I found a website/blog with a similar name. Trying to be original, I'm thinking of a name change for the blog...again. They call their site Texans Bull Blog. To close to my title. Maybe a temp name of Pure Bull Site - Texans Style will serve as my interim name until I can get more creative and some separation. Ah, who knows...I just don't want to steal someone's original idea even if I came up with my my blog title on my own.
With that out of the way, I move onto the football field.
In 2008 I did a game by game prediction. I won't bother this year. Sean Pendergast of the Houston Press did a fine piece call Our Year.
The only assessment I disagree with Pendergast on is Jack Del Rio's "crazy eyes" with nothing to lose mode on the Texans vs. Jags for the last game of the year. Post Herm Edwards and until the emergence of Josh McDaniels, Del Rio held the title of worst coach in the NFL. Now supplanted with a free falling team and ticket sales falling, I doubt Del Rio lives to see the last game of the season. That scenario plays to the Texans favor with Del Rio owning Gary Kubiak 4-2. Yikes, what does that say about Kubes?
My Keys to the Season
It's a tie since both issues are Texans bugaboos.
All together now...groupthink...channel your inner conscience....get that hoodoo voodoo going...division games matter...division games matter...division games matter.
In 2008, the Texans were 8-8 overall and 2-4 in the division. In 2009 the 9-7 overall winning record was nice but the division record fell to 1-5. We can play the woulda, shoulda, coulda game all day long but the fact remains that division games are crucial. Split the division 3-3 both years and the Texans might be 9-7 and 10-6 in 08 and 09 respectively. Guess what, they get in the playoffs last year with a division split. Again, division games matter.
No refocus...it's just as important...hamalamalama...raji rajo rujo ruju...take a deep breath...all together...get off to a good start...get off to a good start.
2008, Hurricane Ike, damaged stadium...whatever...last year Jets kicked Texans ass whatever...shake it off. Move on...one game at a time....crap I slipped into Coach's Speak.
The point is the Texans start off with four of six at home. I don't think the the schedule makers did the Texans any favors besides giving them Indy at home. With the rotating schedule set up, Dallas and New York were due this time around. So they were slotted as home games no matter what. Having no say in the schedule, the Texans must take care of business. Anything less than a 4-2 start puts them in a big hole.
Why a big hole? Indy is the only divisional opponent in the first six games...make that seven games. That's right. The Texans are done with the Colts after seven games.
So getting off to a bad start puts them in the position of more must win games within the division.
Put history, trends and the Texans in a bag, mix them up and you have a recipe for disaster. Does history repeat itself? Not at all. I'm just pointing out that the Texans cannot hope to once again overcome the traditional trends of the team.
Any Positives?
So Mr. Doom & Gloom, you might ask, why even play the season?
Many reasons.
First, it's 2010, not 2008, Hurricane Ike or 2009. Kubiak and GM Rick Smith finally have every player they want on the team. Only Andre Johnson remains from the Charlie Casserly/Dom Capers era. Thank God they got that one right.
Second reason? Andre, the reigning Baddest Man in the NFL, Matt Schaub and the Texans offense remain in tact. As long as the Schaub and Johnson Show live in Houston, the Texans remain a threat. Aside from the NY Jet opener, the Texans were in every game in no small part to the offense.
Third reason? Defense, Defense, Defense. Mario Williams, DeMeco Ryans, Bernard Pollard and Brian Cushing. Cushing is gone for the first four and it makes the games that much more crucial. The Texans weather the Cushing suspension and the defense looks that much stronger when he returns.
Need another? That's not yo' daddies zone block scheme you see out there anymore. I missed the NO Saints game, but I saw the other two. Against Arizona I rubbed my eyes in disbelief. The Dallas game confirmed my disbelief. Media outlets bolstered my new found faith.
What I saw were pulling guards and maybe a counter or two. Ricky Dennison, the new offensive coordinator, jettisoned the part of the offense that just does ZBS. Teams learned how to wait for the blocks to develop and take the lanes away. So instead of always straight up ZBS, the Texans mix up the blocking scheme to keep defenses honest.
One new tidbit emerged over the week after the Dallas game. Unlike under Baby Shanahan, the running backs have more freedom to react to the defense. If the blocking doesn't develop fast enough or the back sees an open lane outside the play, he is free to take it.
I wish I could diagram it but I'll try to give the gist of the play. Long story short. In the old system, the way I understand it, the back must wait for a crack int he blocking to run through. No freedom to do otherwise. What defenses were doing was bring up the linebacker from the long side of the field to sit and wait for the running back. Now if the running back sees the linebacker cheating and has open field, the running back has freedom to hit the open field and force the cheating linebacker to make the play.
I have more thoughts rambling through my head but that's it for tonight.
My next post probably won't be until after the opener against the Colts.
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