The Captain's Log 2014, Game 8: "Mojo Foster Slays Titans"

Captain's Log Supplemental

Jadeveon Clowney may have only notched one tackle in his return to action in Tennessee, but there were flashes of his speed and power at times in his limited snaps.  It usually takes a couple of games to get back up to speed when a player misses time, and I can't wait to see him back at 100% of his ability.

The hero of the day yesterday was clearly Arian Foster, who ran all over the Titans and scored 3 touchdowns.  J.J. Watt collected 2 sacks and nearly had another interception from a pass he knocked down.  DeAndre Hopkins had 5 receptions for 95 yards, while Andre Johnson posted 55 yards from 7 receptions.  Alfred Blue showed well today backing up Foster, as Blue gained 42 yards rushing on 14 carries, and 1 reception for 22 yards.

Notwithstanding the slow start for the offense and some dreadful decisions and performances by Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Texans sorted things out and took command of the game to defeat the Titans.  The secondary gave up some late "trash-time" touchdowns, but otherwise the defense did a good job today overall.

The stats below show a very clean game in terms of ball security, clock control, and capitalizing on turnover opportunities.  Let's hope that continues into next week as the Texans return home to face the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday at NRG Stadium.

Go Texans!

Summary of Key Stats

	TEXANS	TITANS
First Downs	24	13
Net Rushing Yards	212	36
Net Passing Yards	193	290
Total Net Yards	405	326
Passing ATT-COMP-INT	19-35-0	27-41-1
Third Down Efficiency	7/16 (36%)	2/12 (16%)
Touchdowns	3	2
Field Goals (made/attempted)	3 / 3	1 /1
Fumbles / Lost	0 /0	1 / 1
Turnovers (lost)	0	2
Penalties (QTY / Yards)	4 -35	6 - 61
Sacks (defense)	2	5
Interceptions (defense)	1	0
Fumbles Recovered (defense)	1	0
Time of Possession	35:22	24:38
Red Zone Efficiency	2/4 (50%)	2/4 (50%)
Goal To Go Efficiency	2/3(66%)	0/0 (0%)
Points From Turnovers	10	0
FINAL SCORE	30	16

Around the AFC South...

The Colts lost to the Steelers 51-34, as Ben Roethlisberger and Andrew Luck engaged in a tremendous shootout.

NFL.com reports:

Roethlisberger's 522 yards are tied with Boomer Esiason for the fourth-most in NFL history. His six touchdown passes and 40 completions are the most by any quarterback in franchise history. His 81.6 completion percentage is the second-highest ever on more than 45 attempts.

Luck became the first quarterback in franchise history with six consecutive 300-yard games. With half the season over, Luck is on pace for 44 touchdowns and 5,462 yards -- the latter of which would flirt with Peyton Manning's single-season record.

Indy will now head to New York to face the 3-4 Giants on Monday Night Football next week.

The Titans obviously lost to the Texans to fall to 2-6 on the season.  They are now officially into their bye week.

The Jaguars are 1-7 on the season, as they lost to the Dolphins.  They head to Cincinnati to face the 4-2 Bengals, who just edged past the Ravens to take sole possession in leading the AFC North.

Sick Bay

"I'm a doctor, not a historian of ancient Greek Mythology!"

INJURY UPDATES THIS WEEK:

ILB Brian Cushing (knee)

CB Darryl Morris (ankle)

ILB Jeff Tarpinian (unknown)

Movie Quote (name it):

"Here lies the body of Mary Lee; died at the age of a hundred and three. For fifteen years she kept her virginity; not a bad record for this vicinity.  Front, bow. Back, stern. If ya don't get it right, squirt, I throw your ass out the little round window on the side."

Bravo Zulu - Arian Foster

(Bravo Zulu is a naval signal, conveyed by flag hoist or vocal, for "Well Done")

That makes FOUR consecutive games of over 100 yards rushing for Foster, a career-best.  He simply crushed the Titans with: 151 yards rushing on 20 attempts, 4 receptions for 22 yards, and 3 touchdowns.  He averaged 7.6 yards per carry before being rested in the fourth quarter once the game was well in hand.  It's amazing to watch him glide through the enemy like some NFL version of "The Matrix."

Stories From The Brig

The offensive line struggled early in the game, but Ryan Fitzpatrick can't allow sacks the way he did out there.  As a veteran, he should know how to read a blitz and call an audible to change protection.  He should also know to throw the ball away when protection breaks down.  Finally, he should not throw the ball directly into the helmet of a defender standing a couple of yards in front of him.  How much longer must we endure this?!!!

Movie Quote II (a/k/a the hint):

"Cage goes in the water, you go in the water. Shark's in the water. Our shark.  Farewell and adieu to you, fair Spanish ladies. Farewell and adieu, you ladies of Spain. For we've received orders for to sail back to Boston. And so nevermore shall we see you again."

Ship's Galley

Let's check in with the mess hall and see what's cooking...

If you haven't seen the movie "CHEF," I highly recommend you do.  It is a feel-good movie of a chef who bonds with his son while rediscovering his creative ability in the culinary scene.  It stars Jon Favreau, John Leguizamo, Emjay Anthony, Robert Downey. Jr., Dustin Hoffman, Scarlett Johansson, and Sofia Vergara.

One of the key recipes from the show is "Mojo Pork Cubanos," which I found and cooked this weekend.  I didn't do the Cubanos, but instead pulled the pork and served it with a chipotle mustard and candied jalapeno on Hawaaian rolls.  It was incredible!  I'll share the Cubanos recipe in another Captain's Log once I have a chance to do them properly.

Here's the very tasty and versatile pork recipe:

"Mojo Pork"

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup lightly packed cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp. finely grated orange zest
• ¾ cup fresh orange juice
• ½ cup fresh lime juice
• ¼ cup lightly packed mint leaves, finely chopped
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tbsp. minced oregano
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 3½ lbs. boneless pork shoulder, in one piece

Directions

• In a bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients except salt, pepper and the pork. Whisk in 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Transfer the marinade to a large resealable plastic bag and add the pork. Whisk in 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Transfer the marinade to a large resealable plastic bag and add the pork. Seal the bag and turn to coat; set in a baking dish and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 425° and set a rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Transfer the pork to a work surface; discard the marinade. Fold the pork under itself, into thirds if necessary, and tie with string to form a neat roll. Season all over with salt and pepper and set it on the rack.
• Roast the pork for 30 minutes, until lightly browned. Reduce the oven temperature to 375° and roast for 1 hour and 30 minutes longer, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 160°; transfer to a carving board and let rest for 30 minutes. Discard the string before slicing across the grain, or pull for shredded applications.

On The Horizon...

The 4-4 Texans next host the 5-2 Eagles at NRG Stadium.

Last week's Captain's Log: Game 7 v. Steelers

Texans vs Titans coverage