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2011 Houston Texans season

10th season in franchise history; first playoff appearance

Field	Value
team	Houston Texans
year	2011
record	10–6
division_place	1st AFC South
coach	Gary Kubiak
off_coach	Rick Dennison
def_coach	Wade Phillips
general manager	Rick Smith
owner	Bob McNair
stadium	Reliant Stadium
playoffs	Won [Wild Card Playoffs](2011-12-nfl-playoffs)
(vs. [Bengals](2011-cincinnati-bengals-season)) 31–10
Lost [Divisional Playoffs](2011-12-nfl-playoffs)
(at [Ravens](2011-baltimore-ravens-season)) 13–20
uniform	File:Houston texans unif.png
pro bowlers	{{Collapsible list
title	4
shortnavlink	Texans seasons

(vs. Bengals) 31–10 Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Ravens) 13–20 | HB Arian Foster | CB Johnathan Joseph | C Chris Myers | DE Antonio Smith The 2011 season was the Houston Texans' 10th in the National Football League (NFL) and their sixth under head coach Gary Kubiak. The Texans improved on their record from the 2010 season, despite losing starting quarterback Matt Schaub & backup Matt Leinart to season ending injuries. Third stringer T.J. Yates filled in, and earned the franchise's first playoff berth by defeating the Cincinnati Bengals 20–19 in Week 14 and clinching the AFC South. It also assured the Texans of at least one playoff game at home—the first NFL playoff game in Houston since 1993. After reaching the Divisional match against the Baltimore Ravens, the Texans suffered their maiden loss in the NFL Playoffs, losing 20–13.

Prior to the season, former Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips was hired as defensive coordinator, replacing Frank Bush, who was fired. The Texans defense made major improvements in Phillips' first year calling Houston's defensive plays. The team allowed the fourth-fewest points in the league in 2011 (compared to fourth most in 2010), the second-fewest yards allowed (third-most in 2010) and third-fewest yards per play (4.8, compared to 6.0, second-worst in 2010). The Texans allowed just 278 points (17.375 points per game) in the regular season, and scored 103 more points than their opponents did, which are both team records. They allowed 23 or more points only five times all season.

Offseason

Draft

Main article: 2011 NFL draft

Staff

Houston Texans 2011 staff

Final roster

Preseason

year=2011	border=2}}"	Week	Houston Texans	year=2011
[New York Jets](2011-new-york-jets-season)	W 20–16	1–0	Reliant Stadium	[Recap](https://www.nfl.com/games/jets-at-texans-2011-pre-1)
[New Orleans Saints](2011-new-orleans-saints-season)	W 27–14	2–0	Reliant Stadium	[Recap](https://www.nfl.com/games/saints-at-texans-2011-pre-2)
at [San Francisco 49ers](2011-san-francisco-49ers-season)	W 30–7	3–0	Candlestick Park	[Recap](https://www.nfl.com/games/texans-at-49ers-2011-pre-3)
at [Minnesota Vikings](2011-minnesota-vikings-season)	L 0–28	3–1	Mall of America Field	[Recap](https://www.nfl.com/games/texans-at-vikings-2011-pre-4)

Regular season

Schedule

Houston Texans	year=2011	border=2}}"	Week	Houston Texans	year=2011
September 11	[Indianapolis Colts](2011-indianapolis-colts-season)	W 34–7	1–0	Reliant Stadium	[Recap](https://www.nfl.com/games/colts-at-texans-2011-reg-1)
September 18	at [Miami Dolphins](2011-miami-dolphins-season)	W 23–13	2–0	Sun Life Stadium	[Recap](https://www.nfl.com/games/texans-at-dolphins-2011-reg-2)
September 25	at [New Orleans Saints](2011-new-orleans-saints-season)	L 33–40	2–1	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	[Recap](https://www.nfl.com/games/texans-at-saints-2011-reg-3)
October 2	[Pittsburgh Steelers](2011-pittsburgh-steelers-season)	W 17–10	3–1	Reliant Stadium	[Recap](https://www.nfl.com/games/steelers-at-texans-2011-reg-4)
October 9	[Oakland Raiders](2011-oakland-raiders-season)	L 20–25	3–2	Reliant Stadium	[Recap](https://www.nfl.com/games/raiders-at-texans-2011-reg-5)
October 16	at [Baltimore Ravens](2011-baltimore-ravens-season)	L 14–29	3–3	M&T Bank Stadium	[Recap](https://www.nfl.com/games/texans-at-ravens-2011-reg-6)
October 23	at [Tennessee Titans](2011-tennessee-titans-season)	W 41–7	4–3	LP Field	[Recap](https://www.nfl.com/games/texans-at-titans-2011-reg-7)
October 30	[Jacksonville Jaguars](2011-jacksonville-jaguars-season)	W 24–14	5–3	Reliant Stadium	[Recap](https://www.nfl.com/games/jaguars-at-texans-2011-reg-8)
November 6	[Cleveland Browns](2011-cleveland-browns-season)	W 30–12	6–3	Reliant Stadium	[Recap](https://www.nfl.com/games/browns-at-texans-2011-reg-9)
November 13	at [Tampa Bay Buccaneers](2011-tampa-bay-buccaneers-season)	W 37–9	7–3	Raymond James Stadium	[Recap](https://www.nfl.com/games/texans-at-buccaneers-2011-reg-10)
Bye
November 27	at [Jacksonville Jaguars](2011-jacksonville-jaguars-season)	W 20–13	8–3	EverBank Field	[Recap](https://www.nfl.com/games/texans-at-jaguars-2011-reg-12)
December 4	[Atlanta Falcons](2011-atlanta-falcons-season)	W 17–10	9–3	Reliant Stadium	[Recap](https://www.nfl.com/games/falcons-at-texans-2011-reg-13)
December 11	at [Cincinnati Bengals](2011-cincinnati-bengals-season)	W 20–19	10–3	Paul Brown Stadium	[Recap](https://www.nfl.com/games/texans-at-bengals-2011-reg-14)
December 18	[Carolina Panthers](2011-carolina-panthers-season)	L 13–28	10–4	Reliant Stadium	[Recap](https://www.nfl.com/games/panthers-at-texans-2011-reg-15)
	at [Indianapolis Colts](2011-indianapolis-colts-season)	L 16–19	10–5	Lucas Oil Stadium	[Recap](https://www.nfl.com/games/texans-at-colts-2011-reg-16)
January 1	[Tennessee Titans](2011-tennessee-titans-season)	L 22–23	10–6	Reliant Stadium	[Recap](https://www.nfl.com/games/titans-at-texans-2011-reg-17)

