ESPN NFL

A weekly examination of the Texans' ESPN.com Power Ranking:

Preseason: 7 | Last week: 13 | ESPN.com Power Rankings since 2002

Another loss dropped the Texans again, though not as far as last week. Houston fell two spots to No. 15 after its 23-20 overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks. While I thought last week's nine-point fall was an overreaction to Houston's loss to the Ravens, as I examine the list of teams now ahead of the Texans, it's hard to argue with most of the teams ahead of them.

Last week, the Texans fell below the Indianapolis Colts in the division. This week, both the Colts and Tennessee Titans are ahead of Houston. Though I'm not sure how impressive Tennessee's win against the New York Jets is, they have looked like a good team all year, even in their overtime loss in Houston. The Texans are one spot below the Ravens and one spot ahead of the Falcons. This week's opponent, the San Francisco 49ers, are ranked eighth.

Let's keep talking about Texans quarterback Matt Schaub, shall we?

Earlier today I linked a story by Grantland's Bill Barnwell in which he contends the Texans can win a Super Bowl with Schaub. Now here's a story by my friend Mike Silver of NFL Network, who counts Schaub and Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton as the two quarterbacks holding back their contending teams.

Silver says when the Texans were overachieving underdogs, Schaub was fine. But now that expectations have risen, Silver says, he's not good enough.

"In reality, the bulk of the anger shouldn't be directed at Schaub," Silver writes. "Rather, Texans fans should be ticked off at general manager Rick Smith, who didn't explore other options, and [coach Gary] Kubiak, who clearly has more faith in his quarterback than logic suggests he should."

The Texans have been criticized a lot recently for the four-year extension they gave Schaub last year on the eve of the 2012 season opener that totaled $69.7 million. Here's what I found while examining his contract:

The deal averages $15.5 million per year, with a $17.5 million signing bonus. It guarantees Schaub's base salary of $7.25 million this year. Between the signing bonus, this year's base, last year's base and a few workout bonuses, the Texans will have paid Schaub about $29.7 million of that contract by the end of this season.

If they decide Schaub isn't part of their future, they don't have to pay him one cent more. Schaub's 2014, 2015 and 2016 bases aren't guaranteed and in each of those seasons he has a roster bonus that pays him $1 million total if he's active for 16 games. That's $40 million the Texans would not be on the hook for if they didn't want to be.

Whether they will or not will depend on how Schaub plays the rest of this season. As I've been writing, I don't see his performances so far as evidence that the Texans should move on from him.

Had a good Twitter discussion Sunday night with some angry fans who cannot be convinced that Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub is better than his backups. During it I realized one thing: there is a difference between being a great quarterback and playing great during a playoff run.

There are certainly better quarterbacks in the league than Schaub, even after the four indisputably elite ones (Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers). But there are also many more who are much, much worse. Schaub's pick-six was the most costly play of the week, but he's inconsistent, which means he has great games, terrible ones and a lot sprinkled in between. Schaub's pick was costly, but there was more that went wrong during the Texans' 23-20 loss to Seattle.

I made the point in my post-game entry last night that Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco threw five interceptions in the Ravens' 23-20 loss to the Bills. Flacco isn't a great quarterback. But he did play great during the Ravens' Super Bowl run. Does that change you as a player? His statistics this season would indicate no. Bill Barnwell from Grantland.com drew a similar comparison, using Flacco and Eli Manning as examples of players who have had dubious regular seasons, but won Super Bowls.

Barnwell took an extended look at both Schaub's Week 4 performance and his situation in the grand scheme of things.

