The 2009 Houston Texans season was the franchise's 8th season in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

and the 4th under

head coach A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches. In some sports, the head coach is instead called the "manager", as in assoc ...

Gary Kubiak Gary Wayne Kubiak (born August 15, 1961) is a former American football coach and quarterback. He served as head coach for the NFL's Houston Texans from 2006 Houston Texans season, 2006 to 2013 Houston Texans season, 2013 and the Denver Broncos f ...

. The Texans improved upon their 8–8 record in

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

and claimed their first winning season in franchise history. However, 4 straight heartbreaking division losses came back to haunt them, as they narrowly missed making the playoffs, being the first team out in a series of tiebreakers, and due to the Cincinnati Bengals and rival Indianapolis Colts resting their starters against the

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...

after clinching the AFC North and No. 1 AFC seed, respectively.

Offseason

Coaching changes

Head coach

entered his fourth year as the Texans' head coach.

Frank Bush Frank Bush (born January 10, 1963) is the linebackers coach of the Atlanta Falcons. He is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Houston Oilers in the fifth round of the 1985 NFL Draft. He pl ...

, who had served as the Texans senior defensive assistant since 2007, was promoted to defensive coordinator on January 13, 2009 after the firing of Richard Smith. Smith was terminated shortly after the conclusion of the 2008 season. David Gibbs, son of NFL coach

Alex Gibbs Alexander Gibbs, Jr. (February 22, 1941 – July 12, 2021) was an American professional football coach who was a longtime offensive line coach in the National Football League (NFL). He coached college football for over a decade before joining t ...

, was hired on January 19, 2009 as the new defensive backs coach after previously serving in the same role for the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...

since 2006.

Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coach ...

r and former

Houston Oilers The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston from its founding in 1960 to 1996 before relocating to Memphis, and later Nashville, Tennessee becoming the Tennessee Titans. The Oilers began play in 1960 as ...

offensive lineman Bruce Matthews enters his first season as a coach in the NFL, filling one of the offensive assistant coach positions for the Texans.

Player additions/subtractions

Additions: *QB

Dan Orlovsky Daniel John Orlovsky (born August 18, 1983) is an American football analyst for ESPN and former American football quarterback who was active for twelve seasons in the NFL. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL ...

*LB Antonio Smith *DT

Shaun Cody Shaun Michael Cody (born January 22, 1983) is a former American football nose tackle. He played college football for the University of Southern California (USC), and was recognized as a consensus All-American. The Detroit Lions chose him in ...

*LB Buster Davis *LB

Cato June Cato Nnamdi June (born November 18, 1979) is a former American football linebacker and high-school football coach. He was selected by the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL) in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. A 2006 ...

*SS

Bernard Pollard Bernard Karmell Pollard (born December 23, 1984) is a former American football safety. He played college football at Purdue University, and was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He has also played for t ...

*QB

Rex Grossman Rex Daniel Grossman III (born August 23, 1980) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, most notably with the Chicago Bears. He played college football at Florida, where he rece ...

Subtractions: * QB

Sage Rosenfels Sage Jamen Rosenfels (born March 6, 1978) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Iowa State. He was then drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played with the Miami Dolp ...

* LB

Morlon Greenwood Morlon O'Neil Greenwood (born July 17, 1978) is a former American football linebacker. Early years Greenwood attended Freeport High School and participated in both football and wrestling. At first, he was a wrestling athlete who had won the ...

* RB

Ahman Green Ahman Rashad Green (; born February 16, 1977) is a former American football running back who played 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Green played college football at Nebraska and was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the 3rd ro ...

* DE Anthony Weaver * SS

Will Demps William Henry Demps, Jr. (born November 7, 1979) is a former American football safety who was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He played college football at San Diego State. Demps also played for the New York G ...

* OT

Ephraim Salaam Ephraim Mateen Salaam (born June 19, 1976) is a former American football offensive tackle. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the seventh round (199th overall) of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at San Diego State. Salaam has ...

* TE

Mark Bruener Mark Frederick Bruener (born September 16, 1972) is a former American football tight end of the National Football League (NFL), and a current college scout for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers 27th overall in th ...

