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DeMeco Ryans was due a $5.9 million base salary this season.

It’s Philadelphia’s salary to pay now.

The Texans dealt the inside linebacker to the Eagles. In return they get Philadelphia’s fourth-round draft choice in 2012, the fourth overall pick in the round that originally belonged to Tampa Bay. The Eagles and Texans also swapped third-round choices, with the Texans climbing from the 89th overall pick to the 77th pick in the draft.

Texans general manager Rick Smith issued this statement:

“DeMeco Ryans contributed significantly toward helping us build the foundation we hope will bring a world championship to the city of Houston. His professionalism and leadership cannot be over-exaggerated. This move was mutually beneficial for the Texans immediate and long-term goals, DeMeco’s career, and the Philadelphia Eagles. We appreciate all the hard work and effort DeMeco invested in our organization and wish him only the best moving forward. He is a class act.”

While fans surely feel an emotional attachment to Ryans, a quality player who was a great spokesman for the franchise, they should understand the move.

Ryans played only 58.23 percent of the Texans' defensive plays last season, a year after he missed the Texans’ final 10 games following shredding an Achilles tendon.

Darryl Sharpton was cutting into Ryans’ snaps before he missed the final eight games of last season after suffering a right knee/hamstring injury.

Sharpton was a fourth-round draft pick out of Miami in 2010. If he’s healthy, Sharpton is a young player the team will feel comfortable plugging in this fall beside Brian Cushing on base defense downs.

The move doesn’t do anything to alleviate the team’s cap issues. It actually will cost Houston $750,000 this year. While Ryans was due the large base salary, he had $9 million left of a prorated signing bonus that moves to this year with the trade. He will be off the Texans' books next year.

They also need options for the right side of their line, where they cut tackle Eric Winston and watched guard Mike Brisiel go to Oakland as a free agent.

Those two and Ryans makes for three starters lost from the defending AFC South champs.

Two of his teammates spoke to Sirius XM NFL Radio.

• Antonio Smith: “It’s a big surprise to me. I don’t know what is going on at this moment but DeMeco is a great player, a leader. He’s going to be an asset to each and every team he plays for. … Our defense is going to miss him. That’s all I can say about it. I’m not in agreeance with it.”
• J.J. Watt: “DeMeco by far and away [is] the most respected guy on the defense, our leader. He’s a guy that everybody turns to especially when things are going tough. It’s tough to see him go, but at the end of the day, what can we do? He’s obviously going to go play great football for the Eagles. Now it’s time for the rest of us as a defense to step up and find a new leader and go out there and play football. We can’t do anything about that so it’s time for us to go out there and do it on our own.”

Following their breakthrough into the playoffs, the Houston Texans face some big questions.

Foremost among them are the contracts of outside linebacker Mario Williams and running back Arian Foster. Williams can become an unrestricted free agent and potentially command the richest contract for a defensive player in league history. Foster will be a restricted free agent who could be pursued by another club.

While general manager Rick Smith and coach Gary Kubiak worry about roster construction, and while many analysts like this one predict continued big things for the franchise, team president Jamey Rootes is looking at growing the team’s loyal following.

He’s already using a theme Kubiak is sure to hit with his players when they reassemble:

“You start back at zero. Nobody gives you anything. You’ve got to go out and earn it again.”

As with any team, a playoff breakthrough marked a significant increase in interest in the Texans.

But because theirs was the first time in the postseason, a lot of people were being exposed for the first time. Rootes wants to ensure the big moments of last season -- an AFC South clinching win in Cincinnati, a home playoff win against the Bengals, and a tough divisional-round loss in Baltimore -- are sticky.

“I thought it would be kind of a slow build, kind of a slow climb,” he said. “But from the time we got on the plane to go to Cincinnati to the time we came home as division champs, the world was completely different ...

“While we’ve had this great base of fans, that being recognized as a winner brought a whole new group of people into our family. Now it’s our job to hold them.”

Rootes cited three great indicators:

• TV ratings for the two playoff games in Houston shot up to a 36 from an average of 24. That’s an estimate of the percentage of the market watching. The playoff game in Baltimore had a 68 share in Houston, meaning 68 percent of the households with TVs on were watching at that given time.
• Texans gear was under Christmas trees all over Houston. The team sold more than $1 million worth of merchandise in just December, and Rootes said the Texans are up 200 percent, year over year.
• National attention was up, as Rootes noticed the Texans being featured in ESPN’s weekly “NFL Matchup” show.

Said defensive end Antonio Smith: “It’s way more intense. The fans have done, I don’t want to say a 180, but the city blew up. The difference is noticeable. I think it’s very important we hold onto those new people, that’s big for any organization, starting to secure a legacy…

“There are still people in their hearts who are Houston Oilers fans, they’re torn in between the Titans and us. We won a lot over. We have to continue to do so, and have the city 100 percent behind us.”

