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A couple quick thoughts on the Houston Texans 30-7 win against the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park Saturday night ...

• The big issue is Arian Foster's left hamstring. He left the game in the first quarter after re-injuring it. The team feels good about its depth with Derrick Ward and Ben Tate, but make no mistake -- a major countdown of Foster’s readiness for the Sept. 11 opener against the Colts is now underway. Ward ran for a score and Tate had a 4.7-yard average including a very nice two-cut run on a draw that showed patience and vision. Jeffrey Martin described the Foster scene here.
• Jacoby Jones had a Matt Schaub pass in the end zone go through his hands early on. Yes, it was on him quickly, had a lot of zip and required him to reach for it. But it’s the sort of catchable pass he misses that drives his critics crazy. It killed a drive that turned into the first of Neil Rackers' three field goals.
• Troy Nolan took an interception off Colin Kaepernick 73 yards for a touchdown after picking Alex Smith, too. Good news for a backup safety at a position where depth is a question. Kaepernick's was a horrible, telegraphed throw. Houston's defense was good against bad signal-callers, who managed to combine for a 7.6 passer rating. [I initially wrote that Dominique Barber had the pick of Smith. I did not see that play for myself, and the official NFL game book credits Barber. Apologies.]
• While Houston played starters into the third quarter, the 49ers went to backups far earlier. That’s nice that the Texans can push them around and build confidence and continuity. I understand Jim Harbaugh is sticking to his plans and not allowing an opponent to dictate what he does. But how does such a scenario benefit the home team?
• Twenty-eight guys earned a mention on the defensive stat sheet. Mario Williams was not one of them.

While the 49ers were sacking David Garrard six times Sunday, the Jaguars hardly matched the pass pressure in their 20-3 loss. Jacksonville didn’t get to Alex Smith for a single sack in 41 pass attempts.

The Jaguars have been dealing with an anemic pass rush all season and Jack Del Rio told Jacksonville media Monday evening that a jolt in that department could make a big difference for his team in the stretch run.

“I think for me the biggest thing that has been our Achilles' heel is really our inability to finish and close on their quarterback with sacks,” he said. “A lack of pressure has been a problem. We’re searching for ways to manufacture a pass rush. We’re looking to create one-on-ones when we get guys an opportunity, and so we’ve really done a lot in an attempt to work on it and we’ll continue to work at it.

“We’re committed and we know that is the one missing thing defensively that keeps us from having great days because we are stout against the run, we are stingy, the guys are playing hard and if you get that missing ingredient… If (Quentin) Groves would come on , (Derrick) Harvey comes on, those guys all of a sudden can start knocking that quarterback down more regularly, our defense could take off and that’s what we need as a football team right now.”

Harvey’s rounding into a solid player, but sacks don’t appear to be a strength for him and Groves has seen a couple players of far less draft stature work ahead of him on multiple occasions this season.

The source of these sacks, just two years after the Jaguars traded up to No. 8 overall for Harvey and spent their second rounder on Harvey, may simply not be on the roster yet.

The host San Francisco 49ers played a mistake-free game. The same can’t be said for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Mistakes killed them.

Jacksonville quarterback David Garrard was pressured all day in a 20-3 loss. As has been a terrible trend all season long, Garrard’s penchant for fumbling was critical to the Jaguars’ loss, too. Led by Patrick Willis, San Francisco’s defense was fundamentally sound.

We saw very little from Maurice Jones-Drew in the first half, as he posted just 18 rushing yards on only five carries. Jacksonville underutilized Jones-Drew -- which is a mistake any way you cut it. When the Jags did move the ball, it was via the short, controlled passing game that Garrard managed and executed quite well. He distributed the ball to eight different receivers, with seven of those getting multiple catches.

But 49ers quarterback Alex Smith did much of the same –- and his team made fewer errors. The woes of Jacksonville’s pass defense were exposed yet again. Jacksonville was without its best cornerback, Rashean Mathis, and the Jags have one of the league’s worst pass rushes.

