Yes, I'm still walking among the living, albeit in on a slightly different path.  Responsibilities at home and work have both increased two-fold, so my free time has been whittled down to near nil.  Check out  Energy Crisis by J. Martinez & McEnroe to get an aural rendition of the aforementioned explanation.  Not to say that I'm jumping ship; in fact, I fully intend to forge ahead, sleep be damned. 

With that being said, I thought it would be appropriate to touch on a few key points regarding last Sunday's Super Bowl. I'm sure if the Cards were setting a soundtrack to the days that followed the Super Bowl, my guess is that it would include this little ditty.

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Fresh off a rousing win over the Bears to close out the 2008 season, your Houston Texans are again 8-8.  Not the winning season we had hoped for, but not the dismal season we all envisioned after that 0-4 start.  Starting the game down ten and then rallying to win says a lot about the boys in deep steel blue. Bottom line is that we won.  And going 8-8 is a helluva lot better than 7-9 no matter how you slice it.  So feel free to express yourselves to the fullest in the Comments down below.

I know, I know... One subpar game by your standout rookie doesn't necessarily mean that he's hit the proverbial wall - but after last Sunday's performance, one has to wonder if he was really ready for the game in Oakland.  With Slaton shouldering the load for all but a handful of plays this season, I was left wondering if he has anything left in the tank for Sunday's season finale.   

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Steve Slaton, the Texans' sensational rookie runner, posted his second consecutive 100+ rushing game and his fourth of the season.  In the brutal cold (3° F), Slaton had a career high 26 carries for 120 yards.  More importantly, he became the second player in franchise history to rush for over 1,000 yards.  Currently at 1,024 yards, he only needs 164 yards over the next three games to break the Texans single season rushing record currently held by Domanick Williams (formerly Domanick Davis).  

As much success as he's had this season, Slaton is third in rookie rushing behind Tennessee's Chris Johnson (1,094) and Chicago's Matt Forte (1,081). While he may be trailing for the rookie lead in total yards rushing, he is the rookie leader in running plays over twenty yards (11) and is tied for the league lead in plays of over fourty (4). He's also among the league leaders in yards per carry with 5.0.

On the season, Slaton has hauled in 37 passes for 290 yards. As a rookie running back, he is second to only Forte in yards (395); however, unlike Forte, who hasn't had a single reception over 19 yards, Slaton has caught four of over twenty yards.

Even the most fervent Texans fan has to admit that Slaton's ability to shoulder the load has been a surprise. While I was fully on board the Steve Slaton Express from day one, even I've been wowed by just how good Slaton is becoming. And I use the word "becoming" because he seems to get better with each and every week.

So the question remains:  Just how good will Slaton become?

WR Kevin Walter is arguably the best unheralded wide receiver in the league.  He runs exact routes and has excellent hands.  Through the first thirteen games of the season, Walter has 851 yards and is among the league leaders in touchdowns (8).  Of the 31 players with at least 55 receptions, only Roddy White (ATL), Greg Jennings (GB), Steve Smith (CAR), and Calvin Johnson (DET) are averaging more yards per catch.  

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