Rootes will latch on to that, campaigning to win over anybody and everybody who’s hasn’t connected or committed to wearing Texans colors.

“Now these new people are exposed to us, which is good,” Rootes said. “We weren’t on their radar before. I think it comes back to the fundamentals. The people that loved us, we were on their radar, they saw what we do: ‘These guys are working hard, they trying to build a champion, they create memorable experiences for us every time I’m involved with them.’

“We talk about 'create raving fans,' that’s our goal. Do whatever it takes to delight people, and that’s how you conduct yourself, and how you serve people and the experiences you provide. Do great things for Houston.”

It’s marketing spin language, for sure. But it’s an important time for the franchise to make it work, no matter how it’s framed or executed.

While the football side plans how to field the best team possible for an encore performance, the administrative side needs to do the same. To grow the team’s footprint, to ensure deep roots take hold, Rootes and his staff need to seize on the good feelings that linger and make people feel invested.

The Texans didn’t play a prime-time game last season, so as good as they were they had no national game until Cincinnati visited for the playoff opener.

Houston is sure to be a regular presence in prime time in 2012, when an expanded Thursday night package will expand the opportunity. Rootes said he campaigns with the league and with network executives for the publicity, the best advertising he can get.

“There is such energy in the stadium that the world doesn’t know about, it’s like a local phenomenon,” he said. “We want to expose it to the world, and national television is the way to do that.”

I suspect the Texans will go from invisible on the national slate to regularly featured. The hope is they can play even better than they did while going 10-6 in 2011.

And that as they do, an additional layer of people in southeastern Texas and beyond will be invested in it all.

Monday we presented the All AFC-South offense. Today we move to defense and special teams.

I felt like there was a worthy candidate at every spot, and beyond wrestling with choosing between Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis for a defensive end spot, I didn’t have any gigantic struggles.

To accommodate the personnel of the 3-4 Texans along with the 4-3 Colts, Texans and Titans, we created a 12-man defense with four linemen and four linebackers. It seemed like a fair approach to me that stops short of bastardizing the team.

DEs: Houston rookie J.J. Watt was a giant presence from the start, serving as a key piece of the team’s revamped front. He was easily the division’s rookie of the year. Mathis gets the nod over Freeney but it could have gone either way. They both had fewer chances because teams threw less against them, but remained quite effective.

DTs: Antonio Smith of the Texans played end in base and tackle in nickel and his versatility was really highlighted in the 3-4 system. Casey was not at a similar level, but the Titans rookie was a stout and reliable run-stopper.

OLBs: The Jaguars were stacked at linebacker thanks to their free-agent shopping. On an upgraded defense, Daryl Smith really got to show himself a fine player. In Houston, Connor Barwin blossomed into an 11.5-sack guy who was constantly around the quarterback.

ILBs: Brian Cushing was a terror for the Texans, proving an excellent fit as an inside backer for Wade Phillips. At his best, he was something to behold. The same can be said for Jacksonville’s Paul Posluszny. He gave the Jaguars everything they were looking for in terms of production and leadership as a free-agent acquisition.

CBs: Houston’s Johnathan Joseph was the AFC South MVP in my eyes. The Texans hit a home run by adding Joseph, a settling force in the secondary who played sticky coverage all season. Tennessee’s Cortland Finnegan didn’t produce on the same level, but his willingness and ability to shift inside and play a physical brand of nickel was a positive factor for the Titans' defense.

S: The Texans' move of Glover Quin from nickel corner to strong safety worked out beautifully and they are trend-setters in terms of having guys with corner skills playing in the middle of the field. He was steady and productive. Dwight Lowery showed good smarts and awareness for the Jaguars at a spot that was a huge hole the previous season. Signing him will be a priority.

K: Rob Bironas of the Titans missed just three field goals all season. While Jacksonville’s Josh Scobee missed only two, he tried fewer. And Bironas had a division-high 44 touchbacks

P: The Colts' Pat McAfee gets the edge over the Titans' Brett Kern in a very close race. Punting out of trouble was more important more often for Indianapolis, and McAfee’s net average was hurt by less than stellar coverage but shouldn’t offset his slightly bigger leg.

PR, KR: There was no outstanding work done in these spots for anyone in the division, so we pretty much go chalk. Jacksonville punt returner Deji Karim led the division in punt return average, Tennessee kick returner Marc Mariani led in kick return average.

ST: Kassim Osgood of the Jaguars continued to be a top guy in coverage work.

