Two weeks after the Texans stormed back from a 21-point halftime deficit against a team from the NFC West, Houston nearly allowed a different NFC West team to erase a 21-point halftime deficit.
In the first half, Houston looked like a team that would run its 3-3 record all the way to 13-3, forcing the Niners into four punts, a muffed punt, and a failed fourth-down try from inside the Houston 40.
And that incomplete pass on fourth and two from shotgun formation by Shaun Hill could be the last pass that Hill throws, for a while.
Hill was benched at halftime.
Alex Smith, the first overall pick in the 2005 draft, got the nod in the second half. And nearly pulled the thing out.
“It looked like he didn’t have a chance,” coach Mike Singletary said regarding Hill. “I just felt it was time to make the switch, simple as that. . . . I don’t know if it’s Alex or the offensive line. Sometimes the offensive line makes a quarterback better. We have to look at the film and see which is which.”
The film will show that Smith relied heavily on tight end Vernon Davis, who caught all three touchdown passes in the second half.
Rookie Michael Crabtree also came up big in his debut, with five catches for 56 yards. One reception resulted in an 18-yard gain on third and 11. Another was good for 17 on second and 12. And two fourth-quarter touchdown drives were kept alive by Crabtree catches on third and six.
So while dropping to 3-3 drops the Niners out of first place in the division that most (including us) assumed they’d own, there’s reason for optimism, given the play of Smith, Davis, and Crabtree.
That said, let’s see what Smith can do out of the spread formation when teams have had a week to plan for him. The Texans likely were caught flat-footed by the move, and future opponents won’t be quite so surprised.
As to the Texans, the move to 4-3 nudges them toward that first playoff berth in franchise history. The wild-card field currently has either the Bengals or Steelers as the fifth seed, and the Jets and Texans knotted for the No. 6 spot.
Of course, it won’t be easy. The Ravens, Jags, and Chargers are 3-3. And a certain team from Buffalo is clawing back into contention, at 3-4.
The Texans get those Bills next -- and then the Colts -- before the bye. Splitting the two keeps the dream alive; win both, and Houston will be in great position to save coach Gary Kubiak’s job with a postseason appearance.