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Indianapolis Colts

First quarter

HOU – Neil Rackers 25-yard field goal, 4:27. ''Texans 3–0. '''Drive: 13 plays, 73 yards, 6:32.'''''
HOU – Derrick Ward 1-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 2:56. ''Texans 10–0. '''Drive: 2 plays, 5 yards, 0:41.'''''
HOU – Ben Tate 2-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 1:41. ''Texans 17–0. '''Drive: 3 plays, 18 yards, 1:08.''''' Second quarter
HOU – Andre Johnson 4-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick), 6:57. ''Texans 24–0. '''Drive: 10 plays, 89 yards, 5:54.'''''
HOU – Neil Rackers 29-yard field goal, 1:34. ''Texans 27–0. '''Drive: 9 plays, 51 yards, 3:51.'''''
HOU – Jacoby Jones 79-yard punt return (Neil Rackers kick), 0:54. Texans 34–0. Third quarter
No scoring plays Fourth quarter
IND – Reggie Wayne 6-yard pass from Kerry Collins (Adam Vinatieri kick), 9:17. ''Texans 34–7. '''Drive: 2 plays, 8 yards, 1:10.''''' Top passers
IND – Kerry Collins – 16/31, 197 yards, TD
HOU – Matt Schaub – 17/24, 220 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers
IND – Joseph Addai – 8 rushes, 39 yards
HOU – Ben Tate – 24 rushes, 116 yards, TD Top receivers
IND – Reggie Wayne – 7 receptions, 106 yards, TD
HOU – Andre Johnson – 7 receptions, 95 yards, TD The Texans began their season at home against the AFC South division foes, Colts. With the win, the Texans started the season out at 1–0.

Week 2: at Miami Dolphins

First quarter

HOU – Neil Rackers 23-yard field goal, 9:58. ''Texans 3–0. '''Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 5:02.'''''
HOU – Neil Rackers 22-yard field goal, 4:33. ''Texans 6–0. '''Drive: 8 plays, 40 yards, 4:04.'''''
MIA – Dan Carpenter 42-yard field goal, 2:25. ''Texans 6–3. '''Drive: 7 plays, 29 yards, 2:08.''''' Second quarter
HOU – Owen Daniels 4-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick), 14:09. ''Texans 13–3. '''Drive: 2 plays, 6 yards, 0:44.'''''
HOU – Neil Rackers 36-yard field goal, 0:00. ''Texans 16–3. '''Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 2:42.''''' Third quarter
MIA – Brandon Marshall 12-yard pass from Chad Henne (Dan Carpenter kick), 6:37. ''Texans 16–10. '''Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards, 3:06.''''' Fourth quarter
MIA – Dan Carpenter 34-yard field goal, 12:53. ''Texans 16–13. '''Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 3:26.'''''
HOU – Andre Johnson 23-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick), 10:06. ''Texans 23–13. '''Drive: 5 plays, 63 yards, 2:47.''''' Top passers
HOU – Matt Schaub – 21/29, 230 yards, 2 TD
MIA – Chad Henne – 12/30, 170 yards, TD, INT Top rushers
HOU – Ben Tate – 23 rushes, 103 yards
MIA – Daniel Thomas – 18 rushes, 107 yards Top receivers
HOU – Andre Johnson – 7 receptions, 93 yards, TD
MIA – Brandon Marshall – 6 receptions, 79 yards, TD The Texans went on the road to face the Dolphins. With the win, the Texans improved to 2–0.

