2004 Houston Texans season

{{Infobox NFL team season

| team = Houston Texans

| year = 2004

| record = 7–9

| division_place = 3rd AFC South

| coach = Dom Capers

| off_coach = Chris Palmer

| def_coach = Vic Fangio

| owner = Bob McNair

| general manager = Charley Casserly

| stadium = Reliant Stadium

| playoffs = Did not qualify

| pro bowlers = WR Andre Johnson

| shortnavlink = Texans seasons

}}

The 2004 season was the Houston Texans' third in the National Football League, all of which they had spent under head coach Dom Capers. The team finished 7–9, two games better than the previous season, and came third in the AFC South, the first time they had not finished bottom. The Texans also earned their first victory over the Tennessee Titans, the franchise previously known as the Oilers, who had left Houston after the 1996 season.

Quarterback David Carr, who missed four games the previous season, started all 16 games in 2004. Carr finished 2004 as his best season with Houston, finishing 285-of-466 for 3,531 yards with 16 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Carr's 466 attempts, 3,531 passing yards, and 16 passing touchdowns would all be career highs for him. Additionally, this was the first season Carr finished with more touchdowns than interceptions.{{cite web |website=NFL.com |url=https://www.nfl.com/players/david-carr/stats/career |title=David Carr Career Stats |access-date=January 11, 2022}}

Offseason

=NFL draft=

{{NFL team draft start

| year = 2004

| teamname = Houston Texans

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 1

| pick = 10

| player = Dunta Robinson

| position = Cornerback

| college = South Carolina

| notes =

| maderoster = yes

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 1

| pick = 27

| player = Jason Babin

| position = Outside linebacker

| college = Western Michigan

| notes = from Tennessee

| maderoster = yes

| probowl = yes

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 4

| pick = 122

| player = Glenn Earl

| position = Safety

| college = Notre Dame

| notes = from Indianapolis

| maderoster = yes

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 6

| pick = 170

| player = Vontez Duff

| position = Defensive back

| college = Notre Dame

| notes =

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 6

| pick = 175

| player = Jammal Lord

| position = Running back

| college = Nebraska

| notes =

| maderoster = yes

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 6

| pick = 200

| player = Charlie Anderson

| position = Linebacker

| college = Mississippi

| notes = Compensatory selection

| maderoster = yes

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 7

| pick = 210

| player = Raheem Orr

| position = Linebacker

| college = Rutgers

| notes = from Jacksonville

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 7

| pick = 211

| player = Sloan Thomas

| position = Wide receiver

| college = Texas

| notes =

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 7

| pick = 248

| player = B. J. Symons

| position = Quarterback

| college = Texas Tech

| notes = Compensatory selection

}}

{{NFL team draft end

| hof = no

}}

{{cite web |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/htx/2004_draft.htm |title=2004 Houston Texans draftees |work=Pro-Football-Reference.com |accessdate=December 12, 2014 }}

Staff

{{NFL final staff

| year = 2004

| team = Houston Texans

| front_office =

Founder, chairman and chief executive officer – Bob McNair
Senior vice president and general manager – Charley Casserly
Associate director of pro scouting – Bobby Grier
Associate director of pro scouting – Miller McCalmon
Coordinator of college scouting – Mike Maccagnan

| head_coach =

Head coach – Dom Capers

| offensive =

Offensive coordinator – Chris Palmer
Quarterbacks – Greg Roman
Running backs – Chick Harris
Wide receivers – Kippy Brown
Tight ends – Tony Marciano
Offensive line – Joe Pendry
Assistant offensive line – Steve Marshall

| defensive =

Defensive coordinator – Vic Fangio
Defensive line – Todd Grantham
Linebackers – Tom Olivadotti
Defensive backs (secondary) – Jon Hoke
Assistant defensive backs (secondary) – Tony Oden

| special_teams =

Special teams – Joe Marciano
Special teams assistant – Eric Sutulovich

| strength =

Strength and conditioning – Dan Riley
Assistant strength and conditioning – Ray Wright

}}

Roster

{{NFL final roster

|Year=2004

|TeamName=Houston Texans

|Active=53

|Inactive=12

|PS=8

|Quarterbacks=

|Running Backs=

{{player|37}} Domanick Davis

|Wide Receivers=

|Tight Ends=

|Offensive Linemen=

|Defensive Linemen=

|Linebackers=

|Defensive Backs=

|Special Teams=

|Reserve Lists=

{{NFLplayer|27|Jason Anderson|d=American football|rookie=y|RB|IR}}

|Practice Squad=

{{NFLplayer|97|Jason Davis|d=defensive end}} DE

}}

Preseason

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Houston Texans|year=2004|border=2}}"| Week

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Houston Texans|year=2004|border=2}}"| Date

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Houston Texans|year=2004|border=2}}"| Opponent

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Houston Texans|year=2004|border=2}}"| Result

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Houston Texans|year=2004|border=2}}"| Record

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Houston Texans|year=2004|border=2}}"| Venue

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Houston Texans|year=2004|border=2}}"| Recap

style="background:#cfc"

! 1

| {{dow tooltip|August 15, 2004}}

| Dallas Cowboys

| W 18–0

| 1–0

| Reliant Stadium

| [https://www.nfl.com/games/cowboys-at-texans-2004-pre-1 Recap]

style="background:#fcc"

! 2

| {{dow tooltip|August 22, 2004}}

| at Pittsburgh Steelers

| L 3–38

| 1–1

| Heinz Field

| [https://www.nfl.com/games/texans-at-steelers-2004-pre-2 Recap]

style="background:#fcc"

