The San Francisco 49ers and the Houston Texans met at Candlestick Park in a battle between two sides with 2-2 records in the NFL.
Texans quarterback Matt Schaub came into the game under the spotlight after throwing three interceptions that were returned for touchdowns in three consecutive games, and that soon became four on a terrible night for the visitors.
The home side cantered to a 31-point win as Schaub committed three turnovers, while running back Ben Tate fumbled late on, as the 49ers moved to 3-2 in their season without having to get out of first gear in the clash.
Read how all the action unfolded in our commentary below.
Good morning and welcome to the live commentary of the NFL clash between the San Francisco 49ers and the Houston Texans.
The 49ers should be well prepared for this game after having 10 days off following their victory over the St Louis Rams last Thursday.
Jim Harbaugh's side looked back in their groove after suffering back-to-back defeats to the Seattle Seahawks and the Indianapolis Colts. One of the the reasons for that was the return of their ground game as Frank Gore had over 150 rushing yards against the Rams.
Kapernick and his offense will need a similar performance against the Texans in this game, but they will face a challenge against one of the top defensive units in the game led by last year's Defensive Player of the Year JJ Watt.
The Texans are in need of a win after falling to 2-2 in their season with a defeat to the Seahawks as they threw away a 17-point lead and lost in over-time. Gary Kubiak's side have been far from their best this season and have needed last ditch efforts against the San Diego Chargers and the Tennessee Titans to register the wins they've got this season.
Quarterback Matt Schaub has taken a lot of heat for his performances last season and has thrown three pick-sixes in his last three games, including one against the Seahawks which tied the match as he threw the ball right into the hands of Richard Sherman. Schaub is well and truly under the hot seat and does not have a great record against the "elite" teams in the NFL.
The play of JJ Watt this season hasn't quite been at the standard it was last year, as he has only registered three sacks this season, he has a long way to go the reach the 20 he had in 2012. However, the return of linebacker Brian Cushing has been a major boost to the Texans' defense and he has already made several crucial plays for his side this season.
The 49ers will again be without pass rusher Aldon Smith who is currently on his side's non-football injury list as he attempts to solve personal problems. A lot will be expected of linebackers Ahmad Brooks and Navorro Bowman this evening to get pressure on Schaub along with Justin Smith on the 49ers' defensive line.
49ERS INACTIVES: Patton, Harper, Skelton, Asomugha, Cunningham, Willis, Looney.
TEXANS INACTIVES: Keenum, Jean, Dobbins, Gardner, Brooks, Montgomery, Jamison.
Big blow for the 49ers as linebacker Patrick Willis is still missing with a groin injury. Willis is the heart and soul of the defense and will be a massive miss for Harbaugh's side, with his tackling and coverage ability.
No real surprises for the Texans who are boosted by the return of left tackle Duane Brown, to sure up their offensive line against one of the best defensive fronts in the league.
The Texans won the coin toss and elected to receive and Martin takes the ball out to the 12 before he's brought down.
TOUCHDOWN 49ERS!
OH DEAR! Make that four games with a pick-six for Schaub as he throws his first pass of the night into the hands of Tramaine Block, who runs the ball back 18 yards for a touchdown. It's the stuff of nightmares for the quarterback.
Good return for Martin this time as beats several tacklers before he's brought down on the 44. On the bright side for Schaub, anything he does tonight can't be any worse than his first throw.
Better from Schaub as he offloads to Foster, who picks up five yards on the ground and on second down he finds tight end Daniels on a crossing route and he picks up another set of downs with a seven-yard pickup.
Another conversion for a first down for Schaub as he throws deep down the right for Martin, who peels off on a corner route and keeps both feet in bounds for a 14-yard reception, after the quarterback had previously found Johnson for an eight-yard strike.
Two big penalties on the Texans erase a first down pickup inside the 10-yard line as Daniel is penalised for holding while Brown is guilty of a false start. Tate tries to get the yardage back on a screen pass but he's brought down leaving Bullock with a field goal in the region of 35 yards.