Week 3: at New Orleans Saints

First quarter

HOU – Owen Daniels 14-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick), 10:13. ''Texans 7–0. '''Drive: 9 plays, 92 yards, 4:47.'''''
HOU – Neil Rackers 22-yard field goal, 3:17. ''Texans 10–0. '''Drive: 8 plays, 82 yards, 3:43.''''' Second quarter
NO – Darren Sproles 30-yard run (John Kasay kick), 8:23. ''Texans 10–7. '''Drive: 8 plays, 86 yards, 4:44.'''''
HOU – Neil Rackers 27-yard field goal, 6:20. ''Texans 13–7. '''Drive: 6 plays, 71 yards, 2:03.'''''
HOU – Neil Rackers 27-yard field goal, 3:53. ''Texans 16–7. '''Drive: 6 plays, 25 yards, 2:17.'''''
NO – John Kasay 35-yard field goal, 0:35. ''Texans 16–10. '''Drive: 7 plays, 62 yards, 3:18.''''' Third quarter
NO – Robert Meachem 2-yard pass from Drew Brees (John Kasay kick), 10:34. ''Saints 17–16. '''Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 4:26.'''''
HOU – Neil Rackers 36-yard field goal, 5:08. ''Texans 19–17. '''Drive: 11 plays, 55 yards, 5:26.''''' Fourth quarter
HOU – James Casey 26-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick), 14:54. ''Texans 26–17. '''Drive: 4 plays, 42 yards, 2:06.'''''
NO – Jimmy Graham 27-yard pass from Drew Brees (John Kasay kick), 9:30. ''Texans 26–24. '''Drive: 5 plays, 49 yards, 1:50.'''''
NO – Lance Moore 16-yard pass from Drew Brees (Drew Brees pass to Lance Moore), 7:10. ''Saints 32–26. '''Drive: 6 plays, 47 yards, 1:58.'''''
HOU – Kevin Walter 20-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick), 4:13. ''Texans 33–32. '''Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 2:57.'''''
NO – Mark Ingram II 13-yard run (Drew Brees pass to Lance Moore), 2:42. ''Saints 40–33. '''Drive: 8 plays, 70 yards, 1:31.''''' Top passers
HOU – Matt Schaub – 22/39, 373 yards, 3 TD, INT
NO – Drew Brees – 31/44, 370 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT Top rushers
HOU – Ben Tate – 19 rushes, 82 yards
NO – Mark Ingram II – 9 rushes, 38 yards, TD Top receivers
HOU – Andre Johnson – 7 receptions, 128 yards
NO – Jimmy Graham – 4 receptions, 100 yards, TD

With the loss, the Texans fell to 2–1.

Week 4: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

First quarter

HOU – Owen Daniels 1-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick), 4:05. ''Texans 7–0. '''Drive: 19 plays, 82 yards, 10:55.''''' Second quarter
HOU – Neil Rackers 25-yard field goal is good, 2:33. ''Texans 10–0. '''Drive: 12 plays, 60 yards, 5:41.''''' Third quarter
PIT – Rashard Mendenhall 3-yard run (Shaun Suisham kick), 7:02. ''Texans 10–7. '''Drive: 13 plays, 79 yards, 7:58.''''' Fourth quarter
PIT – Shaun Suisham 26-yard field goal is good, 14:57. ''Tied 10–10. '''Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 5:27.'''''
HOU – Arian Foster 42-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 12:02. ''Texans 17–10. '''Drive: 5 plays, 85 yards, 2:55.''''' Top passers
PIT – Ben Roethlisberger – 16/30, 206 yards, INT
HOU – Matt Schaub – 14/21, 138 yards, TD Top rushers
PIT – Isaac Redman – 6 rushes, 40 yards
HOU – Arian Foster – 30 rushes, 155 yards, TD Top receivers
PIT – Mike Wallace – 4 receptions, 77 yards
HOU – Owen Daniels – 5 receptions, 69 yards, TD With the win, the Texans improved to 3–1.

Week 5: vs. Oakland Raiders

First quarter

HOU – Kevin Walter 5-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick), 8:09. ''Texans 7–0. '''Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 4:43.'''''
OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 54-yard field goal, 3:26. ''Texans 7–3. '''Drive: 4 plays, -1 yards, 1:20.''''' Second quarter
OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 55-yard field goal, 14:55. ''Texans 7–6. '''Drive: 5 plays, 2 yards, 1:53.'''''
HOU – Joel Dreessen 56-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick), 11:57. ''Texans 14–6. '''Drive: 1 play, 56 yards, 0:08.'''''
OAK – Darrius Heyward-Bey 34-yard pass from Jason Campbell (pass failed), 1:09. ''Texans 14–12. '''Drive: 5 plays, 73 yards, 0:51.''''' Third quarter
OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 50-yard field goal, 5:12. ''Raiders 15–14. '''Drive: 11 plays, 37 yards, 5:39.'''''
HOU – Neil Rackers 54-yard field goal, 1:59. ''Texans 17–15. '''Drive: 7 plays, 54 yards, 3:13.''''' Fourth quarter
OAK – Chaz Schilens 18-yard pass from Jason Campbell (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 14:50. ''Raiders 22–17. '''Drive: 6 plays, 61 yards, 2:09.'''''
OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 42-yard field goal, 10:00. ''Raiders 25–17. '''Drive: 8 plays, 46 yards, 3:22.'''''
HOU – Neil Rackers 40-yard field goal, 2:56. ''Raiders 25–20. '''Drive: 16 plays, 72 yards, 5:26.''''' Top passers
OAK – Jason Campbell – 15/35, 190 yards, 2 TD, INT
HOU – Matt Schaub – 24/51, 416 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers
OAK – Darren McFadden – 16 rushes, 51 yards
HOU – Arian Foster – 22 rushes, 68 yards Top receivers
OAK – Darrius Heyward-Bey – 7 receptions, 99 yards, TD
HOU – Owen Daniels – 7 receptions, 89 yards The day before the game Al Davis died at the age of 82 due to heart failure. Davis served as the Raiders' head coach from 1963 to 1965, part owner and general manager from 1966 to 1971, then became the team's principal owner in 1972, still serving as general manager. Additionally, Davis served as commissioner of the AFL in 1966. With the loss, the Texans fell to 3–2 and they lost both their second game and first home game against the Raiders.

