Texans’ Secondary Finds Second Wind in Johnathan Joseph For some D.J. Reader Jersey , 13 is an unlucky number. Hallowed in mystery and ominous fortune, many shy away from anything related to the abhorred prime number. Whether true or not, there is something culturally poignant about 13. For Texans’ cornerback Johnathan Joseph, 13 is the number of seasons he’s played in the league. For Joseph, 13 may not be so unlucky after all.Part of the scotch tape that’s holding Houston’s defense together is Johnathan Joseph. Accumulating five passes defended and 16 tackles so far this season, Joseph is arguably playing the best ball we have seen in years. The main difference between this year and recent seasons prior is the ability to close on routes and break up passes. He did so midway through the third quarter against the Cowboys when he popped the ball in the air for a Justin Reid interception.Blaine Gabbert said it best: “You know what you are going to get with Johnathan. Really fast man-to-man cover guy who can make plays on the ball.” That statement is the cornerstone of Joseph’s 13 year career. In year 13, with top-end speed in his rear view mirror, J-Jo has been relying on his knowledge of the game to pick his battles in coverage. When watching Joseph’s film over the past three or so games, everything has been consistent and reliable.After a rather lackluster campaign last year, some were surprised when the Texans re-signed J-Jo to a two-year deal. In an offseason ripe with change at the secondary positions, the team stood firm in its tradition of a veteran secondary. Keeping Kareem Jackson and J-Jo while adding Aaron Colvin and Tyrann Mathieu only emphasized the team’s lack of concern about age in the secondary. At the age of 34 Christian Covington Jersey , the Texans are going to squeeze every ounce of football Joseph has out of him. Usually, running a horse past its prime does not win you any races, but put that horse on a team and in a position to lead, and it can be entertaining to watch.Jonathan Joseph has been a leader on the team for quite some time. He arrived in 2011 as a free agent in the last major overhaul of the secondary and has been a pillar on the defense ever since. He has 14 interceptions while playing in Houston and has made countless critical plays throughout the seasons. With how much rosters turn over year over year, J-Jo has really been an unsung reliable centerpiece to this organization. With all the big names stealing the spotlight on this team, he has gone about his business for an incredible length of time. Although a terrible measurement to evaluate a player’s talent, Joseph has only been featured in the NFL’s “Top 100” once, back in 2012.The man coverage that Joseph has provided in the past few games has been crucial to the success of Romeo Crennel’s defense. If he can lock down a team’s best receiver, that allows the rest of the more versatile defensive backs to flex their talents more often. Particularly against possession receivers, Joseph shines with his intuition and tenacity at the point of attack. Despite a lean frame, he rarely gets bodied out of position by bigger receivers. We have seen faster receivers get under his skin Andre Hal Jersey , though. T.Y. Hilton types drive Joseph bananas with downfield crossing routes. In the preseason,Jimmy Garoppolo threw a dart to Olympic track star Marquise Goodwin. The raw speed players like Goodwin possess are not what Joseph handles best. Speed and distance are not his forte; toughness and positioning are. The Texans’ secondary is thin. Injuries to Kevin Johnson, Aaron Colvin, Kayvon Webster, and Jermaine Kelly, as well as Andre Hal’s cancer diagnosis, have stripped the secondary of most of the expected talent going into the season. Even with a patchwork secondary, the Texans are 19th in the league in passing yards allowed. Considering 104 of those yards came in two overtime games, they would be 14th in yards allowed otherwise. That’s from exceptional, but rather expected if you consider who is on our roster and the quarterbacks we’ve faced. The wily veteran is playing at a level the Texans have missed from Joseph of late. He has put countless rookies under his wing and taught them how to play in the NFL. It’s great to see the Texans succeeding with Joseph. When put in the right position, he can still make plays even in his 13th season in the NFL. Deshaun Watson threw for 210 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a third as the Houston Texans set a franchise record with their eighth straight win Greg Mancz Jersey , 34-17 over the Tennessee Titans on Monday night.Demaryius Thomas scored his first two touchdowns as a Texan and Lamar Miller ran for 162 yards, including a 97-yard TD.In the first game since founder and owner Robert “Bob” McNair died on Friday, the Texans (8-3) honored him by wearing decals on the back of their helmets in the shape of a football with white block letters bearing his initials of “RCM.”With that reminder on their helmets, they became the first team in NFL history to win eight games in a row after starting 0-3. They lead Indianapolis by two games in the AFC South.The Texans trailed by 10 early before reeling off 27 straight points. Tennessee (5-6) finally scored again on a 48-yard reception by Corey Davis late in the third quarter, but the second TD by Thomas 鈥?this one for 10 yards 鈥?made it 34-17 with just more than eight minutes left.Marcus Mariota, who missed the second half of last week’s game after suffering a stinger, was 22 of 23 for 303 yards and two touchdowns. He completed his first 19 passes before an incompletion with just more than a minute remaining.Miller’s 97-yard breakaway in the second quarter made it 21-10. It was the longest run in franchise history and the longest run in the NFL since his dash of the same length for a touchdown on Dec. 28, 2014, while with the Dolphins. He’s now the only player in league history with two career rushing touchdowns of 95 yards or longer.The Titans went ahead 3-0 on their first possession, and Jonnu Smith had a career-long 61-yard catch-and-run touchdown that extended their lead less than halfway through the first quarter.Houston got going after that, cutting the lead to 10-7 when Thomas grabbed his first touchdown since being traded from Denver on Oct. 30 Jon Weeks Jersey , a 12-yard grab with about six minutes left in the quarter.Watson put the Texans on top when he scrambled 15 yards for a score on the first play of the second quarter.The Titans went for it on fourth-and-inches from the 3 later in the second, but tight end Luke Stocker was stopped for no gain.Miller’s long TD, which helped Houston set a franchise record with 281 yards rushing, came on the next play. He took the handoff in the end zone and darted through a crowd of Titans before shedding one tackle and simply outrunning the rest of the defense.The Texans kicked a field goal as time expired in the second quarter to take a 24-10 lead into halftime.MCNAIR REMEMBEREDThe Texans honored McNair in a pregame ceremony, which included a video tribute to him while the Texas A&M Singing Cadets sang “Amazing Grace.” While the video was played, one side of the video board displayed the words: “Faith, Family, Philanthropy, Football.”Painted on both 25-yard lines was a football with his initials that looked just like the decals on the players’ helmets.Television cameras panned to several fans with signs honoring the late owner with one that read: “McNair Never Forgotten.”INJURIESTitans cornerback Malcolm Butler left in the second quarter to be evaluated for a concussion and did not return. … Houston WR Keke Coutee didn’t return after injuring his hamstring in the third quarter.UP NEXTTitans: Host the New York Jets on Sunday.Texans: Host the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.