FIELD GOAL NO GOOD!
The Texans' bad start gets worse as Bullock hooks his kick wide of the posts from 36 yards. Kaepernick and his offense will take over in good field position.
A big pickup by the 49ers on third down as Kaepernick fires a strike over the middle to Vernon Davis, who beats tight coverage to catch the ball for a 12-yard pickup.
Kaepernick makes a sublime throw in first down as he somehow picks out Boldin on a curl route, as he throws low and to his left and beats the coverage of cornerback Joseph, who perhaps should have made a play on the ball.
On the ground this time and the 49ers trick the Texans with an end-around to Williams and he runs across the line and picks up 13 yards on the ground to move his side into a threatening position.
Vernon Davis and Kaepernick line up on another third down play this time down the right-hand sideline and it's good for 11 yards and another set of downs inside the 20.
Boldin's turn to pick up the slack and Kaepernick drills the ball to him in the flat and he runs over several tacklers to get the first down inside the two for his side.
TOUCHDOWN 49ERS!
The 49ers extend their lead as Gore goes in for the score from one-yard out as he powers over the left-hand side of the line after some good pressing from Staley and Iupati to create room for him to reach the endzone.
Martin nearly fumbles the ball on his return but he manages to get it under control to take his side to the 17 where Schaub will start.
A one-two punch from the Texans to get a first down as first Tate gets the ball on a swing pass to pickup seven yards, while Foster powers through the line on second for three yards to get the chains moving.
It looks like the Texans's offensive minds are giving Schaub some short confidence building passes as he finds Daniels on a hitch and carries the ball over to the left sideline for nine yards to end the quarter.
END OF FIRST QUARTER: Houston Texans 0-14 San Francisco 49ers
Daniels picked up the first down on that carry, so the Texans' offensive momentum continues.
Foster looks good on the ground as powers through the line for seven yards on first and picks up the remaining three and some extra on second for another set of downs.
Schaub can't find Johnson on third down on a fade route down the left-hand sideline and brings out Lechler who punts the ball to the San Francisco eight.
Hunter is straight through the line for 11 yards to pick up the first down for the 49ers to get them into a comfortable field position. A nice speedy run from the back.
The 49ers rip off more yardage on the ground as Gore finds space in the middle to move his side to the 42 with a 26-yard run, as the Texans' secondary could not bring him down. That's an ominous sign for the visitors.
The 49ers drive comes to an end as Kaepernick throws back-to-back incompletions after Gore was dropped for a four-yard loss by Watt, who surged through the line. Lee's punt is caught at the 22 by Keo.
The Texans get a big break on third down of their series as Brown is adjudged to have interfered with a pass destined for Johnson on third and five, which gives Schaub's offense another set of downs.
Foster picks up another set of downs for the Texans as he finds the smallest of holes and manages to power through to get the two yards he needed, a great play by the running back, after Daniels could only get six yards on a pass from Schaub on second.
INTERCEPTION 49ERS!
Schaub is picked off again by Brock as he attempted to find Johnson on a comeback route, the cornerback did well to make a play on the ball as he tipped it up and caught it before being tackled.
The Texans defense come out in an aggressive mood and over pursue allowing Kaepernick to run for 18 yards after evading the pressure, while in the next play Gore finds 16 more running through a gap between right guard and right tackle, setting up his side inside the five.
TOUCHDOWN 49ERS!
Dixon runs the ball in from two yards out over the left-hand side of the line as he finds acres of space to stroll into the endzone, after Gore was stacked up on first down. This could get out of hand quickly here.
Martin returns the ball to the nine from Dawson's kickoff. What has Schaub got in store for us this time?
Johnson goes up to snag a pass from Schaub bailing him out as the ball was overthrown but the Texans pick up the first down and move to their 32. That reception was worth 19 yards, a crucial catch from the veteran receiver, the visitors really need a score here.
