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Marcus from Houston writes: I just wanted to mention that the Texans NEED a better CB. I was so angry with them for not getting Carlos Rogers, or Asante Samuel. Michael Jenkins is available for trade, we need to get SOMEBODY. Kareem Jackson is awful, he is the reason we lost to the Saints last year, Lance Moore was such an easy target for Brees. Jackson gives everyone SO much space. I don't care how good your pass rush is, if Kareem Jackson is your second best CB, then good luck beating guys like Peyton Manning, Matt Hasselbeck, Tom Brady, etc. Jackson is AWFUL. My main focuses were getting rid of Jones (which we finally did),getting a better WR to back up Andre (which we did), getting a corner (got rid of one), aiding the pass rush (which we did), and signing Keenum after the draft (which we did). No one I know is saying we need a CB, I just want to know that I'm not the only guy in this city that realizes this.

Paul Kuharsky: So you had a five-item wish list. Your team gave you four of the five things you wanted (including a third- or fourth-string QB unlikely to be relevant any time soon) and you’re upset?

The Texans think Jackson is a starter. Certainly they can upgrade, but it’s time to come to terms with the fact they aren’t seeking a new starting corner. I’d change your focus to hoping Brandon Harris or Roc Carmichael can become the sort of safety blanket Jason Allen was or that someone else can emerge in that role.

Jackson can still get better. And the Texans aren’t going to brand him a mistake in his third year.

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David from Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., writes: I know it's hard but I'd appreciate it if you would continuously research information about each team so you don't have to repeat the same information in each of your blog posts.(Anger and O-line needs) I know the Titans are your exception, but as for the Jaguars no OT would have filled a need except to be a jar on a shelf.(although they did get Brewster from Ohio State) Please take the "jaguars always are an easy target" out of your head because of one mid round draft pick who is going to start next year. If the Jaguars want respect i know it starts with winning but blowing up non important stories based on your own perspective only serves to be a laser pointer to direct others towards your self serving prophecy/laughathon. I like your hard working analysis but would appreciate it if your changed your attitude, so it can change your behavior for the equal balance of all teams in this division blog.

Paul Kuharsky: Themes emerge for teams and get revisited. Blaine Gabbert needs to be better for the Jaguars in 2012 for them to get any better. It’s hard not to hit on that regularly.

Similarly, the choice of a punter such as Bryan Anger in the third round remains a conversation topic. I field questions about it. It comes up in draft review.

I disagree that a third-round offensive lineman would be a jar on a shelf. If Eben Britton gets hurt again -- and he’s been hurt a lot -- you’re looking at Guy Whimper playing again. If you don’t think they could have made a significant upgrade on Whimper with a third-round pick, you and I have a fundamental disagreement.

I think you’re doing what you accuse me of doing and not researching your information if you think I default to the Jaguars being an easy target.

I think you’d be hard-pressed to find someone regional or national who regularly defends the team as I do -- on Gabbert (too soon to call him a bust), on the tarps (EverBank is still bigger than Soldier Field), on the team’s stability (beating down the lazy Jags-to-L.A. talk), on the quality of the defense (which I think can be excellent), etc.

As for the blog being heavy on my perspective ... my own perspective is what is offered here. That’s why my name and picture are on the page, right?

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Josh in Houston writes: I keep hearing a lot of people say that Rashad Butler will be better suited for RT than he was as LT filling in for Duane Brown in 2010. I also keep hearing a lot of people say that he may be an upgrade in pass protection, but a downgrade in run blocking compared to Eric Winston. Do you know what the reasoning is behind these suggestions? Thanks!

Paul Kuharsky: The left tackle is usually the more technically sound tackle. He might be a bit smaller and a bit more finesse than power. The right tackle tends to be more of a physical guy.

Winston fit with that. The hope is that Butler does, too. I am not so sure.

