HALL OF FAME
Andre Johnson breaks new ground for Houston Texans, symbolizes much more
Jul 31, 2024, 12:41 pm
Andre Johnson is dedicating his Hall of Fame induction to Houston. Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images.
Andre Johnson knows his induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame isn’t simply about him.
As the first Houston Texan to become a member of the esteemed group, the receiver is representing so much more.
“This was for the whole city of Houston. It’s for the whole organization,” Johnson said. “Just hearing … grown men telling me that they were crying. Having people tell you that God gave us a superhero here in Houston. Those are things that you don’t even realize how people look up to you or (how) you playing that game can affect a city.”
Johnson didn’t join the expansion team until its second year, when he was taken with the third overall pick in the 2003 draft. But he quickly became the star — and face of the fledging franchise.
“I can’t think of anyone more deserving to be the Texans’ first Hall of Fame inductee than Andre Johnson,” Texans owner Cal McNair said. “Every time he took the field, we knew he was bringing an incomparable passion and intensity that was a joy to watch. His impact across our community is immeasurable and we are thrilled he has secured his rightful place in NFL history forever.”
He spent 12 seasons in Houston, where he remains atop the team’s receiving records. He had 1,012 receptions for 13,597 yards and 64 touchdowns and notched 51 100-yard games while with the Texans.
Johnson finished his career with a season each in Indianapolis and Tennessee to reach 14,185 yards receiving, which is the 11th most yards receiving in NFL history.
He had seven 1,000-yard receiving seasons and surpassed 1,500 yards three times, including in 2012 when he piled up a career-high 1,598 yards.
Johnson spent his first three seasons playing for coach Dom Capers, but believes things started to change for him when Gary Kubiak took over in the 2006 season.
Kubiak, Johnson said, told him after his first season in Houston that things were going to be a bit different moving forward.
“He was like: ‘Hey, I’m going to have to move you around. You’re going to have to learn everything that goes on in the offense,’” Johnson said. “And I learned every position. If you look at some games, there was some games I even lined up at fullback and he would motion me out of the backfield.”
Johnson missed seven games with injuries in 2007 before posting some of his best seasons in the next two years. He led the NFL with 1,575 yards receiving in 2008 and topped the league again in 2009 with 1,569 yards.
“I give coach Kubiak a lot of credit because I guess there was just something that he saw in me as a player, and it helped elevate my game,” Johnson said. “It helped take my game to another level.”
For that, he selected Kubiak to present him at the ceremony Saturday.
Johnson led the Texans to their first winning record with his spectacular 2009 season and helped the team to its first playoff berth in 2011 followed by another playoff appearance in 2012.
In those playoff years, Johnson starred on offense and J.J. Watt became the team’s defensive star. The defensive end, who is almost sure to soon join Johnson in the Hall of Fame, beamed as he congratulated his former teammate on the honor in a video released by the Texans.
“Congratulations, you have earned it. You deserve it,” Watt said. “You have a gold jacket and you will now and forever be remembered as one of the greatest players to ever play this game and damn is that rightfully so.”
Johnson, who stills lives in Houston, has been bombarded by fans around town since he was elected to the Hall of Fame. The soft-spoken star normally shies away from attention but has embraced the hubbub during this special time.
And he expects the love that he’s gotten in Houston to continue during his trip to Ohio for the ceremony.
“I already told people in Canton that they better get ready, because Houston’s going to show up and show out,” Johnson said. “But just the love I’ve received from this city and the fans, it’s truly been great. It’s been a fun time.”
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How these 3 critical factors could swing battle between Texans and Jets
Oct 30, 2024, 3:06 pm
The Jets host the Texans and their scary defense on Halloween night! Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images.
Houston (6-2) at New York Jets (2-6)
Thursday, 8:15 p.m. EDT, Amazon Prime
BetMGM NFL odds: Jets by 2.
Against the spread: Texans 3-4-1; Jets 2-6.
Series record: Jets lead 7-3.
Last meeting: Jets beat Texans 30-6 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Dec. 10, 2023.
Last week: Texans beat Colts 23-20; Jets lost to Patriots 25-22.
Texans offense: overall (9t), rush (18), pass (8), scoring (14).
Texans defense: overall (2), rush (13), pass (3), scoring (15t).
Jets offense: overall (24), rush (30), pass (13), scoring (25).
Jets defense: overall (4), rush (17), pass (2), scoring (11t).
Turnover differential: Texans plus-4; Jets minus-3.
Texans player to watch
RB Joe Mixon. He has carried Houston's offense in the three games since he returned from an injury and could be even more important this week after wide receiver Stefon Diggs tore the ACL in his right knee last Sunday and is out for the season. Mixon ranks third in the NFL by averaging 100.6 yards rushing a game and has had at least 100 yards rushing and a TD run in three straight games.
