2003 Houston Texans season

The 2003 Houston Texans season was the franchise's second season in the National Football League and the second under head coach Dom Capers. It saw the Texans make a one-game improvement on its initial season's record.

2003 Houston Texans season
OwnerBob McNair
General managerCharley Casserly
Head coachDom Capers
Offensive coordinatorChris Palmer
Defensive coordinatorVic Fangio
Home fieldReliant Stadium
Results
Record5–11
Division place4th AFC South
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Pro BowlersNone

In the NFL draft, the Texans selected wide receiver Andre Johnson from Miami (FL) third overall. Johnson would become a cornerstone of the Texans' franchise for the next decade and would go on to hold nearly every franchise receiving record.[1] Considered one of the best receivers of his era, Johnson was selected for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024, becoming the first player to start their career with the Texans to be inducted.[2]

Offseason

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Additions Subtractions
G Zach Wiegert (Jaguars) LB Keith Mitchell (Jaguars)
G Todd Washington (Buccaneers) WR Jermaine Lewis (Jaguars)
LB Steve Foley (Bengals) T Ryan Young (Cowboys)
DT Steve Martin (Patriots) G Cameron Spikes (Cardinals)
WR JaJuan Dawson (Colts)

NFL draft

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2003 Houston Texans draft
Round Pick Player Position College Notes
1 3 Andre Johnson *   WR Miami (FL)
2 41 Bennie Joppru  TE Michigan from Baltimore via New England
3 67 Antwan Peek  LB Cincinnati
3 75 Seth Wand  OT Northwest Missouri State from Washington via New England
3 88 Dave Ragone  QB Louisville from Atlanta
4 101 Domanick Davis  RB LSU
6 192 Drew Henson  QB Michigan Extra selection
6 214 Keith Wright  DT Missouri Extra selection
7 217 Curry Burns  S Louisville
7 233 Chance Pearce  C Texas A&M Extra selection
      Made roster    †   Pro Football Hall of Fame    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

[3]

Staff

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2003 Houston Texans staff

Front office

  • Founder, chairman and chief executive officer – Bob McNair
  • Senior vice president and general manager – Charley Casserly
  • Associate director of pro scouting – Bobby Grier
  • Associate director of pro scouting – Miller McCalmon
  • Coordinator of college scouting – Mike Maccagnan

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

Strength and conditioning


Roster

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2003 Houston Texans roster
Quarterbacks (QB)

Running backs (RB)

Wide receivers (WR)

Tight ends (TE)

Offensive linemen (OL)

Defensive linemen (DL)

Linebackers (LB)

Defensive backs (DB)

Special teams

Practice squad

Reserve

Rookies in italics
53 active, 17 reserve, 3 practice squad

Preseason

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Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap
1 August 9 Denver Broncos L 12–20 0–1 Reliant Stadium Recap
2 August 15 at Dallas Cowboys L 6–34 0–2 Texas Stadium Recap
3 August 23 San Diego Chargers L 17–19 0–3 Reliant Stadium Recap
4 August 28 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers L 3–34 0–4 Raymond James Stadium Recap

Regular season

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Schedule

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Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap
1 September 7 at Miami Dolphins W 21–20 1–0 Pro Player Stadium Recap
2 September 14 at New Orleans Saints L 10–31 1–1 Louisiana Superdome Recap
3 September 21 Kansas City Chiefs L 14–42 1–2 Reliant Stadium Recap
4 September 28 Jacksonville Jaguars W 24–20 2–2 Reliant Stadium Recap
5 Bye
6 October 12 at Tennessee Titans L 17–38 2–3 The Coliseum Recap
7 October 19 New York Jets L 14–19 2–4 Reliant Stadium Recap
8 October 26 at Indianapolis Colts L 21–30 2–5 RCA Dome Recap
9 November 2 Carolina Panthers W 14–10 3–5 Reliant Stadium Recap
10 November 9 at Cincinnati Bengals L 27–34 3–6 Paul Brown Stadium Recap
11 November 16 at Buffalo Bills W 12–10 4–6 Ralph Wilson Stadium Recap
12 November 23 New England Patriots L 20–23 (OT) 4–7 Reliant Stadium Recap
13 November 30 Atlanta Falcons W 17–13 5–7 Reliant Stadium Recap
14 December 7 at Jacksonville Jaguars L 0–27 5–8 Alltel Stadium Recap
15 December 14 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers L 3–16 5–9 Raymond James Stadium Recap
16 December 21 Tennessee Titans L 24–27 5–10 Reliant Stadium Recap
17 December 28 Indianapolis Colts L 17–20 5–11 Reliant Stadium Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