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

1. Tough against the run. The second-seeded Ravens (12-4) know the third-seeded Texans (11-6) will run the ball after Houston handed it off 59 percent of the time against the Bengals in today's wild-card game. Baltimore has a strong history of shutting down the run, and this season was no different. The Ravens finished ranked No. 2 in run defense, giving up 92.6 yards on the ground. Only five defenses allowed fewer rushing touchdowns than Baltimore this season. In the previous meeting with the Texans this season, the Ravens limited Houston to 93 yards rushing and held Arian Foster to 3.3 yards per carry.

2. Pass protection will be a major factor. One of the reasons why the Texans beat the Bengals was their ability to pressure the quarterback and protect their own. After giving up seven sacks in San Diego, Baltimore allowed just two sacks of Joe Flacco over the final two games of the regular season. In the previous meeting, the Ravens shut out Connor Barwin, Antonio Smith and J.J. Watt. On defense, the Ravens led the AFC with 48 sacks and need to get more pressure on Texans rookie quarterback T.J. Yates than the Bengals did. Baltimore sacked Matt Schaub four times when the Ravens beat Houston on Oct. 16.

3. Dominant at home. The Ravens put themselves in position to host a playoff game for the first time in five years by going undefeated at home for the first time in their 16-year existence. Baltimore roughed up teams at M&T Bank Stadium, where it won by double digits five times this season. One of those times was a 29-14 victory over the Texans when they had Schaub at quarterback. The Ravens have won 10 consecutive games at M&T Bank Stadium, the second-longest current home win streak in the NFL.

The ability of the Texans’ defense to run stunts that an offensive line doesn’t have time to react to will be one big factor in Saturday’s Cincinnati-Houston playoff game.

The same personnel man who spelled that out so clearly also delved into other areas of the matchup:

Arian Foster running routes: Cincinnati has to keep the Texans' running game from getting going, because everything spins off of that. Put the game on the rookie quarterback. Houston’s system and Gary Kubiak design easy throws, especially early, that get T.J. Yates some confidence and rhythm early. Foster will be a huge part of that. The Bengals don’t have a defensive back or linebacker who will be a good matchup on the Texans running back as a pass-catcher. “That’s a problem,” he said. “He’s not Darren Sproles, but he’s close to that. He’s an excellent route runner, he’s got excellent hands, he’s a matchup nightmare.”

Beware of Antonio Smith: Against a high-quality pass rush, Cincinnati’s strategy should be obvious. “Get the ball out quick and try to establish your running game.” he said. “If they don’t, it’s going to be a long game. They have guys that can get after the quarterback. Antonio Smith might not have the sacks that Connor Barwin or Brooks Reed have, but he is a problem. He can cause a lot of disruption. He’ll force plays to Barwin, he’ll force plays to Reed, he’ll force plays to J.J. Watt.”

His expectation: “I think Houston will win this game. I think their defense is going to come out and really get after Andy Dalton.”

They come from everywhere, with a great initial push that puts blockers on their heels and speeds up the clock in quarterbacks' heads.

The Houston Texans have a lot of excellent pieces. But to me, nothing set the tone more than their swarming defensive front. A different defensive lineman or linebacker pops through into the backfield and forces a mistake, drags the quarterback down or strips the ball and pounces on it with great frequency.

Forty-four sacks are nice, and ranked sixth in the league. But they are hardly the only representation of how effectively the Texans have rushed. Opposing quarterbacks completed a league-low 51.9 percent of their passes against Houston. They've been hurryied and harrassed, throwing inaccurately and throwing balls away to avoid hits and sacks. The front always has hands up, and batted down a league-best 19 passes.

The work of the group is going to be the No. 1 thing to watch Saturday at Reliant Stadium. Can Cincinnati’s big offensive line keep the Texans off of quarterback Andy Dalton long enough to let him work? If it can’t, the Texans should wind up in prime position for a second-round game in Baltimore.

“The front seven is probably the best in football, they flat get after you,” Colts center Jeff Saturday said. “Antonio Smith is their best player. J.J. Watt, to be a rookie, he’s been very impressive. And then those guys [Connor Barwin and Brooks Reed] come off the corners, they call them linebackers, they’re really defensive ends.

“So you’re playing a five-man front all day. DeMeco Ryans and Brian Cushing can run with the best of them. They just give you everything they’ve got. I respect the heck of the way they play.”

Dalton, who’s missed work with the flu this week, said the constant effort of the Texans’ defense is what he notices every time he watches it and what the Bengals have to be prepared to counter.

“They just play so hard,” he said. “That’s the one thing you see on film. They are never giving up. Even guys who are getting blocked, it’s not like they are stopping their feet. They are doing everything they can to get off of their blocks. That’s what makes their defense play the way they do.”

