CHARLOTTE, N.C. – From the opposite sideline, David Carr stood, barely moving, watching his former team play like it rarely had during his five-year tenure.

With Matt Schaub throwing for 227 yards and two touchdowns and backed up by an effective running game, the Houston Texans forced three turnovers and recovered from a sluggish start for a 34-21 win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday for their first 2-0 start in franchise history.

They looked nothing like the team that went 24-56 with Carr, who was released in the offseason when the Texans traded for Schaub.

Carr, now the Panthers’ backup, could only watch as Andre Johnson caught seven passes for 120 yards and two scores, Ahman Green rushed for 71 yards and a TD and the Texans rallied from a 14-0 deficit. Houston handed the Panthers (1-1) their fourth consecutive loss in their home opener.

With the home fans booing by midway through the third quarter, the Texans were enjoying their team-record fourth straight win dating to last season and looked ready to finally contend for a playoff berth in their sixth year.

Steve Smith, who caught eight passes for 153 yards and three touchdowns, had little help. Jake Delhomme threw for 307 yards, but tossed an interception. DeShaun Foster lost a fumble, and the Panthers failed to go 2-0 for only the second time in team history.

A week after rushing for 186 yards in a win over St. Louis, the Panthers mustered 76 yards on the ground. Texans rookie defensive tackle Amobi Okoye had two of Houston’s three sacks.

AP-ES-09-16-07 1623EDT