That, and the penalties. And the turnovers. And the person in the booth for the Texans whose job it is to relay to Gary Kubiak if he should hurry up and snap the ball because the Ryan Moats fumble was obviously a fumble. THAT person is the worst person at their job in the UNIVERSE.

I was SCREAMING at the television for the Texans to SNAP THE FREAKING BALL because I knew that was a fumble and was going to come back. Did anyone NOT see it that way??

I’m drained. I’m sure at some point I’ll have much more to say, but right now I just need to recover.

I saw Texans fans.

This is a store I go to all the time, and I’ve been there in the hours leading up to gametime as well. I can honestly say that I’ve never seen anyone wearing Texans gear in this store. Granted, I wasn’t looking for it - but I never noticed it either.

Today, I saw two Texans caps before I got into the store from the parking lot, and two more people wearing Texans gear inside the store.

I’m not sure how I feel about that. I love that we’re gaining fans, but at the same time, you can’t share in the victories if you didn’t survive David Carr, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Philip Buchanon, Tony Boselli, David Carr, David Carr, Joe Pendry, David Carr, The Rosencopter, etc.

Today’s going to be a close one. I know the Colts have a lot of injuries, but as long as #18 has a right arm and at least one eye, the Colts are going to be the favorites.

One other note - I read online that the Texans are going with the Liberty White look today - white jerseys with white pants. (Called by some after the season-opening Jets loss as “Surrender White”.) I wonder what made them make a change?

Of course, there’s no real significance in this move, other than to send a message to Slaton. We already knew he was going to lose carries. Moats was getting carries before Slaton fumbled last week. There’s just no way they were going to rely on Slaton against a team that won’t make them pay for turnovers, as the Bills did not make them pay last week.

As Kubiak has said all week, I’m sure we will see all three, but I wouldn’t count on seeing Slaton too much in the second half if the game is close.

Most of all, Pollard has continued to add his part to what seems to be a complete defensive attitude transfusion. The Texans are allowing a league-best 58.2 rushing yards per game in the last five weeks, after allowing a league-worst 205 rushing yards per game in the first three weeks.

Biggest disappointment - Fred Bennett.
After a solid rookie campaign followed by a rough sophomore season, I think a lot of us fully expected Fred to get back to where he was in year one, and establish himself as a long-term answer at CB. He was probably the most likely guy to take over for Dunta Robinson if/when he eventually leaves town.

After a disastrous couple of weeks to start the year, Bennett fell out of favor with the coaches - and when you watch replays of the games (as well as you can with the TV angles) it’s clear he was making the same mistakes over and over again. Things have only gotten worse for Bennett, who has now been inactive for two straight games - for Antwaun Molden. Molden isn’t getting snaps on defense - he’s working pretty much only on special teams. So, in short, Bennett has been deactivated in favor of a guy who only plays on special teams. Ouch. At this point, I think it’s safe to say it’s going to be a struggle for him to make the team next year.

Other candidates for most disappointing - Frank Okam, Xavier Adibi.

Most underrated - Jeff Zgonina.
The almost shocking thing about Zgonina is, that he’s not just lucking in to his sacks. He has legitimately beaten guys on numerous occasions this season, and his quickness and tenacity has put him ahead of younger and more talented guys like DelJuan Robinson and Frank Okam. Zgonina’s play and the improved play of Amobi Okoye have really helped to turn the defensive line around after such a putrid start. Antonio Smith has also had something to say about that in the last several weeks.

Another possible underrated candidate - Glover Quin.

Most overrated - I have no idea.
I suppose Dunta Robinson has obviously overrated his own worth this season. He hasn’t been very good in coverage, but his run support has been predictably good. That’s kind of how he’s always been, though.

Some might suggest Mario Williams for this category, but the thing about Mario is this - yes, his sack numbers are down… but during this “sack slump” his ability to play the run has gone from solid to DOMINANT. If he was just okay against the run and suddenly not able to get to the QB as much, that would be one thing - but he’s significantly improved a huge part of his game, while still getting good pressure on the QB, even if the gaudy numbers are down.