An AFC personnel man I spoke with this week said he sees weakness for Cincinnati on the interior line, where left guard Nate Livings, center Kyle Cook and right guard Mike McGlynn will be susceptible against Houston.

The Texans do superb work with stunts and twists where a defender loops around and makes an offensive line switch who they block. Those plays will cause the Bengals’ bigger, slower linemen problems.

“They run their stunt game better than anybody,” the personnel man said. “They rush to the point where the offensive line cannot pass off, they are so deep into their sets, deep into their rush, that you can’t pass it off. If you pass it off, another guy is going to come free. They do a real good job making it so those offensive linemen cannot come off of you to take the looping rusher.

“The Texans are just too deep into their rush, you can’t do it. There is not enough time. They do it so quick, they are so tight. If you want to put on a clinic of how to rush with stunts, put on the Houston Texans' defense. That’s like no other team I’ve seen do it, that’s as perfect as you can do it.”

Houston defensive coordinator Wade Phillips will find stuff out of the regular-season matchup, which the Texans won in Cincinnati on Dec. 11, to exploit in a second chance.

What’s the antidote for the Bengals?

Dalton will have to get rid of the ball in a hurry, and drives will be reliant on yards after the catch and the ability to string together long drives with a lot of first downs. The Texans will win some plays by taking away Dalton’s first and second reads, and he simply won’t have the time or opportunity to find the third.

Of course Cincinnati rushes the quarterback well, too. The Bengals had 45 sacks from 15 different guys. But their 4-3 front is more straightforward, and Houston's offensive line is another team strength.

Smith said the Texans take pride in dependably rushing the passer every week. Those 44 regular-season sacks were the sixth-best total in the NFL. Eleven different linemen and linebackers factored into those sacks.

“That’s consistent, man,” Smith said. “The front seven has done a tremendous job, especially with all the sacks spread over not just one or two guys. … Each and every person on this defense has a role and a job to do, and is capable of getting it done.

“We’re capable of getting to the quarterback, I don’t think that’s been a problem all year. Teams started changing up the way they attacked us with the quick passes and the three-step drops and slide protections. But with our outside rushers we’re still able to get there.”

HOUSTON -- A couple halftime thoughts from Reliant Stadium, where the Titans lead the Texans 13-10.

• The Titans smartly came out with something different, using shotgun with an empty backfield. They had great success with it early, but seemed to sag when it didn’t lead to a touchdown drive right out of the gate. An injury to receiver Damian Williams that’s knocked him from the game may force them to use it less than they’d like the rest of the way.
• Houston’s front is great. The Texans swarmed against a good pass-protecting offensive line and produced two Antonio Smith sacks of Matt Hasselbeck. The linemen and linebackers just come from a different spot on every play. I think that pass rush is going to key them in the playoffs.
• Jake Delhomme got away with a very bad throw late in the second quarter. Cornerback Jason McCourty would have probably gone for a touchdown if he didn’t flub the pass like a man who had casts on two broken hands.
• Receiver Donnie Avery benefitted from Williams’ injury and caught the Titans' touchdown on a smartly designed play. Tennessee bunched three receivers right, then had Hasselbeck throw to Avery against Jason Allen on the left from the 1-yard line. It was Avery's first catch of the year.
• The Texans should pound it with running backs Ben Tate and Derrick Ward in the second half. I think they can break the Titans' defense that way, and that the Titans could be frustrated they aren’t having an easier time considering Houston didn’t dress Arian Foster, Johnathan Joseph or Owen Daniels.
• I thought rules dictated teams announce in-game injuries. But the Texans have not said what prompted T.J. Yates’ trip to the locker room and exit from the game. And the Titans took a long, long time before finally revealing at the half that Williams has a rib injury and his return is questionable.

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Perfect sense: Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew and Texans running back Arian Foster are two of the AFC South’s running backs, though Baltimore’s Ray Rice is the starter. MJD is on the verge of his first rushing title a season after Foster led the league in ground yards. Johnathan Joseph qualifies as one of the best veteran additions in the league and deserves his spot as a backup to Darrelle Revis and Champ Bailey.

Made it on rep: Indianapolis defensive end Dwight Freeney is the division’s lone starter. He remains a premier pass rusher who’s a very tough player to block. The last two weeks when the Colts have won showed how feared he and Robert Mathis remain, as the Titans and Texans were overeager to get the ball out of the quarterback’s hand. But on one of the league’s very worst teams, Mathis may have had a better season. And while Antonio Smith and J.J. Watt of the Texans are 3-4 ends who don’t get the glory that comes with taking the quarterback down as often, a case could be made for either as a bigger contributor to his team’s success this season.

