2nd season in franchise history
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.
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
NFL draft
[ 3]
Staff
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
Preseason
Regular season
Schedule
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries
Week 1: at Miami Dolphins
Game information
First quarter
HOU – Kris Brown 36-yard field goal, 5:14. Texans 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 79 yards, 4:13.
Second quarter
MIA – Chris Chambers 57-yard pass from Jay Fiedler (Olindo Mare kick), 9:34. Dolphins 7–3. Drive: 2 plays, 57 yards, 0:48.
HOU – Kris Brown 50-yard field goal, 6:22. Dolphins 7–6. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:26.
MIA – Chris Chambers 21-yard pass from Jay Fiedler (Olindo Mare kick), 1:11. Dolphins 14–6. Drive: 9 plays, 93 yards, 5:17.
Third quarter
HOU – Corey Bradford 78-yard pass from David Carr (run failed), 4:34. Dolphins 14–12. Drive: 1 play, 78 yards, 0:12.
HOU – Kris Brown 23-yard field goal, 0:25. Texans 15–14. Drive: 7 plays, 41 yards, 2:39.
Fourth quarter
MIA – Ricky Williams 35-yard pass from Jay Fiedler (pass failed), 12:37. Dolphins 20–15. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 2:57.
HOU – Kris Brown 24-yard field goal, 4:59. Dolphins 20–18. Drive: 16 plays, 72 yards, 7:29.
HOU – Kris Brown 35-yard field goal, 0:30. Texans 21–20. Drive: 7 plays, 24 yards, 3:28.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 2: at New Orleans Saints
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
HOU – David Carr 1-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 10:46. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards, 2:31.
HOU – Kris Brown 30-yard field goal, 0:06. Texans 10–7. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 2:07.
Third quarter
NO – Donté Stallworth 35-yard pass from Aaron Brooks (John Carney kick), 10:57. Saints 14–10. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 3:58.
NO – John Carney 39-yard field goal, 1:25. Saints 17–10. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 3:53.
Fourth quarter
NO – Ernie Conwell 2-yard pass from Aaron Brooks (John Carney kick), 9:05. Saints 24–10. Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 4:14.
NO – Joffrey Reynolds 40-yard interception return, 3:00. Saints 31–10.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 3: vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Week Three: Kansas City Chiefs at Houston Texans – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Chiefs
7
7
14 14 42
Texans
0
7
0 7 14
at Reliant Stadium , Houston, Texas
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
HOU – Andre Johnson 43-yard pass from Derek Carr (Kris Brown kick), 5:55. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 97 yards, 5:08.
KC – Priest Holmes 3-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 0:19. Chiefs 14–7. Drive: 2 plays, 97 yards, 0:05.
Third quarter
KC – Eddie Kennison 15-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 4:18. Chiefs 21–7. Drive: 3 plays, 32 yards, 0:20.
KC – Dante Hall 73-yard punt return (Morten Andersen kick), 1:50. Chiefs 28–7.
Fourth quarter
KC – Derrick Blaylock 20-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 14:04. Chiefs 35–7. Drive: 3 plays, 85 yards, 0:43.
KC – Shaunard Harts 38-yard interception return (Morten Andersen kick), 7:16. Chiefs 42–7.
HOU – Andre Johnson 4-yard pass from Tony Banks (Kris Brown kick), 2:01. Chiefs 42–14. Drive: 16 plays, 68 yards, 5:06.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
KC – Priest Holmes – 4 receptions, 67 yards
HOU – Andre Johnson – 7 receptions, 102 yards, 2 TD
Week 4: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Week Four: Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Jaguars
3
7
10 0 20
Texans
7
7
3 7 24
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
Game information
First quarter
HOU – Stacey Mack 5-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 9:00. Texans 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 69 yards, 5:35.
JAX – Seth Marler 29-yard field goal, 3:19. Texans 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 51 yards, 4:13.
Second quarter
HOU – Jabar Gaffney 24-yard pass from David Carr (Kris Brown kick), 14:11. Texans 14–3. Drive: 8 plays, 53 yards, 3:59.
JAX – Fred Taylor 1-yard run (Seth Marler kick), 6:46. Texans 14–10. Drive: 7 plays, 48 yards, 3:25.
Third quarter
HOU – Kris Brown 48-yard field goal, 13:45. Texans 17–10. Drive: 4 plays, -1 yards, 0:55.
JAX – Troy Edwards 84-yard pass from Byron Leftwich (Seth Marler kick), 11:04. Tied 17–17. Drive: 2 plays, 84 yards, 0:17.
JAX – Seth Marler 20-yard field goal, 4:06. Jaguars 20–17. Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 3:36.