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Gerald Ball from parts unknown writes: Your "the NFC North is better than the NFC East ... look at the QBs" comment was ridiculous. Eli Manning with 2 Super Bowl wins versus Aaron Rodgers with 1. Advantage: NFC East. Michael Vick's 4 Pro Bowls and 2 playoff wins versus Jay Cutler's 1 of each. Advantage: NFC East. Tony Romo's 3 Pro Bowls and 3 playoff appearances versus 0 and 1 for Matt Stafford. Advantage: NFC East. (Romo wins head to head over Jay Cutler also.) And as for Christian Ponder, he'd lose a head to head competition for a starting QB job to Rex Grossman AND for draft position to Robert Griffin III. Granted, the NFC North QBs are generally younger so there is more potential down the line for that group, but the NFC North has a better, more accomplished group of QBs TODAY.

Paul Kuharsky: I’ll take Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford and Jay Cutler as my divisional quarterback trio over Eli Manning, Michael Vick and Tony Romo or Robert Griffin. Overall they are younger, have more upside and are tougher to defend. (Manning’s excellent, obviously.)

But I’ll take the NFC North over the NFC East. The Giants went on a fantastic run last year and deserve full credit. But the Packers are a better team as we start 2011. Detroit, and probably Chicago, look better to me now than Philadelphia or Dallas.

I can’t help how I feel.

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Rick Grayson from Spring Branch, Texas, writes: How do you keep your job? I just told ESPN to hire bloggers for each individual team instead of biased cue balls like you. Titans this and Titans that.... blah, blah, blah.

Paul Kuharsky: I'll try to be better.

Particularly appreciate how you brought specifics for me to consider.

Thanks, to you and everyone, for reading and taking the time to write.

The draft is over, the rosters are filled up.

But what areas weren’t sufficiently addressed and where can we expect to see the teams of the AFC South continue to seek help?

Some thoughts.

Houston Texans

Veteran corner Jason Allen left as a free agent. He helped the Texans cover for Kareem Jackson, who played just 55.73 percent of the team’s defensive snaps in 2011.

Brandon Harris was a second-round pick out of Miami last year, but didn’t show anything. The Texans look to be counting on him to contribute more. They like Brice McCain, but he's a situational guy.

But corner is a spot where the Texans need some additional depth at the very least.

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts loaded their roster with offensive players -- eight of 10 draft picks went on that side of the ball.

The defensive picks were on the defensive line.

Which means the Colts still have a ton of work to do in the defensive backfield.

Jerraud Powers is a quality corner and a good leader. But after him, there are no proven corners on the roster. Is the second starter Chris Rucker? Kevin Thomas? Mike Holmes? Brandon King?

That’s not a great group to be choosing from. Look for team to give some undrafted rookies a chance and grab a veteran or two as guys come free during camp cuts.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars believe a healthy Eben Britton will help fortify their offensive line and he should.

But they don’t have sufficient depth on the offensive line and should create a situation where there is more real competition.

They re-signed Guy Whimper, who is a swing tackle at best and had some bad stretches last season. They like John Estes as a reserve center, but it would be nice to have someone to compete with him for the right to take over for Brad Meester.

Tennessee Titans

The team has sent major mixed signals about its offensive line.

Tennessee courted all the top centers in free agency but did not land one. And then they didn't draft an offensive lineman. Coach Mike Munchak said it wasn’t a dire need and the team can win with what it has.

Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean reports that among the team’s undrafted rookies is William Vlachos. Perhaps the center from Alabama can scramble the mix. But the Titans should still be adding options on the interior.

Thoughts on the Texans' draft from two people involved in evaluating personnel for NFL teams:

Guy No. 1:

“I know they want [Baylor receiver] Kendall Wright. He’s a slot guy who can work underneath and take pressure off Andre Johnson. Wright’s a playmaker. If he’s gone, there isn’t another receiver who will step right in. Rueben Randle and Alshon Jeffery are like Johnson, big and physical. Wright is different."

“They have to consider offensive line. I couldn’t believe they let Eric Winston go. He’s a good player. Who can you get at 26 that can come right in and play at right tackle? They could go out and make a pick like they did with Duane Brown, a second-round guy in the first. Jonathan Martin maybe? Or trade back."

