Before you get all "wait, I was told there wouldn't be any math", there is some significance to the number above. It's Vince Young's QB Rating, largely the result of a 5/13 touchdown/interception ratio. By way of comparison, Matt Schaub has a decent 87.3 rating, and former Steelers phenom Kordell Stewart finished his career with a 70.7 rating. Perhaps the Madden cover jinx doesn't mean that you blow out your knee or get arrested for dog fighting; maybe it just means you end up sucking for the rest of your career as a quarterback.
The Texans travel to Nashville to play the Titans on Sunday. The two teams have mirrored records, the Titans at 6-5 and the Texans at 5-6; neither team is mathematically out of the playoff race, but both will have to be nearly flawless through the end of the season if they want to catch the AFC Wild Card.
The Texans are at full strength again this week (except for CB Dunta Robinson, who's gone for the season) and will be face an easier opponent than the potent Browns who beat them last week. Unlike the Browns, the Titans offense lives and dies on its ground attack; they have several solid running backs and Young's quick feet to make things interesting up front, but the passing game is a borderline liability. If the Texans can blitz enough to disrupt the passing game, without allowing Young to escape the pocket, this could be a simple win. Rookie CB Fred Bennett and the rest of the secondary could have a field day if Young uses his patented "flinging poo off my hand" throwing motion.
However, if the home matchup between these two teams taught us anything, it's that this will be a wild one. Count on it. The Titans have a strong defensive front four, and so Ron Dayne will have to replicate his success from his best performances this season to open up the passing options, where Andre Johnson should continue to shine.
This game will be last call for the Texans playoff hopes. A loss here will put the post-season out of reach. So unless they want Houstonist to start speculating on the 2008 NFL Draft, they'd better get us a W this week.
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Texans @ Titans
12pm, on CBS (Channel 11)
photo: flickr user mrp1001
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