| Texans find another Andre to fill injury void |
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| Written by Admin |
| Thursday, 04 October 2007 00:59 |
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HOUSTON (AP) -With star receiver Andre Johnson and his backup out with injuries, the Houston Texans desperately needed someone to prove he could be a reliable replacement. Andre' Davis showed he was that man on Sunday, with five receptions for 117 yards and a touchdown in his first 100-yard game since 2004. The performance was a bit of a surprise to some because Davis had just two catches for 13 yards last season in Buffalo. Johnson wasn't among those people. ``I told him before he left that he'd have a 100-yard game,'' Johnson said. ``Right before I walked out the locker room, I told all the receivers good luck. He was getting dressed and I tapped him on the shoulder, I was like, 'You know, you'll have a 100-yard game.''' Johnson, who is out indefinitely with a knee sprain, said he figured Davis was in for a big game after looking at the game plan. ``He has a lot of talent,'' Johnson said. ``He can make a lot of plays for us. And I knew he would be playing the position I would be playing.'' Davis was inactive for the first two games but had four catches for 70 yards against Indianapolis and started against the Falcons. ``For me, it's just a mind-set,'' he said. ``It's just a matter of how hard do you work. A lot of people, if they're deactivated, they might not be working as hard. For me, I'm preparing every week like I'm going to play. When I do get in there, I expect myself to make plays and that's what I've been able to do.'' A second-round pick in 2002, Davis had three straight 400-plus-yard receiving seasons with the Cleveland Browns, but played mostly special teams the last two seasons in Buffalo and New England. He shares an NFL record with nine other players for a 99-yard TD catch he made in 2004. His touchdown Sunday wasn't close to being that long, but it was dazzling. Davis snagged the 35-yard catch in the crook of his arm and protected it as a defender tried to knock it loose. ``It's just something that I think is expected of our receivers,'' he said. ``We need to go out there and make plays. I don't look at it as being anything special. I just look at it as going out there and doing what I'm supposed to do.'' Coach Gary Kubiak has been encouraged by the way Davis has embraced his opportunity. ``He's going to help our football team win,'' Kubiak said. ``He's earned the right now to play and he will play well, but you could see it in practice. In the long haul, we're going to be better as a group of receivers than we were when we started.'' The Texans will likely need more work from Davis as Johnson, Jacoby Jones and Jerome Mathis continue to nurse various injuries. The injuries have left Davis, Kevin Walter and David Anderson as the only healthy receivers on the roster. |
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