Breakout player - Brian Cushing.
No doubt about this one. Cushing has been fantastic against the run, and better than advertised against the pass. He’s made a good number of rookie mistakes, but he’s also made plays and caused turnovers like no linebacker in Texans history. Cush has had two game-ending interceptions (though both games were well in hand) and he, along with Pollard and Antonio Smith has brought a new attitude to the Texans D that seems to have spread itself all over.

I for one was skeptical of Cushing, more because of injury issues than anything else. Right now I feel great about Cushing. If he’s able to play the entire season, I’ll be giddy. He’s been hurting and missing a ton of practice with a foot injury - but he’s also won TWO AFC Defensive Player of the Week awards while playing on said injured foot. Not AFC Rookie Defensive Player of the Week, mind you - but D-Player of the week period… twice, while injured, while not being able to practice - as a rookie! That’s insane.

MVP - DeMeco Ryans.
On the surface, Cushing is the obvious choice here. He’s got the numbers, the turnovers, and the timely plays. Well, it turns out - this “award” doesn’t actually carry any weight, so I’m giving it to DeMeco. The addition of Cushing has allowed 59 to trust the guy next to him, and cut loose. He’s taking a few more risks and playing with a violence and reckless abandon that we haven’t seen from him before. He’s having the best season of his career, and he’s still the unquestioned leader of the defense. 59 gets the nod. Nobody’s better.

Pro Bowl possibilities:
DeMeco Ryans, Brian Cushing, Mario Williams, and Bernard Pollard. Mario doesn’t have a realistic chance - he’d have to get in on name recognition and reputation, so that’s not likely. Pollard would also be a huge longshot, but there’s no doubt that other AFC opponents and coaches are seeing his work on tape. Not likely at all, but his name should certainly be out there.

Cushing might suffer from being a rookie, but his impact is undeniable. He’s doing the subtle things but he’s also making some highlight-worthy plays. I can’t think of a better one-two combination of linebackers in a 4-3 on any other team better than Ryans and Cushing.

To call Cushing Robin to DeMeco’s Batman would be an insult to Cushing (and an undeserved upgrade for the ever-effeminate Robin) so let’s just assume they both don Batman’s uniform… but DeMeco gets the better utility belt with all the new stuff. Cushing just gets the “Shark Repellent Bat Spray” that Adam West used in the 60s movie. If you somehow have no idea what I’m talking about, you need to click that link and see it to believe it.

First, the offense…

Biggest surprise - Jacoby Jones.
I had serious doubts that Jacoby was even going to make this team. He had a solid preseason, but so did Glenn Martinez. The team uncharacteristically kept six WRs on the roster, and there was talk around the league that the Texans tried their best to trade Jacoby while his stock was high. Well, it didn’t work out and Jacoby has been a dangerous deep threat as well as quite possibly the best return man in the NFL. He’s had numerous TD/long returns called back due to penalties, and though his concentration and hands problems haven’t disappeared, they’ve been improving steadily.

Biggest disappointment - Steve Slaton.
This is an easy one, of course. We’ve discussed Slaton repeatedly, so there’s no need for detail here.

Most underrated - Vonta Leach.
Vonta should have made the Pro Bowl last year, and he’s having another good year this season… but the lack of a running attack will keep him a national unknown. Leach is a vicious blocker, and he’s even good for a dump-off pass once in a while. He seems to have worked on his hands a bit. In the past, I assumed he was going to drop pretty much any pass thrown his way - but as long as he doesn’t have to do anything spectacular, he’s able to catch the ball. If they could only fix their run-blocking problems, Leach could get back to destroying linebackers and springing huge runs for our RBs.

Let’s also make sure we don’t underestimate his nastiness. Leach is the first guy to get in someone’s face if there’s a scrum. You can call him “Coke Machine” or my preferred nickname, “The Hurt Locker” or whatever else you like… but for my money, he’s the top FB in the AFC.

Most overrated - Andre’ Davis.
More like overpaid, not so much overrated - but the reality is that Davis doesn’t do enough in the return game anymore to justify his contract, and luckily we haven’t had to see how well he would fill in for Andre Johnson as he did in 2007. Understand that this is a great offense, and this was a tough category. I could have gone with Chris Brown, Dan Orlovsky, Chris Myers, etc., but none of those players had any expectations.