“To me, the biggest question to be answered by this draft in that division is replacing the leadership and production lost with the trade of DeMeco Ryans and the release of Winston. Those are two main leaders and they did nothing in free agency. That’s hard to replace in a draft."

“Outside linebacker would be a luxury pick. Courtney Upshaw would be nice for them. Shea McClellin is another of what they have -- a versatile, solid football player. Inside, they could like Dont'a Hightower. I don’t think Darryl Sharpton or Bradie James can replace Ryans."

Guy No. 2:

“Coming up with a tackle in the late first is pretty tough. Cordy Glenn really doesn’t fit their profile, though he could be a right tackle. Mike Adams if you get past the combine test. Martin could be in that range."

“You can never have enough rushers. McClellin is a lot like Brooks Reed. Upshaw would be good there."

“Unless you take Janoris Jenkins, you can’t get a good corner at 26. You’d have to hold your nose, but he’s better than Kareem Jackson.”

Perhaps no underachieving player in the division gets more, steady, public cover from his team than Kareem Jackson, the Texans’ cornerback heading into his third year.

He was the 20th pick of the 2010 draft, when I felt like the draft went off the course the Texans expected and they got a little panicky. The talked about how pro ready he was coming out of Alabama and they made him a starter from the very beginning.

But even in an upgraded secondary last season, he couldn’t secure a full-time job, splitting work at the cornerback slot opposite free-agent addition Johnathan Joseph with Jason Allen, who’s now gone. (Nate Dunlevy of Bleacher Report recently wrote about Jackson as on the hot seat in Houston.)

Jackson doesn’t play with the confidence the Texans seem to try to instill with the constant reinforcement, often appearing timid. He got better under new defensive back coach Vance Joseph, but he still qualifies as the weak link in the defense.

Perhaps Brandon Harris, a mid-round draft pick from 2011, will get in position to challenge Jackson or provide a security blanket. Perhaps the team will draft a cornerback to fill Allen’s role. Perhaps it will pick up a veteran down the road when some shake free out of training camps.

But ideally, Jackson would graduate and become the player the Texans like to say he is. If he does, the defense has the potential to be as good as it was a year ago, when it often carried Houston.

Gary Kubiak was fond of saying both Jackson and Allen qualified as starters. Jackson played 55.73 percent of the Texans’ snaps on defense, Allen played 49.05 percent.

Getting only a bit more than half-time work out of a first-round draft pick hardly qualifies as a success. It’s only Year Three. Plenty of players emerge to play their best at this stage.

Receiver Jacoby Jones was a candidate here, but I fully expect the Texans to add a wide receiver who would take playing time away from Jones. Jackson should be counted on to play more, not expected to play less.

If I am a coordinator planning for the Texans, I’m making an effort to go after Jackson until he shows me he can make plays to slow me down.

Reading the coverage ...

Houston Texans

The Texans' offseason program starts Monday, says Nick Scurfield of the team’s website. While plenty of guys have been around team headquarters, players will start to get a feel for the group minus the free-agent losses, cuts and trades.

Cornerback Kareem Jackson is on the hot seat, but he may just be a bad fit for the Texans' defense, says Nate Dunlevy of Bleacher Report.

Indianapolis Colts

Andrew Luck met with the Colts in Indianapolis and was then the subject of an interesting tweet from team owner Jim Irsay, says Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star.

Indianapolis intends to push for another Super Bowl soon, says Brad Wells of Stampede Blue. It should.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Terrance Knighton’s eye injuries are serious, says Tania Ganguli of the Florida Times-Union, but they are not expected to be career threatening or have long-term consequences. That’s got to be a giant relief for everyone close to him. As he heals, we’ll find out about what it means for his offseason and for the start of the season.

Receiver Cecil Shorts says he knows exactly what he needs to do in his second season, according to the team's website. He's a guy the Jaguars could really use a jump from.