Some key lines:

• "It was Schaub's third pick-six in three weeks, but it's not like Schaub has some disease where he throws awful pick-sixes; according to Pro-Football-Reference.com, Schaub didn't throw a single pick-six in either the 2011 or 2012 seasons. He has 10 across seven seasons as the Houston starter, which isn't an egregious average."
• "Pretend, for a moment, that Eli Manning and Joe Flacco had produced the same Week 4 performances this week without any notable run in the playoffs to their name. Would anybody in their right mind look at their days (or 2013 seasons, for that matter) and suggest they were good enough to win the Super Bowl? Of course not! In fact, Giants and Ravens fans would be sitting in the same parking lots saying the same things about how they needed to upgrade at quarterback to have any hope of winning a Super Bowl."
• On Schaub: "he's going to need help from his team, which hasn't offered much: Arian Foster's per-carry numbers are down, as he's averaging 3.8. Andre Johnson got hurt and has missed time over the past few weeks. The team has already been without elite left tackle Duane Brown for the past two games, and star inside linebacker Brian Cushing missed the fourth quarter (when Seattle came back from 20-6 down to tie it up) with a concussion."
• "I feel comfortable saying Schaub is good enough to win a Super Bowl, because I've seen quarterbacks who were worse than him during their season at the helm get hot during the playoffs and win the big trophy. As critical as you are of his throw (and you should be, since it was terrible), there's nothing about it that proves he can't win when it really counts in the longer term."

Analyzing four hot issues from the Houston Texans' 23-20 overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks:

Was the play call wrong on the pick-six? The play on which Richard Sherman intercepted Matt Schaub was a short pass on third-and-4 with just under three minutes left in the game. The Texans were up seven points and ran four straight run plays on which Arian Foster had gains of 6, 5, 5 and 1 yard immediately before that play. Texans coach Gary Kubiak said it was the wrong call.

"I believe we've got to just run the ball, but we run the plays that are called, and we have to make good decisions," Texans tight end Owen Daniels said.

I say both the play call and the execution were wrong. A run play eats the clock and doesn't have as dramatic a floor as a pass play does. Fumble returns for touchdowns are possible, but much less likely than a pick-six, especially against Seattle's transcendent secondary. If they hadn't picked up the 4 yards necessary, so what? Punt the ball, let your defense do what it did for all but one drive. Further, the Seahawks had that play well-scouted, running it in practice all week. Then again, in the situation in which he found himself, there's no excuse for Schaub to have tried to force the ball to Daniels. Up seven with so little time left in the game, he didn't need the first down.

Is it time to panic? The panic that followed this game was tremendously predictable. Those panicking should remind themselves that the Texans have played only four games and this most recent loss was to what might be the best team in the NFL.

Wilson vs. blitzes: Russell Wilson has been good against blitzes, but he hadn't faced a team yet this season that brings extra pressure quite as much as the Texans do. Wilson was successful against five or more rushers in his first three games, averaging 9.2 yards per attempt. The Texans were much more effective at containing him: He averaged just 4.7 yards per attempt on Sunday in Houston. When Wilson finally got going it was because he used his legs, which he would rather not do.

Rotating guards: The Texans fidgeted with their left guard position on Sunday. Starter Wade Smith rotated with second-year guard/center Ben Jones, who started 10 games at right guard last season. Smith had knee surgery before this season, and last week I asked Kubiak if Smith's knee was still bothering him after he had some rest during the week's practices. Kubiak said it was not, but added that getting Smith ready between games has been a more involved process because of how quickly he returned. Smith didn't appreciate my asking if his knee felt OK. "Why does that matter?" he replied. I said I wondered if the knee was part of why he rotated with Jones and asked what he was told about the rotation. "I felt fine," Smith said, to both questions.

HOUSTON -- The Houston Texans' pregame introductions feature starters from one side of the ball running out of the tunnel and through a line of teammates. The announcer declares the first name, then fans chime in with the last name.

Today the Texans chose their offense to be introduced. Coming off a loss in Baltimore without a Texans' touchdown, I wasn't so sure that was a good idea. Fans were polite to start, but after quarterback Matt Schaub threw an interception that Richard Sherman returned for a touchdown, the angst returned.

The boos began then and returned next time the Texans' offense took the field.

What did Andre Johnson think of that?

"Fans are going to be fans," Johnson said. "You have some that are loyal. You have some that are fair-weather, and they only come around when you win."

Johnson has seen both kinds, having been through some bad seasons with the franchise that drafted him in 2003.

"I’ve been here when it was 2-14 and there was hardly anybody in the stands, so I really don’t care about what fans think," Johnson said. "A lot of them don’t understand what players go through. They can talk about what they want to talk about."

