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Houston Texans linebacker Brian Cushing was named the Associated Press defensive rookie of the year, and the vote was a landslide -- he got 39 of 50 votes with Buffalo’s Jairus Byrd second with just six.

Cushing is the second Texans player to be recognized by the AP, joining linebacker DeMeco Ryans, who won the award in 2006.

He would have gotten my vote. I thought he was a tremendous impact player for Houston and I didn’t see another first-year player do as much.

Cushing will talk at a press conference at 1 p.m. ET.

» NFC Stock Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Falling

1. Jaguars pass defense: Free safety Reggie Nelson was benched in favor of Anthony Smith, but that was hardly a shake-up that produced a big effect. A combination of a toothless rush and loose coverage helped assure the Jaguars dropped to 7-8 in New England.

Tom Brady completed 23 of 26 passes for 267 yards and four touchdowns while Randy Moss ran open for big plays and Wes Welker caught all 13 balls that came his way. Not only wasn’t Brady sacked, but game statisticians didn’t credit the Jaguars with a quarterback hit.

2. Jim Caldwell, Colts coach: His team's bizarre Sunday give-up against the Jets shines a bright spotlight on Indianapolis’ first-year coach. He’s made all the right moves in getting to 14-0, and his team needs to believe this was a correct one for the long term, even if it hurt in the present.

Not trying doesn’t seem to benefit the team in anyone’s eyes, and what if they don’t win that Super Bowl? Won’t we point back at the Jets' game as a spot where the possibility crept into the Colts’ consciousness?

3. Vince Young, Titans QB: The finale in Seattle is a big game for Young, who surely wants to head into the offseason feeling better about his game than he did after a miserable performance against San Diego on Christmas night.

He completed 38 percent of his passes for 89 yards, nothing longer than 15, with two interceptions, no TDs and an 11.9 passer rating. As good as he’s been since taking over for Kerry Collins, a performance like that showed why some may still have doubts.

Rising

1. Chris Johnson, Titans RB: The Chargers did great work against the Titans, and still Johnson managed 142 rushing yards and another 37 receiving. While his touches have gone up, he’s shown no signs of wearing down.

On a Sunday when six AFC games have playoff implications, Titans-at-Seahawks won’t be one of them. But the game will still draw a lot of interest anyway because Johnson’s got a shot at 2,000 rushing yards, the record for yards from scrimmage, and even Eric Dickerson’s all-time record.

2. Brian Cushing, Texans OLB: The rookie is nicked up, but you can’t really see it on Sundays. Against Miami he didn’t look like a beat-up, worn-down first-year player. He looked like Houston’s best defender.

Game statisticians gave him nine tackles to go with his sack and interception. He showcased the versatile game that made him the guy the Texans spent the 15th pick in the draft on.

3. Arian Foster, Texans RB: We’ve crushed the Texans for their failures in the run game, so Foster deserves credit for making the most of his chance in a crucial game against Miami. Nineteen carries for 97 yards, a 5.1-yard average and a touchdown amounted to a fine day.

And if the Texans are to beat AFC East champ New England Sunday, odds are they will force the Texans to run it. Fisher looks to be first in line for carries in that scenario and beyond if there is a playoff berth.

Award season is almost upon us.

I thought I’d give you a run through of where I believe AFC South candidates should fit in the voting. Please note I don’t have a ballot, and could be missing good candidates here from outside the division. I'm also two games early.

As always, I invite a conversation in the comments.

MVP: Peyton Manning should win it and I believe he will. I’m not big on the “without-him” criteria, where you say how bad the Colts would be without him. I’m not big on the “so dependent” criteria, where you say the team’s run game is poor and they are so dependent on Manning it increases his value.

Here’s what I am big on: I believe he’s the best football player in the league right now. Seven fourth-quarter comebacks, a 14-0 record and early clinching of the big trifecta -- the division, a bye and homefield advantage. What else could you ask him to lead his team to?

Offensive Player of the Year: Chris Johnson should win it. I understand that some voters will feel compelled to put Drew Brees here if they go with Peyton Manning for MVP or vice versa, but that would be a mistake and here is why:

Johnson is miles ahead of the next most-productive running back, while Manning and Andre Johnson, the NFL’s leading receiver in yardage, have no such distance between them and their competitors.

Chris Johnson has run for 1,730 yards. Steven Jackson is second with 1,353. That 377 yard difference amounts to 22 percent more for CJ. Johnson is 17 percent ahead of Ray Rice on scrimmage yards.

Manning is one of six quarterbacks with a passer rating over 100. He leads a group of eight signal-callers who’ve already eclipsed 4,000 yards or are all but certain to.

