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Texans Playoff Edition - First Win Ever

2012-01-14T00:47:00.000-08:00

The atmosphere at Reliant Stadium was electric to say the least. Houston fans celebrated the city's return to playoff football with vigor. Texans fans are notoriously late entering the stadium despite pleas from Texans mothership to be in place before kick off. On Saturday, Texans heeded the pleas and the place was rocking.

The Bengals elected to defer at the coin toss giving the Texans the ball first. Jitters seemed bother both teams early on. On the first play, Arian Foster almost lost the ball and then he followed it up with a false start. Coach Kubiak replaced Foster with Ben Tate on the third play apparently to calm him down. Foster would reenter the game shortly there after. TJ Yates also appeared to have the jitters as his first passes were off target. The Texans ended up punting on the first possession.

When the Texans went over on defense, the crowd went to work too. The Bengals and Andy Dalton appeared to have some jitters too and ended up punting. On their second possession, aided by a 52 yard pass interference call on Grover Quin, the Bengals put up the first points to make it 7-0.

At this point I a little uneasy feeling. The Texans put a quick end to my uneasiness though. The Texans answered the touchdown on the ensuing possession. The key play was an Owen Daniels catch for 21 yard and a 15 yard roughing penalty added to end of the play. Set up at the Bengals 20, Arian Foster went to work. Three consecutive rushing plays for yards of 8, 4 and 8 for the TD. Foster definitely settled down by now.

The teams exchanged field goals and it appeared the half may end tied at 10. The Bengals still had time to move the ball and at least try to get into field goal range. In one instant the game changed in favor of the Texans. Dalton dropped back to pass and rookie JJ Watt snagged the ball right out of the air and returned it 29 yards for a TD. All I can remember is seeing him running the opposite direction and thinking "Please don't fall, please don't fall....touchdown!" As if the crowd needed nothing more to howl about, the play sent Reliant Stadium into complete pandemonium. For good measure, Watt sacked Dalton to end the half on an extremely high note.

From then on it was pretty much all Texans. The defense held star rookie AJ Green in check with 47 yards receiving. 1000 rusher Cedric Benson ran only for 14 yards on 7 carries. As the Bengals were throwing more to catch up, Benson sat on the bench for the other two backs which are considered better pass blockers. The Texans forced three Dalton interceptions. Offensively the Bengals were stuck in mud.

The Texans put up TDs in each quarter to make it a final of 31-10. In the third, it was a beautiful 40 TD pass to All Universe WR Andre Johnson. Johnson did a double move that faked Adam Jones out of his jock to get wide open for the reception. Foster finished off the scoring, with a 42 yard scamper down the sideline. The Bengals had an opportunity to knock him out of bounds but they didn't make much of an effort to.

Man of the Match
Arian Foster - 153 yards, 24 carries, 2 TDs
Without a doubt, Foster carried the team to victory. Having Andre Johnson back definitely took some defenders out of the box. Johnson proved a dangerous weapon with his 90 yards and a TD. But Foster was the work horse with 182 yards total offense.

Key Play of the Game
Obviously, JJ Watt's INT returned for a touchdown. With the score tied at 10 going into the half, Watt swung the momentum to the Texans in one quick play.

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Next up the Ravens in a divisional round match up. Go Texans! Bring on the Ravens!

First Ever Playoff Edition

2012-01-07T10:10:00.000-08:00

I fell down on the blog. In the midst of the greatest season ever, I failed in my goal to weekly chronicle my opinions and happenings of my beloved Houston Texans.

There is just not enough time in the day to do what I want in addition to working. I used to work graveyard shift and that's where I did most my writing. Now I work almost exclusively on the day shift and to many eyes watching what I do.

So this is my first entry in a while.

The Houston Texans limped through the season losing player after player to injury. None bigger than losing Matt Schaub for the season to a Lisfranc broken bone. Schaub isn't the vocal leader of the team. For the most part though, as Schaub's play goes so do the Texans chances. Schaub was having a fine season as a ball control specialist. We already knew Schaub could put up big numbers. Most of the time, due to the defense, he had to. This year he didn't and the Texans still put up big points in some games.

The big losses besides, Schaub, were to Mario Williams, Andre Johnson and Arian Foster. Ask any casual fan to name a Texans and odds are at least two of the previously mention is one. For good reason, they are the top Texans guns.

Injury be damned. Here we are with the first ever Texans playoff game and in hours hopefully the first Texans playoff victory.

My expectations are Texans are going to not deviate from running the ball as they have been all season. With Andre Johnson healthy, look for the occasional shots down field. Remember that Johnson was putting up big numbers with rookie TJ Yates throwing to him against the Falcons. I think more of the same happens here along with the tight ends hitting the seams in zone coverage.

Defensively, I expect mass chaos thrown at the Bengals and Andy Dalton. I hope for a couple of early turnovers lead to short fields for Yates. Nothing can get a team up in a hurry and the crowd into it like turnovers.

I also hope the crowd is loud and proud from before kickoff. Make it loud to keep Dalton having to use more time to call plays and difficult for the line and WRs to hear the count.

I could go into more detail but I'm keeping in generic. There are better websites out there for pregame analysis. I like to do post game analysis.

Here we go, Texans! (Yuck that's the steeler chant)

Bring on the Bengals! Bring on the first playoff victory.

Houston 17 Pittsburgh 10 - Good Old Fashion Football

2011-10-06T20:03:00.000-07:00

No updates due to personal matters but I haven't missed a minute of Texans football.

In this day and age of high flying offenses, it was refreshing to attend a football game where some serious ball control and hitting going on.

The Opening Drive
The Texans dominated the opening drive. The best way I can describe it? A thing of awesome beauty. Of things I've seen in person, it ranks up there with the Grand Canyon and the Vatican.

The Texans started the drive on the 5 yard line and drove the length of the field to go up 7-0. The amazing part was the time consumed. Time of possession on the drive was under 11 minutes. I was at the game but I watched the replay the other night. A few times the camera panned to Fat Ben Roethlisberger. As the drive progresses, it looked to me that Fat Ben got more restless and antsy.

On the field, the Texans dominated. Mixing up pass and run perfectly, the Texans kept the Steelers on their toes. Arian Foster carried the ball nine times for 41 yards and back up Ben Tate chipped a 20 yard scamper. Matt Schaub threw seven times while completing five for 52 yards and a touchdown.

Amazing things happen when the run game succeeds. On goal to go, Texans ran play action with Foster and the offensive line going right. Owen Daniels sold the play and slipped pass the line of scrimmage. Schaub floated the ball to him and Daniels hauled it in uncovered for about the easiest six the Texans ever scored.

Things went so right on that drive that even a few penalties did nothing to slow them down. They came out with a script and executed the plan perfectly.

The Defense
Two things always impressed me with Fat Ben. Because he is Fat Ben, he is hard to bring down. In spite of being Fat Ben, he scrambles well to buy time and more often than not complete a play.

Pittsburgh brought a patchwork line to Reliant Stadium. It showed.

Wade Phillip's 3-4 constantly harassed, hit and terrorized Fat Ben. On the stat sheet, the Texans defense sacked Roethlisberger five times and delivered eight QB hits. They also limited Mike Wallace, on a six game 100+ yard game streak, to 77 yards.

Things are working right when Pittsburgh is held to 9 possession that ended in punt, punt, blocked FG, TD, punt, punt, turn over on downs, interception.

The Texans defense had a brief lull coming of out of half time. Despite the makeshift offensive line, the Steelers had their way in the opening possession. The Steelers came out throwing with short completions and a few long passes before Rashard Mendenhall punched in the ball on a student body right play for a TD.

Again the Texans seemed flat footed on the Steelers second possession. Isaac Redmen just molested the defense. In consecutive plays, Redmen ran for 18, 6, 2 and 5 yards. Mewelde Moore spelled Redmen after the 5 yard run and took the ball for 15 yards.

The Texans managed enough of a stop to hold Pittsburgh to a field goal but the Steelers flipped the time of possession table on the Texans. Houston held the ball for a total of one minute and 38 seconds in the 3rd quarter.

The 4th Quarter
With the game knotted at 10, Gary Kubiak lit into the offense before the start of the 4th. I don't know what he said but it worked.

It took five plays and under three minutes but the Texans took control away from the Steelers. Foster followed up a Schaub 30 yard pass to Daniels with a 42 yard touchdown.

Given the lead, the rest was up to the defense. After the touchdown, the Steelers, due mainly to the Texans offense going three and out, possessed the football four more times.

The first post TD possession key play was a sack of Roethlisberger. The distance mandated a pass down field. Cornerback Jason Allen separated Hines Ward from a first down catch with a wallop.

With time becoming a factor, the Steelers had no choice but to go down field. When you have an offensive line in shambles that makes for a bad situation. At crunch time the Texans defense held and ended the game by Allen picking off a deep pass.

What To Like
The game opening drive is the way all football should be played.

The defense coming up at the end and keeping the Steelers off the board in the 4th quarter. That more than likely would not happen last year.

Arian Foster is back and healthy.

155 yards rushing on any Steeler defense is an accomplishment in any decade.

What Not To Like
Andre Johnson going out. Foster's running keeps teams off Johnson and make him a dangerous weapon. The same the other way. Teams have to play Foster or Johnson will make them pay. The team stepped it up while Foster was hurt...now they have to do the same for Angry Dre.

Penalties. Joel Dressen had two holding penalties that set the offense back in the opening drive. Fortunately the offense overcame them but they could have been drive killers.

The biggest killers were the illegal block in the back on the blocked field goal. Why Danieal Manning hit the place holder once Johnathan Joseph had the ball is beyond me. The punter would not run Joseph down and the penalty took a TD off the board.

The second penalty wasn't JJ Watt's fault as he appeared to be blocked into Fat Ben's knees. Some say as the rule is written, the ref had no choice but to call it. Another blog I read pulled out the rule book and quoted scripture. By the letter of the law, if a player is pushed into the quarterback then it is not a penalty. One more score was erased on that play.

Man of the Match
Arian Foster - the hammy is officially healed. Foster carried 30 times for 155 yards including his 42 yard TD.

No Quarter - Texans 34 Colts 7

2011-09-15T20:33:00.000-07:00

Make no mistake about it. The Texans did what they were expected to do. The Colts came to town with octogenarian Kerry Collins. For the first time in Texans vs. Colts history, Peyton Manning didn't answer the bell. Nursing what I consider a career threatening injury, Manning's streak of 277 game started ended.

The Colts limped into town primed for a thrashing. They crawled back to Indianapolis after a 34-7 battering. A couple of second half turnovers saved the Colts from a 40 point beat down.

From start to finish, the Texans physically abused the Colts. The offense moved the ball at will. The Colts best defense was the Texans offense making mistakes and turning over the ball. Defensively the Texans blitzed early and often. Even special teams got in on the act.

How bad was it for the Colts? They knew exactly what the Texans were going to do on both sides of the ball. The Texans did everything but email the playbook and game plan to Jim Caldwell. Even if they did, I doubt Caldwell would know what to do with it.

The only bright spot for the Colts? Reggie Wayne is still Reggie Wayne. Wayne produced 106 yards and the single Colt touchdown.

3-4 Unveiled

The Texans unleashed the new 3-4 front to devastating results. Two early turnovers gave the offense two early short fields. Without Manning, the Colts huddled up. Collins lost a fumble during a sack and also dropped an exchange from center. The results put the Colts in an early whole and they never recovered.

Mario Williams abused TE Dallas Clark on two plays that resulted in two sacks. Rookie JJ Watt and Antonio Smith wreaked havoc on a makeshift Colts offensive line. With the front seven chasing the aging Collins, the Colts offense never really settled into any rhythm.

Joseph Addai scratched out 39 yards and the Colts only managed 69 rushing yards. Collins passed for 172 yards.

The Colts were an abysmal 1-9 in 3rd down conversions.

Foster Lite
Rushing champ Arian Foster sat the game out with a hamstring injury. Last season, he destroyed the Colts defense with over 200 yards rushing. No Foster, no worries. Derrick Ward started the game but left the game injured. No Ward, no problem. Insert second year running back Ben Tate. Even lost man Steve Slaton briefly jumped in on the action.

The Texans racked up 167 rushing yards with Tate leading the way with 116. Interceptions aside, Matt Schaub used rollouts effectively and to flow away from Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis and the speed of the Colts defense. Andre Johnson finished with a strong 95 yards receiving and a touchdown. He caught a tipped passed on a play action that fooled even the camera man. He's simply an amazing athlete.

The defense applied the body blows with blitzes. The offenses delivered the head shots with touchdowns. The special teams and Jacoby Jones delivered the knock out blow. Jones ran back a punt 79 yards for a touchdown that finished off the Colts and any hope of salvaging the game. The Texans went into the locker room with a 34-0 lead.

What To Like
The Texans pretty much telegraphed the game plan on both sides of the ball. Blitz defense, run and rollouts on offense. The Colts were helpless.

Schaub managed the game and made long throws down field to keep the Colts on their heels. The offense played hard and did not change the plan to run. Coach Gary Kubiak committed to the run despite Foster not suiting up. Ward and Tate filled in effectively. Johnson continues to show why he is an elite wide receiver.

The defense thrashed and abuse the Colts offensive line. When there was a mismatch, the Texans punished the Colts for it. Either stupidly or by mistake, Clark had no business taking on Williams one on one.

What Not To Like
Turnovers. Schaub threw two picks and Tate fumbled once. They need to take care of the ball better. In close games, turnovers kill and there will be some close games this season. Clean it up.

Again some of the play calling blows the mind. On one possession inside the 20, Kubiak calls some pass plays when you want to kill the clock and get out of the half. Yes you want touchdowns but you also want to keep the opponent's offense off the field and give the defense some extra rest before the half.

James Casey = Nasty
Before the season, I doubted the idea of Casey at fullback. As the preseason progressed, I started to come around to the idea. Casey adds another dimension a potent offense. He presents match up problems. He can stay and block at fullback or he can motion out to the slot, halfback, TE or even WR spot.

I imagine as the season progresses they will add more to his already full plate. Make no mistake about it, Casey is a football player but also a scholar. As much as I think rice is insignificant, it is one of the few college teams where student athletes must meet same academic requirements of the student body. No free passes or easy classes.

Now for the nasty.

On Tate's TD run, Casey lines up at fullback. Watch how he blows up #41 Antoine Bethea. Casey completely takes Bethea out of the play and Tate runs in untouched.

There is another play later in the game where Casey lines up at fullback. He runs down field full speed, lowers his shoulder and wipes out a linebacker. Without missing a beat, Casey keeps running his route. It was so effortless that I don't even remember the result of the play.

Just nasty on both plays and hopefully we will see more as the season progresses.

Man of the Match
Without a doubt, Ben Tate takes this week's award. Third on the depth chart, he moved up to second with Foster out and then took the load fulltime when Ward went out injured. He put up great numbers for a third back. As a result the Texans never abandoned the game plan.

Conclusion
The Texans did what they had to do. They beat a bad team. The Colts were built for Peyton Manning on both sides of the ball. Offensively the Colts expect to play with the lead early due to Manning and a potent offense. Due to an early big lead, they know teams throw to catch up so they defend with speed not size.

The Texans instead imposed their brand of football. They attacked early, forced turnovers and build a big lead. In turn, they ran the ball to against and a speedy but smaller than usual defense.

The Texans now must keep up the intensity defensively next week against Miami. Chad Henne put up over 400 yards on offense. Brandon Marshall will test the secondary. Can the Texans handle success and a team better than the one they whipped last Sunday?

The Future of Peyton Manning?

2011-09-11T01:07:00.000-07:00

The saying goes "To be the best, you have to beat the best." What is left unsaid is "To be the best, you just have to outlast the rest."

I hate Peyton Manning as the signal caller for the Colts. Why? Really? Manning only owns the Texans. Yet as much as I hate Manning, I respect the hell out of him for the way he approaches the game. Also I hate that if he leaves the NFL it's on an injury and not his own terms.

Manning commands the field like no other player I've seen live. His presence on the field is absolutely commanding. Manning isn't a quarterback...he's a field marshal. He commands, he directs, he analyzes the defense, he attacks. Of course, Colts management surrounded him with talent to do that. However if the skills aren't there the Manning couldn't do.

Despite all that, Manning is still human. As super as he maybe, age respects no one. Manning is 35. He had trouble with his neck this offseason and again had another procedure done on his neck. At this point it becomes a fair question...is Manning done?

I don't know if Manning will play another down. The media reports that he may play late in the season. My question is why? If the Colts are in the playoff race down the stretch, I might consider it if I were the Colts brain trust. If the team is totally out of it, why risk Manning? Why risk a more serious injury?

My View on the Situation
The goal in football isn't to beat the best. The goal is to win every game. If Peyton Manning isn't lining up tomorrow under center, I don't care. The Texans must go out there and take advantage of his absence. The goal right now is to win the division and make the playoffs. What better time to start than striking against a weakened enemy?

Every team wants to win the Super Bowl. What you do is beat the team that lines up across from you. You show no mercy. Spare them not just because they don't have their best player...you for all the marbles and you do it now at the expense of your enemy.

So all the naysayers who say if the Texans win it's a cheap win...I say no it's not...it's outlasting your enemy.

An Off Season of Change and Hope - Part 1

2011-08-03T23:35:00.000-07:00

From training camp open, hope springs eternal. The revamping of the defense, both in personnel and philosophy, adds to the hope.

The Texans fired defensive coordinator Frank Bush and hired Wade Phillips to lead the defense.

Defense dominated the draft for the Texans. JJ Watts, Brooks Reed and Brandon Harris look to bolster the defensive line, linebacking corp and a scorched secondary at their respective positions.

Once the free agency period opened, the Texans jumped on the best cornerback not named Nnandi Asomugha in Johnathan Joseph. The also added more secondary help in safety Danieal Manning.

What all this adds up to is a sea of change and the goal of playoffs. This year is Gary Kubiak's make or break season. Short of a fluke reason (11-5 record but no playoffs), if the Texans don't make the playoffs, Kubiak and GM Rick Smith will be run off.

The big question for me right now is how quick can Phillips mold the defense. Will the pieces fit his scheme? In this series I'll try and explore the defensive changes and additions to the Texans.

2nd Best Isn't Bad At All

2011-07-28T20:54:00.000-07:00

The Texans were allegedly in hot pursuit of Nnamdi Asomugha. I've already stated my position on Asomugha and it made no sense on so many levels for him to play for the Texans. Yet it was reported that the Texans, along with the Jets and 49ers, were in the top three in pursuit for Asomugha's services.

Instead the Texans went for a more reasonable decision in agreeing to terms with former Cincinnati Bungles Johnathan Joseph. According to an ESPN's Adam Schefter tweeted and the Houston Chronicle's John McClain also reported that Joseph agreed to a five year deal valued at $48.75 million that includes $23.5 guaranteed with a $12.5 million signing bonus.

Joseph brings more talent to the table than the Texans have on the roster. At age 27, barring injuries, he has upside and potential than trying to bring in another rookie or young corner. Joseph's best year was 2009 season. He had 20 passes defended, 6 INTs with one returned for a TD and also forced one fumble.

2010 he had some injury issues and only started 12 games. Given the Texans horrible defense last year even 12 games out of Joseph would have had an effect.

The bottom line is the Texans added a significant upgrade to the defense at a reasonable cost. They did pay a high price but not in the stratosphere where Asomugha's salary will reside. It also leaves money to pursue more defensive help. According to the McClain's article, the Texans are now involved in the hunt for safety Danieal Manning.

In other Texans news, defensive tackle Amobi Okoye and wide receiver David Anderson were informed they were free to seek trades to other teams. If they cannot find a trade, I expect they will be cut to clear up cap room for another signing or two such as make a serious run at keeping fullback Vonta Leech.

Nnamdi Asomugha Is Not Going To Be A Texan

2011-07-26T20:58:00.000-07:00

There is the delusional and then the realistic. Then there are the flipping idiots. Jerome Solomon was slowly crawling out of my list of hacks. I still don't like most of what Solomon writes but I can get it. Then he writes this sensationalistic piece of garbage that "Texans Need To Go After Asomugha." Really? Come on, Jerome. That was just National Enquirer material.

On the previous post, I promised an article on why Asomugha won't be a Texans. Solomon forced my hand while I was still thinking about the article.

First, the salary cap under the new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) makes it cost prohibitive. Asomugha is going to command mad money and the Texans don't have the cap space for it. In order to fit him under the cap two things need to happen. First management needs to gut the team of players. The team has enough depth problems without cutting the players necessary to sign Asomugha. Next the team will ask some of the remaining players to take pay cuts. Andre Johnson signed a new contract last year. You really think he will agree to a pay cut? Matt Schaub and DeMeco Ryans also going to take one for the team? Not going to happen.