! 3

| {{dow tooltip|August 28, 2004}}

| at Denver Broncos

| L 17–31

| 1–2

| Invesco Field at Mile High

| [https://www.nfl.com/games/texans-at-broncos-2004-pre-3 Recap]

style="background:#fcc"

! 4

| {{dow tooltip|September 3, 2004}}

| Tampa Bay Buccaneers

| L 9–17

| 1–3

| Reliant Stadium

| [https://www.nfl.com/games/buccaneers-at-texans-2004-pre-4 Recap]

Regular season

=Schedule=

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" !style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle\|Houston Texans\|year=2004\|border=2}}"\| Week !style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle\|Houston Texans\|year=2004\|border=2}}"\| Date !style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle\|Houston Texans\|year=2004\|border=2}}"\| Opponent !style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle\|Houston Texans\|year=2004\|border=2}}"\| Result !style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle\|Houston Texans\|year=2004\|border=2}}"\| Record !style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle\|Houston Texans\|year=2004\|border=2}}"\| Venue !style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle\|Houston Texans\|year=2004\|border=2}}"\| Recap
style="background:#fcc" ! 1 \| September 12 \| San Diego Chargers \| L 20–27 \| 0–1 \| Reliant Stadium \| [https://www.nfl.com/games/chargers-at-texans-2004-reg-1 Recap]
style="background:#fcc" ! 2 \| September 19 \| at Detroit Lions \| L 16–28 \| 0–2 \| Ford Field \| [https://www.nfl.com/games/texans-at-lions-2004-reg-2 Recap]
style="background:#cfc" ! 3 \| September 26 \| at Kansas City Chiefs \| W 24–21 \| 1–2 \| Arrowhead Stadium \| [https://www.nfl.com/games/texans-at-chiefs-2004-reg-3 Recap]
style="background:#cfc" ! 4 \| October 3 \| Oakland Raiders \| W 30–17 \| 2–2 \| Reliant Stadium \| [https://www.nfl.com/games/raiders-at-texans-2004-reg-4 Recap]
style="background:#fcc" ! 5 \| October 10 \| Minnesota Vikings \| L 28–34 {{small\|(OT)}} \| 2–3 \| Reliant Stadium \| [https://www.nfl.com/games/vikings-at-texans-2004-reg-5 Recap]
style="background:#cfc" ! 6 \| October 17 \| at Tennessee Titans \| W 20–10 \| 3–3 \| The Coliseum \| [https://www.nfl.com/games/texans-at-titans-2004-reg-6 Recap]
7 ! colspan="6" \|Bye
style="background:#cfc" ! 8 \| October 31 \| Jacksonville Jaguars \| W 20–6 \| 4–3 \| Reliant Stadium \| [https://www.nfl.com/games/jaguars-at-texans-2004-reg-8 Recap]
style="background:#fcc" ! 9 \| November 7 \| at Denver Broncos \| L 13–31 \| 4–4 \| Invesco Field at Mile High \| [https://www.nfl.com/games/texans-at-broncos-2004-reg-9 Recap]
style="background:#fcc" ! 10 \| November 14 \| at Indianapolis Colts \| L 14–49 \| 4–5 \| RCA Dome \| [https://www.nfl.com/games/texans-at-colts-2004-reg-10 Recap]
style="background:#fcc" ! 11 \| November 21 \| Green Bay Packers \| L 13–16 \| 4–6 \| Reliant Stadium \| [https://www.nfl.com/games/packers-at-texans-2004-reg-11 Recap]
style="background:#cfc" ! 12 \| November 28 \| Tennessee Titans \| W 31–21 \| 5–6 \| Reliant Stadium \| [https://www.nfl.com/games/titans-at-texans-2004-reg-12 Recap]
style="background:#fcc" ! 13 \| December 5 \| at New York Jets \| L 7–29 \| 5–7 \| Giants Stadium \| [https://www.nfl.com/games/texans-at-jets-2004-reg-13 Recap]
style="background:#fcc" ! 14 \| December 12 \| Indianapolis Colts \| L 14–23 \| 5–8 \| Reliant Stadium \| [https://www.nfl.com/games/colts-at-texans-2004-reg-14 Recap]
style="background:#cfc" ! 15 \| December 19 \| at Chicago Bears \| W 24–5 \| 6–8 \| Soldier Field \| [https://www.nfl.com/games/texans-at-bears-2004-reg-15 Recap]
style="background:#cfc" ! 16 \| December 26 \| at Jacksonville Jaguars \| W 21–0 \| 7–8 \| Alltel Stadium \| [https://www.nfl.com/games/texans-at-jaguars-2004-reg-16 Recap]
style="background:#fcc" ! 17 \| January 2 \| Cleveland Browns \| L 14–22 \| 7–9 \| Reliant Stadium \| [https://www.nfl.com/games/browns-at-texans-2004-reg-17 Recap]
colspan="7" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle\|Houston Texans\|year=2004\|border=2}}"\|Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Houston Texans|year=2004|border=2}}"| Week

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Houston Texans|year=2004|border=2}}"| Date

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Houston Texans|year=2004|border=2}}"| Opponent

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Houston Texans|year=2004|border=2}}"| Result

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Houston Texans|year=2004|border=2}}"| Record

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Houston Texans|year=2004|border=2}}"| Venue

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Houston Texans|year=2004|border=2}}"| Recap

style="background:#fcc"