Got robbed: The Texans are currently the No. 2 defense in the NFL and have been in the top slot for much of the season. Four Houston defenders -- outside linebacker Connor Barwin, inside linebacker Brian Cushing, Smith and Watt -- are alternates, though we don’t yet know where in the pecking order. While outside linebacker is loaded and it’s tough for 3-4 ends to get in, Ray Lewis has missed a lot of action with a toe injury. I suspect both Cushing and Jacksonville's middle linebacker, Paul Posluszny, have been more influential for their teams this season. Texans center Chris Myers should represent one of the league's best offensive lines. The Titans got no one on the initial roster. Kicker Rob Bironas has been remarkable and qualifies as their best candidate. But the AFC’s kicker, Oakland’s Sebastian Janikowski, has certainly had a big year.

Click here for the complete 2012 Pro Bowl roster.

TAMPA, Fla. -- Is it time?

For a couple weeks we’ve felt comfortable saying the Houston Texans should win the AFC South. Now that they stand at 7-3, is it time to start considering whether they will contend for something bigger, like a week off at the start of the playoffs? Like a bid to host the championship game if they can get there?

Only Pittsburgh’s got an equivalent record in the conference after Week 10, and the Texans knocked off the Steelers in Houston back in October. No one else has three division wins.

Sunday’s dominant showing at Raymond James Stadium makes the Texans’ threat level in the AFC a possibility people should start pondering. Houston’s 37-9 handling of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could have been even bigger if the Texans hadn’t politely eased up.

“It feels good to be this good,” said defensive end Antonio Smith, a banged up shoulder wrapped in ice. “… We can beat any team in the AFC. We don’t look at it like a team is above us or that we can’t stand toe to toe with any team. We’ve got just as much chance as anybody in the conference.”

That may be true. No, the Texans have not beaten up premier teams during a four-game winning streak. The four teams they toppled are a collective 15-21 right now. But in building the big record, Houston’s now got a believable swagger. It’s not the sort of false bravado it’s carried in some recent years, when it was chasing people rather than qualifying as a target.

The Texans are 4-2 in games without their best offensive player, and receiver Andre Johnson (hamstring) will return after the bye. They are 4-1 without their best defensive player, and outside linebacker Mario Williams (pectoral) won’t be back until next season.

They’ve evolved into a team that finds a way -- with the run game taking on more of the offensive load and with a rookie like Brooks Reed helping offset the loss of Williams.

There are kinks still, for sure, but they are less obvious than in past seasons. There is better coaching with Wade Phillips and his defensive staff. There is better talent with Johnathan Joseph out of free agency and J.J. Watt and Reed from the top of the draft class. There is great depth at running back and great continuity on the offensive line.

What is Houston not good at right now?

The Texans had two bad snaps on special teams, the first of which led to a missed extra point. Coach Gary Kubiak threw a challenge flag on a scoring play that’s automatically reviewed, drawing a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct flag.

“That was not very smart,” he said in the self-deprecating way that’s a core piece of his personality.

Against the Bucs, the Texans ran it for 185 yards and a 4.2-yard average and they threw it for an efficient 235 yards. They took the ball away with three interceptions and a fumble recovery and protected it, allowing no takeaways while limiting Tampa Bay to 231 yards.

They jumped to a 16-0 lead that felt completely insurmountable and proved to be just that.

“We came out and did what we are supposed to do against a team we’re supposed to handle,” inside linebacker DeMeco Ryans said. “Everybody was focused on what we had to do to get No. 7.”

This is a team that can run and throw, that can rush and cover. Ratcheting up the quality of the competition will alter things some. But the people drawing up and executing the plans are not going away. Neither is the confidence that’s been built.

And while a playoff opponent, any playoff opponent, will be tough, the six games remaining are mostly not: at Jacksonville, Atlanta, at Cincinnati, Carolina, at Indianapolis, Tennessee. Three losses are possible. So is one.

“We’re in a little bit of a zone, I would say, we’re feeling it,” right tackle Eric Winston said. “We’re like a shooter, I think, who’s found his stroke and coach is telling us to keep shooting.”

Winston isn’t concerned with power rankings and the like. Everyone will get their opportunity to make a run at the conference title, to win a trip to Indianapolis for the Super Bowl, he said.

Phillips said his group is playing solidly, not making many mistakes and not giving up big plays. Meanwhile, the offense got an 80-yard scoring pass from Matt Schaub to Jacoby Jones on the first play from scrimmage and tacked on a 78-yard catch-and-run touchdown by Arian Foster before halftime.

“Everybody is feeding off of each other,” Winston said. “The defense is feeding off the offense. The offense is feeding off the defense. They make a hit or a pick and all of a sudden, we’ve got to go out there and we’ve got to match it. It’s almost like a friendly competition. And there are competitions going on in position groups.