Week 6: at Baltimore Ravens

First quarter

BAL – Joe Flacco 1-yard run (Billy Cundiff kick), 1:08. ''Ravens 7–0. '''Drive: 16 plays, 97 yards, 8:47.''''' Second quarter
HOU – Wade Smith fumble recovery in the end zone (Neil Rackers kick), 4:48. Tied 7–7.
BAL – Billy Cundiff 43-yard Field Goal, 1:50. ''Ravens 10–7. '''Drive: 10 plays, -7 yards, 2:58.''''' Third quarter
BAL – Billy Cundiff 48-yard Field Goal, 11:46. ''Ravens 13–7. '''Drive: 7 plays, 48 yards, 3:14.'''''
HOU – Jacoby Jones 32-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick), 8:36. ''Texans 14–13. '''Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:10.'''''
BAL – Billy Cundiff 25-yard Field Goal, 3:30. ''Ravens 16–14. '''Drive: 8 plays, 79 yards, 5:06.''''' Fourth quarter
BAL – Billy Cundiff 33-yard Field Goal, 14:44. ''Ravens 19–14. '''Drive: 5 plays, 51 yards, 1:43.'''''
BAL – Ricky Williams 4-yard run (Billy Cundiff kick), 4:01. ''Ravens 26–14. '''Drive: 6 plays, 66 yards, 2:37.'''''
BAL – Billy Cundiff 40-yard Field Goal, 1:55. ''Ravens 29–14. '''Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:39.''''' Top passers
HOU – Matt Schaub – 21/37, 220 yards, TD
BAL – Joe Flacco – 20/33, 305 yards, INT Top rushers
HOU – Arian Foster – 15 rushes, 49 yards
BAL – Ray Rice – 23 rushes, 101 yards Top receivers
HOU – Kevin Walter – 6 receptions, 52 yards
BAL – Anquan Boldin – 8 receptions, 132 yards With the loss, the Texans fell to 3–3.

Week 7: at Tennessee Titans

First quarter

HOU – Neil Rackers 32-yard field goal, 1:25. ''Texans 3–0. '''Drive: 13 plays, 67 yards, 7:18.''''' Second quarter
HOU – Joel Dreessen 10-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick), 7:24. ''Texans 10–0. '''Drive: 7 plays, 78 yards, 3:29.'''''
HOU – Arian Foster 78-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick), 3:53. ''Texans 17–0. '''Drive: 4 plays, 94 yards, 1:48.'''''
HOU – Neil Rackers 29-yard field goal, 0:00. ''Texans 20–0. '''Drive: 7 plays, 37 yards, 1:52.''''' Third quarter
HOU – Arian Foster 1-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 9:06. ''Texans 27–0. '''Drive: 7 plays, 92 yards, 3:28.'''''
TEN – Jared Cook 5-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Rob Bironas kick), 5:34. ''Texans 27–7. '''Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 3:32.''''' Fourth quarter
HOU – Arian Foster 5-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 9:51. ''Texans 34–7. '''Drive: 8 plays, 31 yards, 5:02.'''''
HOU – Brice McCain 38-yard interception return (Neil Rackers kick), 9:28. Texans 41–7. Top passers
HOU – Matt Schaub – 18/23, 296 yards, 2 TD
TEN – Matt Hasselbeck – 14/30, 104 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers
HOU – Arian Foster – 25 rushes, 115 yards, 2 TD
TEN – Javon Ringer – 3 rushes, 31 yards Top receivers
HOU – Arian Foster – 5 receptions, 118 yards
TEN – Chris Johnson – 6 receptions, 27 yards With the win, the Texans improved to 4–3.

Week 8: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

;Battle Red Day First quarter

HOU – Matt Schaub 2-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 8:21. ''Texans 7–0. '''Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:39.''''' Second quarter
JAX – Jason Hill 5-yard pass from Blaine Gabbert (Josh Scobee kick), 5:41. ''Tied 7–7. '''Drive: 2 plays, 8 yards, 0:47.''''' Third quarter
HOU – Joel Dreessen 7-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick), 9:10. ''Texans 14–7. '''Drive: 9 plays, 44 yards, 4:07.''''' Fourth quarter
HOU – Arian Foster 4-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 12:32. ''Texans 21–7. '''Drive: 5 plays, 40 yards, 4:07.'''''
JAX – Maurice Jones-Drew 2-yard run (Josh Scobee kick), 5:15. ''Texans 21–14. '''Drive: 7 plays, 26 yards, 3:58.'''''
HOU – Neil Rackers 39-yard field goal, 0:18. ''Texans 24–14. '''Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards, 4:57.''''' Top passers
JAX – Blaine Gabbert – 10/30, 97 yards, TD, 2 INT
HOU – Matt Schaub – 16/30, 225 yards, TD Top rushers
JAX – Maurice Jones-Drew – 18 rushes, 63 yards, TD
HOU – Arian Foster – 33 rushes, 112 yards, TD Top receivers
JAX – Marcedes Lewis – 4 receptions, 45 yards
HOU – Kevin Walter – 5 receptions, 70 yards With the win, the Texans improved to 5–3.