! 1

| September 12

| San Diego Chargers

| L 20–27

| 0–1

| Reliant Stadium

| [https://www.nfl.com/games/chargers-at-texans-2004-reg-1 Recap]

style="background:#fcc"

! 2

| September 19

| at Detroit Lions

| L 16–28

| 0–2

| Ford Field

| [https://www.nfl.com/games/texans-at-lions-2004-reg-2 Recap]

style="background:#cfc"

! 3

| September 26

| at Kansas City Chiefs

| W 24–21

| 1–2

| Arrowhead Stadium

| [https://www.nfl.com/games/texans-at-chiefs-2004-reg-3 Recap]

style="background:#cfc"

! 4

| October 3

| Oakland Raiders

| W 30–17

| 2–2

| Reliant Stadium

| [https://www.nfl.com/games/raiders-at-texans-2004-reg-4 Recap]

style="background:#fcc"

! 5

| October 10

| Minnesota Vikings

| L 28–34 {{small|(OT)}}

| 2–3

| Reliant Stadium

| [https://www.nfl.com/games/vikings-at-texans-2004-reg-5 Recap]

style="background:#cfc"

! 6

| October 17

| at Tennessee Titans

| W 20–10

| 3–3

| The Coliseum

| [https://www.nfl.com/games/texans-at-titans-2004-reg-6 Recap]

! colspan="6" |Bye

style="background:#cfc"

! 8

| October 31

| Jacksonville Jaguars

| W 20–6

| 4–3

| Reliant Stadium

| [https://www.nfl.com/games/jaguars-at-texans-2004-reg-8 Recap]

style="background:#fcc"

! 9

| November 7

| at Denver Broncos

| L 13–31

| 4–4

| Invesco Field at Mile High

| [https://www.nfl.com/games/texans-at-broncos-2004-reg-9 Recap]

style="background:#fcc"

! 10

| November 14

| at Indianapolis Colts

| L 14–49

| 4–5

| RCA Dome

| [https://www.nfl.com/games/texans-at-colts-2004-reg-10 Recap]

style="background:#fcc"

! 11

| November 21

| Green Bay Packers

| L 13–16

| 4–6

| Reliant Stadium

| [https://www.nfl.com/games/packers-at-texans-2004-reg-11 Recap]

style="background:#cfc"

! 12

| November 28

| Tennessee Titans

| W 31–21

| 5–6

| Reliant Stadium

| [https://www.nfl.com/games/titans-at-texans-2004-reg-12 Recap]

style="background:#fcc"

! 13

| December 5

| at New York Jets

| L 7–29

| 5–7

| Giants Stadium

| [https://www.nfl.com/games/texans-at-jets-2004-reg-13 Recap]

style="background:#fcc"

! 14

| December 12

| Indianapolis Colts

| L 14–23

| 5–8

| Reliant Stadium

| [https://www.nfl.com/games/colts-at-texans-2004-reg-14 Recap]

style="background:#cfc"

! 15

| December 19

| at Chicago Bears

| W 24–5

| 6–8

| Soldier Field

| [https://www.nfl.com/games/texans-at-bears-2004-reg-15 Recap]

style="background:#cfc"

! 16

| December 26

| at Jacksonville Jaguars

| W 21–0

| 7–8

| Alltel Stadium

| [https://www.nfl.com/games/texans-at-jaguars-2004-reg-16 Recap]

style="background:#fcc"

! 17

| January 2

| Cleveland Browns

| L 14–22

| 7–9

| Reliant Stadium

| [https://www.nfl.com/games/browns-at-texans-2004-reg-17 Recap]

colspan="7" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Houston Texans|year=2004|border=2}}"|Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

=Game summaries=

==Week 1: vs. San Diego Chargers==

{{Americanfootballbox

|titlestyle={{NFLPrimaryStyle|Houston Texans|year=2004|border=2}};text-align:center;

|state=autocollapse

|title=Week One: San Diego Chargers at Houston Texans – Game summary

|date=September 12

|time=12:00 p.m. CDT

|road=Chargers

|R1=3|R2=7|R3=10|R4=7

|home=Texans

|H1=3|H2=10|H3=7|H4=0

|stadium=Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas

|attendance=70,255

|weather=None (retractable roof closed)

|referee=Bill Leavy

|TV=CBS

|TVAnnouncers=Gus Johnson and Brent Jones

|reference=[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200409120htx.htm Box score]

|scoring=

First quarter

HOU – Kris Brown 37-yard field goal, 11:49. Texans 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 3:00.
SD – Nate Kaeding 48-yard field goal, 6:35. Tied 3–3. Drive: 9 plays, 48 yards, 5:03.

Second quarter

HOU – Kris Brown 20-yard field goal, 14:07. Texans 6–3. Drive: 13 plays, 71 yards, 7:20.
SD – LaDainian Tomlinson 1-yard run (Nate Kaeding kick), 9:51. Chargers 10–6. Drive: 5 plays, 45 yards, 2:22.
HOU – Domanick Williams 2-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 4:43. Texans 13–10. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 4:58.

Third quarter

SD – Reche Caldwell 36-yard pass from Drew Brees (Nate Kaeding kick), 9:12. Chargers 17–13. Drive: 4 plays, 49 yards, 1:33.
HOU – Domanick Williams 1-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 4:36. Texans 20–17. Drive: 8 plays, 52 yards, 4:22.
SD – Nate Kaeding 29-yard field goal, 0:00. Tied 20–20. Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards, 4:27.