* DE Earl Cochran * CB Jimmy Williams * CB Demarcus Faggins * SS C.C. Brown * RB

Cecil Sapp Cecil Sapp (born December 23, 1978) is a former American football Fullback (American football), fullback. He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at Colorado State Rams football, Colorado ...

NFL draft

The Texans had eight selections for the 2009 NFL Draft. They received an additional fourth-round pick (selection 122 overall) in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for quarterback

. The team signed undrafted

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

running back

Arian Foster Arian Isa Foster (born August 24, 1986) is a former American football running back and current musical artist under the name Bobby Feeno. He played college football at the University of Tennessee, and was signed by the Houston Texans of the Nati ...

after the draft, and signed him to the practice squad, and he made his NFL debut mid-season. Foster would go on to win the

NFL rushing title In American football, rushing and passing are the two main methods of advancing the ball down the field. A rush, also known as a running play, generally occurs when the quarterback hands or tosses the ball backwards to the running back, but ot ...

the following year.

Staff

Roster

Schedule

Preseason

Regular season

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Standings

Regular season results

Week 1: vs. New York Jets

Dominique Barber Jets-vs-Texans Sept 13, 2009

The Texans began their season with a Week 1 showdown with the

. Houston would trail in the first quarter as Jets kicker

Jay Feely Thomas James "Jay" Feely (born May 23, 1976) is a former American football placekicker and current sportscaster. He started his career with the Florida Bobcats in the Arena Football League as a street free agent in 1999 before playing for sever ...

nailed a 24-yard field goal. The Texans' deficit would increase in the second quarter as quarterback

Mark Sanchez Mark Travis John Sanchez (born November 11, 1986) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons. He played college football at the University of Southern California (USC) and was draft ...

completed a 30-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver

Chansi Stuckey Chansi V. Stuckey (born October 4, 1983) is an American football coach and former wide receiver. He is currently the Wide Receivers Coach at Notre Dame. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played ...

. Things only got worse for Houston in the third quarter when running back Thomas Jones scored on a 1-yard touchdown run. The Texans would get on the board as safety

Dominique Barber Dominique J. Barber (born August 2, 1986) is a former American football safety. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Minnesota. He is the son of former NFL running back Mar ...

returned a fumble 48 yards for a touchdown, but New York would seal the win with Jones' 38-yard touchdown run. With the loss, Houston began its season at 0–1.

Week 2: at Tennessee Titans

Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Jets, the Texans flew to

LP Field Nissan Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Owned by the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, it is primarily used for football and is the home field of the Tennessee Titans of the Natio ...

for a Week 2 divisional battle with the

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...

. Houston would trail early in the first quarter as Titans running back Chris Johnson got a 57-yard touchdown run. The Texans would respond with quarterback

Matt Schaub Matthew Schaub (born June 25, 1981) is a former American football quarterback who played for 17 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Virginia Cavaliers, and was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the th ...

completing a 19-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver

Andre Johnson Andre Lamont Johnson (born July 11, 1981) is a former American football wide receiver who played most of his 14-year career with the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Miami, and was drafted by ...

, but Tennessee replied with quarterback

Kerry Collins Kerry Michael Collins (born December 30, 1972) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. Collins was a member of six NFL teams, most notably the Carolina Panthers, New York Giants, ...

completing a 69-yard touchdown to Johnson. The Titans would add onto their lead in the second quarter as Collins completed an 8-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver

Nate Washington Nate Washington (born August 28, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2005 and played on two Super Bowl-winning teams during four seasons with the Steelers. He t ...

. Afterwards, Houston would take the lead as Schaub completed a 72-yard touchdown pass to Johnson and a 29-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver

Jacoby Jones Jacoby Rashi'd Jones (born July 11, 1984) is a former American football wide receiver and return specialist. He played college football at Lane College, and was drafted by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played ...

, along with kicker

Kris Brown Kristopher Clayton Brown (born December 23, 1976) is a former American football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons in the late 1990s and 2000s. He played college football for the University of Neb ...

making a 38-yard field goal. Tennessee would tie the game to end the half as kicker

Rob Bironas James Robert Douglas Bironas (January 29, 1978 – September 20, 2014) was an American football placekicker who played the majority of his professional career with the Tennessee Titans. He played college football for Auburn University and Georgia ...

made a 40-yard field goal. In the third quarter, the Titans got their lead again as Johnson got a 91-yard touchdown run. Afterwards, the Texans would tie the game as Schaub completed a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end

Owen Daniels Owen Daniels (born November 9, 1982) is an American meteorologist and former American football tight end. He played college football for the University of Wisconsin, and was drafted by the Houston Texans in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Dra ...