Andre Johnson has 1,433 receiving yards. How many guys are within 22 percent of that total? Six.

Are running backs down? Sure. Is it more and more a passing league? Absolutely. Are people still handing the ball off? Yup.

Chris Johnson’s rushing performance this season is the single best offensive performance of the season. He should win this award by as large a voting margin as any postseason award is won.

Defensive Player of the Year: A case can be made for Dwight Freeney, who’s got 11.5 sacks in a very consistent rushing season. But the Colts defense has been good at all three levels and his push doesn’t stand out. Charles Woodson and Darrelle Revis are the buzz guys now and I think Woodson is a worthy winner. I’d lean to Darren Sharper.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Percy Harvin looks to be in line to win it, and he’s been an explosive addition to the Vikings. But just be sure you’re not putting him here as a receiver alone, because it’s his additional work as a kickoff return man (his 28.3-yard average is third in the NFL) that puts him over the top. Austin Collie's receiving numbers (53 catches for 567 yards and seven touchdowns) aren’t too far off Harvin’s (49, 691, six).

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Brian Cushing's been a huge addition to the Texans and I’ve listened to opposing coaches, on and off the record, rave about him all season. He’s played like a veteran despite missing camp with a knee injury and sitting out a lot of practices during the season with a foot injury. He should win this because of how much impact he’s had for the Houston defense. I’ve been asked about Jerraud Powers, who’s been quite good for what the Colts ask of a corner, but he’s not on par with Cushing. Buffalo’s Jairus Byrd will get votes for an excellent season with an NFL-high nine interceptions and Brian Orakpo is a strong candidate.

Coach of the Year: Jim Caldwell deserves serious consideration. Broad national thinking is he inherited a great situation and didn’t screw it up. But he made two significant staff changes. The defense, under coordinator Larry Coyer, has been excellent, and the special teams’ coverage, under Ray Rychleski has been better. The Colts didn’t plan on life without Bob Sanders or Anthony Gonzalez, yet they’ve not missed a beat with those guys missing.

But voters traditionally lean heavily on turnarounds or surprises. I figure that means Sean Payton and maybe Marvin Lewis get the most attention here. If the Jaguars find a way into the playoffs, so should Jack Del Rio.

Comeback Player of the Year: I’ve heard some Vince Young talk. I think this requires coming back from more than a self-inflicted benching, and more than a 10-game season. I don’t think he’s in the same class here as Cedric Benson, who had been dismissed as a bust. And I know a lot of folks will look to Tom Brady.

» NFC Draft Rewind: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

» Draft class lists: Indianapolis | Jacksonville | Houston | Tennessee

Houston Texans

Best get: Not everyone was sold on Brian Cushing coming out of USC, often because of his injury history at USC. He missed most of camp hurt and has missed a lot of practices, but none of it has gotten in the way of his being an impact player every Sunday. The Texans need more defenders and more players in his mold. He’s a legitimate defensive player of the year candidate.

Worst unaddressed spot: The Texans had plenty of reason to expect they had a feature back in Steve Slaton, but completely misread their situation after that. Interior line injuries and a second-year slump for Slaton have made a second back even more important, and Chris Brown, Ryan Moats and Arian Foster all have proved incapable of handling the pressures of the work. A second running back ranks as one of the team’s highest priorities in free agency or the 2010 draft.

Still uninvolved: Tight end James Casey came in as a versatile fifth-rounder who was going to be a unique weapon for head coach Gary Kubiak and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan to tinker with. He’s got six catches for 64 yards in 11 games. He needs to have more of an impact, given that the Texans lost top-flight tight end Owen Daniels to a season-ending knee injury.

Indianapolis Colts

Still to be determined: First-rounder Donald Brown has shown he will be a good NFL player. But he’s missed five games with injuries, including the last three. He’s more capable than Joseph Addai of breaking off a big run. The question: Does Brown understand that looking for the big gain isn’t worth risking a play resulting in second-and-12. If Brown is healthy, he could see a lot of touches in the last two games. The Colts are 14-0 with just 59 carries, 263 yards and two TDs from their top pick. (They haven’t gotten much out of second-round defensive tackle Fili Moala, either.)

A perfect fit: Fourth-round receiver Austin Collie, not Minnesota’s Percy Harvin, leads all rookie receivers in catches. Collie's nabbed 53 passes for 567 yards and seven touchdowns. He’s a perfect fit for the Colts' system, and adopted the necessary work ethic to win over and work with Peyton Manning. Whether Anthony Gonzalez re-emerges for the post season push or not, Collie’s crucial to it.

