Robinson: Colts "Won't Take Us Lightly"

When the World Champion Indianapolis Colts come to town this weekend, the Texans believe they'll do so with a little more respect than in the past.

This is just what the Texans needed to see right before the defending World Champions visited Houston.

Second-year defensive end Mario Williams had the best game of his career in Week 1 against the Kansas City Chiefs. Rookie defensive tackle Amobi Okoye followed in Week 2 with his own breakout game against the Carolina Panthers.

Now, the real challenge arrives as Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts visit Reliant Stadium with the AFC South lead on the line. It will be the first time in team history that the Texans have played for first place in the division.

"Most of the time when Indy comes to our home, the tables are turned," cornerback Dunta Robinson said. "We're either 0-2 or 1 and whatever. But it's a lot different this time. It's going to be a physical game and the way we played the last two games, I don't think they are going to take us lightly. I think they are going to come in here and give everything they've got.

The pass rush will be critical. Rattling Manning is one reason Texans owner Bob McNair has said the Texans drafted Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in 2006. Williams' presence did help lift the Texans to their first-ever victory over the Colts last season.

A victory this year would be even bigger.

"Just the fact that it's a division game -- it's like those high school rival games," said defensive end N.D. Kalu. "I'm real excited and looking forward to it."

It helps that Okoye is coming off a two-sack performance. He knocked Jake Delhomme for a total loss of 23 yards on the two sacks. No one was happier for Okoye than Williams.

"It was kind of funny because when he got that (first) sack, I felt like I got a sack," Williams said. "I was just so excited for him.

"The one thing I don't want for him is to basically go through what I went through. For him to come out and play like he did today, I was just so excited for him."

It took Williams four games until he collected his first sack in the NFL. And he understood better than anyone how the pressure would increase around Okoye until he produced his first.

When Okoye sacked Delhomme the first time with 7:44 to go in the second quarter, he bullied his way through the offensive line to knock Delhomme for an eight-yard loss. Okoye said he was determined to make up for botching his role on the previous play.

"I told (Williams) I would make it up, and the next play we had that sack," Okoye said. "My feelings were like, 'Yes, finally, yes. This is something I used to do in college and now I'm doing it in the NFL.' It felt great. Then it was like, 'Okay, it's over now. Let's go get another one.' And it so happened on the next series, I got another one."

Okoye's hit on the second sack was so solid that Delhomme was dropped 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage and fumbled the ball, which was recovered by Carolina center Justin Hartwig.

The entire game was solid for Okoye, who finished with four tackles, two sacks for a loss of 23 yards, one quarterback hurry and one forced fumble. It was a performance that comes on the heels of a breakout game by Williams, who had two sacks, one fumble recovery, one touchdown, five tackles and three passes defensed in the season opener.

"Mario got it last week, Amobi got it this week," said veteran defensive end N.D. Kalu. "So now you all can't talk about our first rounders. It was good to see."

PLAYER NOTES
--DT Travis Johnson was inactive with an ankle injury. He is day-to-day this week.
--RB Ahman Green sat from midway through third quarter until the end of the game because of some minor cramping. He finished with 15 carries for 71 yards.
--WR Andre Johnson strained his posterior cruciate ligament and is day-to-day this week.
--CB Dunta Robinson picked off his second interception in two weeks. He now has 11 for his career, tying him for the franchise record.
--FB Vonta Leach had a career high five catches for 26 yards. He was the team's third-leading receiver.