Texans handle Colts, clinch second division title in row

HOUSTON -- The Houston Texans now own the AFC South, and they have a message for the rest of the NFL:

Last week's debacle against New England was not the real Texans.

The real Texans, they claim, clinched the division for the second straight year with a 29-17 victory over Indianapolis.

"A lot of people were wondering how we were going to respond," Andre Johnson said. "I think a lot of people doubted us after what happened last week. We (felt) like we had to show people what we were really about."

They believe they did so against the Colts, a team that dominated the division for years before Houston's recent rise.

But Sunday's celebrations were more subdued than last year's. This time the Texans expected to win the division, and have much bigger goals ahead.

"It's awesome," J.J. Watt said. "But there's a lot more fun ahead, so I hope everybody is not celebrating too early."

Johnson gained 151 yards receiving and a touchdown, Bryan Braman had a special teams score on a blocked punt, and Shayne Graham kicked five field goals.

The Texans (12-2) grabbed their first AFC South title last season after the Colts nosedived without injured quarterback Peyton Manning. Manning is gone to Denver and rookie Andrew Luck couldn't do much against the inspired Houston defense.

The Colts (9-5) had won three straight games and needed a win to clinch a playoff berth a year after going 2-14 in 2011. Before that, they took the division seven times since Houston entered the league in 2002.

"It was a tough loss for us in that we came here with one idea and that was to win the division, and we're not going to win the division -- they did it," Indianapolis interim coach Bruce Arians said.

Thanks in great part to three sacks from Watt, Houston bounced back six days after the 42-14 loss to New England on national television. The Texans will have home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs if they win out.

Luck threw for 186 yards with two touchdowns in the return to his hometown. He had led the Colts to a rookie-record six wins on drives in the fourth quarter or overtime this season, and he got the Colts within six points late in the third quarter.

"We came here to win, not put up a respectable showing," Luck said. "We'll move on to next week and hopefully get better."

Houston's defense shut Luck down after he made it close, and the Texans used Arian Foster to eat up the clock. Foster ran for a season-high 165 yards to leave him with 1,313 yards rushing, giving him his third straight year with at least 1,200.

"It's not really that we bounced back," Foster said. "It's that we played the football that we know we're capable of playing. We feel we're a team that if we play how we know we can ... it's going to be hard for us to get beat."

Watt increased his AFC-leading sack total to 19 1/2 -- the NFL record for a season is 22 1/2 -- and finished with 10 tackles. He also forced a fumble for the third straight game.

"I don't even know the stats," Houston coach Gary Kubiak said. "But it seemed like every time I looked up, he was making a play."

Luck was sacked five times playing behind a makeshift offensive line missing center Samson Satele (ankle) and right tackle Winston Justice (biceps).

Johnson, who has 11,008 yards receiving in his career, scored on a 3-yard reception to make it 10-0 in the first quarter. The Texans didn't score a touchdown on offense after that, but were helped by Braman's special teams effort.

Braman blocked his second punt of the season, recovered it and returned it 8 yards for his first career touchdown to make it 20-3 just before halftime.

Vick Ballard had 60 yards rushing on a Colts drive that ended with an 8-yard touchdown reception by Dwayne Allen to cut Houston's lead to 23-17 in the third quarter. Ballard finished with a career-high 105 yards rushing.

Houston couldn't do anything on its next drive and punted. But Indy sputtered, and interim coach Bruce Arians even drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on a punt, giving Houston the ball at the Colts 39.

Graham added a 46-yard field goal to push the lead to 26-17 and made his fifth field goal with about a minute left.

Rookie T.Y. Hilton and Luck connected on a 61-yard touchdown pass just before halftime.

Watt's forced fumble on Mewelde Moore on the Houston 1 was recovered by Tim Dobbins early in the second quarter, robbing the Colts of points. And the Colts stalled inside the red zone again and had to settle for Adam Vinatieri's 26-yard field goal to cut Houston's lead to 10-3.

The Texans had set the tone as they got to Luck early, sacking him twice on the Colts' second drive. Antonio Smith got to him first, and Watt put a move on backup tackle Jeff Linkenbach and took him down for a 15-yard loss.

On offense, Johnson was dominant. He put Houston up 10-0 when he waltzed into the end zone for a 3-yard touchdown reception. Johnson kept things going earlier in the drive when he caught a pass, lost it and then grabbed it again just before it touched the ground for a 10-yard gain on third-and-9.