Week 9: vs. Cleveland Browns

First quarter

HOU – Ben Tate 27-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 9:50. ''Texans 7–0. '''Drive: 9 plays, 82 yards, 5:10.'''''
HOU – Matt Schaub 2-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 7:11. ''Texans 14–0. '''Drive: 6 plays, 21 yards, 2:29.'''''
CLE – Phil Dawson 50-yard field goal, 3:43. ''Texans 14–3. '''Drive: 7 plays, 20 yards, 3:28.''''' Second quarter
HOU – Arian Foster 19-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 8:06. ''Texans 21–3. '''Drive: 7 plays, 71 yards, 3:54.'''''
HOU – Neil Rackers 28-yard field goal, 0:00. ''Texans 24–3. '''Drive: 1 play, 0 yards, 0:02.''''' Third quarter
HOU – Neil Rackers 21-yard field goal, 5:45. ''Texans 27–3. '''Drive: 13 plays, 78 yards, 7:19.'''''
CLE – Phil Dawson 51-yard field goal, 2:08. ''Texans 27–6. '''Drive: 8 plays, 35 yards, 3:37.''''' Fourth quarter
HOU – Neil Rackers 50-yard field goal, 10:35. ''Texans 30–6. '''Drive: 12 plays, 47 yards, 6:33.'''''
CLE – Josh Cribbs 2-yard pass from Colt McCoy (pass failed), 4:47. ''Texans 30–12. '''Drive: 11 plays, 64 yards, 5:48.''''' Top passers
CLE – Colt McCoy – 14/22, 146 yards, TD, INT
HOU – Matt Schaub – 14/23, 119 yards, INT Top rushers
CLE – Chris Ogbonnaya – 13 rushes, 28 yards
HOU – Arian Foster – 19 rushes, 124 yards, TD Top receivers
CLE – Josh Cribbs – 5 receptions, 50 yards, TD
HOU – Owen Daniels – 3 receptions, 32 yards With the win, the Texans improved to 6–3.

Week 10: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

First quarter

HOU – Jacoby Jones 80-yard pass from Matt Schaub (kick blocked), 14:48. ''Texans 6–0. '''Drive: 1 play, 80 yards, 0:12.'''''
HOU – Neil Rackers 22-yard field goal, 4:29. ''Texans 9–0. '''Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 7:24.''''' Second quarter
HOU – Arian Foster 78-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Neil Rackers kick), 8:55. ''Texans 16–0. '''Drive: 3 plays, 85 yards, 1:53.'''''
TB – Connor Barth 55-yard field goal, 0:00. ''Texans 16–3. '''Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 0:28.''''' Third quarter
HOU – Arian Foster 5-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 8:10. ''Texans 23–3. '''Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 4:04.'''''
HOU – Derrick Ward 4-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 2:03. ''Texans 30–3. '''Drive: 7 plays, 39 yards, 3:14.''''' Fourth quarter
TB – Preston Parker 9-yard pass from Josh Freeman (pass failed), 11:17. ''Texans 30–9. '''Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 3:38.'''''
HOU – Ben Tate 11-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 5:38. ''Texans 37–9. '''Drive: 4 plays, 27 yards, 2:29.''''' Top passers
HOU – Matt Schaub – 11/15, 242 yards, 2 TD
TB – Josh Freeman – 15/33, 170 yards, TD, 3 INT Top rushers
HOU – Arian Foster – 17 rushes, 84 yards, TD
TB – LeGarrette Blount – 10 rushes, 34 yards Top receivers
HOU – Arian Foster – 4 receptions, 102 yards, TD
TB – Arrelious Benn – 2 receptions, 47 yards With the win, the Texans went on their bye week 7–3. However, Matt Schaub was lost for the season due to a Lisfranc injury on his right foot.

Week 12: at Jacksonville Jaguars

First quarter

JAX – Ashton Youboty 38-yard fumble return (Josh Scobee kick), 13:38. Jaguars 7–0.
HOU – Arian Foster 1-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 6:15. ''Tied 7–7. '''Drive: 8 plays, 67 yards, 3:59.''''' Second quarter
JAX – Josh Scobee 21-yard field goal, 10:41. ''Jaguars 10–7. '''Drive: 10 plays, 77 yards, 4:22.'''''
HOU – Joel Dreessen 20-yard pass from Matt Leinart (Neil Rackers kick), 6:24. ''Texans 14–10. '''Drive: 2 plays, 26 yards, 0:49.'''''
HOU – Neil Rackers 53-yard field goal, 4:13. ''Texans 17–10. '''Drive: 4 plays, -1 yards, 1:37.'''''
HOU – Neil Rackers 33-yard field goal, 0:02. ''Texans 20–10. '''Drive: 10 plays, 40 yards, 1:43.''''' Third quarter
No scoring plays Fourth quarter
JAX – Josh Scobee 35-yard field goal, 4:15. ''Texans 20–13. '''Drive: 8 plays, 50 yards, 2:48.''''' Top passers
HOU – T. J. Yates – 8/15, 70 yards
JAX – Blaine Gabbert – 13/29, 136 yards, INT Top rushers
HOU – Arian Foster – 22 rushes, 65 yards, TD
JAX – Maurice Jones-Drew – 18 rushes, 99 yards Top receivers
HOU – Owen Daniels – 4 receptions, 31 yards
JAX – Maurice Jones-Drew – 4 receptions, 67 yards With the win, not only did the Texans improved to 8–3, but swept the Jaguars for the 1st time since 2006. With Matt Schaub suffering a lisfranc injury against Tampa Bay, Matt Leinart started at quarterback for the Texans. Leinart would go down against the Jaguars with a collarbone injury, with T. J. Yates stepping in at quarterback. Leinart finished the game going 10-of-13 for 57 yards with a touchdown.