HOUSTON -- As Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman glided into the end zone, the quarterback who inadvertently threw him the ball lay on the grass near midfield clutching his helmet in dismay. Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub remained still on the ground until the play ended, then turned over and beat the grass with his fists, again a victim of his own mistake.

He knew.

"This one hurts real bad," Schaub said after the game.

It was Schaub's second interception of the game, the first time in his career he has thrown two on third downs. It was also the third pick-six he's thrown in as many weeks. He faked the handoff, then stepped back with blitzing Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor inches from him. Schaub lofted the ball toward tight end Owen Daniels, who Sherman jumped in front of as he'd practiced all week.

"It was a keeper play and they had not been biting the keeper most of the game," center Chris Myers said. "Obviously, on that one, he had pressure right in his face."

This one followed a week of discussion from both Schaub and his coaches about decision-making and mistakes. Offensive coordinator Rick Dennison said Schaub knew the cause of his prior interceptions and he knew how to fix them.

They were different situations for sure, but all in critical moments. No matter how well the defense is playing, when your offense allows touchdowns, it is difficult to win.

For many people, Schaub's mistake erased the rest of a game in which he threw for 355 yards, completed 31 passes and had eight different players catch passes. He threw two touchdown passes, led the Texans to a 20-3 lead and appeared to be having a redemption game until his final interception.

Yes, this was bad. Yes, Schaub has played poorly for a stretch of games. But, at the risk of having my press pass burned by these guys, benching him now is not the answer.

Quarterbacks have bad games. Even some of the best quarterbacks in NFL history have had bad games. According to Elias Sports Bureau, no quarterback in the past 20 years has thrown interceptions that were returned for touchdowns in four consecutive games. The current streak is three, held by Schaub, Peyton Manning with the Colts in 2001, Ty Detmer with the Eagles in 1996 and John Elway with the Broncos in 1994.

Let's be clear here. Schaub not is Manning or Elway, but what it's important to keep a cool head when bad stretches happen.

Can the Texans win regularly with Schaub throwing pick sixes every game? Probably not. And it's unreasonable to expect the defense to constantly bail the offense out. But if he doesn't make those mistakes, he doesn't have to be Manning or Elway for the Texans to win.

While Schaub was banging his fists on the grass in frustration, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco was in the midst of a five-interception game.

HOUSTON -- Observed in the locker room after the Houston Texans' 23-20 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

Watt angry: J.J. Watt had bruises on his face, six stitches across the bridge of his nose, dried blood on his hands and pants and a fixed glare staring at nothing as he addressed reporters. Never one to dodge the media like a few Texans did, Watt wanted to get his interview out of the way before showering. "I can't freaking stand losing," Watt said, looking furious at a game that slipped away late. "... Nobody likes to lose, especially like this in your own building." After the questions stopped, Watt turned into his locker and threw something down with an emphatic thud.

Jackson confused: For the second straight home game, cornerback Kareem Jackson bemoaned a penalty called on him in overtime when the official called him for unnecessary roughness, picking a player up before taking him down. "Horrible, horrible, horrible," Jackson said. Jackson said he didn't know what the flag was for and his intention was to just stop the receiver.

Support for Schaub: Texans defensive end Antonio Smith, Jackson, running back Arian Foster and receiver Andre Johnson all expressed support for Matt Schaub, who has thrown interceptions returned for touchdowns in the past three games.

HOUSTON -- Some thoughts from the Houston Texans' 23-20 overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

What it means: It took the Seahawks some time to wake up, but until then, the Texans dominated them. The same old mistakes returned late, though, capped by another pick-six from Texans quarterback Matt Schaub to Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, who shushed the crowd with his game-tying score. This marked Schaub's third interception returned for a touchdown in three games. The Seahawks won on a 45-yard field goal in overtime.

Stock watch: Schaub's body language on the field reflected the gravity of the mistake he made when he threw the interception that tied the game. The quarterback took a beating from fans last week and played well early in Sunday's game, other than a red zone interception in the first quarter. But his late interception sent his stock plummeting further, despite two touchdowns in the first half.

