Game story
In Week 15 of the 2009 NFL season on 2009-12-20, the Houston Texans took care of business against the Los Angeles Rams, pulling away with a 16–13 final that came down to the wire.
The highest-scoring period was Q2 with 13 combined points — the stretch that most shaped the final margin.
M. Schaub (Houston Texans) paced the passing game, with +12.71 total EPA, and +11.7% completion percentage over expected.
On the individual side, M. Schaub (Houston Texans) delivered the top overall EPA impact at +12.71 — the clearest player-of-the-game signal on the analytics sheet.
The momentum swing (+15.9% win probability) landed in the fourth quarter when Houston Texans changed the game: (6:39) 8-M.Schaub pass deep right to 80-A.Johnson to LA 12 for 44 yards (43-C.Dahl).
Line score
Final score and points by quarter.
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | — | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Texans | 3 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 16 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 0 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
Stars of the game
Top performers by total expected points added (EPA) across passing, rushing, and receiving.
- 1 M. Schaub · Houston Texans · Passing · +12.71 total EPA · 41 snaps · +0.31 EPA/play
- 2 A. Johnson · Houston Texans · Receiving · +11.84 total EPA · 10 snaps · +1.18 EPA/play
- 3 S. Jackson · Los Angeles Rams · Receiving · +3.49 total EPA · 4 snaps · +0.87 EPA/play
- 4 J. Dreessen · Houston Texans · Receiving · +2.25 total EPA · 4 snaps · +0.56 EPA/play
- 5 D. Amendola · Los Angeles Rams · Receiving · +2.25 total EPA · 3 snaps · +0.75 EPA/play
- 6 D. Anderson · Houston Texans · Receiving · +1.91 total EPA · 5 snaps · +0.38 EPA/play
- 7 K. Null · Los Angeles Rams · Passing · +1.73 total EPA · 32 snaps · +0.05 EPA/play
- 8 K. Walter · Houston Texans · Receiving · +1.65 total EPA · 6 snaps · +0.28 EPA/play
Player of the game
FantasyHQ analytics player-of-the-game pick based on total EPA and signature plays.
M. Schaub — HOU · Passing
M. Schaub posted the highest total EPA (+12.71) in the game, making the biggest overall impact on Houston Texans's efficiency. Across 41 counted snaps, they averaged +0.31 EPA per play.
The signature play (-5.44 EPA) came from Los Angeles Rams: (6:15) 9-K.Null FUMBLES (Aborted) at HOU 43, RECOVERED by HOU-90-M.Williams at HOU 43. 90-M.Williams to HOU 43 for no gain (70-A.Barron).
Who scored touchdowns and field goals
Every touchdown and field goal with the player named in official play-by-play.
Touchdowns
- Los Angeles Rams — D. Amendola (K. Null pass)
- Houston Texans — K. Walter (M. Schaub pass)
Field goals
- Houston Texans — K. Brown
- Los Angeles Rams — R. Neill
- Houston Texans — K. Brown
- Los Angeles Rams — R. Neill
- Houston Texans — K. Brown
How it unfolded, quarter by quarter
A quarter-by-quarter recap built from live scoring plays and play descriptions.
The opening quarter: Houston Texans won the period 3–0. Houston Texans connected on a field goal from the LA 10 (Q1 48:32) — (3:32) 3-K.Brown 27 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-B.Pittman, Holder-1-M.Turk..
The second quarter: Los Angeles Rams won the period 10–3. Los Angeles Rams connected on a field goal from the HOU 14 (Q2 37:28) — (7:28) 3-Josh.Brown 33 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-92-R.Neill, Holder-5-D.Jones.; Houston Texans connected on a field goal from the LA 7 (Q2 34:24) — (4:24) 3-K.Brown 25 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-B.Pittman, Holder-1-M.Turk.; Los Angeles Rams found the end zone from the HOU 2 (Q2 31:51) — (1:51) 9-K.Null pass short right to 16-D.Amendola for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Los Angeles Rams added 1 points from the HOU 2 (Q2 31:47) — 3-Josh.Brown extra point is GOOD, Center-92-R.Neill, Holder-5-D.Jones..
The third quarter: Houston Texans won the period 7–3. Houston Texans found the end zone from the LA 3 (Q3 20:21) — (5:21) 8-M.Schaub pass short right to 83-K.Walter for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Houston Texans added 1 points from the LA 2 (Q3 20:15) — 3-K.Brown extra point is GOOD, Center-48-B.Pittman, Holder-1-M.Turk.; Los Angeles Rams connected on a field goal from the HOU 34 (Q3 16:30) — (1:30) 3-Josh.Brown 52 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-92-R.Neill, Holder-5-D.Jones..