Even if the Texans successfully sign Asomugha they handicap future signings. Mario Williams contract is up after this season. With a devastating Asomugha contract, Williams walks. Other key players due raises? If Arian Foster puts up another big season he'll be due. What about Brian Cushing? He eventually will either out play or finish his rookie contract. You think the Texans aren't players on free agent market now. Wait until they tie up cap money on Asomugha.

Finally, why would Asomugha sign with the Texans? He played his entire career with Emperor Palpatine and the Oakland Raiders. In his time, they never reached the playoffs. Whoever signs Asomugha will back up the Brinks truck. He will get paid no matter where he lands. So the second factor he will consider is can he win a ring. Scratch the Texans off that list for the immediate future. Time is a factor for Asomugha. He turned 30 this summer. A drop off in skill will happen sooner than later.

Lockout On The Verge of Ending, Texans on Verge of Something

2011-07-19T11:18:00.000-07:00

Long time no post because really no news to post about. I avoided commenting on the Wade Phillips hire or the draft on purpose. Besides working ton of overtime and looking for a new house, I viewed any commentary an exercise in futility. With a labor dispute and season in jeopardy, I decided not to spend precious time on the NFL and Texans until things were settled. I kept my comments on the NFL labor dispute over on the Untitled Sports Blog.

Barring major meltdown, according to multiple reports, a tentative agreement on most major issues had been reached. Player reps will vote on Wednesday to approve a deal and owners are expected to ratify their end of it on Thursday.

According to same reports, free agency will be a mad dash to the finish. Teams will have the initial 72 hours to negotiate exclusively with their own free agents (Vonta Leach and Jacoby Jones?). I'll comment more on the specifics of the labor agreement once it becomes public and the details are verifiable.

In preparation for the labor dispute ending, I did a little bit of research into the Wade Phillips 3-4. I'll present my research in a future post. After reading on how Phillips runs a 3-4, I'm a bit more comfortable with Mario Williams move to outside linebacker and drafting J.J. Watt. I knew the role of nose tackle wasn't the same as that of a space eater like in the Steelers/Ravens style of 3-4.

The secondary and linebacking corp remain the glaring question marks. Brian Cushing is coming off a subpar year after a four game PED suspension. DeMeco Ryans is returning from a nasty season ending injury. Kareem Jackson is still smoldering from the scorching he received all season long. Bernard Pollard is gone. Grover Quin is moving to safety leaving Jackson as the the most experienced starting corner (crap). Connor Barwin is supposedly penciled in at linebacker spot opposite Williams. Never mind that Barwin never played linebacker and is coming off a season ending injury nastier than Ryans.

Hopefully a deal will be in place by Thursday. The two biggest questions going forward for me at this time is when is the damn underwriter going to let me close on the house and where to go for lunch today?

Coming soon: Why Nmandi Asomugha won't be a Texan and my understanding (or lack thereof) of a Wade Phillips 3-4 scheme.

2011 Texans Schedule Released and A Few Words

2011-04-19T18:59:00.000-07:00

HOUSTON TEXANS 2011 SCHEDULE

PRESEASON

Day Date Opponent Time (CT) TV
Monday 8/15 NEW YORK JETS 7:00 p.m. ESPN
8/19-21 NEW ORLEANS SAINTS TBA KTRK
8/26-28 at San Francisco 49ers TBA KTRK
9/1-3 at Minnesota Vikings TBA KTRK

REGULAR SEASON

Day Date Opponent Time (CT) TV
Sunday 9/11 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS Noon CBS
Sunday 9/18 at Miami Dolphins 3:15 p.m. CBS
Sunday 9/25 at New Orleans Saints Noon CBS
Sunday 10/2 PITTSBURGH STEELERS Noon CBS
Sunday 10/9 OAKLAND RAIDERS Noon CBS
Sunday 10/16 at Baltimore Ravens 3:05 p.m. CBS
Sunday 10/23 at Tennessee Titans Noon CBS
Sunday 10/30 JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS Noon CBS
Sunday 11/6 CLEVELAND BROWNS Noon CBS
Sunday 11/13 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Noon CBS
Sunday 11/20 BYE WEEK
Sunday 11/27 at Jacksonville Jaguars Noon CBS
Sunday 12/4 ATLANTA FALCONS Noon FOX
Sunday 12/11 at Cincinnati Bengals Noon CBS
Sunday 12/18 CAROLINA PANTHERS Noon FOX
Thurs 12/22 at Indianapolis Colts 7:20 p.m. NFLN
Sunday 1/1 TENNESSEE TITANS Noon CBS

That's the plan if the labor dispute is resolved before the season.

To be honest, it's to early to make any predictions about the season. A new 3-4 defense installed. More rookies on defense. Will there be any free agent additions? How will Arian Foster follow up his break out season?

As Yoda once said,"Difficult to see. Always in motion is the future." That's how I view all things Houston Texans and NFL right now.

My Hiatus Is Over - A Tid Bit of Info

2011-03-05T00:56:00.000-08:00

Interesting article about how the Scouting Combine actually became a combine and the scouting services employed by NFL clubs.

From Draft Daddy, the article is Who Are BLESTO And National?.

NFL teams don't do all their own scouting. They actually hire one of two outside firms to do all the preliminary footwork on underclassmen. BLESTO and National are two scouting firms formed by various NFL teams and are now subscription based services. Twenty five teams subscribe and the others don't.

It makes sense for teams to share information on underclassmen and collate it into a usable database. Basic economics dictates that teams subscribe or share preliminary information on the thousands of college players available.

The article explains in further details the basic inner workings of the services and how teams use them.

Leaving A Wake Up Call

2010-12-27T17:35:00.000-08:00

Seriously. Losing to Tebow?

Like the Texans, I'm mailing it in until the off season.

GM RicK Smith - Earn Your Keep

2010-12-14T19:31:00.000-08:00

It's official...the 2010 Houston Texans season is dead.

Like the Oilers of yore, the Texans find new and interesting ways to lose.

The team reached the pinnacle in game one versus the Colts. After that it's been down hill.

The team is at a cross roads and choices, hard ones, must be made.

The main choice rests with owner Bob McNair. Does he want to keep the Smithiak Regime? Or does he clean house? Or does he issue a mandate to GM Rick Smith to straighten out the product on the field by any means necessary?

Time for Smith to Play GM
Rick Smith is one of the rare GMs in the NFL that was hired basically by his coach. Charlie Casserly, though on his way out, worked through the transition bringing in Gary Kubiak and helping with the 2006 draft. Smith was hired on the suggestion of his buddy Kubiak. They worked together in Denver.

Now is the time for Smith to sit down with McNair and start evaluating options, the team and coaches. Smith and Kubiak might be best friends but it's time for Smith to put that aside.

My guess is, barring an order from McNair, Smith won't fire Kubiak.

The first order of business for Smith then is to shake up the defensive coaching staff and remove Kubiak from any input on the defensive coaching hires. Just remove Kubiak from the equation and look for the best candidate to for the job. No Denver connections or familiarity. Kubiak brought in the last two coordinators Richard Smith and Frank Bush. Time to let someone else make the choice.

Right now Smith doesn't have free hand in personnel or coaching decisions. Most hires and signings must run through Kubiak first. That must also change.

I'm all for a coach and GM working together. In fact I'd prefer it. I think Kubiak and Smith will continue to work together in making decisions. However the current dynamic isn't working.

I'll have more thoughts on the changes and critical juncture that this franchise faces in the days ahead. My thoughts are still to scattered from last night's game and beer to focus.

Holy Crap! Texans Can Still Make Playoffs But

2010-12-07T01:39:00.000-08:00

So what would it take for the Texans to make the playoffs? First and foremost, winning the last four games of the season. That’s a tall order considering that the Baltimore Ravens roll into town for a Monday night match up.

The premise here is that the Texans win out.

The Colts losing to the Cowboys on Sunday shifted things in favor of the Texans.

Texans remaining schedule:
Vs. Baltimore
@ Tennessee
@ Denver
Vs. Jacksonville

Winning the four remaining games give the Texans a 9-7 record and a 4-2 division record.

Jacksonville remaining games: vs. Oakland, @ Indianapolis, vs. Washington, @ Houston

Indianapolis remaining games: @ Tennessee, vs. Jacksonville, @ Oakland, vs. Tennessee

Tennessee remaining games: vs. Indianapolis, vs. Houston, @ Kansas City, @ Indianapolis
The Texans need Jacksonville and Indianapolis to lose one more game. That throws the AFC South into chaos with three teams tied at 9-7. The best case scenario is for Colts to lose one of the Tennessee games and the Jags to lose to the Colts. A loss to the Titans assures the Colts of three division losses and out of the running for the division title. In the same best case, the Jags lose to the Colts and that tags them with a second division loss.

What that best case scenario sets up is a showdown on the final game of the year for the last playoff spot between the Texans and Jags. A Texans win ties them with a 9-7 record and evens the head to head play at 1-1. The next tie breaker is division record. A Texans win coupled with the Jags hopefully earlier loss to the Colts gives Houston a 4-2 division record but the Jags a 3-3 record. Texans would advance to playoffs.

The scenarios get even wilder because of the remaining schedule. Unless I miscalculated, everybody can still end up at 8-8.

Funk Over - For Now

2010-12-01T12:03:00.000-08:00

The Texans, and I, broke out of a four game funk. I was so distraught that I'm openly advocating for the end of the Kubiak Era.

The game against the Titans had the ingredients for another Texans gaffe and embarrassment. Third string rookie quarterback Rusty Smith started with Chris Johnson in the backfield.

The Titans are a team in disarray. Vince Young and Jeff Fisher are feuding. The question remains as to who will be back with the team next year. The relationship is beyond repair in my opinion. Either Young or Fisher will exit and my money is on Fisher leaving.

I was hoping for the best but expecting the worst. It's been that kind of season.

I should have taken the first play from scrimmage, Mario Williams sacking Smith, as a good sign.

The defense played well enough for the shut out in a 20-0 game.

During the game, I thought Amobi Okoye played well. He seemed to be in on multiple plays clogging the middle, exploding plays with penetration or taking up blockers. Yes I can actually see that on some plays live. I try to watch the defenses very close. More times than not though I end up following the ball or the action.

Lance Zierlein, a Houston radio host and Houston Chronicle blogger, did an outstanding break down of film on Okoye's day.

The most important thing of the day for the Texans was holding Chris Johnson in check. Johnson has run wild on the Texans before and I figured he would have a decent day despite the rookie quarterback. Wrong. He had five yards on seven carries along with two receptions for two yards. A very off day for a top, if not the top, running back in the NFL.

Factoring the rookie QB, the Texans defense still shined. Brian Cushing played very aggressive and his best game of the year. Grover Quin atoned for being the victim of the last two losses at the last second. Quin had a hat trick of interceptions including two in the Titans red zone.

One the offensive side of the ball, Arian Foster continued his assault on the ground. He ran for 143 yards on 30 carries and added 75 yards on 9 catches. He totaled 218 yards of total offense.

Of course the highlight of the game was the Andre Johnson vs. Cortland Finnegan Brawl. I think I'll save that commentary for my somewhat weekly NFL column.

Man of the Match
For once, the Man of the Match goes to a former goat. Grover Quin rebounded from twice being on the wrong end of game winning touchdowns. He snared three interceptions from Rusty Smith. Two game when the Titans were driving to score. Both interceptions preserved the shut out.

The Case Against Keeping Gary Kubiak

2010-11-17T14:39:00.000-08:00

It's long so read if you dare.

I've always believed that unless the coach is a complete disaster (Cam Cameron in Miami for example), a coach needs 4-5 seasons to get his team, players and system fully implemented. Gary Kubiak is in the midst of his fifth season and it doesn't look very good.

If you look up the Texans record under Kubiak, you'd see the very model on consistency....consistently mediocre. Through four full seasons, Kubiak's record has been 6-10, 8-8, 8-8, 9-7. That's incremental improvement at best.

Kubiak and GM Rick Smith were definitely a step up over the Dom Capers/Charlie Casserly regime. Kubiak and Smith basically had to burn the franchise to the ground and rebuild.

Despite a complete roster turn over and high draft picks invested on defense, a serious regression in defense continues. Mario Williams, Omobi Okeye, Brian Cushing, Kareem Jackson...all first round draft picks in the Smithiak era. Mix those players in with Demeco Ryans, Troy Nolan, Brice McCain, Connor Barwin and Zac Diles and the core of the Texans defense is all Smithiak picks. Bernard Pollard, Antonio Smith and Shaun Cody were significant free agents. Frank Bush took over last year as defensive coordinator after Richard Smith was fired. All the picks and coaching changes are resulting in a defense on pace to be the worst defense in NFL
history. Not one of the worst but the worst in terms of yardage allowed..

For all the high draft picks, free agents and young players starting, there
is simply no excuse not to improve. Instead the team took a major step
back.

Adding fuel to the Fire Kubiak is his playcalling. Kubiak, like many coaches today, are married to their philosophy and won't change game plan or tactics to suit the situation or opponent. In the opener against the Colts, the Texans unleashed Arian Foster and dominated the Colts defense. Post game, the players said they had to beg Kubiak to keep running the ball. In the second game, Kubiak didn't try to dominate the Colts like in the first game. When asked why, Kubiak stated that he wanted to keep the offense balanced. The object of the game is to win. Screw the "balanced
attack" and look to exploit a flaw in the other team. The Texans have a front row seat on how to exploit. Rookie corner Kareem Jackson is tested and burned often in a game. Teams know the Texans can't stop the pass so they consistently throw. Kansas City, a power running team, didn't stick to running because it's team philosophy. Despite a bad season thus far for Matt Cassel, the Chiefs game planned to put the ball in the air to augment their rushing attack. It worked as Cassel had his best game of the season to that point.

The scripted playcalling is another boatload of nonsense. Kubiak scripts the first 15 or so plays of the game. Why? What's the point? Another example of Kubiak's controlling nature is the quarterback doesn't audible. Kubiak sends in the play and that's what is run. Matt Schaub has the freedom to call a check down play based on the defensive formation. Schaub doesn't have the freedom to change the play completely no matter the situation.

Substitution patterns also make no sense. When Foster appears to get into a groove, Kubiak strangely takes him out. Case in point, the Texans are driving late in the first half against the Chiefs. Foster is easily running through the defense. On a third and one with 30 seconds left, Kubiak yanks out Foster and subs in Derrick Ward. Ward is stopped at the line and the Texans settle for a field goal. Why take Foster out? Is the idea to rest him? I think he can play another 30 seconds before half without dropping dead.

One more item for concern is Kubiak's failure to make progress in the division or down the stretch. In November under Kubiak, the Texans are 5-13 overall and 2-12 on divisional road games. Again, Kubiak is consistent...a consistent failure in November.

So the question remains: is it time for a change? No doubt about it. The five season window is closing. This team and coaching staff haven't shown they can get the job done. Fortunately, unlike the Capers/Casserly Clowns, the team isn't lacking in talent. A new coach and/or GM won't have to gut the franchise and start over. The pieces are in place...Owner Bob McNair is going to have to make his coaching decision carefully though. The wrong coach can set the franchise back another five years and by then the fans will be ready to burn Reliant to the ground.

Texas Week 6 - Hot Offense Saves Swiss Cheese Defense

2010-10-18T22:29:00.000-07:00

I took it as a harbinger of things to come. I was already sweating a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. I planned on 5-1 record at the break before the Giants left town. Now I was planning on a 4-2 mark but was nervous about 3-3 instead.

I kept telling myself the Kansas City Chiefs aren't that good. I tried to ignore the one loss record. I tried to ignore the fact that the pretty much stood toe to toe with the Colts.

I also tried to deny Matt Cassel could do any damage. I though the Texans defense couldn't possibly be that bad to let even the Chiefs rip them.

Then I pulled my head out of the sand and faced reality. That reality said hat 3-3 was a possibility. The fan in me still denied 3-3 and hoped for 4-2. Thank God I have the faith of a die hard fan.

The Opening Drive
The Chiefs took the opening drive and manhandled the Texans defense. The Chiefs did exactly what the Texans did to the Colts to close out the game.

Matt Cassel and company engineered a dominant 15 play 74 yard drive. The KC offense converted two forth downs. They kept the ball for over eight minutes. 7-0.

I viewed the opening drive as a harbinger of things to come. The Texans didn't help my gloom and doom mood with a very short opening drive.

The Texans managed to score a second quarter TD. Mostly likely the game would have been tied at half if not for the generous Texans defense. 14-7.

Despite the poor play of the defense, the Texans did well get hold KC to 14. It could have bee a lot worse.

Again, That Defense
The defense continued their generous ways through the second half. They allowed a third TD in the third but also held the Chiefs to a field goal.

The offense managed their own TD and the Texans were still very much in it at the end of three.

It was at this point where the game changed. The Texans responded to the KC field goal with their own touchdown drive. KC got the TD back and regained a 10 point lead.

The Texans then took their last two possessions and turned them into touchdowns and victory.

In between the two Texans touchdowns, the defense finally showed up. They held the Chiefs to a three and out.

Matt Schaub went right to work on the game winning drive. The first two plays saw TE Owen Daniels break free for big gains. The Texans first positioned themselves to make the field goal if needed to force overtime. From there they went to work on ending the game in regulation. With 28 seconds left in the game, Schaub found Andre Johnson open in the back of the endzone for the game winner. Schaub put the ball where only Johnson could catch it and Johnson hauled it in and made sure he took small steps to ensure he was in bounds.

Key Stat of the Game
No field goals for the Texans. They scored 5 touchdowns with 4 from inside the red zone. Only Derrick Ward's 36 yard scamper came from outside the red zone. Definitely nice to see the Texans finish drives with seven instead of three.

A close second key stat was no turnovers. No one put the ball on the ground and Schaub didn't throw a pick. The way the defense played turnovers would have been killers.

Player of the Game
Matt Schaub by far is Texans player of the week. He calmly lead the comeback. The fans were frustrated and antsy. The defense played terrible. Schaub didn't let any of that affect him. He played perfectly on the two drives. He didn't panic when flushed out of the pocket. He simply put the ball in the air where the best player on the team could do his thing.

The Linebacker Situation
Time for some linebackers to heal. The Texans only had four healthy linebackers for Sunday's game. Xavier Adibi, Kevin Bentley and Darryl Sharpton were all inactive due to injuries. A season ending injury to DeMeco Ryans forced second year man David Nixon into action. Zac Diles slid over to Ryans' middle spot and Nixon took Diles slot. I noticed during the game that strong side LB Brian Cushing called the plays.

If all the remaining LBs are good to go, Cushing and Diles remain at their positions with Bentley taking over in the middle. Diles can play all three spots and can Bentley. Bentley, however, is the primary back up at MLB. Although, like Diles, Bentley can play all three spots.

More than likely, the Texans will try add another LB to fill out the roster spot left open by Ryans.

The Interference Call
Brandon Flowers was seething after a pass interference was called on him on an Andre Johnson 36 yard pass. Flowers felt that Johnson interfered with him and should have been flagged. SI.com hack Peter King thinks the replay clearly shows Johnson interfered.

Johnson didn't interfere and neither did Flowers. It should have been a no call. Despite what King the Hack things, the replay clearly shows nothing. No flag should have been thrown. On top of all that, Johnson caught the ball with no interference so result is moot.

If Kansas City fans want to complain about something then they need to complain about the decision to pass late in the game on 3rd down. With the clock running and the Texans defense giving up big yards on the ground, Cassel overthrew the tight end. The play was boneheaded on many levels. First, even if the run doesn't succeed, Houston must burn a time out. A run play ticks even a few more seconds off the clock until time out is called. The Texans defensive line seemed pretty tired at the end. Also with Ryans out, the middle would be more vulnerable to the run. It was a gusty call but the wrong one.

Go cry somewhere else KC.

Texans enter the bye week hoping to try something with the defense. Anything at this point would help.

They also have two weeks to hopefully mend up a couple of linebackers and add one soon.

See you on Monday night in Indy...signing off for my own bye week and two weeks off work...

Houston Texas Week 5 - Giant Manhandling

2010-10-14T12:38:00.001-07:00

This is very brief cause I really don't have the words to describe the levels of ineptness the Texans showed last Sunday.

The Texans played another bad home game. Not even close. The NY Giants owned the Texans from the start and never looked back.