Jets player to watch
Edge rusher Haason Reddick. After ending his lengthy contract holdout early last week, Reddick made his Jets debut and played 26 snaps on defense with two quarterback pressures while working mostly on third downs. His snaps might increase a bit Thursday and he could help the Jets get after C.J. Stroud, who has been sacked 22 times this season — tied for third most in the NFL.
Key matchup
Jets offensive line vs. Texans' pass rush. New York has had issues this season with injuries, consistency and protecting Aaron Rodgers. The Jets will face a tough test Thursday night against the Texans, whose 27 sacks are third in the NFL. DE Will Anderson Jr. is tied for third in the league with a career-high 7 1/2 sacks, including at least one in his past three games. DE Danielle Hunter has 5 1/2 sacks and DT Tim Settle has four, powering a formidable defensive front for Houston. Hunter leads the league with 51 quarterback pressures and Anderson is fourth with 39, the only teammates in the top 15, according to Next Gen Stats.
Key injuries
Diggs' injury leaves Houston without its top two receivers. Nico Collins, who leads the Texans with 567 yards receiving, is out for at least one more game after being placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. ... S Calen Bullock was limited in practice Monday and Tuesday after injuring his shoulder Sunday. … LBs Azeez Al-Shaair (knee) and Henry To’oTo’o (concussion) both missed the Colts game, but could return this week. … S Jimmie Ward could miss a fifth straight game with a groin injury. … LG Jarrett Patterson is in the concussion protocol and is likely out. … RB Dameon Pierce missed practice this week with a groin injury. ... Jets LB C.J. Mosley suffered a stinger in his neck during pregame warmups at New England and was meeting with neck and spine specialists this week. ... RG Alijah Vera-Tucker (ankle), WR Allen Lazard (chest), DL Leki Fotu (knee) and safeties Tony Adams (hamstring) and Ashtyn Davis (concussion) all missed the game vs. the Patriots and their availability for this week was uncertain. ... K Greg Zuerlein was placed on IR. Riley Patterson and Spencer Shrader were signed to the practice squad, and one will be promoted for the game.
Series notes
The Jets have won the past two meetings. ... New York won the first five meetings, including the first game between the franchises in 2003, when LaMont Jordan's late 8-yard touchdown run helped lift the Jets to a 19-14 victory. ... Zach Wilson threw two touchdown passes in the most recent meeting, a 30-6 rout by New York during which Stroud left with a concussion.
Stats and stuff
The AFC South-leading Texans have won four of their past five. ... Stroud is 2-0 with three touchdowns and zero interceptions in two career starts in prime time. He had 285 yards passing last week for his ninth career game with at least that many yards passing, which is tied for second most in the NFL since 2023. ... WR Tank Dell had a touchdown reception last week and has a TD catch in two of his past three games. ... TE Dalton Schultz had a season-high 52 yards receiving against the Colts. He has two TD receptions in each of his past two Thursday night games. ... Hunter has 10½ sacks in eight career Thursday night games. … LB Neville Hewitt, who spent the 2018-21 seasons with the Jets, forced a fumble last week. … Rookie CB Kamari Lassiter had a career-high three passes defended last week. … S Jalen Pitre had his first interception of the season last week. ... S Eric Murray had seven tackles and a season-high three passes defended last week. ... New York is trying to snap a five-game skid. ... Jeff Ulbrich is 0-3 as the Jets’ interim head coach since replacing the fired Robert Saleh on Oct. 8. Ulbrich, also the team's defensive coordinator, said earlier this week he'll continue to call plays on defense. … Rodgers snapped a streak of three consecutive games with an interception. He has seven in eight games, six shy of his single-season career high set in 2008 in his first year as Green Bay’s starting quarterback. ... Rodgers hasn't passed for 300 yards since throwing for 341 against Chicago on Dec. 12, 2021 — a span of 30 regular-season games and 31 overall, including one playoff game. ... WR Garrett Wilson leads the NFL with 84 targets, 11 more than the Giants’ Malik Nabers. Wilson’s 51 receptions are second in the league behind Las Vegas’ Brock Bowers, who has 52. ... WR Davante Adams had four catches for 54 yards, giving him seven receptions for 84 yards in two games since being acquired from the Raiders. ... Second-year WR Xavier Gipson caught his first career TD pass last Sunday. ... TE Tyler Conklin has a TD catch in consecutive games after not having one since catching two TD passes in Week 8 of the 2022 season against New England. ... RB Breece Hall has 316 yards receiving, the most among NFL running backs. ... Edge rusher Will McDonald has eight sacks, second in the NFL to the Giants’ Dexter Lawrence (nine). … The Jets have only six takeaways, ranking among the fewest in the league. Backup CB Brandin Echols has New York's only two interceptions.
Fantasy tip
Houston wide receiver John Metchie is coming off a career-best three-catch game and could see more targets — and perhaps his first NFL touchdown — with both Diggs and Collins out. Might be worth a stash as a potential WR3.
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