The Texans can't secure another series as Foster collects the ball on a short out route but he's dragged down from behind two yards short of the marker. However, Kubiak opts to go for it on fourth down.
Foster gets the first down on fourth as he powers through the gaping hole in the middle of the line to get the yardage quite comfortably.
Schuab bravely targets Brock deep as he looks for Hopkins on a go route, his throw is nearly picked off again and the receiver is flagged for offensive pass interference as he attempted to knock the ball away from the cornerback. That's sets the Texans back 10 yards, five of which they get back straightaway as Schaub finds Hopkins on a short hitch, which takes us to the two-minute warning.
The Texans can't get the yardage back as Schaub throws two straight incompletions looking for Johnson, who is guarded in tight coverage by Brown. Williams collects Lechler's punt and takes the ball back to the 49ers' 29.
The 49ers' go three and out as they can't get any joy out of their running game, as they seemed content to see the half out. Lee punts to Martin and he takes the ball back the Houston 31.
Schaub throws a pass to Daniels and the Texans try and kill and clock by spiking the ball but the official puts it in the wrong place and time runs out. That's the way this game has been going for Kubiak's side.
HALF TIME Houston Texans 0-21 San Francisco 49ers
Well that was a pretty disastrous half of football for the Houston Texans as Schaub throws two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown, his fourth game with a pick-six in a row, that is an NFL record.
The 49ers will be delighted with their first half, as they've had to do very little to establish such a comfortable lead. Their running game has been solid and Gore has ripped off a couple of big runs that lead to their scores. Other than that, they've been quiet.
Bullock kicks the ball out of the endzone and the 49ers will begin on their own 20.
The 49ers go three and out to start the half as Kapernick throws two incompletions on second and third down, looking for Baldwin but he can't find him on either route. Lee's punt is collected by Martin at the Houston 34.
Foster find space over the left-hand side of the line and turns on his boosters as he runs for 16 yards before he's pushed out of bounds at the half-way line.
Schaub goes over the middle this time for Hopkins on a post route and he picks up 18 yards and drives his team to the 49ers' 30, moving within field goal range.
OH DEAR! When it's not your night it's not your night as Schaub puts the ball up for Johnson and he looks to have come down with the ball but he drops it just as he's about to walk into the endzone to make the pass incomplete. Bullock is left with 41-yard field goal.
FIELD GOAL GOOD!
This time Bullock knocks his kick between the posts without trouble from 31 yards. Texans 3-21 49ers.
SACK! Mercilus comes up with a big sack of Kaepernick for six yards on third down to end the 49ers' drive after Gore ripped off seven yards on a run on second down. Signs of life from the visitors?
SACK! No signs of life from the Texans on offense as Schaub goes down for a sack as McDonald gets to him in the pocket as he crumples to the floor under pressure. None of his receivers were open and it forced the quarterback to hold the ball for longer than he would have liked.
The 49ers are moving as they get a break on third down as McCain is penalised for defensive holding, which brings up first down for Harbaugh's side. Things are really not going the Texans' way.
Gore rips off another huge run as he finds a big gap in the line and he gets to the Houston 15 before he's brought down. That was a run of 26 yards from the running back. A score here will all but end the game.
The 49ers can't get the touchdown as Kaepernick's throw deep down the seam is dropped by Vernon Davis on third and 15. Earlier Crick had done well to block a pass heading for Davis on second, while Gore was stopped for a five-yard loss on first. Dawson comes out for a 38-yard field goal.
FIELD GOAL GOOD!
Dawson makes no mistake firing the ball through the posts to put his side's lead back to 21 points. Texans 3-24 49ers.
Schaub gets rolling straight away as he hits tight end Garrett Graham for nine yards, after Foster picked a yard on the ground, to earn his side a first down. They need a touchdown on this drive!
Schaub gets a huge let off on second down as Reid drops a sure interception as it's thrown right into his hands. He hits Daniels on a crossing route for seven yards on third but it's not enough for the first, but they're going for it on fourth.