Texans defensive end Whitney Mercilus had his best game yet with 2.5 sacks against a depleted Seahawks offensive line. For the Texans to win, it was imperative they take advantage of the problems Seattle's line was having. The second-year outside linebacker set a rookie record with six sacks last season and already has 3.5 this season. The Texans constantly surrounded Wilson.

Brian Cushing's value: Cushing left the game in the third quarter with a concussion. On the very next drive, the Seahawks scored their first touchdown of the game, mostly on the back of quarterback Russell Wilson. The drive changed the momentum of the game and preceded a defensive stop by Seattle. Officially Cushing left the game with nine tackles, but that number is likely to increase after the coaches' review.

What's next: The Texans continue their tour around the NFC West, this time visiting the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers lost to the Seahawks in Week 2.

HOUSTON -- Several weeks ago, I asked Andre Johnson how he deals with defensive backs who talk a lot on the field.

"I don't talk," Johnson said at the time. "I'm not going to argue with you. I'm not going to go back and forth with you. I gotta play the game. You can talk, but my play gonna speak for itself. You want to talk all game, I'll go out there and have 10, 11 catches, and X amount of yards. You can keep talking, but you look bad.

"I've just always been that way. I've just never been a person that talked to people out on the field. There are times when you may exchange a word here or there. but that doesn't' bother me, somebody talking to me. You can't get up under my skin. That doesn't bother me. You can talk all you want to, I'm more of a person, the more you talk to me, the more damage I'm going to do to you on the field."

He'll have that tested this weekend, playing against perhaps the best secondary in the league, led by a chatty cornerback who backs up his brash talk. Asked about Seattle's secondary specifically, Johnson said he doesn't worry about trash talk. His protege, DeAndre Hopkins, echoed the thought, saying the best way to quiet a talker is to play well.

What the Texans' receivers will have to prepare for is the size they'll face back there. Across the NFL, five defensive backs who have started in a game this season are 6-foot-3 or taller. Three of them play for the Seahawks: Cornerbacks Brandon Browner (6-4) and Richard Sherman (6-3), and and safety Kam Chancellor (6-3), according to ESPN Stats and Info.

"Everything has to be crisp, every route," Hopkins said . They’re long, so you gotta go up and attack the ball."

That's Hopkins' style anyway.

Though a rookie, he showed a calm confidence in facing the Seahawks.

"They’re human," he said. "They make mistakes just like we make mistakes. Just gotta capitalize on every play. I feel we got a good game plan going in, so I feel confident about this week. ... Always up for the challenge. They’re a great group of DBs. I feel like we’ve got a great group of wide receivers and tight ends, and basically the whole offense I feel like is ready to go up against their defense."

The success of young quarterbacks running the read option led to a handful of teams visiting with college programs to study it.

The Houston Texans were not one of them, avoiding what might have been an overreaction by some teams.

"We know about the college game," defensive coordinator Wade Phillips said. "We’ve been seeing that for a long time. I’ve gone through the wishbone, the option, the veer option, all those things. As football evolves, you have to keep yourself up with things. Both (linebackers coach) Reggie (Herring) and VJ (defensive backs coach Vance Joseph) coached in college and coached against that option. It’s not something new. It’s something new in our league, but it’s not something new or something we haven’t seen before. I believe Carolina ran it when we played them a couple of years ago. We’re starting to see it, so it’s something you have to be aware of."

The Seattle Seahawks haven't really done a lot of it this year. Quarterback Russell Wilson termed it as a threat they can hold over opponents.

"Obviously I have the ability to run the ball and all that, but I’m not trying to run," Wilson said. "I’m trying to drop back in the pocket and, every once in a while, get outside of the pocket and make the throws too as well. I’m not trying to take any unnecessary hits."

Smart, given what happened to another read-option quarterback in Robert Griffin III. Also smart given what Griffin's offensive coordinator told the Washington Post this week. The element of surprise is gone and opposing defenses have adjusted.

And Wilson has been great with his pass-first mentality. His QBR this season is the second highest in the NFL, only behind Peyton Manning.