Best special teams addition: The Colts had eight touchbacks in 2008. With rookie punter Pat McAfee taking over kickoffs from Adam Vinatieri, they have 18 with two games remaining. Better kickoffs are a big factor in coverage improvements under new special teams coach Ray Rychleski. McAfee’s also got a net punting average of 38.0 yards, less than a yard off former Colts' veteran Hunter Smith’s number from last season.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Long-term solutions: Eugene Monroe and Eben Britton were the top two picks and have played the bulk of the season at left and right tackle, respectively. They have not been consistent, but the team loves their skill sets and upside. And early work means they’ll get to the levels the team projected when spending such high picks on them sooner rather than later.

Eighth-rounders: First-year general manager Gene Smith needed additions beyond his draft class and found a couple: Cornerback William Middleton out of Furman and linebacker Russell Allen from San Diego State are undrafted free agents who made the team and have been contributors. In the nationally televised Week 15 Thursday night loss to the Colts, Allen led the team with 12 tackles. Smith is down a second and seventh rounder in 2010 because of trades, and he hopes to hit on some undrafteds again, and annually.

Three is key: Smith did great work in the third round, landing two small school players who’ve established themselves as productive starters with upside. Cornerback Derek Cox from William & Mary has not been intimidated by anything or anyone. Defensive tackle Terrance Knighton from Temple has been a stout and reliable run stopper.

Tennessee Titans

Biggest breakthrough: Since 1998, the Titans have spent draft picks in the top three rounds on Kevin Dyson, Tyrone Calico, Courtney Roby, Brandon Jones and Paul Williams. Dyson was involved in two of the franchise’s biggest plays in 1999 and did OK otherwise, but none of them solved the team's long-standing woes at receiver. First-rounder Kenny Britt is a great combination of size, power and speed who goes and gets the ball. Britt seems like he can be a consistently productive weapon.

Disappearing act: The Titans gave away a second-rounder to draft tight end Jared Cook in the third, and in camp he seemed like a great addition. Then he suffered an ankle injury, faded and never really re-emerged. Long-term he’s still very compelling. But the Titans sure could have used a jolt from him during their 0-6 start.

An heir: Gerald McRath seems comfortable and been effective as an outside linebacker when needed. He will start the rest of the way and, after bulking up in the offseason, stands to inherit the spot of either David Thornton (breaking down) or Keith Bulluck (free agent who tore an ACL in Week 15) next year. If both veterans are gone (a likely scenario), the second replacement needs to be a free agent or a draft pick.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 13:

Dallas Clark had nine catches for 77 yards when the Colts dismantled the Titans on Oct. 11. He told Nashville media this week that Tennessee doesn’t generally lock in one guy to matchup with him, but that he expects nickelback Vincent Fuller most of the time with a splash of Keith Bulluck. With Clark, Reggie Wayne and Austin Collie playing well and Pierre Garcon rebounding from a tough stretch, will the Colts have more targets than the Titans are able to defend with Cortland Finnegan, Nick Harper and Fuller as the primary defensive backs?

Minus cornerback Rashean Mathis (groin), the Jaguars have given up significant passing yardage the last two weeks -- 297 to the Bills 26th-rated pass offense, 232 to the 23rd-rated Niners. What’s that mean as they head into a game against Houston, which is ranked third? Pass pressure’s been an issue for the Jaguars. Matt Schaub is much less effective against the blitz, but can the Jaguars afford to send extra rushers when their coverage is already more susceptible without Mathis?

If Chris Johnson runs for 104 yards in Indianapolis, he’ll become just the fifth player ever to reach 1,500 in the first 12 games of the season. Walter Payton did it in 11 games in 1977, Jim Brown did it in a dozen games in 1958 and 1963, O.J. Simpson did it in 1973 and 1975 and Terrell Davis did it in 1998. Only two of those six seasons wound up over 2,000 yards. Johnson’s 1,396 yards this season put him on pace for 2,031 and is currently ahead of where Eric Dickerson and Jamal Lewis were through 11 games when they had the top two rushing seasons in NFL history. If CJ tops 125 rush yards, he’ll be the first player ever to do it in seven consecutive games.

Brian Cushing against Maurice Jones-Drew should a very compelling matchup. Cushing been resting a foot injury during the week but playing fantastic on Sundays, making a case for defensive rookie of the year. The Jaguars will doubtlessly look to establish MJD and feed him the ball early and often. Three of the four times MJD has had fewer than 10 touches in the first half, they’ve lost and the one they won they jumped up to a big lead early and basically rested him.

The Titans five-game winning streak isn’t in the ballpark of the Colts’ 20-game string (11 this year), but add this year’s stretches together and you’ve got something. Tennessee and Indy square off tied for the longest combined winning streak -- 16 games -- in an NFL Week 13 game since the AFL-NFL merger. In 1984 Denver (10) and Seattle (six) played in similar circumstances, with the Seahawks winning by three.