Offense - awful. Putrid. Horrible. The couldn't run, pass or block. WR dropped passes. Matt Schaub had at least three passes batted down at the line. I can see one or two tips. Three or more means you need to make an adjustment passing with a little more air under the ball.

Defense - read above. The return of Brian Cushing didn't make one bit a difference. The safeties were terrible. The coverages called were mind boggling. To much zone 5 yards off the ball. No pass rush to speak of. I'm starting to doubt Frank Bush as the defensive coordinator.

Special teams were special all right. Especially bad. Three holdings on a return only dug deeper holes for the struggling offense to dig out of. An offside on a field goal attempt gave the Giants a first down. The Giants went onto score a TD instead of three on that drive. And is Steve Slaton really the best option for returning kick offs?

In a nut shell, the Texans are regressing during the season instead of improving. That's not a good sign of things go come.

I hate to say it but next week's game against the Chiefs is a must win. A 4-2 start is better looking than the usual 3-3 mediocrity. They can the try and regroup during the open week.

Texans Week 4 - Aristotle Sits, Aristotle Runs Wild

2010-10-06T17:20:00.000-07:00

Panic. Fear. What the hell is going on? Why pray tell is Arian Foster on the sidelines? Holy Mother of God, is he hurt? Is Gary Kubiak going Bill Belichick and hiding an injury? Why oh why is Foster on the bench?

Those were my first thoughts when I noticed Derrick Ward and Steve Slaton getting the opening carries. The camera flashed to Foster. He looked healthy. He was in uniform. Something was amiss.

Word finally made its way to the broadcast booth that Kubiak benched Foster for an undisclosed infraction. Late meetings? Late to practice? Arrested? What? What?

Foster finally made an appearance late in the second quarter with the Texans clinging to a 14-14 tie.

Ah, the Raidahs
Make no mistake, the Raidah's are not on decline but don't seem to be on the way up. Jason Campbell typifies all that's wrong with RaidHers. The Rahders made an off season trade for Campbell. With the acquisition of Donovan McNabb, Campbell was expendable. Can you think of a worse fate than exile to the Black Hole? Within the first game, Campbell went to the bench and Bruce Gradkowski regained the starting job.

So if you are going to miss your best player to injury (Andre Johnson), left tackle Duane Brown out to suspension, the last game of Defensive Rookie Player of the Year Brian Cushing's suspension and bench your starting running back, this is a team to do it against.

Sending a Message?
How long a leash should a player have? When does a player's punishment become a detriment to the team? Is this an escalation in punishment? Was Foster punished and again committed an offense?

I wonder how much of a message was actually sent to Foster? To me, the look on Foster's face and his body language told the tale. He was chomping at the bit. He didn't like sitting on the sideline watching the game. He wanted in. More over, the team didn't suffer due to his benching. Ward and Slaton moved the ball effectively in the first half.

After the game, Foster owned up to his mistakes and apologized but didn't delve into details. He said, as is the Texans custom, everything was handled in house. No need to air the team's dirty laundry in public.

Vonta Leach, Jacoby Jones and Ward all stated in interviews that they had a talk with Foster about discipline and doing what is expected. Ward stated that he likes playing with Slaton and Foster. He's experienced the highs in his career and wants the two younger backs to experience the same things.

Foster responded on his second carry of the second half with a 74 yard TD run. For basically half a game, Foster racked up 131 yards on 16 carries. Foster stated he wanted to show off his receiving skills too. So far so good. He contributed 56 yards and a TD on 3 receptions. Not bad for a half.

Interesting note, only three players have over 500 yards rushing and 100 yards receiving: Arian Foster, Billy Sims and Emmitt Smith. Not bad company but let's wait an entire season before we start making Hall of Fame comparisons.

Wow - The Defense?
The defense was a mixed bag at best. Four sacks, three turnovers but giving up 27 points and letting tight end Zach Miller abuse them down the middle for 122 yards. Darren McFadden had 82 yards on 6 catches with a long of 43 yards.

I like that the defense pressured the quarterback. Antonio Smith had a monster day along with Troy Nolan. Smith brought Gradkowski down twice and Nolan picked of Gradkowski twice. Keeping the theme of twice, Bernard Pollard brought the lumber twice when Gradkowski scrambled. The first time Gradkowski was fine but you don't go back for more. The second time Pollard rung his bell and Gradkowski staggered back to the huddle.

Nolan's big day came after starter Eugene Wilson sat out hurt. Nolan came in to replace Wilson's substitute Dominique Barber. Hopefully the Texans finally are starting to solidify the safety position. A hard hitter like Pollard paired with a play maker would be a nice combo.

The N-Y-Football-Giant
My keys to the Texans success for the season was a good start and improve the division record. Those two aspects are vital to playoff contention. Through four games, obviously a small sample, they are on target. A 3-1 start for first time in team history. A rousing opening day win over the nemesis Colts started off the division campaign right.

With all the remaining division games coming after the week seven open date, it's essential to keep the good start going.

There is no rest for the Texans. The Giants roll into town coming off a ten sack performance against the Chicago Bears. The Giants knocked out starter Jay Cutler and back up Todd Collins. The Giants reduced the Bears to the emergency back up second string clipboard holder at quarterback. The Texans offensive line needs to keep Matt Schaub healthy and upright. If both Dan Orlovsky and Matt Leinhart make an appearance...you know what just hit the fan.

Texans Week 3 - Rolled at Home by the Cowboys

2010-09-29T04:53:00.000-07:00

Embarrassing. Weak. Unforgivable. Sickening. Troubling.

Pick your favorite word to describe the Texans performance against the Dallas Cowboys. The Texans blew a perfect chance to announce they are for real. The Cowboys were hurting and desperate. The Texans had some swagger after beating the Colts and the Redskins. The Cowboys came in and knocked that swagger right off the Texans walk.

What went wrong? Everything. Roy Williams went off. Williams usually only puts on the Cowboys uniform and isn't heard from again. Not on Sunday. He torched, I'm using that word way to often this season, the young secondary for 117 yards and 2 TDs.

The front seven failed to get much pressure on Tony Romo.

The offense failed to put TDs on the board when in the red zone.

In what was a common theme last year, the offensive play calling was terrible. Arian Foster was under used. He broke off a couple of nice runs but his number was called only 17 times for 106 yards. Yes I said he was under utilized. He was hurting the Cowboys. Let him do what he does best. Matt Schaub was running for his life at times. Let Foster help keep Schaub up right by running the ball between the tackles.

Again, Schaub threw an interception on the same play he threw one against the Colts and Redskins. Whatever it is about that play, it's not working. This time instead of throwing into double coverage, Schaub overthrew Andre Johnson and the defender easily picked off the pass.

My biggest bone of contention though is the second field goal drive. The Texans tried to punch it in on a couple of the plays. Dallas read it each time. At one point they Texans should have tried a toss sweep left. The ball was on the right hash mark. The Cowboys were crowding the line. A toss to Foster running left would have seen nothing but green between him and the endzone. It's lack of creativity or fundamental analysis that drives me crazy.

I'm not hitting the panic button. There are still 13 games left to play. The Texans need to remember that Foster is a really good running back. The game wasn't out of hand but they went to the air more often than they should have.

Sunday they face the Raiders. This is a vital game. The Texans, Titans and Colts are tied at 2-1 in the AFC South. The Texans need to stay even with the Titans and Colts. It's a weird schedule this year. The Texans opened division play with the Colts and will face the Colts coming out of the open date in week seven. They are done with the Colts before they even get a shot at Tennessee or Jacksonville.

The Texans have three winnable games in front of them before the bye week. They could easily enter a showdown with the Colts in week 8 for division lead with a 5-1 record.

Let's not get to far ahead though and take care of the Raiders on Sunday first.

Man of the Match
Roy Williams with 117 yards on 5 receptions and 2 TDs with the last one putting a dagger in the hearts of Texans fans every where. Who said the Man of the Match had to be a Texan?

Texans Week 2 - McNabb Gets Nasty, Schaub Gets Nastier

2010-09-23T15:42:00.000-07:00

A short post this week. I really didn't have time to delve deep into the game like I usually try to do. Work sometimes gets in the way.

A big opening home win against archrival (only to the Texans, Colts could care less) Indianapolis Colts could only lead to the inevitable let down, kick to the gut road loss. Fortunately the let down only lasted the first half. The Texans rallied from 17 down to defeat the Washington Redskins 30-27 at FedEx Field.

Uh-oh Here We Go Again!
Yup, that kick to the gonads the Texans seem to frequently deliver. Donovan McNabb threw the ball at will and opened up a can of whip ass on the Texans in the first half. I swear I saw McNabb back there heating up some Chunky Campbell's Soup, eating it, drinking a beer and then throwing for a long bomb. On the same play.

I think at one point the Redskins had three rush attempts. Of course two of them are on the goal line and go for TDs. Of course, I could have just imagined that stat but it sure feels right.

No matter, the defense was no existent, the offense sputtered and that warm fuzzy feeling of a good start went out the window. The 'skins went up 20-7 at the half.

Dad, I Don't Want To...Shut Up, It Builds Character
I might be wrong but did we see our little Texans take a big step forward? In the recent past (there is no ancient in this team yet), didn't the Texans fold up and call it a game at half when far behind?

Whatever coach Gary Kubiak yelled at them during the half it worked. The Texans scored 20 second half points to the Redskins 7. McNabb finally felt the heat of the Texans defense as they pitched a shut out in the fourth to give the team a fighting chance to tie or win.

Defense and the Scorched Turf Policy
Mario Williams exploded for 3 sacks in the game. Bernard Pollard made a huge block on a field goal attempt. The defensive line kept the run game 18 net rushing yards.

The young defensive backfield played like a young defensive back field. They were burned by six pass plays of 20 or more yards. Judging from the Tweets of some bloggers I follow, safety Eugene Wilson and linebacker Xavier Adibi were no better. Since I didn't review the game and I trust the bloggers opinion, I'll go with it.

Regardless of stats, the defense made key stops and kept the Redskins from opening a bigger lead and allowed Matt Schaub and the offense the opportunities to win.

Man of the Match (I'm using soccer's term for the rest of the season)
Matt Schaub
38 of 52 passing for 497 yards, 3 TDs and 1 INT
One note about the offense. Please, please, please Ricky Dennison and Kubiak tear that page out of the play book where Schaub threw the pick. It looked like the exact same formation in which he threw the pick against the Colts. Everybody lines up at the line except one wide out. In both plays, the wide out was doubled and Schaub forced the throw. Get rid of the play, no one is biting on it.

Texans Week 1 - One Week Wonders or For Real?

2010-09-14T14:06:00.001-07:00

The only way to answer the question is to play the season out. 16 games to will eventually show who the real Texans are. For week one, they took the glove and slapped the Colts across the face and the proceeded to stomp the defense into submission.

Repeating recent history, the Texans jumped to an early lead. Again repeating history, the Texans started to squander the 13-0 lead with a Matt Schaub interception that lead to an eventual Colts touchdown.

Right before halftime I sent a text to my fellow fans,"Getting that sinking feeling yet?"

The Manliest Drive in Texans History?
How the Texans responded was manly in every sense of the word. They came out to start the second half and ran the ball down the Colts throats. They held the ball for 7:57, kept Payton Manning on the bench and scored a touchdown not a field goal.

Then they came out and did it again. And again. Two more run dominated drives of 91 and 41 yards. They milked the clock, telegraphed exactly what they were going to do and did it. The only reason the time of possession wasn't higher is cause the Colts couldn't stop the Texans at all. Running big chunks of real estate off at one time allows for quicker scoring and less time off the clock. As long as they scored TDs and not FGs, the strategy is fine.

The drive alleviated that sinking feeling that ended the first half.

Scripted Plays Out the Window
The fans around me during the game theorized that the Texans coaches tore up the second half game plan and decided run. During his radio show yesterday, coach Gary Kubiak admitted as much. He said they normally script 8 or 9 plays to start the second half. After a couple of plays he and offensive coordinator Rick Dennison decided to just run.

Manning Being Manning
Manning threw for an obscene amount of yards. He set new personal records of pass attempts and completions. Those stats happen when a team is playing from behind the whole game. The ground game for the Colts was ineffective since start. As the game progressed, passing remained the only option.

Manning did pay for his yards with constant hits, hurries, pressure and two sacks from the Texans front seven. At one point he stayed on the turf as if he didn't want to get up. Looking back on that play, I think he was trying to buy his team an extra few seconds. Either way, it wasn't a good day to be Payton Manning.

John McClain's Report Card
Normally McClain nails his post game report card accurately. This week I think he was a bit of his rocker. He graded Matt Schaub a C and the receiving corp a C+. Sure they didn't put up big numbers but that alone shouldn't give them average grades. I guess handing off the ball without fumbling snaps or dropped exchanges is just average. One TD pass also made the stat sheet. Granted Schaub threw one interception against a low number of pass attempts. I'll give him a C+ rather than a C. He was a game manager for once and did what he the coaches asked him to do.

I'll quibble a little more about the C+ on the WRs and TEs. Again, they didn't put up numbers due to the nature of the game plan. They still blocked down field to help Foster post his numbers. Kevin Walters split the defense on the lone touchdown pass of the game. Owen Daniels, not know for his blocking, bounced back from last years season ending injury and helped open holes for Foster. Daniels had a key seal block when the Texans allowed the Texans to convert a 4th and 1. Daniels doesn't make the block, the Colts get the ball. Right tackle Eric Winston commented on Walters down field blocking. The win was a team effort and the receivers did their part. Stats be damned...I give them at least a B-.

Man of the Match
I like the other football term for player of the game. This week's Man of the Match is obviously running back Arian Foster. Foster ran for 231 yards on 33 carries for a gut kicking average of 7 yards per rush. Sick. He added three touchdowns including a one yard plunge that chased away last year's one yard nightmares away.

Overall the line did a beautiful job of paving the way for Foster's franchise record setting day. Full back Vonta Leach was a one man wrecking crew. Leach was a blocking machine looking for someone to knock out of Foster's way. During the game, the man next to said in awe,"Leach is having a magnificent game." I had started to notice it too. Everyone noticed. Again, stats be damned. Leach had a career day like Foster and the rest of the offensive line.

Key Stat
Going into the 4th quarter, the Colts had eight possessions. The results of those eight possessions? Punt, punt, punt, punt, TD, FG, punt, fumble. The defense gave up some big chunks of green with a majority coming with Colts in chasing mode.

In the end, this was the result players, coaches and fans wanted. The bullies of the division vanquished for once. The kings of the hill knocked down for once. Hope and optimism of the offseason rewarded for once.

The Texans took the right step in what I see as key to a playoff run. A good start and a improvement to the divisional record are the key. A big first hurdle has been crossed.

Nice game but there are fifteen more on the schedule. Next week they absolutely must take advantage of the momentum and snag a road win. Don't read the press clippings Texans...you can still go 1-15.

Oh Boy...Name Change?

2010-09-01T22:13:00.000-07:00

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.

NFL Calendar 2010 Dates

2010-06-22T09:36:00.000-07:00

Paul Kuharsky copied and pasted from the official NFL site so I have no problem doing the same. This post is mainly for my tracking purposes.

Here’s the league’s official calendar looking ahead all the way through the 2010 season and into 2011. Please spend the rest of the day getting it all into your Outlook calendar:

June 27-30 -- Rookie Symposium, LaCosta Hotel and Conference Center, Carlsbad, Calif., Attendance is mandatory for all drafted rookies. Such players are unavailable for offseason workouts, OTA days, and minicamps during this period.

July 15 -- Supplemental Draft

July 15 -- Deadline at 4 p.m., New York time, for any club that designated a Franchise Player to sign such player to a multiyear contract or extension. After this date, the player may sign only a one-year contract with his prior club for the 2010 season, and such contract cannot be extended until after the club’s last regular-season game.

July 22 -- Signing period ends for transition players with outstanding tenders. Old club has exclusive negotiating rights to these players until the Tuesday after the 10th regular season weekend.

Late-July -- Preseason training camps open. Clubs not permitted to open official preseason camp earlier than July 5. Veteran players cannot be required to report earlier than 15 days prior to club’s first preseason game or July 15, whichever is later. The July 15 date is not applicable to clubs playing five preseason games. Except for quarterbacks and “injured” players, veterans cannot participate in any organized football activity for 10 days prior to mandatory reporting date.

July 26 -- Signing period ends for unrestricted free agents to whom a June 1 tender was made by Old Club. Old club has exclusive negotiating rights to these players until the Tuesday after the 10th regular season weekend.

July 31 -- During the two weekends preceding the first full weekend of preseason games, waivers requested on Friday will expire at 4 p.m., New York time, on Saturday; waivers requested on Saturday will expire at 4 p.m., New York time, on Sunday; and waivers requested on Sunday will expire at 4 p.m., New York time, on Monday.

August 6-8 -- Hall of Fame Weekend, Canton, Ohio.

August 8 -- Hall of Fame Game, Canton, Ohio (Cincinnati vs. Dallas).

August 10 -- Deadline for players under contract to report to earn a season of free agency credit.

August 12-16 -- First preseason weekend.

August 13 -- If a drafted rookie has not signed with his club by this date, he may not be traded to any other club in 2010.

August 14-18 -- Each club has until five days prior to its second preseason game to provide any tendered but unsigned exclusive rights player or restricted free agent with written notice of the club’s intent to place the player on the exempt list if the player fails to report at least the day before the club’s second preseason game. Such notice must also be sent to the NFLPA. Once such notice has been provided, the club must place the player on the exempt list. While on the Exempt List, the player will not be entitled to compensation for up to three regular-season games, depending upon the date the player reports to the club. Any such player who fails to report prior to the deadline will be ineligible to play or receive compensation for at least three games (preseason or regular season) from the time that he reports.

August 19-23 -- Second preseason weekend.

August 26-29 -- Third preseason weekend.

August 31 -- Roster cut-down to maximum of 75 players on active list prior to 4 p.m., New York time.

September 1 -- All tryouts on this date and for the remainder of the season must be reported to the league office.

September 2 -- Fourth preseason weekend.

September 4 -- Roster cut-down to maximum of 53 players on active/inactive list prior to 6 p.m., New York time. Clubs may dress minimum of 42 and maximum of 45 players and third quarterback for each regular season and postseason game.

September 4 -- Simultaneously with the cut-down to 53, clubs that have players in the categories of Active/Physically Unable to Perform or Active/Non-Football Injury or Illness must take one of the following options: place player on Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform or Reserve/Non-Football Injury or Illness, whichever is applicable; ask waivers; terminate; trade; or continue to count him on Active List.

September 5 -- Claiming period for players placed on waivers at the final roster reduction will expire at noon, New York time.

September 5 -- Beginning at 12 noon, New York time, clubs may establish a Practice Squad of eight players by signing free agents who do not have an accrued season of free agency credit or who were on the 45-player active list for less than nine regular season games during each of any accrued seasons. A player cannot participate on the practice squad for more than three seasons.

September 9-13 -- Regular season opens.

September 10-14 -- Beginning on these dates vested veterans terminated from the Active List or Inactive List (and from Reserve/Injured if the player is placed on Reserve/Injured after the beginning of the regular season) are entitled to receive, after the end of the regular-season schedule, Termination Pay pursuant to the terms of the 2006 CBA.

September 28 -- Priority on multiple waiver claims is now based on the current season’s standing.

October 11-14 -- NFL Fall League Meeting

October 19 -- Beginning the day after the conclusion of the sixth regular season weekend and continuing through the day after the conclusion of the ninth regular season weekend, clubs are permitted to begin practicing players on Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform and Reserve/Non-Football Injury or Illness for a period not to exceed 21 days. Players may be activated during the 21-day practice period or prior to 4 p.m., New York time, on the day after the conclusion of the 21-day period.

October 19 -- All trading ends at 4 p.m., New York time.

October 20 -- Players with at least four previous pension-credited seasons are subject to the waiver system for the remainder of the regular season and postseason.

November 16 -- Signing period ends at 4 p.m., New York time, for franchise players who are eligible to receive offer sheets.

November 16 -- Deadline for clubs to sign prior to 4 p.m., New York time, their unsigned franchise and transition players, including franchise players who were eligible to receive offer sheets until this date. If still unsigned after this date, such players are prohibited from playing in NFL in 2010.

November 16 -- Deadline for clubs to sign prior to 4 p.m., New York time, their unrestricted free agents to whom June 1 tender was made. If still unsigned after this deadline, such players are prohibited from playing in NFL in 2010.

November 16 -- Deadline for clubs to sign prior to 4 p.m., New York time, their restricted free agents to whom June 1 tender was made. If such players remain unsigned after this date, they are prohibited from playing in NFL in 2010.