Tennessee Titans

Middle linebacker Colin McCarthy aims to continue to make splash plays for the Titans, writes John Glennon of The Tennessean. He was a great find, and if he can play like he did last year, the Titans are more than set at the spot.

Tom Gower of Total Titans examines the Titans' remaining depth-chart holes. One we haven't touched on: long-snapper.

Gary Kubiak conceded the early stages of free agency were rough on the Houston Texans.

They re-signed running back Arian Foster before he got to restricted free agency, and managed to keep center Chris Myers after he saw some interest from outside.

But gone through free-agent losses, cuts or trades are eight players of note.

Let’s take a look at each departure:

OLB Mario Williams (free agent, signed with Buffalo)

The team knew it was highly unlikely it would be able to keep him, and he got a giant contract from the Bills.

The glass-half-full side points out how well the Texans rushed the passer without Williams in the final 11 games and the playoffs last year and points out that he was always banged-up.

On the other side, Connor Barwin and Brooks Reed need to be part of a three-man gang at the position, and the odds of the pass rush just picking up where it left off aren’t high. Bryan Braman is an interesting player and could be a factor in his second year. Look for another outside backer in the draft.

RT Eric Winston (cut, signed with Kansas City)

A strong and technically sound right tackle who was a big piece of a line that may have been the team’s best unit and ranked among the league’s best last season.

This move was the biggest surprise of all that’s unfolded, and Winston was courted heavily before landing in Kansas City.

The team could go with backup swing tackle Rashad Butler, who missed much of last season with an arm injury. But he didn’t fare great when subbing for left tackle Duane Brown on the left side for four games a year earlier.

ILB DeMeco Ryans (traded to Philadelphia)

A beloved member of the team, Ryans hasn’t returned all the way to form after a serious Achilles injury. Plus, in the 3-4, he was barely a two-down player until Darryl Sharpton got hurt.

The Texans may not have gotten quite enough in the deal and they may have to smooth things out in the locker room, but a healthy Sharpton is a capable second inside guy to go with Brian Cushing.

RT Mike Brisiel (free agent, signed with Oakland)

The team played better with him in the lineup than when he was out and Antoine Caldwell filled in. Brisiel did tend to miss a couple games a year. The spot should be Caldwell’s to lose now and he should still be getting better.

TE Joel Dreessen (free agent, signed with Denver)

He seriously considered Houston’s offer before leaving to play with Peyton Manning. He was a valuable player for the Texans, the kind of smaller piece that glues together a team while being overlooked by many.

James Casey is the lone fullback now, but he’s technically more of an H-back and can do tight end things. Depending on how he’s deployed along with Owen Daniels and Garrett Graham, Houston could be OK.

FB Lawrence Vickers (cut, signed with Dallas)

He only played 31.06 percent of the Texans’ plays. Are they dead set on being a fullback team? Call Casey a fullback if you want, but you can run out of anything with Foster and shouldn’t feel desperate to restock.

CB Jason Allen (free agent, signed with Cincinnati)

An unsung player who the team counted as a co-starter with Kareem Jackson, a first-round draft pick who has not lived up to his draft status. They lost a security blanket with Allen, and need to ensure they have a fallback for Jackson on the team, whether it’s a veteran later, second-year man Brandon Harris or a draft pick.

QB Matt Leinart (cut)

T.J. Yates flew by him on the depth chart with his performance down the stretch, and the Texans couldn’t afford Leinart as a third.

Reading the coverage ...

Houston Texans

Right tackle Eric Winston, recently cut by Houston, signed with Kansas City, while free-agent cornerback Jason Allen signed with Cincinnati, says John McClain. Allen was a good security blanket for Kareem Jackson, and I suspect the Texans will need another.

Indianapolis Colts

The additions of Winston Justice and Mike McGlynn can help rebuild an offensive line that the Colts want bigger but must have better, says Phil Richards of the Indianapolis Star. These are just the kind of moves a team without a lot of money need to make. Both are low risk, high reward.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Buffalo Bills and the Jacksonville Jaguars are a lot alike. But they have taken drastically different approaches to free agency this time around, writes Vito Stellino of the Florida Times-Union. It will take some time to see which approach was better.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans worked out Peyton Manning in Knoxville on Saturday. Now they await his decision as well as a visit from free-agent defensive end Mark Anderson, says John Glennon of The Tennessean.

