October 18, 2026
October 18, 2026
In 2002, when the National Football League awarded the city of Houston, Texas, a new franchise to replace the Oilers, who had left for Tennessee and are now known as the Tennessee Titans, football fans in Houston had reason for optimism. However, just like other expansion franchises that came before them, the Houston Texans struggled to find their footing. It would take the Texans nearly a decade to figure out what it took to become a successful NFL franchise.
The 2011 Houston Texans went 10-6, winning the AFC South Division by just one game over the former Houston team, the Tennessee Titans. The Texans went 4-2 in divisional play and 8-4 in conference play.
Quarterback Matt Schaub was a serviceable field general who often put the Texans in position to win. Schaub went 7-3 in 10 starts, completing 178 of 292 pass attempts for 2,479 yards and 15 touchdowns while throwing 6 interceptions. Schaub then suffered a Lisfranc injury to his right foot, which caused him to miss the rest of the season. Quarterback Taylor Jonathan Yates, better known as “T.J.,” stepped in and went 2-3 in 5 games, completing 82 of 134 pass attempts for 949 yards and 3 touchdowns.
One of the brightest stars on the team was running back Arian Foster, who had 278 rushing attempts for 1,224 yards and 10 touchdowns while also catching 53 passes for 617 yards and 2 touchdowns. Running back Ben Tate had 175 rushing attempts for 942 yards and 4 touchdowns. Running back Derrick Ward had 45 rushing attempts for 154 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Tight end Owen Daniels had 54 receptions for 677 yards and 3 touchdowns. Wide receiver Jacoby Jones had 31 receptions for 512 yards and 2 touchdowns. Wide receiver Andre Johnson had 33 receptions for 492 yards and 2 touchdowns. Wide receiver Kevin Walter had 39 receptions for 474 yards and 3 touchdowns. Tight end Joel Dreessen had 28 receptions for 353 yards and 6 touchdowns. Fullback James Casey was a solid receiving option, finishing with 18 receptions for 260 yards and 1 touchdown.
On special teams, Jacoby Jones had 49 punt returns for 518 yards and 1 touchdown. Free safety Danieal Manning had 13 kick returns for 356 yards, and on defense, Manning added 2 interceptions.
The defense was led by middle linebacker Brian Cushing, who had 81 tackles, 4 sacks, 2 interceptions and 2 forced fumbles. Strong safety Glover Quin had 61 tackles. The breakout star for the Texans in 2011 was a rookie defensive end out of the University of Wisconsin. Selected 11th overall in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft, Justin James Watt, whom many simply call “J.J.,” had a profoundly positive effect on the Texans. Watt had 48 tackles, 5.5 sacks and 2 fumble recoveries.
Linebacker DeMeco Ryans had 44 tackles and 1 forced fumble. Linebacker Connor Barwin had 11.5 sacks and 1 forced fumble. Cornerback Jason Allen had 41 tackles and 4 interceptions. Right cornerback Jonathan Joseph had 40 tackles, 4 interceptions and 1 forced fumble. Linebacker Brooks Reed had 6 sacks, 1 forced fumble and 2 fumble recoveries. Defensive end Antonio Smith had 6.5 sacks and 1 forced fumble. Linebacker Mario Williams had 5 sacks and 1 forced fumble.
As the regular season wore on, the Texans got hot, stringing together a 7-game winning streak that propelled them to the AFC South Division title. The streak began with a 41-7 pounding of the Tennessee Titans on October 23 in Week 7, and it ended with a narrow 20-19 win over the Cincinnati Bengals on December 11 in Week 14. The streak included several decisive victories, such as a 30-12 win over the Cleveland Browns on November 6 in Week 9 and a 37-9 pounding of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on November 13 in Week 10.
For the first time since 1993, when the Oilers were still in town, football fans in Houston finally got to see their team in the NFL playoffs again, as the Texans qualified as the No. 3 seed and clinched the first playoff berth in franchise history. In the Wild Card Round, the Texans defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 31-10 in front of their home crowd at Reliant Stadium. T.J. Yates did enough to help the Texans win, completing 11 of 20 passes for 159 yards and 1 touchdown, though he was sacked twice. Arian Foster had 24 rushes for 153 yards and 2 touchdowns.
In the first quarter, the Bengals struck first with 7:34 remaining as running back Cedric Benson punched in a 1-yard touchdown run. Foster responded for Houston with an 8-yard touchdown run with 4:57 remaining. With 7:09 remaining in the second quarter, Bengals kicker Mike Nugent made a 37-yard field goal to put Cincinnati up 10-7, but that lead would be short-lived. Kicker Neil Rackers tied the game for the Texans with a 39-yard field goal with 1:48 remaining before halftime, and then J.J. Watt dealt a big blow to the Bengals with a 29-yard interception return for a touchdown with 0:52 remaining. With 1:08 remaining in the third quarter, Andre Johnson caught a 40-yard touchdown pass. With 5:15 remaining in the fourth quarter, Foster broke loose for a 42-yard touchdown run, which sealed the Houston victory.
The Houston Texans’ playoff run ended in the Divisional Round on January 15, 2012, with a 20-13 loss to the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. However, the 2011 Houston Texans season marked the beginning of more consistent winning, as the Houston Texans went on to make more playoff appearances in the years that followed.
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