. In the fourth quarter, Houston would take the lead as Brown nailed a 23-yard field goal. Afterwards, the defense prevented Tennessee from rallying. With the win, the Texans improved to 1–1. It was the first road win against Tennessee since 2004.

Week 3: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Coming off their hard-fought road win over the Titans, the Texans went home, donned their Battle Red uniforms, and prepared for a Week 3 AFC South showdown with the

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...

. Even though the Jaguars got the first points of the game with kicker

Josh Scobee Joshua Taylor Scobee (born June 23, 1982) is a former American football placekicker. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL draft. He also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at L ...

's 52-yard field goal, Texans quarterback

got his team the lead with an 18-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver

. Afterwards, a back-and-forth second quarter commenced. Jacksonville quarterback

David Garrard David Douglas Garrard (born February 14, 1978) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons, primarily with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He played college football at East Carolina and wa ...

would get a 2-yard touchdown, yet Houston wide receiver

Kevin Walter Kevin Patrick Walter (born August 4, 1981) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the seventh round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Eastern Michigan. Walter also played for the ...

came through with a 9-yard touchdown reception. The Jaguars would deliver a big strike with running back

Maurice Jones-Drew Maurice Christopher Jones-Drew (born March 23, 1985), often called "MJD", is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. He played college football for the UCLA Bruins and earned unan ...

's 61-yard touchdown, but the Texans once again got the lead as tight end

got a 2-yard touchdown reception. Jacksonville would get the lead again in the third quarter as Jones-Drew got a 1-yard touchdown run, followed by Houston kicker

tying the game with a 27-yard field goal. However, in the fourth quarter, the Jaguars delivered a huge strike as Jones-Drew got an 8-yard touchdown. The Texans tried to rally, but the Jaguars' defense stood firm and prevented any kind of a comeback. With the loss, Houston fell to 1–2.

Week 4: vs. Oakland Raiders

Hoping to rebound from their divisional loss to the Jaguars, the Texans stayed at home for a Week 4 duel with the

Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...

. Houston delivered the opening shot of the first quarter with kicker

's 26-yard field goal, followed by the Raiders tying the game with a 46-yard field goal from kicker

Sebastian Janikowski Sebastian Paweł Janikowski (; born March 2, 1978) is a Polish former American football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons, primarily with the Oakland Raiders. He played college football at Florida State ...

. The Texans would take full command in the second quarter as Brown nailed a 34-yard field goal, followed by running back

Steve Slaton Steve Slaton (born January 4, 1986) is a former American football running back. He played college football for West Virginia University, and earned consensus All-American honors. He was chosen by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 200 ...

getting a 32-yard touchdown run and catching an 18-yard touchdown pass from quarterback

. Oakland would close out the half with Janikowski's 33-yard field goal. In the third quarter, Houston would continue its domination with rookie linebacker

Brian Cushing Brian Patrick Cushing (born January 24, 1987) is a former American football linebacker. He played college football at USC, and was drafted by the Houston Texans in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft and played his entire 9-year career for the ...

tackling Raiders running back

Justin Fargas Justin Alejandro Fargas (born January 25, 1980) is a former American football running back. He played college football at Michigan and Southern California and was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft. Colleg ...

in his own endzone for a safety, immediately followed by wide receiver

returning a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. With the win, the Texans improved to 2–2.

Week 5: at Arizona Cardinals

Coming off their home win over the Raiders, the Texans flew to the

University of Phoenix Stadium A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...

for the first time ever for a Week 5 interconference duel with the

Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...

. Houston would trail in the first quarter as Cardinals running back

Tim Hightower Timothy Michael Hightower (born May 23, 1986) is a former American football running back. He played college football at the University of Richmond and was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He also played f ...

got a 1-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, followed by quarterback

Kurt Warner Kurtis Eugene Warner (born June 22, 1971) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals. His career, which saw him ascend fr ...

completing a 9-yard and a 26-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver

Larry Fitzgerald Larry Darnell Fitzgerald Jr. (born August 31, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver. Fitzgerald played in the National Football League for 17 seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. He played college football at University of Pittsb ...