» NFC Stock Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Falling

The Jaguars’ pass protection and David Garrard, Jaguars QB: A 300-yard passing game for Garrard in San Francisco was more than offset by his two lost fumbles in the red zone on the Jaguars’ first two possessions of the second half.

He was under fire all game. Sacked six times for 46 yards he also absorbed another six hits by the count of press box statisticians. Can he sense it all a bit better?

Matt Schaub, Texans QB: With his team up 20-7 at the half, Matt Schaub not only couldn’t do his part to finish off the Colts, but helped Indianapolis’ comeback efforts.

After a solid first half, he threw for 132 yards with a TD, two picks and a 60.8 passer rating to go with two sacks and a lost fumble.

Josh Scobee, Jaguars K: The big-legged kicker was hardly the reason Jacksonville blew its chance to improve to 7-4, but he didn’t help much.

But on a day when the Jaguars couldn’t find the end zone, a couple more field goals could have kept them in it longer and given them more time to come to life. Instead, he missed a 40-yarder wide left and hit the left upright with a 21-yarder.

Rising

Vince Young, Titans QB: Is there anyone in the league whose stock is rising faster or higher? Young had a career passing game with 387 passing yards in the Titans' win over Arizona.

But it was the game’s final drive that was the story, and could be a defining moment in his career. He marched Tennessee 99 yards in 18 plays and 2:37 to a winning touchdown on the game’s final play, the third fourth down the Titans converted along the way.

Joseph Addai, Colts RB: As part of the Colts’ second-half comeback, he ran 15 times for 69 yards. Eye popping like Chris Johnson? No. More than good enough to supplement Peyton Manning and help power play-action? Yes.

In the Colts’ last four games Addai’s averaged 4.3 yards a carry, a number that’s hardly as bad as his detractors would have you believe.

Brian Cushing, Texans LB: He continues to fly around and deserved a better fate after a game-high 11 tackles and an interception of Manning.

As discouraging as the three-game losing streak has to be for Texans fans, surely they look at Cushing and see hope for the future.

HOUSTON -- On the definitive series of Monday night's game, Vince Young did what so many players and teams have tried and failed to do.

He turned Titans running back Chris Johnson from a primary to a complementary player.

On third-and-3 from the Tennessee 48-yard line, finding nothing as he looked downfield, Young took off.

And before he sneaked out of bounds for a 12-yard gain and another conversion, he picked up a block from Johnson. It was the NFL’s top rusher and perhaps most dynamic playmaker who got between the quarterback and Houston’s excellent rookie linebacker, Brian Cushing.

Four plays later, Titans kicker Rob Bironas connected on a 53-yard field goal for the final points of a 20-17 Titans win that ended when kicker Kris Brown's 49-yard attempt to force overtime sailed wide left.

Houston defenders were left to explain how Young evaded them on so many crucial plays.

Cornerback Dunta Robinson flailed at Young’s feet on at least one occasion.

“It was devastating,” he said. “… It’s easier said than done, to go out there and try to stop it.”

“You’re just thinking you’ve got to get him down,” Texans defensive lineman Antonio Smith said of Young on the run. “You’re thinking you’ve got to find a way to get to him. You know he’s going to run. So you’ve got to find a way to adjust to it, and when you expect him to run to come off a block and strip the ball.”

Johnson topped 100 yards (151) for the fifth game in a row as the Titans won their fourth consecutive game. With Young and Johnson running some option plays and Young scrambling out of some pass plays, Tennessee put on a show on Houston’s big date with "Monday Night Football."

The high-powered Texans got a 305-yard passing effort from Matt Schaub but didn’t get the points to match, while giving up 228 yards on the ground and watching Brown miss a long but makeable field goal that could have forced overtime for the second game in a row against a divisional foe.

Young gained confidence running as the game went on. And he did the bulk of his damage in the second half with first downs on five of his nine rushes as he gained 61 yards.

In the final period he had first-down runs of 10, 11 and 12 yards, with the receivers, backs and tight ends who started the play running routes for him shifting into blocker mode and helping him get easily out of bounds past the marker.

Johnson was happy to transform into a downfield blocker.

“I’ve blocked before, that’s not the first time it occurred,” he said. “If you want to be a complete back, you’ve got to do all the little things.”

Young said the Texans were in a lot of man coverage, and when the defensive linemen pushed upfield he was left with a lot of room to operate against defensive backs who weren’t facing toward him. The Texans went to Cover 2 a few times, but Young was able to pull it down and use his legs to make things happen even then.