Some other numbers from ESPN Stats & Info on Wilson:

• Over 38 percent of Russell Wilson’s pass attempts this season are play-action passes, the highest rate in the NFL.

My input: This used to be a major strength of the Texans', but it hasn't been this season. Texans quarterback Matt Schaub isn't in the top four among players with the highest percentage of play-action passes this season.

• Wilson has thrown a touchdown pass against at least five pass-rushers in 10 of his last 13 games after failing to do so in his first eight career starts. No team has used such pressure more than the Texans since Phillips took over as defensive coordinator (49 percent of dropbacks). Wilson has completed 72.7 percent of his passes against five or more rushers this season and has 9.5 yards per attempt against five or more rushers in the last 13 games. During that span, he's also thrown 12 touchdowns and no interceptions in those situations.

When they saw each other at the Pro Bowl earlier this year, Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt told Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson that if Watt had just stayed another year at Wisconsin, they might have won a national championship together.

“I wish I knew he was coming,” said Watt on Wednesday, who left Wisconsin after his junior year, just as Wilson arrived.

Sunday at Reliant Stadium, they might see a lot of each other. The matchup between the Texans and Seahawks will pit the league’s two best defenses against each other. But Wilson won’t be easy to contain for a Texans’ defense that gave up only 236 yards in last week’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The Seahawks, meanwhile, are coming off such a dominating win over the Jacksonville Jaguars that Wilson didn’t need to finish the game.

Texans reporter Tania Ganguli and Seahawks reporter Terry Blount take a look at the matchup.

Ganguli: So Terry, what makes Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman special?

Blount: Preparation, enormous athleticism and confidence are what makes him special. I know many people outside of Seattle just see Sherman as a arrogant guy with a big mouth. That's a big mistake. Sherman is an extremely hard worker who spends hours studying film of every receiver he faces. Consequently, he rarely gets fooled on a play, and the few times when he does, he has the athletic ability to react quickly, overcome it and get back to the ball.

Tania, how do you think Andre Johnson will do against the talented Seattle secondary, and especially a head-to-head matchup with Sherman?

Ganguli: The Texans are considering Johnson day-to-day right now. He didn’t look right when he tried to play Sunday after suffering a shin bruise in Baltimore and ultimately recognized that it was better for him to leave and heal than play hindered by the injury. If they don’t have him, the Texans will look to rookie receiver DeAndre Hopkins, a budding star who has shown talent from the moment he arrived in Houston, but also improved steadily as a rookie.

And speaking of young players, how has quarterback Wilson changed in his second year?

Blount: Wilson is willing to take a lot more chances on difficult throws now because he understands what his receivers are going to do and where they will be. In the Jacksonville game, he made what appeared to be a dangerous throw in the middle of the end zone when Sidney Rice had three defenders near him. But Rice had signaled Wilson to toss it up high and Rice would get it, which he did. Wilson knows the offense now and has complete confidence to make plays at clutch moments, and his teammates believe in him.

Wilson is at his best when he scrambles and improvises, often resulting in big plays downfield. Can the Texans defense contain him?

Ganguli: The most mobile quarterback they faced so far this season was Titans quarterback Jake Locker, who threw two touchdown passes but had a QBR of 44.3 against the Texans. They haven’t faced a quarterback who is such an accurate passer while having the ability to use his legs and improvise. Wilson’s numbers have been among the best in the league this season. That will be a challenge for a defense that wants to be the best in the league.

You wrote that the loss of left tackle Russell Okung didn’t hurt much against the Jaguars, but how do you see it impacting the Seahawks going forward?

Blount: Tania, this has to be Seattle's biggest concern entering the Texans game. The Seahawks may be the deepest team in the league, but the offensive line, and particular the tackle spots, is a thin area. They are no match for J.J. Watt. Paul McQuistan moved from guard to left tackle to replace Okung, but the team is weaker without Okung on the field. Right tackle Breno Giacomini probably won't play because of a knee injury. That means rookie Michael Bowie, a seventh-round draft choice, will have to go head-to-head with Watt. Bailey is talented, but he has a lot to learn. Throwing him out there this week against Watt is truly scary for the Seahawks.