Football fans in Tennessee have waited on a Manning decision before, says David Climer of The Tennessean.

The Titans are not pursuing Jeff Saturday at this time.

Our exclusive peek into the Insider file of Scouts Inc.’s Gary Horton running through team-by-team needs :

Texans

Horton says: Corner, receiver, defensive end.

On corner: “Johnathan Joseph was a terrific shutdown corner for the Texans in 2011 and a big part of their defensive resurgence. Kareem Jackson is OK on the other side, but he lacks elite speed and ball skills and rotated with Jason Allen, who might leave in free agency. Brice McCain shows some promise as a nickel corner, but, in this blitz-oriented defense, turn-and-run cover corners are critical.”

Kuharsky: I’d like to see them upgrade. It’s time for a more honest assessment of Jackson. But they did draft Brandon Harris last season in the second round and they surely hope he’s ready to push for playing time in his second season.

Colts

Horton says: Quarterback, center/guard, cornerback.

On center/guard: “The left tackle position is decent on this line, but there are all sorts of problems on the interior and at right tackle. Offensive guard was a revolving door in 2011, and center Jeff Saturday is near the end of a terrific career. With not much behind the current starters, there is a lot of work to be done with this unit. Center Carl Nicks might be too expensive for New Orleans, and he would be a huge get.”

Kuharsky: I don’t know how the new regime’s philosophy will be about big-money free agents, but odds are the team won’t be able to afford a guy the quality of Nicks.

Jaguars

Horton says: Wide receiver, defensive end, cornerback.

On receivers: “This offense has lacked a go-to guy in the passing game for years, and it is by far the weakest position on this team. The Jaguars' only dependable guy, Mike Thomas, is ideally suited for the slot, and that means the team could use two starters on the outside. The depth in this unit is nonexistent. If they leave in free agency, DeSean Jackson, Vincent Jackson and Steve Johnson might be attractive guys. If Jacksonville goes the college route, Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon would be great.”

Kuharsky: They’ve got money to spend and have indicated they’ll use it. There is no reason they should not land a premier receiver in free agency.

Titans

Horton says: Cornerback, safety, center/guard.

On center/guard: “The Titans like their bookend tackles, but the interior of this offensive line needs an influx of veteran depth and talent to boost a run game that underachieved in 2011.”

Kuharsky: I think Horton underrates what the Titans have at corner even without Cortland Finnegan. They’ll make a move on the inside of their line, but how big a move?

BALTIMORE -- Thoughts on the Texans’ 20-13 loss to the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium:

What it means: The Texans blew a gigantic opportunity to get to the AFC Championship Game. Although they outplayed the Ravens for much of the afternoon, they didn’t do enough to overcome two early mistakes and paid the price. T.J. Yates had the Texans in good position for a drive that could have forced overtime, but he threw a jump ball for Andre Johnson that was picked by Ed Reed just before the two-minute warning. The sting and regret will last a good while, but the season will be rated a giant success once we look at it from a broader perspective.

What I didn’t like: Houston committed two early gaffes that would have killed a lot of teams given the setting. Jacoby Jones foolishly misplayed a punt that the Ravens recovered, and Yates threw a bad interception to Lardarius Webb. Baltimore turned both takeaways deep in the Houston end into touchdowns. Yates wound up with three interceptions.

What I liked: The pass rush on Joe Flacco was a constant source of trouble for Baltimore. He was sacked five times, including three times by rookie end J.J. Watt in the second half. Flacco felt the heat even on the rare occasion when there was not any, but the Ravens' protection scheme was often overmatched. Johnson had 111 receiving yards, and Arian Foster had 132 rushing yards.