The uptick in Young’s running success coincided with the sort of late-game tiredness that makes getting ahold of him even tougher than usual, Robinson said.

“You’ve just got to stay in your lanes and you’ve got to take proper angles,” he said. “Sometimes fatigue sets in and angles, that thought kind of goes out the window. And that’s when he’s most dangerous.”

It wasn’t all legs. Young didn’t light it up throwing it, but had another efficient passing performance -- 11-of-22 for 116 yards, a touchdown and no picks.

On a second-quarter play in the red zone, Young rolled right and had Johnson open on a short route in front of him for a first down. He decided against the safe throw to Johnson that many would expect him to make and fired to Kenny Britt for a 13-yard score.

He also tossed a beautiful deep ball over a defender for Nate Washington and watched it skim off the receiver’s hands.

When he was installed ahead of Kerry Collins following the Titans' 0-6 start, Young inherited a team with little more to lose. While the Texans seemed to feel the pressure as the moments that would decide the game arrived, the easygoing demeanor Young prides himself on was still evident.

He put his arm around coach Jeff Fisher’s shoulder when he arrived at the sideline after failing to realize the 2:00 warning was upon the team in the first half. He patted an official on the backside after he was marked down, correctly, short of the goal line on one scamper. And he said he talked after the game amiably with Cushing, who was flagged for a late hit on Young out of bounds, telling his one-time USC rival that he should be defensive rookie of the year.

After the game, Young continued to work hard to say the right things.

“I just want to continue to lead my team,” he said, “and win the respect of my teammates as well as my coaches.”

He’s winning a lot more than that.

HOUSTON -- Some halftime thoughts from Texans-Titans, which is tied 14-14.

• Boy, the Titans' option plays with Vince Young and Chris Johnson running together are electric. Does it lose some of that juice if they run it much more? Has to be tempting for Mike Heimerdinger to call more. The play calling has been a nice and effective mix, I think.
• Loyalty is nice, but should have some limits, too. Rod Hood was playing great in place of Nick Harper. Harper was ready to return from a broken forearm, and coach Jeff Fisher gave him his job back. As a reward, he got to see Andre Johnson run right past Harper for a 12-yard touchdown on a fade. I suspect the Texans are big fans of Fisher’s loyalty.
• At the end of the first quarter and going into the two-minute warning, Young and Jeff Fisher both seemed unaware of where the clock stood. The Titans burned a timeout in the first situation. Young walked to the sideline with palms up in the second, then put his arm around Fisher when he arrived for their talk. Houston could have managed the clock better just before the half when more aggressive play calling might have given them a chance at a long field goal attempt for Kris Brown.
• Houston had done largely good work containing Johnson up until a 36-yard run on Tennessee’s second scoring drive. On that run, he bounced off Brian Cushing and skipped to allow Zac Diles to fly by. I’d bet outside of that Houston was pretty happy with their defensive effort against him, and that’s saying something when the guy is averaging 6.6 yards a carry and not hurting you too badly.
• James Casey isn’t going to replace Owen Daniels, but he offers an intriguing and flexible piece for Matt Schaub. I’d like to see the Texans try to get him increasingly involved in what they are doing.
• Fullback Vonta Leach is a valued blocker and special-teamer and the Texans were surely relieved his injury was merely a knee bruise and he was back in short order.
• Too much Chris Brown. He's got twice as many carries as Steve Slaton, six to three, and is half as dynamic, at best.

HOUSTON -- It qualifies as ancient history now, and several Titans didn’t remember the specifics.

But when Vince Young burned a big blitz on a third-and-14 from the Houston 39-yard line on Dec. 10, 2006 for an overtime touchdown, he pulled off a play that symbolized how things can work for him.

The rookie made an electric play and got great blocks from Chris Brown and Bobby Wade, who paved the way to the end zone. Part of the reason that path opened, however, was Young had called a route wrong in the huddle.

The in-cut that was supposed to happen would have likely put a safety in his way to slow him down or change his course. The out-cut that took place instead just happened to clear out some of the space he was able to use.

Center Kevin Mawae worries about the protections, not the routes.

But if it happened that way then, he said he wouldn’t have been surprised. And if it happens that way now, he won’t either.

“What I do remember is they had everybody coming and we knew if we just picked it up and he hit the hole, there is nobody,” Mawae said. “Because if they’re bringing seven guys, three guys are covering receivers, you’ve got one guy out there. And that’s what happened. ...

“He’s that kind of a guy, that’s the thing he brings to us. He has the ability to make everybody look silly on a play that should have never worked in the first place just because of his athletic ability. He’s got the ability to make everybody right when something’s gone wrong.”