Notes Luck needs 74 yards to break Cam Newton's rookie yards passing record of 4,051 yards. Dobbins has recovered four fumbles this season, a franchise record. Braman's two blocked punts this season are a single-season franchise record.

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Johnson aims at second 2K season; better Titans line may help

Monday June 04, 2012 - 2:44 PM
By Len Pasquarelli | The Sports Xchange/CBSSports.com

Johnson rushed for 2,006 yards in 2009 but only 1,047 in 2011. (Getty Images)

No one has ever rushed for 2,000 yards in a season two times in NFL history. But at only 26 years old, set to turn 27 only a couple weeks into the season, Chris Johnson is aiming to become the first.

"That's definitely the goal," Johnson said.

Johnson's age alone shouldn't be viewed as a deterrent. Barry Sanders rushed for 2,053 yards in 1997 at age 29.

"I think it can be done," the Tennessee Titans' star tailback reiterated to The Tennessean newspaper recently.

And, history aside, it probably can be. But only if the Titans' offensive line, previously a model of stability and performance, plays better in 2012 than it did last season. And, too, if it comes together after an offseason of change.

Much of the culpability for Johnson's dropoff the past two seasons, after becoming only the sixth player in league history to run for 2,000 yards in 2009, has focused on the four-year veteran back. And, arguably, deservedly so, especially after a lengthy holdout in 2011 that followed the lockout.

Johnson dropped from 2,006 yards in '09, to 1,364 yards in 2010, and to a career worst 1,047 yards last season. His average per carry, only 4.0 yards, was also the lowest of his career. And only two seasons after posting seven runs of 40 yards or more in '09, he registered only one.

But the lockout seemed to affect the continuity and cohesion of the Tennessee line almost as much as it did Johnson. The unit, widely regarded as one of the league's best, has not been nearly as good the past two campaigns. And the falloff has had some kind of impact, it seems, on Johnson's productivity.

That the line hasn't been quite as good, and contributed in part to Johnson's slip, is reflected by the actions of the Tennessee football operation in the offseason. The tackle tandem of Michael Roos (left) and David Stewart (right) has stayed intact. But the interior of the unit has been overhauled after a spotty 2011 performance.

Tennessee signed 11-year veteran and seven-time Pro Bowl blocker Steve Hutchinson, and installed him at left guard, and even at age 34, he is being counted on to help supply an aggressive attitude that seemed to be missing at times in 2011. Left guard Leroy Harris likely will move to the right side to replace the departed Jake Scott. And, as if to signal some questions about longtime center Eugene Amato, the Titans visited with five free-agent snappers in the spring. They signed none, but Amano, who has vowed to retain his starting job, clearly was put on notice. As Nashville-area media outlets have noted, the interior of the line remains a work in progress in offseason practices.

The unit, which pro scouts around the league contend did not block nearly as well at "the second level" the past two seasons as in 2009, will clearly be different in its second season under line coach Bruce Matthews, who was in his first season with the franchise last year.

There is probably some credence to the "second level" assessments of NFL scouts in rating the play of the Tennessee line the past couple of seasons. In 2009, Johnson had 22 rushes of 10 or more yards, seven of 40 yards or more. The past two years, he has totaled only 24 of the former, five of the later. The synergy required of a solid running game has been as lacking as Johnson's electrifying sprints.

But with the presence of Matthews and second-year head coach Mike Munchak, two Hall of Fame guards, one would think the blocking unit would be improved.

"And it will be," said Harris, entering his third season as a starter.

Which could place the onus on Johnson in 2012. And the former first-round draft choice (2008) seems eager to accept the mantle.

"[I've] never felt better," Johnson said last month. "Whatever happened last year, well, it happened, and it's behind me."

Johnson suggested to The Tennessean that he is "still the best back in the league."

Having added 10-12 pounds, and fully committed to the offseason program for the first time in his career, Johnson appears motivated to regain his previous form. And the retooled offensive line has worked hard to smooth out the kind of rough spots always inherent to change. In addition, offensive coordinator Chris Palmer, who came aboard in 2011, will have a second season, minus a lockout, to put his scheme into place. And, as noted, Matthews will also be in his second go-round with the club.