. Afterwards, the Texans began to rally as running back

Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. According to '' Billboard'', Brown is one of the most successful R&B singers of his generation, having often been referred to by many contempo ...

got a 1-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Then, quarterback

would hook up with wide receiver

on an 11-yard and a 17-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. However, Arizona would strike on two key plays. First, Cardinals cornerback

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie Dominique Reshard Rodgers-Cromartie (born April 7, 1986) is a former American football cornerback who played 11 years in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Tennessee State University, and was drafted by the Arizona ...

would intercept a pass from Schaub and return it 49 yards. Second, Arizona's defense held Houston's offense 1 yard out of the endzone three times. With the loss, the Texans fell to 2–3.

Week 6: at Cincinnati Bengals

Hoping to rebound from their road loss to the Cardinals, the Texas flew to

Paul Brown Stadium Paycor Stadium, previously known as Paul Brown Stadium, is an outdoor football stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the home venue of the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League and opened on August 19, 2000. Originally named after the B ...

for a Week 6 duel with the

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...

. Houston would get off to a fast first quarter start as quarterback

found tight end

on a 12-yard touchdown pass. The Bengals answered in the second quarter with a 10-yard touchdown run from running back

Cedric Benson Cedric Myron Benson (December 28, 1982 – August 17, 2019) was an American professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas Longhorns and was recognized as a co ...

, yet the Texans would reply with Schaub completing a 38-yard touchdown pass to running back

. Cincinnati would close out the half with quarterback

Carson Palmer Carson Hilton Palmer (born December 27, 1979) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals. He played college football at ...

's 8-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver

Laveranues Coles Laveranues Leon Coles (; born December 29, 1977) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the New York Jets. He played college football for ...

, followed by kicker

Shayne Graham Michael Shayne Graham (born December 9, 1977) is an American football coach and former placekicker. Graham played 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Virginia Tech. He made his professional debut in Ma ...

nailing a 50-yard field goal. In the third quarter, Houston stormed right back with Schaub completing a 23-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver

and a 7-yard touchdown pass to Daniels. Afterwards, the defense held to preserve the 11-point lead. With the win, the Texans improved to 3–3.

Week 7: vs. San Francisco 49ers

Coming off their impressive road win over the Bengals, the Texans went home for a Week 7 interconference duel with the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...

. Houston would get off to a fast start in the first quarter as running back

got a 1-yard touchdown run. The Texans would add onto their lead in the second quarter as quarterback

completed a 9-yard touchdown pass to Slaton and a 42-yard touchdown pass to tight end

. However, the 49ers began to rally in the third quarter with quarterback

Alex Smith Alexander Douglas Smith (born May 7, 1984) is an American former quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He played college football at Utah, where he received first-team All-American honors and won the 20 ...

hooking up with tight end

Vernon Davis Vernon Davis (born January 31, 1984) is a former American football tight end. He played college football at Maryland, and was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers sixth overall in the 2006 NFL Draft. In 2009, Davis co-led the NFL in touchdown rec ...

on a 29-yard touchdown pass. In the fourth quarter, San Francisco continued to catch up as Smith found Davis again on a 14-yard touchdown pass. Houston would respond with kicker

booting a 50-yard field goal. The 49ers tried to come back as Smith connected again with Davis on a 23-yard touchdown pass, yet the defense halted San Francisco's rally. With the win, the Texans improved to 4–3.

Week 8: at Buffalo Bills

Coming off their home win over the 49ers, the Texans flew to

Ralph Wilson Stadium Highmark Stadium is a stadium in Orchard Park, New York, in the Southtowns of the Buffalo metropolitan area. The stadium opened in 1973 as Rich Stadium and is the home venue of the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). It was kn ...

for a Week 8 duel with the

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...

. Houston would trail in the first quarter as Bills wide receiver

Terrell Owens Terrell Eldorado Owens (; born December 7, 1973), nicknamed T.O., is an American football wide receiver for the Knights of Degen of Fan Controlled Football (FCF). He previously played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons. Regar ...

got a 29-yard touchdown run. The Texans would get on the board in the second as kicker

nailed a 42-yard and a 22-yard field goal. Buffalo would close out the half with a 21-yard field goal from kicker

Rian Lindell Rian David Lindell (born January 20, 1977) is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League for the Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football at Washington State. Early years ...

