Of the Texans' 83 offensive plays against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2, 48 were rushing attempts. Of Matt Schaub's 35 passes, 27 went to tight ends or running backs.
All-Pro wide receiver Andre Johnson got four of the remaining targets, totaling just three catches for 21 yards in a 27-7 victory. And he wasn't upset about his limited involvement in the slightest.
"When you're playing like that and running the ball like that, it normally means you're very successful," Johnson said earlier this week. "If we can go out and run the ball like that and win, that's a great thing. I came in there at halftime and Coach (Gary) Kubiak told me, 'Hey man, don't get frustrated. Just keep playing.' I was like, 'Coach, just run it down their throat. If they're going to keep letting us run it, keep running it.'"
Johnson has been with the Texans since 2003, one year after the franchise's inaugural season. He is the longest-tenured and most accomplished player in team history. He has been to five Pro Bowls. He ranks first in NFL history in catches per game (5.78) and receiving yards per game (79.0).
"I don't really care about stats," Johnson said. "When you're a young player in this league, you tend to worry about that. Going through all the injuries and things I've been through over the last year, my big thing is just winning. That's all I'm worried about. Whatever we have to do to win, that's pretty much all that matters."
After waiting nine seasons to finally reach the playoffs in 2011, and missing most of that playoff season because of hamstring injuries, Johnson is hungry to lead the Texans back there – whether he's catching three passes a game or eight, like he did in Week 1 against Miami.
"Andre's always been very unselfish," Kubiak said on Friday. "When you got a talent like him, you want to get him the ball; that's just the way it works. But Andre has always been a worker, and he wants to win.
"Andre got a taste of the playoffs last year. Thankfully, he made it back for those two games. I really think the measure of a team in the long haul, when I was in Denver, we had some really good teams and the year we won a Super Bowl, John Elway threw for 117 yards (in the Super Bowl). You got to have a good team to be successful. (Elway's) a Hall of Fame player, but that team is the one that helped him win a championship.
"We're trying to build a good team and be balanced, and Andre understands that. He's been the rock around here and the unselfish guy to stay here and stay the course throughout, going on a 10-year period now. He deserves a lot of credit for that."
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