Fourth quarter

SD – Eric Parker 19-yard pass from Drew Brees (Nate Kaeding kick), 8:34. Chargers 27–20. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 5:11.

|stats=

Top passers

SD – Drew Brees – 17/24, 209 yards, 2 TD
HOU – David Carr – 19/25, 229 yards, 2 INT

Top rushers

SD – LaDainian Tomlinson – 26 rushes, 121 yards, TD
HOU – Domanick Williams – 21 rushes, 87 yards, 2 TD

Top receivers

SD – Antonio Gates – 8 receptions, 123 yards
HOU – Domanick Williams – 5 receptions, 70 yards

}}

==Week 2: at Detroit Lions==

{{Americanfootballbox

|titlestyle={{NFLPrimaryStyle|Houston Texans|year=2004|border=2}};text-align:center;

|state=autocollapse

|title=Week Two: Houston Texans at Detroit Lions – Game summary

|date=September 19

|time=12:00 p.m. CDT / 1:00 p.m. EDT

|road=Texans

|R1=0|R2=3|R3=7|R4=6

|home=Lions

|H1=0|H2=7|H3=14|H4=7

|stadium=Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

|attendance=61,465

|weather=None (played indoors)

|referee=Jeff Triplette

|TV=CBS

|TVAnnouncers= Bill Macatee, Steve Beuerlein

|reference=[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200409190det.htm Box score]

|scoring=

First quarter

No scoring plays

Second quarter

DET – Cory Schlesinger 1-yard pass from Joey Harrington (Jason Hanson kick), 6:56. Lions 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 62 yards, 5:09.
HOU – Kris Brown 34-yard field goal, 1:06. Lions 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 5:05.

Third quarter

DET – Roy Williams 31-yard pass from Joey Harrington (Jason Hanson kick), 6:38. Lions 14–3. Drive: 7 plays, 79 yards, 5:24.
HOU – Andre Johnson 54-yard pass from David Carr (Kris Brown kick), 2:31. Lions 14–10. Drive: 6 plays, 83 yards, 3:43.
DET – Eddie Drummond 99-yard kickoff return (Jason Hanson kick), 2:16. Lions 21–10.

Fourth quarter

HOU – Corey Bradford 27-yard pass from David Carr (pass failed), 12:20. Lions 21–16. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 7:39.
DET – Roy Williams 14-yard pass from Joey Harrington (Jason Hanson kick), 4:41. Lions 28–16. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:43.

|stats=

Top passers

HOU – David Carr – 23/34, 313 yards, 2 TD, INT
DET – Joey Harrington – 18/25, 176 yards, 3 TD, INT

Top rushers

HOU – Domanick Williams – 25 rushes, 78 yards
DET – Kevin Jones – 12 rushes, 57 yards

Top receivers

HOU – Domanick Williams – 11 receptions, 95 yards
DET – Roy Williams – 4 receptions, 73 yards, 2 TD

}}

==Week 3: at Kansas City Chiefs==

{{Americanfootballbox

|titlestyle={{NFLPrimaryStyle|Houston Texans|year=2004|border=2}};text-align:center;

|state=autocollapse

|title=Week Three: Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary

|date=September 26

|time=12:00 p.m. CDT

|road=Texans

|R1=0|R2=6|R3=8|R4=10

|home=Chiefs

|H1=7|H2=0|H3=7|H4=7

|stadium=Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

|attendance=77,433

|weather=Cloudy, {{convert|71|F|C}}

|referee=Peter Morelli

|TV=CBS

|TVAnnouncers= Kevin Harlan, Randy Cross, Marcus Allen

|reference=[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200409260kan.htm Box score]

|scoring=

First quarter

KC – Tony Gonzalez 14-yard pass from Trent Green (Lawrence Tynes kick), 5:35. Chiefs 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:33.

Second quarter

HOU – Kris Brown 28-yard field goal, 6:15. Chiefs 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 88 yards, 5:14.
HOU – Kris Brown 49-yard field goal, 0:10. Chiefs 7–6. 'Drive: 10 plays, 64 yards, 1:37.

Third quarter

KC – Chris Horn 6-yard pass from Trent Green (Lawrence Tynes kick), 11:10. Chiefs 14–6. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 3:13.
HOU – Marcus Coleman 102-yard interception return (Jonathan Wells run), 3:51. Tied 14–14.

Fourth quarter

KC – Jason Dunn 5-yard pass from Trent Green (Lawrence Tynes kick), 10:55. Chiefs 21–14. Drive: 8 plays, 54 yards, 3:40.
HOU – Jabar Gaffney 9-yard pass from David Carr (Kris Brown kick), 5:20. Tied 21–21. Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 5:11.
HOU – Kris Brown 49-yard field goal, 0:02. Texans 24–21. Drive: 7 plays, 42 yards, 2:11.

|stats=

Top passers

HOU – David Carr – 13/25, 233 yards, TD, INT
KC – Trent Green – 21/30, 226 yards, 3 TD, INT

Top rushers

HOU – Jonathan Wells – 10 rushes, 37 yards
KC – Priest Holmes – 32 rushes, 134 yards

Top receivers

HOU – Andre Johnson – 4 receptions, 96 yards
KC – Tony Gonzalez – 8 receptions, 106 yards, TD

}}

==Week 4: vs. Oakland Raiders==

{{Americanfootballbox

|titlestyle={{NFLPrimaryStyle|Houston Texans|year=2004|border=2}};text-align:center;

|state=autocollapse

|title=Week Four: Oakland Raiders at Houston Texans – Game summary

|date=October 3

|time=12:00 p.m. CDT

|road=Raiders

|R1=3|R2=14|R3=0|R4=0

|home=Texans

|H1=3|H2=14|H3=3|H4=10

|stadium=Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas

|attendance=70,741

|weather=

|referee=Bill Vinovich

|TV=CBS

|TVAnnouncers= Gus Johnson and Brent Jones

|reference=[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200410030htx.htm Box score]

|scoring=

First quarter

HOU – Kris Brown 46-yard field goal, 3:09. Texans 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 55 yards, 4:16.
OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 50-yard field goal, 0:42. Tied 3–3. Drive: 6 plays, 36 yards, 2:17.