Fourth quarter
HOU – David Carr 1-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 0:02. Texans 24–20. Drive: 10 plays, 41 yards, 3:20.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 6: at Tennessee Titans
Week Six: Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Texans
0
3
7 7 17
Titans
14
7
3 14 38
at The Coliseum , Nashville, Tennessee
Date : October 12Game time : 12:00 p.m. CDTGame weather : 69 °F (21 °C), wind 3 mphGame attendance : 68,809Referee : Gerald Austin TV : CBSRecap
Game information
First quarter
TEN – Derrick Mason 32-yard pass from Steve McNair (Gary Anderson kick), 10:38. Titans 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 74 yards, 2:53.
TEN – Derrick Mason 46-yard pass from Steve McNair (Gary Anderson kick), 6:12. Titans 14–0. Drive: 5 plays, 69 yards, 2:45.
Second quarter
TEN – Robert Holcombe 5-yard run (Gary Anderson kick), 0:57. Titans 21–0. Drive: 9 plays, 88 yards, 4:32.
HOU – Kris Brown 29-yard field goal, 0:00. Titans 21–3. Drive: 7 plays, 58 yards, 0:57.
Third quarter
HOU – Corey Bradford 65-yard pass from David Carr (Kris Brown kick), 12:20. Titans 21–10. Drive: 2 plays, 98 yards, 0:56.
TEN – Gary Anderson 33-yard field goal, 3:44. Titans 24–10. Drive: 8 plays, 38 yards, 3:09.
Fourth quarter
TEN – Derrick Mason 50-yard pass from Steve McNair (Gary Anderson kick), 14:46. Titans 31–10. Drive: 5 plays, 98 yards, 1:46.
TEN – Andre Dyson 51-yard interception return (Gary Anderson kick), 13:03. Titans 38–10.
HOU – Derick Armstrong 13-yard pass from David Carr (Kris Brown kick), 9:06. Titans 38–17. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 3:57.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
David Carr threw for 371 yards and two touchdowns, but also threw three interceptions, including a pick six .
Week 7: vs. New York Jets
Week Seven: New York Jets at Houston Texans – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Jets
0
7
3 9 19
Texans
7
7
0 0 14
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
Date : October 19Game time : 3:05 p.m. CDTGame attendance : 70,623Referee : Ed Hochuli TV : CBSRecap
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
HOU – Stacey Mack 1-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 14:56. Texans 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 64 yards, 4:09.
NYJ – Santana Moss 18-yard pass from Vinny Testaverde (Doug Brien kick), 1:22. Texans 14–7. Drive: 7 plays, 91 yards, 2:16.
Third quarter
NYJ – Doug Brien 39-yard field goal, 1:36. Texans 14–10. Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards, 3:13.
Fourth quarter
NYJ – Doug Brien 30-yard field goal, 9:05. Texans 14–13. Drive: 9 plays, 26 yards, 4:40.
NYJ – LaMont Jordan 8-yard run (pass failed), 1:21. Jets 19–14. Drive: 8 plays, 86 yards, 1:27.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 8: at Indianapolis Colts
Week Eight: Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Texans
0
14
0 7 21
Colts
3
14
10 3 30
at RCA Dome , Indianapolis, Indiana
Date : October 26Game time : 3:15 p.m. CST / 4:15 p.m. CSTGame weather : None (indoor stadium)Game attendance : 56,132Referee : Walt Coleman TV announcers (CBS) : Gus Johnson and Brent JonesRecap
Game information
First quarter
IND – Mike Vanderjagt 31-yard field goal, 0:44. Colts 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 71 yards, 6:28.
Second quarter
HOU – Domanick Davis 15-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 11:14. Texans 7–3. Drive: 2 plays, 28 yards, 0:37.
HOU – Billy Miller 1-yard pass from David Carr (Kris Brown kick), 4:55. Texans 14–3. Drive: 8 plays, 79 yards, 4:39.
IND – Marcus Pollard 1-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Mike Vanderjagt kick), 1:54. Texans 14–10. Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, 3:01.
IND – Reggie Wayne 2-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Mike Vanderjagt kick), 0:15. Colts 17–14 Drive: 4 plays, 23 yards, 0:42.
Third quarter
IND – Reggie Wayne 57-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Mike Vanderjagt kick), 14:03. Colts 24–14. Drive: 2 plays, 68 yards, 0:57.
IND – Mike Vanderjagt 29-yard field goal, 4:34. Colts 27–14. Drive: 12 plays, 81 yards, 5:41.
Fourth quarter
HOU – Domanick Davis 2-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 12:31. Colts 27–21. Drive: 12 plays, 66 yards, 7:03.