Week 13: vs. Atlanta Falcons

First quarter

HOU – Neil Rackers 43-yard field goal, 4:03. ''Texans 3–0. '''Drive: 6 plays, 13 yards, 2:45.''''' Second quarter
HOU – Joel Dreessen 3-yard pass from T. J. Yates (Neil Rackers kick), 10:08. ''Texans 10–0. '''Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 4:00.'''''
ATL – Matt Bryant 19-yard field goal, 5:06. ''Texans 10–3. '''Drive: 10 plays, 79 yards, 5:02.''''' Third quarter
ATL – Roddy White 4-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 1:46. ''Tied 10–10. '''Drive: 7 plays, 56 yards, 2:44.''''' Fourth quarter
HOU – Arian Foster 1-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 6:05. ''Texans 17–10. '''Drive: 19 plays, 85 yards, 10:41.''''' Top passers
ATL – Matt Ryan – 20/47, 267 yards, TD, 2 INT
HOU – T. J. Yates – 12/25, 188 yards, TD Top rushers
ATL – Michael Turner – 14 rushes, 44 yards
HOU – Arian Foster – 31 rushes, 111 yards, TD Top receivers
ATL – Tony Gonzalez – 7 receptions, 100 yards
HOU – Andre Johnson – 4 receptions, 97 yards Due to injuries to Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart, quarterback T. J. Yates made his first NFL start. With the win, the Texans improved to 9–3, securing only their second winning season in franchise history.

Week 14: at Cincinnati Bengals

First quarter

HOU – Neil Rackers 46-yard field goal, 9:51. ''Texans 3–0. '''Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 3:08.'''''
CIN – Mike Nugent 22-yard field goal, 4:45. ''Tied 3–3. '''Drive: 9 plays, 76 yards, 4:57.'''''
CIN – Mike Nugent 47-yard field goal, 2:31. ''Bengals 6–3. '''Drive: 4 plays, -4 yards, 0:53.''''' Second quarter
CIN – Jerome Simpson 17-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Mike Nugent kick), 3:02. ''Bengals 13–3. '''Drive: 15 plays, 97 yards, 7:45.'''''
CIN – Mike Nugent 49-yard field goal, 0:06. ''Bengals 16–3. '''Drive: 4 plays, 32 yards, 0:24.''''' Third quarter
HOU – Joel Dreessen 6-yard pass from T. J. Yates (Neil Rackers kick), 12:27. ''Bengals 16–10. '''Drive: 4 plays, 17 yards, 1:52.'''''
CIN – Mike Nugent 28-yard field goal, 2:07. ''Bengals 19–10. '''Drive: 12 plays, 88 yards, 6:48.''''' Fourth quarter
HOU – Neil Rackers 33-yard field goal, 5:31. ''Bengals 19–13. '''Drive: 13 plays, 88 yards, 6:04.'''''
HOU – Kevin Walter 6-yard pass from T. J. Yates (Neil Rackers kick), 0:02. ''Texans 20–19. '''Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 2:31.''''' Top passers
HOU – T. J. Yates – 26/44, 300 yards, 2 TD, INT
CIN – Andy Dalton – 16/28, 189 yards, TD Top rushers
HOU – Ben Tate – 8 rushes, 67 yards
CIN – Cedric Benson – 21 rushes, 91 yards Top receivers
HOU – Owen Daniels – 7 receptions, 100 yards
CIN – A. J. Green – 5 receptions, 59 yards With the last-second win, the Texans improved to 10–3 and clinched the franchise's first playoff berth and AFC South division title.

Week 15: vs. Carolina Panthers

First quarter

CAR – Steve Smith Sr. 26-yard pass from Cam Newton (Olindo Mare kick), 12:07. ''Panthers 7–0. '''Drive: 4 plays, 26 yards, 2:09.''''' Second quarter
CAR – Jeremy Shockey 9-yard pass from Cam Newton (Olindo Mare kick), 12:19. ''Panthers 14–0. '''Drive: 9 plays, 71 yards, 4:53.'''''
CAR – Richie Brockel 7-yard run (Olindo Mare kick), 0:55. ''Panthers 21–0. '''Drive: 9 plays, 53 yards, 5:08.''''' Third quarter
HOU – Neil Rackers 26-yard field goal, 11:07. ''Panthers 21–3. '''Drive: 6 plays, 28 yards, 1:47.'''''
HOU – Neil Rackers 34-yard field goal, 2:53. ''Panthers 21–6. '''Drive: 12 plays, 89 yards, 5:06.''''' Fourth quarter
HOU – Arian Foster 1-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 13:48. ''Panthers 21–13. '''Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 3:37.'''''
CAR – DeAngelo Williams 24-yard run (Olindo Mare kick), 9:54. ''Panthers 28–13. '''Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:54.''''' Top passers
CAR – Cam Newton – 13/23, 149 yards, 2 TD
HOU – T. J. Yates – 19/30, 212 yards, 2 INT Top rushers
CAR – DeAngelo Williams – 15 rushes, 61 yards, TD
HOU – Arian Foster – 16 rushes, 109 yards, TD Top receivers
CAR – Steve Smith Sr. – 5 receptions, 82 yards, TD
HOU – Arian Foster – 5 receptions, 58 yards With the loss, the Texans' seven-game winning streak was snapped, falling to 10–4. Houston also lost to the Panthers for the first time in franchise history.

