Protection » has a nice track record in that regard.Of the other European s

HOUSTON -- Houstons pass defense has been a strength of the team all season and has been even more important in the wake of J.J. Watts season-ending back injury.The Texans rank second in the NFL by allowing just 189.3 yards passing a game and have remained solid in that area despite an onslaught of recent injuries.The veteran of the group, cornerback Johnathan Joseph, has been battling injuries for the past two weeks. He left early in the loss to Minnesota two weeks ago with a concussion and returned last week only to leave in the first quarter with a forearm injury.But hes far from the only member of the secondary struggling to stay on the field. Houston has been without its other starting cornerback, Kareem Jackson, for the last two weeks because of a hamstring injury.Joseph and Jackson returned to practice on Wednesday, but the Texans still have several other players, including starting strong safety Quintin Demps and backup cornerback Kevin Johnson, who remain out. Demps missed the last game with a leg injury and his status is uncertain for Mondays game at Denver and Johnson, a first-round draft pick in 2015, is out indefinitely with a broken foot. They placed backup safety K.J. Dillon on the injured reserve on Wednesday with a knee injury.Joseph, who is in his 11th NFL season, has tried to help steady the group throughout all the changes.Just talk to guys constantly about whatever role they are going to be playing or just try to help them out, get them up to speed with the playbook or just a game plan, he said.Though Johnson wasnt starting, he was getting a lot of playing time and had started to be a key member of the secondary in his second season with 25 tackles.I thought hed played real well, coach Bill OBrien said. He tackled well. He covered well. Like I always say, injuries happen. Its unfortunate when they happen to your best players, but they do and the next guys have to step up. Weve done that in many regards.Thats something the Texans have done all season, especially this defense in moving on without Watt, last years NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Houston has won two of three games since the defensive end was placed on the injured reserve with a back injury.I think we have responded well, Joseph said. Obviously, losing a guy like him is a big blow. I think guys have done a great job of stepping up in other areas and helping out. Its going to be all hands on deck type of mentality.On Monday they will face a Denver team that has struggled in the passing game and ranks 27th in the league by averaging just 224.8 yards. Despite those numbers, the Texans know they will have to play well to contain quarterback Trevor Siemian.Hes a good quarterback, safety A.J. Bouye said. We look at who he targets the most. Everybody in the NFL, if youre a quarterback and youre starting, you know that youre a good quarterback.Hes got two good targets in Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, who have combined for 67 receptions for 829 yards and six touchdowns this season.They got weapons on the outside, at the tight end position, obviously, a well-coached team, Joseph said. They have a great running game, also. I think its going to keep us honest in all areas.---Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Cheap Vans Australia . The head of USA Boxing came out swinging Tuesday with an open letter to Tyson -- a former Olympic hopeful himself -- that accuses the former heavyweight champion of trying to poach fighters who might be candidates for the U. Vans Shoes Australia Sale . Thousands of fans at Mosaic Stadium will be cozying up to each other in an effort to stay warm in chilly temperatures and block the Prairie wind that locals say can knock your socks off. http://www.cheapvansaustralia.com/ . Cote was eligible to become a free agent Feb. 15. Cote helped running back Jon Cornish run for a league-high 1,813 rushing yards en route to being named the leagues most outstanding player. Vans Shoes Clearance Sale . Peter Gammons, an analyst for Major League Baseballs network and website, drew the ire of hockey fans on Sunday when he criticized the two NHL teams on Twitter for their physical game the night before. Vans Shoes Discount . -- Matt Ryan needed one of the best games of his career to lead the Falcons and their depleted offence out of their three-game losing streak last week. The $500,000 E. P. Taylor Stakes Presented by HPIBet looks like a terrific betting opportunity if you landed on a longshot, but I found it difficult to look past probable favorite Best In The World when analyzing the field of 13 fillies and mares.The field for Sundays race at Woodbine includes six European shippers who will be making their first start in North America, and I needed to do a minor film study session just to acquaint myself with a few of the international invaders.Of the six, Best In The World (#3) looked like a standout to me for a couple of reasons. First, Irish trainer Aidan OBrien is having a terrific year -- even by his incredibly lofty standards -- with 20 Group/Grade 1 wins, just five shy of the late Bobby Frankels record of 25. He swept the top three places in the Qatar Prix de lArc de Triomphe on Oct. 2, which was a truly remarkable accomplishment in Europes premier middle-distance race.Arc de Triomphe winner Found is a full sister (same dam [mother], same sire [father]) to Best In The World, who enters the E. P. Taylor off back-to-back strong performances. She won the Group 3 Give Thanks Stakes on Aug. 2 and most recently finished second by a half-length in the Group 2 Moyglare Jewels Blandford Stakes.Best In The World beat a couple of pretty nice fillies in the Give Thanks Stakes and has arguably the best jockey in the world in Ryan Moore for this race.Im putting my money on the OBrien-Moore combination sending out a rapidly improving 3-year-old filly with a massive pedigree, and I feel pretty confident about it. Im not so sure, however, well get a fair price. Id be happy with 7-2 or better, but my hunch is that wont happen and Ill preparee to have to get creative.ddddddddddddOf the other shippers, my favorite is trainer John Gosdens Swiss Range (#1). Another 3-year-old, she looked potentially special when winning back-to-back races in the spring but was not quite good enough in the French Oaks and Group 1 Qatar Nassau Stakes. Clearly, Gosden believed in Swiss Range if he sent her out against such elite competition, so Im confident shes got the talent and its a matter of finding the right spot. A four-time Breeders Cup winner, Gosden has a nice track record in that regard.Of the other European shippers, Bobby Flays Banzari (#6) and Aim to Please (#10) looked the most dangerous. Ill use them underneath in a trifecta.Of the North American-based runners, I really like the potential combination of value and current form from Suffused (#4). Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, shes won two of her last three, with the other race a runner-up finish by a head. Its a step up in class, but I think shes ready and should be a nice price.Rainha Da Bateria (#5) is also in good form and comes into the E. P. Taylor off an impressive win on the Woodbine turf in the Grade 2 Canadian Stakes, and I think Guapaza (#11) should bounce back from a sixth-place finish in her most recent start and run a big one. Ill use both for my trifecta play as well.Strategy A$20 win on Best In The World (#3) ($20)Strategy B$10 exacta 3 with 1,4 ($20)Strategy C$1 trifecta 3 with 1,4 with 1,4,5,6,10,11 ($10) $1 trifecta 3 with 1,4,5,6,10,11 with 1,4 ($10)For more stories like this check out Americas Best Racing. ' ' '