. The Texans would creep closer in the third quarter with Brown booting a 26-yard field goal. Afterwards, in the fourth quarter, Houston took the lead for good as running back

Ryan Moats Ryan Moats (born December 17, 1982) is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisiana Tech. Moats has also been a member of th ...

got an 11-yard (followed by quarterback

's 2-point conversion pass to wide receiver

), a 1-yard, and 3-yard touchdown run. With the win, the Texans would improve to 5–3, their best start in franchise history.

Week 9: at Indianapolis Colts

Coming off their road win over the Bills, the Texans flew to

Lucas Oil Stadium Lucas Oil Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It replaced the RCA Dome as the home field of the National Football League (NFL)'s Indianapolis Colts and opened on August 16, 2008. The stadium was ...

for a Week 9 AFC South duel with the

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...

. Houston would trail early in the first quarter as Colts quarterback

Peyton Manning Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and four with th ...

found running back

Joseph Addai Joseph Kwaku Duah Addai Jr. ( ) (born May 3, 1983) is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected in the first round (30th overall pick) of the 2006 NFL Draft out of Louisiana State University b ...

on a 7-yard touchdown pass, followed by a 22-yard field goal from kicker

Matt Stover John Matthew Stover (born January 27, 1968) is a former American football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons, primarily with the Baltimore Ravens. After five seasons for the Cleveland Browns, he was amon ...

. Indianapolis would increase their lead in the second quarter with Stover's 37-yard field goal, yet the Texans closed out the half with kicker

nailing a 56-yard field goal. In the third quarter, Houston began to gain ground as quarterback

completed a 1-yard touchdown pass to running back

. The Texans would take the lead in the fourth quarter as running back

got a 1-yard touchdown run, but the Colts retook the lead with running back

getting a 2-yard touchdown run. Houston had a chance to tie the game with one second left in regulation, but Brown's 42-yard field goal attempt sailed wide left. In what was another close game resulting in a tough loss, the Texans went into their bye week at 5–4.

Week 11: vs. Tennessee Titans

Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Colts, the Texans went home for an AFC South rivalry match against the

. In the first quarter Houston got on the board first as QB

got a 3-yard touchdown pass to RB

. In the second quarter the Titans replied with QB

Vince Young Vincent Paul Young Jr. (born May 18, 1983) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons. Young was drafted by the Tennessee Titans as the third overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, and ...

completing a 13-yard touchdown pass to WR

Kenny Britt Kenneth Lawrence Britt (born September 19, 1988) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Rutgers and was drafted by the Tennessee Titans with the 30th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. He has also played for ...

. Then Houston tried to pull away as Schaub hooked up with WR

on a 13-yard touchdown pass, until the Titans replied again with RB

LenDale White LenDale Anthony White (born December 20, 1984) is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the second round (45th overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft. He has also been a member of the Seattle Seahawks and Den ...

making a 1-yard touchdown run. The Texans fell behind in the third quarter as kicker

made a 50-yard field goal, but came back to tie the game when kicker

made a 26-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter the Titans scored for the win when Bironas got a 53-yard field goal. With the loss, the Texans fell to 5–5.

Week 12: vs. Indianapolis Colts

The Texans were primed for an upset, heading to the lockers with a 20-7 halftime lead. But a big second half for the Colts ruined things as the Texans fell to 5-6.

Week 13: at Jacksonville Jaguars

Week 14: vs. Seattle Seahawks

Week 15: at St. Louis Rams

Week 16: at Miami Dolphins

Week 17: vs. New England Patriots

Houston earned its first ever winning season after 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter.

Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots organization, with which ...

left and re-entered the game after reports that he had been playing for the past several weeks with three broken ribs emerged.

Wes Welker Wesley Carter Welker (born May 1, 1981) is an American football coach and former wide receiver who is the wide receivers coach for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as an assistant coach for the San ...

received an injured knee early in the first quarter. This was the Texans' lone win versus New England until

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

Statistics

Team

Individual

Source:

References

External links

Official website

Houston Texans team page

2009 Houston Texans season at ESPN
{{DEFAULTSORT:2009 Houston Texans season

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

Houston Texans seasons