Schaub, Johnson pull off Texans- like rally
Down by 14, Houston comes back towin inot
HOUSTON — Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson had the games of their lives to save the Houston Texans on Sunday.
The pair turned a simple screen pass into a 48- yard sprint to the end zone as the Texans rallied to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 43- 37 in overtime.
“All the good teams find a way to win, no matter if it’s ugly, pretty or whatever,” Johnson said. “In the win column, it either says ‘ W’ or ‘ L.’ They don’t ask how you got it done.”
Schaub threw a careerhigh five touchdown passes, completed a franchise- record 43 passes and finished with 527 yards in the air, second most in NFL history. Warren Moon also threw for 527 yards for the Houston Oilers in December 1990 in Kansas City. Norm Van Brocklin holds the record with 554 for the Los Angeles Rams in 1951.
Johnson caught 14 passes for 273 yards, both career highs; the yardage was a team record.
Johnson seemed to be open all day, and he was somehow uncovered again when Schaub flipped him the short pass for the decisive score.
“When I caught the ball, and I saw how open I was, I was looking around like, ‘ Where are the defenders at?’ ” Johnson said. “I took off running.”
Houston ( 9- 1) trailed 3420 with 12 minutes left, but Schaub completed 16 consecutive throws to launch the comeback.
“Something we can look back on as we move through this,” Schaub said, “because there are going to be games like that, that are not always going to be a two- or three- score lead in the fourth quarter, where you’re trying to run the clock out.”
The Jaguars ( 1- 9) have lost three road games in overtime this year.
“I told them afterwards, we didn’t come here for a tie,” Jacksonville coach Mike Mularkey said. “We had some chances. We just did not make some of the plays that we haven’t made throughout the year.”
Houston’s comeback wrecked big days by Chad Henne and rookie Justin Blackmon.
Henne threw a careerhigh four touchdown passes in relief of injured Blaine Gabbert ( bruised elbow), and Blackmon made seven catches for 236 yards. It was the first time in NFL history opposing players each had more than 200 yards receiving in the same game.
The Jaguars looked like they were on their way to one of the biggest upsets of the season when Henne hooked up with Blackmon for a stunning 81- yard touchdown with 12: 33 left in regulation to put Jacksonville up 34- 20.
Schaub then threw two touchdown passes to tight end Garrett Graham in the final 5: 39 to force overtime.
Shayne Graham and Josh Scobee kicked field goals in overtime and, for a while, it looked like NFL would have its second tie in two weeks.
Henne threw incomplete on fourth- and- 10 from the Houston 47, and the Texans regained possession with 2: 30 left in OT. Schaub saw the perfect defense for a receiver screen pass to Johnson, who took the pass and sprinted untouched down the right sideline to end it.
“We got what we wanted,” Schaub said, “and ’ Dre did the rest.”