What I wonder: Why doesn’t Kareem Jackson turn his head or play the ball? A couple of completions from Flacco to Anquan Boldin came on excellent throws into small windows with Jackson in close coverage. If he’d turned as the ball arrived, he’d have had chances to break up a play.

What I also wonder: If Matt Schaub and Mario Williams played in these playoffs, where would the Texans be standing?

What’s next: An offseason with reset expectations for a team that’s likely the favorite to repeat as AFC South champ and be a popular Super Bowl pick. There is a big decision ahead on Williams’ contract situation. There will be a lot of rehab for Schaub, who’s recovering from foot surgery.

BALTIMORE -- Houston owns the two giant mistakes of the first half, so the Texans are incredibly fortunate to be in the game at halftime.

It’s 17-13 and it feels like the Texans are steering the game right now.

That’s pretty impressive considering Jacoby Jones’ terrible botched punt return positioned the Ravens for one touchdown and T.J. Yates’ poor interception to Lardarius Webb set up another.

If the Texans can avoid gigantic mistakes like that in their own end, they stand a reasonable chance at pulling an upset here.

Yates has bounced back nicely, and Arian Foster’s finding a rhythm -- he's got 95 yards on 15 carries. Cornerback Kareem Jackson has been beaten on a couple great throws by Joe Flacco, but Jackson’s been in good position against Anquan Boldin; he’s just not been able to make a play on the ball.

All things considered, Houston’s got to feel good about being within four points.

You should have been there.

At Thursday's chat, we covered a great deal of ground. It included:

• Marty Mornhinweg.
• Andrew Luck compared to Aaron Rodgers.
• Wade Phillips as a defensive coordinator as opposed to a head coach.
• Judging Mike Mularkey on the Falcons' playoff loss.
• Kareem Jackson.
• Peyton Manning's bonus.
• Mario Williams' future.
• The potential for a Titans free agency splash.
• Football venues with roofs versus ones without roofs.

I hope you'll read and reread this chat as I have. Thanks to all the participants.

Three things to know about next Sunday’s Houston Texans-Baltimore Ravens divisional playoff game:

1. Complete effort required: When the Texans lost in Baltimore on Oct. 16, they had a 14-13 lead in the third quarter. Then they gave up 16 unanswered points. In the fourth quarter, Houston managed just three first downs and didn’t string together a drive of more than 37 yards. And that was with Matt Schaub still healthy and playing quarterback. He threw for 220 yards and a touchdown while taking four sacks. The Texans are 0-5 all time against the Ravens, and their first breakthrough won’t come this time at M&T Bank Stadium if they don’t play well for a full game. Baltimore is undefeated at home and spent the whole season working to earn home-field advantage in the playoffs, which they have against everyone except New England.

2. Limit big plays: The Ravens are hardly a team built on the ability to make big pass plays down field. But the Texans made Baltimore seem that way. Joe Flacco threw for 305 yards thanks to connections of 56 yards to Anquan Boldin over Johnathan Joseph and 51 yards to Torrey Smith over Kareem Jackson. Ray Rice chipped in with a 27-yard run on the final Ravens touchdown drive that put the game out of reach. The Ravens looked like a big-play machine against a defense that did a good job limiting such things for most of the year and finished as the No. 2 unit in the NFL. Andre Johnson didn’t play in the regular-season game for Houston, so the Texans will have their own big-play element in the lineup.

3. Pro Bowl backs: Two of the AFC’s three Pro Bowl running backs will square off here in Baltimore’s Rice and Houston’s Arian Foster. Rice runs behind fullback Vonta Leach, who was an All-Pro for the Texans last year and is an All-Pro for the Ravens this year. Houston had the No. 2 run game in the NFL, Baltimore’s was No. 10. The team that slows the opposing star back would seem likely to move on to the AFC Championship Game. But they finished the regular season awfully even. The Ravens allowed 92.6 yards a game and 3.5 yards a carry; the Texans were at 96.0 and 4.1.

