Inches short and a half too late would be the best way to sum up the Texans’ latest loss. Down by a touchdown and three tries from just outside the Cardinals' 1-yard line, the Texans were in what appeared to be a perfect situation to tie up the game and take their chances in overtime.

But as fate would have it, even prosperity couldn’t prevent the Texans from falling 28-21 to the defending NFC champion Arizona Cardinals. After falling behind 21-0 heading into the third quarter, the Texans fought back to knot things up late in the third quarter to make it very interesting on the road in Arizona.

The Texans couldn’t manage to get anything going in the first half as Warner and the potent Cardinals offense was clicking on all cylinders.
Cardinals QB Kurt Warner tallied his fiftieth career 300-yard game connecting with All-World wide out Larry Fitzgerald for two second quarter scores.

But the Texans were eager to prove that they also had a pretty good player at the same position in Andre Johnson, who had a game high eight grabs for 101 yards. Johnson again proved to be the shining star for the Texans' offense. His second score in the fourth quarter will perhaps be used as a highlight reel along with his bust in Canton one day as be bowled through three Cardinals defenders on his way to the end zone.

The Texans' defense woke up in the second half and held Warner and the high-powered Arizona defense scoreless. Defensive Coordinator Frank Bush called a great second-half game disguising numerous well-executed zone blitzes and keeping Warner battered and confused.

But Warner and his offensive cohorts would be bailed out by cornerback Dominick Rodgers-Cromartie, who picked off Texans QB Matt Schaub with just over two-minutes to go in the contest, to put the Cardinals up by a touchdown.

The Texans down --- but not out --- got a 52-yard kick-off return from Andre Davis that allowed Shaub and the offense to set up shop in Cardinal’s territory.

But there would be no fairy tale ending for the Texans on this day as the drive stalled in frustration inside the Cardinals' 1-yard line.

“When you can’t make a half-yard to win in this league, something’s wrong,” Texans head coach Gary Kubiak said. “We couldn’t run the ball again. I know you guys are tired of hearing it, and I’m tired of saying it.”

The loss drops the Texans to 2-3 on the season with a trip against Cincinnati to take on the red-hot Bengals looming next week.