HOUSTON, Texas - Houston star receiver Andre Johnson is pretty quiet, not talking much on the field or getting in the face of opponents.
That all changed the last time Johnson lined up against Tennessee cornerback Cortland Finnegan. Johnson could be seen yelling and pointing at Finnegan and was fined $7,500 for taking him to the ground by the facemask during a scuffle after a play in the 34-31 Texans win.
This matchup between the pair of Pro Bowlers - the big receiver chosen in the first round from Miami and the smallish seventh-round pick out of tiny Samford - has become one to watch. The next round is Monday night when the Texans host the Titans.
Johnson insists Finnegan doesn't bother him.
"Everybody knows how he plays,'' Johnson said. "He does things to try to get up under your skin and I'm used to it.''
Finnegan disputes Johnson's claim that he doesn't get to him.
"I think he's full of crap,'' Finnegan said. "I think I have bothered him, and I think Monday night's going to be another example of me bothering him for sure.''
If Finnegan is getting to Johnson, one might wonder if it's having the opposite effect the cornerback intended. Johnson has had two of his best games in the last two meetings with the Titans. He had 149 yards and two touchdowns in the win in Week 2 and a franchise-record 207 yards and a score in a win last season.
"Just because you're playing against a certain guy, it's not like you're going to go out and just try to play good against him,'' Johnson said. "It brings something out of you because he's annoying, so you always want to do something to try to get him back or embarrass him.''
To be fair, Finnegan usually stays on one side and doesn't follow Johnson when the Texans move him around. Finnegan hasn't lobbied to do that either.
"It doesn't really matter,'' he said. "All these guys on this team are more than capable of covering Andre Johnson. It's within the scheme. If you play the technique, then everything will be fine.''
Johnson refused to share what he was yelling to Finnegan in that game. He had more to say about Finnegan's trash talking and said he actually finds it entertaining.
"I'm not a big trash talker myself,'' he said. "A lot of the times, I just laugh at him because guys say different things out there on the field. I think they say things at times that they really don't mean.''
The brash Finnegan turned modest when asked if it helps him to get into the head of a receiver by talking trash.
"It's definitely a win for me man. ... I'm not the most talented cornerback by far on this team or even in the league,'' Finnegan said. "To bring a guy down to a level where he's not comfortable or used to doing is definitely a win for me.''
Coach Gary Kubiak doesn't think Johnson plays any better against Finnegan, but does enjoy watching the two compete.
"Andre plays big all the time, but they obviously have a heck of a competition going,'' Kubiak said. "You're talking about a Pro Bowl corner, Pro Bowl receiver, and they see each other twice a year so it's naturally very competitive between the two of them.''
Though the pair look like worst enemies on the field, Johnson said he respects Finnegan and doesn't "hate him or anything like that.''
"I've seen him this past offseason,'' Johnson said. "We speak, but I'm not going to sit here and say it's like a great relationship or something like that. I mean I speak to him, he speaks to me, we exchange a few words and that's pretty much it.''
Johnson, who is third in the NFL with 800 yards receiving, seems amused by Finnegan's antics but won't let them get in the way of the team goals. The Texans are still looking for their first playoff berth in their eighth year. Johnson has been around for all but one of those seasons and feels like it's up to him to help lead Houston.
"I just have to take my game to another level,'' he said. "That's something that I've thought about over this off week. I think we all have to in order for us to get to where we want to go.''
