HOUSTON-Houston's offense has sparkled in spurts this season, but has yet to play the kind of complete game it put together last year.
They'll need to find that consistency this week to compete with an Arizona team capable of scoring a lot of points.
Houston's offense has scored 41 points combined in the first half of its last two games. The offense managed only three total points after halftime in those contests. Houston's win over the Raiders was helped by a kickoff return for a touchdown and a safety in the third quarter.
The second-half performance against the Raiders left the Texans with mixed feelings about the victory.
"If you look at the way we played in the first half, we were able to go out and put up points and we were able to move the ball pretty good," receiver Andre Johnson said. "The second half, we couldn't do anything. So that's definitely something that was on our minds after the game even though we won the game."
Coach Gary Kubiak likes that his team is worried and isn't overlooking what happened Sunday because they won.
"In the second half, for us not to be able to grind out some first downs, stay on the field, finish it in better fashion than we did, then that should be something that concerns us," he said.? "That means we've got the right guys. There was some good. There was some bad. We've got to improve upon all of it."
The Texans believe progress in the running game is key. Houston struggled with the run early this season but has had more than 100 yards rushing in each of the last two games.
Still, they're looking for more in that area. Kubiak is discouraged by the number of fumbles by his running backs. Steve Slaton fumbled just three times in his rookie season last year but has already coughed it up four times this season. A fumble on the goal line by Chris Brown likely spared Houston from going to overtime against the Jaguars.
Some wondered if Slaton was more motivated to play harder after he was replaced by Ryan Moats for a few plays after he lost a fumble against Oakland. Kubiak dismissed that theory.
"I think Steve gives me everything he's got all the time," he said. "He's just got to eliminate some of these balls that have been on the ground and he knows how important that is. I don't have to tell him."
Quarterback Matt Schaub is also looking forward to receiver Kevin Walter's contributions to the offense now that he's has had time to get back into a rhythm with the team. Walter missed the first two games this season with a hamstring injury.
"He's so dependable and we know where he's going to be," said Schaub who has eight touchdowns and three interceptions this season. "He's going to make the plays. He's huge for us on third downs. He's huge for us on plays down the field when they're double-covering Andre."
Walter had a career-high 899 yards and eight touchdowns last season when Johnson led the league with 1,575 yards receiving.
The Texans are also encouraged by the progress special teams star Jacoby Jones has made on offense this season. Jones returns both kicks and punts for the Texans. He earned AFC special teams player of the week honors after returning his first career kickoff for a touchdown against the Raiders.
The third-year player's 102 yards receiving have already eclipsed his total from last season. Both of his two career touchdowns on offense have come this year.
"We've got weapons," Schaub said. "It's just a matter of distributing the ball and getting it to the right guy at the right time and letting him make a play."
On the defensive side, lineman Mario Williams missed practice for the second straight day because of a bruised left shoulder, but Kubiak said he feels good about him playing on Sunday. Linebacker Brian Cushing returned to practice after staying home Wednesday with flu-like symptoms.