Breakout player - Matt Schaub.
Schaub has of course shown signs that he could achieve this level of play, but this is the first time he’s done it consistently for an extended period of time. He’s a leader on the field, and he’s now also a league-leader in terms of statistics. He’s headed for a Pro Bowl appearance unless the wheels come off.

Remember - the Pro Bowl this year is in Miami and it happens the week before the Super Bowl, so whoever plays in the Super Bowl will not play in the Pro Bowl. There’s a pretty good chance that either Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, or Ben Roethlisberger will be in the Super Bowl, which will make it easier for Schaub to sneak his way in - because you KNOW he’s not going to get the fan vote.

MVP - Matt Schaub.
No doubt about it. Andre Johnson and Owen Daniels would be in the conversation, but this one clearly goes to Schaub.

Pro Bowl possibilities:
QB Matt Schaub, WR Andre Johnson, RT Eric Winston, WR/KR/PR Jacoby Jones. TE Owen Daniels was looking like a sure thing, but that’s over now. I’m sure his agent will proceed as if he made the Pro Bowl. Jacoby could definitely sneak in as a special teams player - if only the team could cut down on return penalties.

Check back for the defensive side of the ball.

In the meantime, some minor moves…
With Owen on IR, the Texans filled his roster void by promoting DE Jesse Nading from the practice squad. That means that now both DE Nading and DE Tim Jamison are on the active roster. Clearly the team isn’t getting as much out of the pass rush as they’d like (obviously) and they’re going to try any and all combinations.

Of course sacks don’t tell the whole story when it comes to pressuring the quarterback, but the Texans are tied for 30th in the NFL in sacks, with 11. The team is getting more pressure than they did last year, but from what I’ve seen - they’re not getting a LOT more pressure. They’re certainly blitzing a lot more (especially compared to the total lack of blitzing in the first three quarters of last season), but they’re looking for more. A lot more.

THURSDAY UPDATE: Reading Kubiak’s post-practice comments, it’s pretty obvious Nading is being promoted strictly to fill in on special teams for Dreessen. It really doesn’t take Kubiak’s comments to confirm that - I just didn’t think it through. Obviously, they’re going to pull Dreessen off of special teams because he’s the starter at TE, plus he’s their long snapper. So, it likely has nothing to do with the pass rush at all… still - 30th in the NFL. Not good.

A new TE and LB join the practice squad.
The Texans have had an open spot on the practice squad for a few days. Former Ohio State linebacker Marcus Freeman was signed today, as well as tight end Dezmond Sherrod, a former Pittsburgh Steeler practice squadder.

I saw Freeman’s name pop up here and there as a possibility for the Texans leading up to this year’s NFL Draft. He was drafted by the Bears in the fifth round, but they sent him packing before the season started.

The Steelers signed Sherrod as an undrafted free agent in 2008, and he was along for the ride to get himself a Super Bowl ring. I mean, I assume practice squad guys get rings too… announcers get them, so why wouldn’t the P-squad guys?

The Texans will be thin at two positions going in to Indianapolis.
With Sherrod not signed to the active roster, it appears the team will go in to Indy with only two TEs. Even more interesting is the fact that Anthony Hill hasn’t been active for a single game this season, so I doubt the team will be counting on him very much on Sunday - probably not even for his blocking.

Clearly the Texans have a little something up their sleeve. We’ll probably be seeing a lot more of Jacoby Jones, and though Kevin Walter has been out there the whole time, we’ll be hearing his name called more often by whichever intolerable announcers call the game Sunday (Kevin Harlan & Solomon Wilcots).

Maybe the Texans will work Steve Slaton into the game more by lining him up in the slot while Ryan Moats is in the backfield. Something we won’t be seeing are three TE sets (which are useful against the Colts cover-2 style of defense, as Socctty pointed out in the comments), but the Texans can always bring in an extra tackle and go with a tackle-eligible play, though that’s not going to fool anyone.

They’re a bit thin at linebacker as well. (Or maybe not.)
As far as Freeman, I’m a little surprised the Texans didn’t go in a different direction with a LB that could go straight to the active roster. They’ve already been playing a little thin depth-wise at LB, and now with Xavier Adibi nursing an injured ankle coming out of the win in Buffalo, they may have have only four guys they can count on 100% in DeMeco Ryans, Brian Cushing, Zac Diles, and Kevin Bentley. Of course, it could also be that Adibi’s injury isn’t bad enough for him to miss any practice time and I’m just overanalyzing things as per usual.

