Tuesday, September 10, 2002
Texans still glowing after their victory over Cowboys
By MICHAEL A. LUTZ
AP Sports Writer
HOUSTON — The Houston Texans will have state bragging rights over the Dallas Cowboys until the teams meet again — in four years.
The Texans' improbable 19-10 victory on Sunday in front of a raucous crowd of 69,604 made them the only expansion team other than the 1961 Minnesota Vikings to win their first NFL game.
“The No. 1 thing that I got from the game was that football had not been here for six years and these fans were whooping and hollering and it was a great, happy time for them,” cornerback Aaron Glenn said Monday.
Coach Dom Capers didn't have enough game balls to go around for this one. He presented each player with a game ball and wanted to give one to each of the fans who created such noise that they even interfered with the Texans' offensive calls.
“We are learning along with our fans,” said rookie quarterback David Carr, who threw two touchdown passes. “When we got down to the end zone, they were screaming as loud as ever. I wasn't going to tell them to be quiet.”
The Texans were still in a jovial mood Monday, and that's just the way offensive tackle Tony Boselli wanted them. Boselli watched the game in street clothes because of his injured left shoulder.
“Tuesday will come soon enough,” he said. “I told everyone to enjoy it and don't forget it when we come back to work on Wednesday. Then we can work even that much harder.”
Capers was among the few interested in talking about the nuts and bolts of the victory. Others were too busy celebrating.
“I thought we played the game that we had to play to win the football game,” Capers said. “It was a game of field position and we came out early and were very aggressive on offense in terms of throwing the ball up field.
“Our fans were tremendous. They really helped us.”
Houston capitalized on mistakes by the Cowboys, including the Texans' first offensive play of the game when Dallas' Bryant Westbrook was flagged for pass interference at the Cowboys 21. It set up Houston's first score.
“Our veterans have to show the rooks that we aren't going to back down,” said Glenn, who was taken by the Texans in the expansion draft after spending his first eight NFL seasons with the New York Jets. “If you show them, the rookies will get on your back and ride that wave and sometimes they might ride it higher than you.”
Carr, one of five rookie starters, didn't have big numbers in his first game as a pro. But he did have courage.
Carr was sacked six times and still had grit in the fourth quarter when he hit Corey Bradford with a 65-yard touchdown pass that broke a 10-10 tie and all but sealed the Cowboys' fate.
“I told the guys today to look at the tape and enjoy it and learn from it,” Capers said. “When we come back here on Wednesday our total focus has to be on one thing, this game is over.
“We've got to look forward to making a lot of improvement because we've got to go to San Diego and play a good San Diego team.”
When Wednesday arrives, the players probably will listen. First, they felt like strutting.
“It means our fans have bragging rights for another four years until we play again,” defensive end Gary Walker said. “Don't talk the talk if you can't walk the walk. We should have beaten them by a lot more than we did.”
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Texans still glowing after their victory over Cowboys