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Week 1: at Miami Dolphins

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Week One: Houston Texans at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Texans 3 3 9621
Dolphins 0 14 0620

at Pro Player Stadium, Miami, Florida

Game information

Week 2: at New Orleans Saints

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Week Two: Houston Texans at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Texans 0 10 0010
Saints 7 0 101431

at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

Game information

Week 3: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

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Week Three: Kansas City Chiefs at Houston Texans – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Chiefs 7 7 141442
Texans 0 7 0714

at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas

Game information

Week 4: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

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Week Four: Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Jaguars 3 7 10020
Texans 7 7 3724

at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas

Game information

Week 6: at Tennessee Titans

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Week Six: Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Texans 0 3 7717
Titans 14 7 31438

at The Coliseum, Nashville, Tennessee

  • Date: October 12
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: 69 °F (21 °C), wind 3 mph
  • Game attendance: 68,809
  • Referee: Gerald Austin
  • TV: CBS
  • Recap
Game information

David Carr threw for 371 yards and two touchdowns, but also threw three interceptions, including a pick six.

Week 7: vs. New York Jets

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Week Seven: New York Jets at Houston Texans – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Jets 0 7 3919
Texans 7 7 0014

at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas

  • Date: October 19
  • Game time: 3:05 p.m. CDT
  • Game attendance: 70,623
  • Referee: Ed Hochuli
  • TV: CBS
  • Recap
Game information

Week 8: at Indianapolis Colts

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Week Eight: Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Texans 0 14 0721
Colts 3 14 10330

at RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana

  • Date: October 26
  • Game time: 3:15 p.m. CST / 4:15 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 56,132
  • Referee: Walt Coleman
  • TV announcers (CBS): Gus Johnson and Brent Jones
  • Recap
Game information

Week 9: vs. Carolina Panthers

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Week Nine: Carolina Panthers at Houston Texans – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Panthers 7 0 3010
Texans 0 0 7714

at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas

  • Date: November 2
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: None (retractable roof)
  • Game attendance: 70,052
  • Referee: Ron Blum
  • TV: Fox
  • Recap
Game information

Week 10: at Cincinnati Bengals

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Week Ten: Houston Texans at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Texans 3 14 10027
Bengals 7 10 71034

at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

  • Date: November 9
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST / 1:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 43 °F (6 °C), wind 7 mph
  • Game attendance: 50,437
  • Referee: Terry McAulay
  • TV: CBS
  • Recap
Game information

Week 11: at Buffalo Bills

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Week Eleven: Houston Texans at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Texans 0 6 3312
Bills 2 3 3210

at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

  • Date: November 16
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST / 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 47 °F (8 °C), wind 3 mph
  • Game attendance: 72,677
  • Referee: Johnny Grier
  • TV: CBS
  • Recap
Game information

On the Texans' third offensive drive, David Carr was sacked in his own end zone by Jeff Posey and fumbled the ball. The ball eventually went out of bounds in the end zone, resulting in a safety, giving the Bills a 2–0 lead. Carr was injured on the play and would be replaced by Tony Banks for the rest of the game. On the final play of the game, the Texans were facing a 4th and 14 at their own 34-yard line with 0:03 left to play up 12–8. The team lined up in a punt formation and Andre Johnson took the ball, intentionally running backwards to his own end zone and ran out of bounds for a safety with 0:00 on the clock, securing a 12–10 victory for the Texans.