The Jaguars defensed the first touchdown of the game – a short Smith pass to tight end Vernon Davis -- poorly. Davis was all alone.

Jacksonville’s red-zone performance also left a lot to be desired, as did the kicking by Josh Scobee, who missed two field goals.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Paul Kuharsky

Houston Texans

• Diligent playbook studier Joel Dreessen is ready to take over for Owen Daniels, writes John McClain.
• Defensive end Jesse Nading got promoted from the practice squad and will take over some of Dreessen’s special-team’s duties, says John McClain.
• Brian Cushing is AFC defensive player of the week for the second time this season.
• Gary Kubiak isn’t committing to Steve Slaton or Ryan Moats as his starting running back.
• Kubiak talks about Mike Shanahan in Dennis Dillon’s piece about coaching mentors.

Indianapolis Colts

• The Colts are still striving to achieve balance on offense, which means running it better, say Mike Chappell.
• Tyjuan Hagler is out for the year, says Phil Richards.
• John Oehser’s weekly "Magnificent Seven" includes sections on how Jerraud Powers is mature beyond his years, considering if this is Dwight Freeney’s best year and another look at the debate about Peyton Manning resting.
• It’s time to give props to Jim Caldwell says Deshawn Zombie. I agree and enjoyed this piece.
• Mike Chappell takes questions, including one on Marlin Jackson.
• Phillip B. Wilson doesn’t expect to see Anthony Gonzalez anytime soon.
• The Colts are ready for the matchup with Houston, says Tom James.
• A Q&A with Joseph Addai from Matt Dollinger of colts.com.
• Take a look at Austin Collie’s numbers when considering Percy Harvin as offensive rookie of the year, says Stampede Blue.

Jacksonville Jaguars

• Reggie Nelson is looking to bounce back from a bad day against the Titans, says Vito Stellino.
• The Jaguars were in full pads, working on tackling Wednesday says Michael Wright.
• Touchdown Jacksonville, the organization that helped convince the NFL the city was ready for a professional football team, is being revived to help keep the Jaguars in Jacksonville, says Jesse Lynne-Kerr.
• Tradition takes time, says Vic Ketchman of jaguars.com.
• Terry O’Brien’s aimless musings and shallow thoughts on the Jaguars.
• The Chiefs are likely to turn to running back Jamaal Charles with Larry Johnson out.
• The man charged with shooting Richard Collier took the stand and denied any involvement.

Tennessee Titans

• Second-chance quarterbacks Vince Young and Alex Smith square off Sunday, says Jim Wyatt.
• Chris Johnson creates a cars-for-yards program for his offensive linemen, says Wyatt.
• Johnson’s interview with The Sporting News.
• Wyatt runs through the Titans’ recent West Coast failures.
• Chris Davis is grateful for his second chance, says Terry McCormick.
• Kevin Mawae talks of his rap as a dirty player, from Gary Estwick.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Paul Kuharsky

The suggestion from mdcady80: Although Addai's throw to Wayne was indeed a game changer, the sack on Smith afterwards was much bigger. Alex Smith was leading a counter charge midway through the 4th quarter, leading the 49ers past midfield. On 3rd down, Smith goes back for a pass, and gets sacked by Dwight Freeney, taking them out of field goal range and giving Manning 5 minutes to wind the game down. If the 49ers pick up the first down, momentum builds and a field goal or touchdown is almost certain. The colts didn't get as much pressure as they would have liked, but that sack was very timely and changed the course of the game.”

The sack was actually by Robert Mathis and it wasn’t San Francisco’s last possession, but it was a giant play nonetheless.

The situation: San Francisco ball, third-and-2 from the Indianapolis 35-yard line with 11:49 to go in the game and the Colts ahead 18-14.