Make a case for New Orleans running back Darren Sproles if you'd like. Philadelphia defensive end Jason Babin has been a sack machine. Matt Hasselbeck could get some votes for his work as a culture changer and quarterback in Tennessee.

But my vote for the best free-agent addition in 2011 goes to Johnathan Joseph, the Houston cornerback who’s been the key component in a transformation of the Texans’ secondary.

A miserable pass defense that ranked dead last in the NFL last season now stands tied for second, a ridiculous jump that could only happen with multiple ingredients:

New coordinator Wade Phillips and his new 3-4 scheme.

A consistent rush from a swarming defensive front, bolstered by the team’s top two rookies, end J.J. Watt and outside linebacker Brooks Reed.

And the addition of Joseph and safety Danieal Manning to a young secondary.

“Joseph has been exactly what they needed,” a scout told me this week. “After a horrible first-round draft pick in 2010 in Kareem Jackson, they made up for it with Joseph. He is fast, athletic and can match up with most receivers in the AFC. He plays bigger than his size (5-foot-11, 191 pounds), because he has good functional strength.

“The added pass rush has helped him, but he is a good player versus run and pass. He was added to the top of the group which allowed players like Jackson and others to play more of a role instead of trying to get things out of them that they were not capable of doing.”


Joseph has regularly matched up with the opponent’s best wide receiver, and his work earned him a Pro Bowl spot.

Sunday, when the Titans are in their base offense and Nate Washington lines up outside, Joseph will track him. In his first two years in the league after he was the 24th pick out of South Carolina in the 2006 draft, Joseph played on the right. The three years after that he was on the left.

Flipping around hasn’t been a problem and he’s happy to be looked at to slow an opponent’s best guy.

“It was something new that I had to adjust to,” Joseph said. “If that gives us our best chance to win, that’s what I am up for. Covering the top guy, you’ve got to go out each week and try to win your battle. We have a saying here about going out and being 1-0, whether it’s one play at a time or one game at a time. If you’re on the top guy, you’re going to get some balls thrown your way.”

The Colts’ Reggie Wayne, the Raiders’ Darrius Heyward-Bey and the Ravens’ Anquan Boldin had big games against the Texans. (Joseph covered Pierre Garcon in both games against Indianapolis.) But in their past nine games, no receiver has accounted for more than 82 yards against them. That was Carolina’s Steve Smith.

The Texans have played 75 percent man coverage, according to defensive backs coach Vance Joseph. He said his top corner has been a fantastic example for the Texans' stable of young, contributing defensive backs: safeties Glover Quin, who’s been excellent as a starter converted from corner, and Troy Nolan, and corners Jackson, Brice McCain and Sherrick McManis.

“He’s practiced every day,” Vance Joseph said. “That was important for our young secondary to see. Every day he was out there working whether he was sore from the game, sore from previous injuries. He worked every day. Those guys take his lead. Every day was game mode, every ball was contested, every ball they could pick off they picked off.

“So that’s the foundation of what we’ve been here on the back end. Johnathan wants to be the best and he’s worked to be the best every day. That’s been amazing for a veteran player of his caliber to come in and practice every day.”

Houston grabbed Joseph from the Bengals with a five-year, $48.75 million contract with $23.5 guaranteed. The Texans were players for Nnamdi Asomugha, the cornerback who was viewed as a singular prize player in free agency. But Asomugha moved slowly, and the Texans feared winding up without either Asomugha or Joseph. Plus, Joseph’s price meant the team could also add Manning at safety.

They were lauded for the strategy and it panned out perfectly.

Pro Football Focus rates Joseph as just the 10th best cornerback in the league at this point. The website can’t always know coverage assignments, but it says he’s given up three touchdowns, catches against him have averaged 12.3 yards, the passer rating on throws into his coverage is 71.3 and quarterbacks have completed 57.9 percent of balls thrown against him.

Those numbers aren’t worthy of being posted in neon lights. But in the context of the Texans’ defense and the Texans’ season, his play has been excellent.