November 16 -- Deadline for clubs to sign drafted players prior to 4 p.m., New York time. If such players remain unsigned after this date, they are prohibited from playing in NFL in 2010.

December 31 -- Deadline at 4 p.m., New York time, for waiver requests in 2010, except for “special waiver requests” which have a 10-day claiming period, with termination or assignment delayed until after the Super Bowl.

2011

January 3 -- Clubs may begin signing free-agent players for the 2011 season.

January 8-9 -- Wild Card playoff games.

January 9 -- Assistant coaches under contract to playoff clubs that have byes in the wild card weekend may be interviewed for head coaching positions through the conclusion of the wild card games.

January 15-16 -- Divisional playoff games.

January 23 -- AFC and NFC Championship Games.

January 29 -- Senior Bowl, Mobile, Ala.

January 30 -- AFC-NFC Pro Bowl, Honolulu, Hawaii.

February 6 -- Super Bowl XLV, North Texas.

February 7 -- Waiver system begins for 2011. A 24-hour claiming period will be in effect through the Friday prior to the last regular season game (waivers requests made on Friday and Saturday of each week will expire at 4 p.m., New York time, on the following Monday.) Players with at least four previous pension-credited seasons that a club desires to terminate are not subject to the waiver system until after the trading deadline.

February 23- March 1 -- Combine Timing and Testing, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Ind.

Post Cushing OTA Edition

2010-05-21T18:35:00.001-07:00

Pure Texans Bull
Post Cushing OTA Edition
5-18-2010

Update: Angry 'dre joined the Texans in OTAs. So I'm a little behind. Bite me.

Brian Cushing
My quick take on Cushing? Not much. After reading a few articles and reading Cushing’s statement, I’m going to give him the benefit of doubt. For now.

I didn’t watch his press conference but most media thought it was insincere and that Cushing raised more questions than answered. I didn’t watch so I can’t make a call. I am a media basher so I take what they say and write with a grain of salt.

As for Cushing’s medical excuse, I admit it is plausible. The NFL and its specialists know significantly more than me about the substance. For whatever reason, Roger Goodell didn’t buy Cushing’s reasoning and suspended Cushing four games. Four big games at that. Cushing is going to miss the crucial opener against the Colts as well as the Cowboys game. Not good.

Pressure to Succeed

Players are under tremendous pressure coming into the NFL. Some cope with it better than others. Some players believe they are to good and don’t need to put in much effort. Some, Vernon Davis comes to mind, have natural God given talent but want to try and get by on talent alone. Mike Singletary was the best thing to ever happen to Davis. Singletary put his foot up Davis’ ass and woke him up. Davis is pretty much a model citizen and a damn good tight end. Other players fear they won’t succeed and look for any advantage they can find.

Some players hire personal trainers and work their butts off.

Other players juice up despite the testing and health risks. They know it’s wrong and dangerous. Yet the pressure to make the team, start or contribute right away is tremendous. So with their livelihood likely on the line they resort to any advantage they can get. Without being in their shoes, I can’t exactly bash them. I don’t understand the pressure they are under. Sure, it’s not right. It’s flat out wrong and it is cheating. All I’m saying is that I can understand why a young man or woman would resort to steroids or other performance enhancers.

Cushing played under the spot lights at Southern Cal. He came into the NFL with the Texans expecting him to start from day one. Despite his marquee college team, he still faced men much stronger and faster than him in college. He was expected to be their equal when the Texans penciled him in at strong side linebacker. The pressure was there for him to succeed right off the bat.

We’ll never know for certain whether or not he really used a PDE or that his explanation is true. If he did use then perhaps this serves as a wake up call and he quits. If he didn’t, hopefully he presents more information to build a more solid case if it comes up again. For now, I feel it’s best to move on and forget the issue. His loss for four games is significant. However it’s best for the team and media to give it a rest and focus on moving forward.

OTA
I’m not a big fan of following OTAs. Player contact isn’t allowed. Basically OTAs serve as workout session for players. The Texans don’t require players to attend. They are just glorified work outs and not much else.

This year Andre Johnson is sitting out. He wants a new contract. I don’t blame him but at the same time I question why did he sign such a long contract? This thing probably gets resolved sooner than later. The Texans have playoff aspirations. Kind of hard to have lofty expectations if your best player, maybe best in the league at any position, isn’t around. I doubt Angry ‘dre sits out summer camp, which is required, but I’d rather pay him and have him happy. Angry ‘dre lining up angry at the defense and not the Texans makes for a good day.

Post Draft Ben Tate Edition

2010-05-07T20:19:00.001-07:00

Pure Texans Bull
Post Draft Edition – Part II
May 7, 2010

2nd Round Pick - RB Ben Tate from Auburn
At the top of the Texans draft board sat Fresno St. running back Ryan Matthews. San Diego outmaneuvered the Texans and selected Matthews. The Texans addressed another need with cornerback Kareem Jackson.

If reports are believed, the Texans were angling for Toby Gerhart of Stanford until they traded down and Minnesota snapped him up. In what I believe a panic move, the Texans then traded up in order take the next back on their board in Ben Tate.

In my biased opinion, I think Tate will be a better fit for the Texans than Gerhart. I’d rather have a hard running back from the Southeast Conference than a Pac-10 one. I’m just not a fan of Pac-10 runners. There is a definite top and second division in the Pac-10. The top division of Pac-10 probably can’t compete in the SEC. Just about every week in SEC contest it’s a war. Add to the fact that Tate played under three different systems at Auburn and I give him another huge edge over Gerhart.

The Tate Scouting Report
Outside of C.J. Spiller or Matthews, I don’t think the Texans could have made a better pick. Several backs were rated higher than Tate but the Texans weren’t necessarily looking for qualities others were.

Tate is a good sized back with speed to burn. Standing 5’ 11” and 220 lbs, Tate runs a reported 4.43 40 but some say he has been clocked at 4.38. Gerhart is about the same size but runs a 4.56 40 and Matthews is similar in all measurables. All things considered, I’m surprised the Texans were targeting Gerhart before Tate.

Tate brings size and speed to a run game that ranked 30th in the NFL. Rookie phenomenon Steve Slaton’s production fell off his second year.

The Good
He is solid and can follow his blocks. One report I read knocks his patients and doesn’t hit the line full speed. In the limited game film I saw, I didn’t see the impatience. Auburn uses a lot of pulling linemen and Tate excelled at following blocks and waiting for plays to develop. I’ll reiterate what I’ve said before about game film clips, they can be cherry picked to show what the creator wants you to see.

Tate says he isn’t afraid of contact and stated “If I can’t run past you, I’ll run you over.” While I don’t think Slaton feared contact, I don’t think he had the linebacker mentality that Tate seems to have. Down at the goal line and short yardage, you need that toughness to get the yards to extend the drive or get the points.

The Bad
One scout said Tate doesn’t play up to his full speed until in the open field. Another report stated that he isn’t a good pass catching back. If those are his downsides, I don’t care. Though Tate was brought in partially because of his speed, his first task will be to get those tough inside yards and then look for the homerun yardage. On the second point, Houston didn’t draft Tate to catch passes. If healthy, that will be Steve Slaton’s job.

The Skinny
The Chris Brown Project was a failure and a costly one too. Not in the terms of finances but in terms of losses. Brown fumbled twice at the goal line and threw an ill advised half back option in another. Not wanting to go the retread route like Brown or Ahman Green, the Texans decided to bring in a rookie to mold in their image. The Texans will give Tate every chance to take the starting job and contribute right away. If Slaton returns to health and rookie form, the Texans could sport one of the more exciting backfields in the NFL.

Tate could give the power inside running game that is sorely lacking while Slaton could provide the homerun threat catching the football out of the back field and on screens. Both players are extremely quick. Mix in the potential game breaking speed of both players and the Texans will be a threat to score on almost every carry. The potential is there but a lot of work and some luck need to fall in place.

Pure Texans Bull - Post Draft Edition

2010-05-01T22:47:00.000-07:00

Pure Texans Bull
100% Houston Texans Bullsite
Inaugural Issue – Post Draft Edition Part 1
April 28, 2010

Once again I changed the name of the blog. I believe this is the third name but I like this one better than the previous titles. I changed up the colors a few weeks ago to actually match the steel blue and battle red of the Texans. I added a background to the title banner of a picture I actually took myself. So I thought it fitting that a name change would be appropriate.

What a better time for change than at the draft? New players breed new hope for teams looking to build, improve and look for another piece to a hopeful championship campaign.

The Houston Texans entered the draft with less needs than at any other time in the short history of the franchise. The team is at a point where they look to bolster a few need areas and otherwise draft for depth and special teams. They took care of a cornerback, running back and a passing down defensive tackle. They added to linebacker depth, corner competition, TE fodder, a return specialist, offensive line project and a wide out project.

My gut reaction Monday after the draft was dismay. Two tight ends, one defensive tackle and players expected to be projects or special team contributors led to my angst. I thought they should have taken at least two DTs and one safety.

After digesting the tight end situation, I understand where the thinking. Three of the four TEs on the roster just had off season surgery. Owen Daniels probably won’t fully recover until training camp or preseason. Joel Driessen’s status is unclear at the moment and Anthony Hill is projected to spend start the year on the PUP list or IR. Of the two drafted TEs, only 4th round pick Garrett Graham will get time at TE while Dorin Dickerson will learn under tutelage from Andre Johnson at WR.

For the first round, I figured the Texans would draft a corner or running back while possibly drafting two corners and a running back in the first three rounds. I didn’t think defensive tackle was on the board in the first round.

1st Round – Kareem Jackson CB Alabama
The Texans definitely drafted for the most glaring hole on defense. With the departure of Dunta Robinson, they needed a corner with the ability to step in and start soon. Hopefully Jackson opens the season as the starter. The Texans many corners on the team but most are unproven. Jacquez Reeves, Fred Bennett, Grover Quin, Brice McCain and Antwan Molden currently occupy roster spots. Bennett and Moulden will battle for their Texans careers this off season. The addition of Jackson turns up the heat several degrees.

Depending on whom you ask, Jackson was rated as high as second best corner in the draft. The phrase most often used to describe Jackson is “NFL ready” over the other draftees. In other words, the majority of scouts believe Jackson can walk into camp and claim a starting position. He is considered well coached in college where he learned a complex defensive system under coach Nick Saban. Scouts and coaches love that he played at a top notch SEC school against top notch competition.

My two favorite sources are the Houston Chronicle’s Lance Zierlein and Pro Football Weekly’s scouting reports. I read other reports too just to get a cross section of analysis and reaction.

My Consensus Take on Jackson
For the most part, the reviews and reports speak highly of Jackson. He wasn’t the highest rated corner on anyone’s board but he was rated second highest on many.

Described as well coached and the most “NFL ready” of any of the corners, the Texans, barring catastrophe, will pencil in Jackson as a starter.

The Good
Jackson excels in getting up on receivers and knocking them off their timing. He is described with the ability to read a quarterback and anticipate throws. He is also not afraid to come up in run support and hit the ball carrier. He is a good tackler most of the time.

The Bad
An anonymous scout on PFW claims Jackson is “overrated.” The scout goes on to say Jackson is limited in run support and isn’t as strong as expected. PFW’s scouting report lists arm length and lack of explosiveness as weaknesses. The report goes onto say that Jackson doesn’t cover well in space and can get exposed in open space and will bite on double moves.

The Skinny aka My Conclusion
The Texans took exactly what they needed in Jackson. A team needs “NFL ready” if they expect to contend now rather than later. Some say that Jackson has limited upside when compared to other drafted corners. I’m fine with that. He needs to step in and be ready when he lines up across from Reggie Wayne and Payton Manning twice a season. The Texans need him to contribute early and often not upside for a year or two down the road. My only major concern is his lack of interceptions over his career at Alabama. As a three year starter, he had only five interceptions and only one each in his last two years. He needs to up that number and take possessions away from the opponents.

With The 20th Pick in the Draft...

2010-04-22T20:04:00.000-07:00

...the Houston Texans select cornerback Kareem Jackson from Alabama.

I didn't see this pick coming. I was surprised but I have no problem with the pick.

It's late and I actually have to work tomorrow. I'll have more on my thoughts later in the week. Plus why rush it? Two more days of drafting to go.

This Is Why.....

2010-03-25T21:01:00.000-07:00

...I put little to no value in so called "draft gurus" or "draft geeks" that post for free on the interwebsnet.

Myron Lewis, who I profiled in a previous post, apparently stunk it up at his Vanderbilt Pro Day according to Sporting News Today.

Yet, according to Tennessean.com, Lewis impressed NFL scouts.

So which is it? Did he leave a steamer on the field or did he impress? Did those who went to the Pro Day really pay attention?

I'll give Sporting News credit. They wrote a glowing report about him earlier but they also printed a source's quotes that he didn't do well. They could have easily glossed over or ignored the quote to make their report look good. They didn't. Which is good journalism...a rarity today in my book.

It also highlights why I put little faith in writers out there and don't charge for it. If they were genuinely good scouts they would be employed by a scouting agency, college team or NFL team.

Case in point brings me to Draft Insiders Digest and this mock draft. For the record, it is widely known the Texans need to upgrade the offensive line, defensive tackle, running back and safety/corner spots. This numb nuts evidently isn't paying attention. He has the Texans taking LB Brandon Spikes with the 20th pick.

First off, if there is a position on the team the Texans don't need help it's at linebacker. You only have one of the best MLBs in DeMeco Ryans. On the strong side is Brian Cushing and his 2009 Rookie of the Year award. On the weak side, Zac Diles isn't to shabby. He was having an outstanding season on the strong side in 2008 and beat Xavior Adibi out on the weak side last season. Adibi would be the first up and Kevin Bentley can also play the weak side (he backs up all three LB spots).

Second, unless you play in a 3-4 defense, you don't draft a weak side linebacker that high.

With so many other areas of great importance on the team, this leaves me to believe that mock drafter Frank Coyle has no clue of what he is doing. Looking at the draft order, ranking the prospects and lining up them across from each other isn't a mock draft. At the very least, look at the team's needs. Some teams, especially top picks, have several needs but as the draft goes lower, you can take a good guess at what teams may be targeting.

I have no clue what Coyle's logic is giving the Texans a linebacker over other places of obvious need. He's not paying attention or is lazy and not doing his homework. Looking at his previous mock draft in February, he again selects a linebacker for the Texans. This is just sloppy lazy research by the self proclaimed "Premier Draft and Free Agency Publication."

I'm sure as I try to figure out the Texans latest moves, which I definitely have no clue about, I'll mock more mock drafts as I run into them.

Texans Draft Wish List: Myron Lewis

2010-03-13T12:17:00.001-08:00

Okay, I admit this one is a reach in Vanderbilt cornerback Myron Lewis. Depending on who you read, he's projected from 7th to 4th to 2nd round pick. In other words, no one really knows.

So why am I highlighting him? After the first two or three rounds, part of the draft is finding an undervalued contributor. If the Texans can address running back, defensive tackle and safety in the first three rounds, they might start thinking about looking for quality in the defensive backfield. Lewis just might fit the bill.

His tape measurements look tempting: 6' 1", 209 lbs with a 40 time of 4.48.

The best scouting report I found on him comes from Sporting News. Like my previous write up, I'll try to expand more on Lewis once I renew my Pro Football Weekly subscription.

Based on rankings I've seen on Lewis, the Sporting News report might be a little to glowing of Lewis. None the less, it provides an interesting prospect.

A brief synopsis of the report:

Good coverage skills man on man and in press coverage.
Adjusts well from back pedaling to turn and run
Has good recovery skills and speed from a false step
Anticipates the ball well and can close in on a play
Decent in run support, he is willing to slow the runner down and wait for help, not a dominant tackler
Has the size to cover big receivers and speed to cover fast receivers

Not much negative attributes on Lewis. The report projects him as a second round pick and says he has the potential to start as a rookie later in the season. It goes on to admit he might not be taken where they have him rated but will be a quality pick regardless of where he goes.

Houston Texans Wish List: Jeromy Miles

2010-03-05T17:49:00.000-08:00

The loss of cornerback Dunta Robinson opens a hole in the defensive backfield and raises more questions that it solved. Rumor is that Robinson is on the verge of signing with the Dirty Birds of the ATL.

Obviously the Texans need to address cornerback in the draft or free agency. Since they've so far been quiet on the FA side of things, one imagines they will draft a corner this April.

Last year the Texans filled a glaring need at safety with Bernard Pollard but you can never have too many good defensive backs.

One player I like at safety is Jeromy Miles from UMass. The Sporting News Daily profile on Miles projects him as a second round pick.

A quick run down on Miles from Sporting News profile:

Excellent cover skills off the line man on man. Can watch a quarterbacks eyes and track the ball. Breaks quickly on a pass.
Very physical in run support and in coverage.
Not explosive with elite speed but makes up for in with great range and instinct
Big hitter who can force the ball loose.
Excellent tackler
Projected to go in the second round
Should be an instant starter in the NFL

He started his career at Navy but transferred to UMass. Even though he left Navy that he played for them is telling. You can't be an academic slouch and enter the Naval Academy. According to his NFL Draft Bible player profile, Miles left the Academy because he felt the military life wasn't for him. He preferred to enter the civilian life instead.

So the transfer from Navy doesn't appear to be a red flag. It was just a person making a choice in life for what he thought best. Can't blame a young man for that. Personally I admire the maturity and responsibility he had to make the decision.

One caveat to my report. Apparently only Sporting News is high on him. Everybody else has him as a late pick to an undrafted free agent. That just goes to show the unpredictability of the draft and scouting reports. For what it's worth, most free sites don't really have a clue.

My Analysis: Scouts know more than I do. Todd McShay and Mel Kiper don't know dick. Most draft sites don't know crap.

I just highlighted Miles due to what I read in Sporting News.

So am I hearing what I want to hear from the Sporting News profile? No. I'm just looking at one report. I have more faith in Pro Football Weekly's reports than any other publication. I just haven't updated my subscription yet.

Anyway, if Miles is as good as Sporting News advertises and he falls, the Texans or any other team has a potential great value pick.

Texans Early Draft and Free Agency Edition

2010-02-25T07:14:00.001-08:00

So I slacked off at the end of the season keeping up the blog. I had a post mortem written for the season but never published it.

These Shoes Were Made For Walking
The club made their first major move of the off season by not franchising cornerback Dunta Robinson.

Last year's rumor mill insisted that the Texans offered Robinson around $24 million per year range money. It would have made Robinson one of the top three paid CBs in the league, if I remember correctly. I'm not so sure about the rumor being true. The Texans never wage salary battles in public and never gave any indication of the money D-Rob was offered. Robinson and his agent never said anything either. Robinson was upset over getting the franchise tag not the money offered. I think the $24 million price tag has been repeated enough in the local media and blogosphere that it's taken as fact.

Either way, it changed the dynamics of free agency and the draft. Despite what you may think of him, Robinson was the number one corner on the team and now needs to be replaced. Does the team already have the next starter on the roster with second year player Grover Quin? Does that bump Frenchy up to number one? Or do the Texans make a run at a free agent to start or a high draft pick? Does Fred Bennett come up for air once the team digs him up from underneath the bench? Is Brice McCain ready to move to the nickle slot?

The LT Dream and Other Cast Offs
Some fans live in a fantasy world. Some are clamoring for the Texans to sign future Hall of Famer Ladanian Thomlinson. Forget it. It's not happening.

I have a friend that wants to sign every cast off free agent for the Texans. His football knowledge is that of a newly arrived immigrant who has never seen the game before. My friend's choices would collectively add five or more years to the Texans average age.

Owner Bob McNair publicly stated the Texans free agent policy for this year. He has mandated that the Texans not sign any old veterans on the downside of their careers. He wants young players that improve the team now and for years beyond.

So my friend and other fans can clamor all they want. McNair signs the checks. What he says goes.

Future Features
I'm about to enter a project at work that may take up to six weeks. I'm blocking out March 1 to April 15 and possibly beyond.

What I plan to do on my little bit of down time is feature a potential draft pick I think the Texans could take a look at.

Alan Burge, of the Houston Examiner, is running a feature on his blog called Texans Draft Watch. I don't plan on featuring any players he highlights unless I can add to Burge's take.

Until next time...

Week 15 - St. Louis, LA They are Still the Lambs

2009-12-23T19:14:00.000-08:00

The Texans won 16-13 and still fans have to be talked in off the ledge. The way the blogosphere, talk radio, newspaper comments and fans are jabbering, you get the feeling fans would have preferred the Texans to lose. Or have Texans fans just turned into the biggest whinniest fans south of Dallas? Is Houston the new Dallas? All this noise about Denver South should be called Dallas South?

