needed.
The defense wasn't just Mario, either. Recently converted CB Von Hutchins and linebacker Morlon Greenwood both picked off Saints QB Drew Brees as part of a defensive performance that kept the Saints offense ineffective in the red zone. The loss of Dunta Robinson wasn't quite as catastrophic as it could have been; facing the pass-wacky Cleveland Browns next week will be a bigger test.
It's good to see the Texans back at .500 and on an upswing; their remaining schedule is rough, with tough matchups against Indy, Jacksonville, and the aforementioned Browns side-by-side with non-pushovers like Tampa Bay and Denver. At the beginning of the season, the Texans were firing on all cylinders and looked like a playoff team: they'll need to remain in that mindset if they want to see the postseason.
---
Photo: flickr user mrp1001
add to digg
add to stumble upon
add to reddit