Surely the fervor for Young at Reliant Stadium will be different Monday night than it was that day -- those Texans were 4-8, these are 5-4 with a chance at a playoff spot.

Still, he will have plenty of support.

His family will be in a luxury box, some wearing throwback Houston Oilers jerseys with his No. 10. Plenty of Texas alumni and/or fans will still look at him and be reminded of the Rose Bowl performance and resulting national championship for the Longhorns. Others have been following him longer than that, back when he was a kid drawing attention in Houston.

Texans linebacker Brian Cushing told me Friday he hadn’t heard much VY buzz in town but expects some, which is understandable based on what the quarterback did for the city and state.

Fans may be more partial to the home team, but a lot will hope Young does well in a loss.

“VY is the mayor of Houston,” Titans fullback Ahmard Hall said. “He thrives in big moments and he’ll have another big moment on Monday night. He’s definitely excited to be the starting quarterback going back there.”

Young played down the mayor idea, saying only that he’s a Houstonian.

That game-winning touchdown sprint at Reliant Stadium ranks behind only the Rose Bowl for him, he said.

“That’s a fairy tale, a dream come true,” he said.

He’s 3-0 since taking over for Kerry Collins, and these Titans feel like a completely different team than the one that lost to the Texans in Week 2.

"Him getting out of the pocket, running an option, running a boot, anything he does, his ability to make big plays running the football adds a big-time dimension that you have to worry about defensively," Texans coach Gary Kubiak said. "They’ve been exceptional at what they’ve been doing ... and protecting the ball extremely well along the way.

Young’s always been a prime-time guy. Can he help mess things up for his hometown team in his first chance under the spotlight in a long time?

Chris Johnson's ridiculous season kicked into high gear on Sept. 20. The Titans couldn't beat the Texans that day, but he embarrassed Houston, running for 197 yards and setting concerns about the Texans' run defense at DEFCON 1.

In the nine weeks since, Houston has transformed into a much more effective defense, and Johnson's moved past 1,000 yards.

So while Vince Young's return to his hometown as the starting quarterback of the much-improved Titans is a big story, the key to the "Monday Night Football" rematch at Reliant Stadium is Johnson. If he can come close to his Week 2 performance, Tennessee is now equipped to ride it to victory. If the Texans can better control him, their chances of improving to 6-4 in front of a raucous crowd will jump significantly.

The Texans' defense in general, and run defense in particular, has improved for several reasons.

The team's done better with the message of first-year coordinator Frank Bush and is more fundamentally sound. Bernard Pollard was signed and took over as the starting strong safety. His reliable positioning and sure tackling have helped raise the standard in both departments.

And the rushing offenses of the Texans' last six opponents now average 22nd in the NFL while the first three opponents -- the Jets, Titans and Jaguars -- are first, second and sixth, respectively.

They gave up an average of 205 rushing yards in the first three and have cut the number to 60.5 since.

“Stopping the run has really been the big thing,” rookie linebacker Brian Cushing said. “Guys really started coming together. I know my game, mentally, has stepped up and a couple other guys have really stepped up too. This defense is just really jelling and we enjoy playing with each other.”

“Hell guys, it had to get better,” Gary Kubiak said of the run defense. “It was as bad as it could possibly be after three weeks this year. It had no way to go but up.”

Titans offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger said watching film of the Texans to prepare for the game showed a different team.

“They're playing with much more confidence,” he said. “The first time we played them, there were some breakdowns in assignments and gaps and now you don't see that any more. They're in the right gaps, they're flying to the ball. I don't think they'll play us the same way, and it's not so much the success we've had, I think it's more some of the breakdowns they had. You don't see confusion anymore.”

Johnson said he thinks he might see some five-man lines from the Texans and he doesn't expect to be able to slip outside as a receiver and be left uncovered as he was on a 69-yard catch and run for one of his three touchdowns in the first matchup.

And because he expects the Texans to adjust and be better coming out of their bye, he said the Titans need to adjust and be better.

“They have more time to prepare against me, some of the things you like to do, some of the plays you like to run,” he said. “So basically as an offense, we've got to go in there and mix it up and do some new things. Because they are going to expect us to do some of the same things since we had so much success.”

He was upset to come up three yards short of 200 rushing and said he hopes to get there this time.

“I think I'm unstoppable,” he said. “I've got great confidence. I expect to do well every time I am on the field.”

In three games since Young took over at quarterback, Johnson's rushed for 495 yards. A run threat at quarterback as compared to a pocket passer in Kerry Collins has opened up even more for Johnson.

They've even been running some option plays.