Bad win, good loss, moral victory. Three concepts that belong in the category of Santa, the Easter Bunny and an honest politician. They don't exist. A win is still a win, a loss is still a loss and a moral victory is for pussies and losers.

I'll be the first to admit the Texans looked like crap. Again. But the bottom line is when the game clock read 00:00 the scoreboard showed Texans 16 Rams 13. All you crybabies go cheer for the Cowboys.

Fumblitis is Contagious?
The Rams had to cancel practice due to the swine flu. Can the Texans cancel the run game due to fumblitis? What the hell is wrong with the backs? Steve Slaton was the chief offender. Chris Brown the fumbler at critical times. Ryan Moats didn't want to be left out against Seattle and now Arian Foster put the ball on the carpet. I don't even have any comments about the issue.

Simply the Best in the Universe?
''He can do it all,'' Rams cornerback Ron Bartell said about Andre Johnson. ''He's got the size, speed, run after the catch, blocking, everything. There's nobody in this league that compares to him.''

That's a hell of a compliment from Bartell. He faces Larry Fitzgerald twice year...the only other receiver that I consider All-Universe caliber.

The Other Brown
Again, Kris Brown missed a field goal. Crucial? Maybe. Who was once Mr. Reliable has become a giant question mark. He just isn't consistent. At this point I don't think anything is physically wrong with him. I think it's all mental. A friend of mine who is a Steeler fan hates Brown. He claims that Brown had the Texans fooled for the last seven season. I don't agree. The overall body of work as a Texan kicker proves Brown was reliable. With the exception of this season, he's been money for the Texans. I can't say that someone can be that consistent for seven years and pulled the wool over the eyes of coaches and management.

Brown missed two field goals that would have sent games into overtime. If the Texans are to contend for a playoff spot next year then this has to improve. In a tight race field goals can mean the difference between playing or staying home. The Texans can't allow this to linger as they've let it this year. They can't be fickle out of a misplaced sense of loyalty to Brown. He either improves over the summer or they find someone who can put the ball through the uprights.

I have some more thoughts later tomorrow after work. Tired and need some sleet.

Week 15 - Sleepiness With Seattle

2009-12-17T20:22:00.000-08:00

Note: I wrote a week 14 edition but evidently I never posted it.

It was going to be one of those games. What games you ask? Well for starters, which Texans team is going to show up? Will they show up in the first half and go home? Or get to the game late and play the second half? Will they build a big lead and blow it? Or did they stop caring in Jacksonville last week?

Friends, Romans, Countrymen

Well something to that effect. Gary Kubiak made an impassioned speech Saturday night before the game and fired up the team to victory.

So that begs me to ask...Where the f**k was that passion, oh, about the time of the NY Jets game? Or even a week ago at Jacksonville? Or the Monday Nighter against the Titans? Or both Colts games? Or or or...you get the picture.

Why do they wait until they are pretty much out of playoff contention to get fired up? That fire should have been in the belly from game one.

Back to the Game
Outstanding opening play. Obviously. The Texans went to a quick count and caught the Seattle defense napping. Matt Schaub hit Andre Johnson down the sideline for a long TD pass on the first play from scrimmage.

The offense played a near flawless first half. Not much to nit pick at. I could rant and rave about a run game but that's beating my head against a dead horse.

The Run Game
Okay, I'll touch on something quickly about the running attack. Besides that it still sucks.

For crying out loud just freakin' hold onto the damn ball. Ryan Moats coughed it up (you know the savior of the run game after the Bills win).

The bright side is Arian Foster didn't fumble. And he had a nice day catching the ball to boot. I'd give him a game ball for not fumbling but with my luck he'd fumble the game ball.

F for Effort
Was anyone really trying for the Seahawks? Matt Hasselbeck appeared to me as the only player on offense making any effort.

Despite the long TD to start off with, I thought Marcus Trufant played a decent game too. Where the f**k was Aaron Curry? I think I heard his name called once. Or did he even play? I'm not sure anymore.

Unless Mike Holmgren is the new GM in Seattle, Jim Mora is probably out as head coach.

A for Effort
The Seattle fans behind me sure gave all they got cheering for their team. It might have been a game if the players put that much effort into the game.

It was three ladies, probably around 50-ish, cheering for the 'hawks. One of them went missing before kick off. She made it back right before the end of the 1st quarter.

One asked,"Where have you been?"

She replied,"Looking for the right beer and it took me five tries.

The other lady said,"Five?"

"Yup, this is my fifth one. And it's good."

Yeah lady, five beers in a quarter and I'm pretty sure it would taste good to me too. It's the only way I survived the 2-14 season.

Finally Analysis
No new of fresh insight for me to add this late in the week and on the verge of week 16. In a nut shell, the teams boasted a similar record going in but Texans were the superior team. Seattle players looked like they pretty much quit on Mora. The Texans don't appear to have quit on Kubiak. Yet.

Kris Brown has probably brought on some serious contenders next year for the Texans. Clutch field goal misses on top of others he doesn't miss were costly. If the Texans try to up grade on of the Last Original Texans then should expect more of the same. His track record in Pittsburgh speaks the same.

It's a quiet possibility that old Bill Shakespeare makes another appearance this year.

Finally it looks like DGDB&D went dark again. So long guys all though Big Fat Drunk has taken his act over to the Battle Red Blog.

Week 13 - Jack Del Rio Pwned Gary Kubiak

2009-12-09T08:55:00.000-08:00

Remember last year I harked and barked about the only thing keep Jack Del Rio from earning the name of Worst Head Coach in the NFL was Herm Edwards. Upon the firing of Edwards, Del Rio assumed the mantle.

And that Gary Kubiak is bad news for you. The Texans used to own the Jacksonville Jaguars. They were at least good for a season split. Not this year. In the last four meetings with the Hags, Kubiak is now 1-3. The only win was last year's Monday Night game.

So congrats are in order to Gary Kubiak. You are currently Del Rio's bitch and that doesn't bode well for your Houston coaching future.

The Game

I'll be honest. I worked the graveyard shift the night before the game. I normally make it to the opening kick off and through the game. Given the playoffs slipping away I decided to try and get some sleep.

So when I did wake up the Texans were in the hole and the Sex Cannon was in. Uh oh is all I thought. Of course, Steve Tasker and Gus Johnson are no help. They rambled on endlessly about a back up quarterback's daily routine. No wonder Texans fans hate their coverage.

Fortunately Schaub came back and almost lead the Texans back to victory. He immediately lead Texans to a TD on his first possession back. The game seemed to finally be turning.

It's not like they had their chances. The defense came up big and made a goal line stop early in the game. They dropped Jags quarterback David Garrard for a safety and the special teams recovered a muff punt. In the end though the offense wasn't able to capitalize on those errors. I can't recall the details, not that I want to at this point, but the offense either got two field goals or one field goal off the possession after the safety and recovered punt.

Remarkably the team was still within striking distance.

The Half Back Option Heard 'round the Houston Metro Area

Then the brain farts start. The Texans were starting to game some momentum even though trailing 23-12. Schaub hit Angry 'dre Johnson on a 53 yard play to the Texans in scoring position. A few players later the Texans have 1st and goal. In one of the worst calls and poorly executed plays in Texans history, RB Chris Brown looked for TE Joel Dreesen in the end zone. Under heavy pressure Brown heaved the ball and it was caught...by a guy in the wrong uniform. No points! At least a field goal gets them within a TD and 2-point conversion of a tie.

Who to Blame?

The blame game is the favorite game for the media and fans to play. Ultimately Gary Kubiak is to blame. Kyle Shanahan calls the offense but Kubiak can change the play or veto the selection.

Many last week were saying the Colts game probably cost Kubes his job. At the point I disagreed. I figured it didn't help his cause and it was something to put on the list when evaluation time comes along at season end.

While I don't think it's the final nail in the coffin but several fans and media are saying the Chris Brown halfback option pass will be the one that cost him his job.

I don't always see eye to eye on Jerome Solomon's Houston Chronicle column and blog but he makes a case on why that specific play won't end the Kubiak regime and it is a whole slew of things that will in the columnKubiak's pink slip merited by more than just one call

Final Thoughts

The Seattle Seahawks come to Reliant for the last home game of 2009. Fans are eager to put this year behind, fire Kubiak, bring in Bill Cowher and make the playoffs.

I'm not eager to put the year behind yet because I want every Sunday to be football Sunday forever. Kubiak may or may not get fired. Bill Cowher isn't coming to Houston and if he does then a rebuilding process is under way which means the playoffs are at least another two or three seasons away. Plus the worst kept secret in football is Cowher wants the Carolina job.

Week 12 - What a Dick Tease!

2009-12-09T08:41:00.000-08:00

Still pissed off with the utter failure against the Tennessee Titans, I had low expectations for Sunday's encounter with Pisarcik Manning and the Indy Colts. I would have preferred a blowout to the steaming pile of donkey turd they left on the field Sunday.

Really what reason or hope did the Texans have of winning the game? Manning and Colts own the Texans along the lines 100-1 won loss record. Sure half the Colts defense was missing including Dwight Freeney.

Spare me the cliche's of "If only the Texans could play an entire game..." or "They've been so close to winning games..." or "If it wasn't for this or that..." It's all a pile of bullshit. The bottom line is that the Texans are still a bad football team. Talent alone doesn't define a team. Results on the field define a team. And on the field the Texans have lost more games than they have won. That folks is a bad team.

So where does the blame sit? Top to bottom...coaches and players.

Dunta "Pay Me" Robinson has been scorched all season. He wants to be paid like a shut down, franchise cornerback. Guess what? He doesn't play like one and right now he's at best the third best corner on the team. Frenchy and the rookie Quin have outplayed him big time. Third year corner Fred Bennett has been buried deep under the bench and limited to dime and special teams. Robinson needs to sit next to him as the nickel.

You know you have no confidence in the team when they are up 17-0 and thinking that's not gonna hold up for the game. They need at least 30 if not more.

I was impressed with the game plan to open the game. Texans were successful with the run and some play action. The defense had Manning on his heels with a sack and two interceptions. It didn't last.

The Turning Point?
I had this debate with one of the posters at IntheBullseye.com. At the end of the first half, the Texans ran the clock down to the 2:00 minute warning instead of running one more play. The poster said that the Texans should have run one more play. I completely disagree. It was third down. No need to run a play. Run the time off and use the clock as your friend in keeping Manning off the field. By running a play you give the Colts a free stoppage at the warning. Running it down the Texans run a play. If they fail to convert the third down, at least they kick the field goal and run more time off the clock or it forces the Colts to burn a time out if they want to try and run their offense.

What happened next pretty much sums up the Texans season in a nutshell. Instead of trying to run it and get the clock going the Texans opted to pass. I don't really fault the play call but when has it really worked? It was the same exact play the Texans tried in the closing minutes of the Arizona game and Matt Schaub over threw Joel Dreesen. What happened this time? You guessed it. Schaub wasn't on target. Again. The ended up settling for the field goal and giving Manning the ball back. Fortunately Quin intercepted the ball to end the Colts drive.

Who are These Guys?
I have two theories of what happened next.

Theory one: Those weren't the Texans playing in the first half. Some aliens who knew football took over and played the first half.

Theory two: After the half, the Texans went into the locker room, showered, jumped in their vehicles and went home.

Whatever the case, those were two different teams in each half.

The Buck Stops Where?
Owner Bob McNair has a big decision to make on the future of the team. This franchise is teetering on the brink of being good or falling into a Oakland Raider type abyss. The talent is there.

By most accounts, McNair and general manager Rick Smith were pretty upset after the game. While McNair denies it and claims he will evaluate the coaching staff at season end, I believe Gary Kubiak and the staff are auditioning for next year and I don't think it looks good for them.

I'm not an advocate of changing coaches often. Look at Oakland, Dallas and
Washington. They change coaches like Aggie women change tampons...once every two or three years. What have they achieved? Oakland and Washington are stuck in reverse. Dallas is stuck in mediocrity.

Do I think the Texans need to make a change? If the season keeps spiralling out of control then yes. What if Kubiak rallies the troops and put a win streak together? Maybe. If they put a streak together, McNair needs to think long and hard about it. The key question he needs to ask is "Why did they wait until late in the season, again, for another push?" Is it because Kubiak can't handle the early pressure and loosens up when nothing is less to play for? If a changes is made, what are the options out there?

I'm going to stop now because this blog is now in the to long to read category. I'm cutting it up and addressing the possible coaching changes and replacements and also the advantages and perils of it.

This is why I like working the night shift. I can get all my ramblings out of the way without the yappy yippy sawed off runt barking at me.

Houston Texans - Week 11 Monday Night Fail!

2009-11-27T23:56:00.001-08:00

Monday Night Meltdown
It's not often you can say the Texans choked. They choke on national TV on Monday Night Football.

This city has a love/hate relationship with Vince Young. The locals either love him, hate him or love to hate him. It makes the Texans-Titans game that much more volatile.

Personally I don't care one way or the other. What I care about are the results on the field and the final score. Unfortunately the Texans came up short...Again.

This time you couldn't blame it on the slow start. They managed to put up 17 first half points. They finished slow instead by managing only three second half points.

The Obvious
Young is going to run if you give him room. The Texans aren't familiar with the concept. Young repeatedly ran for first downs on third down conversions. The defense didn't do anything to attempt to slow him down until late in the game. Nobody stayed home to try and contain. As the pocket collapsed around Young, the field opened up and off he went. First down. It's not like anyone hasn't seen that happen before. Basically it was pretty disgusting to see it happen so often in a game.

The Offense
This is just a lost season for the running game. Nothing this year, with the notable exception of the Bills, will improve the run game this year. Anything else I write about the run game will be bitching. Why bother anymore?

The loss of Owen Daniels took a big dimension away from the offense. Why the team doesn't try to incorporate rookie James Casey stumps me. He might not be Daniels but you have to continue to try and run your playbook and offense. By all reports, Casey catches everything thrown his way. Time for him to prove it on game day.

Kris Brown, Kris Brown, Wherefore Art Thou?
At this point it has to be mental. Two misses at the closing seconds that could have forced overtime.

Someone mentioned to me that maybe Brown is hurt. Huh? No way. Either that or Gary Kubiak is as stupid as some think. I shot down the theory though. Brown still has his distance and placement on kick offs. If he were hurt, more than likely, his kick offs would be terrible too. I'm not buying that theory.

Give The Kid a Shot
I kid...sorta.

Call up University of Houston Cougar redshirt freshman kicker Matt Hogan and make a proposition. "Hey kid, why don't you come kick for us? Look you're a redshirt walk on. Come kick for us and earn a paycheck. Hell if it don't work out we'll pick up the tab for you to finish school. Who knows, maybe a scouting job too if we cut you? What dah yah say?"

Houston Texans Week Ten – Open Date Edition

2009-11-23T10:29:00.001-08:00

Through nine games the Texans are sporting a 5-4 record. The best record they’ve had this late in the season. Better yet, they are still in the hunt for that elusive playoff berth.

I’m not going to review the midseason and cry over what could have been. Fans and media make a big deal that the Texans could be 7-2 or 8-1 if this, that or the other happened. Two things come to mind. Those things didn’t happen. It’s called reality. Why fans and media obsess over the past boggles my mind. Also, fans like to point out the close losses to the Colts, Cardinals and Jaguars as possible victories. I’d like to point out that the Texans could easily be 4-5 if they lose the shoot out with the Titans. The fact remains that they are 5-4 and not crying or wishing about the past is going to change a thing.

Focus, Focus and More Focus
What is needed by the team and coaches is focus. Focus on the upcoming opponents and the remainder of the season. Play each game like it’s the last. It’s that point in the season where games start becoming elimination games for the playoffs.

It is going to be a dog fight down to the line for that last wildcard spot. Right now Denver and Pittsburgh have the lead. Denver needs to correct a sinking ship. Their division is still for them to take but then that leaves San Diego as the other wildcard.

Right behind the 6-3 teams are the Texans and Jaguars at 5-4. And below them waiting for them to stumble are the Ravens, Jets and Dolphins. The Texans don’t play the Ravens this year. They’ve already lost to the Jets giving them the tiebreaker and still face the Dolphins on the road.

The focus this week though should be the resurgent Titans and Vince Young. This next three game stretch will be crucial for the playoff and tiebreakers. The Colts and Jags loom after the Monday nighter against the Titans. The Jags currently have one win in the head to head game. A loss virtually puts the Texans two games behind them in a tie for the wildcard.

One game at a time though. If they remain focused, try to eliminate some of the mental mistakes and slow starts, this January we just might see the first ever Houston Texans playoff game.

Week 8 - Whoaaaa, Not So Fast!

2009-11-02T18:56:00.000-08:00

Hey, I was on vacation last week. I turned off all computers, phones and relaxed in the great outdoors for four days. But I'm back to the rat race and my favorite hobby...The Houston Texans.

Week 7 Quick Thoughts

I watched the replay of the 49er game when I got back from vacation. I was there and it was nerve racking. I didn't realize until I read the report that it was TE Vernon Davis that scorched the Texans for the Niner's three TDs. The same play that split the zone seam.

Again it was a tale of two halves. The Texans were on the way to a blowout win leading 21-0 at half time. Yet I had that nervous feeling that something would give.

Mike Singletary pulled starter Shaun Hill and inserted former 1st overall pick Alex Smith. It proved to be a spark for the 49ers and a bane to the Texans. In the end, the Texans survived on a Kris Brown FG.

One quick thought. The players said after the game that they didn't prepare for Smith so that threw them off their game plan. I find that a bit troubling. You prepare to take the field and defend no matter who is at quarterback. You have to. Injury could have forced Smith into the game and you are telling me they weren't prepared for him? Regardless, the coaches could have tried to make some adjustments. It's inexcusable to get beat on the same play three times for TDs. It almost cost the game. It didn't and I enjoyed my vacation.

Now to the headliner.....Week 8

I say not so fast. Ryan Moats ran for 126 yards and three 4th quarter touchdowns to lead the Texans to a 31-10 rout of the Buffalo Bills. He replaced Steve Slaton who once again fumbled. Slaton has lost 5 of 7 fumbles and ominously leads the league in that category.

Slaton supposedly worked all week on learning to secure the ball. On the play, the defender hit Slaton who had the ball exposed. Instead of securing the ball against his body, Slaton held the ball with one hand and exposed. I can't even imagine the thought process. He and Kubiak both claimed he worked on securing the ball all week. Yet he comes out and repeats his mistake again.

Kubiak had no choice but to send Slaton to the pine. The game was early and still very much in doubt. Matt Schaub had already thrown one pick. The team might have been on the verge of imploding...something they've done in the past. The benching for the whole game was the right thing to do. Kubiak tried benching him for a series or two but always let him back in. I thought after his late game fumble against the Niners he should have been bench for the game. He had the short leash this game though.

Now the question is who starts next week against the Indianapolis Colts?

Moats vs. Slaton

In the euphoria of the post game celebrations, everybody I listened to on TV and radio declared Moats the starter next week. The late afternoon radio host on Sports Radio 610, not John Lopez, was the only one I heard put the Moats' game in perspective and was thinking exactly what I was preaching.

Like I stated after the Raider game, this was the freakin' Bills. The Bills boast the worst run defense in the NFL and probably college too. I'm not taking anything away from Moats. He still had to go on the field and earn his yards. Still, it was the Bills. Nothing to get to excited about.

The Case for Ryan Moats

He doesn't fumble. That pretty much sums it up. He runs hard down field. He doesn't jitter bug looking for a hole. He just puts it in gear and goes.

The Case Against Ryan Moats

He doesn't have break away speed. He's not as effective a receiver out of the backfield or on screens. Some talking heads say he isn't an effective on picking up the blitz.

The Case for Steve Slaton

Slaton is pretty much the polar opposite of Moats. He dances looking for a hole and fumbles to much. Wait this supposed to be the case for Slaton.

Slaton can run off a big play anytime he touches the ball. Unfortunately that hasn't been the case on run plays but as a motion player out of the backfield and screen receiver he is lethal. To wit the Bengals game: 102 yards and 2 TDs receiving. He's a play maker. Add in the season ending injury to TE Owen Daniels and the Texans need all the weapons they can muster.

The Case Against Steve Slaton

Fumbles. He regressed to his junior year at West Virginia where he earned the reputation as a fumbler. He fixed it his senior year and his rookie season. Now the fumblitis is back.

