That’s exactly what the team sought when it chose the linebacker from Southern Cal 15th overall in the draft last April. What the Texans also got is The Associated Press 2009 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Cushing was a runaway winner in balloting by a nationwide panel of 50 sports writers and broadcasters who cover the league. Cushing received 39 votes Tuesday, easily beating Buffalo safety Jairus Byrd, who had six, and became the second Texans linebacker in four seasons to win the award. DeMeco Ryans took it in 2006.

“I’m just a much smarter football player,” Cushing said. “I’m much more advanced than I was this time last year and it was just a good way to start out a career. I’m happy about how everything turned out this year. Of course the playoffs would have been nice, but now we know what we have to do for next season.”

This season, Cushing had 133 tackles, 86 of them primary, according to the Texans, who went 9-7, their first winning record. Cushing’s best game might have been his nine solo tackles, one sack and an interception in a victory over Miami on Dec. 27.

The Pats went back and forth with their starters, including Tom Brady, but went with backup Brian Hoyer on the final drive of the game, and he got them into Texans territory before the Texans D held on 4th-and-3 with :15 seconds left to close out the win.

Houston put up 439 yards, including rushing for 144 yards. Foster had 119 yards and two scores, and Matt Schaub threw for 303 yards on 24-for-39 passing with two touchdowns and a pick. The Texans did leave chances on the field, as Kris Brown missed an extra point, and then two field goals that could have made the outcome even more secure.

The win puts the team at 9-7, it’s first ever winning season. They need a lot of help to make the postseason, as they need three teams to lose – the Broncos, Jets and Ravens. If one of those teams wins, the winning record means only another postseason on the couch for the club.

The score was tied 13-13 at halftime before the Pats scored twice to open up the 14-point lead. Houston had a second down at the Patriots 15-yard line when Butler intercepted a pass by Schaub and returned it 91 yards for a touchdown to put New England up 20-13 in the third quarter.

The Patriots took a 27-13 lead on a Brady-led drive that ended in Fred Taylor’s second touchdown of the day, this one an 11-yard run. That’s when the Texans were finally able to turn it on, as they came right and put up 14 quick points, holding the Pats offense in check when it mattered the most – in the fourth quarter.

So while it’s likely the season is going to come to an end, it was an exciting way to go out – at home in front of a loud crowd that seemed to appreciate the way the club was able to respond when down, and come back to at least give the team some hope of a possible post season birth.

Shanahan would be reunited with his son Kyle who is currently the Texans’ offensive coordinator while also working again with Texans G.M. Rick Smith who used to be part of his coaching staff while in Denver. The Texans have not come out and guaranteed Kubiak’s return and his status for next year is still very much in doubt.

Houston scored on their first five possessions, then hung on while the Dolphins worked their way back into the game to win by a touchdown. The team plays New England at home next week, and a win there will equal a 9-7 season, and could mean a seed in the AFC as a wild card.

“That’s why we’re here—to take this franchise to the next level,” said Matt Schaub, who threw for 286 yards and two early scores. “All we can do is control what we do, and that’s what we did today.”

The Texans were outscored 20-0 in the final 31 minutes, but after they built a 27-0 lead, it was enough to hang on for the win. At one point Houston enjoyed advantages of 15-2 in first downs and 307-46 in yards.

Andre Johnson scored once and made five catches for 71 yards for his second consecutive 1,500-yard season. A win next week will equal the first winning season for the Texans in franchise history. “That’s why I came here—to get this team and this organization in position like this,” coach Gary Kubiak said.

The Dolphins rallied with scoring drives of 61, 79, 74 and 58 yards to make it a game, but the Texans did enough in the end to get it done. The win not only gives Houston a shot at a winning year, it also means that the Dolphins are about done in terms of the AFC Playoff race.

“It’s unacceptable for us to play like this when the season is on the line,” Miami running back Ricky Williams said.

A weird thing happened at Edward Jones Dome Sunday when the St. Louis Rams hosted the Houston Texans. First the expected – the Texans outgained the Rams 419-237, had more first downs (22-15) and a minute and twenty seconds more of ball possession time. One would think “easy victory”, right? Not so fast. The Texans did march down the field with relative ease, but they couldn’t hit paydirt when it mattered; a 28-yard field goal by Kris Brown helped Houston escape with the 16-13 win over St. Louis.

The Texans drew first blood on a 27-yard FG by Brown with 3:30 left in the first quarter, but the Rams led at halftime for only the fourth time all season on Keith Null’s 2-yard touchdown pass to Danny Amendola that made it 10-6, and the teams were tied at 13-all after three quarters after Josh Brown’s 52-yard field goal.

Andre Johnson had receptions of 30 and 44 yards on consecutive plays to put the Texans at the St. Louis 12 on the go-ahead drive. Houston settled for a 28-yard field goal by Kris Brown, his third of the game, with 4:36 to go. The Rams had a chance to go ahead, but they opted to punt on 4th-and-10 with 2:28 left in the game; the Texans gave the ball to Ryan Moats who would rush for a first down, icing the game for Houston.

Schaub had an excellent outing, numbers-wise, as he went 28-of-40 for 367 yards with a touchdown while Null went 18-of-27 for 173 yards with a TD and an interception. Moats led the Texans with 46 yards rushing on 13 carries while Steven Jackson led the Rams with 82 yards on 20 carries while leading the team in receptions with 4 for 41 yards.

Johnson had a huge game, catching 9 passes for 196 yards while Kevin Walter caught 4 for 42 yards and a TD; Donnie Avery caught 4 for 32 yards in a losing effort for the Rams. Houston (7-7) plays again next Sunday when they travel to Miami to face the Dolphins while St. Louis (1-13) flies to Glendale to take on the Arizona Cardinals – also next Sunday.

With Steve Slaton on injured reserve, the Texans are using a back-by-committee approach. The Houston Chronicle reports the coaches were pleased with rookie RB Arian Foster’s contributions to the passing game in Sunday’s win over Seattle. In his first action on offense, Foster caught four passes for 54 yards and chipped in with 34 yards rushing.

“We’re impressed with what Foster did,” coach Gary Kubiak told the Chronicle. “He can learn a lot of things, but he handled his job in protection for the most part pretty good, so I think we just (may) get him involved more, give him an opportunity.”

Texans rookie tight end Anthony Hill will miss the final three games of the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, coach Gary Kubiak said Monday. The injury is the same Hill suffered while playing at North Carolina State in 2007. “He’s got a long road ahead of him,” Kubiak said. Hill had one catch for nine yards in a limited role this season.