IND – Mike Vanderjagt 22-yard field goal, 5:16. Colts 30–21. Drive: 13 plays, 67 yards, 7:15.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 9: vs. Carolina Panthers
Week Nine: Carolina Panthers at Houston Texans – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Panthers
7
0
3 0 10
Texans
0
0
7 7 14
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
Date : November 2Game time : 12:00 p.m. CSTGame weather : None (retractable roof)Game attendance : 70,052Referee : Ron BlumTV : Fox Recap
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
HOU – Stacey Mack 1-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 6:43. Tied 7–7. Drive: 13 plays, 73 yards, 8:17.
CAR – John Kasay 23-yard field goal, 0:05. Panthers 10–7. Drive: 14 plays, 68 yards, 6:38.
Fourth quarter
HOU – Billy Miller 20-yard pass from Tony Banks (Kris Brown kick), 9:30. Texans 14–10. Drive: 9 plays, 67 yards, 5:35.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 10: at Cincinnati Bengals
Week Ten: Houston Texans at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Texans
3
14
10 0 27
Bengals
7
10
7 10 34
at Paul Brown Stadium , Cincinnati, Ohio
Date : November 9Game time : 12:00 p.m. CST / 1:00 p.m. CSTGame weather : 43 °F (6 °C), wind 7 mphGame attendance : 50,437Referee : Terry McAulayTV : CBSRecap
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
HOU – Corey Bradford 73-yard pass from David Carr (Kris Brown kick), 14:49. Texans 10–7. Drive: 3 plays, 74 yards, 1:16.
CIN – Jeremi Johnson 1-yard run (Shayne Graham kick), 6:47. Bengals 14–10. Drive: 14 plays, 74 yards, 8:02.
CIN – Shayne Graham 40-yard field goal, 2:33. Bengals 17–10. Drive: 5 plays, 27 yards, 2:41.
HOU – Jabar Gaffney 8-yard pass from David Carr (Kris Brown kick), 0:19. Tied 17–17. Drive: 6 plays, 44 yards, 0:53.
Third quarter
HOU – Domanick Davis 2-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 12:31. Texans 24–17. Drive: 6 plays, 83 yards, 2:29.
CIN – Rudi Johnson 17-yard run (Shayne Graham kick), 8:09. Tied 24–24. Drive: 9 plays, 73 yards, 4:22.
HOU – Kris Brown 33-yard field goal, 1:47. Texans 27–24. Drive: 14 plays, 33 yards, 6:22.
Fourth quarter
CIN – Rudi Johnson 1-yard run (Shayne Graham kick), 10:56. Bengals 31–27. Drive: 12 plays, 65 yards, 5:51.
CIN – Shayne Graham 40-yard field goal, 2:23. Bengals 34–27. Drive: 15 plays, 56 yards, 7:07.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 11: at Buffalo Bills
Week Eleven: Houston Texans at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Texans
0
6
3 3 12
Bills
2
3
3 2 10
at Ralph Wilson Stadium , Orchard Park, New York
Date : November 16Game time : 12:00 p.m. CST / 1:00 p.m. ESTGame weather : 47 °F (8 °C), wind 3 mphGame attendance : 72,677Referee : Johnny Grier TV : CBSRecap
Game information
First quarter
BUF – David Carr fumble out of end zone, 4:48. Bills 2–0.
Second quarter
BUF – Rian Lindell 23-yard field goal, 2:07. Bills 5–0. Drive: 9 plays, 89 yards, 4:23.
HOU – Andre Johnson 46-yard pass from Tony Banks (run failed), 1:12. Texans 6–5. Drive: 4 plays, 73 yards, 0:55.
Third quarter
HOU – Kris Brown 41-yard field goal, 10:42. Texans 9–5. Drive: 10 plays, 52 yards, 4:18.
BUF – Rian Lindell 20-yard field goal, 4:38. Texans 9–8. Drive: 7 plays, 18 yards, 4:00.
Fourth quarter
HOU – Kris Brown 34-yard field goal, 3:23. Texans 12–8. Drive: 9 plays, 67 yards, 5:22.
BUF – Andre Johnson tackled in own end zone, 0:00. Texans 12–10.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
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
Week Twelve: New England Patriots at Houston Texans – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 OT Total
Patriots
0
10
0 10 3 23
Texans
3
0
7 10 0 20
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
Date : November 23Game time : 12:00 p.m. CSTGame weather : None (retractable roof closed)Game attendance : 70,719Referee : Mike Carey TV : CBSRecap
Game information
First quarter
HOU – Kris Brown 19-yard field goal, 2:36. Texans 3–0. Drive: 14 plays, 79 yards, 8:41.
Second quarter
NE – Bethel Johnson 27-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 13:12. Patriots 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 67 yards, 4:24.
NE – Adam Vinatieri 21-yard field goal, 5:55. Patriots 10–3. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 2:02.
