The Houston Texans are going down an all too familiar path
 By SAM MAXWELL
 Staff Writer
PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 22, 2011
When all pro running back Arian Foster was going to miss the first two games of the season, the panic meter was around 3. When all pro wide receiver Andre Johnson injured his hamstring and did not know when he was going to return, the panic meter was around 7.
When all pro outside linebacker Mario Williams went down for the season, and Andre Johnson was out simultaneously, the panic meter was hovering around 9.
However, with starting quarterback Matt Schaub out for the rest of the season as well, the panic meter is off the charts. However, if you are familiar with the Houston Texans, this should come as no surprise.
Since 2002, the Texans motto has been, “next year it will be different.” Their mantra has been a team that has always had the talent to contend for a championship, but year after year, they never got the job done. Whether it is blowing a lead, or missing a game-winning field goal, the team has never been able to get over the hump. Having Peyton Manning in your division doesn’t help either.
But this year was going to be different. It seemed that all the stars were aligning for a magical season. The team hired a new defensive coordinator, Wade Phillips, who has turned the unit into one of the best in the league.
Even with all of the injuries, the team is 7-3, and tied for the best record in the AFC. And finally, Manning is out for the season, so the division is for the taking.
However, now that Schaub is out for the foreseeable future, it’s Matt Leinart’s playoff chance to lose.
Nothing is for certain- there are still 6 more games to be played. However, it seems that the most lovable losers of the league, are going to be just that. This dream has turned into a nightmare, and the happy ending now lays on the left arm of Matt Leinart- a college sensation that has been anything but in the pros.
You may think that I am jumping the gun on this one. But I am a Houston Texans fan (probably the only one this side of the Mississippi river), and I have seen how this script ends. And let me tell you, it’s more like a Steven Hawking horror film than a Nicholas Sparks love story. All I can say is, here we go again.