Johnson has debunked the notion that he was perhaps overused during his first two seasons in the league. But in 2008-2009, he averaged 5.3 yards per year, including 5.6 yards per attempt in his 2,000-yard campaign. The past two years, his average has fallen off to 4.2 yards, despite carrying less. But Johnson, whose rushing scores have also dropped off, to 15 the past two years after 23 his first two, has not railed about his workload, and seems to want the ball just as much as ever.

It's not unusual for a back's production to slump after a 2,000-yard season. Not counting Terrell Davis, who rushed for 2,008 yards in 1998 but then was injured for much of '99 (when he ran for only 211 yards), 2,000-yard backs have posted between 32 percent and 51 percent fewer yards the following season. So Johnson's slide of roughly one-third between 2009 and 2010 is not that unusual. Of the back who stayed healthy, though -- Davis never again ran for over 701 yards because of injuries -- no one has rung up two consecutive "down" years. In addition to the second-time, 2,000-yard goal, Johnson, whose total of 5,645 yards is the best mark ever for a runner in his first four NFL seasons, wants to put an end to that kind of slippage as well.

"There are people out there who aren't going to give me the respect that I deserve," Johnson said in The Tennessean. With the aid of an improved offensive line, Johnson is aiming to regain that respect.

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Jags' Kampman to end second straight season on injured reserve

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars placed defensive end Aaron Kampman on injured reserve for the second consecutive season Friday.

Kampman played sparingly in three games this year, missing the first five games while recovering from a knee injury and sitting out the past four because of a badly strained hamstring.

This marks the third consecutive season that Kampman ended the season on IR.

The Jaguars (3-9) also signed tight end Colin Cloherty to the active roster from the practice squad, signed defensive end Jammie Kirlew to the practice squad and waived defensive end Marc Schiechl from injured reserve.

Kampman had two tackles and two quarterback pressures this season. He signed a four-year, $26 million contract with Jacksonville in 2010, but has played just 11 games in two years.

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Freeman: Second round of mediation mostly for show

When the various owners, players and lawyers emerged from the first day of federal mediation last week, suits pressed and smiles forced, there was an air of possibility. It's spring, after all, even outside of a Minnesota courthouse. It looked hopeful ... on the surface.

Then the weekend came and the sobering weight of time kicked in. Several participants from both sides privately used a two-word expression to describe the first few days of mediation: deja vu.

That's because, to some, it felt the same as mediation under George Cohen in Washington. Two entrenched sides, neither wanting to be there, both stalling for the inevitable court ruling to come but wanting to keep up appearances that they're trying to mediate a deal.

Another city. Another mediator. Another day. Still the result of the NFL's owners and players talking seems headed towards the same direction in the end: no deal.

That at least seems to be the feeling after brief telephone and text message interviews with people familiar with the talks. Indeed, there is one thing that both owners and players seem to agree on and that is the chances of mediation succeeding are about the same as David Hasselhoff winning a Grammy.

While the mediation venue has changed the motivations of the players and owners haven't. It's as simple as this. Both sides think they can win in court, and neither wants to do anything in mediation that might damage their chances. Thus mediation now is a song and dance, ritualistic, done to satisfy Judge Susan Nelson and football fans eager for both sides to reach a compromise.

The owners and players want to appear like they're trying but privately they're ready to head to court because the gap in differences is too wide to navigate. Or mediate.

The players think Nelson will ultimately rule for them and end the lockout. The owners think if Nelson does side with the players, the owners can appeal to the more conservative higher court and get Nelson overturned. Then everything would begin at square one.

If the players think they can win in court, there's no reason to take mediation seriously. If the owners think they can win in appeals court, there's no reason for them to take mediation seriously. So, here we are. Neither taking mediation seriously.

Things could change in an instant. It's early. This is true. Both sides could miraculously soften their stance but it seems a second round of mediation isn't going to be much different from the first.

Pessimism remains the word most used after the first rounds of talks. The phrase low expectations has also been used. In effect, despite the hammer of a federal system hanging over the mediation talks, little thus far has changed.

Neither side has given up anything. Compromise is a four-letter word. Talks go on without even a hint of success on the horizon.

They'll keep plugging away. You'll keep seeing those images of owners and players entering and leaving court. Plenty of smiles. Plenty of hope. They'll say all the right things knowing that, for now, it's all a show. It's the warm-up act for the main drama to come later this month when Nelson takes the case.