The team and a lot of NFL people agree with Joseph that, so far, things could not have turned out any better. He’s got four interceptions, 15 passes defensed, a forced fumble and rave reviews.

“On a scale of 1 to 10, I would say it’s been a 10,” Joseph said. “It’s been an awesome experience coming in here, being with the guys, adjusting to the different way things are done here. It’s been tremendous all together. There is not one bad thing I can say about the experience that I’ve had.”

Cornerback Kareem Jackson got a game ball for his efforts in the Texans’ Sunday win over Atlanta.

“Kareem probably had his best game as a pro,” coach Gary Kubiak told Houston media Monday afternoon.

Kubiak credited the development of Jackson, the team’s top pick in the 2010 draft who struggled mightily in a starting role as a rookie, to defensive backs coach Vance Joseph.

“Vance has come in and done a great job with him,” Kubiak said. “He’s playing with a lot of confidence, he’s had a lot of ups and downs, he had the expectations of a first round pick and then there was what we went through last year. His toughness has shown, mentally and physically. Johnathan coming here has helped him, he’s kind of got a little bit of a mentor back there.

“…We’re very excited to see him playing well.”

Atlanta receiver Julio Jones actually had a chance to catch Matt Ryan’s desperation pass on the last play of the game into the left side of the end zone. My read of the replay is unclear. It could count as another drop for Atlanta on a day when they had a lot of trouble hauling passes in. Or, as Kubiak said, Jackson could get credit for making it impossible for Jones to grip it. (Either way, it was a scarier play than it should have been and overtime was closer than we might have thought.)

Jackson had an early interception of Ryan on a flea flicker the Falcons botched. Michael Turner’s pitch back to Ryan was high and threw off the timing and Ryan was unwise to make the throw intended for Roddy White deep down the middle in the first quarter.

The Texans' applause for Jackson is unsurprising. They anoint first-rounders as starters the moment they arrive and do their best to defend them even if things don’t go well. Jackson’s certainly been a beneficiary of that.

Earlier this season, when Jackson wasn’t playing as well and there was clamoring for more of Jason Allen, Kubiak repeatedly said the team counts both players as starting-caliber and it used both opposite Johnathan Joseph.

Against the Falcons, when Jackson was having the game of his career, he was still rotating with Allen and he was still not part of some of the defensive packages with five- and six- defensive backs.

I felt like the team was over-substituting in the defensive backfield, but it’s hard to complain with the results in this game or to change what’s been working.

Still, I’d say this is a completely fair assessment:

If Jackson’s work in this win was a corner-turning performance, we’d better know it if he’s on the field more going forward. And if he’s not on the field more going forward, I’m not sure I’m buying that the coaches believe it was a corner-turning performance.

TAMPA, Fla. -- A few halftime thoughts from the Texans' game against the Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium:

ESPN Stats and Info reports that Matt Schaub is the first quarterback since Brett Favre against Denver in 2007 to throw two touchdown passes of 78 yards or more. On the first play from scrimmage on a bootleg, Schaub hit Jacoby Jones on a ball that was actually late and underthrown. Jones adjusted, broke a couple tackles and went 80-yards. Later Arian Foster took a short throw and made two defenders miss along the left side line before he cut back and ran away from people for a 78-yard touchdown catch.

Gary Kubiak has a poor record throwing the red flag, but he got his team 3 points with a good challenge of Aqib Talib’s apparent interception at the Tampa Bay goal line. Schaub shouldn’t have thrown the pass against a big rush up the middle and behind Derrick Mason, but Mason helped jar it free. It initially appeared Talib caught it, then fumbled as he ran with it. But the challenge showed Mason actually helped make sure Talib never completed the catch.

The Bucs appear equipped to move the ball better and more consistently than they have. They decided to go for it on a fourth-and-2 from the Texans’ 5-yard line and didn’t come up with a very surefire play. Cornerback Kareem Jackson was in the way of a Josh Freeman fade for Dezmon Briscoe that never had much of a chance. Is that really the best they could offer there? The Texans are fortunate that’s the case.