Week 12: vs. New England Patriots

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Week Twelve: New England Patriots at Houston Texans – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34OTTotal
Patriots 0 10 010323
Texans 3 0 710020

at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas

  • Date: November 23
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 70,719
  • Referee: Mike Carey
  • TV: CBS
  • Recap
Game information

Week 13: vs. Atlanta Falcons

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Week Thirteen: Atlanta Falcons at Houston Texans – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Falcons 0 7 0613
Texans 0 3 14017

at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas

  • Date: November 30
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 70,388
  • Referee: Larry Nemmers
  • TV: Fox
  • Recap
Game information

Week 14: at Jacksonville Jaguars

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Week Fourteen: Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Texans 0 0 000
Jaguars 7 10 01027

at Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida

  • Date: December 7
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST / 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 56 °F (13 °C), wind 7 mph
  • Game attendance: 43,363
  • Referee: Jeff Triplette
  • TV: CBS
  • Recap
Game information

With injuries to both David Carr and Tony Banks, third-round rookie quarterback Dave Ragone made his first NFL start. Decimated by injuries, the Texans' offense struggled throughout the game, finishing with just 124 yards and three turnovers.

Week 15: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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Week Fifteen: Houston Texans at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Texans 0 0 303
Buccaneers 7 6 3016

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay, Florida

  • Date: December 14
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST / 1:00 p.m.
  • Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C), rain, wind 7 mph
  • Game attendance: 65,124
  • Referee: Gerald Austin
  • TV: CBS
  • Recap
Game information

Week 16: vs. Tennessee Titans

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Week Sixteen: Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Titans 0 10 71027
Texans 0 3 14724

at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas

  • Date: December 21
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game attendance: 70,758
  • Referee: Peter Morelli
  • TV: CBS
  • Recap

Week 17: Indianapolis Colts

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Week Seventeen: Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Colts 0 3 01720
Texans 0 10 7017

at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas

  • Date: December 28
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 70,680
  • Referee: Ed Hochuli
  • TV: CBS
  • Recap

Standings

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AFC South
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(3) Indianapolis Colts 12 4 0 .750 5–1 9–3 447 336 W1
(5) Tennessee Titans 12 4 0 .750 4–2 8–4 435 324 W3
Jacksonville Jaguars 5 11 0 .313 2–4 3–9 276 331 L1
Houston Texans 5 11 0 .313 1–5 3–9 255 380 L4

Statistics

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Team

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Category Total yards Yards per game NFL rank
(out of 32)
Passing offense 2,655 165.9 29th
Rushing offense 1,651 103.2 23rd
Total offense[4] 4,306 269.1 31st
Passing defense 3,712 232.0 31st
Rushing defense 2,370 148.1 31st
Total defense[5] 6,082 380.1 31st

Individual

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Category Player Total
Offense
Passing yards David Carr 2,013
Passing touchdowns David Carr 9
Rushing yards Domanick Williams 1,031
Rushing touchdowns Domanick Williams 8
Receiving yards Andre Johnson 976
Receiving touchdowns Andre Johnson 4
Defense
Tackles (Solo) Jamie Sharper 105
Sacks Jamie Sharper 4
Interceptions Marcus Coleman 7

Source:[6]

References

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  1. ^ "NFL Receiving Yards per Game Career Leaders". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on December 17, 2019. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
  2. ^ "Andre Johnson Becomes Houston Texans' first Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee". Houston Texans. February 8, 2024. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
  3. ^ "2003 Houston Texans draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
  4. ^ "2003 NFL Team Total Offense Stats". ESPN. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  5. ^ "2003 NFL Team Total Defense Stats". ESPN. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  6. ^ "2003 Texans Statistics". Houston Texans. Retrieved April 29, 2022.