Football requires passion, heart, dedication and skill.
But the best teams also have the ability for a little well timed amnesia.
The Texans had two big mistakes in Sunday's game against the Jaguars. The hiccups, both fumbles, could have cost the team dearly, perhaps reversing the 20-6 victory all together.
Wide receiver Jabar Gaffney was the first guilty party, fumbling the ball out of the end zone disrupting what was a sure touchdown. Upon review, Gaffney got a little too excited and started his celebration early.
The score would have given the Texans a 14-0 lead. Instead, Jacksonville kicked a field goal to complete a 10-point swing.
Then there was the usually sure-handed Andre Johnson’s fumble on the Jaguars 30 in the third quarter.
Equipment managers never go to the field without bringing extra helmets or pads. Add erasers to the list, at least the proverbial kind.
"My concern at that point in time was what kind of impact it was going to have on our team because you could just kind of feel the air go out of things," head coach Dom Capers said Monday of Johnson's turnover. "But I thought we hung in there and we responded well."
The Texans defense forced a punt after the fumble and two interceptions ended the Jaguars only significant scoring threats there after.
"Through the course of a game there is going to be good, there is going to be bad," the coach said. "What you can't do is you can't let what happened this play affect the next play. That's hard to do because of the emotions involved in the game, but that's what the good teams do.
"There's going to be certain phases of our team that's going to struggle every game but the other phases have to step up and make up for it so we can recover and get back on the right track."
The defense was a driving force in overcoming mistakes Sunday. The Jaguars were held to 39 rushing yards and ran only six plays in the first quarter.
"It's hard to get the kind of balance you want if you're doing that because it became pretty much a one dimensional game," Capers said of the Jaguars limited running game. "That's when you have more turnovers I think show up."
Cornerback Demarcus Faggins’ 43-yard interception return for a touchdown was the sixth interception in the past two games for the defense, which has developed somewhat of a killer instinct in recent weeks.
The Texans have also allowed just one pass play for more than 25 yards in the last two weeks – a 28-yarder to Jaguars wide receiver Jimmy Smith.
INJURY REPORT:Capers said two players will be listed as questionable when the team returns to practice Wednesday.
Safety Jason Simmons has had some problems getting over a concussion he suffered against Tennessee Oct. 17. Capers said he will undergo additional tests. The other questionable player will be cornerback Kenny Wright, who has some soreness and "inflammation" in his knee.
Quarterback David Carr and defensive lineman Jerry Deloach re-aggravated ankle sprains against the Jaguars. They will be listed as probable along with wide receiver Derick Armstrong (thigh bruise) and safety Glenn Earl (hip).
