"Andre Johnson, ever the warrior, returned to practice Sunday and made a number of difficult catches, no matter that he's still dealing with a compound dislocation of his left index finger. Most impressive was a ball he pulled in despite solid coverage by new free safety Danieal Manning.

The Texans have signed inside LB Tim Dobbins, who played for Miami last season and was waived by the Dolphins last week. He was with San Diego from 2006 through 2009 and played for Wade Phillips as a Chargers rookie.

Troy Nolan, Manning's backup, made the defensive play of the day, picking off a Matt Schaub pass in a crowd at the goal line.

CB Jonathan Joseph, the Texans' top free-agent acquisition, had a strong practice. He drew a big roar from the crowd by breaking up a Schaub pass at the goal line that Jacoby Jones appeared to have caught.

The offense still lacks timing, but the defense is looking strong. Gary Kubiak said he was "pleasantly surprised" at the progress new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips has made in just a week's time implementing his 3-4 system."