The fourth quarter: Houston Texans won the period 3–0. Houston Texans connected on a field goal from the LA 10 (Q4 4:38) — (4:38) 3-K.Brown 28 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-B.Pittman, Holder-1-M.Turk..
Turning points
Plays that moved win probability the most — the swings that decided the game.
- Houston Texans (Q4 6:39) — (6:39) 8-M.Schaub pass deep right to 80-A.Johnson to LA 12 for 44 yards (43-C.Dahl).
- Los Angeles Rams (Q1 51:15) — (6:15) 9-K.Null FUMBLES (Aborted) at HOU 43, RECOVERED by HOU-90-M.Williams at HOU 43. 90-M.Williams to HOU 43 for no gain (70-A.Barron).
- Los Angeles Rams (Q2 34:20) — 3-K.Brown kicks 65 yards from HOU 30 to LA 5. 16-D.Amendola to HOU 40 for 55 yards (35-J.Reeves). PENALTY on HOU-35-J.Reeves, Face Mask (15 Yards), 15 yards, enforced at HOU 40.
- Los Angeles Rams (Q3 16:30) — (1:30) 3-Josh.Brown 52 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-92-R.Neill, Holder-5-D.Jones.
- Houston Texans (Q2 37:20) — (7:20) 8-M.Schaub pass deep middle to 80-A.Johnson to LA 29 for 49 yards (37-J.Butler).
Impact plays
Highest expected-points added snaps that flipped field position and scoring chances.
- Los Angeles Rams (Q1 51:15) — (6:15) 9-K.Null FUMBLES (Aborted) at HOU 43, RECOVERED by HOU-90-M.Williams at HOU 43. 90-M.Williams to HOU 43 for no gain (70-A.Barron).
- Houston Texans (Q3 27:21) — (12:21) 8-M.Schaub up the middle to HOU 39 for no gain. FUMBLES, RECOVERED by LA-43-C.Dahl at HOU 40. 43-C.Dahl to HOU 40 for no gain (89-D.Anderson).
- Los Angeles Rams (Q3 26:04) — (11:04) (Shotgun) 9-K.Null pass short middle intended for 82-R.Martin INTERCEPTED by 34-D.Barber [94-A.Smith] at HOU 14. 34-D.Barber to HOU 17 for 3 yards (82-R.Martin).
- Houston Texans (Q1 56:13) — (11:13) 8-M.Schaub pass short middle to 37-A.Foster to LA 19 for 13 yards (53-P.Lenon). FUMBLES (53-P.Lenon), RECOVERED by LA-97-D.Scott at LA 8. 97-D.Scott to LA 8 for no gain (85-J.Dreessen).
Quarterback report card
M.Schaub led all passers in efficiency for Houston Texans, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.
- M.Schaub (Houston Texans) · 41 dropbacks · 68.3% completion · +11.7% CPOE · +0.31 EPA/play · +12.71 total EPA
- K.Null (Los Angeles Rams) · 32 dropbacks · 56.2% completion · +2.6% CPOE · +0.05 EPA/play · +1.73 total EPA
Team stats comparison
Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency from FantasyHQ analytics.
| Stat | Houston Texans | Los Angeles Rams |
|---|---|---|
| Offensive EPA/play | +0.050 | -0.028 |
| Offensive success rate | 43.0% | 50.0% |
| Pass EPA/play | +0.310 | +0.054 |
| Rush EPA/play | -0.327 | -0.380 |
| Defensive EPA/play | +0.028 | -0.050 |
| Defensive success rate | 50.0% | 57.0% |
By the numbers
Despite the final score, Houston Texans generated the better offensive EPA per play (+0.05 vs -0.03), suggesting they moved the ball more efficiently.
- Houston Texans: 10 drives, +3.96 total EPA, 4 scoring drives
- Los Angeles Rams: 9 drives, -2.02 total EPA, 3 scoring drives
Key takeaways
What to remember for fantasy research, film review, and follow-up box score digging.
- Houston Texans leaves with the win and the better postgame narrative for Week-to-week momentum.
- One-score margin — fantasy managers should double-check garbage-time stats before drawing conclusions.
- M. Schaub (Houston Texans) is the first name to pull up for highlight reels and prop-retrospective research.