Week 16: at Indianapolis Colts

First quarter

HOU – Arian Foster 9-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 14:06. ''Texans 7–0. '''Drive: 2 plays, 17 yards, 0:45.'''''
IND – Adam Vinatieri 23-yard field goal, 4:38. ''Texans 7–3. '''Drive: 7 plays, 22 yards, 3:36.'''''
HOU – Neil Rackers 44-yard field goal, 2:01. ''Texans 10–3. '''Drive: 6 plays, 54 yards, 2:37.''''' Second quarter
IND – Adam Vinatieri 32-yard field goal, 3:36. ''Texans 10–6. '''Drive: 7 plays, 47 yards, 3:39.''''' Third quarter
HOU – Neil Rackers 35-yard field goal, 10:25. ''Texans 13–6. '''Drive: 8 plays, 63 yards, 4:35.'''''
IND – Adam Vinatieri 47-yard field goal, 0:54. ''Texans 13–9. '''Drive: 12 plays, 51 yards, 5:11.''''' Fourth quarter
IND – Adam Vinatieri 31-yard field goal, 6:48. ''Texans 13–12. '''Drive: 11 plays, 63 yards, 6:08.'''''
HOU – Neil Rackers 31-yard field goal, 1:56. ''Texans 16–12. '''Drive: 11 plays, 67 yards, 4:52.'''''
IND – Reggie Wayne 1-yard pass from Dan Orlovsky (Adam Vinatieri kick), 0:19. ''Colts 19–16. '''Drive: 12 plays, 76 yards, 1:37.''''' Top passers
HOU – T. J. Yates – 13/16, 132 yards
IND – Dan Orlovsky – 23/41, 244 yards, TD Top rushers
HOU – Arian Foster – 23 rushes, 158 yards, TD
IND – Joseph Addai – 19 rushes, 53 yards Top receivers
HOU – Kevin Walter – 3 receptions, 47 yards
IND – Reggie Wayne – 8 receptions, 106 yards, TD With the loss, the Texans fell to 10–5.

Week 17: vs. Tennessee Titans

First quarter

HOU – Ben Tate 4-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 5:15. ''Texans 7–0. '''Drive: 13 plays, 85 yards, 6:43.''''' Second quarter
TEN – Rob Bironas 21-yard field goal, 13:06. ''Texans 7–3. '''Drive: 10 plays, 69 yards, 4:20.'''''
TEN – Donnie Avery 1-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Rob Bironas kick), 3:48. ''Titans 10–7. '''Drive: 5 plays, 33 yards, 2:41.'''''
HOU – Neil Rackers 52-yard field goal, 1:09. ''Tied 10–10. '''Drive: 7 plays, 46 yards, 2:39.'''''
TEN – Rob Bironas 43-yard field goal, 0:05. ''Titans 13–10. '''Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards, 1:09.''''' Third quarter
HOU – Neil Rackers 37-yard field goal, 11:46. ''Tied 13–13. '''Drive: 5 plays, 61 yards, 3:14.'''''
TEN – Rob Bironas 33-yard field goal, 7:22. ''Titans 16–13. '''Drive: 5 plays, 62 yards, 1:46.''''' Fourth quarter
HOU – Neil Rackers 22-yard field goal, 14:57. ''Tied 16–16. '''Drive: 12 plays, 81 yards, 7:25.'''''
TEN – Nate Washington 25-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Rob Bironas kick), 4:31. ''Titans 23–16. '''Drive: 6 plays, 56 yards, 2:32.'''''
HOU – Bryant Johnson 5-yard pass from Jake Delhomme (run failed), 0:14. ''Titans 23–22. '''Drive: 7 plays, 36 yards, 1:35.''''' Top passers
TEN – Matt Hasselbeck – 22/35, 297 yards, 2 TD
HOU – Jake Delhomme – 18/28, 211 yards, TD Top rushers
TEN – Chris Johnson – 15 rushes, 61 yards
HOU – Ben Tate – 16 rushes, 97 yards, TD Top receivers
TEN – Nate Washington – 4 receptions, 92 yards, TD
HOU – James Casey – 7 receptions, 91 yards

T. J. Yates left the game after the Texans' first offensive drive with a bruised left shoulder. He was replaced by Jake Delhomme for the rest of the game. Houston scored a touchdown with 0:14 left to trail 22–23. To avoid overtime and further injuries, head coach Gary Kubiak decided to try a two-point conversion. Tight end Joel Dreessen was flagged for a false start, moving the Texans back 5 yards. The attempt would ultimately fail as backup center Thomas Austin snapped the ball over Delhomme. Neil Rackers would attempt an onside kick, but it was recovered by Lavelle Hawkins for the Titans, securing a win for Tennessee. With the loss, the Texans would end their season at 10–6 and the AFC's #3 seed.

Standings

Division

Conference

Postseason

Schedule

Houston Texans	year=2011	border=2}}"	Round	Houston Texans	year=2011	border=2}}"	Date	Houston Texans	year=2011	border=2}}"	Opponent (seed)	Houston Texans	year=2011	border=2}}"	Result	Houston Texans	year=2011	border=2}}"	Record	Houston Texans	year=2011	border=2}}"	Venue	Houston Texans	year=2011	border=2}}"	Recap	Wild Card	Divisional
	[Cincinnati Bengals](2011-cincinnati-bengals-season) (6)	W 31–10	1–0	Reliant Stadium	[Recap](https://www.nfl.com/games/bengals-at-texans-2011-post-1)
January 15, 2012	at [Baltimore Ravens](2011-baltimore-ravens-season) (2)	L 13–20	1–1	M&T Bank Stadium	[Recap](https://www.nfl.com/games/texans-at-ravens-2011-post-2)