Third quarter
HOU – Andre Johnson 10-yard pass from Tony Banks (Kris Brown kick), 4:01. Tied 10–10. Drive: 2 plays, 11 yards, 0:32.
Fourth quarter
NE – Adam Vinatieri 32-yard field goal, 14:57. Patriots 13–10. Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 4:04.
HOU – Billy Miller 16-yard pass from Tony Banks (Kris Brown kick), 6:49. Texans 17–13. Drive: 5 plays, 31 yards, 2:10.
HOU – Kris Brown 31-yard field goal, 3:11. Texans 20–13. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 1:39.
NE – Daniel Graham 4-yard pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri kick), 0:40. Tied 20–20. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 2:31.
Overtime
NE – Adam Vinatieri 28-yard field goal, 0:41. Patriots 23–20. Drive: 9 plays, 76 yards, 3:39.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
NE – Kevin Faulk – 8 receptions, 108 yards
HOU – Andre Johnson – 4 receptions, 37 yards, TD
Week 13: vs. Atlanta Falcons
Week Thirteen: Atlanta Falcons at Houston Texans – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Falcons
0
7
0 6 13
Texans
0
3
14 0 17
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
Date : November 30Game time : 12:00 p.m. CSTGame weather : None (retractable roof closed)Game attendance : 70,388Referee : Larry Nemmers TV : FoxRecap
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
ATL – T. J. Duckett 1-yard run (Jay Feely kick), 8:38. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 4:21.
HOU – Kris Brown 40-yard field goal, 5:43. Falcons 7–3. Drive: 6 plays, 40 yards, 2:55.
Third quarter
HOU – Domanick Davis 7-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 8:51. Texans 10–7. Drive: 8 plays, 63 yards, 4:21.
HOU – Domanick Davis 2-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 6:31. Texans 17–7. Drive: 8 plays, 63 yards, 4:21.
Fourth quarter
ATL – Jay Feely 35-yard field goal, 14:07. Texans 17–10. Drive: 6 plays, 16 yards, 3:07.
ATL – Jay Feely 42-yard field goal, 1:24. Texans 17–13. Drive: 14 plays, 56 yards, 5:45.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 14: at Jacksonville Jaguars
Week Fourteen: Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Texans
0
0
0 0 0
Jaguars
7
10
0 10 27
at Alltel Stadium , Jacksonville, Florida
Date : December 7Game time : 12:00 p.m. CST / 1:00 p.m. ESTGame weather : 56 °F (13 °C), wind 7 mphGame attendance : 43,363Referee : Jeff Triplette TV : CBSRecap
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
JAX – Seth Marler 35-yard field goal, 3:24. Jaguars 10–0. Drive: 11 plays, 36 yards, 4:34.
JAX – Fred Taylor 2-yard run (Seth Marler kick), 0:15. Jaguars 17–0. Drive: 9 plays, 84 yards, 1:34.
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
JAX – LaBrandon Toefield 1-yard run (Seth Marler kick), 10:21. Jaguars 24–0. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:43.
JAX – Seth Marler 28-yard field goal, 1:55. Jaguars 27–0. Drive: 13 plays, 72 yards, 7:10.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
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
Week Fifteen: Houston Texans at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Texans
0
0
3 0 3
Buccaneers
7
6
3 0 16
at Raymond James Stadium , Tampa Bay, Florida
Date : December 14Game time : 12:00 p.m. CST / 1:00 p.m.Game weather : 67 °F (19 °C), rain, wind 7 mphGame attendance : 65,124Referee : Gerald AustinTV : CBSRecap
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
TB – Martin Gramatica 36-yard field goal, 10:13. Buccaneers 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 49 yards, 4:47.
TB – Martin Gramatica 23-yard field goal, 0:33. Buccaneers 13–0. Drive: 14 plays, 72 yards, 7:00.
Third quarter
HOU – Kris Brown 38-yard field goal, 9:01. Buccaneers 13–3. Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 3:33.
TB – Martin Gramatica 26-yard field goal, 7:03. Buccaneers 16–3. Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 1:58.
Fourth quarter
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Week 16: vs. Tennessee Titans
Week Sixteen: Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Titans
0
10
7 10 27
Texans
0
3
14 7 24
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
Date : December 21Game time : 12:00 p.m. CSTGame attendance : 70,758Referee : Peter MorelliTV : CBSRecap
Week 17: Indianapolis Colts
Week Seventeen: Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Colts
0
3
0 17 20
Texans
0
10
7 0 17
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
Date : December 28Game time : 12:00 p.m. CSTGame weather : None (retractable roof closed)Game attendance : 70,680Referee : Ed HochuliTV : CBSRecap
Standings
Statistics
Team
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
Source :[ 6]
References
Franchise Stadiums Culture and lore Rivalries Division championships (8) Ring of honor Key personnel Media Current league affiliations