I know the Seahawks have major concerns about trying to stop Watt and keeping him off Wilson. Do you see Watt having a big game Sunday?

Ganguli: Watt has a keen ability to exploit weaknesses in inexperienced players. And if he doesn’t know it right from the start, he figures it out eventually. He’s a player with work ethic to match his talent, which isn’t always the case with athletes of his caliber. Watt has been the third most effective player at disrupting opponents’ passes since he entered the NFL. He ranks behind San Francisco’s Aldon Smith and Minnesota’s Jared Allen. Watt has played very well this season and he’s determined to have a better year than he did last year when he led the league with 20.5 sacks and 16 batted passes.

The Seahawks secondary gets the most attention, but how has their defensive front played and what are their strengths and weaknesses?

Blount: This was an area of needed improvement at the end of last season, so the staff made a major effort to bring in veterans who could help with the pass rush. It worked. Defensive linemen Michael Bennett, a free agent Seattle signed after he spent four years in Tampa Bay, has been a force up front. Cliff Avril, the biggest offseason acquisition, was hurt all preseason, but is back now and just starting to contribute. Defensive end Chris Clemons, the team's top pass-rusher last season, returned last week after offseason ACL surgery. And O'Brien Schofield, who was released at Arizona, has been strong at linebacker and defensive end. This is a much stronger, deeper and quicker group than it was a year ago, and it still doesn't have Bruce Irvin. He returns next week after a four-game suspension for PEDs.

Tania, these teams have two of the best running backs in the NFL in Arian Foster in Houston and Marshawn Lynch at Seattle. Which running back do you think will have the upper hand on Sunday?

Ganguli: The running back situation has been interesting in Houston this season. The Texans eased Foster into the season after he missed the entire preseason and in the meantime backup Ben Tate has played very well. Tate is in a contract year and if he keeps up the way he’s started, he’ll be making some money after the season. His yards per carry have been strong and even better have been his yards after contact, 4.5 yards, the best in the NFL. If we’re talking fantasy numbers, Lynch will definitely have the upper hand on Sunday. Foster will be sharing his load with Tate.

Last question from me: What is one name Texans fans might not know that they will after Sunday’s game?

Blount: Great question. I'll pick a couple. First might be middle linebacker Bobby Wagner, a second-year player who is growing into one of the best linebackers in the league. Another is slot receiver Doug Baldwin, an exceptional possession-type receiver who has a knack for making the big catch on third down.

And finally, everyone talks about how the Seahawks have the best home-field advantage in the NFL, but I’m a Houston native who has seen some pretty rabid fans down there, as well. How much of a factor can the crowd be Sunday at Reliant Stadium?

Ganguli: They are a rabid bunch and have the added benefit of a perpetually closed roof that keeps their rabidity trapped like a greenhouse gas. They’ve been frustrated recently, but if their team plays well on Sunday, it will be loud.

.

HOUSTON -- Our delightful Stats and Info department offered the following statistic this week: Texans running back Ben Tate's yards after contact per rush are the best in the NFL.

He's averaged 4.5 yards after contact per carry. Tate has averaged 6.8 yards per rush overall, significantly higher than Arian Foster's average (and a number boosted by a 60-yard rush in the season opener). Foster averages 3.9 yards per rush and only 1.7 yards after contact.

This is the kind of stat the meaning of which is difficult to decipher since there are a wide range of reasons why so many of a player's yards might come after contact.

On the other hand, the ability to shake off the first tackle or push the pile is valuable. And those are things Tate has worked on being able to do.

"I pride myself on always trying to make the first guy miss," he said. "If you can't make him miss, once he hits you, try to break a tackle. I always promise not to let the first guy bring me down."

Tate's average is significantly higher than the next player, Buffalo's Fred Jackson who averages 2.94 yards after contact per rush.

"I think that's a good judge of a running back," Tate said. "If you're not making them miss, then after you're getting contact, how many yards are you getting? Because anyone can run through open holes."

The majority of the Texans' carries have gone to Foster this season. Until last weekend, the split was about two-thirds Foster, one-third Tate. Foster has played in 78 more snaps than Tate this season.

