Great 8: Andre Johnson nears record

Texans receiver Andre Johnson can make NFL history against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.

Johnson, who has 56 catches for 813 yards (14.5 average) and four touchdowns, needs four receptions to become the first player with at least 60 in each of his first eight seasons.

"It's a tremendous honor, but I don't really keep up with things like that," Johnson, 29, said after practice Friday. "If I'm able to do it, it would be a great accomplishment. Considering our situation (four-game losing streak), if we could win and I did it, that would be great."

Johnson and Keyshawn Johnson are the only players to have 60 or more catches in their first seven seasons.

The ankle injury that caused Andre Johnson to miss the Oakland game probably will keep him from becoming the first receiver in history with 1,500 yards in three consecutive seasons.

There's a record Johnson should own at some point. Johnson, who has played in 110 games, has 14 games in which he has at least 10 catches and 100 yards, tying him for second place in NFL history with Marvin Harrison (190 games) — one behind Jerry Rice (303 games).

"Jerry Rice set milestones that'll probably never be reached," Johnson (6-3, 225) said. "When I came into this game, I said that when I finished playing, I wanted to be mentioned as one of the best to ever play. So far, based on what you guys have been telling me, it seems like I'm headed in the right direction."

Epic battles
The Texans have a 4-6 record, and occupy last place in the AFC South. The Titans (5-5) have a three-game losing streak, but they're one game behind Indianapolis (6-4) and Jacksonville (6-4).

Johnson, who has had some epic battles with Titans cornerback Cortland Finnegan, has played some of his best games against Tennessee. He has seven touchdowns against the Titans, more than any opponent.

In his past three games against Tennessee, Johnson averaged 144.7 yards receiving.

"We've just been fortunate to have some opportunities to make some big plays," Johnson said. "I don't approach any game or any team different. I don't do anything special against them that I don't try to do against Indianapolis or (Jacksonville)."

At Reliant Stadium in 2008, Johnson helped the Texans end a seven-game losing streak against the Titans by catching 11 passes for 207 yards and a touchdown.

In the 2009 game at Tennessee, Johnson helped the Texans win a second consecutive game over the Titans by catching 10 passes for 149 yards and two touchdowns.

Losing leaves 'nasty taste'
"They've always had a great defense," Johnson said. "It's a very physical and tough game, and guys get after each other. We don't expect anything different.

"What we see on film is some of the same things we've seen every other time we've played them. We expect for it to be a physical game."
Like his teammates, Johnson is tired of losing. So far, the exasperating defeats haven't taken a toll on the Texans because they continue to play hard.

"Of course, we're upset about the things that have happened, but guys are working to get it fixed," said Johnson, who was held to a relatively quiet four catches for 32 yards in last week's loss to the New York Jets. "It's very discouraging because we know we're a much better team than we've shown. The only way to get this nasty taste out of our mouths is by winning."

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(chron.com)