The 49ers line up three wide with Isaac Bruce wide left, Josh Morgan in the slot left and Michael Crabtree wide right. Vernon Davis is a couple yards off the left tackle, standing up. Frank Gore is to the right of Alex Smith, who’s in the shotgun.

The Colts have nickel personnel on the field.

What I saw unfold after the snap:

Linebackers Gary Brackett and Clint Session, who had crept close to the line of scrimmage before the snap, both peel out to help in coverage, Brackett with Jerraud Powers on Davis, Session to the middle.

Defensive tackle Raheem Brock also drops back into coverage, leaving a three-man rush with right end Freeney, tackle Eric Foster and left end Mathis.

Foster is single blocked by center Eric Heittmann and doesn’t gain any ground.

Freeney draws a double team from left tackle Barry Sims and left guard David Baas, who give ground but do well to stave him off.

Mathis puts a spectacular spin move on right tackle Adam Snyder, acting as if he’s going to rush inside and going from Snyder’s right shoulder to beating him outside his left shoulder in the blink of an eye. Gore runs through the line where Mathis started, offers no blocking help, turns to the right flat and doesn't get there quickly enough to be of service.

Smith drops three steps from where he takes the shotgun snap, and by the time he sets, Mathis is just two yards and one step to the side away. He gets a hand on Smith’s shoulder, another on his waist and drags him down for an eight-yard loss.

Result: The sack takes the 49ers out of field goal range in their only foray into Colts’ territory in the second half.

Ultimate outcome: Indy’s offense runs 17 of the game’s remaining 24 plays as the Colts hold on to remain perfect at 7-0.

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

Posted by ESPN.com’s Paul Kuharsky

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 8:

	Jason Miller/US Presswire
	It is important for Titans quarterback Vince Young to start the game well.

Vince Young is going to tell us a lot with his body language: I’ve documented his poor history against the Jaguars, but matchup-wise he could have done worse. Jacksonville struggles to get heat on the passer. He should have time to be decisive. Surely the Titans will give him a simple game plan to work with, but how he starts is going to be a big deal. If he has a bad series or two, is he slumped and looking defeated or does he have bounce in his step as he takes the offense back onto the field? I think we’ll have a lot of signs to interpret.

The 49ers will have a shock factor: They will have worked all week on stuff they are sure is going to work, and Peyton Manning will undo a piece of it with some sort of ridiculous completion. As that unfolds, a team unfamiliar with playing the Colts is likely to start wondering just what it has gotten itself into. If the 49ers fall behind, watch Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis attack Alex Smith. Things could get ugly. Smith used to drop the ball a lot. Mathis and Freeney do a great job of knocking it free.

The flags will be flapping in Buffalo: Wind is always an issue at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Houston’s win at Green Bay last year was a benchmark moment. Now comes another weather challenge on the road in a game that could really boost the Texans into the pool of AFC teams considered playoff contenders. Can the Texans find the recipe where they show a commitment to the run but still find big chunks of yardage with their precision passing? It could be a good week for a bigger pass rush -- defensive line coach Bill Kollar joined the Texans from the Bills and likely has some special insight they can put to use.

A contest of corner depth: Vincent Fuller returns for the Titans who probably get Cortland Finnegan back too, but they will be without Nick Harper. That means Jason McCourty is likely in the mix. The Jaguars are without Rashean Mathis (finger) which probably means Tyron Brackenridge or Scott Starks is in the lineup. Which substitute corner can hold up the best? Can coordinators Dirk Koetter and Mike Heimerdinger dial up stuff for David Garrard and Young, respectively, to take advantage?

