SEEN & HEARD AT RELIANT STADIUM

• Where's Tom (Part II)? Another game in Texas, another chance for Tom Cruise to root on his Redskins with business partner Dan Snyder. But Cruise was -- again -- nowhere to be found yesterday in Houston.

It's been another rough week for Tommy. Published reports earlier this week speculated he was being turfed from the next "Mission Impossible" film (the fourth installment) in favor of Brad Pitt, who is being offered $40 million.

• If Chris Cooley continues to be left out of the passing game, maybe he can try punting. Cooley was one of the first Redskins on the field -- at 10:04 a.m. local time -- booting kicks that lacked hang time but not distance. His last two kicks went 47 and 56 yards in the air.

• It could be worse for the Redskins -- towns like Richmond, Newport News and Roanoke could be ignoring them. The Fox station in San Antonio, about a three-hour drive west of Houston, opted not to show the Redskins-Texans game, instead televising the game between the Bears and Vikings.

• For the second half kickoff, the ball blew over twice even though the game was indoors. Ade Jimoh was called upon to hold the kick.

• On his first replay challenge of the year, Joe Gibbs had a little help with the red flag. Clinton Portis fumbled at the goal line, and officials ruled a touchback. Gibbs tossed the flag less than 10 yards onto the field.

Receiver Brandon Lloyd then picked the flag up and chucked it toward midfield for emphasis. The call was reversed, and Portis scored on the next play for a 28-7 lead.

-- Ryan O'Halloran