Finish from hell: Schaub throws a pick with a chance to win it on the finalplay, Johnson-less Texans tumble

Life without Andre Johnson is going to be beyond hard for the Houston Texans. It's started out downright disastrous — in the most heartbreaking manner imaginable.

With a chance to win the game on the final play of the game, with open Reliant Stadium grass in front of him, Texans quarterback Matt Schaub threw an interception.

Schaub converted a first-and-25 and a third-and-23 to get the Texans inside the Oakland Raiders' 10-yard line on that frantic, final drive. But when faced with open field on the last play of the game he hesitated rather than running for the end zone and ended up flinging up a pass for Jacoby Jones at the last moment that was intercepted in the Raiders end zone by safety Michael Huff.

It looked to many like Schaub had a clear shot at running in the game-winning touchdown.

"I've got 33, a safety, coming down on me," Schaub said of the Raiders Tyvon Branch, "and I've got to make a decision there with Jacoby against No. 24 (Huff) with a chance to make a play."

Decision made. Game over. Disaster mode on.

"I don't know guys," Kubiak said of the final play and Schaub's choice. "It looked like he had a crease to move. Looked like there was a DB in the end zone. But I don't know. I can't tell from the sideline."

This is more than just a 25-20 loss, a blown lead and an even bigger blown opportunity to a Raiders team playing in memory of Al Davis. It's a potential tone setter.

Playing its first game without its lifeline wide receiver, the Texans offense looked anything like its usual explosive self. The damage that Gary Kubiak's offense did on this Sunday was largely self inflicted. The Texans are 3-2, staring at 3-3. Their playoff mandate is in real early danger.

And this time, it's on the offense. The special teams letting the Raiders convert a fake punt as easy could be with a direct snap to third-string tailback Rock Cartwright going for 35 yards didn't help either. But mostly, this was a day the Texans' long-time strength would let them down.

"The bottom line in my opinion is they controlled the line of scrimmage and we didn't run the ball a lick," Kubiak said. "We had 25 carries for 2.8 (yards per carry). We're not gonna play good football if that's the case."

Schaub completed less than half of his passes (24 for 51 with two interceptions). Tailback Arian Foster barely average 3.1 yards per carry. The wide receivers combined for only six catches. Jones — who was paid like a No. 2 wideout in the offseason — managed one reception in the Johnson role.

When Jason Campbell found Chaz Schilens running free for an 18-yard touchdown on third-and-9, the Texans found themselves trailing 22-17 with 14:50 remaining. With trips to Super Bowl contender Baltimore and AFC South rival Tennessee up in the next two weeks, Houston found itself facing an early playoff crisis.

Wade Phillips' defense gave the Texans chances to come back, forced fourth downs. But the offense could do little.

It's best drive of the second half? A 15-play, 72-yard march that only produced a field goal when Houston needed six and chewed more than five minutes off the clock when the Texans were desperate to be quick.

Phillips' defense absolutely dominated the Raiders in the first quarter, holding Hue Jackson's team to 23 total yards on 12 plays. Oakland didn't get a single first down — or even come close to getting one.

Still, Houston found itself clinging to a 7-6 lead early in the second quarter thanks to a tipped interception, a blocked punt and Sebastian Janikowski. The Raiders' eccentric kicker — who tied the all-time NFL record with a 63-yard field goal on opening weekend — easily made 54 and 56-yard field goals at Reliant. So Oakland had two scoring drives in which it gained two yards on eight plays.

It was a nervous time for Texans' fans. The Raiders were doing everything they could possibly do to lose the game and yet Houston was barely holding on.

Then, that always-tinkering Kubiak struck. The very next play after Jason Allen intercepted a long Raiders pass, Schaub rolled right and found a wide-open Joel Dreessen, who could have strolled into the end zone on the 56-yard touchdown catch.

One week, Kubiak is turning third-thought fullback James Casey into a receiving star. The next, with Andre Johnson limping off, he makes Owen Daniels look like a Pro Bowl tight end. This week? It's the backup tight end.

Dreessen came into this game with three catches in Houston's first four games. What will Kubiak do next?

He'd better do something. For even with Kubiak's creativity, the Texans continue to bog down on offense without Johnson. Campbell and the Davis-loved speedster Darrius Heyward-Bey connected three times for 70 yards on a 51-second, 75-yard touchdown in the final two minutes of the first half. Suddenly, the Raiders were within 14-12.

A ho-hum 50-yard field goal for Janikowski in the third quarter gave Oakland the lead for the first time at 15-14. The Texans couldn't take advantage of Foster turning a simple screen pass into a 60-yard gain on one drive. They needed a 54-yard field goal from Neil Rackers to grab a tenuous 17-15 lead back.

It wouldn't last though. No Johnson meant no star and a quarterback who ended up looking lost.

"I thought he was going to run it in for a moment there," Daniels said.

Almost everyone in the stadium did.