Texans Defeat Dolphins 23-13, move to 2-0.

2-0....honestly that's all that matters in the grand scheme of things.  The Texans beat Miami 23-13 on the road to move to 2-0 on the season.  They won the game because their defense made many big plays.  They won the game because Ben Tate is a very good replacement for the still injured Arian Foster at RB.  They won the game because the usually reliable Dolphin K Dan Carpenter missed a gimme FG and also had one blocked by JJ Watt.

Here are some player grades for you.

QB B+:  Matt Schaub did not have very good pass protection, but he still managed to connect on 21-29 passes for 230 yards and 2 TD's.  His TD pass to Owen Daniels was a complete improvisation.  Most importantly, he did not make any mistakes.

RB B+:  Arian Foster got hurt again (or did he?).  Ben Tate was very reliable as a backup running for 103 yards on 23 carries.  Tate also added 4 catches for 32 yards.

WR C+:  Andre Johnson had 7 catches for 93 yards and a TD, but he dropped a deep ball that would have been 6 from Schaub.  Jacoby Jones was pretty good in place of the injured Kevin Walter with 3 recptions for 48 yards.

OL C+:  Pass protection was very shaky.  Eric Winston did not have his best game with Dolphins pass rush specialist Cameron Wake beating him for a sack and a TFL while also forcing a holding penalty.

DL C:  The Texans pass rush was exceptional , but the Dolphins ran up the middle at will.  A NT is a must upgrade in the off season.  JJ Watt continues to get his hand on alot of balls.

LB B:  Brian Cushing had his best game post failed steroid test.  His 3rd down stick of Chad Henne was a major momentum changer in the 4th quarter.

DB B-:  When Jonathan Joseph was healthy, the Dolphins really did nothing.  When Joseph exited with an ankle injury, both Jason Allen and Kareem Jackson struggled at times.  Jackson did force a fumble at an important time in the 3rd quarter.

Special Teams B+:  Both Danielle Manning and Jacoby Jones broke long returns.  Neil Rackers connected on all of his kicks.  Chad Hartman averaged 49 yards a punt including a 68 yarder.

Coaching A :  I don't know if the NFL awards an "Assitant of the year", but Wade Phillips is a shoe-in for the honor.  The Texans defense did not wilt under 2nd half pressure and kept the Texans in the game while their offense sputtered.