Second quarter

HOU – Jamie Sharper 16-yard fumble return (Kris Brown kick), 11:41. Texans 10–3.
OAK – Amos Zereoué 55-yard run (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 7:02. Tied 10–10. Drive: 1 play, 55 yards, 0:15.
HOU – Jonathan Wells 1-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 3:25. Texans 17–10. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:20.
OAK – Amos Zereoué 3-yard run (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 0:47. Tied 17–17. Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards, 2:27.

Third quarter

HOU – Kris Brown 21-yard field goal, 3:03. Texans 20–17. Drive: 6 plays, 15 yards, 3:21.

Fourth quarter

HOU – Andre Johnson 15-yard pass from David Carr (Kris Brown kick), 14:48. Texans 27–17. Drive: 4 plays, 30 yards, 0:33.
HOU – Kris Brown 44-yard field goal, 3:19. Texans 30–17. Drive: 14 plays, 73 yards, 7:29.

|stats=

Top passers

OAK – Kerry Collins – 21/38, 237 yards, 3 INT
HOU – David Carr – 14/23, 228 yards, TD

Top rushers

OAK – Amos Zereoué – 14 rushes, 117 yards, 2 TD
HOU – Jonathan Wells – 26 rushes, 105 yards, TD

Top receivers

OAK – Ronald Curry – 5 receptions, 69 yards
HOU – Andre Johnson – 6 receptions, 115 yards, TD

}}

==Week 5: vs. Minnesota Vikings==

{{Americanfootballbox

|titlestyle={{NFLPrimaryStyle|Houston Texans|year=2004|border=2}};text-align:center;

|state=autocollapse

|title=Week Five: Minnesota Vikings at Houston Texans – Game summary

|date=October 10

|time=12:00 p.m. CDT

|road=Vikings

|R1=0|R2=14|R3=7|R4=7|R5=6

|home=Texans

|H1=0|H2=0|H3=7|H4=21|H5=0

|stadium=Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas

|attendance=70,718

|weather=None (retractable roof closed)

|referee=Ed Hochuli

|TV=Fox

|TVAnnouncers=

|reference=[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200410100htx.htm Box score]

|scoring=

First quarter

No scoring plays

Second quarter

MIN – Randy Moss 1-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 14:11. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:40.
MIN – Nate Burleson 5-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 0:36. Vikings 14–0. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 2:23.

Third quarter

MIN – Marcus Robinson 10-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 11:50. Vikings 21–0. Drive: 3 plays, 49 yards, 0:46.
HOU – Andre Johnson 2-yard pass from David Carr (Kris Brown kick), 6:52. Vikings 21–7. Drive: 9 plays, 94 yards, 4:58.

Fourth quarter

HOU – Domanick Davis 1-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 11:31. Vikings 21–14. Drive: 6 plays, 58 yards, 3:11.
MIN – Randy Moss 50-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Morten Andersen kick), 6:49. Vikings 28–14. Drive: 3 plays, 59 yards, 0:59.
HOU – Derick Armstrong 11-yard pass from David Carr (Kris Brown kick), 3:11. Vikings 28–21. Drive: 12 plays, 58 yards, 3:38.
HOU – Andre Johnson 22-yard pass from David Carr (Kris Brown kick), 1:53. Tied 28–28. Drive: 3 plays, 42 yards, 0:28.

Overtime

MIN – Marcus Robinson 50-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper, 7:05. Vikings 34–28. Drive: 6 plays, 81 yards, 2:30.

|stats=

Top passers

MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 36/50, 396 yards, 5 TD
HOU – David Carr – 27/42, 372 yards, 3 TD

Top rushers

MIN – Mewelde Moore – 20 rushes, 92 yards
HOU – Domanick Davis – 14 rushes, 31 yards, TD

Top receivers

MIN – Marcus Robinson – 9 receptions, 150 yards, 2 TD
HOU – Andre Johnson – 12 receptions, 170 yards, 2 TD

}}

==Week 6: at Tennessee Titans==

{{Americanfootballbox

|titlestyle={{NFLPrimaryStyle|Houston Texans|year=2004|border=2}};text-align:center;

|state=autocollapse

|title=Week Six: Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans – Game summary

|date=October 17

|time=12:00 p.m. CDT

|road=Texans

|R1=3|R2=10|R3=0|R4=7

|home=Titans

|H1=0|H2=10|H3=0|H4=0

|stadium=The Coliseum, Nashville, Tennessee

|attendance=68,932

|weather=Cloudy, {{convert|60|F|C}}

|referee=Walt Coleman

|TV=CBS

|TVAnnouncers=

|reference=[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200410170oti.htm Box score]

|scoring=

First quarter

HOU – Kris Brown 21-yard field goal, 9:42. Texans 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 5:18.