“I know as offensive linemen, we’re scrounging around for cuts, we’re scrounging around for knockdowns because we want to be the one with the highest grade when we go in on Monday. Everyone is pushing each other and everyone is rallying around each other. Every good team I’ve ever been on has been like this.”

Of course, one terrible Sunday afternoon upset can rattle it all for those of us watching and making declarations, creating questions and turning a day like this one into a blurry memory.

Don’t expect it, the Texans are saying. Don’t expect anything to happen that’s going to alter the fundamentals of what’s going on here, something that will get a jolt from the return of Johnson when their season resumes.

“I think if you look at what we’ve done so far, I think you could say we have somewhat of a complete team,” Joseph said. “… Saying it is not going to get it done. You’ve got to go out each week and perform.

“We’re sitting in the best position possible we could be sitting in going into the bye week. Realistically, it’s wide open right now. There is no clear-cut favorite … It’s not for us to determine [if we should be one]. We have to go out and play each week and come out 1-0.”

That mantra about going 1-0 each week is certainly cliché. The Texans know it and don’t pretend otherwise. It’s working for them and they’ll stick to it.

But is there anyone better than them in the AFC right now?

“Are you trying to stir something up, man,” Foster asked, smiling from under his hat, over his bow tie and behind his Clark Kent glasses. “Look, we’re playing well. I hope we continue to play well.”

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FALLING

1. Jacob Lacey, Indianapolis Colts cornerback: Lacey is ideally a dime guy, maybe a nickel. But the Colts married themselves to him as their No. 2 starter right after the lockout in a move many of us still struggle to understand. Lately they’ve been using Terrence Johnson some. Sunday in Cincinnati it sure seemed like they went with Lacey early and then pulled him for Johnson. If there was anyone on the roster who was capable of putting real pressure on Lacey, he’d have to get some time on the bench to get his game together. Drew Brees will look his way and see red meat.

2. Rashean Mathis, Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback: In a poor first half for the Jaguars in Pittsburgh, Mathis was exceptionally noticeable. He had a crack at a hit that would have prevented a Rashard Mendenhall touchdown run, got stiff-armed out of another run play, he dropped a ball I thought he could have picked and was in defense on a touchdown pass to Mike Wallace (yes he’s tough to defend, but still). Mathis is a quality leader and a quality guy. He told the team after the game that it’s on the cusp of winning a game. They may be, but he’s one of the guys who’s got to do better to make it happen.

3. Leroy Harris and Eugene Amano, Tennessee Titans interior offensive linemen: Mike Munchak’s team has been very good in pass protection, which is why Matt Hasselbeck’s been able to be such a significant story. But run blocking is an issue, and these two guys are the root of it. Munchak is steadfastly loyal to the group that started for him last season when he was offensive line coach, but asked recently if he was considering any line changes, his answer wasn’t “no,” it was “not yet.” That’s as close as this pair may come to getting put on notice. Fernando Velasco is the one legitimate alternative on the bench.

RISING

1. Tim Jamison, Houston Texans defensive end: As the Texans started life without injured outside linebacker Mario Williams, Jamison exploded with a big first-half performance: two sacks, including one that forced a fumble he recovered that set up a touchdown. It was an impressive showing, and it’s the sort of effort from a member of the supporting cast that the Texans can really use. Gary Kubiak said he sees Jamison as a young Antonio Smith. That’s high praise considering what a player Smith is.

2. The Tennessee Titans’ health: Coming off a bye, the Titans appear pretty healthy. Safety Chris Hope (arm) is out for a long stretch. Backup linebacker and special-teamer Colin McCarthy (hamstring) may be the only other issue. If tight end Craig Stevens (ribs) is feeling better, things will be looking up for the Titans. And considering the Texans just played the very physical Ravens and have a banged-up quarterback in Matt Schaub, it’s a nice advantage to have.

3. Indianapolis’ pass protection: The Colts have scrambled to patch things together with a bunch of injured guys, but quarterback Curtis Painter has gone over 100 pass attempts without an interception and he’s had time the past few games to make his reads and make his throws. Pierre Garcon and Reggie Wayne have been beneficiaries. This line’s taken a beating when things have been bad, and run blocking is no strength. But the group is stepping up to give the young quarterback a chance.

BALTIMORE -- Thoughts on the Houston Texans' 29-14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.

What it means: The Texans lost their second game in a row, and the enthusiasm over their 3-1 record seems so, so long ago now that they’re 3-3. They’re out of first place in the AFC South because the 3-2 Titans had the week off.

What I didn’t like: Joe Flacco is hardly the best quarterback the Texans will see, but twice in the second half, the Texans allowed deep completions. Torrey Smith caught a 51-yard ball over Kareem Jackson and Anquan Boldin grabbed a 56-yard throw. On the first a defender was bearing down on Flacco, on the second he got hit by Antonio Smith. The Texans can ill afford to give up such plays, and they cause some flashbacks to last year.