“With Vince doing some of the things we're doing now, they have to look out for him too,” fullback Ahmard Hall said. “It's not just about stopping CJ anymore.”

This is the Texans' one shot in prime time this year, and Cushing said they know much of their national reputation will be founded on how they perform. The Titans lost in overtime in Pittsburgh in the NFL's opening night game and were crushed 31-9 by Indianapolis in Sunday Night Football as part of their 0-6 start.

Creative on the field, Johnson hasn't had a chance to play a set of bongo drums in a touchdown celebration like he did in Kansas City last season. Maybe he's imagining Monday night will provide a chance to show off not just his speed, but his smile.

“This kid's amazing,” Kubiak said. “What type of year he's having and the pace he's on, you don't see that very often in this league. He's tremendous and it's, of course, the biggest challenge we've had all year long… He's a great player. In this league you play great people and understand that they're going to make plays. But hopefully you can find a way to contain them over a period of three and a half hours.”

» NFC: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

	Bob Levey/Getty Images
	Running back Steve Slaton's sophomore season has not fulfilled the promise shown in his rookie year.

Power Rankings: Preseason: 19. This week: 13.

2009 Schedule/Results

Where they stand: The Texas, at 5-3, were two games over .500 at the midpoint of the season for the first time in their history. But Sunday’s penalty-riddled loss at Indianapolis knocked them back a bit. Still, they are in position to post a mark better than 8-8 for the first time and could earn a spot in the AFC’s playoff field.

While they need better offensive balance, Matt Schaub’s been outstanding leading the NFL’s third-ranked passing offense. And after a shaky start, the defense has improved. Narrow losses to division foes Jacksonville and Indianapolis could be ones the Texans are left to regret the most.

Disappointments: Running back Steve Slaton was electric as a rookie and seemed to be a solution to run-game woes. But he’s regressed with a rushing average of 3.1 yards a carry and major fumbles that got him benched early in a game in Buffalo and still have him playing a reduced role.

Chris Brown, who was supposed to fill the role of the big complementary running back, proved he’s not the right man to get the ball when the team needs a tough yard. That wasn’t his strength when he was with the Titans, either.

Surprises: Since Gary Kubiak became coach in 2006, the Texans have rolled through starting strong safeties and always seemed unsettled at the spot with unreliable positioning and unsure tackling. But Kansas City castaway Bernard Pollard, with an endorsement from Houston’s new defensive back coach David Gibbs, was signed. His insertion into the lineup has coincided with a real defensive renaissance.

Rookie strongside linebacker Brian Cushing has been a solid player from the start, helping upgrade the front and combining with DeMeco Ryans to be a formidable linebacking duo.

Outlook: Injuries have hurt, with starting guards Chester Pitts and Mike Brisiel and standout tight end Owen Daniels all lost for the season. Even without them, the Texans have enough firepower to be a factor in the AFC wild card race. But after the sloppy showing in Indianapolis, where the Texans still could have forced overtime but for a missed 42-yard field goal by Kris Brown at the end, there is still a sense from the outside that there is something missing.

If they can figure out what it is and add it, the Texans finally might fulfill their expectations.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Paul Kuharsky

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Houston Texans spent a good segment of the first half reeling. But they held Indy to field goals on two scoring chances, and even losing the ball on the doorstep after a great Colts challenge, they only trail 13-3 at the half.

Some questions as we await the second-half kickoff:

• Peyton Manning has thrown 40 passes. Is Drew Bledsoe’s NFL record of 70 attempts in danger?
• Ryan Moats started and is playing a lot because of Steve Slaton’s fumble problems. But Moats fumbled on the play that was sorted out by the challenge. Does anything change in the Texans' approach to the run game now?
• How might this game be different if Mario Williams’ second-quarter breakup of a Manning pass for Dallas Clark was picked? It would have taken incredible reflexes by Williams, but it almost happened, and if he collected it, he might have taken it for a TD.
• Why are the Texans having problems understanding the neutral zone and how to stay out of it?
• Can Houston get a handle on penalties or does it want to keep giving the Colts bonus yards?
• Have we seen the best of Clark against Brian Cushing?
• Does Jim Caldwell regret "icing" Kris Brown on the field goal attempt that was blocked, leaving the door open for a second-chance make from 51 yards before the half?
• Will anyone this season be able to hold Dwight Freeney without a sack?

Posted by ESPN.com’s Paul Kuharsky

Good news on Andre Johnson. The Texans' star receiver, who suffered a lung contusion Sunday, practiced Thursday and looks on schedule to play in Buffalo.

Johnson

"I'm still not in any pain," he said, according to the team’s Web site. "I feel good; I feel fine. My breathing's fine when I'm out there running. Hopefully, there's s nothing bad when they look at the scan today."