Second quarter

TEN – Drew Bennett 10-yard pass from Steve McNair (Gary Anderson kick), 12:49. Titans 7–3. Drive: 5 plays, 32 yards, 2:01.
HOU – Jabar Gaffney 20-yard pass from David Carr (Kris Brown kick), 9:12. Texans 10–7. Drive: 7 plays, 74 yards, 3:37.
TEN – Gary Anderson 40-yard field goal, 6:02. Tied 10–10. Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 3:10.
HOU – Kris Brown 50-yard field goal, 2:38. Texans 13–10. Drive: 6 plays, 41 yards, 3:24.

Third quarter

No scoring plays

Fourth quarter

HOU – Jonathan Wells 4-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 4:42. Texans 20–10. Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 4:43.

|stats=

Top passers

HOU – David Carr – 16/26, 266 yards, TD, INT
TEN – Steve McNair – 19/41, 210 yards, TD, 4 INT

Top rushers

HOU – Jonathan Wells – 22 rushes, 73 yards, TD
TEN – Chris Brown – 13 rushes, 52 yards

Top receivers

HOU – Andre Johnson – 4 receptions, 66 yards
TEN – Derrick Mason – 5 receptions, 74 yards

}}

With the win, the Texans improved to 3–3. This was the Texans' first win over the Tennessee Titans, who previously played in Houston as the Oilers from 1960 to 1996.

==Week 8: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars==

{{Americanfootballbox

|titlestyle={{NFLPrimaryStyle|Houston Texans|year=2004|border=2}};text-align:center;

|state=autocollapse

|title=Week Eight: Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans – Game summary

|date=October 31

|time=12:00 p.m. CST

|road=Jaguars

|R1=0|R2=3|R3=0|R4=3

|home=Texans

|H1=7|H2=3|H3=0|H4=10

|stadium=Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas

|attendance=70,502

|weather=

|referee=Bill Leavy

|TV=CBS

|TVAnnouncers=

|reference=[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200410310htx.htm Box score]

|scoring=

First quarter

HOU – Corey Bradford 15-yard pass from David Carr (Kris Brown kick), 3:20. Texans 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 40 yards, 4:50.

Second quarter

JAX – Josh Scobee 44-yard field goal, 6:33. Texans 7–3. Drive: 12 plays, 54 yards, 5:37.
HOU – Kris Brown 38-yard field goal, 0:00. Texans 10–3. Drive: 3 plays, 50 yards, 0:15.

Third quarter

No scoring plays

Fourth quarter

HOU – Kris Brown 21-yard field goal, 6:45. Texans 13–3. Drive: 12 plays, 54 yards, 5:27.
JAX – Josh Scobee 36-yard field goal, 3:52. Texans 13–6. Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 2:45.
HOU – Demarcus Faggins 43-yard interception return (Kris Brown kick), 0:42. Texans 20–6.

|stats=

Top passers

JAX – Byron Leftwich – 25/40, 227 yards, 2 INT
HOU – David Carr – 26/34, 276 yards, TD

Top rushers

JAX – LaBrandon Toefield – 5 rushes, 22 yards
HOU – Domanick Williams – 22 rushes, 56 yards

Top receivers

JAX – Jimmy Smith – 9 receptions, 117 yards
HOU – Jabar Gaffney – 5 receptions, 88 yards

}}

==Week 9: at Denver Broncos==

{{Americanfootballbox

|titlestyle={{NFLPrimaryStyle|Houston Texans|year=2004|border=2}};text-align:center;

|state=autocollapse

|title=Week Nine: Houston Texans at Denver Broncos – Game summary

|date=November 7

|time=3:15 p.m. CST/2:15 p.m. MST

|road=Texans

|R1=0|R2=7|R3=0|R4=6

|home=Broncos

|H1=7|H2=17|H3=7|H4=0

|stadium=Invesco Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

|attendance=74,292

|weather=Sunny, {{convert|69|F|C}}

|referee=Jeff Triplette

|TV=

|TVAnnouncers=

|reference=[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200411070den.htm Box score]

|scoring=

|stats=

}}

==Week 10: at Indianapolis Colts==

{{Americanfootballbox

|titlestyle={{NFLPrimaryStyle|Houston Texans|year=2004|border=2}};text-align:center;

|state=autocollapse

|title=Week Ten: Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary

|date=November 14

|time=12:00 p.m. CST/1:00 p.m. EST

|road=Texans

|R1=0|R2=0|R3=7|R4=7

|home=Colts

|H1=7|H2=14|H3=21|H4=7

|stadium=RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana

|attendance=56,511

|weather=None (played indoors)

|referee=Bill Carollo

|TV=

|TVAnnouncers=

|reference=[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200411140clt.htm Box score]

|scoring=

|stats=

}}

==Week 11: vs. Green Bay Packers==

{{Americanfootballbox

|titlestyle={{NFLPrimaryStyle|Houston Texans|year=2004|border=2}};text-align:center;

|state=autocollapse

|title=Week Eleven: Green Bay Packers at Houston Texans – Game summary

|date=November 21

|time=7:30 p.m. CST

|road=Packers

|R1=0|R2=3|R3=0|R4=13

|home=Texans

|H1=0|H2=13|H3=0|H4=0

|stadium=Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas

|attendance=70,769

|weather=None (retractable roof closed)

|referee=Peter Morelli

|TV=ESPN

|TVAnnouncers=Mike Patrick, Joe Theismann, Paul Maguire, and Suzy Kolber

|reference=[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200411210htx.htm Box score]

|scoring=

|stats=

}}

==Week 12: vs. Tennessee Titans==

{{Americanfootballbox

|titlestyle={{NFLPrimaryStyle|Houston Texans|year=2004|border=2}};text-align:center;

