Sun Dec 30 16:56:43 2007

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Davis returns two kicks for TDs as Texans rout Jags

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Houston, TX (Sports Network) - Andre Davis returned two consecutive kickoffs for touchdowns in a span of 28 seconds as Houston downed a short-handed Jacksonville team, 42-28, at Reliant Stadium.

With the Jaguars' playoff position already secured, the team rested seven starters and a key reserve. Quinn Gray was at quarterback in place of David Garrard, and running back Fred Taylor, receiver Dennis Northcutt, offensive tackle Tony Pashos, defensive end Paul Spicer, linebacker Daryl Smith and cornerback Rashean Mathis were all inactive. Third-down back Maurice Jones- Drew also took a seat for the day.

Jacksonville clinched the AFC's first wild card spot with last weekend's 49-11 victory over the Oakland Raiders and will face the AFC's No. 3 seed -- either San Diego or Pittsburgh -- on the road when the playoffs get underway next week.

San Diego will host the Jags if they best Oakland this afternoon or Pittsburgh loses to Baltimore. The Steelers gain the third-seed with a win and a Chargers loss.

Ron Dayne ran for 88 yards and a pair of touchdowns for the Texans (8-8), who finished the regular season with the best record in club history. Darius Walker added another 86 yards on the ground and a TD on just 10 carries.

Sage Rosenfels, making his fourth straight start in place of the injured Matt Schaub, completed 11-of-18 passes for 128 yards with a TD and an interception.

Gray played very well in defeat, connecting on 25-of-39 passes for 302 yards and four touchdowns for the Jaguars (11-5), who had won six of seven coming into the game. Matt Jones had eight receptions for 138 yards and a TD, while Ernest Wilford had six catches for 58 yards and two touchdowns.

The Jags thought they would be heading to halftime deadlocked at 14 after scoring with just 29 seconds left in the second quarter but Davis decided to take the game over. The return man took the ensuing kickoff, broke through the left side, got to the sideline and raced 97 yards for a TD to give the Texans a 21-14 lead at halftime.

Davis then fielded the opening kickoff of the second half four yards deep in the end zone and went straight up the middle, using his sprinter's speed to leave the Jags in the dust and give the Texans a 28-14 lead.

Houston sealed the game after forcing a Jags punt. The Texans went to a heavy dose of the ground game using Dayne and Walker liberally on a nine-play, 64- yard drive. Dayne finished things with a 12-yard run off left tackle for the TD, giving Houston a 35-14 cushion with 7:19 left in the third quarter.

The Jags didn't go quietly, however. Gray found Jones for a five-yard TD pass on a fade pattern that drew Jacksonville within two touchdowns, 35-21, with 1:53 left in the third quarter.

The Jacksonville momentum was short-lived. The Texans running game continued to chew up the undermanned Jags defense. Walker set up another score by cutting back a right sweep and running 41 yards to the Jacksonville eight. Three plays later, the former Notre Dame star plunged in from a yard out for his first NFL TD to make it 42-21 with 13:07 left in the game.

Gray's fourth TD pass of the game, a 17-yard strike to Wilford with 2:56 left in the game accounted for the final margin.

The Jags took the opening kickoff and marched the length of the field to take an early 7-0 lead. Gray capped a methodical 14-play drive by hitting Reggie Williams for a 22-yard TD pass with 7:12 left in the opening quarter.

The Texans answered thanks to miscue on special teams by Chad Owens. Owens let a Matt Turk punt bounce inside the 10 and then, inexplicably, tried to dive on the ball. Davis recovered at the Jacksonville six and two plays later, Dayne plunged in from two yards out with 14:57 left before the half.

Houston then took the lead on its next possession. Rosenfels led an impressive 15-play, 84-yard scoring drive that culminated with a two-yard scoring pass to Owen Daniels with 3:21 left until intermission.

Jacksonville answered with an impressive drive of its own to even things at 14. Gray hooked up with Wilford on a six-yard TD pass with just 29 ticks left in the half.

Game Notes

Davis is just the seventh player in NFL history to return two kickoffs for TDs in the same game. The last player to return a pair of kickoffs for touchdowns in a game was the Chicago Bears' Devin Hester, who accomplished the feat against the St. Louis Rams last season...Houston's previous high-water mark was 7-9 in 2004...Jacksonville is heading to the postseason for the second time in three seasons and for the sixth time in team history...The Jags failed to match the second-best mark in team history. The club went 14-2 in 1999 and 12-4 in 2005...Jacksonville finished 5-3 on the road this season.