Part of this is on the offensive line but also on Slaton, he struggling in the run game. Contrary to popular belief, currently the Texans aren't an exclusive zone blocking team anymore. The season ending injuries to guards Mike Brisel and Chester Pitts forced the Texans to abandon the scheme for now. According to Profootball Weekly, the Texans are using more a straight on scheme with three new line players in Chris White, Kasey Studdard and rookie Antoine Caldwell.

Before the injuries the run game struggled and I was putting it all on the offensive line. Now the scheme has changed and so has personal. Now I'm wondering if Slaton just can't adjust to the straight on scheme and still looks for the one cut back. Maybe the scheme is better suited to Moats style of downhill running.

And The Winner Is?
Despite his big day against the defenseless Bills, Moats will start. My reasoning? It's a big game. It's against a divisional rival who has only lost once to the Texans. Ever. The Texans can ill afford to let Slaton fumble against Payton Manning. That's just giving Manning and Co. free air time.

So what then with Slaton? Time for Gary Kubiak and Kyle Shanahan to drink coffee, stay up into the early morning hours, break out the crayons and get creative with the play book. Utilizes his strength as a receiver off screens and motion.

Hell put him and Moats on the field at the same time. Limit Slaton's touches some to decrease the fumble problem but enough to keep the Colts wary of him. Despite the fumbles, defenses still have to account for his play making ability. If the Texans can establish a run game with Moats and it may open things up for Slaton receiving...and like I said before, someone needs to step up for Daniels.

Final Thoughts

In a way, the running back problem highlights how far the Texans have progressed. This time last year they were 3-5 and not looking like a playoff team. Had Slaton shown his fumble problem at this point last year I doubt he would have been benched as long as he was on Sunday. This year at the halfway point, the team is still in competition for the wild card spot. It's the first time the Texans will try to play meaningful games late into the season. If that means Slaton needs to sit in order to advance then so be it.

I'm glad I'm not Kubiak.

Week 6 - Total Football

2009-10-21T14:10:00.000-07:00

Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Houston Texans played a total team game on Sunday. The very first offensive play from scrimmage was a sign of things to come. The play that finished that drive is usually a sign of things to come.

What to Like about this game? Just about everything.

The defense held Cedric Benson, the NFL leading rusher going into the game, to 44 yards on 16 carries and one TD. Not bad for a team that gave up 531 rushing yards in its first three games. The Texans held the previous two opponents to similar yardage but those two teams were the Cardinals and Raiders. Two teams not known for their rushing prowess. So holding Benson to low yardage is a big accomplishment for the Texans.

Offensively, they played efficient and killed the clock at the end with first downs.

Matt Schaub now leads the NFL in touchdown passes with 18. He is second only to Fat Ben (no longer called Big Ben by this blog) in passing yardage but still trails by two in the sexual allegations department. Come on, Matt, work on that.

Andre Johnson continues to be Angry 'dre.

The passing game excelled with Angry 'dre (135 yards), Owen Daniels (78, 2TDs) and Steve Slaton using screens (102, 1 TD).

The rushing game was adequate with 87 yards on 31 carries. Slaton and Chris Brown were interchangeable through the game. Slaton ran for 43 yard on 19 attempts while it took less than half as many carries for Brown to exceed Slaton (45 yards on 9 carries).

Miss Leading Stat?
I think Slaton's rushing stats are misleading for a few reasons. First, I don't care how my running back gets his yards as long as he gets them. Slaton is a play maker and he needs to be heavily involved in the game plan. Gary Kubiak and Kyle Shanahan decided to get Slaton involved by throwing the ball to him six times. So while he gained only 43 yards rushing, he gained 102 yards on pass plays including his second receiving touchdown of the year on a screen. Slaton accounted for 31% of the offense's yards and averaged 5.8 yards when he touched the ball. Nothing to sneeze at my friends.

Another reason I think his rushing stats is misleading is penalties. On the second to last drive Slaton had three good runs wiped out by holding penalties. The most costly perhaps was when he ran to the Bengals two and Daniels was called for holding. I didn't add up the lost yardage but it was significant. The other thing to note about those holding calls is they were not on offensive linemen. The offenders were FB Vonta Leach, TE Daniels and WR Kevin Walters.

The Center Doesn't Hold
Fans have been piling scorn on center Chris Meyers this season. I made it a point to watch his play in particular and the line play. I used rewind and slow motion plenty of times in my watching.

This game may have been an anomaly for Meyers (Spaz an anomaly is an unusual occurrence, thought I'd save you a trip to the dictionary). I'll pay more attention in future games. That disclaimer out of the way, he played well on Sunday. I paid particular attention from the middle of the second quarter on. Not once did he get blown up on a play or pushed back. In some plays he was the only lineman down field looking to block on the secondary.

Evidently Lance Zierlien, one of the few analysts I respect, agrees:

Chris Meyers had his best game of the year for the Texans and Studdard and Chris White played better as well.

The Rest of the Line
I'm concerned with the guard play. Kasey Studdard started at left guard and Chris White started at right. On several plays Studdard was pushed back. When they did get down field they whiffed on blocks on linebackers. Eric Winston at right tackle had his moments to. He had gained a reputation as being a nasty mauler but I don't see it this year. He missed way to many blocks this game.

One thing I like about left tackle Duane Brown is that you are not hearing his name called often. For a lineman that's good. Otherwise it means he is giving up penalties or allowing sacks. Brown gave up one sack in the game. The defender beat him on a stunt and went straight for Schaub. Brown made up for in the next play. On a screen to Slaton, Brown was down field and to the left. He blocked a would be tackler and it sprang Slaton for his TD.

Rookie Antoine Caldwell split time with White at right guard. Like the other two guards, I was less than impressed with his run blocking. I did like his pass protection though. On two plays he just stood up his defender and didn't budge an inch. He's true to the scouting report I read...he's a great blocker but don't ask him to move.

The Beast
It's official. Brian Cushing is a beast. A defense know for Mario Williams, DeMeco Ryans and Dunta Robinson can now add Cushing to the list. He forced two fumbles and made interception at a critical time in the game. An receiver who made a catch like Cushing's interception would be proud.

Others are noticing. He was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week and Pro Football Weekly also picked him as one of their Players of the Week. Cushing also jumped to the top of PFW's Rookie of the Year Meter.

Closing Thoughts
The Texans return to Reliant Stadium next week and they need to defend it. Through three games they've already lost as many they did last year at home. Fortunately they've matched the road victory total of last year so things are even at 3-3.

An even record isn't good enough any more. Fans want wins and playoffs. Coming up short, like at Arizona and with the Jaguars, doesn't cut it.

For now they are still in the thick of the wildcard race. Now is the time to put a win streak together and for once remain competitive well into the season.

Week 5 - AAAAaaarrgghhhh

2009-10-13T09:14:00.000-07:00

The home stand with 3 out of 4 at Reliant didn't go well. A dismal 1-2 record at home.

So the Texans took their Dog & Pony Show on the road where surprisingly they had a 1-0 record (until you consider the Titans are now 0-5).

The Usual Suspects

Once again the Texans came out ill prepared and out of sync. They committed a penalty on the opening kick off and fumbled the opening snap. Three and out.

On defense, Arizona sliced through the Texans and built a 21-0 lead.

The worst part of the deal? Despite playing terrible in the first half it looked like it would only be a 7-0 game at halftime.

Then the wheels came off in the last two minutes. Arizona scored two quick touchdowns and the game took on a different persona. 21-0.

The Other Texans Show Up For a While and Then The Real Ones Came Back

In the second half the defense held Kurt Warner in check and the offense battled back to tie the score. Only they couldn't seal the deal. David RosenSchaub threw a late interception for a TD and then RB Chris Brown again failed to find the endzone.

The Blame Game

There is plenty of blame to go around.

The coaches once again had the team unprepared for what was going to be thrown at them.

The offense was inept in the first half and inept when it counted at the end.

The defense gave up two quick scores to dig a bigger hole in the last two minutes.

The defense failed to harass Kurt Warner much until the second half. Warner was finally frustrated and out of sync when the Texans got pressure on him.

One board poster exclaimed that the only reason the Texans put any second half pressure on Warner was because the Texans started sending LBs Brian Cushing and DeMeco Ryans. He further went on to complain it was because the Cardinals had no run game but if it were any other team they would have run roughshod over the Texans. Here's a clue genius. It's called an in game adjustment. That thing people like you bitch about the Texans don't do. Here is a prime example of a game adjustment and you bitch about it?

Future of Kubiak
I'm not easily frustrated as a fan. After this week I am.

Is it time for Kubiak and staff to go? Really can't make that evaluation until the end of the season. Five games in and some dweebs are calling for their heads already.

I'm sure owner Bob McNair is sick of the mediocrity. Another 8-8 season full of close losses will probably keep Kubiak around for another year. If the season and players get away from Kubiak then he'll be gone.

Final Thoughts
It's very frustrating to watch the Texans lose two games at the one yard line in the closing minutes. I'm tired of it.

On the other hand, if a change is made, McNair must choose wisely. Some folks are pining for Bill Cowher or some other 3-4 coach. That's at least a two year building project. Who are the linebackers? What do you do with Mario Williams? I just don't see something that drastic happening.

See you at the same time, same bad channel.

Week 4 - It Was the Freaking Raiders!

2009-10-07T18:45:00.000-07:00

I'd be impressed by the win but for one thing. It was the freaking Raiders. The Raiders!!!! The organization that brought us a real life Seinfeld episode. George Costanza (played by Lane Kiffin) keeps showing up for work even though Emperor Palpatine (played by Al Davis) tries to get him to quit by doing everything but barring Costanza from the team facilities.

For one week at least, the Texans stopped the oppositions run game. After being gashed and gored for three games, the defense manned up. But it's the Raiders. One of the things I like watching during the game is how the Texans defense lines up before a play. In the first two home games, one thing that stood out was the misalignment of the deep safety (for lack of a better term since the Texans call them both safeties and don't distinguish between free and strong). The deep safety would move in to support the run. Nice idea if he would stay at home on his assignment. What the Jags did was a thing of beauty. Their line sold the play going to the Texans right, faked an end around to the left that the safety and corner bought and then sprang a counter play to the left. The defense had over pursued to the right and the fake cleared out the corner and safety on the left side leaving a gaping hole for Drew-Jones to dance to the endzone.

Against the Raiders, the Texans made three changes in the secondary. Fred Bennett found a very nice spot on the bench. He receiver was David Garrad's favorite target. This week one of the rookies (Quin or McCain, I'll have to double check) took all the reps in Bennett's place. He did a nice job (against the Raiders). Bennett came on one play that I was told about. I never saw him. He came on in a nickel package and promptly gave up the first down yardage. I did spot him on special teams. The other major change was at safety. Bernard Pollard, the player who ruined Tom Brady last season, started. If nothing else I didn't notice him line up out of position. Which was nice to see.

Offensively the Texans had a very questionable second half. Like John McClain wrote,"...who told the offense they could leave at halftime?"

The plays called were horrible. I'll need to look at a play diagram but it appeared that the Texans decided to abandon the short to medium passes and go deep. I understand trying to go for the jugular. However each time the offense went deep they never connected. I remember one play distinctly the typified the half. Schaub dropped back to pass. He kept looking down field for someone to open up. About 15 yards in the middle Steve Slaton was uncovered with plenty of room to run after the catch. Schaub ended up throwing the ball incomplete.

Gary Kubiak stated in the post game press conference that they ran several run plays just for film study. I can kind of see where he's coming from on this point. They are playing the JV Raiders and needed to work on a few things. So why not take advantage and use a semi-pro team to work rather than going through the motions in practice.

Through four games some disturbing trends are developing.

First is the use of Andre Johnson. There are two All-Universe caliber receivers in the NFL....Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald. He is the Texans deadliest weapon. He makes defensive coordinators cry at night. According to ESPN poll of coordinators, Johnson is one of the few players in the league that defenses must game plan completely around. The trend this year has just been to line Johnson up and WR and run his routes. Last year Kyle Shanahan and Kubiak line Johnson up all over the place...in the slot, out of the backfield, in motion. It worked beautifully. Defenses have to account for him and moving him around puts the defense on their heels. By lining him almost exclusively at WR, the defense can roll the coverage his
direction and account for him almost from the time Schaub goes under center. Shanahan needs to return to last year's strategy.

Second thing that is bothersome is the lack of a running game. I see two things developing in the case. First is the offensive line is getting beat at the point of attack. Most zone blocking scheme are designed to push a defense out of the way in one direction and allow the running back to cut back against the play. This season the offensive line has had problems getting the play flowing in the direction they want. The defenses are either holding the point or pushing the offense back. When Steve Slaton hits the area he's supposed to cut there is no place to go. The defense is there waiting for him for minimal gain or caught behind the line of scrimmage.

The other thing affecting the running game has been Slaton's hesitation. I wonder if he's not seeing the hole to cut back to cause their isn't anywhere to go. On a message board some where, I think it was DGDB&D, said he thinks Slaton has been to impatient to see the flow of the play. Even if the line is getting held at the point, a direction of the play develops. The poster wondered if maybe Slaton was too impatient to let play and flow. There could be some merit to that point.

Coming up next is the Arizona Cardinals. Maybe, if I have time, I will try a brief preview and my prediction.

Dear Oakland Raider Fan

2009-10-04T17:56:00.000-07:00

Dear Oakland Raider Fan,
Obviously you don't realize what an embarrassment you actually are. While you walked and strutted around Reliant Stadium everybody was laughing at you.

I'm not talking about the fans that showed up in Raider black to cheer their team. Those fans were pretty cool and I admire anyone who shows up to cheer their favorite team. It's part of the NFL experience.

I'm talking about the Raider fans that strut like they just won the Super Bowl and dress like it's Halloween every Sunday.

For starters, you aren't a street gang. Throwing up signs to each other as you pass other Raider fans is lame.

You are not in the military so why do you salute each other? You can't possibly be imitating the hated Denver Broncos and the Mile High Salute.

You are not on the field so fist bumps aren't necessary when you pass each other in the concourse.

You are not a motorcycle gang so you don't have to WALK two side by side in a line.

When the score is 29-6, you don't have to yell at the Texans fans that "they aren't shit...you're nobody."

When Texans fans reply to your smack talk, replying the following repeatedly isn't considered a witty reply: "I'm getting the last word. I'm getting the last word. I'm getting the last word."

In fact that reply is a two year old's...oh wait I'm talking about Raider fan.

After the game as everyone is headed to the parking lots, every Raider fan that passed another said,"We still got it." If by "still got it" you mean you still suck then congratulations. At least you can acknowledge to each other how bad your team is. If you are referring to the mythical Raider Mystique then I remind you of the the unofficial team motto: Commitment to Excrement.

And to all those pretend Raider fans that try to look tough, old ladies that sit in the Black Hole would kick your ass and make you cry.

Sincerely,

Houston Texans fans...as we point to the scoreboard one last time...29-6

The Jags? Are You Kidding Me?

2009-10-01T19:08:00.000-07:00

After a courageous effort in a come from behind win over the Titans in week two, the Houston Texans returned to the horrid confines of Reliant Stadium.

In the "soft" part of the schedule, the Texans so far are 1-2. They have one more home game before embarking on an extended road trip. The Texans will play four of five games before the open date of November 15th. They failed to hold serve at home and now must try and make up those losses on the road. Given that they've only won three road games in the last two seasons, it's a tall order for these road warriors.

My quick recap and take on the Jaguar game.

The offense pretty much held up its end of the bargain aside from a last minute fumble by RB Chris Brown. Brown was visibly shaken after the game. He barely could keep his composure as he felt the weight of the loss. I feel bad for Brown. Normally I'm not sympathetic to players that make mistakes (like Sage Rosenpenis). The game never should have come down to a late Brown fumble.

The defense was an epic failure. Again. They once again allowed a long gain for a touchdown. They also never put any pressure on David Garrard's fat ass. He had all day to throw. I swear I saw him eating a sandwich and drinking a beer before he threw the ball on one play. The Jags constantly torched the secondary.

Initially the players were excited about no longer playing a read and react defense that former coordinator Richard Smith implemented. Instead new coordinator Frank Bush pledged a more aggressive defense. The defense has been more aggressive but very plain vanilla. They telegraph when and where the blitzes are coming. They line up exactly how they plan on blitzing. They also play a lot of man coverage. If a quarterback, even Garrard, knows the direction of the blitz and the coverage, he will know where to attack. Blockers know where to align themselves before the snap. A little creativity would go a long way in keep offenses guessing some.

How about that run defense? I'm not sure what's going on there. Most the time it seems like blown assignments. In all those long TD runs there is practically no contact at the line. Before the defense even knows what hit them the running back is out racing the defensive backs. In many of those plays the linebacker at the point of attack never sees the run. Is there a fatal flaw that offenses are seeing and the Texans fail to recognize?

Now back to why the game never should have come down to Brown's last minute fumble. Culprit number one: The Defense. Or lack there of. The defense really only needed to make two or three key stops. A few stops would have a.) kept the Jags points off the scoreboard and b.) probably given the offense a few more opportunities to put up points. Very simple. Keep the ball away from opponent and they can't score. Keep the ball and you can score. If the defense had done it's job, the more likely scenario is Chris Brown is running out the clock and not fumbling away the game.

Week 4 and the Raider game is a must win.

Houston Texans Bull Site Week 1 - Disappointment & Embarrassment

2009-09-15T21:53:00.000-07:00

Four months to prepare for the season opener. A city enthusiastic about the Texans. Players hyped up about making the playoffs. An owner hoping his investment finally pays off on the field. (Financially the Texans are in top ten in franchise value).

All the positive attitudes and what does the team do? They lay a stinking, smoldering, steaming pile of dog shit on the field.

The Good

That’s a joke. There was no good. Even the only touchdown of the game was an adventure. Safety John Busing intercepted a Mark Sanchez pass only to fumble it. Dominque Barber picked up the fumble and returned it for the Texans only touchdown.

The Bad

Plenty of bad to go around. The defense allowed the Jets to control the ball for 38 minutes. The defense also allowed the Jets to convert 55% on third down and two for two on fourth down. The Jets run game molested the Texans for 190 yards. The Jets air attack performed prison sex on the defense to the tune of 272 yards. My favorite stat: no sacks.

The Ugly

The high octane low scoring offense was just short circuited by the Rex Ryan defense. Again. See the box score from the Ravens game last year. Different team, same result. Only difference is that Sage Rosenpenis was under center that game and not Matt Schaub. Andre Johnson, Steve Slaton and Schaub were all held in check by the Jets.

The Horrible

The Jets defense outright mauled and destroyed the Texans big uglies. The offensive line opened no holes for the run game and gave Schaub no time to set up in the pocket. Well, you can’t set up in the pocket when there isn’t one to set up in.

The Game Plan

On defense the Texans brought the heat often and early on rookie quarterback Dirty Sanchez. The Jets picked up the blitz all game long. With minimal pressure getting to Sanchez, he tore up the blown coverages of the defensive backfield. The new attacking defense of defensive coordinator was a dismal failure. The best defensive adjustment would have been to call off the dogs and shore up the coverage.

On offense, it appears the game plan fell apart after the first series. I’m still trying to figure out what happened other than the Jets just annihilated the Texans offensive line.

Next up the Texans go on the road against archrival Tennessee Titans. The loss to the Jets may have been demoralizing but a team that has playoff hopes better pull their heads out of their asses. One game does not a season make.

Final Thought

To everyone that wants to run GM Rick Smith, Gary Kubiak and Matt Schaub out of town after one game, go buy you Cowboy jersey now. Bitching, crying and whining after one game are hallmarks of Cowboy football fans. I’m sure they will welcome you with open arms. Bite me!

Houston Texans Bull Site - Week 0 Edition

2009-09-07T18:01:00.000-07:00

Houston Texans Bull Site Week 0 Edition

Let the Games Begin

Less than one week remains before the regular season kicks off. Mark Sanchez will make his NFL debut quarterbacking the NY Jets at Reliant Stadium. For the Texans, LB Brian Cushing will make his debut in any kind of NFL action. He missed the preseason with a leg injury.

Many expect that this is the year the Texans will finally make the playoffs. The Texans drafted Cushing and DE Connor Barwin and signed DE Antonio Smith in hopes of bolstering the defensive front seven.

Defense Questions

In order to make the next leap forward, the defense must improve across the board.

How much will Cushing really help the Texans? Some message board posters speculated he will be injury prone due to his massive physic. They make the claim that he carries to much muscle on his frame. To much muscle can lead to injuries as tendons and ligaments can't stand up to the game day pounding while trying to keep the mass together. Cushing is a reputed work out fiend. Hopefully the Texans staff works with him to get him in playing shape and not just one large muscle running amok in the field.