|state=autocollapse

|title=Week Twelve: Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans – Game summary

|date=November 28

|time=12:00 p.m. CST

|road=Titans

|R1=14|R2=7|R3=0|R4=0

|home=Texans

|H1=3|H2=7|H3=14|H4=7

|stadium=Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas

|attendance=70,721

|weather=

|referee=Larry Nemmers

|TV=CBS

|TVAnnouncers=

|reference=[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200411280htx.htm Box score]

|scoring=

First quarter

TEN – Erron Kinney 12-yard pass from Steve McNair (Gary Anderson kick), 10:13. Titans 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 77 yards, 4:47.
TEN – Erron Kinney 11-yard pass from Steve McNair (Gary Anderson kick), 5:44. Titans 14–0. Drive: 6 plays, 42 yards, 3:37.
HOU – Kris Brown 29-yard field goal, 0:35. Titans 14–3. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 5:09.

Second quarter

TEN – Derrick Mason 4-yard pass from Steve McNair (Gary Anderson kick), 10:38. Titans 21–3. Drive: 3 plays, 40 yards, 1:26.
HOU – Jonathan Wells 7-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 6:46. Titans 21–10. Drive: 7 plays, 62 yards, 3:52.

Third quarter

HOU – Billy Miller 14-yard pass from David Carr (Kris Brown kick), 9:20. Titans 21–17. Drive: 9 plays, 71 yards, 5:40.
HOU – Andre Johnson 11-yard pass from David Carr (Kris Brown kick), 2:35. Texans 24–21. Drive: 4 plays, 27 yards, 1:58.

Fourth quarter

HOU – Domanick Williams 41-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 1:34. Texans 31–21. Drive: 2 plays, 44 yards, 0:13.

|stats=

Top passers

TEN – Steve McNair – 25/34, 227 yards, 3 TD, INT
HOU – David Carr – 21/30, 201 yards, 2 TD, INT

Top rushers

TEN – Antowain Smith – 21 rushes, 90 yards
HOU – Domanick Williams – 16 rushes, 129 yards, TD

Top receivers

TEN – Derrick Mason – 8 receptions, 87 yards, TD
HOU – Domanick Williams – 7 receptions, 52 yards

}}

With the win, the Texans improved to 5–6, snapped their three game losing streak, and swept the Titans for the first time in franchise history.

==Week 13: at New York Jets==

{{Americanfootballbox

|titlestyle={{NFLPrimaryStyle|Houston Texans|year=2004|border=2}};text-align:center;

|state=autocollapse

|title=Week Thirteen: Houston Texans at New York Jets – Game summary

|date=December 5

|time=12:00 p.m. CST/1:00 p.m. EST

|road=Texans

|R1=0|R2=7|R3=0|R4=0

|home=Jets

|H1=3|H2=3|H3=7|H4=16

|stadium=Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

|attendance=77,875

|weather=Cloudy, {{convert|56|F|C}}

|referee=Tom White

|TV=

|TVAnnouncers=

|reference=[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200412050nyj.htm Box score]

|scoring=

|stats=

}}

==Week 14: vs. Indianapolis Colts==

{{Americanfootballbox

|titlestyle={{NFLPrimaryStyle|Houston Texans|year=2004|border=2}};text-align:center;

|state=autocollapse

|title=Week Fourteen: Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans – Game summary

|date=December 12

|time=12:00 p.m. CST

|road=Colts

|R1=14|R2=0|R3=3|R4=6

|home=Texans

|H1=0|H2=7|H3=7|H4=0

|stadium=Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas

|attendance=70,762

|weather=

|referee=Ed Hochuli

|TV=

|TVAnnouncers=

|reference=[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200412120htx.htm Box score]

|scoring=

|stats=

}}

With the loss to Indianapolis the Texans were eliminated from playoff contention at 5-8.

==Week 15: at Chicago Bears==

{{Americanfootballbox

|titlestyle={{NFLPrimaryStyle|Houston Texans|year=2004|border=2}};text-align:center;

|state=autocollapse

|title=Week Fifteen: Houston Texans at Chicago Bears – Game summary

|date=December 19

|time=12:00 p.m. CST

|road=Texans

|R1=0|R2=7|R3=0|R4=17

|home=Bears

|H1=0|H2=0|H3=2|H4=3

|stadium=Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

|attendance=62,122

|weather=Cloudy, {{convert|12|F|C}}

|referee=Bill Vinovich

|TV=

|TVAnnouncers=

|reference=[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200412190chi.htm Box score]

|scoring=

|stats=

}}

==Week 16: at Jacksonville Jaguars==

{{Americanfootballbox

|titlestyle={{NFLPrimaryStyle|Houston Texans|year=2004|border=2}};text-align:center;

|state=autocollapse

|title=Week Sixteen: Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary

|date=December 26

|time=12:00 p.m. CST/1:00 p.m. EST

|road=Texans

|R1=7|R2=7|R3=0|R4=7

|home=Jaguars

|H1=0|H2=0|H3=0|H4=0

|stadium=Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida

|attendance=66,227

|weather=Clear, {{convert|40|F|C}}

|referee=Walt Coleman

|TV=

|TVAnnouncers=

|reference=[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200412260jax.htm Box score]

|scoring=

First quarter

HOU – Domanick Davis 1-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 8:33. Texans 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 6:27.

Second quarter

HOU – Andre Johnson 10-yard pass from David Carr (Kris Brown kick), 6:46. Texans 14–0. Drive: 5 plays, 71 yards, 2:38.