What I liked: Both of those big gainers didn’t result in touchdowns. The Texans stopped Baltimore from getting in the end zone, forcing field goals that allowed them to stay within a score.

What else I didn’t like: After those big pass plays and field goals, the Ravens managed to get Ray Rice going. His 27-yard run set up a Ricky Williams touchdown that made it 26-14 with 4:01 left. A 12-point deficit with one timeout remaining against the Ravens on the road is a tall order. The offense failed to find the sort of big plays it needed to keep up when it needed them. Andre Johnson sure could have helped.

What’s next: The Texans head for Nashville and a big AFC South matchup with the division lead on the line. Tennessee is coming off a bye. Will Johnson return from the hamstring injury that has cost him two games?

BALTIMORE -- We asked this week if the Texans could come to M&T Bank Stadium minus Andre Johnson and Mario Williams and hang with the Ravens.

Through the first half, it’s a definite yes.

Though the Texans trail 10-7, they’re doing some very good things at this point.

The best: getting hits on quarterback Joe Flacco in their first game since losing Williams for the season with a pectoral injury. Tim Jamison has two sacks, including a strip sack and fumble recovery that set up Houston’s touchdown.

Jamison’s hardly been alone in the backfield. J.J. Watt, Antonio Smith (who gave the Ravens two first downs with penalties), Brian Cushing and others have been in on the action.

That's the encouraging news. On the other side, Houston’s not been a great adjusting team this season.

The Texans have been outscored 24-6 in the third quarter and 76-37 in the second half.

New players marvel at just how fast the NFL is.

But it's not just the speed of receivers and defensive backs that’s alarming. It’s the pace at which things can change.

On Oct. 2 -- a mere 11 days ago -- the Texans were 3-1 and just about everybody was high on them. Today they are 3-2 and heading into what could qualify as an impossible mission: Go to Baltimore without Andre Johnson and Mario Williams and beat the Ravens.

Just how much less threatening are the Texans without their best player on each side of the ball?

Significantly, just as any team would be with the equivalent subtractions.

“I certainly like guys like Connor Barwin, J.J. Watt and Antonio Smith, but they were all better because of the attention that Mario got,” said Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. “He’s very clearly the top threat when designing pass protection against Houston.

“The same can pretty much be said for Johnson. He just demands so much respect from the opponent and still produces. I expect the tight ends and Arian Foster out of the backfield to be featured more, as they were against Oakland. The Texans will try to become more run-heavy. But if I am the opponent, I am forcing Matt Schaub to win through the air now.

“And I don’t love that for Houston. I am high on the tight ends and Foster as receivers, but not the receivers to really help the cause. To me, these injuries push the Texans from contenders to a team that should still win a weak division, but will be a quick out in the playoffs. Schaub just isn’t that type of quarterback.”

Schaub can move the Texans’ offense like a Secret Service detail moves the president.

But the offense can grind to a halt with an untimely three-and-out. And in the clutch, there are still questions. Will he throw an overtime pick-six like he did the last time the Texans faced Baltimore? Will the clock in his head prompt him to throw the interception that ended last week’s game against Oakland rather than get rid of the ball quickly to get one more snap?

More falls on Schaub when Johnson’s not his primary target and when Williams isn’t helping get the ball back for the offense in favorable spots at favorable times. Like most quarterbacks, Schaub’s better when less is on his plate, not more.

As for the two big absences, I often argue after a free-agent departure or an injury that the guys who are in the huddle aren't concerned about who’s not there with them.

Former NFL offensive lineman Ross Tucker, now of ESPN.com, agrees.

“My take typically is that guys are much more interested in their own situation and their own performance,” Tucker said. “For example: Bummer that Andre and Mario can't play, but I would be much more worried about Haloti Ngata.

“The key is that [coach] Gary Kubiak and the team leaders make it very clear that they don't have any built-in excuses since Mario and Andre are out. Sometimes teams feel like they have that crutch or reason for failure if things go poorly. The Packers, Patriots and others have proven there are no excuses.”

Foster falls in line with that.

He hates to talk about would-haves, could-haves, or ifs and he won’t stand for the Texans participating in any of that no matter how much of it is coming from the outside in light of the injuries to Johnson and Williams.

“Everyone kind of writes us off,” Foster said. “That’s all right. All we need is for the people in this locker room to believe in us, that’s what we’re going to continue to do. Hopefully we play the way we’re capable of playing and come out of there with a W.”

Receiver Jacoby Jones was targeted 11 times by Schaub last week, including on that final pick, and he had just one catch.