Of course… they’re going to turn around and cut one of these guys when Owen comes back. Any day now… any day…

In addition to the season-ending loss of TE Owen Daniels, Gary Kubiak announced today that TE James Casey is also going to miss some time due to a knee injury.

Casey will miss the Colts game, and Kubiak speculates that he could be healthy enough to return after the week 10 bye.

I expect the Texans will sign another tight end now that they are down to only Joel Dreessen and rookie Anthony Hill, who has been inactive in every game this season.

All of a sudden, one of the deepest positions on the team is one of the weakest. A very difficult matchup with the Colts just got that much tougher.

On to the game itself - you know I’m THRILLED to be wrong regarding my pre-game comments. The Texans lost the turnover battle, but were able to gather themselves and put a 31-10 beatdown on the Buffalo Bills.

Let’s start with some numbers…

Time of possession + yardage
Texans: 39:08 with 439 yards of offense.
Bills: 20:52 with 204 yards of offense.

That’s just domination no matter how you slice it.

Steve Slaton vs. Ryan Moats will be a hot topic this week.
I’ve been calling for Moats to start for a couple of weeks now, so obviously I’m for Moats starting next week. Now, first let me clarify - I’m not saying I’ve wanted Moats in to totally replace Slaton - just to start and get a more generous portion of carries and snaps. Slaton is still too dangerous (and too important to this team) to sit completely - but today he needed to be benched for the entire game, and that’s exactly what Kubiak did after his fumble.

Now, let’s not go insane here. Buffalo has the worst rushing defense in the NFL, and they definitely played to that reputation today, giving up 186 net rushing yards to the weak-running Texans.

Slaton’s struggles haven’t been only about fumbles. The poor blocking has a lot to do with it, but Slaton has also been more hesitant and hasn’t always had the best vision this year. Moats on the other hand, has hit the hole with authority today and in the other limited opportunities he’s had this year.

If it were up to me, would I start Moats over Slaton next week? Yes, I would… but Slaton would still be an important part of the game plan… just maybe not so much in the second half, as I’m afraid of what a turnover might do to our momentum in a close game.

I would still work Slaton into the game on both rushing and passing downs, because his lethality as a receiver is going to be hurt if other teams know he’s only going to get looks as a receiver.

Regardless of how bad the Bills are, the fact is that Ryan Moats had a great game today, and he’s earned more playing time. Myself and others have been calling for that for several weeks now, but even if it’s late, it appears to be happening. Of course you have to have confidence in Slaton and reassure him that he’s the guy… and he is - just not right now. I think I’ve already described his fumbling problems before today as “beyond ridiculous,” and I’m not sure what comes after that. “Far beyond ridiculous?” That doesn’t seem harsh enough. Today, nobody even touched the ball and he fumbled it. I love ya, but have a seat on the bench, Stevie.

I’ve got a busy evening ahead of me, so I can’t do my typical 1000-word reaction today. Let me just say this much…

The Texans are 5-3, which is their best record ever at this point or any other point.

The Texans are incredibly, shockingly, amazingly now at 3-1 on the road. I’ll repeat that. This Texans team - SO bad on the road for SO long - is 3-1 this year. That’s just crazy talk.

Next week, the Texans will travel to Indianapolis to take on the undefeated (7-0) Colts. I know the NFL is a grind and there’s pressure for every team every week, but nobody is going to be picking the Texans to win next week. I’m not going to say there’s no pressure on the Texans - but you can really let it all hang out when everyone in the world is expecting you to lose… and hey - is it too early to say that these Texans are road warriors? We’ll see what happens.

It’s not going to be easy. I’m seeing a lot of blowout win predictions, and while I hope that turns out to be right - I highly doubt it. This team is finally showing signs of being a competent road team, but the road can be a tough ordeal, especially against a team that’s fighting tooth and nail to stay in the playoff picture.

I look for the Texans to continue to play well against the run. Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick doesn’t scare anyone, but this Texans secondary is suspect. You never know what you’re going to get with them.

To me, this game is going to come down to one thing. Turnovers. If the Texans take care of the ball, they win. If they don’t, they lose. Sounds overly simplified, but I think that’s how it’s going to go down.