Lance Zeurlin of the Houston Chronicle says that Antonio Smith has a devastating spin move. I hope he's right. Smith is going to have to make a big impact in order to free up Mario Williams. Williams is a beast by himself but imagine the pain he can inflict if his linemates step it up.

The other question is who emerged as the starter on the weak side? Initially the battle was thought to be between Xavier Adibi and Cato June. June allegedly reported to camp out of shape. He then sustained and injury that put an end to the competition. Instead the battle that emerged was between Adibi and Zac Diles. Diles started on the strong side last year and was having a solid year until he suffered a season ending injury on a special teams practice drill.

The versatility at linebacker also provides some depth. It is somewhat reassuring to know that Diles can play both outside spots and Kevin Bentley can back up all three slots. MLB DeMeco Ryans will not come off the field unless he is dragged off.

With Jacques Reeves out, things seemed thin at corner. Dunta Robinson reported to the team on Sunday for his physical and conditioning exam. He'll have his first practice on Tuesday. Robinson should be in shape and ready to go. He will need some study and film time though to get caught up with the new defense.

The current safeties are adequate. Based on preseason tackling needs some work. This is probably one area that the team definitely needs to address next year.

Will someone step up and play defensive tackle? Anyone? Please. Despite what some say, it's to early to label Amobi Okoye a bust. Travis Johnson was dealt for a case of jock straps. Frank Okam is lazy. Shaun Cody? He's getting playing time but isn't impressing anyone much. This may be the undoing of the team.

Offense Questions

The big bold question everyone is asking: Can Matt Schaub stay healthy an entire season? No further discussion needed.

The other questions are can Steve Slaton follow up a great rookie year and not hit the so called sophomore slump? Will left tackle Duane Brown improve or regress in his first year as full time starter? Last year he alternated and came out every third series. Keeping Schaub's blindside clean is key to his survival.

The offense seems to have most pieces in place. I'm not to worried about them yet. If they can match scoring with the yards they put up they will be fine.

Season Outlook

This is just my opinion but I think the Texans are one season away from competing for a playoff spot. If they can make big improvements on defense and the red zone their chances go up exponentially. They need to win within the division more and on the road more.

They are a great home team. In 2007 they lost one home game and in 2008 they lost two. So if they hold serve at home and can pull off three or more road wins they are in the thick of things.

The question begs: is head coach Gary Kubiak and his staff on the hot seat? Barring a Dom Comedy Caper 2-14 meltdown, no they aren't. Owner Bob McNair is trying to model the team on consistency. He knows patience and letting the football people take care of things is the best way to go.

New York Giants, New England, Indianapolis and Pittsburgh are teams McNair strives to copy. Those teams don't just have the same coaches but when a coach leaves there is a plan in place. Bill Cowher won a Super Bowl in Pittsburgh and three seasons later Mike Tomlin does it again. What did Tomlin change? Nothing. He knows the legacy of Steeler football. He didn't change a thing. When Tony Dungy left the Colts, a successor coach was already named well before Dungy retired. Tom Coughlin was on the verge of being shown the door but the owner relented and allowed him one more season. He won the Super Bowl that year. New England is the model franchise of the league.

The goal of those teams isn't to win the Super Bowl. The goal is to win multiple Super Bowls. They don't want to be one and done champs. They want to build a dynasty and lasting legacy. McNair seems to want that to.

Is Kubiak the man for the job? I don't know. I do know that it's wise to play out the season before making any judgments. The shoot from the hip and fair weather fans already have him fired based on preseason.

Be Careful What You Wish For

Sage Rosenpenis, he of helicopter fame, wanted out and wanted a chance to start. He was locked in mortal combat with Tarvaris Jackson for the Minnesota Vikings starting job. Some reports stated that The Penis had a slight advantage. Then Brett Favre the Drama Queen unretired. Again. Peter King masturbated to the thoughts of Favre's return. I digress. So Sage, named after an herb, to quote Nelson from the Simpsons,"Ha! Ha!"

The Return of a Blog

The Brett Favre of Texans blogs is back. After pretending to grow up and have adult things to do, DGDB&D is back.

I'm glad you guys are back. While the other blogs are informative and fun, no one approaches the level you guys entertain and ridicule all things NFL and Texans.

Houston Texans Bull Site - August 2009

2009-07-29T18:16:00.000-07:00

Training camp opens this week, or is underway, depending on when you read this.

Fans and media expect a playoff run for the Houston Texans this year. I'll get to why I don't think the defense is ready.

Texans Rookie Class
The only unsigned rookie remaining is first round pick Brian Cushing. Second pick Connor Barwin was signed right before camp.

The Texans have pretty much penciled in Cushing as the starting SAM. He'll need all the time he can get learning the defense if he hopes to live up to the hype.

The other picks will contribute mostly as back ups and special teams. Some believe that third round selection Antoine Caldwell will start at some point this season at either guard or center. I think he will be a swing lineman unless injuries or horrible play open up a slot for him. The current starting line played all sixteen games without injury. Offensive line unity counts in the NFL. Sometimes the play of the unity is better than the individual talent. The Texans got a good look at what they have on the line and it wasn't as bad as some might think. I think they keep them together unless someone falls apart or gets injured.

James Casey, the TE/HB out of Rice, will probably contribute right away on special teams. Some fans and media speculate he may be tried out of the "Wildcat" formations or even the long snapper.

Hopefully one or two of the later picks will turn into a gem of a find.

The PUPS
CB Antwaun Molden, DT Travis Johnson and rookies TE Anthony Hill and OL Antoine Caldwell start off on the PUP. My only concern is Hill. He was an injury waiting to happen in college. Now he starts off his pro career hurt. Not a good omen.

I'm not to concerned with Molden. Yet. I'd like to see if he can go this season without missing to much time. The Texans need him for at least depth. CBs Jacques Reeves and Fred Bennett will hold down the starting spots given that Dunta Robinson is holding out.

Contract Squabbles
It's been hashed over and over on the other blogs and media so I won't spend to much time on the subject.

Currently the top of the list for the Texans is to get all the rookies signed and into camp.

Next they must reward the veterans. MLB Demeco Ryans has outplayed his rookie contract. He deserves his payday. He's the on field general of the team. He played hurt last year but he toughed it out. He won Defensive Rookie of the Year in his initial campaign. It's time to lock up Mr. Ryans for the long term.

Owen Daniels has also emerged as a near top flight tight end. He isn't in the top tier yet but he's a vital cog on the offense. A few fans seem to think he's replaceable and that is the reason the Texans selected Casey and TE Anthony Hill in the fourth round. I truly doubt that.

Daniels signed the restricted agent tender and will be in camp. That leads me to believe that negotiations are progressing. I think Ryans gets his contract and Daniels won't be to far behind.

The one who may have overplayed his hand is CB Dunta Robinson. Rumor is the Texans offered Robinson near $23 million per year. It would make him paid like a top tier shutdown corner. Robinson is good but he isn't great. On his best day he's a second tier corner still. He's playing his way back from a serious injury he suffered in 2007.

If he was offered that money there are fools all around. Robinson is a fool for turning it down and thinking he could do better. The Texans are fools for offering to overpay for Robinson when Ryans and Daniels also need to be extended. Ryans definitely should get his before Daniels and Robinson.

Death of a Blog
My favorite Texans blog, DGDB&D shut it down. The two main contributors, Big Fat Drunk and Mike, can no longer keep up with it. They make it sound like they grew up with stuff like jobs, marriage and kids.

I hate that they shut it down but I can understand. I'll miss the blog and it's bathroom humor, fake conversations, Titans bashing and constant ridicule of the Houston Chronicle's Little Dickey Justice.

It was fun guys. Big Fat Drunk will now be an occasional contributor to the Battle Red Blog. I look forward to his unique commentary and hope they don't make him tone it down. So long guys and thanks for making the Texans blogosphere a fun place.

Is This the Year for Defense?
Does the Texans defense make theGreat Leap Forward?

My answer is no. I don't think the defense is ready for prime time. There are just to many questions and not enough answers.

Mario Williams and DeMeco Ryans are proven commodities. Williams is a top five defensive end and Ryans is a top ten linebacker.

But where is the rest of the defense?

Robinson isn't a top tier cornerback but he's not to shabby. Depending on who you read or believe, Frenchy is a good or bad CB. Bennett regressed after having a pretty good rookie year. Molden isn't healthy.

The safties are decent but don't strike fear into the heart of offenses.

At the outside linebackers you have Cushing and Xavier Adibi. Cushing is expected to start at SAM. Adibi is in competition with Cate June for the WILL position. Speculation is that Cushing might come out on passing downs. Not exactly what you want from the #15 pick in the draft. The depth and possible combinations at linebacker are decent. Right now there isn't a playmaker at linebacker who can force turnovers and jar runners to the bone.

The Texans added Antonio via free agency from the Arizona Cardinals. His job will be to add pressure to the opposite side of Mario Williams. Smith will line up primarily at right end and may move inside on passing downs.

The Texans hope second rounder Barwin will have an impact very quickly. I doubt that he will. The learning curve for a DE can be steep. He has the physical skills to do it but he's still raw. He's only played one year at end in college. Big difference. He needs at least one year to be coached up the level needed.

I hope the Texans can take the next step on defense. It will be essential for any playoff aspirations.

Final Thoughts
I have a friend, I've mentioned him before, who thinks Gary Kubiak gets the axe if they don't make the playoffs. I'll let you in on a secret. My friend is an idiot.

Allow me to illustrate my friend's idiocy. I pointed out the fact that Andre Johnson had 76 of his 115 catches at home and 39 on the road. I thought it was an interesting disparity. He says it's because teams double Johnson on the road and don't at Reliant. I asked what the hell is he talking about. He said well a team wants to take away the best player at home. Unbelievable. I told him it's football. You want to take away the best player no matter where the game is played. Does he actually think teams game plane not to play Johnson as tough on the road versus home? I decided not to discuss the topic any further.

He also back pedaled when I reminded him he wanted the Texans to sign Brad Johnson after the Cowboys released him. He posted it on Steph's Chronicle blog. Just scroll down and look for the Brad Johnson post.

That's it for now. Updates as warranted.

Houston Texans Bull Site - July 2009

2009-07-10T17:09:00.000-07:00

Houston Texans Bull Site - July 2009
A Fan's Perspective on all things Texans football

This the extremely slow part of the season. A such, I bring an abbreviated form of the Houston Texans Bull Site newsletter.

I see no sense in rehashing all the stuff going on in the Texans online blogosphere and message boards. Google "Texans" or follow the links on the right of this column and find out what the fans are saying.

You might find in reading some of the blogs you might need a little help. Thus I bring you the first ever glossary of Texans terms.

Houston Texans Blogosphere Glossary

The Texans are the only sports team I follow extensively on the internet. So I don’t know if similar terms, nicknames and descriptions emerge on blogs and message boards of other teams. My guess is that they do. It took me some time to figure out some of the definitions while others were obvious.

Mothership – The Texans headquarters or official website. Many blogs refer to a press release or any information from official channels as word from the mothership. I’ve see Stephanie Stradley’s blog, the DGDB&D and IntheBullseye.com use the reference.

Smithiak – The Texans Godhead of general manager Rick Smith and head coach Gary Kubiak. Battle Red Blog’s slogan is “In Smithiak We Trust.” The term is widely used by Texans bloggers and message board posters.

Frenchy – Cornerback Jacques Reeves due to the “french” pronounciation of his name.

Pancakes – Houston Chronicle’s Texans beat writer John McClain. The earliest reference I can find is at Battle Red Blog at this post http://www.battleredblog.com/comments/2007/11/19/215332/74/13 by none other than Big Fat Drunk of the DGDB&D.

Chicken Legs – 2009 Texans first round draft pick Brian Cushing due to his huge upper body but skinny legs. Again credit goes to someone at DGDB&D.

TexansChick – Stephanie Stradley’s blog handle. She’s a huge Texans fan that writes a fan blog for the Houston Chronicle website and for AOL’s Funhouse. She is a prominent and respected Texans blogger.

Mr. Mittens – Former quarterback David Carr for his use of white gloves. It’s best we forget he was a Texan player.

DGDB&D – Originally titled DaGood,DaBad & DeMeco after linebacker Demeco Ryans. After a polite request and a donation to the blog’s favorite charity, the title was reduced to its current form.

David Rosenschaub – My three headed monster of the Texan quarterback. I came up with it after the shakey quarterback play of Matt Schaub and Sage Rosenfails at the start of the 2008 season. I had to throw in David Carr for good measure.

Sage Rosencopter – Back up quarterback Sage Rosenfels cemented his legacy in Houston sports lore with his epic meltdown against the Colts. Leading late in the game, Rosencopter tried to fly for a first down. Instead he was hit mid flight, spun like a helicopter, fumbled and it was returned for a TD and the Colts came from behind to avoid the upset.

Super Mario – Obviously defensive end Mario Williams and refering to the video game character.

‘dre – All Universe WR Andre Johnson

Little Dickie Justice – Chronicle columnist and hack. He hates most things Texans and GM Smith.

BE-SF - Again credit goes to the DGDB&D blog for this entry. It took me some digging to figure out it referred to the Tennessee Titans. Baby Eating - Sister Fuckers.

I told you it was a slow month.

That does it for this tiny version of the newsletter. Things will pick up once camps open. I hope.

Rex Grossman Signed

2009-06-13T13:23:00.000-07:00

The Texans signed former Chicago Bears quarterback Rex Grossman.

Good or bad? I say neither. He signed for the vet minimum ($600K). He either is training camp fodder, an extra arm for camp or will be given a legitimate shot at replacing third stringer Alex Brink.

Given Matt Schaub's health and missing games the last two seasons, having veteran quarterbacks on staff is probably a good idea.

I honestly think second teamer Dan Orlovsky is a legit two and there is no way Grossman beats him out on the depth chart.

If for whatever reason both Schaub and Orlovsky can't go, I feel more comfortable starting a vet like Grossman than turning the keys over to Bink.

Houston Texans Bullsite - June 2009

2009-06-05T13:58:00.000-07:00

Houston Texans Bullsite

A Fan’s Perspective of the Texans
June 2009

The Dreaded Long Days of the Off Season
Free agency is over. The draft came and went. OTAs and mini-camps are underway. Barring major injuries, I don’t expect any earth shaking news coming out of the Texans camp.

I’m not going to rehash the draft, free agency or other issues just for the sake of writing something. There are plenty of articles on such things on the internet and the Texans blogosphere.

So then what do I write about? Evidently nothing. It’s the off season. I’m not going to create news or issues.

I already gave my Way To Early 2009 Prognostication when the schedule came out.

The Mothership is spewing out OTA news.

I didn’t go to the Pigskins and Pins event. I forgot to RSVP or pay attention to the deadline for registering.

I did go to the All Access event held for season ticket holders on May 27th.

All Access
Unfortunately I missed the Frank Bush interview and I didn’t feel like listen to Sports Radio 610 ramble on while waiting for the Kyle Shanahan interview.

I did get to see first round draft pick Brian Cushing up close for the first time. First thing he needs to do is lose the long hair. He looks like a typical California surfer douchebag. Come on, Brian, this is Texans. I don’t mean bust out the cowboy hat (remember Cowboys are hated around these parts) and boots. But ditch the goofy hair. Try mixing some speech lessons around the game film sessions and practice. Good Lord, was I the only one not understanding a word he said? My two year old nephew speaks clearer.

I did see the mini pep rally the Texans had with the band, Marc Vandermeer and the players.

The first to speak was GM Rick Smith. Not much substance said. Matt Schaub, Chester Pitts, Mario Williams, Steve Slaton, Andre Johnson, Antonio Smith and Brian Cushing were all introduced. Schaub stated that the goal was to make the playoffs. Anything after that was icing on the cake. Johnson took it further. He said he not only expects to make the playoffs, he expects them to win in the playoffs. Anything short of that and he considers the season a failure. Johnson also said if they fail, he considers it a personal failure and a let down to the Houston fans. It may have been Williams, or maybe Pitts, that stated how fired up he was to see so many fans out to an event in May. Seeing the crowd and fans made him excited for the upcoming season.

The only player that didn’t address the crowd was Slaton. After everybody else spoke, the fans started chanting “Steve, Steve, Steve!” but he didn’t come out to speak. He looked genuinely bashful in my opinion.

Pitts was the only one announced that would speak. The other players were just going to be introduced. I guess the fired up crowd incited them all, except Slaton, to give a few words.

While the crowd was enthusiastic about all the players, it’s obvious who the favorites are by the noise created at the introductions. Cushing got a rousing ovation only to be out done when Matt Schaub was introduced. I think the fans have decided to live and die with Schaub at quarterback. There were no boos like the early in the Dolphins game.

The crowd really erupted when Mario Williams walked on stage. Then the spontaneous chants of “Mario, Mario, Mario” started.

However, the loudest applause came for All-Universe WR Andre Johnson (The Cardinals Larry Fitzgerald is the other All-Universe WR).

It’s clear that the fickle fans of Houston are in love with the Texans right now. There was unbridled enthusiasm at the pep rally. The players and fans have high expectations for the upcoming season. The mentality around the Mothership, players, fans and management is this is a playoff season or it will be considered a bust.

Coach Kubiak’s Seat Getting Warm?
With the playoff or bust mentality, the question arises: Will Coach Gary Kubiak survive the season if they don’t make the playoffs?

The general consensus among the blogs, fans, message boards and media is Kubiak will be back to coach another season if the playoffs are missed. Unless there is a total team implosion, ala Dom Caper’s 2-14 comedy, Kubiak should be safe.

TexansChick Stephanie Stradley wrote a great blog entry about Kubiak’s sitting in owner Bob McNair’s crosshairs. Read it at Gary Kubiak on the hotseat? Nope, I don't think so.

Who Takes the Seat Next?
It’s to early for guessing a replacement for Kubiak. Yet I have a friend, you know who you are if you are reading, that is already trotting out names to replace Kubiak. I can’t get it through his thick skull that McNair won’t fire Kubiak just because they miss the playoffs.

My friend has brought up two names: Mike Holmgren and the Jaw Bill Cowher. The body isn’t even cold and he wants Holmgren in. Cowher? Forget it. Two reasons. I don’t think Cowher would come to Houston. I think he takes the Carolina or Jacksonville jobs if they open up. I don’t see him straying to far from home. The other reason is I think bringing a 3-4 coach would be a disaster. The Texans don’t have the personnel for it. My friend states that the Texans have the linebackers for it and Cowher knows how to coach it. I disagree. Plus what do you do with Mario Williams? Stand him up at outside linebacker? A position he’s never played! A 3-4 end doesn’t attack like Williams. You certainly don’t ask him to tie up blockers for the LBs. It would be a tremendous waste of his talent.

Coaching Changes Not Always the Answer
Firing coaches is the easy answer but not always the smart move. Remember two years ago the Giants were on the verge of firing Tom Coughlin. Management and ownership brought him back for 2007 on a short leash. Coughlin did something unheard of. He checked his ego somewhat at the door and became a little bit of a player’s coach. What happened? They pulled off the upset of the undefeated New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. Raise your hand if you think the Giants would have even made the Super Bowl, much less win it, if Coughlin was calling games for TV.

Obviously keeping a coach won’t win you the Super Bowl. My point is many times firing a coach is a knee jerk reaction. The media and fans howl for a coach’s head. Ownership fears TV blackouts and drop off of season ticket sales so they take the coach out back and put one in his skull.

Of course, a coaching change is sometimes necessary. I cited the 2005 Dom Capers Comedy Caper earlier. Detroit had to let Rod Marinelli go if for nothing else to start with a clean slate after 0-16. KC let Herm Edwards go because the regime had changed and they wanted their guy. Mike Shanahan overplayed his hand in Denver after winning a power struggle a in March 2008 over then GM Ted Sundquist. Tampa Bay ownership grew tired of Jon Gruden’s antics.

Other times management doesn’t know what’s going on so they make the coach the fall guy. Ask Eric Mangini in New York. How GM Mike Tannenbaum kept his job is beyond me. He’s the one responsible for the roster. Was Mangini entirely at fault for the perceived team failure? No. Bringing in Brett Farve and free agent signings had Tannenbaum’s finger prints all over it. If anything both should have been shown the door but Tannenbaum made Mangini the fall guy.

On the flip side, I don’t think letting Romeo Crennel was the smart thing to do in Cleveland. I think he’s a better coach than Mangini but owner Mike Lerner decided to clean house. Surprisingly the other Ohio team kept coach Marv Lewis. It’s the one smart thing Bengals management has done lately.