Schaub's maddening inconsistency and inability to deliver when most needed helped prompt two moves this week: The Texans traded a conditional seventh-round pick to the Jets for WR Derrick Mason and brought back Trindon Holliday to take over return duties, including punt returns, which were handled by Jones.

Without Johnson or a big-play receiver in his place, will Foster head to Maryland thinking about needing to do more in order for the Texans to win?

“Andre is a big part of what we do,” Foster said. “You have to understand he’s gone and the slack has to be picked up somewhere. But you don’t necessarily have to put it on your shoulders.

"If the coaches feel like that’s something I need to do, that I need to up my production in any form or fashion, I’ll do that.”

Other guys will need to do it too or Monday we’ll be talking about an average 3-3 team that’s heading to Tennessee for a big division game and another chance to slip.

The Houston Texans have made great strides defensively under coordinator Wade Phillips. But take away star linebacker Mario Williams and who knows what they will be.

Williams suffered a torn pectoral muscle in Sunday’s loss to Oakland. He will have surgery to repair it and be placed on injured reserve, Gary Kubiak said at his Monday news conference.

Suddenly, offenses do not have to account for him shifting to the side of the formation, where there is not a tight end to maximize his chances for sacks and quarterback hits.

Rookie second-rounder Brooks Reed is a promising player, but even if he’s great in Williams’ spot, there will be a drop-off.

The attention that typically goes to Williams can now be distributed in ways that could help slow the other outside linebacker, Connor Barwin, and the effective ends, Antonio Smith and first-round rookie J.J. Watt.

Those three and everyone on defense have benefitted from Williams’ work. They will all be under pressure to show they can be effective without him.

It’s a bad situation for the Texans, who will talk of overcoming it and work hard to concentrate on who they have on the field not who they don’t.

But I fear it’ll amount to a devastating loss.

The Texans are likely without receiver Andre Johnson (hamstring) for two more games. Take away any team's best defensive player and best offensive player and it will have trouble. The Texans are about to find out just how much.

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FALLING

1. The secondary, Indianapolis Colts: Safety David Caldwell dropped an end-zone interception that really could have influenced the game early on. The three cornerbacks who were on the field a lot struggled to locate pass-catchers and get them to the ground. Are Terrence Johnson, Jacob Lacey and Chris Rucker good enough to hold up against superior passing teams like New Orleans, Atlanta, Houston and New England coming up later on the schedule? It’s a rhetorical question, and the answer right now is no.

2. Danieal Manning, Houston Texans special-teamer: We’re not knocking Manning the safety here. We’re knocking the guy who blocked a Pittsburgh field goal attempt on the last play before halftime. He circled around and was one of a convoy of Texans following Johnathan Joseph as he scooped up the kick to run it back for a score, and Manning inexplicably shoved kicker Daniel Sepulveda in the back. There was no way the kicker was going to threaten the play, and Houston was very fortunate to survive the lost touchdown. So props to Manning on the block, but he’s got to be smarter from there.

3. Linebackers, Jacksonville Jaguars: The team poured money into the position in the offseason, and Paul Posluszny and Clint Session are good players. But Posluszny dropped a pick and Daryl Smith let Drew Brees guide him out of bounds on an interception return. The backers were repeatedly victimized by running back Darren Sproles, who averaged 10.9 yards a touch, and tight end Jimmy Graham, who caught 10 balls for 132 yards. The Jaguars need more from these guys against players like that.

RISING

1. Pierre Garcon, Indianapolis receiver: He can be maddening with his drops -- he had one early against the Bucs. But the reason he’s around is that he can change games with one play. He had two of them for the Colts Monday night, grabbing Curtis Painter passes and doing excellent work after the catch. They were the sort of explosive offensive plays Indianapolis has to have if it’s going to be competitive.

2. Tight ends, Tennessee Titans: Among the people the team has talked of needing to help fill the void without Kenny Britt, Jared Cook was a top name. If teams choose to cover him and attempt to tackle him the way the Browns did, look for him to put up monster numbers. Craig Stevens is regarded as more of a blocker, but he did well to catch a touchdown. If Cook, Stevens and Daniel Graham can continue to be counted as good targets for the accurate Matt Hasselbeck, there is a lot of cause for hope. Those guys complementing receivers Nate Washington, Damian Williams and Lavelle Hawkins are looking like a strong group.

3. Antonio Smith, Houston Texans defensive end: He’ll represent the entire defensive front here, which has been very good and which just overwhelmed the Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive line in Sunday’s win. Ben Roethlisberger can be exceptionally tough to drag down, but Smith and the Texans ganged up on him for five sacks and really hit him with great regularity. The secondary is vastly improved, but life is a lot better back when a quarterback like Roethlisberger has little time to work.