The Texans pick up the conversion for the second time in the game, this time Schaub drops back and hits Daniels on a slant route for a 19-yard gain over the middle.
Foster picks up 18 yards on back-to-back plays on the ground to move his side to the 25 as he went over the left-hand side twice to good effect. He has been the one positive for Houston tonight.
INTERCEPTION 49ERS!
OH DEAR! Schaub throws his third interception of the night as he doesn't see that defensive lineman Jerod-Eddie drops into coverage and he throws the ball right into his chest and he makes the grab. He runs it back 10 yards before he's brought down. At least it wasn't a pick-six.
END OF THIRD QUARTER: Houston Texans 3-24 San Francisco 49ers
TOUCHDOWN 49ERS!
Well Schaub's interception might as well have been a pick-six as Kapernicks throws a strike down the left-hand sideline for Vernon Davis, who beats Reed in coverage and he takes the ball all the way to the endzone for a 64-yard touchdown.
Wood takes the ball out to the 14 where TJ Yates will begin tonight as Schaub has been pulled from the game.
FUMBLE TEXANS!!
OH DEAR! Tate runs with the ball over the left-hand side of the line and does well to pick up 11 yards but as he attempts to go down the ball is stripped from his hands by Whitner and Brown comes away with the ball and takes it to the 18. However, a personal foul penalty moves the ball the three.
Houston make a goalline stand as the 49ers can't pound the ball into the endzone with Gore on first and second, then with Dixon on third forcing Dawson into a short field goal.
FIELD GOAL GOOD!
Dawson makes no mistake kicking the ball through the post from 24 yards. This is a blowout now.
The kicker then boots the ball out of the endzone so Yates and his offense will begin at the 20.
Foster gets a first down as he runs right through the line again for whats seems to be at least the fifth time of the night for a pickup of 17 yards.
Yates is quickly in the zone as he finds Posey on a short route and then Daniels over the middle for a five-yard strike and a first down.
Houston get a break on third down as Brooks is caught offside and gives up five yards allowing Yates another crack at getting the first and keeping the drive alive, but he can't find an open receiver. Kubiak keeps his offense out there, they're going for it again on fourth down.
SACK! Yates is brought down on for a sack and Wilhoite touches him down after center Myers fumbles the snap and the quarterback has to jump on the ball to stop the 49er gathering.
Hunter runs over left guard and races downfield before he's brought down at the 43 for a gain of 13 yards and a first down. This one looks to be over!
James and Dixon combine for 14 yards on first and second down to keep the chains moving as well as the clock, it's creeping down quickly towards a win for the 49ers.
James picks up 15 more yards and another first down for his side as he uses his pace to take advantage of tired legs on the Texans' defense.
The 49ers are in the victory formation as they take a knee and they will turn it over on downs to the Texans who will likely do the same to end the game.
FULL TIME: Houston Texans 3-34 San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers cruised to win tonight to move to 3-2 in their second to move one game behind the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC West. They've really got their season back on track after sustaining back-to-back defeats in week two and three of the campaign. Harbaugh's side are starting to look like the side that went to the Super Bowl last season and that's without key players such as Patrick Willis and Aldon Smith.
It was a horrible night for the Texans and Schaub who broke an NFL record for most consecutive matches with a pick-six as he threw straight at Tramaine Brock, who took the ball back to the endzone in the first minute of the game. It didn't get better for Schaub and the Texans as he threw two more interceptions on the night before he was eventually replaced in the lineup by TJ Yates.
The Texans have dropped to 2-3 and they now have a lot of work to do to catch the 4-1 Indianapolis Colts at the top of the AFC South as they look nowhere near the team that went to the Divisional Round of the playoffs last season.
Thanks for joining our commentary this morning. We'll be back with more NFL action tomorrow when the New York Jets travel to face the Atlanta Falcons. Until then, goodbye.
Written by
Simon Sinclair
Simon Sinclair