"[I'm] very encouraged," coach Gary Kubiak said. "He took probably pretty close to almost all the reps he normally takes and didn't seem to have any problems. We'll see how he feels."

The Texans face another crossroads game Sunday with a chance to get to 5-3 for the first time in franchise history.

They should be good enough to beat the Bills on the road even without Johnson, but would certainly prefer not to find out.

Tight end Owen Daniels has become a top-flight option in the passing game and running back Steve Slaton has been mixed in more, Kevin Walter is an often-underrated No. 2 receiver and Jacoby Jones has big-play potential.

And the defense has been playing better.

Texans’ side note: Rookie linebacker Brian Cushing has heard the forecast for Buffalo and is excited about it. Here’s the tweet from @briancushing56:

“I heard it might snow this Sunday in Buffalo and I'm pumped. I grew up playing in snow and a bunch of my family will be their from Jersey!”

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

In each of their first three games it’s fair to say the Texans didn’t do what was expected.

In Week 4 they did exactly what was expected: They rolled to a win over an inferior team, upping their record to 2-2 with a solid 29-6 throttling of the Oakland Raiders at Reliant Stadium.

Upcoming opponents will likely provide more resistance, but Houston’s big issues related to run defense and rushing offense were solved for a day, and perhaps this showing will give the team mounting confidence that it can play well in both departments.

The Texans held the Raiders to 2 yards a carry and 45 yards total on the ground and got a tremendous safety when Brian Cushing body slammed Justin Fargas on a questionable carry out of the end zone. They also fought through a slow start and a lost fumble by Steve Slaton and got a two-touchdown second quarter from their running back -- one rushing, one receiving.

They didn’t run for great yardage, but the game’s construct finally allowed them to get the carries they’ve lacked. Slaton and Ryan Moats -- who got work ahead of last week’s goat, Chris Brown -- combined for 41 carries for 120 yards.

Slaton’s fumble came after he was toppled awkwardly by one of his own linemen, Kasey Studdard. But the Texans didn’t get thrown off by that mistake or another where Matt Schaub and Slaton collided in the backfield, but Schaub maintained his balance and composure and threw a big gainer to Owen Daniels.

The Texans hoped to get to this point at 3-1. They’ll take 2-2 and second place in the AFC South as they prepare for consecutive trips to Arizona and Cincinnati, knowing they’ve hardly played their best and expecting better things ahead.

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

Five nuggets of knowledge about this weekend's games:

The Texans need a lot from Brian Cushing and Dunta Robinson: The rookie linebacker and the veteran cornerback were not part of the preseason, when the defense was not good, particularly against the run. Can they provide the missing ingredients against the Jets, who will be determined to run it? I think they will be difference-makers, but fear that others think their mere presence will “fix” things.

	Drew Hallowell/Getty Images
	How productive will Anthony Gonzalez be in a passing game already featuring Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark?

The Jaguars are not an ideal draw for the Colts: Jacksonville has run the ball with good success against the Colts in recent games. The Jaguars are a different team now, with two rookie tackles in Eugene Monroe on the left and Eben Britton on the right. Can they plow room for Maurice Jones-Drew and Greg Jones or Rashad Jennings against a stouter Colts’ defense? This is a big game for Antonio Johnson, Dan Muir and Eric Foster, the three defensive tackles expected to rotate for the Colts while Ed Johnson serves his one-game suspension.

Anthony Gonzalez can do a lot to quiet skeptics: I think he’s going to be a very productive player with an expanded role for the post-Marvin Harrison Colts. But there are plenty of people doubting just how much he will be able to do as the second or third option for Peyton Manning after Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark. If he gets turns against rookie cornerback Derek Cox he needs to help Manning take advantage of Cox’s inexperience.

Mario Williams is bound to draw lots of attention: Whether he’s on the right where he starts out or flipped to the left in pass-rushing downs, the Texans stud defensive end will draw a lot of attention from the Jets. Here’s the first test as to whether the Texans can generate sufficient pass rush from elsewhere. Free-agent additions Antonio Smith and Shaun Cody and rookie Connor Barwin need to penetrate, hit and fluster rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez to maximize Houston’s chances.

Some rookie will rank as a hero or a goat in Indy: We’ve mentioned Monroe, Britton and Cox. Jacksonville will also start defensive tackle Terrance Knighton. The Colts are expected to start rookie cornerback Jerraud Powers and will rely on contributions from receiver Austin Collie, running back Donald Brown and punter Pat McAfee. If one of those eight guys has a great or terrible game, he’s likely to be a big piece of the storyline at Lucas Oil Stadium.