Is it Kick Off Time Yet?
Camp opens next month and then the preseason shall be upon us. This slow part of the season is hard to write about. I did commit myself to writing a monthly article in the off season. The first two were easy with free agency and the draft. I’m already scratching my head about next month’s issue. Maybe I’ll just cut and paste articles from the blogs. Yeah, right.

Texans Illustrated - Draft Post Mortem

2009-05-02T23:19:00.000-07:00

Texans Times Illustrated

Post Draft Edition
May 2009

Yawn!

That’s my shoot from the hip evaluation of the Houston Texans 2009 draft class. Other than outside linebacker (Brian Cushing) and offensive line depth (Antione Caldwell), the Texans didn’t address any of the other team needs. They took two cornerbacks, two tight ends, a back up safety and a raw project.

Here’s my evaluation, starting from the bottom up.

Troy Nolan SS Arizona St. 7th Round
They definitely needed a safety. Starting quality would have been preferable. Nolan needs some work and weight. Also is a bit flat footed for a safety. He clocked in at 4.64 40 and benched 225 lbs 12 times at the combine.

Nolan does have some play making ability. He returned four interceptions for TDs in two seasons. He’s also athletic. He played basketball, track and field and soccer in high school.

What the scouting report I have says is that sometimes it was more a case of him being in the right place at the right time. He’s heavy footed and his skills aren’t particularly suited for the pro game. He’s rated as a solid back up but nothing more. He grades out as a late round prospect or priority free agent.

My Grade picking Nolan: C+, solid back up.

Brice McCain CB ??? 6th Round
I have no idea. I can’t find a scouting report as of yet. I can’t find him on a depth chart. Nice pick Texans.
McCain update: Apparently he's really fast. In an Al Davis fit, Smithiak took McCain.

My grade on McCain: Incomplete

James Casey TE/HB Rice 5th Round
Casey is a good pick who might pay off. He’s athletic and versatile. He’s probably too small and definitely not strong enough to play tight end. On the other hand he probably makes a great NFL halfback.

The scouting report for him is full of praise. Whoever wrote it likes his athleticism, pass catching ability, a knack for finding an open field, work ethic, eye-hand coordination and upper body strength.

The only knocks are his arm length and lower body strength. The scout thinks the short arms limits his ability to stretch out for balls and his lower body isn’t strong enough to be an inline blocker. The only other knock is his age due to four years of minor league baseball. I don’t have a problem with his age. It’s not like he took the beating of a lineman or running back over those four years.

Overall I think Casey will be a great value pick and add some a couple more dimensions to the offense. I also expect he will contribute on special teams.

My grade on Casey: B+, great value and versatility

Anthony Hill TE North Carolina St. 4th Round
I’m not sure I really understand this pick.

Hill gets glowing praise for size, blocking ability off the snap and ability to find the open seam in zone coverage. His size makes him hard to bring down and he also boasts a great work ethic.

The big downside to Hill is his injuries. Questions about his durability abound. Also his ability to learn a pro playbook is in question.

He probably makes the team as third TE or second on passing downs. I doubt he contributes to special teams due to his injury history.

My grade for Hill: C-, where’s the back up running back?

Glover Quin FS-CB New Mexico 4th Round
Well I take back what I said earlier about not drafting a safety. Quin was listed in the Houston Chronicle’s John McClain’s draft day blog as a cornerback. He plays both positions.

After reading his scouting report, I must say this is a nice pick up. On the plus side of the ledger, he can react well to plays. He can adjust to the ball when it is thrown and he can read defenses and recognize run plays. He attacks the run well. Overall he has good instincts and is a great tackler. Supposedly he only missed five tackles last season. He’s also one tough S.O.B.

There isn’t much negative about him. There are some questions about his injuries and can he stay health if he were to play safety full time. There is also a knock on the competition he faced.

I like what Quin brings to the Texans. He’s a tough sure handed tackler who can sniff out a play. Definitely what I want in a free safety.

I can understand the worries about his injuries but I don’t see anything that can cause long term problems for the Texans. He broke his arm in JUCO in 04, played every game in 06, missed two games with groin injury in 07 and second half against BYU and he started every game in 08. He played through pain and injury. He also had off season knee surgery. I don’t think there is much to worry about though.

He might turn out to be a steal for the Texans.

My grade on Quin: A-, potential future starter

Antoine Caldwell G/C Alabama 3rd Round
I was geeked up about Caldwell when he was first selected. As I read the scouting report, my opinion dropped a spot or two about him.

The best that can be said of Caldwell is he’s instinctive; blocks well at the line and can make calls at the line. Don’t ask him to do much more.

Beyond that he’s pretty average. He’s not strong off the snap, doesn’t move side to side well, doesn’t knock defenders back and can’t move to pick up the blitz. In other words, don’t ask him to move. To quote the scouting report, “Could become a functional pivot (back up guard and center) in the pros if he is protected and not asked to pull or travel far.” Yup, Big Guy, just stand there and get in someone’s way.

My grade on Caldwell: D+, the guy just can’t move in any direction

Connor Barwin DRE-OLB-TE Cincinnati 2nd Round
I want to know who spiked the Texans punch while making this selection. Barwin has a lot of upside and potential but is quiet a reach in the 2nd round. The Texans had more pressing needs than a raw project at right end.

Barwin shot up the boards during the combine. He registered the best times in several of the drills. He is a great athlete and is quick off the ball.

The downside is his upside. He needs coaching. A lot of coaching. He has little in the way of moves, can’t shed blockers, doesn’t attack blockers well and doesn’t read or react to plays very well. He only played defense one year in college. The scouting report I have on him says he needs a few years to develop and grades him out as a mid-round talent.

I don’t have a problem with the Texans taking Barwin. I have a problem with them taking him in the 2nd round. The need at safety and back up running back were a higher priority. With the win now mentality of the Texans, they could ill afford to waste a draft pick on Barwin this high.

My grade on Barwin: C+, great prospect taken way too early.

Brian Cushing OLB USC 1st Round
The Texans were going to take either Brian Cushing or Clay Matthews with the first pick. There was a distinct possibility that they were going to trade down in the draft. Regardless, they wasted no time in taking the linebacker that was at the top of their board.

Cushing will be expected to step in right away and contribute. He may not start initially but his role will expand during the season.

The good? He’s a beast. He eats puppies and small animals for breakfast. For lunch he eats chains and craps nails. Cushing is a monster. He’s the only person known to have been called “Sir” by Chuck Norris.

On the football field, he is a menace to life. He plays hard and can shed blockers. Cushing doesn’t mind attacking the lead blocker. He has no hesitation in administering a hit and leading the point of attack.

The downside? His aggressiveness can be used against him. Misdirections can catch him flat footed. He can overrun a play and take himself out of position to make plays. He’s a little high strung too. Some think he’s too muscular and that his size hinders him sometimes. This caught me by surprise: as a pass rusher, Cushing skills are limited. He often came off the field on third downs. The injury bug is also a big concern.

My take on Cushing is that he’s a solid pick. Matthews may have been a better selection though. Matthews moves better to the ball and is a three down player. Cushing can be a three down player but it will take some work and good coaching. Other than injury concerns, his negatives appear to be correctable if he wants to learn and the coaches teach him techniques and how not to take himself out of plays. That may require him to tone down the intensity a notch or two. He does bring the nastiness of right tackle Eric Winston to the defensive side of the ball. Attitude and nastiness are definitely missing from the Texans defense.

My grade on Cushing: A-, brings attitude and hard hits to defense

Overall I have to say this is a disappointing draft for the Texans. They needed to shore up the defense and build some depth. They get the linebacker they needed in Cushing and a potential starter in Quin. Barwin may contribute but I don’t think he’s ready for the pros yet. The Texans would have been better served by selecting another defensive tackle. Despite what a friend of mine thinks, Shaun Cody isn’t the answer.

Offensively they literally dropped the ball. They picked up a slow footed lineman in the third and an oft injured TE in the fourth. Casey will be an exciting player and special teamer. They also failed to draft a capable back up for Steve Slaton.

Overall Grade on Texans Draft: C-

2009 Houston Texans Schedule – My First Quick Take

2009-04-19T14:07:00.000-07:00

2009 Houston Texans Schedule – My First Quick Take
Some things even out. Last season I had to burn 5 vacation days to see Texans home games. This year I only have to burn 3. Not bad at all. I do shift work. Some months my work days fall on Football Sundays.

At first glance it doesn’t look like the schedule makers did the Texans any favors.

Initially it looks fine that the Texans get 3 of 4 games at home to start the season. The only road game is at divisional foe Titans. They host three winnable games against the Jets, Jaguars and Raiders.

However, that home stretch comes with a cost. The next 4 out of 5 games are played on the road. Mixing the bye week, the Texans play one home game in six weeks. Two games loom large on the road. The first road game will be against defending NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals and closing out the road stretch with divisional arch nemesis Indianapolis Colts. The sole home game is against the 49ers.

If the Texans can defend the home field and win 2 of 4 on the long road stretch through the first nine games, they are looking at a 6-3 record. That puts them in prime contention not only for a wildcard but for the division title.

An upset or two greatly enhances playoff chances as long as they don’t drop a game they should win. If they can stun the Titans, Cardinal or Colts on the road it puts the Texans in the thick of the divisional race. Once again that assumes a strong start to the season. Worst case scenario while staying in contention is a split in the first four games and winning 3 of the next 5. That leaves them at 5-4. Any worse and they are on the outside looking in.

After the bye week, the Texans face their three divisional enemies in consecutive weeks. They host the Titans on Monday Night Football and the Colts the next week. They close out divisional play at Jacksonville. This is the next important stretch of games of the season. Regardless of a 6-3 record or 5-4 record, 2 of 3 wins is a must. One win leaves them with a 7-5 or 6-6 record. If they enter 6-3 and win 2 of 3, they are sitting in good spot at 8-4. In two scenarios, they could end up 7-5. While not the end of the world, the competition for a playoff spot becomes fierce.

Also two wins in the three game divisional stretch helps tremendously. Last year the Texans finished 8-8 with only two divisional wins; the MNF win over the Jags and the late season street fight with the Titans. It is vital to the playoff hopes that they win more than two divisional games.

The final four games are split with two at home and two on the road. They host Seattle, go on the road against the Rams and Dolphins and then return to host the Patriots. A split, in my two scenarios, leaves them at either 10-6 or 9-7. While both are winning records, it doesn’t guarantee a playoff spot. The Patriots sat home last season with an 11-5 record.

The two keys to the season, in my way to early analysis, is to continue winning at home and improving the divisional record. Winning at home has actually been the easy part. Last season they lost two home games. Only the Ravens blew them out. They were one Sage Rosenfail turnover from going 7-1 at home. The true test of a contender is how they do on the road. For the Texans, improving the divisional record goes hand in hand with winning the road games.

Texans Times Illustrated - it's a working title for now

2009-04-11T12:15:00.000-07:00

Texans Times Illustrated

April 2009

Inaugural Issue

What is the Texans Times Illustrated? My newsletter about my hometown NFL team – the Houston Texans.

This is my labor of love for the Texans. I’m not sure what direction it will go but I plan on doing it monthly during the off season and weekly during the season.

In this issue, I’ll take a look at the free agent moves and a draft preview.

So Long Sage Rosenfail, Hello Two Points Orlovsky

Sage Rosenfails was sent packing to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for a 2009 fourth round draft pick. Rosenfails stepped in and went 2-3 as a starter while Matt Schaub was injured. He is probably best known for his epic meltdown against the Indianapolis Colts.

I had this weird thing about taking a picture of the scoreboard after a game last season. For some odd reason I decided to do it at the 8 minute mark of the Colts game. Right before Rosenfails epic blunders. I was to stunned to snap one after the game.

That game forever cemented my low opinion of Rosenfails. I have no idea what Rosenfails was thinking during the game. I think he started seeing his headlines and the ensuing quarterback controversy. Instead of managing the game, his head swelled. Up to the collapse, he played a perfect game. His bootlegs were a thing of beauty. The mass of players went one direction while Rosenfails went the opposite direction and would hit an open receiver downfield. The game plan was perfect. Keep the offense on the field and Payton Manning on the sidelines.

Then in a matter of minutes the whole game collapsed. Rosenfails thought he was John Elway and turned into a helicopter. That one play changed the game and gave Manning the opening he needed to pull off the victory.

Up until the Colts game, Sage Rosenfels was the most popular player on the team. Hordes of fans were calling for Schaub to be benched and Rosenfels to start.

Two things turned the fans against Rosenfails: 1. the Colts meltdown and 2. the realization that he’s not better than Schaub.

The team decided to send Rosenfails to the Vikings for a draft pick. Good luck Minnesota, he’s your problem now.

The Perfect Season
Of course, Matt Schaub’s ability to play a full season is still a big question. In two seasons as the Texans starting QB he’s missed several games. It goes to reason that the Texans must find someone capable of starting in the likely event that Schaub will miss a few games.

So to fill Rosenfails shoes, the Texans went out and signed Don Orlovsky. Orlovsky was a part time starter for those perfect Detroit Lions. Unfortunately perfection for the Lions is a low bar. 0-16 is perfect. Perfectly bad.

Orlovsky isn’t a major upgrade from Rosenfails. He is a capable starter and definitely isn’t any worse than Rosenfails. Like the man he replaces, Orlovsky is better known for his epic blunder than his success. Orlovsky evidently forgot the dimensions of the football field. He notoriously stepped out of the endzone against the Vikings for a safety. The margin of victory was two points (a 12-10 loss) and cost the Lions a chance of at least one win season.

Orlovsky now dons the steel blue and battle red of the Texans. Here’s hoping the only use the Texans have for him is mop up time in a blowout. And hopefully that blowout is in the Texans favor.

The Other Free Agents
The Texans have never been big players on the free agency scene. They probably will never chase free agents of Albert Haynesworth’s magnitude or make a trade for Julius Peppers. The current regime prefers to build through the draft and use free agents for depth. Matt Schaub is probably the biggest trade in the history of the club. Earth shattering trade it isn’t. It is by the standards of this club.

The big name free agent, again at least by the standards of this team, the Texans signed is defensive end Antonio Smith. Smith comes to the Texans from the Phoenix Cardinals. Smith will step in and start at left defensive in and sometimes move to the tackle spot on third down passing situations. The signing helps fill one obvious need on the defensive line and also allows the team to address other areas of need through the draft.

The Texans hope Smith can help alleviate some of the double teams on Mario Williams. He is Super Mario but he can’t do it all by himself. The other factor is the learning curve for a defensive end. Rookie seasons are usually a wash as they learn the game. The light didn’t go off in Williams’ head until the middle of his second season. The Texans can’t afford to wait another two seasons for a defensive lineman to learn on the job.

The other signing was defensive tackle Shaun Cody, also of the Detroit Lions. Who? That’s right. Who. The Lions had exactly one good player on defense and his name isn’t Cody. As on of the posters at InTheBullseye.com stated, “we already have a Travis Johnson.” Cody brings nothing to the table. Cody started four games last season. How bad are you when you can’t crack the starting line up on the worst team in football? The terms of his contract haven’t been released except for the dollar amount and number of years. If I had to guess, I think it’s all nonguaranteed money in the form of roster bonuses for making the team. Other than that he’s training camp fodder.

Mock Draft Overload

Mock drafts are an exercise in futility. There are numerous websites, experts, draft gurus, bloggers and columnists that put together mock drafts. They publish before free agency, post free agency, pre-combine, post combine and anytime someone breaks wind. For the most part, they don’t know what they are talking about. Talk show listeners call shows to talk about their research and ask the hosts questions regarding their mock drafts.

Yet it’s all for nothing. How many get it right? How many actually know what they are talking or writing about? Most are talking heads full of hot air. If they were actually good at what they do then they would either charge for their services or be on staff somewhere. I can understand the entertainment value of trying to construct a mock draft or two. I can’t understand a fan or journalist sitting in front of the TV and practically masturbating to the combine. It’s a total waste of time to create a mock draft before free agency, the combine and school pro days.

I prefer to read scouting reports and other reports about players but I put no value in reading mock drafts. I restrict my reading to the Houston Chronicle’s John McClain and Lance Zeirlien, Texans Chick aka Stephanie Stradley, InTheBullseye.com, DGDB&D and my Pro Football Weekly subscriptions. Also I prefer to read player rankings by position versus where they will go in the draft.

Texans Draft Preview

Another reason I don’t read mock drafts is that they are a steaming pile. The most glaring need for the Texans is on defense. Head coach Gary Kubiak has stated that the Texans want their first pick to be a starter. Other than center, they are set on the offense. Yet there are several websites that have the Texans taking offense. I’ve seen mock drafts taking Mark Sanchez, Beanie Wells, Keyshawn Moreno and Jeremy Maclin.

Defense, Defense, Defense
The obvious need for the Texans is defense. The Antonio Smith signing negates the need to draft an end. I also don’t think they take a tackle with the first pick. They are expecting Amobi Okoye to step up in his third season. They probably aren’t ready to give up on the Travis Johnson Experiment.

That leaves the linebackers and defensive backfield. DeMeco Ryans holds down the middle. Zac Diles and Xavier Adibi played on the outside. Diles played well enough until his season ending injury. Kevin Bentley took Ziles’ place and was at best adequate. Adibi may be snake bitten with the injury bug. Depth at linebacker is a concern. The starting corners and rotation is set with Jacques Reeves, Dunta Robinson, Fred Bennett and probably Antwuan Molden. At safety, they want to see what they have in Dominique Barber. Nick Ferguson re-signed with the team to return as a starter. Depth at safety is a definite need.

The defense needs a playmaker and starter to come out of this draft. Two would be great. The first position I look the Texans to take is at outside linebacker. There are several linebackers in this draft class expected to make an impact right away. Some have suggested the Texans take a middle linebacker and move DeMeco Ryans back to his college position on the outside. The Texans probably won’t do that. They hit the jackpot with Ryans in the middle. No need to move him outside when there are players available in the draft to take the outside. The lack of quality first round safeties also will push the Texans to take an outside linebacker.

It’s in the second round is where they will either look for the safety or a pass rushing end. With the plan to move Antonio Smith to tackle on some passing situations, they could possibly take an end they think can be a third down end.

Offense?
Two areas need to be addressed on offense.

The first is a second running back to spell starter Steve Slaton and pick up short yardage. Some fans have suggested a power back. With the zone block scheme the Texans use, a power back probably isn’t in the cards. A quick cutting back is what they look for.

The second area is depth on the offensive line. All five linemen started the sixteen games. According to who you believe and read, rookie Duane Brown had either a decent year or a bad year. Most believe he was a reach in the first round. Regardless he’s the starting left tackle the team has sought since its inception. Center Chris Meyer is undersized. However I don’t think they will want to mess with a starting line up that played all season together.

Despite what some alleged gurus claim, the Texans won’t take an offensive player with the first pick. Of course, never say never. There are two players that I might consider taking.

The Texans brain trust would be insane not to consider taking Texas Tech WR Michael Crabtree. I have two scenarios with Crabtree. As much as I like Kevin Walters as the second wideout, Crabtree would be a major upgrade and a nightmare to cover opposite of Andre Johnson. The other scenario is making a deal with a team than needs a wide receiver and swapping 1st round picks and picking up a second or third rounder.

The other player is Oklahoma State TE Brandon Pettigrew. There were some knocks on his times at the combine. Despite that he is the only first round talent at tight end. The Texans have an excellent TE in Owen Daniels but Pettigrew has a reputation as a great blocker. He is probably not a great fit for the Texans but I’d have to consider him before I move on to the next player on my board.

Connecticut running back Donald Brown intrigues me if he were still available when the Texans select in the second round. According to the Pro Football Weekly scouting report:

…best used on counters, misdirections and in space…Could really excel in zone blocking scheme.

He is projected as a borderline first rounder.

Exciting Time for the Texans and Their Fans

Obviously it’s an exciting time for all those involved with the Texans organization as coaches, players and fans. Expectations are higher than ever before. The team is gunning for its playoff appearance. There are still some many question marks on this team though. Can the defense improve? Will Matt Schaub stay healthy and reduce the turnovers? Can the Texans extend DeMeco Ryans, Owen Daniels and Dunta Robinson to keep them happy? Is new defensive coordinator Frank Bush an improvement over Richard Smith? None of these question can be answered until the team lines up and starts playing the games.

That’s it for this issue. Next month I’ll obviously review the draft. Also I’ll be posting updates to this newsletter on a website or blog.