- M. Schaub (HOU) beat expectation through the air — positive CPOE game for stack builds.
Every scoring play
Chronological scoring with field position and full play-by-play context.
- Houston Texans FG (+3) — Q1 48:32 · LA 10 · Score 3-0
(3:32) 3-K.Brown 27 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-B.Pittman, Holder-1-M.Turk. - Los Angeles Rams FG (+3) — Q2 37:28 · HOU 14 · Score 3-3
(7:28) 3-Josh.Brown 33 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-92-R.Neill, Holder-5-D.Jones. - Houston Texans FG (+3) — Q2 34:24 · LA 7 · Score 6-3
(4:24) 3-K.Brown 25 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-B.Pittman, Holder-1-M.Turk. - Los Angeles Rams TD (+6) — Q2 31:51 · HOU 2 · Score 6-9
(1:51) 9-K.Null pass short right to 16-D.Amendola for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Los Angeles Rams XP (+1) — Q2 31:47 · HOU 2 · Score 6-10
3-Josh.Brown extra point is GOOD, Center-92-R.Neill, Holder-5-D.Jones. - Houston Texans TD (+6) — Q3 20:21 · LA 3 · Score 12-10
(5:21) 8-M.Schaub pass short right to 83-K.Walter for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Houston Texans XP (+1) — Q3 20:15 · LA 2 · Score 13-10
3-K.Brown extra point is GOOD, Center-48-B.Pittman, Holder-1-M.Turk. - Los Angeles Rams FG (+3) — Q3 16:30 · HOU 34 · Score 13-13
(1:30) 3-Josh.Brown 52 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-92-R.Neill, Holder-5-D.Jones. - Houston Texans FG (+3) — Q4 4:38 · LA 10 · Score 16-13
(4:38) 3-K.Brown 28 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-B.Pittman, Holder-1-M.Turk.
Frequently asked questions
Who won Houston Texans vs Los Angeles Rams?
The Houston Texans beat the Los Angeles Rams 16-13 in Week 15, 2009 on 2009-12-20.
What was the final score of Houston Texans vs Los Angeles Rams?
The final score was Houston Texans 16, Los Angeles Rams 13 (HOU 16-13 LA) in Week 15, 2009 on 2009-12-20.
What was the score by quarter in Houston Texans vs Los Angeles Rams?
Q1: Houston Texans 3, Los Angeles Rams 0; Q2: Houston Texans 3, Los Angeles Rams 10; Q3: Houston Texans 7, Los Angeles Rams 3; Q4: Houston Texans 3, Los Angeles Rams 0; Final: Houston Texans 16, Los Angeles Rams 13.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals in Houston Texans vs Los Angeles Rams?
Los Angeles Rams touchdown — D. Amendola (K. Null pass) (Q2 31:51) Houston Texans touchdown — K. Walter (M. Schaub pass) (Q3 20:21) Houston Texans field goal — K. Brown (Q1 48:32, 3 pts) Los Angeles Rams field goal — R. Neill (Q2 37:28, 3 pts) Houston Texans field goal — K. Brown (Q2 34:24, 3 pts) Los Angeles Rams field goal — R. Neill (Q3 16:30, 3 pts) Houston Texans field goal — K. Brown (Q4 4:38, 3 pts) Extra points followed each touchdown unless noted in the play-by-play.
How did the quarterbacks play in Houston Texans vs Los Angeles Rams?
M. Schaub (Houston Texans), 68.3% completion, +11.7% CPOE, +0.31 EPA per dropback, +12.71 total passing EPA. K. Null (Los Angeles Rams), 56.2% completion, +2.6% CPOE, +0.05 EPA per dropback, +1.73 total passing EPA.
Who was the most impactful player in Houston Texans vs Los Angeles Rams?
M. Schaub (Houston Texans) led the game in total EPA with +12.71 on passing plays. across 41 snaps. The top single-play swing was (-5.44 EPA): (6:15) 9-K.Null FUMBLES (Aborted) at HOU 43, RECOVERED by HOU-90-M.Williams at HOU 43. 90-M.Williams to HOU 43 for no gain (70-A.Barron).. The biggest win-probability swing was +15.9%.
Was Houston Texans vs Los Angeles Rams a close game?
Yes — the margin was 3 points. Houston Texans won 16-13 in a game that came down to the wire.
Season records after this game
Houston Texans
Entered 6-7 Now 7-7 W
Los Angeles Rams
Entered 1-12 Now 1-13 L
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