Game Info
Date: Sunday, November 13, 2011
Kickoff: 1:00 p.m. ET
Site: Raymond James Stadium (65,908) 2011 Records: Tampa Bay 4-4, Houston 6-3 Network Television: CBS
Play-by-Play: Marv Albert, Analyst: Rich Gannon
National Radio: Westwood One
Play-by-Play: Wayne Larrivee, Analyst: Tony Boselli
Bucs Radio: US 103.5, flagship station (103.5 FM, 620 AM) Play-by-Play: Gene Deckerhoff, Analyst: Dave Moore, Sideline: T.J. Rives Last Game: Tampa Bay lost at New Orleans, 27-16; Houston won vs. Cleveland, 30-12
NIKO’s TAKE:
Be aware, every time the Bucs are supposed to get beat, they surprise everyone! Fox and CBS Pregame shows will almost surely be unanimous in picking Houston to beat Tampa Bay. Any why not? The Bucs cannot stop the run, and here comes the one two punch of Arian Foster and Ben Tate- sure to gain no less than 200 total yards against Tampa Bay. But thats the first thing you need to keep an eye out for. If you DONT see Foster or Tate galloping around Raymond James’s stadiums natural turf, well the Bucs now have a really good chance to take the game. Matt Schaub is going to get his 300 yards passing, even with Johnson out, he has other WRs and a good tight end. But its the running game that the Bucs have to control if they want to win, and that is going to fall squarely on the newest Buc; Albert Hanesworth. Hanesworth has been called lazy, worthless, a turd, and all that just from one former Bucs player- Warren Sapp. But Albert will be given a chance at 1PM to put all that behind him, and he now is playing the position that he dominated. It wont take long to find out, by halftime we will know if the Tennessee Albert Hanesworth came to play, and if he brought that old player with him to Tampa Bay, look out rest of the schedule because a Bucs team that can stop the run can stop the game from getting out of hand before the offense gets the ball back in the second half.
Prediction- Houston 123 total rushing yards. Bucs win 24-23
All-Time Series
The Buccaneers and Texans are meeting for just the third time in the regular season, including the second time at Raymond James Stadium. Tampa Bay won the first meeting with a 16-3 win at Raymond James Stadium in 2003, but lost the second meeting 28-14 at Reliant Stadium in 2007. Tampa Bay leads the all-time preseason series 7-2, including a 24-17 victory last season in Houston on September 2, 2010.
SERIES BY THE NUMBERS
Overall Regular Season Series:………………………………Series tied, 1-1
Home Record vs. Houston Texans:…………………………………………1-0
Road Record vs. Houston Texans:………………………………………….0-1
Current Streak:……………………………………….Texans, one game (2007)
Buccaneers Longest Streak:………………………………..One game (2003)
Texans Longest Streak: ……………………………………..One game (2007)
Regular Season Point Total:…………………….Buccaneers 30 – Texans 31
Most Points, Buccaneers:……………………… 16, Buccaneers 16-3 (2003)
Most Points, Texans:…………………………………28, Texans 28-14 (2007)
Most Points, both teams: …………………………..42, Texans 28-14 (2007)
Fewest Points, Buccaneers: ……………………….14, Texans 28-14 (2007)
Fewest Points, Texans:…………………………..3, Buccaneers 16-3 (2003)
Fewest Points, both teams: ………………….. 19, Buccaneers 16-3 (2003)
Getting to know Gary Kubiak
Gary Kubiak was hired as the second head coach in Texans history on Jan. 26, 2006
Kubiak returned to Houston after spending 20 of the previous 23 years in the Denver area. The Texans ranked among the NFL’s top five offenses for the third straight year in 2010 and set team records for rushing,
total offense, and scoring. Arian Foster claimed the 2010 NFL rushing title, making Kubiak the only head coach since 2006 to produce a rushing, receiving and passing yardage champion.
He guided the Texans to a 9-7 record in 2009, highlighted by a season-ending four-game win streak to capture the franchise’s first winning season. Houston narrowly missed its first-ever playoff berth, losing a tie-breaker for the final spot. A franchise record five players earned trips to the Pro Bowl, led by Pro Bowl MVP Matt Schaub. In 2008, he Texans overcame an 0-4 start that was due in part to the damage inflicted by Hurricane Ike and finished 8-8. Houston became just the ninth squad in NFL history to finish .500 or better after an 0-4 start. In 2007, the Texans broke even for the first time, finishing at 8-8. Houston went 7-3 outside of the AFC West and set a franchise record with a 6-2 mark at home. It was the first time the Texans posted a winning mark at Reliant Stadium. In his first year as a head coach, Kubiak guided the Texans to a 6-10 record, tripling the team’s win total of the year before.
Prior to joining the Texans, Kubiak spent the previous 11 years (1995-2005) as Denver’s offensive coordinator, helping guide the Broncos to back-to- back World Championships in Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII and three AFC West Division titles. Kubiak tutored Hall of Fame QB John Elway from 1995-98 and RB Terrell Davis was named NFL Most Valuable Player in 1998. In Kubiak’s 11 years in Denver, the Broncos had 28 Pro Bowl players on the offensive side of the ball.
Kubiak began his coaching career as the running backs coach at Texas A&M (1992-93). Kubiak started his NFL coaching career with the San Francisco 49ers as the quarterbacks coach, winning Super Bowl XXIX in his only season (1994). Kubiak is a veteran of six Super Bowls—three as a player and three as a coach. Kubiak starred at quarterback for Texas A&M from 1979-1982, earning all-Southwest Conference honors as a senior. He played for the Broncos from 1983-1991 as John Elway’s backup. Kubiak played in 119 career games, tossed 14 touchdowns, and was a part of three teams that reached the Super Bowl. He and his wife, Rhonda, have three sons—Klint, Klay, and Klein.
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