Another game, another key catch for Andre Johnson

MIAMI - It turns out Andre Johnson isn't that much different than the rest of us.

When he lined up early in the fourth quarter Sunday at the Dolphins' 23, facing a 2nd-and-6 with a reserve cornerback named Nolan Carroll shading him with little help, he thought what the rest of us thought.

"The way he was playing me, I knew that it was six," Johnson said. "When I came off the line and saw the way he was playing me, I knew that it would be a touchdown."

The rest of us simply identified a mismatch - Carroll replaced Dolphins starting cornerback Vontae Davis, who suffered a hamstring injury - and with Johnson being who he is, it was a predictable outcome. For the Texans, however, it was a much-needed play, a strike that provided a cushion and the final advantage on the scoreboard - and who better than their All-Pro?

"I said, 'I'm going to be real aggressive here and we're going to throw the ball and give No. 80 a chance to make some plays and No. 80 did," Texans coach Gary Kubiak said.

Added quarterback Matt Schaub: "Andre was our No. 1 option on that play. He ran a great route, was able to get behind the corner and the safety hung on the inside so we had a good play in the back of the end zone. Dre's always going to be in the mix."

While Johnson may have received some help - "We had double coverage and we blew the coverage," Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said - the play was hardly surprising. Heck, it wasn't to Bryant Johnson, the wide receiver who joined the Texans less than three weeks ago.

What he has seen in practice since then from Johnson is amazing - not only catches like the one against Carroll but also catches similar in style to the spectacular 43-yarder just before halftime.

In Arizona, Bryant Johnson played alongside one of the league's greats at the position in Larry Fitzgerald, and he admits there are a lot of similarities in how both approach the craft. But because both Johnsons came out of college in the same year (2003), Bryant Johnson has always followed his new teammate's career.

"A guy like Dre, who puts in the work, you expect him to play like he did today," Bryant Johnson said. "He makes spectacular plays in practice, so you expect him to make those plays on days like today, too."

He did, of course. It was another ho-hum afternoon, the remarkable made routine. Or so said his coach.

"Andre had his usual - seven or eight catches for 90-something yards again," Kubiak said.

And a touchdown, too.

Click here to order Andre Johnson’s proCane Rookie Card.


(chron.com)