Sanders vs. Gore: Pound Frank Gore and try to build from there. That’s the one game plan you’d think the 49ers will try to stick with. The Colts seem more susceptible up the middle than around the edges, but Bob Sanders is likely to be sharper in his second game back from a knee injury. Look for a couple top notch collisions between a back averaging 5.3 yards a carry and a safety looking to re-establish himself as a bruising run defender.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Paul Kuharsky

What I think they are thinking in the headquarters of the four AFC South teams this afternoon…

Houston Texans

Say this for us -- we can get ourselves into position where we have a real chance to change things going forward. Here we are again, poised to break through and establish ourselves as a contender. It’s time. Let’s go do it. Now. That second half Sunday, where we let Alex Smith bring the 49ers back when we were up three touchdowns, can’t be a bad omen for us. Killer instinct and halftime adjustments are on the list of things we still need to get a handle on, but we can work on those things and others while continuing to win. We are better than the Bills, and there is no reason with a good week of work we shouldn’t be able to go there and win.

Indianapolis Colts

This doesn’t get old. We’re rolling and we’re beating up bad teams. We’re showing off our depth and our quarterback can do nothing wrong. Our whole focus right now is on keeping things as they are and staying healthy. That early-season schedule may not have been brutal in terms of the records of the team’s we’ve dispatched, but half out schedule’s been prime time games on the road, and that helps tire you out. Now we’ve got a nice stretch of three at home, and the 49ers, Texans and Patriots may well serve as better measuring sticks than we’ve had so far.

Jacksonville Jaguars

That was a good rest. We’re ready now to get revved up and ready to go. Sure we have some flaws, but we’re convinced we can overcome them, do a couple things well enough and put ourselves in position to win games. So we start the post-bye stretch with a trip to Nashville for a rematch with the Titans, and we can’t be the first team to lose to the Titans. We need big plays, they give them up. Then Kansas City, at the Jets, Buffalo, at San Francisco. That’s not an intimidating month ahead. If we keep grinding, good things can keep happening.

Tennessee Titans

We’re starting from scratch. We got two big distractions late last week. One self-created, when Jeff Fisher calculatingly donned a Peyton Manning jersey at a charity event, one from the outside, when our former GM’s wife blasted Fisher on Nashville radio. Both served to get the focus off players, which was fine with us. Not Fisher’s talked about reviewing the very basics and making changes. So he creates a little suspense and anticipation, which is better than overwhelming dread.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Paul Kuharsky

Houston Texans

• Richard Justice says a move away from a balanced offense has set the Texans on a better course.
• Andre Johnson is expected to return from a chest injury in time to play next week, says John McClain.
• Duane Brown admitted poor judgment on a key penalty, says the Chronicle’s notebook.
• Alex Smith gave the Texans a real second-half scare, says David Barron.
• The Texans couldn’t match their offensive output after halftime, says Dale Robertson.
• McClain grades the Texans and ask for your input.
• Alan Burge’s look at the game.

Indianapolis Colts

• The Colts won their 15th straight regular-season game with a blowout in St. Louis, says Mike Chappell.
• Donald Brown suffered a sprained left shoulder, says Chappell.
• Bob Kravitz’s report card from St. Louis.
• Peyton Manning hasn’t been sacked in 163 pass attempts, says Phillip B. Wilson.
• One of the only blemishes for the defense was an excessive celebration penalty following Jacob Lacey’s pick six, says Wilson.
• The Colts are 6-0 for the fifth time in six seasons, says John Oehser.
• Debating Joseph Addai versus Brown with Todd Golden.
• Bob Sanders was happy to be back in action, says Tom James.
• Deshawn Zombie dissects the game.

Jacksonville Jaguars

• Why the Jaguars shifted to a 3-4, from Michael C. Wright.
• The trial connected to the shooting of Richard Collier starts Monday, writes Paul Pinkham.
• Vito Stellino’s Q&A with Gene Smith.
• The London game in 2010 could be Jaguars-Redskins, speculates Jonathan Loesche.

Tennessee Titans

• An offensive line slump has contributed to the Titans’ struggles, says Gary Estwick.
• Chuck Cecil said the 59-0 loss at New England will scar him forever, says Terry McCormick.