So far the Texans' coaching staff says they're pleased with how both players have done. What they haven't been pleased with is how little they've been able to run the ball. Historically, Gary Kubiak's Texans are at their best when they run the ball 30 or more times.

HOUSTON -- Houston Texans receiver Andre Johnson was limited in practice on Thursday, coach Gary Kubiak said, but he's feeling good about his chances.

"Right now, I feel like I'll play," Johnson said.

Johnson clarified that while he got kneed in the shin in Baltimore, he didn't have any bone damage. Rather, he suffered a deep bruise to the muscle around there. The injury occurred in the second quarter of the Texans' 30-9 loss. Johnson tried to return after halftime, but he was not effective enough to finish the game.

Limited participation is a step up from where Johnson was Wednesday, when he did not practice at all.

The Texans were also missing both starting cornerbacks in practice: Johnathan Joseph (foot) and Kareem Jackson (sick). Left tackle Duane Brown was limited and said after practice that he doesn't want to aggravate his turf-toe injury.

HOUSTON -- Asked about what change in tempo he'd like to see from his offense this week, Houston Texans coach Gary Kubiak corrected the premise.

It seems that earlier this week when Kubiak mentioned his concerns about the tempo in Baltimore, he was specifically talking about communication problems the Texans had when their headsets malfunctioned.

"We had some communication problems," Kubiak said. "I think I mentioned that. Our headsets went out for a portion of the game and we didn’t respond to that very good. So we have to be prepared to do that. That’s more of what I was talking about than anything. As far as the tempo, obviously, we need to still [move] on the field better. That creates tempo, you making some third downs. It’s just overall play is what I’m talking about. My reference at that point was about the headsets."

Kubiak added that headset problems tend to happen on the road. (A few years ago, I remember then-Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio specifically citing headset problems he thought were a trend in New England.) So the Houston Chronicle's John McClain asked Kubiak if visitors' headsets ever went out at Reliant Stadium. The coach smiled at the question.

"I don’t know," Kubiak said. "I’m not on the other side, so I don’t know."

Last Sunday in Baltimore, Houston Texans linebacker Brian Cushing was miked up, and overheard telling his defensive teammates they needed to get a turnover.

That theme carried into the postgame, when several of the Texans defensive starters talked about how much that was stressed during the week.

"The only way to change that, especially from a defensive standpoint, is just trying to make the most of your opportunities," linebacker Joe Mays said. "When it comes to sacks, try to strip out the ball. Whenever a running back is running, try to strip out the ball. Just try to be at the right place at the right time as far as reading the quarterback, knowing where he's going. That just takes a week of preparation. Knowing who's the favorite receivers and just trying to be in the right position at the right time."

The Texans, who have given up the second-fewest yards in the league so far, have only forced one turnover this season -- the interception Cushing returned for a touchdown against the San Diego Chargers. Their turnover differential is minus-3, among the NFL's worst. Meanwhile, the Seattle Seahawks, who visit the Texans this Sunday, have the best turnover margin in the NFC (plus-6). They are second overall to the Kansas City Chiefs (plus-9).

"Being ahead really helps," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. "I like to think that it is the No. 1 thing we emphasize in our program. It’s the first thing that we talk about every year, every camp, about getting the football and taking care of it. I’m trying to emphasize it better than every coach that’s ever coached. For years at (USC), when we really had the big run, our numbers were phenomenal year after year after year in getting the football. It’s a winning formula in itself. We do it because it’s the single-most-important factor to winning for us. Our numbers have kind of proven that out."

Turnovers are momentum-changers, and might well have helped the Texans on Sunday against the Ravens, when their offense struggled and special teams allowed a touchdown.

"That's where we pick up the slack," Mays said. "We've been playing good football, but we have to get better. We pick up the slack whenever offense may not be playing well or special teams may not be playing well -- that's where we step in and play better. I think we have the guys in the locker room that feel that way. We just have to keep on working, but we're going to get better."

Of course, the other key factor in turnover margin matters, too. That would be the offensive half -- where the Texans have four turnovers, all interceptions.