Game summaries

AFC Wild Card Playoffs: vs. (6) Cincinnati Bengals

First quarter

CIN – Cedric Benson 1-yard run (Mike Nugent kick), 7:38. ''Bengals 7–0. '''Drive: 5 plays, 74 yards, 2:23.'''''
HOU – Arian Foster 8-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 4:57. ''Tied 7–7. '''Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:37.''''' Second quarter
CIN – Mike Nugent 37-yard field goal, 7:09. ''Bengals 10–7. '''Drive: 8 plays, 61 yards, 4:15'''''
HOU – Neil Rackers 39-yard field goal, 1:53. ''Tied 10–10. '''Drive 13 plays, 59 yards, 5:21.'''''
HOU – J. J. Watt 29-yard interception return (Neil Rackers kick), 0:59. Texans 17–10. Third quarter
HOU – Andre Johnson 40-yard pass from T.J. Yates (Neil Rackers kick), 1:18. ''Texans 24–10. '''Drive: 9 plays, 83 yards, 4:37''''' Fourth quarter
HOU – Arian Foster 42-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 5:26. ''Texans 31–10. '''Drive: 3 plays, 45 yards, 1:46.''''' Top passers
CIN – Andy Dalton – 27/42, 257 yards, 3 INT
HOU – T. J. Yates – 11/20, 159 yards, TD Top rushers
CIN – Brian Leonard – 3 rushes, 34 yards
HOU – Arian Foster – 24 rushes, 153 yards, 2 TD Top receivers
CIN – A. J. Green – 5 receptions, 47 yards
HOU – Andre Johnson – 5 receptions, 90 yards, TD

Making their NFL postseason debut as the AFC's #3 seed, the Texans began their playoff run at home in the AFC Wild Card Round against the #6 Cincinnati Bengals, in a rematch of their Week 14 contest. Not only was this the Texans' first postseason game, it was the franchise's first game ever broadcast nationally on NBC, they were also the last NFL team to finally play on NBC, since their 2002 inception.

Houston trailed in the first quarter with Bengals running back Cedric Benson getting a 1-yard touchdown run, yet the Texans answered with an 8-yard touchdown run from running back Arian Foster. Cincinnati struck back in the second quarter with kicker Mike Nugent getting a 37-yard field goal, but Houston took the lead with a 39-yard field goal from kicker Neil Rackers, followed by rookie defensive end J.J. Watt returning an interception 29 yards for a touchdown. From there, the Texans took control with rookie quarterback T.J. Yates finding wide receiver Andre Johnson on a 40-yard touchdown in the third quarter, followed by a 42-yard touchdown run by Foster in the fourth quarter.

With the win, the Texans improved their overall record to 11–6.

AFC Divisional Playoffs: at (2) Baltimore Ravens

First quarter

HOU – Neil Rackers 40-yard field goal, 12:24. ''Texans 3–0. '''Drive: 5 plays, 20 yards, 2:36'''''
BAL – Kris Wilson 1-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Billy Cundiff kick), 9:51. ''Ravens 7–3. '''Drive: 3 plays, 2 yards, 1:21'''''
BAL – Billy Cundiff 48-yard field goal, 6:02. ''Ravens 10–3. '''Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 2:47'''''
BAL – Anquan Boldin 10-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Billy Cundiff kick), 1:08. ''Ravens 17–3. '''Drive: 5 plays, 34 yards, 2:05''''' Second quarter
HOU – Neil Rackers 33-yard field goal, 11:42. ''Ravens 17–6. '''Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 4:26'''''
HOU – Arian Foster 1-yard run (Neil Rackers kick), 4:48. ''Ravens 17–13. '''Drive: 12 plays, 86 yards, 5:49''''' Third quarter
No scoring plays Fourth quarter
BAL – Billy Cundiff 44-yard field goal, 2:52. ''Ravens 20–13. '''Drive: 10 plays, 45 yards, 4:29''''' Top passers
HOU – T. J. Yates – 17/35, 184 yards, 3 INT
BAL – Joe Flacco – 14/27, 176 yards, 2 TD Top rushers
HOU – Arian Foster – 27 rushes, 132 yards, TD, FUM
BAL – Ray Rice – 21 rushes, 60 yards, FUM Top receivers
HOU – Andre Johnson – 8 rec, 111 yards
BAL – Anquan Boldin – 4 rec, 73 yards, TD With the loss, the Texans finished the season with an overall record of 11–7.

As of 2025, this was the closest Houston ever got to winning a game in the Divisional Round.

Statistics

Team

Houston Texans	year=2021	border=2}}"	Category	year=2021	Total yards	Houston Texans	border=2}}"	Houston Texans	border=2}}"
(out of 32)	Total offense		5,954	372.1	13th	Total defense	4,571	285.7	2nd
Passing offense	3,506	219.1	18th
Rushing offense	2,448	153.0	2nd
Passing defense	3,035	189.7	3rd
Rushing defense	1,536	96.0	4th

Individual

Houston Texans	year=2021	border=2}}"
Passing yards	Matt Schaub	2,479
Passing touchdowns	Matt Schaub	15
Rushing yards	Arian Foster	1,224
Rushing touchdowns	Arian Foster	10
Receiving yards	Owen Daniels	677
Receiving touchdowns	Joel Dreessen	6
Tackles (Solo)	Brian Cushing	76
Sacks	Connor Barwin	11.5
Interceptions	Jason Allen
Johnathan Joseph	4

Source:

References

(January 2011). "Texans hire Phillips as defensive coordinator". Chron.
(October 9, 2011). "Raiders owner Al Davis dead at 82". ESPN.
(28 October 2011). "Al Davis died of heart failure". ESPN.
"2011 NFL Team Total Offense Stats". ESPN.
"2011 NFL Team Total Defense Stats". ESPN.
"2011 Texans Statistics". Houston Texans.

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