Mediation is a ruse but they'll keep going through the motions and we'll all keep our fingers crossed looking for signs, any signs, the owners and players can reach an agreement.

Just hold that breath at your own peril.

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Second day of court-ordered NFL labor mediation ends

MINNEAPOLIS -- Negotiators for the NFL and its locked-out players wrapped up a second day of court-ordered talks Friday with no signs of significant progress. They plan to sit down again next week.

The two sides left the federal courthouse in Minneapolis after about four hours of talks, following nine hours of meetings on Thursday. They will meet again Tuesday.

Hall of Famer Carl Eller, who is representing retired players in the antitrust lawsuit against the league, said he thinks the two sides are "moving forward" but the process "slowed a little bit" Friday.

"There is progress, but it wasn't like we're right around the corner," Eller said. "We could resolve it if we had met on the weekend, but maybe not."

U.S. Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan, who is overseeing the sessions, assigned some weekend homework, according to Michael Hausfeld, an attorney for the players.

"The judge has asked us to provide answers to over a half-dozen questions that he's asked," Hausfeld said, declining to provide details. "There's a lot of work."

With the 2011 season in jeopardy, Boylan is overseeing this round of talks after 16 days of mediated sessions in Washington failed to secure a new labor pact.

"We need to have some productivity," Eller said. "We need to come out of here with something, and I think that there is a sense of realism on the judge's part. It's not just talk. Just getting together to talk is not productive."

U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson, who ordered the mediation, is still considering a request from the players to lift the lockout imposed by the owners. After an April 6 hearing, she said she planned to rule on the injunction request in a couple of weeks -- which would mean next week.

Players including MVP quarterbacks Tom Brady and Peyton Manning filed the request along with a class-action antitrust suit against the league. The lawsuit has been combined with two other similar claims from retirees, former players and rookies-to-be, with Eller the lead plaintiff in that group.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, four team owners and several league executives and lawyers left the building without speaking to reporters. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello, via e-mail, declined to comment.

DeMaurice Smith, the NFL Players Association executive director, also refused to talk. He left the courthouse with lawyers as well as linebackers Ben Leber and Mike Vrabel, two other plaintiffs in the antitrust suit filed March 11 when the last collective bargaining agreement expired, the union dissolved and the lockout began.

At least the mood appeared light.

Reporters staking out the closed-door session were greeted with smiles and goodbyes from negotiators and attorneys as they departed. In a packed elevator on the way down to the lobby, Smith needled Vrabel by deadpanning to media members inside, "All right, in all seriousness, Mike is going to have a statement. You ready?"

Silence.

Then laughter.

The NFL's first work stoppage since the 1987 strike, of course, is no joke for either side -- especially for the fans who pay to sit in the seats at sparkling new stadiums, buy replica jerseys to show their support and watch out-of-market games on satellite television.

"I'm a fan, too," Eller said earlier this week. "We would like to ease their minds. We can't tell them the outcome, but we are very interested in having a football season."

That's one shared goal between the two sides. With the dispute now in court, public relations is a major part of the effort for each side -- through press releases, links and comments on Twitter, and communicating directly to the public in the push to get the message out.

"We're going to make sure we have football, and more of it," Goodell said this week in a conference call with Cleveland Browns season-ticket holders.

Said Smith after the April 6 hearing in Nelson's court: "Keep rooting for the players, and keep rooting for football."

Spin and rhetoric have been intense at times from both corners, but Aiello said the league doesn't view this as a public relations battle with the players.

"Our job always is to keep fans informed," Aiello said. "That is what we're doing in this situation."

NFLPA spokesman George Atallah didn't return messages this week.

The players have a website, nfllockout.com, that highlights community outreach and charitable efforts by the players and includes talking points for their side.

The NFL website, nfllabor.com, is a similar version for the league. Lead negotiator Jeff Pash recently wrote an op-ed column in the Chicago Tribune, stressing concessions the NFL has made with a list of highlights of its latest offer before talks broke down.

Eller sounded optimistic, not only about the progress but the opportunity to represent his fellow retired players, who have pushed for better benefits and care from the league for years.

"We don't drive this. We need them both," said Eller, referring to the current players and the league owners. "Our needs hinge on both of them. It's not an either-or situation for us. ...

"What I want the retirees to understand is that we are carving a unique situation. ... We're at the table, and I think this is something that they ought to be able to rejoice at an early stage, because where we go from here, it's going to be a major move."

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