HOUSTON (AP) -The Miami Dolphins could triple last year’s win total with a victory over the Houston Texans on Sunday.
At 0-4, another loss could send the Texans barreling toward a season similar to Miami’s dismal 1-15 mark in 2007.
“Every one is important. Every one is a must win,” Texans owner Bob McNair said. “So, yes, we’ve got to win this game, and I think we will.”
Houston remains winless after two consecutive close losses capped by last week’s 31-27 defeat by Indianapolis. The Texans had a 17-point lead with about 4 minutes left, but the Colts capitalized on two turnovers by backup Sage Rosenfels to score 21 points in 2:10 and escape with the improbable win.
learn how to finish games.
Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington agrees.
“With this team, they shouldn’t be 0-4,” Pennington said. “They should be at least be 2-2. I think they understand that and I know we understand that, because the film does not show a 0-4 team. We’ve got to be ready to go into a hostile environment (with) a team who’s very excited about getting their first win.”
The Texans are playing the second of four straight home games after their schedule was rearranged because of Hurricane Ike and the damage it did to Reliant Stadium. They’ll play this and the remainder of their home games with the damaged retractable roof open.
Houston is trying to erase the sting of last week’s collapse with a win. The Texans have taken all three previous meetings with Miami.
“We’re all really upset with what is going on,” tackle Eric Winston said. “There’s not a guy in here that’s not a little upset with the way things have gone for us, especially the last two weeks. We know we’re a better team than where we are. … We’ve got to prove it to the rest of the NFL, and it starts this week.”
After watching the Dolphins beat New England and San Diego behind the success of their unorthodox single wing or Wilcat formation, coach Gary Kubiak knows his team will “have its hands full” this week.
aring for two offensive football teams,” Kubiak said. “You’ve got to be really sharp and diagnose and identify formations and those types of things. Normally, you’ve got one guy leading the defensive group, but you’ve got to have eleven guys watching how they break the huddle, who comes out and what’s going on. So, confusion is an issue.”
Kubiak isn’t surprised they’ve had success with the single wing because of the talent of Ronnie Brown, who runs the offense out of that formation. He’s expecting to see it against his team and figures the Dolphins will add a new wrinkle or two to it this week.
“I’m sure we’re going to see something that we haven’t seen in the last couple of weeks,” Brown said. “It looks like they’re growing with it. There’s something new every week.”
Brown thinks it will be tougher to execute the Wildcat as teams get used to it.
“The more defenses see it, the more they can prepare and game plan for it,” he said. “At the same time, that’s just another way for us to put different people on the field and give the defenses something to prepare for. We’re still running our basic packages and the things we’ve been doing. We mix it up.”
ton has thrown for 817 yards with three touchdowns and one interception this season.
“He’s brought some credibility and some stability to our offense,” Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said. “We’re such a young football team, particularly on that side of the football. I think that everybody was kind of looking around looking for somebody to hang their hat on and here comes Chad.”
Sparano said it’s been great to see how the other players have taken to Pennington.
“From the first day he walked in the door, all the players kind of followed him around like the Pied Piper almost,” he said. “The guy stays out after practice (and) he’s got 20 people staying out after practice.”
Pennington hasn’t been taken down much this season, with No. 1 overall draft pick Jake Long protecting his blind side. Sunday will pit Long against 2006 top pick Mario Williams.
Williams had two sacks in Sunday’s loss to the Colts, his first since Week 1.
“Mario Williams … has gotten so much better so fast to the point where, in my mind, you have to know exactly where this guy is all the time,” Sparano. “It’s very hard because he can just disrupt a game, he can just disrupt the entire game for you. I love the way the guy plays. He plays with a high motor. I really respect the guy and like the way he’s come around.”
Said Williams of Long: “He’s a great player. He’s strong. He has great feet. He’s doing a heck of a job.”
Even so, he’s not any more excited to go against Long than he is to face any other offensive lineman.
“I look forward to going against everybody,” he said. “Every week it’s a challenge and that’s how I see it. Rookie or not, anybody can make any plays so it will be a challenge.”
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