Third quarter

No scoring plays.

Fourth quarter

HOU – Antwan Peek 66-yard fumble return (Kris Brown kick), 3:11. Texans 21–0.

|stats=

Top passers

HOU – David Carr – 13/19, 131 yards, TD, 2 INT
JAX – Byron Leftwich – 6/14, 35 yards, INT

Top rushers

HOU – Domanick Davis – 31 rushes, 158 yards, TD
JAX – Greg Jones – 9 rushes, 38 yards

Top receivers

HOU – Andre Johnson – 4 receptions, 46 yards, TD
JAX – Troy Edwards – 3 receptions, 24 yards

}}

This was the first shutout win in Texans history.

==Week 17: vs. Cleveland Browns==

{{Americanfootballbox

|titlestyle={{NFLPrimaryStyle|Houston Texans|year=2004|border=2}};text-align:center;

|state=autocollapse

|title=Week Seventeen: Cleveland Browns at Houston Texans – Game summary

|date=January 2, 2005

|time=12:00 p.m. CST

|road=Browns

|R1=3|R2=6|R3=7|R4=6

|home=Texans

|H1=7|H2=0|H3=0|H4=7

|stadium=Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas

|attendance=70,724

|weather=None (retractable roof closed)

|referee=Gerry Austin

|TV=

|TVAnnouncers=

|reference=[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200501020htx.htm Box score]

|scoring=

First quarter

CLE – Phil Dawson 45-yard field goal, 9:51. Browns 3–0. Drive: 5 plays, 53 yards, 2:33.
HOU – Jonathan Wells 6-yard pass from David Carr (Kris Brown kick), 4:48. Texans 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 73 yards, 4:48.

Second quarter

CLE – Phil Dawson 22-yard field goal, 11:28. Texans 7–6. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 4:31.
CLE – Phil Dawson 29-yard field goal, 2:00. Browns 9–7. Drive: 11 plays, 76 yards, 5:41.

Third quarter

CLE – Steve Heiden 9-yard pass from Kelly Holcomb (Phil Dawson kick), 5:24. Browns 16–7. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 6:56.

Fourth quarter

CLE – Phil Dawson 45-yard field goal, 14:09. Browns 19–7. Drive: 4 plays, -3 yards, 1:24.
CLE – Phil Dawson 22-yard field goal, 4:01. Browns 22–7. Drive: 9 plays, 49 yards, 4:46.
HOU – Domanick Williams 1-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 1:23. Browns 22–14. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 2:27.

|stats=

Top passers

CLE – Kelly Holcomb – 20/29, 228 yards, TD, 2 INT
HOU – David Carr – 15/25, 114 yards, TD

Top rushers

CLE – Lee Suggs – 26 rushes, 131 yards
HOU – Domanick Williams – 17 rushes, 103 yards, TD

Top receivers

CLE – Antonio Bryant – 7 receptions, 87 yards
HOU – Domanick Williams – 5 receptions, 42 yards

}}

Looking to secure their first non-losing season, the 7–8 Texans hosted the 3–12 Browns in the regular season finale of the 2004 season. Despite only committing one turnover, Houston's offense struggled and only gained 238 yards of total offense compared to Cleveland's 364. The Texans scored a touchdown with 1:23 left to trail 14–22 and attempted an onside kick, but it was recovered by the Browns who would run out the clock to win the game.

=Standings=

==Division==

==Conference==

Statistics

=Team=

width="150" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle\|Houston Texans\|year=2021\|border=2}}" \|Category ! width="100" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle\|Houston Texans\|year=2021\|border=2}}" \|Total yards ! width="110" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle\|Houston Texans\|year=2021\|border=2}}" \|Yards per game ! width="80" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle\|Houston Texans\|year=2021\|border=2}}" \|NFL rank {{small\|(out of 32)}}
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
Passing offense	3,246	202.9	18th
Rushing offense	1,882	117.6	12th
Total offense{{cite web \|publisher=ESPN \|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/stats/team/_/season/2004/seasontype/2 \|title=2004 NFL Team Total Offense Stats \|access-date=April 29, 2022}} \|\| 5,128 \|\| 320.5 \|\| 18th
Passing defense	3,615	225.9	24th
Rushing defense	1,843	115.2	13th
Total defense{{cite web \|publisher=ESPN \|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/stats/team/_/view/defense/season/2004/seasontype/2 \|title=2004 NFL Team Total Defense Stats \|access-date=April 29, 2022}} \|\| 5,458 \|\| 341.1 \|\| 23rd

=Individual=

width="150" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle\|Houston Texans\|year=2021\|border=2}}" \|Category ! width="150" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle\|Houston Texans\|year=2021\|border=2}}" \|Player ! width="100" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle\|Houston Texans\|year=2021\|border=2}}" \|Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
align="center" colspan="4"\| Offense
Passing yards	David Carr	3,531
Passing touchdowns	David Carr	16
Rushing yards	Domanick Williams	1,188
Rushing touchdowns	Domanick Williams	13
Receiving yards	Andre Johnson	1,142
Receiving touchdowns	Andre Johnson	6
align="center" colspan="4"\| Defense
Tackles {{small\|(Solo)}}	Jamie Sharper	96
Sacks	Kailee Wong	5.5
Interceptions	Dunta Robinson	6

Source:{{cite web |publisher=Houston Texans |url=https://www.houstontexans.com/team/stats/2004/REG |title=2004 Texans Statistics |access-date=April 29, 2022}}

References

Category:Houston Texans seasons

Houston